In our Picks to Click, we feature eight players or units from across the state that we feel will have breakout performances on Friday night.
This season, we’ve assembled a team of eight media members across the state to each select one player (or unit) each week. We will track the cumulative statistics of our selections throughout the season similar to fantasy scoring. Â
Picks to Click contributors for the 2018 season include: John Baetz (Kansas Pregame Magazine); Hayden Barber (Wichita Eagle); Sean Boston (KSKZ-Radio); Dion Clisso (PrepsKC.com); Matt Gilmore (Kpreps.com); Chet Kuplen (Sports in Kansas); Brent Maycock (Topeka Capital Journal); and Conor Nicholl (Kpreps.com).
Check back next Thursday to see our picks for Week 4, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
K’Vonte Baker, QB, Wichita Heights (Barber)
Wichita Heights and senior quarterback K'Vonte Baker are coming off an emotional loss to Bishop Carroll in Week 2. Baker had two touchdowns called back, which would have given him five total touchdowns against the reigning 5A champions. He should have plenty of opportunities to take out that anger on a struggling Dodge City team.
Garrett Carver, QB, Rossville (Kuplen)
The Rossville senior quarterback has accounted for 578 yards of offense as a dual-threat this season with 292 rushing yards and 286 passing yards. Carver also has five combined touchdowns on the year and had over 200 yards of offense last week in the 17-14 loss to Silver Lake in the "War on 24" match-up. Could expect a big night for Carver against Rock Creek this week.Â
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Evan Foster, QB, Olathe South (Clisso)
Foster is off to a good start to the 2018 season. He has thrown for 633 yards and six touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his passes without throwing an interception. The Falcons take on an improved Shawnee Mission Northwest in a battle of 2-0 teams.
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Hudson Gray, QB, Beloit (Baetz)
The 6-1, 185 pound junior quarterback is an accurate passer and potent running threat for Beloit in his second year as the starter. Gray opened the season with 186 yards and three TDs passing and 37 yards rushing and another score on just three carries. His numbers slipped in a heartbreaking week two loss to league rival Southeast of Saline in a game played in sloppy conditions. Friday, the Trojans square off with a Minneapolis squad off to their best start since 2014, and Gray and his teammates will look to improve on last week's mistakes and improve to 2-1 on the season.
Hunter Koch, WR, Axtell (Maycock)
Coming off a monster year in 2017 where he caught 71 passes for 1,058 yards and 20 touchdowns to earn All-Eight-Man Division II first-team honors, Koch has picked right up where he left off. And the argument could be made he's even better in 2018. Through two games, Koch is on pace to obliterate the single-season record for touchdown receptions, which is 29, set by McCracken's Kellye Irvin in 1979. Koch had 18 catches for 289 yards this year with 10 of those grabs going for touchdowns -- five in each of Axtell's two wins over Beloit-St. John's and Blue Valley-Randolph. Koch may start to see a bit more attention from opposing defenses, but then again, he already should have had their attention so it may not matter much. Onaga has given up six TD passes in its first two games, so Koch and quarterback Quinn Buessing should be in store for a big night.
Kayde Rietzke, QB, Leoti-Wichita County (Gilmore)
The Wichita County Indians have begun the season with impressive wins over Pretty Prairie and Sharon Springs-Wallace County. The Indians beat Pretty Prairie 66-8 to open the season in a game played at Otis-Bison, and opened their home schedule with a 54-6 victory over Wallace County last week.
Quarterback Kayde Rietzke has been the catalyst for the Indian offense thus far. The sophomore signal-caller has passed for 276 yards and seven touchdowns, and added 209 yards rushing and five more scores. Rietzke accounted for five touchdowns in Week 1 and seven scores last week. He’ll need another big performance as Wichita County hosts Logan-Palco in Leoti on Friday. The Indians have now won ten games since the start of the 2016 season after having post four consecutive 1-win seasons from 2012 to 2015.
Jace Wilson, RB, Oswego (Nicholl)
Wilson has flourished in the first two games under first-year coach Matt Fowler, the former highly successful Spearville coach. Wilson has rushed 41 times for 293 yards with five scores. He has helped the Indians rush for 556 yards and nine TDs with 6.9 yards per carry. Wilson has passed some in the single wing with 4 of 5 passing for 52 yards.
Wilson has significantly elevated his performance from last year when he had 26 carries for 54 yards and caught three passes with 49 yards.
Fowler, including his time at Spearville, has won 42 straight regular season contests and has helped Oswego already double last year’s win total. Oswego is off to its best start since 2014. All of the Indians’ rushing yards come from non-seniors.
Oswego, from the Three Rivers League, in its first year of eight-man football. The Indians opened with a 54-14 road win versus rival Chetopa, and earned a quality win at Marmaton Valley, 30-22. Marmaton Valley was 6-3 last year. Oswego plays host to struggling Altoona-Midway (0-2) this week. This is the first matchup between the teams since 1999, according to kansasfootballhistory.com.
Tyron “Tank†Young, RB, St. Thomas Aquinas (Boston)
Tank Young has been dominant over the first two weeks for Randy Dreiling's Aquinas squad. Young rushed for over 250 yards in week 1, and then bounced back in week 2 with a 151-yard performance on just seven carries and three scores. Aquinas will play a Blue Valley Northwest team that has given up at least 29 points in their first two games. Look for a big performance from Young and the entire Aquinas team.Â
Week 2 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Drew Biggs, QB, Lincoln – Biggs completed 6 of 8 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns, and added 207 rushing yards and four more scores in the Leopards’ 42-14 win over Wilson. (Baetz – 75 pts)
Jack Caudle, QB, Maur Hill-Mount Academy – Caudle passed for 174 yards and a touchdown and added 64 rush yards and a score in the Ravens’ 48-0 win over Oskaloosa. (Kuplen – 35 pts)
Jorge Hanschu, QB, Hillsboro – Hanschu rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns and passed for another 126 yards and a score in the Trojans’ 42-0 win over Lyons. (Nicholl – 49 pts)
Kasen McKee, WR, Pleasanton – No stats available. (Gilmore – ??? pts)
Sabetha Offensive Line – Sabetha’s line paved the way for 299 rushing yards, 38 passing yards, and six offensive touchdowns. (Maycock – 24 pts)
Daymonn Sanchez, RB, Olathe North – Sanchez rushed for 164 yards and three scores on 27 carries in the Eagles’ 55-27 victory over Shawnee Mission North. Daymonn also caught 3 passes for 22 yards.  (Clisso – 36 pts)
Hooper Schroeder, QB, Sedgwick – Schroeder put another big game in the Cardinals 52-14 win over Independent. Schroeder passed for 353 yards and four touchdowns and added 24 yards rushing and three more scores.  (Boston – 79 pts)
Travis Theis, QB, Pratt – Theis rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 88 more yards in the Greenbacks’ 32-16 victory over Halstead. (Barber –48 pts)
Standings for the 2018 season through Week 2:
- Sean Boston, KSKZ-Radio                           99 points
- Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas                                              94 points
- John Baetz, Kansas Pregame Magazine                89 points
- Hayden Barber, Wichita Eagle-Varsity Kansas            76 points
- Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal                 66 points
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps                               65 points
- Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com                                                   46 points
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com                           21 points *(1 week)
 2018 Picks to Click
- The objective will be to have the most cumulative points over the course of the season.
- Participants may select a quarterback, running back, WR/TE, offensive line or a defensive player each week.
- Everyone must pick a WR/TE, offensive line and defensive player at least once.
- Points will be rewarded only for the player's offensive or defensive stats, depending on how you designate the player that week. For instance, if you pick a running back then you will not receive any of his points for defense.
Scoring system
QBs/RBs/WRs/TEs
- 1 point for every 10 yards passing, rushing or receiving from a quarterback, running back or wide receiver
- 6 points for every passing, rushing or receiving touchdown
Offensive line
- 1 point for every 50 yards gained as an offense
- 3 points for every offensive touchdown
Defensive player
- 2 points for every tackle
- 4 points for every INT, sack or fumble recovery
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