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 5, and how the players performed that we picked the week prior. See the bottom of this article for details.
Billy Bartlett WR, Blue Valley Southwest (Schremmer)
Bartlett has recorded more than 100 yards receiving in every game this season, and he has caught no fewer than eight passes. Last week, he caught 17 passes for 190 yards in a 51-26 loss to Mill Valley. For the season, Bartlett has 38 receptions for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Expect Bartlett to have a big game when the Timberwolves face winless Gardner-Edgerton on Friday.
Basehor-Linwood Offensive Line (Gilmore)
In his fourth season at Basehor-Linwood, Rod Stallbaumer has built the Bobcats into a consistent winner. Basehor-Linwood is now 27-9 since Stallbaumer’s arrival, and the Bobcats are unbeaten and unscored upon this season having outscored their three opponents 173-0.
While it may be expected from a team that went 11-1 and reached the 4A-I state semifinals last year, Basehor-Linwood only returned a handful of starters on each side of the ball. Just two starters returned on the offensive line in right guard Miles Beach and right tackle Zach White. Beach and White are joined by senior Reid Pruitt at center, junior Blake Tucker at left guard, and junior Victor Bejarano at left tackle. The Bobcat line has helped a relatively experienced offense average more than 330 yards per game and 17 total offensive touchdowns.
In addition to pitching three shutouts, the Basehor-Linwood defense has also scored five times in returning a fumble and four interceptions for touchdowns. The special teams unit has also contributed a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns.
The Bobcats have a potential for a big night on Friday when they host Independence (1-2). The Bulldogs were hit heavy by graduation and have given up an average of 49 points per game this season.
Chaparral Offensive Line (Baetz)
Class 3A District 10 is likely the toughest in all of Kansas. Chaparral, Cheney, Conway Springs and Garden Plain are currently a combined 12-0.
Not convinced? Ask 4A Division II's Wichita Trinity Academy. In the first two games of the season the Knights lost by near identical scores of 49-20 and 49-21 to Cheney and Garden Plain. Last week they stepped away from 3A District 10 foes and beat Wichita Independent 42-15.
Over the next two weeks the Knights will face the other two members of the ultra-tough district, starting this week with the Chaparral Roadrunners.
Chaparral has scored at least 56 points in each of its three wins this season and is averaging over 380 yards of offense per game. The offense should continue the trend this week thanks in large part to an experienced offensive line that features right tackle Kavin Hess, right guard Cauy Thomas, center Miguel Gerber, left guard Isaac Helms, and left tackle Jaden Eslinger.
De Soto Offensive Line (Clisso)
De Soto improved to 3-0 and has climbed to No. 3 in the Class 4A-I rankings after consecutive shutout over Bonner Springs and Louisburg. The Wildcat offensive line is a big reason for De Soto’s success this season. The Wildcats rushed for nearly 280 yards in the win over Louisburg and averaged nearly ten yards per carry behind the likes of Marshall Kellner, Michael Mashburn, Keegan Wahlmeier, Devin Haynes, and Kyle J. Bell. The Wildcats will have another challenge this week when they host unbeaten Frontier League rival Paola for homecoming. De Soto defeated Paola 28-7 last season.
Maverick Green, QB, Atwood-Rawlins County (Nicholl)
Last season, Green helped Atwood-Rawlins County finish 8-2. He shared carries in the backfield with since-graduated Cole Sramek, who rushed for nearly 4,000 career yards. Green passed for 701 yards and rushed for 1,028 with 22 scores accounted for.
This season, Green, a senior, has taken on the bulk of the carries for the 3-0 Buffaloes. He has completed 18 of 27 passes for 354 yards with a 6/1 TD/INT ratio. He has rushed 29 times for 312 yards and eight scores. Green has tallied 48 percent of the team’s total rushing yards.
On Friday, the Buffs travel to Hoxie in a huge Eight-Man, Division I, District 8 contest featuring a pair of Northwest Kansas League rivals and undefeated squads. Last season, in a 42-12 victory versus the Indians, Green recorded 48 passing yards, 141 rushing and four scores accounted for. Green has accounted for 51 scores in his career.
Cody McNerney, QB, Wichita Collegiate (Eldridge)
McNerney is a dynamic athlete playing quarterback in Collegiate's offense, as he has already piled up 664 passing yards and 243 rushing yards after three games. Collegiate is coming off a loss in a game where Buhler was able to limit McNerney in the running game. I expect the Collegiate-Mulvane matchup to produce a lot of points and since Collegiate's offense revolves around McNerney, the senior should be in store for a bounce-back game in a big way.
Ivan Webb, RB, KC Schlagle (Maycock)
Playing sidekick to All-Class 5A back Cornelius Ruff a year ago, Webb showed flashes of being a big-time back, averaging 8.8 yards per carry and scoring once every six carries. Taking over as the Stallions’ feature back this year, Webb has been nothing short of spectacular, rushing for 856 yards and 8 touchdowns in Schlagle’s 3-0 start.
Last year against KC Washington, Webb ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns in a game where Ruff torched the Wildcats for 363 yards and 4 scores. Getting the bulk of Schlagle’s offensive touches this year, expect Webb to come close to duplicating Ruff’s performance a year ago – and maybe exceed it.
Wichita Northwest Offensive Line (Kuplen)
There's no question that the Northwest Grizzlies have gotten things going on offense over the last few seasons and they have continued that again in 2017. The offensive line has paved the way for 495 yards per game this season and 45 points per contest over the first three weeks. They have held the lead throughout each game this season outside of the final 15 seconds of the Bishop Carroll game where they lost in a 40-35 shootout.
The Grizzlies ground game has been the strength with 1,020 on the ground compared to the 465 through the air after three weeks. Northwest has scored 17 offensive touchdowns so far this season, 12 of which have come on the ground.
They will look to ride their junior running back Breece Hall who has 557 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season for an average of nine yards per carry. Fellow junior running back Roy Johnson has 290 rushing yards and is averaging over 10 yards per carry. As a unit, the offensive line has allowed the rushing attack for 7.5 yards per carry in 2017. We expect them to have another big game against Wichita West this week.
Week 3 Picks to Click results (scoring):
Easton Dean, QB, Labette County – Dean completed 15 of 25 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns in the Grizzlies’ 49-0 win over Osawatomie. (Maycock – 47 pts)
Brody Flaming, QB, Mill Valley – Flaming had a huge game in the Jaguars 51-26 win over Blue Valley Southwest. The senior quarterback passed for 410 yards, six touchdowns, and added 72 yards rushing and another score. (Clisso – 90 pts)
Micah Grover, QB, Cheney – Grover passed for 121 yards and a touchdown and added 55 rushing yards and two more scores in the Cardinals’ 47-7 win over Medicine Lodge. (Eldridge – 35 pts)
Will Herren, RB, Santa Fe Trail – Herren rushed 22 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns in the Chargers’ 36-22 win over Anderson County. For the season, Herren has rushed for 626 yards and 12 scores in three games. (Kuplen – 43 pts)
Braden Howell, QB, Bishop Carroll – Howell passed for 224 yards and three touchdowns in Bishop Carroll’s 45-14 win over Wichita West. He also rushed for 11 yards on three attempts. (Baetz – 41 pts)
Connor Jeffers, QB, Burlington – Jeffers rushed for 51 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 40-26 win over Prairie View. He also passed for 150 yards in the win. (Gilmore – 38 pts)
Parker Roth, RB, Hesston – Roth rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns and had a 25-yard reception in the Swathers’ 56-35 shootout win over Larned. (Nicholl – 24 pts)
Blake Sullivan, QB, Goddard – Sullivan scored the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute to go to lift Goddard to a 21-17 win over Andover. The senior quarterback passed for 191 yards and rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the game. (Schremmer – 40 pts)
Standings for the 2017 season through Week 3:
1. Mark Schremmer, Kpreps.com 147 points
2. Taylor Eldridge, Wichita Eagle-Varsity Kansas 138 points
3. Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital Journal 130 points
4. Chet Kuplen, Kansas-Sports.com & @sportsinkansas 122 points
5. Dion Clisso, PrepsKC.com 111 points
6. Conor Nicholl, Kpreps 99 points
7. John Baetz, Kansas Pregame Magazine 98 points
8. Matt Gilmore, Kpreps.com 88 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
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