2026 Preview: Lexington Wildcats

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Simply head to our subscription page</a> and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first season of the Stewart Young era at Lexington did not turn out favorable for the Wildcats. There were a lot of learning and teaching moments and that gives reason to believe Year Two might produce better results.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's what players like senior linebacker<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1817398' first='Caleb' last='Schrodt']</strong> expect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“One of Coach Young's big things is we're going to control what we can control and we're going to be better than our opponent at handling that,” Schrodt said at the recent Prep RedZone Media Day held at Gilbert. “We're going to be better conditioned, have a better pregame and keep that mentality all season is going to help us a lot. We think we're in a great spot right now.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're a team but we want to set the tone on the defensive side of things,” Schrodt continued.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing is for certain. The Wildcats are a senior-laden team on defense and while young on offense, they feel like the talent level has increased.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It's a lot different and I feel we're in a better place than we were at this time last year,” Young said. “We have a lot more experienced defensively than we do offensively but talent-wise we're going to be ok offensively. We're going to rely on those older guys on defense. “</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That senior dominated defense will be asked to lead the way until the younger offense can find a groove. Young feels like the nucleus has improved over last season. Lexington will likely start eight seniors on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It starts with Schrodt and seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818656' first='Charlie' last='Oates']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820752' first='Brejhon' last='Jefferson']</strong> at linebacker. Schrodt was the leading tackler last season with 99 and he's taken on a leadership role. Up front, seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1816153' first='Grayson' last='Kelley']</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893412' first='Malachi' last='Lytes']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820739' first='Cross' last='George']</strong> will be counted on the log heavy snap counts. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1848467' first='Jackson' last='Keiper']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820758' first='Cam' last='Wright']</strong> will lead an experienced secondary. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Young believes the offense will be better than a season ago. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1848408' first='Easton' last='Crocker']</strong> was forced to take over the quarterback role as a freshman. He had his moments, but his youthfulness also came into play. The good news is seniors <strong>Hunter Winiarski</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1817397' first='James' last='Leudesdorff']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818662' first='Henry' last='Parks']</strong> will be in the trenches leading the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I learned a lot that first year,” Young said. “Our staff did. We made some changes staff-wise and schematically and motivationally.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1817398' first='Caleb' last='Schrodt']</strong> (pictured) LB, 2027 – Young didn't hesitate to call Schrodt the best player on the team. He's coming off a junior year where he accounted for 99 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. He moves well, has a quick change of direction and is able to shed blockers both in space and at the point of attack. Young believes Schrodt can play at the next level, and a refined senior season will build upon that expectation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820739' first='Cross' last='George']</strong> DE, 2027 – George was expected to have a huge junior season, but he was injured in the second game. He was out for a while then played limited snaps in the last couple of games of the season. He plays with a high motor with the ability to read and react to plays quickly. He's a menace coming off the edge. He gets in the backfield and creates chaos. If George has the season that is expected, he could potentially put up huge numbers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893412' first='Malachi' last='Lytes']</strong> DL, 2027 – If there is a quiet leader on the defense, it's going to Lytes. He was at Media Day along with George and Schrodt but said very little. But he carries that quiet confidence that he knows once the ball is snapped, he lets his play do the talking for him. He's going to be a huge run-stopper for the Wildcats. His ability to reach the backfield has continued to improve along with his technique. He could be one of the breakout stars that will see his numbers increase drastically over last season. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893389' first='Ian' last='Danson']</strong> WR, 2027 – The receiving unit is going to be young for the most part, but Danson is the most experienced returner. He's the only player on the offense that caught double digit passes last season. He's quick, can make defenders miss but more importantly has great hands. He's a leader and that trait is going to be important this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1816153' first='Grayson' last='Kelley'] </strong>DE, 2027 – Kelley is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and plays with an edge. He can beat a double team and is comfortable playing with his hand in the dirt. His motor never stops and he's strong enough to stand up the offensive tackle in the hole. He played in nine games last year, and the defense had a different look when he was on the field. A healthy season year could see him double his statistics from last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16644738/693084ad0f1c57866b7fff0bu0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3c4e053ed50"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cam Morris </strong>LB – Morris was the second leading tackler with 69 last season. He also added 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks with two caused fumbles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Markel Byrd</strong> RB – Byrd played in all 11 games last season and finished with 767 yards rushing and five touchdowns, both team highs. He was the workhorse as he carried the ball 194 times out of the 287 rushing attempts. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818642' first='Cj' last='Johnson']</strong> DB, 2028 – Johnson is going to step in and fill a void right away. He's one of the few junior starters but he brings plenty of athleticism and moxie to the secondary. He can line up on an island and cover a receiver one-on-one or play zone and always seem to be in the correct position. His development will help a secondary that came away with just four interceptions last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Vic Kaczenski</strong> WR, 2029 – This is a name that's been heard around the Lexington area since Kaczenski was in middle school. His dad, Rick Kaczenski, played collegiately at Notre Dame before transitioning into college coaching that included stops at Iowa and Nebraska. The younger Kaczenski was a late season call-up, and he quickly turned into the Wildcats best receiver. He's fearless, catches passes across the middle and his deceptive speed sets him apart from a lot of players. Started in centerfield for the Lexington baseball team. He and Crocker should form a nice combo for Lexington for the next three seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1848408"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3c4e0541402"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Crocker was probably a season away from being completely ready to handle a full varsity season, but he was forced into action early due to injury and never really gave the No. 1 spot up. He makes the right decision and keeps the ball away from danger for the most part. He has a strong arm and sees the field well. But his biggest attribute might be the fact is he's even keel and nothing rattles him. Crocker plays every play the same. He also proved his toughness last season when several games he took a pounding but kept getting up for the next play.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->