Serious Young Talent dotting the South Hopkins Middle School Roster

We, at KPGFootball, have had the distinct pleasure of getting to communicate, back and forth, with Coach Kohl Arnett. Coach Arnett coaches at one of the hottest middle school football programs in the western end of Kentucky, South Hopkins Middle School. Team Kentucky has very wisely started including Coach Arnett on its Team Kentucky staffs and we are sure, at KPGFootball, it is to both benefit from his coaching ability and to lure some of his talent onto the Kentucky rosters. When we say there is some young football talent in Madisonville, Kentucky, at the middle school level, we aren’t kidding.

South Hopkins entered its game with Crittenden County, just this past Tuesday, undefeated on the year. One of the outstanding performers, this year, has been 7th grade running back, Logan Rodgers. Rodgers, in spite of being a seventh grader, has started all year on South’s 8th grade football team. Rodgers, in the game leading up to playing Crittenden, was credited with 3 rushing TDs and 134 yards from scrimmage. He also contributed an interception for a touchdown, running his TD total for that game up to 4 touchdowns. In the same game, the one just prior to Crittenden County, 7th grader, Calil McNary, contributed a rushing TD and 88 yards from scrimmage with another two TDs he had scored nullified by penalty. LB/WR, Ja’vion Pillips has contributed mightily to South’s 8th grade efforts this season, blocking a punt, which he both collected and returned for a TD, and catching an 80 yard TD reception, offensively, while still contributing 2 interceptions from his position in the defensive back four. LB, Logan Combs has 7 sacks on the season already and Austin Fritz, a seventh grader starting at QB for the 8th grade team, has led South to a season which was unblemished entering Crittenden County.

So, that caught us up to Tuesday evening in a clash between two very good middle school teams which may have previewed two teams likely to meet deep in the upcoming KYMSFA football playoffs. South Hopkins won the 7th grade contest, 14-6, which was called for lightening. Logan Rodgers and Calil McNary had both the TDs for South in the 7th grade game. As for the 7th grade South Hopkins squad, Coach Arnett believes that team to be State Championship contenders, as they remain unbeaten with the 14-6 victory over Crittenden. On the 8th grade side of things, South was unable to keep its work slate clean, dropping the 8th grade contest 52-34. However, as is often the case, the final score wasn’t really reflective of the competition between the two teams as it remained close into the 4th quarter before Crittenden was able to break a couple of big runs, one of which was a reverse. Crittenden County is big upfront, with linemen skilled at firing off the line of scrimmage and getting down hill in the run game, together with a fine running back in his own right.

However, of note is the fact RB Logan Rodgers, during the Crittenden contest, secured the all time touchdown record for South Hopkins Middle School football, scoring a total of 7 TDs between the 7th and 8th grade contests against the Rockets. At SHMS, Rodgers has scored an incredible 44 career TDs in two seasons. Over the two games played Tuesday evening, 7th and 8th, Rodgers also gained 271 yards rushing in spite of his only playing one half in the seventh grade game.

Interior Defensive linemen Rhys Wilkes, Cooper Moore, and Zander Pollard, all 8th graders, played exceptionally well even in playing on a defense which surrendered 52 points. While the Rockets were able to press the edge, making huge gains there; the three interior guys, up front for South, were able to prevent the ground game from gashing South’s defense up the middle. For those playing South Hopkins in upcoming years, here’s something which might make you shudder. South’s entire backfield, QB, Austin Fritz, FB, Calil McNary, and RB Logan Rodgers, the very same Logan Rodgers who is now the leading TD scorer in SHMS history, are all back next season. With KPGFootball being well versed in these things, and as an online magazine which regularly covers all three Team Kentuckys (Future Stars, FBU Elite, and East vs. West), KPGFootball would be willing to wager significantly you will see several Madisonville residents, and South Hopkins Middle School players, continuing to populate Team Kentucky rosters in the immediate future, just as they have done in the recent past.

Reporting for KPGFootball, this is Fletcher Long reminding all of the ballers out there that #WeGotUCovered and to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.