Prep football preview 2017
The Hays Daily News • Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017
D3
Other area teams at a glance
ATWOOD-RAWLINS COUNTY BUFFALOES Eight-Man Division I, District 8
Coach: Matt Smith (2nd year, 8-2) Last season’s record/playoff finish: 8-2/0-1 8MI Returning starters: 6 offense, 5 defense Top returning players: Maverick Green, 5-11, 185, sr., QB/DB; Braden Leitner, 5-5, 150, sr., RB/DB; Will Crouse, 5-10, 200, sr., RB/ DL; Sohn Domsch, 5-9, 165, sr., OL/DL; Jalen Kreup, 5-10, 165, sr., OL/LB; Nick Withington, 6-1, 170, sr., OL. Team notes: Rawlins County has made a habit of making it to the postseason, but has yet to capture that first victory, despite owning solid regular season records. The Buffaloes have made the playoffs the last four seasons — all coming in eight-man since switching in 2012. Prior to that, Rawlins County made the postseason every year from 2005 to 2010 with first-round exits. Matt Smith, in his second year after coming in from Protection, had a productive first year, getting the Buffs back into the playoffs with a second-place showing in district. Rawlins County lost to Spearville, the eventual sub-state runner-up, 52-6, in the first round. The only other loss was a 52-6 setback to St. Francis, the state runner-up, in district play. The Buffs also had a Week 5 bye, and will do the same this year. Maverick Green returns at quarterback for the Buffs after he passed for 701 yards with 10 scores and had 132 carries for 1,028 yards and 12 scores. The Buffs also return three starters on the line for a team that gained 2,237 yards on the ground. Rawlins County will look to replace Cole Sramek, who rushed for 958 yards and 12 scores, and since graduated. The Buffs again have a brutal stretch in the early weeks. They will open at Hitchcock County (Neb.) before playing Wallace County in Week 2, Decatur Community in Week 3, and Hoxie in Week 4. After the bye, they will face St Francis. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1........................................................at Hitchcock County (Neb.) Sept. 8......................................................................vs. Wallace County Sept. 15..........................................................vs. Decatur Community* Sept. 22..................................................................................... at Hoxie Sept. 29..............................................................................................Bye Oct. 6............................................................................... at St. Francis*
Oct. 13................................................................................ vs. Quinter* Oct. 20.....................................................................................at Trego* Oct. 26............................................................................... vs. Hill City*
ST. FRANCIS INDIANS Eight-Man Division I, District 8
Coach: Rodney Yates (3rd year, 21-2; 5th overall, 30-5). Last season’s record/playoff finish: 11-1/2nd in Eight-Man Division I Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense Top returning players: Tate Busse, 6-2, 170, sr., WR/DB; Jordan Raby, 5-9, 165, jr., RB/DB; Luke Lampe, 5-8, 180, sr., OL/DL; Dalton Straub, 6-2, 210, sr., WR/LB; Luin Norris, 6-2, 210, sr., OL/DL; Trayton Doyle, 6-3, 230, sr., OL/DL. Team notes: Last year was one to remember for St. Francis High School. In the fall, the Indians made the school’s first state championship game, an eventual loss to Osborne. Then in the winter, St. Francis made it to the Class 1A Division I state basketball tournament, took fourth, and won the school’s first state tournament game. The Indians graduated quite a bit in quarterback Quinton Cravens and Taylor Rogers, but a good chunk of the talent is back for the Indians and third-year coach Rodney Yates. Tate Busse, a senior, is a three-year starter on offense and defense, while Jordan Raby, a junior, was a two-way starter last year, and is a third-year starter on defense. Raby is expected to take over for Rogers in the backfield. The Indians have a bevy of players who all have been starters multiple years, most notable of which is Trayton Doyle, a 230-pound lineman and four-year starter. Doyle recorded 11 tackles for loss for the Indians last year. A sophomore, Brady Dinkel, looks to take over for Cravens at quarterback. He’ll likely use a heavy dose of Busse in the pass game. Busse caught 28 balls for 588 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago. In addition, he had four interceptions on defense and five passes deflected. He also had 36 tackles. Raby led the team with 92 tackles, while Doyle had 76. The Indians begin the season in a big-time rematch with Wallace County. The Indians won last year’s meeting, 22-20, then reeled off nine
straight blowout victories in a tough district slate before being tested by Spearville, a 36-30 win in the state semifinals. In the fourth quarter of the state title game, St. Francis had a 24-22 lead against Osborne before falling 38-24. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1 ......................................................................at Wallace County Sept. 8..................................................................vs. Triplains-Brewster Sept. 15............................................................................... at Hill City* Sept. 22.................................................................................at Oberlin* Sept. 29...................................................................................vs. Hoxie* Oct. 6.....................................................................vs. Rawlins County* Oct. 13.........................................................................................OPEN Oct. 20................................................................................. at Quinter* Oct. 26....................................................................................vs. Trego*
an 0-2 start a year ago with losses to St. Francis and Atwood-Rawlins County. In a tough district again, Wallace County will have one of the toughest schedules in Eight-Man Division II, going up against St. Francis, Rawlins County and Hoxie to start the year. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1...............................................................................vs. St. Francis Sept. 8...................................................................... at Rawlins County Sept. 15.................................................................................... vs. Hoxie Sept. 22.....................................................................................vs. Trego Sept. 29............................................................................ at Otis-Bison* Oct. 6...................................................................................at Dighton* Oct. 13.............................................................vs. Hodgeman County* Oct. 20....................................................................at Greeley County* Oct. 26...............................................................vs. Triplains-Brewster*
SHARON SPRINGS-WALLACE COUNTY WILDCATS Eight-Man Division II, District 6
TRIPLAINS-BREWSTER TITANS Eight-Man Division II, District 6
Coach: Kevin Ayers (9th year, 73-16; 18th overall, 152-27). Last season’s record/playoff finish: 8-4/Sub-state runner-up. Returning starters: 4 offense, 4 defense Top returning players: Seth Johnson, sr., E/DB; Carlin Springsteel, sr., RB/DB; Esteban Rodriguez, jr., OL/LB: Landon Bowles, jr., OL/DL. Team notes: Kevin Ayers returns to the helm of the program. He was an assistant last season after taking a few years off, but replaces Jeff Hennick, who took the head coaching job at Class 2-1A Oakley. Ayers coached Jetmore to two state titles, then coached Wallace County to the 2007 state championship then a runner-up showing in 2013 before stepping down. The last three seasons under Hennick, Wallace County has compiled a 30-6 record with three runner-up finishes in the sub-state round — twice to Victoria and last year to Dighton. The team will be anchored by top returners in Carlin Springsteel, a senior, and Seth Johnson, a senior. Last season, Springsteel had 356 rushing yards, four scores and grabbed seven interceptions. Johnson, the younger brother of the Wildcats’ quarterback last year — Levi Johnson — had 510 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Wallace County has made the playoffs every year since 2006, despite
Coach: Brett Gfeller (2nd year, 1-8). Last season’s record/playoff finish: 1-8 Team notes: The lone win for the Titans a year ago came on the road, a 50-0 victory at Tribune-Greeley County. The Titans have three playoff appearances in their history as a combined program, while Triplains has eight appearances in its history and Brewster 12. Triplains-Brewster last made the playoffs in 2015, a first-round exit. The Titans averaged 13 points per game last year, and struggled to stop teams, giving up 47.3. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1............................................................................ at Logan-Palco Sept. 8................................................................................ at St. Francis Sept. 15................................................................... vs. Northern Valley Sept. 22....................................................................vs. Wichita County Sept. 29...............................................................................vs. Dighton* Oct. 6................................................................at Hodgeman County* Oct. 13...................................................................vs. Greeley County* Oct. 20............................................................................vs. Otis-Bison* Oct. 26....................................................................at Wallace County*
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