2023 Team MVP Predictions: 3A (Part 3)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the middle of August, 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 have now turned my attention to class 3A in my “Team MVP” series. With that being said, here is my final group of 3A MVP predictions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Webster County: </strong>The Trojans are a team 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 junior [player_tooltip player_id='952668' first='Jackson' last='Edens'] to be one of the players to lead the way. On offense, Edens finished as the team's leading rusher and receiver last season. He ran the ball 95 times for 860 yards and eight touchdowns while catching five passes for 59 yards in just eight games. Edens also plays a key role on defense, finishing his sophomore year with 45 tackles and one interception. He also has special teams value, returning one kickoff for a touchdown last season. Jackson doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adair County: </strong>Adair County is another team looking to turn things around after a rough 2022 season. The Indians' offense will be getting an extra boost this season from junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='952669' first='Solomon' last='Stonebraker']. Solomon is an electric wide receiver that is transferring in from Casey County. Stonebraker is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he caught 38 passes for 697 yards and 10 touchdowns. Solomon hasn't received any offers yet but he has received some college interest and will definitely be a player to watch over the next couple seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Butler County: </strong>The Bears are a team that will be looking to build off a solid 2022 season. If they want to take the next step this year, incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='952646' first='Gage' last='Beasley'] will be one of the players leading the charge. Beasley plays a key role on both sides of the ball for the Bears. On defense, he makes a big impact at defensive back. He finished his junior year with 57 tackles and four interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdowns. On offense, Gage plays a key role in both the running and passing game. Last season, he ran the ball 14 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Beasley doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to watch going into his senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Franklin-Simpson: </strong>Franklin-Simpson is another program that will be looking to build off their success from 2022. If they want to keep growing in their success, incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id='373827' first='Layne' last='Alford'] will be one of the players leading the way. Alford plays a key role on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats. On offense, he is a hard-nosed ball carrier. He finished last season with 57 carries for 336 yards and eight touchdowns while also catching one touchdown pass. Alford is also a reliable linebacker on defense, finishing his sophomore year with 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two sacks. Layne doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marion County: </strong>The Knights will be looking to turn things around this year following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction, they will be looking for a big year out of incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='952647' first='Jalil' last='Smith']. Smith finished his junior year as the team's leading receiver with seven receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 22 times for 96 yards. Smith also plays a key role on defense as a defensive end. He finished his junior year with 42 tackles. Jalil doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on going into his senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bourbon County: </strong>The Colonels are another team that will be looking to have a much better season than their last one. If they want to turn things around, incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id='952670' first='Ryan' last='Lay'] will be one of the players leading the way. Ryan is a physical defensive lineman that plays with a high motor and has proven to be reliable against both the run and pass, using his strength to fight through blocks to get to the ball to make tackles, finishing with 42 last season. He also showed some ability in pass coverage, coming away with one interception as a sophomore. Ryan has yet to receive any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pendleton County: </strong>The Wildcats will be looking to turn things around this year following a winless 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction, they will need a productive season out of incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id='952671' first='Tyler' last='Redden']. Redden is a key piece of the Wildcats' offense as a running back. He finished his sophomore year with 62 carries for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Redden also caught one touchdown pass last season. Tyler doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bath County: </strong>Bath County is another team looking to bounce back this season after a one-win 2022 season. If the Wildcats want to turn things around, incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='952648' first='Dalton' last='Warmouth'] will be one of the players to lead the way. Warmouth is a physical offensive guard that is very impressive as a run blocker. He does a great job of exploding out of his stance and driving his man down the field to create a running lane. Dalton doesn't currently hold any offers but I believe he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lewis County: </strong>The Lions are a team that will be looking to take the next step this year following a first-round playoff exit in 2022. If they are to take this next step, incoming junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='952672' first='Ayden' last='Cooper'] will be the man to lead the way. As a sophomore, Cooper completed 95/195 passes for 1,378 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also made an impact as a ball carrier, running the ball 75 times for 308 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Ayden doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Carter: </strong>The Comets will be looking to try to turn things around following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction, incoming sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='952673' first='Kadin' last='Thompson'] will be one of the players to lead the way. Thompson played a key role on the Comets' defense as a linebacker as a freshman. He finished the 2022 season with 36 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Thompson also showed some ability in pass coverage, coming away with two interceptions last season. Kadin doesn't currently hold any offers but he has the potential to develop into an impressive linebacker prospect over the next few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>McCreary Central: </strong>McCreary Central is another team coming off a disappointing 2022 season. This year, incoming sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='952674' first='Peyton' last='Higginbotham'] will be looking to lead the Raiders in the right direction. Peyton impressed as a freshman starting quarterback last season, completing 79/149 passes for 1,418 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also showed the ability to tuck the ball and make plays with his legs when needed, finishing the year with 35 carries for 294 yards and two touchdowns. Higginbotham doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player for college coaches to keep an eye on over the next few seasons as he continues to develop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lawrence County: </strong>The Bulldogs are a team that will be looking to build off a strong 2022 season. If they want to take the next step this year, incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='952649' first='Talan' last='Pollock'] will be the man to lead the way. Pollock is the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs and completed 50/100 passes for 665 yards, five touchdowns, and only one interception in what was a run-heavy offense last season. Speaking of the run game, Pollock made an impact there as well, carrying the ball 52 times for 414 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. He also made an impact on defense last season, coming away with two interceptions. Talan doesn't currently hold any offers but will be a player to keep an eye on going into his senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Magoffin County: </strong>To wrap up my 3A MVP predictions, I have the Magoffin County Hornets. The Hornets are coming off a rough 2022 season and incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='952650' first='Aden' last='Barnett'] will be looking to lead them in the right direction this year. Barnett is the starting quarterback in a run-heavy Hornet offense where he finished his junior year as the team's leading rusher with 83 carries for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a passer, Barnett completed 44/95 passes for 747 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. Barnett also plays a key role on defense, finishing last season with 40 tackles and two interceptions, returning both of them for touchdowns. Aden doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player that college coaches should keep an eye on heading into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->