Turpin's Kidd is more than alright at football

ANDERSON TWP. -  The long and short of it is, Turpin High School quarterback Justin Silverstein's top two receiving options are viable weapons. At tight end, 6-foot-4 junior Josh Bell is a nice target to have.

Then, there's Turpin's not-so-secret weapon, dubbed "Mighty Mouse" by some around the program. Leading the Spartans in receiving, receiving yards and touchdowns is Cody Kidd. At  5-foot-4 he's barely past sweating out height requirements for rides at Kings Island.

On the field, he withstands all of the trash-talking teams can bring and routinely brings in the ball for big plays. In their recent win over West Clermont 19-16, Kidd was on the receiving end of a pair of Silverstein slings. Usually, his greetings in the handshake line are far different than what he's heard during games.

"The nastiest thing I've ever heard is, 'Why isn't he on a horse,'" Kidd said grinning.  "I thought it was pretty funny. I just laugh. I show them what I can do and they'll stop talking."

A couple torch routes to the end zone often does the trick. Kidd has thus far resisted the temptation to point to the scoreboard.

"I just don't do much talking, I just let my actions speak for themselves," he said. "I usually hear, 'You're really quick' or 'You're really fast' after a game. They don't really expect that because of my height."

Through four games Kidd has 24 catches for a team-high 211 yards and five touchdowns. He's also averaging 14.5 yards on kickoff returns with a long of 22 yards and has rushed the ball once for 45 yards.

"Cody's development has been tremendous," Turpin coach Kent McCullough said.  "This is a kid that struggled last year. We tried to put him on the field and it just didn't work out. This year with his hard work in the offseason, he was out on the JUGS machine every single day. His hard work's paid off. He's a quick and elusive kid and he causes people to mismatch."

Silverstein, a receiver last year when Lucas Smith was the quarterback, has recognized the mismatches and doesn't hesitate to thread the needle to No. 3. When not playing baseball (he's also Turpin's shortstop) during the summer, Silverstein found time to work on pass routes with Kidd.

"There's just some sort of connection we have," Silverstein said of Kidd. "With his speed and quickness, it's unguardable. I trust he's going to be in spots. I know he's going to be there."

Along with junior running back Reece Evans (brother of Lang), the Spartans have a potent offense that has remained balanced. Turpin is third in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in passing and third in rushing.

"For us to be successful, we need all hands on deck every single week," McCullough said. "Reece has done a great job of running the rock for us and Kaidan Naughton has stepped in and given him some relief. We have a group of kids that are hungry and want to win."

Back to Kidd, he's actually grown an inch since last year when he checked in at 5-3. For whatever reason, Turpin's had their fill of players who may know the "Lollipop Guild" dance from "The Wizard of Oz." Historically, they've all been tough kids who will put a licking on those who underestimate them.

From last year alone, there was 5-foot-6 kicker Harry Sand, who was also reliable on the wrestling mat. Griffen Durso at 5-foot-6 was an interception machine and his 5-foot-9 brother, Spencer, was a regular contributor. The Spartans also had 5-foot-7 Nick Haddad and 5-foot-5 Matt Milliken. Kidd has come from a long line of little guys.

"I knew what I was getting into with Turpin," McCullough said smiling. "I knew they weren't the biggest, but they're some tough-fighting kids. They're fundamentally sound. You can put a lot on their plate and their work ethic is tremendous. The parents have done a great job. This is a first-class community. I'm just enjoying watching them play ball. It's fun to watch."

Short or not, the Spartans have a tall order Friday when they host Kings. The Knights are 3-1 having just beat Anderson 35-14 and are ranked No. 1 in the region in Division II in terms of computer points. A victory by Turpin would equal their total of all of last season.