By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
Five Northern Kentucky teams are listed this week in Sports Illustrated’s overall high school football rankings with all the classes considered. Cooper, the first Top 25 team to reach 9-0, is No. 2 behind nationally ranked Boyle County (8-0) out of Class 4A.
Cooper’s Union neighbor, Class 6A Ryle (7-2), is No. 10. Next in line locally is No. 16 Highlands (7-2), Cooper’s Class 5A archrival. At No. 20 is Class 4A Covington Catholic (6-2), heading to a district showdown against Mason County (7-1) this weekend. At No. 24 is Class 2A Beechwood (8-1).
But our focus here this week is on a class-by-class basis for team and individual rankings in the state. In the state media poll, Ryle is No. 6 in Class 6A. Cooper is a unanimous No. 1 in 5A with Highlands No. 4 and Conner No. 11. CovCath is No. 5 in 4A and the lone local team ranked.
In Class 3A, Lloyd Memorial (6-2) is the only Northern Kentucky team listed. In 2A, No. 2 Beechwood trails No. 1 Owensboro Catholic with just one first-place vote to 8-0 OC’s 14 as it heads to this weekend’s matchup against No. 7 Bracken County (7-1). In Class A, three Top 10 programs are located here – No. 6 Newport Central Catholic (5-3), No. 8 (tie) Newport (5-2) and No. 10 Ludlow (6-2). At No. 11 is Bishop Brossart.
But the media poll is mostly just for show. The rankings that count, that determine where the playoff games will be played, are the KHSAA’s computerized – and oft criticized – RPI rankings. They’re not always the same.
For example, in Class 6A, where the voters heavily lean to the Louisville schools, Ryle is No. 2 to DuPont Manual but ahead of Trinity, Male and St. Xavier in the RPI. Simon Kenton (4-4) is No. 13.
In Class 4A, it works the other way as CovCath is only No. 10 the RPI. Same in Class 3A where Lloyd is listed at No. 11. In Class 2A, Beechwood drops to No. 4 behind Owensboro Catholic, Mayfield and Murray. In Class A, Newport is No. 6 in RPI, NewCath No. 8, Brossart No. 9 and a Ludlow team that beat Brossart at No. 10.
And while we often look at the overall football stats, this week we’ll check out the class-by-class leaders.
CLASS A LEADERS
• Ludlow’s Dameyn Anness is the No. 4 rusher with 1,062 yards on 90 carries (an 11.8 average) good for 13 TDs and 133 yards a game. Brossart’s Cameron Mandel is No. 9 with 880 yards on 110 carries (7.3 average) for 10 TDs and 110 yards a game. At No. 11 is Bellevue’s Jordan Pendleton with 586 yards on 64 carries in six games (a 9.2 average) for 12 TDs and 98 yards a game.
• In Class A passing, Brossart’s Tyler Holtz is No. 10 (81-172, 47.1 percent, 1198 yards, 19 TDs, 9 INT, 150 yards a game). NewCath’s Manny Miles is No. 15 (59-99, 59.6 percent, 960 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INT, 120 yards a game).
• Bellevue’s Pendleton, with 104 points (17.3 average) is No. 2 in scoring while Anness (108 points, a 13.5 average) is No. 6 while NewCath’s Kaleb Cole is No. 8 with 102 points.
• In PATs, Northern Kentucky has the Nos. 2-3-4 in Brossart’s Max Runge (33 of 34), NewCath’s Louie Collopy (31 of 34) and Ludlow’s Finn McMillan (23 of 33).
• Newport’s Jaylan Hartness is No. 1 in sacks with 9.5 while Ludlow’s Carson Evans is No. 4 with 6.5.
• Brossart has two top interceptors in No. 3 Keegan Gulley with eight and No. 5 Nicholas Cozzi with three.
• In team scoring Ludlow (40.6 ppg) is No. 3, Brossart (34.1) is No. 7 and NewCath 32.4 is No. 10.
• Ludlow is also among the leaders in scoring defense at No. 5 (16.1 points a game).
CLASS 2A LEADERS
• Beechwood’s Chase Flaherty is No. 13 (880 yards, a 98-yards-a-game average) and No. 8 in scoring (90 pts., a 10.0 average).
• Beechwood’s Clay Hayden is No. 7 in passing (109-162, 67.3 percent, 1821 yards, 33 TDs, 3 Int, 202 yards a game average.
• At 45.2 points a game, Beechwood is No. 2 in scoring behind only Owensboro Catholic’s 48.0. The Tigers are also No. 4 in scoring defense at 15.4 points a game allowed. Beechwood’s opponent this week – Bracken County – is No. 1, allowing just 7.6 points a game.
• Beechwood’s Colson Lair (53 of 54 PATs) is No. 1 in that category.
• In scoring margin, Beechwood’s 29.8 difference is No. 3 with its opponent this week, Bracken County, No. 2 at 35.9.
CLASS 3A LEADERS
• In passing, Lloyd’s Kaleb Evans is No. 7 (102-166, 61.4 percent, 1342 yards, 16 TDs, 3 INT.
• In receiving, Lloyd’s Isaiah Sebastian is No. 8 in receiving (28 for 515 yards, 18.4 average, six TDs, 0.8 average a game).
• Lloyd’s Tyler Copeland’s four interceptions is No. 3.
• At 35.0 points a game, Lloyd is No. 8 and allowing 14.0 points a game, Lloyd is No. 4. And at a 21.0 points-a-game scoring margin, Lloyd is No. 3 there.
• And with 14 interceptions, Lloyd is No. 1.
CLASS 4A LEADERS
• In running the ball, CovCath is doing it with a pair of ball-carriers – quarterback Cash Harney is No. 13 with 828 yards on 69 carries (12.0 average) for 10 TDs and 104 points while tailback Dylan Gaiser has 817 yards on 80 carries (10.2 average) with nine TDs and 102 points. They are Nos. 13 and 14 respectively.
• CovCath’s team rushing average of 271 yards a game is good for No. 4.
• CovCath’s Ryan Urti (32 of 38 PATs, 5.3 a game) is No. 3 in that category.
• CovCath is fourth in scoring at 42.5 points a game and 19th in team defense, allowing 15.9 points a game with the Colonels’ scoring margin of 26.6 points a game good for No. 6.
• With 16 interceptions in eight games, CovCath is No. 1.
CLASS 5A LEADERS
• Conner’s Wyatt Hatfield, with 1238 yards in 155 carries (an 8.0 average) is No. 2 in rushing with 138 yards a game and 20 TDs and is No. 2 in scoring with 132 points (a 14.7 average). Dixie Heights Armani Gregg (121 carries for 1045 yards and 15 TDs (an 8.6 average, 131 yards a game) is No. 5 in rushing and No. 6 in scoring with 100 points. Cooper’s Keegan Maher is No. 13 (89 carries for 907 yards, 8.3 yards a carry, 90 yards a game and 12 TDs.
• Cooper’s Cam O’Hara is No. 2 in passing (2,072 yards on 127 of 193, 65.8 percent, for 29 TDs, with one INT and an average of 230 yards a game.
• Cooper’s Isaiah Johnson is No. 2 in receiving (36 catches for 747 yards, a 20.8 average catch for 15 TDs, a 1.7 average a game. The Highlands pair of Jackson Arnold 38 catches for 574 yards (15.1 a catch), seven TDs, 0.9 a game) and Adam Surrey (35 catches for 536 yards (15.3 average), six TDs, 67 yards a game and 0.8 TDs average.
• With 39 of 42 PATs, Cooper’s Eyler Tibbs is No. 2 in that category. With a perfect 34 of 34, Conner’s Andrew Herron is No. 6 and Highlands’ Logan with 32 of 32 is No. 8. Herron is also No. 2 in Field Goals with six of nine.
• Cooper’s Austin Alexander is No. 3 in sacks with eight.
CLASS 6A LEADERS
• No leaders here in rushing but three of the top passers reside in 6A. Simon Kenton’s Brady Lee is No. 1 He’s 190 for 304 (62.5 percent) for 2704 yards with 22 TDs against 12 INT and a 338-yards-a-game average. Ryle’s Nathan Verax has hit on 102 of 171 (59.6 percent) for 1221 yards, 153 average per game, with 16 TDs against 8 INT. Campbell County’s Lucas Anthrop is No. 13 on 63 of 106 passing (59.4 percent) for 978 yards (140 average) and 10 TDs against two INT.
• The top two receivers are not surprisingly from Simon Kenton with Grayson Harris No. 1 (79 catches, 1213 yards, 15.4 average, 11 TDs and 152 yards a game. Harris’ 72 points also makes him the No. 11 scorer. Pioneer Tysin Weaver is No. 2 (61 catches for 886 yards, a 14.5 average, with eight TDs and an 111-yard average. Ryle’s Landon Lorms is No. 7 with 26 catches for 422 yards, a 16.2 average, good for five TDs and 70 yards a game.
• With 92 points (an 11.5 average), Ryle’s Jacob Savage is the No. 3 scorer with 11.5 points a game.
• Simon Kenton’s Tyler Eveland with 29 of 30 PATs is No. 7 there with Ryle’s Gavin Moses No. 9 on 28 of 28. Campbell County’s Blake Minor (15 of 15) is No. 11.
• Ryle’s Mason Clark with one of two field goals is No. 5.
• Top tacklers show Simon Kenton’s Aven Bohms No. 2 with 11.3 a game. At No. 11 is Ryle’s Jacob Savage with 9.6.
• Ryle’s Bo Gay with 5.5 sacks is No. 10.
• Simon Kenton’s 35.4 points a game is good for No. 4 while Ryle’s 31.8 is No. 8. Ryle’s 185. Points a game allowed is No. 9. While Ryle’s 13.2 scoring margin is No. 7.
• No surprise that Simon Kenton is No. 1 in passing with 2717 yards (340 yards a game). Ryle’s 1367 yards passing (171 a game) are No. 7.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.