 |
| Olathe South's Jake Seurer has done well at the quarterback position, but his defensive numbers are as good as any player in the state. KC Star. |
Article compiled and written by Johnny Carver, special to the Sunflower League Football Blog.
The following lists were based completely on statistical analysis. The players are listed at each respective position in accordance to the statistics they've produced through five weeks of play.
Quarterback
1. Joe Dineen – Free State
Stats: 53 for 98 passing, 799 yards, 11 TDs
The KU commit is making a clear case for winning the league
MVP this season. He is second in the
state and first in the league in passing touchdowns. He is also second in the league in passing
yards. Simply put, he is outperforming everyone in the league statistically.
2. Cole Murphy – Olathe North
Stats: 48 for 81 passing, 713 yards, 7 TDs; 79 carries, 423
yards, 6 TDs
3. AJ Verdini – SM West
Stats: 43 for 80 passing, 856 yards, 6 TDs
Running Back
1. Jason Randall – Leavenworth
Stats: 95 carries, 735 yards, 8 TDs
Randall has had a great season thus far, proving to be the
best running back in the league. He is
first in the league and third in the state in rushing yards. He is also second in the league in
touchdowns.
Randall has been at times the only life that the Pioneer have had.
2. Venus Triplett – Olathe North
Stats: 102 carries, 637 yards, 9 TDs
3. Luke Taylor – SM East
Stats: 129 carries, 679 yards, 5 TDs
Wide Receiver
1. Andre Maloney – SM West
12 receptions, 353 yards, 4 TDs
Fittingly, the Sunflower League Player of the Year award has
been renamed the “Andre Maloney Award.”
Through 17 quarters (compared to other players who had 20) he ranked second in the league in receiving yards. He was also tied for the league lead in
touchdown receptions. Maloney was an
impact player that was a difference maker for SM West both offensively and
defensively. They will miss him greatly.
2. Tyler Mitchell – SM East
13 receptions, 260 yards, 2 TDs
3. Nick Perez – SM North
13 receptions, 382 yards, 3 TDs
Tight End
1. Chase Gitlin – Olathe Northwest
Stats: 27 receptions, 300 yards, 2 TDs
Gitlin is far and away the league leader in
receptions. He also ranks third in the
state. Much of this is because
he plays for the most pass-heavy offense in the league, but his stature hasn't
hurt. At 6-foot-6, he’s a big target and
the Ravens have been throwing to him at every chance. He should have more than two touchdowns given his
size, but nonetheless he's been spectacular so far this season. He has been one of the best offensive
performers in the league, and he’s proving to be the most reliable target in
the league.
2. Josh Moore – Olathe North
Stats: 9 receptions, 181 yards, 3 TDs
3. Connor Alexander – Olathe East
Stats: 7 receptions, 134 yards, 3 TDs
Offensive Lineman
1. Braden Smith – Olathe South
Stats: N/A
Smith is having another season where he is living up to the
hype. He has big time offers that fit
his NFL-ready body. He might possibly be
the strongest player the league has ever seen. There isn’t a defensive player in the league
who could get past him one-on-one with much success, so the best solution is to work around him.
2. Kyle Wittman – Lawrence
Stats: N/A
3. Austin Chambers – SM West
Stats: N/A
Defensive Lineman
1. Kyle Ball – SM East
Stats: 54 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks
Although there are no statistics on how many solo tackles he
has this season, Ball has accumulated 54 total tackles. This leads all other defensive linemen in the
league. He has 16 tackles for loss, which is seven more than the next best in the league. He also has more tackles for loss than any
player in the state of Kansas.
2. Mitch Holsinger – Olathe Northwest
Stats: 16 solo tackles, 36 total tackles, 5 tackles for
loss, 3 sacks
3. Austin Chambers – SM West
Stats: 10 solo tackles, 37 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss
Linebackers
1. Devin Shockley – SM Northwest
Stats: 45 solo tackles, 82 total tackles, 2 tackles for
loss, 1 sack, 4 forced fumbles
Shockley is second in both the league and the state in total
tackles, and first among linebackers. He is also tied for the league lead in forced fumbles. Perhaps this is because the Cougars are on
the field as much as any team in the league.
But Shockley is making a case for being one of the best defensive
players regardless. He is
outperforming every other linebacker in the state right now.
2. Drew Green – Lawrence
Stats: 28 solo tackles, 65 total tackles, 5 tackles for
loss, 3 sacks, 4 fumbles recovered
3. Nathan Guthrie – Olathe East
Stats: 25 solo tackles, 63 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss
Defensive Backs
1. Jake Seurer – Olathe South
Stats: 51 solo tackles, 82 total tackles, 1 INT
The safety, who also plays quarterback, has been spectacular
on defense. He leads both the league and
the state in total tackles. He's also
come up with three turnovers, recovering two fumbles and grabbing one interception.
2. Joe Dineen – Free State
Stats: 18 solo tackles, 32 total tackles, 4 tackles for
loss,
3. Ethan Wall – Olathe Northwest
Stats: 24 solo tackles, 39 total tackles, 3 INT, 2 forced
fumbles
Kick Return/Punt
Returns
1. Jake Horner – SM Northwest
Stats: 6 returns, 240 yards, 2 TDs (KR)
Horner plays almost the entire game for the Cougars. He plays quarterback, cornerback, and returns
kicks and punts. He is the only player
to have returned a kick for a touchdown this season and he has two to boot. He's statistically performing as well as any player in the state on special teams, and those efforts are keeping SM Northwest even when their offense isn't producing.
2. Andre Maloney – SM West
Stats: 5 returns, 178 yards (KR); 6 returns, 69 yards, 1 TD (PR)
3. Venus Triplett –
Olathe North
Stats: 3 returns, 125 yards, 1 TD (PR)
Johnny Carver can be reached by email at jrcarver24@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @CarverJohnny.
Johnny Carver can be reached by email at jrcarver24@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @CarverJohnny.
