|
Hafele, Watts, Are KFB 2010
High School Athletes of
the Year
Sacred Heart
Academy’s
Jackie
Hafele and
McCreary Central’s
Aaron Watts
were honored as
the 2010 Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year during
the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame 2010 Induction Banquet in Louisville on
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza
Louisville.
The awards were
voted on by sportswriters and sportscasters from across the state and are
sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Companies.
“Kentucky Farm Bureau is proud to
sponsor and support the
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, which recognizes superior athletic achievement while lending support to Kosair Charities,”
says Kentucky Farm Bureau
second vice president Eddie Melton.
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to provide well-deserved recognition to
Jackie and Aaron for their outstanding athletic achievements, and we are sure
they both will build on the early promise they have shown in the high school
careers.”
Jackie Hafele, Sacred Heart Academy
Hafele is
a sensational two-sport standout at Sacred Heart Academy. She was named Miss
Soccer in the state of Kentucky as a senior and was one of the top basketball
players in the Seventh Region. She has signed to play soccer at Butler
University. In soccer, Hafele helped Sacred Heart to three consecutive state
titles. She had 11 goals and nine assists during her senior season when the
Valkyries went 19-1-2. She was the only Kentuckian named an All-American by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was also named as the state’s
Gatorade Player of the Year. In basketball, she played some on the varsity as a
freshman and was a standout as a sophomore and junior. She played in only one
game as a senior because she suffered a season-ending knee injury and underwent
surgery in December 2009. She played in 55 career games and had 342 points, 220
rebounds and 102 steals. She was considered among the top seniors in the state
prior to her knee injury.
Aaron Watts, McCreary Central
The
6-foot-2, 170-pound Watts is one of the state’s top three-sport athletes in
recent years. He was named first-team All-State by The Courier-Journal in
football, is likely a first-team All-State basketball player and is also one of
the state’s top baseball players. He is being recruited in all three sports. In
basketball, Watts led his team in scoring and steals as a junior and a senior.
He averaged more than 20 points a game as a senior. In the prestigious Lexington
Catholic Tournament in December 2009, Watts averaged 23 points a game. In
football, Watts was a first-team All-State player as a defensive back and also
played several positions on offense. Watts had 1,101 yards rushing and 16
touchdowns, 530 yards passing and four TDs, three interceptions and one fumble
recovery. He returned 91 yards for a TD and had 71 tackles as a senior.
During his career, Watts finished with 3,494 yards rushing and 38 TDs, 1,450
yards passing and 14 TDs, 15 two-point conversions, 616 yards receiving and 5
TDs, three TD kickoff returns, 256 tackles and nine interceptions. In baseball,
Watts is considered one of the top outfielders in the state. His mother, Trina,
played basketball at Western Kentucky University.
Here is Kentucky Farm Bureau's announcement
following this year's event:
KENTUCKY FARM BUREAU
9201
Bunsen Parkway • P.O. Box 20700 • Louisville, KY 40250-0700
Phone 502.495.5000
• Fax 502.495.5114 • kyfb.com
For
Immediate Release Contact: Dan Smaldone
Director of Public Relations
502.495.5191 – Office
502.303.7160 – Cell
Daniel.Smaldone@kyfb.com
Kentucky Farm Bureau Honors
High School Athletes of the Year
Louisville, KY
(April 29, 2010) – Jackie Hafele of Sacred Heart Academy and
Aaron Watts of McCreary Central High School were recognized as the Kentucky Farm
Bureau High School Athletes of the Year during yesterday's Kentucky Athletic
Hall of Fame 2010 Induction ceremony.
Sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Companies, the high school honors
came following a vote by sportswriters and sportscasters throughout the state.
Kentucky Farm Bureau President Mark Haney said the sponsorship underscores the
organization’s commitment to young people. “We’re pleased to provide the
recognition for outstanding high school athletes,” Haney said. “Athletics are an
important element of the high school experience and in many instances a key part
of the culture in rural communities. Farm Bureau has a presence throughout the
state and so it is very fitting that we support this initiative.”
Hafele
is a two-sport standout at Sacred Heart Academy. A senior, she was named
Kentucky’s “Miss Soccer” and a National Soccer Coaches Association
 All-American
after leading Sacred Heart to its third consecutive state championship. She had
11 goals and nine assists in leading the Valkyries to a 19-1-2 record. She has
signed to play soccer at Butler University.
Kentucky Farm
Bureau President
Mark
Haney presents the 2010 Kentucky Farm Bureau Female High School Athlete of the
Year award to Sacred Heart Academy’s Jackie Hafele.
Hafele
also was a basketball star for the 7th Region power but suffered a season-ending
knee injury in the opening game of this season. She had been rated as one of the
top senior players for the 2009-10 season.
Watts
is a three-sport standout. In football, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior was named
first team All-State as a defensive back. On offense he ran for 1,101 yards and
had 530 yards passing. He had 16 touchdowns rushing and passed for four TDs.
He was
named to The Courier-Journal’s All-State basketball team after averaging
23 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He led the 12th Region school in
scoring the past two seasons and was named the region’s top player this year.
Kentucky Farm Bureau President Mark Haney presents the 2010 Kentucky Farm Bureau
Male High School Athlete of the Year award to McCreary Central High School’s
Aaron Watts.
Watts
also is an outstanding baseball player. He plays center field and pitches for
the Raiders. He wants to play college basketball but hasn’t selected a school.
The two
high school stars were honored along with eight individuals inducted into the
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. Those inductees were football greats Jeff Brohm
(Trinity High School, University of Louisville and professionally); Wilbur
Hackett (Manual High School, the University of Kentucky and a long-time
Southeastern Conference official) and Dan Neal (Atherton High School, UK and
professionally); basketball standouts Mike Pratt (UK and professionally), Lillie
Mason Stockton (Olmstead High School and Western Kentucky University) and Donna
Wise (Campbellsville University coach); golfer Buddy Demling of Louisville; and
NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip of Owensboro.
# # #
Recalling last year's event:
Mathies, Whiting, Named 2009
KFB High School Athletes of
the Year
Louisville,
KY. (April 30, 2009) – Iroquois High School’s
Adia Mathies and Trinity High
School’s Jordan Whiting were honored as
the 2009 Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year during
yesterday’s Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Banquet in Louisville.
The awards were
voted on by sportswriters and sportscasters from across the state and were
sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Cos.
“For the past 20
years, Kentucky Farm Bureau has been proud to support and be affiliated with the
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame which recognizes superior athletic achievement,
all the while lending support to Kosair Charities,” said Kentucky Farm Bureau
second vice president Eddie Melton.
“We congratulate both Adia and Jordan on their outstanding accomplishments and
recognize the bright future they have ahead of them as they move forward in
their careers.”
The Kentucky Farm
Bureau Female High School Athlete of the Year, Mathies, has been one of the top
girls’ basketball players in the state for a number of years, playing at the
varsity level since she was in sixth grade. She has signed to play for the
University of Kentucky. The Louisville senior averaged close to 17 points and 12
rebounds this season, leading the Lady Raiders to a 33-1 record and the state
title, while holding a 3.5 grade point average. Mathies, a Full Court Press High
School All-American, was ranked by ESPN as the 13th best shooting
guard in the country and 65th overall player. She was recently named
Kentucky’s Miss Basketball.
The
Kentucky Farm Bureau Male High School Athlete of the Year, Whiting, was a
linebacker on the Trinity football team. The Louisville senior became the first
person in school history to be part of four state championship football teams
and has signed to play for Ohio State University. Whiting was named first-team
All-State as a junior and senior, named to three first-team All-American teams
as a senior, was a finalist for Mr. Football, and was a nominee to the U.S. Army
All-American Bowl.
He was a finalist
in the National Alliance of African American Athletes’ Watkins Award, which
promotes academic excellence among African American athletes. Whiting also
helped Trinity win state titles in wrestling, power lifting, and track and field
while holding a 3.8 grade-point average.
# # #
Read the March
2009 announcement of the
Kentucky Farm Bureau
2009 High School Athletes of the Year
Click here.
From our 2008 event:
Lexington, Frankfort Students Named
2008 High School Athletes of the Year
Tennis Champ, Three-Sport Star Were Honored April
30, 2008
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.
# # # | 
