Introducing the Eagle’s 2019 Top 11 Kansas high school football team
Every year, the Eagle selects 11 players to represent the state of Kansas in high school football.
In 2019, five state champions have been named to the state’s Top 11. Here is this year’s roster.
Turner Corcoran - Lawrence Free State
Offensive Tackle, Sr., 6-6, 285
Corcoran is the Eagle’s top offensive lineman in 2019.
As a senior, Corcoran helped Free State to an 8-2 record and a Class 6A regional championship game appearance. The Thunderbirds lost to Manhattan 49-28 on the road.
Corcoran went through a coaching change ahead of his senior season. After 22 seasons at Free State, coach Bob Lisher stepped down following the 2018 season. First-year coach Kevin Stewart stepped in.
There was no change as Corcoran and the Free State seniors took control and helped maintain its status as one of the top programs in Kansas.
Corcoran is verbally pledged to Nebraska. He is a four-star prospect who holds offers from national powers like Clemson, Georgia and LSU along with in-state schools Kansas State and Kansas.
“It means a lot to me to be recognized as one of the top players in the state as a senior,” Corcoran said. “It’s been something I’ve been working for since my freshman year.”
Tyler Dorsey - Derby
Defensive Tackle, Sr., 6-2, 260
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Last year’s Derby defense went down as one of the best Kansas had ever seen, and for the Panthers’ encore, Dorsey stepped up.
Dorsey finished his senior season with 89 tackles from the interior of the defensive line. He had seven sacks and 28 tackles for losses.
He forced five fumbles and recovered three. He even scored a defensive touchdown.
Dorsey was arguably the most unstoppable player on the most unstoppable team in the state. Dorsey captured his third state championship as the Panthers beat Olathe North 63-26 in the title game.
Dorsey forced a fumble in his final high school game.
Dorsey is Derby’s second defensive lineman selected to the Top 11 team in two years, following defensive end Isaac Keener, who now plays at Washburn. Keener picked up an offer with the Ichabods on Wednesday.
“I was already emotional that it was the end of football,” Dorsey said. “I got (the Top 11 selection), and I was blessed. I was shocked. It was really overwhelming. I was overwhelmed with joy.”
Kamble Haverkamp - Centralia
Quarterback/Defensive Back, Sr., 5-10, 170
In Kansas’ smallest 11-man classification, no one was better than Haverkamp.
This season, he helped Centralia to its fourth state championship of the decade. The Panthers beat back-to-back defending Class 1A champion Smith Center 18-14.
Haverkamp finished his senior season with 2,385 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns while throwing for 471 yards and six more scores.
He averaged 9.7 yards a carry — almost a first down every time he tucked it.
For his career, Haverkamp had 4,730 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns. He now has the Centralia record for single season rushing yards, single-season touchdowns, career touchdowns and career yards.
Haverkamp said he has dreamed about being the Centralia quarterback and leading the Panthers to a state title since he was a kid.
“I just go into every game with the mindset of, ‘I’m gonna do everything I can for my team to win and be the best player I can be in every aspect of the game,” Haverkamp said. “My teammates were the best a guy could ask for; I loved playing with those guys. My offensive line was the best in the state, in my opinion. They truly made me look good.”
Daniel Jackson - Bishop Miege
Receiver, Sr., 6-0, 181
Several Miege players could have been selected to the Top 11 team, but Jackson was the Stags’ most dangerous player in 2019.
Jackson caught 74 passes for 1,511 yards this season. He reached the end zone on more than 35 percent of his touches.
Jackson finished his Miege career as a four-time state champion after he helped the Stags to a resounding 68-7 win over Andover Central in the Class 4A title game. He had 126 catches in his career for 2,803 yards and 44 touchdowns, and he didn’t even play his junior year because of injury.
Coming off that season-ending injury, he was one of the most electric players in the state and helped maintain the image of Bishop Miege football.
“It’s a great honor, especially when you can see all the hard work you put in come to the light,” Jackson said. “It really shows you get out what you put in.”
Reagan Jones - Wichita Northwest
Quarterback, Sr., 6-1, 185
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Jones started his career at Andover Central and finished it with back-to-back state championship game appearances and Wichita Northwest’s second Top 11 selection in two years.
Jones was one of three players in Kansas to pass and run for at least 1,200 yards and the only among the state’s biggest classifications.
He finished his senior season with 1,683 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 20 more scores with 1,728 yards and an average of 8.6 yards per carry.
Northwest coach Steve Martin called Jones the smartest player he has ever coached.
Northwest lost to St. Thomas Aquinas in last year’s Class 5A state championship game and fell to Mill Valley in the same game this season, 40-31. Jones threw for 173 yards and a touchdown in the loss and ran for 172 more with two scores.
Jones follows former Northwest running back Breece Hall as a Top 11 selection. Hall was recently named a Freshman All-American at Iowa State after becoming a high school All-American.
“I’m definitely proud of the man I’ve become,” Jones said. “It started out kind of rough, and then I got new beginnings. I really thank Northwest for that.”
Ethan Kremer - Mill Valley
Defensive/Offensive Line, Jr., 5-11, 235
Kremer is already a two-time state champion with a lot of chances at more down the line.
On Feb. 25, Kremer beat Manhattan’s Christian Schlepp in the 220-pound 6A wrestling championship match to experience becoming a state title winner.
On Nov. 30, Kremer’s Mill Valley team beat Wichita Northwest 40-31 to make it two titles in two years in two different sports. It was the Jaguars’ third football state title since 2015.
Kremer was a monster along the defensive line this season. He finished 2019 with 54 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for losses and two forced fumbles.
Last season, he had only three sacks.
Kremer said the postseason honors are cool to see but they are nothing compared to winning another state championship.
“I felt that I had a really good offseason in the weight room, which helped a lot,” Kremer said. “After that, I felt it came down to me attacking every day on the practice field and trying to improve, so I could be at my best on game day. I felt like our team approached everything the same way, which raised our intensity level.”
Wyatt Pedigo - Hoisington
Running Back/Linebacker, Sr., 6-1, 215
Pedigo is the greatest player in Hoisington history.
As the first Top 11 selection to come out of the Class 2A school, Pedigo ran for 2,352 yards as a senior for the Cardinals. He finished his career with 5,171 yards.
This season, he scored 44 times.
Orally pledged to South Dakota, Pedigo was also one of the best linebackers in the state. He finished with 115 tackles and seven interceptions from the second level of the defense. He had 348 tackles for his Hoisington career.
Pedigo pushed Hoisington to a Class 2A semifinal berth. The Cardinals lost 10-8 to Norton.
“It feels good knowing that because I’m from a small school, people aren’t overlooking me and are realizing that small school kids can do what big school kids can,” Pedigo said.
Cody Stufflebean - McPherson
Defensive/Tight End, Sr., 6-5, 242
As far as taking over a game, few players compare to Stufflebean.
Verbally pledged to K-State, Stufflebean finished his senior season with 44 tackles, eight sacks, eight tackles for losses, 28 quarterback pressures and a forced fumble.
He has had 12 catches for 193 yards and six touchdowns as a tight end.
In McPherson’s Class 4A regional championship win over Goddard, Stufflebean affected the game’s final four plays to seal the victory. He also scored both touchdowns in the Bullpups’ 14-8 win.
McPherson reached the state semifinals for the second straight year in 2019, falling 7-0 to Andover Central.
Stufflebean played just 21 quarters as McPherson outscored opponents 439-99 this season. The Bullpups just didn’t need him to play a full game most nights.
Stufflebean is McPherson’s first Top 11 selection since 2011 when Tyler Matthews made the cut.
“It definitely means a lot to get that respect, and I’d like to thank the coaches for putting me in the positions I need to be for me to be such a factor in a game,” Stufflebean said. “It also definitely feels good to see all the hard work pay off.”
Ky Thomas - Topeka
Running Back, Sr., 5-11, 185
Remarkably, this is Thomas’ first Top 11 selection.
Thomas finished his Topeka career as the No. 2 rusher in Kansas high school football history with 7,703 yards. He was No. 6 for yards in a single season with 3,009 and No. 7 for career touchdowns with 95.
Only Collegiate’s DeAngelo Evans finished with more career rushing yards at 8,472.
Orally pledged to Minnesota, Thomas has been one of the most electrifying players in Kansas for four years. His Trojan teams from 2017-19 had a 37-6 combined record and reached the Class 6A quarterfinals or deeper in each of his final two seasons.
This year, Topeka lost to eventual 6A champion Derby 63-35 in the semifinals.
“Doing what I did at Topeka High was an honor,” Thomas said. “Just being able to represent Topeka like this with it across my chest every Friday night was a blessing. I just hope I set a good example for the next.”
Tre Washington - Derby
Running Back, Sr., 5-10, 195
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The Derby offense set records throughout the 2019 season, and the Panthers’ starters were typically on the field for about a half.
Washington was arguably the Panthers’ biggest offensive weapon. He ran for a team-high 1,609 yards on just 185 carries for an 8.7-yard average. He reached the end zone 28 times as a runner and receiver.
Washington played 18 quarters in the regular season.
He lands on the Top 11 team alongside teammate Tyler Dorsey. Derby is the only program to produce multiple Top 11 selections in 2019. The Panthers had two last season, too.
Derby beat Olathe North 63-26 in the Class 6A championship game this season to send the seniors out with three title rings. Washington ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the final and caught a pair of passes for 62 yards.
“It’s amazing,” Washington said. “I feel real blessed. Just gotta keep working. Hopefully this isn’t the end for me. Hopefully this isn’t the top of who I’m going to be, so I just gotta keep working, but this feels great. It’s amazing to be one of the top players in the state of Kansas.”
Tank Young - St. Thomas Aquinas
Running Back, Jr., 5-8, 185
Last season, Young was the youngest Top 11 selection in Kansas.
As a sophomore, he helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas to its first football state championship in school history. As a junior, the Saints lost to Mill Valley in the Class 5A semifinals, but that didn’t stop Young from earning a second straight Top 11 nomination.
Young finished his junior season with 1,867 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry. He only fumbled once.
Young had five games of at least 199 yards and finished with 303 against eventual Class 4A champion Bishop Miege. He scored at least three touchdowns in all but four games this season and had five scores twice, including in Aquinas’ quarterfinal win over Blue Valley Southwest.
He is one of two Top 11 selections in Aquinas football history. He was picked last season alongside the other, offensive tackle Joe Michalski, who now plays at Oklahoma State.
Young has risen to a four-star prospect with an offer from Iowa State.
“It’s an honor to be selected in the Top 11 for the second year in-a-row,” Young said. “Putting in the extra work on days off really paid off for me, and I’m very thankful.”
Jon Holmes - Bishop Miege
Coach of the Year
Move over, Hutchinson.
For the second time in Kansas high school football history, a program has won six straight state championships. All six for Bishop Miege have come under the direction of a former Stag.
Holmes took over at Bishop Miege in 2012. The Stags went 7-6, something that is hard to believe just eight years later.
In 2019, Miege beat Andover Central 68-7 in the Class 4A state championship game. Since the six-year streak began, the Stags have won their title games by an average of 39 points.
Miege went 11-2 this season, suffering a shocking 28-27 loss to St. James Academy in Week 4 and losing again three weeks later to St. Thomas Aquinas and coach Randy Dreiling, who won six straight titles while at Hutchinson.
The Stags beat Blue Valley Northwest in Week 8 and outscored their opponents 294-60 in the playoffs.
“Our kids want to be great,” Holmes said after winning the 2019 title. “They want to be coached hard. We want to make sure these kids can execute every goal that they want.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 5:00 AM.