Andale High School
Last Season: 13-0, 3A state champion
Andale enters 2026 as the defending Class 3A state champion after a 13-0 season and another dominant postseason run under Dylan Schmidt. Even with major graduation losses, the Indians still look dangerous because they return proven all-state talent, a huge overall roster of around 88 players, and a program that has won state titles in 2024 and 2025.
The biggest challenge is replacing a senior class that lost only two games over the last four years, especially at quarterback and along an offensive line that graduated four of five starters. Still, Afton Allaire, Jrayton Dansel, Brody Winter, Parker Lies and Cruz Kaiser give Andale a strong spine, with Dansel coming off 81 tackles and all-state honors and Winter returning as a first-team all-league, all-state lineman.
Schmidt said the offense returns only three starters from a unit that averaged 60.2 points per game, while the defense brings back three from a group that allowed just 6.8 points per game. That makes development and health the major storylines, but Andale’s track record suggests the Indians will again be one of the teams everyone in 3A is chasing.
Chapman High School
Last Season: 1-8
Chapman had a difficult 2025 season at 1-8, but the Irish return a large amount of experienced skill-position talent that could make them much more competitive in 2026. Head coach Jason Grider, entering his third year at Chapman, brings back eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters, including several all-league performers in the secondary and backfield.
Senior Audiel Becker is the headliner after rushing for 804 yards and seven touchdowns while also recording 87 tackles and earning all-league and honorable mention 3A honors. Junior quarterback Bo Rothchild returns after taking over midway through last season, while Colton Bell, Kaicen DeWeese and Dominic Krogman give Chapman an experienced supporting cast around him.
The Irish believe their skill positions are a strength, especially with Becker, Bell and DeWeese in the backfield and a loaded defensive backfield featuring Becker, Bell, Krogman and AJ Scott. Grider’s outlook is straightforward: if the offensive and defensive lines improve from last season, Chapman could be much improved in 2026.
Cheney High School
Last Season: 7-4
Cheney comes into 2026 off a 7-4 season and another deep postseason push, and Shelby Wehrman’s program still looks like one of the strongest teams in 3A. The Cardinals have a large senior class, a talented junior group and a long recent track record of success that includes the 2023 state championship and playoff appearances in each of the last several seasons.
The roster is packed with returning playmakers, including Ayden Koehn, Gus Morehead, Colton Young, Casen Fowler and Landon Meng. Young gives the offense proven production after rushing for 706 yards and adding 254 receiving yards, while Fowler and Sam Johnson provide versatility and Morehead leads a secondary that returns with strong numbers and all-state-level recognition.
Defensively, Koehn, Morehead, Young and Meng headline a fast, experienced group, with Koehn coming off 66 tackles and all-state honors and Morehead posting 76 tackles and 11 pass breakups. Cheney’s concerns are a new quarterback, untested backups, leadership and staying healthy, but the Cardinals still have enough talent to expect another strong run.
Clay Center High School
Last Season: 6-4
Clay Center heads into 2026 after a 6-4 season with head coach Marc Henry entering his seventh year and a roster that will feature several players in new roles. Henry said the Tigers have had a strong summer and believe they can put together a successful season if they stay healthy.
A big part of that outlook depends on Ethan Lietzel, who is expected to step in at quarterback and lead the offense in his first year at the position. He is joined by Jarrin Brumfield, Cayden Good, Cayden Schwab, Noah Gibson and Brody Bowser as the top listed offensive performers.
Schwab is a notable name to watch because the staff wrote that he is “only a soph, but will be a dominat player for us.” Gibson and Bowser give Clay Center size and stability in the trenches, which should be important for a team breaking in new faces.
Defensively, Clay Center lists Lietzel, Brumfield and Good in the secondary, with Schwab and Gibson at linebacker and Bowser on the defensive line. With early games against Wamego, Marysville, Osawatomie, Smoky Valley and Abilene, the Tigers should find out quickly how fast this new group can come together.
Clearwater High School
Last Season: 3-6
Clearwater is retooling after a 3-6 season and the graduation of a 14-player senior class, but head coach Jake Bjostad believes the next group is faster and highly committed. The Indians return six offensive starters, four defensive starters and 19 lettermen, and the coaching staff expects a more speed-based identity in 2026.
Curtis Campa is one of the key leaders after earning honorable mention all-league honors and recording 70 tackles with six tackles for loss in 2025. Junior two-way contributors like Emmit Ohlde, Dallen Kanngeisser, Julian Sanchez and Noah Manheim give Clearwater a promising core, while sophomore Bear Bailey and sophomore quarterback/defensive back Talen Tjaden add upside.
Bjostad noted that this younger group has been committed all offseason, and the roster should fit Clearwater’s shotgun offense and 4-3 defensive approach better with added speed. If the younger players mature quickly, the Indians have enough talent to be more dangerous than last year’s record suggests.
Concordia High School
Last Season: 4-5
Concordia heads into 2026 with a veteran core under third-year head coach Brad Wildeman after finishing 4-5 last season. The Panthers run a spread offense and 4-2-5 defense, and they return a long list of experienced seniors that should give them a chance to take a step forward.
Senior quarterback Drake Blochlinger is the centerpiece after throwing for 1,449 yards and 10 touchdowns while also rushing for 459 yards and 10 more scores. He is joined by senior skill players Ryker Wildeman, Kale Schroeder, Parker Jackson, Braytin Hake and Liam McNutt, with Jackson returning as the leading receiver at 399 yards and two touchdowns.
Up front, Jakub Brooks, Koehn Williams, Ian Loudermilk, Brody Knox and Caden Stein give Concordia experience in the trenches. Williams is also the top returning defensive producer after posting 81 total tackles, which should help anchor the Panthers on that side of the ball.
Hesston High School
Last Season: 6-4
Hesston returns a veteran, productive core from a 6-4 team, and Tyson Bauerle enters his 10th season at the school with a group that brings back six offensive starters, seven defensive starters and 19 letter winners. The Swathers operate from 21 personnel on offense and an even front on defense, and much of their outlook centers on an accomplished senior class.
Senior quarterback Jerick Humphreys is one of the top returning players in this batch after already throwing for 3,178 career yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 12 rushing scores as a starter. He is surrounded by experienced weapons like Kason Landes, Tim Rhodes, Drew Bartell, Gavin Larson and Eli Haug, giving Hesston proven production in both the run and pass game.
Defensively, Josh Duerksen and Landes lead a physical front seven after posting 107 and 104 tackles, while Gunner Goalden gives the Swathers an all-state-level force up front and Larson anchors the secondary after four interceptions. With this many established contributors back, Hesston looks built to remain a strong 3A contender.
Lyons High School
Last Season: 1-8
Lyons enters 2026 under new head coach Wyatt Seidl after a 1-8 season, and the Lions are leaning heavily on a hungry senior class to help turn the program forward. Seidl wrote that the team is built on hunger, hard work and purpose, and that the summer has provided a strong starting point.
The Lions list eight returning starters, including seniors Landen Birzer, Detrell Stanley, Teagan Link, Jace Thompson and Quanick Hamilton, along with juniors Ismael Chico, Logan Ferguson and Xander Young. Lyons also has a group of newcomers that includes Isaac Johansen, Jackson Smith, Ethan Cereceres, Adahir Rivera, Alex Lara, Lowen Ferguson, Jordan Gomez and Gage Grizzle.
“Our eight seniors are committed to leading by example,” Seidl said, adding that the team is focused every day on becoming part of the solution and taking another step forward. After several difficult seasons, Lyons’ immediate goal is simple and clear: be ready to compete when the season opens on September 4.
Nickerson High School
Last Season: 1-8
Nickerson heads into 2026 coming off a 1-8 season, but head coach Parker Bruce believes the Panthers built a real foundation late last year and now bring back more experience than the record suggests. Nickerson returns multiple offensive weapons, a large roster of 50-plus players and a team entering its second year in the same playbook.
The offense will revolve around junior running back Rylan Morrell after his 830-yard, seven-touchdown season, while Connor White, Zein Rector, Conner Bower and junior tight end KC Keeler are also key pieces. A major question is quarterback, where Noah Weber is expected to step in after two years as the JV quarterback and replace three-year starter Kris Monroe Jr.
Defensively, the Panthers bring a lot back in the front and secondary despite graduating top tacklers Riley Brawner and Gabe Taylor. Bruce highlighted returning players such as Connor White, Keeler, Brady Engelland, Aaden Vedder, Zein Rector, Kagyn Rice, Dagan Schneider, Corbin Shelton, Chase Welch, Maxx White and Jeffren Rodriguez, giving Nickerson a bigger base to build from in 2026.
Smoky Valley
Last Season: 3-6
Smoky Valley begins a new era with Caleb Lambert taking over as head coach after serving as an assistant, and the Vikings enter 2026 after a 3-6 season. Lambert said the team will be very young in some key positions, but he also believes the mix of experienced seniors and promising younger players gives the program real excitement.
The Vikings will run a shotgun Wing T offense and a 3-3-5 defense, with senior Crew Elliot, senior Auley Boughfman, senior Rebel O’Ferell and senior Mason Jowers forming much of the experienced core. Sophomore quarterback Mason Riedel is projected to start right away, while sophomore Eli Lambert and juniors Nicholas Carlson, Owen Ratcliff and Collin Opat are among the young players expected to take on major roles.
Lambert said one of the biggest keys will be for the younger players to grow up quickly while the upperclassmen play like upperclassmen. With Elliot, Boughfman and O’Ferell bringing experience and leadership, Smoky Valley should be more competitive if the young pieces settle in fast.
Wichita Collegiate
Last Season: 3-6
Wichita Collegiate enters 2026 under first-year head coach Brian Hill looking to reset after a 3-6 season that was heavily affected by injuries, especially at quarterback. Hill said the Spartans want to turn last year’s adversity into growth by building consistency, staying healthy and establishing a clear identity in all three phases.
The offense returns five starters and will operate from a spread pistol system designed to get playmakers the ball in space. Jacobi Salyers threw for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns last season, Landon Langston is back after being injured in Week 1, and receivers Mason Bond and Ethan Eyster provide proven production on the perimeter.
Defensively, Collegiate returns six starters in a 4-2-5 scheme led by Blake Sprole, who posted 76 tackles, four sacks and eight tackles for loss. Carson Malaise, Mason Bond, Ethan Eyster and Blake Dudley add more experience to a unit that wants to stop the run and pressure the quarterback, while senior lineman Gavin Schmitter is the team’s MVP nominee.
Wichita Trinity
Last Season: 4-5
Wichita Trinity heads into Year 2 under Ryan Schadler with real optimism after returning eight of 11 starters on both offense and defense from last year’s 4-5 team. Schadler said the Knights have lots of experience up front on both sides of the ball and are eager to build off last season against a challenging schedule.
The offense runs a power spread system with RPO elements, shifts and motion, and it features one of the more explosive returning receivers in junior Bryton Baty. Baty caught 28 passes for 628 yards and 10 touchdowns and earned all-state and all-league honors, while senior Korie Murphy, junior quarterback Cam Killgore and senior linemen Jonah Morris and Kaden Chalashtari give Trinity a strong supporting cast.
Defensively, Kaufman, Killgore, Baty and Chalashtari headline a versatile 4-2-5 unit that uses multiple fronts, coverages and stunts. Baty is also the MVP nominee, and Schadler said he is one of the best high school receivers he has seen, noting that he was all-state on both sides of the ball last season.
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