High school football is off to a fast start in northern Kentucky. Several area squads have been quick to assert dominance as local teams jockey for area supremacy. After two weeks of play on the gridiron, high-speed ascensions are already lifting spirits in several locations. So, let’s get right to the rapidly developing news. Witness the quickness as we roll out the fastest 1,000 words in sports.
Highlands’ Max Merz Commits To Louisville
Max Merz, a junior two-way lineman for Highlands High School, verbally committed to the University of Louisville football program on Thursday. Merz, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound tackle who can play multiple positions, is Louisville’s first commitment for the Class of 2026. He chose the Cardinals after receiving several offers from other NCAA Division I colleges.
“Card nation… I’m home,” Merz posted on his X account.
Merz received his first Division I offer from Toledo last September, just months after completing his freshman school year. He entertained offers from several other Division I programs, including Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Marshall and Troy. He made spring visits to Kentucky, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Georgia and Clemson and attended camps in June at Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Purdue. Louisville extended an offer to Merz in March.
“They liked my film,” Merz told Cardinal Authority about his highlight reel. “And that I’m still young and have a lot of potential.”
Merz attended a Cardinals spring practice and game. He participated in Louisville’s prospect camp in June and worked with offensive line coach Richard Owens. He also attended Louisville’s season opener against Austin Peay, a 62-0 Cardinals victory. Merz plans to attend other games, including the matchup against the University of Miami in October.
A third-team all-state selection last season and a member of the Kentucky All-Sophomore Team by Prep Redzone Kentucky, Merz is not highly ranked by major recruiting services, partly due to his age. However, his size and football IQ make him an enticing prospect for college programs.
It helps that Merz plays for a storied prep program under successful head coach Bob Sphire, who has also coached at the professional level. Merz is already one of Highlands’ best players and one of the area’s best. Last season, the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association made him a second-team all-area pick on offense.
Ryle’s Engler Angling For Record-Breaking Win
One of the storylines at the annual “Battle of Union” Ryle-Cooper football game involves Ryle coach Mike Engler. Following the Raiders’ 2-0 start, Engler has compiled a 73-48 record in his 11th season at Ryle. One more win will set a program record.
The Raiders have beaten Cooper (2-0) nine times in a row. Cooper made it to last season’s Class 5A state tournament championship game, so the matchup of unbeatens is highly anticipated. Engler is tied with Bryson Warner for the most coaching wins in program history.
Engler, a past winner of the local football coach of the year award, led the Raiders to an 8-5 record last year, marking the fourth consecutive season without a losing mark. Ryle won two playoff games for the second time in three years and secured the Class 6A, District 6 regular season championship with an undefeated record for the second time in three seasons.
Ryle captured its seventh district championship and sixth conference title last season. The Raiders advanced to the state tournament regional final for the fourth time and achieved the 200th win in program history last year.
Before joining Ryle, Engler was an assistant coach at Lexington Catholic since the program’s inception in 1991. He worked with current Highlands head coach Bob Sphire, who started the LexCath program and coached there for 15 years.
When Engler was hired at Ryle, the news conference announcing his appointment ended early due to a threatening weather forecast. That precluded the coach’s opportunity to meet the team en masse. Instead, he stood in a school hallway and met as many football players as he could as they left school that day.
Eleven years later, he’s on the doorstep to Ryle Raiders history. Not far away on Friday, Sphire’s unbeaten Highlands Bluebirds play at Campbell County. The former LexCath program starters will be on opposing sidelines Sept. 13 when Engler’s Raiders host Sphire’s Bluebirds.
Dixie Standout Receives Another Football Offer
Dixie Heights senior David Anderson recently received a college football offer from the University of Pikeville. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound running back also has an offer from Thomas More. Anderson surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards last season, running for 857 yards on 6.4 yards per carry and adding 217 receiving yards on 19 catches.
Anderson pushed his career rushing total to 1,311 yards with his first 100-yard rushing effort of the season last week in a win over Cincinnati Hughes. After two games, he has rushed for 155 yards on 21 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per tote. He also lines up at wide receiver and plays defensive back.
Colonels Switch It Up At Quarterback
Dixie Heights has made a change at starting quarterback this season, impacting David Anderson’s role. Anderson has a chance to reach 2,000 career rushing yards as a senior but has ceded primary running back duties to fellow senior Armani Gregg, last year’s starting quarterback. Anderson has yet to catch a pass this season and is more active on defense. The bruising Gregg, who also has been offered by Thomas More, has rushed for a team-high 342 yards on 32 carries. He’s averaging a whopping 10.6 yards per carry after the first two games.
Gregg has yet to throw a pass, while Mason Fields has completed 19-of-28 passes for 279 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Fields threw just 22 passes all of last season. Gregg was 113-for-191 passing last season for 1,776 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The switch gives Dixie a strong 1-2 punch at running back with the powerful Gregg and elusive Anderson. It also provides Fields a chance to gain experience at quarterback as a junior before heading into his senior season. Dixie is 1-1 and averaging 369 rushing yards per game.
Pioneers Rolling On Offense
The Simon Kenton football team has put up impressive numbers in its first two games, scoring 111 points and amassing 1,031 yards of offense. The Pioneers are off to a 2-0 start, including a season-opening 50-35 win over Dixie Heights and a 61-40 victory over Mercer County.
Despite losing last season’s leading rusher Durrell Turner to transfer ahead of his senior season, the Pioneers haven’t missed a beat in coach Roy Lucas Jr.’s explosive offensive scheme. Turner, who rushed for 1,401 yards on nearly 200 carries with 13 touchdowns last year, has been replaced by a committee including Torin Turner and Moise Smith. Torin Turner has rushed for 115 yards on 32 carries after two games. Tysin Weaver, Grant Webb, Riley Gilbert and Grayson Harris are also getting carries.
Quarterback Brady Lee remains a key part of the ground attack with a team-leading 164 rushing yards on 33 carries heading into Week 3. Lee has also passed for 688 yards. The Pioneers are averaging 344 passing yards and 171.5 rushing yards per game after two weeks. Last season, Simon Kenton averaged 231 passing yards and 218 rushing yards per game.