CLASS 5A 2024 State champion: St. Thomas Aquinas; 2024 State runner-up: Hays

BY KSHSAA COVERED

While Mill Valley entered last season as the favorite in 5A – a distinction earned by entering the 2024 campaign on a streak of five straight state championships – nobody was sleeping on St. Thomas Aquinas, which returned to Class 5A after spending 2022 and 2023 in Class 4A, capturing the state championship in 2023. The two seemed on a collision course that couldn’t end in the state championship with both in the East bracket and when that collision occurred, it was epic. Aquinas went into their 5A quarterfinal clash undefeated while Mill Valley’s only loss came to Lee’s Summit North (Mo.). 

Mill Valley had ended Aquinas’ season three straight years prior to the Saints dropping to 4A and positioned itself to maintain the upper hand, taking a 22-15 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the quarterfinal game. But with the Saints needing a miracle, facing fourth-and-16 in the closing minutes, they got one. Calin Arndt’s desperation pass was knocked down by Mill Valley, but right into the hands of Saint Will Callahan, who snagged it for a first down. Arndt scored a handful of plays later and after initially lining up for the game-tying PAT, the Saints went for two after an offsides call on the Jaguars and Arndt cashed in, giving Aquinas the 23-22 win. 

Aquinas capped an undefeated season by handling Hays 35-13 in the championship game. Hays was making its first-ever appearance in a state championship game as the Indians continued their rise as a 5A power under Tony Crough. After starting the season 1-2 and sitting 4-4 going into the playoffs, Hays got hot and knocked off Western Athletic Conference rival and unbeaten Great Bend 19-14 in the second round after losing 21-0 to the Panthers three weeks earlier. The Indians finished 8-5 after falling to Aquinas in the title game.

 
Fresh off capturing the Class 4A state championship in 2023, St. Thomas Aquinas returned to Class 5A where it had previously won a state championship in 2018. That came before Mill Valley’s run of five straight titles and it became quickly evident that those two programs were on a collision course last year. They met in the quarterfinals and Aquinas pulled off a somewhat miraculous 23-22 victory with Calin Arndt scoring on a two-point conversion run for the winner. Aquinas cruised from there, capping a 13-0 season with a 35-13 win over Hays in the title game. Arndt had a huge year, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and he’ll be back again this year to be the workhorse for the Saints offense. Speaking of horses, Aquinas has a bonafide thoroughbred in offensive lineman Stephen Carroll, who joined Arndt as an All-State Top 11 selection last year after anchoring Aquinas’ dominating offensive line. He’s one of four returners up front as the Saints’ vaunted ground game is in great position to be a force once again, even with the loss of versatile weapon Elzie Slaughter. The defense has more holes, losing All-5A end Cru Huenfeld and linebacker Andrew Ham, among others, but five starters led by linemen K’lyn Curtis and Zion Thornton are back. 

Aquinas and Mill Valley are likely headed for another showdown again this year.

If not for an answered Hail Mary completion on a busted play, Mill Valley very well could enter this season riding a streak of six straight state championships. But that play in the state quarterfinals by St. Thomas Aquinas helped end the Jaguars state-title run at five straight as the Saints took a 23-22 victory and ended Mill Valley’s season. This year, Mill Valley gets to play the hunter for the first time in a while and they’ve got the weapons to hit their target and get that title back. Without question, two-time All-State Top 11 defensive end Jayden Woods will be missed, along with seven starters on last year’s offense. But the cupboard is far from bare. Senior tailback Reggie Reece ran for 1,948 yards and 25 touchdowns last year and is one of the top backs in the state this year. He’s got Kansas State commit Lamarcus Barber up front to clear a path, though he’s the only returning starter on the offensive line. Blake Jay was an All-5A pick in the defensive secondary and is the leading returning receiver as well. Even in losing Woods, eight starters are back on defense and that unit can carry the Jaguars back to the title game.

Great Bend was cruising along and looking every bit the team capable of representing the West in the 5A title game, motoring through the regular season undefeated, winning both blowouts and tight games. But after blanking Hays 21-0 in Week 7, the Panthers saw the Indians turn the tables and pull off a 19-14 upset in a rain-drenched second playoff showdown, cutting Great Bend’s playoff run extremely short. That should serve as plenty of motivation for the Panthers, who return eight starters on offense and nine on defense. 

Great Bend boasts arguably the top player in the state in wide receiver/safety Ian Premer, who has committed to Notre Dame. The Panthers have another budding prospect in wide receiver/safety Cooper Ohnmacht, who already has Division I looks. Daxton Minton returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,300 yards and Five of last year’s top six tacklers return on defense, led by Trenton Kern, the WAC defensive MVP who also starts on the offensive line. Expectations are high for the Panthers, who also felt the sting of getting upset to start the basketball playoffs last March.

Hays has been on a steady rise as a power in 5A under Tony Crough and last year took things to yet another level. After setting a school record with 10 wins in 2022, the Indians enjoyed a program first last year by reaching the 5A state championship game for the first time in program history. Hays went into the postseason just 4-4 with three losses to teams that were undefeated in the regular season, but once the playoffs hit the Indians found their groove, upsetting unbeaten Great Bend after losing 21-0 to the Panthers three weeks earlier. They then took down Hutchinson and Eisenhower to make the finals where the breakthrough season ended with a 35-13 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. Crough thinks this team could be even better despite having to replace leading tackler Dalton Meyers. Eight starters return on that side of the ball and eight return on offense as well. Hays has one of the top linemen in the state in junior center Gus Corsair, who has multiple Division I offers already, and also has a top-notch tailback in Holden Lind, who ran for 1,800 yards last year. The schedule is still daunting with non-league games against ranked 6A foes Derby (opener) and Manhattan, but Hays still should be a factor for the title in 5A this season.

The record is always deceiving when it comes to St. James Academy, which twice won Class 4A state titles after going into the playoffs each of those seasons at 4-4. Last year, the Thunder started the season 1-4 and hit the playoffs with a 3-5 mark before winning three straight to reach the state semifinals where a 6-6 season closed with a loss to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas. The Thunder only return three starters on each side of the ball this year, graduating 32 seniors off last year’s team. The offense will get a boost with the addition of transfer tailback Jake House, son of Chiefs assistant coach Matt House. The defense will be led by returning all-league lineman Andrew Maurer.

 Moving up to Class 5A a year ago, Basehor-Linwood didn’t see much else change as the Bobcats continued their winning ways, going 8-2. They started the season 6-0 before falling to Seaman and then ended the season in the second round of the playoffs with a loss to nemesis St. James Academy, which also moved up from 4A last year. While the ground game must be rebuilt, the passing game is in good shape with the return of quarterback Carson Dixon (1,828 yards, 22 TDs) and receivers Nash Morrison (551 yards, 9 TDs) and All-United Kansas Conference tight end Roman Miller. Basehor lost defensive leader Garrett Pierce, but returns all-league performers at each level led by defensive back Nate Martin. Kicker Colin Zimbelman is a major weapon as well and connected on five field goals last year.

Blue Valley was 6-3 last year with one of those losses coming in the playoff opener against St. James Academy, whom the Tigers had beaten earlier in the season. The Tigers must replace several key pieces off last year’s defense, including the Eastern Kansas League defensive MVP in Maguire Richman. Only a handful of starters return overall, but the Tigers always seem to be in the mix whether they’re in 6A or 5A.

It took some time, but Gene Wier’s presence finally made a splash last year at Blue Valley North. The Mustangs labored through the rigors of the tough Eastern Kansas League and went into the postseason just 1-7. But they knocked off one-loss De Soto in the playoff opener and then beat Leavenworth before the run ended with a quarterfinal loss to St. James Academy. The Mustangs should be better equipped to hit the ground running this season despite losing several key players to graduation, including standout tailback Frankie Tryban.

De Soto has posted 10 straight winning seasons under Brian King, including winning at least seven games in eight of those 10 seasons. Last year, the Wildcats were stunned in the playoff opener by one-win Blue Valley North, abruptly ending a 7-2 season. Replacing a stellar senior class that included Iowa State signee Charlie Woleben and All-5A running back Jayden Lang will be a challenge and only four starters are back on offense and five on defense. But the Wildcats were enthused by their summer workouts and will lean on a defense that features standout wrestler Emerson Tjaden and returning all-leaguer Angel Rivera at linebacker and a healthy Ryan Seck at defensive end after he missed the early part of last season with a broken leg.

For the past two seasons, Eisenhower has come within a play of two of reaching the state championship game for the first time in program history, falling in the 2023 semifinals 42-39 to Kapaun Mt. Carmel and then 24-14 to Hays in last year’s semifinals. The Tigers have gone a combined 19-5 the past two seasons to emerge as a power in 5A west. To stay there this year, they’ll have to replace seven starters on each side of the ball. The offense will have almost an entirely new look with the graduation of All-State Top 11 receiver Carter Pabst, who rewrote some state records with 1,655 yards and 29 TDs last year, as well as multi-year starting quarterback Derek Morgan. Eisenhower may lean a little more on the ground game early this year as their replacements ease into their jobs, a task made easier with the return of 1,200-yard rusher Brayden Pappas. Leading tackler Julian Gallegos returns to lead the Tigers defense and will team with fellow senior Jackson Reed to give the Tigers a strong linebacker duo to build around.

The potential Goddard had last season was shown in a 22-16 win over an Andover Central team that went on to capture the Class 4A state title. The Lions couldn’t bottle that formula all season and finished 6-3, falling 7-6 in the playoff opener to Valley Center. Seven starters are back on each side of the ball and the Lions have their largest senior class since the district split with Eisenhower. The offense will get a makeover this year, going back to the gun spread option of the past. Defensively, all-league linebackers Gage Koenigs and Elliot Walk are back to be the backbone.

Despite a young offensive line and the loss of quarterback Robert Hunter to transfer, Hutchinson still responded with a solid 8-3 season that ended with a playoff loss to a red-hot Hays team. The good news is this year, those linemen – four of five starters return – are veteran and Hunter has transferred back to give the offense a jolt it will need after losing All-5A back Kade Smith, who ran for nearly 1,900 yards last year. Seven starters are back overall on offense and five return on defense, though the loss of Terrell King, who was a jack-of-all trades, will be a big hole to fill.

After winning just five games the previous two years combined, Leavenworth posted a 6-4 mark and reached the second round of the playoffs. The Pioneers return a dynamic playmaker in DyVair McCray, who shines in all three phases. If some other pieces can emerge around him, Leavenworth could build on last year’s success.

Liberal went 7-3 last but will have a new look with Trevor Powers taking over as head coach for the departed Bryan Luetters. The Redskins lost All-5A linemen Hudson Rice and Tyren Holmes and leading rusher Xavier Porras, but return standout receiver James Fieser (783 yards, 9 TDs) among five starters on offense and six on defense.

The high-flying passing game that Maize South has boasted for the past several seasons will have a different look to it this year with the graduation of quarterback Tate McNew and receiver Landon Gatto. That duo helped the Mavericks to a 6-4 mark last year as they averaged 35.6 points per game. South may lean on its defense early this season, especially with end Hunter Higgins, a Kansas commit, back to lead that group.

Pittsburg went 7-3 last year and put up a strong fight against eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas in the playoffs, falling 28-14. The Purple Dragons return 10 players who started at some point last year led by linebacker De’Marus Partee. 

Last year’s United Kansas Conference champion, Seaman will have a new look on offense this year after graduating the key components of last year’s potent passing attack that led the Vikings to an 8-3 mark. Gone are quarterback Max Huston (3,311 total yards) and receiver Bryer Finley (1,556 yards, 21 TDs), who each won offensive MVP honors in the league the past two years and were first-team All-5A last year. Leading rusher Kaden McKinney (977 yards, 15 total TDs) returns for the Vikings to lean on early. Leading tackler Cameron Brian (112 tackles) is back to lead the defense.

Spring Hill went 8-2 last year but will have almost an entirely different look about the program. Jason Feeback has left for his alma mater, Belton (Mo.) and in his place comes Fred Bouchard, an accomplished coach in Missouri during his career with more than 250 career victories. He’ll inherit a team that was senior heavy last year so he’ll put his stamp on things in a hurry. Senior quarterback Jordan Miller returns after throwing for 1,090 yards and is one of six starters back on offense, though leading rusher Patrick Stumpff leaves a big hole after graduating. Junior defensive end Brooks Bayer is a rising prospect and was first-team all-league last year.