It’s an overcast and drizzly Tuesday afternoon in Fort Mitchell. Sunlight pokes through gray clouds as rarely as opponents have scored against the Beechwood High School football team. Two days before Thanksgiving, the sun can only create a muted tapestry of faint light and shadows on wet, leaf-covered grounds.
There in this classic autumn scene are the indomitable Tigers. They are gearing up for a 90-minute practice at their home, venerable Edgar McNabb Stadium. The venue has hosted seven lopsided wins during an exciting 11-1 season. On this day, however, it’s seeing some rain.
“The guys are ready to go,” said third-year coach Jay Volker, who is mighty thankful for his players and his coaching staff. “They are excited.”
In the run-up to the workout ahead of Friday’s state tournament semifinal contest against 12-1 Owensboro Catholic, junior quarterback Emmett Queen is talking about Beechwood teammate Landry Queen, his brother. Landry, a sophomore, is already out on the field. Emmett, a breakout star, is still in the locker room with his favorite receiver, junior Tyler Fryman. The Queen brothers are first-year Tigers and a key part of their new team’s ongoing success.
“It’s really special to do such a big thing at such a young age,” said Emmett Queen, who’s also trying to figure out the best way to answer a question he may have heard before. Are he and his brother named after Dallas football great Emmitt Smith and legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry?
“It’s funny you ask that,” said Emmett, who spells his name differently than the Pro Football Hall of Fame running back. “My brother and I have unique names. But I’m not quite sure about the whole story for both of us.”
Fryman from Queen and pray for seams
Inquiring minds want to know how much the Queens have impacted the Tigers. Their coach says plenty. While Landry quickly integrated with the defense, Emmett exploded in the offense.
“Emmett has been here for less than a year and was voted captain basically six months after his arrival,” coach Volker said. “That says a lot about his character, his work ethic, and his leadership.”
Fryman, the Class 2A District 5 player of the year, likes all that and more. “He throws a great ball,” said the two-way standout, who also plays safety on defense. “The stat sheet shows he makes it to the spot. He’s been a great addition.”
The numbers back him up. Queen, 6-foot-4 pro-style QB, is exploiting the defensive seams, completing a Class 2A-leading 72% of his passes with an almost impossible 18-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Fryman, who leads Class 2A with 1,156 yards receiving and 21 touchdown receptions, thinks this is beyond brilliant. He’s not sure how his QB is doing it.
What Queen and Fryman do know is they are rolling into Friday’s 7 p.m. (local time) 2A semifinal against Owensboro Catholic, an opponent the Tigers know well. The contest is a rematch of last season’s 2A final, a game Beechwood won 50-34 en route to its 18th state championship and fourth in five years. Friday’s matchup is at Steele Stadium on campus at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro.
The Tigers enter play winners of their last eight games. They have outscored those eight opponents, 440-26, bolstering their state-leading 42.8 average scoring margin. On the season, the scoring gap is 600-87. Beechwood is averaging a Class 2A-leading 50 points per game. No wonder the offensive huddle breaks on ‘TKO.’
Kings of their domain
Names aside, the Queens have quickly become a steadying part of Beechwood’s identity. They weren’t playing for the Tigers last season. The Queens were at Covington Catholic. Emmett played in seven games for the Colonels, completing seven passes for 105 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Landry had no statistics.
As a first-time high school starter, the elder Queen is king of his domain. Appearing in all 12 games, he is 126-of-173 passing for 2,388 yards with 36 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s second in Class 2A in passing yards and passing TDs. He’s done virtually all of that within the limiting constraints of a perpetually running second-half clock, courtesy of Beechwood’s wide scoring margins.
“He has not played in a lot of second halves from Week 6 on,” Volker said of his QB, who holds several college offers including those from Arizona State and Southern Mississippi. “I am excited to see what he has this week when we have to play for four quarters and he will have to make some plays.”
Landry Queen ranks fifth on the Tigers in total tackles. Two of 21 ironmen who have appeared in every game, the brothers have become constants at Beechwood following some turnover. The Tigers returned just nine of 22 starters. They feature 11 seniors, six fewer than last season. They have 20 juniors, many of them first-time starters.
“Last year we leaned on our seniors a ton,” said Volker, who has compiled a 37-4 record at Beechwood. “This year it has had to come from the new senior class but also a strong junior class. We have had to change it up a little bit. We are smaller and quicker, but we have had to play smarter and with a relentless effort.”
Volker indicated this forging of a new identity has been as slow-cooking as a Thanksgiving Day meal. “We have evolved on both sides of the ball all season long,” he stressed.
On offense, the coach said, “We are having to get good at whatever a defense is going to give us. If they are going to play with a light box, then we need to be able to run the ball. Defensively, we are just moving the puzzle pieces still to try and find what spots fit our guys the best. We know what each player’s strengths and weaknesses are and we try to align that each week in the game plan to promote their strengths and protect their weaknesses.”
Teamwide pride
Joining Fryman in the passing game is leading rusher Nathan Pabst. Both average better than 21 yards per catch. Pabst, a junior, is the narrow leader over senior Brody Aylor in rushing yards, 597-577. Fryman also is a rushing threat, averaging nearly 16 yards per carry.
Linemen protecting Emmett Queen at quarterback are tackles Kingston Brockett and Kyle Shaw, guards Austin Stephenson and Jacob Ross, and center Carson Eshelman.
On defense, junior Colin Morris leads the Tigers with 54 tackles. Senior Chase McDaniel paces the team with a whopping 24 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Junior Caleb Arrasmith leads with three interceptions, two returned for TDs.
Senior kicker Colson Lair hasn’t missed an extra-point attempt while converting 3-of-4 field goals.
“Our defense is called Darkside,” Volker said of Class 2A’s No. 1 scoring defense. “It’s relentless effort. We have talked about it’s 50% what we do, it’s 50% how we do it. We preach getting to the football and that has started to show up more and more the past few weeks.”
The coach said he’s counting on getting pressure up front against the Aces in order to throw them off schedule. McDaniel, linebacker Bo Sowder and lineman Isaac Pilgram are key players there.
To ensure the Tigers get it right under Friday’s night lights, Volker trots out his squad for a Thanksgiving Day practice, to be followed by a teamwide meal.
No. 1 vs. No. 2
Some observers view the Tigers-Aces tilt as the 2A championship game masquerading as a semifinal. The last Kentucky High School Football Media Poll bears that out. Beechwood is top-ranked. Owensboro Catholic is No. 2.
“Great program, great coach,” Volker said of Jason Morris and his Aces. “They are always ready to play. We have to prep mentally and physically for a fourth quarter game that is going to come down to who can make the big plays.”
The winner plays either No. 4 Lexington Christian or No. 5 Belfry in the state championship game. The 2A final is 4 p.m. Dec. 5 at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington.
The Aces’ state-leading passing offense is directed by junior quarterback Dre’Mail Carothers who has several Division I college offers including one from Kentucky. He’s thrown for a Class 2A-leading 3,381 yards and 44 TDs with six interceptions and a 68.2% completion rate. He has three senior receivers with at least 700 yards, including leader Xavier Maddox. He’s caught a 2A-leading 66 passes for 1,143 yards and 13 TDs.
Running back Miles Edge balances the attack with 1,065 yards on the ground and 22 total TDs. Edge paces the Aces’ defense with 13.5 tackles for loss and ranks second in total tackles behind leader Jude Evans. Jude Cecil leads with five interceptions. The Aces and their 20 seniors are fifth in Class 2A scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense.
While Beechwood has been dealing with a mostly running clock this season, Owensboro Catholic has withstood some close late-game battles.
“Not having to play four quarters a lot is a little concerning just based off of our ability to be mentally prepared to handle it,” Volker said. “I feel comfortable about our physical conditioning, but not playing into the fourth quarter can sometimes have an effect in mental fatigue. We have been working in practice and in the weight room to condition ourselves in that aspect, but it’s hard to match the mental and physical intensity of a game.”
Fryman expects a close contest. “It’s going to be a battle,” he said. “As long as we do our job, we can contain them.”
By Friday night, drizzle or not, Beechwood will be ready to dazzle and frazzle the Aces, who’ve never beaten the Tigers, according to the KHSAA. The Aces feel like there is a first time for everything. The Tigers believe there’s a 19th championship waiting.