BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
State football runner-up Hoisington was represented by six first-team selections for the Central Kansas League football team.
Two-way standout Holt Hanzlick was selected as a first-team back and first-team linebacker for the 12-1 Cardinals, who lost 27-20 to Rossville for the 2A state championship. Baker University has offered Hanzlick a football opportunity, but he's also an all-CKL caliber baseball player.
Fullback Hanzlick rushed for 1,114 yards and 14 touchdowns and earned a team high 80 tackles.
"Holt Hanzlick.was very deserving," said Hoisington coach Zach Baird. "We put him in spots defensively and he made plays. When Holt was injured last year, we lost an all-state caliber football player. He's a smart competitive football player who worked extremely hard to get back on the football field."
Other first-team CKL players were offensive lineman Cole Gilliland, defensive end Josh Ball, cornerback Hunter Morris and punter Braden Mooney. Gilliland anchored an offense that rushed for 268 yards per game. Ball rushed for 632 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 42 tackles. Morris earned 33 tackles with two interceptions with 397 yards rushing and 186 yards receiving.
"Josh Ball had a nice year and we moved him around where we needed him," Baird said. "Hunter Morris earning first team was very deserving. The sky is the limit for Cole Gilliland, who's a hard-nosed player scratching the surface of his ability."
Baird believed linebacker Cole Steinert and quarterback Mason Haxton performed at a first-team All-CKL level. Haxton passed for 879 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"Cole Steinert turned into a well-rounded linebacker who made our defensive calls," Baird said. "Mason Haxton was unable to pile up statistics because of our offense, but he was so valuable on running our offense."
Larned's first-team selections are wide receiver Jack Stelter and placekicker Fernando Herrera.
CENTRAL KANSAS LEAGUE
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
HOISINGTON—Holt Hanzlick, RB, 12; Cole Gilliland, OL, 10
LARNED—Jack Stelter, WR, 12; Fernando Herrera, PK, 12
HAVEN—Darby Roper, QB, 12; Nathan Schmidt, RB, 12; Hunter Barlow, OL, 12
HALSTEAD—Lakin Farmer, RB/return, 12; Doug Grider, OL, 12; Cole Herman, OL, 12
HESSTON—Owen O'Halloran, OL, 12; Ben Bollinger, WR, 12
HILLSBORO—Frank Wichert, WR, 11
SMOKY VALLEY—Haven Lysell-Stewart, TE, 11
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
HOISINGTON—Holt Hanzlick, LB, 12;Josh Ball, DE, 12; Hunter Morris, CB, 12; Braden Mooney, punter, 12
HALSTEAD—Lakin Farmer, RB/return, 12; Doug Grider, OL, 12; Cole Herman, OL, 12
HAVEN—Darby Roper, DB, 12; Hunter Barlow, DL, 12; Keaton Loop, LB, 11
HESSTON—Owen O'Halloran, DL, 12; Braden Esau, LB, 12
HILLSBORO—Austin Rempel, DL, 12; Matthew Potucek, DB, 11
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
HILLSBORO—Matthew Potucek, QB, 11; Austin Rempel, OL, 12; Dillon Boldt, kicker, 12; HOISINGTON—Josh Ball, RB, 11; Cole Steinert, RB, 12; LARNED—Carlos Ibarra, OL, 11; Andrew Tucker, return, 12; HESSTON—Brayden Schilling, WR, 11; Brady Cox, WR, 12; PRATT—Devon Weber, RB, 12; Drake Van Scoyoc, OL, 10; HAVEN—Hunter Galloway, WR, 12; NICKERSON—Sam Logan, OL, 11; SMOKY VALLEY—Kort Sjogren, OL, 12
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
HOISINGTON—Cole Gilliland, DL, 10; Cole Steinert, LB, 12; Chase Robinson, DB, 12; SMOKY VALLEY—Trystan Stambaugh, DL, 10; Haven Lysell-Stewart, LB, 11; HAVEN—Treyton Yoder, DL, 11; Skylar Shingleton, punter, 12; HESSTON—Ben Bollinger, DB, 12; Jaydn Medina, DB, 12; HALSTEAD—Carter Hiebert, DB, 12; NICKERSON—Sam Logan, DL, 11; LARNED—Logan Erway, LB, 11; PRATT—Bryce Winsor, LB, 12
HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE
HAVEN—Gage Dewlen, OL, 12; Skylar Shinglton, WR, 12; Darby Roper, return, 12; HOISINGTON—Mason Haxton, QB, 12; Hunter Morris, RB, 12; Chase Robinson, WR, 12; LARNED—Dillan Smith, QB, 12; Logan Erway, RB, 12; Trevor Bartz, OL, 12; Andreus Tucker, WR, 12; SMOKY VALLEY—Jake Lucas, QB, 12; Brandon Malm, kicker, 12; HILLSBORO—Dillon Boldt, WR, 12
HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE
LARNED—Jace Snyder, DL, 12; Kaden Pontius, DB, 12; Jake Stelter, DB, 12; SMOKY VALLEY—Tanner Luttig, DL, 12; Brandt Heble, DB, 12; HILLSBORO—Tristan Rathbone, LB, 11; Frank Wichert, DB, 11; HALSTEAD—Kaden Lopez, LB, 12; HAVEN—Nathan Schmidt, LB, 12; HOISINGTON—Nolan Wilborn, DL, 12; NICKERSON—Philippe Manga, DB, 12; PRATT—Jesus Acosta, DB, 12
