Storm Warning/Weather Report: While officially out of the playoff race; still plenty about ’24 to remember, relish- @1776Bank @PrepSpin @KyHighFootball @MaxPreps @minguabeefjerky @HopkinsCentral @840WHAS @DylanMorris2025 @minguabeefjerky @HopkinsCentral @evans02_mike @sfitz_840whas

We look back at the season which was & the one which might have been

This was our first year covering the Storm and this season was a real roller-coaster. First of all, the Storm was a much better team than their likely 4-6 finish will indicate. The Storm benefitted from some fine individual, seasonal performances from players who proved very good at the game. This was a season where almost every important break broke against us and still, there is so much about the year to relish.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, KPGFootball

Calpreps.com predicts: on a neutral field, Hopkins County Central 56 (>99%), Fulton County 0 (<1%)

First of all, let’s get this right out of the way. Central (3-6, 1-4) travels to Hickman County to play the Fulton County Pilots. Fulton County is 1-8, 1-2 in Class 1A, District 1 and the second worst team in Kentucky High School football to only lowly Ballard Memorial.

Translation: The Storm has a greater than 99% chance of winning the final game of the year. Do you know what percentage is greater than 99%? The only percentage greater, of which I can think, is 100%. The margin will be in the neighborhood of 60-points.

Let’s look back on the year. First of all, I will always remember this as the year The Storm just didn’t seem to catch a single break or get a single call.

We hung around North 3.5 quarters and North is very likely to finish 8-2 this season as they close in Murray, Kentucky, playing Murray High, and North will be favored by 20 with an 88% chance of winning. There is no diplomatic way of saying this, North ran-up the score in the game’s final seven minutes.

That suggestion riles North fans and coaches. However, their being mad doesn’t make it any less true.

North is a fine program, with tremendous tradition, and lots of talent. That last seven minutes of the Central game wasn’t the program’s finest moment.

The Storm lost to Crittenden County in Marion, Kentucky by five (5) points. Crittenden has spent quite a few weeks ranked in 2A’s top ten.

The Storm lost to Webster by a single score. There was a questionable call which delivered the game to the Trojans. That same official would seem to flub another call the following week against McLean in Morton’s Gap.

The McLean game was, perhaps, the most difficult loss of the season. McLean (7-2, 4-1) entering Friday night’s game with Glasgow, was beaten by The Storm several times in that fourth quarter, if the boys could have made one more play.

McLean won by a single point on a two-point conversion which never appeared, to this reporter, to break the plane of the goal line. That official from Webster had again gotten us.

We lost last week’s game to Hancock County. Hancock won the game by 10-points but that game, like some others, was much closer than its final margin.

So, tomorrow night we play a football game in Hickman, Kentucky. We draw a game, meaningless to us regarding playoff implications, but one it is exceedingly doubtful we lose.

There are several things we have learned this year. There are guys to whom we will bid adieu, sadly, after their having done so much to advance a program we all love and love for which to cheer.

Calil McNary (’24), coming off an all-state selection as the focus of so many scouting reports this year. He will finish with around a thousand rushing yards this season. McNary is the definitive player at his position (FB) in the KHSAA and leaves the program its all-time, leading rusher.

McNary will be sorely missed. Hard to replace a kid like that. 

We learned James Posey (’24) was among the more skilled, powerful, and prolific, two-way linemen in the western end of Kentucky. Pocket full of Posey spent a ton of time in the opposing team’s backfield (or pocket) leading the team with averaging a TFL per game and among the leaders in QB-sacks.

We saw Isaac Manning (’25) emerge as the Storm’s most prolific vertical threat in the passing game. One has to be thrilled we get him for another year and wonder what feats he will accomplish, next season, to amaze, amuse, and even thrill us.

McNary and Rodgers (’24) were the two leading scorers in ’23. They fulfilled every bit of promise the pair embodied when enrolling at Central out of South Hopkins four or so years ago.

Reese Belt (’24) forced three fumbles, led the team in tackles and TFLs cementing his being a force coming off the edge. Reese has a long frame with plenty of room for good weight. He will play on Saturdays.

Silas Gunn (’26) led the team with 3-picks and 76-IRNYs. Going forward he will be a star in multiple phases for this team. We will need for him to mature and continue to develop.

We want to thank these seniors. They have left this program more competitive and better than how they found it. We are right there Storm Watchers.

Stay the course. Keep our noses to the grindstone. Keep working hard until the program fulfills its immense promise. It will get there. Correction, it is getting there!

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

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