Belle Plaine
Last Season: 0-9
Belle Plaine starts over in 2026 under first-year head coach Curtis Albin after an 0-9 season, but the Dragons believe they have the pieces to become a tougher, more disciplined team. Albin said the focus will be on turnover ratio, pre-snap and post-snap penalties, and controlling the tempo of the game.
Belle Plaine plans to be a ball-control team behind a double-tight wishbone and belly-option offense modeled after Smith Center’s approach. Mattix Bruner, Emmett Lawless, Daxxton Bird, Brooks McGinnis, Landon Hernandez and Grady Talbot headline a group that returns six starters on both offense and defense.
Defensively, the Dragons will base out of a 3-3 stack, mix in 4-2-5 and 3-4 looks, and rely heavily on Bruner at free safety as the “quarterback of the defense.” Albin said the summer has started well and that the players are working together to build something better, which gives Belle Plaine a foundation even after last year’s struggles.
Bluestem
Last Season: 3-6
Bluestem enters 2026 with a senior-heavy roster and real belief that it can build on what head coach Ethan Baker called the program’s best season in almost a decade. The Lions return six offensive starters and seven defensive starters, and Baker said this group will lean on its seniors to outperform last season.
Axton Vice is the clear centerpiece after rushing for 791 yards and eight touchdowns while also posting 69 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. Quarterback Ayson Shepherd adds dual-threat production after running for 528 yards and nine scores, while Logan Squire gives Bluestem another proven power option after 520 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The Lions are shifting toward more of a spread look on offense, but Baker said they still want to run the ball and control the clock. Defensively, they will stay in a hard-hitting 4-4, with Vice, Shepherd, Squire, Tyllier Freeman and Deigan Ashley-Moore anchoring a veteran front seven.
Conway Springs
Last Season: 3-6
Conway Springs is coming off its first losing season in 30 years, but the Cardinals believe the way they finished 2025 gives them momentum entering this fall. Matt Biehler, now in his 29th year at the school, returns 17 lettermen, seven offensive starters and five defensive starters for a team that wants to get back to its physical identity.
The offense will be built around Gabe Tarrant, Joseph Howard, Zavier King, Bryce Osner, Lucas Billups and a returning offensive line led by Jacob Howard and Caleb Newell. Biehler said Conway Springs wants to control the line of scrimmage, play physical power football and use its big targets in the passing game.
Defensively, Lucas Pauly, Mason Zoglmann, Tarrant, Howard, King, Newell, Ethan Partika and Billups give the Cardinals a solid base. Conway Springs listed staying healthy and playing physical smash-mouth football as key concerns, but it also pointed to improved depth as a major strength for 2026.
Hillsboro High School
Last Season: 6-4
Hillsboro returns a strong group from last year’s 6-4 team, and head coach Demetrius Cox believes the Trojans can be very good if their summer development and leadership continue to grow. The season preview notes that Hillsboro graduated several standout players, but also brings back many key contributors from both sides of the ball.
On offense, Hillsboro lists Zayne Haslett, Brayson Amstutz, Preston D’Ablini, Thurston Silhan, Braxton Hiebert, Talon Regier, Hudson Rogers, Daniel Blackmon-Richard and Peter Farha as key returning starters or contributors. Defensively, D’Ablini, Farha, Blackmon-Richard, Regier, Jaeten Loewen, Amstutz, Haslett, Silhan and Nate Oelke form the core of the returning group.
The Trojans went 6-4 in 2025 with wins over Larned, Halstead, Ellsworth, Lyons, Smoky Valley and Ellsworth again in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Hoisington in the second round. With experienced skill players back and a program that finished last season in the postseason, Hillsboro looks like a solid contender in the CKL again.
Hutchinson Trinity
Last Season: 8-3
Hutchinson Trinity comes off an 8-3 season and a quarterfinal run, but 2026 will test the program’s depth after heavy graduation losses and only two returning offensive starters plus three returning defensive starters. Head coach Jordan Bell, entering his 13th year, said the Celtics are excited about a roster that is eager to learn and work hard despite being one of the smallest groups the program has had in several years.
Jake Kerns, Lucas Griffith, Beau Towell and Eli Bigger are among the key returning names, with Griffith projected to handle kickoff duties and Adahir Guerrero set to return kicks. Bell said previous non-letter winners will now have chances to play meaningful Friday night snaps, which makes leadership from the senior and junior classes especially important.
Trinity plans to stay multiple on offense with a roughly 50-50 run-pass split, while the defense will aim to play fast, physical and with great effort. The small roster and a demanding schedule that includes Sterling, Marion, Inman, Moundridge and Hillsboro make this a challenging setup, but Bell believes summer development and program strength can keep the Celtics competitive.
Inman High School
Last Season: 8-2
Inman enters 2026 with one of the strongest returning groups in 1A after going 8-2, winning its district and reaching the second round of the playoffs last season. Lance Sawyer’s team brings back eight starters on offense, nine on defense, 100 percent of its rushing attack, 100 percent of its receiving yards and 74 percent of its tackles.
Senior quarterback Malachi Brunk is the headliner after producing 2,425 all-purpose yards, including 1,089 passing yards, 1,336 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns, while also making all-state on both sides of the ball. He is joined by an explosive supporting cast that includes Korbyn McClellan, Tyler Jerrick, Braxton Malloy, Kru Harris, Bo O’Neill, Gage Sisson and Cayden Gaeddert.
Sawyer said speed is a major strength, especially in the backfield and front seven, and that the team’s experience should allow it to open up more on both sides of the ball. Inman’s goals are clearly bigger than simply getting back to the playoffs, especially after beating defending state champion Conway Springs in the first round last season before falling to Moundridge.
Moundridge High School
Last Season: 8-3
Moundridge enters 2026 after an 8-3 season, a district title and a second-round playoff run, but Tyler O’Connor’s team must replace 13 seniors from last year’s group. O’Connor said the expectation is that new faces will step into bigger roles, with a strong core already in place and a physical identity centered on its ball carriers and offensive line.
Logan Greenwalt is one of the top returning all-around weapons after producing 279 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns, 47 tackles and three interceptions, while Garet Wedel returns after posting 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Logan Wulf, Atley Lichti, Josh Koehn and standout kicker Cyrus Blough also give Moundridge a proven senior foundation on both sides of the ball.
Blough is a major special teams weapon after averaging 37.0 yards per punt, recording 20 touchbacks, hitting a 56-yard field goal and converting 39 of 41 PATs. Wulf also stands out as the MVP nominee and a tone-setter up front after helping pave the way for more than 2,136 rushing yards while earning all-league and all-state honorable mention recognition.
The Wildcats will run a spread-option offense and a 3-4 defense, and their schedule quickly tests them with Sterling, Sedgwick, Conway Springs, Hutchinson Trinity, Hillsboro, Remington and Inman. If Moundridge’s new leaders emerge quickly, the returning line strength and overall physicality should keep the Wildcats in the 1A mix.
Remington
Last Season: 2-7
Remington heads into 2026 with a clear contrast in its roster: the Broncos are young up front but experienced at the skill positions, which Matt Headley said will shape the season. Headley believes the line’s development is the biggest swing factor, because if that group grows quickly, Remington has the athletes to put a strong product on the field.
The offense returns seven starters and will operate from the spread, trying to get the ball to playmakers in space while keeping defenses honest with the run game. Sam Tillotson, Darian Schwind, Darius Hancock, Asher Irving, Easton Koehn and Elliott Hochstetler headline that group and give Remington multiple options on the perimeter and in the backfield.
Defensively, the Broncos bring back eight starters in a 3-4 scheme led by Rueben Jury, Hancock, Ryder Armstrong, Skylar Knowles, Irving and Tillotson. Headley called Jury the smartest and most physical player on the team, saying he directs the defense and thrives on contact, which makes him the centerpiece of Remington’s identity.
Republic County
Last Season: 8-2
Republic County comes off one of the best seasons in school history after finishing 8-2, and Jesse Hodgson said the Buffs return plenty of players ready to take on bigger roles. The team lost important seniors, but it still brings back six offensive starters and five defensive starters from a highly successful group.
Nick Kendall is the top returning name as both the lead back and the MVP nominee, while Levi White, Grady Siemsen, Colin White and Kolby Strnad give Republic County an experienced offensive core. The Buffs run a multi-formation option offense, which should again fit their personnel and keep Kendall at the center of the attack.
Defensively, Republic County will line up in a 4-4 with Kendall at middle linebacker and Siemsen, Om Patel, Greyson Novak and Owen Harms forming much of the returning front. Hodgson also pointed to freshman Halen Ludacka as an underclassman with strong long-term potential after already seeing special teams action last season.
Salina Sacred Heart
Last Season: 5-4
Salina Sacred Heart enters 2026 trying to build on the program’s first winning season in 11 years, and Ryan Krajicek believes the Knights have the competitiveness to handle a very difficult schedule. The biggest challenge is depth, because Sacred Heart is one of the smallest 11-man schools and must replace trench size while developing younger players into varsity contributors.
The offense returns five starters and will stay multiple, using different looks from week to week rather than locking into one fixed system. Quarterback Maddox Wells returns after throwing for 1,492 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Noah Hines is the top big-play threat after 38 catches for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns and all-state recognition.
Dom Matteucci adds versatility after 781 total yards and eight touchdowns, and Jonah Kaumans plus Landon Pfiefer help anchor a line that must grow despite graduation losses. Defensively, Matteucci, Kaumans and Luis Hernandez headline a unit that returns six starters, with Matteucci bringing 81 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.
Sedgwick
Last Season: 2-8
Sedgwick is looking to rebound from a 2-8 season, and head coach Doug Mabry says the Cardinals will lean heavily on a returning core of offensive and defensive linemen. Mabry called the line foundation the team’s biggest strength, while also noting that graduation losses, transfer losses and overall roster depth are the main concerns.
Sedgwick returns five starters on offense and five on defense, along with six total returning lettermen. Michael Petersen, Landon Barrientos, Henry Morse, Max Lynch, Skyler Weber and Julien Grundy headline the main returning group, while Nate Hansen, Braelynn Heubach, Hayden Olinger, Lane McGinn and Jackson Calhoun give the Cardinals more varsity experience.
Mabry said the 2025 record should not discourage the program because this group is hungry and has a chance to grow quickly if new faces step into key roles. The schedule is difficult right away with Inman, Moundridge, Remington, Sterling, Nickerson, Bluestem and Conway Springs all on the slate, so Sedgwick should find out early how fast that development is happening.
Sterling
Last Season: 13-0, 1A state champion
Sterling enters 2026 as the defending 1A state champion after a perfect 13-0 season, and there is still major optimism despite the graduation of several key leaders and a lot of production. Brent Schneider said the Black Bears return a deep upperclass group, strong overall numbers and enough varsity experience to keep expectations high.
The offensive line looks like the strength of the team with Derek Krone, Cameron Morris, Cody Schweizer, Maddox Link and Tucker Haas leading the way. The backfield also returns proven experience in Jace Darnauer and Deryn Maxwell, while quarterback Zac Wohler and linebacker Jacob Lewis are central two-way pieces.
Lewis is one of the most productive defenders in this entire batch after recording 174 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while David Myers, Morris and Maxwell also bring strong defensive production back. Schneider added that Lane Weigel remains a weapon on special teams, which gives Sterling another edge as it tries to defend its title.
