2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
 

 
CLASS 6A
 
2022 State champion: Manhattan
 
2022 State runner-up: Gardner-Edgerton
 
2022 Review: It didn’t take Manhattan long to serve notice it would be a legitimate title contender in Class 6A last season. In the season opener, the Indians rallied from a second-half deficit to knock off perennial finalist Derby 26-23 in overtime. The Indians rolled through a rugged schedule for a perfect regular season capped by a shootout win over explosive Wichita Northwest in the season finale. Manhattan saw both Northwest and Derby in the playoffs, but denied each a shot at revenge, taking a 27-13 quarterfinal win over Northwest and 28-23 semifinal win over Derby to reach its first title game since 2001. On the other side of the state, Gardner-Edgerton looked like anything but a team ready to make a run at a state title, entering the postseason with losses in three of its final five regular season games – even with the east bracket appearing to be wide open with a litany of contenders. But the Trailblazers got hot in the postseason, picking off defending champion Blue Valley Northwest 28-19 in regionals and edging Blue Valley West 21-14 in the quarterfinals. Gardner routed Olathe Northwest to earn its first title appearance since 2009. Down 14-7 in the fourth quarter of the title game, Manhattan sent the game to overtime on Jason Sanchez’s 9-yard run and then got a 2-yard TD from Sanchez to start overtime. Gardner answered with a 2-yard TD run from Dawson Kindler on its OT possession. The Trailblazers elected to go for two and the win, but Dylan Butash was stuffed by the Indian defense, preserving Manhattan’s 21-20 overtime win, a 13-0 season and first state title since 1988. Gardner finished with a 9-4 mark and the second runner-up finish in program history.
 
2023 Contenders: Fresh off capturing its first state title since 1988 and an undefeated 13-0 season, Manhattan will wear the target of defending state champion, but will have a much different look than the team that won the title a year ago. For starters, nearly every bit of the Indians’ offensive production has graduated, starting with Top 11 quarterback Keenan Schartz, who had more than 1,200 yards both rushing and passing and accounted for 31 touchdowns. His spot will be filled by junior Carter Aslin, who completed 71.4% of his passes in back-up duty last year. Senior Charles Morgan is the leading returning rusher, but had only 118 yards. Three starters do return on the offensive line, led by first-team All-Centennial League tackle Andrew Kenney. Defense could be the Indians’ calling card early with eight starters back on that side of the ball, led by senior safeties Max Stanard and Elijah McFadden, who ranked second and fourth on the team in tackles a year ago. Four of last year’s top-six tacklers return overall. After getting hot in the postseason to not only reach the title game but come within a failed two-point conversion of capturing the program’s first state title, Gardner-Edgerton hopes to carry that momentum over to 2023 and establish itself as the team to beat in the east again. The Trailblazers have the offensive firepower to do just that, returning three members of the backfield that combined for more 2,800 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns. Fullback Dawson Kindler led that group with 1,551 yards and 30 TDs last year, earning first-team All-6A honors. Three offensive linemen also return so Gardner’s ground game will be devastating. Only four starters return defensively with three of those in the secondary leaving the Trailblazers some big holes to fill in the front seven. That will be a big key to their ability to get back to the title game again. Manhattan’s road to a state title went through traditional powers Derby and Wichita Northwest, each of whom lost twice to the Indians a year ago. Derby will be especially hungry after missing out on the state championship game for the first time since 2014 with the Panthers capturing five state championships from 2015-2020. Derby is in a similar situation as Manhattan, having to replace a Top 11 pick in departed tailback Dylan Edwards – a three-time first-team All-6A selection – and the bulk of the offensive production around him. Senior Derek Hubbard will look to fill Edwards’ void in the backfield after rushing for 475 and 9 TDs last year while Braxton Clark, son of head coach Brandon Clark, takes over at quarterback for Brock Zerger, who ran and threw for more than 1,000 yards last year. The Panther defense also has some big holes with the graduation of seven of last year’s top-eight tacklers with senior Mason Hopper the lone returner from that group. Senior cornerback Demaria’e Baker is a three-year starter and one of the best in the state. Northwest traditionally has one of the state’s most potent offenses and despite losing All-6A back LJ Phillips (1487 yards, 20 TDs) the Grizzlies once again have one of the best set of weapons in the state. Cencere Thompson ran for 1,262 yards and 17 TDs from his fullback spot last year and will be joined in the backfield by returing quarterback Jayce Glasper, who threw for 1,646 yards and 18 TDs and ran for 668 and 10 scores. His top receivers are back and all-league center Nathan Davis is one of three starters back on the line as eight starters return on offense overall. The defense returns nine starters led by senior lineman Tre Birch and sophomore linebacker Johnmichael Fountain. State champions in 2021, Blue Valley Northwest was bounced from the playoffs in the second round by Gardner last year as the Huskies finished 6-4 after having to replace a stellar senior class off its title team. There are some major holes to fill again this season as All-6A tailback Grant Stubblefield is one of eight starters who have graduated from last year’s offense. The Huskies have a big-time tight end in Gavin Hoffman but must replace four starters on the line and the entire backfield. Nate Livingston moves from the defense to take over at quarterback while Lovie Pulliam takes over as feature back for Stubblefield. Junior linemen Brock Heath, the returning starter, and Andrew Babalola both already have multiple Division I offers. Defensively, Northwest returns six starters led by senior safety Trey Ridley and senior linebackers Logan Holthaus and Colin Matile, who earned All-Eastern Kansas League honors last year. Blue Valley West reached the state quarterfinals last year despite a 5-6 overall mark and returns eight starters on offense, led by senior tailback Safe Huffman who has rushed for more than 2,900 yards and 24 touchdowns the past two seasons. He’s 74 yards away from becoming the leading rusher in school history and four lineman are back to pave his way to the record. Only four starters return on defense, though three are on the line. With Manhattan finally cracking Derby’s stranglehold in the west, a number of challengers would love nothing more than to make their own breakthrough this year. Washburn Rural was 8-3 last year, losing 36-21 to Derby in the quarterfinals. The Junior Blues lost All-6A linebacker Ty Weber, who re-wrote the school’s tackle records, but return a strong core that surrounded him a year ago. Twins JC and Jaren Heim will form a strong 1-2 linebacker duo, both first-team All-Centennial League picks a year ago. They operate behind a pair of standout ends in Packson Bettis and Jamond Lane. Branton DeWeese returns for his third year as starting quarterback and has back his top receiver in Titan Osburn, who had caught 12 of DeWeese’s 25 TD passes last year. Arguably the most prolific passing game in 6A could reside at Wichita East where quarterback Dae’onte Mitchell has started since his freshman season and last year threw for 2,279 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s got his top-three receivers back, led by All-6A pick Marcus White, as well as a 1,000-yard rusher in Rayvelle Leaks, giving the Blue Aces enough firepower to make a big move. The key will be how much the defense can help out as gave up at least 34 points in each of its four losses last year. Junction City is coming off a 7-3 season last year and will have to rebuild much of its offense from a year ago. But the Blue Jays have arguably the best defensive player in the state in senior Michael Boganowski, who was an All-6A pick and is one of the state’s top Division I prospects. Free State has traditionally been among the best in 6A but was just 5-4 a year ago. The Firebirds return five starters on offense and eight on defense, including two-way starters Hank Fuchs on the line and Wesley Edison at quarterback and safety. Edison amassed more than 1,800 total yards last year and Fuchs is a Division I recruit whose dad is an assistant at Kansas. Cross-town rival Lawrence was 6-4 last year and returns four starters on the offensive line among seven overall. Only three return defensively. Olathe Northwest reached the state semifinals last year before falling to Gardner and its eight wins were the best in program history. The Ravens will have to replace leading rusher Eric Butler and top lineman Lucas Conover and only return two players who earned All-Sunflower League honors of any kind last year, senior offensive lineman Nathan Leeper and junior defensive lineman Jake Brink. Olathe North had the look of being a title contender after getting off to a 7-0 start that included a win over eventual 5A champion Mill Valley. But the Eagles lost two of their last three, bounced from the playoffs by Blue Valley West in the second round for a somewhat disappointing 8-2 finish. The Eagles are always in the mix, however, and with the return of senior back TJ Porter (1,232 yards, 14 TDs) and four offensive linemen, that shouldn’t change. The key will be rebuilding a defense that lost seven starters including leading tackler Alex Gunderson and All-6A corner Joshua Parrish. Olathe West was 8-3 last season, reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time in 6A. The Owls will sorely miss dual-threat quarterback Mason McGavran, 1,000-yard rusher Vince Gatschet, All-6A lineman Dylan Birge and leading tacklers Cooper Novaeck and Brandon Roupsouay. Olathe South also is coming off a strong 7-3 season and returns standout quarterback Bryce Noernberg, who had nearly 2,400 yards of total offense last year. Blue Valley is a perennial contender as well but is coming off a 5-5 season last year. The Tigers have a bonafide standout tailback in John Price when he’s healthy. He's coming off a 1,000-yard season after missing games last year. The defense is led by Maguire Richman, who had 127 tackles last year.
 

 
CLASS 5A
 
2022 State champion: Mill Valley
 
2022 State runner-up: Maize
 
2022 Review: After meeting in the Class 5A state championship game in 2021, Mill Valley and Maize spent the 2022 season on a collision course for a repeat. And to be honest there was little the rest of Class 5A could do to keep that from happening. Maize ran the table with a perfect regular season, its closest call to a loss coming in a 52-51 shootout win over perennial 6A contender Derby in a battle featuring two eventual Top 11 picks in Maize quarterback Avery Johnson and Derby tailback Dylan Edwards. Mill Valley, meanwhile, suffered just one loss during the season, that coming to 6A contender Olathe North 20-16. Once the playoffs hit, however, the train was rolling. Mill Valley outscored its four opponents 205-0 in getting back to the title game while Maize held a 169-37 edge, which included a 21-14 quarterfinal win over Hutchinson. That set up a rematch of the 2021 title game which Mill Valley won 28-14. It wasn’t complete deja-vu in the 2022 title game, but it wasn’t far off as Mill Valley once again took a 28-14 win. Three Hayden Jay touchdown passes in the second and third quarters staked the Jaguars to a 28-7 lead and sent them on their way to their fourth straight 5A state championship – the longest streak by a 5A team in state history. Mill Valley has won six of the last eight state titles in 5A, the program making its case as the state’s pre-eminent dynasty, though the Jaguars are still looking for their first undefeated season, finishing last year 12-1. Maize also finished 12-1 and runner-up for the second straight year. Blue Valley Southwest and Hays were semifinalists, each making the deepest postseason runs in their programs’ histories. 
 
2023 Contenders: Winners of four straight Class 5A state championships, Mill Valley is closing in on the state record for consecutive state titles of six, shared by Hutchinson (2004-09) and Bishop Miege (2014-19). The drive for five looks to be in good hands despite the graduation of several key starters from last year’s title team, namely from a defense that featured All-5A picks Mikey Bergergon and Holden Zigmant in the secondary and leading tackler Broc Worcester at linebacker. The front end of the defense, however, is stacked this year with the return of All-5A pick Jayden Woods and fellow lineman Truman Griffith. Five starters return on defense overall while eight are back on offense. Hayden Jay’s graduation leaves a big hole at quarterback with senior Daniel Blaine expected to take over the spot. Tristan Baker returns at tailback after leading the Jaguars with 1,437 yards and 20 touchdowns and the offensive line is led by Kansas State commit Gus Hawkins, one of four returners to the unit. Mill Valley is still seeking the first undefeated season in program history and has won six of the last eight 5A state titles. Runner-up to the Jaguars each of the last two seasons, Maize will have a vastly different look to its offense this year. Gone is two-time Top 11 quarterback Avery Johnson, who had nearly 4,000 yards of total offense a year ago and now is at Kansas State. That’s far from it, however. Graduation also claimed All-5A receiver Bryce Cohoon, standout tight end Justin Stephens – the top-two receivers last year – 800-yard rushing tailback Daeshaun Carter as well as All-5A lineman Mason Thrush. Only four starters return offensively with junior receiver Bryson Hayes poised to be a breakout performer this year after being a complement to the Eagles’ weapons last year. The defense also returns just four starters, losing All-5A lineman Caden Miranda and its top four tacklers overall. Senior linebacker Ayden Flores ranked fifth on the team with 59 tackles last year and will lead the revamped unit this year, teaming with fellow senior Christian Hanson who was sixth in tackles with 58. Blue Valley Southwest had a somewhat typical season, taking its lumps in the ultra-tough Eastern Kansas League during the regular season before turning it on in the playoffs. The Timberwolves finished 6-6 overall and reached the state semifinals for the first time in program history before getting routed by Mill Valley 68-0. Southwest is loaded to make a similar run this season, returning eight starters on offense and nine on defense. Senior quarterback Dylan Dunn is a three-year starter coming off a season that saw him throw for 2,784 yards and 28 touchdowns. He returns four of his top-five receivers led by senior Tristan Everard (639 yards, 8 TDs) but developing a ground game to complement the passing game will be a key with Southwest rushing for just 1,206 yards as a team and 934 of that total gone with the graduation of Parker Smith. All-5A corner Trey Thomas (7 interceptions) leads a defense that also returns its top-two tacklers in linebacker Jackson Ready and strong safety Landon Christiansen. Hutchinson gave Maize its toughest test in the playoffs, falling 21-14 in the quarterfinals after knocking off Bishop Carroll in the second round. The Salthawks return their entire offensive line from a year ago, led by All-5A pick Daylee VanSyckle, but have big holes in the skill positions with the graduated versatile back Noah Khokhar. The defense returns six starters led by All-5A pick Terrell King, the Salthawks’ leading tackler last year with 107, and fellow 100-tackle linebacker Kevin Wilson. The early playoff exit has no doubt stuck with Carroll throughout the offseason and will serve as motivation. The Golden Eagles return Air Force commit Jackson King at quarterback after he racked up more than 2,300 combined rushing and passing yards last year. He’s lost top receiver and All-5A pick Tate Blasi and four of his five offensive linemen though the lone returning starter up front is a good one in 6-5, 310-pound senior Hank Purvis. Six starters return on defense, which lost All-5A end Walt Gray and linebacker Sam Duling. Carroll’s arch rival, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, has arguably the top tailback in the state in senior Omari Elias, who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards each of the last two seasons. He could only carry the Crusaders to a 5-5 mark last season as Kapaun had to replace the bulk of his surrounding cast from the 2021 season. This year, nearly everyone is back on offense with nine starters back, including three-year starting quarterback Dylan Hamilton and four of five linemen. Six starters are back on defense though the Crusaders will miss All-5A pick Nathan Fury, the heart of the squad the past two years as its leading tackler. Even having to replace Top 11 pick Jaren Kanak from the 2021 squad, Hays enjoyed the deepest run in school history as the Indians advanced to the state semifinals before falling to Maize. The only other loss in a 10-2 season came to 6A champion Manhattan. Hays will have to almost completely rebuild a defense that returns only three part-time starters from last year with All-5A end Bryce Salmans among the graduation losses. The offense, however, returns five starters including All-5A back Malik Bah, who ran for 1,633 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. Three other returning starters are on the offensive line, giving Bah experience to work behind. De Soto has been one of the most consistent teams in 5A during Brian King’s tenure and went 9-2 last year, losing to Blue Valley Southwest in a wild 69-35 quarterfinal shootout. The Wildcats are loaded with experience with seven starters back on offense including quarterback Carson Miller (1,152 rushing yards, 16 TDs) and fullback touchdown machine Bennett Hutchison (16 TDs). The defense will miss leading tackler Sam Torline, an All-5A pick but returns two-time all-league corner Cole Heitman and five other starters. After going winless in 2021, Goddard enjoyed a nice turnaround with a 5-4 season last year. With Micah Johnson back after rushing for 927 yards and 12 TDs, as well as three other first-team all-league performers and four more who earned other honors, the Lions could get back to a position where they once again challenge for a state championship game berth, taking second in 4A in 2018. Great Bend also enjoyed a big turnaround season, even bigger than Goddard, going from an 0-fer in 2021 to a 7-3 mark last year. The Panthers lost standout quarterback Cayden Scheuerman and leading receiver Braylon Council but return leading rusher Cody Miller and three starting offensive linemen. Five of the top-seven tacklers are also back. Salina Central followed up its turnaround 2021 7-3 season with an 8-3 mark last year, losing to Hays in the state quarterfinals. The Mustangs lost AVCTL II offensive player of the year Kenyon McMillan to graduation but return dual-threat quarterback Gunnar Gross, who had nearly 3,000 yards of total offense and 36 touchdowns and unanimous all-league lineman Gage Gibson. Seven starters return on both sides of the ball. Pittsburg was 7-4 last year, losing to Mill Valley in the quarterfinals. The Purple Dragons return a load of experience with 15 guys back who started at some point on either offense or defense. Senior back Wyatt Rink was just under 900 yards last year and linebacker Gabe Kimzey had 70 tackles. Valley Center also had a nice bounce-back season last year going 7-3 after a 2-7 mark in 2021. The Hornets return a dynamic back in senior Dai’Mont Mucker, who had games of 300-plus yards last year and finished with 1,864 yards and 18 touchdowns overall. The defense lost All-5A linebacker Cameron Bowyer but like the offense returns seven starters led by lineman Trey Heitsman. Highland Park ended the state’s longest losing streak last year (65 games) and went 6-3 overall, getting upset in the playoff opener by Emporia. The Scots will have to have to replace a stellar senior class that weathered the storm to author the breakthrough, including do-everything All-5A pick Tre Richardson and Meadowlark Conference defensive player of the year Mackey James. The Scots return seven starters overall. Looking for this year’s turnaround programs in 5A? Look to Maize South (4-5 last year), Lansing (3-6) and Liberal (3-6). Maize South has a top-notch passing combo in junior Tate McNew and senior Sammy Dresie. McNew threw for 2,420 yards and 18 touchdowns a year ago while Dresie had 1,063 yards and 9 TDs. Liberal will also lean on a deadly passing game with the return of quarterback Brooks Kappelmann (1,428 yards, 15 TDs) and receiver Zayden Martinez. Same for Lansing, which returns quarterback Dalton Jorgensen (2,000-plus yards) and receiver Lexton Grafke (1,148 yards). Spring Hill and Shawnee Heights each went 5-5 and return standout backs in Allen Baughman for Heights and Colton McKanna for the Broncos. 
 

 
CLASS 4A
 
2022 State champion: Bishop Miege
 
2022 State runner-up: Wamego
 
2022 Review: It had been two years since Bishop Miege saw its streak of six straight Class 4A state championships ended by Eastern Kansas League rival St. James Academy, which took back-to-back crowns in 2020 and 2021. But with the Thunder’s reign coming to an end with a quarterfinal loss to 4A newcomer St. Thomas Aquinas, the throne was there for the taking and the Stags were more than equipped to get it back. After losing two of its final three regular-season games, Miege found its typical groove in the 4A postseason. The Stags survived a big-time scare from Eudora in the regionals, pulling out a 33-27 victory and after rolling Piper 68-20 earned a rematch with Aquinas, which had taken a 29-26 regular-season win. This time, the Stags got their revenge, taking a 38-28 win to return to the title game. Their opponent was Wamego, which was making its first trip ever to the state championship game. The Red Raiders had ridden a stingy defense to an undefeated regular season, allowing just 41 points in their first eight games. After dispatching 2021 runner-up Andover Central 42-7 in the quarterfinals, Wamego topped McPherson 33-16 in the semifinals to earn its shot at Miege. Wamego was within 21-14 at halftime and drove to the Miege 5 on its opening possession of the second half. But Miege’s defense rose up, made the stop and shut out the Red Raiders in the second half as Miege took a 35-14 victory. The title was the program’s 11^th overall, giving the Miege the most of any program in state history after previously being tied with Lawrence and Smith Center. Miege finished 11-2 while Wamego ended up one win shy of perfection at 12-1.
 
2023 Contenders: Is last year’s state title the start of a new streak for Bishop Miege? The Stags saw their six-year reign ended by St. James Academy’s two-year stint atop 4A in 2020 and 2021, but they returned to the top of the class a year ago, putting together a 10-2 record overall. Miege will have to replace Top 11 quarterback Mac Armstrong, who took his place in the recent lineage of Stag QB greats with a season where he threw for 3,865 yards and 39 touchdowns. Also gone is All-4A receiver Isaiah Coppage (1,309 yards, 17 TDs), but virtually everyone else is back on an offense that averaged 41 points per game last year. Junior Marco Rodriguez steps in to fill Armstrong’s spot at QB and will have the luxury of having leading rusher David Garcia (774 yards, 12 TDs), second-leading receiver Teryn Jackson (876 yards, 8 TDs) and four of five offensive lineman back to ease the transition. Baker North and Jeremy Sleicher lead the linemen as All-4A picks last year. The defense returns seven starters including leading tackler Justyce Betts (86.5 tackles). One of two teams to beat Miege last year, arch rival St. Thomas Aquinas went 9-3 in its first year in 4A after dropping down from 5A where the Saints have been a perennial contender and multi-time finalist, winning a state title in 2018. Aquinas topped Miege 29-26 in the regular season but fell 38-28 in the state semifinals. The Saints graduated All-5A back and ground-game workhorse Sean Carroll, who ran for 1,622 yards and 28 touchdowns last year. But almost everyone else is back, including four of five linemen led by All-4A pick Carson Kraft. But the strength of this Aquinas team likely will be its defense where a whopping nine starters return from a squad that was stout against the run a year ago. For good reason with standouts Kian Payne and Julian Marks manning the front line and Wyatt Potter and Luke Hancock leading a strong linebacking corps. The Saints return their top-four tacklers led by Hancock (74) and Potter (62) and three starters return in the secondary. Gianni Rizzi ran for more than 800 yards a year ago and is the top returning skill player for the Saints. Bidding to become the first public school champion in 4A since Buhler in 2013, Wamego came up just short, its undefeated season ending with a loss to Miege in the title game. The Red Raiders’ title-game appearance was a first for the program and they’d love nothing more than to get another crack at a title in 2023. A stingy defense was a big reason Wamego made history a year ago as the Red Raiders gave up just 118 points all season, 35 of that in the title-game loss to Miege. The unit will be the team’s strength this year as graduation took a big hit on the offense, claiming Army signee Hayden Oviatt, All-4A quarterback Collin Donahue, who manned the role all season after a preseason injury sidelined Oviatt until late in the season, and top receivers Hagan Johnson and Chase Cottam. Leading rusher Thomas McIntyre returns to build around on offense with senior Pruitt Nowlin likely taking over at quarterback. Defensively, Gannon Couture returns after being an All-4A pick and the team’s leading tackler a year ago with 105. The Red Raiders have standouts at every level on the defense with Wyatt Burgess back at defensive end and Drew Pettay leading the secondary returners. After two years atop 4A, St. James Academy couldn’t quite follow the same formula it used during its title runs – start slowly, finish strong. The Thunder dropped their first three games last year and after winning four straight, finished the season 6-5, losing in the quarterfinals to St. Thomas Aquinas after beating the Saints in the regular season for the first time in program history. The challenge will be even greater for the Thunder this year as only two starters return on both offense and defense. One of the two back on defense is a big one however as senior linebacker Spencer Dohm was far and away the leading tackler a year ago with his 101 tackles triple anyone else on the team. The offense gets almost a complete overhaul, especially in the passing game with the graduation of quarterback Blake Boydston and receivers John Niesen, Callahan Huston and Finn Burritt. If not for Wamego, it would have been McPherson making history by reaching the state championship game for the first time in program history. The Bullpups lost 33-16 to the Red Raiders in the state semifinals, falling one win shy of the title game. To get back into that position again this year, McPherson has some serious reloading to do on offense as graduation claimed all but 132 of last year’s 2,329 rushing yards, every passing yard and all but 407 of the 1,571 receiving yards. Offensive lineman Joe Nutt is one of four returning starters to the unit. The defense returns just three starters, but leading tackler Teegan Haines (112 tackles) is back along with fellow linebacker Javyn Alexander. After finishing runner-up in 2021, Andover Central went 7-4 last year and reached the quarterfinals before losing to Wamego. The Jaguars face a similar rebuild on offense as McPherson does, graduating a large percentage of last year’s production among 16 seniors. The strength for Central on both sides of the ball will be in the trenches with the return of two-way starters Kyle Newsom and Dawson Rodd, each of whom were first-team All-AVCTL II picks last year. Two other starters join them as a returners on the O-line and senior defensive back Jace Adler is the leading returning tackler, ranking third on the team a year ago. Look for Buhler to experience a bounce-back season after going just 4-5 a year ago. The Crusaders were 10-2 and semifinalists in 2021 and six seasons of eight wins or more since their state championship season in 2013. Eight starters return each way for Buhler this season including four offensive linemen, led by Bodey Redenbaugh, ahead of senior quarterback Jeffery Neill, who threw for 1,257 yards. Mitchel McDaniel, an all-league pick in the secondary last year as a sophomore will also take over the primary tailback duties this year, a spot that’s produced multiple Top 11 picks under veteran coach Steve Warner. A 6-3 season was solid, yet still a bit of a disappointment for Basehor-Linwood, which annually is among the short list of challengers in the east. Senior Brady VanDonge returns after throwing for 1,604 yards and 15 TDs and will look to cut down on the 9 interceptions he threw last year. His top complements have graduated and the Bobcats return just five starters on offense. However, seven starters are back on defense led by first-team All-United Kansas Conference defensive back Kaleb Scott and honorable mention picks Sam Lough, Garrett Pierce and Nate Martin. Fellow UKC member Piper stepped up and reached the state quarterfinals, going 7-4 overall. The Pirates will sorely miss Top 11 lineman Camden Beebe and will have almost a completely different look on offense with just two starters back – lineman Jacob Patrykont and running back Zane Pudenz. Five starters do return on defense including leading tackler Aaron Henson, who had 106 tackles last year. Piper’s path to the quarterfinals included a wild 48-47 double-overtime win over then-undefeated Chanute, ending the Blue Comets’ season at 9-1. Chanute returns standout receiver Kaiden Seamster, but graduated quarterback Eric Erbe, leading rusher and tackler Ty Leedy and two-way standout Dagen Dean, among others. Senior lineman Augustus Thuston is one of 4A’s best and is one of three returning starters on the offensive line. Junior Quentin Harding was a young version of Leedy a year ago and figures to lead the team at running back and linebacker this season. Circle is coming off one of the best seasons in program history, going 8-3 a year ago with two of the losses coming to McPherson. The Thunderbirds have a monstrous hole to fill on both sides of the ball in departed All-4A pick Ty Smith, who rewrote the school’s receiving records and starred in the secondary as well. But nearly everyone else is back, including All-4A linebacker Cannon McCormack, who had 126 tackles last season and is part of a backfield tandem along with Westin Rose who combined for more than 1,400 yards and 17 TDs last year. The only other team to beat Circle a year ago was Wellington, which went 5-4 overall. The Crusaders are poised for a breakout season of their own this year with nine starters returning each way including all five offensive line starters. Senior Derrick Lowe is the best of that group as a first-team all-leaguer last year. Second-year coach Jeremiah Meeks has two signal callers to choose from after senior Kenny Redford and junior Dusty Bannister split time there due to injuries. They combined for more than 1,300 yards and 17 TDs. The offense lost leading rusher Malachi Rogers. Atchison is coming off a 9-1 season that saw the Phoenix claim the Meadowlark Conference title. They should be the favorite again for the league crown with six starters back on offense and nine on defense. There’s a huge hole in the backfield with the graduation of All-4A tailback Jesse Greenly (1,879 yards, 35 TDs), but Trey Carter is back at quarterback and Jeter Purdy returns at receiver, both also doubling as leaders on the defense in the secondary. Eudora gave Bishop Miege all it wanted in the second round of the playoffs last year, falling 33-26 to finish the season 8-2. The Cardinals graduated five players who are playing college ball, including Kansas signee and All-4A tight end Jaden Hamm, but return a strong combo in the passing game in quarterback Kole Manley and receiver Adrion Seals with Seals also one of the top secondary players in 4A as well as a dangerous returner. Six starters return on offense overall and seven are back on defense, including leading tackler Braylen Hoobler (99 tackles). Louisburg was the Frontier League champion a year ago, handing Eudora its only regular-season loss. The Wildcats also finished 8-2, losing to Aquinas in the playoffs. Junior linebacker Ashton Moore is one of the top defensive players in 4A and was first-team All-4A last year as a sophomore after making 114 tackles. Senior quarterback Declan Battle threw for 1,027 yards and 8 TDs and ran for 709 yards and 10 scores, but will miss leading rushing Riley VanEaton, leading receiver Mason Dobbins and standout lineman Nathan Vincent. Coffeyville got off to a 4-0 start last year but dealt with injuries to its backfield all season and finished with a 6-4 record. The Golden Tornado have one of the top linemen in 4A in senior Kainen White, a two-way wrecking machine up front and All-4A picks. He’s one of seven starters back on offense and the lone returning defensive linemen for a unit that returns five starters total. Three backs that had more than 350 yards rushing in limited duties a year ago are back as is the twin brother tandem of Amanie and Amir Luten. Expectations are as high as they’ve been in Coffeyville for some time, now the challenge is meeting them. Abilene ended a 25-game losing streak last year and went 4-5 but returns nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. Stocton Timbrook enters his third year as starting quarterback and threw for 1,753 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Junior linebacker Landon Taplin leads three returning defensive players with at least 70 tackles last year, recording a team-high 90.
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
2022 State champion: Andale
 
2022 State runner-up: Holton
 
2022 Review: As impressive as Mill Valley’s run in Class 5A has been, Andale would like to have a word when it comes to which program is currently tops in the state. And it’s hard to argue against the Indians’ claim that it’s theirs. Like Mill Valley, Andale captured its fourth straight state championship, taking the 3A crown in 2022 with a 28-0 victory over Holton in the championship game. But where Andale sets itself apart is the historic run the Indians are on. The victory not only capped an undefeated 13-0 season, but pushed the Indians’ winning streak to 51 consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation. Andale hasn’t lost a game since 2018 and is 74-2 since Dylan Schmidt took over the program in 2017. The 2022 edition was one of Andale’s most dominant, outscoring its 13 opponents by a 689-68 count, allowing just 20 points in the final nine games with three straight shutouts to cap the title run. The championship-game shutout was the third straight in a title game for the Indians. Holton had rumbled its way to 11 straight wins to reach the title game after a season-opening loss to eventual 2A champion Nemaha Central. That included two wins over Hayden, including a 48-17 semifinal victory. Holton finished 11-2.
 
2023 Contenders: Is this the year somebody in 3A finally gets Andale? Given that the Indians graduated the best senior class in school history (51-0 the past four years), including nine starters from a defense that allowed just 68 points in 13 games (5.2 per game) and seven from an offense that cranked out 689 points (53 per game) it would seem the Indians are ripe for the potential to see their dynasty come to an end. As it stands Andale enters the season on a 51-game winning streak – the longest active streak in the nation – and winners of four straight state titles. But it won’t end without a fight, for sure, and plenty returns to keep the Andale train chugging along. Three offensive linemen in seniors Henry Eck, Cody Engelbrecht and Ian Aouad return on offense with Eck a first-team all-leaguer on a unit that lost Top 11 pick Jack Kraus. Gage Prosser is the lone skill player to return but was second on the team in rushing a year ago and was a first-team all-leaguer over leading rusher Cody Parthemer. Replacing the likes of All-3A picks Riley Marx – a Top 11 pick – Jonah Meyer, Brayden Weber and Tegan Orth on defense will be a challenge but linebacker Karson Butts returns after being the team’s leading tackler last year. If any program can absorb big graduation losses, it’s Andale which has close to 100 players out and had its JV go 7-0 last season. Runner-up a year ago, Holton also suffered extensive graduation losses as well, particularly on offense where the entire starting backfield that helped the Wildcats rush for a state-best 4,724 yards as a team last year is gone, including All-4A backs Garyson Booth and Matt Lierz. No returning back had more than 78 yards rushing a year ago so veteran coach Brooks Barta essentially will be starting from scratch in the backfield. The line does return a slew of starters led by senior Dalton Roush, who was a first-team All-3A defensive selection. He ranked second on the team in tackles last year and Rylan Amon returns at linebacker after ranking fourth. The Wildcats were 11-2 overall last year, the other loss coming to 2A champion Nemaha Central. If not for Holton, Hayden might have been undefeated and taking on Andale in the title game. The Wildcats went 10-2 last year with both losses coming to Holton, including 48-17 in the state semifinals. While the Wildcats took big hits on the line with the loss of Top 11 pick Joe Otting and standout Ben Evans, there’s more than enough back to get them back to the title game for the first time since 2016. Hayden is loaded on offense with the return of eight starters. Finn Dunshee had a breakout season in his return to football after a rugby venture and ran for 1,150 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jett Wahlmeier threw for 1,381 yards and 16 touchdowns and Jensen Schrickel led the receivers with 686 yards and also had three special teams touchdowns. Leading tackler Jude Konrade returns after making a whopping 170 tackles last year with Dunshee also starring on that side of the ball with 98 tackles. Clay Center enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history, reaching the state semifinals before falling to Andale. The Tigers finished 8-4 overall, knocking off Wichita Collegiate and Cheney in the playoffs in impressive fashion. The Tigers will have to replace All-3A lineman Luke Young and starting quarterback Mark Hoffman, but just about everyone else is back. Carter Long and Brody Hayes each ran for more than 800 yards a year ago, combining for 22 touchdowns and Owen Craig wasn’t far behind with 643 yards. The top-five tacklers on defense return led by Hayes’ 97 tackles. Clay Center, which was coming off two straight 4-5 seasons, won’t be overlooked this time around and will have to deal with much loftier expectations. Cheney finished last year 8-3 after its loss to Clay Center in the quarterfinals, its only other losses coming to Andale and 2A runner-up Kingman. The Cardinals have a top-tier passing combo in junior quarterback Josh Burdick and senior receiver Jackson Voth with Voth an All-3A pick after having 1,044 yards and 12 touchdowns. Burdick stepped in as a sophomore starter for the departed Harrison Voth and threw for 2,226 yards and 23 touchdowns. Four offensive linemen also return among 14 starters overall. Cheney has won at least eight games four straight years and are a good bet to extend that streak this season. Collegiate was 8-2 a year ago with its only losses to Andale and Clay Center. The Spartans had a huge hole to fill with the graduation of three-year starting quarterback Wesley Fair, who led the team in passing and rushing and now is at Kansas State, but the void has filled quite nicely with the addition of transfer Hudson Ferralez, who led Hesston to a 6-4 mark and will be a three-year starter himself. Ferralez threw for 1,827 yards last year and has more than 4,200 yards passing the past two years combined. He’s got plenty of weapons around him, including emerging sophomore Jaden Parker who doubles as a standout defensive back as well. Leading tackler Jacob Chappell will also take on a bigger role on offense at running back and is one of six starters back on defense. Wellsville was 9-1 last year and nearly knocked off Hayden in the second round of the playoffs, falling 22-19 for its only loss of the season. The Eagles graduated leading rusher Nash Money, a two-time All-State pick, but have a strong passing combo in senior quarterback Willie Dorsey and senior receiver Dez Winton. Dorsey threw for 1,838 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first year as a starter with Winton posting 680 yards and 8 TDs. Three offensive linemen also return among seven starters on offense while the defense returns six starters but lost leading tackler David Signs and the entire linebacking corps. After years of struggles, Bishop Ward had a breakout season last year, going 7-3. The Cyclones look to maintain that momentum and return eight starters each way. The loss of leading rusher and All-3A pick Brice Johnson leaves a big hole in the backfield and only two starting linemen are back each way. The addition of some impact transfers and strong freshman class will bolster the depth and help Ward try to repeat last year’s success. Girard and Columbus both made the state quarterfinals last year with Girard going 10-1, losing in the playoffs to Holton for the second straight year as an undefeated team. The Trojans must replace a stellar senior class that laid the foundation the past two years, including All-3A pick Luke Niggeman, who quarterbacked the Trojans to a 20-2 mark the past two seasons. Girard returns only four starters overall but defensive lineman Drake Kotzman is massive at 6-6, 340 pounds. Columbus finished 5-6 and upset CNC rival Galena to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Hayden. The Titans started the season 1-5 before catching fire late. Like Girard, graduation hit hard with just three starters total back, led by two-way starting lineman Carter Henry, who is the only returner on offense. Galena finished 7-3 after its upset loss to Columbus and has a new coach with Jacoby Martin replacing Beau Sarwinski. The Bulldogs lost All-3A jack of all trades Tyler Little but return quarterback Zane Turner, who ran for 1,063 yards and 17 TDs and threw for 512 yards. He also doubles as a standout defensive back. Another CNC team, Frontenac, will look to bounce back after going 6-4 last season following a 2021 run to the state championship game. The Raiders have alternated six- and 10-win seasons the past five years so if the pattern holds, a 10-win season could be in store this year. Replacing leading rusher and All-3A back Mario Menghini will be a big task, but seven starters do return on offense and seven are back on defense as well. Senior quarterback Kal Terlpin threw for 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. The loss of Ferralez to Collegiate was a tough blow for Hesston, which would have had seven starters back on offense from last year’s 6-4 squad. His spot will be filled by junior Reed Friesen, who played receiver a year ago. The Swathers also lost standout receiver Jake Proctor but Jackson Fry is back to lead the returning skill players and senior Aeden O’Halloran returns to both the offensive and defensive lines. The last name is the same, but it’s a new head coach for Holcomb, which went 7-2 last season. Trey Teeter takes over as head coach for retired father Kent and inherits a Longhorn team capable of making a run in the west. Nine starters return on offense and defense led by All-3A lineman Kooper Tichenor. Damon Mesa returns at quarterback to lead a strong group of skill players. Holcomb was knocked out of the playoffs right away by Pratt, which went 7-3 last season. The Greenbacks lost key players off its offensive and defensive line as well as playmaker Jonny Martinez, an All-3A returner, but return quarterback Max Younie, who had 1,400 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns. Rock Creek had as an electrifying passing game as there was in the state last year with Dalton Whitworth slinging the ball to the tune of 3,233 yards and 38 touchdowns, much of that going to All-3A receiver Ethan Burgess. Both are gone as are six other seniors that helped produce a 9-2 mark last season. Junior Mack Lee steps in at quarterback to replace Whitworth and three offensive linemen return as does receiver/safety Daegan Vinduska. Linebacker Payton McCam was the Mustangs’ leading tackler last year and returns after making 95 stops. Scott City always is a factor in 3A and was 8-2 last year. The Beavers return eight starters on defense but saw one of its top potential returners, all-league Brady Welker opt not to play this year. Junior Jackson Rumford and lineman Tanner Gooden are two of five returning two-way starters. Parsons went 5-4 last year, but returns a three-year starter at quarterback in Tra Mack, who threw for 1,566 yards and 18 TDs as a sophomore and 1,375 yards and 20 TDs last year. Tailback Jahmarion Washington also returns as a three-year starter and had more than 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards last year.
 

 
CLASS 2A
 
2022 State champion: Nemaha Central
 
2022 State runner-up: Kingman
 
2022 Review: It took all of one game for Nemaha Central to make a statement that it very well could be the team to be in 2A in 2022 as the Thunder opened the season with a physical 35-28 win over a Holton team that wound up playing for the Class 3A state title. Stacked with a monstrous offensive line and punishing feature back in eventual Top 11 pick Cooper Hajek, Nemaha plowed through one opponent after another to return to the title game for the second time in four years, twice beating arch rival Sabetha along the way, including a 30-14 win in the state semifinals. As good as that state semifinal was, the western one was even better as unbeatens Kingman and Southeast of Saline engaged in a classic. Kingman’s defense gave up the most points it had all season, but the Eagles pulled out a 28-22 double-overtime victory, getting a touchdown run from Nolan Freund for the game-winner after he hit Tristen Davidson for a TD on fourth-and-6 in the first OT with Avrey Albright’s two-point conversion run forcing the second OT. That put Kingman in the state finals for the first time since 1972. The battle of unbeatens for the 2A title, however, was all Nemaha. Hajek ran for 208 of Nemaha’s 236 yards and four touchdowns and the Thunder built a 33-3 lead in the fourth quarter before settling for a 33-17 victory. The championship capped a 13-0 season for the Thunder and was the program’s second state title, the other coming in 2019. Kingman matched the best finish in program history and was 12-1.
 
2023 Contenders: With two titles in the past four years, Nemaha Central has established itself as a powerhouse in Class 2A and if not for a handful of losses to Rossville during its recent run of five state titles, the Thunder might even have more championship hardware in its trophy case. After winning its first state title in 2019, Nemaha returned to the state semifinals in 2020, but the Thunder have their sights set on a repeat crown this time around. It will take some serious reloading as graduation claimed a stellar senior class led by Top 11 running back/linebacker Cooper Hajek, who ran for 2,094 yards and 42 touchdowns and was the team’s leading tackler. Also gone are starting quarterback Brayden Uphaus, All-3A lineman Connor Deters and defensive back/receiver Grant Cain. The Thunder trotted out a massive offensive line a year ago and will still have plenty of beef up front led by All-3A lineman Holden Bass (6-4, 290), who is one of four returning starters. It’ll be mostly new faces lining up around them with Aidan Broxterman the lone returning skill player. Sophomore Carter Hajek will fill the void left by his older brother and was a defensive starter as a freshman last year. Nemaha was one of three undefeated teams in the state semifinals a year ago with Kingman and Southeast of Saline the other two, squaring off in an epic semifinal with Kingman prevailing in double overtime. The Eagles saw their big for perfection end in the finals against Nemaha and have now gone 22-3 the past two seasons. Quarterback Nolan Freund was a big reason for that success and his graduation leaves a major hole for Kingman to fill this season with the task likely falling to junior Ben Bradshaw. He’ll have a couple of solid weapons to get the ball to with the return of All-3A tight end Tristen Davidson and senior receiver Carter Helm, who as a flex player has more than 10 rushing and receiving touchdowns over the past two seasons. He also had 10 interceptions on defense to rank second in the state all classes. Junior linebacker Collin Schreiner had 130 tackles last year as a sophomore. Southeast of Saline ended with an 11-1 mark and has a big hole to fill at quarterback as well with the graduation of Luke Gebhardt, who threw for 2,385 yards and 25 TDs last year while also rushing for 883 yards and 17 scores. Only four starters return each way for the Trojans but the pieces are there to make another deep run. Senior tailback Nathan Friesen ran for 1,002 yards and 17 touchdowns and is one of four returning All-NCAA players along with safety Daniel Kejr, defensive lineman Josiah Monday and center Nathan Weller. Sabetha was the lone semifinalist with a loss last year and suffered two if its three losses in a 9-3 season to arch rival Nemaha Central, the other coming to 3A finalist Holton. The Bluejays would love nothing more than to replace their rivals as state champs this year and have the potential to do just that. Eight starters return each way for the Blue Jays with the biggest lost All-2A linebacker Josh Herrmann. Twins Josh and Jacob Grimm are monsters up front, each over 300 pounds and Josh an All-2A selection. Senior back Colin Menold came on strong late in the season as injuries ravaged Sabetha’s backfield and finished with 560 yards and 5 TDs. Senior defensive end Christian McAfee led the team in tackles with 86, 20 more than returning linebacker Chase Frey. McAfee and fellow senior Marcus Bauman are four-year starters. Hoisington played for the state title in 2020, taking second to Rossville that year. The Cardinals were 8-3 last season, falling to Southeast in the quarterfinals, but return enough pieces to be a serious threat to get back to the title game and go after the program’s first state title. Senior running back Tony Moore is a dominant two-way player and senior lineman Caiden Hoffman was an All-2A pick on offense. They’re two of five returning starters on offense and seven on defense. Filling holes on the line around Hoffman and returner Caleb Birzer will be a big key for the Cardinals. The post-CJ Hamilton Era at Silver Lake began with a 6-3 mark for first-year head coach Logan Pegram a year ago, the Eagles upset in the first round by Mid-East League rival Riley County. Expectations are higher for Year 2 with six starters back on offense and eight on defense. Senior quarterback Tanner Martin threw for 2,175 yards and 16 touchdowns and also ran for 542 yards and 8 scores and returns two starting receivers. Healthy years from Blake Redmond and Brody Deiter will help out as will the development of the line with only two starters back up front ahead of Martin. After seeing its two-year reign over 2A come to an end a year ago, Rossville is hungry to get back on top. The Bulldawgs have five state titles in Derick Hammes’ 10 seasons as head coach but are coming off a 5-5 mark last year. Replacing All-2A lineman Jacob Carver will be a key as well as versatile backs Kade Perine and Braiden Hensley. But senior quarterback Camden Horak returns after a solid first year starting when he threw for 1,260 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for 844 yards and 10 TDs. Senior lineman Barrett Lietz stars both ways and was a first-team all-league pick on defense last year. Ellsworth rode a suffocating defense to a breakout 8-2 season. The Bearcats allowed just six points through their first five games and started 7-0 before falling to Southeast of Saline late in the season and Kingman in the playoffs. Prospects for a bigger 2023 season exist with Ellsworth graduating only one senior off last year’s team. Quarterback Wes Cravens threw for 1,068 yards while the defense was led by Loden West, who had 62 tackles and was an All-2A selection. The Bearcats set their tone for the season with a 14-6 win over Beloit, which was state runner-up in 2021. The Trojans rebounded to go 8-3 and reach the quarterfinals before falling to Kingman. There are big holes to fill to make another deep run starting with two-time All-2A lineman Grady Seyfert, now at Kansas. The entire corps of running backs led by All-3A 2,000-yard rusher Logan Arasmith also is gone. Senior Quinn Eilert returns at quarterback for the third season and is the leading returning defensive player after making 87 tackles last season. Brody Widrig is the next high-caliber lineman for the Trojans. Coming off the best season in program history, Council Grove will look to follow up its 7-3 season that saw the Braves win their first-ever playoff game. They’ll have to replace All-2A pick Ethan Burton who was a threat every time he touched the ball and wound up as the 3A state champion in the 100 and 200 at state track. But almost everyone else is back, including quarterback Ace Monihen who threw for 1,105 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Junior lineman Holden Ziegler was a force on both sides of the ball as a sophomore last season and led the team with 14 tackles for loss. Humboldt turned in an 8-3 saeason that ended in the state quarterfinals against Nemaha. The Cubs rode the services of Trey Sommer (1,831 rushing yards, 29 TDs), an All-3A selection. He’s gone after also leading the team in tackles. Blake Ellis returns at quarterback and has leading receiver Sam Hull back as well. Six starters return on offense overall and seven are back on defense. Caney Valley also reached the quarterfinals before losing to Sabetha. The Bullpups have posted winning seasons every year since 2003 and return leading rusher Jackson Griffin who had 1,168 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s one of only four starters back, however. One of the best stories in 2A last year was the turnaround of Russell, which went 6-4 – its best season since 2003 – under first-year coach Christian Ozores. The Broncos also posted their first playoff win since 1979. Graduation claimed four all-league players including All-3A defensive back Jacob Ney and the bulk of last year’s potent passing game, but enough returns to have expectations remain high for the program. End Roman Hernandez had 12 sacks last year. Things will be a little strange for Osage City not having Landon Boss lining up under center this season. Boss led the Indians to its best three-year stretch in program history with the Indians going 8-2 last year. Boss ran for 1,425 yards and 21 touchdowns and threw for 1,821 yards and 19 TDs last season and was a four-year starter. His void is monstrous and the Indians will have to spread the wealth this year. Cooper Parsons returns at tailback after being the second-leading rusher while younger brother Kassen will likely take over at quarterback. The older Parsons also was second on the team in tackles to Boss. Norton got off to a 4-0 start last year but an injury to leading rusher Garrett Urban proved devastating and the Bluejays finished with a 6-4 mark overall. He’s gone for good this year as part of a big senior class that graduated. The Bluejays return five starters on offense and four on defense led by senior end Roman Hauser and junior quarterback Eli Jones, who threw for 1,229 yards as a sophomore starter last year. Chaparral went 7-2 last year and must replace All-2A lineman Eli Gates and the pass-catch combo of Austin Clark and Jackson Swartz. Only four starters return for the Roadrunners. Lakin returns standout Colter Oldham from its 6-3 team after he ran for 1,165 yard and 15 touchdowns and also led the team in tackles. The Broncs only graduated five seniors, but four were offensive linemen. Atchison County is coming off a 6-3 season and has a new coach in Kody Tegtmeier, who was at Peabody last year. The Tigers must replace standout Bricen Lee, an all-league first-teamer both ways at quarterback and linebacker, but return five starters on offense and six on defense. Line play will be a strength with three starters back.
 

 
CLASS 1A
 
2022 State champion: St. Marys
 
2022 State runner-up: Inman

2022 Review: As thrilling state championship games go, it doesn’t get much better than the one St. Marys and Inman turned in at last year’s Class 1A title tilt. The teams traded the lead seven times in the second half alone as they traded blow for blow. Inman had appeared to deliver the final one on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Tanner Heckel to Harrison Brunk early in the fourth quarter and then had a chance to put the game away with less than three minutes left. But a fumble at the goal line was recovered by St. Marys, which went 99 yards and got the game-winning score on a 1-yard run by Keller Hurla with 13 seconds left for a 44-41 victory. Hurla capped an All-State Top 11 season with a monster title-game performance, throwing for 403 yards and 3 touchdowns and also rushing for 94 yards and 3 scores. The title was the first in St. Marys history and came after the Bears had gotten off to a 1-2 start to the season. But on the way to the title game and an 11-2 season overall, the Bears toppled traditional powers Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan and Centralia in the playoff quarterfinals and semifinals. Inman, meanwhile, finished as the 1A runner-up for the second straight season, going 11-2 as well. The Teutons’ only other loss came to Conway Springs in district play, which they avenged with a 23-6 victory in the state semifinals.
 
2023 Contenders: Coming off the program’s first state championship, St. Marys has no hole on its team bigger than the one at quarterback. Not only was Keller Hurla a three-year starter at the position, but last season he simply put the Bears on his back and willed them to the state title. The Top 11 pick finished with 2,096 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and also ran for 960 and 18 TDs, capped by his otherworldly performance in the state title game where he accounted for nearly 500 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Bears also lost leading tacklers Abe Huaracha and James Rezac, top receiver Kason Gomez and All-2A lineman Josh Deiter. But nine players who started at some point a year ago on offense return led by receiver Nate Hutley and lineman Atticus Martin, who also return among nine starters defensively. If a new quarterback can develop quickly, the Bears have enough experience to make another run. Runner-up at state the past two seasons, Inman has even bigger holes to fill than St. Marys. Graduation claimed the Brunk brothers – Eli and Harrison – as well as All-2A lineman Dominic Nuese-Rasmussen and versatile two-way starter Josiah Buller. Making things tougher, returning All-2A pick Tanner Heckel transferred to Lyndon, leaving the Teutons without their top returning playmaker. But the cupboard is far from bare. Seniors Kellen Schrag and Zachary Martisko form arguably the top linebacker combo in 1A and ranked 1-2 on the team in tackles last year. Talon Welch returns after missing last season with an ACL injury and Dawson McConnell also returns after an injury-plagued 2022 season. Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan might be in its best position to win a state title since finishing runner-up in 2017. The Panthers have seven titles overall, the last coming in 2003 – the fourth straight during what was then a state-record winning streak. Last year, the Panthers went 9-2, falling to St. Marys 36-12 in the quarterfinals after losing quarterback Tucker Harrell to a late-season injury. Harrell is back this year after totaling 1,109 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. He could move to receiver this year. Senior Cooper Simmons was an All-2A pick at running back after rushing for 1,219 yards and 20 TDs and also stars at linebacker. Linemen Jade Tenry and Tristan Voss lead an experience group up front and Colgan returns 10 starters overall. Many are pegging the Panthers as the team to beat in 1A this season. Perennial powers Centralia and Olpe always are in the conversation with a combined seven state titles since 2009 with Olpe seeing a two-year reign atop 1A end last season when the Eagles lost to Centralia in the quarterfinals. In Roger Holthaus’ first year as head coach after taking over for Larry Glatczak, Centralia won its first 11 games before losing to St. Marys in the state semifinals. The Panthers graduated seven seniors, including leading leading rushers Trenton Talley and Drew Gibbs and All-1A lineman Nick Thompson. But Maveryk Becker returns after being an All-1A pick in the secondary after picking off 10 passes last year. He’ll move from receiver into the backfield to fill the voids there, as will standout linebacker Brody Grossnickle. The Panthers don’t have great size with no starter topping 200 pounds, but toughness and speed are signature traits for the program. Olpe, meanwhile, will also be looking to replace its offensive playmakers from a year ago after graduation claimed quarterback Truman Bailey and leading rusher Blake Redeker. A healthy Blake Skalsky will be a big help as he missed a big chunk of last season and is a force at his end position on both sides of the ball. Junior Dexton Hoelting takes over at quarterback while Ethan Redeker becomes the feature back. Olpe’s schedule is daunting with an opener against 3A contenders Hayden and Bishop Ward. Smith Center has a new coach this season but it’s a familiar face as long-time assistant Mike Rogers takes over for Darren Sasse. With 31 years in the program, Rogers won’t deviate from what’s made the Redmen one of the top programs in the state with 10 state titles overall, the last coming in 2018. The Redmen return seven starters on offense and eight on defense and though All-2A lineman Cauy Haresnape and versatile back Bentley Montgomery must be replaced, there’s more than enough to get them back into the title game in a wide-open west. Luke and Eli Franklin are a strong duo at running back and on the line, respectively, while Benji Carr is an electrifying playmaker who had four touchdowns in the return game last year. Smith Center went 8-3 last year, losing to Inman in the quarterfinals. Conway Springs also saw its season end at the hands of Inman in the state semifinals after having previously handing the Teutons their only regular-season loss. The Cardinals went 8-4 overall, rebounding from an 0-3 start with all three losses coming to 2A programs. Senior back Brayden Kunz was one of the top two-way players in the state and led 1A in rushing with 2,154 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s part of a returning backfield that amassed more than 3,000 rushing yards overall and three offensive linemen also return including All-1A pick Gunner Williams. Eight starters are back on defense as well. Coming off the best season in program history, Wabaunsee hopes the momentum can carry over to 2023 after the graduation of seven seniors who were multiple-year starters and laid the foundation for last year’s 9-2 breakthrough season that included a signature win over Smith Center. The only losses came to Troy in the season opener and Conway Springs in the quarterfinals. The biggest losses were receiver/defensive back Eli Oliver, who holds all the school’s receiving records, and two-time All-1A lineman Maverick Havenstein. But Wabaunsee is equipped to deal with such losses now with numbers improved. Senior quarterback Wyatt Wurtz flourished in his first year under center, throwing for 1,458 yards and 19 touchdowns and also adding 594 yards and 13 TDs on the ground. Three offensive linemen return led by Jude Meseke and four-year starter Tate Deever with Deever also back as the Chargers’ leading tackler last year. Six starters return each way. A one-point loss to Centralia denied Troy an undefeated regular season and the Trojans finished 8-2 overall, losing to state champion St. Marys in the second round of the playoffs. This year could be a rebuilding one, however, as all nine seniors who graduated were starters on offense and seven started on defense, including All-1A end Jerrit Norris and All-1A lineman Kemper Clary, both two-time All-1A selections, and quarterback Reagan Hartman. The lone returning starters on offense are senior tackle Brogan Morris and senior receiver Seth Judd, while Judd, senior safety Christian Etherton, junior safety Logan Blevins and junior lineman Jack Hartman return on defense. Jefferson County North has 11 seniors back from last year’s 6-4 team and returns nine starters on each side of the ball. Grady Noll was an All-1A pick as a flex player after rushing for 1,277 yards and 18 TDs and throwing for nearly 500 yards and 8 scores. Backfield mates Connor Keirns and Ethan Noll combined for another 1,100 yards on the ground and 14 TDs and all five starters on the offensive line are back as well led by two-way All-Northeast Kansas League pick RB Tweed. Marion also went 6-4 last year and also has the bulk of last year’s starters back with seven returning each way. Senior quarterback Jack Lanning amassed more than 1,600 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns while tailback Trevor Schafers added more than 1,000 yards and 16 TDs on the ground as well. They spearhead the defense as well from their linebacker spots. Jayhawk-Linn enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent years, going 8-2 with its losses to Olpe and Colgan. The Jayhawks had a potent passing game and though All-1A receiver Gus Grote is back after having 844 yards and 10 TDs, he’ll miss departed quarterback Dylan Nickelson, who threw for more than 2,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. Hutchinson Trinity was 6-3 last year, upset in Week 9 in overtime by Plainville. The Celtics return seven starters each way led by quarterback Eric Armour and a trio of offensive lineman. Trinity has 11 seniors so there’s enough experience there to make a deeper run this season. Sedgwick was just 5-5 last year but should bounce back to its customary spot as a top challenger in 1A. The Cardinals return eight starers on offense led by junior quarterback Corey Crumrine, who stepped in as a sophomore starter last year and threw for 2,518 yards and 26 touchdowns. All of his top receivers return as do three starters on the offensive line so Sedgwick’s offense should be a potent one, particularly if the Cardinals can develop a run game to complement Crumrine and Co. in the passing game. Pleasanton returns eight starters on offense from its 7-3 team last year for first-year coach Clint Johnson, who previously had coached at Three Rivers League rival Jayhawk-Linn. That includes quarterback Cam Staton and receiver Tony Gillespie. Oakley was 6-4 last year and graduated its leading passer, rusher, receiver and tackler as well as top-two linemen. The Plainsmen do return six starters each way and the return of senior lineman Ivan Jirak, who missed last year with an injury, will be big. A potential sleeper in the west could be Sterling, which was just 4-5 last year. The Black Bears have nearly doubled their numbers over recent seasons and return every starter on offense and nine on defense from a year ago. Senior Gabe Riffel was an All-1A pick on the line last year as a two-way standout and sophomore back Zane Farney rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 TDs last year as a freshman while also leading the team in tackles. The schedule is a tough one.
 

 
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION I
 
2022 State champion: Wichita County
 
2022 State runner-up: Little River

2022 Review: It was a high-powered offense that got Wichita County to the Eight-Player Division I state championship game, the Indians averaging 62.5 points and 418.3 yards per game in the 12 games leading up to the title contest. And it was offense that got Wichita County the first state championship in program history. Taking on a Little River team that had finished runner-up in 2021 and as state champion in 2020, Wichita County faced a fourth-and-8 at its own 17 midway through the fourth quarter. Up six at the time, the traditional decision would have been to punt. Instead Indian coach Brant Douglas put his faith in his offense and it delivered, converting the fourth down, scoring on the drive and eventually taking a 54-36 victory. The win capped a 13-0 season for the Indians, in which they scored a whopping 742 points -- their 54 points in the title game their lowest output of the season. Little River came up just short of its second state title in three years and went 11-2, the only other loss coming to Eight-Player II semifinalist Canton-Galva in the season opener. Little River routed all but one opponent in between the bookend losses, pulling out a 48-40 win over Chase County in the state quarterfinals before blanking Burlingame 48-0 in the semifinals.
 
2023 Contenders: During Brant Douglas’ five years as head coach, Wichita County has emerged as one of the powerhouse programs in Eight-Player Division I, compiling a 47-9 mark during that span. After coming up short of a state title with a runner-up finish in 2020 after a 70-58 loss to Little River, the Indians punctuated their prominence with a 54-36 revenge win over Little River to cap last year’s 13-0 season in which they had the most powerful offense in Division I. Wichita County averaged 62.5 points and 418.3 yards per game and the 54 points scored in the title game was its season-low for a game. Senior quarterback Erhik Hermosillo was the driving force behind that explosive offense, rushing for 2,103 yards and 42 touchdowns and throwing for 1,285 yards and 26 scores. His graduation would seem to leave a major void to fill but the Indians are more than capable of doing so as senior Wyatt Gardner takes over at quarterback after being a complementary piece in the offense a year ago, rushing for 474 yards and 6 TDs and also having 413 receiving yards and 6 scores. Erhik’s younger brother, Khris, was a major weapon on offense as well last year as a sophomore, rushing for 1,251 yards and 23 yards and was an All-8MI pick on defense with a team-high 16 tackles for loss from his end position. Leading receiver Colton Harbin also returns, as do two offensive linemen though All-8MI lineman/linebacker Cordell Brown is a big loss as well after leading the team in tackles. Wichita County may not be as explosive as a year ago, but the Indians are still the team to beat as they go after a repeat title. Whether Little River cane make it back to a fourth straight championship game or not will depend on how well the Redskins can reload in the backfield after graduation decimated the skill positions. Little River’s top-four rushers, starting quarterback and five of the top-six leading receivers are gone with the graduation of four-year starter Braxton Lafferty, quarterback Rylan Konen and receiver Braden Young, among others from a class of eight seniors. Lafferty and fellow standout Grant Stephens were also monsters on defense, both earning All-8MI honors there. Senior Carter Stansbury is one of two returning offensive linemen and one of only two seniors on this year’s team along with end Andrew Smith, who led the team in receiving yards last year. Little River will have to tap into strong sophomore and freshman classes to keep its current run going under veteran coach Kevin Ayers, who is 43-7 at the school. Wichita County’s top challenge could come from a Lyndon team in just its second year as an eight-player program. The Tigers went 8-3 in their debut season last year, falling in the state quarterfinals to Burlingame 39-16 after having won a wild 60-59 shootout with the Bearcats in the regular-season finale. Lyndon was already in great shape to make a deep run this season with the return of five starters on offense and six on defense, including Kansas State commit Kaedin Massey on the offensive and defensive lines, leading tackler Casten Wirth (130 tackles) and quarterback Jalen Massey (1,100 total yards). But the Tigers got a major boost to their title hopes with the addition of transfer Tanner Heckel, who helped Inman to two straight runner-up finishes in Class 1A the past two seasons and accounted for nearly 2,000 yards of total offfense. His addition could be the piece that pushes the Tigers to their first state title in program history. Hill City couldn’t quite keep up with Wichita County in last year’s state semifinals, falling 76-30 to end a 10-2 season in which the other loss came to Hoxie. Those were two of the three games where the Ringnecks failed to score at least 46 points, the other a 20-12 win over Quinter. The loss of standout back Kaleb Atkins is a big blow to the offense after he had a combined 1,819 yards and 31 touchdowns rushing and receiving last year, and the graduation of Conner Dinkel leaves a big hole on not only the offensive line but at linebacker where his 149 tackles easily led the team. But the Ringnecks still have senior quarterback Aiden Amrein, a four-year starter who has a combined 5,826 yards passing and rushing in his career, though his rushing total dropped by two-thirds last year after a monster sophomore season where he ran for 1,558 yards and threw for 1,689 yards with 56 total touchdowns. Amrein will carry the offensive burden this year, at least early, as new weapons emerge around him, though senior back Jaden Nuss returns after rushing for 493 yards and 9 TDs last year and is a three-year starter. Atkins and Dinkel have younger brothers looking to step into starting roles this year and if they can come close to their older brothers’ production, Hill City won’t drop off a bit. Burlingame matched Hill City’s 10-2 mark and made it to the state semifinals before getting shut out by Little River. The only other loss came to Lyndon in a wild 60-59 regular-season finale and the Bearcats avenged that defeat in the quarterfinals with a 39-16 win over the Tigers. The departure of a strong senior class that included All-8MI defensive back Matthew Heckman and leading rusher/passer Colby Middleton, among others, leaves Burlingame as a young team this year with only three seniors on the roster and only one of those a returning starter, All-8MI kicker Jose Arevalo Jr. But the junior classes is deep and talented and consists of four returning starters. Dane Winters is the leading returning rusher and receiver and likely will be the feature back on offense along with JD Tyson, who spelled Middleton at quarterback last year and also is the leading returning tackler. Linemen Timmy Roberts and Parker Haid give Burlingame a pair of first-team All-Lyon County League picks up front. Looking to repeat as state champions last season, Meade instead went 9-2 under first-year head coach Clint Kuhns, the lone losses coming to Wichita County and Hill City. The loss of a senior class that included All-8MI linebacker Brayden Norris and quarterback Grayden Stapleton leaves some big holes to fill. Brock Keith returns after rushing for 930 yards and 17 touchdowns as does second-leading receiver Bradon Bird. The return of lineman Cole Papay, who missed last year with an injury, also will be big. Chase County gave Little River its toughest test in the playoffs before the title game, falling 48-40 in the quarterfinals to finish the season 9-2. The Bulldogs have one of the toughest voids to fill in 8MI this year with the graduation of four-year starter Mitch Budke, who led the team in tackles each of the last three seasons and also was one of the most productive offensive players in the state, amassing nearly 8,000 career rushing and passing yards with 149 total touchdowns. The Bulldogs have other holes to fill as well but return senior back Brock Griffin who ran for 548 yards in a complementary role and will take over as the feature back this year. He also recorded 117 tackles last year. Rawlins County made the state quarterfinals last year before losing to Wichita County and finished 8-3 overall. The Buffaloes will have to replace do-it-all quarterback Drew Withington, but return second-leading rusher Ryan Sramek at tailback after he ran for 745 yards and 12 TDs last year. Brayan Rodriguez led the team in tackles with 100 from his secondary position and Braxton Dixson wasn’t far behind with 95 and could be Withington’s heir apparent at quarterback. Quinter was the surprise team in the playoffs last season, knocking off one-loss Clifton-Clyde 28-22 in the opening round before narrowly losing 30-28 to Meade in the second round. The Bulldogs finished just 4-6 overall last year but the postseason success have elevated expectations this year with seven starters back including two-way first-team All-Northwest Kansas League picks Lakin Getz and Ethan Gruenbacher. The lone starter to replace is a big one in All-8MI lineman Braden Polifka. Prior to its upset loss to Quinter, Clifton-Clyde’s only other loss in a 7-2 season came to Eight-Player Division II champion Axtell. The Eagles must replace All-8MI lineman Seth LeClair and defensive back Maison Slater, but return four All-Twin Valley League players led by hybrid quarterback Trent Long, who had more than 1,200 combined rushing and passing yards last year. Drayden Reed was on the receiving end of 6 of Long’s 7 TDs passes last year and junior Oliver Norbert was the leading tackler last year. Seven players return overall with starting experience with the main holes on the offensive and defense lines. Arguably the top wrestling program in the state, Hoxie is no slouch on the gridiron as well and was 7-3 a year ago, handing Hill City its only regular season loss. The Indians will have to completely revamp their backfield after the graduation of quarterback Brady Jones and tailbacks Ryan Shaw and Drew Bretz as well as leading receiver Miles Baalman. But they will be tough up front with the return of starters Jonathan Mader and Gavin Schippers with Mader also the team’s leading tackler last year with 114 stops. Mader could move to the backfield this season with the Indians’ depth on the line a strength. End Sam Watkins also is a two-way returning starter. Macksville has a new look this season after going 9-1 last year, its lone loss coming to Rawlins County in the second round of the playoffs. Morgan Grippin takes over as coach for the departed Kyle Bright. Also gone is standout Ryan Kuckelman, a two-time All-8MI pick and the team’s leading tackler and most productive offensive player. Hector Gomez racked up nearly 800 yards rushing a year ago as a sophomore while senior Ervey Triana had 112 tackles, giving Grippin some solid pieces to build around. In its first year as a co-op between Caldwell and South Haven, South Sumner posted a 9-1 record with its lone loss coming to Chase County in the second round of the playoffs. The Outlaws lost just two starters on each side of the ball, but departed quarterback Keiondre Smith leaves a serious hole after amassing 2,450 yards of total offense and 45 touchdowns on his way to All-8MI honors. Senior Alex Smith takes over his spot at quarterback and has plenty of talent around him, including three returning linemen led by Miles Newell. End/linebacker Jackson Risley had 138 tackles last year and led the team in receiving. Seven players who started at some point are back overall. Madison has been one of the top programs in the class since its move down from 11-player football nearly two decades ago. The Bulldogs went 6-4 last year, losing to Little River in the second round of the playoffs. Speedster and two-time All-8MI pick Bryson Turner has graduated after racking up 1,429 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground last year. And was the leading tackler But six starters to return and a healthy Hayden Helm at quarterback will be a big plus after he was limited to just four games a year ago. Senior Lane Darbro will join him in the backfield and was a unanimous All-Lyon County League pick at defensive end last year. Ravaged by injuries early in the season a year ago, Ell-Saline’s transition from 11-player football to eight-player was a little rougher than hoped. But the Cardinals still fashioned a 6-3 mark with its losses coming to Little River, Clifton-Clyde and Hoxie. Six starters are back defensively and five return on offense, though the Cardinals will have to replace leading rusher/passer Kade Wilson. Ryder Dent led the team in tackles last year with 109. Moundridge will have its second head coach in two years with Tyler O’Connor taking over for Brett Lange. The Wildcats went 6-4 last year and return starting quarterback Henry Hecox, who threw for 869 yards and ran for 631 with 22 total TDs. He was a starter Moundridge’s 2A state championship basketball team last March, as was returning end Barrett Moddelmog. Both are juniors and the Wildcats only have a handful of seniors. West Elk went into the playoffs with an undefeated mark but lost a 42-38 shootout to see it bid for a deep postseason run come to a premature end. Patriot back Creyo Koop has been one of eight-player’s top backs over the first two years of his high school career and ran for 2,401 yards and 48 touchdowns last year. He also has 7 return TDs in the past two seasons and was the All-8MI returner last year. He’s not just an offensive force as he also had 110 solo tackles last year. Koop is one of five returning starters on offense and six on defense for the Patriots with Maddox Moreno a solid complement in the run game and the second-leading tackler. After years of struggling, sometimes even to field a team, Wichita Independent flourished in its first year of eight-player football, going 8-2. The Panthers lost All-8MI receiver Joseph Recalde-Phillips and leading rusher Christian Dean, but return quarterback Tatym Stalnaker and five starters overall. Oswego had five starters back each way from a 6-3 team, the bulk of whom are juniors. WaKeeney-Trego rebounded from a 1-3 start to the season to finish 6-4 and reach the second round of the playoffs. Not only did graduation claim All-8MI linebacker/quarterback Owen Day and leading receiver Gunner Wilson, but leading returning rusher Nolan Kinderknecht transferred to Northern Valley.
 

 
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II
 
2022 State champion: Axtell
 
2022 State runner-up: Thunder Ridge

2022 Review: Returning virtually the entirety of its 2021 state championship roster, Axtell might have seemed like a heavy favorite to repeat in 2022. But with Canton-Galva dropping down from Division I to Division II last year, the Eagles suddenly had a challenger that appeared to be their equal. It certainly played out that way as both rolled into the state semifinals undefeated and with no win closer than 30 points. On a frigid night, their clash was everything it was expected to be, having all the feels of a championship game. Axtell got out to a quick 12-0 lead but saw Canton-Galva respond and take a 24-20 lead in the third quarter. Up four in the fourth quarter, Axtell stymied Canton-Galva in the final period with Isaac Detweiler’s interception sealing the 36-32 win. That set up a championship game showdown with Thunder Ridge, which had only lost to Hill City in the 12 games leading up to the title game and had survived Victoria 62-46 in the quarterfinals and knocked off unbeaten Dighton 58-12 in the semifinals. For a half, the Longhorns were Axtell’s equal, leading 28-24 midway through the second quarter. But Axtell scored three touchdowns in the last 1:37 of the half and put up the next 52 points to take a 76-28 victory for its second straight title and undefeated season.
 
2023 Contenders: Working on a string of 26 straight victories, three championship game appearances in four years and two consecutive state titles, Axtell isn’t going anywhere. Even with the graduation of four-year starter Isaac Detweiler, who quarterbacked the Eagles to back-to-back 13-0 seasons and was a Top 11 selection a year ago. Detweiler had one of the most productive careers in eight-player history with 9,584 total yards and 190 total touchdowns, setting the state record for career completion percentage. If any eight-player team can absorb the loss of not only Detweiler but two-way starters Owen Strathman and Evan Buessing, it’s Axtell. Junior Brandon Schmelzle has been a playmaker in the Eagle offense and huge key to the title runs and will shift from tailback to quarterback to replace Detweiler. Fellow junior Eli Broxterman also has been an impact player the past two years and was the team’s leading tackler a year ago. He’ll be an even bigger weapon on offense, as will sophomore Landon Schmitz. Seniors Grant Buessing and Sawyer Deters return up front with Deters a four-year starter. Senior Grady Buessing also returns as Axtell’s leading receiver. With only three seniors on the team for the second straight year, Axtell could be in the midst of a dynasty-type run. Thunder Ridge traded blow for blow with Axtell throughout the first half of last year’s state championship game before Axtell put the pedal down and blew past the Longhorns for a 76-28 victory. The Longhorns have seen their season end at Axtell’s hands each of the past two seasons. In order to get another shot at the Eagles, however, Thunder Ridge will have to reload in a big way as graduation claimed eight seniors including five staters. And they were good ones with twins Dylan and Dalton Bice and Jace Randall accounting for the bulk of the team’s offensive production. Returning senior back Mason Baker did rank second on the team in rushing and was the leading receiver last year with a combined 1,354 yards and 18 touchdowns. He'll move to quarterback this year to replace Dylan Bice. Senior linebacker Josh Ferguson was the leading tackler last year with 174 and will move from the line into the backfield this season, leaving the Longhorns to fill all three offensive line spots. Austin Barnes is the only other returning starter, ranked fifth on the team in tackles and will team with Ferguson to give the Longhorns a top-notch linebacker duo. Moving down from Division I last year, Canton-Galva gave Axtell by far its toughest test a year ago with their semifinal clash a de facto state championship game. The Eagles, 11-1 last year, were Division I state champions in 2019 but the last links to that title team graduated with last year’s senior class, most notably quarterback Garrett Maltbie – a three-year starter at the position. When he was hurt early in the season transfer Jett Vincent stepped in and filled the void, but Vincent – a two-time All-8MII pick and one of the top defensive players in the state – has also graduated along with a host of other key starters. Only four starters are back for the Eagles, but three are on the offensive line led by senior Wyatt Collins. Just three starters return on defense, Collins and senior defensive backs Lane McMannis (the leading returning skill player) and Jaden Ediger. Shelby Hoppes is 58-11 in his career but this will be his biggest rebuilding challenge in recent years. Dighton took an undefeated 11-0 mark into the state semifinals before losing to Thunder Ridge to finish 11-1. The Hornets relied heavily on the versatile quarterback/running back Max Neeley a year ago and will have to deal without him as he has graduated, along with All-8MII lineman Eli Wilkinson. Carson Shimer took over the quarterback in midseason last year and had a combined 1,364 rushing and passing yards and has back top receiver Daniel Cramer (757 yards, 8 TDs). Only one lineman returns, leaving that as the biggest key as Dighton looks to win at least nine games for the third straight year. Victoria also saw an undefeated season come to an end in the playoffs with the Knights going 10-1 and losing to Thunder Ridge in a 62-46 quarterfinal shootout. The loss of Carson Werth to graduation leaves the Knights without their offensive leader in the backfield. Seniors Chase Schumacher and Landon Schmidtberger will take on bigger roles to fill that void. Senior end Seth Schwein was an All-8MII pick on defense and was the Knights’ leading tackler last year and sophomore Kyle Huser is the top returning lineman after starting as a freshman last year. A perennial contender and recent state champion, Osborne could be in a position to challenge Axtell, which knocked it out of the playoffs last year in the quarterfinals, ending a 9-2 season for the Bulldogs. Even with the loss of standout back Connor Schurr, Osborne returns eight starters led by quarterback Doak Guttery and linebacker/end Nathan Goheen. Guttery accounted for more than 1,400 yards of total offense and Goheen is the leading returning tackler with 80 tackles and 8.5 sacks last year. After starting the season 0-2, Lebo reeled off eight straight wins before losing to Canton-Galva in the state quarterfinals. The Wolves held opponents to six or fewer points in five of those eight wins and return leading tackler Corey Reese, who also led the offense with 876 rushing yards. Lebo returns just four starters from a year ago, but adds a fifth as senior receiver Grayson Shoemaker is back at receiver after missing last season with an ACL injury. That give returning quarterback Drew Konrade another weapon with Lebo’s biggest holes to fill on the line with the loss of two starters including All-8MII pick Austin Bailey. Wallace County was last year’s other quarterfinalist and went 6-4 in Kyle Gfeller’s first year as coach, doubling its win total from 2021. With another year in his system and seven seniors among nine returning players who started at some point last year, expectations for the Wildcats are extremely high. Tyler Korbe starred on both sides of the ball last year and led the team in rushing and receiver. Lineman Ace Edwards joined him as a first-team All-Northwest Kansas League pick. Accustomed to playing in the state championship game with four state championships since 2016, a 5-5 season somewhat qualifies as a down year for Hanover, which lost in the second round of the playoffs to Canton-Galva. The Wildcats did finish strong with wins in five of their last seven games and hope that carries over to this season with five starters returning each way with All-8MII pick Josh Zarybnicky the key loss to graduation. Rieken Stallbaumer returns at quarterback after taking over the job last year as a sophomore and throwing for 1,288 yards and 23 TDs while also leading the team in rushing. Seniors Patrick Cook and Levi Griffith give Hanover two returners to the offensive and defensive lines and Hanover will look for increased production from last year’s role players to get back to its customary place as a title contender. Depth in the Twin Valley League goes beyond Axtell and Hanover as Frankfort has established itself in recent years as well. The Wildcats were just 4-6 last year but knocked off Beloit-St. John’s in the playoff opener before losing to Lebo. Sophomore quarterback Wes Anderson, son of coach Nick Anderson, stepped in as a starter from Day 1 and broke all of Frankfort’s passing records last year, finishing with 1,367 yards and 21 touchdowns despite missing the last two and a half games with an injury. Junior Lane Loiseau complemented him with 1,200 all-purpose yards last year. Injuries were a killer for Frankfort last year with at least five starters missing multiple games. The Wildcats have won a playoff game each of the last five years and if they can stay healthy this season could add a couple more. Beloit-St. John’s finished 6-3 after its upset loss to Frankfort. The Blujays return four starters each way and return the bulk of last year’s offensive production in junior quarterback Tyson Gates and senior back Chance Jermark. Gates threw for 1,048 yards and he and Jermark each had just over 700 yards rushing. Jermark was second on the team in tackles behind older brother Cooper, making 115 stops with 19 tackles for loss. Minneola boasts one of the top offensive players in the division in senior Eli Lang, who threw for 1,962 yards and 23 TDs and ran for another 954 and 23 more TDs in leading the Wildcats to an 8-2 mark with the only losses to Dighton and Victoria. Tyson Klotz was his top receiver as a freshman last year and senior James Littlewood was the second-leading rusher and it the top returning tackler. Returning eight starters from last year’s 6-4 team, Bucklin holds expectations of advancing beyond the second round of the postseason this year. Junior Lucas Kirk had nearly 1,900 yards of total offense and 32 TDs while senior tailback Andrew Bowman added nearly 1,100 rushing and receiving yards. Bowman is one of seven players on defense who had at least 40 tackles, ranking third to fellow senior linebacker Drew Ellis and junior end Kolson Cook. The Red Aces were 8-2 in 2021. Colony-Crest has gone 28-12 in Nick McAnulty’s first four years including a 7-3 mark last season. He faces his biggest rebuild of his tenure this season after graduation claimed 11 seniors off last year’s team including every defensive starter. Seniors Logan Kistner and Ryan Golden are the lone returning starters on offense, Kistner on the line and Golden moving from receiver to quarterback. Only two other seniors are on the roster, so McAnulty will have to count on young players to keep the run going. A healthy Owen Reece will be a big plus for Hodgeman County this season as the Longhorns look to improve on last year’s 6-4 mark. Reece played just five quarters last year before getting injured. His return at quarterback will be huge as Hodgeman looks to replace the rest of last year’s backfield, including leading rushers Seth Pelton and Spencer Bowman. Five starters return overall. South Barber started 6-0 last year before injuries derailed the run, leading to a 6-3 finish. The Chieftains return senior quarterback Briggs Jewell, who threw for 1,685 yards and 28 TDs last year and also added 576 rushing yards and 9 scores. Cash Tomberlin was the lone skill player to graduate and South Barber returns six seniors among seven starters overall. Lakeside returns starters each way from a 5-4 team with Ian Kresin a bell-cow back after rushing for 1,246 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. He’s complemented by quarterback Kaden McCoy (1,200 total yards) and three offensive linemen who return. Stafford is coming off a breakthrough season that saw it go 8-1 last year, getting upset in the first round of the playoffs by Bucklin. The Trojans graduated its passing combo of Dylan Gantz and Colson Minks. But Cody Knoche returns after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and Brody Kerschenske is back as the top returning tackler. Five starters return overall. Sylvan-Lucas was 7-3 a year ago and returns seven starters including leading rusher and passer Lane Homewood, who had nearly 1,400 yards from his quarterback position. A pair of potential sleeper teams in Division II this year could be Kinsley and Marmaton Valley, each of whom went 4-5 last year. Kinsley has one of the top linemen in Division II in senior Kaden Arensman, a two-way All-Central Prairie League performer last year. Nine starters return overall, five of whom are seniors who helped the Coyotes to back-to-back winning seasons in 2020 and 2021. Connor Chamberlain ran for nearly 1,000 yards last year and Cason Lemuz was the team’s leading tackler with 105 stops a year ago. Marmaton Valley, meanwhile, boasts a stellar pass-catch combo in juniors Brayden Lawson and Jaedon Granere. Lawson had more than 1,000 yards passing and rushing with a combined 33 touchdowns while Granere had 610 yards and 7 TDs receiving and nearly 400 yards rushing. The Wildcats are young with just one senior, lineman Daniel Fewins.
 

 
SIX-PLAYER
 
2022 State champion: Cunningham
 
2022 State runner-up: Ashland

2022 Review: For the first time, the KSHSAA sanctioned a Six-Player state championship with enough schools fielding programs to bring it up to the requirements necessary to contest a postseason. The season ended in somewhat similar fashion as it started with Cunningham and Ashland squaring off. The two had waged a dandy in the opener with Cunningham taking a 38-30 victory. Both teams navigated the rest of their schedules and postseason foes to earn a rematch in the title game. In the title game, Cunningham got a quick 69-yard pass from Luke McGuire to Lane Halderson and jumped out to a 30-8 lead in the third quarter before settling for a 38-16 victory. The win not only capped a 12-0 season for Cunningham but also capped a rise from not fielding a program from 2015-18, the school co-opping with Kingman for four years after winless seasons in 2013 and 2014 led to a sharp decrease in numbers. Cunningham returned in 2019 and went 1-7, starting many of the 2022 seniors as freshmen. The Wildcats were state runner-up to Natoma in 2021 before getting the program’s first state title in 2022. Ashland finished with a 9-2 mark, knocking out Cheylin 78-34 in the state semifinals.
 
2023 Contenders: With its days of not being able to field a program in the rearview mirror, Cunningham is determined to prove it has staying power as one of the top programs in the six-player division. The Wildcats made a big statement in running the table a year ago for the program’s first state championship in football, capping a 12-0 season with a 38-16 win over Ashland in the title game. Cunningham only had two games that didn’t end via the 45-point mercy rule a year ago, the other a 38-30 win over Ashland in the season opener. Though graduation claimed starting quarterback Trey DeWeese and leading receiver/tackler Lane Halderson more than enough returns for the Wildcats to go back-to-back as only one other player graduated. Senior Luke McGuire, head coach Lance’s son, was the leading rusher last year with 572 yards and 13 TDs and also added 669 passing yards and 10 TDs. He’s one of five seniors along with Luke Albers and Jack Ruckle who were integral starters while juniors Will Wegerer, Trent Schnittker and Dagim Reed also return as starters with Reed a dangerous weapon in the kicking game. Ruckle, McGuire and Albers were All-6M picks last season. Suffering its only two losses to Cunningham last year, Ashland would love nothing more than to turn the tables on the Wildcats this year and certainly have the capabilities to do just that. The Bluejays only lost one senior off last year’s team, starting defensive lineman Nathan Lynn, who ranked fifth on the team in tackles and had 10 tackles for loss. Three All-6M first-team selections who accounted for more than 1,000 yards of offense apiece return among five seniors. Quarterback Britt Grigsby threw for 1,006 yards and 17 touchdowns while Landen McPhail (1,232 yards, 24 TDs) and Kale Harris (1,116 yards, 21 TDs) were as good a 1-2 rushing tandem in six-player. They were also the three leading tacklers on defense as well. Depth is arguably the biggest concern, but numbers have improved overall for the program, which is 36-9 since moving to six-player. Like Ashland, Cheylin returns nearly everyone that started a year ago, losing only two seniors off last year’s team that went 10-2 with its only losses to Ashland. The Cougars played in two straight Wild West Bowls (the six-player title game before being sanctioned by the KSHSAA), winning the title in 2020. This year’s seniors played a part in that championship and are hungry to cap their careers in similar fashion. Logan McCarty threw for 1,474 yards and 23 touchdowns last year and ran for 1,118 scores. He was an All-6M pick along with fellow senior Pablo Bermudez, the Cougars’ leading tackler and second-leading rusher and receiver. Brody Ketzner led the team in receiving last year and was third in tackles behind Bermudez and McCarthy. Waverly was a newcomer to six-player football last year after decades of being a consistent playoff participant in eight-player. The Bulldogs finished the season 11-1 with their lone loss coming to Cunningham in the state semifinals. Only three starters return for the Bulldogs, but senior quarterback Ben Meehan is coming off a season where he threw for 1,524 yards and 28 TDs and ran for 679 yards and 8 TDs. Sophomore Carter Ohl returns after missing the last five games with a broken foot a year ago while end Luke Bartley and lineman Colten Woodson are the only other returning starters. Meehan also was the leading tackler, earning All-6M honors. Meehan and Bartley are the lone seniors expected to start and Waverly will have to hope its youth comes of age in a hurry to stay among the title contenders. Of last year’s quarterfinalists, Northern Valley seems best poised to take the next step and advance to the semifinals or title game. The Huskies were 8-3 a year ago and do lose All-6M linemen Kai Cox (offense) and Foster Brands (defense). But the four starters that do return are high quality. Kenton Thalheim threw for 1,118 yards and 28 TDs last year despite a shoulder injury that limited his play on defense, while Jeremiah Hansen complemented him in the running game with 1,053 total yards and 17 TDs. The Huskies’ skill players also get a boost with the addition of transfer Nolan Kinderknecht, an all-league performer for WaKeeney-Trego last year. Sophomore Gavin Thalheim is the leading returning tackler after having 89 as a freshman last year. Ingalls returns the leading ground-gainer in six-player last season in Langston Northern, who rushed for 1,638 yards and 30 touchdowns in leading the Bulldogs to a 7-3 mark in its debut season in six-player. Ingalls returns six starters on an offense that put up 100 points in a win over Deerfield last year, while five starters are back on defense. Tescott went 9-2 and reached the quarterfinals as well, but graduated All-6M pick Nate Ehlers and all-leaguer Blake Green. Four starters are back led by senior Carter Peters, who ran for more than 900 yards and was the All-6M punter. Pawnee Heights figures to improve on its 4-6 mark of a season ago after injuries and youth hampered the bid for a better record. The experience the Tigers gained will pay off with six starters back on defense and five on offense. The defense is led by returning All-6M pick Jimmy Gardner, who led the team in tackles as a sophomore with 103. He teams with senior Davin Hamby to give the Tigers a strong 1-2 duo at not only linebacker but in the offensive backfield as well. Hamby led the offense last year with 1,152 yards and 19 TDs rushing and 676 and 10 TDs passing. Gardner added 874 yards and 12 TDs on the ground. Deerfield was 5-4 last year and returns four starters, led by all-league pick Maverick Najera at quarterback. The Spartans are coming off their first playoff berth in 10 years. Peabody finished 6-4 and had a new coach this year in Eric Dutton. He inherits a team that returns just three starters, backs Chris Spencer and Cade Goseen and lineman/linebacker Andrew Reynolds. There are no seniors on the roster and at least four freshmen will see significant roles. After going just 3-6 last year, Centre could flip that mark this year with seven players back that started at some point last year. Senior back Santiago Knepp ran for more than, 1,100 yards last year while Gentri Holub was the team’s leading tackler. Another team poised for a breakthrough is Greeley County, which was 4-5 last year. The Jackrabbits have won two straight 1A Division II basketball titles and junior quarterback Lincoln Shafer was a key starter for both title teams. He’s one of five returning starters for first-year head coach AJ Govert.