Kansas Pregame 8-Man Top 8: Mitch Budke

Throughout early to mid-December Kansas Pregame contacted 8-Man football coaches in an effort to name the third annual Top 8 team of seniors for both divisions of 8-Man football in Kansas. After an overwhelming response from coaches, and once all the votes were tallied, 16 players were selected.

This is the second of 16 individual player profiles highlighting the Top 8 selections in each division and released in no particular order. Look for more in the coming days.

Mitch Budke, QB/LB, 5-10, 175, Chase County

Chase County’s Mitch Budke has been among Kansas 8-Man football's elite, both offensively and defensively, for the past three seasons, and according to his head coach, Brody Vandegrift, that only scratches the surface of Budke's best traits.

“Mitch is one of the greatest leaders I have been around,” Vandegrift said. “Mitch commands his teammates’ respect and they naturally follow him. He is not your stereotypical jock. Mitch is a well-rounded person who loves to read novels as well as play video games. His unique qualities make him ‘The Dude’ in the locker room. There is not one person he can't relate to and he is a natural leader.”

Budke earned a starting spot at both quarterback and linebacker his freshman year, helping the Bulldogs to a 4-5 mark after they’d won just two games the two seasons prior. He then followed that with a dominant sophomore campaign.

At quarterback, Budke was 42 of 85 for 1,004 yards and 16 touchdowns, along with 1,029 rushing yards and 21 more scores on 116 carries. Defensively he recorded 133 tackles and five interceptions. The Bulldogs ended their season with a top eight finish in the 8-Man I playoffs at 8-3, with their elimination coming at the hands of eventual state champs, Little River.

As a junior, he again posted impressive numbers as a dual-threat QB, going 26 of 46 for 579 yards and nine TDs to go with 1,975 yards and 40 TDs on the ground. He also managed to one-up his sophomore tackling total with 137. Chase County finished 8-2 after coming out on the wrong end of a second round playoff upset against Sedan.

Entering into his senior year with monumental expectations Budke did not disappoint, going 21 of 45 for 514 passing yards and 6 TDs, along with 220 carries for 2,366 rushing yards – the second most in the state this season – and 43 TDs. Defensively he also put together another dominant season, recording 154 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and scoring twice defensively. Chase County finished 9-2 after an incredible comeback effort against eventual state runner-up Little River fell just short in the state quarterfinals, 48-40.

The senior caused insomnia for a number of opposing coaches, and impressed 9-1 South Sumner coach Sean Blosser particularly after Budke and company brought an end to their otherwise perfect season.

“Budke was a challenge to have to prepare for with how he plays the game,” Blosser said. “He always fell forward and rarely does one defender tackle him. He can wear a defense down. Defensively his instincts and reaction time are outstanding. You can tell he is a great talent but also a young man that spends time learning the game. Those are the hard ones to beat.”

Budke earned All-State honors from multiple media outlets to go with his Top Eight nod from Kansas Pregame and will also go down as one of the best players in Chase County history.

“As a quarterback, Mitch, in his career, passed for over 2,500 yards and rushed for over 5,000," Vandegrift said. “Mitch has a vision for the field that I have never seen. He is able to read multiple keys and has a natural ability to make plays. The field looks like it is in slow motion for him a lot and that makes him very successful.”

And while his offensive abilities are impressive, much of what makes him stand out as a signal caller crosses over with what makes him a high-level linebacker.

“Mitch has been the rock of our defense since the end of his freshman year,” Vandegrift said. “The same things that makes him a great quarterback makes him one of the best linebackers in the state. As a linebacker there is not a route he can't cover and a person he can't run down usually. Plus he just loves to hit.”

While Budke’s future still holds much promise, he did face a noteworthy setback in mid-December when a firework unexpectedly went off in his hand, doing serious damage to that hand and one of his eyes.

“The recovery is going well with the exception of an infection in his left eye,” his father Derick Budke said. “That required round the clock drops on the hour for the first few days and every other hour for the next week. That schedule was tough on everyone. We seem to be past that part and only do drops during the day now. The rest of him is healing well. His spirits have been amazing throughout.” 

The younger Budke hasn’t altered his post high school plans due to the accident, either.

“As far as his future plans, those still include football and an Environmental Chemistry degree,” Derick Budke said. “Football is going to be delayed for a bit, but in his mind, which is all that matters, it’s not derailed."

The Budke family hopes the accident can be a lesson for anyone handling fireworks.

"The firework was an older crackle ball," the older Budke noted. "These are incendiary in nature. This one malfunctioned. The fuse did not light and it exploded. Mitch has expressed gratitude that it happened to him and not his older, recently married brother Cael or younger brother Luke. That’s the kind of kid he is."

For those so inclined, a fund dedicated to helping Mitch has been established through Cottonwood Valley Bank to help offset medical expenses, but for the Budke family thoughts and prayers are generous enough.

"Continued prayers are certainly welcome," Derick said. "His mother and I sure appreciate all the support for Mitch and our family.”

Budke is currently considering a number of college options with interest from Fort Hays State, Emporia State, and Hutchinson Community College, among others.

“I will definitely miss the fun Mitch and I had in the huddle and at practice,” Vandegrift said. “As a coach you only get kids like him once or twice in a lifetime. I have been blessed to be called his coach. The team will miss the impact plays and his natural way of keeping the guys calm in the midst of big games. It's impossible to replace a Mitch Budke for sure.”