Kansas Pregame 8-Man Top 8: Xander Newberry

Kansas Pregame polled 8-Man coaches earlier this month who voted for the top four seniors they coached against this season. Kansas Pregame staffers then used those votes to develop a Top 8 list of seniors for each division. Kansas Pregame will provide features for each of the 16 Top 8 selections. Check out the first of those profiles below:

Xander Newberry, QB/LB, 6-2, 175, Attica/Argonia, 8-Man Division I

Attica/Argonia quarterback and linebacker Xander Newberry was among the best all-around football players in 8-Man this season.

The senior helped lead the Titans to an 8-2 record and playoff win, before they were knocked out in the second round in a 58-56 heartbreaker to La Crosse. 

A&A dominated their wins during the season, winning each by multiple scores with both losses ending in one possession games.

“I think that our season definitely could’ve gone a bit different, losing to La Crosse (in the) Regional round by a game winner, but we did everything we could all season, working as hard as we possibly can everyday in practice, and prepared for big moments," Newberry said. "My coaches did a great job in putting us where we needed to be, and none of us were ever satisfied enough because we didn’t want to just be an average team.”

Argonia and Attica’s football cooperative includes a unique coaching arrangement, with Luke Greenwood handling offensive operations and Carey McFann the defense, with both holding the title of Co-Head Coach.

In Greenwood’s offense, the lefty signal caller flourished as a senior, completing 65 of 98 passes for 1,241 yards and 23 touchdowns, while adding 818 rushing yards and 20 more scores.

Newberry has an uncanny ability to keep plays alive with his feet, while not losing sight of receivers down the field, and often creates big plays out of what seems hopeless.

“Xander is a very smart football player and he understands the game of football,” coach Greenwood said. “He is also very tough and competitive, so he was always trying to make a play, he also has a short memory and never gets down, his confidence is unwavering.  He is a true dual-threat quarterback.”

As is often true with top-notch quarterbacks, Newberry’s impact goes beyond what he does on the field.

“Xander was the unquestioned leader on the offensive side of the ball,” Greenwood said. “He also set the tone in practice, he had a great attitude and came to compete day in and day out. He was the guy you always knew you could count on these last couple of years to bring his best everyday. I feel like he helped to elevate the players around him as well.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Newberry is most often listed as a linebacker, but was known for his versatility..

“Defensively we moved him around throughout his career,” Greenwood said. “He played all three levels of our defense and had a knack for making plays. His football IQ is very high so when he was on defense, he often found himself in the right place at the right time.”

Newberry finished his senior year with 29 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, and three pass deflections.

Newberry’s career on the football field has likely come to an end, with different goals taking up the all-state quarterback’s focus, but not before he wraps up his basketball and track seasons for Attica, where he also excels..

“My plan for next year academically is to study exercise science and hopefully go into physical therapy school,” Newberry said. “Unfortunately, I feel the need to stay on path with schooling so in that manner, I probably won’t continue my athletic career after high school.”

*Editor's Note: Kansas Pregame has opted to include only seniors in our Top 8 list in an effort to reward them for their success in high school. This year, especially in Division II, there were a number of top players who were juniors. Axtell's Isaac Detweiler, Wheatland-Grinnell's Jett Vincent and Thunder Ridge's Dylan Bice are just a few of those likely among the Top 8 players in the classification. Fortunately, multiple other outlets have recognized those athletes for their contributions this season and Kansas Pregame will consider each of them for feature coverage in our 2022 Football Preview along with the many other top returning players from across the state.