2023 high school football: A look at Campbell County, Ryle and Simon Kenton in Class 6A
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association football realignment affected all of Northern Kentucky heading into the 2023 season.
Class 6A is little changed compared to other local districts. The local 6A teams said goodbye to Dixie Heights, who dropped to 5A in the new alignment. They welcome Great Crossing, a school in the Scott County school district in Georgetown that is entering its fifth year in existence. The Warhawks went 8-3 last season and lost to Covington Catholic 21-0 in the first round of the 5A playoffs.
When they’re not battling the Warhawks, three local rivals will renew pleasantries with each other and other Northern Kentucky foes. Here is a look at the three local programs:
More: Catch up on the Enquirer's 2023 high school fall sports coverage
Campbell County
2022: 4-7
Head coach: Brian Weinrich (second year)
Top returning players: QB Nate Smith, OL Dylan Schulkers, OL Dakota Cloyd, RB/DB Joe Amato, WR Jaiden Combs, WR Garyn Jackson, WR Xavier Fancher, K Kaden Rose, DL Logan McNabb, DL Mason Wiseman, DL Mason Haywood, LB Hunter Wiseman, LB Aiden Dowds, DB Jack Schloemer.
Outlook for 2023: Smith had a productive season at QB despite missing several games to injury. He rushed for 624 yards and touchdowns and threw for 466. Amato rushed for two scores and 524 yards. Jackson and Combs led the Camels with 22 catches and over 300 yards apiece, and Combs had five receiving touchdowns. McNabb led the Camels with five sacks.
Said Weinrich: “The Camels are looking to build off of the experience gained by many players last season, combined with a great offseason to have a great season.”
Ryle
2022: 6-6
Head coach: Mike Engler (nine seasons, 63-43)
Top returning players: QB Logan Verax, OL Jack Gatlin, OL Michael Coleman, WR Landon Lorms, TE Grady Reynolds, DE Dillon Smith, DL Beau Faul, DL Jake Stewart, DL Landon Slomer, LB Jacob Savage, DB Drake Meadows, PK Josh Line
Outlook for 2023: Ryle returns 12 starters overall. Verax is one of Northern Kentucky’s best and most experienced quarterbacks. Last year, he threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 605 and 12. Lorms is the top returning receiver, catching 26 balls for 361 yards and a touchdown last year.
Savage is one of Northern Kentucky’s top linebackers after making 93 tackles, eight for loss with two sacks in 2022. He is part of an experienced linebacking corps. Faul had 76 tackles, 8.5 for loss.
Engler said the Raiders should be strong in special teams with Line (31-34 PATs, 3-4 FG) and punter Gavin Moses.
Said Engler: “It should be an exciting 2023. Ryle is a very young, but talented football team.”
Simon Kenton
2022: 8-4, district champions
Head coach: Roy Lucas (second year, 77-92 career record)
Top returning players: OL/DL Aba Selm, OL/DL Jake Putthoff, WR/DB Nathan Kitchens, LB/RB Kaleb Bleier, LB Mark Ober, DB Luke Schieber, DL Cohen Schmidt, QB Tucker Ober, RB/DB Durrell Turner
Outlook for 2023: A rare sight in Independence is the Pioneers being stronger on defense than on offense. The defense brings back a lot of experience and talent. Meanwhile, the offense is young and inexperienced but does have talent, according to Lucas.
The offense lost record-setting four-year starting quarterback Chase Crone as well as a host of standout skill position targets.
Selm, a 6-foot-4, 293-pound senior tackle, is a three-star recruit and the No. 2 player in Kentucky. Selm held 10 Division I offers before committing to Kentucky on Feb. 2. Putthoff is also a veteran starter on the lines.
Bleier had 116 carries for 604 yards and five touchdowns while Turner scored four TDs, three of them in Simon Kenton’s playoff win over Marshall County. Kitchens had 17 catches last year,
Bleier was also a force on defense with 48 tackles, 12 for loss. Mark Ober was second on the team in tackles with 69. Scheiber was third with 57.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 high school football: Look at Northern Kentucky's Class 6A teams
