Front Runners

 

Beau Allen (QB, Lexington Catholic)

 

Week 5: Allen's night against LCA was productive to say the least, but the Knights were edged out by a point on the scoreboard. His 374 yards (232 passing, 142 rushing) of total offense and five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) weren't enough to fend off a very good Eagles squad. This rough patch of the schedule has seen LexCath drop two out of three, losing to LCA and CovCath, and beating DeSales. They should get a chance to catch their breath with Tates Creek this Friday and then a bye week.

 

Season to date: 109/150 for 1,570 yards and 16 TDs/0 ints. - 250 yards rushing/6 TDs

 

 

 

Michael Mayer (TE/LB, Covington Catholic)

 

Week 5: Mayer was completely shut out offensively versus Beechwood, but helped lead a defensive charge that kept Beechwood QB Cam Hergott uncomfortable all evening. The Colonels gave up 72 yards to the Tigers, and outside of Beau Allen channeling Patrick Mahomes on September 6th, CovCath has allowed just 76 yards of offense per game in its other four wins. Mayer's production on offense needs to pick back up if he's to keep pace with the other two front-runners.

 

Season to date: 13 catches for 254 yards and 4 TDs - 2 carries for 34 yards and a TD - 29 tackles/1 sack/1 int.

 

 

 

Reese Smith (WR/S, Boyle County)

 

Week 5: In the most awe inspiring team performance of last week (maybe the season?), the Rebels annihilated CAL, 71-28. As you'd expect, Smith was prominently featured in the Boyle County offensive spectacle. He caught six Reed Lanter passes for 194 yards and three scores. Over 40% of his receptions this season have gone for six.

 

Season to date: 19 catches for 538 yards and 8 touchdowns - 8 tackles/1 int.

 

 

 

 

Locks

 

Malachi Corley (RB/WR/DB, Campbellsville)

 

Week 5: Corley sat versus Green County, reportedly nursing a minor injury and should return this week versus district opponent Fort Knox.

 

Season to date: 34 rushes for 389 yards and 8 TDs - 14 catches for 333 yards and 5 TDs - 43 tackles/1 forced fumble/1 fumble recovery

 

 

 

Izayah Cummings (WR, Male)

 

Week 5: The spotlight was squarely on Cummings and the Bulldogs versus Trinity, and the UK commit delivered perhaps the best performance of his career. He didn't set personal bests in any category, but his 145 receiving yards and two touchdowns - including the game winner in overtime after fighting through contact and a near mugging - on that stage might set this game apart from all others he's played in so far. Male QB Elijah Parrish completed nine passes on the night, with six of them finding their way into Cummings' hands. The Dawgs needed their best player to step up and deliver in the biggest game, and Cummings did just that.

 

Season to date: 20 catches for 376 yards and 7 TDs

 

Game of the Year - Izayah Cummings highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Jackson Hensley (WR, Pikeville)

 

Week 5: Hensley's story last week shares some similarities with Cummings'. Pikeville, like Male, faced its biggest obstacle this season in a marquee matchup with a powerhouse local rival. Also like Male, Pikeville came out on top in a down to the wire affair. But unlike Cummings, Hensley failed to leave his mark on the night's events, restrained by Belfry's defense for eleven yards on two touches. At the end of the day, the Panthers are unbeaten and ranked #1 in Class A football. But for the sake of watchlist contention, he's trending down. Over his last three games - three of the biggest on Pikeville's schedule - he's got 103 yards receiving and zero visits to the endzone.

 

Season to date: 22 catches for 285 yards and 3 TDs - 31 tackles/2 int./1 forced fumble

 

 

 

Jeriah Hightower (RB, Madisonville-North Hopkins)

 

Week 5: Hightower and the Maroons raced out to a 41-0 lead in the second quarter against winless Ballard Memorial and never looked back. The state leader in rushing yards through five games got his numbers before exiting early - 11 carries/203 yards/3 TDs.

 

Season to date: 107 rushes for 1,163 yards and 14 TDs

 

Ballard Memorial High School - Jeriah Hightower highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Reed Lanter (QB, Boyle County)

 

Week 5: The other half of the Lanter to Smith tandem was on his game against the Centurions. He only missed on two throws, finishing 11/13 for 245 yards and five touchdowns. No time to bask in the glow of that performance, though. A stingy Highlands defense awaits.

 

Season to date: 49/65 for 942 yards and 13 TDs/1 int.

 

Christian Academy - Reed Lanter highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

Octavious Oxendine (DT, North Hardin)

 

Week 5: The Trojans' defense continues to defend their endzone better than any team in 6A. After John Hardin drove the ball right down NH's throat on their first possession, Oxendine (1.5 sacks on the night) and the rest of the Trojan defenders put the clamps down on the Bulldogs, allowing negative yardage the rest of the night. North Hardin is now allowing a 6A best 8 ppg.

 

Season to date: 22 tackles/6 TFL/7 sacks

 

 

 

Walker Parks (OT/DL, Frederick Douglass)

 

Week 5: Parks, and his fellow hogs up front, muscled Henry Clay around for 384 yards on the ground. He also collected another sack on defense in the 27-0 win over the Blue Devils. Stuff's about to get real with one of the most anticipated games in the state on the docket for this week. Scott County rolls into town in two days.

 

 

 

Jake Sloan (WR, Pulaski County)

 

Week 5: The statewide leader in receptions and 5A's leader in receiving yards was central to a huge offensive output by Pulaski County. The Maroons piled up 545 yards and 56 points to outpace a pesky Madison Southern. For his part, Sloan caught nine balls - right at his average - for 156 yards and two scores.

 

Season to date: 48 receptions for 568 yards and 4 TDs - 1 kickoff return TD

 

 

 

Jayden Stinson (QB, Mayfield)

 

Week 5: Stinson's return to form against Graves County - 11 of 14 for 314 yards and 5 TDs/0 ints. - is more like what we've come to expect from the southpaw signal caller. He kept a clean sheet while the Cards ran away from the Eagles, leading 41-0 at the half en route to a 48-7 final.

 

Season to date: 74/116 for 1,362 and 16 TDs/6 ints.

 

Graves County High School - Jayden Stinson highlights - Hudl

 

 

 

 

On The Bubble

 

 

 

Franklin Hayes (WR, McCracken County)

 

Week 5: Hayes caught only two balls against Marshall County, but both went for touchdowns. In McCracken's two biggest games so far - Bowling Green and Mayfield - he's has been as good as any receiver in the state, combining for 19 receptions/448 yards/5 TDs. He proved more than Mayfield could handle in the Mustangs' 45-35 win. Hayes currently ranks #1 in the state in both receiving yards and TDs.

 

Season to date: 30 catchesfor 721 yards and 13 TDs

 

 

 

Brycen Huddleston (LB/KR, Highlands)

 

Week 5: Huddleston continued his high level of play with another productive outing against Ryle. He recorded 13 tackles and a couple of sacks in the Birds' 27-0 win over the Raiders. Highlands' defense is playing really well of late, but the ultimate test of their defensive mettle comes this Friday in Danville against a Boyle County offense roasting opposing defenses for a state leading 53 ppg.

 

Season to date: 38 tackles/7 TFL/3 sack/1 int./1 fumble recovery (stats incomplete)

 

 

 

Vito Tisdale (RB/DB, Bowling Green)

 

Week 5: With emotions swirling and the return of Kevin Wallace to Bowling Green for the first time as the coach of St. X likely permeating the atmosphere, the Purples fell into a two touchdown hole in the first half and weren't able to fully recover. St. X quarterback Doug Bodhaine found success against BG's secondary, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 200+ yards. Tisdale didn't have any standout or game altering plays, finishing with six tackles on the night.

 

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

 

 

 

Hunter Utley (QB, Murray)

 

Week 5: Any time you have more touchdown passes than incompletions, you're feeling it, and Utley was feeling it against previously unbeaten Trigg County. He completed 14 of 17 throws for 250 yards and 5 touchdowns in Murray's impressive 64 point offensive outburst. Utley ranks fourth in the state with 1,380 passing yards and second with 19 touchdown passes for 2A's 5th ranked team.

 

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

 

5 Games In - hunter utley highlights - Hudl

Why isn’t Vito Tisdale being used on offense??? Game changer and it’s a head scratcher.

The stat that wins it for me. Beau Allen, 0 int’s On 150 attempts against some really good defensive teams.

I can only assume CovCath is working on getting other players involved in the offense in regards to Mayer's lack of production these past 2 games as neither team had the players to stop him. I think he was only targeted 3 times in the Beechwood game. The first was a jump ball that he probably should've came down with. The other 2 were overthrown.

Beau Allen gets my vote. Consistent, explosive, and no turnovers.

 

Mayer will not win. Most talented, will most likely be playing on Sundays one day. But his QB is overrated IMO and can not get him the ball consistently. Mayer’s stats are embarrassing for a kid his caliber. He has to be frustrated. get him the ball and he gets you a state title.

Cummings gets my vote. He had great performance against what I consider the State’s best defense. He also makes players around him better since defenses have to account for him every play. Opens up running game and Briceson Rogers.

I can only imagine the stats Reese Smith and Reed Lanter would have had they played 4 quarters in all their games like Beau Allen.

I can only assume CovCath is working on getting other players involved in the offense in regards to Mayer's lack of production these past 2 games as neither team had the players to stop him. I think he was only targeted 3 times in the Beechwood game. The first was a jump ball that he probably should've came down with. The other 2 were overthrown.

 

I don't have any clue what the actual situation is, but I think it's obvious that Coach Eviston isn't necessarily making Michael Mayer "the" game plan. They have gone to him in each game, and there have been 2 or 3 balls that Michael quite frankly could have/should have ended up with. Jacob has also surprised me a little this season with the number of over or underthrown balls he's thrown out there. I must have heard "that ball was just too far ahead of Michael" or "Jacob's pass lands behind Mayer's feet" at least 8 or 9 times this year in the Cov Cath radio broadcasts.

 

I think there are also a LOT of defense's that Cov Cath is facing whose game plan is designed around "we HAVE to cover Michael Mayer", whereas the past two seasons have been defenses that have to plan with "we HAVE to cover Micheal Mayer and Jack Coldiron and Casey McGinness". I think there's a good chance that Eddie is using that to a certain advantage, designing plays that will force teams to respect Michael's presence and cover him very deliberately, and then potentially open themselves to susceptibility when Cov Cath goes to Reardon, Molique, Boydston, Felix, or Nally. Eddie has to coach for Cov Cath's offensive game plan, and not the Michael Mayer game plan.

 

At the halfway point in the regular season, I have to think Mayer's stats aren't going to win him the Mr. Football award. The reality is that this is an award that is won almost exclusively on a combination of recorded statistics and voter bias. That's why there has never been an offensive lineman to win Mr. Football and likely never will be. I also wouldn't be surprised that, in a year where there are quality non-NKY contenders for the Mr. Football award like Beau Allen and Reese Smith, the powers that be at Cov Cath just assume that there's no way this award is going to Michael in the first place, so then why try to make that even the most remote of factors in the way they design their game plan?