Kentucky Future Stars roll into Mason County, Kentucky

Well, the Kentucky Future Stars’ caravan pulls into Maysville, Kentucky (Mason County) tomorrow to audition some Northern Kentucky studs for this year’s team. The annual classic which pits the best middle school players from Tennessee and Kentucky in a football game between the two will be played this year at Georgetown College. So who are some of the middle school players we expect to see roll out onto the the turf in Mason County, Kentucky tomorrow? Well, we here at KPGFootball, have been snooping around and intend to feature four guys we believe will be showing their athletic wares tomorrow.

There are two players, both of whom are from Lexington, Kentucky and both of whom played for the Eagles’ Junior High team at LCA. Yes the same Lexington Christian Academy football team which won a KYMSFA, Division 3, State Football Championship this past year. Both of these players also played for Team Kentucky’s FBU team. Xavier Brown is one of the best athletes in Kentucky in the 2022 class and has been deployed at wide receiver and running back during this football career. Xavier is a fixture on the track team at LCA and also plays basketball. We believe Xavier is a kid who, along with Vinny Anthony, could provide the quarterbacks lengthy edge targets both of whom can get open and maintain separation should they get behind the defense. Another LCA product we expect to see tomorrow has been referred to as one of the fastest 2022 kids in the Commonwealth. Frankie Knight, who is a sprinter on LCA’s track team, broke 12 yesterday (11.9) in a laser timed 100 meter at Tate’s Creek High School in an official event. Knight has been deployed both at WR and at RB during the course of his football career.

There are a couple of two-way players from Ashland, Kentucky whom we believe will audition in Mason County tomorrow. Now, were aren’t forecasting either of these guys will play both ways for Team Kentucky Future Stars as the team easily will be stocked with enough talent to platoon. What we are saying is either of these next two kids could make the team on either side of the ball. Gunner Collins has played quarterback, both back in Ashland and for Team Kentucky FBU, starting at QB for the FBU teams in both 7th and 8th grades. Gunner is close to 6-0 and weighs around 180 and is over-the-top aggressive when he walks out between the white lines. His defensive position is MLB and he will lay the wood as demonstrated by the picture to the left of this paragraph. Not many QBs are positioned as middle linebackers on defense. We also believe we will see TE/OLB Baron Ratliff. Ratliff is a tall, lengthy, athletic player who works the middle of the field well from his TE slot creating a match-up nightmare for any defensive 2nd level. Ratliff screams off the edge when playing either DE or OLB as these two positions in middle school and high school football are basically indistinguishable in most defensive schemes these days anyway.

I am excited to see what this third combine produces as the two thus far (Bowling Green & Louisville) have been fantastic. I will have my eyes and ears around tomorrow though I won’t personally be there but I wish everyone trying out the best. This is Fletcher Long reporting for KPGFootball reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!