Looks like it may be CAL, Bell County, and Central battling it out for the title
It is tough, any pre-season, to predict who will do what from a standpoint of ranking KHSAA teams. The 3A classification looks particularly deep and stout this coming season and the first district has numerous teams “right there” in terms of establishing a commonwealth wide status. Christian Academy-Louisville has some critical pieces returning but lost some once in a program history type players. Bell County is coming off an 11-win season and has most of its production returning including one of the best head football coaches (Dudley Hilton) the game has ever known. Central won’t be the Yellow Jacket squad which flirted with a 3A title in ’24 but Dantzler always fields a tough, battle tested, team. “The Rock” has a Larkey back on its sideline and a bunch of talent returning from a 10-2 finish in ’24 which would see them lose to a pair of 11-win squads and Lloyd Memorial is a traditional name in the KHSAA which appears to be poised and ready for a run. Here is our take; this, plus a dime, may not buy you a cup of coffee.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Christian Academy Louisville (CAL)
’24 record, 13-2, 3A State Champions
CAL just won its third consecutive state title and their fifth overall. Connor Hodge, who transitioned over from WR to QB, threw for 3,659-yards and 40-TDs against nine (9) picks completing just shy of 70% of his passing attempts.
Hodge has moved on to college to rejoin his brother (Cole) who played QB at CAL before him. Look for Jackson Burke to attempt to fill those shoes and the Burke kid (’28) can flat spin it. Burke threw for 452-yards and 6-TDs to one INT in ’24 in a largely mop-up role.
It is Burke’s turn. We believe Burke will flourish.
Garyon Hobbs transferred to Atherton and he was the leading rusher a year ago not playing QB. Look for Jeffrey Vanzzana (’26) to step up from the eight (8) games he played a year ago.
Vanzanna gained over 600-yards as a sophomore and scored 11-rushing TDs. If he isn’t a thousand yard ground gainer in ’25, we will be shocked.
Gabriel Lumpkin (’28) was a freshman who showed considerable promise in brief action up with the varsity. Lumpkin averaged close to eight (8) yards a carry.
Darwin Cotton will be a huge miss. Cotton caught 76-passes for 1,460-yards and 21-TDs in ’24.
JaHyde Brown will hope to lead the downfield passing attack. Brown (’27) caught 51-balls as a sophomore for 532-yards and 5-TDs.
Gains Howard (’27) is another top-flight rising junior who picked up nearly 30-receptions in ’24 for over 500-yards and four (4) TDs.
Madden Miller (’27) is a point scoring machine at PK. Miller converted 98% of his PATs (53 of 54) and was two (2) for four (4) on FGs.
Garrett Augustine is the back-up at PK. Augustine converted 98% of his PATs too (14 of 15).
Jackson Settle (’26) returns and he registered 85-tackles with 19-TFLs and five (5) sacks in ’24. Micah Newsome (’27) looks ready to lead. Newsome registered 75-tackles, 13-TFLs, a pair of FFs, a FR, and a sack.
Kellan Hall (’28) may have been the best freshman defender in the commonwealth a year ago. Hall had 61-tackles, 21-TFLs, a pair of sacks, and a FF.
There wasn’t a better freshman DB than Man Robinson (’28) in ’24. Robinson picked four (4) passes, returning one for a “pick-six.”
This team is still teeming with talent. CAL will be in the hunt again and probably the favorite.
Bell County
’24 record, 11-2, lost regional championship to Lexington Catholic
Bell County is coached by the single, most successful and winningest active coach in the KHSAA. Dudley Hilton is less than 50 or so wins shy of Phillip Haywood’s 491-career victories, by our count which may be off but is certainly close.
Having Coach Hilton on the sidelines guarantees any team title contention. All-timers, like Hilton, make a huge difference.
Of course, Hilton does develop talent. His Bell County roster has quite a bit of talent returning from an 11-2, ’24 season.
Bell County’s QB returns in Blake Burnett (’26). Burnett is a dual threat guy and between his 1,204-yards passing, 517-yards rushing, and 19 all-purpose TDs, Burnett has proven himself a versatile and lethal offensive weapon.
Burnett plays defense too. On defense, Burnett picked six (6) passes, registered 44-tackles, made a pair of TFLs, and recovered a fumble.
Kaleb Miller (’26) is a 2,100-yard rusher from a year ago with 29-rushing TDs. Miller caught a TD pass in ’24, among his seven receptions, swinging out of the backfield. Miller is also the PKer where he made as many PATs as he missed.
Leading receiver Joseph Brigmon (’26) returns. Brigmon caught 21-balls for 565-yards and five (5) scores last season. Brigmon played defense where he forced a fumble, recovered a pair, registered 57-stops, four (4) TFLs, a sack, and picked a pass.;
Logan Greene (’28) can spin it but was just a freshman a year ago. Greene spent more time at WR than QB and more time on defense than on offense.
Greene caught five (5) balls for 65-yards at receiver. Green registers 70-tackles, a pair of TFLs, a sack, forced a fumble, and picked off a pass while on defense.
The top defender for Bell County, this coming season, may prove to be Joshua Owens (’26). Owens registered 103-tackles, six (6) TFLs, forced a fumble, and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Two things you will have to know about any Dudley Hilton ball club. 1. The Bobcats will run the football as well as anyone. 2. They will be fundamentally sound and play football with a high IQ.
That sounds like a recipe for success and title contention to us. What do you think?
Central High (Louisville)
’24 record, 9-4, lost the regional championship game to CAL
The Central you watch play this Fall won’t be last year’s Yellow Jackets. Cortez Stone has run out of eligibility.
Stone gained 1,882-yards on 181-carries with 30-rushing TDs in ’24. Stone led the team in scoring.
Stone even registered 15-tackles. He may have also played the snare drums in the Marching Band. We aren’t certain about the drums. We may have to check on that one.
However, as long as there are some Dantzler’s on hand, Central will compete for a 3A title. Last time we checked we still have some “Dantzlers” around the program. Jalen Dantzler (’27) and head coach, Marvin Dantzler, are two of the foremost among the clan.
Jermaine Walker looks to fill the QB’s role in the offense. Walker threw as many TDs a year ago as the QB-1. Walker is deft with his feet as he gained 248-yards rushing on 29-carries, with a pair of rushing TDs.
Rashad Johnson and Phillip Baker are a pair of ’27s who both showed promise in ’24. Look for those young guys to come on as the season progresses.
Defensively, you know the Jackets will be tough. Defense is kind of a Dantzler-thing.
Destin Basemore (’27) had 64-tackles and six (6) sacks in ’24. Jaylon Wyatt Benning (’26) had 57-tackles and a pair of sacks.
Zavion Meads (’27) is a young guy with considerable promise. Meads registered 56-tackles, a pair of sacks, and a FF.
Lookout for Jalen Datzler (’27). He was set to start last season and succumbed to injury.
Dantzler made the most of his limited opportunities, registering 15-tackles and an INT while shutting down his side of the back third. No telling what Jalen would have done had the young man had a full season of reps in which to have done it.
Jalen is a 4.54-second, 40-yard dash guy who is also 6’2,” 180-pound corner with an 80-inch wingspan. Before we forget, Dantzler is a 3.3-GPA guy.
Dantzler is a projected corner with back-end closing speed, an enviable frame, and incredible length. He is also crazy athletic and a full-academic, NCAA Clearinghouse qualifier.
Who isn’t looking for corners like that?
The Rock-Rockcastle County High
’24 record, 10-2, Lost to Belfry 21-13 in round two at Belfry
The last time Rockcastle County (“The Rock”) was this good Tom Larkey was coaching the boys from Mt. Vernon. Chris Larkey is at the reigns and he has brightened the program’s fortunes considerably.
The Rock won 10-games in ’24 and bowed out of the playoffs in a one score margin playing the boys from Belfry in the CAM on Pond Creek. This was a semis-good caliber ball club with an unfortunately tough playoff draw.
QB Caden Lovell (’27) will be a junior in ’25 and he was steady at the controls last season. Lovell passed for 10-scores and ran for another three (3).
The backfield featured a pair of thousand yard rushers and the leading rusher, Isaiah Jackson (’26) returns. Jackson gained 1,266-yards and scored 16-rushing TDs.
Jackson was also the leading receiver tying for the team lead in TD receptions with Blake Mullins (’27). Jackson was additionally the team’s leading scorer. Jackson averaged over 10-points a game.
All but two (2) of the TDs receiving return for ’25. The Rock will be solid when (or if) it decides to air it out.
In addition to Jackson’s offensive play, Jackson led the defense with four (4) picks, 45-IRNYs, 43-tackles, four (4) TFLs, a QB-sack, a FF, and a FR. Basically, Jackson was all over the field in multiple phases for “The Rock” in ’24 and should be in ’25 as well.
As for Blake Mullins, in addition to his receiving skills, Mullins registered 65-tackles on defense with 16-TFLs and a team leading 10-sacks. Mullins recovered a fumble as well, so we are talking about one Heck of a versatile skill set on young Mullins.
Benjamin Brenda graduated and that will hurt. He converted 38-PATs and made three (3) of his six (6) FGs attempted. Identifying a PK in camp prior to the season’s commencement will be paramount.
Most of the top defenders return. Hunter Singleton registered 134-stops, 17-TFLs, four (4)-sacks, a pair of FFs, and a pair of FRs, including a “scoop and score” in ’24. The defense will look for continued leadership out of this ’27 prospect.
Jaydon Bowles (’26) is a stud. Bowles registered 47-stops, 12-behind enemy lines, sacked the opponent’s QB half a dozen times (6) while recovering a fumble in ’24.
Caden Lovell (’27) s a back-third, young guy to watch going forward (2 INTs) as is Brayden Thacker (’28). Thacker got run in seven (7) games and picked a pass and registered 10-stops, making the most of limited time. Thacker will have a “breakout season,” in our humble opinion.
Lovell registered 23-tackles, recovered a fumble, recorded a TFL, to go with the pair of picks we above disclosed. Lovell will be joined in the backfield with a classmate, Conner Wright (’27).
Wright registered 39-tackles, four (4) TFLs, a FF, a FR, and two (2) INTs. Wright recorded one of the ball club’s two “pick-sixes” in ’24 (the other was senior Carter Powell).
This is a ball club which lost two games a year ago; one to an 11-win Bell County team, the other to a now 2A, 11-win, Belfry team. This is a very good ball club with a ton of production returning.
The surname “Larkey” is back on the Rockcastle County sideline. If that doesn’t concern you, you may not know enough about KHSAA football history to coach it.
Cincinnati Enquirer
Lloyd Memorial
’24 record, 9-3, lost to Russell at Russell in round two by a single point (21-20)
The boys from Erlanger have always been a problem. They were a problem which required solving in ’24. The aptly called “Juggernauts” figure to be back in the title chase in ’25.
Kaleb Evans is back at QB and the ’26 prospect had a solid year at the controls in ’24, his junior season. Evans threw for over 2,000-yards, 24-TDs, against only three (3) INTS, while rushing for another four (4) scores. We wouldn’t describe him as “dual threat,” but he is slippery and elusive enough to prolong plays.
The top three rushers from a year ago graduated. However, the way the Juggernauts manage the rushing attack, it was balanced and didn’t lean on any one guy that much any way.
Alijah Griffin (’26) will be a senior and he averaged 14-yards a carry in a limited role. Griffin also picked three (3) passes on defense, registered 32-tackles, recorded a TFL, and forced a fumble while recovering a fumble. Griffin can play anywhere you slot him.
Colten Barger (’28) was among the better freshmen, at the WR slot, there was anywhere in Kentucky in ’24. Barger caught 30-balls for 415-yards and five (5) TDs.
Billy Lewis (’26) will align across from him. This will insure the defense has more than the one guy on whom to game plan.
Barger played “both ways.” On defense, the talented freshman recorded 27-tackles. Pulling double duty, as a freshman, and delivering 30-receptions, five (5) receiving TDs, and 27-stops is what we would term “an impressive debut.”
Ryan Miller (’26) is back to handle the PK duties. Miller converted 39-PATs in ’24 and will look to improve on his close to 70% conversion rate. Miller also converted a critical two-pointer and was among the club’s leading scorers.
Lloyd Memorial had another top-flight, Kentucky-wide freshman performer, apart from Barger. Lincoln Tomlinson (’28) had an incredible freshman season on defense.
Tomlinson registered 107-tackles, 19-TFLs, five (5) sacks, a FR, and a “pick-six” taken both to the house and covering 28-yards. They don’t make freshmen like they used to and guys like Barger and Tomlinson prove it.
This is a team which sustained some losses to graduation but return enough talent to make this top-five. The difference between this team and some of the “Nevt Five” is fairly minimal.
The Next Five
- Union County-Union lost Jarren Johnson, Amare Black, and Kamden Davis to graduation plus many, many more off the 3A finalist club we saw in ’24. They are Union County and are excellently coached; but will need some shoes filled.
- McLean County-McLean has the best running back, not named Evan Hampton, on the western end of KY (Aden Bolden, ’26, 1,439-yards rushing and 13-TDs in ’24). Zach Wagner does a fine job and McLean is always hard to handle.
- Lexington Catholic- David Clark is among the best coaches in the KHSAA and the turn around the Knights experienced in ’24 was a testament to that fact. When you only win 7-games but made the semis that says something about the coaching staff most administrations admire. It says something about the teams you schedule as well. This team experienced heavy losses to graduation but don’t feign surprise if they figure out a way to get in contention in ’25.
- Mercer County-Craig Yeast has brought in a young coach named Chuck Collins to run his weight program and help on Friday nights. The Collins family is amongst the “first families” of the KHSAA. It is like hiring a “Jaggers.” They hired a Jaggers once at Mercer and that seemed to work out pretty well if my memory isn’t failing me.
- Hopkins County Central-Central has one of the better multi-phase guys around in Sylas Gunn (’26). Gunn threw nine TDs, rushed for a TD, and registered 104-tackles, six (6) TFLs, a sack, and picked a pair of passes as a junior. Kristan Scott will be a “difference maker” along the scrimmage lines and Dallas Kinlaw will come out of nowhere to contribute mightily. This ball club figures to do much better than the four (4) wins it experienced in both ’23 and ’24. Chris Manning (HFC) does an excellent job coaching and promoting his program.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball and KPI Newspaper Group, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
If you enjoyed this article and wish to gain full-access to the site, then subscribe monthly to Kentucky Prep Gridiron by following the prompts!
© The information contained on this site is the copyrighted intellectual property of KPGFootball. Any unauthorized dissemination of this material without the author’s express written consent is strictly prohibited!
Leave a Reply