In our Picks to Click, we feature eight 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 eight 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 2017 season include: John Baetz (Kansas Pregame Magazine); Dion Clisso (PrepsKC.com); Taylor Eldridge (Wichita Eagle); Matt Gilmore (Kpreps.com); Chet Kuplen (Kansas-Sports.com & @sportsinkansas); Brent Maycock (Topeka Capital Journal); Conor Nicholl (Kpreps.com); and Mark Schremmer (Kpreps.com).
Check back next Thursday to see our picks for Week 3, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Kipp Jasper, QB, Troy (Eldridge)
In his first varsity start, Jasper threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns in a 59-26 loss to Valley Heights. And it wasn’t a result of quantity, as Jasper completed 18 passes for an average of better than 20 yards every completion. I expect Troy to roll this week on the road at Atchison County, which is coming off of a 79-6 loss to Nemaha Central. If Jasper can find his rhythm throwing early, then a repeat of last week’s stat line is likely.
Hunter Krom, RB, Lawrence (Clisso)
Lawrence senior running back Hunter Krom put up 334 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening 42-21 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest. Similar to Chesty Lion running back Trey Moore, Krom (5-11, 190) hopes for a big senior season after losing the majority of his junior season due to injury. After being injured in Week 1 of the 2015 season, Moore went on to an all-state senior campaign last year in which he rushed for 1,307 yards and 19 touchdowns. This week, Lawrence gets another Thursday game against a Shawnee Mission North team that lost to Shawnee Mission South in Week 1. South had lost nine consecutive and 17 of their last 18 before a 22-19 win over SM North last week.
David McFarland, QB, Thomas More Prep (Baetz)
After a Week 1 injury ended his junior season, TMP quarterback David McFarland started his senior campaign in record-breaking style. In last week’s 32-27 loss to Abilene, McFarland completed 41 of 63 passes for four touchdowns and a state record 648 yards. Can he reproduce those numbers this week? Not likely, but the Monarchs should have an opportunity to score even more points against an Ellis team that narrowly escaped Syracuse 18-12 in the opener. Ellis, who opened the 2017 season with just four returning starters from last year's squad, closed last season with five straight losses. TMP lost to Ellis 42-32 last year in Hays, this time they'll make the short trip west to Railer country.
Gabe Pieschl, WR, Marysville (Gilmore)
Pieschl delivered a breakout performance in Marysville’s 52-13 win over three-time defending 3A champion Rossville last week. He hauled in six passes for 192 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs big-play threat. Pieschl’s classmate, senior quarterback Jack Blumer, passed for 315 yards and six touchdowns in the win. The duo helped Marysville win the Class 3A state basketball championship last spring with Pieschl named the 3A player of the year by Sports In Kansas.
Marysville will look to duplicate that performance as they open North Central Kansas League play at home with Abilene. The Cowboys young defense gave up a single-game state passing record 648 yards in last week’s 32-27 win over Thomas More Prep. If Marysville can keep the offensive momentum going, there is little chance of a 14-12 decision like Abilene won a year ago. The Bulldogs have lost the last eight games in the series with Abilene, last winning 34-13 in 2008.
Spearville Offensive Line (Nicholl)
Few things in Kansas high school football are more consistent than the Lancers’ offense and single wing attack. Spearville had posted records of 8-2, 10-1, 13-0 and 11-1 from ’13-16 before winning its season opener last week, 48-0, against Hill City.
In that span, the Lancers produced 51.8, 52.4, 55.4 and 54.7 points per contest. From ’12-16, Spearville averaged between 266 and 298 rushing yards a game. Against Hill City, the Lancers rushed for 289 yards and averaged 11.6 yards per carry.
Spearville’s brand-new offensive line features senior Wyatt Stimpert at center, senior guard Levi Stein, junior tackle Albert Evins, along with senior end Nate Heeke and sophomore Carson Rich.
The Lancers are at rival Hodgeman County. Spearville has won three straight in the series with scores of 50-28, 46-0 and 38-6.
Dexton Swinehart, WR, Lyndon (Kuplen)
Swinehart, now a senior, had 10 touches on the offensive side of the ball last week and scored four times. He had 82 rushing yards and 180 receiving yards as Lyndon easily handled Yates Center. Swinehart has been an all 2-1A player in each of the last two seasons for Lyndon and produces nearly every time he touches the ball. Swinehart has 2,836 career rushing yards with 37 touchdowns, and 1,345 more receiving yards with 15 touchdowns. He has 4,696 yards of all-purpose yardage in his career dating back to his freshman year. If Lyndon continues to find way to get Swinehart the ball, the Tigers will be a contender on east side of Class 2-1A.
Travis Theis, RB, Pratt (Maycock)
After a breakout sophomore season last year in leading Pratt to the Class 4A Division II state title, including a dominating performance in the state title game, Theis is off and running in 2017. He burned Larned for 437 yards and six touchdowns in a 56-46 shootout in last week’s season-opener. Pratt probably won’t give up as many point to Haven this week, which could limit Theis touches, but Haven gave up six rushing touchdowns to Nickerson’s Peyton Kuhns last week so Theis may not need many carries to rack up huge numbers.
Lane Whisennand, QB, Elkhart (Schremmer)
The junior rushed for 255 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while completing 8 of 9 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown during a 30-20 win over La Crosse. Whisennand, a wide receiver in 2016, took over the quarterback duties for Tyler Sklenar, who started for three years before signing to play at Kansas Wesleyan.. Whisennand will lead the Wildcats against 1-0 Southwestern Heights this week.
Week 1 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Josh Carter, LB, Wichita Northwest – Carter registered 13 tackles in Northwest’s 40-35 loss to Bishop Carroll last Thursday night. (Kuplen – 26 pts)
Conway Springs OL – The Cardinal offensive line paved the way for 729 total yards and 14 offensive touchdowns in a 98-18 rout of Belle Plaine. All but 65 of Conway’s yards came on the ground. (Eldridge – 56 pts)
Jax Dineen, RB, Lawrence Free State – Dineen rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries as the Firebirds blew past Shawnee Mission West, 56-9. (Clisso – 19 pts)
Nate Heneha, QB, Hutchinson Central Christian – Neneha completed 13 of his 14 pass attempts for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars’ 90-38 win over Pretty Prairie. The senior quarterback also rushed for 145 yards and two more scores as Central Christian put up 678 yards of total offense. (Maycock – 59 pts) *Stats updated from initial post per HCC Coach Lee Smith.
Tyler Henry, LB, Gardner-Edgerton – Henry had ten tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack in the Blazers’ 35-14 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. (Baetz –24 pts)
Dalton Kuhn, DE, Smith Center – Kuhn registered eight tackles, including three for loss and a sack in Smith Center’s 16-7 win over No. 3 Plainville. (Nicholl – 20 pts)
Ky Thomas, RB, Topeka High – Super-sophomore Ky Thomas rushed for 255 yards and five touchdowns in the Trojans’ 61-46 win over Topeka Hayden. Thomas also contributed a 95-yard kickoff return for a score. (Schremmer – 55 pts)
David Thompson, RB, Logan-Palco – Thompson carried ten times for 121 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojan’s 58-8 win over Triplains-Brewster. Thompson also caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Riley Allen. (Gilmore – 36 pts)
Standings for the 2017 season through Week 1:
1. Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 59 points
2. Taylor Eldridge, Wichita Eagle-Varsity Kansas 56 points
3. Mark Schremmer, Kpreps.com 55 points
4. Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com 36 points
5. Chet Kuplen, Kansas-Sports.com & @sportsinkansas 26 points
6. John Baetz, Kansas Pregame Magazine 24 points
7. Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 20 points
8. Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 19 points
2017 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
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
