2022 1A Regular Season All-State Team: Offense
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The 2022 high school football season has been an exciting one. There have been a lot of players that have stood out and jumped onto our radar this season in the state of Kentucky. Now that we are headed into…
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Continue ReadingThe 2022 high school football season has been an exciting one. There have been a lot of players that have stood out and jumped onto our radar this season in the state of Kentucky. Now that we are headed into playoff time, I wanted to take a look back at some of the top players from the regular season in each class. With that in mind, I have decided to put together my All-State teams for each individual class. To start off this series, I will turn my attention to the top 1A players on the offensive side of the ball.
Cooper Stone Cooper Stone QB Bethlehem | 2023 State KY caught my attention when evaluating film this off-season and he has continued to impress all year. He leads class 1A in passing through the first nine games, completing 125/214 passes for 2,396 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while helping Bethlehem look like a legitimate state title contender. Stone has a very strong arm with the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride. He also has tremendous ball placement, putting passes where only his receivers can get to him. I also like Stone’s ability to maneuver in the pocket to avoid pressure and the ability to make throws on the run as needed. Cooper currently holds an offer from Judson University but I believe more college coaches should have their eyes on him as he has the talent to be a very successful college quarterback.
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Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6’0″ | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY has established himself as one of the best players in the entire state of Kentucky over the past couple seasons. This year, he has once again been the focal point of Pikeville’s offense, running the ball 140 times for 1,286 yards and 23 touchdowns through nine games. Birchfield has great vision and hits the running lane downhill in a hurry once it opens. Once he hits the open field, he has shown the speed to run away from the defense along with the ability to make defenders miss and the strength to run straight through them. He has also shown reliability out of the backfield as a pass catcher. Birchfield holds offers from Centre, Hanover, Denison, and Pikeville, and I expect him to be a true impact player early in his college career assuming he decides to continue playing.
Reese Music Reese Music 5’10” | 180 lbs | RB Betsy Lane | 2023 State KY is another senior running back that has been having an incredible final season. Music is currently the leading rusher in 1A, running the ball 133 times for 1,616 yards and 20 touchdowns through nine games. He is a very strong runner, showing the ability to keep his feet churning through contact to break loose from opposing defenders. Music has also shown the speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. He also holds value in the passing game as he has had experience running routes out of the slot. Reese also makes an impact on defense at linebacker but he shines the brightest with the ball in his hands. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers, college coaches should be paying close attention to him as Music has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
The first underclassman to make this team is sophomore wide receiver Brock Coffman Brock Coffman 6’0″ | 160 lbs | WR Sayre School | 2025 State KY from Sayre. Coffman currently leads 1A with 55 receptions for 684 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games. He is a gifted route runner with the ability to use his quickness to create early separation from the opposing defensive back. Coffman has shown the ability to be a reliable target both on the outside and in the slot and uses his speed to pose as a very dangerous deep threat. He is also an electric returner on special teams with the ability to take a kick back for a touchdown at any given moment. Brock recently received his first offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come over the next few years as he is a true Division I caliber talent at receiver.
Next up on my list is Stone’s go-to target at Bethlehem, Will Ray Will Ray 5’11” | 170 lbs | ATH North Hardin | 2024 State KY . Ray is having a very impressive season so far, catching 32 passes for a 1A-leading 749 yards and five touchdowns through nine games. Ray lines up in the slot and uses his speed to stretch the field down the seam in the deep passing game. He is also very dangerous after the catch. Ray has very impressive elusiveness in the open field which he uses to make defenders miss on a regular basis, and he also has the speed to simply run away from the defense after the catch. He also makes an impact at outside linebacker but looks his best on offense with the ball in his hands. Will doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect some to come going into his senior season as he has the talent to play at the college level.
Highlights
While he is definitely a very skilled quarterback, Stone has benefited from some great weapons this season. This includes two All-State receivers in my eyes in Ray and senior Haydon Osborne Haydon Osborne 6’2″ | 180 lbs | WR Bethlehem | 2023 State KY . Osborne is having a very impressive final season, catching 32 passes for 698 yards and eleven touchdowns through nine games. He is an athletic receiver on the outside that uses his quickness to create separation in his routes. Haydon also has shown the speed to run right by defensive backs in the deep passing game. I also like his ability in open space as the Eagles use him on screen passes and he is able to use his speed and elusiveness to pick up big gains after the catch. Osborne is also a gifted golfer and basketball player so it remains to be seen what he will decide to do after high school but he definitely has the talent to play football in college if he chooses to pursue that route.
Grant Scott Grant Scott 6’4″ | 235 lbs | TE Pikeville | 2023 State KY is a player that has been high on my radar since this off-season as he is our second ranked tight end in the class of 2023 in Kentucky. Scott has had a solid season catching the ball so far in a run-heavy Pikeville offense, catching twelve passes for 165 yards and a touchdown through nine games. He is used all over the offense, lining up as a true tight end, in an H-Back role, and in the slot. Scott has shown that he has reliable hands and has the ability to get up the field after the catch and use his speed and strength to his ability to pick up extra yards. However, his game doesn’t revolve around catching the ball. Scott is a very impressive blocker as Pikeville uses him very frequently as a lead blocker in the run game. He has the ability to find defenders to block in open space and is a very physical finisher that blocks through the whistle. Grant currently holds one offer from the University of Pikeville but more coaches should have their eyes on him as he has the skill set to be a very good college tight end.
Another Pikeville senior that has impressed this season is offensive guard Peyton Sayers Peyton Sayers 6’2″ | 295 lbs | OL Pikeville | 2023 KY . Sayers has helped anchor the offensive line of one of the better rushing attacks in the state. He has an explosive first step and does a good job of running his feet through contact to create movement off the line of scrimmage. Sayers has also shown the ability to get up to the second level to pick up blocks in the open field and has shown that he can be relied on to pull and serve as a lead blocker. In the passing game, Sayers has solid footwork and does a great job of keeping a strong base and protecting his inside gap. Peyton currently holds offers from Centre, Denison, Union, Kentucky Wesleyan, Pikeville, and Kentucky Christian, and I can see him being a strong addition to any of those programs.
An offensive lineman that has jumped onto my radar recently is junior Keondre Weathers Keondre Weathers 6’2″ | 260 lbs | DL Campbellsville | 2024 State KY from Campbellsville. Weathers lines up at left tackle and is a very impressive blocker in the run game. He has a quick first step and does a great job of running his feet on contact to create movement off the line of scrimmage. Weathers has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and pick up blocks in the open field as a lead blocker. In pass protection, Weathers keeps a strong base and does a solid job of mirroring opposing pass rushers off the edge. Keondre doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be a name to watch going into his senior season as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Moving back to an interior offensive lineman, junior Mason Neff Mason Neff 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Newport Central Catholic | 2024 State KY from Newport Central Catholic has impressed me this season. Neff is an athletic offensive guard that does a great job of pulling and using his physicality to move anything in his path as a lead blocker. He also does a great job of creating movement off the line of scrimmage and finishing his blocks through the whistle. Neff also does a solid job in pass protection of keeping inside position with his hands and not allowing any penetration into his inside gap. Mason is another talented offensive lineman without an offer that I expect to begin picking up some interest going into his senior year.
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An underclassman offensive lineman that has stood out to me this season is sophomore Hunter Clem Hunter Clem 6’5″ | 240 lbs | DL Harlan | 2025 State KY from Harlan. Clem is a big, physical left tackle that is an absolute force in the run game. He explodes out of his stance and drives right through the opposing defensive linemen, driving them down the field through the whistle. Clem has also shown the ability to get to the second level and destroy anything in his path in the open field. He is also very reliable when asked to pull from the tackle spot and serve as a lead blocker. Hunter doesn’t hold any offers yet but I expect his recruitment to heat up over the next couple seasons as I believe he could become a Division I caliber prospect.
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To wrap up this year’s 1A All-State team on offense, I have an intriguing junior offensive lineman prospect from Betsy Lane, Nick Thacker Nick Thacker 6’5″ | 320 lbs | OL Betsy Layne | 2024 KY . Thacker is a bigger center that is very impressive in the run game. He does a great job of getting off his snap quickly and stepping to his man. Once he gets locked in on his defender, Thacker does a great job of driving his man off the line of scrimmage. Nick finishes his blocks through the whistle, many times driving his opponent several yards down the field. He also has shown the ability to get to the second level and pick up blocks in open space. While he hasn’t received any offers yet, Thacker should be a name to watch going into his senior year as he has the talent to play at the next level and I believe he is an offensive lineman that can be moved around as needed.
Highlights
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Luke Pennington Luke Pennington 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Sayre School | 2025 State KY (Sayre, 2025); Logan Lundy Logan Lundy 6'3" | 215 lbs | QB Raceland | 2024 State KY (Raceland, 2024)
Running Back: Harris Phelps Harris Phelps 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Paintsville | 2023 State KY (Paintsville, 2023); Landyn Hopper (Dayton, 2023)
Wide Receiver: Nate Goodin (Williamsburgh, 2025); Trey Murrell (Paris, 2023)
Offensive Lineman: DJ Elliott DJ Elliott 6'1" | 350 lbs | OL Russellville | 2024 KY (Russellville, 2024); Mason Sayers (Pikeville, 2023)