Game Balls from Around the State: Week 10

As mentioned last week, the regional round of the playoffs looked to be more exciting than the opening round, and it was an interesting week to say the least. Multiple upsets took place within each classification level. We’re now in the quarterfinals here in Kansas, and anything can happen. Week 10’s Game Ball piece is headlined by the Class of ’23, as eight of the 12 players featured are juniors. Check out some of the top performances from the regional round. Offense: Dylan Dunn Dylan Dunn 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Blue Valley West | 2024 State KS – Blue Valley Southwest, QB, Class of ’24 This rising sophomore’s gusty performance against Seaman earns him Player of the Week. Dunn was faced with some major adversity down 37-24 on the road in his first regional playoff game. He helped orchestrate a miraculous comeback, as the Timberwolves upset the Vikings 44-37. Dunn finished the game going 24 of 42 for 558 yards and four touchdowns. He’s developing into one of the top quarterbacks from the Class of ’24. Carter Brian Carter Brian 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Cair Paravel | 2022 State KS – Cair Paravel, QB, Class of ’22 Brian and the Lions continue their dominant 2021 campaign with a blowout win over Wichita Homeschool and advance to the KCAA Championship game. The senior had another great night through the air, completing 61% of his passes and throwing for 421 yards with six touchdowns. Brian has now thrown 48 touchdown passes on the season, which leads the nation in the 8-Man ranks, and he has only thrown one interception while doing so. Nash Money Nash Money 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Wellsville | 2023 State KS – Wellsville, RB, Class of ‘23 Money was featured in an article earlier this year as a running back from the Class of ’23 to watch out for this season, and what a season it has been for the young man. The Eagles’ regional round matchup against Humboldt was yet another impressive game from the junior. Wellsville picked up their 10^th win of the season behind Money’s 244 yards on the ground and six touchdowns. Isaac Detweiler Isaac Detweiler 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Axtell | 2023 State KS – Axtell, QB, Class of ’23 Detweiler is another 8-Man product that had a big night during regionals. Hanover had no answer for slowing down Axtell’s offense. The junior led an offensive explosion, as the Eagles lit up the scoreboard with 52 points. Through the air he went 14 of 16 for 142 yards with two touchdowns, and on the ground, he rushed for 201 yards on 34 carries with three scores. He also chipped in six total tackles and an interception on defense. Benson Berndt Benson Berndt 5'9" | 175 lbs | RB Beloit | 2023 State KS – Beloit, RB, Class of ‘23 The Beloit Trojans continue to fight on after beating Cimarron in a lopsided affair. Berndt’s big night on the ground led to the Trojans scoring 51 points. He earns his second game ball of the season after rushing for 212 yards on 20 carriers with five trips to the end zone. Berndt and co. will have their work cut out for them when they take on 9-1 Hillsborough in the state quarterfinals. Luke Gebhardt – SE of Saline, QB, Class of ’23 Many folks around the state wondered how Luke Gebhardt would fare during his first year as the lead signal caller for the Trojans. The junior now has them at 10-0 and their offense is more explosive than last season. They took home the regional title defeating Chapman 52-6. Gebhardt finished the contest going 16 of 24 for 232 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. The Trojans will have a huge showdown during quarterfinals when they take on undefeated Cheney. Malik O’Atis – Shawnee Mission Northwest, RB, Class of ’23 O’Atis makes his first appearance in the Game Ball series after helping the Cougars upset Olathe West during regionals. He ran the rock 19 times for 139 yards with five scores. The junior has come on strong this season and will be a player to look for in the next Class of ’23 rankings update. Keep an eye on him and the Cougars this week when they faceoff against Blue Valley West. Grant Stubblefield Grant Stubblefield 6'1" | 185 lbs | RB Blue Valley North | 2023 State KS – Blue Valley Northwest, RB, Class of ’23 The Huskies have boasted one of the top rushing attacks in the state this season, and it has been headlined by Stubblefield’s impressive junior year. Northwest cruised to their 9^th win of the season after putting up 68 points and accumulating 623 yards of offense during regionals. Stubblefield was a key contributor, as he rushed for 232 yards on 27 carriers with four touchdowns. Defense: Holden Artzer – St. James Academy, Class of ’22 St. James snapped Basehor’s nine-game winning streak during regionals, beating them 35-7. The Thunder shut down the Bobcats’ passing game, forcing five interceptions on the night. Artzer was reading the field really well in this one, as he finished the game with four of the five interceptions. The senior also added seven total tackles to go along with his picks. Christian Brown – Sedgwick, LB, Class of ’23 Sedgwick’s defense has been stifling throughout this season, and it’s been players like Brown that have been key contributors for them. He stepped up during regionals to lead the Cardinals in tackles with 15 total on the night. The junior also made an impact on offense by adding a rushing touchdown to his stat line. Stryker Hake – Concordia, LB, Class of ’23 Hake had a record setting night during Concordia’s regional matchup against Riley County. During the Panther’s upset win over the Falcons, Hake picked off two passes, which set a new school record for career interceptions with 13. That is impressive considering he still has one more season in his high school career. Isaac Mendez Isaac Mendez 5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH Wheatland/Grinnell | 2022 State KS – Wheatland Grinnell, RB/ATH, Class of ’22 Mendez technically earns an offensive and defensive game ball for his monster game against Bucklin. On defense, Mendez racked up 15 total tackles with two sacks and one forced fumble. Offensively, he accounted for 339 all-purpose yards with six total touchdowns. His all-around performance was arguably one of the best from the 8-Man ranks during regionals.