The Beechwood, Cooper and Ryle football teams have played their way into this week’s KHSAA state championship games at Kroger Field in Lexington.
Beechwood (13-1) faces Owensboro Catholic (14-0) in Friday’s 4 p.m. Class 2A state final. Ryle (12-2) takes on Louisville Trinity (12-2) in Saturday’s 4 p.m. Class 6A final. Cooper (14-0) battles Bowling Green (12-2) in Saturday’s Class 5A final at 8 p.m.
Each of the three local stalwarts are loaded with outstanding football players. Nearly two dozen players combined from Beechwood, Cooper and Ryle were on the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association’s 2024 all-northern Kentucky football teams. Several players from each program were left off the all-star teams because of the area’s depth of talent.
With championship Friday and Saturday fast approaching, here are the top 30 local football players suiting up for the big games. They are listed alphabetically with a glance at the top 10, followed by a listing of the rest.
THE TOP 10
AUSTIN ALEXANDER, COOPER, SENIOR, TE/WR/DE/LB
He could play virtually anywhere but he’s Kentucky’s No. 1 edge rusher according to most college recruiting services and he can catch the football. Alexander is a three-time all-Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association first-team selection and this year’s NKFCA Division I Player of the Year. He repeatedly shows up on player lists naming 2024 Mr. Kentucky Football candidates.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound two-way talent with NFL bloodlines is committed to the University of North Carolina. But he has unfinished business at Cooper after the Jaguars fell to Bowling Green in last year’s Class 5A title game. A nephew of former Boone County High School and NFL running back Shaun Alexander and a cousin of Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes, Alexander leads Cooper with 12 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He had 19 sacks last year.
Alexander is all over the Cooper stat sheet. He is second on the Jaguars with 12 receiving touchdowns after hauling in 19 TDs as a junior. He’s third on the team in both catches (42) and receiving yards (677 yards). He’s among team leaders in tackles. In four playoff games, Alexander has 15 catches for 224 yards and six touchdowns on offense, two TDs in each of the last three games. On defense, he has four sacks, two coming in the semifinals
ISAAC BROWN, COOPER, SENIOR, WR/DB
A two-time all-NKFCA first-team pick on defense and a true shutdown corner. When opponents throw in his area, Brown usually gets in the way. He has come up with five interceptions. He picked off four passes last season. Brown has signed with Southeast Missouri State.
CHASE FLAHERTY, BEECHWOOD, SENIOR, RB/LB
Helped transform Beechwood into an effective running team with 1,381 yards rushing to date and 26 touchdowns. He’s averaging 7.6 yards per carry. An all-NKFCA second-team pick on offense, he has 1,620 total yards on the season and 30 TDs. The Tigers don’t make a seamless transition to a more balanced offense without him.
JACK GATLIN, RYLE, SENIOR, OL/DL
A two-time all-NKFCA pick with a first-team selection this season on the offensive line. The left guard is helping pave the way for a Raiders offense ranking third in Class 6A in scoring. The Raiders are eighth in passing offense and 12th in rushing offense.
CLAY HAYDEN, BEECHWOOD, SENIOR, QB
Northern Kentucky’s new all-time passing touchdowns leader, according to the school, with 117 and counting. He has 46 this season, ranking second in Class 2A. He is the reigning Kentucky Football Coaches Association Class 2A District 5 player of the year. Hayden is completing 67% of his passes for 2,808 yards after Beechwood coaches took some of the air out of the passing attack to balance the offense. Hayden threw for 3,910 yards and 48 TDs last season and was an all-NKFCA second-team pick.
COLE HOWARD, BEECHWOOD, SENIOR, OL/DL
Another 2024 all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense. The right guard has made his mark after transferring from Moeller (OH). He added size and strength to the Beechwood line and gave the Tigers an additional force as they transformed from a pass-first offense to a more balanced attack. His blocking has helped the Tigers average 361 yards and a Class 2A-leading 46.8 points per game.
ISAIAH JOHNSON, COOPER, SENIOR, WR/DB
Cam O’Hara’s top passing target, averaging 20.5 yards per catch. Johnson is a two-time all-NKFCA first-team pick on offense. He has a team-leading 59 catches for 1,209 yards. He also has a whopping 23 touchdowns, which leads Class 5A receivers. Johnson has led the Jaguars in receiving yards and receiving TDs three straight years.
CAM O’HARA, COOPER, JUNIOR, QB
The area’s top quarterback, according to the NKFCA, which made him a first-team pick. Few teams can march downfield as confidently as the Jaguars due to O’Hara’s talent and efficiency. He is completing 65% of his passes for a Class 5A-leading 3,355 yards and 49 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has four rushing scores giving him a hand in 65% of the offensive TDs for an unbeaten team.
JACOB SAVAGE, RYLE, JUNIOR, RB/LB
A rugged runner, a tackling machine and a player who simply does not want to leave the field. The two-time all-NKFCA first-team pick is this year’s KFCA Class 6A District 6 player of the year. Savage leads Ryle with 1,006 yards rushing and 26 total touchdowns. He also has 28 catches for 305 yards. On defense, he’s the Ryle leader and fifth in Class 5A with 134 tackles. He also has 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception.
DILLON SMITH, RYLE, SENIOR, OL/DL
Another two-time all-NKFCA pick for the Raiders with a first-team selection this year. Smith, who has signed with Louisville, is clearing paths for a 1,000-yard rusher. He is helping keep upright a first-year starting QB who is passing for more than 2,100 yards and rushing for more than 600. Smith is a big reason why the Raiders are averaging 325 yards and 35 points per game.
THE NEXT 20
Any of these players can lay claim to being among the best on his team and among the best in the area at his position. Ryker Campbell is far and away Cooper’s tackle leader on a defense full of standouts and he has a team-high seven interceptions. He led the team in picks last year, too. He rushed for 106 yards in the state semifinals as an injury replacement. Landon Lorms, an NKFCA Top 26 honoree as a junior, is Ryle’s all-time leading receiver and rounding into form after an injury-plagued season.
Beechwood’s Tyler Fryman has also battled the injury bug after a 1,000-yard receiving season as a freshman. All of the Beechwood receiving numbers are down this season due to a change in offensive focus. The Tigers’ Mattox Kelly is a college-bound two-way lineman heading to Illinois State. He helped steady the ship through the changes. Keagan Maher carried the Cooper ground game all season until breaking a finger in the playoffs.
Brody Aylor, Beechwood, Jr., FB/DB
Christian Brown, Cooper, Jr., OL/DL
Ryker Campbell, Cooper, Jr., WR/RB/DB
Jaiden Combs, Cooper, Sr., WR/DB
James Cusick, Beechwood, Sr., WR/DB
Luke Erdman, Beechwood, Sr., WR/DB
Tyler Fryman, Beechwood, So., WR/DB
Jaden Galicia, Ryle, Sr., RB/DB
Bo Gay, Ryle, Jr., OL/DL
Dylan Lee, Ryle, Jr., WR/DB
Landon Lorms, Ryle, Sr., WR/DB
Gavin Lyons, Ryle, Jr., WR/LB
Mattox Kelly, Beechwood, Sr., OL/DL
Keagan Maher, Cooper, Jr., RB
Jack Meier, Beechwood, Sr., OL/DL
Eli Reynolds, Ryle, Sr., OL/DL
Mason Stanton, Cooper, Sr., RB/LB
Nate Verax, Ryle, Jr., QB
Brody Waddell, Beechwood, Sr., OL/LB
Max Wethington, Cooper, Jr., OL/LB