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 2026 season on Sept. 3 and 4.
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The Rossville football community will never completely forget last season's heartbreaking 35-34 loss to Sterling in the Class 1A championship game, with the Bulldawgs coming within two points and 52 seconds of a sixth state title under veteran coach Derick Hammes since 2014.
Derick Hammes has led Rossville football to a 125-30 record, seven state title games and five state championships. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But now Hammes, who is 125-30 at the school, is counting on his Bulldawgs to use last season's disappointment as motivation this fall as they take aim on another title shot.
"We always try to go back and look at our past experiences and use that as motivation going forward,'' Hammes said. "So with this team, the kids that had a big part in our season last year, they definitely want to get back, they want another chance.
"But there's a lot of hard work that goes into that and there's a lot of folks throughout the state that want the same thing that we do. That's what makes athletics great is you don't get to just press re-wind or fast forward, you've got to go through the process all over again.''
Rossville graduated an outstanding senior class, including TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 picks Canann Mitchell, Conner Bush and Andre Johnson and Second 22 selections Jack Donovan and Cameron Miller, from last season's 11-2 team.
But the cupboard is far from bare, with the Bulldawgs returning 2025 Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year Charlie Chance, a senior offensive lineman/defensive end, and senior all-county honorable mention honorees Cael Horgan (running back/linebacker) and Easton Webb (offensive/defensive line) and junior honorable mention picks Cale Horak (wide receiver/defensive back) and Landen Lewis (quarterback/linebacker).
Other top returners include senior wide receiver/defensive back Kelton Lacock and junior offensive lineman Cooper Meyer and junior offensive/defensive lineman Jordan Martinek.
Top newcomers include running back/linebacker Remi Droegemeier, wide receiver/defensive back Ryder Foster, wide receiver/defensive back Austin Dohrman, quarterback/defensive back Cole Graves, wide receiver/defensive back Dalen Dick, running back/linebacker Lakin Gentry, wide receiver/linebacker Michael Cooney, offensive lineman/defensive end Evan Thompson, offensive lineman/defensive end Eleazar Hersh, offensive/defensive lineman Imiah January and offensive/defensive lineman AJ Chance.
"This seems like a broken record for me, but it's always about how many are ready to play at this part of the season,'' Hammes said. "We have a core group of kids that we feel like are pretty good, but to get through our schedule, to get through league play, we're going to need more guys that are varsity-ready and that's really where our focus is right now.''
Junior Landen Lewis received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season and is slated to take over as Rossville's starting quarterback this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Lewis, the Class 2A state javelin champion last spring, is expected to take over as the Bulldawgs' starting quarterback this fall after backing up Tayson Horak as a freshman and Mitchell last season and said he learned from watching both players.
"Tayson was more of a runner and you can always look at runners and see how you can improve on where you're looking down the field,'' Lewis said. "And Canann was obviously a great passer, so just learning from both of them really helped me.
"This is going to be a super fun experience, just learning and obviously getting better over the weeks. We're all a really closeknit group, freshman through senior here.''
And Lewis said that as a team the Bulldawgs are determined to make another run at a state title.
"I've been waiting for this since last state game,'' Lewis said. "I've been wanting to get back out here forever.
"We're not satisfied with where we're at, but our potential is really high, so as long as we keep progressing it's going to be a good season.''
Rossville will open its season at home Sept. 4 against Big East League foe Perry-Lecompton before traveling to Silver Lake for the storied "War on 24'' on Sept. 11.
ROSSVILLE
2026 football schedule
September -- 4 Perry-Lecompton, 11 at Silver Lake, 18 Riley County, 25 Reno County.
October -- 2 at Royal Valley, 9 Wabaunsee, 16 at Mission Valley, 23 at St. Marys.
Next up: Seaman.
