Eight Man Gems: Five Ranked Weapons

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I want to close out the month with a report on five ranked athletes from the ranks of eight-man football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three of these athletes are in the class of 2025 while the other two are members of the class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each athlete is a small-town prospect with big dreams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284529' first='Eli' last='Broxterman'],</strong> LB, 6'0”, 170, Axtell, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Broxterman is currently ranked No. 122 in the class of 2025. His skills can be utilized on both sides of the ball and on the basketball court. Broxterman is a key cog on the three-time state champion Axtell squad. He had 23 total touchdowns last season. He has great speed and instincts from the linebacking position. He has recorded 193 total tackles since his freshman year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284966' first='Lucas' last='Kirk']</strong>, ATH, 5'11”, 182, Bucklin, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirk is currently ranked No. 182 overall by Prep Redzone. He is a dual-threat quarterback for Bucklin but has the athleticism that colleges will want to look at for other positions. He threw for 926 yards and rushed for 968 yards in nine games as a junior. During his sophomore season, he threw the ball more (1,341 yards) and rushed less (525 yards). He has accounted for 60 total touchdowns over three varsity seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1112373' first='Duncan' last='Bell'],</strong> QB, 5'11”, 170, Hoxie, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoxie's quarterback threw for over 1,500 yards during his junior season. Prep Redzone Kansas has him currently ranked No. 194 overall in the class of 2025. He is an accurate quarterback who threw for 22 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 65 percent. He can also beat teams with his legs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1260106' first='Wyatt' last='Griffin'],</strong> QB, 6'2”, 165, Chase County, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Griffin is a young quarterback with nice size. The Chase County prospect is currently ranked No. 135 overall in the class of 2026. He threw for 517 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, while also rushing for 190 yards and four scores. He can also play in the defensive backfield and has three career interceptions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1250395' first='Layn' last='Todd'],</strong> ATH, 5'10”, 145, St. Francis, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Todd can do a lot on the football field. The young St. Francis prospect is currently ranked No. 198 overall in the class of 2026. He can play quarterback, running back, defensive back, and can punt. He finished with 674 yards rushing and 234 yards passing in eight games as a sophomore. Last season he accounted for 15 total touchdowns rushing for 10, throwing for four, and making one touchdown reception. He racked up 81 total tackles for the Indians as a sophomore, has three career interceptions, and can return kicks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->