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 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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No matter what players Bill Arnold's Hayden football team graduates from season to season or who the Wildcats return, one thing never changes -- the goal to win a state championship.
Veteran Hayden football coach Bill Arnold exhorts his team, 12-1 and the Class 3A runnerup last fall, during a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And after coming up just win short of a Class 3A title last fall, with a strong nucleus returning, Hayden's is out to complete that task this fall.
"If you don't have those expecations I don't know what you're doing out here, honestly,'' said Arnold, who is 211-66 as a head coach.
Hayden's only loss in a 12-1 season last fall came in the state final against Cheney and the Wildcats return 33 lettermen, including eight starters on offense and nine on defense, to reload for another run at the championship.
Hayden graduated a banner group of seniors, including Kansas Shrine Bowl participants and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 picks Carter Charvat and Finn Dunshee, all-county Top 22 pick Jude Konrade and offensive lineman Josiah Todwong, but two-time all-county honoree Jensen Schrickel leads a strong returning cast.
"Obviously you're going to have a hard time replacing Konrade and Charvat and Todwong, those three guys were really good for us last year on the offensive line, and then you throw in Finn's speed, but I like our nucleus,'' Arnold said.
Senior Jensen Schrickel returns to lead Hayden this fall after earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]
Schrickel, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior, is a standout on offense, defense and special teams for the Wildcats, catching 40 passes for 683 yards in 2023, carrying the ball 18 times for 268 yards and booting 16 of 18 extra points. He had three punt returns for 73 yards and 15 kickoff returns for 165 yards while scoring 10 total touchdowns and 82 points.
Offensively, Hayden also returns senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier (5-10, 190), senior fullback Broderick Desch (5-10, 205), senior tight end Treyton Tetuan (6-1, 205), junior halfback Kade Mitchell (5-10, 175) and junior quarterback Conner Hanika (6-3, 175).
Wahlmeier completed 61 of 113 passes for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns last season before suffering a season-ending injury in the opening round of the playoffs while Desch carried the ball 102 times for 511 yards and 10 TDs.
Mitchell and Hanika were named the Shawnee County co-offensive newcomers of the year in 2023, with Mitchell rushing for 764 yards on 79 attempts and scoring 15 total touchdowns and Hanika completing 38 of 60 passes for 470 yards and seven TDs after taking over for Wahlmeier in the playoffs.
On defense the Wildcats return Tetuan on the defensive line and Schrickel at defensive back, along with senior defensive back Brady Heinen (5-8, 150), junior linebacker Jackson McGivern (6-0, 200), junior defensive lineman Julian McGivern (5-10, 210), junior defensive back Logan Saenz (6-1, 185) and junior linebacker Jude Krentz (5-9, 190).
Sophomore Mason Becker kicked 36 of 38 extra points and booted a field goal as a freshman.
Hayden is also coming off what Arnold termed a successful offseason.
"I was happy with our summer,'' Arnold said. "No. 1, we stayed healthy all the way through it, which is good, and No. 2, we have some good senior leadership and they did a really good job of leading this summer and I anticipate some good things coming out of it.
"This is a group that I think has become a lot closer together in a short time this summer. They're ahead of the curve, I'll put it that way.''
Hayden will open its season on the road at Eudora on Sept. 6 before playing its home opener Sept. 13 against St. Michael Archangel (Mo.).
HAYDEN
2024 football schedule
September -- 6 at Eudora, 13 St. Michael Archangel, Mo., 20 KC-Bishop Ward, 27 at Wamego.
October -- 4 Hiawatha, 11 at Holton, 18 Perry-Lecompton, 25 at Jefferson West.
Next up: Highland Park.
