Class 3A District 12 Preview

District 12

1. Conway Springs Cardinals (12-2)

Conway Springs must recover from the loss of Jaydan Bird’s 2,427 rushing yards, 27 TDs and 87 tackles in the middle of their defense.

Eleven other starters return from Conway’s 2008 state title team. Seniors Dakota Davis (5-7, 145) and Alex Worley (5-7, 165) and sophomores Brian Doffing (5-11, 175) and Matt Seiwert (6-1, 230), brother of Kansas’ all-time fifth-leading rusher, Darrin, will take the carries in 2009.

Senior QB Caleb Brill (5-9, 160) returns for his third season as starter, totaling over 1,900 yards each of the past two seasons. Five returning juniors will key the offense: TE Kayl Barkley (6-1, 215), WB/FS Austin Pauly (5-10, 150), SE Nick Pauly (5-10, 190), OT Clint Vancuren (6-0, 210) and OG/DT Mason Pauly (5-10, 210).

Eleven-year Conway assistant Matt Biehler takes over the program. –TW

2. Garden Plain Owls (12-1)

Garden Plain has won the Central Plains four consecutive seasons, a league which is brutally tough in the top half. State champs in 2007, Garden Plain was on track to repeat until losing at sub-state, 45-25, to Conway Springs, a team they had defeated 21-7 in district play. Coach Todd Puetz is 90-13 entering his ninth season.

First-team all-league as a defensive lineman in 2008, senior Daniel Youngers (6-1, 220) steps in for graduated Daniel Capul as the featured running back. Seniors DB/ WR Seth Klausmeyer (6-0, 140) and first-team all-leauge DB Jake Becker (5-11, 170), first-team all-league, also return.

Along with Youngers, first-year QB Thomas Bugner (6-0, 185) and 3A 400-meter champ, RB/LB Kurt Pauly, will operate behind offensive linemen, Josh Landreth (5-10, 250), Paul Hays (6-2, 245), Sage Berry (5-10, 215) and Alex May (5-11, 190). –TW

3. Medicine Lodge

4. Belle Plaine Dragons (0-9)

Brian Seba moves up to coach the high school varsity after two seasons as head coach of the middle school. Seba, nine seasons an assistant at Campus beginning in the mid-90s, leads Belle Plaine back from a winless season.

Nine starters return on offense; all but two of Belle Plaine’s returning starters are juniors and sophomores, as the Dragons look to build confidence against the most difficult district in Class 3A.