2020 36 Blitz: Scott County Cardinals

GEORGETOWN, Ky (WTVQ) – If you follow Scott county Head Football Coach Jim McKee on Twitter, @Cards_Football if you don’t, he’s posted numerous video during the pandemic and quarantine. All similar messages to his community and players, who knows what’s going to happen, but you can control your attitude. Being safe and from there we’ll get through this together.

“You know, I’ve never been a football at all costs guy,” said Head Coach Jim McKee. “If we don’t play, we’re going to be okay. And what it’s really helped us do, at least me, is help us really embrace each moment.”

McKee admits though also those video were a way to keep his guys motivated and fired up during a time they couldn’t do much.

“We worked them out 34 times with no football,” says Coach McKee. “That would be fine if was January and February because everybody would be like ‘let’s get pumped up’, but when it’s June and July it’s let’s get ready to go. So it’s been a challenging time, but I try to get after it whatever the times are.”

“It’s been rough, but we’ve been, all our seniors have been keeping up with small guys and all the seniors are doing what they gotta do,” said senior defensive lineman Kevin Herbert.

Now that the KHSAA has given County the green light, it’s go time.

“Yea, we’re full steam. We’ve been full steam, but now we’re like 110% full steam,” says senior quarterback Zane Patton.

Now that it’s full steam ahead for the Cardinals, they’re ready to bring some legit talent to the table and it starts at quarterback with Zane Patton. A guy who’s waited and waited behind other guys and now that it’s time for him to take over, he’s ready to take full advantage.

“I learned from Cade, learned from Clay, learned from Josh…just all the former quarterbacks,” said Patton. “They’ve came, they’ve talked to me. Just given me tips and tricks, mainly how to be a leader.”

“I had to really talk him out at as a freshman to get him out,” said Coach McKee. “And JV and we didn’t have a good freshman team that year. JV Quarterback as a sophomore, JV quarterback as a junior…probably could’ve started at a lot of schools. Missed his junior baseball season, he’s our catcher, hung in through it all and now he’s the man. I think that says a lot about his character, but he’s good.”

Running back Jeremy Hamilton is another player to look out for.

“You know Jeremy checks the boxes,” says McKee. “He’s got the height, he’s got the speed, he’s got the grades, he’s got the pedigree, his parents are awesome, he’s got the discipline so he’s really a special player. And I think Campton Martin who started two years for us at defensive back will be a senior has matured mentally if anything and i expect him to have a big year too.”