The area saw a lot of great football this season and with it came a lot of great performances by local players. While no area teams will be bringing home state championships, the competition was still fierce.
Who was the best in the area? Here is the 2021 Iola Register’s All-Area team offense.
Quarterback was a hard decision. Marmaton Valley’s Garrett Henderson was a strong contender. Henderson led the area in passing competitions and touchdowns with 63 completions and 16 touchdowns. Iola High School’s Landon Weide led in passing with 1,071 yards, only 28 more than Henderson. Henderson will be the starting quarterback for the all-area team. The senior threw five more touchdowns than Weide.
There were a lot of good options in selecting a running back. Crest High School’s Holden Barker was our offensive player of the year. Barker led the area in all statistical categories with 2,071 yards, and 36 touchdowns. He will be joined in the backfield by Humboldt High School’s Trey Sommer. Sommer rushed for 990 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
At wide receiver, MVHS’ Jaedon Granere led the area in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Granere caught 34 passes for 620 yards and 11 touchdowns in his freshman year. Humboldt High School’s Dakota Slocum and Iola High’s TJ Taylor will also start at wide receiver. Slocum caught 25 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Taylor caught 23 passes for 410 yards and five touchdowns.
The offensive line can be judged in many ways. How well did one unit block for the run game? How well did one unit protect the quarterback?
Crest’s offensive line paved the way for Holden Barker to run for over 2,000 yards — a rare feat in high school football. They also allowed Ethan Godderz to run for 985 yards this season. In total, Crest ran for almost 3,500 yards and 52 touchdowns. Crest’s offensive line was the best in the area this season.
Next week, we will reveal the all-area defensive team, including defensive player of the year Tyler Boeken from Iola High School.
