Mill Valley coach Joel Applebee is a 1994 Russell graduate. Applebee is three years older than his first cousin, Derby coach Brandon Clark, a Valley Center alum. Applebee’s mom and Clark’s dad are siblings.
Growing up, Applebee’s and Clark’s often came together for family functions, especially to see their grandfather in Beloit. Joel has an older brother, and Brandon a younger brother. The families are best friends. The boys always went outside, played and had fun together.
“Every game turned into a competition,” Clark said.
“That kind of grew our relationship to where it is now,” Applebee added.
Applebee went to Kansas State. Clark said his cousin was “a big reason” why he attended KSU. The pair roomed together multiple years of college. Once Applebee graduated, he became the Junction City head baseball coach and an assistant football coach. He still lived with Clark until Clark got his first job.
Applebee was Russell’s defensive coordinator from ’04-06, and then coached alongside Clark as Derby’s DC. They led the Panthers’ resurgence, including state semifinals in ’08-09, before Applebee became a head coach for the first time at Mill Valley. Applebee said the duo has a “brother-like relationship.”
“We are basically best friends,” Applebee said.
The two still talk daily as they have risen to the top of Kansas high school football. Applebee’s children call Clark “Uncle Brandon.” Clark’s kids label Applebee “Uncle Joel.” Applebee’s oldest, Haden, and Clark’s elder, Braxton, are both freshmen this fall, play football and are extremely close. Clark said Derby “absolutely loved Applebee’s family” when they lived there.
This year, Applebee enters his 11th season as Mill Valley’s head coach. He has won 71 percent of his games, including 5A championships in ’15, ’16 and ’19. Clark first came to Derby at 23 and became head coach at 26. He has 130 wins in 15 years, including 51-1 in the past four and has publicly said he plans to stay in Derby until he retires. Derby has five state titles since ’13.
The close family bond, perpetual program excellence and scheduling changes from COVID-19 yielded Kansas’ premier game for the opening week of 2020 football season. Mill Valley, ranked first in Class 5A, plays host to Derby, top-ranked in 6A.
“Both of our teams were very excited once we announced it,” Applebee said. “The day that we announced that game at our practice, I think that was one of the most high-intensity practices we’ve ever had. I think both teams are very excited, and ready to get going.”
Collectively, more than 20 starters return for the teams. The squads combine for several of the state’s elite players, including Derby senior quarterback Lem Wash, and Mill Valley senior signal caller Cooper Marsh. Both are returning first team all-state players. Mill Valley’s Chris Tennant is the state’s top kicker and has committed to Kansas State.
Wash, with an offer from FCS Missouri State, rushed for 1,211 yards, passed for 848 yards and accounted for 41 offensive touchdowns last fall. Derby led 6A in scoring offense and defense with an average score of 54-12. Marsh delivered 2,945 yards of total offense and accounted for 30 TDs.
Mill Valley senior lineman Ethan Kremer is the reigning 5A Defensive Player of the Year after set the school record with 11.5 sacks. Kremer and Mill Valley offensive lineman Sam Hecht each have at least four FCS offers, including from the Ivy League.
Mill Valley, in the Eastern Kansas League last fall, ranked eighth in 5A in scoring defense with 17 points allowed. The EKL is the state’s best conference – Mill Valley’s opponents scored 33.4 points a contest when not facing the Jaguars.
This marks the third all-time meeting between the schools, according to the Kansas Football History database. In ’14, Derby defeated Mill Valley, 35-14. The following year, the Jaguars won, 27-20, in Week 3. Since that loss, the Panthers are 60-2 and carry a 26-game winning streak into Friday’s contest.
“As much as people like to talk about storyline about Brandon and I, it’s really more about the kids, and that’s really what we think about all the time,” Applebee said. “We want our kids to compete at a high level, and it happens to be where Derby is an extremely good program. They have competed at a high level for a very long time, and the last few years here, our expectations have gotten to the point where we want to compete at a high level.”
Originally, Derby announced in April it would play Newcastle (Okla.). Continued coronavirus regulations eventually cancelled the game. Mill Valley was expected to meet 6A power Gardner-Edgerton in a Sunflower League contest. Gardner-Edgerton eventually confirmed it would not play due to COVID.
Applebee and Clark talked and elected to face each other. Mill Valley announced the contest early in fall camp.
“We were just patient and waited to see if Joel was going to have a Week 1, and they didn’t, so it was kind of a perfect matchup,” Clark said.
Derby is loaded at several positions, especially with arguably the state’s best linebacking corps.
On the line, Derby has three returning juniors: Alex Key, Jonas Vickers and Dylan Conn. Key has earned Division I interest. Vickers can play all three positions and started as a freshman in the playoffs two years ago.
Senior Reid Liston, a former solid quarterback, is a returning starter at wide receiver. Clark expects a big year from senior Amare Ramirez. Sophomore Dylan Edwards is back at running back. Derby’s linebackers have seniors Jack Hileman, Luke Stewart and Coleson Syring.
Senior safety Tanner Knox (team-high three interceptions) is expected to miss Friday’s game with injury.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Hileman, whose dad is a Derby middle school coach, paced the Panthers with 88 tackles. Stewart and Syring combined for more than 120 stops. Clark said Hileman “has never had a bad practice” and is excellent in all areas for defensive coordinator Austin Wuthrich.
“Jack Hileman defines what our program stands for,” Clark said. “He defines the town of Derby. Hard worker, loves football, loves his teammates, and very selfless guy. He knows the playbook better than anybody out there. We always say Jack is going to know the offensive playbook better than the offensive guys that we’re facing knows it.”
Applebee is highly interested to see his offensive line, which had to replace three key players. Applebee said his team has enjoyed a “great” camp and several weeks of practice despite the uncertainty and protocol regarding COVID-19. Hecht and senior Robbie Dervin are returning starters. Senior Saxton Hall has stepped in at center, while seniors Tommy Penner and David Cunningham and junior Ryan Fulcher are expected to see time.
“These kids, I have no doubt are going to be ready to go up front offensively,” he said. “I am excited to see them play.”
Mill Valley received 58 percent of its rushing yards and 82 percent of its receptions from non-seniors in ’19. Six of the top-nine tacklers return, including 88 stops from senior Kolten Jegen. Senior Cole Knappen (12 TFLs) has elicited several offers.
“Defensively, we return a lot of experience and leadership on that side of the ball,” Applebee said. “But it’s a new year. Both of us have had a little bit different summers where we didn’t quite get to do as much as we normally do, whether it be 7-on-7 tournaments or team camps or things like that. So there’s still a lot of unknowns, and how they are going to react to situations.”
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