As you look at this week’s matchup between Hopkinsville and Franklin-Simpson in the Class 4A playoffs one thing is clear, somebody’s winning streak will have to come to an end. Most of us know the story about the Tigers. Hopkinsville opened the season at 1-6, and suffered the tragic loss of one of their own, before ripping off a five game winning streak to reach this week’s regional final.
When you look back at the 1-6 start for the Tigers though, there were hints that a run like this might be possible. Of those six losses, three came down to the final moments of the game: a 13-12 loss to Logan County; a 15-12 loss to Christian County; and a 28-21 loss to Caldwell County. Plus, the Tigers were more than competitive in a 35-20 loss to Madisonville. So, with a break here or there, it would not be hard to see the Tigers sitting at 9-3, instead of their current 6-6.
Additionally, the Tiger defense has been a beast of late. Over the last six games, including the earlier loss to Logan County, the Tigers have given up only 34 points. Over the last five games, no one has scored more than 8 points on the Tiger defense, and Logan County did that after Hopkinsville had already jumped on top of them 43-0. Add in a 16-9 win over Paducah Tilghman earlier in the season, and in half their games so far Hopkinsville has held their opponents under 10 points.
On the other side of the ball this week is a somewhat similar story. Franklin-Simpson opened the season at 2-3, following a loss to Meade County. Since that time, the Wildcats have been a different team. A seven game winning streak began with a win over Glasgow. Over the last six games, Franklin-Simpson has given up only 39 points, while their offense has exploded for 285 points.
Hopkinsville and Franklin-Simpson are meeting for the fifth time in playoff history. Hoptown won the matchups in 2001, 2003, and 2005. The Wildcats won the last meeting 28-21 in overtime in 2015. The Tigers are making their first appearance in the region title game since 2006, while Franklin-Simpson beat South Warren 33-16 to win the Region 1 title last year and advance to the Class 4A championship game.
There are plenty of story lines going into this matchup, but only one thing is clear, somebody’s streak has to end Friday night in Franklin.
