By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
They’re getting the big things right, Kyle Niederman says of his Lloyd Memorial Juggernaut football team, but now “We really need to focus on the small things, to do a really better job on the small details.”
That’s the kind of talk you hear from teams that return 11 starters from a 10-2 season. “Clearly we want to win,” Niederman says of his Juggs, who face the challenge as Northern Kentucky’s only Class 3A team.
But their motto this season points at that focus: BE HERE! BE BETTER!! BE ACCOUNTABLE!!!
“We’ve got a good thing going,” Niederman says of the rebuild of Lloyd football that he’s presided over as the school’s assistant principal in addition to football coach. “People are excited. Our numbers are up. People are coming to see us play.”
And they get to watch home games at the second-year refurbished Cecil Dees Field.
No surprise they’re excited for this season. There’s lots of offensive talent back starting with quarterback where junior Kaleb Evans (56-85 passing, one INT, 667 yards, nine TD, 2.2 TD per game) returns after missing much of the season with an injury that limited him to the final four games.
Evans’ return allows Lloyd to return 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior Isaiah “Petey” Sebastian (1,445 total offensive yards: 454 passing, 741 rushing, 250 receiving on 20 catches, 1,445 total offensive yards, 102 points, 12 TD including two receptions, five punt returns and one interception return) to wide receiver and any other position where he can line up and get the ball in his hands after having to step in at quarterback for 12 games last season.
“A special player . . . a special kid,” Niederman says of Sebastian. “And he’s not going to play quarterback.”
But he is one of a three-man athletic wide receiver corps including seniors Tyler Copeland (21 catches, 376 yards, 6 TD) and Elijah Collins (21 for 218), with Copeland also a top strong safety and Collins a top corner.
We have yet to mention another senior, 5-7, 170-pound running back (and linebacker) Yurii Collins Comer (958 yards rushing on 113 carries with 14 TD), who wears No. 1 and plays like it.
Just one caution, Niederman says: “There’s only one ball.” But this year with true quarterback Evans back, there are two ways to move it. “With the injuries we had, I think we got a little one-dimensional,” Niederman says, “we’ve got to be able to throw the ball.”
And that means they need to protect the quarterback. Senior offensive guard (and defensive tackle) Ky’Ron Carter (6-0, 310) fills that bill. He “brings that nasty grit” that it takes, Niederman says. And he’s “just as mean on offense” as he is on defense “and lives for shutting down defenders.”
Now for the hard part: scheduling as the lone 3A team here. “It’s a challenge,” Niederman says of balancing the teams above and below in the non-district part of the schedule. They’ll play up in class against Boone County, Holmes and Scott and down against the likes of winning programs Newport Central Catholic, Brossart and Bardstown Bethlehem.
“We’re in a very odd situation,” Niederman says of a district with Lexington Catholic, Pendleton County and Bourbon County. There’s a second-round 20-7 playoff loss a year ago at East Carter where the Juggs got inside the EC 20 five times without scoring that’s on their minds.
This year, the goal is to get that second-round playoff game in Erlanger, the Juggs say, with an improved regular season RPI mark.
But as important as that is, Niederman says the thing he’s aiming for is “that when they’re 22/23-years old, I want them to be able to look back and say ‘I’m glad I played football for Lloyd.’”
LLOYD JUGGERNAUTS
2023 SEASON: 10-2 record, lost in second round of Class 3A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 6 offense, 5 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 3A, District 5 with Bourbon County, Lexington Catholic, Pendleton County.
HEAD COACH: Kyle Niederman (33-21 in five seasons at Lloyd).
2024 SCHEDULE
Aug. 23 – vs. Newport Central Catholic at CovCath, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 – at Boone County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13 – BARDSTOWN BETHLEHEM, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 – BROSSART, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 – NEWPORT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 – PENDLETON COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 – at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 25 – at Bourbon County, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.