BluegrassPreps.com Mr. Football Watchlist (9/6)

[DevilMayCare]

Beechwood Bros Bomb The Briar Patch

Antonio Robinson Jr. joining the Tigers was like adding special sauce to an already mouth watering burger (sp?). He compliments (condiments?) Mitchell Berger's steak with a little South Florida sizzle. Listen people, I know the jokes and puns are going to get old real quick, but they practically write themselves.

There was nothing funny about what the two did to Somerset's defense in Week 3. Berger battered the Jumpers for 256 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns, while Robinson generated some electricity on a short catch and long run, plus an explosive punt return that was unfortunately called back. The touchdown that stood was a thing of beauty, as he shook a couple of defenders in tight quarters before swiftly tightroping the sideline 62 yards for the score. Meanwhile, Berger was painting his own masterpiece that began with a 30 yard touchdown run on Beechwood's opening possession. The highlight of his night was a catch and run covering 61 yards that was punctuated by Berger bowling over a helpless would-be tackler at the goal line. All together, the duo scored from 25, 30, 59, 61, and 62 yards, plus Robinson's 71 yard penalized punt return touchdown. The lightning bolt capabilities of Robinson, paired with Berger's relentless tenacity and all-around skill set, give the Tigers 2A's most fearsome offensive 1-2 punch.

 

"Why Are You Being So Defensive?"

It's taken a few weeks to shine the spotlight across the line of scrimmage, but some worthy bodies of work are beginning to emerge. Saint Xavier has played sensational team defense so far. Led by defensive end Micah Carter, the defending 6A champions have allowed 10.6 points per game against Owensboro, Lou. Central, and Male. Whether he's setting the edge, harassing opposing quarterbacks, or occasionally dropping into coverage, the 6'5", 260 pound Purdue commit cuts an imposing figure. His numbers don't jump off the page at you - he recorded his first sack last week against Male - because the X defense is stout across the board. But when game planning to beat the Tigers, neutralizing Carter is priority #1. 

Occupying that same priority for Great Crossing's defense is 6'7" freakish athlete Oryend Fisher. The level of competition he's seen so far pales in comparison to what Carter has faced, but Fisher is dominating with an explosive first step and an albatross-like wingspan. He's recorded at least two sacks in each game this season. His combination of length and the ability to cover five yards in the blink of an eye creates an inescapable vortex for ball carriers.

 

You Can't Stop Him,You Can Only Hope To Contain Him

And for most of the night, Daviess County did just that to Kenyata Carbon. A pair of Decker Renfrow touchdowns in the first half put the Panthers ahead and had you wondering if an upset was brewing. However, the Owensboro deficit was short lived, as Carbon bolted 69 yards on the first snap of the ensuing possession to put the Red Devils on top to stay. His other 20 carries yielded just 4.3 yards per rush. Carbon is the ultimate homerun hitter right now, popping a touchdown run of at least 50 yards in each of the first three weeks. And he's doing it without Owensboro's passing game clicking to open things up for him. Imagine when the offense does reach its full potential… scary thought for the remaining teams on the schedule. 

 

Odds And Ends

- Kenyon Goodin kept it rollin' with four touchdown passes on 14/19 attempts in a 50-0 pasting of Jeffersontown. Showcasing the skills that made him an All-State defensive back last year, he recorded a pick-six to compliment the four offensive scores. The first big test of the season is coming up against Spencer County, ranked #6 in 4A.

- Life isn't all roses and sunshine, and neither is the watchlist. The lows are just as important as the highs. Chase Crone is experiencing the low end of the spectrum this week after getting knocked out of Simon Kenton's loss to Southwestern. We don't know the extent of his ailment, but certainly wish him a speedy recovery and expect to see him back here in future editions.

- Charlie Noon led Highlands in receiving and rushing against Campbell County, totalling 192 yards from scrimmage to help secure the Birds their first win. He leads the team in both categories for the season, thus far.

- Pikeville got its best performance of the year from Blake Birchfield. Last year's state rushing leader ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-0 drubbing of Paintsville.

- We have a Daisjaun Mercer sighting! After laying low the first two weeks, he broke out against Caldwell County with 155 receiving yards and a pair of scores as Hoptown rolled, 42-6.

 

Players Highlighted This Week:

Mitchell Berger (RB/LB, Beechwood)

Season to date: 52 rushes for 531 yards and 9 touchdowns | 7 receptions for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns 

Highlights: vs. Somerset

 

Antonio Robinson Jr. (ATH, Beechwood)

Season to date: 4 receptions for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns | 1 rushing touchdown

Highlights: vs. Somerset

 

Micah Carter (DL, St. Xavier)

Season to date: 24 tackles | 2 tackles for loss | 1 sack 

Highlights: vs. Male

 

Oryend Fisher (Edge, Great Crossing)

Season to date: 21 tackles | 9 tackles for loss | 6.5 sacks

 

Kenyata Carbon (ATH, Owensboro)

2021: 54 carries for 482 yards and 6 touchdowns | 1 receiving touchdown

 

Kenyon Goodin (QB/DB, Collins)

Season to date: 48/64 for 692 yards and 11 touchdowns with 1 interception | 230 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns | 16 tackles | 1 pick-six

Highlights: vs. Jeffersontown

 

Chase Crone (QB, Simon Kenton)

Season to date: 21/36 for 291 yards and 5 touchdowns with 0 interceptions | 247 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns 

 

Charlie Noon (ATH, Highlands)

Season to date: 18 receptions for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns | 12 rushes for 143 yards

Highlights: vs. Campbell County

 

Daisjaun Mercer (ATH, Hopkinsville)

Season to date: 9 receptions for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns

 

Blake Birchfield (RB, Pikeville)

Season to date: 43 carries for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns

Highlights: vs. Paintsville

[ImJustHere]

Berger really making a name for himself. Watching him run the ball is just painful if you picture yourself on the defensive side. Kid runs like the other team was bad mouthing his momma. 

[DevilMayCare]

Week 4's Mr. Football Spotlight Games

Boyle County vs. Henderson County - We might not see two better defensive lineman share the field this year than Tommy Zeismer and Saadiq Clements in 'Title Town'.

Beechwood vs. Simon Kenton - Increased touches for Robinson? His role in Beechwood's offense is an intriguing subplot. Crone's status is uncertain.

Collins vs. Spencer County - Goodin should get his first stiff challenge of the season. The Bears did a great job of neutralizing him last year.

Highlands vs. Raceland - Noon could feast on an undersized Rams secondary. But they're an effective unit, allowing just a hundred yards a game, passing.