Class 6A District 7

District 7

1. Wichita Northwest Grizzlies (8-3)

Northwest’s no-frills run game could be unstoppable this season. Senior RB/DB Demarcus Robinson (5-8, 185, 1,907 rushing yards, 24 TDs) will approach 5,000 yards for his career running behind senior linemen Trey Page (6-0, 250), Brock Heithaus (6-1, 275), Aaron Baker (6-1, 280) and junior Aharon Geddis (6-1, 270), who returns from a sophomore-year knee injury.

Northwest also returns senior FB/DE James Rhone (6-1, 215) and senior QB Ethan Chadick (6-1, 170).

Coach Weston Shartz, entering his eighth season at Northwest, says player development over the extended summer practice period will allow more players to go one way, not the norm for Schartz in the past.

Northwest’s large returning senior class looks to rebound from a 55-14 loss at Derby in the second round of the 2008 playoffs. –TW

2. Campus Colts (2-7)

Mike Schartz enters his first season at Campus after a four-year stint as the defensive coordinator at Wichita Heights. Schartz, a former assistant at Washburn, was the head coach at Dodge City for four seasons before joining Rick Wheeler at Heights. 

Campus has not made the playoffs in five seasons. A group of seniors hope to go out on a positive note: OL Ryan Bland (6-2, 230), OL Jake Bjostad (6-0, 240), LB Kyle McChesney (5-11, 200), SS John Burba (5-10, 185), LB David Caldwell (5-10, 195).

Junior DE/FB Garrett Cantrell (5-11, 185) is in a select class as a two-way player for Campus. –KDK

3. Wichita North Redskins (2-8)

North defeated Campus in district play, 41-15, to make the state playoffs, where they lost to eventual champs Junction City, 53-20. Coach Tom Beason enters his third season at North, a year after also defeating Southeast, 42-41.

Senior QB Grail Brewster (6-0, 198, 1,432 rushing yards) was the third-leading rusher in the City League in 2008. In the trenches, senior OL/DL and college recruit Dominique Farines (6-3, 270) returns. Senior skill players Deonte Gray (6-2, 185) and Briston White (5-10,170) will play key roles on both sides of the football –DP

4. Wichita South Titans (2-7)

South enters 2009 under its sixth head coach in 10 years, with their best record over that span being 3-6 in 2005. Cory Brack replaces two-year coach, Tony Johnson, who took an assistant job at South Grand Prairie High (Texas). After two seasons at Lyons and four years as a player for Tabor, Brack takes his shot in the City League.

Returning senior QB Zach Villarreal (6-0, 200), who threw for over 600 yards last season, will have to battle for his spot, says Brack. Senior RB Duwayne Kelly (5-8, 170) also returns after rushing for more than 600 yards in 2008. –DP