First of all, Happy New Year. As we promised, the committee reconvened this morning and finished that which was begun yesterday. These are our All-Stater on the defensive side of the football for 2019. Some of these All-Staters have been slotted where we project them playing, next level, and not necessarily where the MS team slotted them. Many of these players were two-way stars and could have been slotted on offense as easily as on defense.
For some reason, we didn’t have too many DBs nominated and some of the best DBs in Kentucky had already been selected on the offensive side of the football. In stead of sacrificing any quality, we just anointed the DBs we the most sure about being no-doubt All-Staters.
We also recognized more “underclassmen” than we anticipated going in to the selection process. We felt we should recognize play and not focus on seniority, and so we did. Those of you familiar to this site know that is a staple of our philosophy.
We didn’t want any of the nominees to be awarded on both sides of the football, though many of them rightfully could have been, because of our desire to recognize as many of these nominees as the committee found deserving.
Ladies and gentlemen, here is the KPGFootball, All-State, Middle School, Defensive Team…
MLB- Jason Perry, 6-1, 247 pounds, Morgan County. This kid is just a freak and we could see him staying at LB next level or sliding down to NG, while seeing action at OG on offense. Guard is where fullbacks go to die in high school football when the scheme doesn’t call for a FB. He already deadlifts 450-pounds and bench presses close to 250 making him one of the more imposing specimen in the Class of 2024. Plays FB on offense so his wheels aren’t in question. Reminds many people of Breathitt County’s William Long. Kid is an absolute tank.
LB- Kory Combs, 5-10, 180-pounds, Breathitt County Middle. I should start out by saying this kid is a 7th grader. If you were to look at him and his present stage of physical development, you would never believe it. It is hard to make this team as a 7th grader. Kory, whose father was an All-American at the same position when he played in college at EKU, was just born to play LB. If they allowed 8th graders to play up on the varsity roster, I am quite sure this kid would be playing for Coach Kyle Moore’s Bobcats as early as next year, but alas, that isn’t permitted. He will have to spend another year patrolling Coach Fudd Hayes’ defensive second level at Breathitt Middle. That is good news for the Middle School Cats and bad news for everyone they schedule. Circle this name.
LB- Anias Mitchell, 6-0, 165-pounds, Browning Springs Middle. Mitchell brings incredible athleticism to any defensive second level and is also a star on the hardwood. This 8th grade LB runs the 40 in 4.8-seconds and the short-shuttle in 4.4-seceonds. He avenged over 8-tckles a game for Browning Springs and has a “feel for the game.” What we mean is Mitchell make good reads and fills holes like a much older player. This kid is a superior athlete and could grow into a back-four, lengthy guy as he matures and gets faster.
LB- Calil McNary, 6-1, 180-pounds, South Hopkins Middle. McNary has excellent size and length with good speed and excellent field vision. Like many of our LBs he come up and meets plays very, very well. McNary has been a fixture on Team Kentucky’s FBU roster the previous two years.
DL- Rylan Rhodes, 5-10, 220 pounds, Caudill Middle. Rhodes is considered part of Caudill’s big four, or their four very best players on a team which may be the best MS team the commonwealth of Kentucky has ever seen play. Rhodes at 220-pounds is what we call a Jumbo athlete particularly at this stage of development. Also a star in basketball, Rhodes hasn’t been out on the combine circuit but this is a kid we badly need playing for Kentucky Future Stars this summer. He has played for the Team Kentucky FBU team.
DL- Haden Kiser, 5-11 180-pounds, Caudill Middle. Kiser is a multi-sport star at Caudill as he plays basketball and quite well. Kiser plays TE on offense but the guy absolutely wrecked havoc screaming of the end for a middle school which just polished off back-to-back KYMSFA State Titles, 4-straight conference championships, 3-straight regional championships, and has gone 58-1 over that span of time. Made the KYMSFA All-Region team.
DL-McKaden Maynard, 6-2, 185-pounds, Belfry Middle. Maynard was also fantastic at TE, catching 4-TD passes for a team many around Kentucky believe has yet to discover the forward pass. Maynard was also splendid on defense for the Buccaneers. McKaden picked off 3 passes, which is incredible for a DE, and collected 5 QB-sacks and recovered 6-fumbles. This one player gained for his team 14 possession out of the normal course of play. We can’t even begin to tell you how important something like that is for a team.
DL- Uriah Virzi, 6-1, 225-pounds, Paducah Middle School. This is a kid who was the Region 1, Division 2 KYMSFA Player of the Year. That isn’t easy to win deployed with your hand in the dirt. This kid is just a monster with a monster of a smile. Another in a long line of spectacular football-playing talent produced by Paducah, Kentucky. Virzi played his middle school football for Paducah Middle, but we believe he is likely headed to McCracken to play Class 6A football next year.
DL- Hunter Griffe, 6-1, 210-pounds, Hazard. He is aptly called the “Hazard Hell-Cat” and that is both apt and appropriate. This guy was described as wholly unblock-able by the Kentucky Future Stars staff this past summer. Griffe has played for both the FBU and Future Stars versions of “Team Kentucky” and Morgan County’s Jason Perry and Hazard’s Hunter Griffe are the most physical ready for the high school game at the present time than any other “bigs” who made this All-State team. Will play early and could potentially be a night-one starer along Hazard’s defensive front when they open the 2020 varsity season.
DB-Anderson Mitchell, 6-0, 165-pounds, Caudill Middle. Plays corner for Caudill and is described as a lock-down guy in the back-four. Anderson has plenty of length and fluidly flips his hips and transitions from covering underneath to getting over the top of the downfield stuff very well. Caudill has plenty of members on this team. Yeah, they were really that good.
DB- Keith Hadley, 5-6, 110-pounds, Johnson Middle. If you are looking for someone this kids “plays like,” he reminds us of True Matt, who, like Hadley was diminutive made this team just one year ago. Hadley has played in the Diamond All-American game 4-times, has played for Kentucky Future Stars, and has played for Kentucky’s FBU team. He’ll grow, just like Matt will, but he’s an extremely good cover guy right now, at any size.
DB- Kamden Hughes, 5-10, 170-pounds, Meece Middle (Somerset). This is a guy who played both ways for Meece Middle (of course). He has helped lead Meece to a State Title in the KYMSFA, has made at least one All-American Middle School football team, and just finished up a year where he was selected by the KYMSFA as the Division 3, Regional Player of the Year. In addition to defense, where we have slotted him and see him contributing once he hits Somerset’s roster quickly next year, Hughes played running-back and slot for the offense and played them very, very well. This kid could have gained selection on either side of the football.
This is our defensive team and it is possible we may add to it after its first being published as the day goes along. This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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