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 Wednesday 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: Atchison (Matt Gilmore -- Kpreps)
Atchison is on an impressive run over the last three seasons. The Phoenix, under the direction of veteran coach Jim Smith, have posted a 24-3 overall record over the past three seasons, including 7-0 this fall.
Atchison has won 19 consecutive games against Meadowlark Conference opponents and can wrap up its third consecutive unbeaten league season with a win over KC Wyandotte (1-6) this week.
Last week, the Phoenix stepped out of conference play to take on Perry-Lecompton. Atchison shut out the Kaws, 42-0. The Phoenix built a 27-0 halftime lead after scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter. Xiomar Hernandez rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the game, while Jaden Carter added 71 yards on the ground and two scores. Trey Carter produced 150 yards of total offense and rushed for a touchdown.
On the season, Trey Carter has passed for 1,169 yards and 15 touchdowns against only three interceptions. He has added nearly 300 yards rushing with five scores. Jaden Carter leads the ground game with 584 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Hernandez has nearly 300 yards on the ground and four scores.
Senior Jeter Purdy is the Phoenix top receiver with 15 catches for 395 yards and seven scores. JZ Kelley is close behind with 17 catches for 367 yards and six scores. Hernandez has nearly 250 receiving yards, while Eric Smith III has 173 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Atchison and Louisburg are the lone remaining unbeaten teams in Class 4A and are in-line for the top two seeds in the East. Louisburg has a challenging matchup this week against 5A contender Spring Hill (6-1) for the Frontier League title.
Helmet sticker: Hesston (Conor Nicholl -- Kpreps)
Hesston opened with a 39-7 loss at Hoisington, and fell to Pratt, 54-13. After Week 1, Hesston coach Tyson Bauerle expressed optimism the Swathers would find their way. Prolific Hesston quarterback Hudson Ferralez transferred to Wichita Collegiate in the summer.
Hesston is a longtime successful program. The Swathers entered this fall with back-to-back 4-5 seasons. Hesston had its first 0-2 start since 2016. Hesston has not won fewer than four games in a season since the mid-1980s, per Kansas Football History.
Since then, the Swathers are 4-1. Hesston has three close wins and a close loss. In Week 3, Hesston defeated Hillsboro, 31-27. Then, Hesston beat pass-heavy Wichita Trinity, 49-14. After a 28-21 loss at Kingman, Hesston won at Clearwater, 28-21 in overtime, and beat Chapman, 34-20, at home last week. In the last two years, Kingman is a 2A final four and state runner-up and stands at 5-1.
This week, Hesston (4-3, 3-0) will play at Wichita Collegiate (6-1, 3-0) for the Class 3A, District 6 title. Even without Ferralez, Hesston has nearly exactly matched last year’s scoring output. Hesston had 26.9 points per game last year and is 26.1 this fall.
Last week, junior Asher Deutschendorf had a 49-yard TD run for the Swathers. Hesston trailed Chapman, 8-7, after the first quarter and 20-19 at halftime. Karter Gonzalez had a 28-yard score late in the first half. In the fourth quarter, he gave Hesston the lead on a one-yard run. He provided separation with a 70-yard TD run with 4:39 remaining.
Against Clearwater, the Indians tied Hesston with a field goal at the buzzer. Deutschdorf had the game-winning touchdown. Hesston had a fourth down stop on defense to seal the victory. Junior Reed Friesen has completed 66 of 119 passes for 930 yards with 10 scores. He has 88 carries for 468 yards and three TDs. Senior Jackson Fry had 34 catches for 544 yards and six scores. Gonzalez easily paces the defense with 67 tackles.
Helmet sticker: Thunder Ridge (Conor Nicholl -- Kpreps)
Thunder Ridge reached the Eight-Man, Division II semifinals and championship game the last two seasons. Thunder Ridge has quietly re-emerged as a Division II contender. The Longhorns are 5-2, 3-0 in District 6. Wallace County is 4-3, 3-0 with a pair of overtime losses. Thunder Ridge will make the long trip to the Mountain time zone for the district championship this week.
Thunder Ridge has a loss to Alma (Neb.) in Week 1, and fell by 10 to Division I’s Hill City in Week 3. Alma is currently 5-3 and had two previous games before the Thunder Ridge contest. The Longhorns have averaged 55.4 points per game, top-six in the classification.
Senior Mason Baker could finish with the best statistical season for Thunder Ridge, a program long known for producing superb backs. Baker has 66 of 90 passing for 813 yards with 11 scores against two interceptions. He easily leads Kansas with 165 carries for 1,773 yards and 30 scores. In Week 5, Baker set a school record with 407 rushing yards. Last week, he had 45 carries for 355 yards and six scores in a 66-42 win versus St. Francis. He also completed nine of 13 passing for 74 yards with a score.
Helmet sticker: Wellsville (Matt Gilmore -- Kpreps)
The undefeated Wellsville Eagles get a helmet sticker this week. Wellsville captured the Pioneer League title with an undefeated run through the league with a dominating 58-16 win over Santa Fe Trial last week.
Wellsville, one of three remaining unbeaten teams in Class 3A, is 7-0 having outscored its opponents by an average of nearly 46 to 10.
Offensively, the Eagles average 114 yards per game on the ground and 289 yards through the air. Senior quarterback Willie Dorsey has completed 77 percent of his passes for 1,963 yards and 28 touchdowns. Dorsey has thrown just one interceptions this season.
The Eagles have multiple playmakers at receiver. Seniors Dezmond Winton and Brody Lee along with junior Keynon Gillins lead the team. Winton has a team-high 34 catches for 753 yards and ten touchdowns. Lee also has ten touchdown catches with 586 yards on 28 receptions. Gillins has 24 catches with 394 yards and three scores. Senior Calvin Dwyer has 11 catches for 156 yards and two scores.
When the Eagles run the football, sophomore Payton Otwell and senior Jace Troutman have shared the carries. Otwell has rushed for 317 yards and four touchdowns, while Troutman has 231 yards and five scores. Dorsey has added four rushing touchdowns.
Wellsville wraps up the regular season by hosting Baldwin (2-5) this week.
Helmet Stickers (2023 Season)
Week 1 – Clay Center, Labette County, Riverton, Sedgwick, Thomas More Prep
Week 2 – Chetopa, Deerfield, Ellinwood, Goddard-Eisenhower, Pratt
Week 3 – KC Washington, Liberal, Mulvane, Sublette
Week 4 – Herington, Lawrence Free State, Ottawa, Oxford
Week 5 – Maize South, Medicine Lodge, Mill Valley, Plainville
Week 6 – Garden Plain, La Crosse, Norton, WaKeeney-Trego
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