The NKyTribune is featuring a player on each of the 21 high school football teams in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties leading up to the first games of the 2022 season on Aug. 19. We will then provide focused coverage of our local teams throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.
By Blake Lehmann
NKyTribune sports reporter
With Brossart quarterback Jacob Leicht and running back Jed Martin both graduating, Evan Orth knew he’d be playing a bigger role on the offensive side of the ball for the Mustangs this season.
Leicht and Martin rushed for a combined total of 2,431 yards and 25 touchdowns. They were a driving force on the Brossart team that posted a best-ever 12-1 record and made it to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A state playoffs.
The Mustangs didn’t throw the ball very much. Orth was the leading receiver with eight catches for 167 yards and rushed for a modest 228 yards. But he said his role, along with sophomore quarterback Keegan Gulley and senior receiver Mason Meyer, will be expanded this season.
Orth said the Mustangs will likely have a more balanced offense rather than relying heavily on the run like last year when they averaged 229 yards per game on the ground.
“We’re going to have some good rushers coming up for us and we have a lot of great receivers coming back from last year for a good young quarterback,” Orth said. “So it’ll likely be an even-split instead of the straight rushing attack like it was last year.”
Orth is a proven force on the defensive side of the ball. As a linebacker, he tallied the second most tackles on the team with 57 and had two fumble recoveries. He’ll be back in that position as one of five returning starters on defense.
“Out of our five seniors, two of those guys were pretty high tacklers last year as well, so that’s big for us too,” Orth said, referring to senior linebackers Austin Schadler and Eli Twehues, who had a combined total of 112 tackles.
With a relentless rushing attack and hard-nosed defense, the Mustangs won 12 straight games last season before falling to Raceland in the state quarterfinals. They have 13 returning seniors looking to build off that success.
“We feel pretty confident,” Orth said. “We put in a lot of hard work over the offseason.”
The senior class knows there a doubters who don’t feel that the Mustangs can win their district and make a serious run in the small school playoffs once again.
“I feel like people were kind of hating on us and sleeping on us, saying last year was a fluke season,” Orth said. “We’re just anxious to get out there, start playing, and prove people wrong.”
BROSSART MUSTANGS
2021 SEASON: 12-1 record, lost in third round of Class 1A playoffs.
DISTRICT: Class 1A, District 5 with Bracken County, Nicholas County, Paris.
HEAD COACH: Paul Wiggins Jr. (53-45 in eight seasons at Brossart).
2022 SCHEDULE
Aug. 19 – at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 – NEWPORT, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 – BELLEVUE, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 – vs. Holy Cross at Thomas More, 7 p.m.
Sept. 16 – at Lloyd, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 – at Ludlow, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30 – at Nicholas County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 – BRACKEN COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 – PARIS, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 28 – PENDLETON COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Other NKyTribune prep football previews:
COOPER JAGUARS
HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS
CAMPBELL COUNTY CAMELS
HOLMES BULLDOGS
Why won’t they play NewCath????