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24th Annual HDN Super 11 Capsules
Ted Crabtree QB/FS, 6-2, 185, Sr.
St. Francis
St. Francis coach Tim Lambert said Ted Crabtree is just about the best quarterback he's ever had at running the wishbone.
But if the Indians had employed a passing attack, Lambert's senior QB would have thrown for a bushel of yards, too.
"He's got a heckuva arm," Lambert said of Crabtree. "If he was in a different system, he would throw for 1,500 yards, that type of athlete."
But the Sainty wishbone was in good hands with Crabtree at the controls.
"He's as good as we ever had," Lambert said.
Lambert compares Crabtree to former Indian standout Andy Poling, who graduated in 1996 and went on to play quarterback at national power Pittsburg State University.
"I think only one kid I coached was better than Ted, that was Andy Poling, who started four years at Pitt State," Lambert said.
But Crabtree was plenty good running the 'bone. Crabtree led St. Francis in rushing, with 1,778 yards on 168 carries, and ran for 20 touchdowns. Crabtree was the only player to rush for more than 100 yards against state champion Smith Center. Crabtree threw for 262 yards and five touchdowns, completing 18-of-43 passes.
"He has some physical qualities other people don't have," Lambert said. "That helps."
Crabtree also led Sainty with a school record 12 interceptions. He returned two picks for scores, including one for 100 yards.
Crabtree is being recruited by Kansas junior colleges and small four-year schools.
Jason Crawford
QB/DB, 5-11, 180, Sr.
Natoma
Traditionally eight-man football is about running the ball and occasionally pulling out the passing attack for a big play.
Natoma's Jason Crawford was able to make the big play time and time again, and did it through the air. That didn't mean the senior quarterback couldn't move the ball with his feet as well.
For the 7-3 Tigers, Crawford was responsible for 3,011 total yards with 1,869 of that coming in the passing game. He threw for 32 touchdowns and ran for 15 more scores, leading the Tigers to a first-round exit in the Eight-Man Division II playoffs.
"He was a very important part of our team," said Natoma coach Ben Labertew. "He was the kind of player that made our offense go --¬ very athletic with great instincts on the field."
Crawford not only made it happen through the air (139 completions in 240 attempts), but also got it going in the ground game, where he finished with 109 carries for 1,142 yards. His numbers were boosted in Natoma's 84-82 thriller over Logan in the final game of the regular season.
He was a first-team selection in the Twin Lakes League at quarterback.
"Things just kind of came to him. He is very intelligent and could work on the fly," Labertew said. "We put the ball in his hands and he would just take it and go with it -- really made things happen."
Crawford also returned 21 kickoffs for 485 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 78 tackles and three interceptions from his defensive back position.
"You don't often see that kind of arm in the smaller schools. He has a lot of touch and he's been so fun to work with," Labertew said. "He can do so many things and is so tough that one person probably isn't going to replace him. Several will have to step up."
Taylor Elder
RB/LB, 5-11, 180, Sr.
Sharon Springs
Taylor Elder didn't put up the numbers he did a year ago.
But he was just as dangerous.
An effective passing attack meant Elder didn't have to run the ball as much this season. Last year, Elder rushed for 1,944 yards and scored 46 touchdowns as Sharon Springs relied on his running.
But senior quarterback Jeff Hennick improved his passing this year, and Elder didn't have as many carries. Still, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior made the most of his touches, both on offense and as a kick returner as Sharon Springs won the Eight-Man II state title.
Elder rushed for 1,466 yards and 33 touchdowns this season, averaging 9.7 yards per carry.
"Taylor didn't have to carry the load near as much this year," Wildcat coach Kevin Ayers said of Elder, a two-time Super 11 honoree. "Just took a lot of pressure off him."
But when he was needed, Elder responded. In one playoff game, Elder carried the ball just five times in a blowout win, but scored on each carry.
"Statistically, he wasn't as good, but he was a lot better player this year, understanding the offense," Ayers said.
What separates the Wildcats' standout running back and linebacker from other players is his desire, Ayers said.
"He's a special player, has a lot of athletic ability," Ayers said. "He gets everything out of the ability he's given.
"He's competitive, has the strongest will to win," Ayers added.
State junior colleges and small four-year schools are recruiting Elder.
Brayton Gillen
OL/LB, 5-10, 217, Sr.
Smith Center
Brayton Gillen had a routine every day throughout the summer. He worked in his father's carpentry shop during the day and then headed to Smith Center's weight room for 7 p.m. lifting sessions, Monday through Friday. With the rest of the team, Gillen lifted and conditioned through a series of sprints and agility drills.
He upped his bench press to 325 pounds and his squat to 450 pounds, numbers that set the foundation for another strong football season.
"It was very important," Gillen said of the summer. "Everyone's goal was to win the fourth straight state title."
The workouts helped Gillen, a captain, anchor the Smith Center offensive line as a guard and the Redmen defense from his middle linebacker position.
Offensively, Gillen's blocks helped Smith Center, which lost two of their three starting running backs to injury, score 844 points en route to its fourth straight state title.
Smith Center's wishbone offense, helped by blocks that senior running back Braden Wilson called "five yards wide at times" average 428.8 rushing yards per game.
"He is so smart and so fundamental. He can move anyone," senior quarterback Joe Windscheffel said.
Defensively, the 5-foot-10, 217-pound Gillen paced the Redmen with 114 total tackles and helped Smith Center produce 11 straight shutouts to open the season. They nearly became the fourth team in high school football history to record 13 straight shutouts, according to the National Federation of High School Associations.
"At first, we didn't think too much of it, but as the season went on and we started to hear more and more about it, we kind of took pride in it," Gillen said.
Smith Center eventually allowed six points to St. Francis in the state semifinal and 14 more against Pittsburg-Colgan in the championship game. However, the year still ended with a state title - and made those summer workouts worth every minute.
Daniel Gottschalk
WR/DB/K, 5-11, 165, Sr.
Ellis
When the Ellis prep football team needed a big play, first-year coach Butch Hayes knew he could turn to Daniel Gottschalk. Plus, it didn't matter where they needed it.
Gottschalk, the 5-foot-11 senior wide receiver/kicker/defensive back was all over the field and was a big factor in the Railers' trip to the Class 2-1A playoffs and 8-3 record.
"He did an outstanding job for us on both sides of the ball,"¬ Hayes said of Gottschalk. "When there was a point in the game where we needed a big reception or a big defensive play he was there to make it."
Gottschalk finished the season with 33 catches for 529 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense and accumulated 54 tackles as a cornerback on defense. That number included nine tackles for loss to go along with one fumble recovery and three forced. He also had two interceptions.
"He was a great leader on this team and played with a lot of passion, and has a great work ethic," Hayes said. "He is someone that our younger kids could look up to."
Not only were Gottschalk's numbers good enough to earn him a first-team spot in the Mid-Continent League as a receiver and defensive back, but serving as the team's place kicker and punter, Gottschalk was a four-time first-team selection in the MCL this season.
Gottschalk punted the ball 37 times this season for the Railers, averaging 34.2 yards per kick. He had 50 kickoffs with nine touchbacks and was also 14-for-22 on point after attempts.
Jeff Hennick QB/FS, 6-2, 165, Sr.
Sharon Springs
Hard work paid off for Jeff Hennick and the Sharon Springs prep football team.
Hennick improved his passing in the offseason, and the result was an offense that could either run or throw the ball.
That balance offensively helped the Wildcats claim their first state title since 1991, winning the Eight-Man II crown this fall.
Hennick threw for 1,324 yards, with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.
"A lot of it, Jeff went to a couple throwing camps, it made a tremendous difference," Sharon Springs coach Kevin Ayers said. "Just time spent in the mechanics of throwing, different steps we do in our offense."
Hennick's ability to hit receivers made it easier on senior standout running back Taylor Elder.
"It was huge," Ayers said. "We threw the ball a lot more than I ever have.
"We were able to use a lot more different weapons," Ayers added.
Hennick also was a threat running the ball.
"He's a nice runner, too," Ayers said. "From a defensive standpoint, just one of those things tough to scheme against."
Hennick also was a force on defense, making 95 tackles.
"Solid," Ayers said of his senior safety, a 6-foot-2, 165-pounder. "He's a hitter back there, that type of leader you want."
Hennick is being recruited by Kansas junior colleges and smaller four-year schools.
Ethan Kuhlmann
QB/LB/P, 6-4, 235, Sr.
Kensington
The last two seasons, both of which Ethan Kuhlmann was a starter for the Goldbugs, the 6-foot-4, 235 pound quarterback has had standout teammates help carry the load for the Goldbugs.
With the graduation of Grant Levin, who played this season at Butler County Community College, Kuhlmann took it up on himself to keep the bar at the same level, putting up solid numbers in leading Kensington to a 7-2 record through a tough Eight-Man Division I district. Its only two losses came to both teams which made it out of the district -- Clifton Clyde and Beloit-St. John's.
Before losing two out of its last three games, Kensington was 6-0 behind Kuhlmann's leadership.
The four-year starter and two-year captain for the Goldbugs carried the ball 141 times for 1,178 yards and reached the end zone 16 times. He also threw for 537 yards and 10 scores. While he was an offensive threat, opponents might have been more fearful of Kuhlmann's defensive ability. From his linebacker spot, he had 86 solo tackles and 38 assists. He forced six fumbles and had 41âÑ2 sacks.
Three times this season the Goldbugs gave up just six points and gave up only 12 in two other contests.
Marshall Musil
RB/DE, 6-3, 215, Jr.
La Crosse
Already being recruited by several NCAA Division I and Div. II programs, Marshall Musil's senior year should be an interesting one with the La Crosse Leopards.
His junior season wasn't too shabby, either.
Musil played an integral part in La Crosse's 10-1 record and was an all-around key player on both sides of the football.
"Marshall was a kid that each week was one of the best if not the best on the field,"¬ Leopard coach Ryan Cornelsen said. "He is a very talented young man with good size and a great mind for the game."
Musil had a hand in nearly every aspect of the Leopards' offense, running for 745 yards on 87 carries (8.6 yards per carry), and catching 13 balls for 283 yards (21.7 yards per catch). He reached the end zone 17 times, helping the Leopards to their second-round exit from the 2-1A playoffs.
"A lot of the stuff we did in the passing game and in the running game revolved around what he could do for us," Cornelsen said. "At 6-2, 220 and as agile as he is, we had to put the ball in his hands."
As a defensive end, Musil had 51 tackles and earned a first-team defense spot in the Central Prairie League. He also was a first-team selection at running back.
"In the big games, the playoff games, we felt like we had to give him the ball to give us a chance to win,"¬ Cornelsen said.
Aaron Racette
RB/DE, 6-2, 225, Sr.
Oakley
It's hard to mention Aaron Racette's name without including counterpart Kelly Younkin. The two were a force to be reckoned with this season for teams up against the 11-1 Oakley Plainsmen.
Because of the position played, Racette's numbers tend to stick out a bit more and earned him a repeat selection on the HDN Super 11.
At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Racette again put up incredible offensive statistics and was dominant against teams from his defensive end position. The defending 215-pound Class 3-2-1-A state wrestling champion finished the 2007 football season with 81 tackles and rushed for 1,837 yards on the other side of the ball on 225 carries. He also reached the end zone 19 times as the Plainsmen once again fell a couple games short of the state title game with just one loss.
"Aaron was a leader by example. He doesn't talk much, he just shows his leadership with his actions," said Oakley coach Randall Rath. "He is so coachable and did whatever it took to make the team better."
Racette was part of a senior class that had lost just five games in four years under Rath. His efforts this year earned him a first-team all Class 2-1A selection on defense, and first-team unanimous selection on both sides of the ball in the Northwest Kansas League.
"He's just such a dedicated kid and has been for four years in this program," Rath said of Racette. "He's a hard worker in the weight room and it shows in everything he does."
Oakley's season ended with a 56-0 loss in the 2-1A playoffs to four-time state champion Smith Center. It was the fourth time in Racette's four years the Plainsmen were ousted deep in the playoffs.
Braden Wilson
RB/DE, 6-5, 220, Sr.
Smith Center
Braden Wilson, a senior halfback/defensive end, had two team goals for the Redmen this season.
"We wanted to score every possession and defensively it was not to get scored on," Wilson said.
That nearly happened. The Redmen, 13-0 and the 2-1A state champions for the fourth straight season, punted once all year and had games where they scored every time they had the ball. They scored 844 points this season, including at least 50 in their first 11 games.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Wilson, the only healthy halfback for the entire year, led the Redmen in carries (112), yards (1,807) and touchdowns (22). He was the only Redmen player who averaged more than 100 yards a game in the wishbone offense. His 65 total tackles helped the Redmen shut out their first 11 teams and allow just 20 points all year.
Wilson, though, realized the numbers meant nothing if Smith Center didn't win the state title and extend its winning streak to 54 games.
"We knew we had to come on top again," he said. "We were all thinking just about winning. It doesn't matter if you have the game of your life and your team loses."
The senior saved his top performance for his last contest. In the 40-14 state championship win against Pittsburg/St. Mary's-Colgan, Wilson - who rarely played a full game because of blowouts - collected 24 carries for a game-high 225 yards and three touchdowns.
"That was my best game," he said. "I had a lot more carries than I had in previous games. It was the last game we were going to play as a group of Redmen and I wanted to leave everything on the field and work that much harder."
Joe Windscheffel
QB/DB, 6-2, 210, Sr.
Smith Center
Smith Center quarterback/safety Joe Windscheffel received a simple message from the coaches before the season started: This is your team.Windscheffel, a captain and a three-year starter, understood.
"The biggest thing was being a comfortable leader," he said. "Sophomore year I was kind of nervous, a little shaky, didn't really know (everything). Last year, as a junior, I felt more comfortable, but didn't really have the guts to change a play that Coach gave me."
Windscheffel, helped by former Redmen quarterback Doug Doucher in preseason workouts, rushed for 600 yards and finished with 12 total touchdowns.
He led the Smith Center juggernaut to 844 points in 13 games, including a national high school record 72 points in the first quarter against Plainville. The Redmen scored at least 40 points in every game.
"I felt comfortable with making changes at the line," Windscheffel said. "I would have to say my leadership skills improved a lot this year."
That included piloting a defense that shut out their first 11 opponents. Smith Center allowed 20 points all year and opponents averaged fewer than two yards per rushing attempt.
"Our defensive coordinator just left the coverage up to me most of the time," Windscheffel said.
