Herald-Leader Top 10: Kentucky Class 3A high school football preseason poll for 2021

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of stories ranking Kentucky’s high school football teams class by class, according to voting by the class’s coaches.

Since 2010, Belfry has been involved in eight Class 3A state championship games, winning five of them, including four in a row from 2013 to 2016. Its last title came in 2019.

So, another preseason No. 1 ranking for the seven-time state champion Pirates should come as no surprise after the @HLpreps Preseason Football Survey of head coaches in the division.

And having back one of the program’s all-time great offensive players, fifth-year senior running back Isaac Dixon, should help put their Kroger Field dreams within reach once again.

Ashland Blazer upended Belfry’s playoff run in the state semifinals last season and went on to win the program’s third state crown. This year, the Tomcats rank No. 2 in our poll.

Ashland actually got many more No. 1 votes (14) than Belfry (8) but lost out in the overall points race 245-226 because many more coaches favored the Pirates as Nos. 2 or 3 than the Tomcats. Glasgow got three No. 1 nods. Mercer County and Christian Academy-Louisville each had one.

Here are the preseason top 10 teams in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Class 3A as voted on by coaches in the division.

1. Belfry

Head coach: Philip Haywood (38th season).

Last year: 8-4. Distinct 8 champs. Region champs. Lost 10-3 to Ashland Blazer in the state semifinals.

Quick look: There will be some re-tooling after losing 17 seniors, but Belfry returns Isaac Dixon, a fifth-year senior who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the last three seasons, including gaining 1,690 yards with 25 TDs in 2020. A young offense will need to mature around Dixon, but Haywood has a number of key players back on defense, including senior defensive back Zayne Hatfield, the team’s leading returning tackler.

Marquee matchup: Class 4A powerhouse Johnson Central visits on Oct. 29.

2. Ashland Blazer

Head coach: Tony Love (ninth season).

Last year: 11-0. State champions. Defeated Elizabethtown 35-14 in the finals.

Quick look: Love returns experience on the offensive and defensive fronts, anchored by all-state honorable mention senior Zane Christian, who plays on both. Quarterback Brett Mullins threw for 880 yards and seven TDs in the Tomcats’ run-dominated offense. Senior running back Vinnie Palladino will be among the contenders looking for carries in a run game that generated 3,413 yards on the ground in 2020. “Something interesting with our team will be the way we handle success from last year and the ability of our players to build upon, instead of dwell on that success,” Love said.

Marquee matchup: Ashland goes to Elizabethtown on Oct. 2, a rematch of last year’s championship.

3. Christian Academy-Louisville

Head coach: Hunter Cantwell (third season).

Last year: 7-3. District 4 champs. Region champs. Lost 39-20 to Elizabethtown in the state semifinals.

Quick look: Cantwell must break in a number of new players at key positions, including quarterback and running back but has Easton Messer back as a senior wideout and defensive back. Messer, who has offers from Marshall and Eastern Kentucky, led the Centurions in receiving with 830 yards and 10 touchdowns. An experienced offensive line should help sophomore QB Cole Hodge and running backs Isaac Patrick and Jaylen McRoberts step into their roles in Cantwell’s balanced offense.

Marquee matchup: CAL hosts district rival and fellow top-10 team DeSales on Oct. 8.

4. Elizabethtown

Head coach: Ross Brown (eighth season).

Last year: 12-1. District 3 champs. Region champs. Lost 35-14 to Ashland Blazer in the state finals.

Quick look: Coaches hate the term “rebuilding year,” but this year’s E-town team will be led by mostly juniors and sophomores after graduating eight starters on offense and 10 on defense. Regardless of turnover, expectations don’t change and Brown sees junior QB Ryder Gregory stepping up. “We can hand it to him, throw it to him. He’s dangerous with the ball in his hands,” Brown said. “Swiss Army knife” Trey Durbin led the team in tackles (92) as a freshman and will see more time on offense in addition to his linebacking duties.

Marquee matchup: The Panthers host top-10 district rival Bardstown on Sept. 10.

5. Mercer County

Head coach: David Buchanan (seventh season).

Last year: 7-2. Lost 23-7 to Christian Academy-Louisville in district finals.

Quick look: Buchanan brings back the “most experienced” team in his Titans’ tenure led by son and quarterback Trosper Buchanan and dynamic playmaker Brayden Dunn, both seniors. Dunn rushed for 1,161 yards and 12 TDs in 2020 and was among the team leaders in tackles with 65. Jackson Peavler shared backfield duties with Dunn, led the team in tackles for a loss with 15 and tied the team lead with five sacks. Brother Riley Peavler and fellow senior Jalen Lukitsch return as the Titans’ top two pass-catchers.

Marquee matchup: A home game versus Class 5A contender Southwestern on Sept. 17 serves as a nervy tune-up for a road game at CAL the next week.

6. Bardstown

Head coach: David Clark (15th season).

Last year: 7-2. Lost 35-28 to Elizabethtown in district finals.

Quick look: Senior quarterback Brady Clark earned all-state honorable mention honors with 1,400 yards and 26 TDs in 2020, and junior running back TJ Greenwell had a breakout season with 876 yards and 13 rushing TDs. “We are experienced in most positions,” Clark said. “Our concerns will be the ability to replace some key losses on the defensive side of the ball and the lack of overall team depth.” Bardstown scored 46.1 points per game last season.

Marquee matchup: The Tigers travel to district nemesis Elizabethtown on Sept. 10.

7. Glasgow

Head coach: Jeff Garmon (sixth season)..

Last year: 7-3. District 2 champs. Lost 28-20 to Christian Academy-Louisville in the region finals.

Quick look: Garmon believes his Scotties can “compete with anyone on our schedule,” as they return an experienced team with 14 seniors, including leading rusher Hunter Scott (742 yards, 12 TDs), leading receiver Andrew Phillips and signal-caller John Carter Myers. In addition, junior fullback Keiran Stockton and senior flex back JaMarion Long combined for more than 1,000 yards rushing and 11 TDs.

Marquee matchup: Taylor County comes calling in an important district home game on Oct. 15.

8. DeSales

Head coach: Wes Rogers (first season).

Last year: 3-3. Lost 7-3 in first round of playoffs to Christian Academy-Louisville.

Quick look: The Colts lost their two-time state title winning head coach Harold Davis to the college ranks just three weeks before the season opener. There’s little doubt this tradition-rich program will compete, but with the graduation of almost all of its offensive and defensive stat-fillers, it will be interesting to see who steps up for the Colts and how longtime assistant Rogers fares as interim head coach.

Marquee matchup: DeSales heads to Harrodsburg to fight for district seeding in the regular-season finale against Mercer County on Oct. 22.

9. Bell County

Head coach: Dudley Hilton (21st season).

Last year: 6-4. District 5 champs. Lost 42-0 to Belfry in the region finals.

Quick look: Linebacker Ethan Raby led the team in tackles as a sophomore and will take even more of a leadership role as a junior as Bell County looks to return to “smash-mouth football with a blue collar mentality.” Senior QB Cameron Burnett has improved his arm strength to help keep opponents honest with some occasional big-play throws in the Bobcats’ run-dominant scheme. Junior Dawson Woolum probably steps into the role of lead running back.

Marquee matchup: The Bobcats get district rival Rockcastle County at home on Oct. 1.

10. Russell

Head coach: TJ Maynard (eighth season).

Last year: 7-3. Lost 10-7 to Ashland Blazer in the district finals.

Quick look: Last year, senior Bradley Rose was threatening quarterbacks, this year, he’ll be taking snaps himself for the Red Devils while still doubling up duties as a defensive tackle. At 6-4, 236 pounds, Rose figures to be tough to bring down as Russell returns some experience on each side of the ball. Leading receivers Carson Patrick and Mason Lykins accounted for more than 700 yards receiving and seven TDs. Junior running back Ethan Oborne pounded in seven scores and should get a lot more carries in 2021.

Marquee matchup: Russell hosts Ashland Blazer in an important district game on Oct. 15.

Others receiving votes

(In order of votes received)

Paducah Tilghman, Taylor County, Rockcastle County, LaRue County, Lawrence County, Union County, Fleming County, Garrard County and Hart County.

Survey method: These rankings reflect the participation of coaches from 27 of the 39 Class 3A teams (69.2%). Every coach in the division was given the opportunity to participate in the @HLpreps annual survey emailed to their address listed on KHSAA.org. Multiple attempts were made to contact each coach.

This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 6:15 AM.

Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-488-2883

Jared Peck, the Herald-Leader’s Digital Sports Writer, covers high school athletics and has been with the company as a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Support my work with a digital subscription