’27 two way lineman showed up, ‘big time,’ in Fort Campbell’s win or its basketball season finale!
Games are won upfront. You will hear “football types” iterate that sentiment, over and over. Why? One reason is it is on the money, dead-on facts. Fort Campbell and Trigg County played a win or start playing basketball elimination game last weekend. We picked Trigg County to win that game. We couldn’t have been more in error. Fort Campbell won the game, 47-32, and moves on to Owensboro to play Catholic High next weekend in the KHSAA, 2A football playoffs, first round. One reason for the victory was the outstanding play of Sam Suapilimai. Suapilimai plays both OT and DE for Coach Henry Mitchell’s Falcons. What will the Falcons do against the Aces in round one? We shall see…
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
This week’s article is brought to you by Lasaters Coffee & Tea. This feature is brought to you each and every Tuesday morning. Around the KHSAA, Tuesday morning is the perfect time to wake up and smell the coffee or tea brewing.
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Oak Grove, KY: The stakes just don’t get any higher than they were last weekend for both Fort Campbell and Trigg County. The winner headed to Owensboro to open the “second season,” or the KHSAA playoffs. The loser traded in football pads and helmets for a tank top, some baggy shorts, and a pair of “high-top” sneakers.
Marshall Patterson
Fort Campbell picked up that crucial win, extending the Falcon’s season. Trigg County has hit the layup line.
We picked the Wildcats, from Trigg, to win the game. We couldn’t have been more wrong as the Falcons laid a convincing, 47-32, on the visiting boys from Cadiz, KY.
The “usual cast of characters” pitched in for the Falcons. Tanner Walters (’28) threw a couple of TD passes, both Keshawn Dixon (’26) and Antonio Rivera rushed for over 100-yards with Dixon clipping 144-yards and a score and Rivera gaining 100, on the dot.
JaCaryous Perryman (’26) and Levi Kruse (’27) both caught TDs. Kyre Ferguson picked a pair of passes one of which he housed for a pick-six.
Dixon led the defense with 19-tackles, with four (4) TFLs and a half a sack. Rivera chipped in 12-stops and a pair of TFLs.
There was another big-timer among the usual cast of characters. This is a kid whose performance this year has “flown under the radar” a bit but whose contributions came up “big-time” in the do or die game with Trigg. His name is Sam Suapilimai, he’s a ’27 OT/DE, and his contributions to the season’s continuation can’t be discounted, at least not easily.
Suapilimai contributed nine (9) tackles against the Wildcats. Suapilimai also contributed 3.5-TFLs, the other half of the Dixon sack, and graded out nearly 90% on his play along the front. When you have two backs eclipse 100-yards on the night, and a QB tossing a pair of aerial scores, the guys up front are definitely doing something right.
Suapilimai had a ton to do with the winning efforts against Trigg County last weekend
Friday Night Fletch
On the year, Suapilimai has registered 26-tackles. Suapilimai has graded out at 88% along the offensive front in the team’s regular season. That 88% is a huge number for a high school OL. That is an all-state level of performance, in case any of you were curious.
Suapilimai is among the more popular members of the Fort Campbell football program. We have even seen a T-shirt for sale emblazoned with his picture. We were thinking about ordering one. We wear a 2XL in case he would like to send one to us.
We talked to head football coach, Henry Mitchell, about his young big. He told KPGFootball, “Suapilimai is both massive and massively strong player who uses his strength and leverage well. Suapilimai has excellent feet.”
Mitchell also told us, “Suapilimai plays at an appropriate level, moves very well, and possesses a devastating ‘punch’ which wilts the upfield rush while knocking the pass rushers well off track. We believe Suapilimai is a next level guy.”
Fort Campbell has done an excellent job positioning itself for this postseason/playoff opportunity. The Falcons have the pieces sufficient to sneak up on a higher rated opponent and send them home if they are overlooked or lightly regarded.
There are certain undeniable “truths” in the game of football. Among those are when you have big time talent handling the ball in the offensive backfield, with big time talent upfront like Suapilimai, you will always have a chance on Friday night.
This is even more true when the roster contains some of the athletes and pieces at the disposal of Coach Mitchell and his staff. Identifying a potential weapon like Sam Suapilimai should certainly help get ready for the challenges which lie ahead. That is why Sam Suapilimai is our Lasaters Coffee & Tea, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Player of the Week.
That being said we felt it was high time for people around Oak Grove, KY (Fort Campbell High) to take notice of this outstanding performer and outstanding young man. Hey Fort Campbell, as far as Sam Suapilimai is concerned; it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee!
In an effort to help this prospect’s continued development, Sam Suapilimai may go, this Friday (November 7, 2025), to any of our area locations and be served a free drink of his choice and free breakfast or other sandwich/food item on us!
Lasaters Coffee & Tea
Join us next week as we return to honor another weekly prize winner. Until then, get on down to one of our Christian County Area locations and remember, our products are superior and one of a kind; just like Fort Campbell High School’s Sam Suapilimai.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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