SIGNAL-CALLERS QB1

By Keegan McCullick, Staff Writer

For the second straight year, Hill City saw their season come to an end in the state semifinals. In their most recent attempt to capture a title last fall, the Ringnecks overcame defending state champs Meade – who had knocked Hill City out of the state semifinals in 2021 – in a 68-50 quarterfinal barn-burner.

Unfortunately for Ringneck head coach Travis Desbien and his squad, they came out on the wrong end of a semifinal matchup against soon-to-be state champ Wichita County of Leoti, 76-30, last November.

Given the back-to-back heartbreakers, All-State senior QB Aiden Amrein understandably has a bit of a one track mind when it comes to his top 2023 goal, despite the team returning just four offensive and defensive starters.

“To be state champs,” Amrein said. “We have fallen short of the state game two years in a row. This season we have a lot of young kids stepping up into new positions with the same goals of bettering themselves and carrying each other to their goals. This team has a very good connection and is always pushing one another to be the best person they can be.”

If Amrein sounds a bit like a coach, it could be because it runs in his family. His father, Craig Amrein, is a former Dodge City Community College free safety with over 15 years of coaching experience, including four years as head coach at Ellis from 2015 to 2018. He is now entering his fourth year as defensive coordinator with Hill City.

The younger Amrein threw for 1,624 yards and 25 TDs with just six interceptions on 63% completion percentage last fall. He added 555 rushing yards and seven TDs on 98 attempts. He currently is the school record holder in career, season, and single game passing categories, and is hoping to increase his numbers closer to 2,200 yards and 35 TDs this season.

“Aiden is a special kid, because he’s had the luxury of being coached by his father who is a great football coach and taught him a lot of the right and wrong things to do as a young athlete growing up,” Hill City head coach Travis Desbien said. “He is a hard working kid who understands the importance of strength training, diet, football knowledge etc. Those are things we don’t commonly see athletes have a complete understanding for anymore. We might get lucky and have a kid who maybe understands one or two of those things, but to have one that understands to be the best you have to commit to more than just what’s required and be the level of athlete Aiden is, is special.”

Senior running back Jaden Nuss was the team’s third leading rusher last season with 493 yards and nine TDs on 69 carries to go with 347 receiving yards and 4 TDs on 20 receptions and will see an expanded role on offense this fall.

Junior tight end Dayton Stephen added another 18 receptions and 233 yards with 2 TDs and provides an experienced blocker to complement junior, and lone returning offensive lineman, Sylar Rohr.

Defensively, Amrein (53 tackles, 7 TFLs, sack, INT), Nuss (100 tackles, 11 PD, 2 INTs) and Rohr (109 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks, INT) return to fill three of four linebacker positions in Coach Amrein’s 2-4 defense, along with Stephen (81 tackles, 5 PD) at safety.

“The guys we have in the locker room currently have been to the round of four too many times with disappointment now,” Desbien said. “The team’s goal is to reach, and then win, a state championship. We have some big shoes to fill through our graduation losses, and I’m hoping our returning starters won’t settle for less and push our younger guys to step up and play at a higher level. With that being said I know winning our district alone is going to be a gauntlet. Both Hoxie and Quinter return teams good enough to push for a title themselves. We need to stay healthy and get better each week to realistically have a chance.”

Keegan McCullick is a full-time Staff Writer for Kansas Pregame and has nearly six years of experience covering high school and college sports across Kansas.