Prep football preview 2017
The Hays Daily News • Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017
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Colby Eagles Class 4A Division II, District 7 Coach: Rees McKinney (1st year) Last season’s record/ playoff finish: 5-4/0-1 Returning starters: 7 offense, 7 defense Top returning players: Zach Hart, sr., QB/DB; Seal Rall, sr., DE/OL; Tucker Branum, jr., RB/LB; Jordan Schippers, jr., RB/LB: Thomas Cline, jr., OL/DT; Kyler Britt, jr., OL/DL; Carter Stanley, jr. OL/DL; Calvin Stapp, soph., RB/S; Bryson Metcalf, soph., RB/DB. Team notes: McKinney takes over for Chris Gardner, after the former coach took an administration job in the district. McKinney joins the Eagles after spending one year as the head coach at Eight-Man Division II Moscow. The Eagles, after finishing 0-9 four years ago, have made the playoffs three straight seasons, and have improved by one win
in each of the past two seasons (3-7 in 2014, 4-6 in 2015 and 5-5 a season ago). Last year’s run ended with a 49-26 loss to eventual Class 4A Division II state champion Pratt in the first round. Jordan Schippers, now just a junior, had a solid sophomore campaign for the Eagles, who started 3-0 a year ago before suffering four straight losses. Schippers carried the ball 112 times for 919 yards with 16 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 41 passes for 784 yards and 11 scores. The Eagles also return senior quarterback Zach Hart, who completed 100 passes for 1,513 yards with 20 touchdowns to 10 interceptions as a junior. Colby has played former Northwest Kansas League foe Oakley in Week 1 the past five seasons, and has won the last two and leads the series 3-2.
FRONT ROW (from left): Wyatt Tubbs, Jaren Rush, Jason Krannawitter, Bryson Metcalf, Calvin Stapp, Thomas Cline, Tucker Branum, Maxime Broers, Rathe Aschenbrenner, Mason Wright and Konnor Griffin. MIDDLE ROW: Tobin Gardner, Landon Rinehart, Thane Wildeman, Declan Ryan, Ryan Myers, Trey Stramel, AJ, Isaac Rosales, Kaiser Lopez, Xavier Slaven, Aden Basgall, Cade Lanning, Max Davila and Mitchel Kellogg. BACK ROW: Peyton Wahlmeier, Hagan Booi, Jadon Siruta, Kyler Britt, Jordan Schippers, Zach Hart, Carter Stanley, Kory Finley, Sean Rall, Parker Hamel, Aaron Kurth and Blaise Vrbas 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1.............................................at Oakley Sept. 8....................................... vs. La Crosse Sept. 15.......................................vs. Hugoton
Sept. 22..........................................vs. Ulysses Sept. 29....................................... at Holcomb Oct. 6..............................................at Norton
Oct. 13......................................at Scott City* Oct. 20................................... vs. Concordia* Oct. 27 ................................... vs. Goodland*
COLBY EAGLES