2020 Mr. Football Watchlist (12/14)

[DevilMayCare]

The hills of Eastern Kentucky served as a battleground for Mr. Football last week. Hergott's legend grows in Carter County, while a Comet shows he's worthy of sharing the same stage. Dixon's pirate ship gets docked for good at Belfry's historical house of horrors, and Broyles' gifted right arm helps bring a halt to Preston's pursuit of another championship in Paintsville. 

 

(Alphabetically)

Jaylin Bross (RB) Male

Season to date: 110 carries for 1,059 yards and 19 touchdowns 

Semifinals: Seeing limited action due to injury, Bross only produced 14 yards on four carries against Dunbar. Relative to what's in front of him, this was of little significance. The albatross of his season thus far is Week 2's dismal outing (4 carries for 3 yards) against Trinity, and Bross has been playing catch-up ever since. Male has worked its way back to another shot at the Rocks, this time with a state title on the line. Another poor performance against Trinity, and he can probably kiss any chance he has at this award goodbye. If Bross can help orchestrate an upset on the biggest stage in the sport, paired with the appropriate individual numbers, it should at least keep his name on the tongues of voters. 

 

Nick Broyles (QB), Franklin County

Season to date: 130/177 for 2,176 yards and 26 TDs/0 ints.

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EnE2t

Semifinals: Broyles' campaign took a major step forward with the events that transpired in Paintsville. His 225 passing yards and two touchdown passes aided in Franklin County snapping Johnson Central's 25 game winning streak and secured a state final berth for the Flyers. He ripped a 50+ yard missile into the hands of Fred Farrier for a touchdown and showed tremendous touch and accuracy on his second scoring toss, leading Zach Claudio perfectly in stride down the sideline. His legs haven't been utilized nearly as much as in years past, but he showed against JC that his lower half is still a weapon, evading tacklers in the backfield to extend plays and pick up yardage when necessary.

 

Leetavious Cline (RB/DB), West Carter

Season to date: 245 carries for 2,115 yards and 31 touchdowns - 48 tackles/1 pick-six/2 fumble recoveries/1 scoop and score

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2EnCr0

Semifinals: Cline may have cemented his status as the greatest Comet ever with 200 yards rushing and a couple of touchdowns in a 35-34 epic semifinal against Beechwood. Both he and Cam Hergott showed why they've entrenched themselves on the watchlist all year. But unfortunately, someone's season had to end, and West Carter simply ran out of juice. All-state honors surely await, and hopefully, so do some D1 college offers.

 

Isaac Dixon (RB/DB), Belfry

Season to date: 126 carries for 1,690 yards and 25 touchdowns/three receiving touchdowns - one kickoff return touchdown

Semifinals Belfry travelled to Putnam Stadium, where Dixon found out what so many others already knew about Ashland's defense… they're disciplined, well coached, tenacious tacklers, and fly to the football like moths to a flame. He came in averaging 15 yards per carry, but the Tomcats bottled him up all night, allowing a paltry 3.7 yards every time #3 touched the ball. It was an inconspicuous conclusion to an otherwise stellar career. Dixon says goodbye to Belfry football as a strong contender for a spot on the Mt. Rushmore of Pirate backs, and one of the mountain's best of the past decade.

 

Clay Games (QB), Elizabethtown

Season to date: 137/217 for 2,326 yards and 30 TDs/2 ints.

Semifinals: The "0" had to go. Well, maybe it didn't have to go, but it went anyway. Games was picked off by Brandt Babin in the third quarter of E'town's 39-20 win over CAL. Not only was it his first interception of the season, but it was returned for six to draw the Centurions within a score. Games settled back in and guided the Panthers to the finish line, but not before throwing a second, albeit meaningless, pick at the end of the game. The ultimate prize is still there for the taking next Saturday, but this was a setback for Games as a Mr. Football hopeful. It was by no means a horrendous performance, but it was subpar compared to what we saw from Hergott and Broyles.

 

Jagger Gillis (QB), Boyle County

Season to date: 107/152 for 1,869 yards and 24 TDs/1 int. - 330 rushing yards/11 TDs

Semifinals: Gillis helped Boyle County punch its ticket to Kroger Field for the third time in four years with 275 total yards and three touchdowns against Hopkinsville. He carved up the Tigers on a crisp 16 of 20 passing. Over Boyle's last five games, Gillis has thrown thirteen touchdown passes against only eighteen incompletions with a 75% completion percentage. We'll be treated to a head to head quarterback clash this weekend, as Gillis and Broyles match wits and arm talent with a state championship on the line.

 

Cam Hergott (QB), Beechwood

Season to date: 149/194 for 2,313 yards and 24 TDs/4 ints. - 981 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns 

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

Semifinals: A dramatic fourth quarter comeback was missing from Hergott's Mr. Football resume entering the semifinals. He can check off that box after Beechwood escaped Olive Hill with a one point win to secure a spot in the 2A championship game. The Tigers fell behind by a score in the fourth quarter on two separate occasions before Hergott engineered a pair of touchdown drives to bring his team back. His second long scoring heave of the final frame came with two and a half minutes left to play. On the ensuing two point conversion, he evaded a West Carter defender before firing a dagger to the back of the endzone to give Beechwood the lead and, inevitably, the win. Hergott had a hand in 386 of his team's 389 yards and all five touchdowns.

 

Keontae Pittman (RB), Ashland

Season to date: 139 carries for 1,304 yards and 21 touchdowns

Semifinals: It was not a night for offenses to shine on a chewed up field at Putnam Stadium. Isaac Dixon wasn't the only star running back struggling to find that next gear, as Pittman also spent most of the night running in place. He was limited to 78 yards rushing, with most of that total coming on a couple of runs on Ashland's first possession of the second half. He lives to run another day, however, and should find the turf at Kroger Field more to his liking.

 

Dylan Preston (RB/LB), Johnson Central

Season to date: 146 carries for 1,679 yards and 29 touchdowns/4 receiving touchdowns - 43 tackles/8 sacks/1 pick-six 

Semifinals: No one in Johnson County thought it would end like this. The Golden Eagles were barreling toward a sixth consecutive state finals appearance before Nick Broyles and Franklin County blew into town. The Flyers stunted JC's typically ferocious ground game, limiting Preston to just 67 yards on 15 carries. His senior season was one for the ages in the annals of Johnson Central football. He was as dominant a two way player as the state of Kentucky had this year.

 

Noteworthy performances from the Semifinals:

Will McDaniel (RB), Boyle County: 208 total yards and three touchdowns against Hopkinsville

Conner Cooper (QB), Bowling Green: 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Covington Catholic

Fred Farrier (WR), Franklin County: 103 receiving yards and a touchdown against Johnson Central 

[Bill W.]

Clays Games 30 tds with only 2 interceptions!