Central, in facing KCD, will be facing one of the sternest tests on its ’25 schedule
I am sure Central would love to lie around and lick its wounds but there isn’t any time. Central has one of the commonwealth’s more talented football programs, at the 1A level of play, coming to “The Gap.” You have heard experts say enrollment doesn’t mean much in Kentucky and that there are both good and bad programs at every classification. When people make such statements, they are almost always referring to programs like Coach Mike Jones’s Bearcats from Kentucky Country Day (Louisville) as an example of a “good program,” a “very, very good program.” The Storm will have ample opportunity to make a statement the entire commonwealth will both hear and read should they prove themselves capable of challenging KCD. If you want a chance to turn this entire season completely around; well then, here’s your chance.
HB Lyon, Senior Scout, “KPGFootball”
Morton’s Gap, KY: We were hoping against all hope Sylas Gunn would not miss any game time. While he did play against the Falcons last weekend, he didn’t play on defense, didn’t play on special teams, and Gunn managed fractionally more than a couple quarters of limited offensive run.
Even with his offensive time being limited, he was still Gunn. Gunn (’26) was 7 for 17 for 111-yards and a TD, against a pick, through the air.
Gunn gained 87-yards, in 11-carries, with a TD on the ground. Gunn led the team in scoring with 8-points. Not bad for a guy who was noticeably limited owing to injury.
Here’s the painful truth about the Storm. Our first line players, the starters, are very good. We don’t have much depth. Injuries tend to set us back more than other rosters.
Isac Earl (’26) continued flashes of brilliant play. The senior carried the ball 12-times against Fort Campbell for 88-yards. Earl also caught a pass. To meet with much success, we have to find ways to get Earl the ball more, particularly in space.
Freshman Neilan Bruce (’29) continued his strong play. Bruce had an active night throwing the ball (16-pass attempts) and carried the ball seven times while registering 3-tackles and an INT while on defense. If you’re looking for the “next Sylas Gunn,” might we suggest a glance in Bruce’s direction.
Mattox Allen (’27) and Gaige Brasher (’26) led the defense with 8 and 6-registered tackles respectively. Khristian Scott (’26) recorded two (2) of the team’s four (4) QB-sacks.
Khristian Scott has been a difference maker for us along both lines. We don’t get too many around Morton’s Gap who so easily and gracefully pass the eye test as does Scott.
Now, let's turn our attention to the Bearcats from Louisville's Kentucky Country Day...
Kentucky Country Day (Louisville) is 4-0 including wins over defending 1A champion, Sayre, and 4A powers, Spencer County and St. Francis DeSales (Louisville). The Bearcats hung 63-points on DeSales. DeSales was coming off a win over Holy Cross (Louisville).
Not the best DeSales team we have seen. However, Holy Cross is Holy Cross, the Louisville version and not the version from Covington, KY.
Mathew Jones’s Bearcats are among the very best teams in Kentucky regardless of enrollment. The Bearcats are ranked by MaxPreps the KHSAA’s 65th best overall team while Central is ranked 161st by the same service.
Caden Long (’26) (no relation) completed 70% of his passing attempts against DeSales throwing a pair of TD passes. Long also ran for two scores among his 7-carries for 47-yards.
Parker Rudolph (’26) ran for 180-yards on 11-carries, three (3) of which hit pay dirt. Rudolph has picked up 454-yards, so far, this year; meaning, keep your eye on old No. 5.
Tyler Wilson (’26) is explosive as he gained 20-yards a carry on four attempts (80-yards total) and scored a TD rushing while catching 4-passes for 93-yards and a pair of TDs against DeSales. Wilson and Rudolph are two of the club’s leading scorers.
Colt Mizuguchi was nine (9) for nine (9) on PATs. Bowen Johnson (’26) had 15-stops last week with a TFL and a sack. Jack Wagner (’26) picked his first pass of the season, returning it 24-yards.
KPGFootball says: It is hard to conceive of Central staying in this game very long, especially if Gunn is limited (like he was against the Falcons). With Gunn healthy and playing in all three phases and Central at home, The Storm might make a game of it. Without Gunn, we are probably looking at a 28-point margin in KCD's favor...
If Central has Gunn back and Gunn isn’t limited physically; I could see Central hanging around KCD for much of this game…
Friday Night Fletch
At the end of the day, Kentucky Country Day is not really a team Central is supposed to beat. You are talking about a team which gives Mayfield a game, gives Owensboro Catholic a game, and runs both Caldwell and Crittenden County off the field and out of the stadium. The Bearcats are just a handful and eerily similar to the Union County teams we have grown accustomed to facing with its “pound the ground” philosophy.
Now, look at the Union County game from a year ago. Those guys were 3A finalists and ran an 11-win Belfry team off the field in the semis. We hung around those guys a great while before ultimately succumbing by 36-points.
That is kind of the point, and why Coach Manning scheduled this game. To be the type program we all are striving to be, we can’t run away from games like this.
Fort Campbell over North Hopkins (’24) and Owensboro Catholic over Bowling Green High (to open this year) are the type games which have shown us any team can win, on any given night.
The Storm needs the fans to pick them up after their recent stumble. We need to come out to Morton’s Gap and cheer on our team.
The team has to show up. The players have to show up and so do the fans! See you at the game.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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