Derby Impressive in Victory Over Junction City

On Friday night, The Derby Panthers clinched a berth in the 6A state championship game as they defeated Junction City 62-27. The Panthers are looking to win their 3rd 6A state championship in a row and the 5th in 6 years.  They will face the Mustangs of Blue Valley North who won in 2017 making it a matchup of the last 5 6A state champions.  It should be a great game but let’s look at some of the Derby players who really performed well on Friday night in the sectional victory over Junction City. [player_tooltip player_id="35352" first="Lem" last="Wash"] QB The 6’0 205 lb Senior signal caller showed why he is one of the top players in the state of Kansas in 2020 on Friday Night.  He completed 7 of 11 passes for 120 yards and a TD while providing tremendous support on the ground as he rushed for 265 yards on 32 carries and 4 TD.  In 2020, he completed 78 of 112 passes for 1,074 yards and 14 TD.  As a QB, he is a dual threat as he also rushed for 1,182 yards on 174 carries and 17 TD.  He has 6 100+ yard rushing games and 5 games where he rushed for multiple touchdowns.  He sees the field well as he makes multiple reads and possesses a strong, accurate arm as he makes all of the throws.  He displays very good mobility as he uses his athletic ability to elude LB, DL to escape pressure while in the pocket and also uses his play speed to outrun DB when in the open field. <strong>Dylan Edwards</strong> RB The 5’8 155 lb sophomore had his best game of the season on Friday night against Junction City as he rushed for 252 yards on 31 carries and 4 TD.  He caught a pass for 12 yards as well.  In 2020, he rushed for 1,663 yards on 184 carries and 25 TD.  A reliable receiver as well out of the backfield as he caught 14 passes for 183 yards and a TD.  This season, he has 8 100+ yard games and 4 200+ yard games.  He also had 8 multiple TD games with 7 games of three TD or more. He shows great vision as he finds the open hole and is very difficult to stop once he is in the open field due to his excellent athletic ability and play speed. <strong>Andon Carpenter</strong> DL The 6’2 245 lb Junior DT had a great game against Junction City as he made 5 tackles with a TFL and a sack.  In 2020, he made 47 tackles with 9 TFL, four sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.  Andon has looked great in the playoffs as he has made 18 tackles with 5 TFL, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in the last four games.  His play over the last four weeks in the playoffs have been a big reason why Derby has made it as far as they have. [player_tooltip player_id="35382" first="Tanner" last="Knox"] DB The 5’11 180 lb Safety prevented big plays from happening against Junction City.  In the game, Tanner made 10 tackles.  In 2020, he has made 62 tackles with 5 TFL.  He has three games where he made 10+ tackles with two of those games in the playoffs.  Looking at the film, he quickly keys and diagnoses the play, uses his quickness in pursuit of the RB, plays with good leverage at a low pad level and delivers a powerful hit while displaying perfect form bringing down the ball carrier with force. <strong>Cason Lindsey</strong> DB The 5’10 170 lb Senior looked impressive on Friday night.  In the game, he made 9 tackles with 6 solo.  In 2020, he has made 59 tackles with four TFL and an INT.  He is one of the many players for Derby who have taken their game to the next level in the 2020 playoffs.  In the four playoff games in 2020, Cason has made 24 tackles (17 in the last 2 games) with two TFL and an INT.