Sorry I've been AWOL over the last week.  With the perfect storm of basketball season starting and football season ending, life is a blur right now.  With that said,  I can't wait for Friday night.  The war of attrition has left us with two teams. 

We'll start with Lone Oak.  People...the debate is over.  Lone Oak is really, really good.  End of story.  Film at 11.  Here's my playoff chart that you can feel free to steal.  For every game you win in the playoffs, you get a certain label placed on you.

• 1 playoff win: You're good.
• 2 playoff wins: You're very good.
• 3 playoff wins: You're really, really good.
• 4 playoff wins: You're great.
• 5 playoff wins: You're the best.

Are they a great team?  Let me check my chart...nope, not yet.  But they do have great heart.  I watched the beginning of last week's game with North Bullitt and my jaw dropped at how flat they were.  You just shouldn't be flat at home playing in your first-ever state quarterfinal game.  Down 19-0, I wrongfully assumed it wasn't their night.  All it took was one Jamarielle Brown kickoff return for a TD and suddenly Flash Field was alive, and that offense never looked back.

If we've learned anything during the past 13 weeks, you can't score enough against this Lone Oak team.  They can score at will...and as last week showed, they can score in all three phases of the game. 

Warren East is also a really, really good team.  Only one can be great.  I've got a purple jacket in my office hand-delivered by a young Lone Oak fan.  I'm wearing it if they make the state finals.  What more motivation do the Flash need then me looking like a clown, yet again, on television?  Pack up the bus kids...you're heading to Louisville.

Prediction:  Lone Oak 34, Warren East 31

Paducah Tilghman will also get a huge test from Louisville Central.  Central was just 5-5 heading into the playoffs.  Don't be fooled by those numbers.  Their five losses were to:

• (#3 in 6A) Dupont Manual 20-13
• (#5 in 6A) Male 38-8
• (#10 in 5A) Johnson Central 48-29
• (#1 in 6A) St. Xavier 35-7
• (#1 in 5A) Highlands 21-13

They not only played the heavyweights this year, they went after the SUPER-heavyweights.  But...while they played them all close, Central couldn't beat any of them.  Of course, not many have beaten those teams this year.

I like the fact Tilghman is at home.  I don't like the fact Tilghman has had little to no homefield advantage.  When they played Boyle County in 2003 in the state semis, there were roughly 8,000 people (a very rough estimate) there and the place was packed.  If this year has shown me anything, I'd be surprised if there are more than 800 people at Tilghman tomorrow night.  I hope I'm wrong.  This team deserves more.

I'm also a big believer in destiny.  Paducah Tilghman lost a member of their football family almost two months ago when junior receiver Dontell Jefferson died in a car accident.  They haven't lost since his death.  I just can't believe that's by coincidence.  Perry Thomas says he feels like an angel has looked down over this team during the last two months.  You can kind of see his point.

Tilghman's situation can be summed up like this.  Running back Malik Curtley told Dontell's mom after his death that the Blue Tornado were going to state this year and they were going to do it for Dontell.  What more of a reason do you need to root for this team?

I might be picking with my heart instead of my head...but in my heart, I feel like Dontell's team has one more win in them.

Prediction: Paducah Tilghman 28, Central 27.

I hope everybody enjoys the games and we'll check in tomorrow after the action is over.

As always, the floor is yours.