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 4, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Jared Baxa, RB, Republic County (Nicholl)
As a junior, Baxa earned Kpreps first-team 1A all-state honors with 183 carries for 1,332 yards and 19 touchdowns. Republic County finished 2-8, though won two of its last three games. This year, Baxa has flashed sub-4.4 speed and has led the Buffs to a 2-0 start. He ranks third in Kansas in rushing with 35 carries for 484 yards and five scores, including a 96-yard run. He also has two catches for 81 yards and a TD. Republic County has outscored teams, 82-12. This week, the Buffaloes are at Minneapolis (0-2).
Marcello Bussey, WR, Junction City (Maycock)
A year ago, Bussey was the fourth option in Junction City's passing game and still finished the season with 12 catches for 270 yards and four scores. With the graduation of Qua'vez Humphreys and Ethan Alcorn, the speedy Bussey has become Andrew Khoury's go-to target in the downfield passing game and he's flourished. In just two games, Bussey has 15 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a nice 23.5 yards per catch. He's coming off a big 194-yard, 2-TD performance against rival Manhattan and faces a Seaman pass defense that gave up 206 yards passing last week to run-heavy Hayden. In the battle of Centennial League leaders, Bussey could be a difference-maker.
Wyatt Eberle, LB, Lakeside-Downs (Kuplen)
Eberle (6-1, 170) has 42 tackles over the first two weeks of the 2020 season. He had 23 tackles in week one and 19 tackles in last week’s 44-12 victory over Mankato-Rock Hills. Lakeside-Downs gets defending 8M-II champion Osborne this week.
Ryan Eilert, QB, Hesston (Hammeke)
Through two games, Hesston quietly went 2-0 behind the passing attack of Ryan Eilert. In Hesston’s quality 44-39 victory versus Hillsboro, Eilert went 18-29 with 258 yards and two touchdowns. He also added two rushing touchdowns in the Swather victory. Hesston takes on a Pratt team that gave up 321 yards and forced six turnovers against Girard last week.
Cody Hawks, LB, Goddard-Eisenhower (Schremmer)
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker and fullback has already posted 30 tackles just two games into the season. During last week’s 45-42 win over Salina Central, the junior recorded 16 tackles, including 13 solo. Hawks also registered a sack and an interception to help the Tigers improve their record to 1-1. As a sophomore, Hawks 84 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one interception.
Branden Martin, LB, Tonganoxie (Clisso)
Martin (6-1, 195) is already a two-time Kpreps 4A all-state selection at linebacker after recording 346 stops during his first three seasons at KC Piper. After making the move to Tonganoxie, Martin has already added 30 more stops to that total in his first two games with the Chieftains. He’s also recorded five tackles for loss to push his career total to 47. Martin will try and lead his third-ranked Chieftains over the No. 2 Paola Panthers on Friday in a key game in both the Frontier League and the eastern half of Class 4A.
Isaac Salmans, QB, Hodgeman County (Gilmore)
Salmans (6-3, 215) is off to a tremendous start to his senior season. Salmans has completed 20 of 27 passes for 453 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 142 yards and three more scores. For his career, Salmans has passed for 3,094 yards and 44 touchdowns and added 1,878 rushing yards and 45 scores. The Longhorns have started with blowout wins over Satanta and South Central and will travel to Bucklin this week.
Wichita Collegiate OL (Boston)
Collegiate has been among the state’s most dominant teams through the seasons’ first two weeks. The Spartans have posted wins of 56-0 over Mulvane and 56-3 over Wellington. Senior twin linemen Nick and Jack Herman along with Drew Charbonneau pace the Spartan group up front that have been opening holes for quarterback Wesley Fair and back Jacob Chugg. Collegiate will look to continue to put up big numbers this week when they host Rose Hill. The Rockets have been outscored 100-30 in their first two games.
Week 2 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Drew Buhrman, QB, Washington County – Buhrman rushed for 161 yards and four touchdowns and added 43 passing yards and another score in the Tigers’ 36-16 win over Bennington. (Maycock – 50 pts)
Lakin Farmer, RB, Halstead – Farmer rushed for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Dragons’ 36-0 win over Nickerson. (Hammeke –24 pts)
Anthony Favrow, RB, Olathe West – Favrow rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown as the Owls topped Olathe Northwest, 20-0. (Clisso –16 pts)
Gatlin Jewell, QB, South Barber – Jewell rushed 40 times for 214 yards and four touchdowns in the Chieftains’ 52-50 loss to Norwich. Jewell also passed for 90 yards. (Gilmore – 54 pts)
Jaren Kanak, WR, Hays – Kanak didn’t catch a pass but rushed for a 43-yard touchdown in the Indians win over Great Bend. (Boston – 10 pts)
Lawrence High OL – The Chesty Lion OL produced 490 yards of total offense and eight offensive touchdowns in the 56-7 win over Washburn Rural. (Schremmer – 33 pts)
Colby Stull, QB/RB, La Crosse – Stull had 125 yards of offense and two scores in the Leopards 36-14 loss to Hoxie. (Nicholl – 24 pts)
Wichita Northwest OL – The Northwest OL produced 361 yards of total offense and six offensive touchdowns in the 53-7 win over Wichita West. (Kuplen – 25 pts)
Standings for the 2020 season through Week 2:
- Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 145 points
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com 89 points
- Mark Schremmer, Kpreps & Kansas Chronicles 86 points
-
Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 80 points
Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas 80 points - Alex Hammeke, Kpreps contributor 53 points
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 50 points
- Sean Boston, KSKZ Radio 47 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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