That's a Wrap: '25 Ballers Stepping Up As Champions

The season flew by with warp speed and here we are fresh off the championship games getting ready to shift gears into the off-season grind.   But before we shift too quickly, I wanted to give a shout out to the ballers in the Wichita area who finished the 2025 season as state champions.   In this report we will take a quick look at some of the key players from four of the recent state championship squads.   So without further adieu, let's check out what these guys have been up to now that the season has come to a close:   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Salina Central 51-34 over Basehor Linwood for the 5A State Championship:</li> </ul>   There were many names on this team that stepped up this year to help deliver a title that hadn't been seen in Salina for decades. They were stout on both sides of the ball, with one of the best linebackers in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1114751' first='Jesus' last='Delgado'], 6'1, 220, LB, Salina Central, '26, leading a bend-but-don't break defense with 145 tackles on the year. They also featured one of the best backfield combinations in the state in RB [player_tooltip player_id='1515945' first='Cooper' last='Reves'], 6'2, 215, RB, Salina Central, ‘26, and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1579589' first='Griffin' last='Hall'], 5'10, 175, Salina Central, '27, who piled up almost 6,000 yards of total offense and 70+ TD's between them this year. But, as good as those guy were, I want to shine a spot light on arguably the best offensive line in the state.   Led by KU-commit and piledriver [player_tooltip player_id='401683' first='Kaden' last='Snyder'], 6'6, 305, OL, Salina Central, '26, and projected D1 baller [player_tooltip player_id='557340' first='Warrick' last='VanBlaricon'], 6'3, 285, OL, Salina Central, '27, the high-octane offense rolled up 450 yards and averaged 46+ points per game in going 12-1 and securing the title. Also stepping up in a big-time way along the front was Saijon Mills, 6'1, 270, OL, Salina Central, '26, who anchored the interior line from his right guard position, as well as center, Reyce Kelley, 6'3, 270, OL, '27, left guard [player_tooltip player_id='2058132' first='Parker' last='Pinks'], 6'3, 290, OL, '27, and, tight end Noah Peck, 6'5, 245, TE, '26. Between them they blew open holes, walled off in pass pro and handed out almost 200 pancake blocks on the year.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Kapaun 56-21 over Bishop Miege for the 4A State Championship:</li> </ul>   Led by one of the best two-way ballers in the state in LB/RB [player_tooltip player_id='1114752' first='Cal' last='Purvis']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/cal-purvis/"></a> , 6'3, 230, LB/RB, KMC, '26, an Air Force-commit, and a destroyer of a MLB who dominates on both sides of the ball and led one of the top linebacker units in the state along with, Pete Keller, 5'11, 200, LB, KMC, '27, a hard-hitting OLB and next-level athlete, Mason Collins, 6'4, 215, LB/ATH, KMC, '26, who is a big, multi-positional baller who can do it all. Between them they helped put a choke hold on the competition in post season holding teams to one score going into the final game and giving up an average of less than six points a game in the playoffs.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Andale 38-6 over Hayden for the 3A State Championship:</li> </ul>   Led by dual-threat quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1236247' first='Sam' last='Harp']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/sam-harp/"></a> , 5'10, 195, Andale, '26, the Indians rolled over Hayden again for their second straight state title and push their winning streak to 26 games. In the title game he was electric as usual, scoring three rushing touchdowns and picked off a pass on defense as he solidified himself as one of the top three-way players in the state.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Sterling 35-34 over Rossville for the 1A State Championship:</li> </ul>   Led by another incredible season from RB, [player_tooltip player_id='780429' first='Zane' last='Farney'], 5'11, 185, RB/DB, Sterling, '26, who raced for 279 yards and three touchdowns to help his team edge Rossville in an exciting one-point victory. He has been one of the most productive backs in the state the last three years and this year capped it off with 2,326 rushing yards, averaging 11 yards a carry for 42 TD's. For his career he has 6,712 career rushing yards and 90 TD's. Also stepping up big on their explosive offense was, [player_tooltip player_id='1545224' first='Wyatt' last='Newberry'], 5'11, 175, ATH, Sterling, '26, who was a three-way multi-positional standout all year with 1,081 yards rushing, averaging 13 yards per carry, caught five passes for 152 yards and piled up 546 return yards to give him 1,779 all-purpose yards and 17 TD's on the year. Quite the dynamic duo.     In conclusion, keep an eye on the returning guys above as well as the seniors getting ready to transition to the next level in 2026.   Note: if your stats referenced above are inaccurate let me know - my stat source is usually MAXPREPS and lately have caught numerous errors in their numbers.   And, most importantly...   Keep Grindin'

The season flew by with warp speed and here we are fresh off the championship games getting ready to shift gears into the off-season grind.