2026 Wichita Area/Western KS Pre-Season Baller Review

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The countdown to pre-season football practice is pounding in the heads of thousands of high school ballers getting ready for the 2024 season. And, once August hits, it amplifies more and more everyday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the guys who have been training daily in the off-season, practice couldn't come sooner. The days seem to crawl by as the expectation and adrenaline continues to skyrocket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this report we will take a look at a couple of skill players from <strong><em>Western Kansas</em></strong>, a couple of defensive ballers from a loaded <strong><em>Wichita East</em></strong> team, and then last, but certainly not least, a stud running back from <strong><em>Rose Hill</em></strong> who is getting ready to take off like a rocket <em>(sorry, couldn't resist...)</em>. These guys have been putting in the work to take their game to the next level since late last year and it is paying off - they are peaking at the right time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, without further adieu, I bring you the&nbsp;latest&nbsp;<strong><em>“Friday Five”</em></strong>&nbsp;getting ready to make some serious noise this fall:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1114762' first='DJ' last='Ngassa']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/dj-ngassa/"></a>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/dj-ngassa/"></a>&nbsp;, 6'0, 255, DL,&nbsp;<strong>Wichita East</strong>. First out of the chute is one of the two defensive ballers from <em><strong>East </strong></em>headlining this report. After piling up 95 tackles, with a jaw-dropping 44 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and 26 quarterback pressures, last year, I referred to him as a <em>"wrecking ball of a destroyer between the tackles."</em> He has been very busy in the off-season, pounding the weights and once again being one of the top powerlifter's in the state. He played last year at 220, but has packed on the muscle in the off-season and will terrorize the trenches at 255 pounds this fall. In order to maintain his cat-quick reflexes and explosive initial step, while adding the additional weight, he has focused on speed work and agilities. He also supplemented his local training with trips to camps at <strong><em>Missouri </em></strong>and <strong><em>Arkansas</em></strong>. This guy is getting ready to blow things up in the trenches this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586974' first='Rey'Zhian' last='Shears-Montgomery']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/reyzhian-shears-montgomery/"></a> </strong>, 6'0, 210, LB, <strong>Wichita East</strong>. The other half of the <strong><em>Wichita East</em></strong> representation, he is coming off a good sophomore season when he established himself as a headhunter of a linebacker who is getting ready to bring it in 2024. He has put on 15 pounds of muscle in the off-season and will plug the gaps this fall at a rock-solid 210 pounds. He has also been hitting the hill training, running until his quads are burning up and focusing on his speed work. His work is paying off as he is getting significant interest from <strong><em>South Dakota, South Dakota State and Kansas State Universities</em></strong>. He and fellow stud linebacker from '26, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586976' first='Pharrell' last='Adams']</strong>, have been providing team leadership in the off-season and the boys are peaking at the right time. Get out and see a ballbuster of a backer in action this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228897' first='Nolan' last='Durr']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/nolan-durr/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>, 6'3, 215, DE/TE,&nbsp;<strong>Cheney</strong>. Another rising star from <strong><em>Cheney</em></strong> who has been hitting it hard in the off-season in preparation of defending their 13-0 State Championship from a year ago. He made his presence known as a player ready for the heat early in his career as he piled up 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks. He is a two-way, multi-positional standout who has a D1 frame, with a wing span just under 80″. He has plenty of room to grow and has has been training hard in the off-season, hitting the weight training and speed work with his teammates to make sure the team is ready to take on all who dare to try and knock them off. He also had a number of camp-clinic invites and participated in the camp at <strong><em>Kansas State University </em></strong>earlier in the summer. This guy was a stud last year as a sophomore and will be even better this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228532' first='Elvis' last='Ortega-Saldana']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/elvis-ortega-saldana/"></a>&nbsp;, ATH, 5'8”, 170, <strong>Garden City</strong>. He is coming off a breakout season in 2023 as a versatile offensive weapon in the Garden City offense when he lined up as a single back, H-back, on the wing or flexed out wide as needed to get him the ball on jet sweeps and extensions of the running game. He has been training hard in the Garden City off-season training program, bumping his PR's in all the major lifts and getting his weight up to a solid 170. He has also conducted a ton of speed work and focus on agility and change of direction to fine-tune his already impressive quickness and acceleration. In addition to working with his teammates out west, he was able to hit the <strong><em>Friends University</em></strong> camp as well as <strong><em>Fort Hays State</em></strong>. Get your popcorn out for this guy, he is getting ready to put on a show.<strong><strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1113405' first='Keedrin' last='Jones']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/keedrin-jones/"></a>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/keedrin-jones/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>, 5'10, 185, RB/FS,&nbsp;<strong>Rose Hill</strong>, is ranked&nbsp;<strong>#123</strong>. And, as mentioned above, last but certainly not least, we have the <strong><em>Rose Hill Rocket</em></strong> who is getting ready to burst into the stratosphere this fall. He is coming off a standout sophomore season when he piled up over a thousand all-purpose yards as a powerful runner with great instincts who finds the slightest opening and accelerates to daylight. In addition to training hard locally with his teammates, he got on the road to fine-tune his skill sets at the <strong><em>K-State, Kansas University, Colorado, Pitt State </em></strong>and<strong><em> Missouri Western camps</em></strong>. He has crushed all of his PR's in the major lifts and has packed on muscle to take the expected running-back pounding. He has also been focusing on his speedwork, running a consistent 4.5 in the forty. Get out and see him dominate this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In conclusion, get these guys on your watchlist and get out and see them if at all possible. And, as always, if you know of anyone<em>&nbsp;“flying under the radar”</em>&nbsp;feel free to reach out to&nbsp;<strong><em>@CoolDaddyO&nbsp;</em></strong>via<strong><em>&nbsp;DM&nbsp;</em></strong>on<strong><em>&nbsp;X.</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->