Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY continued to be one of the most productive running backs in the state with a very successful senior season. Birchfield played a huge role in Pikeville’s 1A State Championship run, finishing the year with 222 carries for 2,031 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has tremendous vision as a ball carrier, finding the running lane and getting downhill in a hurry. Once he hits the open field, Birchfield has the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. He also has very good contact balance, showing the ability to break tackles without losing stride. Birchfield also showed the ability to pose as a threat in the passing game, finishing his senior season with seven receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Blake is committed to the University of Pikeville where I see him becoming a key piece of their offense.

In his final season of high school football, Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY continued to be one of the most productive running backs in the entire state. The senior running back finished the year with 222 carries for 2,031 yards and 35 touchdowns. Birchfield is the complete package at the position, showing the vision to find the open running lane, burst to hit it in a hurry, then shows the ability to do damage in the open field. Once he hits the open field, Birchfield has the strength/body control to run through tackles without breaking stride, speed to run away from the defense, and elusiveness to make defenders miss. He also showed the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, finishing the season with seven receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Birchfield helped lead Pikeville to a 1A State Championship victory and earned MVP honors in the championship game. Blake currently holds offers from Centre, Hanover, Denison, and Pikeville, and I can see him truly thriving at any of those programs.

Past Analysis: The junior had a record-breaking 2021 season as not only did he break a school record for rushing yards but led the entire state of Kentucky for rushing yards as well. Blakes’s acceleration once getting into the open field is incredible to watch, which leads to plenty of extra rushing yards after the snap. Along with that, Blake can break out of a bunch of tackles to gather at least a couple more yards for carrying. Especially in the redzone, Blake’s desire to get that ball into the endzone can be seen with his unwillingness to be tackled down short of the endzone. This kid has a bright future ahead of him and would not be surprised if he continues to lead the state in rushing again this fall.

End of Season: Blake finished the 2022 season strong as he did the year before recording 2,031 rushing yards and a state-leading 35 rushing touchdowns in 14 games played (9.1 yards per carry). What makes Blake so good at running the football is his versatility on the field. Besides his strong build & athleticism, Blake is great at reading running gaps and can exploit the defense in any way he can to gain extra yards for his offense. Even when the defense is set up to stop the run, Blake manages to find a way to make a great run by adapting to the positioning of the defense. With his sharp cuts and excellent lateral movements, it is rather difficult for most defenders to stay on him for the tackle. After the season, Blake holds a couple of collegiate offers and I expect him to be deciding on where he wants to play soon.

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Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY has been one of the most impressive players in the state this season and that didn’t change during Pikeville’s State Championship run in the playoffs. Birchfield ran the ball 82 times for an impressive 745 yards and 12 touchdowns throughout the playoffs. He has tremendous vision, allowing his blocks to set up then hitting the running lane in a hurry once it opens. Birchfield has the strength and contact balance to break tackles in the open field without breaking stride but also has the ability to make defenders miss and the speed to run away from the defense. He also showed some ability out of the backfield as a pass catcher, hauling in four pass for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. His 236 yard, three touchdown performance in the 1A State Championship Game helped earned him MVP honors. Blake holds offers from Pikeville, Centre, Hanover,  and Denison, and I can see him making a huge early impact for any of those programs at the next level.

Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY is another player that is no stranger to my Top Performers list. He continued to be the focal point of Pikeville’s offense this past Friday, helping lead them to a dominant 50-14 victory over Newport Central Catholic. Birchfield finished the game with 20 carries for 168 yards and three touchdowns. While Birchfield continued to show his dangerous speed in the open field, he also showed the strength to run straight through defenders and keep his feet churning through contact to pick up extra yards. He also showed the ability to make plays in the passing game, catching two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Blake currently holds offers from Centre, Denison, Hanover, and Pikeville, but before he decides where to play at the next level, he will look to wrap up his impressive high school career with another ring as Pikeville will face Raceland in the 1A State Championship Game this Friday.

Another player that has had an impressive senior year is Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY from Pikeville. The senior running back played a key role in their 43-7 win over Paintsville, running the ball 23 times for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Birchfield has very good vision, showing the patience to let his blocks set up then coming downhill in a hurry once the running lane opens. He also shows impressive strength as a ball carrier, keeping his feet churning through contact to pick up extra yards. Once he hits the open field, Birchfield showed that he has the speed to break away from the defense. Blake currently holds offers from Centre, Denison, Hanover, and Pikeville, and I could see him being a key play maker for any of those teams at the next level.

Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY has established himself as one of the best players in the entire state of Kentucky over the past couple seasons. This year, he has once again been the focal point of Pikeville’s offense, running the ball 140 times for 1,286 yards and 23 touchdowns through nine games. Birchfield has great vision and hits the running lane downhill in a hurry once it opens. Once he hits the open field, he has shown the speed to run away from the defense along with the ability to make defenders miss and the strength to run straight through them. He has also shown reliability out of the backfield as a pass catcher. Birchfield holds offers from Centre, Hanover, Denison, and Pikeville, and I expect him to be a true impact player early in his college career assuming he decides to continue playing.

Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY has had an incredible high school career in his four years at Pikeville. He has continued to impress in his final season, carrying the ball 124 times for 1,112 yards and 19 touchdowns. Birchfield is an explosive ball carrier that shoots out of his stance and hits the running lane with a sense of urgency. He has shown the speed to run right by defenders but when opposing players are in position to tackle them, he has the elusiveness to make them miss and the strength to run right through them. Birchfield is also a very reliable pass catcher out of the backfield as he is truly Pikeville’s biggest offensive weapon. Blake currently holds offers from Centre, Hanover, Denison, and Pikeville, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more come as he has the skill set to continue to be a very exciting player to watch at the next level.

The top performance from this past week came from Pikeville senior, Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY . Birchfield played a huge role in his team’s 60-21 victory over a very talented team in Lexington Christian Academy. Last year’s statewide leading rusher carried the ball 21 times for 339 yards and six touchdowns. He showed great vision with the ability to find the running lane and come downhill in a hurry once he found it. Once he got through the line and hit the open field, Birchfield showed the strength to run through tackles along with the speed to run away from the defense. Birchfield also made an impact on defense, coming away with an interception on Friday. Blake currently holds offer from Centre, Denison, Hanover, and Pikeville, and I believe more could come as he has the talent to be a huge difference maker at the next level.

Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY has high expectations to live up to this year as he is coming off an outstanding junior season. Last year, he led the entire state of Kentucky in rushing with 2,512 yards and 25 touchdowns. Birchfield has outstanding vision and hits the hole hard when it opens. Once he gets through the hole, he is a very hard runner, showing the ability to run through tackles. He also has speed and elusiveness in the open field to break off long runs. Blake currently holds offers from Centre, Hanover, Denison, and Pikeville, and I expect more to come for him as he has the skill set to be a very special player at the next level.