Aug. 21—KENTON — With two state championships, two state runners-up and six other trips to the semifinals of the state football playoffs in the last 32 years, expectations are always high at Kenton.
For the last three seasons, results have not been on the high end of the scale for the Wildcats, who went 3-7 last season, 1-9 two years ago and 0-10 the year before that.
In trying to get more positive outcomes on Friday nights in the present, Kenton coach Zach Turner has looked into the past and emphasized what he calls the standard of Kenton football.
“At the end of my second year I started evaluating things a lot harder,” Turner said. “What I learned is we’ve got to create the right behaviors, we’ve got to create the right mindsets. That’s what made Kenton football great. We had kids who worked really hard, we had kids who loved the program and poured their heart and soul into it.
“When I say get back to the standard of Kenton football, what I believe Kenton football was is blue collar, gritty kids who worked hard. Our kids have really taken to that aspect. We’re starting to see that standard come back” he said.
Kenton’s offense is led by quarterback Korbin Johnston and receiver Grady Kleman-Beazley, both of whom were second-team All-Western Buckeye League selections last season.
Johnston, a four-year starter, passed for 2,712 yards and 19 touchdowns last season and rushed for 796 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kleman-Beazley had 90 catches for 1,007 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Turner calls Johnston “one of our best leaders,” and said, “He never misses a day of weight lifting. He’s been there every single day from Dec. 1 to now. He is what you ask for in a senior quarterback.”
The Kenton coach said Kleman-Beazley “is a kid we have high expectations for.”
“We have a good group of receivers. Maddox Hommel, a sophomore is going to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/high-school-football-kenton-aims-233300170.html
Author : The Lima News, Ohio
Publish date : 2024-08-21 23:33:00
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