Stock Rising Skill Players Ready For the Next Step

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is the Mid-week stretch before the 2025 season gets going later this week and for the grinders who have been building sweat equity month after month in the off-season it couldn't get here sooner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The anticipation of game one has reached a crescendo this week as all the media outlets are releasing team and player overviews and blasting from podcasts all over the Sunflower state (with a special call out to <strong><em>Cole Reif <a href="https://x.com/ksportschatter">@ksportschatter</a></em></strong> on a great job getting launched this summer!)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The weather has cooperated, minimizing the usual scorching August-practice heat and it has been a bonus. If nothing else, it bodes well for the special season getting ready to unfold before us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this report, we are going to take a look at seven guys who I have been following closely since last year. The first five guys are highly-regarded ballers from the class of '28 and then wrap up with a couple of seniors who I am sincerely rooting for as they have even more at stake this year than most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, without further adieu, let's take a quick look at what these guys have to offer:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1080736' first='Edric' last='Zorn']</strong></strong>, 6'0, 200, RB/LB, <em>Halstead</em>, '28. First out of the chute is one of the rising young stars in the state who is getting ready for his sophomore season after a good start last year. He has had a busy off-season getting ready, playing in the MoKan 7v7 National Championship tournament in Tulsa, while competing in multiple other sports and hitting the camp-combine circuit this summer. As a two-way baller, playing running back on offense and linebacker on defense, he is aggressive with a nose for the ball. This off-season he has gotten bigger and faster and is going to be even more of a gridiron force than last year. One of the things I like about him is when we talked about his off-season he spent 99% of the time raving about his teammates and filling me in on them. <em>Coach Racette</em> has the guys in the right mindset and I intend to cover the team in a later article. Get your popcorn handy, this guy is getting ready to put on a show.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884942' first='A'Keem' last='Anderson']</strong> </strong>, ATH, 5'11”, 175, <em>Salina Central</em>, ‘28. He is another young-gun baller who caught my eye earlier and has been on the watchlist ever since. He hit the ground running last year as a freshman and established himself as a multi-positional playmaker ready for the varsity game. On offense he is a versatile wideout who can play in the slot if needed and has the quick feet, burner speed and elusiveness to drive separation off the ball and get open early and often. When the ball is in the air he goes after it with sticky hands and is fearless making the contested catch. On defense he can play as ballhawk defensive back who also quickly collapses down to make jarring hits at the line of scrimmage. His off-season has been stellar, playing 7v7 with the <em>Kansas Colts</em> while putting on weight and still getting his forty time down to 4.5. This guy is primed and ready to reinforce that he is one of the top young players in the state this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1591856' first='Elijah' last='Bergeson']</strong></strong>, 6'1, 175, RB/ATH, <em>Winfield</em>, '28. With the Vikings turning things around under legendary coach <em>Monty Lewis</em>, he has developed some standout players to help lead the charge, which includes this multi-talented baller who can dominate on both sides of the ball. On offense, he has excellent size, length and speed and can burn teams running the ball or flexing out of the backfield to catch passes on the perimeter. On defense he is starting to make a name for himself as a suffocating defensive back with great instincts who plays as an aggressive <em>"dog" safety</em> in the Winfield defensive scheme, which is a hybrid outside linebacker/strong safety position who can make plays all over the field and bring the heat. He has had a busy off-season as an excellent high jumper and is another baller who played for the <em>Kansas Colts</em> in 7v7. <em>Coach Lew</em> sang his praises when we talked and he is definitely one to keep an eye on for a dominating season in '25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1487563' first='Colton' last='Elmore']</strong></strong>, 5'10, 165, QB/DB, <em>Wellington</em>, '28. As someone who loves covering all the positions, I have a weak spot for the quarterbacks and this guy is one who caught my eye last year while he was gaining experience backing up a senior QB. He has been showcasing his skill sets against his peers for the last few years before hitting the varsity game last year and will now get a chance to display his talents. As a quarterback he is a dual-threat athlete who can run the ball and extend plays with his feet and also has a strong arm able to light up the <em>Crusader</em> air attack. With solid pocket mechanics to go with smooth shoulder rotation and release he can rifle the small-window throws in the short-to-intermediate game but can also dial up the long ball down the sidelines when needed. He is another baller who played 7v7 with the <em>Kansas Colts</em> and was busy in the camp-combine circuit this summer. This guy is going to blow it up this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1858781' first='Jackson' last='Wheeler'],</strong> 6'1, 205, WR/ATH, <em>Baldwin</em>, '28. He is another young-gun athlete who can play a wide-range of positions on both sides of the ball but this fall will be focused on playing wide receiver on offense and as an outside linebacker on defense. As a talented wideout, he can climb the ladder for the apex-level catch in the endzone, is fearless going over the middle and picks up big yards after the catch. With soft hands and the speed and elusiveness to create separation he couples that with running disciplined routes. On the other side of the ball he is an athletic defender who can dominate off the edge, taking out the perimeter or rushing the passer, sink in zone to shut off the pass game, or collapse down to hammer the run at the line of scrimmage. In the off-season he hit the weights, put on 20 pounds of muscle and optimized speed and agility playing AAU basketball. This guy is a sleeper who is getting ready to ball out this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1306210' first='Angelo' last='Keuwo']</strong></strong>, 5'10, 185, RB/DB, <em>Blue Valley SW</em>, '26. The first senior that we shine the spotlight on is a three-way playmaker who is an outstanding all-purpose back on offense, ball buster d-back and return man coming off a strong year when he ran for 340 yards on 60 carries and scored seven TD's. He also caught 14 passes for 181 yards, and another four touchdowns through the air. In the return game, he added 522 yards on returns to give him 1,000+ total yards and 11 TD's. On defense he has good read and react skills and closing speed coming out of the secondary, picking up 20 tackles and intercepting three passes. This past off-season he has been working through injury rehab to get ready for the season start and the work is paying off as he was cleared to play and has a chance to be ready for game one. With his versatility in all phases of the game he is an asset the Timberwolves need and he intends to make a big return this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1418868' first='King' last='Lawson']</strong></strong>, 6'4, 315, OL/DL, <em>Shawnee Mission West</em>, '26. Last and certainly not least we have the man-mountain from SMW who is more ready than most to get on the gridiron as he had to sit out all last year after transferring into the KC area. He has had a busy and productive off-season to ensure he makes up for lost time. An athletic three-way trench warrior he is a steamroller of a tackle on offense, can be brought in to beef up the d-line and is skilled enough to handle long snap duties on special teams when called upon. With his powerful frame and strong hands coupled with quick feet he shuts down the perimeter on his side in pass pro. He is also athletic enough to pull and chip if needed and is a battering ram of a blocker in the run game. On defense he can play as a run-stuffing nose guard or slide out and play defensive tackle. This guy is going to dominate after waiting a long time to show he is ready for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In conclusion, get out and see these guys in action – you will not be disappointed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And, as usual…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Keep grindin'</em></strong>…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->