By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Covington Catholic players landed 10 of the 31 first-team positions on the Northern Kentucky high school football all-star team selected by members of the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
CovCath’s four senior captains (left to right) — A.J. Mayer, Jack Maile, Grant Dyer and Kam Butler — were first-team selections on the local coaches all-star team. (Photo by Steve Dyer)
CovCath finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 team in statewide power ratings. The Colonels’ success was reflected in the ballots coaches turned in for the all-star teams.
The first-team players on offense for CovCath include senior quarterback A.J. Mayer, senior wide receiver Malachi Pike, senior tight end Kam Butler and junior linemen Grant Hemmer and Carter Black.
Butler was also a first-team selection on defense. He and senior teammate Grant Dyer were two of the linebackers on that list. The other CovCath players named first-team defense were linemen Jack Maile and Michael Mayer and defensive back Adam Schneider.
Michael Mayer is the younger brother of CovCath quarterback A.J. Mayer. They are the only siblings voted first-team all-stars this season. The coaches also selected CovCath junior Jack Coldiron as the alternate athlete in the first-team lineup.
Jake Chisholm
Ryle had five first-team all-stars, including senior running back Jake Chisholm, who rushed for more than 2,300 yards and scored 35 touchdowns during the season.
Chisholm set a Northern Kentucky single-game rushing record when he picked up 449 yards and scored six touchdowns in his team’s 56-38 win over Simon Kenton on Oct. 20. That’s the sixth highest rushing total in the Kentucky high school football record book.
Ludlow senior Justin Blackburn was also named a first-team running back even though he played quarterback for the Panthers this season. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 35 touchdowns as his team’s primary ball-carrier.
Sixteen of the 20 teams in the local coaches association have at least one player on the first-team or second-team all-star lists. The coaches will meet again next week to vote on the top 10 candidates for all-state honors and the Top 26 Awards that will be presented during their annual post-season banquet.
N.Ky. Football Coaches Association All-Star Teams
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB — A.J. Mayer (CovCath). RB — Jake Chisholm (Ryle), Alex Dowds (Campbell County), Justin Blackburn (Ludlow).
TE — Kam Butler (CovCath). WR — Nick Veneman (Highlands), Malachi Pike (CovCath), Nelson Perrin (Scott).
OL — Grant Hemmer (CovCath), Noah Turner (Simon Kenton), Carter Black (CovCath), Kairus Washington (Dixie Heights), Parker Bisek (Ryle), Garrett Vanlandingham (Dixie Heights).
Kicker — Mason Molique (Ryle). Alternate Athlete – Jack Coldiron (CovCath).
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL — Michael Mayer (CovCath), Adam Derry (Beechwood), Tanner Lawrence (Campbell County), Jack Maile (CovCath).
LB — Kam Butler (CovCath), Grant Dyer (CovCath), Jackson Saladin (Ryle), Alex Thurza (Scott).
DB — Adam Schneider (CovCath), Justin Schlarman (Cooper), Brayden Trattles (Simon Kenton), Jamorrow Dawson (Lloyd), Zach Rytlewski (Ryle).
Punter — Matt Simpson (Conner), Grady Cramer (Highlands).
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB — Matt Shearer (Simon Kenton). RB — Casey McGinness (CovCath), Travon Mason (Lloyd), Kyle Kelly (NewCath).
TE — Mason Kramer (Campbell County). WR — Bryce Donnelly (Brossart), Jack Comer (Campbell County), Sam Murray (Simon Kenton), Fischer Hayden (Simon Kenton).
OL — Noah Fisher (Beechwood), Eli Wooten (Campbell County), Josh Mitchell (Campbell County), Mike Dunn (Highlands), Jacob Durstock (Scott), Logan Jouett (Lloyd), Jake Gideon (Ryle).
Kicker — Nick Bowman (Highlands). Alternate Athlete – Reid Jolly (Campbell County), Seth Chinn (Dayton).
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL — Tahj Elmore (Ryle), Bradley Turner (Lloyd), J.J. Courtney (Simon Kenton), Nate Davis (Highlands), Jameel Jones (NewCath), Treyvon Nash (Simon Kenton).
LB — Will Parks (Simon Kenton), Kamren Crim (Lloyd), Jason Decker (NewCath), John Mark Schutt (Boone County).
DB — Jake Massie (Beechwood), Elijah McKenny (Beechwood), Hunter Cain (NewCath), Joe Steiden (Highlands).
Punter — Paul Kremer (NewCath).
Do you mean Nick Veneman, Highlands, for Wide Receiver? Alex Veneman graduated in 2015.
Thanks, Jennifer, for spotting the error. We checked — and fixed it. We appreciate the alert eyes of our readers.
Thank you for the prompt response and correction, Judy!
We did receive the wrong first name for Nick Veneman in the email from the coaches association and corrected it in our copy.
Terry- I hope you then notified the coach’s association of the mistake. How sad that an athlete who worked hard this season to get nominated is being called by his brother’s name? Nick deserves the recognition and the respect of his skill and talent.