Class A extras ...

Hope you enjoyed our preview on Class A football in far western Kentucky. Here are some random musings left over from talking to area coaches ...

• If the new playoff format looks a lot like the old one, it's because it is. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association went back to the format used from 1991-2005, when teams crossed over into other districts in the first round of the playoffs.

In Class A, that means some long road trips for some teams in Districts 1 and 2. District 1 is anchored in far western Kentucky; District 2 is centered in the Louisville area. Whichever teams finish third and fourth in their respective districts will have to make road trips of three hours or more.

The best bets to earn home games in District 2 are perennial power Louisville Holy Cross and relative newcomer Bethlehem, the Catholic school in Bardstown. So that means that if Fulton County hits the road for its playoff opener, it's looking at a 260-plus mile road trip.

Ain't that a lot of fun?

• Mayfield head coach Joe Morris has been his own offensive coordinator for several seasons but elected to take over the defense after longtime coordinator Brad Lawson left to join the staff at Paducah Tilghman. Stephen Hatchell, a former quarterback at archrival Graves County who played college football at Murray State and Campbellsville, will do the offensive play-calling for the Cardinals.

Hatchell may open up the offense a little. Mayfield's running game has always been its bread-and-butter and will continue as such, but reports from the Cardinals' scrimmages are that they may be spreading the field a little more than they have in the past.

• Crittenden County won't be fielding the team it expected to last spring, thanks to two projected key starters moving away and two others opting not to play football this fall. Nevertheless, coach Al Starnes insists he's enjoying preseason practice.

"We've had no distractions," Starnes said. "These kids are working hard and they're fun to coach. We don't have to worry about suspensions — the last three years, we've had a major player ineligible or suspended or leave and decide not to play. Last season, we started out with some internal issues (two players were dismissed from the squad and another was ineligible), started out 0-5 and finally pulled some things together and finished on a positive note. We played Mayfield tough in the playoffs and lost 24-21."

• Jacquise Lockett will take over Dae'Ron Williams' role as Fulton City's featured running back. Coach Wayne Lohaus feels he's up to the task.

"He was mainly our fullback last year, and statistically, he had a better year as a sophomore than Dae'Ron did," Lohaus said. "He's a different type of runner. He's bigger, stronger and more powerful, although Dae'Ron had more speed and finesse."

The Bulldogs look a little thin in the offensive and defensive lines, and Lohaus is worried about the defense, especially the secondary. "The first two teams we play (Tennessee teams West Carroll and South Fulton) don't throw that much, but Crittenden is our third game and they can throw it. We're not as quick in the back as we were last year, when we had Dae'Ron and Blake Lawson back there."

• Ballard Memorial coach Chris Cooper thinks he has a backfield that can match up with any in Class A with Taylor Edging, Nathan Bledsoe and former quarterback Josh Bourff sharing the ball. The new quarterback is sophomore Alex Mallory.

Cooper was an offensive lineman at Paducah Tilghman in the late 1980s and he's hoping to rebuild Ballard's program in that mold. He's especially sold on the concept of emphasizing speed, particularly on the defense.

And he thinks Ballard could be a powerhouse program some days. "We're fighting for a state championship, not just for wins," Cooper said. "Are those high expectations for us? Of course, but other teams have turned it around, too."

• James Bridges, now the coach at Fulton County, was a star two-way lineman in his day in Pilot blue and gold and later started at defensive tackle for Murray State. He has some beef on his current roster with 6-8, 300-pound Jacob Goodman and 6-2, 320-pound Kadarius Bransford.

He's also counting heavily on a pair of freshmen in the offense in running back LaDevin Fair and receiver Derrick Swift. Defense is a concern, because the Pilots could start three or four freshmen on that side of the ball.

There aren't many Class A teams that play a tougher non-district schedule than the Pilots, who open with Hopkins Central and later play Calloway County — both teams are expected to be regional contenders in Class 4A. Fulton County also meets Trigg County and Murray, who could end up as the top two teams in their Class 2A district.