So what if I tell you that there were ZERO 7 on's at the regional camps? Now what? Can you admit when you're wrong?

 

Never been to or seen a regional camp but have seen references to the 7 on 7 over the years. In this particular year they may not have. As I said it is an ever changing entity.

My point is and always has been that college potential has nothing to do with who is performing best at the high school level. People continue to point out college offers and rankings as reasons why a particular player is better than another and it has nothing to do with it. I have seen numerous examples over the years where highly rated recruits have shown little in high school and gone on to fine college careers. Look no further than mention of Elam in this thread. That kid has great potential and I see what the recruiters are seeing. He is huge, fast for his size, and athletic for his size. Yet he has no business being mentioned as a Mr. football candidate, as his on field performance has not warranted such mention. Hell, he's not even the best DL on his own team. Highlands has a kid going to Western on scholarship who was the top rated tight end in the state. Now he is playing tackle and is clearly a project. But he is at least 6'5" and about 260 so I see what Western sees.

Houliston does not have the measurable attributes that D1 coaches are seeking. But he is not playing college ball, he's playing high school ball. The question is/ was, who are the leading candidates for the award given the best high school football player in the state and based on performance to date Houliston is at the top of that list.

 

No hating on anyone here. As I remind that I said at the beginning of this thread that I expect Fant will win the award as the QB candidates divide votes among them.

Anti - Highlands agenda???? How in God's name did you get that into this thread? In a thread that one player was compared to two former Highlands players and one from another school. Again you go to the college potential, but were talking about their high school performance. You want to talk college prospects, your talking potential. It does not take Spurrier or Stoops, or the eliete 11 staff to see potential in Barker. We all see it. The kid has the potential to be a great college QB. But remember, these are the same people who saw Zeke Pike and fell all over themselves trying to recruit him. The elite 11 staff watched Pike and Towles side by side and deemed Pike the better QB just prior to their senior seasons. Just how did that pan out over the next few months? It meant nothing because they were judging on measurables and potential, not high school performance. Those same evaluations of measurables and potential are what led NFL teams to select 198 players, including Spurgon Wynn out out of S.W. TX who was deemed to have more talent and potential, before N.E. selected Tom Brady.

 

Uhhmm... you mean Towles being behind Whitlow, Smith, and arguably even Reese Phillips (whose going to redshirt instead of Towles)? Meanwhile Pike goes to Auburn, makes some bad decisions, and still is talented enough to land at Louisville (albeit to play tight end) despite his baggage? Hard to really see how Pike is doing that much worse than Towles for me. Louisville has beaten Kentucky pretty consistently over the past few years and are coming off a BCS bowl, and will probably go to another BCS bowl this year. Kentucky is competing with the likes of Missouri and Mississippi State not to be the worst team in their own (powerful) conference.

 

Lots of people passed on Tom Brady. He was also not even the unquestioned starter on his own college team. That's the exception, not the rule.

 

College football isn't as big on 'potential' as the NBA Draft, which you seem to be making it sound like. Part of the college evaluation process is what a kid does in high school too.

 

My point this whole time has been that if you switch Barker onto Highland's team and Houliston onto Conner's team with all else held constant and Highlands probably improves greatly, or at least remains just as good. You switch Houliston onto Conner and they take a step back. Just my opinion. That has nothing to do with potential and everything to do with the results they'd probably get. No way to know for sure, but I'd say my sentiment is a pretty popular one.

 

Not saying Houliston is a bad quarterback, a bad high school player, or anything else. I just don't think he's as talented as Barker. That's not a knock on him, IMO, there honestly just aren't many high school quarterbacks on Barker's level.

Never been to or seen a regional camp but have seen references to the 7 on 7 over the years. In this particular year they may not have. As I said it is an ever changing entity.

My point is and always has been that college potential has nothing to do with who is performing best at the high school level. People continue to point out college offers and rankings as reasons why a particular player is better than another and it has nothing to do with it. I have seen numerous examples over the years where highly rated recruits have shown little in high school and gone on to fine college careers. Look no further than mention of Elam in this thread. That kid has great potential and I see what the recruiters are seeing. He is huge, fast for his size, and athletic for his size. Yet he has no business being mentioned as a Mr. football candidate, as his on field performance has not warranted such mention. Hell, he's not even the best DL on his own team. Highlands has a kid going to Western on scholarship who was the top rated tight end in the state. Now he is playing tackle and is clearly a project. But he is at least 6'5" and about 260 so I see what Western sees.

Houliston does not have the measurable attributes that D1 coaches are seeking. But he is not playing college ball, he's playing high school ball. The question is/ was, who are the leading candidates for the award given the best high school football player in the state and based on performance to date Houliston is at the top of that list.

 

No hating on anyone here. As I remind that I said at the beginning of this thread that I expect Fant will win the award as the QB candidates divide votes among them.

 

I understand you think that college potential is what I'm basing it on, but I'm not. It's hard to argue with Barker having a stronger arm, quicker release, more size, and arguably better ability to tuck it and get something with his legs while absorbing the punishment that entails. The stronger arm and quicker release is even mentioned by some of Highlands' own fans.

 

I'm not trying to hate on anyone either. I've said numerous times on here that I don't think Houliston is a "bad" quarterback or anything other than a great HS player. I just think it's unfair to him and Barker to say that he's better.

 

I do agree that Fant has a great shot to win the award. I think it's him, Barker, and possibly someone like Elam Walker, or Bonnafan with an outside shot (but I think the odds of the last two are getting slimmer each week, and for reasons I've talked about in another post on Bonnafan, I don't think he's got a great shot at it by any means).

I understand you think that college potential is what I'm basing it on, but I'm not. It's hard to argue with Barker having a stronger arm, quicker release, more size, and arguably better ability to tuck it and get something with his legs while absorbing the punishment that entails. The stronger arm and quicker release is even mentioned by some of Highlands' own fans.

 

I'm not trying to hate on anyone either. I've said numerous times on here that I don't think Houliston is a "bad" quarterback or anything other than a great HS player. I just think it's unfair to him and Barker to say that he's better.

 

I do agree that Fant has a great shot to win the award. I think it's him, Barker, and possibly someone like Elam Walker, or Bonnafan with an outside shot (but I think the odds of the last two are getting slimmer each week, and for reasons I've talked about in another post on Bonnafan, I don't think he's got a great shot at it by any means).

 

 

Lots of praise to go around for both qb's and I'll just leave it at that and move on. Interested to know your thoughts on why you leave Elam on your list of possible winners.

Uhhmm... you mean Towles being behind Whitlow, Smith, and arguably even Reese Phillips (whose going to redshirt instead of Towles)? Meanwhile Pike goes to Auburn, makes some bad decisions, and still is talented enough to land at Louisville (albeit to play tight end) despite his baggage? Hard to really see how Pike is doing that much worse than Towles for me. Louisville has beaten Kentucky pretty consistently over the past few years and are coming off a BCS bowl, and will probably go to another BCS bowl this year. Kentucky is competing with the likes of Missouri and Mississippi State not to be the worst team in their own (powerful) conference.

 

Lots of people passed on Tom Brady. He was also not even the unquestioned starter on his own college team. That's the exception, not the rule.

 

College football isn't as big on 'potential' as the NBA Draft, which you seem to be making it sound like. Part of the college evaluation process is what a kid does in high school too.

 

My point this whole time has been that if you switch Barker onto Highland's team and Houliston onto Conner's team with all else held constant and Highlands probably improves greatly, or at least remains just as good. You switch Houliston onto Conner and they take a step back. Just my opinion. That has nothing to do with potential and everything to do with the results they'd probably get. No way to know for sure, but I'd say my sentiment is a pretty popular one.

 

Not saying Houliston is a bad quarterback, a bad high school player, or anything else. I just don't think he's as talented as Barker. That's not a knock on him, IMO, there honestly just aren't many high school quarterbacks on Barker's level.

 

I mean the Towles that went on to a dominant HIGH SCHOOL senior season, sweeping the HIGH SCHOOL player of the year awards like the one this thread is about, and a Pike who self destructed and finished the year suspended from his team.

Lots of praise to go around for both qb's and I'll just leave it at that and move on. Interested to know your thoughts on why you leave Elam on your list of possible winners.

 

Agree on the praise for both QBs. They're each great players.

 

 

More than anything though, I think it comes down to him being "shown the love" from his home state if voters think him getting Mr. Football is something that might sway him toward Kentucky. Remember last year that it was widely speculated that James Quick kept Kentucky on his list for so long so it wouldn't hurt him in voting for Mr. Football (probably that, and other reasons IF that were actually the case).

 

This year, I just think that the combination of Quarterbacks and Fant splitting votes will mean that someone doesn't have to get a ton of votes to win. Because Elam has the notoriety that comes with an offer from Alabama, his name will be in the minds of some voters. I would think Barker will lock down the NKY vote (and get a sizable portion of the votes from around the state as well), but Fant will get some votes, especially in the WKY area, and Bonnafon and Walker will get some of the Louisville vote. With it breaking down like that, it means that whomever comes out on top is probably going to win with a number of votes that are less than what it is in some years.

 

I don't think Elam has a very good shot at it by any means, and the loss to DeSales hurt him even more, but I could see a scenario where he wins.

 

With Bonnafon, I think that having James Quick win it last year (meaning a Trinity player would be the recipient two straight years), coupled with the fact that Trinity has lost some games early (albeit to good out of state teams), has really hurt his chances. The Louisville commit is kind of a double-edged sword. In the end though, I think he and Walker will split much of the Louisville vote. If Walker's St. X team hadn't struggled early, I think he'd have a much better chance.

 

Right now, I see it as a two-horse race between Drew Barker and Nacarius Fant. Like someone here stated earlier, I think Fant's likely being able to be playing in the State Championship game in December is going to carry a lot of weight. As they've already stated, most voters probably won't turn in their polls before the conclusion of the season. He's going to have a few more games to accumulate stats and will be the last impression in voter's minds unless Barker takes Conner deep. That could be the difference.

 

If Fant's Bowling Green squad beats Blackman, TN on November 1, then his chances get a lot better. An undefeated season might be what he needs to push him over the top.

 

For Conner, they'll have to get by a South Oldham squad whose beaten them in 2012 and in this regular season to win their region. If they get past South Oldham, the fact that Harlan County has been down so far this year (at least given expectations) and they/Pulaski or whomever comes out of their bracket would have to travel to Conner to play, makes Conner's road seem favorable to them if they can get to that point.

 

Will be interesting to see how it plays out.