Offensive Game Balls from Around the State: Week 1

Santino Bernal September 6, 2021 @ 09:30 AM

The most wonderful time of the year is back. Week 1 for the 2021 Kansas high school football season did not disappoint. It was awesome to see fans back in the stands, and the student sections were rocking. It was evident that the players were eager to put on a show in front of their families and peers, as scoreboards were lighting up across the state. Here’s a quick recap of some standout performances around Kansas during Week 1 spanning from 6A all the way down to the 8-Man ranks. [player_tooltip player_id="145519" first="Branton" last="DeWeese"] – Washburn Rural, QB, Class of ’24 Deweese’s start to his sophomore campaign doesn’t come as a surprise at all. He showed flashes of his ability as a freshman, and he stuck out this summer at the KC Varsity Combines. During Week 1 he distributed the ball well as the Blues went on to beat Topeka West 45-6. Deweese threw for 205 yards and four touchdowns. It's a great start to the 2021 season for the rising sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id="155129" first="Evan" last="Cantu"] – Maize South, RB, Class of ‘22 Cantu picked up right where he left off from his junior year. The talented senior tallied 239 yards rushing and punched in two scores, as the Mavericks went on to shutout Great Bend. He’ll have the chance to put on a show once again in the Mavericks’ home opener against Salina South during Week 2. Shayden Sull – Hartford, ATH, Class of ‘22 At first glance, fans might’ve thought the Jaguars varsity basketball team had just played. You read that scoreboard right though. Hartford beat Maranatha Academy 100-58 behind Sull’s monster game. The senior rushed for 494 yards and found the end zone 12 times. Even though this was an 8-Man League game, that stat line is still absurd. Sull is well on pace to top his numbers from his junior campaign. [player_tooltip player_id="131237" first="Sean" last="Carroll"] – St. Thomas Aquinas, RB, Class of ’23 The Saints needed someone in their backfield to step up and take the lead role after graduating standout running back, [player_tooltip player_id="35347" first="Tank" last="Young"]. Carroll is looking to be the main man in their flexbone offense after his performance against defending 4A State Champs, St. James Academy. The junior exploded for 214 yards on 26 carries with one score. The Saints will look to continue to feed Carroll the ball throughout the '21 season. Sam Elliot – Buhler, RB, Class of ‘22 The Crusaders got payback on Friday night, as they blew out Goddard 42-14 after losing to them last season. Their impressive performance was headlined by Elliot’s huge night on the ground. He racked up over 200 yards and hit pay dirt three times. He’ll look to keep the momentum going against a tough Andover Central defense in Week 2. [player_tooltip player_id="91371" first="Jaren" last="Kanak"] – Hays, ATH, Class of ‘22 If there was any question to why Kanak is viewed as the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state; he showed why against a talented Wichita East squad. Jaren started at quarterback and accounted for over 400 yards of total offense in a 35-6 statement win against the Aces. Expect the future Clemson Tiger to continue to dominate the rest of the season. [player_tooltip player_id="35580" first="Lance" last="Hoffsommer"] – Sedgwick, QB, Class of ‘22 Several prep websites throughout the state named Hoffsommer a quarterback to watch this year, and he lived up to the hype in Week 1. He led the Cardinals to a 61-8 win over Sterling. The 9th ranked prospect in our rankings threw for over 300 yards with four touchdown passes and had 135 yards on the ground with one score. He may come from a small school, but he is a big-time talent. [player_tooltip player_id="35554" first="Henry" last="Martin"] – Blue Valley North, QB, Class of ‘22 It was another successful day in the office for the Mustangs’ signal caller. Martin passed a big milestone in his career, eclipsing 6,000 career passing yards after a monster game against powerhouse Bishop Miege. He went on to throw for 360 yards while completing 78% of his passes with six touchdown tosses in just three quarters. He’s on pace to break multiple state records this year. [player_tooltip player_id="35569" first="Mikey" last="Pauley"] & [player_tooltip player_id="122492" first="Grant" last="Stubblefield"] – Blue Valley Northwest, Class of ‘22 & ’23 There was no way one of these prospects could be highlighted without mentioning the other. This tandem combined for 363 yards on the ground against their crosstown rival, Blue Valley. Pauley, a Nebraska baseball commit, rushed 167 yards and two scores and had 100 yards through the air. Stubllefield nearly rushed for 200, as he posted 196 yards and three touchdowns. Carter Brian & Noah Hastert – Cair Paravel, Class of ’22 Brian and Hastert are another duo that needed to be mentioned together. The two were in sync all game long as they helped lead the Lions to a 60-14 victory. Brian came a completion shy of a perfect passing game, as he went 15/16 for 298 yards and five touchdown passes. Hastert was the beneficiary of three of those touchdown passes, and he went on to haul in 6 catches for 132 yards. These two give the Lions a legitimate shot at an 8-Man State Championship this season.