Game Balls From Around the State: Week 13

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The dust has settled from an action packed Championship Saturday, and now the book on the '22 campaign is officially closed. This year's slate of championship games saw six new champions crowned, and only three programs retained their title from last season. There were several thrilling plays that took place, and some anxious moments that left fans on the edge of their seats. It's safe to say Saturday was a great ending to an exciting season of football in the state of Kansas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this final <em>Game Ball</em> piece of the '22 campaign we take a look at seven of the top offensive performances from Championship Saturday. Two of the seven prospects earned their first <em>Game Ball </em>of the season, while the other five added yet another to their season totals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also, congratulations to Manhattan, Mill Valley, Bishop Miege, Andale, Nemaha Central, St. Marys, Wichita County, Axtell, and Cunningham for being crowned 2022 State Champions! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='395576' first='Keller' last='Hurla'] – St. Marys, 6'0”, 165, QB, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='395576' first='Keller' last='Hurla'] picked up his first <em>Game Ball</em> of the season during Week 12, and he followed that performance up with aruagbly one of the best performances of the ‘22 campaign. Ninety-nine yards stood between St. Marys and the Class 1A state title, and Hurla helped lead the Bears on an improbable drive late in the 4th quarter to defeat Inman 44-41. Hurla caps off his brilliant senior year by accumulating 497 yards of total offense and six total touchdowns in the victory.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='246116' first='Erhik' last='Hermosillo'] – Wichita County, 5'8”, 155, ATH, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to Hurla, [player_tooltip player_id='246116' first='Erhik' last='Hermosillo'] also earned his second&nbsp;<em>Game Ball</em>&nbsp;of the season on the biggest stage. Hermosillo was featured in the&nbsp;<em>Prospect Matchup</em>&nbsp;for the 8-Man D-I title game, and the senior delivered with a great performance to help the Indians claim their first-ever state championship. The senior piled up nearly 300 yards of total offense and accounted for seven total touchdowns in the Indians' revenge game against Little River.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='123617' first='Isaac' last='Detweiler'] – Axtell, 5'11”, 180, ATH, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='123617' first='Isaac' last='Detweiler'] put together a historic performance in the 8-Man D-II State Championship game. After trailing 28-24 in the 2nd quarter, Detweiler led an offensive explosion for the Eagles, as they'd go on to score 52 unanswered points to help Axtell claim their second straight state title. In addition to Axtell making program history by securing their first-ever back-to-back, Detweiler also tied an 8-Man D-II State Championship game record. Detweiler threw for seven touchdowns which tied the single-game record, and he was responsible for over 380 yards of total offense with eight total touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1194054' first='Dawson' last='Kindler']</strong> – Gardner-Edgerton, 5'11”, 185, RB, Class of '24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aside from the thrilling Class 1A matchup between St. Marys and Inman, Gardner-Edgerton vs. Manhattan was the only other title game that went down to the wire. The Trailblazers came just inches short from winning the Class 6A state title in double overtime. Despite the heartbreaking 21-20 loss, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1194054' first='Dawson' last='Kindler']</strong> displayed a valiant effort. Kindler played a key role for the Trailblazers, as he carried the ball 39 times for 124 yards and was responsible for all of Gardner-Edgerton's points. His performance on the big stage earns him his first <em>Game Ball</em> of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/davionjharris10?s=21&amp;t=MgCGTkBRZ1oS35J7FUXicQ" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/davionjharris10?s=21&amp;t=MgCGTkBRZ1oS35J7FUXicQ">Davion Harris</a> – Mill Valley, 6'2”, 200, ATH, Class of '24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heading into the Class 5A title game, most folks would've assumed that either [player_tooltip player_id='35652' first='Hayden' last='Jay'] or [player_tooltip player_id='259742' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] would be the top offensive players for Mill Valley. But instead, do it all junior, <a href="https://twitter.com/davionjharris10?s=21&amp;t=MgCGTkBRZ1oS35J7FUXicQ" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/davionjharris10?s=21&amp;t=MgCGTkBRZ1oS35J7FUXicQ">Davion Harris</a>, would be the unlikely star of the game for the Jaguars. While Harris didn't see a ton of touches in the game, it didn't take much for the junior to make an impact. Harris racked up 81 yards of total offense on just four touches, and found the end zone three times. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='243299' first='Cooper' last='Hajek'] – Nemaha Central, 6'2”, 230, ATH, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='243299' first='Cooper' last='Hajek'] and the Nemaha Central Thunder completed their perfect season by taking down Kingman in the Class 2A championship game. Hajek once again led the charge offensively for the Thunder, as he'd rush for 208 yards on 39 carries and came up with four key touchdowns. The senior's impressive performance earns him his third&nbsp;<em>Game Ball&nbsp;</em>of the season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='246330' first='Mac' last='Armstrong'] – Bishop Miege, 6'0”, 165, QB, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rounding off the final&nbsp;<em>Game Ball</em>&nbsp;piece of the '22 season is the state's leading passer. [player_tooltip player_id='246330' first='Mac' last='Armstrong'] put together yet another 300-yard passing performance in Bishop Miege's victory over Wamego. The Red Raiders' defense gave Armstrong a bit of trouble early on, but he'd settle in and finished with an impressive stat line. Armstrong earns his third&nbsp;<em>Game Ball</em>&nbsp;of the season after throwing for 368 yards and three touchdowns, which helped Miege break the all-time state record with 11 state championships.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->