🎶Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant can't
Move a rubber tree plant...🎶
Written: Sammy Cahn (lyrics) & Jimmy Van Heusen (music), 1959
Recorded: Frank Sinatra
’28 OG-DT entering the junior year with ‘high hopes’
Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) played a murder’s row type schedule in 2025 and still won the 2A title and finished 12-3. Of course, not all three (3) loss seasons are similarly situated. This particular three loss worksheet also boasted an opening weekend victory over a ranked 6A team in North Hardin and a win in the “Holy War” over 3A rival, Lexington Catholic. LCA will have a target on its back the entire ’26 Fall and it would be unwise to overlook the pride of Lexington’s 2A classification regardless of how large of an enrollment from which your school may benefit. Enjoy this look at a rising junior IOL/DT with ‘High Hopes’ for both his team’s and his performances. Matthew Montgomery, in spite of the lack of prototypical height and weight, made a tremendous difference for his team and had his Eagles playing its best football at exactly the right time of year last season. 🎶Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant...🎶
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
eCampus.com was built on a simple idea: make textbooks affordable, convenient, and accessible for every student. Founded in 1999 in Lexington, KY and backed by visionary investors like Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, the company has grown into a premier online textbook retailer for high school and college students nationwide.
Their mission has always been supporting student success both on and off the field through affordable access to the course materials they need. eCampus.com is excited to invest in our student-athletes through Kentucky Prep Gridiron (KPGFootball) which was founded to promote and assist young high school football players get promoted to “next level,” college football opportunities.
That is why eCampus.com sponsors the KPGFootball, Big Man on the eCampus series. This week’s Big Man on the eCampus feature is Lexington Christian Academy’s rising junior IOL-DT, Matthew Montgomery (’28).
Montgomery was incredible as a sophomore and is expected to make the most of a junior year which sees him coming off an All-State season a year ago. Montgomery will continue to be a critical, interior offensive lineman along one of Kentucky’s premier high school offensive lines and looks to get more PT along the defensive front.
Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) perennially competes for KHSAA championships at its level of play. Players driving the offensive and defensive bus, like Matthew Montgomery, are among the reasons why.
Lexington, KY: There once was a famous song which often reminds me of Matthew Montgomery and players like him. The only criticism of Montgomery is something over which he has no control and may be a problem which rights itself in time.
Montgomery doesn’t quite have the prototypical frame for an OL at the Division I level. That being said, we have seen plenty of Division I, offensive centers framed out exactly like Montgomery; which is why schools like Marshall are having him on campus for visits.
definitive IOL
Back to the song. The song is entitled, “High Hopes.” The song won an Oscar for Best Original Song and was introduced by Frank Sinatra in the movie A Hole in the Head.
The song peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became the campaign song for John F. Kennedy’s successful run for President in 1960.
The song lyrics were written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the melody. The song has an inspiring story.
The story centers around an ant who is bent on moving a plant too big for it to move. The lyricist asks the entirely appropriate question, “Just what makes that little old ant/think he’ll move that rubber tree plant…” After all, “…Anyone knows an ant can’t/Move a rubber tree plant…”
The scenario is eerily similar to everyone in the football recruiting world believing 6’1,” 245-pounds is too short and lacks the length and bulk to play the interior OL at the D-I level, offensive center aside. Meet Matthew Montgomery.
What did Van Heusen write back in 1959? “Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant…”
Here is the truth, height aside, length aside, weight aside, Matthew Montgomery is playing, and starring, at one of Kentucky’s premier football programs anchoring its offensive front. Montgomery regularly plays across from the Bluegrass’s elite interior DL talent, many of whom are being heavily pursued at the D-I level.
Montgomery seems to be handling it just fine. Matter of fact, Montgomery is routinely man-handling and pancaking these superstars and future D-I college players.
No one in the KHSAA, at any level of play, is playing the IOL any better (or even as well). “Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant…”
Montgomery also plays DT. Frame-wise, Montgomery is built well enough to deploy along the defensive front at the D-I level.
Montgomery needs to add some bulk. That is an easy add. We’re just talking about his continuing his ongoing work in the weight and conditioning program and growing into his man-frame, man-muscles.
I didn’t weight at 20-22 what I weighed at 16-years old. Did you? I didn’t think so.
The most important statistic in Montgomery’s game play, as well as the game-play of his teammates, is their leading the Eagles to the 2A title, its second all-time. In the end, that is the statistic people will most likely remember about any player who was fortunate enough to be on the LCA roster.
There is Montgomery’s 3.7-GPA in one of the commonwealth’s more challenging, college preparatory curriculum to also factor. Montgomery is a no-brainer past both the NCAA Clearinghouse and the program’s admissions committee.
Montgomery is a member of one of the KHSAA’s best ’28 classes at LCA. One might say the state champion Eagles developed along the same arch as its prized ’28 IOL/DT.
Montgomery plays DT on defense. While he was mostly used along the offensive line’s interior in pass protection and run blocking schemes, this is a guy with the athleticism to contribute with his hand in the dirt defensively too. We can’t rule out defensive line as a likely college deployment or positional destination.
As you can see, Montgomery’s performances improved as his experience in the lineup continued to expand resulting in Montgomery getting more settled and comfortable on both sides of the lines of scrimmage. All of this benefitted his team whose best football may still be yet to come.
Like we constantly mention, interior offensive linemen and defensive tackles don’t make plays without running backs and linebackers who can get down hill and make plays for the team. The success of offensive and defensive linemen directly relates to, and is often judged by, the production of the players around or behind these guys.
Probably the KHSAA’s premier IOL in the commonwealth at any classification
Friday Night Fletch
Against a gauntlet of football powers at different classes in the middle of playing one of the more difficult schedules in the KHSAA last year, Matthew Montgomery proved himself among the more versatile, multiphase weapons in the game. It was fine production, indeed, for any Sophomore. Montgomery figures to only increase that output as a Junior.
We recognize LCA will have to continue to play well if the program is to continue to experience the success it had in its second championship season. That being said, we are still predicting it likely the Eagles challenge for the title in ’26 like the program customarily does annually.
We see Montgomery as a next level kid or future college football player. We aren’t sure if it will be along the IOL; or, if it is, we believe it may be at offensive center. We believe it equally likely he may grow into a defensive lineman at the D-I level. It will depend on how his frame finishes and how well his speed, power, strength, and “quicks” continue to develop.
Montgomery is 6’1” 245 now. Montgomery could use another inch or two and 30 or so pounds, if he is going to be a division one, college IOL or DT.
We know this, Montgomery’s performance on “Friday Nights,” as an 10th-grader, only strengthened (in our minds) our prediction concerning his future college prospects. We also know Matthew Montgomery, about whom we persistently write, delivers a strong academic performance with excellent class standing and almost assuredly will be a “full qualifier,” in the NCAA Clearinghouse, when the time comes.
For now, Montgomery is one other thing in addition to all the other skills and assets we have highlighted. Montgomery is among the very best IOLs/DTs in the KHSAA’s ’28 graduating class. Montgomery is also our eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus, Feature of the Week!
Join us next week as we feature another eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus. Until then, from any classroom to every field, eCampus.com delivers an easy, fast, and affordable way to order textbooks for students everywhere.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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