New 6-Man teams look to challenge Cunningham

Okay, it's time for the annual guessing game that is preseason rankings. At Kansas Pregame, we do football rankings with the goal of trying to guess who will be in the Top 5 come the end of the season.

Last year we picked eventual state champions Gardner-Edgerton, Mill Valley and Axtell as preseason number one in their respective classifications and eventual champions Aquinas, Cheney, Lyndon and Cheylin were preseason number two. But that's not to say that a few of our predictions weren't noticeable misses. Our 5A preseason number two pick, Bishop Carroll, suffered an incredibly rare losing season, while eventual 1A champ Conway Springs didn't even make our preseason Top 5, though they were in our list of others.

What are our top considerations when doing preseason rankings?

• How much experience and statistical production does a team have returning? If good, experienced players are back, then chances are usually better that the school will field a good team.
• Did a potential top team lose or gain any key transfers in the offseason? This is a relatively new phenomenon, and one that a lot of people don't care for, including a substantial number of coaches, even those who are often the beneficiary of these transfers, but changes at the college level are trickling down to the high school level and it's easier to switch teams than ever.
• What are trusted sources saying about the state's best teams? Peers in the media and coaches or parents who have served as reliable sources over the years help to let us know how a team looks in the offseason.
• Coaching and tradition play an important role in preseason rankings as well. It's hard to bet against Derby, Mill Valley, Axtell and other teams that consistently finish with deep playoff runs.
• Is the league historically strong? When you start talking about breaking ties in rankings, a team's league is a consideration. Teams from the Eastern Kansas and Twin Valley leagues, for example, tend to do very well in postseason competition where some other leagues find it harder to produce playoff winners.

We plan to provide rankings weekly throughout the season and can't wait to get the season started. Rather than trying to provide a snapshot of the Top 5 teams in any given week, our goal is to produce more of a power ranking. In other words, who are the strongest teams regardless of record, because those teams that come from the above mentioned strongest leagues will produce teams that would beat many of the other teams in the state.

Cunningham is a heavy-favorite in 6-Man entering 2024 but new KSHSAA 6-Man teams South Barber, Otis-Bison and Weskan could have something to say about that, as well as returning experienced teams in the state's smallest classification.

So, without further delay, here's our best guess at the top teams in 6-Man heading into the 2024 season.

6-Man

1. Cunningham
2. South Barber
3. Ingalls

Others: Cheylin, Golden Plains, Marais des Cygnes Valley, Northern Valley, Otis-Bison, Tescott, Weskan

Just a half-dozen 6-Man teams earned representation in the Kpreps.com statewide top-5 rankings in the last 25 polls. Since Week 2 of 2022, those teams are Cheylin, Cunningham, Ashland, Northern Valley, Tescott and Waverly.

Cheylin collected undefeated state titles in 2020 and 2023. Cunningham was second, first and second the last three years. Ashland has a state runner-up sandwiched around a pair of final fours. Northern Valley, Tescott and Waverly have made deep playoff runs.

However, outside of Cunningham, the reigning hegemony will change for 2024. Waverly and Ashland move to 8-Man. Northern Valley and Tescott take significant graduation losses.

CHEYLIN graduated its All-State trio of quarterback Logan McCarty, athlete Pablo Bermudez and receiver Brady Ketzner and bid farewell to coach Chris Walden. Cheylin outscored its 12 opponents by an average margin of 64-7 and set 6-Man state records for scoring offense and defense. The Cougars graduated seven of their top-nine tacklers, and head coach Chris Walden stepped aside.

The classification added multiple teams: South Barber, Marais des Cygnes Valley, Otis-Bison and Weskan. All four should be contenders, especially SB, MdCV and Weskan. MdCV coach John Bass calls one team the favorite, a feeling shared by other coaches.

“I think Cunningham is going to be the best team by far in preseason,” South Barber coach Matt Cantrell told Sunflower Sports Solutions. “Just because of their talent they’ve got coming back.”

CUNNINGHAM will be the significant state favorite, especially in the east. The west is considered more balanced, including South Barber, Weskan and Ingalls. Cunningham posted a 10-2 record with a season-opening loss to Ashland and a 57-8 defeat to Cheylin in a snowbound state championship game. Cunningham, which won the Class 1A, Division II boys’ basketball state title with many of the same football players, is experienced.

Veteran Cunningham coach Luke McGuire has been a major proponent of the passing game in 6-Man football. Cunningham threw the ball 63 percent of the time in 2022 and 54 percent in 2023, which led 6-Man both seasons. Senior quarterback Will Wegerer completed 46 of 75 passes for 839 yards with 20 touchdowns against two interceptions. The top-three Wildcat receivers return in senior Luke Albers, junior Skyler Thimesch, and junior Dylan Halderson. Albers caught 35 passes for 509 yards and nine scores. Thimesch and Halderson combined for 11 receiving TDs. Cunningham returns 76 percent of its tacklers as well, paced by 55 from Halderson. Sophomore Layne Green returns as the top rusher. Cunningham will be the heavy District 2 favorite.

SOUTH BARBER went 8-2 in 8-Man DII last fall and is a longtime playoff contender under coach Matt Cantrell. The Chieftains are a rare team to move down to 6-Man after success in 8-Man. SB has one senior, Oakley Duvall, who enjoyed All-State honors last season. Duvall posted 28 catches for 579 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, and easily led the squad with 129 stops on defense. Cantrell expects two sophomores, best friends Austin Swonger and Garen Cantrell, to step up into bigger roles. Garen is coach Cantrell’s youngest of four children. South Barber opens with Cunningham.

“It’s going to be a learning experience right off the bat for us, I am sure,” Cantrell said. 

INGALLS posted a 7-3 record last season and returns significant experience. Senior Langston Nothern posted 79 carries for 803 yards and 20 touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 210 yards and five scores. Senior Breck Averhoff paced the Bulldogs with 21 catches for 455 yards and seven TDs. Ingalls finished seventh in 6-Man in scoring offense (45.7 ppg) and defense (22.1). With seven returning players with starting experience, including three that earned SIK All-State honors last fall, the Bulldogs appear poised to make some noise in the 2024 postseason.

WESKAN won a couple of Wild West Bowl 6-Man titles before the classification was sanctioned by KSHSAA in 2021. Then, the Coyotes stepped away from KSHSAA affiliation for two years because of low numbers. Weskan returns to KSHSAA with veteran coach Brett Clow and returns several key players from a team that finished 8-1 a season ago with their only loss against eventual champion Cheylin. Sophomore Karsyn Wright is a player to watch. One of the top sprinters in 1A this spring, Wright should thrive in the wide-open 6-Man game. In addition to the return to KSHSAA level play, new field lights that will allow the Coyotes to play their first night games at home are providing additional anticipation in the community.

PAWNEE HEIGHTS (6-5) welcomes new coach Ryan Klenke, who will miss the departure of senior Jimmy Gardner, who left with his father, former head coach Jim Gardner, and will play at Larned this fall. He completed 50 of 78 passes for 823 yards with 14 scores against one interception last fall. He rushed 81 times for 742 yards and 10 TDs, along with 20 catches for 285 yards and two scores. In spite of the key loss, Klenke is optimistic for the season thanks to the return of key players Clayton Hammeke, Brady Carlson and Alexis Ibarra. 

MARAIS DES CYGNES VALLEY posted an 0-9 record in 8-Man last fall and drop down to 6-Man for the first time. Coach John Bass posted a 6-22 mark in his first three seasons, though returns seven offensive and six defensive starters. Landon Traver collected All-League recognition as a freshman and will play multiple skill positions. Dalton Lingenfelter (WR/DB), Dallen Flatin (WR/DB), Josh Ulapano (OL/DL) and Trey DeCavele (RB/LB) are among key returners. MdCV, Peabody-Burns and Chetopa should pace District 1.

“One of our weaknesses will be inexperience playing the 6-Man game,” Bass said. “One of our strengths will be that we have a lot of players that played last year and return that experience of playing on Friday nights.” 

GOLDEN PLAINS (3-7) returns senior quarterback Josh Rath, senior lineman/linebacker Wyatt Amlong, senior wide receiver/defensive back Abe Taylor, senior lineman Miguel Garcia, and junior running back Diego Perez. Travis Smith, in his 25th year with the program, has 18 players out this fall.

“The upperclassmen must set the tone in the weight room this offseason to ensure a successful season,” Smith said.

Like MdCV, OTIS-BISON posted a winless 8-Man season in 2023 and drops down a classification for the first time. Coach Marc Cowles takes over at Otis-Bison. He was the coach at Weskan for several years and pioneered the return of 6-Man to Kansas in 2014. Cowles comes to O-B after a lengthy stint as head coach at Ness City. The Cougars have reason for optimism with seven starters back on both sides, including experienced QB Jake Hoopingarner and a stout trio of two-way senior linemen in Logan Maier, Ismael Cortez, and Ian Haselhorst.

NORTHERN VALLEY graduated eight seniors and returns juniors Gavin Thalheim and Owen Hammond after an 8-2 season. Thalheim paced the Huskies with 136 tackles and four forced fumbles last fall. He contributed 13 offensive scores.

“Our success will depend on how the underclassmen perform and step up to varsity football,” coach Marvin Gebhard said.

TESCOTT (7-3) graduated three key seniors from a team that survived a five overtime marathon with Waverly to earn a trip to the 6-Man semfinals last fall. Quarterback Austin Miller and running back James Dickerman are among the key returners for a program that has earned quarterfinal and semifinal berths in two seasons in 6-Man.

*Conor Nicholl contributed significantly to this preview by compiling much of it using the preview capsules from the 2024 Football Preview.

2023 Preseason Rankings

1. Ashland
2. Cheylin
3. Cunningham

That completes the 2024 preseason rankings. Good luck to all teams in 2024.