Kennedy named defensive player of the year; 15 make the All-Conference squad
By Mike Pilosof
Photo by Adam Shrimplin
Garden City, KS-Broncbuster sophomore corner, Keylon Kennedy was named the Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday while 15 of his teammates earned spots on the all-conference squad.
"This was a special group of guys," Head Coach, Tom Minnick said. "Keylon was one of our best defensive players for the second straight season."
Kennedy was arguably the best corner in the country. The sophomore, who transferred to Garden City from Fort Hays State back in the spring, posted 16 tackles, one pick and one block. But what the stats don't show was Kennedy's ability to shut down one half of the field in an almost Darelle Revis type fashion.
"Keylon's ability to cover each team's No. 1 receiver was a major asset for us," Minnick admitted. "There are a lot of great cover corners at this level. But you don't often see the intangibles that Keylon brought to the table."
Meantime tackle Isaiah Adams, guard Nymonta Doucoure, Kennedy, and safety Chris Smith were named to the All-Jayhawk first team, while running back William Knight, center Carter Habich, defensive tackles Darius Johnson and Eilye Hill, defensive end Raymond Cutts, and linebacker Wembley Mailei earned second-team selections. Defensive End Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, wide receiver David Elder, linebacker Jacob Hollins, quarterback Rhett Ricedorff, and fullback Dedrick Talbert made the list as honorable mentions.
"This was kind of a unique season because we were all together really since the Fall of 2020," Minnick said. "Then a lot of these guys played in the spring and turned right around and played in the fall. So, it's been crazy for sure, but these players earned it."
Isaiah Adams, the No. 1 Junior College prospect, who was named to the NJCAA All-Academic first team with a 4.0 grade point average back in August, and who currently holds 19 Division-I offers, along with the veteran Doucoure, helped solidify one of the best offensive lines in the country. Garden City finished 19th in the nation in rushing and 11th in passing.
Smith finished second on the team with 45 tackles, which included four for loss, a forced fumble, an interception, and six pass breakups. He tallied a season-high nine stops on Oct. 30 vs. Butler and recorded his lone pick on opening night in 76-24 blowout of Fort Scott.
The only reason Knight failed to make the first team was because of injury and the video-game numbers that Anwar Lewis put up at Hutchinson. But the sophomore was impressive in his own right, finishing second in the Jayhawk in rushing yards (656), second in touchdowns (11), and first in yards per carry (6.5). He posted four 100-yard rushing games including a season-best 134 in a 39-11 win over No. 6 Coffeyville.
Johnson, who recently committed to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, tied for third on the team with 36 stops. He recorded 4.5 sacks and had two fumble recoveries with his best game coming in the Jayhawk semifinals, where he registered five tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
Meantime Hill was one of seven Broncbusters to post 30 or more tackles and finished with a team-best 19.5 stops for loss. Cutts, the transfer from Central Florida and spring NJCAA All-American, finished with 22 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Mailei's impact was definitely felt when he missed the final four games with a leg injury. The Snow transfer, who was a vaunted member of the Broncbuster defense in the spring, tallied 24 stops, one pick, and two pass breakups. He totaled a season-high 10 tackles in week four vs. Hutchinson.
Most notable of the honorable mentions was Ricedorff, whose early-season battle with illness probably robbed him of a second-team selection. Still, the freshman threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes. Ricedorff's most efficient game came on Oct. 23 vs. No. 6 Coffeyville when he finished 20-of-26 for 302 yards and a touchdown. But his most prolific happened in the opening-round of the Jayhawk playoffs when he posted a 351-yard, four-touchdown masterpiece in a 36-16 victory over Dodge City.