Bluegrasspreps.com Mr. Football Watchlist (9/17)

[DevilMayCare]

Week 4 Headlines

• The unbearable weight of defending Brady Atwell

• Bailey and Button continue to whet appetites for mid-October showdown

 

First Team All-Watchlist

Photo by Ryan Richardson for the Owensboro Times.

Brady Atwell (Owensboro Catholic, QB)

For all the physical tools in his possession, Atwell's greatest attribute might be his indomitable will. He wills the ball into tight windows; No one makes dangerous throws look safer (see below). He wills his legs to game sealing touchdowns; Moving the sticks to milk the clock is for commoners, he's going 58 to the house when everyone in the place knows who's got the ball. Atwell posted nearly 400 yards of offense (290 passing/104 rushing) and six touchdowns to damn the Devils again, concluding his career against Owensboro at 3-0. He also became O-Cath's all-time leader in completions and passing yards.

Season To Date: 61/100 for 975 yards and 16 TDs with 3 INTs | 300 rushing yards and 7 TDs 

 

 

Second Team All-Watchlist

Bryce Button (South Warren, QB)

This week's award for ’Best Actor In A Drama’ goes to Button, who brought the Spartans back from a double digit halftime deficit and orchestrated an 80 yard drive in the final minutes to earn a hard fought road win in the Hoosier state over highly ranked Gibson Southern. Button amassed 381 total yards and played a hand in all five of South Warren's touchdowns. He's the straw that stirs the drink for the Spartans. Through four weeks, he's proven to be as valuable to his team - arguably more so - than any quarterback in the state, Atwell included.

Season to date: 62/93 for 889 yards and 13 TDs with 2 INTs | 178 rushing yards and 4 TDs

 

Third Team All-Watchlist

Deuce Bailey (Bowling Green, QB)

The later stages of the first half and early second can sometimes be crucial to shaping the outcome of an entire game. Bailey utilized that time frame to maximum effect, unleashing a barrage of five touchdown passes during a ten minute stretch in the second and third quarters to gain separation from Apollo. All together, he tallied a personal best six touchdown tosses and 382 passing yards. His next touchdown pass will be the 100th of his career.

Season to date: 66/106 for 1,086 yards and 14 TDs with 2 INTs | 1 rushing TD 

 

 

Honorable Mention

Montavin Quisenberry (Boyle County, ATH)

No letdown following the landmark conquest in Ohio, as Q accounted for 160 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns against Scott County. 

Season to date: 36 carries for 294 yards and 6 TDs | 16 catches for 284 yards and 2 TDs | 1 passing TD | 18 Tackles | 1 INT

 

Connor Hodge (Christian Academy of Louisville, ATH)

Went out on his shield in defeat to LCA, accruing an astounding 548 yards of total offense and five touchdowns, but was also picked off twice. 

Season to date: 86/122 for 1,137 yards and 13 TDs and 4 INTs | 236 rushing yards and 4 TDs | 1 INT

 

Photo by Marc Figgins for LinkNKY.

Clay Hayden (Beechwood, QB)

Building on last week's performance, Hayden totaled 304 yards of offense and four touchdowns against Simon Kenton. That included a return to last year's form as a passer, completing 78% of his throws.

Season to date: 68/102 for 1,022 yards with 13 TDs and 2 INTs

Highlights: vs. SK

 

Jack James (Paducah Tilghman, QB)

Compiled 300 yards total offense and 4 TDs against Henderson County. James has climbed to #2 all-time in career touchdown passes with Sindelar in his sights. 

Season to date: 102/151 for 1,320 yards and 14 TDs with 4 INTs | 3 rushing TDs 

Highlights: vs. Hendo

[DevilMayCare]

Six of the top seven statewide leaders in touchdown passes made the watchlist this week, and it wasn't intentional.

In order: Atwell at #1, James and Bailey are tied at #2, and Hayden, Hodge, and Button are tied for #3.

The only one that doesn't fit is Cam O'Hara (tied with James and Bailey), who isn't eligible this year, but is a virtual lock for contention in 2025.

[Bigg Ike]

32 minutes ago, DevilMayCare said:

Six of the top seven statewide leaders in touchdown passes made the watchlist this week, and it wasn't intentional.

In order: Atwell at #1, James and Bailey are tied at #2, and Hayden, Hodge, and Button are tied for #3.

The only one that doesn't fit is Cam O'Hara (tied with James and Bailey), who isn't eligible this year, but is a virtual lock for contention in 2025.

I don't care what anyone say...If Sowells from Male continues to wreak havoc on the DL as he dominates on the OL, he deserves recognition for Mr Football. 

[DevilMayCare]

7 minutes ago, Bigg Ike said:

I don't care what anyone say...If Sowells from Male continues to wreak havoc on the DL as he dominates on the OL, he deserves recognition for Mr Football. 

He was recognized for his work against St. X in last week's watchlist. 

 

[Bigg Ike]

2 minutes ago, DevilMayCare said:

He was recognized for his work against St. X in last week's watchlist. 

 

Honorable mention...LOL, I guess. 

[theguru]

17 minutes ago, Bigg Ike said:

I don't care what anyone say...If Sowells from Male continues to wreak havoc on the DL as he dominates on the OL, he deserves recognition for Mr Football. 

3 minutes ago, Bigg Ike said:

Honorable mention...LOL, I guess. 

@DevilMayCare posted this last month, and again last week, and I think it is worth repeating again:

8/13/2024 at 1:55 PM, DevilMayCare said:

I say this every year, but it bears repeating… just because a player is absent from the watchlist for a week or two, does not mean they've been forgotten. Names will come and go in accordance with whether I believe their performance that week is newsworthy. And newsworthy goes both ways, good and bad. So if a certain player you root for, coach, or call son misses the watchlist for a couple of weeks, be patient. If he's good enough to make the watchlist in the first place, then he's good enough to find his way back.

[DevilMayCare]

2 hours ago, Bigg Ike said:

I don't care what anyone say...If Sowells from Male continues to wreak havoc on the DL as he dominates on the OL, he deserves recognition for Mr Football. 

I'll reiterate what I said in the preseason about lineman and Mr. Football.... It's a hard sell, no matter how good they are. In the near 40 year history of Mr. Football, there's been one winner that was a primary offensive lineman and he was a consensus top 100 player in the country. 

Additionally, I'm not a sportswriter for a living. I don't have the time to watch every snap of every game that Male plays just to grade one player. And for a lineman, that's what it takes. 

It helps that Sowells is getting reps on defense to supplement what he does offensively. That's why he made the watchlist two weeks ago. If he goes hard on Trinity like he did on St. X, he'll probably be in here next week.

[Bigg Ike]

11 hours ago, DevilMayCare said:

I'll reiterate what I said in the preseason about lineman and Mr. Football.... It's a hard sell, no matter how good they are. In the near 40 year history of Mr. Football, there's been one winner that was a primary offensive lineman and he was a consensus top 100 player in the country. 

Additionally, I'm not a sportswriter for a living. I don't have the time to watch every snap of every game that Male plays just to grade one player. And for a lineman, that's what it takes. 

It helps that Sowells is getting reps on defense to supplement what he does offensively. That's why he made the watchlist two weeks ago. If he goes hard on Trinity like he did on St. X, he'll probably be in here next week.

As a skill player competition could play a part as well. Or stat padding. Sowells doesn't have P4 offers for nothing so that is a start. If you not going to look a lineman every play look up their hudl and check their highlights. Maybe playing on the DL does help, but to me that's B.S. OL in others states have won Mr. Football. If you watch his highlights or went to a game you can't tell me he wouldn't be in the conversation as one of the best players in the state regardless of position