In our Picks to Click, we feature several 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 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.
Picks to Click contributors for the 2019 season include: John Baetz (Kansas Pregame Magazine); 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 7, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Concordia Offensive Line (Baetz)
The Panthers may be better than their 2-3 record indicates. Their three losses are to teams that are a combined 14-1 including close losses to unbeatens Marysville (28-12) and Colby (21-14). Last week, in the seven-point loss to the Eagles, Concordia tallied more than 250 yards of total offense against the eighth best scoring defense in the 48-team class 3A.
Concordia features a backfield trio of non-seniors – junior quarterback Wyatt Trost and sophomore running backs Hunter Schroeder and Keyan Miller – running behind an offensive line featuring senior Kyle Palmquist, senior Layton Kindel, sophomore Shelby Giersch, senior Eastan Hake and sophomore Dalton Owen. That group will lead the way this week against Goodland.
Landon Everett, QB, Canton-Galva (Maycock)
Quarterback Landon Everett was a huge reason for Canton-Galva's breakout season a year, turning in a huge season where he ran for nearly 1,700 yards and 39 touchdowns and threw for another 1,300 and 18 TDs. The top-ranked Eagles have rolled through their first five foes with ease, so Everett's numbers aren't off the charts yet this year, though he has run for 637 yards. This week's foe, Goessel, is off to a 4-1 start and is solid on both sides of the ball, potentially setting up a shootout. If that's the case, Everett could have his biggest game of the season.
Blake Goodman, LB, Argonia-Attica (Gilmore)
Goodman has had a breakout junior season for the Titans. Through A&A’s first five games, Goodman has already registered 96 tackles – tying him for the state lead with KC Piper’s Branden Martin. Goodman had an incredible 29 stops in the season opener against Hutchinson Central Christian, then added 25 more tackles in last week’s 48-28 win over Udall. Argonia-Attica (3-2) is unbeaten in District 2 thus far and will host Oxford (2-3) this week. Goodman will need good performances the next three weeks as the Titans follow up Friday’s game with the Wildcats with district contest at Medicine Lodge and at home with third-ranked South Central.
Bryce Krone, RB, Bonner Springs (Clisso)
Krone (6-1, 220) is off to a great start to his senior season with 972 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns through five games. He’s been especially good the past four weeks with rushing games of 270 yards against Eudora, 275 against Spring Hill, 160 versus Tonganoxie, and 195 yards in last week’s 50-0 win over Ottawa. Krone should eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this week when the Braves host Baldwin (0-5). Last season, Krone rushed for 1,313 yards and 16 scores.
Brandon Martin, LB, KC Piper (Kuplen)
Branden Martin is having a huge junior season for the KC Piper Pirates in which he has 96 tackles in five games so far in 2019. He also has four sacks and two interceptions from his linebacker position. Last season as a sophomore he racked up 159 tackles to rank among the best numbers in Kansas. The Pirates have a huge test this week when they host No. 3 Paola.
Chance OHair, RB, Elkhart (Boston)
The Elkhart Wildcats are off to a 4-1 start and are riding a four-game winning streak into Friday’s game at Syracuse. The Wildcats have established a strong rushing attack, led by senior Chance O’Hair. O’Hair rushed for 234 yards and five touchdowns last Friday against Clayton (NM) on 20 carries. The week before he had 231 yards on 24 carries in their win over Sublette. Look for O’Hair to have another big night against the winless Bulldogs.
Smith Center Offensive Line (Nicholl)
Smith Center is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A with a 5-0 mark, one of four remaining perfect teams in the classification. Smith Center has averaged 38.2 points per contest behind its veteran offensive line. Junior Charlie Timmons, and seniors Joel Montgomery and Brell Spiess are returning starters. Spiess shifted to left guard and done an excellent job taking over for two-time all-stater Austin Hobelmann.
Seniors Shelton Rothchild and Jacob Conrad are new starters on the line. The Redmen line have paved the way for 376 rushing yards a game, along with a nice passing season from Trenton Colby (147 yards, three scores). Smith Center will be heavily favored at winless Sacred Heart this week.
Week 5 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Reagan Jones, QB, Wichita Northwest – Jones passed for 42 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 85 more yards and a score as Northwest blanked Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 45-0. (Boston – 24 pts)
Collin Koester, QB, Conway Springs – Koester rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns and added 84 passing yards and two more scores as the Cardinals drilled Wichita Independent, 64-8. (Kuplen – 43 pts)
Lawrence Free State OL – The Firebird OL racked up 437 yards of total offense and seven offensive touchdowns in a 48-6 win over Sedalia Smith-Cotton. (Clisso – 29 pts)
Teven McKelvey, QB, Gardner-Edgerton – McKelvey rushed for 53 yards and two touchdowns in the Blazers 51-7 win over Olathe Northwest. (Baetz – 17 pts)
Kayde Rietzke, QB, Leoti-Wichita County – Rietzke rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 61 more yards and a score as the Indians remained unbeaten with a 60-28 win over WaKeeney-Trego. (Gilmore – 51 pts)
Topeka High Offensive Line – The Trojan offensive line paved the way for seven offensive TDs, 446 total yards, including 411 on the ground in a 56-7 win over Topeka Seaman. (Maycock – 29 pts)
Harley Weese, RB, Golden Plains – Weese rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in the Bulldogs’ 40-33 win over Natoma. (Nicholl – 22 pts)
Standings for the 2019 season through Week 5:
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com 218 points
- Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 217 points
- Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas 180 points
- John Baetz, Kansas Pregame Magazine 171 points
- Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 152 points
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 146 points
- Sean Boston, KSKZ Radio 116 points
2019 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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