SPENCER COUNTY (10-2 in 2015)
Coach: Mike Marksbury (sixth season, 34-23).
Starters back: Offense 7, defense 7.
Class: 4-A, District 4.
Players to watch: Brandon Leff and Kadin Smith. The senior RB/OLB and the junior RB/DB were two-thirds of the top rushing attack (383 yards per game) in the state (regardless of class) last year. Leff rushed for 1,611 yards (134 yards per game) and 18 TDs, while Smith ran for 1,254 yards (105 ypg) and 15 TDs. Both are also standouts on defense. Leff tallied 66 tackles last year in earning C-J All-State honorable-mention honors while Smith had three INTs and earned all-district honors.
Other top players: DE Hunter Brown (Sr.), WR/DB Kyle Hawley (Sr.), FB/LB Austin Ashley (Sr.), OT/DL Mason Cooper (Sr.), QB/LB Cole DeRudder (Sr.), OL/LB Dakota Waldridge (Sr.).
Outlook: The Bears are coming off the best season in program history. “We think we have the program going in the right direction,” said Marksbury, whose team averaged 40.2 points per game in 2015. “We’ve got several pieces back for this season.” Ashley will take over for departed C-J first-team All-State RB Logan Holbrook (1,669 rushing yards, 24 TDs) while DeRudder will replace his older brother, Jacob, at QB. Cooper, one of five senior starters up front, will anchor the O-line. The Bears also return their top three tacklers from last season – Brown (95), Ashley (88) and Waldridge (87) – and entire secondary. Brown was a C-J All-State honorable-mention selection last year. “We’ve played the underdog role pretty well,” Marksbury said. “Now there’s expectations. Let’s see how we can handle that.”
Schedule:
8/20 at Bardstown
8/26 at Nelson County
9/2 at East Jessamine
9/9 BULLITT EAST
9/16 BULLITT CENTRAL
9/23 *at Collins
9/30 *NORTH OLDHAM
10/7 *at Franklin County
10/14 *SHELBY COUNTY
10/28 at Henry County
*-District game