The NKyTribune will be offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By John Lachmann
NKyTribune contributor
After sitting behind several others on the depth chart the past couple of seasons, Halsey Page knew that he was going to be Walton-Verona’s feature running back in 2015. This winter, however, the balance of his prep career was jeopardized when he broke his left ankle in a freak accident.
Following a weightlifting session with the team, the players were enjoying a game of dodge ball. Page heard a snapping noise after going down awkwardly and he knew immediately he was seriously hurt.
“Everyone looks forward to their senior year and in my head I thought, ‘Dang, my senior year might be done already, and I’m not even done with my junior year,’” Page said. “It was scary definitely.”
That injury is not exactly desirable for someone who uses his legs to elude tacklers. Fortunately, Page has fully recovered in the six-plus months since and said his leg is 100 percent heading into the season. Now he can focus fully on the Bearcats’ upcoming campaign.
“He’s a combination of power and speed,” said Walton-Verona coach Jeff Barth. “He’s not the fastest guy on the planet but last year had big breakaway runs. He’s also a guy who can break contact at the line of scrimmage. His commitment to the off-season has always been strong, and now is his time to kind of step into the limelight.”
Last season, Page rushed for 609 yards and eight touchdowns on 51 carries, an 11.9 yards-per-carry clip. Despite eclipsing the 600-yard mark, he finished third on the team in yards and TDs behind Mason Compton and Will Latimore, who both graduated.
“I was really proud of that (average), then again I was behind Mason and Will, and those were two of the best RBs in Northern Kentucky,” Page said. “Hopefully this year I can average the same if not more.”
Compton and Chris Latimore combined for over 2,000 ground yards in 2013, curtailing the number of touches Page received out of the backfield. But coach Barth is expecting a lot more from Page in his senior season.
“Halsey had a really good year for us, but he was just a third punch,” Barth said. “Obviously he’s a senior, and with those two guys gone he’s going to a get a lot more attention this year and rightfully so, and I expect him to do very well with it.”
Page, who is 6-feet and 190 pounds, also plays linebacker for the Bearcats, like his older brother, Quincy, who graduated in 2011.
“We do have some depth at linebacker so we’ll try to rotate guys, but I expect he’ll have a good defensive year for us as well,” Barth said. “He’s a guy we anticipate will play full-time offense and rotate out on defense.”
The season starts next week and Page has lofty goals, including aspirations of a Class 2A district championship for his team.
“For me personally, I want to be in the record book, break the yards-per-game mark and hopefully maybe yards for the season,” Page said. “If I stay healthy, I feel I’m capable of that.”
WALTON-VERONA BEARCATS
2014 SEASON: 10-2 record, lost in second round of Class 2A state playoffs.
THIS SEASON: Class 2A, District 5 with Carroll County, Gallatin County, Owen County, Trimble County.
COACH: Jeff Barth (47-23 in six seasons at Walton-Verona).
2015 SCHEDULE
Aug. 21 – LLOYD, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 28 – HOLY CROSS, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 – at Henry County, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 – at Lexington Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25 – CARROLL COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 – OWEN COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 – at Gallatin County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Trimble County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23 – NEW RICHMOND (Ohio), 7:30 p.m.
See these NKyTribune prep football previews:
Bishop Brossart
Ludlow
Campbell County
Highlands
Dixie Heights
Bellevue
Newport
NewCath
Conner
Covington Catholic
Holmes
Dayton
Ryle
Scott