Class 6A Around the State

District 5

1. Manhattan (7-3) enters its first season under former assistant, Joe Schartz. Butch Albright, a coach for Manhattan football since 1975, retired. Schartz returns 10 offensive starters, including four offensive linemen and senior three-year starter, RB Derek Campbell (6-1, 190), who has surpassed 1,000 yards the last two seasons… 2. Junction City (13-0) peaked in 2008, winning its first state title since 1969. Three all-staters, including Top 11 quarterback Ty Zimmerman, graduate… 3. Washburn Rural (5-4) returns a strong offensive line behind BYU commit Travis Tuiloma (6-3, 290), but loses its starting backfield. Coach Derick Hammes won five games in 2008 after winning just one in each of his first two seasons, and Rural took Junction to two overtimes in 2008… 4. Topeka –TW

Blue Valley Stilwell (10-2) returns four offensive linemen and senior QB Anthony Abenoja (6-3, 208, 3,351 total yards), one of the state’s best. Coach Steve Rampy, a four-time 5A state champ, enters his 26th season at Blue Valley and second in Class 6A.

Blue Valley will have to compete in District 3 play with Olathe North (8-3), which returns 15 starters.

Lawrence Free State (9-4), state runner-up last season, suffers big losses but should win District 4 behind returning QB Cameron Torneden.

Shawnee Mission West (9-1), which returns five starters on both sides, was undefeated coming out of District 1 but lost in the first round of playoffs to 2-7 Blue Valley Northwest.

Shawnee Mission East (3-6) welcomes first-year coach Chip Sherman, who led Salina South to an 8-3 record and a playoff win in one season there. Sherman, a three-time state champ at Platte County (Mo.) moved back to the KC Area for family.

After shocking SM West in the playoffs, Blue Valley Northwest (3-8) returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense.

Olathe East coach Jeff Meyers has lost just 50 games in 18 seasons, but one of those losses came to Olathe North in the first round of the playoffs after an undefeated regular season in 2008. Only four starters return.