Kentucky All-State football team: Meet the 12 members of the first-team defense
Here’s a look at the 12 members of The Courier Journal’s 2022 first-team All-State football defense, as selected by a statewide vote of coaches. A total of 113 coaches returned ballots.
Tommy Ziesmer
Boyle County, defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-3/240
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Kentucky
Why he’s on the team: Posted 83 tackles (37 solo), 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three forced fumbles for a Boyle County team that finished 13-2 and won its third straight Class 4A championship. The Rebels ranked 30th in the state in scoring defense, allowing 15.9 points per game. Ziesmer also earned first-team All-State honors as a junior.
Coach’s take: “Dominant player on the line of scrimmage who plays the game the way it supposed to be played,” Justin Haddix said. “Will be an Impact player at the next level.”
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Peyton Ledford
Franklin County, defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-3/250
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Army
Why he’s on the team: Tallied 100 tackles (47 solo), 18 ½ tackles for loss, five sacks and one forced fumbles for a Franklin County team that went 8-6 and reached the semifinals of the Class 4A playoffs. Also made an impact on offense with four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving). Ledford was a first-team All-State pick as a junior at linebacker.
Coach’s take: “Peyton is an old-school football player,” Eddie James said. “He is a tough, hard-nosed player for us. Peyton is very versatile and a special kid. He is committed to Army and is going to make a huge impact on our country. He is one of the best players we’ve ever had at Franklin County but is an even better human being.”
Micah Carter
St. Xavier, defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-5/250
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Louisville
Why he’s on the team: Posted a team-high 56 tackles (23 solo) for a St. X defense that allowed just 9.7 points per game, ranking fifth in the state. Carter also had seven tackles for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble while helping the Tigers go 10-2 and reach the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. He’s the No. 2-rated college prospect in Kentucky’s Class of 2023 according to 247Sports.com.
Coach’s take: “Micah’s length and athletic ability will give him a high ceiling at the next level,” Kevin Wallace said. “How quickly that happens will depend on the transformation of his physical strength to enable him to contest (Atlantic Coast Conference) offensive linemen. For us, he provided elite pass-rushing skills and was a player who could run to the ball in an exceptional manner.”
Saadiq Clements
Henderson County, defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-4/265
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Louisville
Why he’s on the team: Posted a team-high 62 tackles (37 solo) for a Henderson County defense that allowed 15.8 points per game, ranking 28th in the state. Clements also ranked second in the state with 21 sacks and added 10 ½ tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. The Colonels went 10-3 and reached the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Coach’s take: “Saadiq is a very quiet and humble player who has very explosive abilities on game nights and has an extremely high ceiling once he gets into a college strength, conditioning and nutrition program,” Josh Boston said.
Lofton Howard
Greenwood, linebacker
Height/weight: 6-5/210
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Western Kentucky
Why he’s on the team: Posted a team-high 106 tackles (60 solo) for a Gators squad that went 9-3 and reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. Also had 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two interceptions. Was a force on offense as well, rushing for 515 yards, catching 23 passes and scoring 21 touchdowns (18 rushing, three receiving).
Coach’s take: “Lofton is a player that shows up to work every day,” said William Howard, the Greenwood coach and Lofton’s father. “He is a large part of the success Greenwood High School has had the last four years. He has been a starter on defense since his freshman year … and plays anywhere from defensive line to free safety throughout the year.”
Jaxon Panariello
St. Xavier, linebacker
Height/weight: 6-1/225
Year: Senior
College: Offer from Kentucky Wesleyan
Why he’s on the team: Posted 55 tackles (21 solo) for a St. X defense that allowed just 9.7 points per game, ranking fifth in the state. Panariello also had seven tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions while helping the Tigers go 10-2 and reach the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Coach’s take: “Jaxon was our best playmaker, and every offense had to account for him in the run game, protection schemes and as a drop defender,” Kevin Wallace said. “Despite his light recruitment, I’d be a buyer of stock in this young man. He is a physically gifted athlete who plays with an aggressive attitude that will translate well to the next level.”
Gavin Willis
Ballard, linebacker
Height/weight: 6-0/210
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Bucknell
Why he’s on the team: Posted a team-high 189 tackles (84 solo) for a Ballard defense that allowed 10.6 points per game, ranking seventh in the state. Willis also had 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions for a Bruins squad that went 11-3 and reached the semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs.
Coach’s take: “Gavin is a phenomenal football player who has a high motor, high football IQ and is a willful tackler,” Adrian Morton said. “His ability to play both in space and between the tackles added an element that contributed to Ballard’s defense being one of the top-ranked defenses in Kentucky. Nicknamed ‘Captain America,’ Gavin was looked at as a leader by his coaches and peers.”
Ty Bryant
Frederick Douglass, defensive back
Height/weight: 6-0/175
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Kentucky
Why he’s on the team: Posted 22 tackles (15 solo) and two interceptions for a defense that allowed just 5.0 points per game, ranking No. 1 in the state. The Broncos finished 15-0 and captured the school’s first state title, beating Bowling Green in the Class 5A final. Bryant also was a force on offense and special teams, rushing for 498 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns (12 rushing, three punt returns). He won the Paul Hornung Award presented by the Louisville Quarterback Club and was named Class 5A, District Six Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
Coach’s take: “Ty Bryant is an explosive athlete at safety, running back and punt returner,” Nathan McPeek said. “Ty was one of our captains that led us to our school’s first state championship … but most important he is a great student-athlete who has a GPA of over 4.0.”
Daisjaun Mercer
Hopkinsville, defensive back
Height/weight: 6-0/185
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Miami (Ohio)
Why he’s on the team: Recorded 37 tackles (28 solo) and four interceptions – returning one for a touchdown - to lead a Hopkinsville squad that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. Also excelled as a wide receiver, posting a team-high 37 receptions and scoring 14 touchdowns (nine receiving, five rushing). Was a second-team All-State pick as a junior.
Coach’s take: “His presence on the field defensively shut down any vertical shots to his side of the field,” Marc Clark said. “Opposing teams have seen him play long enough that they knew not to try him, because he would make that quarterback regret that decision.”
Cristian Conyer
South Warren, defensive back
Height/weight: 6-1/175
Year: Senior
College: Committed to Tennessee
Why he’s on the team: Posted 12 tackles (eight solo) and one interception for a Spartans team that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. Also contributed on offense with 26 receptions for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He’s the No. 3-ranked college prospect in Kentucky’s Class of 2023 according to 247Sports.com.
Coach’s take: “Cristian is an elite athlete who loves to compete,” Brandon Smith said. “He wants to go against the best and wants to be challenged. He has a drive to be great, and his best football is ahead of him.”
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Max Johnson
Hazard, defensive back
Height/weight: 6-0/170
Year: Senior
College: Undecided between football and baseball, in which he was an honorable-mention All-State selection as a junior.
Why he’s on the team: Posted 93 tackles, eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries to lead a Hazard team that went 8-5 and reached the third round of the Class A playoffs. He also was a force on offense, rushing for 1,673 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns (20 rushing, six receiving). Johnson earned second-team All-State honors as a junior.
Coach’s take: “Max Johnson is an all-around athlete that was one of the smartest football players I’ve ever coached,” Daniel Howard said. “He was a do-it-all guy for our team and ended his career tied for the most interceptions in school history. He always came up with big plays in the biggest games.”
Isaac Johnson
East Jessamine, punter
Height/weight: 6-2/170
Year: Junior
College: Undecided; also a soccer prospect
Why he’s on the team: Johnson averaged 40.6 yards per punt, with seven going 50-plus yards and a long of 61 yards. He made 9 of 11 PAT kicks and all three of his field-goal tries for an East Jessamine squad that finished 0-10. Johnson also was the team’s top receiver with 27 catches for 568 yards and six touchdowns.
Coach’s take: “He handled all kicking duties on top of being the best punter in school history,” Mike Bowlin said. “He’s a very quiet young man who leads by example every day. He was voted the team MVP and is just a junior and will only get better. He will be a Division I punter if he chooses that path.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky All-State football: Meet first-team defense selections
