Class of ’25 Rankings Update: 8-Man Standouts

One of the perks about being from a small-town school in the 8-Man ranks is the opportunity of early playing time. Many prospects in this division took advantage of their early varsity action, which led to several standout performances. Because of this, the 8-Man division is well represented in this rankings update, as there were 10 prospects that made their debuts. These five in particular are ones to keep an eye on during the ’22 season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="282252" first="Creyo" last="Koop"]</strong> – West Elk, 5’10”, 160, ATH Koop comes into the Class of ’25 rankings as the second highest ranked 8-Man prospect in the class. He sits at the No. 6 spot after putting together an <em>All-State Honorable Mention</em> season, and helping lead West Elk to an 8-2 record. Koop did it all for the Patriots, as he was an impact player in all three phases of the game. He’d end the ’21 campaign rushing for 1,272 yards on 155 carriers with 24 touchdowns and also added 334 all-purpose yards to his season totals. Defensively, Koop racked up 57 solo tackles with one sack and one interception. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="284529" first="Eli" last="Broxterman"]</strong> – Axtell, 6’0”, 170, ATH When these rankings were published last week, [player_tooltip player_id="281972" first="Brandon" last="Schmelzle"] of Axtell was highlighted as one of the top players in the class. Well, Schmelzle wasn’t the only freshman from the Eagles’ program that made an impact this past fall. Broxterman also had a great all-around year. On offense he accumulated nearly 1,000 yards of total offense and 14 total touchdowns, and on defense he piled up 88 total tackles with three interceptions and one forced fumble. His standout play earned him a <em>2^nd Team All-League </em>selection and an <em>All-State Honorable Mention</em> nod. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="284528" first="Jaedon" last="Granere"]</strong> – Marmaton Valley, 5’8”, 150, ATH The Marmaton Valley Wildcats had an up and down year in 2021, but they should have some optimism heading into the ’22 season with this prospect returning for them. Granere stepped up in a huge way during his freshman year and became one of the best players on the team. He checks in at No. 19 in the rankings after amassing over 1,000 yards of total offense with 21 total touchdowns, and he racked up 20 solo tackles and four interceptions on defense. Granere is sure to be a leader for the Wildcats moving forward. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="284964" first="Hector" last="Gomez"]</strong> – Macksville, 5’8”, 150, ATH Following behind Granere is the 7^th ranked athlete in the class and 20^th ranked prospect overall. Gomez became one of Macksville’s top offensive weapons in just his first varsity season. He’d go on to finish the season second on the team in rushing with 539 yards and seven scores, and he was also third on the team in receiving with seven catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns. His standout play didn’t stop there though, as Gomez would finish second in solo tackles with 51 on the year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="284901" first="Maddex" last="Moreno"]</strong> – West Elk, 5’11”, 160, ATH Koop won’t be the only impactful underclassmen returning for the Patriots next season. Moreno was another freshman on their roster that was a key contributor. He may not have had a large role on offense, but he left his mark on defense. Moreno ended his freshman year third on the team in solo tackles with 50 and had 63 total, and was second in sacks with three on the season. His <em>2^nd Team All-League</em> year brings him into the rankings at No. 34 and he his the 13^th ranked athlete in the class.