Kolter Smith from Male High (Louisville) is the @minguabeefjerky Protein-packed Performer of the Week- @1776Bank @PrepSpin @KyHighFootball @kyhighs @HLpreps @MaxPreps @HopkinsCentral @evans02_Mike @840WHAS @sfitz_840whas @evans02_Mike @KolterSmithKY

’24 QB from Louisville’s Male High has his Bulldogs playing at the highest level

Kolter Smith is an interesting case. Last year, as a junior, he was second on the team in passing yards to then senior, Lucas Cobler. In 2021, he completed four passes with a single TD for the entire year. This year, his senior year, he is absolutely setting the world ablaze. He has a completion rate, through eight games, of a little over 66%. Smith’s every completion averages around 19.62 yards. Smith throws a TD every 3.71 completions. Smith’s bulldogs may be the best high school team competing at any level across the commonwealth. His high-level play deserves quite a bit of credit for that.

HB Lyon, Chief Scout, KPGFootball

Mingua's recipes are a family tradition, passed down from generation to generation.     

Louisville, KY: Migua Beef Jerky uses Enviro-Pac CHU-2000 equipment to cook its meat to USDA required levels for both moist or dry operation. Mingua Beef Jerky wants you to become one of its many satisfied customers by sampling its quality hand sliced, all natural beef jerky. We know you’ll love it and come back for more, again and again.     

Ronnie Mingua began experimenting with making beef jerky back in the 1990s. He shared his efforts with neighbors and friends, soon realizing he had come up with something different and superior to all other beef jerkies on the market. From these humble beginnings, Mingua Beef Jerky got its start.  

Today, the Mingua Beef Jerky Company still prides itself on using its old-fashioned, all-natural recipes which offer outstanding products to customers across the nation. The recipes are a family tradition, passed down from generation to generation.     

Our recipes and our quality ingredients, hand-cut from solid pieces of beef, are never chopped or formed like other brands, making our products superior and one of a kind. That would make our products similar to this week’s Protein-packed Performer, Kolter Smith, a ’24 QB from Louisville, Kentucky’s Male High School.

Many area pundits believe college players reveal themselves over the course of the sophomore season. To be a college prospect, the theory goes, you have to either begin the sophomore season in the lineup or find your way into the lineup before the end of the season.

First of all, that sounds like a load of bunk. For one, not all programs are the same.

Male High in Louisville, Kentucky is not one of the country’s winningest programs for nothing. It can be darn hard to find the field, playing for the bulldogs, regardless of your graduation status.

Kolter Smith was a tad late to the party. Smith completed just four passes in the seven games in which he saw action as a sophomore, throwing a single TD. Smith threw for 871-yards as a junior, second to then senior, Lucas Cobler’s 1,342.

Smith is sure enough tearing it up now. Friday night, Smith performance was “other-worldly.” This wasn’t a bunch of Joe Slappies the Bulldogs were playing either.

Fern Creek entered the game, with Male, 5-2 on the year. The Tigers were fresh off a 14-6 loss to the classification’s defending champions, Bullitt East.

It isn’t like the Chargers are no threat to repeat. Keegan Kendrick’s crew are 7-1, 2-0 on the year and highly ranked in both the media poll and the RPI.

In other words, Fern Creek can play. The Tigers have a roster loaded with talent. They aren’t the type team on which you expect any high school team to post 61-points. That is exactly what Male did.

Smith was brilliant. On the night, Smith completed 13 of 15 passing attempts (87%) for 264-yards and seven (7) TD’s against no thrown INTs. The senior QB, with the 4.0 GPA, has been doing it all year.

On the season, Smith has completed 81 of his 118 passing attempts (69%), for 1,530-yards, and 21-TDs. Smith’s completions cover 19.62-yards per throw. Smith throws a TD every 3.71-or so completions.

Male High is 7-1 on the year. The Bulldogs are 2-0 in district and ranked number one amongst all 222-teams playing football in Kentucky and number one in the 6A classification.

We contacted Smith. Obviously we wanted to know what a QB who throws seven TDs in one night, against a quality 6A opponent, might eat for breakfast. His only comment was, “It was a great team win.”

Male High finishes with Bullitt East and duPont Manual. Neither game would figure to be a “gimme” for any normal high school team competing in the KHSAA.

Male, far from normal, is a 30-point favorite to beat the Chargers from Mount Washington, Kentucky in Louisville. Male will be a roughly 14-point favorite to beat duPont Manual at its place for the finale.

That may be the finest testament to how well Smith is playing. The team who lost by 10 to St. Xavier, a team the Bulldogs are likely to see again in the playoffs in a game which really matters, is playing so well that it is a 30-point favorite to the 7-1 defending champions (Bullitt East), who have the 3rd highest RPI in 6A, and a two-TD favorite over the 6A team with the highest RPI in the classification.

At the end of the day, what more can one possibly say about the extent to which any one skill player impacts the performance of any one team? Not too much more, we would wager…

Join us next week as we return to honor another weekly prize winner. Until then, pop some Mingua Beef Jerky in your mouth and savor the quality and flavor which sets it apart from the competition. Remember, our product is superior and one of a kind; just like Male High’s, Kolter Smith. 

This is Friday Night Fletch reporting for Kentucky Prep Gridiron and reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE. Don’t forget to SAVOR THE FLAVOR! 

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