Herald-Leader Top 10: Kentucky Class 5A high school football preseason poll for 2021

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

There’s no denying it, Frederick Douglass with its seemingly unending supply of eye-popping Division I talent, has made an impact on Kentucky high school football in its five years as a school.

The Broncos made the Class 5A state finals in their third year, made a run to the semifinals in year four and come into 2021 as the No. 1 team in the class, according to coaches who participated in the @HLpreps Preseason Football Survey.

But the vote was among the tightest of all the state’s classes measured this year by the Herald-Leader (238 to 233 points with 28 coaches voting) and Douglass received far fewer No. 1 votes (five) than defending champion Bowling Green (11). Owensboro, last year’s runner-up, and South Warren each got four No. 1 votes, Covington Catholic got two and Scott County had one. It’s Douglass’s second H-L preseason No. 1 ranking in three years.

Can Lexington’s only 5A school break through this year and raise the state championship trophy at Kroger Field?

The other top teams will have a say in that, especially district rival and two-time state champion Scott County, who lines up directly in Douglass’s playoff path.

Here are the preseason top 10 teams in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A as voted on by coaches in the division.

1. Frederick Douglass

Head coach: Nathan McPeek (second season).

Last year: 7-2. District 6 champs. Region champs. Lost 28-27 to Owensboro in the state semifinals.

Quick look: Perhaps only Louisville’s Class 6A behemoth Male has more Division I-level talent on its roster than Douglass, led by senior wideout Dane Key, the state’s No. 2 recruit, according to 247Sports.com. The Broncos return 6-foot-6 senior quarterback Samuel Cornett, marking the first time the program has had a signal caller with a year of starting experience in the system under his belt. The defense will be stout with a linebacker corps led by seniors Caden Johnson, a Ball State commit, and Davis Joyner, who has a number of D-I offers. The secondary has UK targets Isaiah Kenney and Ty Bryant. The big question mark will be an offensive line that graduated co-Mr. Football Jager Burton.

Marquee matchup: Have to put two here: Scott County on Sept. 24 and Boyle County on Oct. 29.

2. Bowling Green

Head coach: Mark Spader (fourth season).

Last year: 10-2. State champions. Defeated Owensboro 17-7 in state finals.

Quick look: The Purples’ suffocating defense was the linchpin of their title run last year and Spader returns three starters on the line in seniors Jeremiah Lightfoot, Bradley Gurley and Armario Wilson. Senior linebacker Tyler Moore was the team’s second-leading tackler with 86. Junior defensive backs Bert Kibawa and Augustin Nyembo each had three picks last year as part of the state’s best ball-hawking defense. With nine offensive starters gone, Bowling Green has questions to answer. “Though that looks daunting, our success last year began and ended with the strength of our defensive line and that will be no different this season,” Spader said.

Marquee matchup: The Purples go to district rival South Warren on Oct. 1 in a game that could swing the season.

3. Owensboro

Head coach: Jayson Fallin (seventh season).

Last year: 12-1. District 1 champs. Region champs. Lost 17-7 to Bowlling Green in the state finals.

Quick look: The Red Devils boast senior dual-threat quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who spurned 19 other big-time college offers to commit to Rutgers and is heralded as the No. 1 recruit in the state by 247Sports.com. He led Owensboro to the state semifinals as a sophomore and the state finals as a junior, so there’s really only one more box to check. And he has plenty of help, including experience on the offensive and defensive line and three-quarters of the starters in the defensive backfield — Javius Taylor, Maurice Moorman and Kenyata Carbon — who combined for 10 interceptions, two for touchdowns in 2020. Expect junior wideout Khalil Rogers to be a top target.

Marquee matchup: Huge early test for the Red Devils as they host St. Xavier in the season opener on Aug. 20.

4. Covington Catholic

Head coach: Eddie Eviston (seventh season).

Last year: 10-2. District 5 champs. Region champs. Lost 20-0 to Bowling Green in the state semifinals.

Quick look: The Colonels return a little bit of experience everywhere, but will be replacing a three-year starter at quarterback. Adam Holtz, who started as outside linebacker last year, will be taking snaps, too, in 2021. Two of his prime targets will be juniors Zion Mason and Garrett Benke. Junior linebacker Aiden Jones has already drawn college interest and was second on the team in tackles (52) last year. Trevor Wilson, a 6-4 senior defensive end, had four sacks and has interest from several FCS schools.

Marquee matchup: The Highlands rivalry gets some new juice with new Bluebirds coach Bob Sphire. It’s in Fort Thomas on Oct. 15.

5. South Warren

Head coach: Brandon Smith (ninth season).

Last year: 6-1. Lost 41-24 to Bowling Green in the district finals.

Quick look: The Spartans have senior quarterback Caden Veltkamp, a Western Kentucky commit some believe to be the best signal caller in the state. He’s among seven offensive starters returning along with senior running back Kobe Martin, who led the team in rushing and scoring. Wideout/defensive back Cristian Conyer, ranks among the state’s top juniors and already has multiple D-I offers, including Kentucky.

Marquee matchup: Measuring-stick game against Class 6A’s North Hardin takes place at Western Kentucky University on Aug. 21.

6. Scott County

Head coach: Jim McKee (25th season).

Last year: 7-1. Lost 39-21 to Frederick Douglass in the district finals.

Quick look: Scott County returns 11 starters, including most of its offensive stat fillers from last season, so, strap up. Senior running back Montago Jones led the team in yards (811) while fifth-year senior Campton Martin led in rushing TDs (12). Martin made an impact on defense, as well, but McKee plans to use him primarily on offense in 2021. Wideout/defensive back Jeremy Hamilton, a 6-1 senior, has offers from Cincinnati and Eastern Kentucky. Sophomore Aaron Klein looks to be the next quarterback in an offense that runs almost every down, but also will pop for big pass plays that make defenses look foolish.

Marquee matchup: The Team Up North heads south to The Farm on Sept. 24 to face Frederick Douglass.

7. Highlands

Head coach: Bob Sphire (first season).

Last year: 5-6. Lost 38-21 to Covington Catholic in the district finals.

Quick look: Dual-threat quarterback Charlie Noon racked up nearly 1,000 yards passing and more than 1,000 yards rushing and will have an experienced line in front of him as the Bluebirds look to get back in the championship chase under new head coach Bob Sphire. Also back is leading receiver Jacob Welch, a senior. Sphire led Lexington Catholic to a state title in 2005 but has coached in Georgia for more than a decade since.

Marquee matchup: The new coach has lined up defending champion Bowling Green on Aug. 21 at WKU.

8. Pulaski County

Head coach: John Hines (23rd season).

Last year: 8-2. Lost 35-14 to Southwestern in the district finals.

Quick look: The Maroons are formidable when they’re able to protect quarterback Drew Polston, a 6-foot senior and three-year starter whose past two seasons have ended in injury. Polston threw for 1,321 yards and 12 TDs last year and nearly 2,000 yards as a sophomore. He’ll have leading receiver Barek Williams, who earned all-state honorable mention honors as a sophomore. Junior linebacker Layton Abbott is among eight returning defensive starters and was second on the team in tackles with 111.

Marquee matchup: Madison Southern will provide a substantial test at home on Sept. 17.

9. Southwestern

Head coach: Jason Foley (third season).

Last year: 10-2. District 8 champs. Lost 21-20 to Frederick Douglass in the region finals.

Quick look: The Warriors owned one of the best rushing attacks in Class 5A last season with 286 yards per game and have 1,300-yard man Tanner Wright, a junior, back behind the same offensive line. Senior rusher Giddeon Brainard tallied 800 yards. Fifth-year senior defensive end Cody Harmon was among the team leaders in tackles and was hailed as the “most dominant player last season on defense,” Foley said. Mason Hibbard, a junior and the team’s leading receiver, was the early favorite to take over at quarterback.

Marquee matchup: A battle of county and district rivals, the Southwestern-Pulaski County duel has produced drama and surprise over the last few years. The regular-season tilt is at Pulaski on Oct. 22.

10. South Oldham

Head coach: Jamie Reed (12th season).

Last year: 5-4. Lost 19-7 to North Bullitt in the district finals.

Quick look: Coach Reed returns good size on the offensive line and starting running backs Luke Oliveros, Jack McCubbin and Jeff Burton, all juniors. Another junior, defensive back Wyatt Fowler led the team with four interceptions and was among the team leaders in tackles along with Elijah Lalli and Oliveros.

Marquee matchup: Visiting Central Hardin will provide the end-of-season playoff primer on Oct. 29

Others receiving votes

(In order of votes received)

Fairdale, Woodford County, Graves County, Madison Southern, North Bullitt, Bullitt Central, Great Crossing, Collins, Conner, Montgomery County, North Laurel and Greenwood

Survey method: These rankings reflect the participation of coaches from 28 of the 40 Class 5A teams (70%). 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 13, 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