russell, Fleming headline award winners at ekc banquet
OLIVE HILL | In a year in which the Eastern Kentucky Conference saw several of its teams experience unprecedented successes, Russell and Fleming County walked away with the most hardware from Tuesday’s annual football banquet at Carter Caves State Resort Park.
A Red Devil and Panther shared the EKC Player of the Year honor, while Russell also featured the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and Fleming County garnering the Coach of the Year. Both schools also had one of the three honorees for the Leland “Tiny” Roberts Assistant Coach of the Year.
The Red Devils also brought home the team trophy after posting a 5-0 mark in league play, out-scoring the quintet of opponents 191-28. Russell last won an EKC title in 2016 when it shared the crown with Nicholas County. It also was a co-champion with Raceland in 2014. The Bluejackets and Rams were co-runners-up in this year's 11-team conference race.
This season, Russell (9-3) averaged 33.3 points per game, while allowing just 10.4 ppg, the fifth-best margin of victory among the state’s 3A teams. During the regular season, the team averaged 401.4 yards per game on offense, nearly 300 of which came from the run game. Defensively, the Red Devils were second in 3A in points allowed per game and fifth in fewest rushing yards allowed. Those numbers helped Defensive Coordinator Josh Wills earn one of the Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.
Whereas the team is the focus during the season, Tuesday’s banquet was an opportunity for individuals to get well-deserved recognition.
Russell junior running back/middle linebacker Nathan Conley and Fleming County senior quarterback/linebacker Jonathan Maher were the co-Players of the Year.
A major force in the Red Devils’ ground game, Conley rushed 208 times for 1,206 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season. He also caught 11 passes for 161 yards. On defense he made 53 tackles (12 for a loss) and forced three fumbles.
“On both sides of the ball I try to play as aggressively as I can. I try to run like the coaches tell me, ‘like a man possessed”. When I’m running, I just run, I don’t think,” he said. “Defensively, I tried to get the read quickly, then play fast and get downhill.”
The honor was the third for the Conley family. Nathan’s older brother, Nick, was the EKC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2015.
“Winning the award means a lot to me. It’s a great conference and it’s an honor to be recognized for this award,” Nathan said. “I was surrounded by a great organization, great coaches and a great team. The line blocked well all year. The play calling and game planning helped me to succeed this year and play to my full potential. Defensively, our coaches did a great job helping get us lined up and in position to make plays and stop teams.”
This fall, Maher became the first player in Fleming County history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Through 12 games he has compiled 2,199 passing yards on 158-of-244 attempts and has 27 TDs. On the ground, he has rushed 164 times for 1,085 yards and three touchdowns. As a defender, he has 118 tackles, six for a loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery which he returned for a touchdown.
“(The) coaches, they’ve pushed me and pushed me and pushed me in the offseason to get better and better, and it’s paid off this season,” he said.
Maher is the second Fleming County quarterback to be named the Player of the Year in the last three seasons. Josh Crump was the selection in 2017.
“It means a lot for me (to be recognized). It means a lot for my team. ... It’ll be something I’ll always take with me,” he said. “My team helps me out a lot. … They push me to do the best I can do. So, it’s just my team that helps me motivate myself to be the best I can be.”
Nicholas County senior running back/linebacker Cain Saucedo was named the Offensive Player of the Year. A second-team All-EKC honoree last fall, Saucedo has 242 carries for 1,708 yards and 31 touchdowns so far this season. He also has four receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and scored seven 2-point conversions. Individually, he has accounted for 20.5 points per game for the Bluejackets.
“It means a lot (to be honored). It’s my first time getting this award and I really got to show what I could do this year,“ he said.
Saucedo credited his production to the team’s blocking and his strength-training regimen, noting a lot of his yardage came after contact.
“The line was really good this year. They blocked really well and I think the (work in the) weight room really helped out too,” he added.
Ethan Sanders earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honor. The Russell senior tight end/middle linebacker had 56.5 tackles in nine games this season. He tied for the team lead with 42 solo tackles, while also contributing five tackles for a loss, two sacks and an interception.
“It was awesome that I got picked. The team had a great season and I’d like to thank all of my coaches and teammates and thank the other coaches for picking me,” he said.
Sanders, who attributes his success to his aggressive playing style, took a big step forward this season after earning second-team All-EKC honors in 2018.
“Last year I started and struggled throughout year. This year I got a lot better, and I think that was because of my coaches and teammates. I also want to thank my defensive line who made it easier for me to make tackles and big plays,” he said. “I tried to be focused and aggressive (all of the time) so I could be the best player I could be.”
West Carter’s Leetavious Cline repeated as Special Teams Player of the Year after being one of three winners for last year’s award. The junior running back/safety was the lone selection for the honor this fall after having returned two punts for touchdowns.
Senior offensive/defensive lineman Hayden Topping of Raceland was named the Lineman of the Year. The Rams finished their season averaging 34.8 points and 318.1 yards per game. They held opponents to 16.1 ppg and 223.4 ypg. Topping earned second-team All-EKC honors last season.
Bill Spencer collected his second EKC Coach of the Year honor in three years. The Fleming County boss has the 2019 Panthers sporting a 10-2 record heading into the quarterfinals of the state’s Class 3A playoffs.
“To me it means a lot knowing that it was voted on by the other coaches in the conference,” he said of the award. “There’s a lot of distinguished coaches in our conference, so to know that they think that highly of me means a lot to me.
“Any time I get an award, it’s based on the fruits of my kids’ labor. They’ve worked hard and played hard all season to help us have success and put me in position to win awards. So, I’m very thankful to them,” he added.
To date the Panthers’ offense has averaged 41.4 ppg, a mark that places his team third among 3A teams. Largely behind Maher’s passing, Fleming County has gained 359.7 ypg with the air attack ranking fifth in 3A. The defense boasts stats of 19.9 points and 231.3 yards allowed per contest.
“Offensively, we’ve had our first player in the history of Fleming County to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, so his accomplishments have helped our team tremendously,” Spencer said. “(Defensively) we’ve done a great job of protecting the football. Last year we had some turnover issues that caused us to have some problems. This year we’ve done a lot better job with that.”
Fleming County Offensive Coordinator Jordan Fritz joined Russell’s Wills as one of three assistants to be honored by the conference. Fritz has been the Leland ‘Tiny” Roberts Assistant Coach of the Year three times with his first coming in 2014.
Greenup County Defensive Coordinator Zack Moore was the third individual to share this season’s Assistant Coach of the Year award. Moore, who previously served as East Carter’s head coach from 2011-14, improved the Musketeers’ rush defense by more than 50 yards per game in his first season with the club.
Other individual award winners included: Bath County’s Chris Norris for the Wes Hopkins Courage Award and Nicholas County’s public address announcer Tony Smith for the Commissioner’s Award.
Fairview took a one-year hiatus away from the conference this season. According to EKC Commissioner Gary Kidwell the Eagles will be back in the fold in 2020.
Three EKC teams remain alive in the state playoffs and all three will play on the road on Friday. Fleming County (10-2) faces Bell County (12-0), Nicholas County (9-3) takes on Pikeville (11-0) and West Carter (9-3) meets Beechwood (7-5).
A total of 51 players were named to the All-EKC First Team. It was the third first-team honor for Conley, Bath County’s Griffin Fraley, Greenup County’s Eli Sammons, and West Carter’s Ethan Jordan and Tristen Jordan. Maher, Cline, Bath County’s Ryan Leach and East Carter’s Micah Adams were first-team choices last year and second-team picks in 2017. Five others were repeat first-team honorees this fall. All 11 conference members had at least one first-team representative. Russell had a league-high nine selections, while Raceland, Nicholas County and East Carter each had six honorees.
All-EKC First Team
Bath County: Griffin Fraley, Ryan Leach
Boyd County: Dayne Lawson, Riley Wheatley
East Carter: Micah Adams, Braden Hicks, Nathan Helton, Zach Holtsclaw, Tyler Wages, Bryson Kiser
Fleming County: Jonathan Maher, Brad Applegate, Kyron Humphrey, Andrew Jackson, Kaleb Flannery, Jett Hamilton
Greenup County: Eli Sammons, Austin Evans
Lewis County: Moses Jackson
Nicholas County: Tyler Horn, Mathew Baxter, Michael Tibbs, Seth Tincher, Ethan Cleaver, Caleb Morgan, Cain Saucedo
Raceland: Gunnur Lewis, Ethan Cox, Braydon Shore, Will Nichols. Hunter Correll, Seth Mills, Hayden Topping
Rowan County: Cole Wallace, Jacob McDaniel, Will Cox, Devin Davidson
Russell: Nathan Conley, Malakai Anderson, Ethan Sanders, Charlie Jachimczuk, Will Gunning, Brayden Pack, Isaac Jenkins, Josh Griffith, Frank Jeffrey
West Carter: Leetavious Cline, Ethan Jordan, Tristen Jordan, Eian Leadingham, Gavin Gibson
All-EKC Second Team
Bath County: Hunter McCoy, Brady Pitts
Boyd County: Jacob Kelley, Joe Lusby
East Carter: Jacob Underwood, Matt Waite, Clay Morris, Noah Marshall, Jacob Carter, Ethan Moore
Fleming County: Zeke Conn, Jake Werline, Logan Pinkley, Carsen Gulley, Daniel Watkins
Greenup County: Tanner Euton, Reid Parker
Lewis County: Morgan Steadman
Nicholas County: Troy Davis, Spencer Neace, Ethan Adams, Brody Isaacs, Reid Allison, Crispin Diaz
Raceland: Chance Billings, Jacob Wallace, Landon Mauk, Austin Newcomb, Nathaniel Bonzo, Derek Pennington, Caleb Rowsey
Rowan County: Hunter Reisenbigler, Gage Wilder, Matt Bailey, Nick Johnson
Russell: Anthony Blevins, AJ Raybourn, AJ Biggs, Ian Bell, Ethan Sharp, Felix Reyes, Gabe Floyd
West Carter: Jackson Bond, Blake McGlone, David Reffitt, Orry Perry
2020 Grid-o-Rama
Friday, Aug. 14
At Nicholas County: Fleming County vs. Bath County 6 p.m.
Lewis County at Nicholas County 8 p.m.
At East Carter: Fairview vs. Boyd County 6 p.m.
Raceland vs. East Carter 8 p.m.
At Greenup County: Rowan County vs. Russell 6 p.m.
West Carter vs. Greenup County 8 p.m.
A Red Devil and Panther shared the EKC Player of the Year honor, while Russell also featured the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and Fleming County garnering the Coach of the Year. Both schools also had one of the three honorees for the Leland “Tiny” Roberts Assistant Coach of the Year.
The Red Devils also brought home the team trophy after posting a 5-0 mark in league play, out-scoring the quintet of opponents 191-28. Russell last won an EKC title in 2016 when it shared the crown with Nicholas County. It also was a co-champion with Raceland in 2014. The Bluejackets and Rams were co-runners-up in this year's 11-team conference race.
This season, Russell (9-3) averaged 33.3 points per game, while allowing just 10.4 ppg, the fifth-best margin of victory among the state’s 3A teams. During the regular season, the team averaged 401.4 yards per game on offense, nearly 300 of which came from the run game. Defensively, the Red Devils were second in 3A in points allowed per game and fifth in fewest rushing yards allowed. Those numbers helped Defensive Coordinator Josh Wills earn one of the Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.
Whereas the team is the focus during the season, Tuesday’s banquet was an opportunity for individuals to get well-deserved recognition.
Russell junior running back/middle linebacker Nathan Conley and Fleming County senior quarterback/linebacker Jonathan Maher were the co-Players of the Year.
A major force in the Red Devils’ ground game, Conley rushed 208 times for 1,206 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season. He also caught 11 passes for 161 yards. On defense he made 53 tackles (12 for a loss) and forced three fumbles.
“On both sides of the ball I try to play as aggressively as I can. I try to run like the coaches tell me, ‘like a man possessed”. When I’m running, I just run, I don’t think,” he said. “Defensively, I tried to get the read quickly, then play fast and get downhill.”
The honor was the third for the Conley family. Nathan’s older brother, Nick, was the EKC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2015.
“Winning the award means a lot to me. It’s a great conference and it’s an honor to be recognized for this award,” Nathan said. “I was surrounded by a great organization, great coaches and a great team. The line blocked well all year. The play calling and game planning helped me to succeed this year and play to my full potential. Defensively, our coaches did a great job helping get us lined up and in position to make plays and stop teams.”
This fall, Maher became the first player in Fleming County history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Through 12 games he has compiled 2,199 passing yards on 158-of-244 attempts and has 27 TDs. On the ground, he has rushed 164 times for 1,085 yards and three touchdowns. As a defender, he has 118 tackles, six for a loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery which he returned for a touchdown.
“(The) coaches, they’ve pushed me and pushed me and pushed me in the offseason to get better and better, and it’s paid off this season,” he said.
Maher is the second Fleming County quarterback to be named the Player of the Year in the last three seasons. Josh Crump was the selection in 2017.
“It means a lot for me (to be recognized). It means a lot for my team. ... It’ll be something I’ll always take with me,” he said. “My team helps me out a lot. … They push me to do the best I can do. So, it’s just my team that helps me motivate myself to be the best I can be.”
Nicholas County senior running back/linebacker Cain Saucedo was named the Offensive Player of the Year. A second-team All-EKC honoree last fall, Saucedo has 242 carries for 1,708 yards and 31 touchdowns so far this season. He also has four receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and scored seven 2-point conversions. Individually, he has accounted for 20.5 points per game for the Bluejackets.
“It means a lot (to be honored). It’s my first time getting this award and I really got to show what I could do this year,“ he said.
Saucedo credited his production to the team’s blocking and his strength-training regimen, noting a lot of his yardage came after contact.
“The line was really good this year. They blocked really well and I think the (work in the) weight room really helped out too,” he added.
Ethan Sanders earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honor. The Russell senior tight end/middle linebacker had 56.5 tackles in nine games this season. He tied for the team lead with 42 solo tackles, while also contributing five tackles for a loss, two sacks and an interception.
“It was awesome that I got picked. The team had a great season and I’d like to thank all of my coaches and teammates and thank the other coaches for picking me,” he said.
Sanders, who attributes his success to his aggressive playing style, took a big step forward this season after earning second-team All-EKC honors in 2018.
“Last year I started and struggled throughout year. This year I got a lot better, and I think that was because of my coaches and teammates. I also want to thank my defensive line who made it easier for me to make tackles and big plays,” he said. “I tried to be focused and aggressive (all of the time) so I could be the best player I could be.”
West Carter’s Leetavious Cline repeated as Special Teams Player of the Year after being one of three winners for last year’s award. The junior running back/safety was the lone selection for the honor this fall after having returned two punts for touchdowns.
Senior offensive/defensive lineman Hayden Topping of Raceland was named the Lineman of the Year. The Rams finished their season averaging 34.8 points and 318.1 yards per game. They held opponents to 16.1 ppg and 223.4 ypg. Topping earned second-team All-EKC honors last season.
Bill Spencer collected his second EKC Coach of the Year honor in three years. The Fleming County boss has the 2019 Panthers sporting a 10-2 record heading into the quarterfinals of the state’s Class 3A playoffs.
“To me it means a lot knowing that it was voted on by the other coaches in the conference,” he said of the award. “There’s a lot of distinguished coaches in our conference, so to know that they think that highly of me means a lot to me.
“Any time I get an award, it’s based on the fruits of my kids’ labor. They’ve worked hard and played hard all season to help us have success and put me in position to win awards. So, I’m very thankful to them,” he added.
To date the Panthers’ offense has averaged 41.4 ppg, a mark that places his team third among 3A teams. Largely behind Maher’s passing, Fleming County has gained 359.7 ypg with the air attack ranking fifth in 3A. The defense boasts stats of 19.9 points and 231.3 yards allowed per contest.
“Offensively, we’ve had our first player in the history of Fleming County to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, so his accomplishments have helped our team tremendously,” Spencer said. “(Defensively) we’ve done a great job of protecting the football. Last year we had some turnover issues that caused us to have some problems. This year we’ve done a lot better job with that.”
Fleming County Offensive Coordinator Jordan Fritz joined Russell’s Wills as one of three assistants to be honored by the conference. Fritz has been the Leland ‘Tiny” Roberts Assistant Coach of the Year three times with his first coming in 2014.
Greenup County Defensive Coordinator Zack Moore was the third individual to share this season’s Assistant Coach of the Year award. Moore, who previously served as East Carter’s head coach from 2011-14, improved the Musketeers’ rush defense by more than 50 yards per game in his first season with the club.
Other individual award winners included: Bath County’s Chris Norris for the Wes Hopkins Courage Award and Nicholas County’s public address announcer Tony Smith for the Commissioner’s Award.
Fairview took a one-year hiatus away from the conference this season. According to EKC Commissioner Gary Kidwell the Eagles will be back in the fold in 2020.
Three EKC teams remain alive in the state playoffs and all three will play on the road on Friday. Fleming County (10-2) faces Bell County (12-0), Nicholas County (9-3) takes on Pikeville (11-0) and West Carter (9-3) meets Beechwood (7-5).
A total of 51 players were named to the All-EKC First Team. It was the third first-team honor for Conley, Bath County’s Griffin Fraley, Greenup County’s Eli Sammons, and West Carter’s Ethan Jordan and Tristen Jordan. Maher, Cline, Bath County’s Ryan Leach and East Carter’s Micah Adams were first-team choices last year and second-team picks in 2017. Five others were repeat first-team honorees this fall. All 11 conference members had at least one first-team representative. Russell had a league-high nine selections, while Raceland, Nicholas County and East Carter each had six honorees.
All-EKC First Team
Bath County: Griffin Fraley, Ryan Leach
Boyd County: Dayne Lawson, Riley Wheatley
East Carter: Micah Adams, Braden Hicks, Nathan Helton, Zach Holtsclaw, Tyler Wages, Bryson Kiser
Fleming County: Jonathan Maher, Brad Applegate, Kyron Humphrey, Andrew Jackson, Kaleb Flannery, Jett Hamilton
Greenup County: Eli Sammons, Austin Evans
Lewis County: Moses Jackson
Nicholas County: Tyler Horn, Mathew Baxter, Michael Tibbs, Seth Tincher, Ethan Cleaver, Caleb Morgan, Cain Saucedo
Raceland: Gunnur Lewis, Ethan Cox, Braydon Shore, Will Nichols. Hunter Correll, Seth Mills, Hayden Topping
Rowan County: Cole Wallace, Jacob McDaniel, Will Cox, Devin Davidson
Russell: Nathan Conley, Malakai Anderson, Ethan Sanders, Charlie Jachimczuk, Will Gunning, Brayden Pack, Isaac Jenkins, Josh Griffith, Frank Jeffrey
West Carter: Leetavious Cline, Ethan Jordan, Tristen Jordan, Eian Leadingham, Gavin Gibson
All-EKC Second Team
Bath County: Hunter McCoy, Brady Pitts
Boyd County: Jacob Kelley, Joe Lusby
East Carter: Jacob Underwood, Matt Waite, Clay Morris, Noah Marshall, Jacob Carter, Ethan Moore
Fleming County: Zeke Conn, Jake Werline, Logan Pinkley, Carsen Gulley, Daniel Watkins
Greenup County: Tanner Euton, Reid Parker
Lewis County: Morgan Steadman
Nicholas County: Troy Davis, Spencer Neace, Ethan Adams, Brody Isaacs, Reid Allison, Crispin Diaz
Raceland: Chance Billings, Jacob Wallace, Landon Mauk, Austin Newcomb, Nathaniel Bonzo, Derek Pennington, Caleb Rowsey
Rowan County: Hunter Reisenbigler, Gage Wilder, Matt Bailey, Nick Johnson
Russell: Anthony Blevins, AJ Raybourn, AJ Biggs, Ian Bell, Ethan Sharp, Felix Reyes, Gabe Floyd
West Carter: Jackson Bond, Blake McGlone, David Reffitt, Orry Perry
2020 Grid-o-Rama
Friday, Aug. 14
At Nicholas County: Fleming County vs. Bath County 6 p.m.
Lewis County at Nicholas County 8 p.m.
At East Carter: Fairview vs. Boyd County 6 p.m.
Raceland vs. East Carter 8 p.m.
At Greenup County: Rowan County vs. Russell 6 p.m.
West Carter vs. Greenup County 8 p.m.