21 teams in 21 days: Campbell County football preview

Campbell County second-year head football coach Brian Weinrich was as much a student as his players last year.

The Camels finished 4-7 in 2022 and fell to Louisville Trinity in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs – and a lot better than the 1-10 in 2021.

“Each year’s a new year … whatever the record, you have to start over,” Weinrich said. “I learned there’s a bunch of guys here that want to be good football players, that work hard, that like to get after it.”

It will help to have senior quarterback Nate Smith and senior running back Joe Amato for one more season.

Smith ran for 624 yards and 10 touchdowns last year and threw for another 466 and one score. Amato ran for 524 yards and two TDs.

Weinrich doesn’t think his team favors the run.

“We’re going to do what’s there,” Weinrich said. “We started three sophomore wide receivers last year that are all really dynamic, and we’ve got some more receivers that are ready to go this year that are still younger.”

Smith was injured during a 44-13 loss to Highlands last Sept. 2. He missed wins over Cooper and Conner and with a cast on one arm ran twice for six yards in a 21-20 overtime home win against George Rogers Clark.

“I was rolling out, I was pressured,” Smith said of the injury. “I was, like, falling back and put my hand out and just hurt my wrist.”

Weinrich’s goal for Smith in 2023: let him do whatever he wants.

“We’re just trying to give him opportunities to make plays, whatever that might mean,” Weinrich said. “Leave the pocket, stay in the pocket, he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”

The football Camels have a basketball flavor at wide receiver – juniors Jaidan Combs and Garyn Jackson averaged 8.2 and 6.7 points a game on the hardcourt last season. Junior Xavier Fancher is the third wideout.

The Camels have two offensive line spots to fill. Weinrich said three, senior Dakota Cloyd, junior Liam Vonhandorf and sophomore Gage Rucker are in the mix.

Look for the 3-4 defense to build around senior end Logan McNabb and senior linebackers Aiden Dowds and Hunter Wiseman. Dowds and Wiseman had 49 and 47 tackles, respectively, last season, and McNabb added five sacks among his 28 tackles.

“That’s what I’ve run as a defensive coach for 20 years,” defensive coordinator Russell Harden said of the 3-4. “… What we like about the 3-4 is, we can use fast guys up front and make ourselves difficult to block.”

Junior Mason Haywood and senior Mason Wiseman – Hunter’s fraternal twin brother – round out the defensive line. Seniors Caleb Milton and Kam Vickers are the likely other two linebackers.

Senior Jack Schloemer is the lone returning starter from a secondary that surrendered 1,843 passing yards. Joining him are Blake Funston at cornerback and safeties Jacob Gates and Grayson Angel.

“It doesn’t really put that much pressure on me because I know we’ve got those guys behind me that I can kind of lean back on if I make a mistake,” Schloemer said. “And if they make a mistake, they can lean back on me.”

The season starts with the inaugural Bridge Bowl versus Scott, Aug. 18 at Campbell County. The Camels and Eagles have not met since 2006, and Campbell County is 5-1 since 2001.

What surprised Weinrich: just 12.7 miles separate Claryville and Taylor Mill.

“We’re working on making that a big deal, ‘cause in basketball, baseball, soccer, every other sport, it’s a huge rivalry,” Weinrich said. “I was, ‘Why the heck aren’t we playing in football?’ Schedule didn’t work, so we got it to work this year.”

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