For those of us who can’t wait to hear the sound of pads popping, summer all-star football games provide a much-needed dose of the gridiron to hold us over until fall.
The next chance to grab a football fix occurs Saturday, June 23 as the fifth annual Kansas vs. Nebraska 8-Man All-Star game will take place at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The game will feature 24 of each state's top 8-Man football players, some of which will be strapping the pads on for the final time.
Nebraska holds a 3-1 series advantage in the game’s short history and will try and extend a three-year winning streak on Saturday.
Last summer, Nebraska built a 16-6 halftime lead en route to a 23-12 win in Hays. The only Kansas victory in the series came 31-14 in the inaugural game back in 2008.
This year’s Kansas squad is packed with plenty of talented players who left their mark on the state’s record books.
Highlighting this year’s roster is the state’s all-time leading rusher in Joel Struckhoff. He totaled more than 2,300 yards and 43 touchdowns last fall in leading Thunder Ridge to its first state championship. For his career, Struckhoff ran for 6,916 yards and 127 touchdowns, breaking the Kansas 8-man record for each.
Joining him in the backfield is Madison’s Kole Schankie. The Bulldogs running back ran for 4,907 yards and 120 touchdowns, leading his team to back-to-back Division I state championships.
Under center, the Kansas All-Stars boast the most prolific passer in Kansas 8-man history. Central Burden’s Bo Savage finished his career completing 62 percent of his passes for 7,294 yards and 139 touchdowns. Savage set a national high school record in 2010 when he threw for 52 touchdowns.
Savage can look to a familiar target in high school teammate Ky Biddle, who racked up more than 2,500 yards both rushing and receiving in his career at Central Burden.
Additional weapons include blazing Osborne running back Damon Schurr, and bruising Lakeside-Downs fullback/linebacker Miles Thomas.
Baileyville B&B running back Mitch Engelken is another option. He set a Kansas 8-Man All-Star Game record with 233 yards rushing and three touchdowns just two weeks ago.
Up front, the Kansas All-Stars will be led by Dakota Foreman (6-3, 225) who spent his high school career blazing a path for Struckhoff at Thunder Ridge. Bubba Smith (6-2, 215) did the same for Schankie at Madison.
Quinter’s Brian Ochs also is an imposing figure on the line at 6-5 and 255 pounds.
The Kansas All-Stars will be coached by Jerry Vorhees (Thunder Ridge), Jeff Blattner (South Gray), Jesse Stebens (Ashland), and Don Melby (Pike Valley).
Kansas All-Star Roster
#1 Kole Schankie (6-2, 195) Madison
#3 Ky Biddle (5-9, 170) Central Burden
#5 Ross Binford (6-1, 200) Kiowa County
#7 Miles Thomas (6-1, 215) Lakeside-Downs
#10 Bo Savage (6-2, 180) Central Burden
#11 Damon Schurr (5-11, 185) Osborne
#12 Ethan Slothower (5-8, 165) Osborne
#13 Seth Filbert (6-0, 170) Macksville
#15 Derek Dean (6-1, 200) Little River
#20 Adam Pfiefer (6-1, 195) Hill City
#25 Jake Stoppel (6-5, 195) Wilson
#28 Joel Struckhoff (6-1, 180) Thunder Ridge
#40 Mitch Engelken (5-9, 170) Baileyville B&B
#42 Thadd Barker (6-4, 190) Lebo
#47 Adam Oak (6-1, 170) Macksville
#47 Zach VonLintel (6-1, 240) Victoria
#55 Tanner Cooper (5-9, 185) Pretty Prairie
#56 Brian Ochs (6-5, 255) Quinter
#58 Jake Harts (5-10, 220) Pratt Skyline
#60 Jayden Bowen (6-2, 215) Colony Crest
#66 Bubba Smith (6-2, 215) Madison
#79 Dakota Foreman (6-3, 225) Thunder Ridge
#80 Kolton Meade (5-10, 215) Ashland
#90 Joe Carter (6-0, 235) South Gray
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