6-Man Top 6: Drew Schields

In early January, Kansas Pregame contacted 6-Man football coaches in an effort to name a first ever Top 6 team of seniors in Kansas. The results are in and here are the Top 6 players in Kansas as voted on by the coaches. 

This is the fourth of six individual player profiles highlighting the Top 6 selections released in no particular order:

Drew Schields, WR/DL, 6-2, 200, Cheylin, Sr. 

Some athletes have an indescribable and uncoachable knack for being in the right place and making the right play on a consistent basis. Often referred to as a “nose for the ball” or “instinct,” by all accounts, Cheylin senior Drew Schields is a perfect example of just such an instinctual player.

The 6-2, 200 pound senior leader is an excellent combination of size and strength, but there is more to his game than just physical ability. Cheylin head coach Chris Walden is the first to extol Schields’ intangibles.

“He is one of those types of players that when we need a big play on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, he is always in the right spot to make that play,” Walden said. “I knew that if Colton (McCarty) was getting stopped or shut down in a game, I could always call his number and he would deliver a big play for us.”

In addition to his skill as a player, Walden also credited Schields for his leadership on the field.

“This year we had several younger players on the team that stepped into more important roles on both sides of the ball,” Walden said. “Drew was essentially an extra coach out on the field, he would routinely answer the younger guy's questions, or tell them where they needed to be at or what to do in certain situations. This was one of his most valuable assets.” 

Schields put his talents on display when counted most, in state championship games during his junior and senior seasons. A 52-6 loss to Moscow in 2019, and a 46-0 revenge game against the Wildcats that saw the Cougars hoist the Wild West Bowl trophy last fall.

“Two of his biggest games for us, on both sides of the ball, were down in Dodge City his junior and senior year,” Walden said. “Even though the scoreboard didn't reflect that his junior year, he was just about the only bright spot that we had in what was a very ugly game on our part. The IQ that he has when it comes to situational awareness on the field is unbelievable for a high school player. That, in my opinion, was what made his impact so greatly felt.”

During the finals matchup his junior season, Schields scored the Cougars’ lone touchdown in the game with a 42-yard touchdown reception and also recorded five tackles in the loss.

In the Wild West Bowl championship game last fall, with Sports in Kansas 6-Man Offensive Player of the Year Colton McCarty banged-up, Schields went to work, catching nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, while providing a consistent presence on the defensive side of the ball, again recording five tackles.

Schields had a productive senior year offensively catching 26 passes for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns with another 154 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushing carries. Schields holds the school career record for receiving yards and receptions with 1,681 yards and 113 grabs, as well as single season school records in the same categories with 645 yards and 55 receptions during his junior season.

Schields' numbers become even more impressive given the offensive scheme that coach Walden utilizes. His ground and pound concept has a similar philosophy to legendary Smith Center coach Roger Barta's, who Walden quoted, "When you throw the ball there are three outcomes, and two of them are bad!"

When Walden did call for a pass, Schields usually found a way to reel it in.

“If the ball was passed anywhere that he could get even a couple fingers on the ball, he would catch it,” Walden said of Schields. “Looking back, I am not sure if I can remember him dropping more than five passes his entire high school career. The way he plays reminds me a lot of the Arizona Cardinal great Larry Fitzgerald. Very rarely is he the most athletic or gifted player on the field, but if the ball comes close to him, it is going to get caught.”

On the other side of the ball, Schields may have been even better. During his senior season he recorded 45 total tackles, eight tackles for a loss, seven sacks, a Pick 6, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. 

“Defensively he was our MVP for the last three years,” Walden said. “We found that in most games, people would worry so much about Colton (McCarty) that Drew could step up and make big plays all game. This year, more than the rest, we were playing with the lead in most games, which forced other teams to have to try and throw the ball. Drew would always find himself in the backfield with the opposing QB, if he wasn't recording a sack, he was intercepting or deflecting the pass as they threw it or, causing the QB to scramble and make a bad throw. We had a total of 18 interceptions this year as a team, and I would say at least 10 of those were caused by Drew pressuring the opposing QB and making him throw a bad pass.”  

The talented receiver and defensive lineman was named Kpreps.com 6-Man All-State during his junior and senior seasons at both positions, was voted to play in the 6-Man All-Star game, and is a member of the first ever Kansas Pregame 6-man Top 6 list.

Post-graduation Schields plans to hang up the cleats and attend Kansas State University where he will major in Business. 

When asked about the exclamation point this season had on a great career he simply responded “blessed, thankful”.