6-Man Top 6: Kyler Wommack

Earlier this winter, Kansas Pregame contacted 6-Man football coaches in an effort to name a second annual Top 6 team of seniors for 6-Man football in Kansas.

This is the third of six player profiles highlighting the Top 6 selections released in no particular order:

Kyler Wommack, QB/MLB, 5-8, 180, Wetmore

Wetmore High’s Kyler Wommack was a beacon of versatility throughout his high school football career, playing offensive line, running back, and quarterback at different times, while also anchoring the defensive line from his end position, before making the move to middle linebacker in his senior year.

In his first three seasons Wetmore competed in 8-Man II, and struggled due largely to a lack of depth. Despite the difficulties, it was obvious Wommack was a valuable player from the jump.

As a freshman, Wommack lined up at center as well as defensive end. The gritty lineman recorded 21 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and a fumble recovery. The Cardinals finished 2-7 with a 28-22 win over Southern Cloud and a forfeit credited as a win against Linn.

During his sophomore year Wommack again was on the line both ways, but the 2020 season ended up an odd one with only five games played due to COVID related cancellations.

Wommack still managed 31 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery despite the shortened season. The Cardinals finished 1-4, though it's important to note that three of those losses came to Axtell, Frankfort, and eventual state champs Hanover, three of the top 8-Man programs in the state.

Entering his junior season the Cardinals got a new head coach in Miles Hanzlicek, who had served as an assistant prior, and Wommack found himself moved from the line to running back.

In his new position the junior ran the ball 100 times for 460 yards and eight TDs and caught nine passes for 257 yards and four more scores.

He continued his impressive play on defense as well, tallying 92 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.

The Cardinals still struggled with depth during the 2021 season, however, and earned their lone win in the final game of the season, trouncing Southern Cloud 54-12. The win was a sign of things to come in 2022.

In unison with their move to 6-Man, Wommack also made the move from running back to quarterback and defensive end to middle linebacker, thriving in both positions.

“Before the season, while I was trying to figure out this whole 6-Man thing,” Hanzlicek said, “I had a discussion with Kyler about who we wanted where. He had a lot of success last year as a running back and I knew he liked it, but I told him that if we wanted to go far, he'd be a great blocking QB. He looked at me and said ‘Coach, whatever will make us a better team, I'll do it’ We did and it worked.”

Wommack went 52 of 87 for 864 passing yards and 15 TDs to two interceptions, adding another 267 yards and nine TDs on 11.1 yards per carry on the ground, and helping fellow senior All-State back and Hanzlicek’s son, Dierk, to 1,392 rushing yards and 33 TDs.

“Kyler Wommack was a huge asset of this football team,” Hanzlicek said. “Offensively, he was our quarterback, he threw the ball very well, especially our bootleg pass. But where he really shined was as our lead blocker for our running back. When we ran our sweep with him as one of our lead blockers, I’d say 60% of the time someone on the other team was on their back on the ground. He loved getting physical as a blocker and gave it his all. Our starting running back ran for long yardage and would get winded, I'd just tell them to switch and we'd hand the ball off to Kyler and he'd do just as well. He ran tough.”

Wommack was even more impactful on defense with an incredible statline that included 89 tackles, 28.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, a QB hurry, five interceptions, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles.

“Defensively is a whole other story,” Hanzlicek said. “He played middle linebacker for us and I haven't seen another player that could read the ball like him. He was all over the field, usually behind the line of scrimmage making a tackle. He read the pass just as well.”

The Cardinals went 7-3 on the season, losing a Week 2 matchup against Pawnee City (Neb.) and a Week 6 game against a dominant Waverly team, 38-32. Once in the playoffs Wemore was knocked out in the quarterfinals by eventual state champs Cunningham, 58-12, with Wommack unable to finish the game.

“The kid just never got hurt,” Hanzlicek said. “I've been coaching him for four years and I don’t remember him hurt until the last game. He went out of the Cunningham game with a concussion and we could just see the wind go out of the sails. I believe his teammates really needed him on the field as a leader.”

After Wommack wraps up his senior year he plans to attend Manhattan Area Technical College to become an electrical lineman.

“He will be greatly missed next year,” Hanzlicek said. “He was a great leader, as were all my seniors, but his performances on the field will really be missed.”