article Bluegrasspreps Mr. Football Watchlist (11/20)

Front Runners

 

Beau Allen (QB, Lexington Catholic)

 

Round 2: Beau Allen closed out his illustrious high school career on a sour note, throwing a couple of interceptions in a 54-7 loss to Boyle County. On the bright side, he'll never have to see the Rebels (aka, the bane of his existence) again. Though his career may not have ended in the fashion he would have preferred, Allen has left an indelible mark on both Lexington Catholic football and the KHSAA record books. He ranks fifth all time in both career passing yards (11,439) and touchdown passes (127)

 

Season to date: 234/341 for 3,682 yards and 38 TDs/8 ints. - 517 yards rushing/12 TDs

 

 

 

Reed Lanter (QB, Boyle County)

 

Round 2: For the fifth time in a row, Lanter got the better of his rival and Lexington Catholic counterpart, Beau Allen, on the scoreboard. He also bested him again statistically, as well. He fell well short of the 494 yards he put up back in Week 8, but no one's going to complain about 11/13 for 238 yards and three touchdowns. Lanter was a laser sharp 35/41 against the Knight in two games this season. His last touchdown pass in Round 2 leaves him on the doorstep of 100 for his career.

 

Season to date: 139/191 for 2,533 yards and 32 TDs/2 int.

 

Round #2 Playoffs - Reed Lanter highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Michael Mayer (TE/LB, Covington Catholic)

 

Round 2: For the second time this season, Conner was no match for Mayer and CovCath, falling to the Colonels with another first half running clock. Mayer caught a couple of touchdown passes and recorded his fourth pick of the season. His defensive contributions continue to be of vital importance to a unit allowing 4 ppg over their last nine games.

 

Season to date: 37 catches for 776 yards and 13 TDs - 2 rushing TDs - 77 tackles/1.5 sacks/4 int./1 pick-six/5 forced fumbles

 

 

 

Reese Smith (WR/S, Boyle County)

 

Round 2: Smith continued to display why he is the single most impactful and accomplished football player in Kentucky. He's renowned for his talents on the offensive side of the ball, for which he was rewarded with scholarship offers from UK, UofL, and Tennessee, before eventually committing to WVU, but he achieved a notable accomplishment on defense against Lexington Catholic. He passed former UK, NFL, and Boyle County great Jacob Tamme to etch his name at #1 on the Rebels' all time interceptions list with 24. Smith deposited his latest theft in the endzone and added 109 yards and two touchdowns on six catches as Boyle poured it on LexCath, 54-7.

 

Season to date: 43 catches for 1,164 yards and 16 touchdowns - 3 rushing TDs - 22 tackles/5 ints./1 pick-six

 

 

 

 

Locks

 

Malachi Corley (RB/WR/DB, Campbellsville)

 

2019 Season: 48 rushes for 541 yards and 10 TDs - 25 catches for 698 yards and 10 TDs - 63 tackles/3 sacks/4 forced fumble - 1 punt return touchdown

 

Career: 2,070 yards rushing/26 TDs - 2,324 yards receiving/30 TDs - 269 tackles/6 ints. - 6 non-offensive TDs

 

 

 

Izayah Cummings (WR, Male)

 

Round 2: Cummings was present and accounted for in Male's 27-8 win over Fern Creek, but failed to get his name in the box score. He was held without a catch for the second time this season. With St. X looming, he can't afford another silent Friday night.

 

Season to date: 50 catches for 962 yards and 11 TDs

 

 

 

Franklin Hayes (WR, McCracken County)

 

Round 2: It's hard to find any negatives in a district championship clinching, playoff win, but Hayes' performance against Henderson County was his worst of the season. He tied a season low with two catches for 39 yards, his lowest output this year. Hayes was also held scoreless for the first time this season, delaying his pursuit of the receiving touchdown record for another week.

 

Season to date: 64 catches for 1,540 yards and 26 TDs

 

 

 

Jeriah Hightower (RB, Madisonville-North Hopkins)

 

Round 2: It was a tale of two halves for Hightower against Hopkinsville last Friday. The Maroons trailed 14-7 at halftime, with Hightower being almost completely shut down. But by game's end, he had 174 yards rushing, two touchdowns, and a district championship. This week, he gets a crack at two time defending 4A champion Franklin-Simpson, who narrowly escaped MNH in last year's semifinals while holding Hightower to just 62 yards.

 

Season to date: 280 rushes for 2,493 yards and 27 TDs

 

 

 

Octavious Oxendine (DT, North Hardin)

 

Round 2: North Hardin's top rated defense helped turn a matchup of top ten teams that battled to a 7-0 decision a few weeks ago into a much more comfortable 31-7 outcome. Oxendine (5 tackles/2 sacks) and Co. held Central Hardin to just 14 yards rushing - and seven total yards in the second half - to secure a district title.

 

Season to date: 57 tackles/13 TFL/14.5 sacks

 

 

 

Walker Parks (OT/DL, Frederick Douglass)

 

Round 2: The Broncos dispatched Scott County for the second time, behind another strong effort from FD's offensive and defensive fronts. Douglass outrushed the Cardinals again, while holding them well below their usual yardage output.

 

Season to date: 30 tackles/10.5 TFL/5.5 sacks - The Broncos are averaging 8.3 yards per carry and have only allowed one sack this season.

 

 

 

Demetri Scott (DE/TE, DeSales)

 

Round 2: Known more for his defensive prowess, Scott's offensive contributions came to the forefront against archrival Christian Academy of Louisville. He accounted for three of DeSales' four touchdowns, all receptions. He also recovered a couple of fumbles and provided his weekly presence in the opposing backfield, applying rabid pressure and sacking CAL's quarterback once.

 

Season to date: 66 tackles/23 TFL/24 sacks - 15 receptions for 289 yards and 7 TDs

 

Christian Academy - Demetri Scott highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Jayden Stinson (QB, Mayfield)

 

Round 2: Stinson might miss playing Murray after this season, but the feeling will almost certainly not be mutual. He threw for 317 yards and six touchdowns in last Friday's 56-24 Cardinals win. He ends his career 5-0 against the Tigers with a 16 to 2 TD/interception ratio. After reaching the 100 career touchdown pass milestone two weeks ago, he surpassed Luke Guhy on Mayfield's single season list. His 43 touchdown passes this year are the new benchmark, that is, until he increases it next week.

 

Season to date: 155/239 for 3,134 yards and 43 TDs/10 ints.

 

Murray High School - Jayden Stinson highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

 

On The Bubble

 

Jayden Barnhardt (QB, Lexington Christian Academy)

 

Round 2: The new playoff format put LCA in a state championship caliber matchup in the second round. It's a tough break for the Eagles, as they fell to Somerset, 28-26. Barnhardt wrapped up a stellar season with four total touchdowns in defeat. Late in the fourth quarter, he snuck across the goal line to pull LCA within two, but unlike the regular season game, the Eagles were unable to make good on the two point conversion.

 

Season to date: 183/301 for 2,843 yards and 33 TDs/10 ints. - 574 rushing yards and 10 TDs

 

 

 

Charles Collins (RB/DB, Breathitt County)

 

Round 2: The Bobcats rolled over Middlesboro, 50-15, with Collins playing a central role. Unofficially, he rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) as he closes in on a hundred for his career. That trio of scores last Friday puts him at 96.

 

Season to date: 91 rushes for 1,441 yards and 31 TDs - 2 receiving TDs - one kickoff return TD - 41 tackles/1 sack

 

 

 

Drew Hartz (QB, Owensboro Catholic)

 

Round 2: Hartz's season ended abruptly at the hands of McLean County, a team the Aces handled by 34 in the regular season. He threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, but now has to switch gears and prepare to rep OCath on the basketball court after McLean scored the winning touchdown with 39 seconds left. It was a very anticlimactic end to a historically prolific season. He set a new single season standard for touchdown passes at Owensboro Catholic, beating out Ray Zuberer by one, and finishes tied with Male legend Chris Redman for fourth on the state single season list.

 

Season to date: 246/348 for 4,173 yards and 57 TDs/5 ints.

 

 

 

Jackson Hensley (WR, Pikeville)

 

Round 2: Hensley caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a score in Pikeville's 45-12 win over Hazard. Over his last two games, he's scored via the run, pass (2), and kick return (2).

 

Season to date: 39 catches for 579 yards and 9 TDs - 61 tackles/2 int./1 fumble return TD - 2 kick return TDs

 

Hazard High School - Jackson Hensley highlights - Hudl

Now that Allen's been reduced to the role of spectator from here on, does that change anyone's stance on who will win this award? Some other names on this list still have a lot of very meaningful football in front of them.

No offense to Corley, Hightower, and Collins.... but I think any shot they have of winning has been handicapped by what Braedon Sloan is doing as a Junior.

 

It would be very hard to toss them a vote when Sloan has stole the show as the most productive RB in Kentucky by a wide margin. That is saying something with the great year Hightower has had.