Kenton Football Preview
There is a ton of stressful air over in Kenton right now. It’s not that they are worried about the season, but they are in a situation that not many teams, ever, get thrown into. The Wildcats are starting their…
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Continue ReadingThere is a ton of stressful air over in Kenton right now. It’s not that they are worried about the season, but they are in a situation that not many teams, ever, get thrown into. The Wildcats are starting their season here in a few weeks with a new head coach. Coach Fackler, a coach of the Wildcats for the past 36 years, stepped down earlier this year. Fackler was only the head man in town for 7 years, but he’s got a legacy that is going to be hard to replace. They’ve brought in a new, young, and energetic coach. He has a monumental task trying to replace a legend like Fackler.
Looking Back
It’s never easy replacing a head coach. It’s pretty much impossible replacing one that was in the building for almost 4 full decades. However, that’s the current task for the new Head Coach, Zach Turner. Turner was selected to replace Fackler and now it’s his job to lead them to the promised land. Turner is looking to bring in his own coaching style and have that success the Wildcats deserve. He’s looking to carry a ton of energy and have that feed off onto his players. He’s younger, he’s relatable, and he’s someone that the players can turn to in the heat of the moment.
Last year, wasn’t the best year for the Wildcats. They finished the year 5-4 but they ended on a positive note. They beat River Valley on the road while putting up 53 points last year. A great way to end their season if you ask me. The offense was reliable and fast-moving. They were able to average over 30 PPG but it was the defense that was a liability. Defensively, they gave up 27 PPG and that was mostly consistent. In the last 2 weeks of the year against Bellevue and River Valley, the Wildcats defenses surrendered 92 points.
This year they will also be without QB Blaine Huston. Huston has graduated and taken his experience with him. The Wildcats are currently having a QB battle in camp to try replacing Hutson. The Wildcats lost Hutson and Fackler. It’s safe to say that Turner has his hands full in year 1.
2021 X-Factor Players
Whoever wins the QB battle will have Jayden Cornell to throw to. Cornell is their sure-handed WR who plays primarily on the outside. Powell always comes down with the ball and has a pretty diverse route tree. They use him to go deep, be the middle of the field guy, or eat the out routes. He gets those 1 on 1 matchups and wins them almost every time. He’s a great weapon to have on the outside.
Jake Eversole is the leader on the defense. He plays on the backend and makes plays all over the field. He’s a decent athlete and can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. He packs more of a punch than you would expect of someone his size. He will also play on offense and catch passes alongside Cornell. The thing about Eversole is he’s a football player. You put him on the field and just let him make some plays.
2021 Schedule
The Wildcats start their season on the 20th of this month on the road against Coldwater at 7 PM. They start the season on the road in back-to-back weeks before returning home for just 1 game. However, the Wildcats do end their season with 2 home games in a row against bitter conference foes. They face Shawnee on October 15th and then Ottawa-Glandorf on October 22nd. They start their season on the road quite a bit before that homestand. Those 2 games in the conference to end the season could have huge implications on who wins the conference.