Topeka Senior Salute

Topeka ball clubs were decimated last week, with everyone but eight-man Cair Paravel being sent home from the second round of the playoffs. There were so many great members of the 2022 class, it’s impossible to highlight all of them. But here is one last look at a handful of special seniors (in alphabetical order): <strong>Gavin Arnold</strong>, 5-foot-10, 165 pound quarterback, Hayden: Hayden puts a premium on being balanced offensively. To run the type of offense that relies on not just passing but motion and deception in the backfield, you need a smart and capable quarterback at the helm. For the past few years, Hayden has benefitted from the steady leadership of Arnold. He throws a nice deep ball, makes good decisions, and his deft ball-handling keeps the backfield in order. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="113642" first="Robby" last="Bolin"]</strong>, 6-foot-1, 181 pound receiver, Washburn Rural: Breaking in a sophomore quarterback is never easy, but the Junior Blues’ new starter [player_tooltip player_id="145519" first="Branton" last="DeWeese"] benefitted from some veteran playmakers around him, primarily Bolin. The fast, athletic end was a security blanket for DeWeese, often hauling in third-down passes to keep the chains moving. Bolin provided the Junior Blues’ lone spark – a 95-yard kickoff return for score – in the season-ending loss to Free State. Bolin is bound to Barton College to play baseball. <strong>Carter Olson</strong>, 6-foot-7, 220 pound receiver, Shawnee Heights: Olson has battled injuries to make an impact for the T-Birds. It’s no surprise the team turned its season around when Olson was able to make a contribution. He’s got the long, lanky frame that is a mismatch nightmare on pass routes. He hauled in 15 throws for 210 yards. He was also a big playmaker on the defensive side. [player_tooltip player_id="35551" first="Danny" last="Saili"], 6-foot-4, 365 pound lineman, Topeka High: [player_tooltip player_id="35571" first="Tylan" last="Alejos"] has received all the attention for the Trojans this season, and deservedly so. He was a warrior. But he got help from the hard-working big men in front of him, and no one was bigger than senior Saili. Men of his size often take time to develop, and he will be a project to watch moving forward. The Trojans have produced some great college linemen, and Saili has the feet and agility to develop. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="98391" first="Casen" last="Stallbaumer"]</strong>, 6-foot-3, 205 pound receiver, Seaman: Stallbaumer was an important part of quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="89256" first="Camden" last="Barta"]’s historic season. The big, fast senior turned in an impressive 58 catches, 759 yards and 5 scores. When the Vikings suffered injuries in to running backs, Stallbaumer also provided nearly 100 yards on 31 carries when the team needed a spark from backfield. The multi-sport star has a big basketball season to look forward to, but he’s getting some college looks and will have some nice options if he chooses the football route.