Scores from Saturday

Dixie Heights 47 Beechwood 7

Senior Rb Corey Klei rushed 19 times for 162 yards in helping lead the Colonels past the Tigers. Dixie racked up 442 total yards, including 353 on the ground. Defensively, the Colonels held Beechwood to 294 yards but allowed 242 on the ground. If you're Coach Spritzky, you can't really complain about Dixie's bend but don't break defense though when they allow just 7 points.

Simon Kenton 29 Newcath 8

Despite playing much of the game without standout RB Miles Simpson, the Pioneers took down the Breds of Newcath. QB Chad Lawrence rushed 16 times for 87 yards but the surprise of the game was his passing ability. Lawrence completed 8 of 15 passes for 141 yards and 3 TD's.

Holmes 41 Lloyd 12

Holmes was led by Damien Oden who scored 4 td's for the Bulldogs. Oden rushed 13 times for 81 yards and 3 td's, while also returning a punt for 62 yards and a TD. The star of the game though was QB Jesse Jensen who completed 6 of 7 passes for 80 yards and also rushed 14 times for 146 yards.

Boone County 31 Lafayette 23

Charles Quainoo rushed 32 times for 104 yards while Jordan Oppenheimer added 97 yards on 10 carries for the Rebels.

Other schores:

Lexcath 23 Covcath 17
Bellevue 40 Newport 24
Pendleton Co 39 Dayton 21

Standing from this week's "Pick' Em Challenge:"

Lee Witte: 11-1

Ryan Roberts: 8-4

Overall:

Lee Witte: 16-2

Ryan Roberts: 12-6

Been a rough two weeks. Good thing it's a long season...(laughs out loud)

Pittman, Johnson named top 100

Maxpreps.com recently submitted their top 100 players to watch this season for the c/o 2010 and both Elijah Pittman (photo) and Ricardo Johnson of Holmes were on the list:

#79 Elijah Pittman

Holmes (Covington, KY)

Associated Press first team all state selectiona as a junior after leading Holmes to Kentucky's single class state title.

#83 Ricardo Johnson

Holmes (Covington, KY)

Led Holmes to a 36-2 record, and state title as a junior.

LINK


Speaking of Ricardo, I spoke with him earlier today and he is currently on his first official visit to Bradley University. Ric left Thursday and will return Sunday morning. He says they've shown him around campus, he's participated in several open gym work outs, and everything is going well. He also plans on visiting Ohio U next week and Western Kentucky October 17th.

Friday Night Recap

Highlands 37 Ryle 14

Highlands' senior Rb Austin Collinsworth (#22 photo) rushed 13 times for 124 yards and 4 td's for the Birds. Defensively, the Highlands defense held stand out sophomore Travis Elliott to just 119 yards, only allowing 10 in the second half.

Conner 40 Scott 7

In the nkysports.com game of the week, Conner senior QB rushed 8 times for 184 yards and had 4 rushing td's at the half. West was virtually unstoppable as he also complete 7 of 12 passes for 58 yards. Will Bardo of Highlands if very good, but Nick West just might be the best QB up here.

Norwood, OH 30 Campbell Co 20

The Camels lose their home opener as Norwood comes across the river and knocks them off. Jeremy Scott led Norwood with 33 carries for 202 yards.

Cooper 49 Louisville Shawnee 20

Cooper starts the season 1-0 as junior Dvontae Bradley rushed 16 times for 244 yards and 5 td's for the Jags.

Taylor, OH 15 Ludlow 6

Week 1 Thoughts, Predictions, Previews

As usual, myself and my partner Lee Witte will be doing our weekly preview and predictions for the games this week end. Let's start with the biggest game of the week:



Highlands (1-0) @ Ryle (1-0)



The Birds come in to the game after travelling to Manual last week and leaving with a 19-8 win. The Birds rushing attacked wasn't perfect but it was solid as Austin Collinsworth and junior Jordan Streeter combined for 138 yards and 2 td's on 25 carries. On the other side, the Ryle Raiders really took it to Covcath 34-14, while racking up 430 yards on the ground. Sophomore Travis Elliott rushed for 236 yards on 26 carries, while senior Keifer Eubank rushed for 165 yards on just 10 carries.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

I like the Birds by 2 td's in this one. I expect the Birds "D" to bend but not break and Bardo to bounce back, connecting on a few td passes. The Raiders are much improved and have some great talent, but not enough in this one.



Highlands 22

Ryle 7



Ryan:

The Ryle D was a glaring weakness in their game against Covcath and their kickoff coverage also wasn't very good. They may have to put up a lot of points to win this one...I don't see it happening.



Highlands 38

Ryle 14



Covcath (0-1) @ Lexcath (1-0)



The Colonels are coming off a 34-14 loss to Ryle, while Lexcath is coming in to this game after defeating a solid Whitley County team 43-14. Covcath will try to get their first win under new head coach Dave Wirth in the Bluegrass Bowl. These two have traditionally played eachother closely, but will it be the same story this year?



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

Covcath will continue to struggle against the Lexington powerhouse, especially on the road. The Colonels lack the offensive firepower to sustain anything and Lexington Catholic scored 43 last week on a tough Whitley Co team.



Lexcath 48

Covcath 14



Ryan:

Despite their offensive woes, the Colonel defense has been much worse. Erpenbeck was the only bright spot for the team from Park Hills last week and with him suffering some sort of shoulder injury, I don't look for things to turn around this week.



Lexcath 42

Covcath 17



Conner (1-0) @ Scott (0-0)



In the nkysports.com game of the week (which can be seen live at nkysports.com), the Cougars from Conner will travel to Scott High school to take on the Eagles. Conner is coming off of a 23-14 win over a tough Oldham Co team while Scott struggled mightily in their scrimmage with Campbell Co last week. The key for the Eagles will be to contain QB Nick West of Conner who rushed for 68 yards and passed for 125 last week. Easier said than done.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

Conner is coming off a big win over Oldham County and should take care of the Eagles. Scott won't be able to keep Nick West from going off in this one as it should be a good game for him to pad some stats.



Conner 35

Scott 7



Ryan:

In a game that I'll be covering live with Ben Blesser of nkysports.com, Conner wins this one big and we see the JV mid third quarter. Nick West is the real deal and I expect the Cougars spread offense to put a lot of points on the board.



Conner 42

Scott 0



Newcath (0-1) v Simon Kenton (0-0) @ UC's Nippert Stadium



The Breds come in to this game 0-1 after suffering a 19-7 loss to Dixie last week in a game in which their offense shot themselves in the foot with turnovers and mental mistakes multiple times. The bright spot for the Breds was the play of senior running back Chris Kelly who rushed for 96 yards on 22 carries. Simon Kenton however comes in off a scrimmage with an improved Holmes squad in which Miles Simpson suffered a minor ankle injury. Don't expect that to stop him.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

The Breds will continue to experience growing pains this week against a very solid Simon Kenton team and Miles Simpson. Expect a high scoring affair and NCC soph QB Brady Hightchew to improve, but it won't be enough as the Pioneers take this one.



Simon Kenton 34

Newcath 18



Ryan:

The Pioneers have historically struggled against the Breds, but I think this just might be the year that they knock off the 2A state power. Miles Simpson will be tough for the Breds to stop and dual threat QB Chad Lawrence should have a similar effect on the defense of Newcath as Dixie's Ryan Wilson.



Simon Kenton 27

Newcath 19



Dixie Heights v Beechwood @ UC's Nippert Stadium



Another game apart of the Skyline Crosstown Shootout, the defending 1A state champion Beechwood Tigers will face the Dixie Heights Colonels. The Colonels come in off a 19-7 win over Newcath, while the Tigers are opening their season. Historically, the Colonels have struggled against Beechwood but Dixie was impressive last week. QB Ryan Wilson accounted for 227 yards for Dixie as he ran for 102 and passed for 125. Beechwood has a lot of question marks, while Dixie brings a lot of experience in to this game.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

This is my pick game of the week as both teams come in with high expectations. Dixie might just have enough offensive firepower to take the smaller Class A Tigers. Look for QB Ryan Wilson to have a big game for the Colonels and Beechwood's Joe Colosimo to have a nice game on the ground. I like Dixie on the neutral field.



Dixie Heights 22

Beechwood 18



Ryan:

Although the Colonels looked good last week, I see some of their weaknesses being exposed this week. Beechwood has one of the best coaches in the area in Noel Rash and they also return one of the best 1-2 combos in dual threat QB Matt Rigdon and running back Joe Colosimo. I think the Tigers start the season off with a bang. Dixie isn't used to playing on a big stage like Nippert.



Beechwood 27

Dixie Heights 14



Lloyd (0-0) v Holmes (0-0) @ Newport



Both teams open their season this Saturday night in the River City Bowl at Newport High School. Lloyd lost a lot from last year but return one of the best playmakers in the area in RB/DB Seth Chappie. Holmes on the other hand returns a lot of experience from last year's 3-8 team. Defensively the Dogs return 9 starters, including one of the top 10 seniors in nky in DE/OL Regal Lowe and offensively return two of the best athletes in the area in juniors Chris Hayes and Damien Oden. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this Holmes team after dropping to 4A and they looked good in both of their scrimmages against Newcath and Simon Kenton. These two teams started playing eachother two years ago and have split their only two meetings with Lloyd winning last year 26-19.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

I like the Bulldogs as they will have too much overall team speed for the Juggs. Seth Chappie should be able to get his, as he is one of the best RB's in nky, but it won't be enough.



Holmes 28

Lloyd 16



Ryan:

I think the Dogs will be too much for the Juggs this year. Holmes experience combined with their athleticism and speed will really give Lloyd fits. Look for the Holmes to start the season off with a W on a neutral field.



Holmes 33

Lloyd 18



Holy Cross (1-0) @ Pikeville (0-0)



The Indians are coming off a 36-20 win over Bellevue while Pikeville will be opening their season. Holy Cross looked good last week as senior QB Markel Walker rushed for 109 yards and passed for 81. Helping him was senior RB Andy Roenker who carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

I like the Indians on the road as they are loaded with talent this year and IMO will take the 2A district crown. Pikeville will hang with them for a half, but in the end it will be too much Roenker.



Holy Cross 28

Pikeville 12



Ryan:

Holy Cross athleticism will be the difference in this one. I don't see Pikeville having an answer for Walker and Roenker should be able to get his with his power running style.



Holy Cross 31

Pikeville 14



Lafayette (1-0) v Boone Co(0-0) @ Tates Creek



Boone is opening their season in the Fayette County Invitational Bowl while Lafayette comes in 1-0 after beating Tates Creek 34-19 last week. The Rebels will rely heavily on Qb Nate Alford and Rb Charles Quainoo, who is considered one of the top 5 running backs in the area.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

The Generals bring in an experienced offensive line but their defense won't be able to stop the Rebel offense led by Quainoo and Alford. I like Boone by 2 td's.



Boone Co 21

Lafayette 8



Ryan:

Lafayette was drilled last year by SK in the playoffs and although they have experience back from that team, I don't think they have the personnel to stop the Rebels. Look for Quainoo to have a big game on the ground.



Boone Co 24

Lafayette 7



Bellevue (0-1) @ Newport (0-0)



Bellevue is coming in to this game off a 36-20 loss to Holy Cross, while Newport is playing their first game of the season. Although they lost, Ricky Buckler looked good for the Tigers last week, picking up 173 yards on the ground on 19 carries. For the Newport Wildcats, they will rely heavily on new QB Meechi Brown.



Thoughts/Predictions:



Lee:

Look for the Tigers to spoil Nick Rice's debut as Ricky Buckler rushes for over 200 yards and scores a few td's. For Newport, numbers are down and too many unknowns for them.



Bellevue 27

Newport 14



Ryan:

Newport has a lot of unknowns this year and will likely struggle because of the loss of Cody Collins to basketball, but I think this is a winnable game for them. Bellevue will be bigger up front, but I don't see them having the overall speed to stop the Wildcats athletes.



Newport 18

Bellevue 14



Other games:



Norwood, OH @ Campbell Co.



Lee: Campbell Co 34-14



Ryan: Campbell Co 41-7



Dayton @ Pendelton Co



Lee: Pendleton Co 21-7

Ryan: Pendleton Co 24- 13



Taylor, OH @ Ludlow



Lee: Taylor 24-16

Ryan: Ludlow 18-8

Boone County duo receiving interest

I've been informed that Boone County senior point guard, Mike Gabbard has landed his first offer from Division II Ashland University. As a junior, Gabbard averaged 9.3 ppg, 3.8 apg, and 2 spg. Gabbard was a key piece to the Rebels finishing 26-5 on the season and making it all the way to the region championship, where they were defeated by eventual state champ, Holmes, 32-29. Gabbard was the starting point guard for Shining Stars-Mcfarland this summer and helped lead them to a 46-9 record. During that stretch, they went undefeated throughout pool play in every tournament his team participated in.

Also for the Rebels, interest is starting to pick up for Ryan Popp from the smaller schools. Ohio Dominican, Thomas More, Mount St. Joseph, Rockhurst, Union, and Lindsey Wilson have all showed interest in the 6'0 guard. Popp didn't play as much as expected this past season at the high school level, but had an outstanding summer with Shining Stars black. Popp will be counted on to step in as a starter this coming season after averaging 5 ppg last season off the bench.

Together, Popp and Gabbard form one of the best backcourts in Northern Kentucky. Look for big things out of both players this coming season.

Player Spotlight: Jaylen Beckham (Lexcath)

Although he's just a sophomore, Jaylen Beckham (#23 in photo) is widely regarded as one of the top players in the state. The 6'0 guard was a big boost off the bench for the Knights of Lexington Catholic and helped lead them to the elite 8 of the Sweet 16 state tournament this past season. On the way there he helped his team knock off perennial power, and state favorite, Scott County 68-67 in the 11th region championship, in a game in which he made big play after big play. As a freshman Beckham averaged 11 ppg, but was more known for his on the ball defensive pressure and outstanding rebounding for his size. Beckham is considered to be one of the top 50 players returning this season, according to maxpreps.com's Fab 50 frosh list. I recently had the chance to catch up with Jaylen for a Q & A segment and here is what he had to say:

Q: What areas of your game have you been trying to improve in the offseason?

A: I've definetly been working on my jumper.

Q: Where do you feel you've improved the most since the end of last season?

A: I've been working on being more vocal and becoming a leader on the court because that's what a point guard is on the court.

Q: What was it like to defeat Scott Co this past season in the 11th region finals and how has that helped motivate you for this coming season?

A: It felt amazing knocking off the number 1 team in the state, knowing that most people didn't think we could pull it off. It will motivate us again knowing that everyone is against us.

Q: What do you and your team need to do this season to be successful against the other top teams around the state?

A: Just play as a team and play defense.

Q: What are your expectations for yourself and your team this coming season?

A: My expectations for myself is to make the All-City Team. For my team, I want us to win the King of the Bluegrass, 11th Region, and State.

Q: Which schools are currently showing interest in you?

A: Arizona, Alabama, Ohio St. , Oklahoma St. , Florida, Depaul, Washington, and several others.

Q: What qualities do you feel you bring to your team both on and off the court?

A: Leadership and whatever my coach needs me to do.

Q: Lastly, many consider you to be one of the top prospects in the state for the c/o 2012 and nationally as well. What's your take on that and what do you need to do to keep separating yourself from others?

A: I mean it's pretty nice, but I just have to keep working out hard and keep working hard in the classroom.

Notes:

- Very rarely does a freshman see the type of minutes he saw this past season at a program like Lexcath. I expect Jaylen to be the next star there and it wouldn't surprise me if he passes up Vee Sanford and ends up better than him. He's that talented.

- One of his biggest strengths is his quickness and athleticism with the ball. His speed allows him to get in the lane very quick and it doesn't hurt that the kid is an outstanding ball handler.

- The only thing I'd say JB needs to improve on is getting stronger to help his outside shot.

- If you haven't seen him play, you're truly missing out. Lexcath will play their tough 11th region schedule, but a few big events that you can catch him in this season are the King of the Bluegrass (Dec 17-22) , Marshall Co Hoopfest (Dec. 5th v Warren Central), and Lexcath's annual Republic Bank Classic. Another game that I have circled on the calender is their February 2nd matchup with GRC @ GRC.

- Lastly, I'd like to thank Jaylen for his time and wish him and his team good luck this coming season.

Update: Austin Flannery

From Louisville Courier Journal's Jody Demling:

One of the Scott County High School standouts that sometimes doesn't get the notice- because the Cardinals have a ton of talent- is shooter Austin Flannery.

The 6-foot-3, 185 lb FLannery had a solid summer for the Shining Stars-Mcfarland team that finished 46-9. He played his best in events at Morgantown, WV. , the Hoopfest in Louisville, and also at Nationals in Orlando.

Flannery has always been tabbed as one of the state's top shooters. He's still one of the best in the Bluegrass State but he's added some bulk and stength and become a better and more versatile all around player.

And the colleges have started to take notice.

West Point, Air Force, and Wright State are Division I schools that have inquired.

A ton of Division II schools are interested. He has an official visit set up Sept. 19 to Walsh University in Canton, Ohio, while Saint Anslem College in New Hampshire is also likely to get a visit from Flannery. West Liberty, Gannon, Bellarmine, Northern Kentucky, Berry, and Lynchburg are the other schools showing interest.

ICN 6 Game Schedule

ICN 6 will broadcast the following games this season:

Tape Delayed
Beechwood v Dixie Heights (8/29 5:00 ; 8/30 7:00 ; 8/31 2:00 ; 9/1 1:00)

Tape Delayed
Newport Central Catholic v Simon Kenton (8/29 7:30 ; 8/30 1:00 ; 8/31 6:30 ; 9/1 3:30)

Live:

September 11: Covcath v Campbell Co 7:30
September 25: Conner @ Simon Kenton 7:00
October 9: Holy Cross @ Newcath 7:00
October 16: Bellevue @ Ludlow 7:00
October 23: Boone Co @ Ryle 7:30

Scores from last night

Highlands 19 Manual 8

Ryle 34 Covcath 14

Dixie 19 Newcath 7

Conner 23 Oldham Co 14

Holy Cross 36 Bellevue 20

Bishop Brossart 22 Betsy Lane 19



After week 0, the head to head match up between myself and Lee on the picks, looks like this:



Lee- 5-1

Ryan- 4-2

Week 0 Picks, Predictions, and Previews

The wait is finally over. The high school football season begins for a lot of teams around the state tonight and both myself and Lee Witte are here to give our picks and predictions for the nky teams:

Conner v Oldham Co @ South Oldham

The Conner Cougars will hit the road in the first week of the season to take on an Oldham Co team that finished 9-3 last season and only lost 4 defensive starters. With the return of Nick West and Austin Pugh on the offensive side of the ball, they look poised to compete for the top spot in the tough 6A district this season. West threw for over 2300 yards last season and 23 td's while Pugh ran for 470 yards on 99 carries. Expect the Cougars to start the season 1-0 with West making plays both through the air and on the ground with his feet.

Lee's Pick: Conner 28-16

Ryan's Pick: Conner 35-14

Bishop Brossart @ Betsy Lane

The Mustangs will travel to Eastern KY in search of their first ever varsity win after going 0-10 last season. Betsy Lane finished 3-8 last season and lost to Hazard in the first round of the Class A playoffs. The Stangs return several starters on both sides of the ball and have had a good summer, but will it be enough?

Lee's Pick: Betsy Lane 35-7

Ryan's Pick: Betsy Lane 28-21


Newport Central Catholic @ Dixie Heights

This looks to be our toss up game of the week. On one side, you have the Breds who return a lot of solid experience up front with Jake Smith, Paul Eviston, Mike Leopold, Garrett Brown, and new starter, but one of the biggest players in the state, Jack Gruenschlager (6'9 325). Mr. Do It All, Chris Kelly, returns in the backfield and on defene but the Breds have question marks at a lot of other positions after losing 13 starters from last year's state runner up team. On the other side, you have a veteran Dixie squad that returns 20 starters from last year's 4-7 team that was very young heading in to the season. Leading the Colonel offense is Ryan Wilson who passed for over 1400 yards last season, as well as Corey Klei who rushed for 737 yards and reached pay dirt 14 times. The Colonels have traditionally struggled out of the gate. Can we expect the same this year?

Lee's Pick: Dixie Heights 28-16

Ryan's Pick: Newcath 31-21


Highlands @ Louisville Manual

The Birds come in to this season absolutely loaded everywhere and poised to win their third straight 5A state title. The road starts right where it left off...in Louisville. The Birds will travel to Dupont Manual stadium to take on a very solid Crimsons team. Despite the Crimsons having home-field advantage, I don't think it will be enough to stop the Birds. Offensively, expect Austin Collinsworth (RB), Will Bardo (QB), and Kyle Welz (TE) to all have big games as Highlands massive line gives Bardo plenty of time to find his targets through the air and opens up holes for Collinsworth to run wild. Defensively, Brandon Roller will lead a defense that allowed just 12.5 ppg last season. Roller, who had reconstructive knee surgery after an injury last season, was all over the place in the Birds scrimmage vs Male last week and he looks to be back with a vengeance and 100%. Expect the Manual defense to be very busy this week.

Lee's Pick: Highlands 48-21

Ryan's Pick: Highlands 49-14

Bellevue @ Holy Cross

The Tigers return one of the best pound for pound running backs in NKY in Ricky Buckler, who averaged 134 ypg last season while also scoring 24 td's. Blocking for him will be FB/LB Travis Lyvers who is a 3 yr varsity letterman on both sides of the ball and Richard Wills, who will be counted on to find open receivers and keep the Indians from stacking the box. For the Indians, they return a veteran senior class and 9 starters on offense. The offense will be led by QB Markel Walker and RB Andy Roenker. Walker and Roenker combine for a thunder and lightning attack out of the spead offense that HC has implemented this year. This is the first time these two have met since the 2006 season when Holy Cross blanked the Tigers, 30-0.

Lee's pick: Holy Cross 28-18

Ryan's pick: Holy Cross 35-13

Covington Catholic @ Ryle

The Colonels from Park Hills head to Union in their first game under new head coach Dave Wirth. Despite all the excitement that has been built over the summer, do they have enough to knock off the Raiders? Ryle is led by junior Conner Hempel who threw for 1300 yards and had a ridiculous Td/INT ratio 0f 4/1 last season (17td's / 4 int). Out of the backfield expect the two headed monster of Travis Elliott and Keifer Eubanks to both have big nights on the ground. Ryle's balanced offense should keep the Colonel D guessing all night. Don't expect Covcath's first W under Coach Wirth to come this week.

Lee's Pick: Ryle 34-14

Ryan's Pick: Ryle 38-21

NKY Football preview

Ryan Ernst and Richard Skinner did a great job with this year's NKY football preview. Here is a link to the Enquirer page that has links to every nky team:

Kentucky Previews

Also, my partner and I will be doing previews for each game every week as well as posting our picks on here. Check back for more later.

Collinsworth to visit Harvard

Depsite preparing for his senior year, Highlands' standout Austin Collinsworth has set an official visit. Collinsworth plans on visiting Harvard on September 30th and according to Jody Demling, also said he's "maybe" going to get back to Stanford and plans on taking an official to Vanderbilt.

Collinsworth, who at 6'1 180 was an all state receiver last year, noted that he wants to attend a school that will give him opportunity after football as well. He will be playing running back for the Birds this year and is considered one of the top 5 prospects in the state. The versatile senior played receiver, defensive back, and was the kick return specialist for the Birds this past season and led them in virtually every category related to those positions. Expect AC to have a HUGE year.

AC also holds offers from Louisville, UK, and UC.

Highlands-Beechwood moved back to Beechwood

After originally moving the game to Nippert Stadium at UC due to parking issues, the Highlands Beechwood game has been moved back to Beechwood. The reason to switch back was made because of the cost being much higher than originally planned and Beechwood's parking situation being worked out. The decision had been made several days ago but Ryan Ernst confirmed it today on his blog.

The game was originally scheduled to be aired live over the internet on nkysports.com, but with the change, I'm not sure if they will still be doing it or not. I'll find out and update when it gets closer.

Player Spotlight: Marcellus Barksdale (Tates Creek)

When you talk about the top players in the state for the class of 2011, one name you hear very often is Marcellus Barksdale of Tates Creek High School. The 6'4 junior suffered a high ankle sprain at the beginning of the summer and was forced to stay off the court until June but that hasn't stopped him from working on improving his game. After making his first appearance of the summer in the Adidas It Takes 5ive Classic in Cincinnati, interest for the guard has gone up and he has emerged as one of the top prospects in the state. Despite battling through a knee injury, Barksdale averaged 18 ppg, 9 rpg, 4 ast, and 2 stls this past season for the Commodores as a sophomore and expects to have an even bigger year this coming season. I recently had the chance to talk to Marcellus and do a Q&A segment with him. Here's what he had to say:

Q: What areas of your game have you been trying to improve over the summer?

A: I've really just been working on coming back from my injury and working out. I didn't get to play until June but since then, I've been working on developing my guard skills by doing drills, learning how to use my body depending on how I'm being defended, as well as body control with the ball.

Q: Where do you feel you've grown most since last season?

A: I've really developed in to a shooting guard and also improved my ball handling. My perimeter game is also much better.

Q: What are some of your personal goals/expectations for you and your team this season?

A: We have a great coach and return a lot from last year, so I think we have a great chance at surprising some people this year and winning the 11th region. As far as my personal goals, I'd really just like to help motivate my teammates, improve my game, and also play well enough to make the all state team.

Q: What do you and your team need to do to be successful not only in the 11th region, but also against the other top teams around the state?

A: We need to stay focused and play defense all year. I feel like if we can get out and run we'll be very successful. We should be one of the top teams in the state as long as we play to our potential.

Q: Which schools are currently looking at you?

A: I'm not really worried about it right now because I'm focused on my high school season, but Clemson, Tennessee, Iowa, and Wright State have all shown interest. As long as I play to what I know I'm capable of, I should receive some offers before the end of my junior year.

Q: What factors will play in to your college decision and what are you looking for in a program?

A: I'm just looking for the right fit ; somewhere I can excell both on and off the court and academics will also play a role in my decision. On the court, coaching style and players leaving/coming in will both affect my decision on where I choose to go. I'd like to have the whole recruiting process done before my senior season so I can focus on my high school team.

Q: Who do you try to model your game after?

A: I've been watching a lot of old film on Allen Houston. He's not one of the most athletic guys but someone who does all of the little things like using his body and playing fundamental basketball. I also like Brandon Roy and Deron Williams. Both guys have great form. I've always been a Magic Johnson fan as well.

Q: Lastly, how would you compare yourself to the other top players around the state and what do you feel you bring to your team both on and off the court?

A: I think I'm right there in the thick of things with the other top players around the state. As far as what I bring to my team, I feel like I can do all of the little things that coaches love. I focus on being a leader, play unselfish basketball, and am also willing to give up a shot to help my teammates get a better shot. I really work hard on the defensive end as well.

Notes:

- Apparently Marcellus is a pretty good golfer. When I spoke to him, he had just finished golfing in a tournament.

- BTW, besides being a great athlete, the young man is also quite the student. He tells me that he currently holds a 3.3 G.P.A and received a 22 on his ACT. He plans on re-taking the ACT and is shooting for a 27 and hopes to bring his 3.3 up to a 3.5 this school year. Glad to see that he is putting academics first. It will really help him in the long run and open up a lot of doors.

- For NKY fans, you can see Barksdale in action against Ryle on January 23rd out in Union. If you haven't seen the young man play, I definetly recommend getting out and watching him. He, along with his classmate/teammate Ryan Fucci, combine for one of the best 1-2 punches in the state. One of the must see games on Tates Creek schedule is their December 8th match up with Scott Co @ Scott Co. Here is a link to the rest of their schedule.

- Don't be surprised if Tates Creek does end up winning the 11th region like MB expects. He tells me that they recently received a transfer by the name of Jaleel Cousins.....a 6'8 sophomore and relative of current UK freshman Demarcus Cousins. Marcellus tells me he met him the second day of school and is really excited to see what he has out on the court. Adding Cousins will allow MB to play a true 3 and not have to play out of position like he did last year because they lacked size.

- Lastly, I'd like to thank Marcellus for his time and wish him good luck this upcoming season. Should be a great year for him and his team.

Tom Potter Classic Updates

Here's a few updates from last night's games:

NCC 6 Holmes 0
Highlands 50 Male 40
Ryle 41 Dixie 41
Conner 21 Beechwood 17
Covcath 35 Holy Cross 14

Notes:

Holmes v NCC- Damien Oden looked very good on offense and special teams. NCC seems to be down some but Holmes defense really played well from what I hear. Not sure of his name, but Holmes has a sophomore to be that may end up emerging as the starting qb for the Dawgs. Heard he looked very good.

Highlands v Male- What can you say about the Birds that everyone doesn't already know. Man they are absolutely loaded. How did Collinsworth do at runningback? First time he touched the ball he took it to the house for 60 yards and also had, I believe, 2 more scores and several more long runs. . Will Bardo also showed a nice touch on his deep passes and Brandon Roller was in mid season form at linebacker. The Birds led 43-14 before Dale started subbing in 2nd and 3rd teamers to get them some reps. Male added 4 scores in the second half of play to give you the final of 50-40. To put up 50 points on a solid Male team is still very impressive for this only being the Birds first scrimmage.

Ryle v Dixie- Ryle led Dixie 41-7 and pretty much dominated the first 3 quarters before letting the JV take over. It ended up a tie 41-41, as Dixie left their starters in the whole game. Don't let this be a testament as to how Dixie will perform this season though. They generally don't start out well and I expect by week 3 they will have all the kinks worked out and rolling right along. Oh...Ryle is also pretty darn good with Hempel and Elliott. Elliott was recently mentioned as one of the top 100 fresh faces to watch for this coming season by maxpreps.com. Keeping teams from keying on the run, is Eubanks out wide. Elliott, Hempel, and Eubanks just might be one of the best trios in the area. They remind me a lot of the big 3 from 2007. (Gray, Murray, Schmitz)

Conner v Beechwood- From what I hear West started out slow and Beechwood jumped out to a 10-7 lead but in the second half both he and Pugh got things rolling to lead Conner to a 21-17 win. West is considered to be one of the top qb prospects in the state for his class. Coach Trosper has put the offense in his hands and that allows the Cougars to do a lot of different things with him out there reading defenses and using audibles to put the offense in position to succeed. I expect big things from Coach T's bunch this year. Don't be surprised if they win NKY 6A this year.

Covcath v Holy Cross- This was a series format scrimmage. Each team got 3 sets of 10 plays and then they played a half of live game situations. In the end Covcath prevailed 35-14 but the talk of the scrimmage was HC's QB Markel Walker. The 6'3 Walker also plays defense and was their best player on both sides of the ball. As far as Covcath goes, it seems as though Wirth has got the program heading in the right direction. The offense they run suits their new QB, Erpenbeck, very well since he is more of a dual threat QB, rather than a pure pocket passer like Isler from last year. Offensively Covcath will miss Robinson this year who's out for the season with an injury but the Colonels may surprise a few people this year with their new team attitude.

Should be an exciting year for nky football.

A Rising Bluegrass Star

Nice segment on East Carter's Colt Barnhill in the Louisville Courier Journal today:

One player in the state of Kentucky that improved his stock more than any other in-state prospect this summer is East Carter forward Colt Barnhill.

The 6-foot-7 Barnhill went from an unknown commodity outside of the 16th Region to a player that has some serious interest from Division I schools.

Barnhill played for the Derek Smith All-Stars 17s team and in a number of games led the team in scoring and rebounding, playing in some of the best events in the country.

"I came into this summer being the underdog," Barnhill said. "Nobody knew about me but playing and all the coaches seeing me helped the word spread. It's just been a golden opportunity for me and I tried my best every game. I wanted to show them what I could do."

Barnhill, who averaged double figures the past two seasons at East Carter, said he will just "see how it rolls" from here on out before making a final decision.

With an offer in hand from Lincoln Memorial, Barnhill said Navy, Eastern Kentucky and Northern Kentucky have also been in contact. He noted Navy "has called a bunch.

Elisha Justice Update

Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier Journal recently wrote the following on Elisha:

One of the state of Kentucky's top uncommitted prospects from the Class of 2010 is Shelby Valley High School guard Elisha Justice, who ran with the Derek Smith All-Stars this summer.

The 5-foot-11 Justice has one offer and said he feels like his play this past spring and summer opened a few more doors with some colleges.

"We had a lot of coaches at our games," Justice said. "I gave it everything I had in each and every game. I still feel like I could have played better, my shot wasn't always there.

"I overall, I felt like I had a pretty good summer."

Justice has a scholarship offer from Jacksonville University. He said other schools that are showing the most interest are Eastern Kentucky, Radford, Marshall and Navy.

Notes:

- Elisha is no stranger to success and winning. He has led his Shelby Valley team to the state tournament 2 of the 3 years that he's been playing varsity basketball and his team should return to Rupp this year as well. If he wins the 15th region POY this coming year, it will be his 3rd in a row.

- One of the biggest knocks on him is his size. At 5'111 170 lbs, not many college coaches are really looking at him hard. He is no doubt a D1 talent, but how high he is, is still left to be seen.

- I think he'd fit in very well with a low major D1 school and be able to excel early on. Either way, the kid will have his education payed for.

- It will be tough to really get a take on just how much Elisha improves throughout the high school season since his team plays in a rather weak region, but one of the bigger games on Shelby Valley's schedule is against Christian Co. Christian Co returns 4 starters from last season's 2nd region championship team and could potentially be a top 5 team with what they return. Look for Elisha to use this game as a time to shine and prove himself.

Kentucky Elite Recap

(Photo: Front Row: Mason Monroe, Blake Sanders, Dontez Byrd Middle Row: Asst Coach John Green, Quin Richardson, Nate McGovney, Christian McClendon, Isaiah Jones, Head Coach Brad Sizemore Back Row: Jackson Davis, Dalton Cornett, Cameron Lewis, Derek Willis)

Kentucky Elite was widely regarded as one of the best AAU programs in the state this past summer. They came up short of their goal of a national championship but overall did well finishing in the top 20 of 128 teams playing D1. Some don't realize that this was just their first year playing together as a program.

Some of their other accolades include finishing 2nd in the state, Final 8 at the KnoxVegas Heat, 2nd in the Eddie Ford Hoops Stimulas tourney, Final four in the Adidas Takes 5ive tourney at UC, and winning the Adidas May Classic in Bloomington. They also won many local/regional tournaments around the state.

We should expect to see a lot of improvement and an even greater 2nd year for their program next year. Some of their plans include playing in the bigger tournaments that are NCAA certified. Thanks to Ken Monroe, who kept stats for Kentucky Elite, I have been provided with the following stats and recap of their nationals run:

Game 1 Pool Play Sunday 8/2/09 8:30 pm vs Houston Select 2014 (2009 13U D1 National Champions)

Starters: Monroe, Sanders, Richardson, Willis, Davis

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: KE 6 24 36 56

HS 17 33 46 67

Scoring: Monroe 8, Sanders 13, Richardson 7, Willis 7, McGovney 4, McClendon 17.

2pt Field Goals 11/26, 3pt Field Goals 9/22, FT 7/11.

Game 2 Pool Play Monday 8/3/09 2:30 pm vs New Jersey Shooting Stars

Starters: Sanders, McClendon, Jones, McGovney, Willis ( The starting lineup stayed this way the rest of the tournament.)

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: NJ 13 22 37 64

KE 19 34 47 65 (NJ kid hit a half court shot at the end of regulation)

Scoring: Sanders 6, Jones 4, McClendon 13, Willis 5, McGovney 5, Monroe 9, Richardson 15, Davis 6, Cornett 2.

2pt Field Goals 14/43, 3pt Field Goals 6/14, FT 19/36.

Game 3 Pool Play Tuesday 8/4/09 10:00 am vs I-5 Elite Portland Oregan ( Won the King James Classic)

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: I-5 17 25 46 63

KE 21 33 50 69

Scoring: Sanders 6, McClendon 17, Jones 7, McGovney 5, Willis 11, Richardson 10, Monroe 12, Lewis 1.

2pt Field Goals 15/27, 3pt Field Goals 7/14, FT 18/29.

Going into last day of Pool Play every team was 1-1 and fighting for 1st and 2nd Place to advance to the National Bracket.

1st Place Houston Select 2014 (2-1)

2nd Place Kentucky Elite (2-1)

3rd Place Shooting Stars (1-2)

4th Place I-5 Elite (1-2)

Game 4 1st Round of National Bracket Wednesday 8/5/09 11:30 am vs Dallas Mustangs

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: KE 10 29 42 55

DM 19 27 36 51

Scoring: Sanders 14, McClendon 8, Jones 4, Willis 3, Davis 6, Monroe 13, Lewis 7.

2pt Field Goals 15/38, 3pt Field Goals 6/10, FT 7/11.

Game 5 2nd Round National Bracket Final 32 Wednesday 8/5/09 5:30 pm vs Orlando SOYSA TC (Hometown team and wound up finishing in 10th Place.)

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: SO 10 20 26 42

KE 11 14 22 39

Scoring: Sanders 11, McGovney 4, McClendon 7, Willis 2, Richardson 5, Monroe 6, Lewis 4.

2pt Field Goals 12/26, 3pt Field Goals 4/20, FT 3/4.

The above loss dropped them to the 2nd round Consolation Bracket where they could either place 7th or 11th.

Game 6 2nd Round Consolation Bracket Thursday 8/6/09 5:30 pm vs Memphis War Eagles (Tennessee State Champs)

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: KE 22 43 58 81

WE 11 29 45 69

Scoring: Sanders 8, McClendon 9, McGovney 12, Jones 5, Willis 9, Monroe 6, Richardson 6, Davis 8, Lewis 4, Cornett 12, Byrd 2.

2pt Field Goals 31/53, 3pt Field Goals 2/9, FT 13/21.

Game 7 2nd Round Consolation Bracket Friday 8/7/09 10:00 am vs Atlanta Celtics on Main Court 1 at the Milkhouse.

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Score: KE 7 23 31 46

AC 12 20 28 47

Scoring: Sanders 9, McClendon 6, McGovney 7, Jones 2, Willis 5, Monroe 8, Cornett 9.

2pt Field Goals: 13/39, 3pt Field Goals: 5/15, FT: 5/5


Here is a complete breakdown of Kentucky Elite's final stats for the tournament:

Total Points Avg 2pt Fg % 3pt Fg % FT %

Christian McClendon 77 11 14-20 70 14-39 36 7-11 64

Blake Sanders 67 9.6 12-26 46 7-15 47 22-31 71

Mason Monroe 62 8.9 15-30 50 5-14 36 15-20 75

Quin Richardson 43 6.1 11-27 41 5-13 38 6-9 67

Derek Willis 42 6 11-25 44 6-14 43 2-4 50

Nate McGovney 37 5.3 14-28 50 1-6 17 6-13 46

Dalton Cornett 24 3.9 11-16 69 - - 2-2 100

Isaiah Jones 22 3.1 6-23 26 1-1 100 7-8 88

Jackson Davis 20 2.9 9-35 26 - - 2-7 29

Cameron Lewis 15 2.1 7-22 32 0-1 - 1-8 13

Dontex Byrd 2 1.0 0-3 - - - 2-2 100


We would like to congratulate the whole Kentucky Elite family (players, coaches, parents) for all of their accomplishments this summer and also wish all of the players good luck this upcoming season at their respective high schools. In NKY, expect to see Mason Monroe (Pendleton Co), Nate McGovney (Campbell Co), and Christian Mcclendon (Holmes) to see valuable minutes at the varsity level. The future looks bright.

Rose Hill to be investigated by KHSAA

I'm hearing from many people the the Rose Hill basketball team is in serious danger. Former coach Tim Fraley, who now coaches at Greenup Co, is being investigated for recruiting violations. Per KHSAA rules, it against the bylaws for any coach to recruit. Jeffersontown coach Jeff Morrow was suspended last season at the beginning of the year for recruiting Aaron Cosby (2010) to the school. Rose Hill could potentially be put on probation and also see some serious fines when it's all said and done.

As far as how this affects the program, tuition was raised this past season and that combined with the investigation has caused Rose Hill to lose several players, including their top two from this past season in Mike Terry and Corey Gregg. Terry is a 6'5 G/F that is considered by many to be one of the top 2 or 3 best players in the 16th region. Gregg is a 6'2 soph to be that was a major contributor this past season.

Terry is heading to Fairview while Gregg is heading to Raceland. What a mess. Kind of makes you raise questions about former players OJ Mayo, Bill Walker, Dakotah Euton, and Chad Jackson as well.

Darryl Hicks to North Oldham

One of the top prospects in the state for the class of 2013, Darryl Hicks, has officially enrolled at North Oldham High School. The 6'4 Hicks, who was in the Shelby County system last year, is considered by many to be one of the top incoming freshman in the country after putting up huge numbers over the summer on the AAU circuit for The Ville' (who also won the Adidas Super 64 14U tourney in Vegas).

As an 8th grader playing varsity for Shelby County last year, Hicks averaged 8 ppg and 5 rpg. From the Louisville Courier Journal, his father said the following about the transfer:

"It's officially North Oldham," the elder Hicks said. "Everything is cleared and he's enrolled and ready to go. We're excited for him." "It was the best situation we looked at and it was not just about basketball," the elder Hicks said. "We really liked the academic situation at North Oldham. He's a talented enough athlete that the coaches will be there and all of (the recruitment) will be in order. But his academics have too be up too par."

Hicks is currently receiving interest from the following schools:
Indiana, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, Missouri and Butler

One of the more intriguing match ups on North Oldham's schedule this coming season will be when they travel to Fern Creek who has one of the top senior prospects in the state in 6'5 Orlando Rutledge. Will be interesting to see how Hicks and Rutledge match up.

Hicks leaving Shelby County surely makes some wonder "why?". My partner Lee Witte forwarded the following story to me:

Hicks saga leaving many with questions

KR Sports (1160 AM) Radio Schedule

Randy Wilson and Kevin Rengering of KR Sports (1160 AM) will be doing the following football games live this season over the radio:

Fri. 9/11 CovCath at Campbell Co. 6:40pm
Sat. 9/19 Beechwood at CovCath 12:40pm
Fri. 9/25 St. Xavier at Highlands 7:10pm
Sat. 9/26 NewCath at CovCath 12:40pm
Fri. 9/4 Scott Co. at Boone Co. 6:40pm
Fri. 10/2 Boone Co. at Conner 6:40pm
Fri. 10/9 Dixie at Holmes 6:40pm
Sat. 10/17 Highlands at CovCath 12:40pm
Fri.10/23 CovCath at Dixie 6:40pm
Fri. 10/30 NewCath at Beechwood 6:40pm

Playoffs:
Fri. 11/13
Fri. 11/20
Fri. 11/27
Fri. 12/4 Possible State Finals (11:00am. 3:00pm, 7:00pm)
Sat. 12/11 Possible State Finals (11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm)

Nkysports.com schedule

Just received the following email from Ben of nkysports.com:



NORTHERN KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Northern Kentucky High School Football is only 10 days away and we're happy to announce our NKY High School Game of the Week Video Webcast schedule! All games will be brought to you LIVE and in VIDEO over the internet!

8/28/09 - Conner @ Scott
9/4/09 - Highlands @ Beechwood (Nippert)
9/12/09 - Ryle @ NCC
9/18/09 - Ryle @ Dixie
9/25/09 - Campbell County @ Boone County
10/2/09 - Ryle @ Campbell Cty
10/9/09 - Bellevue @ Dayton
10/16/09 - Simon Kenton @ Boone County
10/23/09 - Beechwood @ Bellevue
10/30/09 - NCC @ Beechwood
11/6/09 - Playoffs
11/13/09 - Playoffs

NKYSports.com will also be Video Webcasting various Girls High School Volleyball games throughout the year. You can check our volleyball schedule online for the dates of these broadcasts.

Chane Behanan Update

So here's what I'm getting.

Someone very close to Chane is the one making the comments that he is de-committing from UC, but per Chane himself, he is still committed to being a Bearcat. Apparently a relative or someone close to him is trying to control the situation and get his name out by making these statements.

"Some things are going to come out and we are going to hear some things that aren't true, so don't believe them." These are the words of someone affiliated with the recruiting scene at UC.

Chane Behanan to open up recruitment???

It is being reported that 6'7 PF Chane Behanan, who recently transferred from Aiken High School in Cincinnati, OH to Bowling Green HS here in Kentucky, has re-opened his recruitment. Behanan was originally committed to the University of Cincinnati and is considered one of the top 50 players in the country for the class of 2011.

I have seen nothing on any major sites to indicate that Behanan has de-committed and according to several people who are close to the UC program, it's just a rumor being started by a family member, but I'll do some digging and see what I can find out.

Update:

Purples coach D.G. Sherrill told the Daily News this morning that Behanan - who committed to the University of Cincinnati last summer - wants the chance to look at all possible options.

“He committed before his sophomore year of high school, which is way too early for anybody to commit to a college,” Sherrill said. “He still wants to consider Cincinnati as a place he could possibly go and it’s still at the top of his list.

“He just wants to open it back up to see all the options available.”Behanan transferred to BGHS this summer after spending the first two years of his prep career at Aiken High School in Cincinnati.

Considered a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Behanan has also fielded offers from Ohio State, West Virginia and Xavier, according to Rivals.

Meanwhile, Behanan participated in Western Kentucky’s second Elite Camp over the weekend.

Sherrill said Behanan enjoyed his time at the camp, but WKU has not extended a scholarship offer at this point.

Complete Article from BGDailyNews.com

Ricardo Johnson Update

Spoke with Ric on the phone this morning and he recently picked up offers from Western Ky, Drake, and Duquesne.

Rico now holds offers from Bradley, Ohio, Marshall, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Western Ky, Drake, and Duquesne.

He said he plans on using all 5 official visits and will make a decision from there. Bradley and Ohio are on his list of places he'll visit. In a recent conversation with him, he said he plans on visiting both schools at the end of August.

Q&A: Tamron Manning

At 6'3, Tamron Manning is considered by many recruiting services to be the top prospect in the class of 2012 here in Kentucky. The sophomore to be has been making a name for himself for years on a national level through school ball and also on the AAU circuit. Manning was a key player for the Scott County Cardinals last season, despite playing on a veteran team that featured 4 other D1 prospects in Dakotah Euton, Richie Phares, Ge'Lawn Guyn, and Chad Jackson. Manning's strength and ability to get to the rim and ballhawking defense made him a tough match up for many opposing teams. Although Manning is one of the most athletic and talented players in his class, he has been striving to get better this offseason. I recently had the chance to catch up with Tamron and here is what he had to say:

What are some of the things you've been working on over the summer?

I've been getting more range on my shot and I've also been doing a lot of ball handling drills.

Where do you feel like you need to improve most?

I really need to develop a consistent 3point shot.

What are some of your personal goals this season for yourself and your team?

Myself, I wanna make my team better and be a leader. For my team I want to make it to Rupp and cut the nets down.

What was it like walking off the court last year at EKU after Lexcath upset you guys in region? How has that motivated you?

It was a bad feeling...I've stayed in the gym and have worked really hard to try and make sure i never have that feeling ever again.

What do you and your team need to do to be successful against the other top teams around the state?

Just play together..we are still very talented, so we just have to play as a team and do all the little things.

How has playing with veterans like Euton, Jackson, and Guyn helped develop your game?

Well it's helped greatly. Everyday in practice getting to go up against high d-1 competition has really helped me.

Are you hearing from any schools right now?

Yes...Oklahoma , Louisville , Indiana , Tennessee , Cincinnati , Florida St , Virgina Tech , Miami , and Alabama.

A lot of recruiting services consider you the best prospect in KY for the class of 2012. What's your take on that?

Well..it's nice..but I have a long way to go. Kentucky is a good basketball state so players are working hard everyday..I just have to continue to seperate myself.

Last question...what do you feel you bring to your team as a person and athlete?

I bring athleticism, scoring, and defensive presence. As a person I bring a leader and a positive attitude.

Notes:

- If you've yet to see this kid play, you really need to get out and watch him. He is going to be a very special player over the next 3 years. He is already very physically and mentally developed for his age and plays with a lot of intensity out on the court. When it's all said and done, I have a feeling he'll be playing high D1 ball somewhere.

- With Tamron being a year older and Scott Co. returning Guyn, Euton, and Jackson, they are a heavy favorite to cut down the nets in March at Rupp Arena. Their lineup will be a match up nightmare for opposing teams.

- Although he's only a sophomore, Manning has to be mentioned when compiling a list of the top players around the state, regardless of class. Many who are close to the Scott Co program have said he may very well end up being the best player to ever come out of Georgetown. That says a lot considering all of the talented players who have played under Billy Hicks and also at SC.

- With Scott Co. playing their traditional tough schedule and travelling out of state for tournaments, expect Manning to blow up this season and start receiving a lot of attention nationally on the recruiting trail.

-Lastly, I'd like to thank Tamron for his time and wish him good luck this upcoming season.

Player Spotlight: Hunter Schlosser (Highlands)

Today's profile is on 2 yr starting offensive lineman at Highlands High School, Hunter Schlosser. He comes from the quintessential Fort Thomas football family having a father who was a former All State Player at Highlands in the mid 70's and a brother, Ben Schlosser, who earned a couple of All State teams. The Family history doesn’t stop there though as his mother is a Fennell and there is plenty of Highlands Football history there as well. Hunter's cousin Clemmie Fennell played on the 98', 99' and 2000 Championship teams; another cousin Danny Fennell was on the 95' team that reached the state finals and lost to Bowling Green. Uncle Clem Fennell (Clemmie's father) was a member of the 68' state championship team. Another Uncle, Kent Fennell (Danny's father) was on the 68' and 70' Championship teams. Grandfather Clem Fennell Sr was on the 1943 mythical State Championship team. I can only imagine what the topic of discussions are at the family gatherings.

This season, Hunter Schlosser, a Senior, will help anchor a very strong offensive line along with other classmates Tyler Grubbs (Div 1 Commit to Miami of OH), Tyler Combs (2nd yr starter) Brandon Roller (3 yr starter at TE) and Kyle Welz (2nd yr starter and bruising TE going 6'6 250lbs). Schlosser was a 2nd Team NKFCA All Star last season and is striving to cap his Senior campaign off with his 3rd State Championship ring as well as earning a spot on the All State Team. We recently had the chance to catch up with Hunter and here is what he had to say:

Last season was very special winning your 2nd state championship in a row but with the group you have returning do you think this year's team has the potential to be better?

I think that we definitly have the potential to be better than last year's team and maybe one of the best Highlands teams ever.

What personal goals do you have for this season outside of winning a 3rd straight state championship?

Outside of winning a 3rd State Championship I think it would be pretty cool to make it on the all-state team.

You come from a family that has a lot of tradition with Highlands football, tell us about that and how that has influenced you?

The tradition is always there and it has influenced me to be disciplined and determined and how to handle adversity. I remember watching my older brother walk off the field in 2006 after they lost to Cov Cath and remember telling myself that I would do whatever it took to never have this happen again. So yeah tradition has played a major role in the type of player I am today.

Who are some of the guys you hang out with both on and off the field and what are some of the things you like to do outside of football?

I hang out with Brandon Roller, Austin Collinsworth, Will Bardo, Nick Buten, Tyler Fennell, David Hogue, and Colin Rosenhagen. We usually go golfing and for those of us who aren't the best at golf we go fishing. We also like to just hang out at each others houses.

This might be one of the most talented senior classes I have seen come out of Highlands in a long time, what has it been like playing football with so many high caliber players and tell us what we can expect from the guy you will be protecting this year in Will Bardo?

Its great having such high caliber players on the team this year because you know that if you just make your block they are going to take it the distance. All of our backs and recievers have the potential to take it to the house on every play. Its great blocking for Will Bardo because you know that your blocking for a great passing quarterback but at the same time if he needs to run he has the speed to burn just about everyone on the field. I believe Bardo will prove to be one of the best quarterbacks in the state of Kentucky this year.

The offensive line is a position that doesn’t get a lot of glory but has to execute in order for your offense to perform. Highlands has always had quick, skilled lineman who are very strong and have great technique. What can you attribute this to?

I can attribute the offensive line being the way we are to the strenuous workouts that start the first day back from Christmas Break. We do many agility drills and are pushed to strive for perfection. I will admit that at times during the offseason it was hard to see sometimes how it would pay off but now that we are in the summer and getting ready to enter the regular season it has become very clear.

We wish Hunter the best this season as the Birds will surely be battle tested in their mid-season clash with National and Local Powerhouse Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Video of Hunter Schlosser in action.

Marshall Co. Hoopfest Schedule

One of the most prestigious events in Kentucky, Marshall Co Hoopfest, has released it's schedule for this upcoming season. The hoopfest generally draws not only some of the top in state teams, but also several top teams from around the country.

The hoopfest will be played Dec. 3rd-Dec. 5th at Marshall Co High School. Here is the full schedule, with the in state teams bolded:

Thursday December 3
5:00 PM Marshall County KY Vs Massac County IL (girls)
6:30 PM Marshall County KY Vs Massac County IL
8:00 PM Graves County KY Vs Mulenburg County KY

Friday December 4
5:00 PM Marshall County KY Vs McLean County IL (girls)
6:30 PM Christian County KY Vs Bellville Altholf Catholic IL
8:00 PM South Laurel KY Vs Bowman Academy IN
9:30 PM Findlay Prep NV Vs Christ School NC

Saturday December 5
12:00 PM Paducah Tilghman KY Vs Perry County KY
1:30 PM Lexington Catholic KY Vs Warren Central KY
3:00 PM Jeffersontown KY Vs South Laurel KY
4:30 PM Christ School NC Vs St. Patrick MS
6:30 PM Covington Holmes KY Vs Bowman Acadamy
8:00 PM Oak Hill Academy VA Vs Jackson Calloway MS
9:30 PM Findlay Prep NV Vs New America NY

This event is LOADED with talent. Here are a few players to keep an eye out for:

Covington Holmes- Ricardo Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson, Elijah Pittman
Jeffersontown- Thomas Jackson, Desmond Dorsey
Paducah Tilghman- Josh Forrest
Christian Co- Shaquille Wilson, Donovan Kates
South Laurel- Matt St. John
Warren Central- George Fant, Jordan Shanklin

Findlay Prep- Tristan Thompson (Texas Commit)
Oak Hill Academy- Doron Lamb (top 20 nationally c/o 2010)
Christ School- Tony Kimbro Jr, Marshall Plumlee

Firebirds season comes to an end

The NKY Firebirds lost this morning to Minuteman-White in the consolation bracket. Not sure of the score but Ricardo Johnson said he played well and his brother JJ played great. Hopefully interest will start picking up for him.

The Firebirds leave with a 6th place finish and 5-2 record.