On a year-to-year basis, the best high school senior football player in Northern Kentucky has just as good a chance of winning Kentucky Mr. Football as any senior from any other area in the commonwealth.
Northern Kentucky produced the award’s first winner in 1986 when Frank Jacobs from Newport Central Catholic was honored. The area has produced six winners in 37 years. Two of the last four, Beechwood’s Cam Hergott (2020) and Covington Catholic’s Michael Mayer (2019) hail from Northern Kentucky.
Going back to Highlands’ Patrick Towles in 2011, 25% of Kentucky Mr. Football winners have come from Northern Kentucky over the last 12 years. Boone County’s Shaun Alexander (1994) and Highlands’ Jared Lorenzen (1998) also won the award, giving the area three of the first 13 winners.
Mr. Football will be announced later this year, as well as Player of the Year from each class from the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Who from Northern Kentucky should be considered? We’ve come up with 10 candidates listed with their high school, positions played and a little bit about them including qualifications and quotes from their respective head coaches. Here they are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Brody Benke, Highlands, QB/ATHLETE
Versatile Brody Benke has lined up at quarterback, receiver, tight end and long snapper this season. He directs Kentucky’s fourth-highest scoring team with regard to points per game (49.1). The Bluebirds have scored at least 50 points seven times. Among teams reporting statistics to the KHSAA, he ranks 10th in Class 5A in both passing yards (1,442) and rushing yards (869), fourth in passing touchdowns (21) and first in scoring (142 points), thanks to 17 rushing touchdowns and five receiving TDs. Benke has completed 64 percent of his passes and thrown just four interceptions. He has caught several 2-point conversion passes after snapping the ball to the holder on extra-point attempts. He is receiving college offers.
Coach Bob Sphire: “Brody Benke is an incredible leader and performer. He has a calm, confident approach that impacts everyone positively. He has executed the offense at such an efficient rate. He is now one of the all-time leaders in Highlands football history for total touchdowns throwing, rushing, and receiving combined (current total is 84). He is one of the most impactful players I have coached because he can impact the game in such diverse ways, including on special teams. He represents this program with a professional, first-class demeanor. He is also a very high achiever in the classroom.”
Xavier Campbell, Beechwood, OL/LB
A consummate team player and a winner, Xavier Campbell will go down in Beechwood annals as one of the longest-serving starters in the program’s storied history with as many state championships as anyone. He’s already started three state championship game victories at left tackle and left end. He was moved to linebacker on defense this season after amassing 11 sacks as a junior while earning first-team recognition from the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association. He responded with outstanding play at every level of the defense as a senior.
Coach Jay Volker: “Xavier Campbell is a five-year starter at Beechwood High School on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He is the first and probably the last person to be able to say that. Prior to this year, he was a defensive end that compiled 23 sacks. This year he was moved to linebacker in order to help the team. He has compiled 66 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, both for touchdowns. He was also named a captain this year. Xavier plays with high energy and effort and is a leader on and off the field. He has college offers but has yet to sign or verbally commit.”
Jack Lonaker, Cooper, OL/LB
A time-tested tackling machine, Jack Lonaker leads Cooper in both solo tackles and assisted tackles. The middle linebacker is on his way to leading Cooper in total tackles for the third straight season. With 105 tackles in 10 games heading into the postseason, he is five short of 400 in his three-year career. He led Northern Kentucky in total tackles last season with 148 and was a first-team all-area pick by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Lonaker is third in the area in tackles this season and ranks in the state top 20. He’s added four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery he returned 60 yards. He’s been offered by Thomas More University and Mount St. Joseph University.
Coach Randy Borchers: “When people talk about a player being the heartbeat of their team, Jack Lonaker is that for us. Jack is a leader and drives our team with his will to win and physical and mental toughness. He encapsulates what it means to be a captain!”
Braylon Miller, Covington Catholic, WR/DB
Braylon Miller plays both ways at a high level on a deep championship-caliber team, a dynamic that deprives him of eye-popping statistics. Even so, he has a team-best 37 catches and 554 receiving yards, ranking in the top 15 in Class 4A in both categories. He is averaging 15.7 yards per catch and has scored five touchdowns. He has 19 tackles on defense and is the team co-leader with two interceptions. He was named first-team offense and first-team defense last season by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association, and he is even better this season.
Coach Eddie Eviston: “Braylon has been our most consistent producer throughout the whole season. He flat out just gets it done, and he is fun to watch! When he touches the ball, he is very capable of making an average play a big play. And we have seen that almost every game this year. He leads our team in receiving and explosive plays. The other thing that is difficult to identify if you have not been watching every game this season is the impact he has on the defensive side of the ball as a corner. Many teams try not to throw in his direction and he has made a lot of plays when they do. A recurring theme this season is when we need a big play or a spark, Braylon is always there to make that happen. Like all of our offensive skill players, his numbers would be screaming off the stat sheet if we loaded him with touches or targeted him 10-15 times a game.”
Evan Pitzer, Covington Catholic, QB
Evan Pitzer guides Class 4A’s third-highest scoring team and has a chance to finish ranked in the top five in Class 4A in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Covington Catholic is unbeaten and has scored 50 points in a game five times this season, including the last four in a row. Pitzer has 1,833 passing yards and 20 TDs after nine games while completing 72.3 % of his passes with just four interceptions. He has rushed for 415 yards on 57 carries and a team-high eight rushing TDs. He has put himself on the college radar with several programs now interested.
Coach Eddie Eviston: “What a story! A guy who has worked on his game to become the best true QB in the area. He has gone through the highs and lows in our program over the previous two seasons but has put it all together to be such an efficient field general for us. Any weakness that showed in previous seasons, he has fixed and has now made a strength. As the QB in our system, a lot falls on his shoulders and he has welcomed that added baggage and embraces it. He facilitates to the talent around him which is a sign of a smart, efficient QB. He does not have the gawdy numbers because we do not ask him to throw 30 times a game or run 15-20 times a game. If we did, and he was just as efficient as he has been, whoa! Those numbers would be something else!
Brach Rice, Dixie Heights, LB/ATHLETE
Brach Rice, a Miami (Ohio) University commit, does a little bit of everything on the football field, especially tackle. Rice, a first-team all-area linebacker last season, has had a stranglehold on Kentucky leadership in tackles since the get-go. He had 28 tackles in the first game of the season against Simon Kenton. He has 135 on the season, nearly 30 more than the next nearest player on the Kentucky Class 5A leaderboard. With 30 tackles for loss, he has nearly double the number of the next nearest Class 5A player in that category. He also has 12 sacks. On offense, Rice averages nearly 10 yards per touch on 15 attempts. He averages 3.5 yards per carry, 22 yards per catch and has scored a touchdown. Last season with 605 rushing yards, he fell 10 yards short of being the team rushing leader while scoring nine TDs. He threw for 369 yards last year largely in two games as an injury replacement at quarterback.
Coach Pat Burke: “Brach Rice is the most fierce and relentless competitor in the state of Kentucky. Brach leads the state in total tackles, tackles for loss and is in the top five in sacks. Brach’s effort, attitude and skill set is second to none. Brach has earned this recognition due to his hard work, positive attitude, and willingness to lead and sacrifice for his teammates. There is no other player in the state of Kentucky that effects the game defensively like Brach Rice.”
Willie Rodriguez, Covington Catholic, TE/LB
Another two-way talent for the Colonels, who is heading to the University of Kentucky. On offense, Willie Rodriguez can catch and he can block while having a nose for the end zone. A year after being named the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association’s first-team tight end, he is averaging one touchdown per game with half his touches going for scores. In seven games, Rodriguez is averaging nearly 20 yards per catch on 14 receptions for 278 yards with a team-leading seven touchdowns. On defense, he has 23 tackles, three for loss with one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Coach Eddie Eviston: “You don’t get to coach an SEC-caliber player very often in your career, so what he brings to our team has a tremendous impact on who we are. The X and O stuff he brings to the table is easy to identify for the average football fan, but the little things (that are really big things) that he does as a leader in our locker room, off the field, in our school building and community is what really pushes our team to the next level. And many people do not get to see that side of it, but we as coaches do. His work ethic, his team-first mentality, and his commitment to our program is what separates him from being just a really good high school football player. He not only plays at a high level but he raises our whole team to play at a high level. He brings a physicality component to our team on both sides of the ball and he is so versatile in what he can do.”
Aba Selm, Simon Kenton, OL/DL
The massive 6-foot-4, 295-pound Aba Selm is a two-way lineman heading to the University of Kentucky. On offense, he has played center, tackle and guard in his career. He started at center as a freshman. He was a first-team all-area lineman last season at tackle. This year at guard, he’s the lead blocker for a 1,300-yard rusher and has helped protect a quarterback averaging 200 passing yards per game. On defense, Selm is a disruptive interior wrecking ball. He leads the team and ranks in the state top 10 with 12 tackles for loss. He leads the team and ranks in the Class 6A top 15 with five sacks. He ranks fourth on the team with 48 tackles.
Coach Roy Lucas: “Aba Selm is a four-year starter on the offensive line and a three-year starter on the defensive line and has been our best lineman since he was a freshman. An all-Northern Kentucky team selection in 2021 and 2022, he was also an all-state offensive lineman in 2022. He is a captain, leader of the team, and best player on both sides of the ball. It is rare when a lineman can dominate the game the way Aba does. Aba is also an outstanding student-athlete and a terrific young man.”
Logan Verax, Ryle, QB/DB
Logan Verax is the new all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns leader at Ryle, surpassing former University of Minnesota star Tanner Morgan. With 6,992, Verax has passed for more yards than former Highlands great Jared Lorenzen and has just three passers ahead of him on the Northern Kentucky all-time list. Verax has thrown for 2,258 yards and 15 TDs this season while completing 68% of his passes. He is having an extraordinary finishing kick with four straight games of at least 335 passing yards, which could make him second all-time locally ahead of former Highlands QB Patrick Towles (7,431), if he keeps it up and Ryle keeps winning. Verax leads Ryle with 261 rushing yards and six rushing TDs. He has played some defensive back as well, making six tackles, one for loss. He is receiving college interest including looks from smaller Division I programs.
Coach Mike Engler: “Logan has not only grown as a football player, but also as a leader and student of the game. The one thing that stands out is the fire and enthusiasm he has in everything he does. He leads by example and is relentless as a player and student. The same work ethic that has made him a success on the field and in the classroom can be seen in many other ways. Logan’s teammates have honored him by selecting him to the Raider Council. He carries a 3.5 GPA and has been named to the KHSAA Academic All-State Team. He works with the Gross Motor Development Program at Ryle and has been involved with many service projects such as Special Olympics.”
Demetrick Welch, Newport Central Catholic, RB/LB
A returning first-team all-area running back, Demetrick Welch is another local player who has made a big impact all over the field. Playing tailback, slot receiver, strong safety, linebacker, edge rusher, kick returner and punt returner, Welch has amassed 809 rushing yards on 8.1 yards per carry with 15 TDs. In his latest action against Bellevue, he averaged 50 yards per carry and scored twice while scampering for 150 yards. He has added 16 catches for 200 yards and two more TDs. He ranks second in Class A with 114 points. He has scored on rushing touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, a kickoff return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery return for a touchdown. On defense, he is fourth on the team with 32 tackles. He is tied for second with five tackles for loss and has one interception. He’s been offered by Thomas More, Ohio Wesleyan and University of the Cumberlands.
Coach Stephen Lickert: “Demetrick has been a reliable work horse for us. He put the work into the weightroom to be as strong and fast as possible. That work has paid off. He is a physical, slasher kind of runner. He is a threat because he can do it all, run inside, run outside, catch the ball out of the backfield and block. Defensively, he has been a dominant edge player. He makes it tough to run at him because he is so physical and athletic.”