Class 5A football
June 9, 2008 @ 9:37 a.m. by Joannaby joanna
I’m continuing with what we started last week on this blog on football. I updated you on football teams from Heights, Northwest, East, West, Goddard, Derby, Independent, Wichita Trinity, Conway Springs and Hutchinson.
Today I’ll hit Class 5A football.
In the area, the talk has got to be about Hutchinson. Hutchinson has dominated Class 6A, winning the last four titles and finishing second prior to the streak. Hutchinson moves down to 5A this year and I would imagine that 6A is ecstatic while the state’s 5A schools are groaning.
This is as big a deal as when Olathe North moved down from 6A to 5A for the 2004 season. Olathe North had won eight of nine 6A titles and four straight when it beat Hutch in the 2003 title game. Olathe North lost the next year in the 5A title game.
Hutchinson’s returns Top 11 selection Forrest Stucky (DL); RB Deveon Dinwiddie (jr.); LB Nate Dreiling
When Stucky was Top 11, Randy Dreiling said, “He was really good at wreaking havoc in the backfield and putting pressure on the quarterback. I know he’s only a junior, but he is the best defensive player I’ve ever been around. We don’t have anyone that can block him.â€
Hutchinson has won 36 straight games, last losing to Salina Central in 2005.
Bishop Carroll will be tough in the west again. The Eagles finished second last fall and while they lose quite a few players, I like what they have back, including Blake Bell who will likely take over at quarterback. Defensive lineman Jacob Cole, who was All-Class last year, returns as well. Carroll also returns honorable mentions in wide receiver Joe Brown (617 yards in regular season) and offensive lineman Cody Mills.
Blue Valley West went 13-0 and won the title last year. I know Top 11 selection Mike Besler is gone, but I can’t imagine the cupboard is bare.
McPherson should be tough again, although there are some key losses, including Tanner Hawkinson and Kolin Walk
So who did I miss? Teams or individuals? Feel free to weigh in here.
Some of the other top players coming back include All-5A selections in Shawnee Heights running back Austin Florshutz,, who finished the regular season with 1493 yards, 7.2 per carry; and Salina South defensive back Tanner Vinson
Other honorable mentions from last year include
Miege — WR Alex Cecena, WR Justin McCay (now a junior)
Shawnee Heights — WR Matt Kobbeman (572 regular season); OL Atticus Disney
Salina Central — WR Seth Myers (523 regular season), OL Tim Link
Aquinas — OL Jake Arin; QB Ricky Nachbar
Newton — OL Evan Kaufman
Liberal — DL Nate Davis
June 9th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Wow! Where is the love for Kapaun?? Don’t count them out, they have several talented players.
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June 9th, 2008 at 10:57 am
You’ve got a pretty good list there. I’ll add a few things.
On the east side, I think that you’ll see Gardner-Edgerton and Topeka Seaman be right in the thick of things. Both teams play in relatively weak leagues, so if they do make it in the playoffs their records will help them get a cup-cake early in the playoffs, thus giving the the chance to advance, while St. Thomas Aquinas will play in the tough EKL and likely be a 3 or 4 seed if they were to advance and thus, have more difficult games.
Blue Valley West will be 6A next season, so the East half of 5A is pretty darn weak.
As for the West, it will be difficult for any of the other 5A teams to beat Hutch. The thunder and lightning combo of Josh Smith and Deveon Dinwiddie in Hutch’s backfield will be pretty lethal. Hutch’s front 7 on defense will likely be the best in the state, with Stucky, Shaban, Grissom, and Goetz on the D-line, and Dreiling, Fee and Thomas at linebacker. The one question mark is the 4 new starters on the offensive line, but Coach Dreiling himself is the O-line position coach and he always has those guys ready.
I think Carroll could be pretty legit as well; Bell has TONS of upside and if he just has a few play-making receivers to throw to, their offense could be a real suprise, and BC always has a good D. Hutch and Carroll will likely be the state-semifinal as they should have the best 2 records going into the playoffs and will be on opposite sides of the bracket.
Great Bend and Mac are going to be pretty good, but I think that both teams lost so much talent from last year, it might not be until week 5 or so until we see what type of team they’ll be.
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June 9th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Sportsgal — this was not meant as a comprehensive list, but a conversation starter. So don’t feel that I’m hating on a team just because they didn’t get a mention. Feel free to fill us in on Kapaun, how good the Crusaders are and who’s coming back. (that goes for all other fans, too)
TFL — thanks for the reminder that BV West is 6A this year. Those Kansas City-area schools, they’re taking over 6A.
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June 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Hutchinson will face its toughest test in years this fall, although it won’t derail their hopes of a State championship. I am pretty sure they play Rockhurst H.S. from Kansas City, MO this fall and next in a home and home series. Rockhurst won the Missouri big class state championship last fall. They have been a perennial power for years and finished ranked in the top 10 in the nation of H.S. football last year. They have an outstand QB, can’t pronounce or spell his last name, but he won the Outstanding player award for the K.C metro area as a Junior. Do they meet this year for sure and any idea what date that might be?
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June 9th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Gil, Hutch does play Rockhurst this year in the Salt Hawks’ first game (Sept. 5). Unfortunately for Hutch, it will be Rockhurst’s second game of the year. It is a home-and-home series, which is nice for area fans. Rockhurst is no joke on the field. It’s an all-boys school with about as many students as Hutch has.
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June 9th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Gil,
This will be the first time since the 05 Salina Central matchup that Hutch will come in as the underdog, and if I were an oddsmaker, I’d say Hutch is anywhere from a 10-14 point underdog in this one.
With Rockhurst has twice as many kids to choose from with it being an all boys school with the same enrollment as Hutch, plus they have some of the perks of being a private school in that they don’t have district boundaries to draw players from.
Nathan Scheelhaase, the quarterback is actually from Kansas and probably should be playing at Shawnee Mission West if there wasn’t any recruiting involved. Keith Langtry is their star receiver, and quite honestly, I don’t know if Hutch has anyone to match up with him this season.
Hutch’s soon to be Juniors are a really strong group so in 2009, when Rockhurst comes to Hutch and Scheelhaase and Langtry are gone, I’d say Hutch has a real shot of beating them. This year…it’s just going to be a tough one, but that’s not saying that Coach Dreiling and co. can’t pull it off.
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June 9th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Be nice if that one was on TV. TFL, Bell has Joe Brown to throw to who caught nearly 800 yards in passes last year and was all state in both football and basketball
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June 10th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Joe Brown put up huge numbers for a full-back/tight end last year. He’ll obviously be the focal point for opposing defenses, so they’ll need some other recievers to step up.
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