article BluegrassPreps Mr. Football Watchlist (10/2)

Front Runners

Beau Allen (QB, Lexington Catholic)

Week 6: Featuring a fireworks display that the 4th of July would envy, LexCath rallied from a 7-36 hole to defeat Tates Creek, 54-50. Allen lived up to his billing, throwing for 464 yards and six touchdowns, but was statistically bested by the Commodores' Luke Duby, who threw for 535 yards and seven touchdowns. Three Allen scoring tosses in the second quarter pulled the Knights to within 28-36 at halftime, setting the stage for the ensuing comeback. Allen found a wide open JD Woodall for his sixth and final TD pass of the night in the fourth quarter to finish the job. The game featured 1,000 yards passing and a combined 13 touchdown strikes. Allen's 464 yards set a new personal best, previously established earlier this season.

Season to date: 140/192 for 2,034 yards and 22 TDs/2 ints. - 250 yards rushing/6 TDs

Michael Mayer (TE/LB, Covington Catholic)

Week 6: After a three week absence from the scoring column, Mayer returned with two touchdown receptions against Cooper. He caught four balls for a team high 83 yards and contributed four tackles in CovCath's 45-6 win.

Season to date: 17 catches for 337 yards and 6 TDs - 3 carries for 37 yards and a TD - 33 tackles/1.5 sacks/1 int.

Reese Smith (WR/S, Boyle County)

Week 6: Smith left his stamp on another impressive win over a highly ranked opponent for the top ranked Rebels. This week, though, he did it mostly on defense, as opposed to the offensive proficiency he displayed against CAL. The WVU commit picked off two Highlands passes, both in the endzone, in Boyle County's 30-0 win over the visitors from NKY. One, in particular, killed a Bluebirds drive inside Boyle's 20. Smith also contributed 59 yards on three catches against the toughest defense the Rebels have seen this season.

Season to date: 22 catches for 597 yards and 8 touchdowns - 11 tackles/4 ints.

Locks

Malachi Corley (RB/WR/DB, Campbellsville)

Week 6: Corley's night against Fort Knox was relatively subdued after missing some time due to injury and facing an overwhelmed opponent. He only recorded three touches on offense, but struck paydirt twice, once on TD run and then again on a punt return.

Season to date: 37 rushes for 413 yards and 9 TDs - 14 catches for 333 yards and 5 TDs - 45 tackles/1 forced fumble/1 fumble recovery - 1 punt return touchdown

Izayah Cummings (WR, Male)

Week 6: Cummings followed up his superstar effort against Trinity with another versus Butler. He caught five passes for 153 yards, including a long touchdown in the Bulldogs' 61-22 blowout win. To add a cherry on top of his night, he was named Male's Homecoming King at halftime. In order to appreciate the type of player this young man is, watch the Hudl video below and pay special attention to the play that begins 42 seconds in.

Season to date: 25 catches for 529 yards and 8 TDs

Butler Highschool - Izayah Cummings highlights - Hudl

Jackson Hensley (WR, Pikeville)

Week 6: Hensley caught three passes for 61 yards and a couple of scores against Lawrence County. Pikeville's offense had been stuck in neutral for a few weeks, but found its groove again versus the Bulldogs. The Panthers' 49 points on Friday were more than they scored in their previous three games combined.

Season to date: 25 catches for 346 yards and 5 TDs - 31 tackles/2 int./1 forced fumble

Jeriah Hightower (RB, Madisonville-North Hopkins)

Week 6: The good news... Hightower powered his way for over 300 yards against unbeaten Logan County. The bad news… the Cougars were still unbeaten when they walked off the field against the Maroons. Hightower was the epitome of a workhorse against Logan, toting the rock an incredible 43 times for 301 yards, but MNH ultimately came up short on the scoreboard, 24-26. Perhaps they were lulled to sleep by a schedule featuring opponents with a combined 8-22 record entering Friday?

Season to date: 150 rushes for 1,464 yards and 15 TDs

Reed Lanter (QB, Boyle County)

Week 6: It was an eventful night for the Rebels' QB against Highlands. First and foremost, he piloted 4A's top ranked team to another impressive win over a marquee opponent. And mixed in somewhere among his 218 yards was the necessary yardage to surpass three time state champion and 2001 Mr. Football Jeff Duggins as the school's all-time leading passer. Years from now, with one state title tucked in his back pocket and another in his sights, Lanter could be held in the same regard as the Boyle County legend.

Season to date: 64/92 for 1,160 yards and 14 TDs/1 int.

Octavious Oxendine (DT, North Hardin)

Week 6: North Hardin's defense once again held an opponent to less than a hundred yards of offense and single digit points. The sack happy Trojans, who lead the state with 38.5 on the season, recorded nine more in the 42-6 win over a solid Bullitt East squad. Oxendine accounted for two of them.

Season to date: 25 tackles/6 TFL/9 sacks

Senior Season-Mid Season - Octavious Oxendine highlights - Hudl

Walker Parks (OT/DL, Frederick Douglass)

Week 6: Parks firmly left his mark on both sides of the line of scrimmage in the Broncos' thorough domination of Scott County. Frederick Douglass rushed for 315 yards while limiting the Cardinals potent ground game to just 100, or less than a third of their average output this season.

Jake Sloan (WR, Pulaski County)

Week 6: Sloan's twelve receptions versus Whitley County have further widened the gap between him and the state's #2 leader in catches. He now has a state best 60 on the season, twenty clear of the next guy. Sloan is five catches shy of 300 for his career, trailing only his former teammate Jake Johnson in the KHSAA record book. His 113 yards on Friday boost his season total to 681, good enough for #4 statewide and tops in 5A.

Season to date: 60 receptions for 681 yards and 4 TDs - 1 kickoff return TD

Jayden Stinson (QB, Mayfield)

Week 6: Even a great quarterback like Stinson has to settle for less than perfect most of the time. But his precision passing was on display again versus Fort Campbell. He completed nine of ten throws for 252 yards and three touchdowns. In the two games since the McCracken loss, Stinson is 19/24 for 567 yards with 8 TDs/0 ints.

Season to date: 82/126 for 1,615 yards and 19 TDs/6 ints.

Fort Campbell High School - Jayden Stinson highlights - Hudl

On The Bubble

Franklin Hayes (WR, McCracken County)

Week 6: Hayes was outshined by teammate Bradley Hunter's 403 rushing yards and 7 TDs, but nevertheless made his presence felt during McCracken's wild 81-51 shootout with Apollo. He finished with 107 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches, giving him at least one touchdown reception in every game so far this season.

Season to date: 35 catches for 828 yards and 14 TDs

Brycen Huddleston (LB/KR, Highlands)

Week 6: Displaying his usual nose for the football, Huddleston posted a game high 12 tackles against Boyle County, with all but two of them solo. He showcased great closing speed and athleticism on a third quarter sack of Reed Lanter.

Season to date: 50 tackles/8 TFL/4 sacks/1 int./1 fumble recovery (stats incomplete)

Vito Tisdale (RB/DB, Bowling Green)

Week 6: Bowling Green's contest versus Corbin was scrapped due to uncooperative weather in southeastern Kentucky. The Purples now set their sights on their biggest game of the regular season against South Warren.

Season to date: 34 tackles/4 ints./1 fumble recovery TD

Hunter Utley (QB, Murray)

Week 6: Murray was off for Week 6. The Tigers return to action this Friday against Fort Campbell.

Season to date: 100/148 for 1,380 yards with 19 TDs/3 ints.

Curious as to why Drew Hartz of Owensboro Catholic isn't at least on the bubble.

Curious as to why Drew Hartz of Owensboro Catholic isn't at least on the bubble.

The thing working against him most is his poor showing against the only really good team on Owensboro Catholic's schedule. He was on the list prior to the Owensboro game, but the bubble guys are only one bad performance away from dropping off. He certainly has the numbers, but he's been doing it against sub-par opposition.

You wouldn't consider LCA QB Jayden Barnhardt on the bubble?

You wouldn't consider LCA QB Jayden Barnhardt on the bubble?

He's a very worthy candidate for the list and possibly the biggest omission so far this season. I contemplated adding him this week, but I couldn't find what I considered a good excuse to drop any of the four players currently on the bubble. I didn't want to punish Tisdale or Utley for not playing last week. For Barnhardt to be added, someone else has to fall. If this were the NCAA basketball tournament, he'd be in the "first four out" group. With the games LCA has left on the schedule, there's a strong likelihood that he cracks the list at some point. Maybe sooner, rather than later.

I think it is Beau Allen's to lose.

I am excited to see how he does against Boyle. If he shreds their defense just go ahead and hand him the award. If not I think all the two way guys should have a shot but they probably don’t with him being from Lex and being a UK kid.

Wow, tough crowd against OCath's Hartz. If you have seen what Owensboro has done to everyone else defensively, you would understand a subpar outing by the QB. Allen has it locked up, but not having Hartz even on the "bubble" is a head scratcher.

I am shocked that Trinity doesn't have someone on the watch list. I don't know their team but with the competition they are beating they have to have some top players.

I am shocked that Trinity doesn't have someone on the watch list. I don't know their team but with the competition they are beating they have to have some top players.

Mr. Football is Senior award and Trinity’s top players aren’t Seniors. WR Ryan Miller and TE Kaelan Racculia are Seniors but don’t have eye popping numbers since they play tough competition and spread ball around.

Yes competition does play a huge role in stats. There are always some really good players in the Louisville area that would have eye popping numbers if they were in a different part of the state. Thanks for the info on Trinity.

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