Herald-Leader Watch List: 2021’s top Lexington high school football players
The high school football talent in Lexington takes a back seat to no one.
There are dozens of city players who could go on to play at the next level. Some will play for Football Bowl Subdivision teams, like Kentucky or Louisville. Others will get offers to continue their playing careers at smaller schools. Regardless, they all play for the love of the game, because it’s a lot of fun. And it’s fun to watch, too.
Here, in alphabetical order, are 10 Lexington players who will likely make a big impact on the 2020 season for their respective teams, plus some more to watch for from each school.
Joey Bond
School: Bryan Station.
Profile: Joey Bond, a 5-foot-5, 155-pound running back, emerged as Bryan Station’s featured rusher for the Defenders’ best team in two decades. Bond went for 1,395 yards and 15 TDs, roughly doubling his production as a sophomore. A first-team All-City selection, he’ll have some help this season with the addition of Clark County transfer Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd in the backfield and that might make him even more dangerous.
Xavier Brown
School: Lexington Christian.
Profile: Xavier Brown, a 5-11, 180-pound three-star senior who is a threat as a runner and receiver, recently committed to the University of Virginia after being courted by a number of FBS programs, including Maryland, Boston College and Wisconsin. He’s a threat to score whenever he gets the ball. He racked up 449 yards and eight TDs rushing and 877 yards and nine TDs receiving last year, earning first-team All-City and third-team All-State honors.
Ty Bryant
School: Frederick Douglass.
Profile: Ty Bryant, a 6-0, 175-pound three-star junior, has played mostly in the secondary, but he could get some time in the Broncos’ offensive backfield this year. A true two-sport star who hit .351 on the diamond, Bryant drew Kentucky’s interest early, and he got a scholarship offer from UK during his sophomore year. Seven other offers have followed, including Tennessee and West Virginia. Bryant led Douglass in tackles in 2021 earning first-team All-City and second-team All-State honors. He’s among scores of players across the state to reclassify thanks to Senate Bill 128 and is repeating his junior year.
Dane Key
School: Frederick Douglass.
Profile: Dane Key, a 6-2, 170-pound four-star senior wide receiver, ranks as the No. 2 recruit in the state behind Owensboro QB Gavin Wimsatt, according to 247sports.com, and that’s because he seems to be a human highlight reel of incredible catches for the Broncos. People still talk about the one-handed catch he made against Scott County that ended up on a “SportsCenter” Top 10. Key had 625 yards receiving and 11 TD catches to go along with a kickoff return score in 2021 and earned first team All-City and All-State honors. Key has at least 21 college offers, including Kentucky, Oregon, Michigan and Texas.
Jack Gohmann
School: Lexington Catholic.
Profile: Jack Gohmann, a 6-3, 180-pound senior quarterback, had the awkward task of following Kentucky commit Beau Allen as the Knights’ signal-caller. Any questions about Gohmann were answered emphatically as he led a five-play, 62-yard drive for a touchdown and a go-ahead two-point conversion in the space of 32 seconds in the fourth quarter against defending Class 5A champs Covington Catholic last season. A 20-yard pass to Jack Monday scored the TD with 1:06 left to cut it to a 28-27 deficit. A pinpoint pass on a rollout to Jackson Corbett put the Knights ahead. Gohmann threw for 1,646 yards and 17 TDs and ran for 261 yards and five scores in 2020. He was also LexCath’s second leading scorer in basketball.
Jackson Marshall
School: Sayre.
Profile: Jackson Marshall, a 6-2, 205-pound senior middle linebacker/wideout, did it all for the Spartans in their first full varsity season. He led the team in scoring with 15 TDs — eight rushing, six receiving and one via interception. He was second in rushing with 312 yards, second in receiving with 520 yards and second in tackles with 76 takedowns. He’s unlikely to be topped in all those categories in 2021.
Mason Moore
School: Lexington Christian.
Profile: Mason Moore, a 6-1, 190-pound, two-star senior safety/wide receiver, began hitting the recruiting charts after a breakout 2020 campaign in which he led the Eagles with 957 yards and 11 TDs receiving, many on huge plays that swung the momentum of games. In the secondary, he notched 43 tackles and a team-high five interceptions, two for scores. Already committed to Miami (Ohio), he has at least 13 college offers.
Drew Nieves
School: Lexington Christian.
Profile: Drew Nieves, a 5-11, 175-pound, junior quarterback, led the Eagles to the Class 2A state finals in 2020 and has reclassified to put off graduation for another year due to COVID-19. He threw for 2,651 yards and 28 TDs and rushed for 466 yards and another six scores for a team that only lost to Class 5A power Frederick Douglass and to Beechwood in the finals by a single point in overtime.
Cole Pennington
School: Sayre.
Profile: Cole Pennington, a 6-2, 196-pound, three-star senior quarterback, has quickly made a name for himself in leading the Spartans to an 8-1 season in their first varsity season. He threw for 2,051 yards and 27 TDs with only four interceptions in 2020. Over the summer he committed to Marshall, the school that launched his father (and head coach), Chad Pennington, into national recognition and an NFL career. He has offers from at least four other schools.
Brent Mckitric
School: Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Profile: Brent Mckitric, a 6-0, 315-pound senior guard/nose guard, comes to the Bulldogs as a transfer from Mercer County after a family move. He has already made an impression. McKitric had 58 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and three sacks for the Titans in 2020 and was one of the cogs that helped Mercer County generate more than 3,000 yards of offense.
Others to watch
Bryan Station: Damin Green, WR; Jason Hocker, LB; Terik Mulder, TE; Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd, RB; Amodeus Taylor, LB.
Henry Clay: Sergei Buchheit, K; Travis Haskins, DL; Kasen Parks, WR/DB.
Frederick Douglass: Samuel Cornett, QB; Cameron Dunn, ATH; TJ Horton, CB; Thomas Howard, TE; Caden Johnson, LB; Davis Joyner, LB; Isaiah Kenney, DB.
Lafayette: Hayden Dawahare, QB; Jea Kendrick, RB; Tanner Pace, QB/WR.
Lexington Catholic: Blake Busson, WR; Quentin Duffy, OL; Jack Monday, RB.
Lexington Christian: Andrew Dobbs, K; Anthony Johns, T; Tyler Morris, WR/DB; Jeff Selby, RB/LB; Grant Vaught, OL.
Paul Laurence Dunbar: John Law, DE. Kamarion Robinson, RB; Sam Turley, OL/DL.
Sayre: Ethan Greer, OL/DL; Caleb Kern, RB/LB.
Tates Creek: Kobe Middleton, CB; Matthew Underwood, RB/CB.
Miss someone? Putting together a list of top players can be an inexact science. Have someone in mind? Alert digital sports writer Jared Peck on Twitter @HLpreps.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
