Game Balls from Around the State: Week 3

There was a bit of a theme during the third week of the season. Seniors typically appear in our Game Ball features, and some made their way into this third edition. But prospects from the Class of ’23 stepped up in a big way during Week 3. This Game Ball recap features five juniors that put together standout performances. Checkout all the prospects featured below. <strong>Luke McGinnis &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="170381" first="Ty" last="Smith"] </strong>– Circle, <em>Class of ’22 &amp; Class of ’23</em> The Thunderbirds needed to rebound after getting shutout last week, and they did so in style. This tandem accounted for 28 of the Thunderbirds’ 42 points against Augusta. McGinnis and Smith connected on 14 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. An absolutely dominate performance from the senior quarterback and junior wide out. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35641" first="John" last="Randle II"]</strong> – Wichita Heights, <em>Class of ’23</em> This high-profile running back has had a great start to his junior campaign, and his Week 3 performance is proof of that. Randle didn’t get a ton of touches against Wichita North, but he didn’t need many to make his presence felt. He rushed for 187 yards on only six carries and scored two touchdowns. He’s a threat anytime he touches the ball, and he should continue to put up big numbers the rest of the year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="123017" first="Mitch" last="Budke"] </strong>– Chase County, <em>Class of ’23</em> The 24^th ranked athlete in our Class of ’23 rankings has the Bulldogs on a roll through three games. Budke helped lead them to a dominating 52-6 win over Valley Falls in Week 3. The talented 8-Man product rushed for 271 yards with five touchdowns and had a touchdown through the air as well. He and the Bulldogs will be tested in Week 4 when they take on the Central Raiders. <strong>Bobby Trujillo</strong> – Emporia, <em>Class of ’23</em> It’s been a rough start to the ’21 season for the Spartans, but Trujillo has been a bright spot for their defense. The junior is on his way to having a breakout year after surpassing his total tackle number from last season. During Week 3, Trujillo racked up 14 total tackles, with two being for losses, and he picked off two passes. Be sure to keep an eye on him the rest of this season. <strong>Dalton Whitworth</strong> – Rock Creek, <em>Class of ’23</em> This junior signal caller had himself a night against Louisburg. Rock Creek had little to no preparation for the Wildcats from Class 4A, but that didn’t affect Whitworth and the Mustangs. He completed 68% of his passes while throwing for 307 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards on eight carriers with two scores. <strong>Quantre Moore</strong> – Washington, <em>Class of ’22</em> After not playing during the 2020 season due to Covid-19; the Washington Wildcats are back in action, and they have this senior leading the charge for them on defense. Moore has been on fire to start the ’21 season. In Washington’s Week 3 win over Schlagle, Moore piled up 10 total tackles, two being for a loss with two sacks and a blocked punt.