Mac Darland is just another example of a kid at LCA perfectly framed for where he projects
It really didn’t take a crystal ball to forecast Bode Darland was going to be a star in high school, and right quickly, regardless of how stocked the roster he was joining happened to be. As it turns out, we were all right. Darland left middle school one of the commonwealth’s more ballyhooed and talked about prospects and a few years into his high school career he is still performing at an enviable clip. The Eagles appear smack-dab in the middle of a title run and entertain Belfry this coming Friday night in Lexington. Belfry is mighty good and sitting at 12-1 boasting one of the better ground games and offensive fronts in the KHSAA. LCA counters with a stalwart line of its own and plenty of offensive balance and weapons making defending its offense a nightmare proposition. Add a final nightmare to the puzzle and that will be containing Mr. Darland and all the physical prowess and skills he brings to the run box defensively. This will be one for the ages. We can’t wait! What a semi-final this will prove to be!
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 is Lexington Christian Academy’s LB/RB, Mac Darland (’26).
Darland is primary known as a defensive stalwart particularly in the run box for the Eagle defense. Darland (’26) has registered just shy of 30-tackles on the year with a half a tackle for loss. Darland saved one of his best individual performances for the semi-state game with Belfry this past Friday night. In that game, the elder-Darland amassed eight (8) stops, six (6) of which were solos.
Darland and his co-horts have already dispatched “Mighty Mayfield” in these playoffs, overcome a game Belfry squad, and await a date with Owensboro Catholic for the 2A title on Kroger Field. It won’t be easy; but, then again, nothing in early December ever is.
Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) perennially competes for KHSAA championships at its level of play. Players developing into stars, like Mac Darland, has a ton to do with the program’s success.
Lexington, KY: “Darland” is one of those surnames, it would appear, around the Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) community. We just featured Bode Darland last week and scoured the stats from the semis and found another Darland putting in work defensively for the Eagles.
This Darland’s given name is Mac. Mac is a 6’3,” 220-pound linebacker whose offensive position is listed as “RB.” This should tell the reader all he/she needs to know about this prospects movement.
People slotted at RB, much like LB, are “twitchy,” explosive, quick, and often fast. Darland is “all of the above.”
In the semi-finals or the classifications “final four,” Darland and his teammates dispatched Belfry High, an eight (8)-time, KHSAA football champion among various classifications of play. In the championship, the Eagles draw Owensboro Catholic, a program which has been to the finals before but has never before come away with the championship hardware.
LCA, or Lexington Christian Academy to some, has one of the more athletically skilled rosters competing in football across the commonwealth of Kentucky. LCA is considered young but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some seniors around whose departure will be felt when next Fall commences.
Matthew Montgomery is one of the finest players at the 2A level along the OL position, Kentucky-wide. Nash Whelan is a dual-threat guy who has gotten better and better this season. Dawson Farmer is a guy who is coming on as the playoffs arrive and may have had one of his stronger offensive performances in the season’s last game against a Louisville 6A ball club in Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP). Hood is a ’28 guy who has shown glimpses and flashes of football genius and from whom much is expected going forward.
No one in the ’28 class has contributed much more than 6’0,” 220-pound Bode Darland, Mac’s younger brother. However, it isn’t like Mac Darland is some sort of dog.
Darland is 6’3,” 220-pounds. Darland carries a 4.2-GPA. Darland is a skilled wrestler, a threat to win his weight class’s state title, and ranked in the top five, in wrestling, across the KHSAA.
Is he explosive, this Mac Darland? Have you ever seen a championship caliber grappler who lack for explosion? We haven’t either.
As for intellect, Darland has that in spades; a common trait among LCA’s football playing roster. Darland carries a 4.2-GPA at one of Kentucky’s finer college preparatory institutions.
LCA (11-3) gets ready to entertain a Catholic team (Owensboro) which will come to Lexington proving to be a considerable test. Catholic High (13-1) eliminated Beechwood from the playoffs. Beechwood was the classification’s defending champion having won its 18th-title in last year’s finals.
The next game is at Kroger Field, a neutral site, so RPI isn’t very important anymore. What is important is that Owensboro Catholic has a world of experience playing championship level football though they have yet to break through and win it all.
It would be a huge mistake to overlook Owensboro Catholic, a team which has won 13-games this season with its only loss being to a 5A team favored to win a title in 5A this weekend. The Aces, among the better coached teams in the KHSAA, are riding a 10-game win streak in to this weekend’s matchup.
Win or lose, there is no tomorrow. We have to take matters as they present and be ready for anything. Every team in Kentucky, save six, have to end the season on a loss. Here is our opportunity to be among the six who can end on a victory.
LCA has worked hard to climb to 11-3 on the year. The Eagles had lost three in a row to powerhouses Christian Academy-Louisville, Boyle County, and Franklin County prior to getting on this immediate nine (10) game win streak. If we can get to 11-straight, it comes with some impressive hardware, rings, and a lifetime of memories.
Mac Darland is a freaking football playing savant, my new favorite word and framed perfectly to play LB at the collegiate level
Friday Night Fletch
Beginning with the “Holy War” with Lexington Catholic, the Eagles are riding a 10-game, win-streak and can finish this journey out with a title, but only if we are firing on all cylinders. The staff has done an excellent job of insuring the team is both ready to play, regardless of opponent, and executing in fine form each and every week.
Our fifth installment on this playoff journey will be 13-1, Owensboro Catholic High, among Ketucky’s all-time programs which has been uber-successful particularly these last five or so years. The Aces are riding a 10-game win-streak of its own.
The Eagles are looking to push its streak to 11 and are a consistent title contender in the 2A classification. The Eagles are rounding into form at the perfect time.
Obviously, Darland is a next level athlete with the ability to play collegiately. Darland’s being so characterized has been determined by coaches and analysts paid to make such evaluations.
We know this, Darland’s performance, this season, only strengthens (in our minds) these predictions. We also know Mac Darland, Bode Darland, Daven Hood, Sam Pearson, Farmer, Hester, Mays, Bertram, Mathew Montgomery, and Nash Whelan are all strong, academic performers; all possessing excellent class standings and sure-fire qualifying credentials for the NCAA Clearinghouse.
For now, Darland is one other thing, in addition to all the other skills and assets we have highlighted. Darland is among the better and more powerful and explosive athletes in the KHSAA’s ’26 graduating class, and among its title-hopefuls in wrestling, in addition to his being our eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus for this week!
Join us next week as we honor another eCampus.com, Big Man on the eCampus, kicking off our offseason coverage. 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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