Ryder Sandidge, ’27 three phase guy from Madisonville-North Hopkins, is the Kentucky Comfort Creator of the Week @RSandidge2027, @Maroon_FB_MNHHS, @eCampusdotcom, @Ale8One, @bigassfans, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball

Sandidge is as good at baseball as football and that is a pretty scary proposition

Madisonville-North Hopkins isn’t the easiest of rosters on which to show off your stuff. There is talent all over the roster and the team has, for the exception of two games, looked like the class of 5A (particularly in western Kentucky) for much of the 2025 season. Ryder Sandidge has been particularly impressive as far as we are concerned. Sandidge has rushed for 344-yards and six (6)-TDs, caught 25-balls for 371 and three (3) TDs, finished third (3rd) in scoring including housing a KO and taking an INT to paydirt, has registered 63-tackles, 1-TFL, 1-FR, and 2-picks including the aforementioned “pick-six.” That is a ton of production from one player. Sandidge has somehow done all of this playing on the same roster with a “Mr. Football” candidate (Markezz Hightower, ’26 RB/LB) and several All-State candidates (Jayden Travis, ’26 TE; Kirk LaGrange, ’26 LB; Travion Stafford, ’26 LB; Kadence Price, ’27 OL; and A. Noah Mays, ’26 PK).

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”

Big Ass Fans from Lexington, Kentucky has a simple corporate goal. The company is “creating a more comfortable world,” one fan at a time.

The logo is the rear of a donkey (Fanny) swishing its tail back and forth. The trademarked logo is among Kentucky’s more celebrated and well known corporate identities across the commonwealth and has come to represent commitment to quality, cutting-edge innovation, and product reliability.

Big Ass Fans is so much more than just a gigantic fan. It is gigantic quality, gigantic performance, and a gigantic commitment to reliability and innovation. Its size is far from the only selling point about our product. Our product is a Kentucky Comfort Creator…and, these days, isn’t that exactly what Kentucky needs?

Madisonville, KY: Madisonville was cruising along through the first seven games. The Maroons had beaten a defending 3A finalist, Union County. The Maroons had beaten the defending 4A champion, Paducah Tilghman. The Maroons had smoked 6A power and playoff entrant, Hopkinsville High, 42-14.

Maybe the first clue Colonel Mustard was taking on a little water was the Graves County game on September 26. After all, the mighty Maroons shouldn’t need to go to overtime to beat a struggling, four-win, Graves County squad, 23-20. Then along came Apollo and Owensboro Senior High, back to back.

Madisonville dropped a tight one to Apollo, 49-40, before getting the doors blown off at home playing a traditional, 5A, Western KY-bully in Owensboro (8-2, winners of eight straight).

The Maroons put it on the dragons last weekend, 52-12, and now get ready to entertain Greenwood’s Gators. We’re just going from one terribly formidable lizard to another.

Ryder Sandidge has been a real bright spot this season. First of all, everyone knows Sandidge is one of the better baseball players in the commonwealth. Sandidge being so good, and so versatile, on the gridiron has been a pleasant surprise and much of the reason for the success the Maroons are experiencing.

Against Warren Central, Sandidge gained 117-yards on the ground, scoring twice. Sandidge caught three (3) passes, scoring 12-points, second only to Mr. Football’s Markezz Hightower’s 18. Sandidge was a mainstay on a defense which held the Dragons to 12-points and 56-rushing yards.

Hightower had his usual “Mr. Football-ish” numbers. Hightower rushed for 178-yards and three (3) TDs. That gives Hightower, entering the playoffs, 1,554-rushing yards and 25-rushing TDs. Hightower has scored 158-points, in 10-games, good for 15.8-pts. per.

For all of Hightower’s brilliance (and numbers like Hightower’s are how Mr. Football campaigns are won) Ryder Sandidge has been just as important and just as responsible for the team’s effectiveness and prowess. Sandidge has thrived in all three phases for the Maroons, something one doesn’t see often in 5A football.

Sandidge has rushed for 344-yards and six (6)-TDs, caught 25-balls for 371 and three (3) TDs, finished third (3rd) in scoring including housing both a KO and an INT, while registering 63-tackles, 1-TFL, 1-FR, and 2-picks with the aforementioned “pick-six.” That is a real mouthful.

North Hopkins has a very difficult first round matchup tonight. Greenwood finished 6-4 but were just a few points away from an 8-win regular season themselves (lost to Logan County by one and Bowling Green by three). Along the way, the Union County team we beat to open the year, 49-13, Greenwood beat 45-23 just last weekend.

We like Madisonville-North Hopkins in this matchup tonight, with Greenwood, because it is going to be played in Madisonville and because of the Maroons “star power” and versatility (like Ryder Sandidge). There will be some points scored we believe but Greenwood’s style of play will limit, somewhat, the fireworks show. We are going to give North Hopkins the nod tonight, 32-24, over the Gators.

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

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