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Six Panthers earn first-team All-WAC football honors
Ian Premer escapes a tackle attempt by Ulysses David Ochoa.jpg
Great Bend wide receiver Ian Premer escapes a tackle attempt by Ulysses David Ochoa and gains yardage. - photo by Hugo Gonzalez

Six Panthers earn first-team WAC honors

Great Bend features six players on the first team All-Western Athletic Conference football team. The Panthers (6-4, 2-2 WAC) lost to Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 36-34 in the 5A football playoffs.

Tailback Cody Miller (921 rushing, 12 TDs); receiver Ian Premer (538 yards, 9 TDs), tight end Colton Brack (175 yards, 2 TDS) and offensive lineman Matthew Johnson earned first-team offensive honors.

“Our seniors made an impact on our program,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “Every time we played, our guys played harder than the opponent. That’s what you love. Cody Miller passed his brother Dalton Miller for career rushing yards. M.J. (Matthew Johnson) was tremendous on both sides of the football. Our players grew tremendously.”

Middle linebacker Trent Kern (110 tackles) and cornerback Kaiden Hoffman (55 tackles) earned first-team defensive honors.

“We relied heavily on our defense,” Beck said. “Every week, they would provide plays. Our pass defense was good all year.”

Quarterback Daxton Minton (1,483 passing, 17 TDs/664 rushing, 7 TDs); receiver Maddox Spray 365 yards, 4 TDs) and linebacker Cooper Liles (55 tackles) and defensive linemen Dee’Onn Jones (60 tackles, 7.5 avg.) and Aiden Davidson (41 tackles) earned second team honors.

“Daxton played lights-out football and answered the call,” Beck said. “Dax made them pay. Dax has nice receivers returning.”

WAC FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

GREAT BEND—OL Matthew Johnson, 12; RB Cody Miller, 12; WR Ian Premer, 10; TE/ATHLETE—Colton Brack, 12

LIBERAL—QB Brooks Kappelmann, 12; WR Zayden Martinez, 12; WR James Fieser, 10; OL Hudson Rice, 11

HAYS HIGH—RB Malik Bah, 12; OL Gus Corsair, 9

 GARDEN CITY—OL Andrew Moreno, 12; OL Sebastian Lopez, 12

OFFENSIVE MVP—QB Brooks Kappelmann, Liberal

WAC FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

GREAT BEND—LB Trent Kern, 10; CB Kaiden Hoffman, 12

LIBERAL—DL Erek Lira, 12; DL Tyren Holmes, 11; DB Aidan Schwindt, 12

HAYS HIGH—DL Slade Salmans, 11; LB Wyatt Kirkpatrick, 11; LB Dalton Meyers, 11; DB Cooper Lindenmeyer, 11

GARDEN CITY—DL David Holguin 11

DODGE CITY—LB Dylan Sonday, 11

WAC SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

DEFENSIVE MVP—LB Dalton Meyers, 12

GREAT BEND—QB Daxton Minton, 10; WR Maddox Spray, 12

LIBERAL—OL Peyton Morlen, 12

HAYS HIGH—OL Kaiden Bunger, 12; Will Linenberger, 12; Henry Fitzhum, 12; WR Jonathan Cano, 12; WR Jarek Purdy, 10

GARDEN CITY—RB Ethen Allen, 12; Mario Ruiz, 11

DODGE CITY—OL Nery Quinones, 11

WAC SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

GREAT BEND—DL Dee’Onn Jones, 12; DL Aiden Davidson, 11; LB Cooper Liles, 12

LIBERAL—LB Xavier Tafoya, 10; DB Ivan Moreno, 12

GARDEN CITY—DL Dio Holguin, 11; LB Jesus Rodriguez, 12; DB Emilio Zundt, 12

DODGE CITY—DL Edgar Hernandez, 12; DB Jayden Amaro, 11; DB Tochi Okoro, 12

WESTERN ATHLETIC

Liberal 3-1 8-2

Hays High 3-1 7-3

Great Bend 2-2 6-4

Garden City 2-2 5-4

Dodge City 0-4 3-6