newarkcatholicfan

Matthew Chandler Hazard High School Head Football Coach KCU/Morehead State University First, congratulations on getting the Hazard job! What makes being the head coach at Hazard High School so special for you? Growing up in the mountains and just having a love for mountain football, taking this job was a no-brainer for me. I grew up watching my uncle walk the sidelines at places like Hazard and Whitesburg and all of those places when he was a head coach at Whitesburg High School. So even though I’ve never been personally connected to Hazard specifically, it represents as a program something really personal for me, and it’s an honor to be a part of it. Knowing my two sons get to watch their dad live out that kind of dream means the world to me. When you first met with the team, what was the first thing you said to them? Just how excited I was to get started and how much work we had to do. They’ve been great and have absolutely worked their tails off, and it’s put us way ahead of schedule from a cultural standpoint. What offense and defense will you run? On offense, we will try to keep things simple. Try to utilize a lot of formations and motions to run a few concepts that we are really good at in multiple ways. We will use a lot of spread sets, but I’m an o-line guy, so I take a lot of pride in my teams being able to be physical up front and run the football as well. Defensively, we will operate out of a base-odd front (3–4). I think at the 1A level, you typically have more linebackers and DB-type players than you do with multiple or versatile guys up front. Plus, it fits our philosophy of not having to play all of our guys up front both ways the whole game. Will you have an open competition as to who is starting, or will you stay with the returning starters? There will be 22 wide open spots across the board. We’ve emphasized to our guys that everyone earns everything. And starting isn’t as important as how much you play. In 1A football, I’m a big believer that however many guys are capable of giving you reps, how many do you need to play? If I can steal reps with capable backups in the first three quarters of a game to be fresh in the fourth, that’s a huge advantage for us. What are your thoughts on playing in a bowl game? I love the early-season Bowl games. We played in multiple bowl games at Franklin County, and we actually will be playing in the Recreation Bowl to open the 2025 and 2026 seasons. I think they’re a great way to celebrate the opening of the season, and you get some really unique or cool matchups out of them. What will you look for as far as opponents go in non-district games? There’s certainly some challenging games across the board. Corbin is obviously a huge challenge, but all of our non-district opponents are going to be teams that we have to be mentally and physically prepared for to compete and give ourselves a chance to win. What will a typical practice look like for you as the head coach? We will practice fast and be efficient. Our guys will know that we have a very specific plan that involves individual positions, groups, and teamwork. We want to coach on the move and get as many quality reps as possible. Last year, it was not out of the ordinary at Franklin County for us to run 70+ offensive plays on our offensive emphasis days alone in 50–55 minutes. We will utilize that same tempo and efficiency. What will you try to do to get the numbers up for the football team? We’ve done a really good job of building up our roster so far, and our numbers should be okay. Being in small school football, it’s always something you have to be very intentional about. Part of that is doing everything with a purpose and communicating to everyone individually what their roles are and how important they are to team success. What are your thoughts on girls playing on the football team? I have never coached a team with a female athlete playing football. But as I say with every student athlete, if you can play, you can play! Obviously, there are some physical limitations that come into play as far as girls and football, but if a female athlete came out and proved they could do it, that wouldn’t be any different to me than a male athlete doing the same thing. If you could make one change when it comes to Kentucky High School football, what would it be? You hear so many people complaining about RPI and the playoffs. It’s exhausting to hear all of it. I personally think we are in a really good place as a state football team. I don’t think I would make any drastic changes. I would like to see our kids have more opportunities to throw 7 on 7 in June. There’s also summer basketball going on, so I think you would have to limit the number of competitions (kind of like limiting how many scrimmages you get) to avoid making kids pick between the two. What are your thoughts about student-athletes playing more than one sport? I love it. I think specialization has cut down on the number of “ball players,” you see. Kids have fewer and fewer opportunities to be put in physically stressful situations where they’re forced to compete when they specialize. Give me a team full of guys who will dive for a loose ball or slide into foul ground for a third out, and we can win some football games! I do think carving out time to get in the weight room while playing multiple sports is a true game changer, though. That’s when you are really onto something. What was the last book you read, along with the author? American Commando by John Wukovitz. It’s a biography of Evans Carlson, who a lot of people consider the first “Special Forces” commander in US history. I’m a big history guy. What is the one sport you cannot watch on TV? Believe it or not, I would say college basketball if it’s not Kentucky playing. If you could pick another time period to live in, when would it be, along with the reason? The frontier era of Daniel Boone and James Harrod settling Kentucky has always fascinated me. I’d like to have known what it was like to see Kentucky before it was settled. Link with pics the coach sent to go with his article. https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/05/2024-interview-with-new-hazard-ky-head.html

How long have you played football, and why do you continue to play? I’ve played my whole life. Which game are you looking forward to the most this season, along with the reason why? Pikeville because I want to prove everyone wrong. What did you learn about yourself during the last season that you can use this season to be more successful? Leave it all on the field and give 110% at all times. What is the strongest part of your game? My shiftiness and heart. Who is the toughest teammate to go up against in practice? Gaige Logan Entering your Sophmore season What are your goals for the 2024 season? To finish the season knowing I gave it my all According to your Hudl page, you are listed as a wide receiver and cornerback. Of those two positions, which one do you feel is the toughest to prepare for? Definitely corner. Up until now, what has been your biggest moment as an athlete? Scoring my first varsity touchdown. How much time do you spend watching game films on your own? The day before games, I’ll sit down and watch films for hours. What are you going to miss the most from the 2024 class? The players If you could pick another time period to live in, when would it be, along with the reason? The 80’s because it seemed a lot more fun. What is your favorite type of music? Country Have you ever been to a University of Pikeville football game? Yes!!! Link with pics with the interview https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/05/2024-interview-with-very-focused-connor.html

Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami) at St. Lucie Mets (Mets)

Thanks. That is why I added the 2027. I figured everyone would see that was the year this confident young man was to graduate.

Gavin Johnson Hazard High School WR/SS 2027 6’1 185 What will your personal goals for the 2024 season be? Win a state championship with the kids I’ve been playing with since I was in 3rd grade. What is the strongest part of your game? I’d say being able to high-point deep balls out wide Which game are you looking forward to the most this season, along with the reason why? We are playing Pikeville because they are the defending state champions, and I feel like it’s going to be a statement to the entire state when we beat them. In watching some of your HUDL highlights, I like how you get North and South when you are returning kickoffs. Is there a pro or college returner that you pattern that part of your game from? Barion Brown from my home state college team, Kentucky, is going back and watching his highlights after every game. Again, watching your Hudl stuff, you seem to make it look easy to catch the ball in tight coverage. What all goes into making it look so easy? I’ve been practicing hard catches like the ones I make now since I was a little kid. Where on the field do you consider to be your best spot? Wide receiver What was the highlight of your 2023 season? Scoring my first varsity touchdown What did you learn about yourself during the last season that you can use this season to be more successful? No matter how your season goes, just keep working, and it’s all going to work out. What is the best part of being a student-athlete at Hazard High School? Me and the entire team are like family. What is the toughest part of being a student-athlete at Hazard High School? Trying to still balance being a kid while working as hard as I can in the classroom and football What is the worst weather to play in? Rain because it’s harder to catch balls and move. What is your favorite part of practice? 1on1 If you could pick another time period to live in, when would it be, along with the reason? The 90s because everything in the world was in a better place than it is now. Outside of sports, what do you do for fun? I like to fish with friends and train with my trainer Brecken Harvey. What was the last book you read, along with the author? Never finished: David Goggins Link to article with pics https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/05/2024-interview-with-very-confident.html

Oline Toledo Mud Hens at Columbus Clippers TV Houston Roughnecks at St. Loius Batlehawks (Over 32,000 at this one)

Aberdeen Iron Birds At Brooklyn Cyclones

Carsan Hehman Dixie Heights High School (Northern Kentucky) Offensive Tackle, right 2025 6’3. 240lbs How long have you played football, along with the reasons you continue to play? Freshman year. I love the brotherhood, competing, and working hard. What was the high point of your 2023 season? We won our first round of the playoffs, the best game of my season, with seven pancakes and a play that gained us 15 yards to score another touchdown. What was the low point of your 2023 season? Losing in the second round playoffs to a really good Highlands team. What are you going to miss the most from the 2024 class? We had a special team with some great guys. Who has been the best player you have ever faced in a game, along with the team he played for? Brach Rice, Dixie Heights. He’s just built differently. Offensive line or defensive line, which do you feel is the hardest to prepare for? Explain: On the offensive line, you have plays to memorize and a QB to protect; on the defensive line, you just have to get the ball at any cost. For a lineman, which type of weather is the toughest to play in? Hot, humid weather If you are invited to play in the Northern Kentucky all-star game, will you? Oh, heck yeah! I have just started asking players and coaches this question. Do private schools have an unfair advantage over public schools? I’m indifferent to this question. I think both have advantages and disadvantages. Have you heard from any college coaches? If so, would you name a few of them? I’ve talked to a few coaches. What is one thing you'd like to do in a game that you most likely never get to? Carry the ball; just run through the line to score a TD. What is the best part of being a student-athlete at Dixie Heights? All the athletes support each other, whether it’s football, baseball, boys, or girls; we all support each other. Who is your favorite college football team? Definitely UK; great atmosphere in Lexington on game days. Where is the best spot in town to grab a good meal? Hmm, I’m a lineman. I love to eat, but definitely Camporrosso Pizza. I happen to work there as well. What is your favorite holiday? The 4th of July. Link to article with pics https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/05/2024-interview-with-up-and-coming.html

My picks W Sierra Leone 3-1 PL Just A Touch 10-1 SH Dornoch 20-1

Toledo Mud Hens At Columbus Clippers

Down East Wood Ducks at Fredericksburg Nationals

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May 1st 19,440