I2 SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014 /// THE ENQUIRER KENTUCKY

This will be the final year in the

current four-year district alignment
cycle for Kentucky High School Ath-
letic Association football.
Current
The current alignments:
Class A, District 4 Beechwood,
Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow.
Class 2A, District 5 Carroll
County, Gallatin County, Owen Coun-
ty, Trimble County, Walton-Verona.
Class 2A, District 6 Bishop
Brossart, Holy Cross, Lloyd, New-
port, Newport Central Catholic.
Class 4A, District 7 Covington
Catholic, Harrison County, Highlands,
Holmes.
Class 5A, District 5 Conner,
Cooper, Grant County, Scott, South
Oldham.
Class 6A, District 6 Boone
County, Campbell County, Dixie
Heights, Ryle, Simon Kenton
Note: The 5th place team in
Class 6A, District 6 is bracketed as
the number four seed in District 2 in
the playoffs.
Starting in 2015
The final Kentucky high school
football realignment plan for 2015-18
for area schools approved by the
KHSAA Board of Control in May:
Class A, District 4: Beechwood,
Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow.
Class A, District 5: Berea, Bishop
Brossart, Bracken County, Nicholas
County, Paris.
Class 2A, District 5: Carroll
County, Gallatin County, Owen Coun-
ty, Trimble County, Walton-Verona.
Class 2A, District 6: Holy Cross,
Lloyd, Newport, Newport Central
Catholic.
Class 3A, District 5: Bath County,
Fleming County, Lewis County, Pen-
dleton County, Russell, West Carter.
Class 4A, District 7: Bourbon
County, Harrison County, Holmes,
Mason County, Scott.
Class 5A, District 5: Covington
Catholic, Dixie Heights, Grant Coun-
ty, Highlands.
Class 6A, District 5: Conner,
Cooper, Ryle.
Class 6A, District 6: Boone Coun-
ty, Campbell County, Simon Kenton.
Note: Four teams in each district
earn a playoff berth (fifth-place team
from Class 6A, District 3 either
Butler, Manual, Male, Pleasure Ridge
Park or St. Xavier will fill fourth
playoff spot in Class 6A District 5 in
2015 and 2017 and in Class 6A, District
6 in 2016 and 2018, while the fifth-
place team from Class 6A, District 4
either Ballard, Eastern, Jefferson-
town, Seneca or Trinity will fill
fourth playoff spot in Class 6A, Dis-
trict 6 in 2015 and 2017 and in Class
6A, District 5 in 2016 and 2018).
Last 5A year for Conner, Cooper, Scott
Tony Ashford and Scott will play the
season in Class 5A before moving to 4A
in 2015. BRANDON SEVERN FOR THE ENQUIRER
By Richard Skinner
rskinner@enquirer.com
Beechwood is the favorite to win
Class 1As District 4 again this season,
but the Tigers have their sights set on
much more than that.
After reaching the state quarterfi-
nals last year with a young, talented
nucleus, Noel Rashs squad feels like
it now has the necessary experience
to go along with the size and athlet-
icism needed to make a run at the
schools first state title since 2008.
The young pups are now experi-
enced pups, Rash said. Our current
junior class has a lot of guys that got
to play as freshmen. Were very expe-
rienced. Were going to put a lot of
seniors on the field and a lot of ju-
niors who have been playing for three
years who are like seniors, so we feel
like experience is on our side.
The Tigers return 12 starters from
last years team, including eight on
the defensive side of the ball where
they allowed just 16.8 points per game
last year and only 6.6 in eight wins.
Seniors Joe Studer (DB), Jonathan
Stokes (DE), Riley McKown (DT),
Bret Finck (LB) and Jeremy Burns
(DB) should provide plenty of leader-
ship to go with returning talented
junior standouts Brayden Combs
(DE), Brett Slusher (OLB) and Ryan
Bankemper (LB) to form a formida-
ble defense in 2014.
Our whole defense is mostly sen-
iors and other really experienced
players, and were really deep this
year, McKown said. I think a lot of
people will be able to sub out and get
a breather so we can stay fresh.
The Tigers offense is loaded with
potential and possibility. In the back-
field, it all starts with junior quarter-
back Kyle Fieger, who already has 39
touchdown passes at the varsity level
through his first two years of high
school.
He will make another jump this
year, Rash said about his signal-
caller. I think the thing that we didnt
see from Kyle last year is that his
release is faster and his arm is
stronger. Hes just another year older
and more physically mature. Hes
much more relaxed and he knows
whats going to be called before the
play is run into the huddle. All of
those things are going to contribute to
him playing at a higher level.
Leading rusher Ethan Stringer,
who ran for 737 yards and 10 touch-
downs last year as a sophomore, is an
all-around threat with great size and
speed that can make plays in a varie-
ty of ways. Studer, a do-it-all two-way
starter who racked up 1,011 all-pur-
pose yards and nine touchdowns as a
junior, will join him behind Fieger.
On the outside, Burns and Slusher
return for their second seasons start-
ing at wide receiver, and theyll be
joined by a trio of guys in Clay
McHugh, Cameron Way and Jacob
Cottingham that are looking to make a
bigger impact on both sides of the
ball after getting their feet wet at the
varsity level last year. The Tigers also
return a valuable redzone option in
senior tight end Jonathan Stokes, who
scored seven touchdowns last year in
limited touches.
That depth should be a problem for
opposing small-school secondaries,
but Fieger says its the speed of the
skill players around him that excites
him most.
Theyre all fast, Fieger said.
Weve got a lot of speed, and theyve
grown over the years. It seems like
these guys are all running their
routes faster, and I have a lot of confi-
dence to throw to these guys that Ive
grown up with. It just seems like the
routes are hitting a lot faster, and Im
getting rid of the ball a lot quicker so
far in practice this year.
With no current player on the ros-
ter having experienced a state title
yet, McKown said its important to
this senior class to be a part of the
programs rich tradition. The five-
year drought without a state title is
the longest since the six-year drought
between the schools first and second
state championships in 1984 and 91.
And at a school like Beechwood, there
are reminders everywhere of the
lofty expectations that come with
being a Tiger.
It would mean a lot to us. We just
need to bring one back to Fort Mitch-
ell, McKown said. Whenever we go
out everybody is asking us about
football. The older people in the com-
munity always ask us how were go-
ing to be this year. There is definitely
pressure here to win state. I mean,
with 11 state titles, people expect you
to keep bringing them. m
Fieger, Tigers grow up quickly
The young pups are now experienced pups, Beechwood coach Noel Rash said of his promising Tigers. THE ENQUIRER/JAMES WEBER
By Rick Broering
Enquirer contributor