AT A GLANCE: The Storm Heads West

BY: ANDY HUNT

Who am I?

Follow the clues to find out this former Rocket's identity!

Clue 1: This Rocket was a three-time All-WKC selection, the team MVP his senior year and he was selected to the East/West All-Star Game.

Hopkins County Central Series History (9-1)

• 2018: Rockets won 61-6 at home
• 2017: Rockets won 37-8 at home
• 2016: Rockets lost 24-19 at Hopkins County Central
• 2015: Rockets won 48-24 at home
• 2014: Rockets won 27-13 at home
• 2013: Rockets won 19-8 at home
• 2012: Rockets won 21-6 at home
• 2011: Rockets won 38-6 at home
• 2010: Rockets won 20-15 at Hopkins County Central
• 2009: Rockets won 35-6 at Princeton in the Caldwell County Medical Bowl
  
  

2023 Hopkins County Central 3A (2-1, District 0-0)

• Week 1 – Caldwell County (2A, 0-3), WIN, 20-14
• Week 2 – Fort Campbell (2A, 1-2), WIN, 60-28
• Week 3 – Madisonville-North Hopkins (5A, 2-1), LOSS, 46-14
• Week 4 – Crittenden County (2A, 1-2)
• Week 5 – Union County (3A, 3-0)*
• Week 6 – Webster County (3A, 2-1)*
• Week 7 – McLean County (3A, 2-1)*
• Week 8 – Trigg County (3A, 1-2)*
• Week 9 – Hancock County (3A, 3-0)*
• Week 10 – Fulton County (1A, 0-3)
• Asterisk (*) denotes district opponent.
• Hopkins Central has 52 players on their roster.  (44 players were on the HCC roster in 2022).

Storm Stat Leaders

• Passing - #10, SO – Isac Earl – 14/35, 200 Passing Yards, 0 TDs, INT
• Rushing - #7, JR – Zayden Parker – 10 attempts, 235 rushing yards, 2 TDs
• Rushing - #32, SR – Calil McNary – 37 attempts, 198 rushing yards, 3 TDs
• Rushing - #10, SO – Isac Earl – 12 attempts, 110 rushing yards, TD
• Rushing - #6, SR – Logan Rodgers – 24 attempts, 78 rushing yards, 3 TDs
• Receiving - #31, SR – Konner Harrison – 5 receptions, 8 receiving yards, TD
• Defense - #11, SO – Kamran Harrison – 23 Tackles, TFL, Sack, FF
• Defense - #88, SR – Reese Belt – 21 Tackles, FF
• Defense - #31, SR – Konner Harrison – 18 Tackles, INT, FR
• The storm have successfully attempted seven, two-point conversions this season.  They have only attempted five PATs of which they have made two.

2023 Class 2A, District 1 Review

• Mayfield (2-1) – Fell to Paducah Tilghman, 35-28, and will take on McCracken County at home this week.
• Murray (3-0) – Beat Marshall County, 35-6.  The first test of their season will come on Friday at Union County.
• Caldwell County (0-3) – Graves County heads to Princeton.  Graves big in this one.

Playoff Preview Class 2A, District 2

• Owensboro Catholic (3-0) – OC will take on the Owensboro Red Devils (1-2).  OHS will be the biggest challenge of the season so far as the closest game the Aces have had is 30 points. 
• Todd County Central (1-2) – Lost to Webster County 47-28.  They still look like the team that will take 2^nd place in the second district.
• Edmonson County (0-3) – Dropped a close one to Muhlenberg County, 8-7, last week.  They head to lowly Caverna.  EC by 21.
  
• Fort Campbell (1-2) – Played a close one with Trigg County, 26-21, but couldn’t pull out the win.  Madisonville is up next.  MNH by 36.

Clue 2: When my time as a Rocket QB ended, I was third in career passing yards and fifth in career passing touchdowns.

Record Breaker Watch

Micah Newcom

• Passing Yards – Career
• 1. Hunter Boone – 6,763
• 2. Luke Crider – 3,949
• 3. Austin Berry – 3,744
• 4. Micah Newcom – 2,893
  
• 5. Nick Castiller – 2,814
• 6. Jamie Curtis - 2,813
• 7. J.D. Gray – 2,172
  
• Micah Newcom has 219 completions in his career which ranks 5^th all-time.  Next up are Austin Berry with 227, Nick Castiller with 234, Luke Crider with 283, and Hunter Boone with 489.
• Micah Newcom has 333 career passing attempts during his time as Rocket which is the 7^th most in that category.  Next up are Turner Martin (1978-1981) with 362 and Austin Berry (2002-2005) with 396.
• Passing Touchdowns – Career
• 1. Hunter Boone (2015-2018) – 84
• 2. Luke Crider (2018-2021) – 49
• 3. Austin Berry (2002-2005) – 47
• 4. Micah Newcom (2020-Present) – 33
• 5. J.D. Gray (2006-2009) – 24
• Yards of Offense (Passing and Rushing Yards) – Career
• 5. Nick Castiller (2012-2015) – 3,894
• 6. Austin Berry (2002-2005) – 3,849
• 7. Devon Nesbitt (2015-2018) – 3,572
• 8. Jamie Curtis (1989-1992) – 3,356
• 9. Micah Newcom (2020-Present) – 3,322
• 10. Jimmy Hopper (1960-1963) – 3,028 (stats incomplete)
• Micah Newcom has been responsible for 46 total career TDs in his career.  This ranks him 7^th in that category.  Next up are T.K. Guess with 48, Luke Crider with 55 and Austin Berry with 57.

Clue 3: I held the record for rushing yards by a QB at the end of my career in 1998.

Caden Howard

• Career Receiving Yards
• With 59 more receiving yards, Caden Howard will become the 26^th player to have 500 receiving yards in their time as Rocket.
• If Caden Howard collects those 59 yards receiving, he is believed to be the youngest receiver (approximately four games into his sophomore season) to have 500 career receiving yards.  The most total receiving yards at the conclusion of a player’s freshman and sophomore season is Chad Perryman with 850 yards receiving.
• Career Receptions
• With eight more receptions, Caden Howard will be the 23^rd player to have at least 40 career receptions.
• Consecutive Games with a Reception
• 6. Dylan Hollis – 13
• 6. Cody Belt – 13
• 6. Payton Riley – 13
• 6. Kaleb Nesbitt – 13
• 10. Bobby Knox – 12 (1- '11; 11- '12)
• 10. Caden Howard – 12 (9- '22; 3- '23)
• 12. Brysen Baker – 11
• 13. Branen Lamey – 10 (3- '16; 7- '17)
• 14. Branen Lamey – 9
• 14. Preston Morgeson – 9 (5- '21; 4- '22) 

Answer: Doug Campbell (1995-1998)

• Three-Time All-WKC Selection (1996-1998)
• Team MVP (1998)
• East/West All-Star Game (1998)
• Rushing: 194 Attempts, 864 Yards, 14 Rushing TDs, 7 Two-Point Conversions
• Passing: 95/220, 1515 Yards, 11 Passing TDs
• Scoring: Scored 98 Career Points
• Team: Starting QB for teams that went 17-7.  District Champions and Region Runner-Up in 1998.