Even though quarterback Hudson Ferralez played at Hesston last year, Wichita Collegiate coach Troy Black knows what to expect from the transfer.
“As a defensive coordinator, I know what Hudson can do,” Black said. “… His leadership ability is phenomenal, he’s a great kid and a great worker. Playing against him the last two years, we beat them, but it was a dogfight because of his quarterback play. He throws a really good football and reads defenses well.”
Ferralez is a dangerous passer — he had more than 4,000 passing yards combined over the past two years — and he’ll have the receiving corps to cause opposing defenses problems.
There’s Sebastian Hines-Turner, who is 6-foot-5, Markus Gorges (6-3), Brett Wetta (6-3), James Shackelford (6-2) and Julian Johnson.
“Skill position-wise, I feel like it will be our best group in a long time,” Black said. ” We have a lot of speed at the receiving position…. Sebastian is one of our three amigos in basketball; he’s got great hands. And Markus can flat-out run. Brett Wetta, he’s also in our secondary, and he’s the fastest.”
The Spartans will be able to take advantage of that size and speed at receiver with Ferralez, but opponents won’t be able to focus solely on stopping the pass.
Not with sophomore Jaden Parker coming out of the backfield.
“Last year we couldn’t get the ball to those (receivers), and teams would put nine guys in the box to stop the run,” Black said. “Hudson will make you pay if you do that, especially with these receivers.
“And Jaden has a chance to blow up.”
Parker and Hines-Turner are outstanding basketball players; Parker is likely to be a Division I football player.
Collegiate benefits from its players that come out for multiple sports.
“Brett Wetta is a three-year starter for us in football and a major player for (coach) Mitch (Fiegel) in basketball. And he’s one of our best baseball players and he qualified for state in the hurdles and got in the top six,” Black said. “That’s crazy in today’s world.
“Mitch needs the football guys and I need the basketball guys. The guys who played basketball, they’ve been to the state tournament. Jaden and Sebastian, they were varsity basketball players, but we had relied on them so much in football. Jaden was a starter on both sides Day 1, that helped them prepare for the basketball season where they didn’t play like freshmen.
“I think that gave them — after playing on Friday nights and playing against Andale, in the playoffs — so when they got on the court, they weren’t overwhelmed.”
Collegiate’s defense will be especially strong in the secondary, starting with Wetta, Shackelford and Parker.
The defensive line — a three-man front — will be led by Tristan Sprole and then Black plans to rotate multiple players through the other two spots. Sprole will also start on the offensive line.
Chappell started most of last season at linebacker after moving over from the secondary due to injuries. And Cooper Arneson, who is also a tight end, and Asa Ahmad, who also plays basketball, will be key at linebacker.
“(Arneson) is a rugby player, as well, and he almost scares me,” Black said.
