Back to Kpreps this fall, our contributors will hand out helmet stickers to a team or individual that delivered the most important performance of the week in their opinion. Check back each week to see the most recent helmet stickers, and follow @Kpreps on Twitter and Facebook to watch as the Kpreps helmet fills up with stickers as the season goes on.
Helmet sticker: Leoti-Wichita County (Alex Hammeke -- Kpreps)
In his second year at Wichita County, Brandt Douglas has made quite a turnaround. The Indians are 10-1 on the year, which is the best record for Wichita County in recent memory. Wichita County is in the state Semifinals for the first time since 1990.
The Indians have averaged 60 points per game and put up 88 and 74 points in playoff victories against Victoria and Little River. Last week versus Little River, the Indians were able to force three Redskin turnovers, which were the most turnovers that Little River had in a game this season. Wichita County had a big 24-point second quarter as Jesse Gardner scored three touchdowns to build a 32-16 halftime lead. Little River opened the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns to pull within 32-30, but the Indians then pulled away for a 74-38 win. Gardner had 247 yards and six touchdowns in the contest, and is now only 92 yards away from 1,000 yards rushing on the season.
Quarterback Kayde Rietzke has been exceptional for the Indians. Rietzke has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,730 yards and 30 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He’s also added 1,629 rushing yards and 25 scores.
This week the Indians have a tough task against St. Francis in this week’s sub-state semifinal. St. Francis defeated Wichita County 46-0 back in district play earlier this season. The St. Francis defense held Wichita County to 162 yards, the fewest yards the Indians have produced in a contest this season.
Helmet sticker: Norton (Conor Nicholl -- Kpreps)
A hallmark of a tradition-laden program is a quick bounce back after a rare losing season. Coach Lucas Melvin has served on the Norton staff for 23 seasons, including his 13th as head coach. In 2011, Norton took a rare drop to 3-6. The next year delivered a four-win improvement to 7-3.
Last fall, Norton finished 4-5 with an inexperienced team outside of standout tight end/defensive end Hayden Wiltfong, a Fort Hays signee. In the preseason, Kpreps labeled Norton a potential breakout team in Class 2A. Norton, though, wasn't ranked until this week. The Bluejays have doubled their win total to 8-3. Last Friday, Norton held on to defeat Conway Springs, 34-32, at home at Travis Field in the Class 2A state quarterfinals.
All three of Norton's losses have come against elite programs: 11-0 Hoisington (No. 1 2A), 11-0 Smith Center (No. 1 in 1A) and 10-1 Plainville (No. 3 in 1A). Norton opened the season with a 29-22 loss to Plainville, and 41-18 to Smith Center, both Mid-Continent League rivals. In Week 8, the Bluejays lost to Hoisington, 38-7, at home, though trailed just 10-0 at halftime.
Norton will face Hoisington at home again on Friday in the state semifinals. The Bluejays are into the state semifinals for the first time since 2009, an eventual 9-4 squad. That year and this fall mark the best finishes under Melvin as head coach. He stands at 101-46.
Norton has enjoyed improvements all across the board, notably among the defensive line. Last year, Norton scored 22.1 points per game and allowed 29.8. This season, Norton returned at least 65 percent of its rushing attempts and receptions, and five of the top-six tacklers.
Norton is at 31 points a game, with just 19.3 allowed. Norton has ran the ball 68 percent of the time both years with dual threat quarterback Kade Melvin leading the way.
One of the state's top signal callers, Melvin passed for 1,419 yards with a 12/7 TD/INT ratio in '18. He rushed 127 times for 569 yards. This season, he is up to 1,645 yards, also with a 12/7 TD/INT ratio. Melvin is a rare 1,000/1,000 quarterback with 179 carries for 1,118 yards and 18 scores.
Senior Luke Wahlmeier has made a significant improvement. He delivered 49 carries for 184 yards and a score in '18. He's up to 166 carries for 1,019 yards and eight TDs. Norton has made a big jump in yards per carry from 4.0 to 5.8.
Receiving-wise, junior Jonah Ruder (35 catches, 580 yards and three scores) and senior Carter Jones (29 catches, 390 yards and five TDs) have produced strong seasons. Ruder had battled injuries in the past, and played in just five games in '18.
Norton was plus-3 in turnover margin last fall, and plus-5 this year. The big difference has come in hurries, sacks and tackles for loss. Norton has 62 hurries, an increase of 18 from last fall. The Bluejays have 24 sacks, seven more than '18. The TFLs stand at 84, 39 more.
Judson Wiltfong recorded 64 tackles, 12 hurries three sacks, one TFL in '18. Dante Smith delivered 42 tackles, three TFLs, one sack and zero QB hurries. Christien Hawks had 33 tackles, four hurries, three sacks and one TFL. Brandon Vacura led the Bluejays with 98 tackles, and Gavin Sproul was second with 11 TFLs – both were back in '19.
This season, Wiltfong, who picked up a Fort Hays offer this season, has delivered one of the finer statistical seasons of any Kansas player. He has 123 tackles, 22 for loss, along with 28 hurries and 10 sacks.
Smith is at 60 tackles, seven for loss. Hawks has produced 65 tackles, 14 for loss with 4.5 sacks and eight hurries.
Vacura, a senior, and Sproul, a junior, have delivered another excellent season. Vacura has 104 tackles, Sproul has 18 for loss. Senior Tucker Pfannenstiel has 76 tackles. He played in 10 games as a sophomore, but just two as a junior, none after Week 2.
Additionally, Norton often has the size advantage, including the last two weeks against Cimarron and Norton. Smith, a center/defensive tackle, is 6-2, 295. Hawks, a defensive tackle, is 6-5, 255. Wiltfong, Hayden's brother, is listed at 6-5, 220.
Helmet sticker: Topeka High (Matt Gilmore – Kpreps)
Topeka High has reached the state semifinal round for just the second time in school history and the first since 1973. The Trojans defeated Junction City, 35-14, last Friday to avenge their only loss of the season. Junction City defeated Topeka 48-41 on touchdown pass with less than a second remaining in the earlier meeting this season.
This time, the Trojans used another big night from senior running back Ky Thomas to remain on top. Thomas rushed for three touchdowns on the night and Da’Vonshai Harden connected with Geivonnii Williams on two more scores as the Trojans got past the quarterfinal round which they’ve lost four time in school history.
Thomas added 291 rushing yards to push his senior season total to 2,643 yards and 34 touchdowns. Thomas has pushed his career total to 7,337 rushing yards according to the Topeka Capital Journal, placing him in second place all-time on the state’s career rushing list. Wichita Collegiate’s DeAngelo Evans (1992-95) holds the state’s career rushing mark with 8,472 yards according to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Thomas and the Trojans have a difficult task this week when they travel to top-ranked Derby to try and take down the defending 6A champs. Derby rolled through Manhattan last week, 56-0, and slowed Harden and Thomas in last year’s quarterfinal round, winning 38-7.
Helmet Stickers (2019 Season)
Week 1 – Great Bend, Hutchinson Central Christian, KC Harmon, Larned, Ottawa
Week 2 – Blue Valley Northwest, Cheney, Deerfield, La Crosse, Northeast-Arma, Shawnee Mission West
Week 3 – Belle Plaine, Clearwater, Lawrence, South Barber
Week 4 – Chase County, Eureka, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Wheatland-Grinnell
Week 5 – Cedar Vale-Dexter, Lyons, Southeast-Cherokee, Winfield
Week 6 – Dodge City, Hutchinson Trinity, KC Washington, Saint Francis
Week 7 – Concordia, Hill City, Hugoton, Wichita East
Week 8 – Beloit St. John’s-Tipton, Chanute, Osborne, Riverside
Week 9 – Argonia-Attica, Blue Valley Southwest, Caldwell, Republic County
Week 10 – Inman, Perry-Lecompton, Prairie View, Tonganoxie
Week 11 – Leoti-Wichita County, Norton, Topeka High
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