By Don Owen
NKyTribune news editor
Indiana high schools have been playing football for three weeks. Ohio soon followed and is now entering its third week of gridiron action.
Kentucky high schools, meanwhile, are scheduled to begin the football season this Friday. One of those games is supposed to feature Newport playing at Bishop Brossart. Problem is, the Newport Board of Education hasn’t approved a season yet. They will decide on Wednesday — two days before the scheduled opener at Brossart — according to Newport head coach Joe Wynn.
Joe Wynn
Newport posted an 8-4 record last year and advanced to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs. The Wildcats will have to replace graduated starting quarterback Kaleal Davis, who passed for 1,186 yards and rushed for another 932 yards last season. Davis accounted for 25 touchdowns (12 passing, 13 rushing).
Wynn said Ethan Jefferson and Daniel Veselka are the two quarterbacks competing to replace Davis. Newport does return running back James Martin, who rushed for 479 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago. According to Wynn, Mykel Martin and Andrew Rath are the other running backs to watch this season.
Newport posted a 38-6 win over Brossart a year ago as Davis rushed for three touchdowns. Brossart finished with a 7-5 record last season.
SHOWDOWN IN FORT THOMAS: Simon Kenton opens the season Friday night by visiting Highlands. The Pioneers finished 8-5 a year ago, losing to Tates Creek in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs by a 47-8 score.
Highlands posted a 6-5 record last season and was eliminated from the Class 5A playoffs in the first round by Conner, 38-28. It marked the second time the Cougars defeated the Bluebirds in 2019.
A year ago in Independence, Highlands cruised to a 28-7 win over Simon Kenton. In 2018, the Bluebirds posted a 38-9 victory against the Pioneers in Fort Thomas to snap a three-game losing streak in the series with Simon Kenton.
In 2015, Simon Kenton rolled to a 42-3 win over Highlands. The Pioneers followed that with a 77-53 triumph at Highlands in 2016 and then posted a 35-20 win over the Bluebirds the next season.
SPRING FOOTBALL IN THE WINTER: The Mid-South Conference has announced a spring football schedule that actually begins in the winter. Thomas More is scheduled to play host to Campbellsville on Feb. 19.
The Saints will play a seven-game schedule in the spring, all against the Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division. All games will be played on Friday nights.
The Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division switched its football games to the spring semester to coincide with the NAIA’s national playoffs. The NAIA playoffs begin in April and conclude with the national championship game on May 10.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
