Raceland has been knocking on the door, so has Kentucky Country Day (KCD), one of these two may reach the ‘Promise Land’
It is tough, any pre-season, to predict who will do what from a standpoint of ranking KHSAA teams. Raceland has been knocking on the door as has been Kentucky County Day (KCD) and KCD and Campbellsville return a full arsenal of weaponry on both sides of the ball. Sayre is coming off a 15-0 and a title but graduated a ton of production including a QB who, over the last two years, has completed 382 of 533 for a 72% completion rate with 103-TDs, only four (4) picks, and an overall 27-1 record. How does any club replace that, much less a 1A reigning champion. Campbellsville has the look of a contender, coming off an 11-win season, and Hazard is on the up-swing, or so it would appear to us. Here is our take; this, plus a dime, may not buy you a cup of coffee.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
No. 1, Raceland Rams
10-5 in ’24, lost by five (5) to Sayre in the title game (27-22)
This may be the year of the Rams. Coach Salmons club lost in the finals to Sayre in ’24 by five points (27-22); lost to Pikeville in the finals in ’22 and ’23, and to Pikeville again in the semis in ’21. Point is, the Rams have been historically knocking on the door. It may be time to knock down the door.
The Rams lost superstar defender, Lindon Sammons to graduation. Sammons led the club with 15-TFLs, nine (9) sacks, four (4) FFs, and five (5) FRs. Outside of Sammons, the roster is pretty intact.
Jacob Waller will be a junior. Waller threw for 1,500-yards and 11-TDs as a sophomore against four (4) picks and ran for another four (4) scores.
Shannon Marushi (’26) returns, as does Landen Stiltner (’27), and Jonah Arnett. The trio gained over 1,500 yards rushing, together in ’24, and scored a combined 25-rushing TDs.
Marushi led the team in scoring in ’24 with 72 points and Jacob Waller was a reliable conversion on PATs (38) and scored 68-points himself with four (4) TDs rushing, the 38-PATs, and a pair of three pointers (FGs) on four (4) attempts.
Arnett led the team with 41-receptions while Bryson Rowsey (’26) and Parker Ison (’26) contributed 51-receptions between them and 5-TDs receiving
In addition to offense, Arnett was a top defender. Arnett registered 76-tackles, nine (9) TFLs, a-FR, and three (3) picks.
Logan Lockwood hopes to replace Sammons as the Rams top defender in ’25. Lockwood is a ’26 prospect who had 80-tackles a year ago with eight (8) TFLs, seven (7) sacks, a FF, and a FR. Lockwood is a ’26. Lockwood is a stud!
No. 2, Kentucky Country Day (KCD)
10-3 in ’24, lost in the Semis to Raceland in Louisville
Every year KCD is in our top five and, seemingly every year, the preseason pronouncement seems warranted before it is all said and done. The Bearcats have virtually the entire accoutrement returning and the roster will be senior laden when the season opens. If you don’t like KCD and enjoy it when they struggle, your year is a year away. For now, you would be wise to avert your eyes in ’25 as they will be very good and this won’t be a fun year for the Bearcat Hater’s Club.
Caden Long is back for his senior year and he was a reliable signal caller who was about as dangerous with his feet as he was throwing the football. He is a slick ball handler in that offensive backfield and one of the ball club’s better athletes.
Parker Rudolph is a ’26 kid, like Long, and he gained over a thousand yards a year ago rushing the football and was the team’s leading scorer. Parker, Long, MacLean Cantley (’26), and Tyler Wilson (’26) give the Bearcats four very viable rushing options who combined for around 2,500-combined rushing yards and 29-rushing TDs. It is called “strength in numbers” or “running back by committee.”
All of the top receivers return in Miller Bates, Tyler Wilson, Miles Bahe, and Brohm Garlove. Of the four, Garlove is the youngest and he will be a junior (’27).
Colt Mizuguchi was automatic at PK in the PAT game (95.2%) and he is a ’26 kid like much of the roster. Having a reliable kicker who can automatically convert PATs is worth a ton in the high school game come crunch time. Take our word for it.
Rocco Huffman (pictured) may be among the best defensive players in the KHSAA at any level. The ’26 defender had 132-stops, 11-TFLs, Eight and a half (8.5) sacks, five (5)-FFs, and a pair of FRs. Huffman separates ball carriers from the ball, gets regularly downhill, and makes plays.
Bowen Johnson is also a ’26 prospect and he had 100-stops, nine (9) TFLs, and four (4) sacks in ’24. Johnson contributed both a FF and a pair of FRs.
Of the six top defensive statistical contributors from a season ago, five are returning this year and 10 of the top 11. Jackson Miles is the only defensive stalwart not returning for another tour of duty.
Deon Davidson is a rising star. He was a freshman in ’24 (’28) and led the team with 3-picks and 109-IRNYs. Davidson also had 50-tackle and three (3) TFLs to go along with his back-third success. Brohm Garlove also had three (3) picks and he housed the only “pick six” of the season.
These guys are freaking loaded. Before the smoke clears, the private school from Louisville will have a say in who gets the 1A hardware. You can believe that!
No. 3, Cambellsville Eagles
’24 record 11-3, lost to Sayre in the Semis in Lexington
This ball club was a year away in ’24 and still won 11-games. They should be really good in ’25 and a likely challenger for the title. If they were to win it all, it really wouldn’t surprise us.
Kace Eastridge is back for his senior year (’26) and he threw for 2,000 yards and 17-TDs a year ago with a nearly 2:1, TD:INT ratio. Eastridge gained 1,346-yards rushing and scored 21-TDs on the ground making him the premier, dual threat guy in the classification and a “Mr. Football” candidate. Eastridge scored 146-points for an average of 10.4 per contest. It has been our experience, particularly in 1A football, that a dual threat weapon like Eastridge can carry a team to a title.
Cross Watson also exceeded the thousand yard threshold last year rushing. He gained 1,018-yards and scored 15-rushing TDs providing a potent one-two, backfield punch with Eastridge. Watson was second on the team in “scoring,” tallying 132-points for the year.
Gabriel Noyola and Watson are the two top returning receivers. Nayola (’26) caught 50-balls in ’24 and gained 885-yards receiving with 10-TDs. On defense, Noyola picked a pair of passes, and accumulated 60-IRNYs with a “pick six.”
Kade Somerville registered 17-PATs in ’24. Somerville is back in ’25 hoping to increase his 58.6% conversion rate.
Nine of the 11 top statistical defenders return. Shaiden Calhoun (’27) returns and he tied for the club lead with Cole Kessler (’26) with 96-registered tackles. The pair combined for 23-TFLs. KeKe Miller (’26) is also back and he led the club with 15-TFLs and a pair of sacks among his 54-stops. Julian Smith (’28) proved to be among the better freshmen DL in the KHSAA in ’24, contributing seven (7) TFLs and a pair of sacks among his 45-stops.
Braylon Beard (’26) had three (3) INTS, 55-IRNYs, and a pair of “pick sixes.” Chris Hart (’27) took an INT back 66-yards for a score contributing 46-stops and five (5) TFLs while forcing a fumble. Hart is an emerging star.
No. 4, Sayre
15-0, 1A champions in ’24
When it comes to Sayre, these guys have an elite coaching staff and the type program which attracts talent. This program hasn’t been around too long but it doesn’t appear it is going anywhere.
The independent, private, co-educational school in Lexington, Kentucky, which has approximately 610 students from age two through twelfth grades enrolled and 68 full-time, faculty members, has punched its ticket into the elite class of 1A football programs in the KHSAA. It looks to be a mainstay at this level of play.
With the “Spartans,” it appears to be an analysis of what talent graduated versus what talent returns. You have to begin the analysis with the departing skill guys and the production which just walked across the graduation stage.
Fans like to act like graduation doesn’t happen. It does. It can really shake up a roster.
How do you replace a quarterback (Luke Pennington) who, over his junior and senior years, completed 382 of 533 passing attempts, for a 72% completion rate, with 103-TD passes thrown against four (4) picks? I don’t know that one can. Remember too, with Luke Pennington at the controls, over the past two years, the Spartans logged an overall 27-1 record with a title (’24).
Pretty dad-burn impressive. A program can’t lose production like that and not feel it, particularly at the 1A level.
In addition to Pennington, Charlie Slabaugh and his 113-carries for 850-yards and 13-TDs a year ago has graduated. Slabaugh was a defender too; registering, in ’24, 110-tackles, seven (7) TFLs, a sack, a pick, and a pair of FFs. Try saying all that really fast, five times.
Sayre also graduated Brock Coffman and his 101-receptions, 1530-yards and 27-TDs; not to mention Coffman’s 12.5 points a game, five (5) INTs and a “pick six.” The receiving corp will also miss Chase Parker’s 28-receptions, for 420-receiving yards, and eight (8) TDs as well as Kemonte Braxton’s 35-receptions for 395-yards and seven (7) receiving touchdowns not to mention Braxton’s five (5) picks on defense.
Like we said, the Spartans had a ton of talented seniors in ’24. Most championship rosters are so constructed if we are being honest.
The cupboard isn’t completely barren. Coach Pennington will have some useful roster pieces back for ’25.
Gannon Rice (’26) attempted a single field goal in ’24. That is the bad news. Rice did make it. That is the good news.
Carson Graves (’26) returns to kick the PATs. Graves made 47 of those a year ago. Graves is reliable.
There are several young guns on defense returning. Harrison Phillips (’27) tallied 96-tackles, five (5) TFLs, five (5) QB sacks, a pick, a FF, and a pair of FRs in ’24. John Luke Minner (’26) registered 40-tackles, three (3) TFLs, 12-sacks, and two (2) FFs. Minner is a dynamic, explosive defensive playmaker.
The same may be said about Jackson Stuart (’26). Stuart, in ’24, registered 51-tackles, five (5) TFLs, a sack, a FF, and three (3) FRs including a 51-yard scoop and score. Rumble, big man, rumble…
Beau Perry picked a pair of passes as did Caden Jones. Perry and Jones are both rising seniors and return to patrol the defensive back third.
Now it is important to point out Sayre is a private school and we have no idea what students from Lexington, or surrounding areas, decided to transfer there this offseason. We don’t report on transfers until they are declared “cleared” by the KHSAA and some of those matters are still pending. Based on what we do know, Sayre will have to replace some “hard to replace” type players on the offensive side of the ball.
No. 5, Hazard Bulldogs
8-5 in 2024, lost to Raceland in the regions
This will be Matt Chandler’s second year at the helm at Hazard. What a job he did in his first season.
Hazard was a two point loss on the road to Breathitt (2A) from a nine (9) win campaign. Hazard knocked an always tough Williamsburg squad out of last year’s playoff, and convincingly.
Max Pelfry has graduated and that will be a huge miss (196/312, 2,444-yards, 26-TDs, six (6)-picks, 11-rushing TDs). William Shoptaw was a freshman a year ago and threw five (5) TDs to 0-INTs and the job may be his to lose. Memphis Blankenship will be another big loss as he was a thousand yard ground gainer in ’24.
Now for the good news, Gavin Johnson (’27) returns and he may be a “Mr. Football” candidate in a few years. Johnson caught 85-balls for 1,069-yards and 13-TDs in ’24 as only a sophomore.
Johnson scored 108-points in ’24 to lead the team and scored in all three phaes of the game (two (2) TDs rushing, 13-receiving, a KO return, six (6) two (2) point conversions). Johnson also had 51-tackles, a-FF, a-FR, and a pair of INTs.
Conner Holbrook (’27) housed a pick-six from 51-yards out in ’24 and registered 92-tackles on the year with four (4) sacks.
Race Lindon returns. Lindon led the club with 127-stops, a-FF, and two (2)-FRs. Caden Brewer has a bright future as the ’28 prospect registered three and a half (3.5) sacks in limited run a year ago.
Before you point out Hazard made this poll position based largely on the strength of the Johnson kid, we would point out a kid like that, who is a three (3) phase contributor, makes a huge difference in 1A football. The Bulldogs have more than just Johnson. However, having one Gavin Johnson will get a bunch of lower classification type teams a preseason ranking.
Look at his picture above supplied. Just saying…
The next five
6. Pikeville, The Panthers boast a WR in Mikey Hager who runs consistent 4.4, 40's. We probably have the Panthers too lightly regarded this preseason! Oh well, no one's perfect...
7. Middlesboro
8. Williamsburg
9. Holy Cross (Lou.)
10. Ludlow
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball and KPI Newspaper Group, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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