Best in the Metro: Meet The Star’s 2017 All-Metro Football Team

The Kansas City Star’s All-Metro football team was selected by members of the high school sports staff, who consulted with coaches before making their decisions. An athlete must participate in at least 60 percent of his team’s games to be eligible.

Player of the year: Graham Mertz, Blue Valley North, junior

Blue Valley North junior quarterback Graham Mertz’s success this season was by design.

He’s a pro-style quarterback who played in a spread offense that scored 41 points per game. Although he finished the season with an astonishing 3,684 yards and a 62 percent completion rate, it was expected Mertz would flourish in this system.

But not even coach Andy Sims could have accounted for the level of poise Mertz, a first-year varsity starter who threw for 45 touchdowns, exhibited throughout a perfect playoff run that culminated in a Kansas Class 6A championship — the first state title the football program ever won.

Mertz went 24 of 30 and passed for 462 yards and four touchdowns in the title game against Derby, a high-scoring affair that ended after Mertz ended a late 97-yard drive by diving over the pylon to cap a 15-yard touchdown run. Only 57 seconds remained, and teammate Grant Hamel picked off a Derby pass to seal the victory.

Blue Valley North had never even played for a state title until that game. But Mertz willed the Mustangs to the championship game in a sub-state showdown against Blue Valley, where he rushed for overtime and double-overtime touchdowns for the win.

Throughout the postseason, Mertz, who committed to Wisconsin in October, proved to be a game changer. He racked up 1,466 yards passing, utilizing seniors Nijel Roberts and Dylan Freberg most often, and threw 14 touchdowns in the playoffs. He added 166 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, assisted by a Nick Orr-led offensive line that opened seams, and never committed a turnover.

He is The Star’s All-Metro Football Player of the Year.

“What you saw at the end was almost a different quarterback,” Sims said. “I think the biggest thing that should stand out to everybody — it was just his first year starting. … But he never let on.”

Coach of the year: Phil Lite, Staley

Even if he coaches for another two decades, Staley’s Phil Lite might never make a more effective decision than the one he made on Nov. 25.

The call to go for two.

With Staley trailing by one point in the finals seconds of the Missouri Class 5 state championship, Lite looked at his play sheet, then called, “Snag,” a plan to forgo the game-trying extra point and instead try a two-point conversion.

The play will be remembered as one of the best in school history — quarterback John Raybourn finding J.D. Benbow open for the game-winning conversion.

Staley 36, Pattonville 35.

For his role in helping the Falcons to their second state title, Lite is The Star’s All-Metro Football Coach of the Year.

“I said before the drive started that we were going for two if we scored,” Lite said. “I had my mind made up. The kids were behind it. They knew it was the right thing to do.”

Lite’s program finished a perfect 14-0, rebounding after a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals one year earlier. It’s a defeat he mentioned often throughout the season.

“That was the fuel to our fire all season,” he said.

QUARTERBACK

FIRST TEAM

Graham Mertz, Blue Valley North, junior. Mertz threw for 45 touchdowns, six interceptions and 3,684 yards with a 62 percent completion rate. A first-year varsity starter, he led Blue Valley North to its first football title against then-two-time defending Class 6A champion Derby.

SECOND TEAM

John Raybourn, Staley, senior.

RUNNING BACK

FIRST TEAM

Milton Braasch, Shawnee Mission East, senior.

The Sunflower co-player of the year regularly bulldozed through packs of defenders on his way to registering 1,646 yards rushing.

Despite being the focus of opponents, Braasch, committed to Colgate, scored 27 touchdowns for an offense that averaged 42 points per game.

Phillip Brooks, Lee’s Summit West, senior.

Small in stature but large in productivity, Brooks scored 30 touchdowns, including 21 on the ground.

He ran for 1,666 yards, added 556 receiving yards and was a consistent threat on kick returns.

Ivan Webb, Schlagle, senior.

Webb had the most prolific season of any Kansas running back, rushing for 2,842 yards. The second-ranked player trailed him by 705 yards. Webb, who committed to Missouri State, had only one game with fewer than 231 yards, and he broke away for runs of at least 42 yards in all 10 games this season.

SECOND TEAM

Jax Dineen, Lawrence Free State, junior; Brady McCanles, Rockhurst, senior; Robert Rawie, Liberty, senior.

WIDE RECEIVER

FIRST TEAM

Ronnie Bell, Park Hill, senior.

The winner of the 35th annual Thomas A. Simone Award, Bell caught 89 passes for 1,605 yards and 21 touchdowns, helping Park Hill win its first Suburban Gold Conference title.

Dominic Gicinto, Raytown, senior.

A weapon in multiple facets of the game who has committed to Missouri. He had 85 receptions, 1,346 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also returned three kickoffs for scores.

SECOND TEAM

Daniel Jackson, Bishop Miege, sophomore; Logan Talley, Mill Valley, junior.

OFFENSIVE LINE

FIRST TEAM

Ben Becker, Park Hill South, senior.

Becker is a dominant run blocker who showed improvement in the passing game, too. He recently committed to Missouri State. He is a two-time all-state and unanimous all-conference selection.

Jack Burns, Bishop Miege, senior.

The three-year starter was the appointed leader on a young offensive line that made way for an offense to average 475 yards per game and win a fourth straight Class 4A-Division I title. Burns, committed to Cornell, recorded more than 100 pancake blocks.

Marshall Kellner, De Soto, senior.

The Wildcats reached the Class 4A-Div. I semifinals and set a school record with 4,218 yards of total offense — and Kellner played arguably the biggest role in making it happen. He had 92 pancake blocks and allowed no sacks. De Soto averaged 6.31 yards per carry.

Joe Michalski, Aquinas, junior.

Aquinas won a school-record 11 games and was the Class 5A runner-up. Led in part by tackle Michalski, the Saints averaged 41 points and 439 yards per game. More than 300 of those were on the ground.

Conrad Rowley, Blue Springs, junior.

Rowley was the anchor of the offensive line for the Blue Springs Wildcats, who finished second in Missouri Class 6. He was a first-team Class 6 all-state selection.

SECOND TEAM

Trevor Blankenship, Staley, senior; Sidney Gates, Center, senior; Parker Kelley, St. James Academy, senior; T.J. Kennedy, Lee’s Summit, senior; Alex Updike, Kearney, senior.

KICKER

FIRST TEAM

Parker Willis, Shawnee Mission East, junior.

Willis etched himself into Kansas lore when he nailed a 56-yard field goal against Shawnee Mission North in October. It was one yard shy of the state record but was the best in team history. He went 8 of 9 in field goal attempts and 70 of 72 on extra points.

SECOND TEAM

Jackson Likens, Blue Valley, senior.

DEFENSIVE LINE

FIRST TEAM

Daniel Carson, William Chrisman, senior.

Perhaps the most heavily recruited player in Kansas City, Carson has 22 Division I offers. He faced double- and triple-teams all season but still had 17 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for touchdowns.

Zach Elam, Staley, senior.

The first two-way starter in Staley history had 10 sacks and 21  1/2 tackles for loss. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in the state championship game. As a tight end, he tallied 868 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Daniel Parker, Blue Springs, senior.

The Buck Buchanan Award winner as the top lineman in the city, Parker was a menace for opposing quarterbacks. He didn’t start on defense full-time until Week 4 but still had 17 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. He will attend Missouri.

Michael Smith, Platte County, senior.

The Suburban Blue Conference defensive player of the year recorded 17.5 sacks. He also had 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

SECOND TEAM

Cartez Crook-Jones, Grandview, senior; Javier Derritt, Aquinas, junior; Miles Emery, Blue Valley North, senior; Spencer Roe, Lawrence Free State, senior.

LINEBACKER

FIRST TEAM

Nick Allen, Blue Valley Southwest, senior.

Allen was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and the EKL’s defensive player of the year. He averaged 17 tackles per contest, made 24 blocks in a game against Gardner Edgerton and ended the season with 21 tackles for loss and 3  1/2 sacks.

Dylan Downing, Bishop Miege, junior.

A Bobby Bell finalist, Downing racked up 142 tackles (92 solo) to rank near the top of the EKL. He was powerful stopping the run and was a pivotal piece of a defense that allowed only 257.5 yards per game.

Brighton Ramirez, Park Hill, senior.

One of the best tacklers in school history, Ramirez collected 142 tackles, including 83 solo. He broke the school record with 36 stops in the backfield and added seven sacks and four forced fumbles.

Alex Totta, Blue Valley, junior.

No one in Kansas Class 6A had more tackles than Totta’s 143 (97 solo). He also picked off a pass by Bishop Miege QB Carter Putz, who only threw three interceptions this season. Totta was just as important on the other side of the ball, tallying 1,018 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns.

SECOND TEAM

McCauley Bowers, Richmond, senior; Eric Dooley, Olathe North, senior; Mason Middleton, Fort Osage, senior; Austin Stuller, Blue Springs, junior.

DEFENSIVE BACK

FIRST TEAM

Ekow Boye-Doe, Lawrence, senior.

The two-way All-Simone cornerback played three games in which opponents either didn’t throw his way or made one pass in his direction. Boye-Doe, committed to Kansas State, recorded 42 tackles, nine pass breakups and two interceptions. He also averaged 34 yards per kickoff and 12 yards per catch.

Jared Flood, Aquinas, senior.

At safety, Flood made 65 blocks (53 solo) and three tackles for loss and recorded seven pass breakups. Of his three interceptions, one came against Mill Valley in the Class 5A sub-state championship game. In the state championship game, he returned a kickoff 84 yards for a late touchdown.

Mario Goodrich, Lee’s Summit West, senior.

Quarterbacks rarely threw his way after a standout junior season, but he still recorded 15 pass breakups and one interception. He finished with 46 tackles, including four for a loss. He has more than a dozen Division I offers.

SECOND TEAM

Joe Barnes, Liberty, senior; Devin Haney, Park Hill, senior; Antione Nunn Jr., Belton, junior.

PUNTER

FIRST TEAM

Thomas Henrichs, Liberty, senior.

An all-conference quarterback, Henrichs’ secondary talent was in the kicking game. He averaged 40.9 yards per punt and pinned eight of them inside the 20-yard line.

SECOND TEAM

Parker Lacina, Platte County, senior.

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Best in the Metro: Meet The Star’s 2017 All-Metro Football Team."