2020 Mr. Football Watchlist (9/29)

[DevilMayCare]

A pair of standout running backs return to the fold after some time away from the watchlist, while a couple of NKY signal callers had big statistical nights in comfortable wins. A "Title Town" QB continues to show he belongs, and a record setting ball carrier produces big again, in defeat.

 

(Alphabetically)

Hunter Bradley (RB), McCracken County

Season to date: 49 carries for 388 yards and 5 TDs/118 receiving yards and a touchdown 

Week 3: As the 2019 regular season was coming to a close, Bradley had put together as fine a season as any "big school" running back in the state. A severe lower leg injury in the regular season finale prevented him from building on his stellar numbers, and who was to say what 2020 had in store for him. Would he be the same? Would he even play? Obviously, the answer to the second question is, yes. The answer to the first question needed some time to come into focus, but last Friday's outing versus Apollo suggests that Bradley is back to 100% and ready to hit the ground running. He carried the ball 22 times for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus another 66 yards on three receptions in McCracken's 45-21 win.

 

Jaylin Bross (RB) Male

Season to date: 15 carries for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EHfPS

Week 3: After being virtually shut out versus Trinity (4 carries for 3 yards), Bross bounced back against an overwhelmed Butler squad for 155 yards and two touchdowns in limited action. It's not out of the question for Bross to work his way back up the ladder of contenders for Mr. Football, but he's got his work cut out for him after such a dismal debut this season.

 

Jager Burton (OL/DL), Frederick Douglass

Week 3: Burton and his Douglass teammates returned to the field after having the awful taste of the loss to North Hardin lingering in their mouths for two weeks. Any pent up frustrations they may have had were taken out on Ballard, who were filling in for Scott County after that game was postponed. Burton did work on the offensive line, as expected, but he was perhaps just as impactful on defense against the Bruins. He recorded a sack and turned in one of the game's more athletic plays, when he snatched the ball from the intended path of a slip screen before taking it thirty yards the other way for a pick-six. 

 

Isaac Dixon (RB/DB), Belfry

Season to date: 35 carries for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns/115 receiving yards and two touchdowns 

Week 3: Following a week away from the watchlist, Dixon returns with a vengeance after displaying his devastating triple threat abilities versus Magoffin County. Running the ball? He can do that in his sleep. He totalled 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just eight carries against the Hornets. Can he catch it? You betcha. He showed great hands on a long, over the shoulder touchdown reception. Should opponents kick to him? Only if you want six going back the other way. He took a kickoff 90 yards for a score. All told, Dixon registered 380 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns in Belfry's 59-20 win.

 

Jagger Gillis (QB), Boyle County

Season to date: 38/57 for 705 yards and 10 TDs/1 int. - 3 rushing touchdowns 

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EH5xt

Week 3: Gillis seems to have taken a liking to his new digs at Boyle County. I'm sure the feeling is mutual among teammates and fans alike. He accounted for 215 yards of offense and three touchdowns in Boyle's 46-7 romp over Highlands. He's displayed a strong arm and an impressive ability to throw on the run as accurately as he does from the pocket. The Rebels have a week off before Gillis gets his initiation into the Boyle/LexCath rivalry.

 

Cam Hergott (QB), Beechwood

Season to date: 45/65 for 703 yards and 2 TDs/2 ints. - 194 rushing yards and three touchdowns 

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EH7nM

Week 3: Hergott's 335 passing yards against Ryle represent a career best, and he did it on an efficient 19/25 passing with a pair of scoring tosses. To this point in the season, Hergott has proven himself to be the best quarterback in northern Kentucky and the driving force behind Beechwood's emergence as a legitimate 2A title contender. 

 

Caleb Jacob (QB), Covington Catholic

Season to date: 37/64 for 512 yards and 5 TD/3 ints. - 134 rushing yards/3 touchdowns

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EHtVa

Week 3: Jacob finally had his breakout individual performance of the 2020 season against Cooper. His 261 passing yards and three touchdown passes aided in CovCath's 41-0 rout of Cooper. The Colonels' passing game didn't really take flight until the second half, but Jacob's legs were a major factor for the second straight week. He ran for 51 yards and a pair of scores to help give CovCath a three score cushion at halftime, before his arm got loose in the final two frames.

 

Kaiya Sheron (QB), Somerset

Season to date: 33/54 for 693 yards and 6 TDs/1 int. - 172 rushing yards and three touchdowns

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EHDDz

Week 3: It may not have been his best night from a passing standpoint, but Sheron's dual threat ability makes him a challenge to defend that few in the state can rival. He nearly reached the century mark on the ground to compliment his 169 yards and three touchdowns through the air against Russellville. 

 

Braedon Sloan (RB), Wayne County

Season to date: 69 carries for 650 yards and 10 touchdowns 

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EJEqV

Week 3: Only Sloan can make 194 yards and two touchdowns look pedestrian. He needed 27 carries to accumulate that yardage against Danville, and the Ads made him earn nearly every one of them. It's easy to get caught up in gawking at the numbers, but it's also hard to ignore the losses. Wayne County now sits at 1-2 offer Friday's loss with a handful of challenging games still ahead. You have to wonder what impact a potential .500 season might have on voters, if that's how things go for the Cardinals. 

 

Lavell Wright (RB), North Hardin

Season to date: 60 carries for 365 yards and 4 touchdowns/4 catches for 39 yards

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EGzmB

Week 3: Wright's power and nimble feet were on display against Bullitt East as he bulldozed potential tacklers and swiftly navigated running lanes for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. The next two weeks present the UK commit with opportunities to compare his talents head to head with two of Kentucky's other more gifted running backs in Meade County's Austin Oppel and Belfry's Isaac Dixon.

 

Noteworthy performances from Week 3:

Cole Wallace (RB), Rowan County: 464 yards rushing and four touchdowns against Scott

Jake Heighton (QB), Raceland: 372 yards passing and six touchdowns against Greenup County 

Dylan Preston (RB/LB), Johnson Central: 153 yards rushing and a touchdown/3 sacks against Simon Kenton

DeShawn Hamilton (RB), Fairdale: 8 carries for 157 yards and four touchdowns against Bullitt Central

Leetavious Cline (RB), West Carter: 198 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns against Shelby Valley

[DevilMayCare]

Cole Wallace's 464 yards against Scott were the sixth highest single game total in state history. It somehow went almost completely unnoticed over the weekend.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

3 minutes ago, DevilMayCare said:

Cole Wallace's 464 yards against Scott were the sixth highest single game total in state history. It somehow went almost completely unnoticed over the weekend.

Pikeville junior WR Zac Lockhart also set two new state records last weekend with his 388 yards receiving and 7 touchdown receptions in the Panthers' game against Henry Clay. Big week for the record book!

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Just now, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Pikeville junior WR Zac Lockhart also set two new state records last weekend with his 388 yards receiving and 7 touchdown receptions in the Panthers' game against Henry Clay. Big week for the record book!

 

[DevilMayCare]

Last year, we had a clear group of front-runners with Mayer, Smith, and Allen standing out from day one. No favorites have emerged yet this year, with the field remaining level so far. Will we see any separation this season, or are we in for a photo finish for the Mr. Football race in 2020?