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All-County Football Capsules

RODOLFO ARIAS

Ell-Saline

Arias was never shy about letting his feelings be known while on the football field, but the Cardinals vocal leader was able to back up his talk with solid play on both sides of the ball.

Arias was expected to start at offensive guard for the Cardinals, but played primarily running back after an injury to teammate Chase Burton and also spent some time at tight end. He earned second-team all-Heart of America League honors after rushing for 583 yards and making 25 catches for 308 yards. He made even larger contributions on defense, earning first-team all-league recognition at linebacker.

"He was by far the best leader on our team," Ell-Saline coach Terry King said. "He played with heart in every game and he really enjoyed playing the game, which you could tell by the way he was out there always encouraging the other kids. He was very energetic and a great leader.

"He has played since he was a freshman and could play offensive guard, was a good tight end and linebacker, or a down lineman on defense. He played any where we needed him and was a great kid to coach."

BRYANT BENEKE

Southeast of Saline

After starting at safety a year ago as a sophomore, Beneke took on added responsibility this season when he was named the Trojans' starting quarterback.

He didn't disappoint, not only leading the Southeast offense with 1,668 yards passing (135 of 267) and 16 touchdowns, but also topping the Trojans with 1,562 yards rushing and another 21 touchdowns.

"He did a tremendous job, and we asked him to do so many things," Southeast coach Pat Haxton said. "He grew so much in that position from the beginning to the end.

"He ran the ball way more than we thought he would have to, but he had tremendous success. He ran the ball 51 times in one game and threw it 58 in another, so it was nice to have a quarterback who could do either one and have success doing either one."

TAYLOR COUNTS

Salina Central

Counts was a starter at fullback his first three years at Central but saw his role change dramatically his senior season. He began the year moving from fullback to tailback, played primarily linebacker after breaking his hand in week two, then played both fullback and linebacker late in the season when he had the cast removed from his hand.

His talent on both sides of the line was recognized when postseason awards were handed out. Counts, a two-time all-county selection, was named first-team Class 5A all-state at linebacker by two Kansas newspapers, and earned the same honor at fullback by the Kansas Football Coaches Association and the Hovpen Sports Rivals.com All-State team.

"Taylor is a football player," said Central coach Mike Hall. "He would probably have been the best person at any position we could put him at on the field. He's got a lot of ability, and he likes contact, which is what you want in a football player. He likes running into people, whether that's blocking or carrying the ball on offense, and especially on defense.

"He really helped our defense when we moved him to that side of the ball. But we really missed him on offense when he wasn't able to go because of his injuries."

SPENCER GWIN

Salina Central

Coach Hall predicted his returning starter at defensive tackle could earn all-state recognition after his senior season, and Gwin did just that. He was selected to the Class 5A all-state defense by the Kansas Football Coaches Association.

Gwin's numbers this fall included 44 solo tackles and another 27 assisted, but he also led the Mustangs with 15 tackles for a loss and matched Chandler Perez for a team-best four sacks.

"I've never seen a kid work harder or put more effort in on the field and in the weight room to become a better player," Hall said. "He gave outstanding effort all the time, and through that effort he became a great football player.

"His strength and quickness helped him a lot. He was able to put pressure on the quarterback when he was in a one-on-one situation, but most of the time in our defensive scheme, he was double teamed."

KENNY HOLMES

Salina South

Holmes gave first-year South coach Chip Sherman a talented player to build around on the Cougars' defensive line. A three-year starter, Holmes' speciality this season seemed to be putting pressure on the quarterback.

His stats included 36 solo tackles and 41 assisted, but he also had four sacks, 14 hurries and caused two fumbles. Those numbers helped him earn first-team all-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League honors in 2008.

"Kenny was an outstanding defensive lineman with very good size and strength," Sherman said. "He was quick and played very hard. In coach terms, he had a very good motor.

"He played hard every down and is another guy who was a great example of a leader. He doesn't say much when he's out there but he is a good leader by example."

TIM LINK

Salina Central

A three-year starter on the offensive line, Link has helped pave the way for some talented running backs at Central in recent years. His work has not gone unnoticed.

Link earned all-state honors for his play at right tackle both his junior and seniors seasons, selected first-team all-Class 5A this fall by the Kansas Football Coaches Association. He was also a unanimous pick for first-team all-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League honors.

"Tim was a two-time all-state player for us, and I don't ever remember him missing an assignment on the field," Hall said. "He is very intelligent, and obviously his experience helped him there.

"A lot of the guys he was blocking were bigger than him, but we knew that didn't matter just because of his technique and his desire to get the job done."

CONNER MARTIN

Sacred Heart

There were a lot of new names in the offense surrounding Martin this season, but he once again managed to put up some remarkable numbers and earn a spot on the all-county team for the second straight year.

The senior quarterback, who was also named first-team all-league quarterback in the North Central Activities Association, completed 144 passes for 2,352 yards and 32 touchdowns this season. His two-season totals -- 282 completions, 4,963 yards and 68 touchdowns -- rank second on Sacred Heart's career list in all three categories.

"We had to replace seven guys on the offensive side of the ball, including several talented linemen and our top three receivers from last year," said Sacred Heart coach Jim Wittman. "There were a lot of unknowns when we started the season, but he stepped up and did a great job for us.

"We thought he might not have the stats he did the year before, but he still threw 32 touchdown passes."

MARK MATTESON

Salina South

Matteson saw his playing time increase this season, earning his share of snaps in the middle of the South defensive line. But it was his play at offensive tackle, where he has been a starter for three years, that earned him a variety of postseason honors.

Matteson was named first-team Class 5A all-state by two Kansas newspapers. Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League coaches made him a unanimous pick for first-team all-conference honors.

"He has been an outstanding offensive lineman this season," Sherman said. "He's worked hard and has been a good player for us.

"He always plays hard and is very athletic and quick for a guy his size, but he's also a good technician."

NICK NEUBURGER

Salina South

Neuburger has been part of South's varsity since his sophomore season and was the team's leading receiver each of the past two years. But in 2008, he nearly doubled the totals he put up during his junior season.

Neuburger averaged 21.4 yards a catch as a senior, scoring 11 touchdowns among his 40 receptions. His 854 yards receiving accounted for nearly 70 percent of the Cougars' offense through the air. He also had a rushing touchdown, threw for another score and, as a defensive back, had an interception return for a touchdown.

"Nick was a very, very good wide receiver who caught the ball extremely well," Sherman said. "He ran good routes and was a very intelligent player.

"Any time we needed a big play in the passing game, Nick was the man."

TATE OMLI

Ell-Saline

Only the second sophomore to earn all-county honors in the past 17 years, Omli's numbers -- on both sides of the ball -- were impossible to ignore.

The Cardinals' quarterback completed 132 of 231 passes for 1,927 yards, and his 37 touchdown passes were two shy of the Kansas high school single-season record. He also threw five touchdown passes in one quarter in a postseason game against Minneapolis, equaling a national record, and also carried for 779 yards this season.

In the Ell-Saline secondary, Omli picked off 11 passes, helping him earn first-team Class 2-1A all-state honors on defense.

"Tate is a very talented quarterback who understands the game very well," King said. "He's spent a lot of time trying to become a better player. He had a great season throwing and running the ball. He had some good receivers to work with and I think we had better linemen this year, but he makes it work because he is a hard worker and studies the game."

MITCH VEST

Salina South

Vest missed the last seven games of the 2007 season with an injury, but the Cougars' standout cornerback did his best to make up for it his senior year.

Vest had two interceptions and a team-best eight pass deflections this season. Among his postseason honors were a first-team Class 5A all-state selection by the Kansas Football Coaches Association, and a unanimous pick by Ark Valley Chisholm Trail coaches for first-team all-league.

"Mitch was an outstanding leader for us," Sherman said. "He is a very quiet kid who is not going to say a whole lot, but is a very, very good leader by example.

"He was a very good technician and had good quickness. He played hurt most of the year, but he always gave 100 percent."

TERRY KING

Ell-Saline

Not only did head coach Terry King lead Ell-Saline to an unbeaten regular season record and a Heart of America league title, he did it with what could still be considered a fairly young team with only four seniors on the roster.

The Cardinals went 10-1 this season, doubling their win total from the previous year. It marked the first time since 1996 that an Ell-Saline team finished the regular season unbeaten, and the first time since 1994 that the Cardinals won 10 games in one season. King's team was also 7-0 in the HOA, outscoring league opponents 292-78.

"With the schedule we had, I felt like we had a chance to be 9-0 with the kids we had coming back," King said. "The last four years our total number of seniors combined is about 20. We only had four senior boys, but they provided awfully good leadership.

"This year we had the right mix. We had more experience coming back on the line and we've always been fairly decent on defense, but this year we had more good kids there.

"The kids came together and I don't think anybody else thought we would be 9-0, but after we got past Hutchinson Trinity, which was our toughest opponent, then they started to believe we could go 9-0."

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