By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ask anybody about who the contenders are in high school football in Northern Kentucky and it’s an easy answer.
Beechwood, Highlands, Covington Catholic, Cooper and Ryle. Five teams in four classes who would surprise no one should they make it to Lexington for championship weekend in December at UK.
Contenders all.
Anybody else? What about Lloyd Memorial? Where do the Juggernauts fit in?
Not exactly “contenders.” Not yet. Not enough playoff wins, their coach, Kyle Niederman, says.
Sure, the Class 3A Juggs have gone 29-9 the last three years. “One game shy of three straight 10-win seasons, something that’s never happened in Lloyd history,” says Niederman, also the school’s vice principal.
One point shy, more exactly. A 21-20 playoff loss to Russell in the second round of last season’s playoffs gave Lloyd a 9-3 record.
So how to describe the Lloyd program? How about the “most under-the-radar program” in Northern Kentucky?
“I would say that’s about right,” Niederman says. “We’re kind of half-and-half, right down the middle. We’re a big construction project. But we have some ability, no doubt. We have the pieces to the puzzle.”
By the numbers, there are five starters back on offense, six on defense from the 9-3 team of last fall. “We return five offensive linemen, our quarterback, our tight end, but we have young kids in a number of spots,” Niederman says.
That quarterback is 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior Kaleb Evans, who completed 151 of 234 passes last season for 2,070 yards and 24 TD against just three interceptions. The only issue right now is that Evans is rehabbing from a broken bone in his non-throwing arm, but he’s expected to be cleared in preseason.
“He’s progressing,” Niederman says. “If Kaleb’s playing, we are 100 percent going to throw the ball.” And look for it to go to Alijah Griffin — “our top returning skill player,” Niederman calls the senior returnee. Also look for Colton Barger, the No. 2 receiver as a freshman, along with junior Isaiah Jones and senior Bill Lewis.
“Our young kids are doing a pretty good job,” Niederman says. “Our running backs are young,” after losing all three top backs — Yurii Collins, Isaiah Sebastian and Tyler Copeland — responsible for 1,059 yards a year ago. Look for Avery Conrad and Lincoln Tomlinson to step in there.
Along the line, the returnees are Brandon Carter (6-3, 260), Aiden Dolan, David Dobbs, Ryan Miller and Lewis (6-4, 210).
One reason the Juggs are somewhat under the radar is they’re all alone in Class 3A in Northern Kentucky. Their district has no local rivals in Henry County, Bourbon County, Carroll County and Pendleton County. The good news for Lloyd is that Lexington Catholic’s tough Knights have been relocated out of the district.
The other good news about his program, Niederman says, is how in two of the last three seasons, Lloyd has won the Northern Kentucky Officials Association Sportsmanship Award.
“We’re winning some games and doing it the right way,” the proud vice principal says.
LLOYD JUGGERNAUTS
2024 SEASON: 9-3 record, lost in second round of Class 3A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 5 offense, 6 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 3A, District 5 with Bourbon County, Carroll County, Henry County, Pendleton County.
HEAD COACH: Kyle Niederman (42-24 in six seasons at Lloyd).
2025 SCHEDULE
Aug. 22 – NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC, 7 p.m.
Aug. 29 – at Newport, 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 – at Conner, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 – CINCINNATI AIKEN, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 – at Campbell County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 – at Pendleton County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3 – BOURBON COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 – HENRY COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24 – at Carroll County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 – BOONE COUNTY, 7 p.m.