The South Oldham Dragons are coming off the best season the 5A, District 3 High School from Crestmoor, Kentucky has ever before had, making it all the way to the State Semis before losing 33-32 and capping off a 12-2 season. Coach Jamie Reed believes the Dragons are poised to make a run all the way through the finishing tape in this year’s upcoming marathon. QB Drew Zaubi returns after having established himself as one of 5A’s most effective, efficient, and talented passers. Last season Zaubi amassed 2,317 yards through the air with 32 touchdowns while rushing for 367 yards and 11 scores. A former Kentucky Future Star, Ethan Bednarczyk, Class of 2020, who worked his way into the starting line-up toward the end of his freshman campaign, returns as one of Zaubi’s most reliable, talented, and speedy edge threats.
Bednarczyk is 5’9″ tall and weighs 170 pounds. I have no idea how fast Bednarczyk is now, but he ran between 4.7 and 4.8 when he starred for Team Kentucky and LaKunta Farmer in the 2016 Tennessee/Kentucky Future Stars Game in 2016. I can tell you Ethan has a recorded pro-shuttle of 4.3 seconds and that the 170 pound receiver bench presses 250, squats 405, Deadlifts 365 and PowerCleans 235. These number lead me to suspect his 40 time will be more than adequate. I know Ethan, last year in 9th grade, had an impressive showing at the Best of the Midwest running a laser timed 4.78 forty with a broad jump (exhibiting hip explosion) of 9’6.” Taking all of these figures into account, here’s what they mean to an analyst or scout:
- His shuttle time is really quick so in the slot he will be difficult to contain and he will flourish in the yards after the catch statistic because he has quick change of direction;
- His bench press indicates he will be a tough WR to jam at the line or keep from separating out of breaks by opposing corners;
- His Power Clean, Dead Lift, and broad jump indicates he is explosive and the Dead Lift likely means he has pound the ground speed, meaning he can get over the top of defenses too; and
- His Squat also indicates he has superior Core Strength which will permit his getting his hips low in and out of cuts and run precise routes keeping his body under control.
From the perspective of the final picture we at Kentucky Prep Gridiron believe Ethan Bednarczyk is one of the best WRs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the 2020 graduating class. Perhaps it was best said by his QB, Drew Zaubi, in an interview he gave to Sam Draut with The Oldham Era…I really think Ethan will have a big year. He is so good at getting off the ball (explosive) and having control out of his cuts (pro-shuttle and Squat). It makes it so easy, even when I throw it a little behind him on a route, he is still able to be under control (pro-shuttle again) and go get it. He can high point the ball, he will go chase it down. He will layout for it if he needs to. Having a weapon like that is awesome (Parenthetical expressions were added to the quote above as editorial insert by KPG for illustrative purposes).
We know Ethan Bednarczyk’s surname has an inordinate amount of consonants, particularly the last five in succession. We know that makes the name a difficult one to spell. What we are suggesting to HS Football fans around the Commonwealth and to subscribers here at Kentucky Prep Gridiron is learning the name may well be worth the effort. We are confident plenty of college recruiters are looking up Crestmoor, Kentucky and the name Bednarczyk even as we speak…
This is Fletcher Long reporting for KPGFootball reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
