Ranking 110 of the best Kansas high school football players from the Wichita area

With the 2021 Kansas high school football season starting, The Eagle has compiled a list to recognize some of the top players in the Wichita area.

After receiving feedback from area coaches, studying statistics and noting individual recognition from last season, we selected 15 different players at each position, plus five specialists, to make up a list of 110 of the best players in the Wichita area.

Don’t see your favorite player on the list? Don’t worry, there’s nearly 100 more names listed at the bottom as other players to watch.

Note: Only players from the Wichita area were considered for the list. Players who play both offense and defense were only considered for one position for the rankings.

Quarterbacks

1. Avery Johnson, junior, Maize
2. Geremiah Moore, senior, Northwest
3. Lance Hoffsommer, senior, Sedgwick
4. Harrison Voth, senior, Cheney
5. Wesley Fair, junior, Collegiate
6. Gabe Welch, junior, Arkansas City
7. DaeOnte Mitchell, sophomore, East
8. Jace Duerksen, senior, Inman
9. Matthew Potucek, senior, Hillsboro
10. Kai Kunz, senior, Andover Central
11. Garrett Maltbie, junior, Canton-Galva
12. Chase Smarsh, senior, Bishop Carroll
13. Mason Ellis, senior, Mulvane
14. Mercer Thatcher, senior, Derby
15. Brady Strausz, junior, Andover

Running backs

1. Dylan Edwards, junior, Derby

2. Sam Elliott, senior, Buhler

3. John Randle, junior, Heights

4. L.J. Phillips, junior, Northwest

5. Max Middleton, senior, Andover

6. Evan Cantu, senior, Maize South

7. Jaytin Gumm, junior, McPherson

8. Reed Adelhardt, senior, Garden Plain

9. Ashton Barkdull, senior, Andover Central

10. Noah Khokhar, junior, Hutchinson

11. Riley Marx, junior, Andale

12. Kenyon Forrest, senior, Newton

13. Jesus Casas, senior, Pratt Skyline

14. Quincy Thomas, senior, Cheney

15. Dylan Reese, senior, Goddard

Receivers

1. Luke Grace, senior, Cheney

2. Caquoy Patterson, senior, East

3. Trey Buckbee, senior, Gus Ruddle, senior, McPherson

4. Lucas Barnes, senior, Cadon Clark, junior, Arkansas City

5. Bo Bantz, senior, Goddard

6. Keshawn Martin, senior, Wichita Trinity

7. Owen Rush, senior, Cade Friend, senior, Eisenhower

8. Bryce Cohoon, junior, Landon Helm, senior, Justin Stephens, junior, Maize

9. Will Anciaux, junior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel

10. Blake Huebert, senior, Ryan Stucky, senior, Sedgwick

11. Matt Holthusen, senior, Tate Blasi, junior, Bishop Carroll

12. Drake Thatcher, senior, Derby

13. Frank Wichert, senior, Hillsboro

14. Ian Comer, senior, Hunter Seier, senior, Mulvane

15. Theron Wedel, senior, Medicine Lodge

Offensive Line

1. Alex Key, senior, Jonas Vickers, senior, Dylan Conn, senior, Mitchell Johnson, junior, Derby

2. Drew Daniels, senior, Andrew Mann, senior, Andover Central

3. Gavin Bell, senior, El Dorado

4. Keyvan Stallings, senior, Northwest

5. Sam Culp, senior, Sedgwick

6. Mason Seitz, senior, Chase Kepler, senior, Noah Raigoza, senior, Hutchinson

7. Tavor Hunter, senior, East

8. Beau Kerschen, senior, Andale

9. Trevor Cooper, senior, Jackson Childs, senior, Buhler

10. Caleb Husselman, senior, Dylan Slusser, junior, Augusta

11. Kaden Schafer, senior, Carter Holloway, senior, Kyle Bruce, senior, Little River

12. George Hervey, senior, Heights

13. Joe Martin, senior, Douglass

14. Brandon Kerr, senior, Maize

15. Ethan Perkins, senior, Ian Solomon, senior, Conway Springs

Defensive line

1. Nate Carter, senior, Northwest

2. Andon Carpenter, senior, Quentin Dorsey, senior, Samuel Same, junior, Derby

3. Braydon Wickliffe, senior, Ruben Ortiz, senior, Goddard

4. Bo Van Bruggen, senior, Buhler

5. Isaac Sheeran, senior, Bronx Wood, junior, Andover Central

6. Caden Miranda, junior, Maize

7. Andrew Bye, senior, Walt Gray, junior, Bishop Carroll

8. Will Doolittle, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel

9. Curtis Landrum, senior, McPherson

10. Seth Drouhard, senior, Argonia-Attica

11. Ricky Parga, junior, Newton

12. Noah Bruce, junior, Beau Kerschen, senior, Jack Kraus, junior, Andale

13. Trystan Stambaugh, junior, Smoky Valley

14. Trevor Schmidt, senior, Garden Plain

15. Jaden Caldwell, senior, Heights

Linebackers

1. Darius Diaz, senior, Zach Morford, senior, Jerome Ragin, senior, Northwest

2. Tobi Osunsanmi, senior, East

3. Chandler Goodnight, senior, Andover

4. Drew Charbonneau, senior, Collegiate

5. Cody Hawks, senior, Eisenhower

6. Logan Spexarth, senior, Andale

7. Miles Wash, junior, Cole Minton, senior, Derby

8. Braxton Lafferty, junior, Little River

9. Keaton Loop, senior, Kyler Konrade, senior, Inman

10. Barrett Roads, senior, Campus

11. Wyatt Bahm, junior, Lance Blubaugh, senior, Arkansas City

12. Tanner Tustian, senior, Buhler

13. Kamden Wilson, senior, Andover Central

14. Conner Neill, junior, Maize South

15. Jalen Rice, junior, El Dorado

Defensive backs

1. Tyson Struber, senior, Canton-Galva

2. Michael Polley, senior, Cooper Buessing, junior, Bishop Carroll

3. Kinser Newquist, senior, Hutchinson

4. Britton Forsythe, senior, Ladislao Jaimes, senior, Maize South

5. Corey Akins, senior, Jameer Clemons, senior, Derby

6. Travon Manuel-Atkinson, senior, East

7. Christian Sicard, junior, Campus

8. Jonah Remsberg, senior, Newton

9. Jayden Dukes, senior, McPherson

10. Kade Wilson, senior, Valley Center

11. Cody Parthemer, junior, Andale

12. Ashtun Villagomez, senior, Collegiate

13. Quentin Born, senior, Andover

14. Diante Campbell, senior, Cameron Campbell, senior, Buhler

15. Isaac Schmitz, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel

Specialists

1. Cole Segraves, senior, Maize

2. Kaden Claassen, senior, Heights

3. Sam Parks, sophomore, Maize South

4. Connor Tillman, senior, Sedgwick

5. Jack Duarte, senior, Collegiate

Other players to watch

Quarterbacks—D.J. Dingle, junior, Heights; Nolan Freund, junior, Kingman; Lake Hamilton, senior, Goddard; Braelyn Jay, senior, Campus; T.J. Neal, senior, South; Bradley Neill, senior, Buhler; Xander Newberry, senior, Argonia-Attica; Braden Scribner, senior, Remington; Keiondre Smith, junior, Caldwell; Wyatt Spexarth, junior, Andale; Jackson Swartz, junior, Chaparral; Gannon White, junior, El Dorado; Riley Yingling, senior, Winfield.

Running backs—Ar’mon Acosta, junior, Winfield; Kendyn Blank, senior, Inman; Omari Elias, sophomore, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Dalton Hilyard, senior, Douglass; Zach Hogan, senior, Hutchinson; Lance Pauly, senior, Conway Springs; Carson Phelps, junior, Collegiate; Austin Ruda, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Dustyn Schettler, senior, Wellington; Dayontay Standifer, sophomore, East; Jaydon Sundgren, senior, El Dorado; Tayden Tindle, junior, West Elk; Joel Underwood, senior, Southeast; Drew Veatch, junior, El Dorado; Jake Wiens, junior, Goessel; Jadonn Williams, senior, Bishop Carroll.

Receivers—Avrey Albright, junior, Kingman; Nick Arnold, senior, Hesston; Caleb Crumm, senior, Maize South; Sam Entz, junior, Remington; Patrick Friess, senior, Conway Springs; Chase Green, senior, Rose Hill; Tanner Heckel, sophomore, Inman; Haven Lysell-Stewart, senior, Smoky Valley; Brock McCurdy, senior, Buhler; Matt Rudy, senior, Andover; Trenton Salisbury-Smith, junior, Northwest; Brayden Schilling, senior, Hesston; Jake Schmidt, senior, Newton.

Offensive linemen—Braxton Bailey, senior, McPherson; Seth Drouhard, senior, Argonia-Attica; Peyton Hays, senior, Cheney; Dawson Mannebach, senior, Inman; Maddox Marcotte, senior, Bishop Carroll; M.J. Owings, senior, Goddard; Nolan Reynolds, senior, Belle Plaine; Logan Spachek, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Grant Thimmesch, senior, Inman; Chris Thomsen, senior, Derby; Drake Van Scoyoc, junior, Pratt; Jacob Werne, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Christian Winsky, senior, Inman; Treyton Yoder, senior, Halstead.

Defensive linemen—Brett Gibbs, senior, Clearwater; Kaden Harding, senior, Chaparral; Chance Hilger, senior, Norwich; Blake Kiefer, senior, Herington; Sam Logan, senior, Nickerson; Noal Reynolds, senior, Peabody-Burns; Grant Stephens, senior, Little River; Hagen Wright, senior, Wellington.

Linebackers—Sam Agustin, senior, Collegiate; Adam Blanchet, senior, Argonia-Attica; Conner Boyd, senior, Halstead; Ryan Eilert, senior, Hesston; Dylan Gantz, junior, Stafford; Aiden Hoover, senior, McPherson; Alef Pfaff, senior, Chaparral; Tristan Rathbone, senior, Hillsboro; Haden Sage, senior, Bishop Carroll; Colby Schreiner, senior, Kingman; Logan Warren, senior, Conway Springs; Dialo Watson, senior, South; Holt Williams, senior, Augusta.

Defensive backs—Dameion Beaver, senior, South; Keagan Beavers, senior, Rose Hill; Jack Francis, junior, Chaparral; Jaeden Hamilton, senior, Heights; Duke Kinley, senior, Remington; Kaden McDaniel, junior, Augusta; Logan McGinnis, senior, Circle; Kase Ptacek, senior, Moundridge; Thomas Smith, senior, Peabody-Burns; Tayden Tindle, junior, West Elk; Jake Wiens, junior, Goessel.

This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 7:00 AM.

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.