The football season has been a great one and for the Big Seven league they enjoyed four teams making the playoffs this season with three making the second round and one still continuing their journey in the postseason.

In a year that was heavy with great competition four teams perhaps stood out in the league in Holton, Hiawatha, Nemaha Valley and Jeff West as those four teams make up most of the All-League honors.

For the Wildcats who went through Big Seven play and the season unbeaten again and currently sit at 11-0, continuing on in the 4A playoffs they saw 10 All-League honors garnered with four more honorable mentions honors, too. Senior, Brenden Hampton leads the honorees for the Wildcats with three All-League honors notching those honors at runningback, defensive back and kicker. Senior lineman, Cooper Zeller and Jake Riederer joined Hampton as multiple All-League selections being picked All-League on the offensive and defensive lines.

Ethan Holaday also picked up a pair of honors getting a pair of honorable mention nods at quarterback and defensive back spot for the Wildcats. Both Drake Ewing and Dylan Wheeler each earned All-League on offense at runningback and tight end, while Bradley Hooper was the only other Wildcat on offense picking up an honor with honorable mention on the offensive line.

On defense along with Zeller and Riederer on the line, Cooper Allen earned honorable mention honors for the Wildcats, while Andrew Rieschick grabbed All-League honors at linebacker.

The Hiawatha Red Hawks who gave Holton all they could handle this season finished the year 7-4, notching a playoff spot and playoff win for the second straight year making the second round of the 3A playoffs. The Red Hawks defense stymied opponents all season and five of their eight All-League honorees are on defense. 

Upfront on the on the defensive line a pair of seniors in Bryce Oldridge and Shawn Green anchored the Red Hawk defense earning them All-League, while at the DE/OLB spot the future Nebraska Cornhusker, Peyton Newell took home All-League honors. Quentin Overdick and Conner Bigham joined their teammates with All-League honors at ILB and defensive back, respectively. Parker Hasenkamp and Brendan Steele were honorable mention for the Red Hawks on defense at ILB and defensive back.

On offense, Newell notched his second All-League honors coming at tight end, while Steele earned his second honorable mention honors this year this time at runningback. Bigham took home All-League at wideout and also honorable mention on special teams at kicker. The lone other All-League honoree for Hiawatha was Marshall Swearingen on the offensive line. Ryker Smith and Nick Reese each grabbed honorable mention honors at punter and defensive line, respectively.

The Jeff West Tigers saw six All-League honors come their way lead by quarterback, Ian Mullins who notched All-League quarterback after a 7-3 season and 4A playoff appearance. On of his favorite targets this year Drew Slimmer notched All-League at wideout, while senior, Justin Scott earned All-League honors on the offensive line. Wyatt Miller took home honorable mention for the Tigers at runningback.

On defense, Scott made it All-League both ways this year notching the honor on the d-line, while Nathan Holloman earned All-League at DE/OLB and Brett Ricklefs was named honorable mention at defensive back.

The Nemaha Valley Raiders enjoyed one of their best years in a while finishing 9-2 with their first playoff win since 1993. Raiders notched five All-Leaguers and six honorable mention players. Senior, Caleb Meyer and junior, Devin Henry led the way each with an All-League and honorable mention honor. For Meyer it was All-League honors at defensive back and honorable mention at quarterback, while Henry took home All-League runningback and honorable mention at ILB. Defensive lineman, Todd Price, DE/OLB, Brad Boeckman and punter, Andrew Oller were the other three Raiders to notch All-League honors at their positions.

Boeckman added honorable mention honors at tight end, while both Evan and JR Hermesch each notched honorable mention honors on the offensive line. On defense, Justice McKernan also honorable mention honors for Nemaha Valley coming at the defensive back spot.

For the Royal Valley Panthers it was a rough year going 0-9 but two players did earn All-League honors as seniors, Josh Tessendorf and Zach Rottinghaus notched those honors at offensive line and ILB spots.

Both Perry Lecompton and Santa Fe Trail each had one player earn All-League honors and a pair earn honorable mention. For the Kaws, offensive linemen, Brendon Neal took home All-League honors while runningback, Brandon Eddy and ILB, RJ Whitaker each registering honorable mention honors after helping the Kaws to a 3-6 season this year.

Santa Fe Trail was led by wideout, Tyler Mundy who earned All-League honors, while his teammates, Jared Munoz and Darric Cashier each registered honorable mention honors at defensive back and ILB, respectively after the Chargers were 1-8 this season.

Sabetha Bluejays made the playoffs again this season as district runner-ups and finished with just a 4-6 record this year. Four Bluejays earned honorable mention honors this year in the Big Seven with Jacob Frey, Kegan Schumann, Alex Edelman and Mateo Kirwan earn those honors at defensive back, ILB, wideout and offensive line.

Another successful and competitive Big Seven football season and next year the addition of ACCHS and Riverside will only provide another element to the football season.

2013 Big 7 All League Football