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 2023 season Sept. 1.
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Bill Arnold's Hayden football team is coming off an outstanding 2022 season, with the Wildcats posting a 10-2 record and advancing to the Class 3A semifinals.
But with a strong returning nucleus, Hayden's goals are set even higher this fall.
Veteran Hayden football coach Bill Arnold is 199-65 as a head coach entering the 2023 season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think they've got a goal in mind,'' said Arnold, who is just one victory away from reaching the 200-win mark for his career.
Hayden's only two defeats a year ago came at the hands of 3A runnerup Holton and Arnold said that for the most part he's been very pleased with the Wildcats' work over the offseason to get ready to make another run at the title this fall.
"We really had a good June and really from January through June I thought our offseason weights were great,'' Arnold said. "I thought they made some great improvements in (the weight room).
"The month of June we had three different camps we went to. We went to Manhattan to a camp with Clay Center and Manhattan. We went to Benedictine and saw a bunch of different schools up there and then Manhattan and Topeka High came here at the end of June.''
Hayden graduated a banner group of seniors, including Notre ame signee Joe Otting, Kansas Shrine Bowl participant Ben Evans and two-way standout JC Cummings.
"We lost some good guys and it was more than just Joe and Ben and JC,'' said Arnold, who is 199-65 as a head coach. "There was some good leadership that we had in that group from last year. We just didn't match up very well with Holton.''
Bill Arnold's Hayden football team is coming off a 10-2 season in 2022 and reached the Class 3A state semifinals. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Wildcats also return 33 lettermen from that '22 team, including eight starters on offense and four on defense.
Senior Finn Dunshee and junior Jensen Schrickel both earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors a year ago.
Dunshee, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back/outside linebacker, rushed for 1,150 yards on 96 attempts and scored 17 total touchdowns and was named the county co-offensive newcomer of the year, Dunshee caught 10 passes for 207 yards and had five kickoff returns for 231 yards. Dunshee scored on offense, defense and special teams for Hayden.
Schrickel, 5-9, 155, was a standout on offense, defense and special teams for the Wildcats, catching 35 passes for 686 yards, carrying the ball 10 times for 182 yards and kicking two field goals and 31 of 33 extra points. He had three punt returns for 124 yards and four kickoff returns for 126 yards while scoring 18 total touchdowns.
A 6-2, 225 senior offensive center and defensive lineman, Charvat was a All-Shawnee County Second 22 pick last fall while Konrade, a 6-0, 195 senior, was a standout linebacker for the Wildcats and received All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
Offensively, Hayden also returns junior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier (5-10, 180), senior linemen Josiah Todwong (6-1, 260) and Doug Peterson (6-0, 225) and junior tight end Treyton Tetuan (6-1, 190).
On defense the Wildcats return senior defensive end Brady Holloway (6-3, 195) and senior linebacker Dom Ridley (5-7, 185).
"I think we'll be OK,'' Arnold said. "I like the makeup of the team. There will be some things that look a little bit different than in the past but we've got some different type of skill kids right now.
"And it's a situation where we've got a good group of seniors this year that are coming back.''
The Wildcats open the season with three games against perennial small-school powers Olpe, Silver Lake and Rossville.
Hayden will be on the road at Olpe on Sept. 1.
HAYDEN
2023 football schedule
September -- 1 at Olpe, 8 Silver Lake, 15 at Rossville, 22 at Jefferson West, 29 Perry-Lecompton.
October -- 6 at Royal Valley, 13 Holton, 20 at Hiawatha, 27 Playoffs.
Next up: Highland Park.
