Game Balls from Around the State: Week 8

The 2021 regular season is officially in the books. It was capped off by a Week 8 filled with storylines, as several league and district titles were up for grabs. The playoff seeding is now set, and it’s win or go home. Here are 10 players that closed out the ’21 regular season in style. <em>Offense:</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87649" first="Dylan" last="Edwards"]</strong> – Derby, RB, <em>Class of ’23</em> The top ranked junior has been nothing short of amazing throughout the ’21 campaign, and his performance against Maize South was yet another example of how talented he is. Like most of Derby’s games this season, Edwards left his mark in the first half and was able to rest in the second due to the score differential. He went on to rush for 276 yards on 11 carriers and made his way into the end zone six times. <strong>Kenyon McMillan</strong> – Salina Central, RB, <em>Class of ’23</em> It was the 52^nd meeting between cross-town rivals Salina Central and Salina South, and this junior came up big to help the Mustangs secure the <em>Mayor’s Cup </em>in a 49-14 victory. McMillan gashed the Cougars’ defense for 223 yards and three touchdowns. The turnaround the Mustangs have had this year is incredible. They now sit at 6-2 and will open postseason play against Liberal. Look for McMillan to continue to provide a spark in Central’s ground game. <strong>Omari Elias</strong> – Kapaun Mt. Carmel, RB, <em>Class of ’24</em> What an unbelievable regular season Elias had in his first year as the feature back for the Crusaders. The sophomore has been an intricate piece to an offense that has averaged 43 points per game. Elias and the Crusaders closed out the ’21 regular season with a win over Wichita Heights. They were led by the sophomore's monster game on the ground, as he went on to rush for 281 yards on 38 carriers with two touchdowns. <strong>Creyo Koop</strong> – West Elk, ATH, <em>Class of ’25</em> Koop has been a pleasant surprise this year coming out of West Elk. The freshman finished the regular season as the Patriots' leading rusher and helped them pick up their 7^th win of the season against Yates Center. He did it all in Week 8; going on to account for 225 all-purpose yards with six total touchdowns, and he added 12 total tackles on defense. Expect to see his name in the future Class of ’25 Player Rankings. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91412" first="Memo" last="Flores"]</strong> – Southwestern Heights, ATH, <em>Class of ‘22</em> Flores earned a game ball for his performance on defense during Week 5, and this time he earns one for an unreal offensive explosion against the Syracuse Bulldogs. He saved his best performance for Week 8 as he led the Mustangs to victory in a 41-35 shootout. The senior carried the rock a whopping 56 times in this one and went on to rush for 391 yards with five scores. In addition to his video game-like rushing numbers, Flores also racked up 14 total tackles and 101 yards on kickoff return. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35566" first="Mason" last="Ellis"]</strong> – Mulvane, ATH, <em>Class of ’22</em> Ellis picks up his second offensive game ball of the season after shredding Wellington’s defense through the air and on the ground. He led the Wildcats to their 6^th win after accounting for 334 yards of total offense with six total touchdowns. Ellis has the Wildcats’ offense on a roll, as they are averaging 34 points per game during their six-game win streak. They’ll look to keep things going during Round 1 of the playoffs against Ulysses. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145515" first="Hudson" last="Ferralez"]</strong> – Hesston, QB, <em>Class of ’24</em> Ferralez is the third offensive player featured making an appearance for the second time this season. The young signal caller has been picking defenses apart all year, and he was at it again against Clearwater. He was very efficient going 29 of 31 for 443 yards with seven touchdown tosses. The Swathers will need Ferralez to be at his best against a tough 6-2 Holcomb squad this week. <em>Defense: </em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35546" first="Nathan" last="Carter"]</strong> – Wichita Northwest, DL, Class of ’22 Week 8 presented one of the biggest matchups in Class 5A this season, with the Grizzlies facing off against Hays. Carter and co. did just enough to slow down the Indians’ high-powered offense, as they went on to win 61-40. Nathan led Northwest in total tackles with 11 and had 2.5 tackles for a loss. The senior is starting to heat up at the right time with the Grizzlies looking to make another run at the state title. <strong>Kainen White</strong> – Field Kindley, DL, <em>Class of ’24</em> It’s been a frustrating season for the Tornado football program, but they ended the regular season on a positive note beating Fort Scott 19-8. White’s performance played a significant role in Field Kindley holding the Tigers to only 8 points. The sophomore was dominant, piling up eight total tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="122941" first="Kaleb" last="Green"]</strong> – Wellsville, DL, <em>Class of ’23</em> It’s been an impressive ’21 campaign so far for the Wellsville Eagles. After going 4-5 last year, they finished the regular season at 8-0 and are legitimate contenders for the Class 2A state title. Players like Green have stepped up tremendously for them this season, and he was a beast in Week 8. The junior accumulated six total tackles with three sacks and one forced fumble.