2023 Prep Redzone KY Awards: Offensive Player of the Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head towards the end of 2023, another season of high school football in the state of Kentucky has come and gone. With that being said, I wanted to take a look back at some of the top performers from the past season. Over the next few days, I will be releasing my awards picks from the 2023 season. To kick things off, here is my 2023 Prep Redzone KY Offensive Player of the Year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Finalists:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["373782"],"_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_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='373782' first='Brady' last='Atwell'] is a player who exceeded all expectations in very impressive fashion this season. He led Owensboro Catholic to the 2A State Championship Game, completing 301/434 passes for a state-leading 4,743 yards and 68 touchdowns while only throwing six interceptions in 15 games. Atwell has a very strong arm which he uses to take the top off the defense and hit his receivers in stride in the deep passing game. He also has shown impressive accuracy, putting the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. Atwell also led his team in rushing, finishing the season with 69 carries for 695 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brady currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year as he is a true Division I caliber quarterback prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["381931"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='381931' first='Brady' last='Hensley'] continued to prove that he is one of the most talented running backs in the state after transferring to LCA this season. Hensley had an outstanding senior year, running the ball 235 times for 2,408 yards and 43 touchdowns in 13 games. Brady is a very hard runner that gets downhill in a hurry and has shown the contact balance to run straight through defenders without breaking stride. He has also shown the ability to use his speed and elusiveness to break off on long runs once he hits the open field. Hensley also played a key role in the passing game, catching 17 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns. Brady is committed to Eastern Kentucky where I can see him developing into a key piece of their offense once he gets there.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["313643"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='313643' first='Cole' last='Hodge'] continued to prove that he is one of the top quarterbacks in the entire state this season. He was one of the driving forces in CAL's 3A State Championship run, completing 283/380 passes for 4,104 yards, 57 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 15 games. Hodge throws an impressive deep ball, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride. He also has shown impress accuracy, showing the ability to fit passes into tight coverage where only his intended receiver can catch it. Hodge also continued to show true dual-threat ability, finishing the season as his team's leading rusher with 105 carries for 625 yards and 10 touchdowns. Cole is committed to East Carolina where I expect him to develop into a very successful quarterback at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["735547"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Another high-caliber quarterback that continued to stand out to me this season was [player_tooltip player_id='735547' first='Jack' last='James'] from Paducah Tilghman. He had a strong junior year, completing 255/375 passes for 4,019 yards, 56 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 14 games. James has shown very impressive accuracy, showing the ability to fit passes into tight windows where only his intended receiver can catch it. He also has the arm strength to stretch the field and hit his receivers in stride in the deep passing game. James also showed the ability to make plays in the running game, finishing the season with 52 carries for 247 yards and six touchdowns. Jack currently holds offers from Charlotte, Troy, Miami (OH), Old Dominion, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber quarterback prospect.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["373049"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"My fifth and final finalist for the 2023 Prep Redzone KY Offensive Player of the Year is [player_tooltip player_id='373049' first='Luke' last='Pennington'] from Sayre. Pennington had an impressive junior year, completing 171/252 passes for 2,555 yards, 50 touchdowns, and zero interceptions in 13 games. As you can see by his lack of interceptions, Pennington is a great decision maker, showing the ability to go through his progression and find the open receiver. He also throws a very impressive deep ball, using his arm strength to lead his receivers down the field. Pennington has also shown ball placement, putting the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. He also finished the season with one rushing touchdown. Luke doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way going into his senior year as he has received some college interest and definitely has the talent to play quarterback at the next level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65821baa3e48c"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Winner:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While each of these players had very impressive 2023 seasons, [player_tooltip player_id='373782' first='Brady' last='Atwell'] stands out among the rest. Not only were his individual statistics eye-popping but he also led Owensboro Catholic to an impressive undefeated season and run to the 2A State Championship Game where they ultimately fell short against Mayfield. Atwell will definitely be one of the top returning players in the state to keep an eye on next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->