Football Friday ... Week 6

Each Friday night, my cellphone serves as a clearinghouse for scores between a select group of media types and hardcore fans throughout western Kentucky. Last Friday's batch of text messages, it's safe to say, were a little jolting.

Mayfield, which had never lost to Crittenden County in nine previous meetings, was "physically whipped" according to one observer in a 27-14 loss. Paducah Tilghman, 25-1 against Union County since the two programs became district rivals in 1983, fell 41-35 to the Braves in overtime.

My first impression: two of far western Kentucky's football dynasties are crumbling.

Maybe that assessment is a bit harsh, but one has to wonder. Mayfield is 1-3 — not unprecedented in its recent history, given its traditionally tough non-district schedule — but a district loss (indeed, two in the last two seasons) has to be a little unsettling for longtime Cardinal backers that are used to regular state semifinal appearances.

Tilghman is 1-4 and will probably be 0-5 after the expected forfeit of a district win over Webster County for the use of an ineligible player. Even worse, two of the losses are in district play, which poses a serious threat to the Tornado's chances of hosting a first-round playoff game.

And the Tornado seems to have regressed after a solid showing in its season opener, a 22-15 loss to Christian County in which Tilghman fumbled on a potential game-tying scoring drive in the final minutes.

Only one of them will turn things around tonight.

What's happening?

Some Mayfield fans will tell you the problem is discipline. The view, expressed quietly by some, is that the program — faced with a dwindling student population and talent base — has cut some corners on the disciplinary front to keep its best athletes on the field, and that it could be catching up with the Cardinals.

In Paducah, some are wondering if the administration's decision to give the coaching job to former assistant Randy Wyatt, who had been out of football for three years, without conducting a full search was a wise move. Perry Thomas' last club got off to a slow start last season, but steamrolled through its district competition and made it to the state semifinals.

Mayfield coach Joe Morris admits he is at a loss to explain his team's early-season woes.

"This team has trouble focusing for four quarters, and I don't know the reason for that," Morris said. "We're just so inconsistent. We'll look good for about three series on offense, then it's three-and-out for three or four possessions. Sometimes we look good on defense, then we can't get lined up in the right spots."

Slow starts have been the springboard for some wonderful Mayfield seasons in the past. Paul Leahy's first team, in 1993, was 2-3 with losses to Fulton County (a Class A semifinalist), a 10-0 Graves County squad and a solid Tilghman team. Mayfield then won 10 in a row, including a fourth-quarter comeback that beat a superior Prestonsburg outfit 13-12 in the Class 2A title game.

In 2001, Morris had an injury-riddled squad that was 2-5, then rolled to the state semifinals and led eventual champion Danville at the end of the third quarter in a 17-10 loss in the semifinals.

"We've come out of this stuff before," Morris said, "but it bothers me that we're not playing nearly as well as we could. We're not a great team, but we're better than we've shown."

Wyatt blames turnovers for his team's woes, and admits there have been some distractions. There have been grumblings that some parents are complaining about Wyatt's style of coaching, and the coach held a meeting with parents on the issue earlier this week. Of course, those things are often overlooked when a team is winning games.

Wyatt is unapologetic for his style of coaching and fully expects a midseason turnaround.

"This could be the start of something this week — that's what we're telling the kids," Wyatt said. "We can still win 10 in a row and win a state title. We have the talent here to do it."

• The new alignment for six-class football for the 2009 and 2010 seasons is out, and there is only one change in far western Kentucky. Madisonville, which played up in Class 6A for two years, has dropped back to Class 5A to compete in a district with Hopkinsville, Christian County, Owensboro and Ohio County.

That district may be tougher than the one the Maroons left behind, which still includes Marshall County, Graves County, Daviess County, Apollo and Henderson County.

• If it seems like a slow week, it is. It's a rather light schedule with four of the 16 teams in The Paducah Sun's coverage area — Fulton City, Fulton County, Heath and Trigg County — having off-weeks. The only district game is Calloway County's tussle with outmanned Muhlenberg North, and most of the non-district slate isn't all that attractive.

The best team in western Kentucky this weekend could be an interloper — defending Class 5A state champion Fort Thomas Highlands, which meets Hopkinsville on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium of Champions.

• Marshall County coach Scott Shelton knows his team has a tough task matching up with Owensboro. Shelton said the Red Devils have "opened up their offense a little" with new quarterback Cale Prince, the son of coach (and former Mayfield and UK star) Joe Prince.

"He's a sophomore, about 6-3 and 180 pounds, runs pretty well and throws a pretty good ball," Shelton said. "They run the spread option, and it's a true option. If you key on the pitch back, he can take it himself.

"Their tailback (Yorel Shemwell) is shifty, and he has unbelievable speed. He's not very big, and he won't run over anybody, and you can hem him in for a few plays. But he squirts through there sometimes, and once he gets past the initial wave he's gone."