Carlisle, KY is becoming a tough place to play
There is certainly a rich history when discussing the Nicholas County Bluejackets. The program has certainly competed, and competed well, before now. Coach Ben Pumphrey was able to field consistent winners in Carlisle and who can forget Emery “Little E” Clark, a star prep football play and eventually a Kentucky varsity letterman about whom Bear Bryant once claimed was “pound for pound,” as tough minded as any player on Kentucky’s roster. Simon Clouse has put his own “stamp” on the team and the Bluejackets have raced out to an 7-1 record with a game at Raceland staring down the “gun barrel” at the Bluejackets on October 24, 2025 before finishing up with Bath County. The ’25 regular season is going to be an exciting finish to a beautiful story. While the completed composition has yet to be fully drawn; what we have now is a still forming picture both pleasing to the eye and a pleasure to witness.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Carlisle, KY: We have heard Carlisle, Kentucky referred to as the little town with the big heart. It sounds perfectly lovely.
Among little towns, Nicholas County has quite the football history. The Bluejackets are fashioning a fine mosaic from the 2025 regular season with a couple stops yet to make.
We weren’t the least bit surprised when our good friend, the guy we call Johnny Appleseed (Jon Collins) told us he would be coaching there this season (2025). Simon Clouse‘s (Head Football Coach) staff has benefited from Jon’s experience and winning, positive attitude.
Jon Collins is a lifer. He has coached all over Kentucky on staffs which all seemed to thrive while he’s a resident. His working somewhere, and that team or program thriving, undoubtedly has some sort of “cause and effect” relationship.
Perhaps the greatest football player the town of Carlisle has ever produced, Emery “Little E” Clark played for Nicholas County before playing football for UK’s Wildcats. Emery Clark was once bragged on by none other than Paul “Bear” Bryant, himself.
first All-State player
Bryant said Clark was, pound for pound, as tough minded as any player on Bryant’s roster. Bryant’s exact statement about Clark, and his toughness, was, “If, pound-for-pound, all of my players were as tough-minded as Emery Clark, Kentucky would have never lost a game while I was their coach.”
That is right high-minded praise. Come to think of it, Kentucky didn’t lose many with Bryant at the helm. There had to have been a few Emery Clarks on the roster after all.
The program’s first All-State player was Jimmy Smith. Smith made the All-State football team in 1975 as an offensive center. Smith was 6’4,” 225-pounds and played both basketball and baseball in addition to football.
Smith also was a reporter and photographer for the Carlisle Mercury while in high school to go along with being the President of his class, a photographer for the yearbook, and a member of the National Honor Society. The fact Smith has gone on to have a wonderful career in publishing is news to no-one, not around Carlisle at least.
Ben Pumphrey had as much success at Nicholas County in both football and track & field, as any other coach to have ever worked there. All told, Pumphrey would win 179-games in his illustrious career spanning some 45-seasons in total.
Enough of the past, what about today’s Bluejackets. These Bluejackets were raced past last night by Paris’s Greyhounds, slipping to 7-1 in the process, with two regular season games remaining.
Last night’s loss notwithstanding, the Bluejackets are still “red hot.” The Bluejackets attack begins and ends with junior, dual threat QB, Chandler Kenney. Kenney (’27) is equally dangerous passing or rushing with the football and is a slick ball handler for his club in the offensive backfield.
Chandler Kenney is equal parts efficient and tough
Friday Night Fletch
Kenney doesn’t make a ton of mistakes. Kenney is equal parts efficient and tough. Kenney is among the leaders on defense in addition to what he contributes offensively.
Wyatt Simons is a top-flight RB and defender for the Bluejackets. Simmons (’26) is closing in on a thousand rushing yards already and has scored around 15-TDs. Simmons also leads the team in tackles and is among the leaders in TFLs and sacks.
Simmons is a cousin to standout right tackle, Walker Parks, from Clemson. Parks prepped at Frederick Douglass in Lexington. Simmons is also the grandson of Coach Vic Marsh, a legendary coach from Ashland, Kentucky’s Paul Blazer High.
Preston Blake (’26) is the team’s most reliable defensive lineman. Blake has three (3) sacks on the year. Case Reid (’26) has six (6) TFLs, a FF, and a FR.
Jacob Saucedo patrols the back third. Saucedo (’27) leads the DB’s with a pair of picks on the year.
The team has some nice parts, as we have just mentioned. However, it is the sum of the parts which paints the prettiest mosaic, the prettiest picture.
These guys love each other. These guys play for each other. These guys are winning and at an unprecedented clip.
Simon Clouse has loaded up his staff with coaching talent in addition to our friend, Jon Collins. Greg Letcher and Robert “Hop” Hopson both played for Ben Pumphrey. Both of these men have also been head football coaches at Nicholas County.
That is both valuable experience and an unmatched reservoir of advice suitable for any coaching staff, at any level of competition throughout our commonwealth. No wonder the Bluejackets are winning at an unprecedented clip.
The Bluejackets who won nine (9) games all of 2023 and 2024, combined; may win nine (9) or more games this season alone. Wouldn’t “Little E,” Larry Smith, and Ben Pumphrey all just love that!?
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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