Published: November 24, 2009 07:52 am      

MARK MAYNARD: Standout Blackcat QB has area ties 11/24/09

While last Friday marked the end of the season for northeastern Kentucky football teams, a couple in eastern Kentucky — Prestonsburg and Sheldon Clark — are preparing for Friday night’s semifinals in their respective classes.

Prestonsburg is undefeated at 13-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 2A. Sheldon Clark is 9-4 and plays Somerset in Class 3A.

Michael Burchett, the quarterback of a Prestonsburg offense that has scored 546 points and racked up nearly 5,000 yards total offense, has some Ashland ties.

His mother, Becky Heffner Burchett, graduated from Paul G. Blazer High School in 1975 and his grandfather, Earle Heffner, is a former Tomcat player from the 1940s.

The 83-year-old Heffner has traveled far and wide in his 1989 Cadillac over the last three years watching his grandson deliver win after win for the Blackcats.

“They’ve got a bunch of scrappers and he can throw the ball whever he wants to throw it,” Earle said.

Heffner played on Ashland’s 1943 team. He didn’t play as a junior when the Tomcats were recognized as state champion in 1942.

“I played as a senior as a tackle,” he said. “I had to quit and work weekends after my father died. My highlight, I played the whole spring game (before his senior year).”

His grandson may do him one better. The Blackcats play DeSales in Louisville on Friday night. If they win, a battle with undefeated Fort Campbell likely awaits in the finals the following week in Bowling Green.

The 6-foot-2 Burchett has been nothing shy of fabulous, throwing for 2,772 yards and 35 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He has completed about 68 percent of his passes.

“I’m telling you, he can throw it,” said his grandfather.

But Earle Heffner says don’t look at him for passing on the athlete genes to his grandson. He does have a hunch where it may have come from though.

“The only thing I can think of is his great-grandmother, my wife’s mother,” Earle said.

That would be Grace VanHorn, who was an All-State basketball player two years for the state champion Ashland Kittens in 1921-22. “Now she was an athlete,” Heffner said.

Burchett’s dizzying passing has helped Prestonsburg have one of its greatest seasons ever. His father, Dr. Blake Burchett, is from Prestonsburg. “That’s his hometown,” Earle said.

Prestonsburg won a tight one in the regional finals last week, defeating rugged Corbin 23-7 after falling behind early. Burchett threw three touchdown passes.

Earle Heffner won’t be at the game Friday because of the long drive and expected drop in temperatures. “I don’t get that far away from Ashland and it will be cold,” he said. “I’ve had some heart trouble. I was lucky (this November). In previous years I’ve had to miss some of the November games (because of cold temperatures).”

Heffner makes the 80-mile trek to Prestonsburg usually by himself to watch his grandson play football.

He may be able to hitch a ride on the Blackcat bandwagon to Bowling Green for the state finals if Friday night goes as expected.

Michael Burchett is the youngest of three siblings. His brother and sister, like Michael, were academic stars. His brother is in the third year of medical school and his sister graduated from Transylvania.

Heffner said Michael wants to play football in college and Miami of Ohio has shown some interest. But he has a higher calling. “They’re Catholic, so he’d like to play for Notre Dame,” Heffner said. “But they haven’t been calling.”

Maybe they should.

This much is for sure: Burchett’s numbers should warrant some Mr. Football consideration at the least.

For now, he’s more concerned with getting Prestonsburg another shot at a state championship — and a few more miles on his grandfather’s Cadillac.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.