article Bluegrasspreps' 2016 Class 6A Pre-Season Preview

[CoachBuckett]

Going By The Numbers

 

In 2007 Kentucky High School football went to a six class system. Over the last 9 years only 1 school outside of Jefferson County has won the State Title that being Scott County. Of those 9 Championship games, seven of them have been won by a private school. Six of those titles belong to Trinity. In 2015 we witnessed Male claiming the title and making them the only second public school to win a 6A State Championship.

Biggest question of the season, Can anyone outside of Jefferson County take home the State Championship Trophy?

 

1. Trinity (11-2 3rd Round Loss to Male)

Since 2000 the Shamrocks have claimed 10 State Titles and dominating Kentucky’s largest football class. Also since 2000 Trinity has never went two years in a row without winning a state crown.

 

Trinity loses the majority of their offensive production from the 2015 team. They will be looking to replace Rodjay Burns an Ohio State signee who was a leader on both sides of the football. Biggest shoes to fill may be Jacob Woolsey who led the Trinity offense. The signal caller last season accounted for 28 touchdown passes and another 3 rushing. Coach Beatty seems to have struck it rich again with the recent transfers of Rondale Moore and Stephon Herron. Both Young men have a few offers from several Division I schools.

 

Trinity always plays one of the toughest schedules in the state. No different this season as they open with two out of state teams in Ensworth and Brentwood Academy both from the state of Tennessee. Then we will see them play both the runner-up and champion from last year’s 6A title game.

 

2. Male (15-0 6A State Champion)

Last season the Male Bulldogs rode a talented group of seniors to Bowling Green to pick up the Class 6A Championship Trophy. First time since the 6 class system that Male had won the title.

 

Male lost 32 seniors to graduation, with graduation they also lost 100% of their offensive production. Coach Wolfe has a lot of question marks to answer. Most notably where will his offense come from this season? Last season quarterback Hayden Shelton threw for 2780 yards and 30 touchdowns. He had a ton of talent surrounding him, guys like University Of Louisville signee Keion Wakefield helping Shelton. This season TJ Thomas looks to be the man taking over the reins at Quarterback. He threw 627 yards and 6 touchdowns in a backup role.

 

All eyes will be pointing to the September 9th as the Bulldogs will travel down Shelbyville road to play Trinity.

 

3. Lafayette (12-3 Lost to Male in the Finals)

Last season Lafayette Generals was loaded and ready to stake claim to a spot in the 6A finals, but many of us across the state quickly doubted the Generals after a pair of early season losses. The first being 70-14 woodshed type loss to Trinity.

 

This season the Generals seeking a return trip to Bowling Green as they believe they can win it this season. Coach Shaw unlike many this season doesn’t need to feel concerned about who the Quarterback will be, as they return University of Kentucky commit Walker Wood. Last season Wood accounted for 43 touchdowns. What is even more pleasing to Wood is the return of Alex Simpson and Jedrick Willis that will anchor the Lafayette offensive line. Both Simpson and Willis have the eye of several Division I schools.

 

All eyes will be on September 2nd as Lafayette will host Trinity in hopes to send a message to the Jefferson County Schools.

 

4. Simon Kenton (13-1 Semi-final loss to Lafayette)

Simon Kenton’s will be led by a class of 28 seniors. This senior class will enter the season with an overall record of 36-4. But what may be more important they will enter the season with a bad taste from last year’s Semi-final loss at home to Lafayette.

 

Coach Marksberry will return his top offensive weapon in Cameron Racke. Racke is a dual threat quarterback who accounted for 34 touchdowns and over 2800 yards of total offense. On the other side of the ball the Pioneer defense will be anchored by the return of their leading tackler Brian Carter. Carter recorded 127 tackles and forced 3 turnovers on a defense that allowed 14 points per game. Will this be the year the Pioneers will break through and make a trip to the finals? Last time Simon Kenton played in the finals was in 2008.

 

Simon Kenton opens the season on the road at Christian Academy of Louisville.

 

 

5. Saint Xavier (7-5 2nd round loss to Trinity)

In the last 18 years Saint Xavier has brought home 3 State Titles. Their last one coming in 2009 when coach legend Mike Glaser roamed the side lines. Many programs would be satisfied with 3 Championships. Fast forward to 2013 and Will Wolford comes home to add a boost to the Tiger football program. In three seasons Wolford is 22-15 overall as the head coach and more importantly is 1-5 against Trinity. Question many folks are asking on Popular Level road when will Wolford return the Tiger program back to the Finals?

 

Saint Xavier returns Cincinnati commit Quarterback Desmond Ridder. The dual threat quarterback passed for 1319 yards and rushed for another 668 yards.

 

Coach Wolford schedule won’t do him any favors as the first 4 weeks are load with traditional powers from other classes in Kentucky. They open the season on the road with trips to Lexington Catholic and again Bowling Green.

 

6. Scott County (11-2 3rd round loss Lafayette)

Scott County Cardinals still have good memories of their 2013 state title run. They are eager to return to Bowling Green to try and claim another title. Before they can do that they will need to look to shore up their defense. In their four district games last year their defense gave up 31.5 points per game. Even though they won those 4 games defense is what hurt them in the Regional Final giving up 36 points to Lafayette.

 

Coach McKee returns his quarterback Josh Davis this season which is always a plus. But the biggest thing the Cardinals will need to try and replace is 2800 yards of rushing yards that was lost to graduation. Looks that Kendrick Hamilton will be called upon to be lead the ground attack. Last season Hamilton rushed for 775 yards on 72 carries. He was the team 3rd leading rusher. To help lead the ground attack Scott County will return University of Kentucky commit Bryan Hudson.

 

All eyes will be on the September 9th match up when Cincinnati Elder travels to Georgetown.

 

7. Manual (9-3 2nd round loss to Male)

Manual enters the 2016 season just like they entered 2015 season. Wondering if this is the year they can knock off one of the Big 3. In 2015 Manual 3 losses with two of them coming from Male. Manual returns several starters from last season so with another year of experience under their belt, could this be a year to close the gap.

 

Manual will be led by standout defensive lineman Sean Cleasant who has been getting attention from several D-1 schools. We should see steady improvement on the offensive side of the ball as the Crimson return some key offensive skill players, starting with their leading rusher Troy Henderson. Henderson last season rushed for 933 yards. They also return their leading pass receiver in Jalen Carter.

 

Manual will get a couple of early test starting in week 1 when they have to travel to taken on Central and then again in week 2 when they host Fern Creek.

 

8. Ryle (9-3 2nd round loss to Simon Kenton)

Ryle had three losses on the season in 2015 with two of those coming from NKY foe Simon Kenton. The Raiders feel this may be the year that they can turn the table on their NKY counter parts.

 

Ryle returns majority of their offensive production in 2016. They will be led by Western Michigan commit Tanner Morgan. Last Season Morgan threw for 2,764 yards and 21 touchdowns. For Morgan he is excited because his top two receiving target return Ashely Bryce and Jake Long both combined for over a 1,000 yards receiving. The Raiders also return their leading rusher in Jake Chisholm you rushed for 713 yards on the year. The folks from Union should be excited to see the scoreboard light up.

August 26th Ryle will travel to Lexington to take on Henry Clay for early season game, should be good measuring stick if Ryle is a serious contender for the regional crown.

 

 

9. Central Hardin ( 10-4 Lost Semi-final Male)

In 2015 Central Hardin started off a little rocky with a 4-3 record heading into the district portion of their schedule. After losing to Bowling Green in late September the Bruins ran off with 7 straight wins taking them into the Semi-finals against Male. Though Male ended their season Coach Mattingly was pleased with how his team progressed over the season.

 

Question for 2016 can Central Hardin pick up where they left off. They return some key contributors on offense. Starting with all-purpose player Daris Barbour. Barbour last season accounted for 18 touchdowns and over 1400 yards of offense. They also return at quarterback Reece Iler who combined for another 1500 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. These two guys make a good tandem to watch this upcoming season

 

Central Hardin 2016 schedule will test the Bruins early with match ups with South Warren and Bowling Green.

 

10. McCracken County (10-3 3rd Round loss to Central Hardin)

McCracken County will look a little different this season with the loss of University of Kentucky signee Zyaire Hughes. McCracken County scored in bunches last season averaging 43 points per game. Hughes accounted for many of those points last season.

 

Good news for McCracken County fans there is still plenty returning this season to keep the score board lit up. The Mustangs return quarterback Cash Jones who threw 29 touchdown passes last season. One of his main targets from last season will be returning with him Darien Woods you had over 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.

 

McCracken 2016 Schedule looks the same as in 2015. Early test will be when the travel to Paducah Tilghman and then play host to Mayfield.

 

Outside Looking In

 

11. Cooper (10-3 3rd round loss to Simon Kenton)

Cooper was a surprise team in 2015 winning ten games their first year in Class 6A. It was also a team dominated by Junior and Sophomore players that was able to gain so playing experience that should bold well for the 2016 season. They will be led on offense this season by their returning leading rusher Jaden Jackson who rushed just shy of a 1,000 yards last season. Copper will play the same schedule in 2016 that they played in 2015. They will start off facing traditional power Highlands in week zero.

 

 

12. Conner (8-4 2nd round loss to Cooper)

In 2015 Conner started out winning 6 or their first 7 games only to go 3-2 in the final 5 games. The 2015 team graduate 15 seniors off of their 66 man roster. This is a positive thing for Cougars. Their youth has been tested and gained another year of experience. Question is will it be enough to make a mark this coming season. They will get another crack at last year's schedule as it is the same in 2016.

 

13. Pleasure Ridge Park (5-6 1st round loss to Trinity)

Last season PRP started off with winning 4 straight games against teams outside of class 6A. The 2015 team was very young and had some promise going into the 6A portion of their schedule. Soon the inexperience caught up with them and they dropped 6 of their last 7 games. I give them the nod at number 13 coming into 2016 because of what they have returning. It may not be good enough to get a couple of upset wins in the tough Jefferson County district but should be good enough to handle the rest of their schedule.

 

14. Henry Clay (7-5 2nd round loss to Lafayette)

Coach Sam Simpson Blue Devils return a talented group of players this season. After starting the season 3-4 the Blue Devils turned things around in late October to finish 4-1 the final 5 games. This should bold well for the Blue Devils as they will be led by a familiar name to the people of Lexington. Greg Couch will handle the quarterback duties, the junior is related to Tim Couch. So will the pedigree be enough to get this team head for a run to the regional final. Henry Clay will have a tough test right out of the blocks as they will face Ryle in the Bluegrass Bowl on August 26th.

 

15. Bryan Station (7-5 2nd round loss to Scott County)

Coach Parks will be rebuilding this season as the Defenders have been hit hard by Graduation. Quarterback Andre Davis and running back Devon Key are a couple of the guys lost to graduation and will tough to replace those playmakers. Coach Parks will hand the reigns over to Quentin Floyd how played back up last season and threw for 380 yards. The big question is how soon can Coach Parks have this young Station team ready to play. They will have an early test as they play Simon Kenton August 26th.

 

 

Class 6A players to Watch

Stephon Herron – DE – Trinity

Rondale Moore – WR – Trinity

Walker Wood – QB – Lafayette

Jedrick Willis – OL – Lafayette

Alex Simpson – OL – Lafayette

Cameron Racke – QB – Simon Kenton

Desmond Ridder – QB – Saint Xavier

Tanner Morgan – QB – Ryle

Sean Cleasant – DT – Manual

Deshon Washington – OL – Ballard

Nate Hobbs – DB – Male

Edited August 10, 2016 by spindoc

[NKY Bandit]

Thanks guys! Great article.

[SHAMROCK69]

Nice job!

[4luvofthegame]

This looks accurate to me. It will be interesting to see how H replaces 20 starters. Especially with an experienced X in their district.

[Guest]

Cooper's Dante Hendrix has to be one of the top players to watch as well.

[FanofMany33]

Cooper's Dante Hendrix has to be one of the top players to watch as well.

 

I agree totally. Coach Buckett must be from somewhere deep down South in a corner in order to miss this kid as a top player to watch.

[Yellow Card]

I agree totally. Coach Buckett must be from somewhere deep down South in a corner in order to miss this kid as a top player to watch.

 

He did not mention him in his Cooper analysis either... :idunno:

[NKY Bandit]

Dante is electric. Big time playmaker.

[Hardin County Preps]

Central Hardin lost a bulk of their lineman on both sides of the ball. They are young this year with only 11 Seniors on their roster but add some transfers who should help shore up the line. They must find key replacements for LB/TE Seth Bryan, LB Aaron Chandler, RB Gavin Krupinski, LB Dalton Parr, RB Xavier Arnette, DL Alex Bibb. I think Central Hardin is talented enough at the key positions to win the District again but will struggle to reach the Regions final.

[CoachBuckett]

I agree totally. Coach Buckett must be from somewhere deep down South in a corner in order to miss this kid as a top player to watch.

 

I will admit I don't get to see every player in the state. I will look forward to reading and trying to get a chance to see him play. But as I did my research his name wasn't a name that popped up.

[psychicscubadiver]

I will admit I don't get to see every player in the state. I will look forward to reading and trying to get a chance to see him play. But as I did my research his name wasn't a name that popped up.

 

Really? I'm a Trinity fan that barely knows anything about NKY football, but even I knew of him. The Cooper fans have talking about what a game changer he is for the past year.

 

I regards to your article, I believe a couple teams should be moved (St. X too low, Conner too high, Ballard too low, etc), but the general layout I agree with.

[ColonelPride]

Lots to like here, Trinity, Lafayette, Scott Co., Ryle stand out to me. None would surprise me to see in the finals.

[Harry Doyle]

Looks solid here. My only opinion would be that PRP is in the bottom half of the Top 10, but then I'd have to make an argument for "Who would you take out?", and I can't do that. If there schedule year in year out isn't one of the Top 5 toughest in the state, then I don't know that there is one. Male, Trinity, X, Manual, Central, Butler, John Hardin, etc. I think they are one of these teams, like others, where they play an absolute brutal schedule; which is what most claim they want to see, yet are penalized for the losses they take to some of these squads.

 

They will be loaded this year...practically return everybody from last year.

[Voice of Reason]

I don't think any team gets penalized for losses against a tough schedule in the BGP rankings. They don't necessarily get rewarded for losing to those teams either. Just because a team plays a tough schedule does not automatically gain credibility for them. They have to do something good against that schedule at some point. Strength of schedule is very important in the rankings.