For Nixon Standlee, the 2026 season is about more than wins and statistics. It’s an opportunity to close out his high school career by competing against some of the state’s top programs while representing the Buhler community one final time.
“I’m excited about the level of competition we play this year with our first four games being against Maize South, Mulvane, McPherson and Great Bend,” Standlee said. “I’m also super excited about this season because it’s my last time ever putting a show on for my hometown, and I want to show out for them because they always show out for us.”
The Crusaders won’t have much time to ease into the schedule, but Standlee welcomes the challenge. Facing quality opponents early in the season presents an opportunity for Buhler to measure itself against some of Kansas’ best teams while preparing for the postseason.
To be ready for that demanding slate, Standlee has put together a busy offseason centered on strength, speed and exposure to college coaches.
He has trained at Next Level Performance under coach Rashad Daniels while also attending camps at Emporia State, Pittsburg State, Central Missouri and Missouri Western. Those workouts have come in addition to Buhler’s team training program, where players have gathered for 6:30 a.m. workouts five days a week under coach Steve Warner.
“I have been doing a lot this offseason,” Standlee said. “I’ve been doing specialized training at Next Level Performance with coach Rashad Daniels, and I’ve been doing multiple camps this summer at Emporia State, Pitt State, Central Missouri and Missouri Western. That’s on top of the five-day-a-week morning workouts at 6:30 with coach Warner.”
One of Standlee’s biggest priorities has been increasing his speed while developing greater core strength. The specialized training has included weighted sled work, resisted sprints and core circuits before lifting sessions.
“An area I have been working on this summer is my speed and my core strength,” Standlee said. “The way we worked on my speed was weighted sleds and weighted sprints with the sleds, and then we do core circuits before we even lift.”
Those improvements are designed to help him achieve lofty individual goals. Standlee hopes to earn recognition among Kansas’ elite seniors and collect first-team all-state honors across every major postseason team.
“The goals I have for myself are to be in the top 100 seniors and be first-team all-state in every program,” he said.
As important as the personal accolades are, Standlee’s biggest priorities remain centered on team success. Defeating longtime rival McPherson and bringing a state championship back to Buhler top his list.
“For my team, I want us to beat McPherson and win state,” Standlee said.
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