Herald-Leader Top 10: Kentucky Class 2A high school football preseason poll for 2024

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories ranking Kentucky’s high school football teams class by class, according to voting by the class’s coaches.

Kentucky high school football’s Class 2A has produced some of the most thrilling state championship games over the last five years, including Mayfield’s rip-roaring 53-48 win against Owensboro Catholic last season.

That’s because Class 2A might be the KHSAA’s most competitive division. Each of 2024’s Herald-Leader preseason top-five teams have been to the state finals since 2019 — some more than once.

Beechwood won three straight Class 2A championships from 2020 to 2022 and ranks as the No. 1 team this preseason according to our coaches’ poll. But the voting was close. The Tigers garnered eight No. 1 votes to No. 4 Owensboro Catholic’s six. No. 2 Mayfield got five top nods while No. 3 Lexington Christian got one.

If it’s possible for a state runner-up to be overlooked, Owensboro Catholic can make that case. Four of the 20 coaches participating in our survey left the Aces off their ballot despite OCath’s proven high-powered offense, which returns 6-foot-3 senior quarterback Brady Atwell.

Atwell, who is committed to Western Kentucky to play baseball, led the state with 4,743 yards and 68 TDs passing last season and will be among the favorites for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award.

Here are the preseason top-10 teams in Class 2A — the second smallest football-playing classification under the Kentucky High School Athletic Association — as voted on by coaches in the division.

1. BEECHWOOD

Head coach: Jay Volker (second season).

Last year: 12-2. District and region champion. Lost 31-28 to Mayfield in the state semifinals.

Quick look: The Tigers bring eight offensive starters back, including quarterback Clay Hayden, lead rusher Chase Flaherty and leading receiver Luke Erdman, all seniors. Hayden threw for 3,910 yards and 48 TDs last season; 1,133 yards of that and 16 scores went to Erdman. Seven defensive starters returning include seniors Mattox Kelly, a 6-5 lineman committed to Illinois State; Jack Meier, a 5-9 linebacker with 70 tackles last season; and Brody Waddell, a 6-1 linebacker with 40 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Pulaski County (at Corbin); Sept. 6 vs. Dixie Heights; Sept. 13 at Simon Kenton; Sept. 20 at Covington Catholic.

2. MAYFIELD

Head coach: Cliff Drew (first season).

Last year: 13-1. State champions with 53-48 win over Owensboro Catholic.

Quick look: Drew, a longtime assistant, takes over upon the retirement of the legendary Joe Morris, who led the Cards to six of the program’s 13 state titles. Mayfield graduated 16 seniors and most of its offensive production but returns junior wideout Mak Hoover, who caught seven TDs last season. On the defensive side, seven starters returning including senior linebackers Ian Williams and Carter Morris, its leading tacklers. “Our expectations will remain as always — to be playing in December,” Drew said.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Graves County; Sept. 6 vs. Paducah Tilghman; Sept. 12 vs. McCracken County; Oct. 25 at Murray.

3. LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN

Head coach: Doug Charles (sixth season).

Last year: 11-2. District champion. Lost 58-36 to Mayfield in the region finals.

Quick look: The Eagles will rebuild around four offensive linemen with Division I offers — Hayes Preston (6-3, 260 Air Force commit), Trefor Thomas (6-4, 250, Navy commit), Brooks Kerwin (6-3, 275 with offers including Eastern Kentucky), and Jake Darby (6-4, 295 with offers including EKU). Senior wideout Saxton Howard is one five players in the mix to succeed Cutter Boley at quarterback. Linebackers Hunter Adams, a 6-2 senior with offers including Kentucky, and Mac Darland, a 6-2 junior who will also likely be LCA’s featured running back, are two of three defensive starters returning.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 24 vs. Boyle County (at Western Kentucky University); Aug. 31 vs. Franklin County (at Boyle County); Sept. 6 vs. Pikeville; Sept. 13 vs. Christian Academy-Louisville; Sept. 20 at Lexington Catholic; Nov. 1 vs. Raceland.

4. OWENSBORO CATHOLIC

Head coach: Jason Morris (sixth season).

Last year: 14-1. District and region champion and state runner-up.

Quick look: Morris said senior quarterback Brady Atwell is “not only the top QB in Kentucky, but he’s a top player in the entire country. He can do it all.” In addition to his 4,743 passing yards, Atwell had 695 yards and 17 TDs rushing. Senior wideout Waryn Ebelhar had 860 yards and 13 TDs receiving as the Aces’ third option. On defense, Owensboro Catholic returns nine starters, including leading tackler Vince Carrico, a 5-10 senior who “hits as hard as any kid I’ve ever seen,” Morris said.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 6 at Greenwood; Sept. 13 vs. Owensboro; Sept. 20 at Henderson County; Nov. 1 vs. North Hardin.

5. SOMERSET

Head coach: Clay Clevenger (second season).

Last year: 10-4. District and region champion. Lost 44-15 to Owensboro Catholic in the state semifinals.

Quick look: Senior quarterback Josh Bruner has his favorite target back in junior running back/wideout Kris Hughes, who rushed for 732 yards and 13 TDs and had 515 yards and six TDs receiving. “He’s a dynamic playmaker both catching and running,” Clevenger said. The Briar Jumpers return eight starters on defense, including super-sophomore Austyn Lawless, a 6-1, 180 pound linebacker who incredibly led the team in tackles and sacks as a freshman.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 vs. Perry County Central; Aug. 30 at Russell County; Sept. 20 vs. Campbellsville; Oct. 4 vs. Breathitt County; Nov. 1 at Glasgow.

6. MURRAY

Head coach: Melvin Cunningham (second season).

Last year: 7-5.

Quick look: The Tigers feature three-star linebacker/safety Jeremiah Jones, a 6-4, 200-pound senior committed to Nebraska who also plays wideout. “Jeremiah is long, violent with his hands, and possesses the ability to align anywhere on the defense. He plays all three levels,” Cunningham said. But Jones is one of only three seniors on the roster, so the Tigers will be a very young team. Five starters return on defense, including leading tackler Simon Rickman, a junior linebacker who had nine sacks last season.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 13 vs. Union County; Sept. 27 vs. McCracken County; Oct. 4 vs. Crittenden County; Oct. 25 vs. Mayfield.

7. BREATHITT COUNTY

Head coach: Kyle Moore (12th season).

Last year: 6-6.

Quick look: The Bobcats community rallied around three players injured in a May car crash — Ethan Bowling, Kylan Combs and Kory Combs. Kory, a 6-0, 210 linebacker and the elder of the Combs brothers is back on the roster as Breathitt looks to rebound from a disappointing year and contend for a district title and more. “Our strength will be the offensive line,” Moore said. Breathitt returns seven starters on offense and defense. Kory Combs led the Bobcats in tackles. Leading rusher Jayden Gibson, a 6-0, 190 pound junior, had 838 yards and 12 TDs.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Belfry; Aug. 30 vs. Perry County Central; Sept. 13 vs. Johnson Central; Sept. 20 vs. Hazard; Oct. 4 at Somerset.

8. GREEN COUNTY

Head coach: Colt Phelps (fourth season).

Last year: 10-3. District champion. Lost 50-18 to Owensboro Catholic in the region finals.

Quick look: The Dragons must replace more than 2,000 rush yards and 27 TDs out of the backfield but return senior quarterback Houston Hodges, who threw for 2,034 yards and 18 scores. Three juniors are among the defensive starters returning — Andrew Houk, a 6-4, 275-pound tackle; Justin Hessig, a 5-10, 220-pound linebacker; and Massiah Shively, a 5-10, 185-pound defensive back.

Schedule highlights: Sept. 6 vs. Hart County; Oct. 18 at Monroe County; Oct. 25 vs. Metcalfe County; Nov. 1 at Taylor County.

9. SHELBY VALLEY

Head coach: Tyler Johnson (first season).

Last year: 9-4. District champion. Lost 56-20 to Somerset in the region finals.

Quick look: Eleven starters return, but just four on offense, as the Bobcats will have to replace a four-year starter at quarterback after the graduation of Russ Osborne. Coach Johnson likes the speed and athleticism of his team and believes junior QB Brady Johnson is an “elite athlete.” Kyler Click, a 6-7, 360-pound senior guard/tackle, will be a factor on both sides of the ball. Junior linebacker Bob Collins ranked second on the team in tackles.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 30 at Lawrence County; Sept. 13 vs. Middlesboro; Sept. 20 at Perry County Central; Sept. 28 vs. Elizabethtown; Oct. 18 at Betsy Layne.

10. METCALFE COUNTY

Head coach: LJ Harbison (11th season).

Last year: 3-8.

Quick look: Metcalfe will be looking to return to the form it had two years ago when it went 12-1. The dynamic playmaking ability of senior running back Byron Kirkland-Lundy should help. He scored via run and pass last year and had two kickoff return TDs, two punt return TDs and a pick six in addition to being second on the team in tackles with 49. He’s among 12 returning starters evenly split between offense and defense.

Schedule highlights: Aug. 23 at Barren County; Sept. 6 at Campbellsville; Sept. 20 at Wayne County; Oct. 25 at Green County.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

In order of votes received: Crittenden County, Betsy Layne, Leslie County, Martin County, Walton-Verona, Pike County Central, Monroe County, Washington County, Carroll County, East Ridge.

Survey method: These rankings reflect the participation of coaches from 20 of the 35 Class 2A teams eligible for postseason play (57.1%). Every coach in the division was given the opportunity to participate in the @HLpreps annual survey via email. Multiple attempts were made to contact each coach.

Herald-Leader Top 10: Kentucky Class A high school football preseason poll for 2024