It is win or go home from here on out. Here are the guys turning it both up and on at the right time.
There were some impressive performances this past weekend and it was really hard to select just one player. There are some really terrific players around the commonwealth of Kentucky in a commonwealth which goes under-recruited for the talent it has. Still, the weekend was filled with primetime matchups and performances to match.
It was win or go home, Friday night in round-four (Semi-State Championships) and we were handing out Semi-State hardware at the end of these games. Playoff performances make more of an impression on us at the magazine than regular season production.
Below, we will detail a few of the outstanding games turned in by some of Kentucky’s top high school football players. Encourage your coaches to get those statistics on the KHSAA website for us so we can know about your performance, or have your coach message the website with any statistics which haven ‘t yet been reported.
Mingua Beef Jerky Company and we want to award the distinction to as many players from around Kentucky as we can. While we want to spread it around, we will from time to time, as the information is available to us, update the reader on what former winners of the award have done in subsequent weeks, like the reader has seen us do in prior weeks. That being said, let the “race for the world’s finest beef jerky” commence.
Okay, okay, West Carter came up a little short (lost to Beechwood 35-34) but these guys sure showed everyone they were, in fact, an elite 2A team in 2020. Leetavious Cline (2021) rushed the football, against Beechwood in a losing effort, 36-times for 200-yards with 2-rushing TDs.
Gavin Gibson (2021), committed to Centre College, had an incredible night, defensively, for the Comets. Gibson had 11-tackles, 3-TFLs, and one of the team’s two QB-sacks. Gibson and his defensive mates were able to hold Beechwood to 90-rushing yards, a testament to how the Comets pushed this game to the final horn.
Teammate, Orry Perry (2021) threw for 3-TDs making the tandem of Perry and Cline account for all 5 of the team’s scores. Orry Perry is the type of QB any high school in Kentucky would want under center in a big game. For what he lacks in flash, he more than compensates for in “grit,” “football IQ,” and just being a winner.
Perry reminds this author about what the late Paul “Bear” Bryant once said of John David Crow, his QB at Texas A&M and a member of the “Junction Boys.” Bryant said, “When we need 6-yards, John David gets us 7.” Yeah, that attribute sums up Perry pretty well too.
Jagger Gillis (2021), Boyle County’s QB, was 18 for 21 for 232-yards passing with 2 TDs. Boyle County held Hopkinsville to a -20 yards rushing and only 99-yards passing on the evening. McDaniel and the Rebels will get Franklin County in the 4A State Championship game.
Will McDaniel (2021) led Boyle County to a huge win against visiting Hopkinsville. McDaniel carried it 18-times for 160-yards rushing with 3-rushing TDs. McDaniel in 9-games of action in 2020 has gained 1,023-yards from scrimmage in 153-carries with 19-rushing TDs to lead his ball club in all of the three categories. McDaniel has caught 21-passes out of the backfield for another 292-yards in receiving and 3 TD catches. Quite simply, he is an extraordinary football player who will have quite a career at the next level.
Austin Gough (2021), a former winner of the Protein-packed Performer Award, had 11-tackles to help lead the Red Devils over Frederick Douglass in the Semis. Owensboro will face Bowling Green for the title.
Nick Broyles (2021) had a big night against Johnson Central for Franklin County. He completed 16 of 23-passing attempts for 225-yards and two TDs on the night.
Fred Farrier, II (2021) showed why he just may be the best receiver in Kentucky. He caught 8-passes for 103-receiving yards and a TD. On a night where the Flyers could only manage 63-rushing yards, the Broyles to Farrier combination came up big-time in a 20-12 final margin.
Harris Phelps (2023) did Friday night what he has done all year. He came up huge for his Paintsivlle Tigers. Phelps had 21-carries for 170-yards rushing with 3-TDs in a game Paintsville won 21-7.
Karsten Poe (2021), committed to Centre College, gained 79-yards in his 14-carries and ran the offense under center, managing the offensive flow and completing 2 of his 3 passing attempts. Centre commitment, John Blackburn (2021), had a big night up-front and on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Behind the Paintsville, “Big-man,” Paintsville rushed for 348 yards on 54-carries and all three of Paintsville’s scores. Blackburn also contributed 6-tackles on defense.
Mason Lovely (2021) paced the defense for Paintsville as he has done much of this season. The All-State caliber LB had 11-stops, including 1 of the defense’s 3 QB-sacks.
This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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