article Top 15 Returning Players in EKY

First a disclaimer:

EXPECT TO SEE A LOT OF BELFRY PLAYERS!

The Pirates from Pond Creek have turned into the flagship program for the Region and with 8 Starters returning and four Division 1 Prospects it is safe to say they will be well represented on this list.

With that said, here are your Top 15 returning players from EKY Region.

1. DT Rayquan Horton, Belfry

Horton might have very well been the best Defensive Player in the Commonwealth in 2015, he returns for his Senior season looking to continue his legendary career and earn even more scholarship offers.

2. OL/DT Cole Bentley, Belfry

Bentley is the most heavily recruited player in the State not named Jedrick Wills and for good reason. The mammoth of a man has been dominating both sides of the ball since he was a Freshman.

3. WR Jake Johnson, Pulaski County

Johnson will go down as one of the all-time greats to come out of Lake Cumberland Country. His Senior season will see him working with a new QB, but expect yet another standout season from one of the most prolific receivers to ever come out of EKY.

4. OL Austin Dotson, Belfry

The University of Kentucky commit was simply dominant in 2015 with a rare mix of size and athleticism. Expect Dotson to be even better in 2016 with a season of weight lifting and competing at camps.

5. RB/DB Treyton Humfleet, Bell County

Humfleet accounted for nearly 2000 yards and 41 TD's in 2015. For good measure he threw in 2 INT's and 4 Fumble Recoveries. Expect a Senior season with similar stats for the star on Log Mountain.

6. RB/DB Kent Phelps, Paintsville

The Tigers' speedster accounted for over 1700 yards and 22 TD's in 2015 and has garnered a good bit of attention from college scouts. With Kash Daniel no longer casting a long shadow expect Phelps to explode for a monster statistical season as the primary workhorse in the Paintsville Offense.

7. QB Wyatt Battaile, Pikeville

After taking over the starting QB job mid-season for the Panthers Battaile was one of the Commonwealth's most efficient QB's. A calm customer with deadly accuracy, expect a huge year in 2016 for the defending 1A Champs.

8. OL Jordan Scott, Belfry

The most overlooked in the stable of Belfry's Nasty Front Line. On any other team Scott is the guy every coach dreads matching up with. After collecting his first FCS Offer expect many more to follow for the big guard.

9. FB/LB Cody Charles, Pikeville

For most Charles was an under the radar guy until a massive performance against Beechwood in the Finals where he made plays on both sides of the ball. Charles is a football player in it's purest form and will be asked to anchor a Panther Defense looking to return to the Finals.

10. WR/DB Timmy Dalton, Lawrence County

Dalton is one of the better all-around athletes in the State of Kentucky and a true playmaker on the gridiron. Few receivers in Kentucky could match Dalton's 23.0 yards per grab last year.

11. ATH Geordan Blanton, Johnson Central

Sometimes you just have to label someone an ATHLETE to save space. Blanton took snaps and made big time plays at RB, QB, WR, and DB. HE also returned some kicks and I am fairly sure I saw him cleaning up hot dog wrappers and sorting the recyclable containers.

12. QB Cameron Sizemore, Corbin

The dual threat Sizemore really came into his own last season after the Redhounds struggled with some snapping issues and injuries early in the season. Sizemore is a big kid with big game and is poised for a breakout season as a Junior in 2016.

13. RB Brody Johnson, East Ridge

When a back averages 200 rushing yards a game typically more fan fare comes. Brody Johnson did that in 2015 but is one of the better kept secrets in the State. With nearly 2000 total yards from scrimmage he will be a force as East Ridge looks to threaten for a home playoff game in 2A.

14. QB Cole McWhorter, North Laurel

The 2015 campaign was a watershed year for the Jaguars who finished 11-2 and earned a legit Top 10 ranking in Class 5A. McWhorter was a vital part of this success finding success both with his feet and arm. With the loss of one of the state's top rushers, Steven Nelson, McWhorter will see his role grow significantly more.

15. K/WR/DB Austin Woolum, Belfry

It is hard to quantify an "X-Factor" for a team as loaded as Belfry, but Woolum is definitely that guy. Not only is Woolum the Pirate's top receiving threat, he is a multi-year starter at CB, and an All-State Selection at Kicker.

No love for Jason Johnson or Corey Smith of Hazard. Those two combine for 2600+ of total yards returning.

How about the Sizemore kid from Corbin? how about Tuck Woolum from Pineville?

No love for Jason Johnson or Corey Smith of Hazard. Those two combine for 2600+ of total yards returning.

 

How about the Sizemore kid from Corbin? how about Tuck Woolum from Pineville?

Sizemore is #12

Honorable mention could be Nick Conley of Russell.

Honorable mention could be Nick Conley of Russell.

Definitely...

He and the previously mentioned Woolum were both strongly considered

This is the most loaded EKY being with talent that I can remember

Some other top names as well:

DL Dawson Stalker, Johnson Central

RB Patric Edwards, Southwestern

DL Floyd Fannin, Southwestern

RB Jordan Doan, Somerset

LB Bailey Walker, Raceland

LB Jonathan Ruggles, Fairview

CB Devin Varney, Belfry

FB/LB Derek Wellman, Belfry

WR Ty Simmons, Harlan Co

WR AJ Moore, Corbin

If anyone has any other names to fill in please do so

A Top 25 list would have been easy to rattle off... just shows how deep the talent pool is this season

OL/DL Isaac Wallace from Raceland deserves some recognition. He played through a pretty serious injury last season and was still often times the best lineman on the field. He's not quite on Bentley's level, but he's one of the best two way linemen in EKY.

WR/FS Landon Brewer from Russell is a name to remember for 2016. He really came on strong late last year at WR and was already an excellent FS. He'll be a three year starter next season.

Another name that comes to mind is Darren Morris, a WR/LB from Paintsville. Much like Phelps on offense, it might be Morris's time to be the man on defense with Kash Daniel gone.

Quality list. With all the accolades the Belfry kids are receiving....its very easy to miss a few right on their team. Noah Corbett, the Belfry QB will be a nightmare for defenses this year. He really came into his own toward season's end....and set the tone in the Championship game. Brayden Preece, Belfry Center, is one of the best they've had. Strong blocker and very quick on the LB. Maybe one of the best centers Belfry's had in 20+ years. That's just a couple of kids. Belfry is simply loaded. Several more could be mentioned.

Quality list. With all the accolades the Belfry kids are receiving....its very easy to miss a few right on their team. Noah Corbett, the Belfry QB will be a nightmare for defenses this year. He really came into his own toward season's end....and set the tone in the Championship game. Brayden Preece, Belfry Center, is one of the best they've had. Strong blocker and very quick on the LB. Maybe one of the best centers Belfry's had in 20+ years. That's just a couple of kids. Belfry is simply loaded. Several more could be mentioned.

Austin Hall (4 year starter), Cameron Catron (4 year starter), and Andrew Fletcher (3A Finals MVP) would all be Top 50 players. It really is freakish to see how many playmakers Belfry has.

Truthfully speaking you could put 10-12 Belfry players in a Top 25 list and it would be hard to dismiss them.

Sizemore is #12

Sorry sir. I didn't know how far your eastern kentucky extended but they are plenty who could be recognized.

Very excited to see Brodey Johnson for the Tribe this year! He played 9 out of 11 games last season and averaged 200 YPG. Not since the Elkhorn City glory days has our community had something to be this excited for in Football.

With High School football talent on the rise in East Ky, no doubt eyebrows have got to be raised across the state. East Ky. football continues to grow.

Jordan Doan would be in the top 10 if he wasn't hit with the injury bug his whole high school career. I look for a big year out of him his senior year. Also the Cornett brothers from Somerset.

Very excited to see Brodey Johnson for the Tribe this year! He played 9 out of 11 games last season and averaged 200 YPG. Not since the Elkhorn City glory days has our community had something to be this excited for in Football.

Did he play against Danville last year?

Did he play against Danville last year?

Yes, he played the first half of the game. Danville was a different monster and held him to about 50 yards I believe.

Definitely... He and the previously mentioned Woolum were both strongly considered This is the most loaded EKY being with talent that I can remember Some other top names as well: DL Dawson Stalker' date=' Johnson Central RB Patric Edwards, Southwestern DL Floyd Fannin, Southwestern RB Jordan Doan, Somerset LB Bailey Walker, Raceland LB Jonathan Ruggles, Fairview CB Devin Varney, Belfry FB/LB Derek Wellman, Belfry WR Ty Simmons, Harlan Co WR AJ Moore, Corbin If anyone has any other names to fill in please do so A Top 25 list would have been easy to rattle off... just shows how deep the talent pool is this season[/quote']

 

Stalker has been invited to the Top Gun camp in SC.