Ten Tigers have earned All-WKC distinction following Caldwell County’s 7-4 football season, including two linemen who were named to the overall first team for the Western Kentucky Conference.
In addition, senior quarterback Will Barnes is the co-Player of the Year in Class 2A’s 1st District, as voted on by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Barnes tied in the balloting with Trigg County running back Brandon Bridges.
Meanwhile, Caldwell seniors Kyle Proffitt and Kameron “Bubba” Cain were voted onto the overall first team by WKC football coaches.
Proffitt and Cain were joined by two other Tigers on the Small School first team for Classes A, 2A and 3A. They are receiver Eric Faughn and defensive lineman Tron Gray.
Others selected for All-WKC honors were quarterback Will Barnes, running back Brandon Sigler, offensive linemen Tanner Flynn and Nate Dyer, and linebackers Kody McGregor and Jonathon Beavers.
All of the Tigers chosen are seniors with the exception of Gray and Dyer, who are both juniors, and Sigler, who is a sophomore.
Caldwell’s season ended with a loss at Owensboro Catholic in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. Tiger head coach David Barnes was still stinging Monday over some of the decisions and comments made by the officiating crew that worked Caldwell’s 20-12 setback.
“I just hate to see our 12 seniors go out like that. They’ve been a fun group to coach,” said Barnes.
“They were on four teams that all had winning records, and they all came a long ways as the season progressed. I was really pleased with how we finished the season against Crittenden County and Mayfield,” he added.
“When you look at the big picture, if we had gotten a couple of breaks, we could still be undefeated. But I’m very pleased overall. I thought the kids played hard this season. I just hated to see it end like it did Friday.”
• Here is the complete All-WKC first team:
OFFENSE
TE/Rec.—Vic Moulden, Hopkinsville
TE/Rec.—Chris Dobbins, Calloway Co.
OL—Grant Williams, Calloway Co.
OL—Max Moser, Ft. Campbell
OL—Jacob Langston, Christian Co.
OL—Jeff Prescott, Lone Oak
OL—Kyle Proffitt, Caldwell Co.
QB—Casey Brockman, Calloway Co.
RB—Tyrell Willis, Calloway Co.
RB—Vashun Banks, Christian Co.
RB—Tyresse Murrell, Mayfield
DEFENSE
DL—Stacey Whipple, Ft. Campbell
DL—Denver Seay, Marshall Co.
DL—Kameron Cain, Caldwell Co.
DL—Malcomb McDuffin, Christian Co.
LB—Josh Carter, Ft. Campbell
LB—Tyrell Willis, Calloway Co.
LB—Gaige Courtney, Crittenden Co.
LB—Charles Cooper, Pad. Tilghman
DB—Raquan Durrante, Ft. Campbell
DB—Austin Hargove, Calloway Co.
DB—Deshawn Johnson, Hopkinsville
Kicker—Issac Sims, Graves Co.
Punter—Rex Coleman, Graves Co.
Coach of the Year—Steve Lovelace, Christian Co.
Here is the complete WKC Small School first team:
OFFENSE
TE/Rec.—Eric Faughn, Caldwell Co.
TE/Rec.—Chris Allen, Ft. Campbell
OL—Grant Williams, Calloway Co.
OL—Max Moser, Ft. Campbell
OL—Kyle Proffitt, Caldwell Co.
OL—Anthony Topps, Ft. Campbell
OL—Jantzen Jones, Mayfield
QB—Antonio Andrews, Ft. Campbell
RB—Tyresse Murrell, Mayfield
RB—Rodney Robertson, Crittenden Co.
RB—Brandon Bridges, Trigg Co.
DEFENSE
DL—Stacey Whipple, Ft. Campbell
DL—Kameron Cain, Caldwell Co.
DL—Tron Gray, Caldwell Co.
DL—Dustin Calhoun, Trigg Co.
LB—Josh Carter, Ft. Campbell
LB—Gaige Courtney, Crittenden Co.
LB—Charles Cooper, Pad. Tilghman
LB—Dillon Thorton, Crittenden Co.
DB—Raquan Durrante, Ft. Campbell
DB—Denzel Powell, Pad. Tilghman
DB—J.D. Gray, Crittenden Co.
Kicker—John Reinick, Trigg Co.
Punter—Steven Mix, Ballard Memorial
• The Class 2A 1st District Coach of the Year, as determined by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association, also saw a tie vote.
Trigg’s Shannon Burcham and Murray’s Steve Duncan are co-Coaches of the Year.
• Several Tiger records fell again this season.
Junior Tron Gray has established a new career mark for sacks. His eight sacks this season tied the record eight he set last season. Gray’s 16 career sacks are just ahead of Kelly Tinsley’s 15.5 (1997-2000).
Senior Eric Faughn finished his career with 91 receptions for 1,355 yards, putting him at No. 1 on both of those lists.
His 52 catches this year are the second most in a single season, behind Cameron Williams’ 61 in 2006.
Faughn had 823 yards receiving in 2008, just 14 yards short of Williams’ 837 in 2006.
Senior quarterback Will Barnes finished his career as the most prolific passer in school history. His career numbers show 499 completions in 806 attempts (61.9 percent) for 5,991 yards. He threw 62 touchdown passes. All of those marks are far and away CCHS records.
Barnes’ 167 completions this season ties his mark from two years ago. However, his 262 attempts were his fewest in three seasons as the Tiger QB.
Senior Jonathon Beavers ends his career with 273 career tackles. That ties him with Edmund Smith (1978-81) for eighth on that list. Tinsley’s 346 top the chart.
The 327 points scored this season are eighth all-time.
Sophomore Glenn Gray ends the season with 26 consecutive extra-point kicks. He will continue to chase the record of 30 straight (Dean Sears, 1994-95) next season.
• Caldwell’s 2009 football schedule is almost complete, with the district games all moving to the latter portion of the season next year.
The Tigers are scheduled to open the campaign with a pair of bowl games for the third straight year.
Webster County leaves the schedule, but Lone Oak has been added for 2009.
The season is tentatively set to begin on Aug. 28 when Caldwell plays Hopkins County Central, the host school, in the Browning Chevrolet Bowl. That will be the late game, with Madisonville-North Hopkins facing Webster in the opener.
Caldwell is scheduled to host its own bowl the following week, Sept. 4, at Tiger Stadium.
Crittenden County and Hopkins Central will play the early game, with Caldwell to face Larue County in the nightcap.
The Tigers then host Union County on Sept. 11 before a game against Lone Oak on Sept. 18. However, it is still to be determined whether the Lone Oak game is home or away.
The Tigers will pay a visit to Crittenden County on Sept. 25 before playing their first district game the following week, Oct. 2, when they host Trigg County.
That’s the first of four straight district dates for Caldwell, which will host Heath on Oct. 9 before visiting Murray and Reidland the next two weeks.
The regular season ends on Oct. 30 with a home game against Mayfield.
The playoffs will begin the following week in 2009, which is a week earlier than in 2008. There are no open weeks next season.
• The state football finals will be moving to Bowling Green starting in 2009.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association championship games will be played at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville this year before making the move to Western Kentucky University’s Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
The city of Louisville has hosted the finals since 1979 (1977 for Class 4A).
• Caldwell’s annual football awards banquet will be held Monday, Dec. 8.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.
A catered meal will be served.
Tickets will be $6 and will be available at the door.
