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Lexington, Frankfort Students Named
High School Athletes of the Year
Tennis Champ, Three-Sport Star Were Honored April
30
Lexington
Henry Clay High School’s Emily Carbone
and Frankfort High School’s E.J. Fields
have been named the Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year. They
were honored alongside the 2008 Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame inductees at our
April 30, 2008, ceremony at the Galt House in Louisville.
“We
congratulate these athletes on all of their outstanding accomplishments both on
the field and off,” says Steve McCormick,
director of administrative services for Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Cos.
“These students have bright futures in college and wherever their sports take
them.”
Emily Carbone
The
Kentucky Farm Bureau Female High School Athlete of the Year,
Emily Carbone,
is a senior at Henry Clay High
 School
in Lexington. Previously a student at Lexington Christian Academy, Carbone
helped her school win the state team title during both her freshman and
sophomore years, and she won the state singles title as a junior last
year. While she will not compete at this year’s state championships because of a
school transfer, Carbone remains the No. 1 ranked player in Kentucky and No. 27
in the country, as rated by TennisRecruiting.net. She has signed with the
University of Arkansas.
E. J. Fields
The
Kentucky Farm Bureau Male High School Athlete of the year,
E.J. Fields,
is a senior at Frankfort High School
and a three-sport star in
basketball, track and football. On the gridiron, he was a first-team All-State
defensive back/quarterback and led his team to the state semifinals as a
senior. In track, he captured two state titles in the 400 meter, in both his
sophomore and junior years. Fields recently signed a letter of intent with the
University of Kentucky.
Carbone and Fields were honored at the annual Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
ceremony, on Wednesday evening (April 30) of Derby week at the Galt House in
Louisville.
All
proceeds benefit Kosair Charities, which has provided more than $124 million
since the 1980s to support the medical care of thousands of children from across
Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
Looking back:
Our 2007 High
School Honorees
 Scott
County High School senior
Rebecca Gray
and Male High senior
Douglas
Beaumont
have won numerous awards during
their high school careers.
Gray
has been one of the state’s top girls’ basketball players her entire career with
the Lady Cardinals, while Beaumont was a football standout
as
well as basketball star
 for
the Bulldogs.
Now,
the two share a new distinction as the duo have been named
Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the
Year.
They are the first to be selected for this special recognition, which was new
this year.
They were each honored during the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame induction
ceremony Wednesday evening, May 2, at The Galt House Hotel & Suites in
Louisville.
To
read Jody Demling's announcement of the inaugural event in The Courier-Journal,
click here:
Beaumont, Gray win state awards
Rebecca Gray
The 5-foot-ll Gray finished her
illustrious career ranked as the 25th all-time scorer in state history with
2,907 career points. She also had 706 rebounds, 493 assists and 380 steals for
the Lady Cardinals.
Heading into her senior season, Gray — nicknamed “Bee” — was ranked nationally
as the No. 47 player by Scout.com. She is a two-time, first-team All-State
selection and was named as the 11th Region Player of the Year this season.
“Since Rebecca Gray walked into our gym in the sixth grade, she has made an
impact on our program,” coach Steve Helton says. “She has definitely left her
mark on Scott County basketball. Rebecca is a tremendous young lady with great
work ethic and a great attitude. She has great things ahead of her.”
Gray
helped Scott County to one regional title, a pair of Louisville Invitational
Tournament titles and a top-10 ranking each of the past five seasons.
As a
senior, Gray averaged 25.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 4.1 steals and
shot 88.9 percent from the free-throw line. She has signed to play basketball at
the University of North Carolina.
Douglas Beaumont
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Beaumont left a mark on the prestigious Male gridiron
program and was named Kentucky’s Mr. Football.
 “He’s
is the most productive player we have had because he did so much,” Male coach
Bob Redman says. “He was on the field all the time. He was the best linebacker,
the best running back, the best receiver, the best return guy and the best
hitter. Guys like that are rare. Honestly, I never saw him rest.”
Beaumont also won the Gatorade Player of the Year award as the state’s top
player, along with the Paul Hornung and Roy Kidd awards.
As a
senior, Beaumont carried 137 times for 1,169 yards (8.5 yards a carry) and 24
touchdowns, while catching 39 passes for 550 yards and eight IDs.
During his four-year career, Beaumont finished with 365 carries for 3,153 yards
(8.6 yards a carry) and 69 TDs, while catching 189 passes for 2,801 yards (14.8
yards a carry) and 22 TDs. He finished with 5,954 career yards, 574 total points
and 11 interceptions during his stellar career.
The
career point total is 12th all-time in state history and Beaumont trails only
former Moore star Monquantae Gibson (696 points) as the all-time leader in
Jefferson County. He’s tied for 11th in the state record books for career TDs
with 91 and 10th all time in career receiving yards.
In
basketball, Beaumont is a likely first-team All-State selection this season.
He’s one of the top players from Louisville and averaged 18 points a game.
Beaumont has signed to play football at the University of Louisville.
The
two high school stars were honored during the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
induction ceremony Wednesday evening, May 2, at The Galt House Hotel & Suites on
Louisville’s riverfront.
Now a
part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
inducted nine new members May 2, with proceeds benefiting Kosair Charities.
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