article BluegrassPreps Mr. Football Watchlist (9/18)

Front Runners

 

Beau Allen (QB, Lexington Catholic)

 

Week 4: In a performance just as brilliant as the show he put on against Covington Catholic, Allen led the Knights to a three touchdown lead over DeSales in the first half before orchestrating a game winning drive in the fourth quarter after the Colts stormed back. He threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in Lexington Catholic's 34-31 victory. Allen also led LexCath in rushing with 61 yards and another touchdown.

 

Season to date: 85/122 for 1,338 yards and 14 TDs/0 ints. - 108 yards rushing/3 TDs

 

 

 

Michael Mayer (TE/LB, Covington Catholic)

 

Week 4: Mayer's prolific scoring pace through two weeks was bound to cool off at some point, and it has now for the second game in a row. He caught three Caleb Jacob passes for 49 yards in the Colonels' 45-0 blowout of Dixie Heights. His production on the other side of the ball has picked up the past two weeks. He logged a season high ten tackles against the Red Colonels on Friday.

 

Season to date: 13 catches for 254 yards and 4 TDs - 2 carries for 34 yards and a TD - 26 tackles/1 sack/1 int.

 

 

 

Reese Smith (WR/S, Boyle County)

 

Week 4: As the competition gets a little tougher, Smith shines that much more. Against a previously 3-0 Mercer County team, he caught six passes for an even 100 yards, including one for a score. Smith also snagged his first interception of the season in Boyle's 43-7 rout of the Titans. Up next is a top ranked CAL squad that should require him to step up his game again.

 

Season to date: 13 catches for 344 yards and 5 touchdowns - 8 tackles/1 int.

 

 

 

 

Locks

 

Malachi Corley (RB/WR/DB, Campbellsville)

 

Week 4: For the second week in a row, Corley left his fingerprints all over a game only to come up short on the scoreboard. He totalled 203 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns as the Eagles fell by a point to LaRue County, 36-35. His big individual night extended to the defensive side, where he accumulated 20 tackles and a forced fumble. Corley's not likely to budge from his place on the watchlist anytime soon, but these consecutive losses sting. Taylor County and LaRue are the two best teams on Campbellsville's schedule and he did more than his share to help his team win, but ultimately fell short.

 

Season to date: 34 rushes for 389 yards and 8 TDs - 14 catches for 333 yards and 5 TDs - 43 tackles/1 forced fumble/1 fumble recovery

 

Larue County High School - Coach Corley highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Jackson Hensley (WR, Pikeville)

 

Week 4: The Panthers' offense has struggled mightily the past two weeks against Paintsville and Raceland, and Hensley's lack of production is directly tied to those struggles. He's a big play threat that's been bottled up and kept out of the endzone for two games. But Pikeville keeps winning, and their defense has carried them to victory over their EKY rivals. It's a defense that Hensley plays a large role in, picking off a Raceland pass in Week 4's 12-6 win.

 

Season to date: 21 catches for 276 yards and 3 TDs - 23 tackles/2 int./1 forced fumble

 

 

 

Jeriah Hightower (RB, Madisonville-North Hopkins)

 

Week 4: Of all the players in the "locks" section of the watchlist, no one has made a bigger impact the last three weeks than Hightower. He's averaged 285 yards rushing and 3 TDs per game in wins over Marshall County, Daviess County, and Christian County. He rumbled for 264 yards and two touchdowns to help carry the Maroons past the Colonels on Friday. He's rapidly approaching a thousand yards on the season and is averaging exactly 10 ypc. Who knows what he has in store for winless Ballard Memorial in two days?

 

Season to date: 96 rushes for 960 yards and 11 TDs

 

 

 

Reed Lanter (QB, Boyle County)

 

Week 4: Lanter attempted as many passes against Mercer County as he did in Boyle's first three games combined. He finished 18 of 26 for a season high 241 yards and two touchdowns in Boyle's toughest test so far, which still reached running clock status. The Lanter-Smith connection has been in fine form this season, despite not spending much time on the field together. That form needs to carry over this week as the Rebels are set to entertain 3A #1 CAL.

 

Season to date: 38/52 for 697 yards and 8 TDs/1 int.

 

Mercer County High School - Reed Lanter highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Octavious Oxendine (DT, North Hardin)

 

Week 4: The Trojans stormed into Lexington and battered Tates Creek, 40-0, behind another strong defensive showing from that entire side of the ball. Oxendine had a relatively quiet night with just 3 tackles/1 TFL/.5 sacks, but his teammates more than picked up the slack. North Hardin's allowing a 6A best 8.2 ppg against a tough schedule.

 

Season to date: 20 tackles/11 TFL/5.5 sacks

 

 

 

Walker Parks (OT/DL, Frederick Douglass)

 

Week 4: Parks and Frederick Douglass continued to own their Fayette County brethren last week, dominating Paul Laurence Dunbar 49-0. The Clemson commit played a huge role on both lines, helping pave the way for 400 yards of offense while collecting 1.5 sacks and aiding a defense that held PLD to just 67 yards of offense.

 

Game 4 v. Dunbar W - 49-

Thanks @DevilMayCare for putting so much effort into this for everyone in the state of Kentucky.

 

As of right now I am firmly planted with Beau Allen. He is so good I wonder if he can play on Sundays.

Thanks @DevilMayCare for putting so much effort into this for everyone in the state of Kentucky.

 

As of right now I am firmly planted with Beau Allen. He is so good I wonder if he can play on Sundays.

 

It's my pleasure.

 

Allen definitely feels like the clear favorite right now. Lexington Catholic's game - more than likely two games - against Boyle County could go a long way toward sealing it for him, or it could reel him back in. Those games will be huge in deciding the outcome for the award this season.