Preseason Kentucky All-State 1A Team
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As the upcoming fall high school season is just moments away, we are all eager to see who will come out on top in the Bluegrass State. I am excited to be beginning a brand new series of content giving…
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Continue ReadingAs the upcoming fall high school season is just moments away, we are all eager to see who will come out on top in the Bluegrass State. I am excited to be beginning a brand new series of content giving out my picks for our preseason Kentucky All-State teams listed from 1A-6A divisions. Since we all know already that Kentucky houses lots of college-level talent, many people expect these players to be playing at the highest levels in 5A or 6A divisions. However, plenty of kids playing in the smaller 1A schools just need to get their names put around for them to get to the next level. Today, I will list my team of players playing in Class 1A schools and their past 2021 season statistics recorded by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
QB: Blaze Berry Blaze Berry 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Eminence | 2025 State KY | 6-1,160lbs. Class of 2025 | Eminence High School, KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A State QB Ranking: #2.
2021 Season Player Stats: 62% Completions for 2640 Passing Yards, 33 Touchdowns & 14 Interceptions in 11 games played.
Past Analysis: Blaze produced a remarkable freshman season at Eminence High School. The freshman ranked 4th in the state in passing touchdowns and was ranked 4th in total passing yards thrown as well. The jaw-dropping talent that is seen out of this kid is his incredible ability to throw on the run. In order to effectively throw off the run, a quarterback needs to have the superior arm strength and stellar footwork in order to throw a long and accurate pass. For Berry, he perfectly inherits those two traits which enable him to sling mesmerizing throws to his receivers. Watching a lot of Berry’s highlights truly expresses the number of times he shows his inner Patrick Mahomes in his ridiculous throws when running out of the pocket. Look forward to watching Blaze Berry Blaze Berry 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Eminence | 2025 State KY continue to ball out next season for Eminence and continue his incredible start to his high school football career.
RB: Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY | 6-0,175lbs. Class of 2023 | Pikeville High School, KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A State RB Ranking: #1
2021 Season Player Stats: 290 Rushing attempts for 2,512 rushing yards & 25 touchdowns in 14 games played.
Past Analysis: The junior had a record-breaking 2021 season as not only did he break a school record for rushing yards, but led the entire state of Kentucky for rushing yards as well. Blakes’s acceleration once getting into the open field is incredible to watch, which leads to plenty of extra rushing yards after the snap. Along with that, Blake can break out of a bunch of tackles to gather at least a couple more yards for carrying. Especially in the redzone, Blake’s desire to get that ball into the endzone can be seen with his unwillingness to be tackled down short of the endzone. This kid has a bright future ahead of him and would not be surprised if he continues to lead the state in rushing again this fall.
WR: Martin Shannon | 5-11, 160lbs. Class of 2023 | Williamsburg High School, KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A State WR Ranking: #3.
2021 Season Player Stats: 36 receptions for 860 yards & 14 touchdowns in 11 games played.
Martin Shannon’s hand-eye coordination is consistently perfect as he is able to place himself in just the right spots to receive the football cleanly on every pass. His quick jab steps are dangerous to any opposing DB as he breaks past them easily with a few simple jukes. Martin’s extremely crafty style of playing receiver could make him a solid dual-threat receiver who I believe has the capability to be a threat if he were handed off some rushing attempts now and then.
OL: Peyton Sayers | 6-2, 295lbs. Class of 2023 | Pikeville High School, KY | Tape:
Peyton is a remarkably strong guard who can break down opposing defensive linemen like paper. Although his Pikeville teammate Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY showed his elite skills by having a record-breaking season running the football, you can give a lot of credit to Peyton Sayers for allowing lots of running space for the young man. Peyton is excellent at creating running room for Blake and other players to get the football down the field and give the quarterback lots of time to find a target. It is difficult to find consistently reliable offensive linemen in football as kids get stronger but it seems that Peyton consistently shows that very few people can get past him.
DB: Max Johnson Max Johnson 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Apollo | 2027 State KY | *6-1, *170lbs.Class of 2023 | Hazard High School, KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A State DB Stat Ranking: #2
2021 Season Player Stats: 8 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive touchdowns in 12 games played.
Although Max also plays solid at receiver, he outperforms others at the free safety position. The upcoming senior DB reads are extremely accurate as he picks off quarterbacks like taking candy from a baby. Due to his terrific traits as a wide receiver, Max can use his solid footwork and receiving frame to pick off catches from any QB’s throwing the ball in his vicinity. Once he catches the football, he can gain big yardage through his crafty jukes and jabs past the opposing players. Along with him being able to return interceptions for lots of yards, he also receives punt returns and has scored a few PR touchdowns.
LB: Tyler Ballard | 5-10, 187lbs. Class of 2023 | Holy Cross High School (Louisville), KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A State LB Stat Ranking: #2
2021 Season Player Stats: 122 total tackles, 6 Forced Fumbles, and 13 sacks in 12 games played.
Tyler Ballards hit package is explosive and fatal when running the blitz. His 2021 season stats have proof of that as he led the state with the most forced fumbles, 2nd in defensive sacks, and 8th in tackles. What is noticeable in any elite linebacker is the ability to make a defensive stop no matter where you are positioned at. Not only can Tyler hit hard and put pressure on the quarterback, he can accurately read where the ball is going to go once the ball is snapped. This enables Tyler to position himself to make a stop which makes it much more difficult for the offense to get the ball down the field.
DL: Ben Taylor Ben Taylor 6'2" | 215 lbs | DL Raceland-Worthington | 2023 KY | 6-0, 200lbs. Class of 2023 | Raceland High School, KY | Tape:
KHSAA 1A STATE SACK LEADER: #4
2021 Season Player Stats: 11 sacks in 13 games of play. Tackles/Forced Fumbles N/A.
I was surprised to come up on Ben Taylor Ben Taylor 6'2" | 215 lbs | DL Raceland-Worthington | 2023 KY when I initially found his film. The young man out of Raceland Kentucky is an edge rusher with lots of explosive strength that he uses to put pressure on the quarterback and getting around pass protection with ease. What is startling is that he uses a lot of the same hand skills that other notable NFL pro bowl defensive ends use like Khalil Mack and TJ Watt, to quickly break free from pass protection. I do not think anyone in the 1A class can block Ben from getting to the quarterback. His hand mechanics and brute strength will be too much for any opposing guard to have to go up against.