Herald-Leader Top 10: Kentucky Class 3A high school football preseason poll for 2024

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.

Christian Academy-Louisville has won the last two Class 3A high school football state championships and done so in dominating fashion.

Last year’s 41-16 finals rout of Bell County came despite the Bobcats holding the ball for the entire first quarter.

Many of CAL’s rivals see the Centurions as the division’s favorites again this season despite the graduation of Cole Hodge, one of the state’s best quarterbacks over the last few years.

“We lost a lot of experience and talent to graduation,” CAL coach Hunter Cantwell said.

CAL garnered 22 No. 1 votes from the 28 Class 3A coaches who voted in the Herald-Leader’s preseason survey. CAL district foe Central got three top nods with Hart County, Lexington Catholic and Union County each getting one.

Central last won a state title in 2018 and might be poised for a return trip to the finals. The Yellowjackets return 20 starters, including senior running back Cortez Stone, one of the state’s top rushers.

Here are the preseason top-10 teams in Class 3A as voted on by coaches in the division.

1. CHRISTIAN ACADEMY-LOUISVILLE

Head coach: Hunter Cantwell (sixth season).

Last year: 14-1. State champions with 41-16 win over Bell County.

Quick look: Connor Hodge, an East Carolina commit, steps into the quarterback position in place of his older brother after being the Centurions’ top wideout last season. He’ll have 6-6, 300-pound Austin Peay commit Ben Stotts among his protectors. On defense, CAL returns six starters, including Garyon Hobbs, a 6-1, 180-pound sophomore linebacker who ranked second in tackles last season and already has a number of Division I offers, including Kentucky.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Owensboro; Sept. 13 at Lexington Christian; Sept. 20 vs. Ryle; Sept. 27 vs. Manual; Oct. 18 at Central.

2. CENTRAL

Head coach: Marvin Dantzler (ninth season).

Last year: 7-6. Lost 51-13 to CAL in the region finals.

Quick look: The Yellowjackets only have to replace one starter on each side of the ball. Chief among the returnees is senior running back Cortez Stone, who rushed for 1,871 yards and 23 TDs last season. Also returning is QB Steven Smith and most of his favorite targets. Smith threw for 1,203 yards and 14 TDs. Senior defensive back Avaion Johnson led the team in tackles (79) and interceptions (4). Central might slip in the rankings in the early going as its schedule would make a Class 6A team faint.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Manual; Aug. 30 at St. Xavier; Sept. 20 vs. Bullitt East; Sept. 27 vs. Central Hardin; Oct. 18 vs. Christian Academy-Louisville.

3. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC

Head coach: Nick Baisch (second season).

Last year: 9-5. District and region champions. Lost 43-8 to CAL in the state semifinals.

Quick look: The Knights graduated a veteran offensive and defensive line that helped the program make its deepest playoff run in nearly a decade. Just nine starters return and only three of them are on offense. But LexCath will be fast. Senior wideout Kaylib Nelson is a state champion sprinter. Fellow senior Jackson Kreutzer led the Knights in receiving with 872 yards and nine TDs. Sophomore linebacker Brady Wasik led the team in tackles. Baisch considers senior defensive back Matt Kern a “coach on the field.”

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Highlands; Sept. 6 at Corbin; Sept. 20 vs. Lexington Christian; Sept. 27 vs. Boyle County; Nov. 1 at Scott County.

4. BELL COUNTY

Head coach: Dudley Hilton (24th season).

Last year: 13-2. Region champion and state runner-up.

Quick look: The Bobcats must replace Mr. Football Daniel Thomas and the four senior offensive linemen who helped him break state records, but they return a three-year starter at QB in junior Blake Burnett. Burnett accounted for 18 TDs and more than 1,000 yards of offense while also nabbing nine interceptions as a defensive safety. The defense has 10 starters back, including leading tackler Blake Evans (104) and top sack man Hayden Damron (seven).

Schedule highlights: Aug. 30 vs. Boyd County; Sept. 13 vs. Perry County Central; Oct. 4 at Rockcastle County.

5. BELFRY

Head coach: Philip Haywood (41st season).

Last year: 8-4. District champion. Lost 24-22 to Bell County in the second round.

Quick look: Coach Haywood likes his “good core of returning players” for this 100th anniversary season of Belfry football. They include junior QB Chase Varney and running backs Ace Caudill, Jeremiah Austin and JB Woolum, who all got carries and scores as part of the Pirates’ deceptive option-run attack. Seventeen starters return, including O-linemen Max Dotson, a 6-2, 330-pound senior, and Bo Wolford, a 6-3 290-pound junior.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Breathitt County; Sept. 6 at Johnson Central; Sept. 13 at Southwestern; Sept. 20 at Pikeville; Oct. 4 at Lawrence County.

6. UNION COUNTY

Head coach: Derek Johns (ninth season).

Last year: 11-2. District champion. Lost 24-21 to Hart County in the region finals.

Quick look: The Braves should not skip a beat on offense with nine starters back, including 2,000-yard rusher Jarren Johnson and 1,000-yard rusher Willem McPeake and their entire offensive line. Johnson, a senior QB, had 33 rushing TDs to go with six passing scores. Seniors Amare Black and Kamden Davis were among the team’s leading tacklers and are two of seven defensive starters returning.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Madisonville; Aug. 30 at Crittenden County; Sept. 13 at Murray; Oct. 18 vs. Hancock County; Nov. 1 vs. Greenwood.

7. HART COUNTY

Head coach: Chad Griffin (ninth season).

Last year: 13-1. District and region champion. Lost 30-28 to Bell County in the state semifinals.

Quick look: The Raiders come off one of the best seasons in program history. Despite losing seven starters on offense and two on defense, “we have the guys to continue this run,” Griffin said. Christian Martin and Kam Asbury will join Trent Kohner as playmakers behind an offensive line that will be greener but bigger than last year, Griffin said. That line includes Daylen Wheeler, a 6-4, 260-pound sophomore; Kaleb Fulner, a 6-4, 280-pound junior; and Dylan Wright, a 6-2, 260-pound senior.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 6 at Green County; Oct. 18 vs. Glasgow; Oct. 25 vs. Franklin-Simpson; Nov. 1 vs. Campbellsville.

8. GLASGOW

Head coach: Jeff Garmon (ninth season).

Last year: 9-3. Lost 28-21 to Hart County in the second round.

Quick look: Junior Hudson Gumm takes over at quarterback after the transfer of last year’s starter, Easton Jessie, to district-rival Adair County. Cameron Bulle led a running back by committee attack last season that topped 2,000 yards and had 34 TDs. Fellow junior Kaanan Allen and sophomore Ryder Heller will share the load in the backfield. The Scotties return five starters on each side of the ball. Jerrick Martin and Kellon Stone will be impact players as receivers and defensive backs.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 30 vs. Russellville; Oct. 4 at Franklin-Simpson; Oct. 18 at Hart County; Nov. 1 vs. Somerset.

9. FRANKLIN-SIMPSON

Head coach: Max Chaney (fifth season).

Last year: 9-3. Lost 23-22 to Union County in the second round.

Quick look: The Wildcats make it three top-10 teams for District 2 along with Glasgow and Hart County. Coach Griffin likes his “young hard-working team. We have several guys with Friday night experience but not a lot of starters left over from last year.” Senior running backs Colin Anderson and Layne Alford figure to see many of the carries after productive seasons last year in a run-heavy attack. Alford was also one of the Wildcats’ leading tacklers as a linebacker.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 20 at Russellville; Oct. 4 vs. Glasgow; Oct. 18 vs. Greenwood; Oct. 25 at Hart County; Nov. 1 at Warren East.

10. ROCKCASTLE COUNTY

Head coach: Chris Larkey (fourth season).

Last year: 11-2. District champion. Lost 43-7 to Lexington Catholic in the region finals.

Quick look: Thirteen starters return after a breakout season for the Rockets last year that was the best of Larkey’s tenure. “We’re rebuilding with skill and have a good offensive line back,” Larkey said. Rockcastle will be led this season by junior Isaiah Jackson, who Larkey called “a phenomenal wide receiver and defensive back.”

Schedule highlights: Sept. 20 vs. Paris; Sept. 27 at Clay County; Oct. 4 vs. Bell County.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

In order of votes received: East Carter, Lawrence County, Mercer County, Elizabethtown, Adair County, Lloyd Memorial, Russell, Butler County, Hancock County, Magoffin County.

Survey method: These rankings reflect the participation of coaches from 28 of the 39 Class 3A teams eligible for postseason play (71.8%). Every coach in the division was given the opportunity to participate in the @HLpreps annual survey via email. Multiple attempts were made to contact each coach.

This story was originally published August 14, 2024 at 6:30 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