Thunderous Tacklers From Kansas Class 2A Programs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Nemaha Central Thunder won the Class 2A State Championship and did so with a solid defense. Unofficially the three top tacklers from Class 2A Kansas schools were members of the Thunder lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turn on your earbuds, crank up AC/DC's <em>Thunderstruck</em>, and read on to learn more about the top defensive players in Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1115716' first='Abram' last='Keim']</strong>, LB, 5'11”, 175, Nemaha Central, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keim is a multiple sport prospect from the Class of 2025. He led the Thunder with 140 total tackles in 13 games. He can wreak havoc in the backfield as he recorded five tackles for loss. He is a wrestler and a catcher on the Thunder baseball squad. His legs are built like iron columns. He plays with great pad level and balance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1329879' first='Sam' last='Nordhus'],</strong> LB/DB, 6'0”, 185, Nemaha Central, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nordhus, another junior, finished second in tackles for Nemaha Central. He finished with 132 total tackles, five of which were for a loss of yardage. On the offensive side of the ball, he caught 10 balls for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Nordhus also plays basketball and baseball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146106' first='Holden' last='Bass']</strong>, DL, 6'4”, 270, Nemaha Central, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Thunder had big-time tacklers on all levels of their defense. Bass did the dirty work on the defensive line and was excellent against the run game. The Kansas State University commit racked up 113 total tackles. He finished with an eye-popping total of 20 tackles for loss. Bass also registered five quarterback sacks, three pass breakups, and 42 pancake blocks on the other side of the line of scrimmage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1107722' first='Payton' last='Dye'],</strong> LB/TE,  6'0”, 170, Cimarron, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dye is a Bluejay with a big wing span and the ability to engulf opposing ball carriers. He finished with 110 total tackles and five tackles for loss in nine games played. He also recorded on quarterback sack and one interception.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229095' first='Grady' last='Gebhardt']</strong>, DB/LB, 5'7”, 162, Southeast Saline, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southeast continues to be a football factory producing wins and college prospects. Gebhardt is a young sophomore who looks to keep that tradition alive. He led the Trojans with 104 total tackles and collected 12 tackles for loss. He recorded two quarterback sacks and had one interception. He carried the ball 53 times gaining 452 yards. Gebhardt also accounted for nine total touchdowns in 11 games during his sophomore season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1302020' first='Kyler' last='Isbell']</strong>, LB, 5'9”, 230, Humboldt, &nbsp;‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Humboldt Cubs have a play-making linebacker who had a solid junior season. Isbell collected 93 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He gobbled up two fumble recoveries and picked off a pass attempt. He plays solid against the run and pass and plays guard on the offensive line for Humboldt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1115795' first='Austin' last='Lamb']</strong>, LB, 5'9”, 195, Osage City, &nbsp;‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another sophomore who had an impactful season was Osage City's Lamb. Don't be fooled by his last name Lamb attacks like a Lion when he smells blood. He racked up 92 total tackles. The Osage City sophomore recorded nine tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. He has an explosive first step, plays with low pad level, and is a center on the other side of the trench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1180644' first='Brady' last='Hill']</strong>, LB, 6'2”, 160, Halstead, &nbsp;‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hill is a sneaky quick linebacker for the Dragons. He finished his senior season with 88 total tackles. Nine of his tackles resulted in lost yardage. Hill also contributed three quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery in nine games played.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->