2022 Statewide Top Performers: Week 8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another week has come and gone, and the 2022 high school football regular season is coming down the home stretch. The eighth week of the season provided us yet another week full of outstanding performances. While it was hard to narrow down, these are the most impressive performances in the state of Kentucky that stood out in week eight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6346237fbad26","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jackson Wasik","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Lexington Catholic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Junior quarterback Jackson Wasik has had a very successful season so far as he has the Knights sitting as one of the top teams in the state. While he has shown greatness already, Friday night was arguably his best performance yet. Wasik threw for 278 yards for the game but it was what he did down the stretch that stood out the most. He led his team on a comeback in which they scored 21 unanswered points on his three touchdowns to pull off a huge upset over Boyle County, ending their 19-game winning streak. Throughout the game, Wasik showed impressive accuracy and zip on his passes with the ability to fit his passes into tight windows. He also showed the ability to tuck the ball and pick up yards on the ground when nothing was there. At the end of the game, Wasik showed off an impressive arm, throwing a 60-yard touchdown pass to win the game. Jackson currently holds an offer from Calumet College but I expect more to come as he has the skill set to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Cayden Grigsby","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Middlesboro","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Cayden Grigsby is a player that I hadn't got to see yet that jumped onto my radar this past week. Grigsby showed tremendous dual-threat ability on Friday, completing six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while also running the ball 15 times for 278 yards and three touchdowns. As a passer, Grigsby has a very strong arm with the ability to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He also has shown the ability to make throws on the run with very impressive accuracy. Grigsby is used a ball carrier in the read option as he often keeps the ball and uses his speed and elusiveness to make big plays on the ground. While Cayden doesn't currently hold any offers, he will be a name to watch over the next two seasons as he has already been receiving a lot of college interest and has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["145769"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='145769' first='Jayden' last='Newsome'] is a player that has been high on my radar for a while and continued to impress this past week. The senior running back had yet another big game on Friday, carrying the ball 25 times for 194 yards and five touchdowns while also catching one pass for 11 yards. Newsome has great vision and hits the running lane in a hurry. Once he hits the hole and gets to the second level, he has the second gear/burst to run away from a defense. He also has the ability to make cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. Newsome also made an impact on defense, recording seven tackles on Friday. Jayden doesn't currently hold any official offers but college coaches should be giving him a closer look as he has the talent to play somewhere at the college level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["385949"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"For the third consecutive week, [player_tooltip player_id='385949' first='Chandler' last='Godby'] finds himself on my top performers list. The senior wide receiver continued his impressive final season, catching eleven passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns against North Laurel. Godby continued to show the speed to pose as a deep threat but also showed the ability to catch the ball at its highest point and win jump ball passes over defenders. He also was able to make tough catches through contact and use his speed and elusiveness to pick up yards after the catch. Chandler also had some impressive returns on special teams and came away with an interception on defense. Godby is still without an offer and college coaches need to have their attention on him as he has the potential to be a very special player at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Demauriah Brown","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Danville","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Demauriah Brown has jumped onto the scene in his sophomore season at Danville. He continued to impress this past Friday, rushing for 286 yards and five touchdowns against Somerset. Brown took a lot of direct snaps in the backfield on Friday and was a very strong, downhill runner all night. He showed the burst to get through the hole and showed the strength to run through defenders without breaking stride. Once he got around the edge or into the open field, Brown showed the speed to run away from the defense. Brown also made an impact on defense at linebacker, flying around the field to make tackles. Demauriah currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come over the next few years as he should be one of the big names to watch in the state.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["373042"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Another sophomore running back that stood out this past week was Cortez Hill. Hill had a tremendous game against Waggener, carrying the ball ten times for 340 yards and five touchdowns. He was able to use his speed to his advantage, shooting out of his stance and getting downhill in a hurry then simply running away from the defense. Hill also showed tremendous contact balance, not losing his stride and bouncing off defenders in the open field. Cortez currently holds offers from Louisville, Western Kentucky, Purdue, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect that list to continue to expand as he has true Division I level talent.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"Brysen Dugger","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"Pulaski County","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_6_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Brysen Dugger has been off to an impressive senior year for Pulaski County and continued to impress this past Friday. Dugger completed 25/29 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-13 victory over North Laurel. He showed impressive accuracy with the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver strikes under pressure into tight coverage. Dugger also showed off an impressive arm with the ability to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He also was able to show impressive touch/ball placement putting the ball where only his receiver could get to it. Brysen is also a very impressive baseball and basketball player so it remains to see which sport he will attempt to play at the next level if any but he definitely has the talent to be a successful quarterback in college if he chooses to go that route.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"Jayden Lawson","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"Simon Kenton","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_7_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Jayden Lawson is a player that I've been hearing about lately but hadn't gotten the chance to evaluate yet. He made a huge first impression this past Friday, running the ball 20 times for 314 yards and four touchdowns in a huge win over Dixie Heights. Lawson is a very strong runner, showing the ability to keep his legs churning through contact to break tackles. He also showed the speed to burst through the running lane and run away from the defense on long runs. Jayden currently holds offers from Centre and Thomas More, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come in the near future as he has the talent to be a solid running back at the next level.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["265182"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Another player that I've had on my radar for a while that continued to impress this past week is senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='265182' first='Dylan' last='Burdine'] from East Ridge. Burdine put on quite a performance on Friday, completing 17/25 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns while also running the ball 14 times for 157 yards and a touchdown. As a passer, Burdine showed off a very strong arm with great touch on his deep balls, leading his receivers away from their defenders. He also showed the ability to tuck the ball and run under pressure, using his speed to run away from the defense for big gains on the ground. Dylan also played a key role on defense in a linebacker/box safety role, coming away with 13 tackles for the game. While he doesn't currently hold any official offers, Dylan should see some come at some point before the season is over as he has been receiving interest and has the talent to play somewhere in college.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["287563"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Although we have him ranked as our seventh best tight end in the class of 2023, [player_tooltip player_id='287563' first='Josh' last='Thornton'] made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball this past Friday. He made plays all over the field, finishing with eight tackles, four tackles for loss, and four sacks. Thornton plays in a stand up outside linebacker/defensive end role and is a very disruptive pass rusher. He has a quick first step out of his stance and uses his speed and bend to win off the edge. Once he gets to the quarterback, he does a great job of running his feet on contact and securing the sack. Against the run, Thornton does a great job of holding his ground and reading the play then taking the right angle to get to the ball, and is a very reliable tackler in the open field. He has continued to show his skill as a pass catcher but has really thrived on defense this season. Josh currently holds offers from Mount Union and Kentucky Christian, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come as he has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit"} /-->