2022 Statewide Top Performers: Week 2
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High school football is back in full swing in the state of Kentucky as we have had some great games so far in this talent-rich state! Over the past few days, I have looked at stats and watched film from…
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Continue ReadingHigh school football is back in full swing in the state of Kentucky as we have had some great games so far in this talent-rich state! Over the past few days, I have looked at stats and watched film from the second week of play and once again, I came away from it all very impressed with the talent this state has to offer. While it was very hard to narrow it down, these are the top ten performers (in no particular order) from week one of the Kentucky high school football regular season
Perhaps the most impressive performance of this past weekend came from Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5’11” | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY . DeGraff is known best as one of the top kickers in the state but it looks like I’m going to need to list him as an athlete after catching six passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns in the Knights’ dominating win over Henry Clay. He showed that he has the speed to run by defensive backs in the deep passing game but also showed the ability to to pick up yards after the catch by breaking tackles and making defenders miss in the open field. DeGraff continued to do his thing at kicker, averaging 63 yards on kickoffs, 47 yards on punts, and making two field goals from 48 and 35 yards. Max doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect him to play somewhere at the next level as he has received a ton of college interest.
Over the past two games, running back Ryan Rayno Ryan Rayno 6’3″ | 190 lbs | RB Logan County | 2023 State KY has made his presence felt. His ability to take over a game was on full display in Logan County’s 49-6 victory over Christian County as he carried the ball 17 times for 212 yards and six touchdowns. Rayno showed that he is a very hard runner as he made it very difficult for defenders to bring him down on first contact. He also showed impressive speed once he hit the open field and once he hit the edge as he simply was able to run away from the defense at times. While Rayno doesn’t currently hold any offers, I expect some to come soon as he has received some college interest and definitely has the skill set to be a solid running back at the next level.
Highlights
Decker Renfrow Decker Renfrow ATH Daviess County | 2023 State KY is a wide receiver that I have been high on for a while. He had another solid outing at receiver, catching four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Renfrow was able to use his quick breaks in his routes to create separation and also showed impressive hands. While he did his job on offense, he made this list for his performance on defense. Renfrow lined up at safety and used his ball skills and ability to cover ground quickly to come away with four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Decker currently holds an offer from Morehead State and I fully expect him to play receiver somewhere at the next level but it looks like he has some added value on the defensive side of the ball as well.
My first quarterback on this list is dual-threat junior Kaydon Custard Kaydon Custard 6’2″ | 180 lbs | QB Harrison County | 2024 State KY from Harrison County. Custard put on quite the show Friday, leading his team to a 49-22 victory over Anderson County. He finished the game completing 8/17 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns while running the ball 13 times for 138 yards and three scores. Custard thrived running the read option, showing the speed to pick up big plays and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. As a passer, he showed impressive accuracy and zip on the ball while also showing the ability to make throws on the run. Custard also made an impact on defense, coming away with an interception. While he has been receiving a lot of interest from colleges for basketball, Kaydon has the skill set to play football at the next level if he were to decide to go that route.
Carter Conley
Carter Conley
A player that I hadn’t seen yet that jumped out to me in his performance this past week was junior running back Carter Conley from Johnson Central. Conley ran all over the Fern Creek defense on Friday, carrying the ball 13 times for 180 yards and four touchdowns. Carter explodes out of his stance and keeps great pad level in between the tackles while keeping his legs churning. He doesn’t break stride when taking on contact which makes him very hard to bring down. In the open field, Conley showed the ability to break tackles and the speed to run away from the defense. Carter doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect them to come soon as he has received a good amount of college interest and has the potential to grow into a very good running back at the college level.
Another fresh face that jumped onto my radar this past weekend is Bracken County freshman linebacker, Daulton Tarter Daulton Tarter 5’9″ | 200 lbs | ATH Bracken County | 2026 State KY . Tarter started the game at middle linebacker and looked like a veteran on the field, finishing the game with 18 total tackles (11 solo, 7 assist) and a forced fumble. He showed the ability to read his keys and come downhill in a hurry. Once he arrived at the ball carrier, he kept his feet running through contact and made his presence felt with his physicality as a tackler. Daulton has the next four years to continue to develop as a player and has the potential to be a special prospect by the time his senior year rolls around.
Highlights
Cutter Boley Cutter Boley 6’5″ | 200 lbs | QB Lexington Christian Academy | 2024 State KY is a player that I find myself continuing to talk about as he is one of the best quarterbacks I’ve watched over the past few years. He put on another impressive performance this past Friday, completing 19/28 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-19 victory over Mercer County. Boley continued to impress with his accuracy and ability to throw on the run. Another thing that jumped out to me is that he made several very impressive throws under pressure with defenders hanging on him. Cutter’s long list of Power 5 offers has continued to grow and he should be able to play wherever he wants at the next level when that time comes.
Izack Messer Izack Messer 6’0″ | 250 lbs | DL East Carter | 2024 KY recently jumped onto my radar and made a very good impression in his performance this past Friday. Messer dominated from the defensive end spot, using his speed and pass rush moves to get to the quarterback, finishing with three sacks. He was very reliable when asked to shoot the inside gaps on specific stunts. Messer also displayed a high motor as he was all over the field making plays regardless of where the ball was, finishing with double digit tackles. Izack doesn’t currently hold any offers but I believe college coaches should put him on their radars as he has the skill set to play somewhere at the next level.
Highlights
Jakob Dixon Jakob Dixon 6’5″ | 200 lbs | WR Pleasure Ridge Park | 2023 State KY has exploded onto the recruiting scene in the past couple seasons and continued to make a name for himself this past weekend. Dixon caught four passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He showed the elusiveness in the open field to make defenders miss and pick up big plays after the catch. Dixon also showed the speed to run by defenders in the deep passing game. I was also impressed with his blocking as he was a very willing and physical blocker in the run game. While he impressed all game with the ball in his hand, Jakob made perhaps the coolest play of the weekend as he had a clear second touchdown and handed the ball off to his offensive lineman so that he could score. Dixon is committed to Kentucky and I see him developing into a very good receiver for them once he gets there.
I didn’t want to have any repeat players on this list from last week but I simply couldn’t ignore the performance that Shelby Valley quarterback Russ Osborne Russ Osborne 6’0″ | 170 lbs | QB Shelby Valley | 2024 State KY put out on Friday. Osborne completed 13/18 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns while running the ball three times for 48 yards and a touchdown. While this is a solid stat line for a complete game, Osborne did all of this in one half as he was pulled due to a blowout against Pike County Central. While he was in the game, Russ continued to show an impressive quick release along with a strong arm and great touch on his passes. As a ball carrier, he continued to be dangerous in the read option, using his speed to run away from the defense once he hit the second level. Russ still doesn’t have any offers but coaches should be lining up to watch him play as he is a very special talent.