C10
Prep football preview 2017
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 • The Hays Daily News
Oakley Plainsmen Class 2-1A, District 7 Coach: Jeff Hennick (1st year, 4th overall, 30-6) Last season’s record/playoff finish: 1-8 Returning starters: n/a Top returning players: Kade Hemmert, 6-1, 156, jr., QB/RB/ WR; Corbin Boles, 5-10, 155, jr., WR/DB/QB; Morgan Rains, 5-10, 166, jr., LB/RB; Preston Nollette, 6-0, 169, jr., RB/LB; McKellen Rains, 5-11, 192, sr., OL/DL; Tim Rojas, 5-8, 158, sr., Wr/DB; Ellis Slack, 5-10, 159, soph., WR/DB; Chase Herl, 5-9, 159, sr., WR/DB; Darian Dilka, 5-9, 237, jr., OL/ DL. Team notes: Oakley gets its third new coach in Hennick, who formerly was the coach at his alma mater Sharon Springs-Wallace County. Hennick was a proven winner at the eight-man school, leading the Wildcats to a 30-6 mark in three years with three sub-state championship game appearances. Hennick becomes the third coach in four seasons at Oakley after longtime coach Randall Rath left
to take over at Cimarron, then eventually Hays High School. Prior to last season, Oakley had made the playoffs every year since 2004, with the exception of 2010. The lone win a year ago came against Sublette in Week 2. The Plainsmen were just shy of a second win when they drove the length of the field in the closing minute, only to fail on a two-point conversion in a loss to TMP-Marian. Hennick, a standout quarterback at Wallace County who led the Wildcats to the 2007 state championship, played two seasons at quarterback for Garden City Community College. He returned to Sharon Springs to replace a great eight-man football mind in Kevin Ayers. In Hennick’s departure, Ayers has taken back the reins at Wallace County. The Plainsmen do return some experience, but graduated seven seniors and will be without one of the top linemen in the state in Chris Cox who transferred to Eight-Man Division I Hoxie.
FRONT ROW (from left): Jeff Huffman, Issac Kuhlman, Chase Herl, Tim Rojas and McKellen Rains. SECOND ROW: Preston Nollette, Brandon Schwarz, Morgan Rains, Darien Dilka, Kade Hemmert, Lane Shirley, Grant Kuhlman, Corbin Boles and Wyatt Abell. THIRD ROW: Johnny Phillips, Wes Phillips, Cale Prewo, Wyatt Glassman, Aidan Stephenson, Ellis Slack and Ethan Abell. BACK ROW: Kolt Hemmert, Cody Zimmerman, John Stoecker, Dane Scheetz, Calvin Cooper, Jenson Schoenfeld, Hunter Scheck and Eric Annis. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1....................................................... vs. Colby Sept. 8....................................................vs. Sublette Sept. 15.................................................... at Norton
Sept. 22.............................................at Phillipsburg Sept. 29.........................................vs. Smith Center Oct. 6.............................................at TMP-Marian
Oct. 13.................................................at Plainville* Oct. 20.............................................. vs. La Crosse* Oct. 27........................................................vs. Ellis*