Football leftovers ... Week 4

Old friends, they aren't, and the hype might not be quite at the fever pitch that characterized last year's playoff game, but there is little doubt that this week's get-together between Lone Oak and Calloway County is the marquee matchup on this week's schedule.

Some things to watch for, based on three observations of Calloway and a little tape review of Lone Oak's three blowout wins:

Calloway has a couple of issues right now, the offensive line and the secondary. Casey Brockman was sacked six times in last week's loss to Marshall County, and two weeks prior to that, Trigg County's pass rush was a contributing factor in Brockman completing just eight passes in 28 attempts.

It was easy to dismiss some of the early-season problems because of injuries to tackle Grant Williams and guard Logan Burks, but both were back on the field last week — perhaps not 100 percent, but they were in the lineup. Still, the protection of Brockman left a lot to be desired.

The secondary showed a tendency to bite a little too often on the quarterback rolling out of the pocket, leaving itself vulnerable against the pass. That will be something Calloway defensive coordinator Tracy Cleaver addresses this week as the Lakers prepare for Lone Oak's spread offense and dual threat quarterback Jamarielle Brown.

Lone Oak's biggest question is the defense, which remains largely untested. The Purple Flash has been moving people in and out of the lineup and in and out of various positions to find a combination that works. For all the talk about Lone Oak's high-powered offense last year, it was the defense that was as much of a factor in Lone Oak's rise as anything else. And the losses on that side of the ball were heavier than those on the offensive end.

• McKenty at Marshal: Scott McKenty, one of the region's better basketball players, will join the Marshall County football team this week.

McKenty, a starting guard for the Marshals' regional semifinalists last season, played football through his freshman year but only recently decided to rejoin the program. His quickness and athleticism figures to help the depth-strapped Marshals at receiver and in the secondary. Two of his basketball teammates, Josh Madding and Denver Seay, are critical two-way starters for Marshall, who visits Apollo in a Class 6A district game.

• Games to watch: Daviess County was the preseason favorite in the 6A district race, but the Panthers' high-powered offense has been hurt by some injuries. Daviess committed five turnovers against Henderson County, but managed to rally from a 19-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Colonels 36-33 in overtime two weeks ago. And Daviess was thumped 40-20 by crosstown rival Owensboro last week.

Crittenden County visits Mayfield in what could be a matchup of the top two teams in the Class A district race. Ballard Memorial, which rebounded nicely from its disappointing loss to Mayfield by thumping Fulton County, takes on Fulton City. A win for the Bombers keeps alive their chances of hosting a first-round playoff game.

In southern Illinois, Massac County hosts Benton, with the winner maintaining a share of the lead in the River-to-River Conference race. Benton was 3-15 over the last two seasons but adapted a spread offense similar to that used by Massac and is off to a 3-1 start, including a come-from-behind 20-17 win over archrival West Frankfort.

• 4A shuffle: Lone Oak and Calloway fans should keep an eye on the District 2 race, where Allen County is in line to become the surprise district champion. The Patriots have already knocked off co-district favorites Warren East and Franklin-Simpson, putting them squarely in the driver's seat with remaining district games against Logan County and Russell County.

Warren East, which fell to Lone Oak 38-35 in the state semifinals last fall, has been wracked by injuries but should be a big factor in the postseason.