By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2025 season on Sept. 4 and 5.
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After starting the 2024 football season with three nailbiting losses, perennial state power Rossville reeled off eight straight wins to reach the Class 1A semifinals before seeing its season end in a 22-9 loss to Centralia.
And although veteran coach Derick Hammes was proud of the 8-4 Bulldawgs' impressive turnaround last fall, he also knows that anything less than playing for a state title is a disappointment for a program that has won five state championships since 2014.
Derick Hammes has led Rossville football to a 114-28 record and five state championships. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"It was disappointing because here, with our expectations, we fell short,'' Hammes said. "But I think the returners that we have got a taste of that and I think they want to make right on the opportunity that they missed.
"That's how it is here and our expectations are always high.''
Rossville, which is 114-28 under Hammes, would appear to have the pieces in place to make another deep playoff run, with the Bulldawgs returning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Conner Bush (senior running back/defensive back) and All-Shawnee County Second 22 honorees Jack Donovan (senior wide receiver/defensive back) and Andre Johnson (senior running back/linebacker) to build around.
Other players expected to make a major contribution this fall include seniors Caleb Lehman (offensive/defensive line), Canann Mitchell (quarterback/defensive back) and Cameron Miller (wide receiver/defensive back) and juniors Charlie Chance (offensive/defensive line), Cael Horgan (linebacker) and Easton Webb (offensive/defensive line).
Senior Canann Mitchell is slated to take over as Rossville's quarterback this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Mitchell is expected to take over as the Bulldawgs' starting quarterback this fall after backing up All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Tayson Horak last season.
"Mitchell established himself pretty early in the summer and I would say with Canann, he was neck and neck with Tayson last year and it was a hard decision and it very well could have been him,'' Hammes said. "Tayson went on to have the year like he had and that probably means Canann's a pretty good ballplayer because it was neck and neck through camp.''
A focus in preseason will be to rebuild an offensive line that was hit hard by graduation.
"I would call our offensive line a work in progress,'' Hammes said. "We graduated all five of our offensive linemen that started last year in that sub-state game. A couple of the guys, however, that we're trying to plug in got game experience and starting experience, so it's not like we're going from scratch.
"That part for us is something that we're continuing to work on and it's got to get better and when those kids develop then I think that this team will start to progress.''
The storied Rossville-Silver Lake "War on 24'' will kick off the season for the Bulldawgs and Eagles for the second straight year, with Rossville hosting Silver Lake on Sept. 5.
"I like it,'' Hammes said. "We're going to get an opening day and then we're going to get a big game on top of it with that rivalry.
"I really thinks it helps kids focus during the summer and the summer program for everybody's so important. So, if you have a little extra motivation to get you through those summer months, I think it's a good thing.''
ROSSVILLE
2025 football schedule
September -- 5 Silver Lake, 12 at St. Marys, 19 Nemaha Central, 26 at Maranatha Christian Academy.
October -- 3 Mission Valley, 10 at Cair Paravel Latin (Washburn), 17 at Olpe, 24 Wabaunsee.
Next up: Seaman.
