Austin Jacobson, from St. Xavier, getting ready for take-off @austinj_19_, @Coach_Odom, @CoachKWallace, @noahhouk5, @jack_albers11, @StXTigersFB, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

June 28, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We see these hot-shot, gun slinger QBs come out of MS and look to challenge an incumbent for snaps every so often. It isn’t every year, but every five (5) or so years wouldn’t be a stretch. I once had a former college, SEC QB tell me the most popular position on any football team is the 2nd-string QB. If you think about it, it makes sense. Austin Jacobson is the best MS QB we have seen come down the pipe in a few years. He reminds us of Zane Johnson (Trinity) who defied all odds to lead the Shamrocks to the 6A title in 2023. Mason Trimble returns for St. Xavier and the rising junior had a very good season and looks to be getting some “Mr. Football” pub entering the ’25 opener. Trimble won’t hand the kid this job. However, should it get to the point his services are immediately needed, one could do much, much worse. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Christian Shackelford from Lexington Christian Academy is the @bigassfans Kentucky Comfort Creator or the Week @ChristianDShac1, @_Jakeryan63, @maja_brown19, @LCAEAGLESFB, @CoachDCharles, @Oakley_Watkins

June 27, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Christian Shackelford is built exactly like the “big boys” want to see him. He’s 6’7,” 290-pounds and sports a 3.8-GPA. Shackelford got six (6) games of run over his sophomore season and that isn’t too bad considering LCA had the most senior laden group of trench men in the KHSAA a year ago at any level of competition. There will be plenty of competition to fill some of these holes in ’25 resulting from the Spring ’24 commencement ceremonies. Enjoy this look at a ’27 who seems destined to grow into one of his graduating class’s very best offensive linemen before it is said and done. Let’s keep it comfortable out there, Kentucky, and allow us to help you out in that regard.

Friday Night Fletch

Marcus Hamilton from Calloway County is the @minguabeefjerky Protein-packed Performer of the Week @Aspirationsgym, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @MarcusHam61, @CClakerfootball

June 25, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Marcus Hamilton is a young big who got some meaningful PT along the defensive front a year ago. Hamilton prefers defense, like every other young “Big” playing football in Kentucky. We have bad news for him, though. We expect colleges will look at him as an OT prospect over his playing defense at the next level. It will all come down to how well he runs, how explosive he can become, as to which side of the scrimmage line he ends up playing. For now, we expect he may get some two-way run this coming year. He certainly has been blessed with the God-given tools to help the Lakers considerably this coming season (2025). Enjoy this feature and don’t forget to pick up a few bags of some of the world’s finest beef jerky products. #SavorTheFlavor out there in Perry County, KY.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: ‘Holy Toledo, Batman! It’s Coach Ben Pumphrey!’ @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball

June 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We thought we had concluded our “Slow Motion Replay” series and then a colleague reached out to me and said “What about Ben Pumphrey?” We researched it and couldn’t have agreed more. Pumphrey was among the more fun and charismatic coaches the KHSAA has ever known. He was also a guy who traveled the commonwealth taking hard jobs, jobs many of his colleagues didn’t want. Pumphrey did it to make a difference and what a difference he made. Pumphrey was enshrined in the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2004 and richly, deservedly. Today he is being featured by us. Again, his being featured by Friday Night Fletch and KPGFootball is richly and deservedly past due. Enjoy this edition of the Slow Motion Replay series. Be aware, there is no telling where this series will actually end and when. We will keep writing them as long as you care to read them.

Friday Night Fletch.

Mason Griffin has a pretty tight lid on the QB job at South Laurel @Masegriffin7, @JohnHines66, @CoachDGage, @Gtown_Football, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

June 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

His name is Mason Griffin and he may be the best QB in the KHSAA with whom you might not be completely familiar. He is 6’4,” weighs 215-pounds and has a 4.0 GPA. Griffin plays for Next Up 7X7 and passed for 2,199-yards and 18-TDs his junior year in only 10-games of action. Griffin made his first team all-district squad and finds himself playing for a legendary head football coach in John Hines who has won over 200-career games. South Lauren is coming off a 6-win campaign and played in its first playoff game in years. Enjoy this feature about a young man whose star is on the rise and who may show up on some “Mr. Football” lists before all is said and done.

Friday Night Fletch

Jalen Dantzler is the @minguabeefjerky Protein-packed Performer of the Week @CoachDantzler, @JalenDantzler_9, @TomLuginbill, @BigTimerCox, @DemetricDWarren, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @bigassfans

June 18, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Marvin Dantzler has done it all from a stand point of coaching. He has won championships from Track & Field to football. He has trained plenty of tremendous athletes along the way. Add the name “Jalen Dantzler” to the list. Jalen is his son but he is much more than that. Jalen Dantzler is among the best DB prospects in the KHSAA’s class of 2027. He is a speedster who is athletic enough to be among the best long jumpers in the high school ranks. Dantzler is getting a ton of D-1 looks and we are flat looking and evaluating him too. Enjoy this feature and don’t forget to pick up some world famous jerky products from Mingua Beef Jerky and “SavorTheFlavor.”

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Sam Simpson, over his 27-year career at Henry Clay provided Blue Devil fans lots of shining moments @HCHSDevilsFB, @HCHS_Athletics, @MarionCoKnights, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

June 16, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Sam Simpson went 32-years coaching at two places not easy to win ball games. Marion County was five years and the other 27 were spent in Lexington at Henry Clay High. Simpson won 193-games at Henry Clay, taking the Blue Devils to one of its two visits to the title game. Henry Clay beat St. Francis DeSales back in 1981 for the 4A title under Jack Bell. Simpson would take the team on an improbably four (4) game run through the playoffs which ultimately ended in the title game against Mike Glasur’s Tigers. Well, that ended up like matchups with St. Xavier often do, with the Tigers leaving the field with victory. Enjoy this installment of our “Slow Motion Replay” series.

Friday Night Fletch

Nash Bird from West Jessamine is our @minguabeefjerky Protein-packed Performer of the Week @NashBird24, @WJCOLTSFootball, @kwc_football, @CoachWalker_M, @DLCoach_Danford, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

June 11, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Nash Bird is a “Dude.” This guy had a really fruitful day at the KWC Junior Combine and left Owensboro on quite a few “recruiting boards.” This guy will field some offers this summer. If he has the kind of season in ’25 he had in ’24, look out 5A, District 7, because the Colts will be looking to improve drastically over the 3-8 Scott Marsh’s Colts posted a year ago. This is a kid with good length (76-inch wingspan), decent strength (225-pound bench press), an upper level speed for a kid in the spring of his sophomore year (4.69-second 40; 4.44 second short shuttle). Enjoy this feature and don’t forget to pick up some world famous jerky products from Mingua Beef Jerky and “SavorTheFlavor.”

Friday Night Fletch

Brody Calhoun from Trigg County maybe one of the best linebackers, at his level of play, of whom you haven’t heard @BrodyCalhoun22, @CoachEzell45, @TriggFootball, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

June 9, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Brody Calhoun is an example of a star HS player who is very likely to play in college but at what competitive level we aren’t in a position to accurately forecast. You see, there is a possibility Calhoun isn’t done growing so to know at what college level he may play we would have to speculate how his frame finishes. We just aren’t in a position to know. Calhoun’s on field production is “off the charts” as the rising junior has made close to 160-career tackles and hasn’t taken his first 11th-grade class yet. We are approaching “Dead Period” so get ready. Not much lies on the other side of “Dead Period” apart from two preseason scrimmages and opening night. We’re ready. We hope you are. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Looking for a dark horse ‘Mr. Football’ candidate? We have got one for you: Lucas Tompkins from North Oldham @JBrown_YL, @LucasTompkins5, @NOHSFball, @BDRoberts20, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

June 7, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We love versatility and athleticism at KPGFootball. Matter of fact, we have been featuring kids in the high school game who thrive in multiple phases of football for well over a year. We thing a “Mr. Football” candidate should be good at, well,…Football! Fancy that! Well, if you are looking for a dark horse candidate for “Mr. Football” in ’25 may we suggest you check out North Oldham’s Lucas Thompkins. Thompkins is a 6’1,” 185-pound DB/WR who killed it on both sides of the football his junior year. Enjoy this feature and remember where you first heard this.

Friday Night Fletch