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2019 Prep Football Previews: Dixie Heights senior team leaders looking to improve on last season


The NKyTribune is featuring each of the 21 high school football teams in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties leading up to the first games of the 2019 season on Aug. 23. We will then provide focused coverage of our local teams throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.

By Quinton Marksberry
NKyTribune contributor

In his first full season at starting quarterback, Jeremy Adams provided more than 2,000 yards of total offense for Dixie Heights last year. He had 1,562 yards passing and 619 yards rushing for the Colonels, who posted a disappointing 1-10 record.

“He was the heart and soul of our team last year,” said coach Dave Brossart. “I expect him to keep making strides on being a great player and leader this year as well.”

Two of the top returning seniors for Dixie Heights are center Nick Smedley and quarterback Jeremy Adams.

The Colonels are moving up to Class 6A this season. Their new district rivals will be Simon Kenton, Campbell County and Ryle, the only team that they beat last season.

In that one victory, Adams had 140 yards passing, 61 yards rushing and scored two of his team-leading 11 touchdowns. He’d like to see the offense be that effective in every game this season.

“The first thing I told everyone coming into this season is we have to work 10 times harder than everyone else,” Adams said.

Dixie Heights was state runner-up in Class 6A in 2014. A statewide realignment the following year put them in Class 5A and their best record over the last four seasons was 6-6 in 2016. Now the Colonels are shifting back to Class 6A to compete against the biggest schools in the area.

“It is a new slate,” Brossart said of going to the new district. “You start all over when you hit the weight room. But the older I get the more I worry about my team, not everyone else’s.”

Leon Marshall is another returning starter in the Dixie Heights backfield. He was a 100-yard rusher in the last two games of the 2018 season and scored three touchdowns in the win over Ryle.

Brossart is counting on Adams and Marshall to get off to a good start operating behind a more experienced offensive line that includes senior center Nick Smedley, a two-year varsity veteran.

“He is the big guy leader on our offense line,” Brossart said of Smedley. “I expect him to have a good year as well.”

The Colonels were outscored, 377-190, in 11 games last season. The defense will have to do a better job keeping opponents out of the end zone if they want to win more than one game and improve on last year’s record.

The four leading tacklers on last year’s team graduated. Two of the top returning starters on that side of the ball are seniors Seth Young at safety and Marshall at defensive back.

“I want my seniors to leave this place better than when they entered here,” Brossart said of the upcoming season.

DIXIE HEIGHTS COLONELS
2018 SEASON:
1-10 record, lost in first round of Class 5A playoffs.
DISTRICT: Class 6A, District 6 with Campbell County, Ryle, Simon Kenton.
HEAD COACH: Dave Brossart (61-69 in 12 seasons overall, 37-47 in seven seasons at Dixie Heights).

2019 SCHEDULE
Aug. 23 – at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 – GEORGE ROGERS CLARK, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 – CONNER, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13 – at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 – at Madison Central, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 – BEECHWOOD, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 – at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 – RYLE, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 – at Campbell County, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.

Other NKyTribune prep football previews:

NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC THOROUGHBREDS
HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS
WALTON-VERONA BEARCATS
DAYTON GREENDEVILS
COOPER JAGUARS
LLOYD JUGGERNAUTS
LUDLOW PANTHERS
BEECHWOOD TIGERS
NEWPORT WILDCATS


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3 Comments

  1. Dan McDaniel says:

    I’m calling it right now, Dixie Heights is going to surprise a lot of people this year. They have a lot of experience from their Junior class that where playing on Varsity last year as sophomores. The Senior class has a lot of leadership and is very talented and the work ethic in the program is second to none. Let’s get it Colonels!

    • Its very sad to see dixie heights high school get beat by connor high considering dixie plays their asses off Dixie i know you all can do better,u always have been great, Maybe all u all need is that high quality h2o…lol next time ,stomp their butts i know u can do it , dont worry about getting dirty….

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