Development and depth.
Those two words were a constant when talking to Dixie Heights football coach Pat Burke.
That’s what the Colonels did in 2022 in Burke’s first year and they’re hoping to reap the benefits of it after taking their lumps during a 3-8 season, the first under .500 since 2019.
“We’ve gone from maybe four guys that had varsity playing experience to now about 40 guys that have all now played and developed their demeanor and attitude to play at a high level,” Burke said.
Burke and the coaching staff pretty much “blew everything up from the ground up”, the second-year coach said and that in 2022 everything was in its infancy, from the staff, scheme and culture.
It may have been a bumpy road at times, players still trying to figure things out and buy into the culture, but the positivity in the preseason and amount of work put in the offseason has the Colonels thinking it could be a quick turnaround.
What returns starts with Brach Rice, the running back/linebacker leading the team in tackles with 126 in 2022 and rushing for 605 yards and a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. Rice has committed to Miami (Ohio) University and with his commitment out of the way, Rice can focus on what matters a great deal to him, his teammates.
“I just want all my focus toward the team. We’re making this year personal with what happened last year,” Rice said. “I feel like we played timid and lacked confidence last year.”
Rice will not only help spearhead the Colonels defense that looks to improve from allowing 40 points per game, but be an integral part of the Colonels fast-paced offense ran by junior quarterback Armani Gregg. Rice will be seen at tight end, H-back, tailback, middle linebacker and defensive end.
Gregg enters his second season at quarterback, a sophomore season in which he threw for 915 yards and eight touchdowns and ran for 579 yards and four touchdowns.
“He’s 100% a dual-threat quarterback,” Burke said. “At 6-1, 210 pounds, he runs behind his pads and he’s understanding the offense more and getting us in certain looks without even us asking. He looks very confident back there and he puts our offense in a really good space.”
Helping Gregg’s progression will be four returning starters along the offensive line. Despite losing his top target as Trey Barnette transferred to Lakota West in Ohio, Grimm Rosenberg, Kabanza Mwamba and Tyson Beach, a transfer from Princeton, Ohio will be the top options out wide.
“I’m very confident in those guys, they can make plays all over the field,” Gregg said. “A lot of it has to do with the offseason work. Constantly throwing balls, building confidence with the receivers. Lot of reps and getting the first year jitters out.”
Junior running back David Anderson and senior Grant Johnson will be a couple of the ball carriers in what should be a platoon system in the backfield, similar to last season when four players ran the ball at least 47 times.
Defensively, they’ll have two returning starters along the defensive line and Burke is pretty confident in the depth that’s been developed in that unit.
On the back end is where Burke feels most confident with his safeties in Miguel Rodriguez and Max Monroe, two physical safeties that play downhill. Mwamba will hold down one of the cornerback spots.
They’re also excited in the growth of Dominic Storer and Anderson defensively. Storer can play all over the field at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.
The continuity and what’s returning should make for an improved product, the Colonels dropping down in class from 6A to 5A in the latest KHSAA realignment.
While they do drop down in class, the competition should still be very similar. Their new district pits them with Highlands, Cooper, Boone County, Scott and Conner.
“Highlands is 100% the team to beat in our district until someone knocks them off,” Burke said.
If they finish as one of the top four teams in the district, they’ll earn a postseason berth and getting the top two spots in the district is vital with Woodford County and Scott County waiting in their sister district.
“Those are two of the top teams in 5A,” Burke said.
Prior to their five-game district slate they’ll open up with old district foe Simon Kenton and will be a good gauge of how far they’ve come, the Pioneers handing the Colonels a 66-23 shellacking on Oct. 6, 2022. After a trip to Hughes in Cincinnati, the Colonels first home game comes Sept. 1 against reigning 2A state champ Beechwood. They’ll play at Covington Catholic before they open up their new district with Boone County at home Sept. 22. After the five-game district stretch is another old district foe when they host Ryle.
Not many cupcakes in there.
“We’re not going to shy away from anyone in NKY,” Burke said. “That’s the mentality of our team and our program. We feel like the best football is in our backyard and it makes for playing great competition week in and week out. We schedule tough on purpose. Simon Kenton punched us in the mouth last year, it was eye opening and we’ll attack Week 1.”
SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
Aug 18, 23 Simon Kenton away 7:00 PM Aug 25, 23 Hughes (Cincinnati), OH away 7:00 PM Sep 1, 23 Beechwood home 7:00 PM Sep 8, 23 Covington Catholic away 7:00 PM Sep 22, 23 Boone County home 7:00 PM Sep 29, 23 Highlands home 7:00 PM Oct 5, 23 Conner away 7:00 PM Oct 13, 23 Scott home 7:00 PM Oct 20, 23 Cooper away 7:30 PM Oct 27, 23 Ryle home 7:00 PM