2024 State Quarterfinals Players to Watch: 2A

<p>With the month of November moving quickly to its end, we are getting closer and closer to crowning state champions in each class in the state of Kentucky. As we head into the state quarterfinals this week, I wanted to focus on a player from each of the remaining teams in each class who has stood out in the playoffs so far and who I believe should be a player to continue to watch. With classes 3A-6A already being covered, I'll now turn my attention to my players to watch in the state quarterfinals in class 2A in the state of Kentucky.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Owensboro Catholic vs. Monroe County</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='373782' first='Brady' last='Atwell'] has had an impressive senior year and has carried that success over into the playoffs. Through the first two rounds, Atwell has completed 29/41 passes for 437 yards and seven touchdowns. Brady has a strong arm which he uses to stretch the field in the deep passing game. He has also shown impressive accuracy, showing the ability to hit his receivers in stride with ease. Atwell has also continued to show his dual-threat ability, running the ball 11 times for 125 yards and four touchdowns during their playoff run. Brady is committed to play baseball at Western Kentucky but is still an exciting quarterback to keep an eye on. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">If Monroe County wants to have any chance to beat a talented Owensboro Catholic team, they will need a big game out of [player_tooltip player_id='971536' first='Brayden' last='Baxter']. Baxter has been very impressive out of the backfield during their playoff run, running the ball 35 times for 254 yards and five touchdowns. He has explosive speed which he is able to use to run away from the defense on long runs. Brady has also shown the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Baxter has also caught two passes for 24 yards and accounted for 10 tackles and an interception on defense during the playoffs. Brayden doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be keeping an eye on.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Mayfield vs. LCA</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1610670' first='Josiah' last='England'] had an impressive sophomore regular season and has continued to find success during the playoffs. He has carried the ball 16 times for 214 yards and three touchdowns through the first two rounds. England is a strong runner, showing the ability to keep his legs driving through contact while keeping his balance to break tackles without losing stride. He has also shown the speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. Josiah doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a definitely a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1576948' first='Saxton' last='Howard'] has done a great job leading the LCA offense at quarterback this season. He has been impressive during their playoff run so far, completing 15/20 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns. Howard has shown impressive accuracy, showing the ability to put 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. Saxton has also made an impact in the running game during the playoffs, running the ball six times for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Howard is currently being recruited more as a basketball prospect but he is still an exciting player to continue to watch on the gridiron. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Beechwood vs. Martin County</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='288257' first='Clay' last='Hayden'] is a quarterback who has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to stand out as a senior. He has been very impressive during the first two rounds of the playoffs, completing 26/34 passes for 489 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. Hayden has a very strong arm which he is able to use to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He also has a great feel for pressure, showing the ability to escape the pocket when needed while keeping his eyes down the field to find the open receiver. Hayden currently holds an offer from Indianapolis and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way as he has the talent to be a successful quarterback at the next level. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1149589' first='Julian' last='Stafford'] is another player who has been on my radar for a while now who has continued to impress this season. He has played a key role on offense at running back during Martin County's playoff run, carrying the ball 30 times for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford is an elusive ball carrier, showing the ability to find cutback lanes then make moves to make defenders miss in the open field. He has also shown the speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Stafford has also accounted for eight tackles on defense during the playoffs. Julian doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be player to continue to keep an eye on. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Prestonsburg vs. Somerset</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1576955' first='Dalton' last='Elliott'] has been the main driving force of the Prestonsburg offense this season. He has been very impressive out of the backfield during their playoff run, carrying the ball 22 times for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Elliott has explosive speed which he uses to run away from the defense with ease on long runs. He has also shown the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Elliott has also caught two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown during the playoffs. Dalton doesn't currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='445546' first='Kristopher' last='Hughes'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to impress this season. He has played a key role out of the backfield during Somerset's playoff run, running the ball 30 times for 206 yards and five touchdowns. Hughes is dangerous once he hits the open field, showing the speed to run away from the defense along with the elusiveness to make defenders miss. He has also caught two passes for 16 yards during the playoffs and has made an impact on defense, accounting for four tackles and one interception which he returned for a touchdown. Hughes doesn't currently hold any offers but I could see some coming his way soon as he has received some college interest and has the talent to play at the next level. </p>

With the month of November moving quickly to its end, we are getting closer and closer to crowning state champions in each class in the state of Kentucky. As we head into the state quarterfinals this week, I wanted to focus on a player from each of the remaining teams in each class who has stood out in the playoffs so far and who I believe should be a player to continue to watch. With classes 3A-6A already being covered, I'll now turn my attention to my players to watch in the state quarterfinals in class 2A in the state of Kentucky.