Week One Standout Quarterback Play

There was outstanding quarterback play across the state in the opening game of the 2024 season, as some of the state's best looked sharp right out of the gate. In this report I will do a quick snap-shot overview of some of the top QB performances in the opening game of the season.   In yesterday's report on my "games of the week" I mentioned a handful of QB's who stepped up early and are already looking in mid-season form. [player_tooltip player_id='1112380' first='Corey' last='Crumrine'] from Sedgwick led his team to a 42-14 win over Sterling with five TD's and 260+ yards running and passing. Dual-threat [player_tooltip player_id='354613' first='Drew' last='Kemp'] from Derby added five touchdowns of his own as top-ranked Derby rolled over Hays 40-7 on the road.   Also turning in stellar games were [player_tooltip player_id='570171' first='Josh' last='Burdick'] from Cheney who led the defending champs to an opening-day win 38-7 over Holcomb on 12-17 passing, 305 yards and three TD passes. [player_tooltip player_id='1333007' first='Jace' last='Jefferson'], Andover Central fired three touchdown passes to star-wideout [player_tooltip player_id='442661' first='Jace' last='Adler'] as AC hammered Hutchinson on the road.   Beyond the games of the week there were a number of QB's who posted outstanding first games in the 2024 season. So, without further adieu, let's dive into the games played by a few of those standouts.   Top Performances - Week #1:   [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'], Maize South, '25 - picked up where he left off last year as one of the top quarterbacks in the state, leading his team to a 56-20 drubbing of Newton. Along the way he completed 17 of 21 passes for 332 yards and a school-record six touchdown passes. He can beat you with quick surgical strikes in the short-to-medium game as well as burning up secondaries on the long ball. This kid is a baller at the QB position.   [player_tooltip player_id='676467' first='Derek' last='Morgan'], Eisenhower, '25 - led his team to a big win over Valley Center in the first game of the season, completing 16-22 passes for 298 yards and four total touchdowns, one of which that went to all-state receiver [player_tooltip player_id='442660' first='Carter' last='Pabst'], who hauled in six receptions for 175 yards.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228459' first='Casen' last='Carroll'], Colby, '25 - got out of the blocks in a hurry, leading his team to a 39-6 win on the road at Ulysses. The senior gunslinger fired four TD passes on 22 of 34 passing and 326 yards. He is off and running on a stellar season leading the high-flying Colby offense.   Others of Note - Week #1:   [player_tooltip player_id='716132' first='Eli' last='Jones'], Norton, '25 - one of the top dual-threat QB's in the state last year, he led his team to a 55-8 dismantling of Oakley Friday night. He didn't have major numbers, but he piled up the stats nonetheless, rushing for 44 yards with three touchdowns, added 80 passing yards with a touchdown, and on defense had a pair of interceptions, returning one for a 50-yard pick-six, and was 6-7 kicking extra points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1236247' first='Sam' last='Harp'], Andale, '25 - he didn't get much time on the field leading his team to a 68-8 win, but he made a serious impact when he was, passing for 115 yards and a pair of TD passes and added 100 yards in only six carries and a TD on the ground. His numbers will only climb as he gets to play an entire game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113458' first='Jordey' last='Pierce'], Arkansas City, '26 - although it was in a losing effort to arch-rival Winfield 39-34, he had a standout game, passing for 220 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 80 yards on eight attempts and added a TD on the ground.   Young Guns on the Loose - Week #1   [player_tooltip player_id='1544782' first='Cooper' last='Criss'], Cedar Vale/Dexter, '27 - a sophomore stud-in-the-making flying under the radar, he opened the season on a high note leading his team to a 56-6 rout of Udall. He completed 70% of his passes, and piled up a total of six TD's, including five touchdown passes in barely two quarters of play.   [player_tooltip player_id='1075837' first='Tevin' last='Cotter'], Liberal, '28 - a rare occurrence in the higher-classifications, he is one of the few starting freshmen QB's at the larger schools. And, he didn't waste any time making his mark on high school football, leading his team to a 70-6 victory, while firing TD passes of 52 and 38 yards and added a rushing touchdown to give him three total TD's in his debut.   In conclusion, the Sunflower State is loaded with QB talent, get out and see some of the best signal-callers in the state playing every Friday night. And, as always, if you know of any teams or players flying under the radar, feel free to reach out to CoolDaddyO via DM on X.

There was outstanding quarterback play across the state in the opening game of the 2024 season, as some of the state's best looked sharp right out of the gate. In this report I will do a quick snap-shot overview of some of the top QB performances in the opening game of the season.