By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's football team graduated one of the most talented senior classes coach Steve Buhler has had in his 36-year coaching career from last fall's 11-1 Junior Blue team that came within a late Derby field goal of advancing to the Class 6A state championship game.
Veteran Washburn Rural football coach Steve Buhler is starting his 12th season at Rural, with the Junior Blues coming off an 11-1 record last fall. [File photo/TSN]
But the Rural cupboard is far from bare and the Junior Blues' goal remains the same this season, to play for a state title.
"The expectations shouldn't change and we talked about that in our team meeting before we started,'' said Buhler, who is starting his 12th season at the school. "We usually pick goals and this year I took a little liberty and I said, 'I'm picking the goal and the goal is we're going to go one more game than we did last year and you guys don't have a say. That's what we're doing,' and the seniors, they want to be there, too, and they want to take the next step.
"As bad as it was not getting to the state championship game and losing on the last-second field goal and all of that stuff, for this year's team it left the door open for saying, 'Hey, we can go one step further than the other groups we had before them and be the guys that get there,' so it's good incentive.''
Washburn Rural returns 25 lettermen from last year's Centennial League championship team, including six starters on both sides of the ball and 11 returners who earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition (Top 22, Second 22 or honorable mention) a year ago.
Washburn Rural senior defensive back King Leonard earned All-Shawnee County Top 22 laurels last season after picking off nine passes. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior cornerback Wilson Miller (2) was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year last fall. [File photo/TSN]
That group includes returning senior Top 22 pick King Leonard, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound free safety, and Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year Wilson Miller, a 5-11,180 senior cornerback.
Senior offensive tackles Caden Estrada (6-2, 270) and Jacob Hawks (6-8, 290) and senior running back Lafayette Thompson (5-7, 145) received All-Shawnee County Second 22 laurels in 2023 while senior defensive tackle Baron Blankenship (6-0, 210), senior safety Brady Goeden (5-10, 180), senior defensive tackle Jermarion Lyles (6-1, 243), senior cornerback Calvin Manthe (5-7, 170), junior running back TJ Minikwu (6-0, 210) and senior receiver Blake Recinos (5-10, 185) all received honorable mention.
Other returners on offense include junior center Dylan Tajchman (5-11, 200) and junior receiver Kellen Roth (6-0, 150) while senior outside linebacker Conner Danielson (6-2, 185) returns on defense.
Junior John Hoytal (6-2, 180) is expected to take over as the Junior Blues' starting quarterback this fall while other players being counted to make major contributions include seniors Dallas Koening (6-0, 250 defensive tackle), Eli Flinkinger (5-9, 180 linebacker) and Taylen Pagel (6-0, 170 wide receiver), juniors Jordy Heim (6-2, 200 linebacker), Elijah Gaines (6-0, 195 linebacker), Austin Ditch (5-8, 145 running back), Jayden Cooper (6-2, 250 offensive ineman), Brody Haas (5-11, 190 linebacker) and Anthony Manrose (6-1, 220 offensive lineman) and sophomore Jayden Baum (5-10, 190 running back).
"Just the competitive level of last year's team and even the year before that practices were always really good and you hope the work ethic rubs off on these guys,'' Buhler said. "The hard part for us is that last year's seniors were so focused on their successes and we never had to worry about trying to get them fired up and all that stuff.
"We'd like to see more of that from this year's group, the guys who are replacing important guys. We've got talented kids. We just need to see them get that kind of sense of urgency to be the guy and want to go make plays.''
Washburn Rural will be at home Friday night to open its season with a non-league game against city rival Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season last fall.
WASHBURN RURAL
2024 football schedule
September -- 6 Shawnee Heights, 13 at Blue Valley, 20 at Platte County, Mo., 27 Blue Valley Northwest.
October -- 4 at Topeka High (Hummer), 11 Emporia, 18 Junction City, 25 at Manhattan.
