Prep football preview 2017
Class 2-1A, District 7 Coach: Grant Stephenson (3rd year, 14-8) Last season’s record/playoff finish: 11-2/2-1A state runner-up Returning starters: 5 offense 5 defense Top returning players: Hayden Gillum, 6-3, 260, sr., OL/DL; Jared Casey, 6-0, 216, soph., OL/LB; Jaron Rathbun, 6-0, 190, sr., OL/LB; Chandler Cellmer, 5-10, 155, sr., WR/ DB; Nolan Jones, 6-0, 190, sr., OL/DL; Noah Hansen, 5-10, 185, sr., WR/LB. Team notes: The Cardinals in 2016 enjoyed their best season in recent history by making a run at the 2-1A state title game where they lost in a nailbiter to Troy. While a lot of the focus was on multi-threat quarterback Hayden Friend, who set numerous MCL records, key to the Cardinals’ success was defense. Plainville gave up a little more than 11 points a game, and that included giving up just 16 to Smith Center to open the season then shutting out the Redmen in the 2-1A sub-state title round. A big part of that turnaround was the play of returning players Gillum and Casey. Gillum led the club a year
The Hays Daily News • Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017
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Plainville Cardinals
ago with 97 tackles and 14.5 for loss, while Casey was second on the team with 96 tackles. The offense will have big shoes to fill in Friend, though. The Hays Daily News Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, Friend passed for 2,039 yards with 28 touchdowns and rushed for 1,539 yards. He and Riley Nyp — now at Wichita State University track and field — combined for 40 rushing touchdowns. Friend had 18 and Nyp 22 — all of Plainville’s rushing scores. Taking over at quarterback will be Jordan Finnesy, a sophomore, who attempted eight passes a season ago, and had 21 carries for 107 yards. Finnesy appeared in nine games when the score was already big in Plainville’s favor. He’ll look for some new targets in the passing game as all of the top receivers from a year ago graduated, namely Ryan Buresh, Dylan Wallace and Jared Copeland. Last season’s run to the title game was the first appearance in the final round since the Cardinals won it all in 1985. The season-opening win against Smith Center was also the first time the Cardinals defeated a Redmen team since a 30-23 win and 10-2 run in 2011.
FRONT ROW (from left): Garrett Whitney, Peyton Rathbun, Jay Birdsall, Hunter Cole, Tyler Rhor, Parker Krob, Jonah Smith, Elijah Hays, Cael Dobson and Dayton Laduke. SECOND ROW: Heidi Jones, Vance Myers, Cody Crawford, Brandon Rhor, Colten Wiesner, Chirstian Ostrom, Andrew Fisher, Chandler Yost, Ryan Junkermeier, Jared Casey, Jordan Finnesy, Tanner Copeland, Vincent Myers, Brennan Staab and CJ Eichman. BACK ROW: Grant Stephenson, Ryan Becker, Nate Normandin, Blake Crawford, Chase Cellmer, Jaron Rathbun, Noah Hansen, Sage Armbruster, Hayden Gillum, Noah Crawford, Nolan Jones, Chandler Cellmer, Justin Plante, Justin Casey and Steve Buresh. 2017 schedule (*district game) Sept. 1......................................... at Smith Center Sept. 8....................................................at Norton Sept. 15......................................... vs. Phillipsburg
Sept. 22 .....................................vs. TMP-Marian Sept. 29.................................vs. Republic County Oct. 6...........................................at Sacred Heart
Oct. 13................................................ vs. Oakley* Oct. 20...................................................... at Ellis* Oct. 27............................................vs. La Crosse*