Four downs with Simon Kenton

Roy Lucas won’t remember the 2023 football season for the 5-2 start.

No, Simon Kenton’s fourth-year head coach painfully recalled the Pioneers’ last three games in a 5-5 season – regular-season losses to Ryle, Ashland and Fern Creek in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs by a combined 14 points.

“We lost a lot of close games last year, especially down the stretch at the end,” Lucas said. “We were a little disappointed; we felt like we had some chance to win several more games that we didn’t win.”

There is some comfort in Independence: Senior quarterback Brady Lee, who threw for 2,245 yards and 17 touchdowns, is back with the top two receivers, junior Grayson Harris and sophomore Tysin Weaver.

A pair of linebackers, junior Landon Brown and senior Aven Bohms, the top two in tackles and tackles for loss, also return.

FIRST DOWN — RECAP

Simon Kenton’s first seven games possibly caused folks to harken back to 2018 and the five-game streak on the way to a 10-3 record and two 6A playoff victories. The Pioneers averaged 35.2 points a game last season.

After an opening night win over Dixie Heights (29-19) and losses to Covington Catholic (50-12) and Beechwood (58-54), the Pioneers’ offense woke up – wins over Conner (42-21), Paul Laurence Dunbar (43-14), Great Crossing (50-36) and Campbell County (27-21).

The team numbers: four straight wins, 1,927 total yards and outscoring the Cougars, Bulldogs, Warhawks and Camels, 163-92.

And Lee’s stat line during the run? Outstanding – he completed 73.6% of his passes (67-of-91) for 969 yards and eight touchdowns and ran for 134 and five scores.

The fourth quarter was Simon Kenton’s undoing against Ryle, Ashland and Fern Creek. Lucas said the Pioneers led the Raiders after three quarters, lost a lead against the Tomcats and missed a chance to tie the game late, and blew a lead against the Tigers.

SECOND DOWN — OFFENSE

If Lee wasn’t Northern Kentucky’s biggest surprise last season, there surely weren’t many others. He averaged 224 yards a game last year, third most in Class 6A behind two since-graduated quarterbacks, Ryle’s Logan Verax and DuPont Manual’s Elijah Creech.

“He had been injured as a freshman (Lee said there were three basketball-related stress fractures in his lower back) and decided not to play as a sophomore,” Lucas said. “What Brady has continued to do is understand our offense, understand the game, really.”

You could understand if Lee felt overshadowed by fellow local signal callers – Verax, Campbell County’s Nathan Smith, CovCath’s Evan Pitzer and Beechwood’s Clay Hayden were state leaders in their class and overall.

“Maybe a little bit (overlooked), but there’s a lot of good quarterbacks in the Northern Kentucky area,” Lee said. “It kind of make sense.” 

Lucas said while Lee “definitely” prefers the long ball, he would not like to see it thrown into triple coverage.

“We don’t prefer that he does anything except throw to guys that are open, make good decisions,” Lucas said. 

Protecting Lee could be a challenge. Four of last year’s starters – including University of Kentucky freshman Aba Selm – graduated, leaving senior tackle Preston McCauley (6-1, 281 pounds) as the lone returnee.

McCauley, however, isn’t worried.

“I think we’ve got guys that are ready,” McCauley said.

McCauley’s new line mates don’t lack size. Senior Cooper Cahill (6-2, 261) is the projected starter at center, senior Carson Walker (6-0, 260) and junior Eli Adkins (6-0, 276) are the guards, and senior Sam Miller (6-1, 257) is the other tackle.

“That’s going to be a big key for us,” Lucas said. “Obviously, we do have some seniors that have kind of had to wait their turn to get a chance to start this year. We hope that they’re going to come through.”

Even McCauley is playing a new position – he was a guard last year.

Lee’s 48-of-88 for 781 passing yards over the final three games included a school-record 448 yards against Ashland, but he also threw six interceptions to go with five touchdowns.

Harris finished 2023 with 59 catches for 654 yards and two touchdowns, and Weaver added another 27 for 603 yards and six scores. Sophomore Kyle King should start at tight end.

THIRD DOWN — DEFENSE

Simon Kenton’s 3-4-4 defense allowed 328 points last year. The problem was, Ryle, Ashland and Fern Creek outscored Simon Kenton, 109-95, and the Pioneers surrendered 1,220 total yards. 

Brown’s 55 tackles (with six for loss) led the team. Bohms was next with 46 and four for loss. Junior linebacker Brayden Schoborg had four sacks, Brown had three, and Bohms had two.

“I’m really there to stuff the run – that’s my main job there – and to relay all the calls to everybody as well as every now and then I drop back and cover slants or something coming over the middle,” Bohms said. 

Sophomore Henry Alo is the likely starting nose tackle, with juniors Paul Snyder and Stuart Campbell at the ends. Brown and junior Tucker Ober are the outside linebackers, and Bohms and Schoborg inside.

Junior Colton Farfsing and senior Eric Dirr are the cornerbacks. Three safeties – seniors Hayden Blair and Jackson Kellerman and sophomore Jack Giordano – are competing for two spots.

FOURTH DOWN — GOALS/OUTLOOK

Pioneer fans will have to gas up their vehicles and head north on Ky. 17 to see their team the first three weeks– the season starts with trips to Dixie Heights (Aug. 23), Mercer County (Aug. 30 at Woodford County) and CovCath (Sept. 6). Three home games follow: Beechwood (Sept. 13), Conner (Sept. 20) and Dunbar (Sept. 27).

If a one-word theme for 2024 is what the Pioneers seek, Lucas thinks “finish” fits.

“I think we’ve got to learn how to finish,” Lucas said. “It’s a new year and a new team, so everything’s different … But we certainly have got to focus on finishing, finishing what we’re doing and not relaxing when we’ve got a chance to finish something.”