Looks like it may be BG and Cooper again this year
Cooper was a young ball club a year ago when it made it to Lexington and Kroger Field for the 5A title game. Do you know about whom else the same can be said? Bowling Green (Sr.) High! Both of these ball clubs look poised to trek to Kroger Field again and rematch last season’s title game. Owensboro Senior High, South Warren, Scott County, and Southwestern can’t be completely discounted.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
We have been going through and picking the different classifications, preseason, and telling you who we think will challenge for titles in all six classifications. This is our look at 5A and why we picked who we did to do what we believe they will each do.
Our Pick: Bowling Green (Senior) High
'23 record, 12-3
5A Champions
Returning:
The Deuce is still loose!
Deuce Bailey, ’25 QB, threw for 3,517-yards and 43-TDs against 7-picks; had 8-ground scores on a couple hundred yards rushing from scrimmage
Jaxon Smith, ’26 RB, scored 10-rushing TDs and gained close to 500-yards on 69-carries; Caught 18-balls and scored 6-TDs through the air, 2nd leading scorer
Trevy Barber, ’26 WR/CB, one of the top ’26’s in Kentucky, Barber caught 84-passers for 1,189-yards and 16-TDs, led the team in scoring
Chris Sweeney, ’25 WR, caught 38-passes and 5-TDs
Braden Widener, ’25 PK, was perfect in 71-PAT attempts and hit 80% (8 of 10) of his FG tries. Perhaps the difference between BG and Cooper, in the end, is the return of Widener versus the graduation of Carson Taylor (Cooper’s ’23 PK).
Ethan Warder is back at DB. He had 61-tackles, 2-TFLs, 3-FFs, and 3-FRs to go along with 3-INTs and a pick-six
Grayson Newman had 3-INTs
Montez Trussell had 2-INTs and a pick-six
Gone:
Mathew Klein, TE, 30-receptions and 6-TDs
Max Buchanon, 2-INTs and a pick six
Wick Dotson, 2-INTs, 106 IRNYs, and a pick six
Runner-up: Cooper High
'23 record 12-3
5A Finalists
lost to BG by 14
Returning:
QB, Cam O’Hara, ’26, completed 239 of his 367-passing attempts for 3,361-yards and 47-TDs against 7-picks;
RB, Keegan Maher, ’26, rushed for 1,204-yards and 18-rushing TDs, caught 28-passes for 309-yards and 4-TDs, led team in scoring
Austin Alexander, ’25 TE/LB, caught 67-passes for 1,138-yards and 19-TDs, 81-tackles, 8-TFLs, 19-sacks, 2-FFs, 2-FRs, 1-INT he returned 75-yards, 3rd on the team in scoring
Isaiah Johnson, ’25 WR, 76-receptions, 1,372-yards receiving, 21-TDs, 2nd on team in scoring
Ryker Campbell, ’26 DB, 5-INTs
Isaac Brown, ’25 DB, 4-picks
Austin Perriman, 2-INTs, 95-IRNYs, and a pick-six
Gone:
PK, Carson Taylor, converted 67 of 70 PATs and was a perfect 5 for 5 in FGs
Mason Baesel, OL, recovered 4-fumbles
Jack Lonaker, LB, forced 3 fumbles, recovering 2; 166-tackles, 7-TFLs and 4-sacks, and a pair of picks
No. 3, preseason
Owensboro Senior High
'23 record 9-5
lost to BG in the Semis
Returning:
Trevor Delaney, ’25 QB, 2,165-yards passing and 22-TDs, six (6) ground scores
Evan Hampton, ’26 RB, DB, 1,552-yards rushing and 25-TDs; 44-receptions, 527-yards and a pair of scores; 163-points scored for first on the team; made a PAT;
Deion Winstead, ’25 RB/DB, 737-yards rushing and 13-TDs, 2nd leading scorer;
Elijah Hampton, ’26 LB, 83-tackles, 2-TFLs, and a sack
Blake Kimbrell, TE/LB ’25, 40-receptions, 4-TDs
Chadyn Morris, ’26 WR, 29-receptions with 6-TDs
Zane Biever, DL ’26, 36-tackles, 9-TFLs, and 5-QB sacks
Nolan Miller, ’26 DL, 6-tackles in 5-games of run but 2-TFLs and 3-sacks tell us he does great things when given opportunity
Gone:
Dareon Crowe, ’25 RB/LB, transferred to Owensboro Catholic, cleared for play by the KHSAA
Jackson Lindsey, OL/DL, one of the more recruited prospects, at his positions, on the western end of Kentucky. He will be sorely missed.
Peter Saang, PK, converted 67-PATs and a FG
Courtland Howard, DL, 11-TFLs and 4-sacks, 1-FR
No. 4, preseason
Southwestern High
'23 record 9-4
lost Regional Championship Game to Cooper
Returning:
Braxton Walters, ’25 RB, 12-rushing TDs a year above and 568-yards gained from scrimmage
Jayce Gager, 59-made PATs out of 64-attempts;
Jonas Gallagher, ’25 WR, DB; 76-tackles, 1.5-TFLs, 2-FF, 2-FR; 4-INTs for 107-IRNYs and a pick-six;
Bradlee Baker, ’25 DL, 5.5 TFLs, 3-sacks, a FR
Devon Leclercq, ’26 OL/DL, 10-TFLs, 7-sacks, 60-tackles
Gone: QB, Owen Campbell; RB, Christian Walden; Caden Cunnagin, leading receiver; Kaden Hewitt, 2nd leading receiver
No. 5, preseason
Scott County
'23 record 9-3
lost to Cooper in round two
Returning:
’25 Andrew Hickey, QB, over 1,000-yards passing with 12-TDs; scored a couple TDs rushing;
Elijah Lilly, ’25 WR, leading receiver with 25-receptions and 3-TDs;
Isaac York, ’25 TE, 4-TDs receiving
Timmy Emongo, ’27 RB, DB, scored 6-rushing TDs, 3-receiving, gained 382-yards, averaged over 20-yards a reception; had 22-tackles, and a pick-six from 19-yards out; all in all, solid freshman year at 5A we would say.
Gone:
Jacob Freeman, leading rusher, leading scorer;
Tayseer Jabbour, 62-PATs and 3-FGs
Paul Garner, 2-picks
Others who may get in the mix:
South Warren, 9-3 in ’23
Returning:
’25 QB, Bryce Button, 189 of 290 for 3,274-yards and 38-TDs against 5-picks; 7-rushing TDs
Jace Cutrona, ’25 WR, 2nd leading rusher in ’23; leading tackler, 12-TFLs, 6-sacks, 1-INT returned 45-yards for a TD
Ethan Reynolds, TE/LB ’25, 17-receptions in ’23, 4 of which were for TDs, ran for 7-scores from scrimmage, 10-TFLs, 4-sacks
Colton Veltkamp, ’25 TE/LB, 25-receptions, 8 of which were for TDs; 70-tackles, 19-TFLs, 6-sacks
Brady Enslow, LB, 13-TFLs, 4-sacks
Madisonville North-Hopkins, 8-3 in ’23
Returning:
credited on image
Kanyon Johnson, ’25 QB, transfer from Muhlenberg Central, passes for 1,925-yards and 18-TDs while completing 146 of his 213-passing attempts; rushed for 1,287-yards and 16-scores in 136-carries; 2nd in scoring; Among the more amazing athletes on the western end of Kentucky
Markezz Hightower, ’26 RB, 153-carries for 1,206-yards and 19-scores, 21-receptions for 293-yards and 4-scores; led the team in scoring
Gone:
Lucian Vaughn, 121-tackles, 2-TFLs, 3-sacks, 1-FF
Anias Mitchell, 53-receptions, 578-yards and 5-TDs, 3-rushing TDs,
Chris Hughes, PK, converted 83.1% of his PATs
Donovan Hill, 7-sacks, 5-TFLs
Andrew Darnell, 1-TFL, 1-sack, 1-FF, 1-FR
Atherton High, “The Big A-Train,” 11-2 in ’23
Returning:
QuaShawn Thompson, ’25, QB, Threw for 786-yards and 8-scores; Ran for another three scores;
Michael Curry, ’25 RB, gained 1,124-yards and 17-rushing TDs; caught a TD pass; led the team in scoring
Coach Nino White, was courted by several schools and was a hot offseason commodity for coaching vacancies. Came back to The Big A-Train.
Gone:
Sincere Smith, leading receiver, scored 4-rushing TDs, averaged over 12-yards a carry; 3rd leading scorer, among the leading tacklers and had a INT o defense
Andrew Steele, 2nd leading scorer and rusher, scored 8-rushing TDs,
TraVon Willis, 4-Picks, 2-FFs
Hai Shee, led team in tackles, sacks, and TFLs. Had a pick, a FF, and a FR
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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