There’s no doubt that Friday night’s game between the Wichita Heights Falcons and the Bishop Carroll Golden Eagles will have the state’s attention.
The matchup at Bishop Carroll Family Stadium will pit the Falcons, last year’s 6A state champion, against the Golden Eagles, the 5A runner-up.
In fact, the readers of Kpreps.com selected it as Week 1’s statewide game of the week.
Yes, it is one Wichita high school football fans won’t want to miss.
However, Bishop Carroll coach Alan Schuckman also knows that it’s only one game.
“I think the kids understand that,” said Schuckman, who is beginning his 17th season at Bishop Carroll. “Last year, we lost and we made it to the state championship game. The year before, we beat them and they made it to the state championship. History shows the winner of the game doesn’t mean the season. The loser’s season isn’t over, and winning the game doesn’t mean you’re going to be tearing down the goal post.”
Bishop Carroll responded to last year’s season-opening 21-0 loss to Wichita Heights by winning 10 of its next 11 games and reaching the 5A state championship game. A year earlier, the Falcons shrugged off a 28-0 loss to the Eagles and made it to the 6A title tilt.
So it’s not a deal breaker, but it is a measuring stick.
“It lets us know very quickly where we’re at,” said coach Rick Wheeler, who is beginning his 13th season at Heights after bringing the school its first state football championship last year.
The game helps both teams know where it needs to improve. After last season’s loss, Bishop Carroll continued to get better each week. Its only other regular season loss came 21-14 to Hutchinson in Week 9. Just three games later, the Eagles avenged the loss by beating the Salthawks 21-0 and advancing to the 5A championship.
This time around, seeing where each stands may be even more important.
Both schools lose several talented players. Heights graduated two of Krpeps.com’s Top 11 players from 2010 in running back Dreamius Smith and defensive back Evan Wessel, while Carroll will be without three All-5A players on defense in Beau Bell, Aaron Jackson and Max Martinez.
The Falcons return six starters on each side of the ball but are looking for players to assume the role of leader.
“Athletically, I think we are comparable with last year,” Wheeler said. “We lost some very good players, but that doesn’t seem to be missing as much as finding new leaders. We need to continue to grow in that area.”
On the field, senior quarterback Matt Reed will be directing Heights for another season.
“He’s a competitor and has a presence when he’s on the field,” Schuckman said. “He brings a lot to the table.”
Heights may have found a replacement for Smith in senior running back Marquel Moore.
“He’ll take Dreamius’ position, and he has shown he has the capabilities to be a great running back,” Wheeler said.
Carroll returns only three starters on offense and two on defense.
“We’re pretty inexperienced,” Schuckman said. “I feel like we have a chance to be pretty good, but it will take some time to get that inexperience to varsity game speed. I think it’s just a matter of getting reps. We’ll line up with eight new kids who haven’t played on Friday nights.”
Regardless, the game is likely to be competitive. The game’s winner has switched off the past several seasons. Before each team’s respective shutout wins in 2010 and 2009, Heights won 24-21 in 2008, Carroll won 28-21 (2OT) in 2007, and Heights won 21-17 in 2006.
Projected starting lineups:
Wichita Heights Offense Bishop Carroll Defense
QB Matt Reed DE Brayden Butcher
RB Marquel Moore DE Jacob Brashers
RB Jon Wilcoxson DT Zach Befort
RB Kenneth Iheme DT Sean Mallory
TE Gabriel Lynch LB Nick Jackson
WR Myron Singleton LB Evan Koehler
LT Ricardo Gonzalez LB Anthony Triolo
LG Brandon Wharton CB Sam Meether
C Grant Watkins CB John Buchanan
RG Alex Knowles FS Alec Maly
RT Steven Walker SS Nate Law
Wichita Heights Defense Bishop Carroll Offense
DL Alec Simmelink QB Zeke Palmer
DL Aderio Ammons TB Jalen Hernandez
DL Ashton Bell WR John Linnibur
DL Preston Banks WR Bryce Harvey
LB James Blackburn WR Matt Denning
LB Chris Turner TE/FB Matt Melilo
LB Trevor Wessel OT Drew Rhoades
DB Skylar Gatson OG Bryce Barrientos
DB Jet Moreland C Joe Frankenberg
DB Nick Sims OG Phil Strunk
DB Jimmy Washington OT Geoff Winningham
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