We love the big linemen at KPGFootball. We regularly feature the big fellas who receive little to no credit, press, coverage, or exposure much of the time. Another mammoth populating one of the finer units in Kentucky is Noah Blankenship from Johnson Central High School. Blankenship was a starter in 2016, during JCHS’ Championship run which ended with the trophy and an overall 14-1 work-slate. Their only loss in 2016 was a four pointer to Belfry High School. Now, Blankenship was on the 2016 unit which led the way to 634 points and 4,530 yards rushing over the 15 games. There are lots of boys at JCHS whom probably think everyone’s HS season is 15 games. After all, the Eagles‘ yearly seasons seem to span 15 games regularly to annually nowadays. Of course the 2016 team had Joe Jackson on it. Jackson, who is back in 2018, ran, in 2016 as a sophomore, for over 2,000 yards with 29 rushing TDs. Surely, Blankenship and the Boys couldn’t have fared nearly as well in 2017, after Jackson was lost in the opener for the balance of the season. Wrong!
Johnson Central, in 2017, rushed for more yards with 4,968 and scored nine more points (645) than it had with Jackson in the backfield. Jackson‘s replacement, Blake Gamble, gained over 1,900 yards from scrimmage and scored 25 rushing TDs. Now, only one of two things can possibly be true in this scenario. Either 2,000 yard rushers grow on trees in Paintsville, Kentucky and, as soon as one goes down, coaches just go to the orchard and pluck another one; or, perhaps they are blocking some people around Johnson County. At KPGFootball, we know which of the two scenarios we believe to be correct.
Blankenship, who is 6-3, 295 pounds has played from every slot in the front, over the course of his career, excepting center. He is projected to start this upcoming season for the Eagles at tackle, for which he possesses adequate length and frame. Blankenship bench presses 295 pounds, squats 425, and pulls (deadlifts) 495. Blankenship is fast, quick, and athletic for a player of his heft, running a 5.7 second, forty yard dash and shuttling (5-10-5) in 5.4 seconds. We have seen film on Blankenship and what impresses us at KPGFootball is he brings his feet in the block and runs them through the whistle. He’s a finisher and once he locks on, it really is over for the defensive lineman whom we shall reference as his victim, which seems an entirely appropriate reference under the circumstances depicted on the video which will below linked. Blankenship‘s recruitment is heating up as he is being recruited heavily by several NAIA football programs in the Commonwealth seeking his services and just recently visited NCAA Division III, Millikin University in Illinois.
The Eagles from JCHS haven’t gone wrong yet with Blankenship paving the way for ball carriers over the previous two seasons. There doesn’t appear to be any reason to forecast a drop-off in 2018. I guess in Johnson County, the high school season really is 15 games long. Oh well, you know what they say…it’s good work if you can get it!
Reporting for KPGFootball, this is Fletcher Long reminding all of you ballers out there to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.
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