Many who only follow Kentucky High School Football in passing may not even realize what the Belfry Pirates have the potential to do, or for that matter even know what they have done. Those critics would be quick to shoot down notions such “Dynasty”, “Dominance”, or “Elite” and rightfully so. Critics accurately would point to Louisville Central and their 4 wins against the Pirates . Yet, hidden in plain sight is a chance to join the ranks of Kentucky’s Bluest of Bloods in the most selective of company.

 

Belfry enters the 2014 season as the defending 3A State Champions and as the consensus favorite to reach their 5th straight State Finals appearance. The little team from Pond Creek has been on a BIG run! A 5th consecutive Title Game would join them alongside Beechwood, Boyle County, Highlands, Trinity, and Mayfield as the only programs to achieve such a feat. In fact, Belfry has had an enviable run since 2003 that has consisted of 7 State Finals, 3 Championships, and only one year in which they failed to reach the State Semi-Finals. Perhaps the greatest run a team from Eastern Kentucky has ever accumulated.

 

Belfry will have to replace several key pieces such as Consensus All-State DB/QB Sani Warren, leading rusher Justin Johnson, leading scorer Trenity Carr, and leading tackler Hayden Hatfield, but the cupboard is far from bare. Leading the way will be Finals MVP FB/LB Austin Hatfield who was dominant on both sides of the ball. Offensively the Belfry line remains relatively intact anchored by All-State Candidate SR Macky Francis, while also returning JR Austin Gibbs, SR Drew Mullins, SOPH Cole Bentley, and top reserve SR Jeremy Harrison. Big time playmaker Keaton Taylor is expected to slide over from SE to QB. JR Xondre Willis was in the midst of breakout year before injury and will be back at HB, while JR Deonte Joplin assumes the other spot after rushing for over 1000 yards in West Virginia.

 

Defensively Belfry put on a clinic in the post season led by a very young Defense. Expect SOPH Rayquan Horton to be a household name at DT. Fellow SOPH’s DE Austin Hall and S Cameron Catron emerged as play makers last year. Belfry also returns LB Dakota Stanley, S Kaleb Edwards, as well as Taylor at CB. Belfry also picked up a key transfer in SOPH Noah Corbett who will compete at both SE and DB.

 

The Pirate’s Special Teams Unit is one to watch as well. Punter Devin Wellman had one of the better seasons in the State and PK Austin Woolum was the picture of consistency.

 

A rigorous schedule awaits Belfry, but expectations are high for the young and talented Pike County squad. The Pirates will be tested against 6 teams who reached the 2nd Round or further in their playoffs last year and open with athletic 6A Henry Clay. With so much youth, Phillip Haywood’s Big Red Machine may only be gearing up!

Expectations seem high in Belfry.

 

I'd say anything short of a State Championship will be seen as a let down.

Expectations seem high in Belfry.

 

I'd say anything short of a State Championship will be seen as a let down.

 

Not this season to be honest. I think it is boom or bust in terms of reaching the Finals as the East seems to be Belfry...then Bourbon..then everyone else...

 

The fact is as talented and as skilled as the Belfry team will be they still are going to be very Sophomore heavy and this season is probably the most wide open 3A has been in a while. With so much young talent I could see this season playing out a couple ways. Worst case scenario is a Semi-Finals loss at home to either Bourbon, Mason, or Russell when these young guys overlook their opponent. The 2008 Belfry team is an example of this when they were upset at home by a heavy underdog Breathitt County team in a game the Pirates simply laid an egg.

 

On the other end of the spectrum this team really has scary talent by Belfry standards. I have heard many people I respect say this is by far the most athletic, fastest, and highest ceiling team to come through Belfry. You can count on one hand the number of players who have started all 4 years at Belfry before 2013, and the number of Freshman who even started one game would be in the single digits... last season alone 4 Freshman started the entire season (Horton, Hall, Bentley, and Woolum) Catron was essentially the starter the entire season and Fletcher started I think 3 games at FB. Then they add Corbett and Scott to that Class... Corbett started every game at his school and Scott played in every game as a Freshman at Pikeville.

 

Belfry's strongest teams will probably be 2015 and 2016. I wont say a Championship is expected as you now throw Boyle County and Lexington Catholic into the picture in a stacked class.... but if Belfry buys in to Haywood's mantra of "get better each week" it is safe to say Belfry is about to be a force to be reckoned with the next few seasons.