KFBCA Top 11: Cayden Winter

The Kansas Football Coaches Association picked their All-State teams December 6th and 7th, including their Top 11. Kansas Pregame is providing capsules for each of the Top 11 selections. Check out Andale lineman Cayden Winter's capsule below and check back for more capsules throughout the week.

Cayden Winter, OG/DT, 6-1, 240, Andale, Sr.

Andale senior Cayden Winter exemplifies an old-school toughness on the football field. But this is not surprising given the squad Winter plays for. The Andale Indians have a well-earned reputation as a physical team, running much of their offense out of power formations and sustaining one of the most consistent defensive units in the state.

For Winter, getting into the right mindframe to play such a brand of football is a fairly straightforward process. 

“I enjoy playing physical football and you have to have a tough mindset to do it,” Winter said. “Before games I turn the music on in the locker room and start to zone in. I tell myself I'm the baddest dude on the field.”

Winter seemingly spoke his pregame ritual into reality. As a pulling guard, he was often utilized as the head of the spear on run plays, and the results were uber-effective. 

Although it is easy to be deceived by his powerfully stature, the 6-1 240 pound guard demonstrates the ability to go beyond the first level and continue blocking downfield with surprising speed and grace, along with his expected devastating force.

In considerable part due to Winter’s services, Andale found themselves back in the 3A State Title game at the end of the 2020 season, after winning it all in 2019. This season yielded another championship rematch with Perry-Lecompton and a 20-0 win gives the Indians a 55-7 advantage over the Kaws in last two 3A title games.

The back-to-back state champs had been stellar in the trenches all season and once in the playoffs they turned it up another notch and only allowed seven points throughout the five game sequence, including four straight shutouts to close out the year. The single touchdown the Indians sacrificed was in their first postseason matchup against Larned, a game they won 74-7.

After a senior season in which Winter recorded 57 tackles on defense and 98 pancakes on offense for a dominant championship squad, he was unsurprisingly named first team to multiple all-state lists on both sides of the ball, earned first team all-league at both positions, and received a number of other honors including a spot on the KFBCA Top 11 team.

“Cayden is a tremendous leader and a great football player. He is a lead by example guy but will also get in your face if you aren't doing things the right way,” Andale coach Dylan Schmidt said. “He was a three-year starter for us, captain, second in state as a wrestler and just a tough dude. Cayden could have played multiple positions for us but accepted the role as an offensive and defensive lineman because he was an unselfish player and valued a team first mentality.”

As mentioned by Coach Schmidt, Winter is also used to success on the wrestling mat coming off his runner-up finish in the 4A State Championship in the 220 pound weight class during the 2019 season. He is currently ranked first in the same class with aspirations for a spot up on the podium in this year’s state meet.

When asked about plans for post-graduation, Winters indicated he is taking his time and leaving his options open at the moment.

“I have two offers (to play football) right now from Bethel and Southwestern and I am talking to some other schools right now as well,” Winters said. “I'm not sure what I will be doing next year.”

The KFBCA Top 11* and All-State selections consist of seniors from the Class of 2021 nominated and voted on by members of the Kansas Football Coaches Association. For more info about the KFBCA find them online at www.kfbca.com. 

*There are actually 12 Top 11 selections this year because of a tie in voting.