EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025
 

BRAXTON ALPERS, ST. JOHN

Alpers enters his third year starting at quarterback and defensive back. He threw for 722 yards with 8 touchdowns and rushed for 1,049 with 21 touchdowns last year. In the secondary, Alpers logged 80 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and picked off seven passes. He earned first-team all-district and All-Central Prairie League honors. He was honorable mention All-Eight Player Division II. The Tigers went 4-5 last season.
 

 
WES ANDERSON, FRANKFORT

Even with a year to go, Anderson has already enjoyed a statistical career that ranks among the best in Eight-Player football history. Starting at quarterback from Day 1 of his freshman season for his father, Nick, Anderson has completely re-written the Wildcats’ passing record book and now owns every school record for single-season and career. After throwing for an eight-player best 2,184 yards and 34 touchdowns as a sophomore, Anderson had an even bigger junior season as he threw for 2,696 yards and 36 touchdowns, while also adding 448 yards and 11 scores on the ground in leading Frankfort to its second straight semifinal appearance. Anderson has thrown for 6,247 yards and 91 touchdowns in his career and with a season similar to the past two years has a shot at the eight-player career passing record of 8,320 yards held by White City’s Michael Hammersmith. Anderson became a full-time defensive starter last year as well at safety and will move up to a linebacker spot this year after having 59 tackles and three interceptions last fall. He was first-team All-Eight-Player Division II on offense at an at-large spot.
 

DYLAN BROZEK, STAFFORD
 
Brozek, a senior, will try to lead a young Stafford team looking to improve on a 2-7 season, with both victories coming against Pretty Prairie. The 6-foot, 190-pound Brozek led the Trojans in rushing with 92 carries for 503 yards and four touchdowns. While accounting for nearly 800 yards of total offense, Brozek also recorded a team-high 110 tackles and forced four fumbles, recovering two. Brozek, who earned All-Eight-Player II honorable mention at linebacker, was a two-way all-district performer, earning first team on defense and second team on offense. 
 

 
TANNER BRUNA, HANOVER

Coming off a big sophomore season that saw him lead the Wildcats in tackles with 100 and also serve as the leading receiver on offense with 405 yards and 5 TDs, Bruna saw his numbers on both sides of the ball diminish a bit last year. He still was Hanover’s second-leading tackler from his linebacker spot with 42, tied with fellow linebacker Kadrick Cohorst. Offensively, he caught half as many passes as he did in 2023, hauling in just 14 passes for 224 yards and 3 TDs as Hanover spread the ball around more with four players having double-digit reception totals. He still earned first-team All-Twin Valley League honors on defense and helped lead Hanover to an 8-2 mark. With the bulk of last year’s roster returning this season, Bruna’s numbers could spike back up, as could the Wildcats’ prospects of contending for the state title.
 

BREVYN CAMPBELL, MARMATON VALLEY
 
Campbell has been a starter at linebacker for the Wildcats since his freshman year when he made 44 tackles. He more than doubled that total to 106 tackles as a sophomore, which led the team. Last year, Campbell battled through a back injury all season but still ranked second on the team with 68 to now-departed standout Brayden Lawson. Campbell also became a bigger part of the offense last year at a tight end spot, catching 11 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. With Marmaton not only losing Lawson at quarterback and four-year starting end Jaedon Granere, Campbell’s role on that side of the ball could expand even more as a target for new starting quarterback Tyler Lord, who played receiver last year. Campbell earned first-team All-Three Rivers League honors at linebacker as a sophomore and was second-team last year while also earning first-team honors at tight end last year.
 

 
WYATT DETWEILER, AXTELL

Detweiler has the huge challenge of replacing All-State Top 11 pick Brandon Schmelzle as quarterback after the University of Kansas signee helped lead Axtell to four straight undefeated Eight-Player Division II state championships. But if anyone is equipped to fill that void, it might be Detweiler, who is the son of Eagles head coach Eric Detweiler and watched his older brother, Isaac (also an All-State Top 11 selection) serve as the quarterback for the first two of those state titles. Detweiler has filled various roles on offense since his freshman year, backing up Schmelzle and playing receiver and last year had 229 yards and 4 TDs receiving, 107 yards and 2 TDs rushing and completed 7 of 9 pass attempts for 149 yards and 4 TDs. He also started at linebacker and recorded 55 tackles, tops among Eagle returners. Detweiler was a second-team All-Twin Valley League pick and undoubtedly wants to leave his own legacy at Axtell and keep the Eagles’ streak going this fall.
 

PIERCEN HUFF, HUTCHINSON CENTRAL CHRISTIAN
 
Huff, a senior, is back as the top offensive weapon from a team that finished 9-2 and won a district title. A wide receiver and defensive back, Huff had 37 receptions for 429 yards and ran for 142 yards while scoring 11 total touchdowns. He was also one of Central Christian’s top defensive playmakers, recording 67 tackles and 7 interceptions despite missing two games with an ankle injury. One of two seniors on this year’s roster, Huff earned All-Eight-Player II honorable mention last fall, and landed All-Heart of the Plains first-team honors in the secondary as a sophomore, when he also recorded 7 interceptions.
 

 
KYLE HUSER, VICTORIA

Huser enters his senior season already having established himself as one of the top linemen in the state. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound center paved the way for the Victoria offense to flourish, helping lead the Knights to a state title game appearance last year. Huser is also a force at nose guard for Victoria, which also returns several other key players from last year’s 12-1 team. Huser earned first-team All-Eight-Player Division I and Central Prairie League honors.
 

 
ALEC JUENEMAN, HANOVER
 
Jueneman has led Hanover in rushing each of the past two seasons, rolling up 752 yards and 8 TDs as a first-year starter as a sophomore in 2023 and following that with 841 yards and 14 touchdowns last season in helping Hanover to an 8-2 record. Jueneman has plenty of complements around him in the Wildcat offense with Braylon Meyn and Kadrick Cohorst both returning at quarterback and capable of also playing running back and receiver. Jueneman was a first-team All-Twin Valley League pick at running back and he could have a bigger role on defense at linebacker after having just 12 tackles last year.
 

LEVI LANG, MINNEOLA

The standout quarterback/linebacker helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-2 season in 2024. Lang threw for 1,750 yards and 29 touchdowns, adding 500 yards and 14 scores on the ground. He was a second-team All-SPIAA selection and earned honorable mention All-Eight-Player Division II honors. Former Wildcat assistant James Temaat enters his first year as head coach as longtime Minneola head coach Reigo Hahn moves to an assistant role.
 

 
BROCK MOON, BURLINGAME
 
With graduation claiming a stellar senior class off last year’s Bearcat team that went 10-1 and reached the Eight-Player Division II quarterfinals before falling in a heartbreaker to Frankfort, Moon will be counted on heavily this year as one of the few proven performers returning. The senior linebacker ended up leading Burlingame in tackles last year, finishing with 73 stops which included 11.5 tackles for loss that ranked second on the team and 3.5 sacks that tied for the team lead. Moon also recovered a team-high four fumbles as he earned first-team All-Lyon County League honors. A tight end on offense, he was a key blocker for an offense that produced more than 3,000 yards a year ago, also contributing 8 catches for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’ll likely take on an expanded role in the offense this season as Burlingame breaks in an entirely new backfield to complement Moon and returning all-league receiver Drake Skirvin.
 

DANIEL PORTILLO, ST. JOHN

Portillo is a two-year starter on the offensive line and a three-year starter on the defensive line for the Tigers. He also had a handful of carries last year, rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he logged  70 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. Portillo was a first-team All-Central Prairie League pick and earned honorable mention All-Eight-Player Division II honors.
 

 
LOGAN SANDMANN, AXTELL

Axtell only had one hole to fill on its offensive and defensive lines last year from its 2023 Eight-Player Division II state championship team, but it was a big one with the departure of All-State lineman Sawyer Deters. But Sandmann plugged into that spot last year as a sophomore and helped Axtell continue its run of dominance in Eight-Player Division II as the Eagles captured their fourth straight undefeated state championship. This year, Sandmann is the lone returning starter for both lines as the Eagles lost All-Twin Valley League first-teamers Blaise Buessing and Daltyn Heinen, but at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds can be a dominating blocker and disruptive force defensively. He ranks second among returners with 47 tackles. He earned second-team all-league honors both ways last year and also helped lead Axtell to state titles in basketball and track last year. 
 

COOPER SCHARFF, MARMATON VALLEY

Scharff has teamed with leading returning tackler Brevyn Campbell to give Marmaton Valley a strong 1-2 punch in its linebacking corps the past two seasons. Scharff had 51 tackles as a sophomore starter alongside Campbell and last year ranked just behind Campbell with 60 tackles, including 5 for loss and 3.5 sacks despite going down for the season with an injury in the first quarter of the regular-season finale. He also picked off three passes and was named first-team All-Three Rivers League on defense. Offensively, he served as a complement to four-year starting quarterback Brayden Lawson and produced over 800 yards of offense, 411 rushing with 10 TDs and 392 receiving with 6 TDs. With Lawson gone, Scharff may get more of the workload this season as Tyler Lord transitions from receiver to fill Lawson’s void at QB.
 

 
WESTON SCHERRER, VICTORIA

Scherrer was a powerful weapon on the ground game last year for Victoria, rushing for 1,058 yards and 17 touchdowns. On defense, 18 of Scherrer’s 46 tackles went for loss. He was a first-team All-Central Prairie League pick at running back and also landed a spot on the All-Eight Player Division II first team. Victoria returns a strong core from last year’s 12-1 team that finished second to Axtell.
 

 
LANDON SCHMITZ, AXTELL
 
With the like of Brandon Schmelzle and Eli Broxterman leading the Axtell offense and leading the Eagles to four straight Eight-Player Division II state championships, touches have been somewhat limited for Schmitz in his first three seasons. But he’s arguably made the most of the chances he’s gotten. Last year he ran for a touchdowns nearly every third time he carried the ball, rushing for 10 touchdowns and 343 yards on just 33 carries. He also took nearly half of his 22 catches to the house, finishing with 344 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving. Schmitz scored 8 times on 12 carries as a sophomore and will become a focal point of the offense this season with Schmelzle and Broxterman both having graduated. Schmitz earned first-team All-Twin Valley League honors on offense and was second-team on defense after making 45 tackles and 4 interceptions in the secondary last year.
 

 
DRAKE SKIRVIN, BURLINGAME

While teammate Dane Winters was the favorite target of quarterback JD Tyson in Burlingame’s potent passing attack (57 catches, 1,021 yards, 25 TDs), Skirvin was a big-time complement and a big-play threat. He caught just 18 passes, but 10 of them went for touchdowns as he averaged a team-best 19.8 yards per catch, finishing with 357 yards. Skirvin, a basketball standout for the Bearcats, has the size at 6-foot-6 to go up and get jump balls and will help Burlingame make the transition to new quarterback Danny Cain a bit easier. Winters is also gone, leaving Skirvin as the top target in the passing game this season. Skirvin earned first-team All-Lyon County League honors last year and also plays defensive back.
 

 
KINGSLY SMITH, WAKEFIELD
 
Wakefield went just 2-7 last year but Smith was certainly a bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the Bombers – and has been each of his first three seasons. A four-year starter on both he offensive and defensive lines, Smith earned first-team All-Wheat State League honors each way last season. He had 42 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 3 sacks last year and has 113 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in his career. He can play both end and tackle on defense and occasionally will play some fullback for the Bombers on offense in their heavy packages, but primarily lines up at guard. Smith also was a state placer in the shot put and discus last spring, breaking school records in both events that had stood since the 1970s.
 

CARSON VINEYARD, ARGONIA-ATTICA
 
The Titans expected Vineyard to increase his production last season and he didn’t disappoint, accounting for nearly 1,800 all-purpose yards in a 7-3 season. Vineyard, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior, ran for 1,089 yards on 135 carries with 16 touchdowns. He also had over 300 receiving yards with 5 scores and completed 5 of 11 passes for 119 yards and 2 TDs. Vineyard also led the Titan defense with 107 tackles and 3 interceptions. He earned first-team All-South Central Border League honors at running back and linebacker, and landed on the All-Eight-Player II first team as a returner, averaging 24.2 yards on kick returns and nearly 10 yards on punt returns.
 

 
ETHAN VONLINTEL, VICTORIA

The senior is a two-way standout at tight end and defensive line for the Knights. He tied with Weston Scherrer for the team lead in receptions with 16 last year, posting 289 yards and a team-high 7 touchdown catches. He was Victoria’s top pass rusher, notching a team-high nine sacks. VonLintel was a first-team All-Central Prairie League selection on both sides of the ball and was honorable mention All-Eight Player Division I.
 

TYSON YOUNGER, HODGEMAN COUNTY
 
The speedster was part of a balanced receiving corps for the Longhorns last year, making 13 receptions for 232 yards. He excelled as a kicker, earning first-team All-Eight-Player Division I honors as a special teamer. The Longhorns lost their standout quarterback, Hazen Rydquist, to graduation but still returns several key pieces from last year’s 8-3 team.