2007 Bluegrasspreps.com 5A Football Preview

[theguru]

For the complete 5A Preview click here!

 

1. Highlands (7-5)

Head coach: Dale Mueller

2006: Lost to Covington Catholic 25-15 in the second round of the 3A playoffs

 

Highlands is one of the most tradition-rich football programs in the state, and not winning a regional title in a three-year period is acceptable by most schools. Probably not Highlands though.

 

The Bluebirds haven’t went three straight years without a region title since 1988 and the loss of an experienced line and running back Jordan Kramer has head coach Dale Mueller shuffling some players around to fill some holes.

 

For the complete Bluebird Preview click here!

 

 

2. Bowling Green (13-2)

Head coach: Kevin Wallace

2006: Lost to Covington Catholic 27-8 in the 3A championship game

 

By Michael “Bulldog” Drake

 

The Purples of BGHS have one of the proudest traditions of high school football in Kentucky. Certainly they added to this tradition by making it to the past two 3A State Championship Games, even though they lost both of them. The last time a public school beat the Purples was in the second round of the 2004 3A Region One Playoffs by Madisonville.

 

The Purples were 13-2 each of the last two seasons, losing the first game of each season to mighty St Xavier in exciting games in The Rafferty’s Bowl, and the 3A Championship Game to Lexington Catholic in 2005 and to Covington Catholic, also in the 3A Final, last season. They accomplished this with the largest senior class (last year) in school history and, arguably, the most talented class ever to wear the Purple and Gold.

 

Most programs would be blindsided with the kind of talent the Purples lost from last year. However, the expectations at BGHS never change from season to season, and 2007 is no different. Head Coach Kevin Wallace would have it no other way.

 

Wallace enters his twelfth campaign as the mentor of the Purples only two wins shy of becoming the all-time wins leader at BGHS. Hall of Fame Head Coach Dan Haley also coached the Purples for 12 seasons and won 119 games for the Purples. Coach Wallace enters the 2007 campaign with 118 wins and only 24 losses.

 

BGHS will have a little more incentive to win this season after losing administrative coach Jimmy Bailey due to his untimely passing at home on July 5. The team will wear stickers on their helmets for the 2007 season to remember a man who meant the world to all the players, his fellow coaches, and fans close to the program.

 

The road to a successful season will be a little tougher than it has been in past seasons, as the move to a four-team district in the new Class 5A will allow for more scheduling of tough teams to test the Purples’ mettle.

 

They will play Boyle County in the second game of The Rafferty’s Bowl at WKU’s L.T. Smith Stadium to open the season.

 

In Week Two, they will travel to Louisville to take on 16-time State Champion Trinity. The Purples open the home part of their schedule in Week Three hosting North Hardin.

 

They will travel across town to the Swamp to take on Greenwood, and the Gators would like nothing better than to collect their first ever win over BGHS on the gridiron in Week Four.

 

Week Five opens district play at Donaldson Stadium/Beard Field (the Purples’ 39th season at this facility) as the Warren Central Dragons should give the Purples their toughest district contest of the season. This game will be a district game for the first time since 2000.

 

The Purples face their second big rivalry game in as many weeks as they travel to the “Shadetree” to take on old nemesis Franklin-Simpson in Week Six.

 

Week Seven will see the Purples host Grayson County in their second district game of the season, and the first-ever game between the two schools. BGHS has their open date in Week Eight.

 

The Purples return to action in Week Nine with their third and last district game of the season at Barren County. The two schools have not played each other since 1996.

 

In Week Ten, the Purples will host Warren East. East, under former Purple player and assistant coach Ben Bruni, might give the Purples an excellent tune-up for the coming playoffs.

 

BGHS will close out the regular season portion of their schedule with a trip to Marshall County. It will be the first meeting with the Marshals since 1982.

 

The big news among the returnees for 2007 comes in an area where BGHS is not accustomed to receiving recognition. The Purples are traditionally known as a running team. But last year, the Purples set team records in passing yards and TD passes, and more fireworks should be in store in 2007.

 

Senior quarterback Trent Steelman (6-1, 180), despite missing the first two games due to injury last season, set a new passing yardage record at BGHS last year with 1,892 yards and another record with 20 scoring strikes. He is also a dangerous runner with 431 yards rushing last season and runs the veer offense very well. He should become BGHS’s all-time passing yardage leader early in the season.

 

Should the Purples make it through the playoff minefield to the first 5A Championship Game, he will be one of the very few players ever to start three championship games at QB.

 

He’ll be the first to tell you that he is blessed with two of the top returning receivers in Kentucky this fall in seniors D.L. Moore (6-5, 185) and Ryan Wallace (6-5, 230). Both players have been named among the Top 26 Seniors in Kentucky this fall.

 

Moore had 468 receiving yards last year and is ranked as high as fourth among receivers in Kentucky this fall.

 

He will be complimented in the receiver corps by several players who saw significant playing time in 2006 – senior Jordan Render (5-7, 155), senior Sohn Burton (6-2, 175), and senior Chad Singer (5-11, 165).

 

Sophomore Sam Howard reportedly had an excellent summer passing league this year and will likely see a bunch of action this fall as well.

 

Wallace had 22 receptions for 325 yards last year. He already has ten scholarship offers and is rated by Athlon Magazine as one of the Top 20 tight ends in the United States.

 

Junior Houston Puckett (6-1, 178) brings athleticism to the table and will also see playing time at TE.

 

Running back is not usually one of the positions at BGHS where many question marks exist, but it will in 2007.

 

Another Top 26 Senior will step up and try to solve this puzzle. Senior Jared Carpenter (6-0, 195) made the Top 26 for his play in the defensive backfield, but he is penciled in as a starter in the offensive backfield. He was very impressive during the spring and should pass the test with flying colors.

 

Joining him should be junior Tevin Barksdale (5-9, 170) and sophomore Lavance Anderson (5-10, 188). They showed their mettle in the JV wars last season and appear ready to step up to the varsity this fall. Junior Dillon Carver will also compete for playing time.

 

It’s a sure thing that the entire BGHS schedule is glad to see Stuart Hines gone to UK this fall. He was one of the most decorated offensive linemen in school history. Carrying on in his absence will be senior Austin Beard (6-1, 210) and senior Matt Taylor (5-8, 220). They will lead a mostly inexperienced front line. These players will get an early acid test with the likes of Boyle County, Trinity, and North Hardin.

 

Senior Kent Lehring (6-2, 235) is expected to win the job at center, with sophomore Will West (6-1, 210) and junior Sam Baker (5-10, 185) battling for playing time there.

 

There should be a battle royal for the other two starting spots between junior Dane Hilliard (6-1, 270), junior Taylor Shipley (6-1, 198), sophomore Nick Mullinix (6-0, 295), senior John Hughes (6-0, 200), junior Elijah Young (6-3, 245), and senior Thomas Dooley (5-11, 179).

 

On the defensive line, Coach Wallace and defensive coordinator Jeff Griffith like to keep a steady flow of fresh players in the game on a rotational basis. Returning as starters are senior Robbie Johnson (5-8, 225) at nose tackle and senior John Hughes at defensive end.

 

Junior Elijah Young also saw extensive playing time at the other DE and is expected to start. Senior Ryan Wallace , sophomore Matt Beeler (6-1, 200), and sophomore Nick Mullinix should also see a great deal of playing time.

 

What can you say about a team that lost three three-year starters at linebacker? This could also be a big question mark in the Purples camp for 2007. The only returning starter will be OLB senior Caleb Hadden (6-0, 175). However, Hadden should be poised to turn in a stellar performance in 2007.

 

Senior Matt Van Meter (5-10, 175) saw extensive play at ILB last year and should nail down another LB spot. Competing for the other ILB spot will be junior John Austin Sowell (6-2, 190), junior Austin Yates (5-11, 190), sophomore David Miller (5-10, 185), and sophomore Lavance Anderson.

 

There will also be a battle royal for the other OLB spot. Expected to be in contention for that position are sophomore Alfred Gilbert (6-1, 190), sophomore Josh Blaine (6-2, 185), senior James Walsh (5-11, 160), and sophomore Seth Rogers (6-1, 175).

 

In the defensive backfield, having one of Kentucky’s Top 26 Seniors returning in this area is a big plus. Jared Carpenter has already started for BGHS for two seasons and has played both SS and OLB. He rang up 87 stops and seven sacks last year.

 

Senior Corbin Smith (6-1, 190) has contributed solid play the last two seasons and could see some time at strong safety this year. He had 48 tackles, five interceptions, and two fumble recoveries last season. Smith has had several scholarship offers, while Carpenter has already been offered by WKU.

 

Senior Austin Schlinke (5-11, 155) will be expected to start at one corner this fall. D.L. Moore has considerable time at safety and may see more time there this fall.

 

Other players likely to be in the fight for playing time will be senior Christian Kafoglis (5-11, 160), sophomore Jay Beard (6-1, 175), sophomore Terrell Clark (5-11, 155), and sophomore Sam Howard.

 

Graduating a player the likes of WKU freshman Casey Tinius would cripple most programs, but the Purples have several candidates to handle the punting and place kicking chores. The list includes senior Collin Kelley, junior Max Oldham (the grandson of WKU’s great men’s basketball coach John Oldham), and sophomore Zach Williams. Trent Steelman is a good enough athlete that he could punt in a pinch.

 

A good long snapper is a must on a team that has long prided itself in special teams play, and Ryan Wallace returns to handle that chore once again. Senior Jordan Render will likely replace the departed Ryan Beard as the holder for place kicks.

 

At first glance, it would appear that the Purples are in for a big falloff from their stellar performance the last few seasons. However, the ultimate goal of the program from year to year has not changed, and there are plenty of talented players ready to step in and continue the proud tradition that is Bowling Green High Purples Football.

 

Warren Central, Hopkinsville, Owensboro, Christian County, and John Hardin from the west, and Highlands, Covington Catholic, Johnson Central, and Mercer County among others from the east will ultimately have plenty to say about who will win the first 5A State Championship. As one coach from Western Kentucky said, “Bowling Green is the best in the west until somebody finally knocks them off.” To be sure, the Purples will be strong once again. They will also have the ability to pass the football, and that will keep them within striking distance of any team they face in 2007. It should be another great season at Donaldson Stadium/Beard Field.

 

Click here for the 2007 Bowling Green schedule

 

 

3. John Hardin (7-4)

Head coach: Mark Brown

2006: Lost to Meade County 14-6 in the first round of the 4A playoffs

 

By Josh Claywell

The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise

 

The offense for the John Hardin Bulldogs will have a new look under center this fall.

 

Alex Dingle and Matt Simmons, who have both played primarily on the JV squad, replace Tim Marcum and Sherrod Moore at quarterback.

 

“Both of them have done extremely well in the passing leagues and in practice,” veteran John Hardin coach Mark Brown said. “I think either one of them is capable of running a team.”

 

Brown hasn’t named the starter, but said Dingle could be looked at as the front-runner to win the job.

 

“He throws the ball well and he runs the ball pretty well,” Brown said. “But I’d rate them about even right now.

 

“The decision won’t be tough because I’ve got two quarterbacks that I’m happy with,” Brown added. “Early in the year, I’ll probably play both of them anyway.”

 

For the complete John Hardin Preview click here!

 

 

4. Johnson Central (13-1)

Head coach: Jim Matney

2006: Lost to Covington Catholic 38-14 in the 3A state semifinals

 

2006 was a landmark year for Johnson Central football, who set a school record for wins in a season and won their first-ever regional championship.

While the Eagles graduated a large senior class, the cupboard is hardly bare for head coach Jim Matney.

 

Senior quarterback J.K. Ratliff could become more of an offensive threat through the air after throwing for over 700 yards in the run-heavy Eagle offense. However, he must find some new targets with the loss of Chris Meeks and Tommy Taylor to graduation.

 

For the complete JC Preview click here!

 

 

5. Dixie Heights (5-6)

Head coach: Tom Spritzky

2006: Lost to Ryle 24-12 in the first round of the 4A playoffs

 

By Jessica Rouse

Bluegrasspreps.com

 

The Dixie Heights Colonels return their two top offensive weapons, along with quarterback Joey Bricking, who completed about 41 percent of his passing attempts in 2006. He has seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

 

His biggest target returns in starting wide receiver E.J. Dettmer. Dettmer topped the team with 370 yards in 2006 with three touchdowns and averaged 14.2 yards a carry. He also had four fumble recoveries, and averaged 7.4 yards in 13 punt returns.

 

On the ground, Bricking carried the ball 37 times and averaged about five yards a carry.

 

For the complete Colonel Preview click here!

 

6. Owensboro (9-2)

7. Hopkinsville (7-6)

8. Warren Central (10-3)

9. Christian County (7-4)

10. Covington Catholic (12-3)

 

For the complete 5A Preview click here!

[theguru]

ttt