By Don Owen
NKyTribune sports editor
The KHSAA has announced the pairings for the virus-delayed state football playoffs, and a featured matchup in Northern Kentucky has Covington Catholic hosting Cooper at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 in a Class 5A showdown.
CovCath enters the playoffs with a 7-1 record and is the defending Class 5A state champion. The Colonels watched their 22-game winning streak come to an end on Nov. 6 during a 29-28 loss at Lexington Catholic.
CovCath’s Caleb Jacob finds an opening against Highlands earlier this season. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
Caleb Jacob has passed for 1,415 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead CovCath. His favorite target is Ethan Reardon, who has caught 32 passes for 539 yards and four touchdowns. CovCath is ranked No. 4 in the Class 5A state poll.
Cooper is 3-5 and dropped a 41-0 decision to CovCath earlier this season. Cooper features Jeremiah Lee, who has rushed for 911 yards and eight touchdowns. Lee has also thrown for 507 yards and five touchdowns.
The two teams also met in the first round of last year’s Class 5A playoffs, and the Colonels coasted to a 41-6 victory in Park Hills.
In the other local Class 5A district playoff game, Highlands (4-5) will play at Conner (3-3) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20. Highlands posted a 36-0 win over Conner earlier this season in Hebron.
A year ago, Conner eliminated Highlands from the playoffs with a 38-28 victory.
In Class 6A, Dixie Heights (4-3) will play host to Simon Kenton (3-6) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20. The winner will meet Ryle (6-3), which received a first-round bye after Campbell County withdrew from the playoffs.
Newport (4-3) plays host to Lloyd (3-2) in a Class 2A battle at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20. The Wildcats rallied in the fourth quarter earlier this season to defeat the Juggernauts by a 19-13 score in Erlanger.
The Newport/Lloyd winner will take on Beechwood — which received a first-round bye after Holy Cross withdrew from the playoffs — on Nov. 27 in Fort Mitchell.
In Class 4A, Holmes will play host to Boyd County on Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs (7-2) enter the playoffs having won six consecutive games and are the No. 1 seed in their district.
Twin brothers Quantez Calloway (left) and Tayquan Calloway have led Holmes to six straight wins.
Holmes is led by Quantez Calloway, who has rushed for 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns. His twin brother, Tayquan, has added 773 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Tayquan Calloway also leads Holmes with five interceptions.
Holmes posted a 26-15 win at Boyd County (3-4) earlier this season. The Holmes/Boyd County winner will meet either Harrison County or Rowan County in the second round on Nov. 27. Holmes is ranked No. 8 in the Class 4A state poll.
Dayton (5-3) visits Ludlow (3-5) in a Class 1A playoff game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20. In their regular-season meeting, Ludlow pulled out a 22-12 win over Dayton on Oct. 23.
The Ludlow/Dayton winner will meet Newport Central Catholic, which received a first-round bye after Bellevue withdrew from the playoffs.
Bishop Brossart (5-3) meets Bracken County (1-4) in a Class 1A playoff game on Nov. 20 in Alexandria. The Mustangs already own a 34-6 win over the Polar Bears this season.
The Bishop Brossart/Bracken County winner faces either Paris or Nicholas County in the second round.
The KHSAA announced that 10 schools withdrew from the upcoming football playoffs. They are:
Class 1A: Bellevue, Caverna, Fairview
Class 2A: Holy Cross
Class 3A: Garrard County
Class 4A: Anderson County, Bourbon County
Class 6A: Campbell County, Marshall County, Louisville Southern
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO KHSAA PLAYOFFS
Dixie Heights will take on Simon Kenton in a Class 6A playoff game. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
Don Owen is sports editor of the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Contact him at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport.
