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Blayne Pugh
Pendleton County football senior offensive and defensive lineman Blayne Pugh has committed to play for Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro. KWC is coached by former University of Kentucky star Craig Yeast.
Pugh has been a stalwart of Wildcat football’s offensive and defensive line providing size, depth, consistency, footwork and heart. Standing at 6’4 and one of the heaviest players on the team, Pugh is a Mack truck.
Pugh’s signing to KWC is historic in the annuals of Pendleton County football history. Pugh is the first player in school history to sign with a Division II school.
“Weslyan just seemed like the perfect spot for me. It’s a little town where everyone knows each other and they take football seriously,” said Pugh.
The late University of Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman was revered for his ability to take undeveloped instate offensive line prospects and turn them into SEC level players. Walton-Verona’s Cole Mosier, Henderson County’s Mason Wolfe and West Jessamine’s Eli Cox all come to mind as prospects who developed into solid players. KWC and Craig Yeast’s coaching staff undoubtedly see Pugh in a similar mold. A player with the right size and heart that requires continued training to reach his full potential as a player. Pendleton County Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Kyle Pettit, who formerly started on the offensive line at Georgetown College, did a great job of building a foundation with Pugh. Pettit’s coaching will give Yeast’s staff something to build off.
In a year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, recruiting was different in many regards. Pugh did his due diligence when he decided to put himself out there for college coaching staffs. The challenges of small town living and lack of in-person accessibility limited the coaching staff’s reach.
“The main difference was that colleges did not have any in-person camps, so all recruiting and evaluation was done by “film” - video footage of games,” said Head Coach Brian Burgemeir. “While film has always been used for recruiting, the face-to-face evaluation was lost this year. We work hard to make sure our athletes have good quality film to send to colleges.”
Not only were traditional recruiting practices disrupted, but so to were traditional off-season training and practice regiments. Something as basic as off-season weightlifting and conditioning became an obstacle for Burgemeir and his staff to overcome.
“COVID was definitely a set back for a while I didn’t even think I was going to get a senior season,” said Pugh. “The team didn’t get any weight training for the season so it was definitely strange to play with out having our bodies completely ready and it made it harder to go on visits to schools.”
Even with the odds against him, Pugh still prevailed in getting his name on the radar of coaches. Pugh hopes to bring his knowledge and ability to read a defense to the next level. As high IQ player, Pugh will be a valuable asset to KWC going forward.