By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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After graduating 20 of 22 starters on offense and defense from last year's 8-3 team, veteran Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift can either look at the T-Birds' lack of varsity experience as a problem or as an opportunity for those players remaining in the program.
Veteran Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift talks to his team after a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Swift, who is starting his 22nd season at Heights, is taking the latter approach.
"We lost all 11 starters on offense and we lost nine starters on defense so we're starting the year with two potential starters that started last year on defense and other than that it's everybody's chance to go find a spot,'' Swift said. "It's an awesome opportunity for all those young guys because now you're not fighting for three or four positions, you're fighting for 20 positions.
"We go by the mantra of, 'Work while you wait,' so they've been waiting for their opportunity and it comes down to how much work they have put in and we're going to see. I'm excited about it.''
Swift feels like the T-Birds set the tone for a productive season with their work in the offseason.
"The way we improved throughout the summer has me feeling really good about the season,'' Swift said. "I think we're going to continually grow because in the summer we strived to get better every day. We had a great turnout in the summer. We had some football opportunities and we had the kids there.
"The buy-in was phenomenal and our growth from May 28th to July 18th was night and day and we expect the same thing from Week 1 to Week 3 to Week 6 and throughout the season.''
Junior Tyren Parker is a top returner for Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season in 2023. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds return 20 lettermen, led by returning defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior Tyren Parker, a junior defensive back. Heights also returns junior kicker Camden Granado.
Busenitz was in on 40 tackles and had three interceptions and six breakups while Parker, who has Division I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State, was in on 44 tackles with three interceptions and four breakups. Offensively Parker caught 10 passes for 236 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Granado connected on 25 of 27 extra point kicks and was two of two on field goal attempts.
Junior Aiden Scott is expected to take over at quarterback this fall after completing 33 of 51 pass attempts last season for 397 yards and five touchdowns.
Other top players on offense, in addition to receivers Busenitz and Parker, include junior running back David Wakes, senior tight end Brett Rantz, sophomore offensive lineman Will Skaggs, senior offensive lineman Ty Thompson, senior offensive lineman Gavin Newberry, junior offensive lineman Leyton Ullery, senior offensive lineman Cooper Wohler, sophomore offensive lineman Quinn Busenitz, junior running back Royce Daniels, junior wide receiver AJ Gallegos and junior offensive lineman Henry Schattilly.
Defensively, top prospects include senior linebacker Hunter McGrann, junior defensive end Blake Coffman, junior linebacker Dayton Vanderpool, junior defensive end Keaven Ortiz, junior defensive back Brody Daniels, senior defensive back Liam Benz and sophomore defensive lineman Zyhir Foster.
"It's high school football,'' Swift said. "It moves in waves and who you have every year is based on who comes out and one class goes out and the next class comes in and we're excited. We've got great kids and it's next man up.''
Shawnee Heights will open its season Sept. 6 on the road at city rival Washburn Rural, a Class 6A state semifinalist last fall.
The T-Birds will also be on the road in Week 2, facing Topeka West in a United Kansas Conference contest at Hummer Sports Park, before hosting Basehor-Linwood in its home opener on Sept. 20.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
2024 football schedule
September -- 6 at Washburn Rural, 13 at Topeka West (Hummer), 20 Basehor-Linwood, 27 Leavenworth.
October -- 4 at De Soto, 11 Seaman, 18 Lansing, 25 at KC-Turner.
Next up: Silver Lake.
