KFBCA Top 11: Ethan Kremer

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 Mill Valley lineman Ethan Kremer's capsule below and check back for more capsules throughout the week.

Ethan Kremer, OL/DL, 6-0, 265, Mill Valley, Sr.

When discussing Ethan Kremer’s abilities on the football field, Mill Valley coach Joel Applebee gets straight to the point: “Ethan was a four-year starter for us in our program. He is one of the most dominant players on both sides of the ball that I have ever coached.” 

For a coach who has won four state championships and made it to the state playoffs in all 11 of his seasons as a head coach, that is saying a lot.

After a quick inspection, it becomes clear why Kremer is deserving of such lofty praise. The standout lineman has been a fixture on both sides of the ball on back-to-back state championship teams. For his performance during the 2020 campaign Kremer was named first team All-Sunflower League on both sides of the ball, received the Buck Buchannan award - given annually to the top big school football lineman or linebacker in the Kansas City area - and was a Kansas Pregame coverboy prior to the season.

If that isn’t enough, Kremer is also a two-time Class 6A state wrestling champion (285 in 2020; 220 in 2019) and next February will try to become the 5A champ at 285. He also helped Mill Valley to the 6A State Wrestling Championship earlier this year.

It doesn’t take much time watching Kremer play to know that physically he can impose himself at will. He has the ability to move around or through opposition as he pleases. In his senior campaign, he finished his season with 53 total tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-a-loss, 7 sacks, and 16 hurries running his career total to 151 total tackles with 42.5 for loss. Aside from that, he was the anchor on the offensive line that produced just under 400 yards per game. 

While those numbers are impressive, he was arguably better than his statistics showed: on many downs his mere presence could disrupt the flow of an entire play, even if he didn’t get to the quarterback or ball carrier. Whether he was on offense or on defense, he played like a force of nature.

Kremer’s success doesn’t just come from his ability to dominate the field physically, however. If he can’t beat the opposition with his strength and speed, he is just as capable of finding a way to outsmart or outwork them.

“He plays physical and with great technique,” Applebee said. “Not only is Ethan a great player, he is what every program wants in a student-athlete holding a 4.0 GPA. His work ethic is second to none.”
 
Ethan’s future plans are still up in the air, but college football is almost certainly part of the picture. 

Kremer currently holds offers from Ivy League programs Cornell and Brown and also has a Preferred Walk-On offer from K-State. Whatever Kremer decides to do at the next level, he has certainly worked to put himself in a great position both academically and athletically for the next stage.

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.