2007 Ky Mr Football Contenders

[DevilsWin]

Who are the favorites and why?

[DEVILOLOGIST]

Thomas =Ashland

[Tomcat68]

Thomas =Ashland

The Ashland faithful would hope for that type of season out of Thomas, but the only legitimate contender I can think of from the Eastern end of the state would be Grimm out of Johnson Central.

Thomas didn't have mind blowing stats last season and will be returning to an offense only returning 3 starters (QB Mahan, TE Bonner, and RB Thomas). It will take some time just for the line to mature enough to open some good running lanes.

[DevilsWin]

Grimm will have a shot if he puts on some size before next season and has great, not good blocking. What kind of line will Johnson Central have in 2007?

Thomas has all the intangibles but will Ashland be good enough to get him the state-wide exposure he'll need to get noticed?

[mcfan1]

Shawn Grimm, will probably have the best shot for someone around here winning it.

[FBALL]

Thomas =Ashland

Thomas, no.

Grimm has a shot but a slim one.

Dustin May and Tyler Jones may be the two best East of Lexington.

[Keepnitreal]

I look for Grimm to have similar numbers, but maybe not quite as many yards. This has nothing to do with the O-line not being as good, because I think Coach Burchett will have that taken care of. It is a statement that JC will have many more weapons than just Grimm and Johnson like this year. I look for a big year out of Welch and Richardson who will both be juniors and I look for Nate Dillion to get allot more carries as a sophomore. I also think you'll see a little more passing in the game this year with Ratliff being a senior and the big TE, Dials, returning and Welch in the split.

A 2800 yard year again for Grimm is unlikely, I see a much more balanced attack in 2007. But I do feel that if Johnson Central can duplicate their success and maybe even get to the championship game, Grimm has a real shot!

[blackcat]

Didn't Grimm get hurt late last year?

[DEVILOLOGIST]

I was being optomistic of any kid from eastern Ky, but you all know the rest......

[Cards09]

Adam dials

[Keepnitreal]

Didn't Grimm get hurt late last year?

He just spained his neck in the last couple of minutes of the Cov. Cath. game when his was collared.

He was back out running after school the next Monday.

[RayRay]

Thomas is a great player and will probably go D1 with his size and speed but he won't have the supporting cast around him this season. With no starters back on the O-line, Ashlands offense will have a hard time.

Grimm is a terrific player and is very gifted. Size isn't an issue in the Mr. football voting but getting looks from major colleges is. And with Grim being how big he is I just don't see big colleges looking. He will be a great back in HS and the smaller college level.

Dustin May is a great bruising fullback who has the speed to get the corner. He won't be as much of a contender that David Jones was but he will be solid. I don't see Mr. Football from a fullback/Halfback but with his athletic ability i see a bright future.

Tyler Jones is a gifted athlete but being in the Wing T offense hurts because he's a QB. Hand the ball of 80% of the time, and another 10% is runs for him. That doesn't let him get the big passing #'s that they like.

If Juan Thomas, Arliss Beach, Justin Burke, David Jones, Josh Gross, Kasey Clark, Michael West, Chase Minnifield and company can't win it i fear no one from EKY will.

[Meaty]

Somerset=John Cole

[SportsKrazee]

Grimm and May will be known as two of the best backs in the mountains possibly the state when we look back in a cpl of years IMO

[BlackcatAlum]

In East Ky I'd say Thomas from Ashland, and Shawn Grimm from Johnson Central.

[Midee1]

If Juan Thomas, Arliss Beach, Justin Burke, David Jones, Josh Gross, Kasey Clark, Michael West, Chase Minnifield and company can't win it i fear no one from EKY will.

I have had the privilege of watching several of these players and i agree. If some from this group couldn't get the job done I fear that no one from this are will have a chance.

I may be a bit biased but I have never seen a more "pure" football talent than Josh Gross had and he did not get close.

[Estaban Esteves]

Shaun Grimm and and one of the dials & kelly couple they can make their own holes or illude almost any defender....at the highschool level

[OK2NV]

Grim should have a shot if he puts up 2800 yds. and 40 TD's again. The line will be fine. JCHS has many young guys that will step up and get it done this season. As far as the eastern ky. thing Grim but up over 200 yds. against the State Champs from Northern Ky. He has proven he can run on anyone (thanks to one of the best oline coaches in the state)

[RayRay]

Justin Burke put up unbelievable stats, 210 of 388, 3,568 passing yards and 62 touchdowns in ONE SEASON!!!!!!!!! And still didn't win.

[FBALL]

Thomas is a great player and will probably go D1 with his size and speed but he won't have the supporting cast around him this season. With no starters back on the O-line, Ashlands offense will have a hard time.

Grimm is a terrific player and is very gifted. Size isn't an issue in the Mr. football voting but getting looks from major colleges is. And with Grim being how big he is I just don't see big colleges looking. He will be a great back in HS and the smaller college level.

Dustin May is a great bruising fullback who has the speed to get the corner. He won't be as much of a contender that David Jones was but he will be solid. I don't see Mr. Football from a fullback/Halfback but with his athletic ability i see a bright future.

Tyler Jones is a gifted athlete but being in the Wing T offense hurts because he's a QB. Hand the ball of 80% of the time, and another 10% is runs for him. That doesn't let him get the big passing #'s that they like.

If Juan Thomas, Arliss Beach, Justin Burke, David Jones, Josh Gross, Kasey Clark, Michael West, Chase Minnifield and company can't win it i fear no one from EKY will.

I agree about the players you listed.

As far as Jones goes next year it might not be at QB. It is possible he steps into the HB spot next season.

[DevilsWin]

Well I'm sure that pretty much sums it up for Eastern Ky. What about Central KY, Northern Ky, Western Ky and Louisville areas?

[Throwback Gata Black]

In the past 20 years, there have been only two (2) Mr. Football's come from Eastern Kentucky. The obvious, Tim Couch of Leslie County in 1995. The other came by way of Evarts, Scott Russell in 1991. At that time, Russell became the state's all-time leading rusher with 7,090 yards on 839 carries surpassing NFL RB Mark Higgs. Russell was also coached by former Johnson Central head coach Bill Musick at the time. Russell's career rushing yards still places him 5th all-time.

I say Shawn Grimm will repeat a season much similar to this past one and will be named Mr. Football for 2007. JC's going to state mark it down!!!

[DevilsWin]

If they don't make it to state he(Grimm) can forget it being a running back from Eastern KY. I wish him the best of luck.

[mrfootball03]

Sorry guys, these guys won't make it.. Will be a Louisville school

[DevilsWin]

Sorry guys, these guys won't make it.. Will be a Louisville school

And who would that be?

[Kayaker]

Honestly it will be very difficult for anyone east of Lexington to win Mr. Football but if anyone can win it it would be Shawn Grimm of JC. Thomas of Ashland has nice size but struggled against big physical teams. Grimm is a long shot of winning but if JC makes another ran as they did they year and makes it to the carpet he has a legit shot.

[RayRay]

If anyone from EKY wants a shot, then they MUST make it to Louisville.

[dundee]

thomas = ashland
jones= russell
and of course grimm = jc

[DevilsWin]

Somerset=John Cole

I've heard about this kid. What position does he play? Tell us more about him.

[Midee1]

thomas = ashland
jones= russell
and of course grimm = jc

I would have to disagree with all of these.

Thomas does not have the exposure and size it takes.
Grimm is in the same boat as Thomas.
Jones will never even be considered if he continues to play QB at Russell. With a run oriented team like they are he will just not put up the numbers to get any attention. If they move him into the backfield then he won't have the numbers there either because he will only get one year back there.

Don't get me wrong. They are all 3 fine players. I have had the privilege of seeing both Jones and Thomas on many occasions and have listened to a couple of JC games. Just saying that they are not Mr. Football caliber in their perspective roles on the teams they play for.

[HazzBeen]

No way a Russell QB (under McGlone) will ever win Mr. Football. Nothing against Russell or McGlone, its just the style of play they use. Now a Russell RB, that sounds more like it. The Jones boy only threw a few passes in the finals last year and most of them were picked off.

[DevilsWin]

No way a Russell QB (under McGlone) will ever win Mr. Football. Nothing against Russell or McGlone, its just the style of play they use. Now a Russell RB, that sounds more like it. The Jones boy only threw a few passes in the finals last year and most of them were picked off.

RHS MCHS
FIRST DOWNS................... 14 7
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 44-161 41-202
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 145 0
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 19-9-3 1-0-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 63-306 42-202
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 1-10 0-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 2-19 2-11
Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 3-2
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 1-28.0 6-25.5
Fumbles-Lost.................. 2-2 1-0
Penalties-Yards............... 5-25 5-30
Possession Time............... 28:16 19:44
Third-Down Conversions........ 5 of 14 2 of 10
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 4 of 7 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 2-3 1-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-8 2-9

You best check yourself Hazzbeen. Here are the stats. Jones completed 3 times as many passes as he threw interceptions.

Thomas has the size to qualify for Mr Football. Look at Doug Beaumont and Vic Anderson. Not that much size difference.

Grimm has no shot unless JC makes it to state.

Jones has a shot if Russell makes it back to the carpet.
:redboxer:

[Kayaker]

RHS MCHS
FIRST DOWNS................... 14 7
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 44-161 41-202
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 145 0
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 19-9-3 1-0-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 63-306 42-202
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 1-10 0-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 2-19 2-11
Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 3-2
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 1-28.0 6-25.5
Fumbles-Lost.................. 2-2 1-0
Penalties-Yards............... 5-25 5-30
Possession Time............... 28:16 19:44
Third-Down Conversions........ 5 of 14 2 of 10
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 4 of 7 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 2-3 1-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-8 2-9

You best check yourself Hazzbeen. Here are the stats. Jones completed 3 times as many passes as he threw interceptions.

Thomas has the size to qualify for Mr Football. Look at Doug Beaumont and Vic Anderson. Not that much size difference.

Grimm has no shot unless JC makes it to state.

Jones has a shot if Russell makes it back to the carpet.
:redboxer:

I would not qualify completing 9 passes out of 19 with 3 INT's Mr. Football qualities. We can agree that it will be a long shot of anyone east of Lexington winning this award but you may be drinking a little to much of that Russell Kool Aid. But merely basing qualifications on size alone is laughable, it is a performance award.

[CoachB]

I would love to see a player from Eastern KY get this honor. I really can't see it as good as these kids are, Northern and Central Ky seem to always get the bid. Even if these players have close to the same numbers, we lack the exposure in the mountains. Unless the team wins the state and that player has extraordinary stats in the playoffs.

[FBALL]

I would love to see a player from Eastern KY get this honor. I really can't see it as good as these kids are, Northern and Central Ky seem to always get the bid. Even if these players have close to the same numbers, we lack the exposure in the mountains. Unless the team wins the state and that player has extraordinary stats in the playoffs.

Great stats and a state title may not do it either. Look at what Kasey Clark has done the last two years.

[HazzBeen]

RHS MCHS
FIRST DOWNS................... 14 7
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 44-161 41-202
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 145 0
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 19-9-3 1-0-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 63-306 42-202
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 1-10 0-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 2-19 2-11
Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 3-2
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 1-28.0 6-25.5
Fumbles-Lost.................. 2-2 1-0
Penalties-Yards............... 5-25 5-30
Possession Time............... 28:16 19:44
Third-Down Conversions........ 5 of 14 2 of 10
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 4 of 7 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 2-3 1-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-8 2-9

You best check yourself Hazzbeen. Here are the stats. Jones completed 3 times as many passes as he threw interceptions.

Thomas has the size to qualify for Mr Football. Look at Doug Beaumont and Vic Anderson. Not that much size difference.

Grimm has no shot unless JC makes it to state.

Jones has a shot if Russell makes it back to the carpet.
:redboxer:

So you are telling me those are good stats. Wow!! I won't hold this against all you Russell guys, because I think most of you know quite a bit about football. Well let me tell you this since you have started something here. I played QB and if I completed 9 passes and threw 3 INT's and this was a good day for me, I would consider changing my position. However, I never said Jones wasn't a good QB, he is perfect for Russell and what they do, but he is no Mr. Football, even if they do make it back to the carpet. BTW Here is a good day according to you. 15-30, 145 yards, and 5 INT's. Three times as many completions as picks!! :dontthink

[FBALL]

Jones best position is not QB. He is a RB that took over at QB out of necessity. He true position is RB. IMO he had a great year as a QB. In Russell's offense anybody that throws for more than 1,000 yards is pretty darn good. They normally will only throw it to keep a team honest. His best position may be on defense though.

I don't think anybody said he had his best day throwing the ball in the state championship game. Not that anybody could with 30mph winds. But the response by DevilsWin with the stats did contradict your statement "The Jones boy only threw a few passes in the finals last year and most of them were picked off". In fact he threw too many IMO. 19 is more than a few and 3 of 19 is nowhere close to "most".

I don't know what kind of offense you played in but I'm guessing it was not the wing-t. 9 completions is alot in that offense. Especially under the conditions at Papa Johns against a defense that good.

I played Gaurd and LB, like that means anything, and let me tell you this. Tyler Jones is one of the best quarterbacks, and even more impressive, one of the best football players to go through Russell High School.

Also if a Russell QB throws the ball 30 times in one game under coach McGlone. Some place hot has just frozen over.

[DevilsWin]

I don't think anybody said he had his best day throwing the ball in the state championship game. Not that anybody could with 30mph winds. But the response by DevilsWin with the stats did contradict your statement "The Jones boy only threw a few passes in the finals last year and most of them were picked off". In fact he threw too many IMO. 19 is more than a few and 3 of 19 is nowhere close to "most".

Tyler Jones is one of the best quarterbacks, and even more impressive, one of the best football players to go through Russell High School.

Also if a Russell QB throws the ball 30 times in one game under coach McGlone. Some place hot has just frozen over.

:Thumbs: :devilflam

[brotherinarms]

As much as I'd like to see Grimm win it I just cant see it happenin he is from a school east of lexington and that pretty much DQs you from the running

[Redneck]

As far as EKY players having a chance, there ain't many. Grimm and Cole (Somerset) are the only two I can think of that would have a chance.

[RayRay]

I would have to disagree with all of these.

Thomas does not have the exposure and size it takes.
Grimm is in the same boat as Thomas.
Jones will never even be considered if he continues to play QB at Russell. With a run oriented team like they are he will just not put up the numbers to get any attention. If they move him into the backfield then he won't have the numbers there either because he will only get one year back there.

Don't get me wrong. They are all 3 fine players. I have had the privilege of seeing both Jones and Thomas on many occasions and have listened to a couple of JC games. Just saying that they are not Mr. Football caliber in their perspective roles on the teams they play for.

I would definitely have to disagree with Thomas not having the size it takes. Matt Thomas is 6'2 185lbs, runs a 4.49 40 time and will be Mr. Everything for Ashland next season. I think they will use him much like USC used Reggie Bush, try and get him the ball in any way possible, be it receiving, running, kickoff return, punt return. He's a great player and will go D1 IMO but on the defensive side of the ball.

[DevilsWin]

I would definitely have to disagree with Thomas not having the size it takes. Matt Thomas is 6'2 185lbs, runs a 4.49 40 time and will be Mr. Everything for Ashland next season. I think they will use him much like USC used Reggie Bush, try and get him the ball in any way possible, be it receiving, running, kickoff return, punt return. He's a great player and will go D1 IMO but on the defensive side of the ball.

Thomas has what he needs in size strength and speed.
His only set back is being from Ashland and not Hopkinsville, Lexington or Louisville.

If he has a good QB and a good O-line he would be the best hope of bringing the brass to Eatern Ky.

I don't think Ashland has the beef and speed up front to help him out.

So once again, who from other parts of the state besides N-east Ky and the Mountains will have a shot? :popcorn:

[orisonspi]

Hope I don't depress everyone, but here is my two cents:

1. Someone mentioned Dustin May of Belfry and said he wom't be as big of a contender as David Jones was.... well the reason Dustin has no shot is the fact that David Jones was not even a contender for Mr. Football... he ddin't make any of the lists except for Class of the Commonwealth which was the Top 50 players. May may be the most dominant player in the state of KY next season in terms of his abilities on both sides of the ball, but sadly he will have no shot. This is due to several factors.... A) He is not a major college prospect B) Media coverage, especially TV, is scarce in East KY. I am willing to bet that if you polled the newspapers in Hazard and London as to who the best backs in East KY are they wouldn't mention May just absed on not seeing him enough, let alone across the state. C) Belfry's System... In Haywood's system it is a rarity for a back to run over 1500 yards in a season because Haywood usually equally disperses the carries, TD's, and yards. You also won't ever see Belfry "Running Up the Score" or "Stat Padding". Think back to the 2003 State Championship team who at the time finished with the second most rushing yards in state history. Had Haywood left Howard and Jones in past the second quarter against Magoffin County, East Ridge, Pike Central, Shelby Valley, Cawood, and Estill County.. Belfry would be the state's all time leader in single season rushing and Jones and Howard would easily have eclipsed the 2500 yard mark each with their yards per carry.

2. Tyler Jones of Russell. Once again the Russell system will not permit him to put up the eye catching numbers to be a contender. If Jones remains at QB he will probably see on average less than ten pass attempts per game, and less than 10-12 carries a game.McGlone will not run up the score, and he sure as heck won't be passign the ball with a big lead. What also works against Jones is shear name recognition...if you asked me to associate a player to Russell's team last season the first words off my tongue would be Kasey Clark.. if you asked me to name the next person to come to mind it would be Josh Willis, and this is coming from someone who followed Russell's progression quite a bit,,, let alone what Joe Bob Johnson at the Hopkinsville newspaper would think. It's a shame because my money says that Jones is the best QB East of 1-75 hands down, and maybe one of the best all around players in the state. But if Clark can't mount a serious contention for Mr. Football following his numbers last season in the season after being the Finals MVP.. I don'tt hink Jones has much of a chance either.

3. John Cole.... Bar none the best receiver in the state going into 2007 both statistically and on film. Gaudy numbers that haven't been seen in East Kentucky since Gerad Parker set national records at Lawrence County... a little bit better media attention being from Somerset (within Friday Night Flights range in Lexington)... but two things eliminate any chance of Cole winning Mr. Football. The first is the fact that he is the best RECEIVER in the state. Receivers get little love but the psychology is that they have to have the quarterback to put the ball where they can catch it. Secondly, he plays at a 1A school. Generally speaking, if you are not from a school with an enrollment over 1000 you have no shot... unless you sign to play football at UK.

4. Shawn Grimm... I have a little optimism in Grimm's case. First he is from a 3A (now 5A) school, so he passes the enrollment test. Secondly, his name got out last season. By leading the state in rushing, the constant propaganda from the hoardes of Eagles supporters across the state's message boards, the miraculous turnaround of the JC program and their undefeated run, and a very vocal head coach, Grimm did amass name recognition that at the very least stretches to Central KY and NKY (3A football hotbeds), even the Ashland Daily Independent adopted the Eagles as a local team.Grimm also made a statement in the playoffs by putting up big numbers against eventual state champion Covington Catholic. These factors puts Grimm where noone else in East KY has been in quite a while, that's a position to at least let his on the field results have a direct correlation with his chances.
Now for the pessimistic side. Grimm has an uphill battle to become a legit contender. First and formeost Matney is going to play a schedule condusive to winning , his toughest games will be against Intra-Mountain powerhouses which bodes well for preparing his team, but limits the media coverage. Say for example the JC vs. belfry matchup. The Eagles will more than likely be taking on a Top 5 team in 3A, it may even be a #1 ranked Belfry team, and more than likely JC will defeat them. If this was a matchup in your media hubs of CKY, NKY, or Louisville this game would be hyped immensely,,, but in all actuality the best statewide attention this game will garner will be a mention in the "Tonight's Top games" section of the Friday Herald-Leader in the lower left hand corner of the sports page. For every 100 yard 2 TD performance you see from a high profile Lexington HB or Louisville HB, Grimm needs to put up 200 yards and 5 TD's,,, and even then the arguement will always be "He did it against weaker competition". For Shawn Grimm to win this award JC HAS to make the state finals...PERIOD.

[FBALL]

Hope I don't depress everyone, but here is my two cents:

1. Someone mentioned Dustin May of Belfry and said he wom't be as big of a contender as David Jones was.... well the reason Dustin has no shot is the fact that David Jones was not even a contender for Mr. Football... he ddin't make any of the lists except for Class of the Commonwealth which was the Top 50 players. May may be the most dominant player in the state of KY next season in terms of his abilities on both sides of the ball, but sadly he will have no shot. This is due to several factors.... A) He is not a major college prospect B) Media coverage, especially TV, is scarce in East KY. I am willing to bet that if you polled the newspapers in Hazard and London as to who the best backs in East KY are they wouldn't mention May just absed on not seeing him enough, let alone across the state. C) Belfry's System... In Haywood's system it is a rarity for a back to run over 1500 yards in a season because Haywood usually equally disperses the carries, TD's, and yards. You also won't ever see Belfry "Running Up the Score" or "Stat Padding". Think back to the 2003 State Championship team who at the time finished with the second most rushing yards in state history. Had Haywood left Howard and Jones in past the second quarter against Magoffin County, East Ridge, Pike Central, Shelby Valley, Cawood, and Estill County.. Belfry would be the state's all time leader in single season rushing and Jones and Howard would easily have eclipsed the 2500 yard mark each with their yards per carry.

2. Tyler Jones of Russell. Once again the Russell system will not permit him to put up the eye catching numbers to be a contender. If Jones remains at QB he will probably see on average less than ten pass attempts per game, and less than 10-12 carries a game.McGlone will not run up the score, and he sure as heck won't be passign the ball with a big lead. What also works against Jones is shear name recognition...if you asked me to associate a player to Russell's team last season the first words off my tongue would be Kasey Clark.. if you asked me to name the next person to come to mind it would be Josh Willis, and this is coming from someone who followed Russell's progression quite a bit,,, let alone what Joe Bob Johnson at the Hopkinsville newspaper would think. It's a shame because my money says that Jones is the best QB East of 1-75 hands down, and maybe one of the best all around players in the state. But if Clark can't mount a serious contention for Mr. Football following his numbers last season in the season after being the Finals MVP.. I don'tt hink Jones has much of a chance either.

3. John Cole.... Bar none the best receiver in the state going into 2007 both statistically and on film. Gaudy numbers that haven't been seen in East Kentucky since Gerad Parker set national records at Lawrence County... a little bit better media attention being from Somerset (within Friday Night Flights range in Lexington)... but two things eliminate any chance of Cole winning Mr. Football. The first is the fact that he is the best RECEIVER in the state. Receivers get little love but the psychology is that they have to have the quarterback to put the ball where they can catch it. Secondly, he plays at a 1A school. Generally speaking, if you are not from a school with an enrollment over 1000 you have no shot... unless you sign to play football at UK.

4. Shawn Grimm... I have a little optimism in Grimm's case. First he is from a 3A (now 5A) school, so he passes the enrollment test. Secondly, his name got out last season. By leading the state in rushing, the constant propaganda from the hoardes of Eagles supporters across the state's message boards, the miraculous turnaround of the JC program and their undefeated run, and a very vocal head coach, Grimm did amass name recognition that at the very least stretches to Central KY and NKY (3A football hotbeds), even the Ashland Daily Independent adopted the Eagles as a local team.Grimm also made a statement in the playoffs by putting up big numbers against eventual state champion Covington Catholic. These factors puts Grimm where noone else in East KY has been in quite a while, that's a position to at least let his on the field results have a direct correlation with his chances.
Now for the pessimistic side. Grimm has an uphill battle to become a legit contender. First and formeost Matney is going to play a schedule condusive to winning , his toughest games will be against Intra-Mountain powerhouses which bodes well for preparing his team, but limits the media coverage. Say for example the JC vs. belfry matchup. The Eagles will more than likely be taking on a Top 5 team in 3A, it may even be a #1 ranked Belfry team, and more than likely JC will defeat them. If this was a matchup in your media hubs of CKY, NKY, or Louisville this game would be hyped immensely,,, but in all actuality the best statewide attention this game will garner will be a mention in the "Tonight's Top games" section of the Friday Herald-Leader in the lower left hand corner of the sports page. For every 100 yard 2 TD performance you see from a high profile Lexington HB or Louisville HB, Grimm needs to put up 200 yards and 5 TD's,,, and even then the arguement will always be "He did it against weaker competition". For Shawn Grimm to win this award JC HAS to make the state finals...PERIOD.

Very good and well thought out post:thumpsup:

[FBALL]

2. Tyler Jones of Russell. Once again the Russell system will not permit him to put up the eye catching numbers to be a contender. If Jones remains at QB he will probably see on average less than ten pass attempts per game, and less than 10-12 carries a game.McGlone will not run up the score, and he sure as heck won't be passign the ball with a big lead. What also works against Jones is shear name recognition...if you asked me to associate a player to Russell's team last season the first words off my tongue would be Kasey Clark.. if you asked me to name the next person to come to mind it would be Josh Willis, and this is coming from someone who followed Russell's progression quite a bit,,, let alone what Joe Bob Johnson at the Hopkinsville newspaper would think. It's a shame because my money says that Jones is the best QB East of 1-75 hands down, and maybe one of the best all around players in the state. But if Clark can't mount a serious contention for Mr. Football following his numbers last season in the season after being the Finals MVP.. I don'tt hink Jones has much of a chance either.


Sorry but I gotta get this shot in.

For someone that followed Russell closely you should know its Wills not Willis.:shh:

Sorry. It was a great post. Just couldn't pass that one up.:Thumbs:

[FBALL]

I would definitely have to disagree with Thomas not having the size it takes. Matt Thomas is 6'2 185lbs, runs a 4.49 40 time and will be Mr. Everything for Ashland next season. I think they will use him much like USC used Reggie Bush, try and get him the ball in any way possible, be it receiving, running, kickoff return, punt return. He's a great player and will go D1 IMO but on the defensive side of the ball.

I think what may also work against Thomas is that he does not appear to like contact at all. If he steps it up and becomes physical then he has a chance at a D1 scholarship.