More Wichita-Area Underclassmen Gunslinger QBs

The post-season evaluations and projections for the coming year roll on and with it will come a wide range of scouting reports, breaking news and informative background on players looking for their turn to take the big gridiron stage.   In this report, we will continue to take a look at some of the young-gun quarterbacks in the Wichita and surrounding area.   My intent in the coming weeks is to peel the cover off the up-and-coming QBs in the area and then branch out and take a closer look at the QB-playmakers who usually get swept under the rug in western and southeast Kansas. From there I will fold in the guys in the more-heavily-covered KC-Topeka (northeast) area to ensure in the end we have a comprehensive overview of the rising-star quarterbacks in the Sunflower state going into the 2025 season.   And, as several of my colleagues have recently reinforced on-line, if you are a player on a team that has chosen not to provide team and individual stats - particularly QBs which is a stat-happy position - there is a high probability you will get overlooked. Add in geography, as referenced above, and depending on where you play the odds get even slimmer that you will get any coverage at all.   There are only a handful of us working as scouts and in the media covering thousands of players in the state of Kansas, so the reality is that players will get overlooked. And, if you don't have any stats because your coach keeps everything under lock and key, or you aren't on social media or you have incomplete or dated information floating around, guess what? Unless you are in the top 1-2%, the possibility getting much, if any, attention is somewhere between slim and none.   And, slim just left town.   As I tell the players I connect with, if your coach doesn't want you to share info/stats, I understand and I encourage you to do what your coach says. But, it is unfortunate, as the only ones getting impacted are the players. And in this day and age of transfer portals flooding the college market with experienced candidates taking scholarships from a pool that used to go to high school players, the competitive climb to the pinnacle of playing at the college level is even more of a slippery slope.   But, I digress, lets get back to uncovering some of the best and the brightest coming up through the ranks - the next wave of young-gun quarterbacks.   Gunslinger QB Watchlist:   [player_tooltip player_id='1466493' first='Mason' last='Stobart'], 6'2, 185, QB, Circle, '26, is coming off a solid season as the Thunderbird signal caller and punter, throwing for 1,500+ yards on 124 completions in 249 attempts for a 50% completion percentage, 13 touchdowns and eight picks. He also averaged just under 35 yards a punt, pinning the opposition inside the twenty-yard line 11 times. He demonstrated his high ceiling early in the year during a three-game stretch when he completed 58 of 115 passes for 756 yards and five touchdowns. He has good size and pocket presence, with smooth passing mechanics. He is athletic but primarily a pocket passer in the Circle scheme with a strong arm, excellent ball placement and is versatile enough to make all the throws. With another year of experience under his belt, get ready to watch him deliver the goods in the 2025 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='856864' first='Pearce' last='George'], 6'0, 175, QB/ATH, Maize, '27, is a multi-positional playmaker who is coming off a busy season when he ran, passed and received the ball in a variety of ways in the Maize offense. Although he is passionate about becoming an elite QB he realized to get on the field as an underclassman he needed to be versatile. And he was. For the year he completed 17 of 34 passes for 142 yards passing, carried the ball as a tailback or on jet sweeps 15 times for just under 100 yards rushing and hauled in five passes for 128 yards, for just under 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. As a QB he has a strong arm and can throw the quick surgical strikes, deep velocity throws and has good touch on the home run ball. He is athletic when extending plays and can throw off platform and from differing launch angles. The sky is the limit for this kid.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229063' first='Drew' last='Dechant'], 6'3, 205, QB/FS, Hutch Trinity, '26, is a versatile, two-way junior quarterback who is not getting a ton of attention, but is a real diamond in the rough. On the year he completed 85 of 181 passes for just under 1,000 yards, nine TD passes and only had three interceptions. As a quarterback he is big and athletic with an excellent arm throwing from the pocket or on the move in either direction. He can strong-arm quick passes in the flat and over the middle and can go long with a catchable touch pass. On defense he was a headhunter from the secondary, racking up 51 tackles, one TFL and an interception. He is also a good punter, averaging 34 yards per punt, with eight pinned inside the twenty yard line. He is getting ready to dominate in 2025.   RaShawn Johnson, 5'9, 160, QB/ATH, Wichita South, '26, is a versatile, multi-positional star in the making who is coming off a breakout season when he gouged the opposition for 2,100+ total yards and 23 touchdowns. He was so valuable to his team that he rarely came off the field. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 355 yards, a 56% completion percentage, three TD passes, zero picks and a lofty 140.0 passer rating. On the ground he picked up 900+ yards rushing on only 77 carries for an eye-popping 11.7 average, 13 TD's, and hauled in 19 passes for 257 yards and a score. He was also a lethal return man, burning it up for 500+ yards and six returns for scores. If that wasn't enough, he was also a ballhawk on defense, intercepting three passes, picking up 58 tackles and adding three TFL just for good measure. Get your popcorn out in 2025, he is going to be en fuego.   [player_tooltip player_id='1581113' first='Cresten' last='Pore'], 5'9, 160, QB/DB, Pratt, '26, is another versatile playmaker flying under the radar who is coming off an excellent junior year when he completed 48 of 96 passes for a 50% completion rate, 10 touchdown passes, and nine picks in nine games. He showed his passing potential earlier in the year against Phillipsburg when he was 10 out of 15 for 262 yards and a pair of scores. He then finished with a strong passing performance in losing efforts in the last two games, when he went 17 of 32 for 388 yards and three TDs in two games. A dual threat athlete, he also racked up 234 yards rushing on 35 carries for a 6.7 average to give him 1,200+ total yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense he has great instincts and flew to the ball, picking up 22 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception. He is also a top-notch baseball player. He is getting ready to take command next fall.     In conclusion, get these guys on your watchlists and follow their high school careers. And, as always, if you know of any players/teams flying under the radar give me a shout via DM on X.

The post-season evaluations and projections for the coming year roll on and with it will come a wide range of scouting reports, breaking news and informative background on players looking for their turn to take the big gridiron stage.