By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2025 season on Sept. 4 and 5.
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After graduating 20 of 22 starters from its 2023 team that went 8-3, Shawnee Heights went through some definite growing pains last fall in a 2-7 campaign.
But one thing veteran T-Bird coach Jason Swift said he never had to worry about, no matter the score, was that he was going to get his team's best effort.
Veteran Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift and the experienced T-Birds will be looking for a big turnaround this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And with 40 returning lettermen, including nine returning starters on offense, seven on defense and a standout specialist, Swift is counting on that effort to produce dividends this fall.
"I'll give testament to last year's team, they practiced hard every single week and they played hard no matter what adversity that we faced in the season,'' said Swift, who is starting his 23rd season at Heights. "Truthfully, all three aspects of the game -- offense, defense, special teams -- shined. One thing we couldn't do was just put it all together for four quarters, and if we could have, I think the record would have been a little bit different.
"But the thing that's great is that the kids that played so hard last year, the majority of them are back here on the field this year and they've got nine games of experience. So, when the lights go on on Friday nights, they're not going to be as bright this year.''
Leading the T-Bird returning cast are senior quarterback Aiden Scott (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and senior wide receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker (6-3, 190), who both were TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 picks a year ago.
Senior Aiden Scott returns to quarterback Shawnee Heights after passing for 3,102 yards and 32 touchdowns last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Scott, who was named the county offensive newcomer of the year last fall, completed 190 of 317 passes for 3,102 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior while Parker caught 50 passes for 946 yards with 11 touchdowns and was in on 48 tackles with a pair of interceptions. Scott has committed to Washburn and Parker to Kansas.
Other top returners on offense include senior running back David Wakes (5-10, 190), senior wide receiver AJ Gallegos (5-10, 160), senior offensive lineman Henry Schattilly (6-3, 300) and junior offensive linemen Amir Bass (5-9, 265), Will Skaggs (6-3, 270) and Jude Haverkamp (6-2, 260).
Wakes carried the ball 140 times for 633 yards and three touchdowns last season and had 21 catches for 254 yards and a TD while Gallegos caught 51 passes for 842 yards and 10 TDs.
Defensively the T-Birds return senior linebackers Dayton Vanderpool (6-0, 185) and Evan Johnson (5-10, 180), senior defensive ends Royce Daniels (5-11, 200) and Blake Coffman (6-3, 210) and junior defensive lineman Zyhir Foster (6-4, 315).
Daniels was in on 73 tackles last season while Vanderpool was in on 60 stops.
Senior Camden Granado (6-1, 165) returns to handle the T-Birds punting and placekicking duties, converting 30 of 34 extra points with a pair of field goals in 2024.
"I think the good news is these seniors were sophomores when we had success and when we talk about it as a senior group a lot of them talked about how much they enjoyed that sophomore year and that success and the chance that everybody had to make an impact,'' Swift said.
"And that's our goal for this year, the same thing, that everybody in the program makes a great impact on us.''
Shawnee Heights will open its season Sept. 5 at home against city rival Washburn Rural and the T-Birds will also be home in Week 2, facing Topeka West in a United Kansas Conference contest.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
2025 football schedule
September -- 5 Washburn Rural, 12 Topeka West, 19 at Basehor-Linwood, 26 at Leavenworth.
October -- 3 De Soto, 10 at Seaman, 17 at Lansing, 24 KC-Turner.
Next up: Silver Lake.
