2024 Prep Football Previews: Conner counting on senior veterans to set tone for successful season

By Audrey Carrico
NKyTribune sports contributor

Last season, the Conner football team took a step in the right direction. Coming off a 2-9 record in 2022, the Cougars improved to 5-6 despite injuries to key players. But that wasn’t good enough for the returning starters.

“We’re unsatisfied with what happened last year,” said Conner senior lineman Boden Roberts. “I think we’re ready to make a statement to everyone in the region.”

There weren’t many senior starters on last year’s team, but the Cougars lost two of them — linebackers Ben Fay and Adam Duncan — when they were both injured in the seventh game. At that point, the duo had a combined total of 91 tackles to go along with Duncan’s five sacks.

Conner lost four of its last five games without those two defensive standouts. The season came to an end in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs with a 63-13 loss to Scott County.

Coach Dave Trosper starts this season with a much more experienced team that includes 20 seniors to handle another tough schedule.

In that senior class, there’s a group of offensive linemen that includes Roberts and Dylan “Stewie” Stewart, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle who has received more than a dozen college scholarship offers.

“We expect to have a very solid returning front line as far as our offensive and defensive lines go,” said Trosper, entering his 18th season with the program.

The veteran offensive line should enable Conner to improve on last year’s averages of 263.7 yards and 23 points per game.

The leader of that attack was returning senior quarterback Wyatt Hatfield, who had 869 yards passing and eight touchdowns to go along with team-high totals of 741 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.

Conner will also return junior running back Cordion Abernathy, who rushed for over 500 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Out wide, the Cougars have seniors Chase Caplinger and Elliot Bucher, who were two of the team’s top three pass receivers last season.

The Cougars also have a reliable place kicker in junior Andrew Herron, who converted on 31 of 32 extra-points and three of five field goals for 57 points.

“I believe the biggest strength we have is the leadership and brotherhood we’ve created which allows us to trust each other to get the job done,” Roberts said.

The returning starters on defense are Roberts and Stewart up front, senior linebacker Chase Bailey and Caplinger at cornerback. There’s a lot of room for improvement on that side of the ball after allowing 41 points or more in four of their six losses last season.

Competing in the Class 5A, District 6, the Cougars face some of the toughest competition in the state. Their district rivals include Cooper, last year’s state runner-up, and Highlands, a region finalist that posted a 12-2 record. Trosper also scheduled four non-district games against Class 6A opponents.

As far as expectations go, “I never make predictions,” said Trosper. “ Our goals are always district, regional and state championships. We have 20 seniors ready to step up and we just need to stay injury free.”

For Roberts, there’s only one thing on his mind. “Our goal is just to win, we aren’t going to be happy being at .500 or even a little over. We want to win.”

CONNER COUGARS
2023 SEASON: 5-6 record, lost in first round of Class 5A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 10 offense, 5 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 5A, District 6 with Boone County, Cooper, Dixie Heights, Highlands, Scott.
HEAD COACH: Dave Trosper (104-89 in 17 seasons at Conner, 117-116 in 21 seasons overall).

2024 SCHEDULE
Aug. 23 – at Lexington Dunbar, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 – RYLE, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 – LEXINGTON LAFAYETTE, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13 – vs. Newport Central Catholic at CovCath, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 – at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 – at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 – at Dixie Heights, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 – HIGHLANDS, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 – BOONE COUNTY, 7 p.m.

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