Boyle County High School senior Montavin Quisenberry is the favorite to win Kentucky’s Mr. Football award this year, but Northern Kentucky has some quality candidates. The award is presented in mid-December by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. However, there won’t be a local Mr. Football winner in 2024 as the area was shut out of the 10-player candidate list released Wednesday by the KFCA.
Quisenberry, a do-it-all running back and two-way player heading to the University of Kentucky, has already earned two similar awards. He’s the 2024 Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year. Last week, he won the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to Kentucky’s top senior.
While it was a longshot that a local player would come home with the Mr. Football honor, it was a surprise to see the area lacking a representative on the list of candidates, especially one the caliber of Cooper’s Austin Alexander, a generational two-way talent with NFL bloodlines and a college commitment to North Carolina. Considering that two of the last five Mr. Football winners hail from Northern Kentucky, it’s fair to wonder about this year’s area omissions.
Taking nothing away from the 10 deserving players who did make the KFCA list, it’s worth noting just how many of the area’s top seniors deserve special recognition in addition to Alexander. It’s a banner year for high school senior football players in the area, which produced three state finalists including Cooper, and one champion, Beechwood, led by its own legitimate Mr. Football candidate, quarterback Clay Hayden, also left off the KFCA’s 10-player candidate list.
Other than tight end, there has never been an offensive lineman winning the Mr. Football honor. There has been one defensive lineman and four linebackers who won the award, all but guaranteeing that an offensive ball handler will take home the honor again this year. This significant fact was taken into consideration when drawing up the top of the list appearing below as it is replete with quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and two-way talents.
Since the KFCA also chooses Kentucky’s 48 district players of the year, those choices were also factored into the top of the list as well as any mention made by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association. With that, here is a list of 56 of the top senior football players in northern Kentucky for the 2024 season. They are listed alphabetically with a statistical look at the top 13, followed by a listing of the rest.
AUSTIN ALEXANDER, COOPER, TE/WR/DE/LB: Caught 45 passes for 706 yards and 13 touchdowns. Added 52 tackles, 13 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one returned for a TD. A three-time Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association first-team selection and the Division I Player of the Year.
ISAAC BROWN, COOPER, WR/DB: Came up with five interceptions, 41 tackles, including 35 solo tackles and two tackles for loss. Averaged 13 yards per catch. A two-time all-NKFCA first-team pick on defense.
KALEB COLE, NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC, RB/LB: Rushed for 1,150 yads on 7.8 yards per carry with 24 touchdowns. Caught 11 passes for 97 yards and another touchdown. Led team with 84 tackles including four tackles for loss and three sacks. Added two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions, one returned for a score, giving him 27 total TDs. The KFCA Class A District 3 player of the year. An all-NKFCA first-team selection on both offense and defense.
JAMES CUSICK, BEECHWOOD, WR/DB/KR/P: Snared 61 receptions for 1,056 yards for 17.3 yards per catch and 14 TDs. Added two carries, both going for touchdowns, totaling 99 yards. Scored a touchdown on a kickoff return for 17 total TDs. Totaled 46 tackles with two tackles for loss and one interception.
LUKE ERDMAN, BEECHWOOD, WR/DB: Hauled in 43 catches for 662 yards for 15.3 yards per catch and 12 touchdowns. Came up with 18 tackles and five interceptions, one returned for a TD. An all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense.
CHASE FLAHERTY, BEECHWOOD, RB/LB: Rushed for 1,456 yards on 210 carries while averaging 6.9 yards per carry with 34 total touchdowns and 204 points scored. He had 1,709 total yards of offense with 10 tackles and one interception on defense. An all-NKFCA second-team pick on offense.
ARMANI GREGG, DIXIE HEIGHTS, RB/DB: Northern Kentucky’s third-leading rusher with 1,321 yards on 7.1 yards per carry with 18 touchdowns after converting from quarterback. Added 10 catches for 54 yards. Completed five of eight passes for 81 yards and a TD after throwing for 1,776 yards and 22 TDs as a junior. Added seven tackles on defense. An all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense.
WYATT HATFIELD, CONNER, QB/RB/DB: Led the team with 517 yards passing and six passing TDs and was second in the area with 1,463 yards rushing on 7.8 yards per carry with 25 touchdowns. Caught five passes for 44 yards. Had 12 tackles and four interceptions, one returned for a TD. The KFCA Class 5A District 6 player of the year. An all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense and the local Division II player of the year.
CLAY HAYDEN, BEECHWOOD, QB: Completed 67% of his passes for 2,981 yards and 46 TDs with just six interceptions. Class 2A District 5 player of the year. A hero at Beechwood after trading lower numbers for a state championship.
ISAIAH JOHNSON, COOPER, WR/DB: Came up with 64 receptions for 1,298 yards for 20.2 yards per catch and 24 touchdowns. It’s the third straight year he leads the team in receiving yards and receiving TDs. He added two tackles, both solo. A two-time all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense.
ISAIAH SEBASTIAN, LLOYD MEMORIAL, WR/RB/DB/PR: Caught 39 passes for 704 yards for 18 yards per catch and nine TDs. Rushed for 302 yards on 11.6 yards per carry with five TDs. Scored on a punt return for 15 total TDs. Had 40 tackles and two interceptions. An all-NKFCA first-team pick on defense and the local Division III player of the year.
DILLON SMITH, RYLE, TE/DL: Totaled 59 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and a fumble recovery on defense. Added three catches for 25 yards and one receiving touchdown on offense. A two-time all-NKFCA pick for the Raiders with a first-team selection this year.
ADAM SURREY, HIGHLANDS, WR/DB: Caught 58 passes for 975 yards, averaging 16.8 yards per catch and scoring 10 touchdowns. Rushed for 160 yards on 5.4 yards per carry with three more scores. Also returned one of his three interceptions for a score, for a total of 14 TDs. Added 29 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. An all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense.
OTHER TOP SENIORS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
David Anderson, Dixie Heights, RB/DB
Jackson Arnold, Highlands, WR/DB
Andrew Bessler, Covington Catholic, RB/LB
Aven Bohms, Simon Kenton, LB
Spencer Brandenburg, Ludlow, WR/DB
Torin Bryant, Highlands, OL/DL
KyRon Carter, Lloyd Memorial, OL/DL
Louie Collopy, Newport Central Catholic, RB/DB/PK
Jaidan Combs, Cooper, WR/DB
Mason Dietz, CovCath, OL/DL
Jaxon Fann, Lloyd Memorial, LB
Beau Faul, Ryle, RB/LB
Charlie Ford, Newport Central Catholic, WR/DB
Jaden Galicia, Ryle, RB/DB/KR
Jack Gatlin, Ryle, OL/DL
Jaylan Hartness, Newport, OL/DL
T.J. Hicks, Highlands, LB
Cole Howard, Beechwood, OL/DL
Garyn Jackson, Campbell County, WR/DB
Jayden Jackson, Boone County, RB/DB
Mattox Kelly, Beechwood, OL/DL
Nick Krallman, Covington Catholic, OL/DL
Tate Kruer, Covington Catholic, LB
Brady Lee, Simon Kenton, QB
Kyle Lee, Newport, QB/DB
Landon Lorms, Ryle, WR/DB/PR
Gabe Lyons, Newport Central Catholic, OL/DL
Cam Mandel, Bishop Brossart, RB/DB
Tyus McCarter, Highlands, WR/DB
Jack Meier, Beechwood, OL/DL
Max Merz, Highlands, OL/DL
Mike Mulvihill, Cooper, OL/DL
Austin Perriman, Cooper, DB
Eli Reynolds, Ryle, OL/DL
Brayden Sizemore, Bellevue, OL/DL
Mason Stanton, Cooper, RB/LB
Dylan Stewart, Conner, OL/DL
Dominic Storer, Dixie Heights, OL/DL
Rodzion Thompson. Newport, RB/DB
Dalton Turner, Campbell County, OL/DL
Alex Vogelpohl, Cooper, LB/P
Brody Waddell, Beechwood, OL/DL
Jack White, Highlands, RB