Several area teams will hit the field for their season openers on Friday, including defending Class A state champion Beechwood, while local powers Covington Catholic and Simon Kenton are looking for 2-0 starts as the second week of competition kicks off in Northern Kentucky high school football.
Here are nine storylines to follow during this weekend's action:
Can Lexington Catholic slow down AJ Mayer and the CovCath offense?
Covington Catholic (1-0) at Lexington Catholic (1-0), 8:45 p.m.
Covington Catholic senior quarterback AJ Mayer was "the dude" last Friday, according to Colonels coach Eddie Eviston. The Miami University recruit completed 14 of 23 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and added 18 yards on three carries and two more touchdowns as CovCath cruised past Ryle, 49-17, at CovCath,
Mayer connected with seven different receivers Friday and threw touchdown passes to three different receivers -- senior Alex Christmann, sophomore Michael Mayer (his younger brother) and junior Jack Coldiron. Sam Schuh made four catches and Malachi Pike added three. Michael Mayer and Coldiron each made two catches.
Junior Casey McGinness led the Colonels out of the backfield with 60 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
The CovCath defense was stifling as well and the Colonels outgained Ryle, 398-288 overall, including 267-97 in the air. But Lexington Catholic was impressive as well last week in a 34-24 win over Madison Central, outgaining Central 508-253. Beau Allen directs a high-powered Knights offense and threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns against Central. Nathan Schnurr, Carson Brownell and Gavin Cameron are Allen's top target and Dameon Jones is the featured back. Jones carried 23 times for 97 yards and a touchdown last week.
If both quarterbacks get rolling, this could be a shootout.
"We have plenty to improve," Eviston said after Game 1. "We need some more guys to step up. We need to get some other guys ready to go so we can add some more depth."
Another big game for Shearer and Simon Kenton?
Simon Kenton (1-0) at Bryan Station (0-1), 7:30 p.m.
Bryan Station struggled mightily last week in a 28-0 loss to Lafayette, allowing 341 total yards, including 263 on the ground. So it could be another big game for the Pioneers offense under new starting quarterback senior Matt Shearer.
Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry was confident in his new QB after a strong performance in limited time under center in 2016, but Shearer was especially strong in a 47-13 win at Meade County last week. The senior completed 19 of 27 passes for 213 yards and four first-half touchdown passes while adding 56 yards on eight carries and two more touchdowns. Senior Sam Murray was Shearer's top target, catching seven passes for 96 yards and two scores. Sophomore Austin Hammack added 122 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown for Simon Kenton.
The Pioneers defense allowed only 215 yards, so Bryan Station, a team Simon Kenton beat 50-7 last season, could be in for another long night.
Beechwood opens Class A state title defense
Beechwood (0-0) at Lloyd (1-0), 7 p.m.
The Tigers have seven starters back on offense and eight on defense from last season's team that went 14-1 and ended Beechwood's state-title drought with a 21-14 win over Hazard last Dec. 2, securing the program's 12th state title and its first since 2008.
Senior quarterback Brayden Burch is the top returner after completing 151 of 236 passes for 2,407 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2016 with only six interceptions.
Class 2A Lloyd beat West Jessamine 34-14 last Friday and the Juggernauts get the first crack at Northern Kentucky's only defending state champion. Lloyd quarterback Jordan Fann threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns and added 81 yards and three more scores on the ground last week.
"These young men are talented, but none of that will matter if we don't have the mental toughness needed to carry us through the off-season and each week of the season," Beechwood coach Noel Rash said.
Who is under center for Ryle?
Ryle (0-1) vs. Henry Clay (0-1) at Lexington Catholic, 6:15 p.m.
Ryle coach Mike Engler was hoping big-play running back Jake Chisholm and an experienced offensive line would help take the pressure off a new starting quarterback early this season, but things didn't go well in Game 1 during the 49-17 loss last week at CovCath.
Junior quarterback Jake Smith hit Chisholm with a 75-yard swing pass for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage last week, but faded from there. Smith completed 9 of 15 passes for 100 yards and was replaced by senior Easton Pilyer in the second half, who completed only 1 of 6 passes for negative-3 yards.
Chisholm mustered only 39 yards on 12 carries and Kyle England added 118 yards on eight carries, much of which came after the outcome was no longer in doubt.
"The problem was that we couldn't throw downfield," Engler said. "And when we couldn't throw downfield, they were just teeing off on (Chisholm). Once they figured out we couldn't throw the ball downfield, they were stopping the run. Even a great runner like Chisholm can't do it against eight or nine defenders."
So, the Raiders focused this week on a solution under center ahead of a matchup with Henry Clay. The Blue Devils were blown out by Tates Creek, 48-0, last week.
"We have to get better," Engler said. "That's about it."
Highlands seeks to avenge 2016 loss to Campbell County
Campbell County (1-0) at Highlands (1-0), 7 p.m.
Campbell County's 24-21 win over Highlands last Aug. 26 was the Camels' first over the Bluebirds since 1991 -- when Camels coach Stephen Lickert was in seventh grade at Highlands Middle School -- and just the 10th win over Highlands in 63 games.
But most important for Highlands, it was the beginning of a seven-game losing streak and the first domino to fall in an extremely un-Highlands-like football season. The Bluebirds won only three games overall and exited the Class 5A playoffs the first week of the postseason. It was the worst record since 1955 for a program with 26 state titles and winning expectations.
The Birds kicked off 2017 with a 42-22 win at Cooper last week and hope to go 2-0 this week. Junior running back Cooper Schwalbach was the key force in Game 1 with 150 yards on 29 carries and four touchdowns for Highlands.
Campbell County's path to two-straight is on the ground
Campbell County (1-0) at Highlands (1-0), 7 p.m.
If the Camels make it two in a row over Highlands, running back Alex Dowds will likely be the key. Dowds scored all four Campbell County touchdowns on the ground in a 27-23 comeback win over Dixie Heights last Friday.
Meanwhile, the Camels will need to limit the damage on the ground on defense. Dixie gained 198 yards rushing last week against the Camels. The Bluebirds amassed only 251 yards against Cooper and 158 of those came in the run game, so look for both teams to try to pound the ball on the ground.
NewCath continues early-season big-school stretch
Cooper (0-1) at Newport Central Catholic (1-0), 7 p.m.
The Class 2A Thoroughbreds passed their first test in a grueling early-season schedule last week with a 17-7 win over Class 4A Scott, but will face a bigger school this week in Class 6A Cooper, and the Jaguars are looking for their first win of the season.
Cooper's 45-14 win last season was the first of three straight losses to bigger schools for the Breds in 2016. Just like last season, NewCath will follow with games against Class 6A Campbell County and defending Class 3A state champion Belfry the next two weeks.
Junior Kyle Kelly led the Breds offense against Scott with 160 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and new quarterback junior Hunter Cain added 30 yards on 12 carries while completing 6 of 12 passes for 125 yards with an interception. Senior Jason Decker gained 17 yards on four carries and added a touchdown run.
Young Jaguars need a win
Cooper (0-1) at Newport Central Catholic (1-0), 7 p.m.
Sophomore running back Anthony Witschey was the bright spot last week for Cooper in the 42-22 loss to Highlands with 123 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. But the play at quarterback has to improve for what coach Randy Borchers called one of the youngest teams in the program's now 10-year history with only three starters back.
Junior Mikey Armour completed 2 of 7 passes for seven yards and two interceptions last week and sophomore quarterback Jacob Linder completed 1 of 7 passes for eight yards and three more interceptions. Highlands senior defensive back Joe Steiden set a school record with four of the five interceptions thrown by Cooper quarterbacks. Taylor Harrison's interception and 46-yard touchdown return put the Bluebirds ahead for good in the third quarter.
Conner and Boone County open seasons
Boone County (0-0) at Conner (0-0), 7 p.m.
Conner was 9-3 last season and has Eastern Kentucky recruit and senior guard Peyton Knippenberg back to join senior center Josh Walls and senior guard James Neal on an experienced offensive line. That should help as the Cougars break in a new quarterback. Senior Cooper Gullion, who completed his two pass attempts in 2016 for 27 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore Jared Hicks were both in competition for the spot this summer.
Boone County, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from a 1-10 season in 2016 in which the Rebels lost their first eight games -- including a 36-7 loss to Conner last Aug. 26.
