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 8, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Chapman Offensive Line (Nicholl)
Chapman’s run-heavy offense has averaged nearly 30 points a game. The Irish have run the ball on 294 of a possible 317 offensive plays. Chapman is 4-2 behind an attack that has delivered 324 rushing yards a contest and 6.6 yards per carry. Senior Eli Riegel has returned from an injury-plagued season last fall and been among Kansas’ top running backs. He has 140 carries for 1,023 yards and 12 scores.
Chapman’s success comes from its offensive line. The group has left tackle Weston Langvardt, left guard Xander Yeauger, center Brayden Lexow, right guard Troy Boyd and right tackle Colt Sell, who is a game-time decision. Colby Hartung is the backup to Sell. Additionally, Torin Cavanaugh and D.J. Messerly are the tight ends. Chapman (4-2) is at Council Grove (1-5), a team that has struggled defensively this fall. Veteran coach Butch Hayes, who led Ellis to its best seasons in school history, is in his third year at CG.
Chapman has enjoyed several talented linemen with coach Kurt Webster, including Kel Stroud, currently at South Dakota. Langvardt, a sophomore, is 6-2, 245. Yeauger is a junior. Lexow is a 5-7, 230-pound junior. Boyd is a 6-4, 280-pound junior. Sell, a senior, is 6-2, 275 and is a returning first team all-league selection. Sell has gone over 1,000 combined pounds in his squat, clean and bench. He has recent offers from Bethel, Friends and Baker. A senior, Cavanaugh stands 6-3, 205 and has committed to Emporia State baseball. Messerly, a sophomore, stands 6-1, 227.
Caden Crawford, LB, Lansing (Clisso)
Crawford, an Iowa commit, is a standout player on both sides of the ball for the Lansing Lions. Crawford (6-5, 245) has passed for 479 yards and three touchdowns and added 257 yards rushing and four more scores. He’s been a standout on defense for Lansing with 79 tackles and a fumble recovery through six weeks. Crawford and the Lions will have a big challenge this week when then travel to No. 2 ranked Basehor-Linwood.
Memo Flores, LB, Southwestern Heights (Maycock)
Flores has been a bright spot for Southwestern Heights in a 1-5 season, leading the Mustangs on both sides of the ball. The senior has run for 762 yards and scored four of the team's six touchdowns. he's been an even bigger workhorse on defense, averaging 14 tackles per game. He racked up 23 tackles two weeks ago in a 12-6 loss to Lakin, 18 of those solo stops. This week he faces an Ellis team that finally broke through with a win last week against Syracuse, but had been held to just 14 points in its first four games.
Cooper Jermark, RB, Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (Kuplen)
Jermark (5-11, 170) has averaged more than 17 tackles per game from his linebacker position for St. John’s-Tipton. The junior has registered 103 stops, including five tackles for loss, a sack, and five quarterback hurries. He has also forced a pair of fumbles, recovered them both, and intercepted a pass. The Blujays have a key district contest at Lakeside-Downs this week.
Isaac Mendez, RB, Wheatland-Grinnell (Schremmer)
Following an opening season loss to Axtell, the 5-foot-10 and 170-pound senior running back has helped the Thunderhawks to five consecutive victories. Mendez has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of those outings, totaling 721 yards and 16 touchdowns for the season. As a receiver, he has 10 catches for 141 yards and a TD. Mendez and the Thunderhawks will face St. Francis.
Matthew Potucek, QB, Hillsboro (Gilmore)
Potucek (5-11, 185) has been a standout at quarterback for the Trojans for the past several years. Over the past three seasons, Potucek has passed for 3,938 yards and 53 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 2,208 yards and 22 scores. This season, Potucek has completed 62 percent of his passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns with only one interception. He’s added 510 rushing yards and nine more scores through six games and is averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. With the explosiveness of Potucek and Jamari Harris (611 yards, 13 TD) in the backfield, Hillsboro is a team that could make some noise in Class 2A. The Trojans will look to register their sixth victory on Friday when they travel to Lyons (2-3).
Dalton Whitworth, QB, Rock Creek (Boston)
Whitworth has helped guide an explosive Rock Creek Mustang offense this season to an average of 36.7 points per game. He is among the state leaders in passing yards having thrown for 1,460 yards through six games. Whitworth has turned to Ethan Burgess (656 yards) and Yanci Spiller (357 yards) as his leading receivers this season. The Mustangs have won four consecutive games since back-to-back losses to Silver Lake and Rossville to open the season. Rock Creek will host fourth-ranked Holton this week with the Class 3A, District 4 championship likely on the line. Whitworth will need another big night against the ball-control Wildcats.
Week 6 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Blue Valley Northwest OL – The Husky OL paved the way for 417 total yards and 5 offensive touchdowns in a 35-21 win over Blue Valley North. Northwest rushed for 293 yards on the night. (Schremmer – 23 pts)
Jack Francis, DB, Chaparral – Francis had seven tackles in the Roadrunners’ 56-21 win over Belle Plaine. Chaparral is now 6-0 on the season. (Nicholl – 14 pts)
Antonio Harrison, RB, KC Sumner – Harrison rushed 17 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in Sumner’s 35-14 loss to Atchison. (Clisso – 19 pts)
Kayden Martinez, RB, Natoma – Martinez rushed for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Tigers’ 40-32 win over Cheylin. He also completed two passes for 70 yards and a score. (Kuplen – 68 pts)
Tre Richardson, WR, Highland Park – In what turned out to be his final game of this season with a shoulder injury sidelining him the rest of the way, Richardson finished his junior season with a big performance. In an 80-46 shootout loss to USD 501 rival Topeka West, Richardson accounted for 219 yards and four touchdowns from his receiver position. Richardson caught five passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns and had five carries for 104 yards and a fourth score. (Maycock – 45 pts)
Legend Robinson, RB, Hoisington – Robinson carried 30 times for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 21-13 win over Ellsworth. (Boston – 36 pts)
Ryan Stucky, WR, Segwick – Stucky had six catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Sedgwick’s 56-14 win over Whitewater-Remginton. (Gilmore – 22 pts)
Standings for the 2021 season through Week 6:
- Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 279 points
- Matt Gilmore, Kpreps 278 points
- Brent Maycock, KSHSAA Covered 236 points
- Chet Kuplen, Sports in Kansas 229 points
- Mark Schremmer, Kpreps & Kansas Chronicles 214 points
- Sean Boston, KSKZ Radio 193 points
- Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 126 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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