12 top players to watch at this weekend's KHSAA state football finals

Several of Kentucky’s top high school football players will be in action this weekend during the state finals at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington.

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Friday’s action will start at noon with the Class A final matching Pikeville (11-2) and Raceland (13-1). The 2A final will follow at 4 p.m. with Beechwood (13-1) meeting Mayfield (14-0). The Class 4A final will be the nightcap at 8 p.m. with Corbin (14-0) facing Boyle County (12-2).

Saturday’s schedule will open with the Class 3A final at noon, with Christian Academy (14-0) and Bardstown (14-0) meeting in a battle of unbeatens. At 4 p.m., the Class 6A final will match Male (10-4) against Bullitt East (13-1). The weekend will close with the Class 5A final at 8 p.m., with Frederick Douglass (14-0) facing Bowling Green (12-2).

Here's a look at 12 players to watch this weekend, one from each team, listed alphabetically:

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Deuce Bailey, Bowling Green

The sophomore quarterback has completed 204 of 325 passes for 2,923 yards and 33 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Bailey (6 feet, 160 pounds) ranks fourth in the state in passing yards and seventh in touchdown passes He’s also the Purples’ second-leading rusher (62 carries, 375 yards, three TDs) and is a starting guard for Bowling Green’s basketball team.

Jacob Baker, Corbin

The senior was named Class 4A, District Seven Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association after a stellar season at strong safety and kicker. Baker (6-2, 200 pounds) ranks second on the team with 90 tackles (66 solo) and has added five tackles for loss and three interceptions. As a kicker, he’s made 70 of 71 extra points and 8 of 9 field-goal tries for a total of 94 points. He’s committed to Eastern Kentucky University.

Blake Birchfield, Pikeville

The senior running back was named Class A, District Seven Player of the Year and is among the top contenders for Mr. Football honors. Birchfield (6-0, 180 pounds) is tied for the state lead with 32 rushing touchdowns and ranks seventh in the state with 1,795 rushing yards. He carried 21 times for 350 yards and six touchdowns in a 60-21 victory over Lexington Christian on Sept. 23. Birchfield has offers from Centre, Denison, Hanover and Pikeville.

Ty Bryant, Frederick Douglass

The University of Kentucky commit is the leader of a Broncos squad loaded with NCAA Division I talent. Bryant (6-0, 175 pounds) has rushed for 456 yards on 55 carries and scored 14 touchdowns (11 rushing, three punt returns). Defensively, Bryant has posted 20 tackles (14 solo), three tackles for loss and one interception. He was named the winner of the Paul Hornung Award presented by the Louisville Quarterback Club and Class 5A, District Six Player of the Year.

Travis Egan, Bullitt East

The senior quarterback has completed 194 of 295 passes for 2,649 yards and 31 touchdowns with five interceptions. Egan (6-2, 200 pounds) also ranks second on the team in rushing with 901 yards and 17 TDs on 120 carries (7.5 yards per carry). He recently passed his father, Brandon Egan, as the school’s career leader for passing yardage and was named Class 6A, District Four Player of the Year. He has an offer from Kentucky Wesleyan.

Cole Hodge, Christian Academy

No one in the state has thrown more touchdown passes this season than Hodge, who has 45. The junior has completed 156 of 209 passes for 2,774 yards and just four interceptions. His 74.6% completion rate ranks No. 1 in the state and he ranks sixth in passing yards. Hodge (6-2, 190 pounds) is the team’s second-leading rusher (669 yards on 66 carries) and has scored nine touchdowns. Named Class 3A, District Four Player of the Year, Hodge has offers from Central Michigan and Eastern Kentucky.

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Conner Hughes, Raceland

The senior wide receiver/defensive back does a little bit of everything for the Rams, one reason he was named Class A, District Six Player of the Year. Hughes (5-9, 150 pounds) is tied for second on the team with 12 touchdowns (eight receiving, four rushing). He has 25 receptions for 506 yards and has rushed 25 times for 142 yards. He ranks eighth on the team with 37 tackles (24 solo) and has added two interceptions as well as one tackle for loss. He’s also a stellar baseball player, batting .440 with 31 RBIs last season.

Montavin Quisenberry, Boyle County

Only a sophomore, Quisenberry (5-9, 160 pounds) is one of the most electric players in the state and already has offers from Kentucky and Louisville. Quisenberry leads the Rebels in receiving (53 catches, 821 yards) and ranks second in rushing (89 carries, 945 yards). He’s scored 28 touchdowns (13 receiving, nine rushing, three punt returns, three kickoff returns). As a defensive back, he ranks seventh on the team with 34 tackles (16 solo) and has added three interceptions and three tackles for loss.

Antonio Robinson, Beechwood

The senior Wake Forest commit has made a big impact on both sides of the ball since transferring over the summer from Florida Christian School in Miami. Robinson (5-10, 181 pounds) leads the Tigers with 38 receptions for 529 yards and has scored nine touchdowns (seven receiving, one rushing, one kickoff return). Beechwood does not report tackles statistics, but Robinson has two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Jutarious Starks, Mayfield

The junior running back – nicknamed “JuJu” – has rushed for 1,110 yards and 20 touchdowns on 121 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Starks (5-10, 195 pounds) was a workhorse in last week’s 38-28 semifinal victory over Lexington Christian, carrying 34 times for 183 yards and three touchdowns. As a sophomore, Starks rushed for 511 yards and 12 touchdowns and also posted 7.5 sacks while playing linebacker. He’s played sparingly on defense this year.

Daniel Swinney, Male

The senior running back missed four games with a shoulder injury but has rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns on 173 attempts. He also has seven receptions for 44 yards. He carried 28 times for 133 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 24-20 semifinal victory at Ballard. Swinney (5-11, 219 pounds) has offers from Central Michigan and Eastern Kentucky.

Tyleeq Williams, Bardstown

The junior running back leads an offense that averages 273.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 13th in the state. The diminutive Williams (5-5, 145 pounds) – nicknamed “Tyty” – has rushed for 1,646 yards and 24 touchdowns on 180 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per attempt. He also ranks second on the team with 28 receptions for 434 yards and six touchdowns and has returned three kicks (two punts, one kickoff) for scores. He was named Class 3A, District Three Player of the Year. Defensively, he has 54 tackles (44 solo), six tackles for loss, four interceptions and two sacks.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 12 players to watch at this weekend's KHSAA state football finals