High school football news focuses on two things in the Eastern Panhandle.
Martinsburg continued string of postseason dominance and, individually, Musselman’s Blake Hartman.
So, if you came into this season unfamiliar with KPJ—Spring Mills quarterback Keon Padmore-Johnson—you get a pass.
After all, the Cardinals share a town with the aforementioned Bulldogs who, deservedly so, soak up much of the media attention.
Then factor in Padmore-Johnson missed all of 2019 with a leg injury. His 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame isn’t the stereotypical build of today’s most-touted quarterbacks.
Yet, his coach Josh Sims knew exactly what he had in the late-blooming senior.
“Keon is worth the trip,” said Sims when asked about making a lengthy trek to watch a Spring Mills game.
Friday night against Ripley, he certainly lived up to that distinction.
KPJ was masterful both inside and outside the pocket, finishing 15 of 17 for 286 yards and four touchdowns. He didn’t throw his first incompletion until the fourth quarter.
While his first TD pass was a short-yardage shovel, these were not all dinks and dunks. No, Padmore-Johnson possesses a strong, accurate arm capable of dropping dimes into the waiting arms of downfield receivers.
Twice he hit his receivers in stride at greater than 25 yards. Yes, KPJ throws well on the run to both sides of the field. Yes, he can buy time for his receivers with his feet. But he is also a capable pocket passer.
Big-Time Numbers
Speaking of his feet, Padmore-Johnson also ran for 162 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, giving him 930 and 10 for the season.
Through the air, KPJ is 77 of 106 for 1,860 yards and 23 touchdowns with one—count it again—one interception. He hits nearly 73 percent of his passes, averaging 24.2 and 265.8 yards per pass and game, respectively. In short, he makes good decisions with the football.
Against Martinsburg, the Cardinals suffered a humbling 82-27 loss. Still, he threw for 283 yards and two TDs against the Bulldogs, then bounced back with Friday’s performance at Ripley.
KPJ may not catch Hartman, the Kennedy Award frontrunner, in the face for the state’s top individual prize. But he’s certainly position himself near the top of the conversation.
Not bad for a guy who also has played in a different offensive system each season.
Speaking of Hartman
The Applemen’s road show took a detour from heading to Wheeling thanks to a gold-COVID designation and met up with Hurricane this weekend.
Hartman did his part to cement his Kennedy lead, rushing for 263 yards on 23 carries and scoring three touchdowns.
For good measure, he took an 84-yard kickoff return to the house and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass as Musselman rolled against the Redskins.
Hartman, along with Padmore-Johnson will be on the sidelines this week as Berkeley County is coded orange this week. Translation? Three of the state’s top Class AAA teams will be on the shelf: Martinsburg, Musselman and Spring Mills.
Feed Stevie
Wheeling Park figures to have found the formula for success: give Stevie Mitchell the ball.
The Patriots do have a solid passing attack led by senior Beau Heller along with a bevy of talented receivers. But it’s no secret what is making this offense tick.
The last four games, Mitchell has logged an average of 28 carries per game, resulting in 187 yards per game and 7.2 per carry during that span. Through seven games, Mitchell has 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns as the Patriots are sitting pretty with a 6-1 record.
Top-Tier
Hunter Patterson, Oak Glen
Patterson continues to do a lot with minimal touches. Part of that is Oak Glen’s offensive balance and wealth of weapons. Another is Patterson doesn’t need a lot of opportunities to make something happen.
In dismantling rival Weir, the Golden Bears senior ran for 131 yards and two TDs on eight carries. He had two receiving touchdowns on three receptions with 55 yards and added a 35-yard punt return for a touchdown. That’s 20 plays and 241 total yards, an average of better than 20 yards each time he touches the football.
Gage Michael, Fairmont Senior
Fairmont’s dual-threat QB threw for 238 yards and all four Polar Bears’ touchdowns on 14 of 23 passing in a tough win against rival Robert C. Byrd. Michael added 142 yards on the ground on 16 carries.
Ethan Payne, Poca
The reigning Kennedy Award winner isn’t going down without a fight, despite a crowded field near the top. Payne rumbled for 208 yards on 22 carries, tacking on three touchdowns as the Dots cruised past Class A Buffalo, 42-7.
Other Candidates
Noah Brown, Greenbrier West
Brown equaled his school record for touchdowns in a game with six—this time posting five on the ground and one through the air—as the Cavaliers stayed unbeaten with a big win against Richwood.
The Cavs’ senior missed a bit of time during the early part of the game with a minor injury but returned and showed no signs of slowing down.
Carson Deeb, Bluefield
Deeb will be hard-pressed to keep pace with the other QB candidates in this list after a tough loss to Parkersburg. The Beavers senior managed only 85 yards on 9 of 20 passing as the visitors had a long ride home following the 29-8 defeat.
Candidates on the Sideline
Jacob Caudill, Cabell Midland and Atticus Goodson, Independence were unable to play last week.
Other Notable Performances
Isaac Ball, Cameron: Dragons junior had his breakout performance of the season, rushing for 313 yards on 37 carries in a 44-21 win on the road against Clay-Battelle. Ball accounted for four rushing touchdowns in the victory.
Trey Dunn, South Charleston: Dunn put up excellent numbers for the second straight week, throwing for 333 yards and five scores against a tough George Washington team. The Black Eagles’ QB added 44 yards and a TD on the ground. His top target, Donavin Davis, had four passes for 67 yards receiving with all four resulting in touchdowns.
Ean Hamrick, Gilmer County: The Titans QB caught fire, throwing for 331 yards and five TDs on a near-perfect 12 of 13 passing. He added 107 yards and two TDs on just three carries as Gilmer took care of Calhoun County, 65-0.
Peyton Thompson, Berkeley Springs: Thompson totaled an even 300 yards and two TDs on 25 carries as the Indians took care of Hampshire.
Dalton Flowers, John Marshall: Flowers rushed for 277 yards and four TDs on 22 carries in helping John Marshall bounce back from a humbling loss to Princeton with a big 61-21 triumph against rival Brooke.
