Going with the debate of weather Kentucky football is getting better or not, I think this goes to show that Kentucky football is getting more respect, Nationally. The State has it first 12 Jr High players named to the FBU Youth All-American Bowl. This Bowl recognizes some of the best Jr High football players around the country.

 

 

FBU 2009 Youth All-American Bowl Kentucky KYSMSFA Selection Presentation

Today we make history by introducing to you the 1st Kentucky middle school players selected to play in the FBU Youth All-American Bowl. The first player announced eight years ago was KevinJones currently playing for the Chicago Bears. Today, like 8 years ago we will be announcing the very first Kentucky FBU Youth All-Americans.

 

Link

7th grader from Bowling Green scored the East's only 2 TDs and was voted MVP.

7th grader from Bowling Green scored the East's only 2 TDs and was voted MVP.

Good showing for the state, so with that, I guess the Kentucky players stacked up pretty well with the players from the rest of the country?

From the Coaches List Server:

 

SAN ANTONIO, TX - We just wanted to give you all a quick report on how the 13 players from Kentucky who participated in the first ever FBU Youth All-American Bowl here today. The final scores were -

7th grade - West 21, East 14

8th grade limited - West 14, East 16

8th grade unlimited - West 31, East 7

 

The KYMSFA sent 3 representatives in the 7th grade game, 4 in the 8th grade limited weight class, and 5 in the 8th grade unlimited weight class divisions.

 

They were the following -

 

Noah Mitchell - Lexington Catholic (7th) RB/DB

Tyler Jopes - Bowling Green (7th) FB/DT

Josh Mesmer - Lexington Catholic (7th) OT/DT

William Elliott - Bell County (8th limited) OT/DT

Carl Roesller - St. Patricks (CSAA) (8th limited) OT/DT

Will Eldridge - Spencer County (8th limited) OG/DE

Dalton Goodlett - Spencer County (8th limited) OG/DT

Corey Oslonian - Bell County (8th unlimited) SE/DE

Walker Crase - Morgan County (8th unlimited) WR/LB

Reed Montgomery - Old Kentucky Home (8th unlimited) C/DT

Kyle Bolin - Lexington Catholic (8th unlimited) QB

Ridge Jackson - Woodford County (8th unlimited) OT/DT

 

A couple of highlights -

 

7th grade -

Tyler Jopes from Bowling Green scored both of his team's touchdowns in the 7th grade game and was named the East MVP for that game.

 

Noah Mitchell played a tremendous game at Strong Safety. He had 2 tackles, 2 assists, and broke up several passes.

 

Josh Mesmer played a solid game on both the offensive and defensive lines. He played the entire game on offense and the majority of the game on defense (10 minute quarters).

 

 

8th grade limited -

William Elliott started at left tackle on offense and played a lot on defensive line.

 

Carl Roesller was solid at right tackle and had several crucial blocks.

 

Will Eldridge (who is normally a running back, but switched to offensive line after the coaches here asked him to) performed well, starting at both left guard and right defensive end. He was also named one of the 3 team Captains for the East. On defense, he recorded 2 sacks and several tackles.

 

Dalton Goodlett (also normally a fullback on offense) was also asked to move to offensive line and did so. He was the only "sub" on the line the East team had. He also started on defense at right tackle. He recorded a sack and was in on 6 tackles.

 

 

8th grade unlimited -

Corey Oslonian (he normally plays quarterback and safety) was also put in different positions than he normally plays. He was lined up at defensive end and slot receiver. He played exceptionally well, making several outstanding defensive plays. His name was called out several times in the Alamodome.

 

Walker Crase proved to be another solid selection among the Kentucky contigent. He anchored the East defense at middle linebacker where he made several impressive stops. On offense, he lined up at receiver where he blocked well and had several passes thrown to him.

 

Reed Montgomery (normally a fullback and linebacker for OKH) was moved to center and defensive tackle for the FBU Bowl. He also worked hard, played well at center, and was in on several tackles on defense.

 

Kyle Bolin was in a quarterback rotation with 2 other QBs. Though his protection broke down a couple of times, he was able to show some impressive scrambling ability and get off some long downfield passes. He also led the only scoring drive the East had in the game.

 

Ridge Jackson was selected as a team Captain and was able to secure a starting spot on the o-line. He demonstrated the typical "Kentucky work ethic" that all of these players came here with and showed that he was a tough young man and deserving to be here.

 

 

All in all, Coach Mitchell, Coach Turner (from Morgan County) and I agree that the players who represented us here in Texas showed resolve and determination. There is no way we can put into words how compressed the practice time and events that these young men (all of them) were put through. Everything from getting up at 7:00AM to going to bed close to midnight, throw in 2 practices a day, breakout sessions with people like Vince Papale, Coach Yoast & Coach Boone from "Remember the Titans", to Hall of Fame NFL players. These guys were constantly on the go and constantly having to adjust on the fly.

 

Many of our players were asked to play different positions than what they came here for and obviously what they were used to playing back home. All did so, without complaint, and all demonstrated a tremendous amount of pride and all-around hard work ethic. We feel like they held their own among the "best" selected by FBU from across the country. FBU Selection Coordinator John Gallagher even made this same comment that "Kentucky had represented itself well" and "now people see why I picked 13 kids from Kentucky to come here".

 

Again, thank you all for your support of this event and for your continued support of the KYMSFA. If this is not proof positive that we all, working collectively, can accomplish much more for our players, then I don't know what else is. We hope to continue to offer opportunities (some like this are once in a lifetime) for ALL players in middle school football in the Commonwealth. If you have any suggestions or questions, please don't hesitate to write or call. If you haven't joined the KYMSFA by now, the only other question is simply - WHY NOT?

 

Sincerely and respectfully,

Coach Jeremy Bass - Spencer County Middle

Morgan County has been very proud of WALKER CRASE for making this team. For those who didn't know...Morgan County's Middle School football team finished 16-1 this past season and lost to eventual state champion Bluegrass Middle 22-14 in the state semi-finals.

 

Walker is not the only player as he has perhaps the most talented, very deep, and athletic group of 7th and 8th graders to come through Morgan Co. in a long time.

 

Possibly....and hopefully....Morgan Co. could very well go from WORST in Class AA to way up the AA ranks in the upcoming years.

 

Congrats to the Morgan Co. representation in San Antonio, Texas:ylsuper:

Anyone else concerned about this level of attention / promotion / competition at the Middle School level? If not properly managed, I could certainly see expectations being created that may be difficult to meet.

Anyone else concerned about this level of attention / promotion / competition at the Middle School level? If not properly managed, I could certainly see expectations being created that may be difficult to meet.

I don't see how. How about AAU basketball, many of those teams play a national schedule, and AAU has been credited with the betterment of high school basketball. The same can be said with Legion Baseball, or other traveling summer baseball teams. Those players play a national schedule and has also been credited with the betterment of baseball.

 

I understand this Jr High football, but you could compare it with AAU basketball, there is not summer/traveling football program for players to play 20-60 games in the off season, so this is just a gauge for how future Kentucky football players stack up against future high school football players from around the country, just like AAU.

 

I think this is a good thing for Kentucky football, just my opinion.

This has been done in basketball for years, I think that anytime you can expose our kids to how big time sports is done, it can only help. We played Morgan Co in our first game this past year and actually led them 16-0 at the half, but they came storming back in the 2nd half, and beat Harlan Middle School 28-22, it was the only game our team lost until our conference finals. Morgan Co went on to a very fine season and had a great showing in the Middle school state playoffs. Which btw is another great idea, I think that our MMAC teams are wanting to get involved with the playoffs this year.

This has been done in basketball for years, I think that anytime you can expose our kids to how big time sports is done, it can only help. We played Morgan Co in our first game this past year and actually led them 16-0 at the half, but they came storming back in the 2nd half, and beat Harlan Middle School 28-22, it was the only game our team lost until our conference finals. Morgan Co went on to a very fine season and had a great showing in the Middle school state playoffs. Which btw is another great idea, I think that our MMAC teams are wanting to get involved with the playoffs this year.

 

jpa is like me, a Highlands fan. Our "perspective" on middle school football may be different than at a lot of other schools, because our middle school teams are actually part of the Ft. Thomas Junior Football League and that league places a heavy, heavy emphasis on participation of all players. I can't speak for jpa, but for myself, I wonder if the emphasis on making the FBU Youth All American team may cause some middle school players, teams and coaches to focus too heavily on the "stars" and not enough on developing all the players. If that happens, it could create more problems for a high school team than positives. It will be interesting to watch teams like Morgan and some others in the coming years to see what the effect will be on their high school programs. Who knows it may turn out to be a fantastic thing, particularly if success at the middle school level and some selections to the FBU team create excitement for football in the local community that otherwise wasn't there.

 

In any event, congrats to the Ky players selected and for their successes in the game. :thumb:

Glad to see the kids represent Ky well.

Didn't know that this exit for middle schoolers. What was the criteria for selection? I understand there is a kid from Elkhorn Middle that seemed to be very talented, was wondering if he was looked at to participate. Great exposure for this age group.

7th Game video

 

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1028432

 

Ky players in 7th grade are #10 (Mitchell), #90 (Jopes) and #70 (Mesmer)

Edited January 6, 200917 yr by Bluegrasscard
Jopes name fix

All members of Kentucky's All-State team from the KYMSFA were nominated. It was then up to the coaches and/or parents to fill out the required forms, etc. to allow players to be considered. Also, each player nominated had to submit a DVD of highlight clips and were subject to final approval by a committee headed by John Gallagher in New Jersey.

We are all very proud of Walker here in Morgan County. I look forward to seeing him and his buddies on the varsity level. Walker is the one that got this recognition but there are 5,6,7 more that could have just as easily been chosen.

 

The great thing about the middle school team is that, it is exactly that a TEAM. Look for great things from this group.

 

Walker we did, however, miss you in the weight room.

 

Nets it's getting crowded in there!!! HELP!!!!

Questions that beg for answers:

1. Could these kind of games become more common place, Jr High all-star games?

2. Could this become more of the norm, younger football players traveling and playing against national competition?

3. Is this kind of competition good for Kentucky football, national competition?

4. Could this competition prove that Kentucky football is not behind most other states?

5. Will these kind of games strengthen Kentucky football, as a whole?