NKY football coaches honor 'Top 28,' two local Mr. Football finalists
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association celebrated its players and teams at its annual awards banquet Dec. 10.
The coaches announced their all-region teams last week, as well as the prestigious “Top 28.” Every school in the association is represented by at least one player on this list. That includes Cooper senior quarterback Cam O’Hara and Ryle senior running back/linebacker Jacob Savage, who are both finalists for Mr. Football, which is named by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
The NKFCA Top 28
Chase McDaniel, Beechwood
Derrick Fortner, Bellevue
Dakota Daniels, Boone County
Landon Ruth, Bishop Brossart
Elijah Depperschmidt, Campbell County
Grayson Montgomery, Conner
Cam O’Hara, Cooper
Keagan Maher, Cooper
Cash Harney, Covington Catholic
Dylan Gaiser, Covington Catholic
Elias Lopez Torres, Dayton
Mason Fields, Dixie Heights
Max Merz, Highlands
Tayden Lorenzen, Highlands
Xarion Foster, Holmes
Max Hunt, Holy Cross
Kaleb Evans, Lloyd Memorial
Aiden Dolan, Lloyd Memorial
Jackson Mays, Ludlow
Kay Sharp, Newport
Eddie Bivens, Newport Central Catholic
Will Sandfoss, Newport Central Catholic
Jacob Savage, Ryle
Dylan Lee, Ryle
Trey Cook, Scott
Grayson Harris, Simon Kenton
Caden Kunstek, St. Henry
Brayden Donato, Walton-Verona
Northern Kentucky has two Mr. Football finalists
O’Hara and Savage are two of nine finalists on the ballot for this year’s Mr. Football award from the Kentucky Football Coaches Association, which will be named later this month.
The other Mr. Football nominees are St. Xavier’s Marlon Harbin, Campbellsville’s Kace Eastridge, Owensboro’s Evan Hampton, Madisonville-North Hopkins’ Markezz Hightower, Somerset’s Kris Hughes, Murray’s Wyatt Robbins, and Boyle County’s Ji’Dyn Smith-Hisel.
Two of Kentucky’s major Player of the Year awards already have been selected, with Hampton (Vanderbilt signee) taking the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year honor and Savage (Indiana signee) winning the Paul Hornung Award from the Louisville Quarterback Club. Savage was also named the MaxPreps Kentucky Player of the Year this week.
The last Northern Kentucky Mr. Football winner was Beechwood’s Cameron Hergott in 2020.
The KFCA also has named its finalists for the Coach Haywood Lineman of the Year and Jimmie Reed Coach of the Year awards.
Highlands’ Max Merz is a finalist for the Lineman of the Year award with South Warren’s Malik Butler, Taylor County’s Bryten Close, Trinity’s Jahbarri Frost, Green County’s Andrew Houk, Kentucky Country Day’s Kris Mandy, Paducah Tilghman’s Ben Myers, Belfry’s Bo Wolford and Boyle County’s Darryl Yancey.
Coach of the Year finalists are Christian Academy’s Hunter Cantwell, Campbellsville’s Dale Estes, Boyle County’s Justin Haddix, Greenwood’s William Howard, South Warren’s Brandon Smith and Belfry’s Matt Varney.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY football coaches honor ‘Top 28,’ two local Mr. Football finalists
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos