No all-state team is complete. Every all-state team has glaring omissions. One just can’t possibly get them all. We have divided up our All-State team into Small School and Big School divisions. The Small School is the 1A, 2A, & 3A team and the Large School is the 4A, 5A, & 6A team. Without any more fanfare this is our Small School All-State Offensive Football Team. This year we will publish a side of the ball a day as we want to recognize more players. Congratulations to those players selected. To the worthy players we missed, we’re truly sorry; we did our best.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, KPGFootball
Friday Night Fletch's Small School Coach of the Year: Chad Pennington, Sayre High (Lexington); Offensive Player of the Year: Jarren Johnson, QB/ATH, Union County
We would point out that many of these kids are committed to play in college already and most of them are being recruited even if they haven’t committed. However, this isn’t the All-College Prospect team. Those teams exist and are published by periodicals which regularly focus on recruiting.
We didn’t list height and weight for anyone aside from the OL. We listed the height and weight for the OL because that position doesn’t have any individual statistics for us to base a selection.
This team is comprised of the players we believe to be the best Friday-nighters, at their level of competition, throughout the Bluegrass. This is our offensive, small-school, all-state football team:
These are the Pass Throwers:
1A Classification
Luke Pennington, ’25 QB, Sayre, 211 for 281 (75.1%) for 2,939-yards 53-TDs and 4-INTs
Max Pelfrey, ’25 QB, Hazard, 196 for 312 (62.8%), for 2,444, 26-TDs and 6-picks
Pennington has thrown over 100-TDs and only four (4) picks the last two seasons
KHSAA Statistical Website
2A Classification
Brady Atwell, ’25 QB, Owensboro Catholic, 257 for 379 (67.8%) for 3,766-yards, 49-TDs and 6-picks
Clay Hayden, ’25 QB, Beechwood, 180 for 268 (67.2%) for 2,981-yards, 46-TDs and 6-picks
3A Classification
Connor Hodge, ’25 QB/WR, Christian Academy-Louisville (CAL), 244 for 353 (69.1%) for 3,659-yards and 40-TDs against 9-picks
Player of the Year: Jarren Johnson, ’25 QB/ATH, Union County, 49 of 84 (58.3%) for 719-yards and 7-TDs against 2-picks; 270-carries for 2,682-yards and 44-rushing TDs, averaged 9.9-yards and 177-yards a game and led Kentucky in scoring at his level of play (270-points) with 18-scored points a game; Johnson picked 5-passes for 81-yards and a pick-six, registered 49-tackles, with 4.5 TFLs and forced a fumble on defense.
These are the Pass Catchers
1A Classification
Brock Coffman, Sayre, ’25 WR, 101-Rec., 1,530-yards, 15.1 per reception, 27-TDs
Gavin Johnson, Hazard, ’25 WR, 85-receptions, 1,069-yards, 12.6 yards per reception, 13-TDs
Brock Coffman has signed to play at U of L
Friday Night Fletch
2A Classification
Jeremiah Jones, ’25 WR/TE, Murray High, 71-receptions, 1,014-yards, 14.3 yards per reception, 8-TDs
Dereon Crowe, ’25 WR, Owensboro Catholic, 60-receptions, 1,063-yards, 17.7-yards per reception, 22-TDs
3A Classification
Darwin Cotton, ’25 WR, CAL, 76-receptions, 1,460-yards 19.2-yards per reception, 21-TDs
Kadin Thompson, ’25 WR, West Carter, 49-receptions, 1,164-yards, 23.8-yards per reception, 17-TDs
This next group is referred to as “The Athletes” These guys are filled up with three phase contributors who can’t be “pigeon holed” into one position. These guys are all-state caliber in multiple phases. Jarren Johnson should have been listed here too; then again, that is why he is our Offensive Player of the Year.
These are the Athletes
1A Classification
Charlie Slabaugh, ’25, Sayre High, Slabaugh scored 13-rushing TDs, 4-receiving TDs, and a two-pointer on special teams. Slabaugh was the leading rusher on the team, completed his only passing attempt, caught 18-passes four of which scored, led the team in tackles with 117, had 7-TFLs, and a sack; picked off a pass and forced a pair of fumbles. You have to have some Charlie Slabaughs if you want to win a title, we are sure Coach Pennington would agree.
Kaleb Cole, ’25, Newport Central Catholic, Cole gained over a thousand yards rushing, scored 24-rushing TDs, while leading the team with 164-points and scoring in all three phases of the football game (offense, defense, and special teams). Cole had 84-tackles, 4-TFLs, 3-Sacks, 2-FFs, and a FR to go along with 3-picks, two of which were housed for “pick-sixes.”
2A Classification
Kris Hughes, ’26, Somerset, 287-rushing attempts for 1651 yards and 24-TDs, 5.8-yards per attempt; 36-receptions for 308-yards and 3-receiving TDs; top scorer on the team with 174-points and 12.4-points per game; scored TDs rushing, receiving, housed an INT, and scored an “other;” registered 55-tackles, 2-TFLs, a sack and picked a pair of passes for 83-yards in net return with one being housed.
Kris Hughes was the KFCA District Player of the Year
Friday Night Fletch
Chase Flaherty, ’25, Beechwood, Flaherty scored 30-rushing TDs, caught 4-TDs through the air, and scored 204-points for his 2A KHSAA championship team (18-titles). Flaherty gained 1,456-yards rushing in 210-carries, scoring 2-rushing TDs a game. Flaherty picked a pass and registered some tackles along the way. Multi-phase contributors on rosters as annually stacked as Beechwood’s is “special” and worthy of recognition.
3A Classification
Solomon Stonebraker, ’25, Adair County, 39-receptions, 966-yards, 24.8-yards per reception, 10-TDs
Sylas Gunn, ’26, Hopkins County Central, 104-tackles, 6-TFLs, played offense (QB) where he was among the leaders in passing, rushing, and receiving where he played half the year at WR. This guy was a three phase contributor.
Stonebraker has a 6’2,” wingspan and 40-inch vertical making him a lengthy 5’9″ player
Friday Night Fletch
Isaac Manning, ’25, Hopkins County Central, another three phase contributor who was among the leaders in receiving (21.2-yards per reception), and was a stellar defender on the back end of the defense (among the leaders in INTs) while being a valuable member of the special teams on kick and punt return.
Aden Bolden, ’26, McLean, carried the ball 184-times for 1,439-yards and 13-TDs averaging 7.8 yards a rush, completed 9-passes for 222-yards and a pair of throwing TDs, caught a handful of passes, led the team in scoring (88-points), scored 4-special teams “two-pointers,” forced a fumble on defense while registering 62-tackles, 4.5-TFLs, and a half a sack. Again, that is a ton of production
The Running-backs, Y’all
1A Classification
Nate Goodin, ’25 (QB-RB), Williamsburg, 94-carries for 1,135-yards and 19-TDs, 12.1 per attempt in 8-games
Jamari Pennebaker, ’26, Holy Cross (Lou.) 204-carries for 1,456-yards and 19-TDs, 7.1-per attempt
2A Classification
Andrew McCutcheon, ’25 (RB/LB) Betsy Lane, 233-carries for 2,190-yards and 29-TDs, 9.4-yards per attempt
Daulton Tarter, ’26, Bracken County, 223-carries 2,083-yards and 32-TDs, 9.3-yards per attempt
Cortez Stone is considered, by many, to be the best RB in the KHSAA
Friday Night Fletch
3A Classification
Kaleb Miller, ’26, Bell County, 287-carries for 2,105-yards and 29-TDs, 7.3-yards per attempt
Cortez Stone, ’25, Central High (Lou.), 181-carries for 1,882-yards and 30-TDs, 10.4-yards per attempt
Calling the Hogs
1A Classification
Herman Canada, ’25 OL (G/NG), Williamsburg, 6’0,” 315-pounds, Canada helped anchor a line which gained over 2,000-yards rushing and scored 38-TDs while throwing for 1,385-yards and another dozen (12) scores. Here is the catch, this was done in only 10-games. Great offensive linemen spawn all-state members of the offensive backfield and Canada did exactly that. Behind Canada, Nate Goodin, in eight (8) games, gained 1,135-yards in only 94-carries, averaging over 12-yards a carry (12.074468085 to be exact) and scoring a TD every 5th carry (4.9473684211 to be exact). The 8-2 Williamsburg squad scored 368-points over its 10-games or 36.8-points a game.
2A Classification
Hayes Preston, ’25 OC, Lexington Christian Academy (LCA), 6’3,” 265-pounds, Hayes Preston anchored The Finest Five in Kentucky as offensive line play goes. With Preston upfront, LCA scored 573-points in 14 games (11-3, close to 41-points a game). LCA threw for 1,664-yards and 14-TDs while rushing for 3,816-yards and 64-TDs. That is not bad after graduating the best QB/RB tandem in Kentucky (Cutter Boley and Brady Hensley) from off of last year’s squad. The main stars for LCA were upfront this season which is a fine recipe for winning 11-games and making the semis.
Jake Darby, ’25 OL, Lexington Christian Academy (LCA), 6’4, 295-pounds, Darby and Preston anchored The Finest Five in Kentucky as offensive line play goes. With Darbey upfront, LCA scored 573-points in 14 games (11-3, close to 41-points a game). LCA threw for 1,664-yards and 14-TDs while rushing for 3,816-yards and 64-TDs. That is not bad after graduating the best QB/RB tandem in Kentucky (Cutter Boley and Brady Hensley) from off of last year’s squad. The main stars for LCA were upfront this season which is a fine recipe for winning 11-games and making the semis.
We believe Bo Wolford is the best interior guy in the KHSAA
Friday Night Fletch
Sawyer Hall, ’26 OL, Breathitt High, 6’0,” 290-pounds, Sawyer Hall has been among the very best on the OL since coming up from middle school. Like Abner, he plays a ton of defense too and plays it well. Breathitt started a freshman at QB (Miles Hollon) and a freshman at RB (Eli Thomas) and, notwithstanding, Breathitt rushed for over 2,000-yards and scored 35-rushing TDs while throwing for close to 2,000-yards (1,949) and 21-TDs through the air. Breathitt scored 401-points in 12-games (33.5 points a game) with an almost perfectly balanced attack, rushing and throwing. One has to be mighty good up front to have that type production out of a completely freshman offensive backfield at its primary slots.
Waylon Abner, ’26 OL, Breathitt High, 6’2,” 270-pounds, Abner has been christened, “The best pulling guard in the KHSAA” regardless of classification. Breathitt started a freshman at QB (Miles Hollon) and a freshman at RB (Eli Thomas) and, notwithstanding, Breathitt rushed for over 2,000-yards and scored 35-rushing TDs while throwing for close to 2,000-yards (1,949) and 21-TDs through the air. Breathitt scored 401-points in 12-games (33.5 points a game) with an almost perfectly balanced attack, rushing and throwing. One has to be mighty good up front to have that type production out of a completely freshman offensive backfield at its primary slots.
3A Classification
Bryson Brown, ’25 OL, Central (Lou.) 6’1,” 310-pounds, Central, in compiling a 9-4 mark and losing to the eventual 3A champion (CAL) in the Regional Finals, rushed for a whopping 3,675-yards and 50-rushing TDs. The team scored 480-points in 13-games (close to 37-points per) and threw for another 11-scores. Brown helped clear the way for Cortez Stone to gain 1,882-yards in only 181-carries (10.4-yards a carry) and score 30-TDs on his own. Justin Brents gained close to a thousand yards (938), scoring nine TDs, and that isn’t shabby at all for the “other back.”
Ben Stotts, ’25 OL, CAL, 6’6,” 31-pounds, Let’s just start here…CAL won the championship in 3A and for the third consecutive year. The Centurians, in rolling to a 12-3 final record, scored 591-points (39.4-points a game), rushed for 1,905-yards and threw for 4,131-yards. CAL scored 47-passing TDs while amassing 33-TDs on the ground.
Bo Wolford, ’26 OL, Belfry High, 6’3,” 285-pounds, For our money, this is the best interior OL at any level of competition in the KHSAA. Belfry finished 11-3, made the semi-state where it had to bus to Pluto and play a football game (never easy), and scored 542-points on the season in 14-games (38.7-points per). Belfry rushed for 3,503-yards and passed for 1,532-yards, scoring 56-TDs by land and another 17-TDs via the air.
The All-State Specialists, Place-Kickers
1A Classification
Max Runge, ’26, Bishop Brossart, made 53 of 55-attempted PATs in 12-games and was 3 of 5 in FGs
Gannon Rice, ’26, Sayre, made 31- of 33-attempted PATs and was a perfect 1-for 1 in FGs
Uria Mungia from Hancock County may be the best freshman PK in the KHSAA
Friday Night Fletch
2A Classification
Hank Fronza, ’26, Murray High, was a perfect 5 for 5 on FGs and was 22 for 23 on PATs
Colson Lair, ’26, Beechwood, made 85-PATs and converted at a 93.4% clip; also converted on 2-of 4 from FG-range
Sutton Ritchey, ’26, Caldwell County, converted on 4-FGs and 41 of 46-PATs
3A Classification
Nick Savage, ’26, Belfry, made 67 of 71-PATs
Ben Totten, ’25, Russell, made 8 of 9-attempted FGs, converted 41 of 46-PATs
Uziel Mungia, ’28, Hancock County, Made all 52 PATs and was 3 of 4 in FGs. Best freshman place-kicker in the KHSAA, quite a weapon!
Tomorrow we will publish the small school all-state defense. Until then, this is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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