SIX-PLAYER FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025
 

 
GAVIN ALLOWAY, OTIS-BISON

Alloway is the Cougars’ top threat on the ground. He rushed for 570 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 carries a year ago. Alloway, now a senior, added 15 receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He logged 29 tackles. Alloway earned honorable mention All-Six Player honors.
 

 
NICK COTTRELL, WESKAN

Cottrell helped engineer the offense for the state champion Coyotes at quarterback last year. He was nearly mistake-free in the passing attack, throwing for 1,750 yards and 30 touchdowns with just one interception. He’ll lose a key weapon in now-graduated Trey Allen but Karsyn Wright is back after a huge sophomore season. Cottrell was a first-team All-Eight Player Division I selection as an at-large player as a junior.
 

DYLAN HALDERSON, CUNNINGHAM
 
One of three returning starters for the Wildcats, Halderson has played an integral role in Cunningham reaching the Six-Player championship game the last three seasons. An all-state first-team linebacker, Halderson recorded a team-high 52 tackles in eight games last season with 40 solo stops. He also intercepted two passes and had a sack and a fumble recovery. Offensively, Halderson caught nine passes for 164 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cunningham dominated its all-district team, and Halderson was a first-team selection on the offensive line and at linebacker.
 

OWEN HAMMOND, NORTHERN VALLEY

Hammond excelled as a utility player for the Huskies last year, running and catching the ball out of the backfield. Hammond caught 40 passes for 742 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 418 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. At defensive back, he recorded 60 tackles and 3 interceptions and scored two defensive touchdowns. Hammond broke single-season school records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, all previously held by Travis Vallin, a University of Nebraska-Kearney hall of famer. Hammond was honorable mention All-Six Player last year.
 

 
KELSON JUNO, OTIS-BISON

Juno was the Cougars’ top receiver last year, making 19 catches for 413 yards and 10 touchdowns. He scored two touchdowns defensively and logged 23 tackles. Juno earned honorable mention All-Six Player honors.
 

STEPHEN KERSCHEN, CUNNINGHAM

A trademark of Cunningham’s successful run during the KSHSAA-sanctioned Six-Player era has been offensive balance, and Kerschen has been part of that. The junior was second on the team in receptions last season with 25, resulting in 393 yards and 7 touchdowns. Kerschen also recorded 43 tackles and a team-high 3.5 sacks in the eight games the Wildcats played. Kerschen earned first-team all-district honors at running back and on the defensive line, and was All-Six-Player honorable mention. 
 

 
DALTON LINGENFELTER, MARAIS DES CYGNES VALLEY
 
Marais des Cygnes Valley made the move to six-player last year and rode a standout sophomore class that included Lingenfelter to a 6-3 mark after going 0-9 in 2023. Lingenfelter is a three-year starter for the Trojans and has been their second-leading receiver each of the past two seasons, last year catching 18 passes for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’s already over 1,000 yards in his career with 8 TDs and will get considerably more passes thrown his way with the transfer of leading receiver/rusher Landon Traver to Ottawa. Lingenfelter also had 23 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries from his secondary position a year ago.
 

 
JAMESON MILES, PEABODY

Miles burst onto the six-player scene as a freshman in 2023 when he hauled in 31 passes for 844 yards and 18 touchdowns as part of a big-time pass catch combo with fellow freshman quarterback Aiden Hurst. The duo were at it again last year with Miles finishing with 729 yards on 27 catches with 16 of those going for touchdowns. Miles already has 34 career receiving touchdowns. He was an even bigger factor on defense for the Warriors last year as well, making 72 tackles, of which 56 were solo, after having only 10 tackles his freshman year. With Miles and Hurst (2,798 career passing yards, 46 TDs) among eight players back who started for the Warriors last year, Peabody will look to improve on its 7-2 mark and make a postseason run this fall.
 

 
AIDEN OCHS-LOHREY, OTIS-BISON

Ochs-Lohrey quickly established himself as a defensive leader for the Cougars as a freshman. He led Otis-Bison with 84 tackles from his linebacker spot. Ochs-Lohrey received honorable mention All-Six-Player honors for Otis-Bison, which went 6-4 in its first year of six-man football in 2024. 
 

DIEGO PEREZ, GOLDEN PLAINS

A senior leader for the Bulldogs, Perez notched 97 tackles last season. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a 9-3 season and is part of a strong group of returners including Dylan Wark and Jose Rios. Perez received honorable mention All-Six Player honors last season.
 

CHARLIE PHELPS, TESCOTT

The four-year starter is a force at defensive end and tight end for the Trojans. He recorded a team-high 22 catches for 391 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. Phelps logged 51 tackles. Tescott went 8-3 and reached the semifinals last year, falling to Cunningham. Phelps landed a spot on the All-Six Player first-team defense.
 

 
LANDON REED, MARAIS DES CYGNES VALLEY
 
Reed emerged in a big way as a passing threat for the Marais des Cygnes Valley offense as the Trojans transitioned from eight-player to six-player football last year. After throwing for around 500 yards as a freshman starter in an 0-9 2023 season, Reed exploded for 1,510 yards and 16 touchdowns passing last year, completing 68.3% of his passes. Reed will shoulder an even bigger load of the offense this year as jack-of-all-trades back Landon Traver, the leading rusher and receiver, has transferred to Ottawa. But Reed has receiver Dalton Lingenfelter back as a proven target.
 

 JOSE RIOS, GOLDEN PLAINS

Rios’ biggest contribution to the Bulldogs last year was his success as a kicker, which is a big luxury in the six-man game. He is expected to see more action on the offensive line and in the receiving game this year. Rios was honorable mention All-Six Player as a specialist last year.
 

JOEY STIRN, TESCOTT

Stirn led Tescott’s ground game last season, combining with Jace Krone to form a strong 1-2 punch. Stirn finished with 697 and 16 touchdowns rushing. He notched 61 tackles on defense for the Trojans, who made the state semifinals for the second straight year, finishing 8-3. Stirn was also a huge threat in the return game, earning first-team All-Six Player honors on special teams.
 

AUSTIN SWONGER, SOUTH BARBER
 
Swonger, a junior, helped the Chieftains transition to six-player football last fall with a big season on both sides of the ball. He led South Barber to a 9-2 record by completing 83 of 154 passes for 1,286 yards and 28 touchdowns. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound Swonger also led the Chieftains with 721 rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground. A first-team All-Six Player selection at the defensive flex position, Swonger recorded 97 tackles – 9 for loss – with a pair of interceptions at cornerback. In the Chieftains’ final victory of the season against Northern Valley, Swonger threw six touchdown passes and ran for three.
 

GAVIN THALHEIM, NORTHERN VALLEY

Thalheim has been a standout since he was a freshman. The senior has earned All-Western Kansas Liberty League honors in each of his first three season and has received some type of all-state recognition in each of the last two years. Thalheim was a first-team All-Six Player selection on defense last year after recording 90 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 5 tackles for loss. On offense, he threw for 877 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ranks eighth in school history with 234 tackles and needs 85 more to break the school record held by B.J. Vincent.
 

SKYLER THIMESCH, CUNNINGHAM
 
Thimesch helped Cunningham advance to the Six-Player championship game for the third straight year, contributing on offense, defense and special teams. The senior accounted for 642 all-purpose yards, catching 22 passes for 345 yards and 7 touchdowns. Thimesch also ran for 86 yards, and averaged 35.2 yards on six kickoff returns. Defensively, he recorded 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Thimesch earned first-team all-district honors on offense and defense, and received All-Six-Player honorable mention.


 
DYLAN WARK, GOLDEN PLAINS

Wark was one of the top rushers in the six-player ranks last year, finishing with 1,360 yards and 26 touchdowns. He added 382 receiving yards and scored 40 total touchdowns. Wark was also a ball hawk as a defensive back with six interceptions. He racked up 95 tackles. Wark landed a spot on the first-team All-Six Player offense. KARSYN WRIGHT, WESKAN
 
Wright capped a tremendous sophomore season with an unforgettable finish in the Six-Player title game against Cunningham last season in Greensburg. He scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:42 left, lifting the Coyotes to a 49-48 shootout win. Wright had a combined 1,700 yards rushing, receiving and passing with 39 total touchdowns last year. He was a first-team All-Six-Player selection as a flex player.