2022 Statewide Top Performers: Week 3
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Another week has come and gone, and the 2022 high school football regular season is in full swing. The third week of the season provided us yet another week full of outstanding performances. While it was hard to narrow down,…
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Continue ReadingAnother week has come and gone, and the 2022 high school football regular season is in full swing. The third week of the season provided us yet another week full of outstanding performances. While it was hard to narrow down, these are the top ten performances in the state of Kentucky that stood out in week three.
For the second consecutive week, Harrison County quarterback Kaydon Custard Kaydon Custard 6’2″ | 180 lbs | QB Harrison County | 2024 State KY cracks my top performers list. While his team fell short to Bourbon County, Custard put on quite the show. He threw for 395 yards and five touchdowns while also running the ball 22 times for 128 yards and three scores. As a passer, he displayed a very strong arm, leading his receivers in the deep passing game but also showed the ability to make throws on the run and fit passes into tight coverage. When nothing was there in the passing game, he used his breakaway speed to run away from the defense to pick up big gains on the ground. Kaydon doesn’t currently hold any offers but college coaches should be taking notice as he is a special talent.
Brach Rice Brach Rice 6’3″ | 220 lbs | LB Dixie Heights | 2024 State KY was a one-man wrecking crew on defense on Friday night. He made plays all over the field from the middle linebacker spot, finishing with 25 tackles (12 solo, 13 assist). Rice does a great job of reading his keys and takes good angled to flow to the ball and put himself in position to make plays. Once he gets to the ball, he runs his feet on contact and secures the tackle in the open field. Rice also made an impact on offense with a rushing TD and a two-point conversion pass completion, as well as on special teams with one blocked punt and then he returned a separate blocked punt for a touchdown. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers I expect them to come soon as he has been receiving college interest and is a player that can be uses in multiple positions.
Highlights
Josh Moody Josh Moody 5’9″ | 180 lbs | RB Bourbon County | 2023 State KY is a player that I have had on my radar since this summer and had a breakout game this past Friday. Moody was a big part of Bourbon County’s win over Harrison County, carrying the ball 13 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Once he hit the open field, he was nearly unstoppable as he showed the speed to run away from the defense along with the ability to make cuts on a dime and make defenders miss. He also showed the ability to keep his legs churning and run straight through tackles. Josh currently holds offers from Union College and Kentucky Wesleyan but I expect more to come for him during his senior campaign as he has the potential to develop into a very good running back at the next level.
Another player that I have had high on my radar since the beginning of this past off-season is senior wide receiver from Pulaski County, Chandler Godby Chandler Godby 5’9″ | 170 lbs | WR Pulaski County | 2023 State KY . Godby continued to impress in their win over Lincoln County on Friday, catching six passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns. He mainly lined up on the outside and used his speed and quickness to create separation in his routes. Godby was also able to use his speed after the catch to run away from the defense. He also showed the ability to make defenders miss in the open field after the catch. I also liked that while he thrives the most on the outside, Godby showed that he can be dangerous out of the slot and the backfield as a target. It is still surprising to me that Chandler doesn’t have any official offers and he should be on college radars as he has the skill set to be a very good receiver at the next level.
Highlights
Max Gibbs Max Gibbs 6’1″ | 165 lbs | QB Fulton County | 2023 KY is a player that I’ve had on my radar but I was just waiting to see more from. He jumped out to me in a big way this past Friday. Gibbs led his team to their first victory over Calloway County since 1998, completing 15/25 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns. He showed a great amount of touch on his passes with the ability to fit the ball in tight windows. I also liked his ability to throw on the run and the zip he was able to put on his short and intermediate passes. Gibbs also showed some dual threat ability, running the ball ten times for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Max hasn’t received any official offers but I expect that to change soon as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Highlights
Keiran Stockton
Keiran Stockton
A player that I had not had the privilege of seeing yet that jumped out to me this past week was Glasgow senior running back, Keiran Stockton. Stockton put on quite a show in a 49-14 win over Monroe County, running the ball ten times for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He is a big, strong running back that gets downhill in a hurry and is very hard to bring down on first contact. Stockton does a great job of keeping his feet churning through the hole to break tackles and has the second gear to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. He also contributed on defense, finishing the game with four tackles. Keiran currently holds offers from Presbyterian College, Kentucky Wesleyan, and Georgetown College, and I expect more to come as he can be a true difference maker at the college level.
Jaxson Shoulders Jaxson Shoulders 6’2″ | 215 lbs | ATH Hart County | 2024 State KY is a player that jumped onto my radar recently and continued to impress this past Friday. The junior linebacker played a key role in the Hart County defense, finishing with 18 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one interception. Shoulders does a great job of reading his keys and shoots out of his stance like a cannon through his gap. He keeps his feet running once he gets to the ball carrier and explodes through contact with a ton of physicality. Shoulders also shows great route recognition ability in coverage and reacts well with great ball skills to come away with interceptions. Jaxson also made an impact on offense at running back with one touchdown and multiple long runs. While he doesn’t hold any offers at the moment, he is a player to watch as he has the skill set to be a very good linebacker at the next level.
Justin Ruffin Jr Justin Ruffin Jr 5’9″ | 160 lbs | ATH Christian Academy of Louisville | 2024 State KY is a player that has been very high on my radar for a while as he is our third ranked wide receiver and tenth overall player in the class of 2024. He continued to impress on Friday in a 49-0 victory over Bullitt Central, catching five passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns. He continued to show off his blazing speed, running right by opposing defenders in the deep passing game. Ruffin opened up the game on the very first play on the receiving end of a 94-yard touchdown pass from Cole Hodge Cole Hodge 6’2″ | QB Christian Academy Of Louisville | 2024 State KY . He also showed great route running ability, creating separation with smooth breaks in his routes. Ruffin also showed value on special teams, returning a punt for a touchdown. Justin currently holds offers from Louisville, South Florida, and James Madison, and I expect that list to grow over the next two seasons as he is a true Power 5 talent at receiver.
Isaiah Adkins
Isaiah Adkins
Another unknown player to me that jumped onto my radar this past week is East Ridge junior running back, Isaiah Adkins. He put on an unbelievable performance against Betsy Lane, carrying the ball 15 times for 308 yards and five touchdowns. Adkins showed impressive vision with the ability to find the cutback lane and burst up the field once he hit it. He has the breakaway speed to run away from a defense once he hits the open field and the elusiveness to make defenders miss. Adkins doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to watch over the next two seasons as he has the skill set to play in college.
Mitch Berger
Mitch Berger
Mitchell Berger is a player that I’ve had on my radar this season and he continued to introduce himself to me on Friday. Berger made his impact in many different ways for the Beechwood offense, carrying the ball 13 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns while also catching four passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. As a ball carrier, Berger showed great vision and the ability to get downhill in a hurry. He bursted through the hole and didn’t stop his stride, running away from defenders and breaking tackles on long runs. Berger also showed the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. He also showed the ability to make catches out of the backfield and get up the field after the catch to pick up big gains. Berger also made an impact on defense as a linebacker and on special teams as a kicker, making 5/5 PAT attempts on Friday. Mitchell is committed to play baseball at Eastern Kentucky but could definitely play football at the next level if he were to have a change of heart.