Kentucky Football: The WBN Preseason Mr. Football Candidates
By Kyle
We’re in the midst of March Madness and almost everyone’s attention has turned to filling out their bracket and being as unproductive as possible while at work. For those football fans out there, me and Zach are still going to be putting up our posts, but we’ll be cutting back in the coming weeks, or at least until spring practice gears up.
So for your Wednesday football fix, I’ve got my extremely premature (that’s what she said) preseason Mr. Kentucky watch list. All of the guys on this list are current Kentucky football targets, but I’ve cut offensive and defensive linemen out. Do I hate the big guys? No, I actually think Joe Manley, Tyrone Pearson, Robert Lewis, and John Michael Heile are some of the best players in the state. However the sad truth is that it’s pretty tough for a lineman to win an award like ‘Mr. Football’ because they don’t generate stats for voters to look at and compare. So here is the initial top five, which is subject to change at any time with or without reason.
#1
Patrick Towles – QB – 6’5 / 230 – Ft. Thomas Highlands
Picking the number one candidate for Mr. Football was a lot tougher than you might think. All of the guys on this list have a plethora of reasons to be included, but Towles sticks out for a couple of reasons. He is going to generate a lot of numbers through the air and on the ground in the Bluebird’s offense and playing in the Cincinnati metro area will give him plenty of publicity. He plays on a team that is annually a dominant force and is running out of fingers for his state championship rings. The downside he’ll face is that he plays on a very good team and some might consider the talent level around him as a factor to his success.
#2
Anthony Wales – RB – 5’9 / 170 – Louisville Central
One guy that was assured of finding a spot on this list is Central running back Anthony Wales. He’s certainly not the biggest guy on the field, but he’s shifty and deceptively fast. He catches the ball and runs it with the best of them and playing in the super-competitive city of Louisville will give him the chance to show what he can do against top competition in some weeks, and pile up statistics in others. If he breaks Derek Homers rushing record, he probably moves up to number one.
#3
Adam Wing – QB – 6’4 / 200 – Rowan County
Outside of my recent interview with Adam, he’s not getting a lot of publicity outside of eastern Kentucky, and I’m not really sure why. He’s a physical specimen that can abuse his opponents running the ball and throwing. His stat line for last season was ridiculous and he managed to actually catch more interceptions on defense than he threw on offense despite only being a part time starter. For his senior campaign, look for Adam’s numbers to be off the charts and the Vikings to make a deep playoff run.
#4
Vinny Miller – ATH – 6’0 / 190 – Henry Clay
It’s been a while since Lexington produced a player with a legitimate shot at the Mr. Football award. Guess how long it’s been since a player in one of the Lexington schools (public OR private) actually won Mr. Football? If you guessed never, you’d be correct. So why does Miller have a chance? Because he is a freak of nature and can fill a stat line like nobody else in the state. For example, in a 2010 game against Tates Creek that would eventually decide the district champion, Miller ran for 159 yards and 4 touchdowns, threw for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns, and returned a kick for an 86 yard touchdown. That’s a whopping 7 touchdowns in one game. Maybe Lexington has a chance?
#5
Zeke Pike – QB – 6’4 / 220 – Dixie Heights
I’m not convinced that Pike should really be on this list yet. It’s not that Pike isn’t good (he’s a consensus blue-chip athlete) but that I’m not sure how great of a year Dixie Heights is in for? They play some tough competition and last season’s 6-6 record wasn’t what the team was hoping for. The Mr. Football award typically goes to a great player on a great team, and Dixie Heights will have a tough road ahead of them for 2011. However, the top prospect in the state almost always gets consideration as well, so don’t be surprised to see Pike on the list. His candidacy is really up to him and nothing will do more for his chances of taking home the title of Mr. Football than winning and winning often this fall.
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