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 2020 season include: Sean Boston (Southwind Broadcasting); Dion Clisso (PrepsKC.com); Matt Gilmore (Kpreps.com); Alex Hammeke (Kpreps.com), Chet Kuplen (Sports in Kansas); Brent Maycock (Topeka Capital Journal); Conor Nicholl (Kpreps.com); and Mark Schremmer (Kansas Chronicles & Kpreps.com).
Check back next Thursday to see our picks for Week 3, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Drew Buhrman, QB, Washington County (Maycock)
Washington County got its season off to a big start with a 44-36 shootout win over Twin Valley League rival Frankfort, setting the tone for what could be the Tigers' best season since going to eight-man football. Buhrman was the catalyst in the Tiger victory rushing 29 times for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns and also throwing for 107 and a score on just five pass attempts. He also picked off two passes, including the game-clincher with 24 seconds left. Bennington also won a shootout in its opener, beating Wakefield 34-30. Another high-scoring affair could be on tap Friday night and if that materializes, Buhrman is Washington's offensive focal point and could have another huge game.
Lakin Farmer, RB, Halstead (Hammeke)
Lakin Farmer made the transition from quarterback to running back this season and after one game it looks like it will pay off for the Dragons. In their 46-0 shutout of Smoky Valley, Farmer rushed for 275 yards and four touchdowns. Last year as quarterback, Farmer rushed for 734 yards and 11 touchdowns on 98 carries. Halstead takes on Nickerson this Friday. The Panthers gave up more than 300 yards of offense in last year’s contest against the Dragons.
Anthony Favrow, RB, Olathe West (Clisso)
After a summer and preseason camp filled with uncertainty, the Olathe schools will kickoff their season this week. The five Olathe schools will rotate playing each other this season. Among the games on the schedule this week is an experienced Olathe West squad hosting Olathe Northwest. Owl junior running back Anthony Favrow hopes to build on a breakout sophomore season that saw him rush for 1,351 yards and 16 touchdowns. Favrow delivered seven consecutive games with more than 100 rushing yards, including three 200-yard performances. He’ll look for another big night against the Ravens to kick off this season.
Gatlin Jewell, QB, South Barber (Gilmore)
Jewell put up some impressive numbers in his first start despite it coming in a losing effort. The South Barber junior quarterback passed for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-44 loss to Pratt-Skyline. But Jewell did most of his damage on the ground with 177 yards and four touchdowns on 33 attempts. Jewell will look to put up big number and get the Chieftains into the win column this week as they host Norwich.
Jaren Kanak, WR, Hays (Boston)
Kanak is a talented athlete that holds offers from both Kansas and Kansas State. The Hays standout was instrumental in the Indians 19-10 road win at Goddard-Eisenhower last week. Kanak rushed for 64 yards and caught five passes for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Hays win. The Indians will look to carry the momentum from a Week 1 victory into their WAC opener against Great Bend.
Lawrence High Offensive Line (Schremmer)
A week ago, the Lions dominated Shawnee Heights with a 53-0 victory, scoring 46 of those points in the first half. The Lawrence offense was extremely balanced, gaining about 200 yards on the ground and through the air. The Chesty Lion line features Porter Dannevik (6-3, 250), Lane Luna, Drew Meyer, Noah Smith (6-4. 290), and Acen Villegas (6-0, 275). The Lions should have a strong performance this week against another Centennial League foe in Washburn Rural.
Colby Stull, QB/RB, La Crosse (Nicholl)
In Week 1, La Crosse junior Colby Stull had to move from running back to quarterback because La Crosse had multiple players unable to play because of COVID-19 quarantine. La Crosse fell, 42-14, to Victoria, though Stull delivered another big performance. Stull went 7 of 9 passing for 180 yards for two touchdowns, along with 20 carries for 66 yards.
This week, Stull is likely expected to move back to his customary running back position for La Crosse’s eight-man home opener versus Hoxie. The Leopards switched to eight-man for the first time this season. Hoxie lost, 54-20, to Leoti-Wichita County, ranked second in Eight-Man, Division I, in Week 1.
The 5-foot-8, 150-pound Stull delivered 123 carries for 532 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. He delivered 151 carries for 1,322 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore. Stull cleared 100 rushing yards in eight of nine ’19 contests. As well, Stull had 20 career catches, five for scores, in his first two seasons. This is expected to be a key pecking order game for teams floating around the top-10 in Division I, and Stull will likely receive a bulk of the carries.
Wichita Northwest Offensive Line (Kuplen)
Wichita Northwest has had some of the state’s best offenses in recent memory. Last season the Grizzlies averaged 477.9 yards per game (357.7 on the ground/120.2 passing) on their way to a runner-up finish in 5A for the second consecutive year. After missing Week 1 due to cancellation, the Grizzlies will be hungry to put up some major numbers in their season opener against Wichita West. There are some question marks at the quarterback position after the graduation of Reagan Jones, but several electric playmakers return and we expect big production for an offensive unit that produced 97 touchdowns in 2019.
Week 1 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Tyler Bowden, RB, Tonganoxie – Bowden had an exceptional debut with the Chieftains in rushing for 317 yards and five touchdowns as Tonganoxie won 62-28 at Basehor-Linwood. He also caught a pair of passes for 34 yards in the win. (Clisso – 64 pts)
Clifton-Clyde Offensive Line – The Eagle offensive line paved the way for 374 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the 62-18 win over Onaga. (Hammeke – 29 pts)
Jayden Garrison, QB, Little River – Garrison threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Braxton Lafferty, rushed for 72 yards and two scores, and caught two passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins’ 50-0 win over Peabody-Burns. (Boston – 37 pts)
Torrey Horak, QB, Rossville – The junior led Rossville to a 42-6 victory over Centralia by passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 93 yards and three touchdowns. (Schremmer – 53 pts)
Colton McCarty, QB, Cheylin – McCarty passed for 302 yards and six touchdowns and added 118 yards and three scores on the ground in the Cougars’ 61-6 win over Golden Plains. (Maycock – 95 pts)
Devan McEwan, QB, Lebo – McEwan completed all four of his passes for 89 yards and three touchdowns in the Wolves’ 62-8 win over Southern Coffey County. McEwan was also on the receiving end of a 37-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Reese. (Gilmore – 35 pts)
Kayde Rietzke, QB, Leoti-Wichita County – Rietzke passed for 144 yards and three touchdowns and added 119 rushing yards and two more scores in the Indians’ 54-20 win over Hoxie. (Kuplen – 55 pts)
Trevor Zarybnicky, LB, Wheatland-Grinnell – Zarybnicky registered nine tackles and two sacks, both team highs, in a 58-18 loss to Axtell. (Nicholl – 26 pts)
Standings for the 2020 season through Week 1:
- Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 95 points
- Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 64 points
- Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas 55 points
- Mark Schremmer, Kpreps & Kansas Chronicles 53 points
- Sean Boston, KSKZ Radio 37 points
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com 35 points
- Alex Hammeke, Kpreps contributor 29 points
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 26 points
2020 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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