Chetopa coach Sean Price already had plenty of reasons to get excited about his offense.
8-Man Division II’s Green Hornets return seven starters from an offense that produced 55.8 points per game last season. Those returners include quarterback Philip Moses, who passed for 2,093 yards and 31 touchdowns, and running back Derrick Cassell, who rushed for 1,514 yards and 31 touchdowns.
But Price now has another offensive weapon at his disposal.
Sherrick Rogers, who played for Class 5A Pittsburg last season, has transferred to Chetopa High School. The athletic 190-pound junior could be used some at wide receiver, quarterback and running back.
“We can move Sherrick to a couple of different spots,” Price said. “He gives us so much more flexibility. It will make us just that much better.”
At Pittsburg High, Rogers was behind All-State running back Alex Barnes, who is considered one of the top college recruits in the country for 2015. When Barnes was hurt last season, Rogers rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 37 yards in a loss to Blue Valley Southwest.
For Chetopa, he can fill an immediate need at receiver after the graduation of All-State performer Austen Sanders, while also allowing the Green Hornets to give opposing defenses a variety of looks.
“Sherrick is a great athlete,” Price said. “But first and foremost, he’s a good kid. You get move-ins all the time, and they don’t always make an impact because they might have one of the qualities but not the other. Sherrick is a superb athlete, and he’s very smart and intelligent. His abilities are kind of untapped. At Pittsburg, he was kind of in the shadow of Alex Barnes. But a lot of kids would be in the shadow of Alex Barnes.”
Chetopa, which finished 7-3 in 2013, enters the preseason ranked No. 4 in 8-Man Division II. With last year’s state champion Baileyville B&B no longer having a school and Hanover moving up to Division I, the talented Green Hornets are real contenders to make a run.
“The east side is wide open this year,” Price said. “Anything less than reaching the state title game will be a disappointment for us.”
Rogers is just one of many transfers across Kansas expected to make an immediate impact.
Jackson Jenkins, OL, Bishop Miege
Jenkins, a 6-foot-5 and 305-pound senior offensive lineman, joins the Bishop Miege Stags after transferring from traditional Missouri power Rockhurst.
He is expected to make an immediate impact for a Stags squad that enters the season ranked No.1 in Class 4A Division II.
“He’s the biggest guy on the team, and that’s something we’ve lacked over the years,” Bishop Miege coach Jon Holmes said. “He’s every bit of 6-5, and he’s every bit of 3-5. He’s learning a whole new system. I’m very excited about him going forward.”
Jenkins, who has reportedly received interest from some Big 12 and FBS schools, should play a big role in protecting the Stags’ All-State quarterback Ryan Willis.
Holmes said Jenkins has worked hard in the weight room, squatting more than 500 pounds and bench pressing more than 300.
Jenkins will receive some quality coaching as former Kansas City Chiefs lineman and Kansas Jayhawks assistant coach Tim Grunhard will direct Bishop Miege’s offensive line this fall.
Curtis Whitten, RB, Derby
and Darreon Jackson, DB, Derby
Whitten, a 5-11 and 205-pound running back, and Jackson, a 5-11 and 187-pound defensive back, provide an immediate boost for the defending Class 6A state champion Panthers.
Whitten transferred from Wichita Heights after rushing for about 700 yards as a sophomore in 2012 and being sidelined with an injury last season. He is receiving interest from Kansas, Kansas State and Tulsa, according to Rivals.com. He reportedly runs the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. He boasts a bench press of 325 pounds and a bench press of 550.
Jackson transferred to Derby from Mesquite, Texas. He was an All-State defensive back who also played wide receiver. Rivals lists Jackson as a three-star recruit, and he has received scholarship offers from Army, Kansas, North Texas Tulsa, UTEP and Southern Illinois.
Both players will help replenish a Derby team that returns no starters on offense and only two on defense.
KeShaun McGaugh, RB, Wichita Northwest
The 5-11 and 185-pound senior running back transferred to the Grizzlies from Wichita Southeast. The hard-nosed runner rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a loss to Northwest last season.
Terrell Rodriguez, RB, Wichita West
The transfer from Salina Central rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns on only 21 carries for the Mustangs last year.
Dominique Webb, QB, Wichita East
Webb could be the Blue Aces’ quarterback this season after transferring from Wichita South.
Hunter Loewen, RB, Wamego
Loewen, a 5-11, 190-pound transfer from Riley County, comes to a Red Raiders team that already returns eight starters on offense and 10 on defense. Wamego enters the season ranked No. 5 in Class 4A Division II.
Alex Perez, QB, Lakin
The transfer from Udall has been a three-sport standout. He earned co-Class 2-1A pitcher of the year honors this past season.
Robby Carter, RB/LB, Dodge City
Carter posted more than 100 tackles for Hodgeman County last season. He helped the Longhorns reach the 8-Man Division I state championship game.
Blaik Middleton, RB, Hutchinson
The transfer from Dodge City displayed his speed and scored on a 10-yard TD run during the Blue and Gold scrimmage.
Emilio Folwer, LB/DL, Olathe North
The 5-11, 200-pound All-State defensive lineman transfers from Gardner-Edgerton after posting 53 tackles and two sacks last season.
Brandon Scurlock, OL, Udall
The 6-4, 340-pound transfer from Mulvane gives the 8-Man Division I team an instant increase in size.
Richard Zeiters, FB, Osborne
Zeiters, who rushed for 786 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for Logan-Palco, has transferred to Osborne.
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