If you will indulge me for a moment or two, following is my annual Thanksgiving Day message, and I sincerely hope it isn’t too maudlin or preachy.
There are many of us who stress over what we don’t have, and take for granted all that we do enjoy. Our daily lives can be a grind; there is so much occurring at such a rapid rate that it becomes difficult to pause and reflect on what is most important.
Gratitude is a trait that the majority of us don’t practice, at least not as much as we should. Thanksgiving Day should always be much more than a day of gorging ourselves with an overabundance of food, and become a day of being grateful for our many blessings.
While searching for a definition of the word gratitude, I found a meaningful passage on the Psychology Today website, which says the following:
“Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. It is the recognition of value independent of monetary wealth. It is an affirmation of goodness and warmth. The social emotion strengthens relationships, and its roots run deep in evolutionary history – emanating from the survival value of helping others and being helped in return.”
I certainly could not have said it better, and I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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24 TEAMS STILL ALIVE – The six classes of high school football in the Bluegrass State are each down to their final four teams,
meaning that the winners of Friday night’s games will advance to chilly Kroger Field – I still prefer Commonwealth Stadium — to play in their respective title games next week.
Northern Kentucky schools are well represented as usual, with five teams vying for spots in Lexington next week.
In Class 2A, Beechwood is seeking its 18th state championship, after the Tigers won its 11th consecutive region title last week, a 44-7 blowout of Martin County. The Fort Mitchell school takes an eight-game winning streak and a 12-1 record into Friday’s clash against 11-2 Lexington Christian Academy, which has won 11 straight after beginning the year with losses to Boyle County (35-13) and Franklin County (39-33).
Beechwood nipped LCA in Class 2A state championship matchups in 2020 and 2021 by 24-23 and 23-21 scores, so the Eagles will be looking to turn the tables on the Tigers.
Both teams feature high-powered offenses and the game promises to be another close one. Senior quarterback Clay Hayden has led the Tigers by completing 153-of-228 passes for 2,545 yards and 44 touchdowns.
The winner will meet the winner of the Somerset at Owensboro Catholic game in Lexington. The 13-0 Aces are favored to get past the Briar Jumpers (9-4) on their home turf.
Covington Catholic, which surprised nearly everybody with its 31-28 win at Boyle County last Friday, faces another tough challenge in Frankfort. The Colonels, who have won 11 in a row after dropping its first pair of games to Ryle and Highlands, will be going up against the 12-0 Franklin County Flyers, whose only close game was a 39-33 win over Lexington Christian. Junior QB Cash Harney is the player to watch for CovCath; he has run for
1,312 yards and 18 touchdowns, and tossed for 1,193 yards and 13 scores.
The winner will face the winner of the Corbin (12-1) at 13-0 Paducah Tilghman clash for the state title.
In Class 5A, what some are referring to as the game of the week in all classes, will feature Highlands (11-2) heading to Union to take on 13-0 Cooper, and seeking revenge for a couple of recent setbacks. The Jaguars defeated the Bluebirds 24-21 on Sept. 28, and eliminated Highlands 17-15 in the Class 5A state semifinals last year.
Highlands is also on a mission to claim their 24th state title, while Cooper is attempting to get their first. The Jags will be counting on a big performance from junior QB Cam O’Hara, who has thrown for 3,070 yards and 45 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He has completed 182-of-275 pass attempts, with senior Isaiah Johnson (1,089 yards, 22 scores) his favorite target. Junior Keegan Maher leads the Cooper ground game with 1,433 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The winner will meet the winner of the Bowling Green at South Warren game. The 11-2 Purples will be looking to avenge a 28-24 loss to the Spartans (12-1) on Oct. 18.
The fifth northern Kentucky team in action on Friday will be another Union school, the Ryle Raiders. Ryle (11-2) will be hosting 10-3 Great Crossing in a class 6A semifinal. The Raiders have won seven straight since falling at St. Xavier 31-24 on Oct. 4. Junior QB Nathan Verax has thrown for 1,922 yards and 26 touchdowns for Ryle, and junior Jacob Savage has rushed for 985 yards and 20 scores.
The winner will face the winner of the Frederick Douglass (9-4) at Trinity (11-2) game in the 6A title matchup next week.
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BOLEY TAKES OVER AS SIGNAL CALLER– It was a tale of good and bad for the Kentucky Wildcats in their venture to Austin Saturday afternoon.
As expected, the Texas Longhorns cruised to a 31-14 win, but for those betting folks out there that put their money on Kentucky, the Cats did them a favor by barely topping the spread. The primary positive in a loss that dropped UK to 4-7 and in the throes of a disappointing season was the emergence of a new starting quarterback.
Freshman Cutter Boley acquitted himself quite well in a hostile environment after taking over for Brock Vandagriff in the second half. The Lexington Christian Academy product showed a nice touch and completed 10-of-18 passes for 160 yards and didn’t appear rattled by a strong Texas defensive line.
UK Coach Mark Stoops announced Boley will be the starter in the annual grudge match against 7-4 Louisville on Saturday afternoon in Lexington. We’ll have more to say about the Governor’s Cup showdown in Saturday’s column.
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“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
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“We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown.” – Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
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“I like football. I find it’s an exciting game. It’s a great way to avoid conversation with your family at Thanksgiving.” – Craig Ferguson
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“For years it has been a rule with me not to expose my gratitude in print on Thanksgiving Day, but I wish to break the rule now and pour out my thankfulness; for there is more of it than I can contain without straining myself.” – Mark Twain
