Football Friday ... Week 3

It's only Week 3, but already we have several pivotal match ups for playoff positioning on tap tonight.

In Class 2A, Murray travels to Caldwell County in a battle of two teams expected to contend for the district title. Fulton City and Fulton County don't always share a great deal of love for each other, and they will clash in a key Class A contest. And there are all sorts of intriguing match ups in Class 6A, where Graves County hosts Marshall County and Daviess County takes on Henderson County in a meeting of what many feel are the best two teams in the district.

Doesn't it seem a bit early for these kinds of match ups, which in the past were usually reserved for the latter half of the 11-week regular-season?

"I don't like them this early," Caldwell coach David Barnes said. "I liked it better when we played them later in the season. Depending on the team and how you do, you're going to have teams whose (playoff fate) could be determined by week 5 or week 6."

When it went to a six-class format last season, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association mandated certain weeks for district contests. Five- and six-team districts begin play this week.

Murray's schedule is an extreme example of how early — perhaps too early — some of these match ups occur. The Tigers are expected to fight for the district title with Caldwell County and Trigg County, and they play those two ball clubs in their next two games. Their postseason fate — home game or road game in the first round of the playoffs — will likely be settled in the next two weeks, when they still have half a season or more to play.

"It just seems it would be more exciting for everybody if the top teams were playing their big district games at the end," Murray coach Steve Duncan said. "The state must have seen that, because they've moved everything back next year, when we're starting them later."

Marshall County coach Scott Shelton said he would like "maybe one more week, at least" to get ready for district games. "The way it works for us isn't that bad, because we play a district game and a week in between the next one. Then we get the little break at the end of the season, right before the playoffs. I can't gripe about that part.":

Fulton City's Wayne Lohaus doesn't like the fact that his team played crosstown rival South Fulton (Tenn.) last week, then has to turn around and play another emotional rivalry with Fulton County.

"We didn't have any choice in that," Lohaus said. "South Fulton is the biggest (rivalry) game of the year for us and Fulton County is our biggest (rivalry) district game. It would be nice for us to be able to spread out the district games and give us, as a border school, a chance to play some of (the Tennessee) teams early in the season before they get into their regions."

• Caldwell County's offense may have to regroup if quarterback Will Barnes can't play with the separated right (throwing) shoulder he sustained last week. Receiver Eric Faughn is back after getting stitches taken out of the webbing between the thumb and index finger on his hand, an injury that caused him to miss last week's 20-14 win over Glasgow.

Murray coach Steve Duncan is impressed with the Tigers' running game and defense. "They're not real big on defense, but they're quicker and faster across the board.

"And after seeing how well they did with it last week, maybe they're planning on running the ball more anyway. They've got some real good backs, and Barnes is good at escaping the rush and getting some big gains when everybody is covered."

• Marshall County quarterback Denver Seay threw for four touchdowns and ran for one in last week's 48-37 loss to Hopkinsville, but his five interceptions also put the Marshals' defense in some rocky situations.

"We're just telling him not to predetermine what receiver he's throwing to," Marshall coach Scott Shelton said. "Josh Madding is our big-play guy, but we've got to spread the ball around a little more."

• At Graves County, coach Mike Rogers isn't totally shocked at his team's 2-0 start. Many thought the Eagles would lose to Massac County and Paducah Tilghman, teams they beat by two touchdowns-plus.

"These kids expected to win," Rogers said. "They're more conscious of what people say about them, almost to where they have a chip on their shoulder. That's why I'm worried now after two wins. Their talent level isn't the best we've had, but their effort has been extraordinary. These guys have taken the underdog role to heart."

Rogers feels the defense, led by safeties Dustin Collins and Dillon Pirtle and linebacker Cass McAlpin, has been much better than anticipated, as has the special teams play.

"We've laid some nice shots on people," Rogers said. "This is the hardest-hitting team I've coached here."