KSR Today: Saturdays are for Championships
For the first time in a long time, it’s a Saturday without Kentucky sports. There’s only been one since August and this will likely be the last one for a few months. Tomorrow we will learn the postseason fate of the Kentucky football team and watch the Wildcats take on the Wolverines in London. Speaking of…
Until then, there are championships at stake. We’ve got a Saturday full of conference championships to decide and three more state championship games at Kroger. On top of it all, there’s a pretty big soccer match happening on the other side of the world.
KHSAA Football State Championships
In Class 1A, Pikeville scored on the first play of the game, an 85-yard touchdown, en route to a 41-9 win over Raceland for their second straight state championship. The other two title games were thrillers.
Trailing 14-7 Mayfield forced a late fumble in the Class 2A final. The Cardinals rallied to score a touchdown with just over a minute on the clock, but the game-tying PAT sailed off the upright. Heartbreak. Beechwood eliminated Mayfield for the second straight year to win its 17th state championship.
The Class 4A title had just as many fireworks. In a battle of bad blood between Corbin and Boyle County, Justin Haddix’s Rebels once again had the upper hand. This time it was thanks to Kentucky commit Tommy Ziesmer. The defensive lineman lined up in the backfield and put the team on his back to carry the Rebels to victory.
Today’s games could get even crazier. Can’t make it to Kroger Field? You can stream the game online through the NFHS Network by paying a small fee for the monthly subscription or listen to radio play-by-play for free. You can also catch all of the games at KSBar and Grille. Saturday’s championship slate:
3A: Christian Academy of Louisville (14-0) vs. Bardstown (14-0) – 12 p.m. ET
6A: Bullitt East (13-1) vs. Male (10-4) – 4 p.m. ET
5A: Frederick Douglass (14-0) vs. Bowling Green (12-2) – 8 p.m. ET
8 Conference Championships
Conference-USA and the PAC-12 kicked off the final regular season weekend of college football by crowning champions Friday night. The Roadrunners from UTSA ran away with the C-USA title, while things got wonky in Vegas. USC and Utah were all knotted at 17 halfway through the third quarter when Money Parks got loose on a 3rd and 19 for a 57-yard Utah touchdown. The Utes outscored USC 31-7 in the second half to knock USC out of the CFB Playoff and create a chaotic conference championship Saturday.
- Big 12: #10 Kansas State vs. #3 TCU, Noon, ABC
- MAC: Toledo vs. Ohio, Noon, ESPN
- Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina at Troy, 3:30, ESPN
- SEC: #14 LSU vs. #1 Georgia, 4:00, CBS
- AAC: #22 UCF at #18 Tulane, 4:00, ABC
- Mountain West: Fresno State at Boise State, 4:00, Fox
- ACC: #9 Clemson vs. #23 North Carolina, 8:00, ABC
- Big Ten: Purdue vs. #2 Michigan, 8:00, Fox
Team USA in the Round of 16
Just like everyday, it’s a great day to be in the U.S.A. The lads are taking the pitch to re-establish world domination. The first victim: the Netherlands. Like Nigel Powers, there are two things I can’t stand in this world — people who are intolerant of other people’s cultures, and the Dutch.
A win will move the USMNT into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. I believe that we will win. The action begins at 10 am on Fox. Take a look at the rest of the bracket.
Kentucky Volleyball Advances in NCAA Tournament
The Wildcats championship hopes remain alive. The Kentucky volleyball team advanced to the Sweet 16 after back-to-back sweeps at Memorial Coliseum. Azhani Tealer had 13 kills to lead Kentucky propel the Cats past WKU in three sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-21). SEC Player of the Year Emma Grome had 40 assists, four digs and a block in the W. Kentucky will return to the court Thursday, likely playing for a Final Four berth at Stanford.
The Transfer Portal is Poppin
The college football transfer does not open until Monday, yet people are already jumping in, or publicly announcing they will be in the portal once the free agency period begins. So far seven Wildcats have shared they will be leaving Lexington, and the snowball is just starting to roll downhill. Prepare for chaos.
The Wait is the Hardest Part
As Wildcats announce they are leaving, many across the BBN want to know who will be coming to Kentucky via the transfer portal. Kentucky fans must wait until at least Monday, but it will take even longer to learn who could be the Cats’ next signal caller. KSR’s Matt Jones preached patience Friday afternoon, informing fans that Mark Stoops will not be rushing to make a decision about his next quarterback or offensive coordinator.
“I don’t think there is going to be an immediate decision on the offensive coordinator. A couple of the main targets are still involved in their seasons and that complicates things. I still think (Liam) Coen is a/the primary target but there are at least two more big ones as well,” KSR’s Matt Jones shared Friday morning.
“The QBs Kentucky is targeting in the portal all know the situation and I don’t think the time it takes to hire an offensive coordinator will affect their decision substantially,” Jones said. “Kentucky is in good position with at least one QB currently in the portal and one that hasn’t even announced yet.”
Victor Wembanyama is Built for Championships
This guy is an alien. He does things on the basketball court that should not be humanly possible. The latest:
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