Game Balls From Around the State: Week 1

Week 1 of the 2022 season has come and gone, and what a week it was. There were some thrilling shootouts that took place around the state, as well as a few top ranked teams getting upset. Several prospects across each classification level wasted no time in making a splash in the '22 campaign. While there were a number of impressive performances, these are the ones that really stood out. Here are the Offensive and Defensive Game Balls from the first week of the season.   Offense:   [player_tooltip player_id='146114' first='DaeOnte' last='Mitchell'] – Wichita East, 6'2”, 210, QB, Class of '24   Mitchell and the Blue Aces were featured in the Top Matchups for Week 1, and their game against Washburn Rural did not disappoint. Rural would ultimately edge out East, but the top ranked junior played phenomenal. Mitchell completed 17 of 29 passes for 345 yards with one touchdown, and racked up 125 yards on the ground. East will look to bounce back in a tough Week 2 matchup against Kapaun Mt. Carmel.    [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'] & <a href="https://twitter.com/sdresie?s=21&t=PnojQ9s5co2_2D8tBKLNcQ" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/sdresie?s=21&t=PnojQ9s5co2_2D8tBKLNcQ">Sammy Dresie</a> – Maize South   Many wondered how the Mavericks' offense would look this season after graduating their star running back, Evan Cantu. It's safe to say folks have their answer after the offensive explosion Maize South had against Andover. This duo absolutely torched the Trojans' secondary. [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'] was unbelievable, as the sophomore completed 67% of his passes while throwing for nearly 450 yards and five touchdowns. Junior wideout Sammy Dresie was McNew's favorite target, as the two would connect 14 times for 271 yards and three touchdowns.    [player_tooltip player_id='35673' first='Gabe' last='Welch'] – Arkansas City, 6'2”, 195, QB, Class of '23   It was good seeing [player_tooltip player_id='35673' first='Gabe' last='Welch'] fully healthy, and it was also nice seeing the Ark City Bulldogs back in the win column during Week 1. Welch and the Ark City community went through a lot last season, so it was very encouraging to see their performance against Winfield. Welch reminded everyone why he's regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in this senior class. The senior completed 73% of his passes and accounted for 364 yards of offense and six total touchdowns.    [player_tooltip player_id='246330' first='Mac' last='Armstrong'] & [player_tooltip player_id='130064' first='Isaiah' last='Coppage'] – Bishop Miege   Armstrong and Coppage were another quarterback-receiver duo that dominated during Week 1. Armstrong picked up where he left off from his junior year, and this was the first time fans truly got to see what Coppage is capable of at receiver. The seniors would connect nine times for 167 yards and two scores. Armstrong would finish with 363 yards through the air and completed 75% of his passes as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='35681' first='Tre' last='Richardson'] – Highland Park, 5'10”, 165, ATH, Class of '23   Week 1 was not only a huge performance for [player_tooltip player_id='35681' first='Tre' last='Richardson'], but for the whole Highland Park football program as well.  This was a very meaningful game for the Scots and their community, as they snapped a losing streak that dated back to 2014. New Mexico State commit, [player_tooltip player_id='35681' first='Tre' last='Richardson'], was a key catalyst in the victory. The standout athlete was responsible for 313 yards of total offense and six total touchdowns. Richardson and the Scots will look to keep the momentum going in their Week 2 matchup against Schlagle High School.    [player_tooltip player_id='122492' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield'] – Blue Valley NW, 6'1”, 185, RB, Class of '23   The defending Class 6A state champs continued their winning ways, taking down defending Class 4A state champions, St. James Academy. The Huskies did what they do best, and that's pound the rock with [player_tooltip player_id='122492' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield']. Stubblefield saw a huge workload against the Thunder, as he carried the ball 37 times for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He's looking poised to put up big numbers once again.   [player_tooltip player_id='259774' first='Malik' last='Bah'] – Hays, 5'9”, 180, RB, Class of '24   Last season folks were able to see a glimpse of the potential [player_tooltip player_id='259774' first='Malik' last='Bah'] had while splitting carries with Jaren Kanak, but he'll be the focal point of Hays' offense this year, which could lead to a monster season for Bah. The junior is already off to a hot start after a huge performance against Junction City. Bah would go on to rush for 273 yards on 31 carries with three scores.   Defense   Lorenzo Johnson – Schlagle, 6'3”, 195, LB, Class of '24   Lorenzo Johnson had arguably the best defensive performance of Week 1. The junior's play was a big reason why the Stallions' defense shutout the Harmon Hawks. Johnson piled up 18 total tackles, five sacks, and one blocked punt. He'll be a defender to keep an eye on out of the Kansas City, KS., area moving forward.    [player_tooltip player_id='262719' first='Kainen' last='White'] & De'Andre Shobe – Field Kindley   Field Kindley's opening game against Mulvane was a defensive battle. The Golden Tornados would come out on top in a final score of 8-0. These two defensive linemen stood out the most from this grudge match, as the duo would combine for six sacks, 18 total tackles, and three forced fumbles. Opposing offenses will have their work cut out for them when facing these two.

Week 1 of the 2022 season has come and gone, and what a week it was. There were some thrilling shootouts that took place around the state, as well as a few top ranked teams getting upset. Several prospects across each classification level wasted no time in making a splash in the '22 campaign. While there were a number of impressive performances, these are the ones that really stood out. Here are the Offensive and Defensive Game Balls from the first week of the season.