The Big 7 league posted a successful 2022 season and was arguably one of the more successful leagues in the state. It started with Nemaha Central winning the league title, going undefeated, and finishing off the season with the Class 2A Championship.

The Holton Wildcats only lost once in league play and made it all the way to the Class 3A State Title game before falling short of the title to Andale.

Sabetha was one win away from reaching the 2A State Title game but lost to Nemaha Central in the Sub-State round. The Bluejays would win nine games with their only three losses to Nemaha Central twice and Holton.

Perry-Lecompton dealt with some injuries throughout the course of the season but finished 3-3 in league play.

Hiawatha and Royal Valley each won multiple league games but both teams had to deal with difficult schedules outside of league play.

Riverside and Jefferson West finished at the bottom of the league with Riverside’s lone league win coming against Jefferson West in the first week of the season.

The Big 7 league will once again be top notch and provide some of the best competition in the state in 2023. The Big 7 has had a team playing in a state title game in six of the last seven seasons and they could very well keep the trend going this season.

The Sabetha Bluejays in 2022 made their best postseason run since winning the state championship back in 2018. Sabetha advanced all the way to the sub-state round and was one victory away from the state title game but was bounced by Big 7 rival Nemaha Central 30-14. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for the Sabetha Bluejays in 2023. This team has all the pieces to once again make a deep playoff run and push towards a state championship. They return eight starters on both sides of the ball with head coach Garrett Michael entering his 15th season at the head of the program. 

The Nemaha Central Thunder posted a perfect and historic 2022 season that the community will never forget. The Thunder went a perfect 13-0 on their way to claiming the Class 2A state championship. The Thunder have been one of the best programs in the state over the last four years, winning two state championships last season and 2019. The Thunder will have some work to do to defend their title with just five returning starters on offense and four returning starters on defense. Head coach Michael Glatczak enters his third season in charge and has compiled a 20-3 record in his first two seasons.

The Holton Wildcats have posted back-to-back 11-win seasons and made the 3A State Title game last season for the first time since 2015. It was the eighth title game appearance in school history. All of those since Coach Brooks Barta took over in 1997 and has since compiled 257 wins. In fact, Barta now has as many playoff wins (58) as total losses in his Holton tenure. Overall numbers are down for Holton and the senior class is light with less than 10 athletes competing, but the camaraderie and steady leadership is there to help the Wildcats navigate some growing pains and surprise anyone that thinks they aren’t still a top team poised to make a run in November.

The 2022 Perry-Lecompton Kaws finished with a record of 3-6 but had to deal with some injuries plus a daunting schedule. Mike Paramore returns for his 23rd season as head coach and has 120 career wins at Perry-Lecompton. Paramore’s career record is 172-153 making him one of the more veteran coaches in our area. Overall, the Kaws will return 13 letterwinners from last season with four returning starters on both offense and defense. They’ll look to add a few more wins, keep everyone healthy, and make a deeper run in the playoffs. 

The 2022 season for the Riverside Cyclones was called a “growing year” according to head coach Bryce Paden. The Cyclones finished with a 3-6 record and 1-3 mark in league play. Over half the team on both sides of the ball were composed of freshmen who had to step in right away and go up against high caliber competition. They lost just one letterwinner off last year’s team and they return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. The team has put in a lot of work during the off-season and Paden is excited to see that work pay off. Many reasons to believe that Riverside will be more competitive and potentially up their win total in 2023.

The Hiawatha Redhawks dealt with a bevy of injuries in 2022 that hampered their season early finishing 2-7 when it was all said and done. Hiawatha won their first two games against Royal Valley and Jefferson West before losing seven straight to end the season. They were able to get underclassmen playing time last season which should help them out this season. Michael Downard is entering his fifth season as the head coach and is hoping for a healthy season. One of the big keys for success this season for this team will be the play up front with the offensive and defensive lines. If Tyler Willich stays healthy and leads the charge on offense look for this team to drastically improve on that side of the ball.

The Royal Valley Panthers will look to improve in 2023 after posting a 2-7 record last season. The outlook should be better this season with the JV squad winning six out of eight games last season. David Boucher enters his third season as the head coach. They will have seven returning starters on offense and six returning starters on defense. Boucher adds the team is more connected heading into this season as opposed to the beginning of 2022. The goals for the 2023 season will be to compete every play, finish more consistently, be a beacon of hope for the community, and grow in confidence.

The Jefferson West Tigers missed the playoffs in 2022 and narrowly escaped a winless season after winning their Week 9 game against Osawatomie. The Tigers went winless in district play and Big 7 play under head coach David Bowen. He enters his third year as head coach and returns seven starters on both sides of the ball and 12 total letterwinners. Bowen says that he hopes that they continue to grow and build together throughout the season. Last year was certainly a rebuilding year for Jefferson West so they would like to see some signs of progression.