The Eagle's 2011 Top 11 football team
DILLON CALL
Derby
Senior linebacker
„øCall (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) was the heart-and-soul of the Panthers’ defense. He understood more than just his position, and even had spot time on offense.
„øHe helped lead Derby to an 8-3 record and a spot in the Class 6A semifinals for the second time in three seasons.
„øA physical player, Call had 73 tackles, six for loss, one sack and four forced fumbles.
Coach Brandon Clark: “While he wasn’t the biggest guy on the field, he didn’t care who he was facing, how big the player was, how talented the player was. His goal was to run through them and stop the play. He has one of the best defensive mentalities I’ve ever seen.”
TRACE CLARK
Collegiate
Senior tight end, defensive lineman
„øCollegiate so depended on the run-stopping ability of Clark (6-5, 245) that teams quit running his way completely and the Spartans were forced to develop other tough linemen.
„øHe wanted to play every down, even on special teams, and was just as apt to run downfield 30 yards to make a block as he was to chase down opponents from behind.
„øClark, who has been recruited by many BCS-conference schools, had 106 tackles, six sacks and caused three fumbles as he helped Collegiate to an 8-3 record.
Coach Bill Messamore: “He was very important to us for four straight years. When we needed a yard, we ran behind him. When we needed a stop, we put him where we thought they’d go.”
TANNER FISHER
Buhler
Senior running back
„øFisher (5-9, 185) helped lead Buhler to the Class 4A quarterfinals and an 11-1 record. Buhler was 23-2 the past two seasons.
„øFisher had 2,282 rushing yards on 187 carries, an average of more than 12 yards per carry. For his career, Fisher had 5,075 rushing yards.
„øHe was dangerous whenever he had the ball in his hands. Fisher used his speed to outrace defenders, but he could also juke opponents, making quick cuts. And when he needed to, Fisher was tough and physical.
Coach Steve Warner: “Tanner was important because of his leadership and his ability to make the big play. He learned to be very patient with his blocks, and he was able to run around people or he could run through them.”
SCOTT GOURLEY
Olathe South
Senior center
„øGourley (6-5, 250) was a three-year starter at center and was a key in leading the Falcons to the Class 6A title, the school’s first.
„øGourley grew as a player over the past three seasons. This season he was critical in teaching and communicating with a line that had little experience.
„øOlathe South had an effective running game with two 2,000-yard rushers.
Coach Jeff Gourley: “Once he understood that he had to help the other linemen, he took off. The reason we were so successful as the year went on and really jelled together as a unit was because he was able to talk the language to a kid who wasn’t 100æpercent on the same page.”
GARRETT GRIFFIN
Louisburg
Senior running back
„øLouisburg had little experience besides Griffin, and while Griffin (6-4, 210) was the focal point, opponents still struggled to stop him.
„øHe had 2,135 rushing yards on 265 carries, 23 touchdowns and 327 receiving yards.
„øSince Griffin was the most experienced defensive player, he played multiple positions, including defensive end, outside linebacker and safety. He had 75 tackles and five sacks.
Coach Gary Griffin: “He was such a threat because he’s got pretty good size and he likes contact. Early in the game, opposing defenses would make tackles for short yardage. By halftime, they kind of got tired of hitting him. He broke quite a few big runs in the second half of big games.”
TYLER MATTHEWS
McPherson
Senior quarterback
„øMatthews (6-3, 200) was such a threat to make a big play any time he dropped back to throw. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,847 yards. He had 24 touchdowns and five interceptions.
„øIn two years at McPherson, he completed 68 percent of his passes for 5,505 yards, 54 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a sophomore at Goddard, he had more than 1,000 yards in six games.
„øMatthews has committed to play at TCU and will graduate in December.
Coach Tom Young: “He’s just terrific, just terrific. He’s very coachable. He’s very talented, but he’s also a good leader, a good student, a good citizen. He’s a very accurate thrower with a very strong arm.”
TRE’ PARMALEE
Bishop Miege
Senior wide receiver/defensive back
„øParmalee (5-11, 165) was constantly a threat in Miege’s high-powered offense. After a catch, he used his speed to get more yardage.
„øHe had 82 receptions for 1,164 yards and 15 touchdowns as he helped Miege to a 9-2 record.
„øParmalee, the son of former Miami Dolphins player Bernie Parmalee, also played defense at a high level. Parmalee, who has committed to Northern Illinois, had 61 tackles and four interceptions.
Coach Tim Grunhard: “He was the captain of our defense, and we asked him to play center field and he had to cover for some mistakes that happened with our young corners. He did a great job.æ.æ.æ. He’s filling in on run plays. He’s sticking his head in there. Some guys will back away, worried about injury, and he didn’t do that.”
MATT REED
Wichita Heights
Senior quarterback
„øReed (5-11, 180) started three straight Class 6A title games, winning in 2010, Heights’ first.
„øReed is an intelligent, athletic quarterback who always seemed to make the big play. Heights was 25-1 with Reed the past two seasons.
„øHe had 1,240 rushing yards, 824 passing. He also won the 2011 Class 6A team wrestling title and was undefeated at 160 pounds.
Coach Rick Wheeler: “In the triple option, he has to make two decisions in about a second. Matt has mastered that decision-making process. He limits his mistakes. On top of that, his physical part of the game is dynamic. He can make people miss, he can run around people, he can run over people.”
MATT SEIWERT
Conway Springs
Senior offensive, defensive lineman
„øSeiwert (6-2, 255) led Conway Springs to the Class 3A title. A three-year starter, he changed positions on both sides of the ball.
„øThe Cardinals had a dominating offense, and Seiwert was a key as he moved from back to the line. The Cardinals had 6,130 yards of total offense.
„øSeiwert, who has made an oral commitment to Kansas State, moved from linebacker and had 46 tackles, 11 for loss, three sacks and an interception. His brother Darrin was Top 11 in 2003 and 2004.
Coach Matt Biehler: “Once he started learning the various moves he could use (on the defensive line), he was tough to stop. He has great feet, he is very quick for being 255 pounds and he’s just so strong.”
JOEL STRUCKHOFF
Thunder Ridge
Senior running back/safety
„øStruckhoff (6-0, 170) had 238 carries for 2,314 yards and 43 touchdowns as he led Thunder Ridge to the 8-Man II title and a 13-0 record.
„øStruckhoff was tough to stop his entire career. He had 210 carries as a freshman and ran for more than 1,500 yards. He set the 8-Man record with 6,919 career rushing yards and 127 touchdowns.
„øDefensively, he had 111 tackles, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Coach Jerry Voorhees: “Our team was kind of built around him. We could have very easily went to spread and put him at quarterback, but he’s a good downhill runner, has great vision, runs hard. And his quickness and burst are something special.”
NAJAHAUN TIPTON-WYLIE
Hutchinson
Senior defensive lineman
„øTipton-Wylie (5-6, 229) isn’t tall, but he’s a muscular, powerful player, who also had quickness that allowed him to consistently beat much bigger linemen.
„øHe had 97 tackles, 11 for loss, and set a school record with 11 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and blocked a punt.
„øA two-year starter, he helped lead Hutchinson to the Class 5A title, the Salthawks’ seventh in eight seasons.
Coach Randy Dreiling: “Obviously he’s strong. You can see that by looking at him. He’s quick, powerful. In the championship game, they had three guys on him, and that allowed other ends to get pressure. In the run game, they had to single block him, and it opened him up.”
GREG SLADE
Rose Hill coach
„øSlade, in his 14th season, led Rose Hill to the Class 4A title, the school’s first. The Rockets beat Eudora 21-0 in the title game, and they finished 13-1 with a 13-game winning streak.
„øIn his tenure with the Rockets, Slade turned the program from a perennial loser to a perennial powerhouse.
„ø In his first two seasons, he was 1-17, but Rose Hill has had a winning season 11 of the past 12 with eight playoff appearances.
Quarterback Derrick Decker: “He’s very energetic. We have a good staff all around, but Slade keeps everyone’s morale up. He’s a very good motivator. He just knows what to say sometimes to get everybody focused and make sure we come out fired up.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2011 at 2:59 PM with the headline "The Eagle's 2011 Top 11 football team."