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 Sunday to see that week’s 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: Topeka West (Matt Gilmore -- Kpreps)
Topeka West earns my helmet sticker this week after the Chargers’ 36-32 win at Emporia on Friday. The victory is Topeka West’s first over a Centennial League opponent other than Topeka Highland Park since the 2005 season.
The Chargers led 28-16 with just over three minutes remaining in the game and held off the Spartans in a wild finish.
After an Emporia interception, the Spartans pulled to within 28-24 on an 85-yard touchdown pass with 2:17 remaining. Emporia was unable to get the onside kick, and Topeka West’s Tyrell Reed sprinted 55 yards for a touchdown on the next play to give the Chargers a 36-24 lead with 2:05 left.
Emporia answered with another long touchdown pass and the two-point conversion pulled the Spartans to within 36-32 with :45 seconds remaining. Emporia then recovered the onside kick, but a Hail Mary attempt into the end zone on the final play fell incomplete.
The Charger offense burned Emporia with big plays to produce more than 440 yards of total offense, including 263 yards on the ground.
Junior quarterback Malachi Berg (6-3, 195) passed for 179 yards and a touchdown and added 175 yards rushing and a score on 13 attempts. Reed complimented Berg’s big night on the ground with 105 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Jaq’Son Birdwhistle-Bush caught three passes for 61 yards, including Berg’s touchdown pass.
The last Topeka West win over a Centennial League opponent other than Topeka Highland Park came way back in 2005 when the Chargers defeated Emporia, 21-14. Topeka West finished 5-4 that season, their last winning season in program history. The senior quarterback of that 2005 team, none other than current Charger head coach Ryan Kelly.
Kelly was faced with the difficult task of rebuilding the program that had gone 12-87 since his time as a player until he took over as head coach in 2017. Since, he’s gone 5-30. Since his senior season in 2005, Topeka West has posted a 17-117 record. Eleven of those 17 victories have come against Topeka Highland Park, while other victories have come against KC Wyandotte (3 wins), KC Washington (2 wins) and now Emporia.
Helmet sticker: Russell (Conor Nicholl – Kpreps)
Russell has already doubled its win total from last year with a 2-0 start. The Broncos have new coach Mark Baldwin. Christien Ozores serves as the defensive coordinator. Ozores was a former all-state selection at Junction City and played collegiately at Fort Hays.
In back-to-back home games, Russell beat Ellis, 17-6, and then defeated Thomas More Prep-Marian, 23-17, in three overtimes. TMP had won eight regular season games in a row and returned the bulk of its key players from a 7-2 squad. Plus, Russell missed standout senior Jesse Whitmer against the Monarchs. Whitmer, Russell’s leading tackler the last three falls, went out with injury versus Ellis. He has 245 career tackles. Whitmer paced Russell in total yards in 2020.
Russell has a balanced attack with seniors Andrew Roth and Jacob Windholz and junior Jacob Ney. Roth is a returning starter at quarterback.
Senior Josh Sohm, and juniors Jackson Cross, Ney and Charles Krug are among the top defensive players. Windholz, junior Wyatt Middleton and sophomore Roman Hernandez are key, too. Against Ellis, Russell forced four turnovers.
Windholz had a 66-yard touchdown run against TMP for the game’s first score. Russell led 10-0, and TMP tied the game at 10 to send to overtime. Russell picked off TMP in the end zone off a fake field goal in the third OT. Russell had lost its last three to the Monarchs.
Russell was 1-8 each of the last two seasons. The Broncos are 2-0 for the second time since 2004. Russell has not posted a winning record since 7-3 in 2003.
Last year, Russell opened 0-8 with a 32-0 loss to Ellis and a 34-6 defeat versus TMP. Russell very rarely plays Ellis, though the schools are just 45 miles and one county apart on I-70. Before last fall, the teams had not met since 1954, per the Kansas Football History database.
This week, Russell is at Norton. Last year, Russell lost 34-28 to Norton in double overtime. Russell has not beaten Norton since the mid-80s. The Broncos have lost five in a row to the Bluejays since ’14.
Helmet sticker: Natoma (Conor Nicholl – Kpreps)
Just 28 miles from Russell, Natoma captured a marquee early season 53-50 win versus Almena-Northern Valley in six-man. In the 14-team classification, both Natoma and Northern Valley are considered up-and-coming contenders in 6-Man North.
Natoma finished 3-2 last year with three shutout wins. The Tigers gave eventual champion Bird City-Cheylin its closest game this year. This season, Natoma has new coach Robert Cox, formerly at Deerfield.
Natoma opened with an 87-0 win against Deerfield and set school records for points and scoring margin, per the Kansas Football History database. Previously, Natoma had beaten Logan, 84-82, in Week 9 to reach the 2007 playoffs. That season, Natoma went 7-3, still the most wins in school history. This year, the Tigers are looking to better the ’07 squad’s success.
Natoma returns two first team all-state players with back Kayden Martinez and Derek George. Against Northern Valley, Martinez delivered 24 carries for 476 yards and six touchdowns. Through two contests, Martinez has 29 carries for 519 yards and nine scores. Both of his receptions have went for touchdowns.
George has eight carries for 131 yards and a score. He has 40 tackles, five for loss. Roy Bright is 14 of 21 for 238 passing and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Tracen Frye has five offensive touches – and five TDs, four passing. He has delivered 11 tackles.
Helmet Stickers (2021 Season)
Week 1 – Bishop Ward, Chapman, Iola, Royal Valley
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