2021 BluegrassPreps Mr. Football Watchlist (11/29)

[DevilMayCare]

Hergott and Brown set a date for the biggest Mr. Football showdown of the season; Sivori shakes off a poor start to set up a marquee clash with #1 Male; And the mountains will be well represented again at Kroger Field as Dixon, Bingham, and McNamee each seek a second championship ring

 

In alphabetical order:

Grant Bingham (OL, Johnson Central)

Semifinals: Franklin County had allowed 84 rushing yards per game heading into Paintsville. They also hadn't encountered the likes of Bingham and the rest of Johnson Central's offensive front. The Golden Eagles had their way with a stout Flyers front seven to the tune of 428 yards at 10 yards per. Coming full circle, he'll end his high school career against Boyle County, the team he faced in a breakthrough performance in 2019.

 

Xavier Brown (ATH, Lexington Christian Academy)

Season to date: 107 carries for 1,445 yards and 21 touchdowns ; 385 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns

Semifinals: It was over before Middlesboro ever got off the bus. LCA destroyed the previously unbeaten Yellowjackets 58-0, with Brown only seeing three carries, but scoring on two of them. At least he'll be fresh for Beechwood in the 2A finals. It's a game that will decide a state champion and, one way or another, go a long way toward deciding this year's Mr. Football. Brown compiled 200 yards of offense and two touchdowns against the Tigers in defeat last year.

 

Isaac Dixon (ATH, Belfry)

Season to date: 153 carries for 1,616 yards and 24 touchdowns ; 3 receiving touchdowns ; one passing touchdown ; 4 interceptions, including one pick-six

Semifinals: He was vintage Dixon with the ball in his hands - 251 yards and four touchdowns - but his defensive contributions were nearly as impactful against East Carter. He snuffed out a scoring threat from the Raiders near the end of the first half by bringing the heat on a safety blitz and stuffing the ball carrier in the backfield on fourth down. He then picked off a pass in Belfry territory to help preserve a two possession lead for the Pirates. He'll play for his second state championship on the same field that hosted his coming out party two years ago.

 

Cam Hergott (QB, Beechwood)

Season to date: 124/179 for 2,265 yards and 32 touchdowns with 3 interceptions ; 1,650 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns

Highlights: vs. Mayfield

Semifinals: It was a big night for Beechwood football, as they finally exorcised the Mayfield demon. Hergott ran for 128 yards and two scores, plus a passing touchdown. All things considered, Mayfield did as good a job containing him as anyone this year, holding him to roughly half his per carry average coming in. Mitchell Berger lightened Hergott's load with a career night running the ball. Injuries have forced him into action on defense, where he made one of the game's signature defensive plays, sticking Kylan Galbreath and forcing a fumble that allowed the Tigers a last second field goal to pad their lead heading into halftime. There's only one task left on his to-do list: conquer LCA again and claim a third career state title… and maybe, sew up a second consecutive Mr. Football in the process.

 

Isaac McNamee (QB, Pikeville)

Season to date: 130/200 for 1,739 yards and 27 touchdowns with 4 interceptions ; 2 rushing touchdowns

Highlights: vs. Raceland

Semifinals: The Pikeville offense opened up the playbook a little more against Raceland after playing it conservative for most of the season. McNamee was able to successfully push the ball down the field multiple times and was on target on 10 of his 15 throws with a couple of touchdowns. The Panthers will be heavily favored this week against Russellville, but McNamee will be challenged by a long, athletic secondary.

 

Nic Schutte (QB, Male)

Season to date: 143/220 for 2,519 yards and 29 touchdowns with 1 interception ; 2 rushing touchdowns

Semifinals: Daniel Swinney did everything he could to steal the show with six touchdowns, but Shutte made throws to balance out Male's offense and distance the Bulldogs from Trinity. He threw for 237 yards and a score on a crisp 12/15 passing. His only blemish was the season's first interception. He got some help from Vinny Anthony on a couple of sensational catches.

 

Jack Sivori (QB, St. Xavier)

Season to date: 163/238 for 2,013 yards and 25 touchdowns with 11 interceptions ; 1,213 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns

Semifinals: Down 21-7 in the final minutes of the first half, the night was looking like an unmitigated disaster for Sivori and the Tigers. He'd thrown two interceptions with Madison Central capitalizing on one and threatening to do it again. The X defense bailed him out before Sivori - with a defender breathing down his neck - hit Mekhi Smith for a long touchdown to set off a 24-0 run that propelled the Tigers to victory. He accumulated 282 yards of total offense and four touchdowns to help offset the turnovers. After joining Hergott in the 20/20 club the week before, Sivori now takes his place next to the other Tiger quarterback in the 2k/1k club.

 

Caden Veltkamp (QB, South Warren)

Season to date: 156/232 for 2,427 yards and 32 touchdowns with 5 interceptions ; 7 rushing touchdowns

Semifinals: The Spartans blew the doors off of Woodford County, beginning with a first quarter flurry that included two touchdown passes by Veltkamp. That was pretty much his night. His workload was light, but effective, completing 6 of 9 passes for 119 yards and the two scores. His week to week consistency has produced a very good season, but he's due to go off. No better stage than Kroger Field against Frederick Douglass. 

 

Noteworthy performances from the Semifinals:

Vinny Anthony (WR, Male) - 3 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown against Trinity

Jagger Gillis (QB, Boyle County) - 11/12 for 173 yards and a touchdown, plus a rushing touchdown against Logan County

Dane Key (WR, Frederick Douglass) - 5 catches for 75 yards against Owensboro 

Armon Tucker (RB, Trinity) - 106 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns against Male

[DevilMayCare]

All six state championship games will have a little bit - or a lot - of Mr. Football Watchlist flavor.

1A: Isaac McNamee - Pikeville's Birchfield will get some watchlist love next year.

2A: Cam Hergott vs. Xavier Brown - this is the one to watch as far as Mr. Football is concerned. They're both showstoppers.

3A: Isaac Dixon - he ran for 200+ yards and three touchdowns the last time his cleats touched the turf at Kroger Field.

4A: Jagger Gillis and Cole Lanter vs. Grant Bingham - Lanter has garnered a lot of buzz over the back half of the season and Bingham was the player most spectators were buzzing about when JC and Boyle met two years ago.

5A: Dane Key vs. Caden Veltkamp - Key has fallen off the pace, but he's capable of being the best player on the field against the Spartans.

6A: Jack Sivori vs. Vinny Anthony and Nic Shutte - Sivori has carried St. X all year. He can't stop now if the Tigers hope to end a 12 year title drought.

[Brown]

1. Sivori if St X wins it all

2. Hergott if Beechwood wins it all and St. X doesn't

3. Brown if he goes off and LCA wins and X loses

4.  Humphries if all bomb still in the mix albeit a long shot now

 

And GREAT write-up as usual @DevilMayCare

[5-oh]

All are worthy, but I say the winner of the 2 A game takes the prize.  Hergott or Brown.