25 CLASS 4A FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2022
 

MAC ARMSTRONG, QB, BISHOP MIEGE

It brings little comfort to the Miege program that the Stags’ two-year absence from the state title game is only because they lost in the state semis to the eventual Class 4A champ, not after winning the title five straight years before that. Armstrong is hoping his experience last year as the starting quarterback will give Miege the foundation to end the team’s “drought” and start a new state title streak. Armstrong threw for 2,650 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Armstrong will have protection up front with three starting linemen returning. He’ll also have senior wide receiver Tommy Wright returning from a 581-yard, 6-touchdown season.  

WYATT BAHM, RB-LB, ARKANSAS CITY
 
After an emotional 2021 season that abruptly ended after the death of linebacker-running back Rhett Lathers in an auto accident, the Bulldogs are looking to bounce back from a 3-6 record. Bahm, who earned all-state honorable mention and All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division II second-team honors at linebacker, was a top performer on a defense that returns eight starters. He recorded 36 tackles – 9 for losses – and 4 sacks along with 13 quarterback pressures and a pair of forced fumbles. The 180-pound senior and two-time state wrestling placer also provides experience at running back, and will try to make things easier for quarterback Gabe Welch, who returns after sustaining a season-ending injury midway through last season.

 

SAM BECKER, TE-DL, MCPHERSON
 
McPherson’s defense featured four first-team All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division III players last season. Becker is the lone returnee, and will anchor a rebuilding defensive line. The senior proved he is plenty capable last season, leading the Bullpups with 88 tackles – averaging 11 stops per game –  to earn KSHSAA Covered Class 4A honorable mention. As a tight end, Becker caught only six passes for 98 yards last season, but half of the receptions went for touchdowns. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Becker has the frame to present matchup problems.
 

CAMDEN BEEBE, OL, KC PIPER

Piper is under new leadership, swapping Piper alum John Black for Rick Pollard following a 7-4 season, and entering its first year in the United Kansas Conference. But expect consistency at the line of scrimmage for the Pirates. Beebe, who is a Kansas State commit, gives Piper elite strength at the line and on both sides of the ball. Beebe and his offensive line crew have shown the ability to create room for dual-threat senior quarterback Logan Ladish to make plays all over the field. 
Carroll will likely miss his backfield stablemate, quarterback Maxwell Ford, who transferred along with defensive lineman Sa’o Siavi’i to Lee’s Summit North in Missouri. But the 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior running back will likely not miss a beat from the 1,608 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns he produced last season. Carroll will have a whole new group of defenders to batter as the Saints move down to Class 4A, joining the other private school powerhouses St. James Academy and Bishop Miege.

 

LEVI COOLEY, OL, BASEHOR-LINWOOD

Cooley is a four-year starter on the offensive line for the Bobcats and is one of three returners up front for a Basehor team that only returns four starters on offense after the graduation of 27 seniors off last year's 9-1 team – the only loss to eventual champion St. James Academy. Cooley is a monster at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds and is drawing interest from a bulk of the MIAA schools. He was a firs-team All-United Kansas Conference pick and first-team All-4A selection by KSHSAA Covered.
 

ISAIAH COPPAGE, DB, BISHOP MIEGE

Coppage enters his senior season as Miege’s top returning tackler. He brought down the ball carrier 52 times last season as a defensive back, where he also hauled in an interception. His leadership on defense will be key for a Miege team looking to return to the state final for the first time in three seasons, after having won five straight Class 4A state titles before that.
 

DAGEN DEAN, DE, CHANUTE
 
Dean caught 23 passes for 427 yards and seven touchdowns last season, but his biggest impact for the Comets is clearly on the defensive side of the ball. As a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive end, Dean wrapped up the ball carrier 62 times, including 12 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to go along with nine sacks. Dean not only continues to get stronger, he’s getting faster as well. He was a member of Chanute’s state winning 4x100-meter relay team. Chanute is looking to improve upon an 8-2 season last fall.

MATTHEW EDDY, WR-LB, BUHLER
 
Graduation losses hit hard for the 2021 Class 4A semifinalist Crusaders, taking with it KSHSAA Covered Top 11 pick and career rushing leader Sam Elliott and All-Class 4A defensive end Bo Van Bruggen among others. But Eddy gives Buhler a familiar face on both sides of the ball. The senior caught 23 passes for 453 yards and four touchdowns last season and provided Buhler with a threat to go the distance in the return game. The talented baseball and basketball player is among three returning starters on offense and one of two on defense.
 

JESSE GREENLY, RB, ATCHISON
 
With the graduation of Atchison’s top two receivers, Greenly will be one of the few returning skill players for his team this year. The senior running back already showed that he can carry most of the workload for his squad. Greenly rushed for 1,464 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. He also added 62 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Greenly helped lead Atchison to an 8-2 record, before losing 50-7 against Eudora in the regional round of the playoffs.

JAYTIN GUMM, RB, MCPHERSON
 
Gumm, a senior, notched his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season last fall, finishing with 1,036 yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games. The Bullpups’ other contest was a forfeit victory over Arkansas City. The All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division III first-team and All-4A honorable-mention choice put that together after running for 1,329 yards and 13 TDs as a sophomore. Coach Jace Pavlovich had offseason concerns about an injury Gumm sustained in the spring. With him in the lineup, McPherson has seven returning offensive starters off its 7-3 team.
 

JADEN HAMM, TE, EUDORA

Hamm is one of the top recruits in the state, having committed to play at Arkansas. The senior tight end gives the Cardinals elite blocking on the edge and in space, allowing the team’s flexbone offense to carve up opposing defenses. Eudora looks to improve upon its 6-5 record from a season ago.
 

TY LEEDY, RB-LB, CHANUTE

Chanute returns most of its offensive weapons from last year’s 8-2 campaign. That includes Leedy, who rushed for 1,150 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior last fall. With senior quarterback Eric Erbe slinging the ball around to wide receivers senior Dagen Dean and junior Kaiden Seamster out of the spread, defenses have to pick their poison. More often than not, Leedy makes those defenses payand he was the Southeast Kansas Conference player of the year last year.

JACKSON MCWILLIAMS, K, TONGANOXIE

McWilliams has converted 70 of 72 extra-point attempts through his first two seasons of high school after going a perfect 29 of 29 last year. He also connected on all four of his field goal attempts, putting him at 7 of 8 for his career, with a long of 41 from his freshman season. A soccer standout as well, McWilliams also forced seven touchbacks on kickoffs. He took over punting duties last season, holding a 36.8 yard average.
 

KALE MURDOCK, OL-DL, PAOLA

Murdock, along with junior Eli Richmond, will give Paola a pair of experienced offensive linemen on a team that lost all of its offensive production to graduation. It will not be a new experience for Murdock and his teammates. Paola also returned just two starters last fall, but still finished with a 6-4 record.
 

JOHN NIESEN, WR, ST. JAMES ACADEMY

For a team with a strong complement of returners, Niesen will be a key player for the skills group that is actually looking to replace quite a few key departures. He had 1,275 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns last year, although Niesen won’t be hauling in those passes from quarterback Jackson House, who transferred to Dunham in Louisiana. Niesen will also not have dynamic playmaker Ty Claiborne playing opposite of him or running back Tiave Watts keeping the eyes of the opposing defense in the backfield. But if Niesen is able to find chemistry with new starting quarterback Ben Wheeler, the Thunder should still roll this season.  

HAYDEN OVIATT, QB, WAMEGO

One of the state's top multi-sport athletes, Oviatt will miss the first half of the 2022 after fracturing a bone in his left foot. An Army commitment, Oviatt is coming off a huge junior season that saw him pass for 1,565 yards and 27 touchdowns and rush for 1,485 yards and 15 more scores. Oviatt was also a 1,000-1,000 guy as a sophomore starting QB in 2020. He was a first-team All-Class 4A selection by KSHSAA Covered last year and followed up his big football season with an undefeated Class 4A state wrestling title at 195 pounds and earned All-State honors in baseball.
 

JACKSON ROONEY, OL-DL, LOUISBURG
 
Rooney made all-Frontier League last season for his performance on the Wildcats' defensive line. Along with defensive back Jase Hovey and linebackers Nathan Vincent and Layne Ryals, first-year head coach Drew Harding will have proven players all across his defense. Louisburg went 4-5 last season.

ISAAC SAYE, K-P, ANDOVER CENTRAL
 
The Jaguars were a complete team in 2021, advancing all the way to the Class 4A championship game, and Saye helped to make special teams a strength. The senior handled Central’s punting and place-kicking duties, setting a single-season school record for punting average at 38.4 yards to earn KSHSAA Covered Class 4A first-team honors. He also booted 34 of 35 extra points and 4 of 9 on field goals with a season long of 38 yards. He was voted All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division II first-team punter and second-team kicker. Saye also plays wide receiver and linebacker for the Jaguars.
 

ADRION SEALS, WR-DB, EUDORA

Eudora had to replace both quarterback Gage Hayden and head coach Sean Hayden heading into this season. Former assistant and first-year head coach Drew Steffen will have an easier transition thanks to Seals returning. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound junior receiver hauled in 30 receptions for 757 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. His presence on an experienced defensive roster will also give the Cardinals a chance to avoid taking a step back from its 6-5 record in 2021 despite some significant roster turnover.  

TY SMITH, WR-DB, CIRCLE
 
Circle won six games for the first time in 20 years last season, and Smith’s connection with departed quarterback Luke McGinnis was a big reason why. The athletic Smith caught 40 passes for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns, and was a two-way selection on the All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division III team. Smith enjoyed a monstrous game against Augusta, hauling in 14 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Smith was tough in coverage, intercepting two passes and breaking up five more while registering 60 tackles and a sack.
 

WADE SPENCER, DL, ST. JAMES ACADEMY

Spencer leads a Thunder defense that refused to let offenses get comfortable a season ago. He produced 13.5 of the teams 33 sacks last season and helped pressure opposing quarterbacks into 14 interceptions across 13 games, earning first-team All-State honors from KSHSAA Covered in addition to first-team All-4A honors. Spencer’s presence has been a core reason that the Thunder are looking for the team’s third straight state title.  

COOPER TABOR, WR-DB, ANDOVER CENTRAL
 
Big things seemed to happen for Central last season when Tabor got his hands on the ball. The senior wide receiver, defensive back and return specialist led the Jaguars with 56 receptions for 825 yards and eight touchdowns, and added nine rushing attempts for 122 yards and two scores – an average of 14.6 yards per touch. He also combined for nearly 300 yards on kickoff and punt returns. His offensive production garnered All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division II first-team and All-4A honorable-mention recognition. Defensively, Tabor is back as part of a secondary that should be an asset for the Jaguars. He registered 31 tackles and took one of his three interceptions back for a touchdown.

 

DAWSON TAJCHMAN, DB-WR, WAMEGO

Tajchman was a defensive standout for the Red Raiders last year as Wamego posted a 9-2 mark and reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals. A two-year starter, he recorded 75 tackles and had 4 interceptions, earning first-team All-North Central Kansas League and honorable mention All-4A honors. He also is one of the Red Raiders' top returning receivers, taking on an even bigger role as fellow receiver Collin Donahue moves to quarterback for the start of the season to replace injured All-Stater Hayden Oviatt.
 

KAINEN WHITE, DL, COFFEYVILLE

White leads a large group of young Coffeyville returners. The team has 14 returning starters and only three of those are seniors. The junior defensive lineman led the team with 16.5 tackles for loss last season to go along with five sacks and 45 tackles overall. The Golden Tornado hope that experienced youth will help improve upon the team’s 2-7 record from last fall.