Four years ago, KPGFootball selected a “Freshman All-State Football Team.” It was the very first time anything of the nature had ever before been either tried or accomplished. Everyone thought we were crazy even for the attempt. We’re still crazy. We will do it again this year.
Now that this first team are all seniors, and with a few of them still playing, we thought it would be fun to look back at this team and see how we did. We believe you will find many of these guys panned out exactly like we predicted four years ago and many of them are considered among the elite players at their respective positions across the commonwealth in the 2021 graduating class.
Here is what we published, way back then…
On behalf of the Aspirations Fitness Institution in Louisville, Kentucky, and its CEO, Chris Vaughn, together with the Commonwealth-wide Selection Committee for the Kentucky Prep Gridiron, we are proud to list the names of the 2017 Freshman All-State Football Team. Articles detailing the reason for selection will be published on www.kentuckyprepgridiron.com and released by position groups over the course of the next few days. We are proud of these young men and all the young men who were studied and considered and additionally congratulate the selection committee on its hard work and dedication to this task: Without further ado, the following are our reported selections:
Class of 2021, The Offense
QB-Arren Hash, 6’1″ 150 Campbellsville High School (committed to play D-I, college baseball)
RB-Ethan Mills, 5’8″ 170 Knox County Central High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
RB-Brandt Babin, 6’1″ 185 Christian Academy of Louisville (multiple offers, yet to commit)
WR-Eli Blakey, 6’1″ 160 duPont Manual High School (committed to Arkansas State)
WR-Dekel Crowdus, 5’9″ 140 Frederick Douglas High School (committed to UK)
OL-John Mudd, 6’2″ 280 Louisville Waggoner High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
OL-William L. Long II, 5’10” 260 Hopkinsville High School (transferred to Breathitt County HS in 2019, committed to Centre College, signed during the early signing period)
OL-Braden Ferguson, 6’1″ 210 Lexington Bryan Station High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
OL-Cameron Willis, 5’9″ 210 Johnson Central High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
OL-Trent Clavey, 6’0″ 230 Louisville Ballard High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
OL-Johnathan Blackburn, 6’5″ 320 Paintsville High School (committed to Centre College)
Class of 2021, The Defense
DL-Darian Dearinger, 6’3” 225 Anderson County High School (committed to Marshall)
DL-Alton Jefferson, 6’2” 220 Louisville Trinity High School (committed to EIU)
DL-Braeden Babin, 5’11” 187 Christian Academy of Louisville (multiple offers, yet to commit)
DL-Zack Russell, 6’3” 200 Johnson Central High School (committed to Bowling Green University, OH)
LB-Justice Thompson, 6’0” 225 Louisville Ballard High School (committed to Central State University)
LB-Austin Gough, 6’1” 215 Owensboro Senior High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
LB-Zach Yates, 5’9” 200 Logan County High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
LB-Preston Spurlock, 5’10” 190 Leslie County High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
DB-Elijah EJ Austin, 5’9” 160 Hopkinsville High School (posthumous selection) (died tragically his freshman year)
SS/Rover-Frank Turner Jr., 6’1” 190 Franklin County High School (moved out of state but have heard he is tearing it up on the recruiting trail)
DB-Christopher Forehand Jr., 5’7” 150 Louisville Trinity High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
DB/Nickel-Bryce Yates, 5’10” 135 duPont Manual High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
DB-Roman White, 5’9″ 165 Louisville Trinity High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
Class of 2021, The Athletes (these are players who have played a variety of places on all sides of the ball)
Athlete-Seth Mounts, 6’2” 185 Belfry High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
Athlete-LaVell Wright, 6’0” 185 North Hardin High School (committed to UK)
Athlete-Isaac Dixon, 5’10” 170, Belfry High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
Athlete/KR-Braxton Cannon, 6’0″ 165 duPont Manual High School (committed to Air Force)
Class of 2021, The Specialist
PK-Ben Schofield, 5’9” 145 McCracken County High School (multiple offers, yet to commit)
Well folks, looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight, it looks like we did a right fair job of forecasting high school football success for these guys above listed. We will stand behind the fact most of the above still playing football in Kentucky are playing it at an elite level. Pretty confident everyone of the above will have the opportunity to play football on Saturdays. We hope you enjoyed this look-back into history. Four-years later, we are still proud of our effort.
This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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