2023 Team MVP Predictions: 3A (Part 1)
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As we approach the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing the upcoming season. As I begin to preview some top players and teams to…
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Continue ReadingAs we approach the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing the upcoming season. As I begin to preview some top players and teams to watch in the 2023 season, I wanted to focus on which player I believe will make the biggest impact for each individual team. After already covering the 6A, 5A, and 4A classes I will now turn my attention to class 3A in my “Team MVP” series. With that being said, here is my first group of 3A MVP predictions.
Christian Academy – Louisville: To kick things off, I have the defending 3A State Champions. They have an impressive group of players coming back to try to defend their title with incoming senior quarterback Cole Hodge Cole Hodge 6'2" | QB Christian Academy Of Louisville | 2024 State KY leading the way. Hodge is coming off a very impressive junior year in which he completed 169/232 passes for 2,949 yards, 48 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. Cole has impressive accuracy in his throws, showing the ability to put the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. He also has a very strong arm which he uses to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. Hodge has also shown the ability to make plays as a ball carrier, finishing his junior year with 76 carries for 711 yards and nine touchdowns. Cole is committed to East Carolina where I can see him developing into a productive college quarterback.
Central: The Yellow Jackets are new to 3A after being moved down from 4A in the realignment. If they want to continue the success that they had in 4A, they will be relying heavily on incoming junior running back Cortez Stone Cortez Stone 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Louisville Central | 2025 State KY to lead the way. Stone had an outstanding sophomore season, running the ball 261 times for 2,191 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has very impressive speed, showing the ability to burst through the running lane with a sense of urgency and run right by defenders on his way to the end zone. When defenders are able to catch up to him, Stone has shown the ability to make them miss in the open field. Stone has also shown the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, finishing this past season with 10 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown. Cortez currently holds offers from Purdue, Ball State, Cincinnati, Miami (OH), Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and Louisville, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Power 5 caliber running back prospect.
Lexington Catholic: Lexington Catholic is another team making the move down from 4A this season that will be looking to continue their success. If they want to take the next step this season, incoming senior quarterback Jackson Wasik Jackson Wasik 5'9" | 140 lbs | QB Lexington Catholic | 2024 State KY will be the man to lead the way. Wasik had an incredible junior year, completing 184/262 passes for 2,954 yards,41 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Jackson has a strong arm, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride in the deep passing game. He also puts a good amount of touch on his passes, showing the ability to put the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. Wasik has also shown that he can tuck the ball and make plays with his legs when needed, finishing this past season with 65 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson currently holds an offer from Calumet College but I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to be a productive quarterback at the next level.
Trigg County: The Wildcats are a team that will be looking to bounce back following a first-round playoff exit in 2022. If they want to take the next step this season, incoming senior wide receiver Jhaden Vaughn Jhaden Vaughn 6'5" | 180 lbs | WR Trigg County | 2024 State KY will be one of the players to lead the way. Vaughn had a very impressive junior year, catching 39 passes for 862 yards and nine touchdowns. He is a very dangerous deep threat, showing the ability to use double moves and his natural speed to create separation from opposing defensive backs. Jhaden has also shown the ability to use his speed and elusiveness in the open field to turn short passes/screens into big plays. Vaughn currently holds offers from Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, UAB, Miami (OH), Murray State, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber wide receiver prospect.
Elizabethtown: The Panthers are a team that will be looking to build off a solid 2022 season. They have a strong group of returning players on their roster this season but incoming senior running back Trey Durbin Trey Durbin 6'1" | 205 lbs | ATH Elizabethtown | 2024 State KY stands out to me the most. Durbin is coming off a strong junior year in which he ran the ball 99 times for 1,130 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is a big,athletic running back that has the speed to run away from the defense and the strength to run over defenders in the open field. Durbin also finished his junior year as the team’s lead receiver, catching 13 passes for 314 yards and six touchdowns. Trey currently holds one offer from the University of Pennsylvania but I can see more coming his way soon as he has the talent to play at the next level.
Bell County: Bell County is another team that will be looking to build off an impressive 2022 season. If they want to continue their success, they will rely heavily on incoming senior Daniel Thomas Daniel Thomas 5'9" | 180 lbs | ATH Bell County | 2024 State KY to lead the way. Thomas had a breakout year as a junior, dominating on both sides of the ball. On offense, Thomas was one the top rushers in the state, carrying the ball 208 times for 2,228 yards and 29 touchdowns. He has the perfect blend of speed, elusiveness, and strength as a ball carrier which helps him break off on long runs at any given moment. Thomas has also shown the ability to pose as a threat in the passing game, finishing this past season as the team’s leading receiver with 12 catches for 360 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a key role on defense at linebacker, finishing the year with 87 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks. Thomas doesn’t currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Knox Central: Knox Central is a team that will be looking to turn things around following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction, incoming senior Steve Partin Steve Partin 6'2" | 195 lbs | ATH Knox Central | 2024 State KY will be the man to lead the way. Partin does a little bit of everything for the Panthers. On offense, he spent most of his time at quarterback last season. As a junior, Partin completed 70/114 passes for 927 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two interceptions. While he is solid as a passer, Partin is at his most dangerous on offense as a ball carrier, running the ball 271 times for 1,782 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. He uses his combination of speed, power, and elusiveness to break off on long runs very frequently. Partin also showed the ability to line up at receiver at times last season, catching 10 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. He also plays a key role on defense at linebacker, finishing this past season with 71 tackles and one tackle for loss. Partin is committed to Yale where I see him being a very versatile player that could play at multiple different positions once he gets there.
Rockcastle County: The Rockets are another team that will be looking to bounce back following a rough 2022 season. If they want to turn things around, they will be looking for incoming sophomore Isaiah Jackson Isaiah Jackson 5'11" | 185 lbs | ATH Rockcastle County | 2026 State KY to be one of the players to lead the way. Jackson played a key role on both sides of the ball for the Rockets as a freshman. On offense, he finished this past season as the team’s leading receiver, catching 41 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He lines up in the slot and is able to use his speed to his advantage to run by opposing defenders in the deep passing game. Jackson also ran the ball seven times for 123 yards and a touchdown, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown as a freshman. On the defensive side of the ball, Jackson plays a key role as a defensive back. He finished this past season with 27 tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Jackson doesn’t currently hold any offers but he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.
East Carter: East Carter is a team that will be looking to improve this season following a first-round playoff exit in 2022. If they want to take the next step this season, incoming senior defensive lineman Izack Messer Izack Messer 6'0" | 250 lbs | DL East Carter | 2024 KY will be one of the players leading the way. Messer had a strong junior year at defensive end, finishing with 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Izack plays with a high motor and has a quick first step out of his stance. He has shown the ability to use this to his advantage as a pass rusher by shooting the inside gap before opposing offensive linemen can react. Messer also has some impressive pass rush moves that he uses to defeat blocks and does a great job of finishing once he gets to the quarterback. Izack doesn’t currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on as a senior as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Hopkins County Central: The Storm are another program that will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to turn things around, they will be looking for incoming senior wide receiver Logan Rodgers Logan Rodgers 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR Hopkins County Central | 2024 State KY to be one of the players to lead the way. Rodgers is coming off a solid junior season in which he caught 44 passes for 599 yards and nine touchdowns. He is a dangerous deep threat, using his speed to create separation from opposing defensive backs. Rodgers is also very impressive with the ball in his hands in the open field, showing the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. Logan also saw some snaps out of the backfield last season, running the ball 24 times for 254 yards and four touchdowns. Rodgers doesn’t currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and has the talent to play at the next level.
Glasgow: Glasgow is another team that will be looking to turn things around following a first-round playoff exit in 2022. If they want to see more success this season, they will need a big year out of incoming junior quarterback Easton Jessie Easton Jessie 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Adair County | 2025 State KY . As a sophomore, Jessie completed 61/110 passes for 927 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Jessie throws an impressive deep ball, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride. He has also shown a good amount of toughness, showing the ability to stand tall in the pocket and make throws while taking on contact. Jessie has also shown the ability to tuck the ball and make plays with his legs when needed, running the ball 73 times for 262 yards and six touchdowns last season. Easton doesn’t currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.
LaRue County: The Hawks are another team that will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to turn things around, incoming senior quarterback Conlee Crossno Conlee Crossno 6'1" | 210 lbs | QB LaRue County | 2024 KY will be the man to lead the way. Crossno is coming off a solid junior year in which he completed 111/240 passes for 1,977 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Conlee throws a nice deep ball, showing the arm strength to stretch the field and the touch to place the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. He has also shown the ability to escape pressure while keeping his eyes down the field to make throws on the run. Crossno has also proven to be dangerous as a ball carrier, finishing this past season with 115 carries for 702 yards and 11 touchdowns. Conlee doesn’t currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Lloyd Memorial: To wrap up this group of 3A teams, I have Lloyd Memorial. The Juggernauts are making the move up to 3A from 2A following a strong 2022 season. If they want to continue their success in 3A, they will be looking for incoming junior Isaiah Sebastian Isaiah Sebastian 6'0" | 165 lbs | ATH Lloyd Memorial | 2025 State KY to be one of the players to lead the way. Sebastian plays a key role on both sides of the ball for the Juggernauts. On offense, he does most of his damage as a ball carrier, finishing this past season with 122 carries for 918 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 72 yards. Sebastian is able to use his speed and elusiveness in the open field to break away for big plays at any given moment. On defense, Sebastian is a very impressive defensive back, finishing this past season with 44 tackles and eight interceptions, returning two of them for a touchdown. He has also shown that he has value on special teams, returning one punt for a touchdown as a sophomore. Isaiah hasn’t picked up any offers yet but he will definitely be a player to pay close attention to over the next two seasons.