Program is built on Love, Courage, and Accountability
Through the first two games, the LCA defense has played mighty well. There aren’t too many 2A programs which can boast it held a 6A power like North Hardin, and a 5A finalist like Pulaski County (’25) to a combined 14 points. That aside, that is exactly what the Eagle defenders did. We are saluting the defense in today’s article and assuring you continued play at this level will put our Eagles dead in the heat for a 2A title before everything is said and done.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Associate Scouting Director, KPGFootball
eCampus.com was built on a simple idea: make textbooks affordable, convenient, and accessible for every student. Founded in 1999 in Lexington, KY and backed by visionary investors like Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, the company has grown into a premier online textbook retailer for high school and college students nationwide.
Their mission has always been supporting student success both on and off the field through affordable access to the course materials they need. eCampus.com is excited to invest in our student-athletes through Kentucky Prep Gridiron (KPGFootball) which was founded to promote and assist young high school football players get promoted to “next level,” college football opportunities.
That is why eCampus.com sponsors the KPGFootball, Big Man on the eCampus series. This week we are doing something a bit different. In stead of giving you a feature, we are going to feature a phase of the game where the Eagles have been playing extremely well against extremely good competition. This week, we want to focus on the Eagle defense.
We aren’t sure how many of you remember this, but KPGFootball may have been the only Kentucky-wide publication which came out on the record and picked the Eagles to win the title last season (2025) and we have picked the Eagles to repeat. Should that occur, the type defense we have seen to open the year should keep LCA in most games regardless of level. We didn’t panic when the team came out of the gates losing three of its first four last season and we sure aren’t panicking now.
Iron sharpens iron. We knew the tough early season schedule would pay off dividends in 2025 when it got to playoff time and we were right. We believe the similar course of action, in 2026, may well net a similar result.
The 2A classification will be a tough league in 2026 and boasts as many top-flight, top-notch teams as any other class in the commonwealth and what is happening right now in Fort Mitchell, KY (Beechwood) has to alarm the entire classification across Kentucky. There are literally 11-teams who could take home the title with four to five at the top capable of beating the other depending on factors as rudimentary as the game’s location.
Lexington, KY: There are plenty of award candidates on the present roster at Lexington’s Christian Academy. Last season, after claiming its second program Kentucky title, the Eagles placed six players on the Big Ass Fans, Small School, All-State FB team.
To refresh your recollection, those players were Nash Whelan (QB), Tyler King (WR, Athlete), Logan Mays (DE), Aiden Lyons (LB), Matthew Montgomery (Interior OL), and Nick Greer (Center). If you are getting the impression the Eagles were good interiorly upfront, that impression would be entirely appropriate.
There will be other Eagles join the returning All-Staters on the ’26 version of the Big Ass Fans, Small School, All-State team when this season concludes we are quite sure. Through it all, those distinctions take a back seat to the team achieving its goals and the students representing the basic tenets or pillars on which the program has been constructed: Love, Courage, and Accountability.
Oakley Watkins, a former Centre College “Praying Colonel,” and practicing attorney has taken over the reigns to the football program as its head coach. With Doug Charles and Paul Rains still around to help out, there is a wealth of knowledge and skill leading these young men to victory.
The entire staff, through the leadership of its head football coach, is centered on fostering an environment prioritizing character-building and faith, alongside athletic successes. In today’s uncertain society, the adherence to such principles is a comfort to the families who entrust their son’s fortunes to this staff and these coaches.
Coaching has a lot to do with the success at LCA, as does culture…
Congratulations to Coach Watkins and staff and the entire LCA program. In addition to all the other skills and assets we have highlighted, the program has developed the best athletes, citizens, and students in addition to these Coaches (particularly the defensive staff) being our eCampus.com, Big Men on the eCampus feature of the week!
Join us next week as we return to honor another eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus. Until then, from any classroom to every field, eCampus.com delivers an easy, fast, and affordable way to order textbooks for students everywhere.
Lexington, KY: LCA has opened the ’26 season against two very tough opponents. Not too many 2A ball clubs open the year against a 6A ball club (North Hardin) and a 5A finalist (Pulaski County) returning many of its top producers including an 1,800-plus yard tailback (Kasen Brock) from a year ago.
Through the opening weekends, the Eagles, now 1-1 on the season, have held the two much larger enrollments to just 14-points on the year. That is some pretty stiff defense against some pretty stiff competition.
Brock figured into the outcome of the game for Pulaski County and we figured he might. Kasen Brock broke into the open field on a screen pass from Kal Ridner and took it 68 yards for the only score of the game on the third play from scrimmage in Saturday’s Rebel Bowl opener at Boyle County High School in Danville.
LCA is playing a lot of new guys in spite of quite a bit of talent returning. Oakley Watkins told the Herald Leader this has left him sort of figuring it out.
The side of the ball which has sort of figured it out appears to be the defense. Only giving up seven (7) points to a 6A ball club, like North Hardin, in the opener was stellar defensive play. Only surrendering seven (7) points again, the next week, against a returning 5A finalist, especially where the lone score resulted from a 68-yard screen pass resulting from the one defensive breakdown of the night, is stellar still.
Okay, we conceded the offense has some kinks to iron out. That aside, should the defense continue to play as it has the first two weeks, it won’t take a ton of offense to beat most teams remaining on the Eagles’ schedule.
Then again, what do we know!
Congratulations to Coach Watkins and the defensive staff and players and the entire LCA program. In addition to all the other skills and assets we have highlighted, the program has developed the best athletes, citizens, and students in addition to these defensive coaches and players being our eCampus.com, Big Men on the eCampus feature of the week!
Join us next week as we return to honor another eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus. Until then, from any classroom to every field, eCampus.com delivers an easy, fast, and affordable way to order textbooks for students everywhere.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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