At the halfway point of the regular season for our county football teams, Madison Southern, Madison Central and Berea are all under .500.
At this juncture of a high school football season, teams begin to find their identity and what works for their players.
Tonight, each county football team plays a key home game. While every Madison County team can win, does one team need a win more than the others?
Let’s break it down.
The best team in the county so far is Madison Southern, who sits at 2-3. While the season has been up and down for Southern, the team and head coach Mark Payne are still looking for that signature win that can really bolster a team to do something special.
Tonight is a golden opportunity for the Eagles to get that key win against a 4-1 Mercer County team coached by former UK great Craig Yeast. While Southern has beaten Madison Central and Henry Clay, those teams combined records are 0-10, so tonights game is massive for the Eagles to put themselves on the map in the 5A conversation.
For the Eagles rival up north, Madison Central is more than desperate for a victory. Now sitting at 0-5, the team is hosting a 1-4 Great Crossing squad for homecoming this evening. This game is a chance for the Indians to show some improvement on both ends of the ball, especially offensive as the team has mustered only 20 points in the last four weeks.
Injuries and transfers have hurt Madison Central in all fairness. In football it is a next man up kinda sport, so the Indians have to buckle down and play good football soon, or their daunting district schedule will in all fairness eat them alive.
Berea’s 0-5 start is a little different. With a new head coach in Jonathon Thomas and a very young roster, the Pirates have taken their hits on the chin so far this season. The remaining schedule does not get any easier.
We will really see the true form of this team when they compete against the likes of an undefeated Sayre, 4-1 Eminence and a 1-3 Frankfort.
Tonight, the Pirates host Jackson County who sits at a solid 3-2 on the season. This game is key for a chance at building winning momentum for the rest of the schedule.
While some may think one Madison County team needs a win more tonight over the others, the truth is that all three teams need a win tonight to set themselves up for late season runs.
