COVID gave many athletes an extra year of high school sports. How will that work out?

In the 35-year history of Kentucky’s “Mr. Football” award, there has never been a repeat winner. That could change this year.

That’s because one of the reigning high school Mr. Footballs, Beechwood quarterback Cameron Hergott, opted to take advantage of the “Supplemental School Year Program.” SSYP was made possible by Senate Bill 128, a law that allowed K-12 students to repeat last year’s grade level because their “normal” school year was marred by COVID-19.

Hergott is not alone.

Across Kentucky, dozens of athletes have taken advantage of the provision and probably hundreds of non-athletes have done the same.

Lexington Christian quarterback Drew Nieves, who battled Hergott and Beechwood for the Class 2A state title last year, is among them. He used the SSYP to reclassify and remain a junior this school year.

“Well, I talked deeply with Coach Doug (Charles), my family, my friends, and I decided it would be a good decision for me to have another two years of high school football and prepare for college altogether,” said Nieves who couldn’t remember how many actual in-school days he had last year amid the pandemic. “I feel like anyone would die for another year of high school football or just even another year of high school. I mean, it’s just awesome. Everyone that goes to college is saying, ‘Man I miss high school.’ Well, I’ve got another two years.”

Decisions had to be made quickly

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has not yet released statistics on how many student athletes have taken advantage of SSYP. And the release of names by schools or the KHSAA is prohibited by privacy laws.

But many, like Nieves and Hergott, have made their choices public. They include standout running backs Isaac Dixon of Belfry and Kylan Galbreath of Mayfield, both fifth-year seniors. Ty Bryant and Cameron Dunn, who play both football and baseball for Frederick Douglass and are among those who lost the entire 2020 baseball season to the pandemic, have both reclassified to repeat their junior year.

The move has come with controversy. The state did not mandate universal adoption of SSYP. The bill passed on March 24. Individual school districts had to decide to accept it by June 1. Students had less time. They had to apply for SSYP to their districts by May 1.

Only students in districts that approved SSYP could retake their exact 2020-21 course load and keep their eligibility.

But the law did not wave the age-out limit for participation in KHSAA sports. Students who turned 19 before Aug. 1 could not repeat and play.

According to KHSAA data, 84 school districts voted against participating in the SSYP, but 200 school districts opted in.

Mixed reaction by coaches

Reaction among high school football coaches to SSYP was mixed. In all, 179 coaches responded to the Herald-Leader’s annual survey about their teams. Of those, 117 responded to the question: “What are your thoughts about the do-over rule created by SB 128? How do you feel it helps/hurts players/teams?”

There were 54 coaches who spoke in favor of SSYP, 40 who had negative comments, and 23 whose comments could be described as indifferent or noncommittal.

Some high school football coaches felt SSYP has put them at a competitive disadvantage to programs that have repeat players. They also felt repeat players put younger players at a disadvantage within the team.

“Most teams in our district voted (for) SB 128, but we did not in our district and that hurts,” Clinton County Coach Rocky Tallent said in response to the survey. “We will see the side effects of this for years to come.”

Like Clinton County, Washington County did not approve SSYP.

“I feel that it’s something that should have been all or nothing,” Washington County Coach Eric Sagrecy said. “By putting it out there and leaving it up to individual school districts — I’m indifferent about it as it pertains to the idea of kids repeating and whether it’s good or bad — however, I strongly believe the way it was left up to districts to decide, some choosing to, some choosing not to, gave an athletic advantage to those schools who chose to.”

Many coaches wholeheartedly approved.

“I think it’s great,” said Harlan Coach Eric K. Perry. “How could you frown on a kid getting to participate and enjoy the high school experience an extra year.”

Others noted SSYP came too late for the spring sports athletes who lost their entire 2020 season, and argued it made little sense for 2020-21 athletes who were able to play some form of a season.

“No one should have a do-over rule,” said Fort Knox Coach Wes Arnold. Fort Knox was forbidden by federal COVID-19 protocols from having fall sports last year. “Everyone got to play except us and guess what? We don’t get to participate in the do-over rule because we aren’t part of the state. They got to have a season. What is there to do over?”

College prospects

Still others pointed to SSYP possibly being used solely to try to improve a player’s college prospects. That motivation is complicated by the NCAA rules for participation at the Division I level. Any D-I level athlete must meet their high school graduation requirements within four years. A supplemental year, even if it improves a student’s grades, can’t be used to meet those. Other college levels don’t have that stipulation. But, of course, D-I is the highest and most coveted place to play.

Also of note, the NCAA granted its own do-over waiver for existing college athletes during the pandemic, making for a potential logjam at that level.

“(SSYP) will create a backlog of prospects trying to play in college and there is already a mess in the NCAA with the open transfer portal and a “re-do” year in college as well,” said Daviess County Coach Matt Brannon. “We should have moved on and left things alone.”

It’s no secret that being older provides athletic advantages. Whole studies have been done on “relative age bias” within a birth year and how extra maturity helps athletes succeed. Holding kids back for athletic and academic purposes is nothing new, but, usually, it’s done before a student reaches high school.

As to college athletics, Steve Wiltfong, director of recruiting for 247Sports.com, said he could not speculate on how repeating a high school year would affect a player’s prospects. It’s something he had not heard of until the Herald-Leader asked about it. Kentucky is the only state to have such a provision.

“(As a player) you obviously know what you already have,” Wiltfong said, noting that it would be a bad decision if a player were to somehow lose offers in that extra year. “But if you’re guaranteed to keep those opportunities and you’re yearning for more? I don’t know.”

For Hergott, the Beechwood quarterback who shared Associated Press Mr. Football honors with Kentucky freshman Jager Burton last season, the extra year has already paid off. After his announcement that he would repeat, he was able to attend more college camps this summer. That netted him a full scholarship offer to Eastern Kentucky, a Division I Football Championship Subdivision program. He committed soon after.

Plus, he still gets to pursue a third state championship during his career, a feat not many can brag about. And, he gets to, maybe, have a “normal” high school year, or as close to one as the pandemic will permit.

“I’ll be able to come back, actually have a school year and enjoy it,” Hergott told The Washington Post. “Just walking around the hallways with your friends, going to dances and big events — it’s really what you live for as a kid.”

This story was originally published August 17, 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