KYMSFA Battle of the Regions: Top Performers Region 2 c/o 2029

The Kentucky Middle School Football Association held its annual Battle of the Regions event on March 29-30, with many of the states brightest middle school stars on display. Below is a look at some of the 2029 prospects that stood out, from Region 2.    It took until the final minutes of the consolation game for Lawless to finally get in the end zone this weekend, but forget the stats. In my eyes, he solidified himself as one of the most explosive players in Kentucky for this 2029 class. Shifty, speedy kid who picked up some great YAC yards on several of his grabs. He's a bit of a Swiss Army knife and was used in End-arounds, jet sweeps and was targeted several times through the air. It was clear Region 2 knew the weapon they had in Lawless. They did whatever they could in an attempt to get he ball into the playmaker's hands.     To say that Meaux had a very busy weekend for Region 2 would be an understatement. He was the prominent feature back in the running attack and finished the weekend with four touchdowns in total. Meaux played hard and gave a ton of consistent effort. Running with impressive balance, he broke countless tackles and showed of some impressive acceleratation when he got to the second and third levels of the field. Additionally, he has gotten noticeably thicker since I last saw him in June with the Kentucky Future Stars and has really started to hit his stride as a balanced, all-around Running Back.     It was impossible to miss Stivers on the field for Region 2, as he was the biggest 2029 prospect out there--listed at 6-foot-2 and 265-pounds--which is 20 pounds heavier (of apparent good weight) since I last saw him in June. Stivers played Right Tackle and was part of an Offensive Line that paved the way for Meaux's four rushing touchdowns on the weekend. Additionally, he did a nice job of reach blocking the aggressive and fast Edge defenders, sealing them off and allowing for jet sweeps to come off his outside hip and into the boundary.     The orange helmets of the Lyndon Lightning were seen flying all over the field during the Battle of the Regions, specifically at the Linebacker position. Forney Jr. had a solid weekend for Region 2, as the rangy and versatile Linebacker was very active in both games. Long enough to play OLB, yet strong enough to play ILB, he had a nice showing in the first game against the eventual 8th grade champions, Region 4, but really stood out in his squads victory over Region 3. I lost track of the number of times his name was called over the speaker, but he was everywhere.     Like his teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1136988' first='Eric' last='Forney Jr.'] (listed above), [player_tooltip player_id='1648393' first='Carson' last='Ivey'] was another standout at the Linebacker position for Region 2. He passed the eye test from the moment I saw him, with a muscular build. Ivey got down hill in a hurry and played behind his pads all weekend long. With his build I was assuming he'd be an ILB in their 4-4 front, but he showed off his athleticism in his pass drops and ability to cover ground laterally. Also made an outstanding Special Teams play in R2's first game, snatching an onside kick attempt out of the air and returning it into R4's territory.     Another defensive prospect that stood out to me from Region 2 was the boulder in the middle of the defensive line, named Ramari Long. At 327 pounds with the feet of a kid who is half that size, he was a thorn in the side of the opposing Offensive Line(s) this weekend. He's a broad, wide-body that can plug up multiple gaps along the defensive front. Had to be near double digit tackles on the weekend, including more than a few for loss.     Like several others on this list, Gough passed the eye test before I even got the roster and knew who he was. He lists himself at 5-foot-10 and 185-pounds at this point, which is two inches and 20 pounds heavier than he was when I last saw him in June at the Future Stars event. By my count he was at, or at least near, double digit tackles in both of R2's games this weekend. He was physically impressive, to say the least.     Miller was another eye test-passer before the game(s) started and I had a roster in hand. After a somewhat pedestrian game against Region 4 in the opener, he came alive in the second game Region 3, showing the potential he has. In consolation tilt, Miller had, or was in on, a number of significant stops through out the game--highlighted by a pair of sacks in the third quarter that put an end to significant drives by the R3. I don't think he's anywhere near his ceiling at this point.     Up a self-reported three inches and 25 pounds, Batts-Hobbs didn't look out of place for a single second this weekend for Region 2, despite being a 2030 prospect playing up. The third Kentucky Country Day prospect to separate himself from this squad, he had a nice weekend. Speaking specifically, he had a strong early fourth quarter in the consolation game against Region 3--executing picture-perfect pass defense on a first down play before turning around and coming down hill to stop a stretch play to the outside just one play later.     The Henry County prospect that had a nice weekend, Sloan was arguably the most impressive. A long Edge prospect with adequate muscle mass, he came alive in Region 2's second game to the tune of a pair of sacks and 6+ tackles. He used his length to ride outside runs to the boundary before making a play.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Region 2 Standouts</h2>   East Louisville Sports Eagles Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1648180' first='Chase' last='Browning'] didn't get the outcome he and the Region 2 8th graders were looking for in their opening game, but he looked the part physically. Has the size and the arm strength to develop into a nice prospect as he presumably progresses into high school next season.   Westport Middle School Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1648823' first='Jailen' last='Carter'] flashed some ability this weekend. He was used in a very similar fashion to [player_tooltip player_id='868412' first='David' last='Lawless'], where his quickness lended itself to the quick game. Carter was targeted on screens and used in End-arounds in an attempt to get him loose in space.   Like [player_tooltip player_id='1648180' first='Chase' last='Browning'] listed above, another Greater Louisville Youth Football Association (GLYFA) kid that caught my eye was Lyndon Lightning RB [player_tooltip player_id='1648360' first='Brennan' last='Grinstead']. While his running mate Meaux gets the headlines with the touchdowns, without the tough running of Grinstead keeping the defense off balance, little of that would have been possible. With the exception of one run that went for 20+ yards, he put labored with some tough runs up the middle but kept the chains moving.   He's somewhere between a Wide Receiver and a Tight End at this point, but [player_tooltip player_id='1311369' first='Brayden' last='Walsh'] had a couple of nice grabs over the weekend. Nearly three inches taller than when I last saw him in June, Walsh used his 6-foot-3 frame to stretch out and grab a few passes that nobody else on the field would have been able to catch. If he puts on weight and turns into a Tight End, he has the potential to be scary.   Another big, wide body that made a few nice stops was [player_tooltip player_id='1648830' first='Herlan' last='Leyva Ramirez'] out of Jefferson County Traditional. The Defensive Tackle was part of a stout defensive front that did a pretty good job of clogging up the middle and forcing a lot of plays out towards the boundary.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Scout's Eye</h2>   The guys below caught my eye during warmups and in game play. However, without the luxury of being able to watch the games back again, having replays or recording official stats, missing plays is inevitable. Nonetheless, these guys certainly looked the part and I hope to get another look at them in the coming months.   [player_tooltip player_id='1648855' first='Camden' last='Clark'] | Henry County | Defensive Back   [player_tooltip player_id='1269715' first='Peyton' last='Duckwall'] | Eastside Middle School | Quarterback   [player_tooltip player_id='1648858' first='Gunner' last='Harrig'] | Henry County | Wide Receiver   Zaid Charasika | Lyndon Lightning | Defensive Back   [player_tooltip player_id='1648868' first='Brody' last='Siegel'] | Lyndon Catholic | Tight End/Linebacker   Eil Hare | CAL | Linebacker   [player_tooltip player_id='1648882' first='Connor' last='Dearborn'] | Lyndon Lightning | Offensive Line

The Kentucky Middle School Football Association held its annual Battle of the Regions event on March 29-30, with many of the states brightest middle school stars on display. Below is a look at some of the 2029 prospects that stood out, from Region 2.