The occasional barking sounds, Sterling senior Wyatt Newberry says, are the product of a Black Bears coaching staff affectionately calling its defensive unit a bunch of dogs.
 
“We all kind of embrace that,” said Newberry, an All-Class 1A defensive back last season. “Whenever somebody makes a big play, we’re all kind of barking out there. Just kind of making a big deal out of something.”
 
Sterling is putting plenty of old dogs out on the field this season, and the results so far have been, well, among the best in show. After opening the season with a 47-6 victory over Sedgwick, Sterling improved to 2-0 on Friday by handling Moundridge 27-15 in its first road test. The Black Bears climbed into this week’s KSHSAA Covered’s 1A rankings at No. 5.
 
Twelve of the 48 players on Sterling’s roster returned with varsity starting experience this season, including Newberry, the Black Bears’ top tackler a year ago, and senior running back/defensive back Zane Farney, who provided a lightning bolt against Moundridge with a 67-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage.
 
“Just because of our experience and returning a bunch of starters, we were ready to go Week 1,” said Farney, who ran 21 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s victory. “We were ready to get our stuff in. Installing it didn’t feel like baby steps. We were just ready to go right off the bat.”
 
By doing so, Sterling avenged last season’s losses to Sedgwick and Moundridge, flipping the script on its 0-2 start from a year ago. The Black Bears rallied to win six of their final eight games, fueling optimism for 2025.
 
“We got off to a little bit of a late start last year, and then we started playing some playing some really good football after we got some things taken care of,” Sterling coach Brent Schneider said. “We kind of wanted to make a statement with some of these early-season games, and I’ve just been proud of the kids.
 
“They buy in, they play physical football. We really put a lot of emphasis on playing fast, physical defense, and I think it’s really showing.”
 
Moundridge pulled even on its first possession with a 9-play, 76-yard drive, using 64 rushing yards from senior quarterback Kaizer Kanitz to fuel a touchdown march. But Sterling shut off the Wildcats for much of the rest of the game, intercepting Kanitz three times, with Newberry, junior Derwyn Maxwell and junior Jace Darnauer each collecting one.
 

Meanwhile, the Black Bears displayed their physicality on offense, compiling all 302 yards of total offense on the ground. In addition to Farney’s big game, Newberry added 9 carries for 96 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
 
“It’s nice to have an experienced backfield, and then the o-line is always stepping up big and making big-time blocks,” Newberry said. “I just feel we mesh together really well. We’re always cheering for each other and then when somebody messes up, we’re lifting them up.”
 
Six Sterling football players were on the Black Bears’ basketball team that won the Class 2A basketball title in March, a journey that ended with a 56-42 victory over Moundridge in the championship game. Newberry, Farney and junior Cameron Morris were starters.
 
That experience provided a boost of confidence heading into the football season, which continues Friday at home against Inman (2-0).
 
“Something that we were talking about in weights the other day, we were looking at our trophy case and the only state football championship was in 1982,” Farney said. “We’d definitely like to place some new hardware in the trophy case.
 
“Knowing that we’ve done something like that and winning on such a big stage in basketball is really fueling us.”

 
OTHER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS FOOTBALL STANDOUTS

• Garden Plain ended two-time reigning Class 1A champion Conway Springs’ 25-game winning streak with a 33-14 victory, as seniors Eli Eck and Emrick Hays each ran for two touchdowns. Eck, the Owls’ quarterback, ran for 185 yards on 17 carries, while Hays finished with 68 yards on 17 attempts. Senior Pete McGregor also had 5 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown as Garden Plain rolled up 392 yards on the ground. The Owls built a 25-6 halftime lead, offsetting 105 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns from Conway Springs senior Logan Osner.
• Wichita Northwest senior Augie Fast ran for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns to boost the host Grizzlies to a 34-14 victory over Wichita East. Quarterback Jaylen Mason added 97 rushing yards and a touchdowns for Northwest (2-0), ranked No. 2 in Class 6A.
• Maize senior Brayden Myovela completed 11 of 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and ran 10 times for 96 yards and a score in the host Eagles’ 27-0 victory over Andover. Senior Hunter Jennings led Maize’s defensive effort with 15 tackles.
• Derby’s Arieus Finley helped the Panthers bounce back from a Week 1 loss to Hays, rushing for 198 yards and 4 first-half touchdowns in a 55-0 victory at Campus. Finley scored on runs of 13, 1, 3 and 10 yards as Derby built a 49-0 halftime lead. Krystian Dorsey, Blade Clark and Ja’maree Jones added scoring runs for the Panthers.
• Hutchinson senior Jeremyah Gaitho-Karanu scored on a pair of short touchdown runs and finished with 28 carries for 117 yards as the visiting Salthawks improved to 2-0 with a 25-18 victory over Valley Center. Senior Tramel Walker added two scoring passes on three completions for Hutchinson, which led 13-3 at halftime.
• Goddard junior Erik Olivas ran for 139 yards on 23 carries, and completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to senior Jaxen Terhune to help the Lions defeat crosstown rival Eisenhower 36-28. Senior Bryer Rojas ran for a pair of touchdowns and junior Brock Sullivan added one for Goddard.
• Junior Jaxson Green ran 27 times for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns to help Andover Central even its record at 1-1 with a 27-18 victory over Newton. Junior Ben Greenfield had 11 tackles and one of the Jaguars’ 4 sacks.
• Maize South let a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead slip away, but recovered to fend off visiting Salina South 38-35 on junior Reign Illian’s 14-yard touchdown pass to classmate Carson Cantu with 57 seconds to play. Illian finished 36 of 49 for 461 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was also intercepted 4 times, including a 40-yard return for a touchdown by Salina South’s Caden Stauffer on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Senior Braxton Liby had 12 receptions for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns, and junior Stratton Ebers caught 13 passes for 113 yards and a score for Maize South (2-0).
• Salina Central junior Griffin Hall accounted for 300 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns, and senior Cooper Reves ran 18 times for 221 yards and 3 TDs in the Mustangs’ 49-13 victory over Arkansas City. Hall completed 19 of 25 passes for 228 yards and 2 scores to senior Gannon Cole while running 12 times for 72 yards and a pair of TDs.
• Senior Ben Clouse helped Buhler improve to 2-0, running 35 times for 283 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 37-12 victory over visiting Augusta. Junior quarterback Asher Zachary added 117 passing yards and a touchdown for the Crusaders.
• McPherson sophomore Brody Milleson ran for 188 yards – 112 in the second half – as the visiting Bullpups scored 20 unanswered points after the break to defeat Circle 34-17. Milleson finished with 2 rushing touchdowns, while junior Dane Becker added 17 carries for 121 yards and a score for the Bullpups, who improved to 1-1.
• Reigning Class 3A champion Andale got 307 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns from senior quarterback Sam Harp in a 77-20 victory over Wellington. Harp did all his scoring in the first half as the Indians rolled up 48 points in the first quarter and 69 before the break. Hunter Grimes returned one of three Andale interceptions for a score.
• Clearwater senior Garrison Wells ran 17 times for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns as the host Indians improved to 1-1 with a 47-0 victory over El Dorado. Clearwater used 14 ball carriers to compile 509 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground.
• Wichita Collegiate senior Julian Johnson ran for a touchdown and caught a pass for another as the Spartans defeated Rose Hill 21-10. Johnson ran 27 times for 86 yards, while quarterback Isaac Vanderburg completed 9 of 14 passes for 146 yards and touchdowns to Johnson and junior Carson Malaise.
• Junior Grady Myers ran for 135 yards and 3 first-half touchdowns as visiting Mulvane evened its record at 1-1 with a 39-6 victory over Independence. Junior Hays Ensley added touchdown runs of 36 and 49 yards for the Wildcats. Quarterback Manny Myers finished with 14 carries for 193 yards for Mulvane, which outgained the Bulldogs 521-105.
• Hoisington’s Taylen Morales ran 21 times for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns as the visiting Cardinals defeated Hesston 39-23 to improve to 2-0. C.J. Bryant added 10 carries for 119 yards with a rushing and receiving TD for Hoisington, which led 20-13 at halftime.
• Hillsboro quarterback Zayne Haslett passed for 176 yards and ran for 72 in the Trojans’ 35-0 victory over Larned.
• Pratt sophomore Cade Liggett rushed 19 times for 125 yards and a touchdown as the Greenbacks evened their record at 1-1 with a 41-0 victory over Halstead. Landon Demuth, Caleb Strong and Arley Morrell recovered fumbles for Pratt in the shutout.
• Senior Ty Heitschmidt and junior Crew Elliott each ran for 2 touchdowns in Smoky Valley’s 48-18 victory over Belle Plaine. Heitschmidt also completed a touchdown pass to senior Toren Miller as the Vikings improved to 2-0.
• Chaparral sophomore Vohn Williams ran for 103 yards on 12 carries and scored 2 touchdowns as the Roadrunners improved to 2-0 for the first time in three seasons with a 34-21 victory over Medicine Lodge. Junior Daniel Schmidt completed 7 of 12 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown for Chaparral.
• Inman built a 15-point halftime lead and held off Wichita Trinity 32-27 to improve to 2-0. The Teutons overcame 294 passing yards from Trinity quarterback Zac Zimmerman, who passed for 2 touchdowns and ran for 86 yards and 2 scores.
• Hutchinson Trinity quarterback Drew Dechant completed 10 of 14 passes for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns to Bentyn Chastain in the Celtics’ 23-8 victory over Sedgwick. The duo connected on scoring passes of 68 and 40 yards. Kaid McElgunn added 7 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown for Trinity, now 1-1.
• Remington senior Pius Graf passed for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns, and added a pair of rushing TDs in the Broncos’ 42-6 victory over Bennington. Graf completed 14 of 22 passes to help Remington improve to 1-1.
• Eureka senior Peyton Hare ran 15 times for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns, and completed 4 of 6 passes for 119 yards and a score as the Tornadoes improved to 2-0 with a 44-14 victory at Fredonia. Hare connected with senior TJ Mills on a 47-yard touchdown.
• Neodesha senior Cole Ramey ran for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 5 carries as the Bluestreaks defeated Bluestem 35-8 to improve to 2-0. Junior Camryn White and sophomore Tayte Leck added rushing touchdowns for Neodesha.
• Central-Burden sophomore Treighton Hafenstein rushed 18 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, and added 95 yards on 11-of-18 passing to help the visiting Raiders edge Argonia-Attica 22-20 in double overtime. Sophomore Max Bergman ran for a score and caught Hafenstein’s touchdown pass as Central evened its record at 1-1. Carson Vineyard ran for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns for Argonia-Attica.
• Oxford ran for 249 yards and 7 touchdowns in a 58-6 victory over West Elk. Senior Xzavier McClamy had 6 carries for 94 yards and 3 touchdowns, while junior Logan Gaither finished with 7 carries for 78 yards and 2 scores.
• Hutchinson Central Christian used its ground game to improve to 2-0, defeating Canton-Galva 56-8. Senior Konnor Sullivan ran 15 times for 201 yards and 6 touchdowns, while senior Piercen Huff added 120 yards and 2 TDs on 10 carries.
• Stafford senior Dylan Brozek ran for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns, and passed for 184 yards and 3 scores in a 56-26 victory over Pretty Prairie. Brozek did his ground work on 20 carries and completed 8 of 10 passes, including two scoring strikes sophomore Jace Kreutzer and one to sophomore Landon Marks. Brozek also had a team-high 16 tackles.
• Pratt Skyline junior Matthias Bair ran for 4 touchdowns and passed for 3 in the Thunderbirds’ 58-12 victory over Fairfield. Bair finished with 54 yards on 15 carries while completing 13 of 19 passes for 204 yards with a pair of touchdowns to Aiden Becker and one to Gannon Tucker.
• South Barber junior Austin Swonger completed 22 of 35 passes for 328 yards and 9 touchdowns in the Chieftains’ 72-32 victory over Otis-Bison in a Six-Player contest. Swonger added 9 carries for 92 yards and a score as South Barber improved to 1-1. Swonger connected with junior Garen Cantrell for 6 touchdowns, as Cantrell finished with 12 receptions for 206 yards, and a team-high 19 tackles. Sophomore Steele Smith caught 7 passes for 90 yards and 3 TDs.
• Cunningham improved to 2-0 with a 52-12 victory over Peabody, getting 149 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns from junior Stephen Kerschen.