New-look Blue Springs still features talent

Blue Springs’ big-name offensive weapon — namely two-time Simone Award winner Dalvin Warmack — has graduated. Let’s start there.

That means the Wildcats’ quest for a third straight Missouri Class 6 state title will roll on without a player who accounted for 80 touchdowns in two seasons on his way becoming the first ever two-time winner of the Simone Award, handed to the top player in the Kansas City area.

It will also continue without top wide receivers Darrius Shepherd and Kaleb Prewett and left tackle Jordan Benson. And those are just the losses on the offensive side of the football.

While their replacements in 2014 are inexperienced, they aren’t lacking talent.

“I’ve told these guys, listen, nobody knows about them and nobody is saying much, but we think a lot of them,” Wildcats coach Kelly Donohoe said. “We think people are going to find out pretty quickly how good they area.”

The Wildcats will turn to senior Cobi Bissell to take over the backfield duties after serving as Warmack’s top backup the past two seasons. Senior Lane Williamson will also earn some carries.

A pair of seniors — Ross Baker and Tamarick Quinney — are set to provide the top receiving options for quarterback Ian Brown, who threw for 2,458 yards last season.

The defense also has a lot to replace — notably its entire secondary and outside linebacker Elijah Lee, who joined Warmack and Prewett at Kansas State.

But the Wildcats welcome back twin defensive tackles Carlos and Khalil Davis, who have committed to Nebraska.

“Winning one was tough. Winning two was even harder,” Donohoe said. “That means this group is going to have to be even better, because it’s going to be even harder to get back there now.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2014 at 10:14 AM with the headline "New-look Blue Springs still features talent."