2024 State Quarterfinals Players to Watch: 3A

<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 4A-6A already being covered, I'll now turn my attention to my players to watch in the state quarterfinals in class 3A in the state of Kentucky.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">CAL vs. Central</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='735551' first='Connor' last='Hodge'] had a strong regular season as CAL's starting quarterback and he has carried over that success into the playoffs. Through the first two rounds, Hodge has completed 26/36 passes for 537 yards and seven touchdowns. He is an accurate passer, showing the ability to hit his receivers in stride where only they can catch the ball. Hodge has also shown true dual threat ability, running the ball nine times for 148 yards and four touchdowns during their playoff run. He has also accounted for five tackles on defense. Hodge is committed to East Carolina where I can see him developing into a key contributor at the next level. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='373042' first='Cortez' last='Stone'] is a player who has been high on my radar for a while now and has continued to stand out this season. Stone has been very impressive during Central's playoff run so far, carrying the ball 11 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns. Cortez is a shifty ball carrier, showing the ability to make moves in the open field to make defenders miss. He has also shown the burst of speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Stone currently holds multiple Division I/Power 4 offers and I expect him to be a productive running back wherever he decides to play at the next level. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Hart County vs. Union County</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='735553' first='Brenan' last='Griffin'] is a player who has had a strong senior year, continuing his success through the playoffs. Griffin is the leader of the Hart County defense at linebacker where he is dominant against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys then flowing downhill to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. Through two playoff games, Brenan has accounted for 24 tackles and one tackle for loss. He has also made an impact on offense as a ball carrier during their playoff run, running the ball 16 times for 156 yards and a touchdown. Brenan currently holds offers from Union and Capital and I could see more coming his way as he has the talent to play at the next level. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='331764' first='Jarren' last='Johnson'] is an explosive play maker who has been the driving force of the Union County offense this season. He lines up at quarterback but does most of his damage as a ball carrier, running the ball 45 times for 397 yards and six touchdowns in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Johnson is dangerous in the open field, showing the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. He has also thrown for 161 yards and a touchdown during their playoff run and has made an impact on defense, accounting for seven tackles and an interception. Jarren currently holds an offer from Kentucky Wesleyan and I expect more to come his way as he has received a solid amount of college interest and definitely has the talent to play at the next level. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bell County vs. Lexington Catholic</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1513937' first='Kaleb' last='Miller'] has taken over the lead back for Bell County this season and has thrived in his new role. He has continued to find success during their first two playoff games, running the ball 32 times for 323 yards and seven touchdowns. Miller is a strong runner, showing the ability to keep his legs churning 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. Miller has also caught one pass for 14 yards during their playoff run. Kaleb doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1176935' first='Brady' last='Wasik'] has been best known for his leadership on defense at linebacker for the Knights. He is very impressive against the run, showing the ability to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle before they can get going. Through their first two playoff games, he has accounted for nine tackles and one tackle for loss. Last week against East Carter, Wasik had to step into a new role at quarterback, completing 14/16 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He has also rushed for 38 yards and caught one touchdown pass during their playoff run. Wasik doesn't currently hold any offers but he should definitely be a player to continue to keep an eye on. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Belfry vs. Russell</span>:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1200701' first='JB' last='Woolum'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to stand out this season. Woolum has been very impressive out of the backfield during the first two rounds of the playoffs, running the ball 12 times for 218 yards and five touchdowns. JB has explosive speed which he uses to get to the outside in a hurry then run away from the defense on long runs. He has also caught three passes for 40 yards and accounted for nine tackles during their playoff run. JB doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Elijah Hankins has caught my attention during Russell's playoff run. He has led the charge on offense at quarterback, completing 19/29 passes for 314 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Hankins 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. Elijah doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to continue to keep an eye on. </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 4A-6A already being covered, I'll now turn my attention to my players to watch in the state quarterfinals in class 3A in the state of Kentucky.