BluegrassPreps.com Mr. Football Watchlist (9/27)

[DevilMayCare]

Eagles Shot Down With A BB Gun

A slow start to the season is fading rapidly into Blake Birchfield's rearview mirror. Hidden inside Pikeville's demonstrative dismantling of Lexington Christian Academy was Week 6's most bombastic individual declaration.

No matter where it happens, it's always noteworthy when a school record falls. At Pikeville, the unofficial RB High in eastern Kentucky, a new rushing standard carries a little more weight than most. No one in the rich history of that program has ever run for more yards than Birchfield did against LCA last week. Not the immortal duo of Greg Hackney and Bobby Deramus. Not Daric Pugh, who bulldozed a path for Pikeville to the 2015 1A title. All-time rushing leader Brent Coleman ran for 6,700 yards in maroon, but never for more yards in a single game than Birchfield. He bested last year's performance against the Eagles by nearly a hundred yards. All told, he punished LCA for 350 yards and six touchdowns, giving him over 600 yards in two games against one of the top small school programs in the state.

It was a devastating display of power and speed. He consistently battered LCA for 7-10 yards with a few huge gainers sprinkled in. He ran over tacklers, drug defenders, and sprinted away from fleet footed pursuers. It might be the most commanding performance by a running back this season and instantly reinstates him as one of the top contenders to follow from here on. And presented as evidence that he's not just an offensive force, he picked off his first pass of the season. Hail Birchfield!

 

Jones Continues Playing Madden On Rookie Mode

How do you top 639 yards and eight touchdowns? It's probably absurd to even try. Instead, Jacob Jones opted to let the game come to him in the Jessamine County civil war. And come it did, in a tidal wave of 530 yards (320 passing/210 rushing) and eight more touchdowns. 

Not bad for an encore. He's gone over three hundred yards passing and two hundred rushing in back to back weeks and is working on three straight games of two hundred yards on the ground. The history books aren't expansive enough to say whether or not the last two weeks are unprecedented, but they're historic in their own right. His competition ramps up dramatically this week when the Colts play host to Woodford County.

 

Odds And Ends

- A week off didn't slow the roll of Kenyon Goodin, who returned from a bye week to carry the Titans to victory over Madison Southern. The Eagles gave Collins all it could handle, but succumbed to Goodin's 345 total yards and three scores. The bulk of the work came via his legs, which produced a career high 219 yards.

- After being held without a reception in Week 5 - likely a result of not forcing the ball to pad stats against an overmatched opponent - Jakob Dixon posted a line you'd expect from a player of his caliber. He caught four balls for 111 yards and a touchdown in PRP's 35-0 win over  Western.

- Max DeGraff has a wide variety of skills on the gridiron, but had to dig a little deeper than usual into the tool chest against Tates Creek. He had to corral an errant punt snap and play a little quarterback on one of the wilder plays we've seen this year. You're better off watching it below instead of me trying to explain it. DeGraff added a long touchdown reception and chipped in a few contributions to the kicking game, including a pair of field goals.

 

 

Players Highlighted This Week

Blake Birchfield (RB, Pikeville)

Season to date: 90 carries for 817 yards and 14 touchdowns | 1 interception 

Highlights: vs. LCA

 

Jacob Jones (QB, West Jessamine)

Season to date: 91/146 for 1,447 yards and 16 touchdowns with 2 interception | 1,226 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns

Highlights: vs. East Jessamine

 

Kenyon Goodin (QB/DB, Collins)

Season to date: 69/105 for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns with 2 interceptions | 647 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns | 1 pick-six

Highlights: vs. MadSouth

 

Jakob Dixon (WR, Pleasure Ridge Park)

Season to date: 23 receptions for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns

 

Max DeGraff (WR/K, Lexington Catholic

Season to date: 26 receptions for 758 yards and 12 touchdowns | 24/25 on extra points | 4/5 on field goals

[DevilMayCare]

The watchlist is shallow this week. More so than most other weeks. Not a lot of depth, but some big things happening at the top.

[theguru]

You nailed it DMC, Hail Birchfield, what an amazing, Mr. Football like performance!

[DevilMayCare]

48 minutes ago, theguru said:

You nailed it DMC, Hail Birchfield, what an amazing, Mr. Football like performance!

Credit to his o-line, as well. They manhandled LCA's front seven. I suggest anyone reading this watch the Hudl link provided above for Birchfield. The get-off at the snap and the way they finish their blocks was textbook.

 

"There's no greater feeling than moving a man from Point A to Point B, against his will."

- Russ Grimm, Pro Football HOFer

[theguru]

2 minutes ago, DevilMayCare said:

Credit to his o-line, as well. They manhandled LCA's front seven. I suggest anyone reading this watch the Hudl link provided above for Birchfield. The get-off at the snap and the way they finish their blocks was textbook.

 

"There's no greater feeling than moving a man from Point A to Point B, against his will."

- Russ Grimm, Pro Football HOFer

I agree, the Pikeville OL played a stellar game.  I don't see how anyone in 1A gets close at all if Pikeville stays healthy. 

[BlueRaider]

It's a shame Travis Egan isn't getting talked about. Had one poor game to start the season (had to get the nerves out) and now no one is talking about him even though his stats are big.

80 for 121 passing on the season with 1121 yards and 13 TDs. (224yrds a game).

30 Rushes for 259 yards on the season with 6 TDs. (51yrds a game).

 

[theguru]

6 minutes ago, BlueRaider said:

It's a shame Travis Egan isn't getting talked about. Had one poor game to start the season (had to get the nerves out) and now no one is talking about him even though his stats are big.

80 for 121 passing on the season with 1121 yards and 13 TDs. (224yrds a game).

30 Rushes for 259 yards on the season with 6 TDs. (51yrds a game).

 

This is definitely the thread to bring Travis up, thanks for sharing. 

[DevilMayCare]

On 9/27/2022 at 2:10 PM, BlueRaider said:

It's a shame Travis Egan isn't getting talked about. Had one poor game to start the season (had to get the nerves out) and now no one is talking about him even though his stats are big.

80 for 121 passing on the season with 1121 yards and 13 TDs. (224yrds a game).

30 Rushes for 259 yards on the season with 6 TDs. (51yrds a game).

 

He probably deserves more love, especially coming off the game he just had. His name is on a watchlist's watchlist, so to speak. If he's to be taken seriously in this season long conversation, everything hinges on the Male game. That one's more important than the other nine, combined.