Scouting Practice: Hayden Roster Is Fast And Deep

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Scouting practice has a different set of obstacles than scouting a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of those obstacles is when practice jerseys don't have numbers. I made it to Hayden High School on the first night the Wildcats could practice in full pads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It took me a few minutes to figure out who was who, and the practice started clunky, but I left impressed by the early-season work I saw firsthand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bill Arnold enters his 18^th season as head coach of the Wildcats, who will look for back-to-back state title appearances in Class 3A. Hayden fell to Cheney last season in the final game of the year and should be a top contender to compete in the title game in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hayden returns 11 starters from last year's squad. The offensive backfield and wideout positions could be a revolving door for the Wildcats who have no fewer than 10 guys who could regularly tote the football or get targets in the passing game. The Wildcats open their season with a road game in Eudora.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I spent most of my time during the practice watching the skill players and here are four I was impressed with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='716116' first='Jensen' last='Schrickel'], </strong>WR, 5'10”, 150, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schrickel is ranked No. 163 overall in Prep Redzone Kansas 2025 rankings. When I asked for the coaching staff to point him out, they just said look for the fastest guy out here. Schrickel does have explosive speed and can beat defenders deep. He has nice hands and is "lighting bug quick."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='716114' first='Jett' last='Wahlmeier']</strong>, QB, 5'10”, 185, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wahlmeier is currently ranked No. 284 overall in the Kansas Class of 2025. He shared time at quarterback last season for the Wildcats and could again this fall. The left-handed quarterback threw multiple nice balls during the practice. I was most impressed that he knew when he missed reads and was very coachable during the workout. He was not satisfied by just throwing a good ball, he expected to throw perfect passes. He is a solid leader, threw a couple of tight-timing passes, and has gotten interest from Division II schools in Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401677' first='Connor' last='Hanika']</strong>, QB, 6'4”, 165, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hanika is ranked No. 191 overall in the class of 2025. He threw for over 500 yards in limited snaps at quarterback as a sophomore. He will spend time behind center this fall and line up as a wideout. He is taller and longer than Wahlmeier, but the righty is not as refined as a thrower. I was impressed with his speed while running routes during the workout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1264514' first='Jackson' last='McGivern']</strong>, LB, 5'10”, 190, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McGivern is ranked No. 217 overall he will play linebacker and running back for the Wildcats. Coach Arnold ran off about six names of possible ball carriers who could be featured in the backfield. McGivern might not be the fastest option of the bunch, but he runs north/south and will earn the tough yards that extend drives. I thought he had the best practice of the six Wildcat juniors currently in the Prep Redzone rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->