High school football season kicks off in south KC

Center Yellowjackets flex 2-0 record in young season

The Yellowjackets are off to a hot start this season, sporting a 2-0 record out of the gate.

Center looks like a well-oiled machine, outscoring their opponents 68-26. The offense is cooking, most notably on the ground. They’ve pounded teams into submission with 511 rushing yards in just two games.

“We have five older offensive linemen that have really put in the work to grasp the new playbook and really become a cohesive unit,” said head coach Adam Nichols, who’s in his first season as Head Coach for the Yellowjackets. “Whoever is carrying the ball behind them has been successful so far.”

Center’s quarterback Justin McClair Jr. is a Swiss-army knife and the engine behind Center’s balanced attack. He has 3 touchdown passes and a 69% completion rate. He can also do damage on the ground with 121 rushing yards and a rushing score.

“If he can’t throw the ball, they’re gonna pack the box, and it’s going to be really hard to run,” said Nichols. “So his ability to run, throw, and move around a little bit lets us empty the box with different formations. We’ve given him the reins, and he’s taken it by storm.”

Center is also led by senior running back Larry Clayton, who Nichols went out of his way to praise as someone he wants all his players to emulate. He leads the team with 91 rushing yards per game. Junior tight end and linebacker Izzy Johnigan leads the way in receiving, with senior wide receiver Ryland Russel as a strong complement.

Defensively, they look to senior linebacker Augie Banion to provide leadership. They run a 3-4 defensive scheme that lets their outside linebackers roam and make plays.

With a 2-0 start, the Center Yellowjackets will aim their sights on a conference championship, but first they’ll need to take care of business against Clinton on September 11.

Rockhurst Hawklets improving following St. Pius loss: ‘We need to get better’

After a difficult loss to start the season against St. Pius, Rockhurst handled the No. 1 team Kansas had to offer, according to MaxPreps.com.

The Hawklets beat the Manhattan Indians 32-28 in a back-and-forth game on the road.

Rockhurst got back on track and avoided the dreaded 0-2 start. Ranked the 8th-best team in the state before the season, Rockhurst is trying to stay focused on being their best every week, according to head coach Kelly Donahoe 

“We have to continue working on ourselves,” Donahoe said. “We have a long way to go, and though there was a lot of hype around us, we need to get better. The preseason poll never means anything, and it’s rarely right. The only poll any team ever cares about is the last poll at the end of the season.”

Rockhurst will be leaning on returning senior quarterback Garrett Miller, senior running back Cash Lewandowski, and senior wide receiver Blake Thomas.

Defensively, junior free safety Tristan Johnson leads the way, but he also plays wide receiver and leads the team in receiving yards and scored a touchdown in their first game.

The Hawklets have a lot of players going both ways, which shows how talented their roster is and why expectations are high this season.

“We need to forget about all this top ranking stuff and just be the best that we can be,” said Donahoe. “We’ll keep working on that and try to keep guys healthy for the end of the season. I think we could be a really good football team.”

Ruskin Golden Eagles learn key lessons in first two games: ‘We hope to turn the page’

Ruskin head coach Tim Callaghan has a young football team this year, with many kids playing football for the first time. They suffered a crushing loss to Grain Valley 57-13 in week 1 and couldn’t keep up with Winnetonka last week in a 48-32 loss. While it’s not the start they were hoping for, Callaghan pointed out there are lessons to learn.

“Grain Valley was disciplined, and turning the ball over isn’t the way to win games for us,”  said Callaghan, who is in his fourth season at Ruskin High School. “We’re still learning the fundamentals and what certain guys can and can’t do. We hope to turn the page and move on.”

Coach Callaghan wants to lean on a downhill run game this season with three seniors leading the way on the offensive and defensive line. Dre Carter, Orlando Webb, and JJ Hardy anchor the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football for Ruskin. On defense, they run a 4-3 system that wants to be aggressive and attack.

Ruskin will look to improve on their 1-8 record from a season ago and grab their first win of the season against the Central Eagles. Central grabbed a win last week against Pleasant Hope, evening their record at 1-1.

If Ruskin wants to turn the tide, it will have to start with the run game and limiting turnovers. They’ll face a stout Central defense that has only given up 24 points through its first two games.

Coach Callaghan knows they have to be better at the fundamentals if they want to be the best version of themselves.

“We’ve got to take care of the ball and cut out mistakes if we want to win football games.”

Grandview Bulldogs are 1-1 ahead of game against Southeast

The Grandview Bulldogs have their work cut out for them, as they took a tough blow in a loss to Park Hill South last week, 61-20. It was a jarring defeat after a blowout win against Battle High School, 41-6, in week 1. They’re now 1-1 on the young season and will look to get back in the W column against a winless Southeast squad.

Grandview is led by its junior quarterback, C.J. Schwartz, who had a hot start in week 1 with 229 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also added 86 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. He didn’t find as much success against Park Hill South, completing only 47% of his passes, but he still threw for 3 touchdown passes.

When Schwartz drops back to pass, he normally keys on two sophomores, wide receivers Da’Mello Watson and London Dickerson. Watson paces the team with 8 catches, and Dickerson leads the team with 173 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.

Dickerson is a big play waiting to happen, evidenced by his 90-yard reception score against Battle.

On the ground, Grandview will lean on senior running back Rian Johnson to pace the running attack. He averages a healthy 5.1 yards per carry and has 1 rushing score on the young season. Defensively, Le’Andre Haynes leads the team in tackles and has 1 sack. The Grandview coaching staff could not be reached for comment, but they will have an opportunity to right their wrongs this week and get back on track.

Belton coach seeks to empower young men: ‘Wins take care of themselves’

The Pirates couldn’t keep up with the Raytown Bluejays and dropped to 0-2 after a 32-9 loss.

It’s a nightmare start for Belton, but they have to turn the page quickly if they want to turn their season around.

“We have young guys starting on defense,” said head coach Jason Feeback, who’s entering his third season at Belton. “We have a bunch of new players who are getting their first games under the lights. Every week we’re just trying to play the best football we can.”

Belton will need contributions from their senior captains: defensive back Michael Birch, linebacker Jamell Webb, offensive lineman Jax Brummett, and running back Eden Loza.

Coach Feeback stands out in his leadership and care for his team. He has a job to mold young men, and he takes it seriously. He wants to empower his players to take ownership of their football season and their lives as young men.

“Average teams are led by coaches,” Feeback said. “I think great teams have players that lead them. We have great potential leaders, and as we continue through the season, they’ll have to step up and find their voice. If you can build quality young men and do things right and add value to their lives, the wins take care of themselves.”

Belton will look to turn their season around against Raytown South, who evened their record at 1-1 against Lincoln College Prep last week.