6A Game Balls

After months of waiting, High School football has finally returned in the state of Kansas.  There were several great performers from class 6A schools in week 1.  Here are the game balls for the top 5. <ol> <li> [player_tooltip player_id="35344" first="Devin" last="Neal"] RB Lawrence</li> </ol> [player_tooltip player_id="35344" first="Devin" last="Neal"] showed why he is the top ranked Senior RB in the state.  The soon to be Kansas Jayhawk had a huge game against Shawnee Heights as he rushed for 138 yds and scored 2 TD while catching 2 passes for 51 yds and a receiving TD as well.  He makes great decisions and is very tough to stop once he gets into the open field.  Also shows great contact balance to keep moving after getting hit and also a major asset in the passing game as he shows the play speed to get behind defenders while possessing great hands. 2.  [player_tooltip player_id="35595" first="Jet" last="Dineen"] QB Free State Lawrence Free State Junior QB [player_tooltip player_id="35595" first="Jet" last="Dineen"] played with great heart in Free State’s 42-34 loss to DeSoto.  He threw for 104 yds and also showed great durability as he rushed for an incredible 237 yds on 27 carries and a TD.  When looking at the film, he plays with great toughness and power as he is able to break multiple tackles due to very good play strength and can run over larger defenders while on QB design and option runs. 3. Lawrence Defense The entire defense of Lawrence High School is well deserving of a game ball for their outstanding week 1 performance against Shawnee Heights.  The defense pitched a shutout while forcing two safeties and held the Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds to only 21 total yards.  Senior DB Corban Oberzan made the transition from LB to DB with ease as he scored the 1st points of the game with a 16 yard pick six.  Lawrence looks to keep the momentum going when they play Washburn Rural in week 2. 4. [player_tooltip player_id="35348" first="Damian" last="Ilalio"] DL Manhattan The Senior DL and soon to be Kansas State Wildcat played well in Manhattan’s 21-7 win against Garden City.  He contributed to the victory with 6 tackles and a sack. He is quick off the ball and uses his power to dominate in 1 on 1 situations against OL but also uses his quickness effectively to defeat reach blocks.  A smart player with great instincts, he is able to take the correct angle while in pursuit of the ball carrier and delivers a powerful hit, bringing down the ball carrier with force. 5.  Dylan Edwards RB Derby Dylan Edwards was a very bright sport in Derby’s 45-14 loss to Mill Valley.  The Sophomore RB rushed for 34 yds on 11 carries and caught 5 passes for 116 yds and a TD.  He shows very good play speed and athletic ability as he quickly accelerates after catching the pass and uses is able to elude defenders for big gains on screen passes. &nbsp;