Ad Astra Radio is previewing our area high school football teams based on county. Today, we will preview Barton County.
Previous previews:
Central Plains Oilers
Coach: JD Johnson, first season
Classification: Eight-player Division 1
District: 3
2023: 7-3
Postseason: Beat Thunder Ridge 56-8; lost to South Central 58-12
Best postseason finish: State champions 2014, 2018
Top returning players: Eli Hurly, sr., RB/LB; Landon Daniels, jr., OL/DE; Paxton Dody, sr., TE/DE; Bodie Crites, so., QB/DB; Aiden Hekele, sr., TE/LB; Logan Stroede, sr., G/DE; Devin Davidson, sr., C/DL
Key game: Sept. 13 at Victoria. Although Central Plains moves up to Division 1 this season, this will be a good test to see if the Oilers can contend by playing a Division 2 power.
Outlook: Central Plains is coming off its best season since the 2018 team went undefeated. The Oilers won seven games and a playoff game. There were still some growing pains, as the Oilers lost two lopsided games to Victoria and South Central, teams that had more size and physicality. The entire offensive line returns with another year in the weight room which should be beneficial. Brodie Crites was thrown into the fire as a freshman quarterback, and he too should benefit from a full offseason. Central Plains should be excited for this season, but the schedule will be challenging, which includes a rugged district.
Ellinwood Eagles
Coach: Brent Stindt, third season (7-11)
Classification: 1A
District: 7
2023: 4-5
Postseason: Did not qualify
Best postseason finish: Semifinals 1970, 1973
Top returning players: Landon Simpson, sr., QB/DB; Cooper Gunn, sr. OL; Braden Lewis, sr., TE/DE; Cason Merritt, sr., TE/LB; Campbell Coleman, sr., OL/LB; Nathan Hammeke, sr., OL/DL
Key game: Sept. 27 at Sterling. The non-district schedule shapes up nicely for Ellinwood, which has a great shot of being 3-0. Then comes the opener in a brutal district. Ellinwood needs to continue the early momentum if it wants to make the postseason.
Outlook: Ellinwood lost quite a bit of production from last season, and it was a team that won four games, one of the best seasons Ellinwood has had in nearly a decade. The cupboard isn’t bare, with some top players like Coleman, Gunn and Simpson back, and overall, six players who have starting experience are back. Stindt has established a football revival in Ellinwood. The next logical step is to make the postseason. The district will be brutal, however, with last year’s state champion (Conway Springs) and semifinalist (Medicine Lodge) waiting, plus a rapidly rising Sterling team, steady and tough Trinity Catholic and South Sumner. It won’t be easy.
Great Bend Panthers
Coach: Erin Beck, ninth season (41-37)
Classification: 5A
District: West
2023: 6-4
Postseason: Beat Salina Central 38-24; lost to Kapaun Mount Carmel 36-34
Best postseason finish: State runner-up 2006
Top returning players: Trent Kern, jr., OL/LB; Ian Premer, jr., WR/DB; Daxton Minton, jr., QB; Aidan Davidson, sr., OL/DL; Brody Schnoebelen, sr., DL; Jacob Hall, jr., WR/DE; Owen Kaiser, sr., OL/DL; Cooper Ohnmacht, so., DB/WR; Kale Kern, so., LB/RB; Diego Soto, jr., PK
Key game: Oct. 11 at Liberal. Great Bend had four nail-biting losses last year, and this one helped Liberal on to a strong season. Great Bend doesn’t play many 5A teams this season, so this is a rare chance to get a potential tiebreaker.
Outlook: Great Bend did well last season against a tough schedule. To be honest, the Panthers were probably a year ahead of schedule with a large and talented group of sophomores. A lot of offensive production is back, including the dual-threat quarterback Daxton Minton. Trenton Kern recorded 111 tackles in a breakthrough season. Before conference play, Great Bend will get stern challenges from McPherson, Olathe South and Buhler, but the Panthers are capable of winning them all. With 5A West being so open this year, as Kapaun dropped to 4A, Great Bend is one of several teams capable of making it all the way to the state championship game.
Hoisington Cardinals
Coach: Zach Baird, 11th season (99-19)
Classification: 2A
District: 8
2023: 12-1
Postseason: Beat Phillipsburg 46-8; beat Beloit 35-6; beat Southeast of Saline 49-42; beat Norton 30-21; lost to Nemaha Central 28-14
Top returning players: Jason Robinson, sr., RB/DB; Teron Kraft, so., RB/LB; Brady Reif, sr., OL/LB; Kyler Russell, sr., RB/LB; Rhen Galla, sr., WR/DB; Exavier Chambers, sr., OL/DL; Mason Martin, jr., WR/DB; Taylen Morales, jr., RB/LB; Layton Huffman, jr., OL/DL; Carson Mason, jr., WR/DB; Colin Mater, jr., OL/DL
Key game: Oct. 4 vs. Cheney. Whoo boy. Last year’s 3A champion vs. the 2A runner-up. And both teams should be strong again. There may not be an empty seat at this one, and finding a place to stand may not be easy either.
Outlook: Hoisington broke through and reached the state championship game last season, and the Cardinals will have the chance for another trip to state, this time in Hutchinson. Hoisington does lose some size on the offensive line, and the Cardinals will break in a new quarterback, but there is so much talent back. The district shouldn’t give the Cardinals much trouble, but they compensated for that with a tough non-district schedule, including Pratt, Hesston, Scott City and Cheney.
