KHSAA football: Bell County’s Daniel Thomas breaks records in Kentucky
Bell County’s Daniel Thomas is the running back that broke three records in Kentucky this season. He now heads to the KHSAA Championship on Saturday.
Several of Kentucky’s top high school football players will be in action this weekend during the state finals at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington.
Friday’s action will start at noon with the Class A final matching Raceland (11-3) and Pikeville (11-2). The 2A final will follow at 4 p.m. with Owensboro Catholic (14-0) meeting Mayfield (12-1). The Class 4A final will be the nightcap at 8 p.m. with Covington Catholic (14-0) facing Boyle County (14-0).
Saturday’s schedule will open with the Class 3A final at noon, with Christian Academy (13-1) and Bell County (13-1) meeting. At 4 p.m., the Class 6A final will match Trinity (11-3) against Bryan Station (11-3). The weekend will close with the Class 5A final at 8 p.m., with Bowling Green (11-3) facing Cooper (12-2).
Here’s a look at 12 players to watch this weekend, one from each team, listed alphabetically:
Austin Alexander, Cooper
The 6-foot-3, 242-pound junior shines on both sides of the ball for the Jaguars. At tight end, Alexander has 59 receptions for 1,045 yards and 18 touchdowns. As a defensive end, he ranks second on the team in tackles (75) and second in the state with 18 sacks. He has more than 20 scholarship offers, including from Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Brenden Anthony, Pikeville
The 5-11, 210-pound junior has been a force on both sides of the ball this season. As a running back, Anthony has rushed for 1,181 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 10.5 yards per carry. As a linebacker, he ranks second on the team with 100 tackles (36 solo) and has added eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception. He was named Class A, District Eight Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
Brady Atwell, Owensboro Catholic
The 6-3, 225-pound junior quarterback leads the state in passing yards (4,227) and touchdown passes (65) this season while completing 71.7% of his throws (277 for 386). He’s also the Aces’ leading rusher with 657 yards and 13 touchdowns. His uncle, Travis Atwell, was Kentucky’s Mr. Football at Hancock County in 1999. Brady Atwell has an offer from Eastern Kentucky.
Deuce Bailey, Bowling Green
The 6-1, 165-pound junior quarterback is one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2025. He ranks sixth in the state in passing yards (3,316) and is tied for seventh with 40 touchdown passes. He’s completed 69.3% of his passes (224 of 323) and also rushed for 134 yards and eight touchdowns. Bailey has offers from Eastern Kentucky, Miami (Ohio) and Missouri State.
J.T. Haskins Jr., Bryan Station
The 6-1, 175-pound senior is a force on both sides of the ball. He’s the Defenders’ top wide receiver with 41 catches for 878 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a defensive back, Haskins has 50 tackles (34 solo), three tackles for loss and seven interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He has offers from Akron, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Navy, Tennessee Tech and West Virginia.
Cole Hodge, Christian Academy
The 6-2, 190-pound senior quarterback is among the top candidates for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award. He ranks third in the state in touchdown passes (55) and fourth in passing yards (3,870) while completing 73.6% of his passes (265 of 360). An East Carolina commit, Hodge also has rushed for 587 yards and seven touchdowns.
Zane Johnson, Trinity
The 6-foot, 185-pounder has helped the Shamrocks win nine straight games after a 2-3 start and is the rare freshman quarterback to play in a state championship game. Johnson has passed for 2,114 yards and 29 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He’s completing 57.8% of his passes (158 for 273).
Montavin Quisenberry, Boyle County
On a team full of stars, Quisenberry may by the most impressive. The 5-10, 175-pound junior is the Rebels’ leading receiver (40 catches, 818 yards, 12 touchdowns) and No. 2 rusher (70 carries, 717 yards, 17 TDs). He also has four returns for scores — two kickoffs and two punts. Defensively, Quisenberry ranks sixth on the teams with 50 tackles (25 solo) and has four tackles for loss and two interceptions. He has offers from Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Michigan, Ole Miss, Toledo, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Willie Rodriguez, Covington Catholic
The 6-4, 235-pound senior has committed to UK and has been solid on both sides of the ball. At tight end, he has 28 catches for 485 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a linebacker, Rodriguez has posted 40 tackles (33 solo) with three tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
JuJu Starks, Mayfield
The 5-10, 195-pound senior has rushed for 1,533 yards (ranking 18th in the state) and 29 touchdowns, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. For his career, Starks has rushed for 3,468 yards and 65 touchdowns. He has offers from Georgetown College and Murray State.
Daniel Thomas, Bell County
The 5-9, 175-pound senior running back has set three single-season state records this season — rushing yards (3,682), rushing touchdowns (53) and points scored (367). His 367 points include 53 rushing touchdowns, one fumble return for a touchdown, three extra-point kicks and 20 2-point conversions. He’s averaging 10.19 yards per carry and also is a solid linebacker, ranking third on the team in tackles with 89 (72 solo). He has two offers from NCAA Division II schools — Kentucky Wesleyan and Ohio’s Notre Dame College.
Noah Wallace, Raceland
The 6-foot, 190-pound senior is a two-way star for the Rams. As a running back, Wallace has rushed for 1,157 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. As a linebacker, he ranks second on the team with 75 tackles (46 solo) and has added two tackles for loss and one sack. He has offers from Coahoma Community College, Georgetown College, Kentucky Christian and Virginia-Wise.
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2023-11-30 10:18:09
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