21 teams in 21 days: Newport Central Catholic football preview

It was near the end of a Wednesday morning practice when sixth-year Newport Central Catholic head football coach Stephen Lickert took the dare.

Senior lineman Jacob Sullivan had challenged Lickert, a former running back at Highlands, to a race. It didn’t go well – Lickert came to his office with ice on his right thigh.

“Instead of doing the smart thing and not running full speed and run the race, I ran it and pulled my quad,” Lickert said. “I was winning when I pulled my quad, let’s just put it that way. I always run with them anyway, and they called me out. Peer pressure got the best of me; there’s a lesson – don’t let that happen.” 

NewCath mostly ran past their opponents last year – the 11-3 record and a berth in the Class A state semifinals was Lickert’s best in five seasons. The Thoroughbreds scored 454 points, nearly 35 a game, and gained one-mile and 1,727 yards a season ago. (That’s 3,487 yards altogether.)

The Thoroughbreds will need senior running back Demetrick Welch Jr. and senior quarterback Kolton Smith to help win to win a sixth state title and the first since 2012. 

Welch ran for 1,346 yards and 17 touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 169 yards and three more scores. Smith threw for 1,371 yards and 15 TDs, ran for 285 and five scores and completed 61% of his passes.

In case you were wondering, the combined 3,146 total yards (sans punt and kickoff returns) for which Welch and Smith accounted for a mile and 1,386 yards – or 76.4% of NewCath’s 4,117 total in 2022.

“I feel like we return a lot of key positions that allow us to be successful,” Lickert said. “We got some really strong leadership in our senior class. They’ve been trained and work really hard to be good leaders.”

For a nanosecond, Welch wanted to avoid calling his teammates a “family” because he thought the other 20 Northern Kentucky teams use the word.

“But it’s really true,” Welch said. “Everybody on the team’s so close together.”

You’ll usually see the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Smith staying in the pocket – Lickert calls him a “five-step guy” who’s equally versatile.

“He can call a quick game as well,” Lickert said. “He can drop back, he can sprint out as well. … he’s improved as a runner the past three years.”

Smith is a three-year starter at quarterback. He calls himself a pocket passer who has learned to run if he needs to.

“Just being able to follow blocks and know what holes to run through and know how to read the blocks and know which way to go,” Smith said.

When Welch isn’t trying to beat defenders around the ends, junior Kaleb Cole might cram the football up the middle.

If NewCath has a concern (Lickert said there isn’t one), it might be who’ll catch Smith’s passes; three of the Thoroughbreds’ top four receivers last year – Luke Runyon, Matthew Landrum and Nick Rouse – graduated. Welch was third with 15 catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

Seniors Mitch Doeker and Axel Dance and juniors Louie Collopy and Charlie Ford should share the playing time.

NewCath will have a retooled offensive line – senior Mason Neff is the lone returning starter. Joining him are senior Evan Turpin, juniors Mason Baas and Gabe Lyons and sophomore Will Sandfoss.

“I would say we run it more than we don’t,” Lickert said. “You’ve got to be able to run the football in high school to win a game.”

NewCath opponents scored 251 points (including Pikeville’s 50 in the semifinals). The Thoroughbreds surrendered 809 rushing and 432 passing.

Look for Lickert to stick with a 3-5-3 defense, with three linemen, five linebackers who can be linemen or drop in pass coverage, and three defensive backs.

“It’s basically the 53 defense with five linemen and three linebackers,” Lickert said. “We took the defensive end guys – we call them outside safeties – they’re like outside linebacker hybrid players.”

Look for Neff, Lyons, Baas and Sandfoss to share time in the line. Cole (who had 92 tackles last year), Turpin, and senior Noah Ohradzansky will see time at linebacker, and Welch, Smith, Dance, Ford and Collopy are in the secondary.

NewCath opens the season Aug. 18 at Lloyd Memorial, followed by the home opener against Walton-Verona Aug. 25 at Covington Catholic.

The Thoroughbreds will enter the Class 1A, 3rd District as heavy favorites over Newport, Bellevue and Dayton.

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