The Garden City Telegram

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Couchman, Jarnagin headline All-Area team for 2011.

Published 12/6/2011 in Prep-Main

By The Telegram

Selecting The Telegram's All-Area football team for 2011 was perhaps as difficult a task as we've faced in recent years.

Consider the successful seasons of South Gray, Scott City, Ulysses, Stanton County and Garden City, mix in top individuals from an array of other area schools (19 in all), and you have a tough assignment.

It is a process with which we are confident that those who are listed are indeed deserving of this honor.

Dalton Buehler Scott City

If indeed it is true that speed burns, then Dalton Buehler doesn't mind setting a team's defense afire.

The Scott City junior running back/linebacker loves football, but if he has a choice, he likes being on the offensive side of the line during a game.

"I love getting into open space because it allows me to do what I want and that's run," Buehler said.

The speedster, a member of the Beavers' 3A state champion 4x100-meter relay team, used that talent to rush for 932 yards on just 106 carries (8.8 average) and score 16 touchdowns. In addition, he utilized his receiving skills to catch 18 passes for 475 yards (24.9 average) and added four TDs to his totals.

"I think I got better on my pass catching," Buehler said. "The toughest part is looking it (ball) into your hands."

Buehler made a switch this year from cornerback to linebacker and said he enjoyed the new position.

"At linebacker, you can roam more freely and you can take on the runners because our down linemen take their linemen out of the equation," Buehler said.

Buehler finished his season with 33 tackles and had three pass interceptions.

Colborn Couchman

Scott City

For Colborn Couchman, the biggest adjustment he had to make for his senior season was getting used to carrying the ball more than he had in his previous two varsity seasons with the Beavers.

His number of carries in the past were somewhere around 100 for a 9-game regular season and then playoff games. This year, his total carries were 151 and he responded with 1,242 yards rushing (8.2 yard average). He scored 22 touchdowns to pace the Beavers in that category, as well.

"It was an amazing senior year," Couchman said. "The line opened up a lot of holes for me to get the yards I had."

Coulter Croft

South Gray

South Gray High School has long been known for success on the basketball court.

This fall, however, it was the football team that had everyone talking.

The Rebels made it all the way to the state 1A title game before losing their only game.

One of the stalwarts of that South Gray success was Coulter Croft, a 5-8, 170-pound senior running back whose numbers were staggering by any standards.

His 240 carries for 2,416 yards average over 10 yards a carry, which translates into a first down each time he rushed the ball.

In the process, he scored 38 touchdowns. He also caught a pass for another score.

When he wasn't rushing the ball, Croft was staying busy on the defensive side, as well. He had 30 solo tackles, 33 assists and seven interceptions.

Jake Curran

Garden City

Jake Curran had played quarterback from his days of YMCA youth football until his sophomore season, where for two years he played backup to Cody Bernbeck.

During that stretch of two varsity seasons, Curran played wide receiver and defensive back, helping the Buffaloes to two consecutive Class 6A postseason appearances and a district championship this fall.

His wait to be the starting quarterback paid off handsomely for the 6-3, 185-pounder. After a struggling start to the season, Curran settled into the QB spot and blossomed for coach Brian Hill's team, which finished 7-3 and went to the second round of the 6A playoffs.

Curran completed 111-of-204 passes for 1,387 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior season. He was intercepted nine times, but only two came in the final seven games and two quarters.

Curran said he tried to do too much, too early, until finally finding his comfort level with the offense.

"I wouldn't have had the season without the offensive line," Curran said. "They were the ones who protected me, gave me time, and they just did a tremendous job."

Curran also rushed for 226 yards and scored five TDs, while recording 15 assisted and 13 solo tackles and two pass interceptions when playing defense.

Luke Hayes

Scott City

Scott City coach Glenn O'Neil would be the first person to tell you that you can't evaluate Luke Hayes' contribution on the football field based solely upon the statistical sheets that are compiled.

After all, Hayes registered 84 tackles, 23 of them solo and had 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks.

All this coming from his defensive end position where he was double, and sometimes triple-teamed by opposing teams' offensive lines.

"On defense, Luke was a massive defensive end that just commanded double teams and an occasion triple team on the edge," O'Neil said of his 6-4, 255-pounder.

On offense, he was the quintessential tight end for O'Neil. Blocking was more important in the Beavers' scheme, and thus Hayes was not a frequent target for quarterback Brett O'Neil. He caught just 15 passes for 191 yards (12.7 yards).

Josh Jarnagin

Ulysses

If fantasy football had a high school level, Josh Jarnagin would be at the top of the draft list.

The Ulysses senior was always on the minds of opposing defensive coaches well aware of his athletic prowess. They shouted warnings such as, "Watch Jarnagin!" and "Look out for number 4!"

That's OK by him, he said. If other teams are focused on him, it leaves other guys open.

Much more than a one-dimensional player, Jarnagin amassed some impressive numbers all around over the past two seasons — 322 rushes (2,278 yards and 48 TDs), 21 catches (434 yards, seven TDs), 27 punt returns (551 yards, three TDs), 18 kickoff returns (592 yards and two TDs).

That averages 9.9 yards per touch over the last two years.

With the help of a good calculator, it's easy to see why he is a two-time Telegram all-area player. His 3,855 all-purpose yards and 54 touchdowns helped lead the Tigers to an 11-2 record this season and 9-3 last year.

He was also the team's place kicker and punter for much of this season.

For the three-sport athlete, though, this senior season wasn't without heartache. Jarnagin played hurt quite often and missed some playing time, including the final high school game of his career, a third-round playoff game against eventual state champion Rose Hill.

Junior colleges and Division 2 schools have all looked at him. He would like to be a return man and possibly a slot receiver or strong safety.

Quinn Kendrick

Stanton County

Quinn Kendrick began his prep career as a freshman starter for the Trojans.

One of a number of freshmen who were thrust into the lineup by his father/coach Brett Kendrick, the younger Kendrick has blossomed in the leadership role.

Over the past two years, he has helped the Trojans post a 20-3 record, reaching the Class 2-1A state semifinals in 2010 before exiting this year's playoffs in the second round.

Kendrick, though, demonstrated his toughness when he played the majority of his junior year with a fractured ankle.

"It's just something I had to deal with," Kendrick said. "I wasn't going to miss out on the season. It did limit what I could do, but I'd rather be out there than standing on the sideline."

Despite having limited mobility, Kendrick still managed to wrack up 830 yards rushing, scoring 11 touchdowns while averaging 12.02 yards per attempt. He completed 47-of-83 passes (57 percent) for 554 yards and seven touchdowns in the team's predominant run-oriented offense while being intercepted just three times.

Defensively, playing in the secondary, Kendrick had 101 tackles, 26 of them solo, recovered two fumbles and returned one of those for a touchdown. He also caught two passes for TDs.

Colten Lissolo

Hugoton

Senior Colten Lissolo was a big presence on the field this year.

The Hugoton Eagle offensive lineman and defensive end put his size and heart into each play this season.

As a result, he had 103 total tackles, 52 of them solo, averaging 13 tackles a game.

At 6-3, 225 pounds, Lissolo was easy to notice on the field.

Sometimes coaches would double team him, he said. Other times, he joked, they just ran away from him.

Lissolo's efforts got him named first-team all-league offense the past two years and defense last season.

Those honors come from his love of competition.

"I like to compete. It's fun. I hate to lose," he said.

When he was a kid, he dreamed of playing quarterback. In sixth grade, he moved to fullback, which he enjoyed. In high school, his size got him moved to lineman.

Through tryouts in Missouri and Ohio, he was selected to play in January's Blue-Gray All-Star game in Tampa, Fla.

He is a member of the National Honor Society, serves on the student council, was elected vice president of his senior class, and is a Kansas honor scholar.

Gabe Luna

Garden City

When the 2011 football season began, Gabe Luna knew that he and his linemen teammates would be critical to the success of the Buffs.

He and the line didn't disappoint, as the Buffs reached the second round of the state 6A playoffs, their most successful season in six years.

Luna, a strapping 6-3, 265-pounder, played both ways on defense and offense, reflecting his value to the team.

"This year, it just seemed like I never left the field," Luna said. "I just didn't want to be on the sideline watching while I knew I could be helping on the field."

Providing both run and pass blocking, Luna said he enjoyed that part of the game, but said he preferred the defensive side of the ball and hopes that is where he will have a chance when he heads off to a yet-to-be determined college of choice.

"I'd prefer to play defense, that's where I think I'm best," Luna said. "I think I've got the size and can improve my speed and I could see myself as a defensive end or perhaps linebacker."

Luna finished his senior year with 57 tackles, 14 of which were unassisted. He had 15 tackles for loss, recovered one fumble and had a team-high six sacks.

Luna said he had been contacted by Fort Hays State, Emporia State and most of the Jayhawk Conference schools at the junior college level.

Wyatt Slaven

South Gray

Years from now, at every South Gray class reunion, Wyatt Slaven can look back at the 2011 football season with pride.

The 6-1 senior quarterbacked the Rebels to a runner-up finish in the state 1A title game.

Not bad, considering he hadn't played football since his freshman year.

Slaven ran the ball 189 times for 1623 yards and 33 touchdowns. Combined with teammate Coulter Croft's 2,416 yards and 38 scores, the quarterback gave the Rebels a double running threat that proved nearly impossible to stop.

In addition, Slaven threw for four more scores.

He and Croft were the one-two punches for the offensive-minded Rebels, which outscored teams at the rate of 47-15 points a game.

On the defensive side, he had 39 solo tackles and 32 assists and picked off six passes.

Since he hadn't played in three years, Slaven said he was "iffy" on positions entering the season. But his coach put him at quarterback.

"I just worked hard on it," he said.

Eloy Torres

Ulysses

In order for a defensive player to make an all-area team, he has to post some pretty impressive statistics.

Every coach knows the key to a good offense is a good defense. And one of the keys to a successful Ulysses Tiger team this season was Eloy Torres.

At defensive tackle, Torres had 28 solo tackles (13 for loss) and 51 assists. He also played offense, opening holes or blocking for a potent offense.

Opposing coaches soon noticed his defensive acumen and instincts, leading to most of them ordering double teams to try to stop him.

Add in three fumble recoveries and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

"Eloy had a knack for always being around the football," Ulysses coach Jason Kenny said. "He is so strong and quick that offensive linemen had a hard time blocking him."

A soft-spoken senior, Torres said the key to having a good defense was pretty straightforward.

"On defense you need to stay focused," he said.

. You have to get everybody to work together as a team to stop the ball," he said.

Being double-teamed by some opponents was a double-edged sword, he said.

"I hate being double-teamed," he said. "But that leaves another guy open."

It also means his abilities were respected, something that he acknowledges was something he worked for both personally, and as a senior leader.

Even before the season, Torres said one of the team goals was to get everyone in the weight room more.

The other goal was to go further in the playoffs than last year. The results of the weight room goal showed, but they ran into a good team in the third round.

Regardless, he said, the Tigers knew they would be a force in the league and make a deep run in the playoffs. It's been a Ulysses tradition.

Next year, Torres would like to play in college.

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