Phillips, Starling headline Kansas all-state preseason football team

Circle defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and Gardner-Edgerton signal caller Bubba Starling are the best of Kansas football players.

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Circle defensive tackle Jordan Phillips likes to think that he can't be stopped at the high school level. I don't think he will, therefore the Oklahoma recruit has been tabbed as the defensive player of the year for the 2010 Kansas Preseason All-State football team for the big schools.

At 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, Phillips has fast enough feet to score a 4.7-second clocking over 40 meters and he has a knack for coming up with big games at the right time.

"He always seems to have a great game against us," Andale coach Gary O'Hair said of Phillips in an earlier MaxPreps story. "I don't know what it is. He has great instincts and reacts so well to the ball. He plays from sideline to sideline. You're not going to find another high school player with that size that moves that well.

"He just destroys whoever is blocking him, finds the ball and gets to it."

"If he comes ready to play, it'll take three people to stop him," added Circle coach Lee LaMunyon of his star player.
Gardner-Edgerton's Bubba Starling.
Photo by Tom Lemming
Gardner-Edgerton's Bubba Starling.


On the other side of the ball, Gardner-Edgerton dual threat quarterback Bubba Starling inherits the top signal caller spot, and the offensive MVP honors from Oklahoma freshman Blake Bell, who played at Wichita Bishop Carroll last season.

A year ago, Starling ran and passed for more than 2,800 yards and 37 touchdowns collectively.

Below is an attempt to pick the entire first and second team all-state football team for classes 4A-6A and the preseason football rankings for the same classes:

First Team Offense
QB – Bubba Starling, Gardner-Edgerton, Sr. 6-5 195
RB – Dreamius Smith, Heights, Sr. 6-0 205
RB – Dagan Reed, Aquinas, Sr. 5-11 195
RB – Skylar Hawkins, Paola, Sr. 5-10 175
WR – Parker Gibson, Lansing, Sr. 5-7 152
WR – Jade Cathey, Liberal, Sr. 6-5 185
WR – Christian Ulsaker, McPherson, Sr. 6-5 180
OL – Jordan McCallister, Junction City, Sr. 6-3 305
OL – Dylan Admire, Blue Valley West, Sr. 6-3 264
OL – Phil Ford, Bishop Miege, Sr. 6-6 342
OL – Brady Foltz, Rose Hill, Sr. 6-4 290
OL – Cody Whitehair, Abilene, Sr. 6-5 300
K – Matt Straka, Carroll, Sr. 6-0 175
Offensive MVP – Starling

First Team Defense
DL – Jordan Phillips, Circle, Sr. 6-6 290
DL – Drew Goodger, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Sr. 6-5 234
DL – Shane Ray, Bishop Miege, Sr. 6-4 225
DL – Jordan Turner, South, Sr. 6-4 320
LB – Dillon Call, Derby, Jr. 6-0 200
LB – Ian Allen, Blue Valley (Stilwell), Sr. 6-3 205
LB – Boomer Mays, Eudora, Sr. 6-1 225
LB – Kyle Swartz, North (Olathe), Sr. 6-2 215
DB – Victor Simmons, North (Olathe), Sr. 6-1 185
DB – Ben Heeney, Hutchinson, Sr. 6-1 195
DB – Adonis Saunders, North (Olathe), Sr. 5-11 185
DB – Morgan Burns, Trinity Academy, Sr. 5-11 190
P – Allen Trent, Andale, Sr. 6-3 215
Defensive MVP – Phillips

Second Team Offense
QB – Max Shortell, Bishop Miege, Sr.
RB – Laque Mayes, Rose Hill, Sr.; Matt Bromley, Independence, Sr.; Keenan Savage, Bishop Miege, Sr.
WR – Zach Epps, Blue Valley West, Sr.; Cameron Craig, Field Kindley, Sr.; Derek Lee, Maize, Sr.
OL – Lucas Powell, Gardner-Edgerton, Sr.; Boston Stiverson, Central (Andover), Sr.; Kirk Harris, Blue Valley, Sr.; Jake Rhodes, Turner, Sr.; Travis Anderson, Derby, Sr.
K – Jack Cantele, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Sr.

Second Team Defense
DL – Jamal Brown, Lawrence, Sr.; Zerrance Brickhouse, Heights, Sr.; Daniel Rosson, Field Kindley, Sr.; Arbanas Elliott, Blue Valley Northwest, Sr.
LB – Beau Bell, Carroll, Sr.; Austin Fulson, East, Sr.; Aaron Jackson, Carroll, Sr.; Deshawn Dinwiddie, Hutchinson, Sr.
DB – Evan Wessel, Heights, Sr.; Jordan Nelson, Manhattan, Sr.; Shay Wooten, Central (Salina), Sr.; Josh Balman, Hays, Sr.
P – Tyler Bishop, Maize, Sr.

Other Players to Watch
QB – Tyler Harrison, Derby; Tyler Matthews, McPherson; Derrick Decker, Rose Hill.
RB – Cale Sharp, Central (Salina); Camron Leupold, Hiawatha; Terrence Allen, Junction City; Brett Jensen, Gardner-Edgerton; Gunnar McKenna, Holton; Hunter Stucky, Hutchinson.
WR – Evan Allen, Maize South; P.J. DeBey, Blue Valley; Nick Bandy, Northwest; Shane Nachbar, Aquinas.
OL – Steve Wolgamott, Maize; Zach Beims, Concordia; Tyler Ewy, Louisburg; Jesse Trent, Dodge City; Brandon Walther, Rose Hill.

DL – Johnny Burke, Haysville Campus; Will Hutton, Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
LB – Kyle Brunson, Mill Valley; Devon Haynes, Heights; Austin Kessinger, Trinity Academy.
DB – Deante Burton, Manhattan; Alex Gardiner, Circle; Drew Humphreys, Shawnee Mission West; Keegan Murphy, Arkansas City; Rob Riederer, Holton.

Kansas Big School Preseason Rankings (2009 Record in parenthesis)
Top 10
1. Hutchinson (13-0)
2. North (13-0)
3. Heights (8-5)
4. Gardner-Edgerton (12-1)
5. Blue Valley (5-7)
6. Bishop Carroll (11-1)
7. Manhattan (10-1)
8. Bishop Miege (12-2)
9. Derby (8-4)
10. Aquinas (10-2)

Class 6A
1. North (13-0) Defending 6A champion
2. Heights (8-5) Defending 6A runner-up
3. Manhattan (10-1) Lost to Wichita Heights 14-10 in 6A quarterfinals
4. Derby (8-4) Lost to Wichita Heights 21-16 in 6A semifinals
5. Junction City (7-2) Did not qualify for state playoffs
6. Shawnee Mission West (8-2) Lost to Blue Valley 42-18 in first round
7. Blue Valley Northwest (9-2) Lost to Blue Valley 17-14 in quarterfinals
8. Wichita Northwest (7-3) Lost to Derby 24-14 in first round
9. East (6-4) Lost to Lawrence Free State 38-7 in first round
10. Topeka (6-4) Lost to Dodge City 35-14 in first round

Class 5A
1. Hutchinson (13-0) Defending 5A champion
2. Gardner-Edgerton (12-1) Defending 5A runner-up
3. Blue Valley (5-7) Lost to 6A champion Olathe North 16-14 in semifinals
4. Bishop Carroll (11-1) Lost to Hutchinson 42-21 in semifinals
5. Bishop Miege (12-2) Defending 4A champion
6. Aquinas (10-2) Lost to Gardner-Edgerton 49-7 in semifinals
7. McPherson (8-2) Lost to Emporia 35-33 in first round
8. Seaman (6-5) Lost to Gardner-Edgerton 56-21 in quarterfinals
9. Emporia (8-3) Lost to Bishop Carroll 42-6 in quarterfinals
10. Salina Central (6-3) Did not qualify for playoffs

Class 4A
1. Hayden (9-5) Defending 4A runner-up
2. Rose Hill (10-2) Lost to Buhler 64-28 in quarterfinals
3. Louisburg (10-2) Lost to Bishop Miege 35-7 in quarterfinals
4. Paola (9-4) Lost to Bishop Miege 48-19 in semifinals
5. Andale (11-1) Lost to Hayden 23-10 in quarterfinals
6. Holton (10-1) Lost to Bishop Miege 38-14 in second round
7. Buhler (11-2) Lost to Hayden 35-21 in semifinals
8. Eudora (9-3) Lost to Paola 33-14 in quarterfinals
9. Abilene (9-2) Lost to Rose Hill 24-8 in second round
10. Independence (8-3) Lost to Paola 31-22 in second round

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