Week 4 Lookahead at Playmakers Elevating Their Game

Week 4 is already upon us and judging by some of the exceptional performances in the first three weeks it appears many teams are well ahead of mid-season form.   In the fourth week of the season the process and vibe are starting to transition more toward building momentum and fine-tuning all three phases of the game. The principle of marginal gains attainment goes into full launch mode, squeezing out every last 1% improvement...just in time for District and Playoff matchups.   In this report we will continue to look at key players associated with the big games coming later today.   So, without further adieu, let's jump in and see who is playing where:   4A #1 KAPAUN (3-0) @ 6A #2 Wichita Northwest (3-0): Last week Kapaun pounded a physical Wichita East team 38-7 to move to 3-0. Through three games they are averaging 47 points per game on offense and only giving up an average of seven points, with no team scoring more than two TD's. NW is coming off a tough game with Junction City that was 10-7 going into Q4 before turning up the heat to win convincingly 41-21 and the week prior throttled East 34-14.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114752' first='Cal' last='Purvis'], 6'3, 225, LB/RB, Kapaun, '26, the Air Force commit is off and running on a standout senior season leading the front-running Crusaders to the 4A #1 ranking and an unbeaten record. As one of the top two-way players in the state as a RB/LB he is a pile-driving hitter on defense and a punishing runner who picks up significant yardage after the initial hit. He is coming off a year when he had 116 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and on offense racked up 800+ yards rushing and 12 TD's.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228898' first='Nick' last='Anciaux'], 6'5, 265, OL, Kapaun, '26, he has had a busy year juggling offers before deciding on the University of Tulsa. He is coming off an all-state junior season as a versatile offensive lineman with prototype size, reach and athleticism. With his trained feet and precise mechanics he gains immediate leverage working over his opponents in the trenches. He is off to a good start this year helping lead the team's relentless offense averaging just under 50 points a game so far this year.     6A #3 DERBY (2-1) @ 6A #4 Maize (3-0): Derby rolled out of the blocks in game one with some tightening up to do after losing to Hays 22-21. They responded by tormenting Campus and Salina South by an average win of 56-10 to get back on track. Maize, on the other hand, started fast and keeps getting better every week, which culminated last Friday with a show of firepower against a stout Hutchinson team, winning going away 56-19.   [player_tooltip player_id='1475567' first='Kaelin' last='Scarth'], 6'3, 270, OL, Derby, '27, he is coming off a standout sophomore season when he started on the offensive line for the powerful Panthers. He is versatile and athletic enough to play anywhere along the front lines and last year played guard, but has transitioned to right tackle this year to give their offense the kind of bookend tackles needed to dominate on the ground and in the air. This summer he demonstrated his athleticism and explosiveness launching his 270-pound frame to dunk basketballs in between training reps.   [player_tooltip player_id='1585530' first='Mason' last='Moaliitele'], 6'0, 210, LB/RB, Derby, '27, he is a hot-commodity baller who transferred from Winfield in the off-season where he piled up 100+ tackles, 11 tackles for loss and had two sacks a year ago. He was also an all-conference running back on the other side of the ball. A savvy, strike-force inside linebacker, he uses finely-tuned read and react skills to destroy the run game between the tackles and blows up the gaps. So far this year he has 25 tackles, two TFL and a pick in limited play due to blowouts.     Labette County (3-0) @ 4A #9 WELLINGTON (2-1): Labette is riding a three-game win streak this year coming off back-to-back one-score wins over Pittsburg and Winfield. Wellington has had some highs and lows but appear to be putting the 77-20 thrashing at the hands of 3A #1 powerhouse Andale a couple of weeks ago behind them.     [player_tooltip player_id='1311567' first='Cole' last='Zeka'], 6'3, 230, DE/TE, Wellington, '27, up first is a talented multi-sport baller who is coming off a strong sophomore season as a hybrid tight end on offense and a hammer of a DE/Edge rusher. With his aggressive game he rips up double teams and collapses down to crush the run game or bull rush through blockers to cause chaos in the backfield. He has the versatility to dominate in the trenches on defenses and has been a big part of getting the team back on track after the loss to Andale earlier in the year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1487563' first='Colton' last='Elmore'], 5'10, 165, QB/DB, Wellington, '28, he is a sophomore QB who I have been following since he was a middle school stud who packed a big-time stat sheet. At the varsity level he picked up experience on defense as a freshman and backed up an all-state QB who has moved on. With a superb arm and seamless mechanics in the pocket or on the move, he has thrown for 500+ yards, fired five touchdowns passes and is a legit dual-threat picking up just under 100 yards rushing in the first three games.     5A #8 Salina Central (3-0) @ Eisenhower (1-2): Central is off to an unblemished start, kicking off the season with a 31-21 grudge-match win over Salina South and then shifted gears the next two games winning by an average score of 47-12 over Ark City and Campus. Eisenhower graduated many of their key pieces from last season and started slowly losing game one to a vastly-improved Valley Center team 33-28, dropped another close game in week two, 36-28 to Goddard, before busting out last Friday with a 46-13 shellacking of Newton.   [player_tooltip player_id='1542918' first='Jameson' last='Turner'], 6'1, 225, Edge/ATH, Eisenhower, '26, he is coming off a good junior year when he had 50+ tackles, a dozen TFL, a sack and forced four fumbles. He is a multi-positional baller who can play linebacker or drop down in the trenches as needed, but is a standout edge rusher who drills blockers with weaponized hands before making plays behind the line of scrimmage. With a powerful frame and burst he uses his explosive first step to overwhelm the opposition and make plays all over the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1530394' first='Julian' last='Gallegos'], 5'10, 195, LB, Eisenhower, '27. He is another baller coming off a great sophomore season when he started on a team that went deep into the playoffs and also led all sophomores in the state with a jaw-dropping 129 tackles. He also had seven tackles for a loss and ended the year as an all-state non-senior LB. With his instinctive game and closing speed he shuts down the run game and earlier in the year had a 14-tackle game against Goddard and is second on the team so far with 32 tackles.     5A #1 Aquinas @ Blue Valley SW (0-3): There is going to be some serious star power on the field today as Aquinas has picked up where they left off last year as the defending 5A champs and are currently 3-0. Last week they continued their vaunted running attack with a 42-21 win over Blue Valley. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, BVSW is probably one of the better 0-3 teams in the state as they lost three straight heartbreakers to Blue Valley 28-21 in game one, 28-27 to Miege and then last week 26-23 to Blue Valley North. Get your popcorn ready as between the Arndt brothers and BVSW's Thomas, they are going to put on a show.   [player_tooltip player_id='267076' first='Calin' last='Arndt'], 5'10, 195, RB, Aquinas, '26, coming off an incredible season when he helped lead his team to the state title, ran for 2,000+ yards, had 28 TD's and was Max Prep Player of the Year. Along the way he showed why he is an apex predator of a back who comes through in the clutch and keeps defensive coordinators up at night trying to figure out what to do with him. So far this fall he leads the state with 765 rushing yards, narrowly moving past all-state dual-threat OPOY [player_tooltip player_id='780500' first='Carter' last='Hajek'] who is second with 735 yards.   [player_tooltip player_id='1649519' first='Mason' last='Arndt'], 5'10, 180, Aquinas, DB, '29, little bro arrived on the varsity scene this fall and it didn't take long to see he brings the same DNA as his all-world brother. With great speed and explosiveness, he brings an already-mature, athletic game for a freshman and besides his great burst and elusiveness has a 36" vertical jump to his credit already. He got off to a hot start on the JV team in game one with four TD's, 10 tackles and picked off a pass. He followed that up with several strong performances that should position him to move up and play varsity in the near future.   [player_tooltip player_id='1582714' first='Blake' last='Thomas'], ATH, 5'11, 185, BVSW, '29, on the other side of the ball is another freshman phenom who is off to one of the most electrifying starts to a varsity career. In his first game he scored three TD's, had 255 all-purpose yards and a 95-yard kickoff return for the score. Through three games he has 581 total yards and six TD's, including two kickoff returns taken to the house. As a game-breaker wideout, he has 15 receptions for 259 yards, more than twice as many as the next closest, and has added 322 yards as a return man.     4A #6 Mulvane (2-1) @ Augusta (1-2): another lethal brother combo will be taking the field later today when Mulvane travels to Augusta. The Myers brothers of Mulvane have formed a deadly duo so far this year, leading their team to a #6 ranking. Mulvane stumbled out of the gate with a close loss 34-27 against Buhler in game one and then made some adjustments and have been motoring along since. They have scored 40+ points per game and gave up an average of 10 points in wins over Indy and Circle. Augusta started slow as well, losing to Chanute in game one and to Buhler 37-12 in the second game before breaking out of the slump with a 40-0 dismantling of Winfield last Friday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229066' first='Manny' last='Myers'], 6'0, 185, ATH, Mulvane, '26, as one of the most dangerous dual-threat QB's in the state he is coming off a junior year when he had 2,600+ total yards and 31 TD's. The southpaw gunslinger passed for 1,264 yards and fired 12 TD's and only had three picks. On the ground he torched opposing defenses for 1,371 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. With his speed and elusiveness he shreds defenses on the ground and when they try to stack the box he burns teams through the air. So far this year he has rushed for 511 yards, averaging 10 yards a carry and has led his team to the #6 spot in 4A.   Grady Myers, 5'10, 170, RB/DB, Mulvane, '27, little bro didn't waste any time establishing himself a year ago as an athletic defensive back who started as a sophomore. This year he will also play on offense where he will team with his brother Manny to create a lethal one-two offensive punch. So far this year the versatile three-way baller has 338 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns...and is just getting warmed up. This guy is ready to go scorched earth the rest of the year.     In conclusion, get out and follow their progress – you will not be disappointed. And, as always, if you run across any teams or players flying under the radar or are injured, give me a shout via DM on X.    And, as usual…   Keep grindin'

Week 4 is already upon us and judging by some of the exceptional performances in the first three weeks it appears many teams are well ahead of mid-season form.