Bourbon’s Kaysn Gnau, Team Kentucky FBU clinch Central Region MS Title; Punch ticket to Florida
Bourbon County Middle School eighth grader Kaysn Gnau.
Gnau and Colonel teammate Steffen Baierlein tried out and were both selected to the very talented football squad
IVAN K. RICE I doctorofsports@aol.com
PARIS, KY – The Bourbon County Middle School football program continues to make waves beyond its own field, thanks to two standout athletes who recently tested their skills against some of the best in the state. Eighth graders Kaysn Gnau and Steffen Baierlein earned the opportunity to try out for the prestigious Team Kentucky FBU Middle School 8th grade football squad, a program that brings together top talent from across the Commonwealth for a chance to compete on a national stage.
WE ARE BOURBON COUNTY – Steffen Baierlein and Kaysn Gnau are pictured following a Team Kentucky FBU practice. Both earned spots on the prestigious squad, though Kaysn was the only one to compete in the two Central Region tournament games last weekend at Frederick Douglass High School.
After traveling to Lexington and Bowling Green on back-to-back weekends for tryouts, their efforts paid off. Both Colonels were selected from a pool of more than 300 middle school athletes competing for just 40 roster spots. Gnau made the team as a defensive lineman, while Baierlein earned a spot as a wide receiver on offense.
Baierlein, son of former Bourbon County head football coach Bret Baierlein, ultimately chose not to play with Team Kentucky due to his commitment to the middle school basketball season. Instead, he competed in the Kentucky Middle School All-Star Classic, starting at defensive corner for the Gray team, which went on to dominate the all-star game with a 40–0 victory.
Gnau, meanwhile, suited up for Team Kentucky FBU last weekend at Frederick Douglass High School, where the squad competed in the Central Region with a berth to the Middle School National Championship at stake. Team Kentucky defeated Mokan (Missouri/Kansas) 42-24 on Saturday and then edged Nashville 14-12 in a thriller on Sunday to capture the 2025 Central Region Title.
Gnau and his teammates will now advance to Naples, Florida, December 18-22, to compete for the 8th Grade Middle School National Championship. In addition, Gnau is slated to participate in the Battle of the Regions in March.
“I feel blessed to represent the Paris/Bourbon County area on Team Kentucky,” said Kaysn Gnau. “There’s a lot of talent on this team.” He noted that 22 former FBU players competed in the Kentucky High School Football Championships this past weekend, a testament to the strength of Team Kentucky’s middle school programs.
“It’s been great meeting new teammates and coaches from all across the state,” Gnau added. “I hope we represent Kentucky well and bring home a championship!”
****
The FBU National Championship will be played at the Beautiful State-of-the-Art Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
Paradise Coast Sports Complex features professional-level synthetic turf fields, on-site recreation and entertainment options with high quality food and beverage. Throughout the year, we host tournaments, including youth travel soccer, lacrosse, football and more. You can view the awesome complex at their website: Naples Sports Complex | Paradise Coast Sports Complex
The FBU National Championship celebrates and promotes youth football through uniting all-star athletes of all backgrounds from across the United States in a true, one-of-a-kind national tournament. The only national football tournament of its kind, the annual FBU National Championship crowns a national champion from brackets in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th and 10U.
Bourbon County Middle School eighth grader Steffen Baierlein.
****
The Kentucky Middle School Football Association (KYMSFA) was founded in 2008 to provide a collaborative organization for middle school football coaches across the Commonwealth. The association promotes communication, training, and educational opportunities, establishes standardized rules, and coordinates a championship playoff structure.
KYMSFA is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization made up of public and private member programs from accredited middle or elementary schools (grades 6–8) throughout Kentucky. 
COUNTY PRIDE – Bourbon County eighth grader Kaysn Gnau is a member of the 2025 Team Kentucky FBU football team, which will compete for the National Middle School Football Championship later this month in Naples, Florida. Representing the County Pride, Gnau earned his spot on the roster as a defensive lineman.
REPRESENTING THE COUNTY – Bourbon County eighth grader Steffen Baierlein competed in the Kentucky Middle School Football All-Star Classic as a member of the Gray Team. Although he earned a spot on Team Kentucky FBU, Baierlein chose to opt out in order to focus on middle school basketball. In the all-star game, he started at defensive corner for the winning Gray Team.
