8-Man Football State Playoff Teams, What They Return
We move deeper into our coverage of the 2025 High School Football Season by looking at what the playoff teams are losing and returning from the previous year. This is a new article looking at just playoff teams but next week we will jump full depth into covering Class 2A Football and working our way down. If you are looking for Class 1A or 2A they were posted earlier in the week!
Haxtun (12-1), Defending State Champions
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 7
(Grant Statz, Ryland Wolff, Ryan Davis, Avian Calderon, Brandon Nall, Tate Michael, & Bret Kanode)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Ryland Wolff | 524 yards passing, 8 TDs, 2 INTs, 1245 yards rushing, 11 TDs, & 48 Tackles |
| Grant Statz | 1151 yards rushing, 17 TDs, & 168 Tackles, 28 TFL, 7 Sacks |
| Ryan Davis | 71 Tackles, 13 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| Brandon Nall | 52 Tackles, 8 TFL |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Zach Statz Sr. RB/OLB, Colin Cone Sr. QB/OLB
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Colin Cone Sr. | 557 yards passing, 4 TDs, 342 yards rushing, 3 TDs, & 56 Tackles, 4 INTs |
| RB Zach Statz Sr. | 964 yards rushing, 14 TDs, & 80 Tackles, 10 TFL |
| RB Coleman Firme Sr. | 351 yards rushing, 5 TDs, & 124 Tackles, 4 TFL |
| WR Chase Goddard Sr. | 473 yards receiving, 6 TDs |
| Seth Seger Sr. | 72 Tackles, 15 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| Corbin Andersen Sr. | 54 Tackles, 9 TFL |
Akon (11-2), Runners Up
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 5
(Merek Charney, Alex Bowin, Caleb Poss, Tucker Stahn, & Anderson Filla)
Losing 3 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Anderson Filla | 1580 yards rushing, 20 TDs, & 180 Tackles, 13 TFL, 3.5 Sacks |
| Caleb Poss | 412 yards receiving, 4 TDs, & 121 Tackles, 21 TFL, 7 Sacks |
| Merek Charney | 75 Tackle, 3 TFL |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Jace Curtis Sr. RB/S
Return 7 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Kolten Randel So. | 518 yards passing, 10 TDs, 2 INTs, 244 yards rushing, 2 TDs, & 42 Tackles, 4 INTs |
| QB/RB Jace Curtis Sr. | 588 yards passing, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 953 yards rushing, 11 TDs, & 95 Tackles, 8 INTs |
| RB Jakzon Livesay Sr. | 460 yards rushing, 8 TDs, 297 yards receiving, 5 TDs, & 79 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| Mason Porteus Sr. | 86 Tackles, 18 TFL, 9 Sacks |
| Jesus Davisson Sr. | 34 Tackles |
| Jax Kusel So. | 30 Tackles, 2 TFL |
Mancos (10-2), Lost in the Semifinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 4
(Brandon Vannest, Seth Oakes, Tilden Begay, & Kaiden Wyatt)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Brandon Vannest | 1094 yards passing, 14 TDs, 10 INTs, 1203 yards rushing, 23 TDs, & 37 Tackles |
| Kaiden Wyatt | 843 yards rushing, 10 TDs, 278 yards receiving, 4 TDs, & 112 Tackles, 3 Sacks |
| Seth Oakes | 68 Tackles, 5 TFL |
| Tilden Begay | 57 Tackles, 2 INTs |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Colten Vannest Sr. C/NG, Jacob Martin Sr. G/NG, Adam Martinez Sr. G/NG, Jonah Ritter Sr. RB/S, Ethan Wyatt Sr. TE/DE
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 2 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB Jonah Ritter Sr. | 757 yards rushing, 8 TDs, 237 yards receiving, 3 TDs, & 100 Tackles |
| WR Michael Resner Jr. | 299 yards receiving, 4 TDs, & 57 Tackles, 3 INTs |
| WR Ethan Wyatt Sr. | 277 yards receiving, 3 TDs |
| Jacob Martin Sr. | 51 Tackles, 24 TFL, 15 Sacks |
| Gavin Smith Jr. | 33 Tackles, 4 TFL |
| Adam Martinez Sr. | 23 Tackles, 2 Sacks |
Simla (9-3), Lost in Semifinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 8
( TJ Eurich, Caston Cox, Treven Kocerha, Avier Cruz, Montana Nusbaum, Austin Hinds, Wyatt Stanko, & Braeden Welch)
Losing 5 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Caston Cox | 2107 yards passing, 26 TDs, 4 INTs, 403 yards rushing, 7 TDs, & 41 Tackles |
| TJ Eurich | 763 yards rushing, 17 TDs, 650 yards receiving, 7 TDs, & 70 Tackles |
| Wyatt Stanko | 483 yards rushing, 6 TDs, 418 yards receiving, 5 TDs, & 105 Tackles |
| Treven Kocerha | 523 yards receiving, 5 TDs, & 67 Tackles |
| Austin Hinds | 27 Tackles |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
None
Return 5 of their top 10 Tacklers including 2 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| Backup QB Evan Guy So. | 193 yards passing, 1 TD, 60 yards rushing, 1 TD |
| RB Ethan Kissam So. | 218 yards rushing, 2 TDs, & 41 Tackles, 3 TFL |
| TE/WR Tatum Kocerha Jr. | 658 yards receiving, 9 TDs, & 70 Tackles, 4 TFL, 3 INTs |
| Taylor Kissam Sr. | 47 Tackles |
| Nathaniel Cauthon Sr. | 45 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| Hayden Pfost Jr. | 42 Tackles, 4 TFL |
McClave (10-1), Lost in Quarterfinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 4
(Elijah Solis, Ethan Bronniman, Will Pacino, & Zack Owens)
Losing 3 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Ethan Bronniman | 1284 yards passing, 19 TDs, 4 INTs, 453 yards rushing, 16 TDs, & 72 Tackles |
| Zack Owens | 128 Tackles, 9 TFL, 1 INT |
| Will Pacino | 80 Tackles, 17 TFL, 5.5 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Mason Barr Sr. RB/LB, Tuff Kelley Jr. TE/DL, Junior Mungaray Sr. OL/DL
Return 7 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB Mason Barr Sr. | 1095 yards rushing, 9 TDs, 376 yards receiving, 7 TDs, & 77 Tackles, 5 INTs |
| RB Ryan Steinbrunn So. | 317 yards rushing, 5 TDs, & 76 Tackles, 5 TFL, 4 INTs |
| TE Tuff Kelley Jr. | 353 yards receiving, 3 TDs, & 61 Tackles, 10 TFL, 4 Saks |
| JR Mungaray Sr. | 86 Tackles, 23 TFL, 6.5 Sacks |
| Cope Meston Sr. | 37 Tackles, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks |
| Drew Howe So. | 29 Tackles |
Byers (10-1), Lost in Quarterfinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 7
(Andrew Mohatt, Chase Long, Kaleb Willoughby, Cody Harris, AJ Engle, Cameron Eastwood, & Garett Crecelius)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Chase Long | 1608 yards passing, 25 TDs, 4 INTs, & 79 Tackles, 8 TFL |
| Kaleb Willoughby | 1446 yards rushing, 25 TDs, 202 yards receiving, 4 TDs, & 85 Tackles, 5 Sacks |
| AJ Engle | 482 yards receiving, 7 TDs, & 19 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| Cameron Eastwood | 292 yards receiving, 6 TDs, & 35 Tackles, 13 TFL, 12 Sacks |
| Cody Harris | 54 Tackles, 13 TFL, 7 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Parker Elbert Sr. G/DT
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 2 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| Backup QB James Maes Jr. | 105 yards passing, 2 TDs |
| RB Gabe Price Jr. | 514 yards rushing, 7 TDs, & 25 Tackles |
| WR Quincy Eacret Sr. | 222 yards receiving, 2 TDs |
| Jack Earl Sr. | 64 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3.5 Sacks |
| Krayton Ebert Sr. | 43 Tackles, 3 TFL |
| Caleb Eastwood Jr. | 35 Tackles |
Sanford (7-4), Lost in the Quarterfinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 1
(Bryce Keck)
Losing 1 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Bryce Keck | 27 Tackles, 2 TFL |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Trason Gartrell Sr. QB/MLB, Ryan Cordova Sr. G/DT, JD Faucette Sr. RB/OLB, William Malouff Sr, Lucas Miller Sr. C/DE
Return 9 of their top 10 Tacklers including 5 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Trason Gartrell Sr. | 585 yards passing, 9 TDs, 3 INTs, 1252 yards rushing, 16 TDs, & 72 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| RB JD Faucette Sr. | 620 yards rushing, 7 TDs, & 58 Tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INTs |
| RB Rylan Mortensen Jr. | 256 yards rushing, 4 TDs, & 39 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| Ryan Cordova Sr. | 59 Tackles, 9 TFL, 2 Sacks |
| Ben Faucette Sr. | 39 Tackles, 1 TFL |
| William Malouff Sr. | 37 Tackles, 1 TFL |
Sedgwick County (5-6), Lost in Quarterfinals
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 3
(Jace Ehmke, Josh Kler, & Jaxon Carlson)
Losing 3 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Jaxon Carlson | 521 yards passing, 4 TDs, 4 INTs, 851 yards rushing, 13 TDs, & 76 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| Jace Ehmke | 54 Tackles |
| Josh Kler | 16 Tackles, 2 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Noah Harens Jr. DE/TE, Owen Harris Jr. TE/DE, Brady Mollendor Sr. RB/CB
Return 7 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB Owen Harris Jr. | 501 yards rushing, 5 TDs, & 107 Tackles, 8 TFL, 2 Sacks |
| RB Brady Mollendor Sr. | 385 yards rushing, 4 TDs, 274 yards receiving, 3 TDs, & 58 Tackles |
| Noah Harens Jr. | 74 Tackles, 4 TFL |
| Noah Lopez | 46 Tackles, 1 INT |
| Tate Renquist Sr. | 43 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| Cooper Edson Jr. | 41 Tackles |
West Grand (9-1), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 8
(Joe Probst, Jackson Steinle, Gavin Jackson, Ryan Van Oosten, Ethan Glave, Lawson Landrus, Luke Leaghty, & Cooper Martinson)
Losing 6 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Cooper Martinson | 292 yards rushing, 2 TDs |
| Joe Probst | 1066 yards receiving, 11 TDs, & 43 Tackles, 11 INTs |
| Jackson Steinle | 571 yards receiving, 7 TDs, & 103 Tackles, 2 Sacks |
| Ryan Van Oosten | 63 Tackles, 5.5 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Blake Terryberry Sr. QB/NG
Return 4 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB/NG Blake Terryberry Sr. | 1695 yards passing, 18 TDs, 6 INTs, 685 yards rushing, 22 TDs, & 82 Tackles, 6 Sacks |
| RB John Butler Sr. | 198 yards rushing, 1 TD, & 66 Tackles |
| Walker Howell Jr. | 57 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| Ruben Hatcher Jr. | 21 Tackles |
| Lance Eisenman Jr. | 18 Tackles |
Springfield (7-3), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 5
(Gunnar Mort, Colin Swanson, Colby Batterton, Dallas Calzonetti, & Marcus Sandoval)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Colin Swanson | 600 yards passing, 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 354 yard rushing, 3 TDs |
| Colby Batterton | 1188 yards rushing, 21 TDs, & 76 Tackles, 4 TFL, 4 INTs |
| Marcus Sandoval | 194 yards rushing, 6 TDs, & 15 Tackles |
| Gunnar Mort | 46 Tackles, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks |
| Dallas Calzonetti | 36 Tackles, 2 INTs |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Dylen Ormiston Sr. OL/DL, Jett Konkel Sr. OL/DL,
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 4 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB Gunnar Mackey Sr. | 508 yards rushing, 3 TDs, & 77 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| WR Slayde Cohoon Sr. | 332 yards receiving, 2 TDs, & 63 Tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INTs |
| Wyatt Cohoon Sr. | 118 Tackles, 4 TFL |
| Jett Konkel Sr. | 60 Tackles, 4 TFL, 4 Sacks |
| Dylen Ormiston Sr. | 46 Tackles |
| Jacob Burdick Sr. | 22 Tackles |
Dove Creek (7-3), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 5
(Wade Conner, Liam Hassell, Frankey Montoya, Sheldon Gardner, & Myles Ives)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Liam Hassell | 124 Tackles, 7 TFL, 2 Sacks, 5 INTs |
| Sheldon Gardner | 73 Tackles, 17 TFL, 4 Sacks |
| Myles Ives | 58 Tackles, 20 TFL, 14 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Nicholas Aragon Sr. MLB/RB/QB
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Josh Kibel Sr. | 498 yards passing, 7 TDs, 6 INTs, 918 yards rushing, 15 TDs, & 45 Tackles, 3 INTs |
| RB Nicholas Aragon Sr. | 931 yards rushing, 11 TDs, & 103 Tackles, 20 TFL, 4 Sacks, 4 INTs |
| RB Teagan Larimore Jr. | 520 yards rushing, 4 TDs, & 74 Tackles, 12 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| WR Trevan Ivie Sr. | 340 yards receiving, 3 TDs, & 73 Tackles, 28 TFL, 14 Sacks |
| Cael Beanland Jr. | 31 Tackles, 1 Sack |
Merino (4-6), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 6
(Coen Schmidt, Josiah Mackintosh, Talon Ryles, Aidan Sherman, Gabe Hickam, & Caleb Deines)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Coen Schmidt | 1212 yards passing, 10 TDs, 4 INTs, 1217 yards rushing, 14 TDs, & 101 Tackles |
| Josiah Mackintosh | 543 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 296 yards receiving, 1 TD, & 84 Tackles |
| Talon Ryles | 244 yards receiving, 2 TDs |
| Aidan Sherman | 49 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| Gabe Hickam | 33 Tackles, 5 TFL |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Jacob Frank Sr. RB/CB
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB Jacob Frank Sr. | 615 yards rushing, 8 TDs, 473 yards receiving, 5 TDs, & 89 Tackles |
| Zavier Trenkle Jr. | 199 yards receiving, 2 TDs, & 64 Tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INTs |
| Jordan Rose Jr. | 82 Tackles, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks |
| Isaac Poe Jr. | 18 Tackles |
| Casey Kaus Sr. | 13 Tackles, 4 Sacks |
Plateau Valley (7-3), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 6
(Virgil Kuper, Eldon Niehues, Austin Zajkowski, Johnathan Cotter, Jackson Bevan, & Heston Bevan)
Losing 4 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Virgil Kuper | 1284 yards rushing, 13 TDs, 296 yards receiving, 4 TDs, & 66 Tackles, 7 TFL |
| Jackson Bevan | 276 yards receiving, 3 TDs, & 38 Tackles, 5 TFL, 3.5 Sacks |
| Heston Bevan | 58 Tackles, 8 TFL, 6 Sacks |
| Johnathan Cotter | 27 Tackles, 2 TFL |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Colter Ralston Sr. QB/MLB
Return 6 of their top 10 Tacklers including 3 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Colter Ralston Sr. | 1804 yards passing, 30 TDs, 5 INTs, 254 yards rushing, 4 TDs, & 62 Tackles, 2 INTs |
| WR London Mitchell Jr. | 658 yards receiving, 11 TDs |
| WR Hunter White Sr. | 365 yards receiving, 8 TDs, & 81 Tackles, 6 INTs |
| Austin Grundy Jr. | 101 Tackles, 3 TFL |
| Grant Bevan Jr. | 50 Tackles |
| Riley Junge Sr. | 40 Tackles, 4 TFL, 8.5 Sacks |
Clear Creek (7-3), Lost in First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 6
(Ayden Mellon, Asher Isaacson, Logan Ginter, Noah Clark, Anthony Zacharias, & Alex Shriner)
Losing 5 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Logan Ginter | 1478 yards rushing, 29 TDs, 676 yards receiving, 9 TDs, & 63 Tackles, 21 TFL |
| Noah Clark | 186 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 142 yards receiving, 1 TD, & 43 Tackles |
| Anthony Zacharias | 86 Tackles, 17 TFL, 5 Sacks |
| Asher Isaacson | 69 Tackles, 26 TFL, 13 Sacks |
| Alex Shriner | 65 Tackles, 25 TFL, 12 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Nathan Guerrero FB/LB Sr.
Return 5 of their top 10 Tacklers including 1 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Jacob Young Sr. | 1190 yards passing, 12 TDs, 2 INTs |
| RB Merrell Harvey Jr. | 276 yards rushing, 5 TDs, & 41 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| RB Nathan Guerrero Sr. | 228 yards rushing, 6 TDs, & 61 Tackles, 9 TFL |
| WR Donovan Miller Sr. | 265 yards receiving, 1 TD, & 30 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTs |
| Titus Easter Jr. | 46 Tackles, 2 TFL |
| Joey Lupinacci Sr. | 29 Tackles, 6 TFL |
Dayspring Christian (4-6), Lost in the First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 3
(Will Nugent, Peyton Coleman, & Sawyer Klein)
Losing 1 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Peyton Coleman | 707 yards passing, 8 TDs, 7 INTs, 205 yards rushing, 2 TDs |
| Will Nugent | 41 Tackles |
| Sawyer Klein | 28 Tackles, 2 Sacks |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Elijah Martin Sr. RB/CB, Jackson Polk RB/MLB
Return 9 of their top 10 Tacklers including 5 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| RB/CB Elijah Martin Sr. | 1266 yards rushing, 12 TDs, & 131 Tackles, 5 INTs |
| RB/MLB Jackson Polk Sr. | 302 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 180 yards receiving, 2 TDs, & 131 Tackles, 11 TFL |
| WR Max Krehbiel Jr. | 286 yards receiving, 6 TDs, 52 Tackles, 4 TFL |
| Hawkins Flanagan So. | 113 Tackles, 1 TFL |
| AJ Soucie Sr. | 77 Tackles, 6 TFL, 3.5 Sacks |
| Gracen Bryant Sr. | 49 Tackles, 1 TFL |
Hoehne (6-4), Lost in the First Round
Key Players Graduating:
Seniors Lost: 4
(Levon Bachicha, Bobby Terry, Gilberto Alvarado, & Diego Lujan)
Losing 2 of their top 10 Tacklers
| Player | Stats |
| Levon Bachicha | 307 yards rushing, 3 TDs, & 45 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| Gilberto Alvardo | 168 yards rushing, 1 TD, & 17 Tackles |
Key Players Returning
All-State Players Returning:
Jayson Guzzo Sr. TE/MLB, Matteo Moltrer Sr. C/NG, Anthony Sandoval Sr. RB
Return 8 of their top 10 Tacklers including 4 of their top 5
| Player | Stats |
| QB Jake Magninat Sr. | 939 yards passing, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 341 yards rushing, 11 TDs |
| RB Anthony Sandoval Sr. | 1294 yards rushing, 17 TDs, & 60 Tackles, 5 TFL |
| WR Brody Silvey Jr. | 669 yards receiving, 5 TDs |
| WR Jayson Guzzo Sr. | 117 yards receiving, & 80 Tackles, 3 TFL, 4 Sacks |
| Connor Knezel Jr. | 63 Tackles, 7 Sacks |
| Matteo Moltrer Sr. | 41 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 Sacks |
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