The Kpreps Picks to Click feature is back for the 2021 season!
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 2021 season include: Sean Boston (Southwind Broadcasting); Dion Clisso (PrepsKC.com); Matt Gilmore (Kpreps.com); Chet Kuplen (Sports in Kansas); Brent Maycock (KSHSAA Covered); Conor Nicholl (Kpreps.com); and Mark Schremmer (Kansas Chronicles & Kpreps.com).
Check back next Friday to see our picks for Week 2, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Dylan Bice, QB, Thunder Ridge (Gilmore)
Bice (6-2 ,185) returns for his junior season to lead an experienced Thunder Ridge team that enters the 2021 season ranked No. 4 in Eight-Man, Division II. Last season, the Longhorns finished 5-4 with a narrow 42-40 loss to Axtell in the first round of the playoffs. It was a painful ending considering it was a game Thunder Ridge was in control of until late. Three of the Longhorns four losses last season were by a combined 11 points. Bice did his part, passing for nearly 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 973 rushing yards and 14 more scores. Thunder Ridge opens with a road trip to Stockton – a game that the Longhorns survived 20-14 in two overtimes in last year’s season opener. Bice will look to get Thunder Ridge off to a good start in what should be a successful season.
Tyler Claiborne, WR, St. James Academy (Clisso)
St. James Academy captured the first football state title in school history in 2020, but graduation hit the Thunder roster hard. Although most of the starting group may be somewhat unknown, the Thunder do return an all-state player in Tyler Claiborne at the WR position. Claiborne (6-3, 195) hauled in 76 receptions for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. He’ll have a new quarterback throwing to him as Jackson House is expected to take the reigns from Dakota Burritt behind center. The Thunder start off with a tough task of hosting St. Thomas Aquinas this week and getting the ball to Claiborne will need to be a focal point of the offense.
Lance Hoffsommer, QB, Sedgwick (Kuplen)
Hoffsommer (6-2, 185) will once again be one of the top quarterbacks in the state and looks to lead the Cardinals to a deep playoff run in Class 1A. As a junior last fall, Hoffsommer completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,738 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also added 583 yards on the ground with 11 more scores. For his career, Hoffsommer has thrown for 5,492 yards and 63 touchdowns. Sedgwick, ranked No. 4 in Class 1A to start the season, will open at fellow Heart of America League member Sterling tonight. The Cardinals blanked the Black Bears 45-0 last season.
Torrey Horak, QB, Rossville (Schremmer)
Horak returns to lead Rossville after enjoying a stat-filled junior campaign. The dual-threat quarterback passed for 1,447 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 1,628 yards and 30 touchdowns. Doing so, Horak helped the Bulldawgs to a 13-0 season and the Class 2A state championship. Rossville opens this week against Class 1A’s fifth-ranked Centralia Panthers. Last year, Rossville won 42-6 and Horak passed for two touchdowns and ran for three.
Avery Johnson, QB, Maize (Boston)
Johnson (6-3, 170) is one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in Kansas and is drawing recruiting interest from college programs all over the nation. The junior passed for 1,699 yards and 16 touchdowns a season ago as the Eagles went 9-2 and reached the 5A state quarterfinals. The key to Maize and Johnson equaling that level of success this season may be how quickly the guys up front develop. While the receiving group is experienced, only one starting offensive lineman returns. Maize opens up with a tough road contest at Andover this week.
Logan McCarty, QB/Ath, Cheylin (Nicholl)
Logan takes over for his brother, Colton, as Cheylin’s full-time quarterback. Colton was one of the state’s more recognizable players in 2020 when he led the Cougars to an undefeated six-man state title. He earned Offensive Player of the Year the past two falls and signed with Bethel College. Logan had a fantastic freshman year and has played high level sports for many years. In the state title game against Moscow, Logan stepped in and completed 21 of 26 passes for 320 yards and three TDs.
Overall, he completed 41 of 53 passes for 772 yards with 13 touchdowns against zero interceptions. He rushed 15 times for 111 yards and four TDs. Cheylin faces rival Golden Plains in Week 1, a game that is generally high scoring. Last year, Cheylin won 61-6 in the season opener and 61-14 in the playoffs. Two years ago, it was 71-61 and 52-36. Cheylin won all four games after a 92-47 loss in 2018.
Hayden Oviatt, QB, Wamego (Maycock)
Last year, COVID-19 protocols kept Oviatt out of Wamego's season opener against North Central Kansas League rival Concordia and the Red Raider offense sputtered in a 14-7 loss, their only loss in league play. Oviatt returned and had a monster sophomore season under center, rushing for 1,539 yards and 14 touchdowns and throwing for 1,152 yards and 10 scores. Oviatt will be a workhorse for the Red Raiders again this season and should be chomping at the bit to get a shot at the Panthers, who graduated standout linebacker Hunter Schroeder.
The final standings for the 2020 season:
- Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 425 points
- Mark Schremmer, Kpreps & Kansas Sports Chronicles 339 points
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps 335 points
- Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas 308 points
- Sean Boston, KSKZ Radio 228 points
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 220 points
- Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 201 points
- Alex Hammeke, Kpreps 201 points
2021 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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