Who will win the Kentucky high school football championships? We predict every winner

The KHSAA high school football playoffs kick off this week. Last season Pikeville, Beechwood, Belfry, Boyle County, South Warren and St. Xavier each won titles in their respective brackets. Will they repeat in 2022? Or will another team rise up and claim the title?

We have five weeks to find out. The KHSAA football state championships games will be held from Dec. 2-3. at the University of Kentucky's Kroger Field. High school sports insiders Jason Frakes and J.L. Kirven examined each bracket and predicted who they believe will win. Do you agree?

High school football rankings: Check out this week's Associated Press Kentucky high school football polls

Instant rankings: Instant rankings: Jason Frakes looks at top 10 high school football teams in Kentucky

Class A

Jason Frakes' pick: It’s hard to go against a Pikeville program that will be seeking its second straight championship.

The Panthers opened their season with back-to-back losses to Class 4A powerhouse Corbin and Class 5A contender Covington Catholic but have won seven straight entering the playoffs. Senior running back Blake Birchfield (1,286 rushing yards, 23 touchdowns) should be in the running for Mr. Football honors.

Raceland leads the class in scoring at 45.1 points per game and has a solid quarterback in junior Logan Lundy. But give me Pikeville in an exciting final: Pikeville 38, Raceland 28.

J.L. Kirven's pick: Pikeville comes into the Class A playoffs looking to defend its 2021 title and give coach Chris McNamee his fourth championship in eight years.

The Panthers started the season flat, losing their first two games, but have rebounded nicely to win eight straight. The Class A bracket has some talented teams in it like Kentucky Country Day, Raceland and Newport Central Catholic, but I don't think Pikeville will have a problem repeating: Pikeville 28, Raceland 10.

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Class 2A

Frakes: Beechwood has won thrilling finals over Lexington Christian the past two years and is primed for a three-peat.

Senior running back Mitchell Berger, an Eastern Kentucky University commit, has rushed for 1,119 yards and 21 touchdowns. The defense allows just 7.8 points per game and has posted three shutouts.

Mayfield and Lexington Christian are primed to make deep runs in the playoffs, but give me Beechwood once again. Beechwood 24, Mayfield 13.

Kirven: Beechwood's won two straight Class 2A championships and the Tigers are deep enough to pull off the three-peat. Beechwood made a statement in Week 1 after shutting out Class 5A's Fairdale (9-1) 36-0 and followed it up with more impressive wins.

Mayfield (10-0) could potentially keep coach Noel Rash from winning his eighth career title. The Cardinals' defense has allowed more than two touchdowns in a game only once this season and they'll be a tough out in the playoffs. Beechwood 23, Mayfield 14.

Schedule:Kentucky high school football first-round pairings for all 6 classes

Class 3A

Frakes: Christian Academy won Class 2A championships in 2016 and 2018 and looks to be the team to beat in 3A this season.

The Centurions average 50.7 points per game behind junior quarterback Cole Hodge (2,041 passing yards, 31 TDs) and two solid wide receivers in junior Justin Ruffin (31 catches, 662 yards, 10 TDs) and sophomore Trey Cotton (27 catches, 563 yards, seven TDs).

CAL faces a tough playoff road that could include matchups with Elizabethtown, Paducah Tilghman and Ashland Blazer before the championship game. But the Centurions are plenty talented enough to handle it. Christian Academy 30, Union County 14.

Kirven: CAL (10-0) blew out every team it faced and held down the No. 1 ranking for most of the year. The Centurions are loaded offensively with quarterback Cole Hodge, running back Gavin Copenhaver and receivers Justin Ruffin, Connor Hodge and Trey Cotton.

Last season CAL lost to Paducah Tilghman 41-34 in a quarterfinal shootout, and I think it's going to take another high-powered offense to beat them. Bardstown, Union County and Bell County have this, but I believe Bardstown's defense sets its apart from its fellow contenders. The Tigers held teams to a measly 10.5 ppg, and I think they could be the team to figure out the Centurions. Bardstown 24, Christian Academy 21.

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Class 4A

Frakes: This may be the toughest class to call, as Corbin, Lexington Catholic and Boyle County have all been able to claim the No. 1 ranking this season.

It’s hard for me to overlook the championship pedigree of a Boyle County program that has won two straight state titles. Regular-season losses to Lexington Catholic and Frederick Douglass are concerning, but look for the Rebels to right the ship in November behind the electric play of sophomore Montavin Quisenberry (19 total touchdowns).

Corbin is a worthy contender and is led by a stingy defense that allows just 11.5 points per game. A Boyle County-Corbin final would be a must-see matchup. Boyle County 21, Corbin 20.

Kirven: On Oct. 7, Lexington Catholic beat two-time Class 4A champion Boyle County 28-27 in what was a preview to this year's eventual championship matchup. Lexington Catholic quarterback Jackson Wasik leads Class 4A with 2,367 yards and 32 touchdowns and had little trouble taking apart the Rebel defense. The Knights are beatable, but at its best LexCath is the top team in the field.

Boyle County's championship experience could be a X-factor, but not for quarterback Sage Dawson. This postseason will be the juniors' first under center, but he's played with poise most of the year. I could see Boyle County battling through the deepest bracket and making it back to Kroger Field. Lexington Catholic 31, Boyle County 27.

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Class 5A

Frakes: Frederick Douglass — runner-up in 2019 and 2021 — is the logical pick here to take that final step and win its first state championship. But something about that possible second-round matchup with Covington Catholic worries me.

In fact, give me CovCath as an upset winner over Frederick Douglass in the second round and as a surprise state champion behind the running of junior Owen Leen (1,016 yards, 14 touchdowns).

Scott County was embarrassed by Frederick Douglass 41-0 on Sept. 23 but has won five in a row since then and closed the regular season with impressive victories over Ballard and Lexington Catholic. Bowling Green, Owensboro and Southwestern are other worthy contenders in a deep class, but give me a Colonels-Cardinals final. Covington Catholic 21, Scott County 14.

Kirven: After falling short in last year's Class 5A title game, Frederick Douglass (10-0) has dominated throughout its revenge tour. The Broncos outscored opponents 464-48 in the regular season, while destroying fellow 5A contenders like Scott County (9-1) and Great Crossing (8-2) in the process. The Broncos averaged the most points in the state (51.6 ppg) and its defense held teams to a KHSAA-low 5.3 ppg.

Woodford County (9-1) starts its playoff journey coming off a loss, but the Yellow Jackets could regain their momentum early in the postseason. With wins over Paul Laurence Dunbar, Franklin County and Collins on its résumé, the Yellow Jackets could be battle tested enough to make a deep run. I just don't see anybody slowing down Frederick Douglass.Frederick Douglass 41, Woodford County 14.

Class 6A

Frakes: In the Louisville area at least, Class 6A is where offenses have gone to die this season. So give me the team with the best defense.

St. Xavier allows just 9.4 points per game and is led by a pair of seniors in linebacker Jaxon Panariello (52 tackles) and end Micah Carter (Purdue commit, 52 tackles). The offense hasn’t been outstanding but doesn’t have to be.

It’s hard to map out a scenario in which St. X won’t face Trinity in the semifinals. So who will St. X get in the final? Male might be the most dangerous team in the playoffs right now but likely will get St. X in the second round. I don’t trust the offenses at Ballard or Manual or the defense at Bullitt East. So give me an outsider to make it to Kroger Field. St. Xavier 31, Henderson County 7.

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Kirven: Between Ballard, Bullitt East, Male, Manual and Trinity, I don't believe there's a wrong answer when discussing who's the second-best team in Class 6A. As for No. 1, that debate should begin and end with the St. Xavier Tigers (9-1). St. X could repeat as state champions for the first time since 1974-1975 and coach Kevin Wallace knows his stuff about defending titles, having won five in six years at Bowling Green.

I'm still up in the air about who can keep St. Xavier from the crown. Despite its stumbles throughout the season, Male is still a force in Class 6A, especially with running back Daniel Swinney and wide receiver Max Gainey back in action. Bullitt East has flown under the radar all season long and deserves respect. The Chargers have the best offense in the tournament and could be a major player, but I believe Class 6A will be decided in a rematch between St. X and its most-hated rival, Trinity.St. Xavier 20, Trinity 10.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky high school football championships predictions