Kentucky High School Daily is a new premium newsletter covering high school basketball (boys and girls) and football across our state. It’s owned and written by Joshua Moore, a journalist who’s covered KY high school sports for almost two decades.

This soft-launch issue is a sample of the type of content you can expect at least 5x a week once this newsletter formally launches on Nov. 2, 2026. One issue every week will be free to all subscribers. Premium subscribers will have exclusive access to a one-stop shop for quality HS sports journalism. (Pricing information to come!)

Questions? Please email me! Thank you for reading.

One game to keep an eye on in each class on Oct. 9, 2026 …

Covington Holy Cross (4-2) last season beat Bishop Brossart (3-3) for the first time since 2019. It was one of the closest and lowest scoring games in the state all season: the Indians won 6-3 on the road. Brian Ferguson, now a junior who’s thrown for 7 touchdowns and rushed for 5 this season, scored the only TD in last year’s rockfight.

Bishop Brossart senior Landon Spaulding ranks first in pass completions (86) and attempts (173) among all Class A quarterbacks. He’s third in passing yards (1,131) behind Paintsville’s Parker Helton (1,278) and Raceland’s Jacob Waller (1,186).

It’s the District 4 opener for both; Ludlow (5-2) defeated Trimble County (2-5), 51-26, in the other teams’ opener last week.

Shelby Valley (3-3) enters the week 1-0 in District 8 play behind perennial juggernaut Belfry (6-1, 2-0). Jonah Barley (117.5 rushing yards per game, 9 rushing TDs) and Tanner Maynard (716 total yards, 8 total TDs) pace the Wildcats.

The Pirates are off before next week hosting Betsy Layne (2-4, 0-1), which hosts Shelby Valley this week. Betsy Layne, whose mascot is also the Wildcats, fell to East Ridge (5-2, 1-1) in its district opener at the end of September and at Phelps (4-3) last week. The home Wildcats boast four players — Grayson Hall, Lincoln Hamilton, Eli Jarrell and Canyon Slone — who’ve scored multiple TDs this season.

Chi Poynter would be the Class 3A leader in receiving (793 yards) if not for a four-star recruit named Ja’Hyde Brown at Christian Academy of Louisville. The senior has been key in another strong start for Bardstown (5-2, 2-0).

The Tigers last season started 2-0 in district play before a 35-32 loss in overtime at Garrard County (1-5, 1-1), whom they’ll host Friday night. Sophomore Mason Penix ranks among the Class 3A leaders with three interceptions to date for the Golden Lions, who at times have struggled to score. They won 25-0 over Casey County (2-5, 0-2) on Sept. 25 and hung with Estill County (6-1) in a 35-26 on Sept. 4, but they averaged 3.5 points in losses to Bethlehem (7-0), Lexington Catholic (4-6, 1-0), Madison Southern (4-3) and Middlesboro (6-0).

Despite their relative proximity to one another (about 70 miles) and shared basketball region (13th), Corbin (4-2) and Harlan County (3-3) had never played a football game against one another before the 2022 playoffs (the two have been in separate classifications most of the time since the latter opened in 2008).

The Redhounds are 2-0 all-time against the Black Bears as both enter their District 8 starter. Harlan County’s ranked 21st of 38 teams in the KHSAA RPI (.492) while Corbin sits in the top five (.671), so few outside of Baxter will pick the Black Bears. They snapped one streak earlier this season already, though, topping Bell County 43-14 on Sept. 11 to end a seven-game slide dating back to 2018. And they’ve got a junior to know in Brayden Morris, who ranks second in Class 4A and 12th statewide with 907 rushing yards.

Corbin’s line has protected Mason Salmons well (just one sack to date) and he’s taken advantage; he’s dealt 8 TDs to six different receivers, including Clay Akins and Zach Thomas, who’ve caught two apiece.

Many eyes will be on Versailles this weekend when Woodford County (5-1, 1-0) hosts Collins (5-2, 0-1) in what could be a Disney World-level fireworks show in District 6. But a less ballyhooed District 1 rivalry could offer plenty of big plays.

Apollo (3-4, 1-2) has the same overall record it had going to Madisonville (6-1, 3-0) last year when it pulled off a 49-40 upset of the Maroons, who were 7-0 but dropped three of their final four games. That end-of-year stretch likely colors media voters’ perception (a 49-12 loss to their best opponent, Paducah Tilghman, hurts too).

Beating Apollo this year, even with the Eagles below .500, should be considered more meaningful than it might be. Madisonville will have to contain Maxwell Johnson, the second leading passer in Class 5A behind Collins’ Kade Goodin (whose 2,645 yards are, insanely, almost 1,000 more than Johnson’s 1,697).

Johnson threw for 319 yards and 3 TDs in the win last season but was picked off three times. Ryder Sandidge, who’s tied this year with Owensboro’s Kalil Shemwell and Iroquois’ Kamar Pinkston with four interceptions, had one of those and will look for more Friday night.

Frederick Douglass (6-0) and Madison Central (6-0) are the only unbeaten teams in Class 6A. They play one another in a District 8 opener this week.

TWo of the classification’s most productive running backs will take the field in Richmond — both for Madison Central. Broncos star Dakari Talbert paces Class 6A in total rushing (782 yards) and is second in TDs (13), but he’s serving a one-game suspension after collectIng two unsportsmanlike penalties last week in a win over Male. Corinthian Barnes (749 yards) and Carson Herbst (643) rank third and fifth in total rushing¹ for the Indians.

Madison Central seldom puts the ball in the air; Carson Herbst has thrown for 214 yards and two TDs on 8-for-10 passing. Broncos sophomore Jayden Guzman has dealt eight TDs to six different teammates, two each to Asan Rhodes and Jackson Ross.

_{1 Manual’s Jeremy Presley (760) and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Jayshawn Crosby (678) rank second and fourth in Class 6A rushing, respectively. Presley’s third in TDs (11) and Crosby is tied for seventh (7).}

If you are a boys or girls head basketball coach in Kentucky, you should have received an email from me on Oct. 1. It contains a preseason survey asking about your team, region and the state as a whole. Your participation is critical to a healthy preseason preview! Thanks to the nearly 100 of you (across boys and girls coaches) who’ve participated so far.

If you did not receive an email from me or are having difficulty participating, please hit me up!

P.S. I’m building a little preseason Twitter thread of different schedules shared with me by coaches as part of the survey. Keep an eye out, your team might get a little extra pub!

And if you like the idea of a daily newsletter about Kentucky high school basketball and football, please subscribe and spread the word!