Senior linebacker who punches above his weight named Kansas City’s Player of the Week
It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog. Just ask Basehor-Linwood senior Garrett Pierce.
Labeled as an undersized linebacker at 5’9” and 180 pounds, Pierce has led the Bobcat defense for the last two years and has been a key player in their undefeated start to 2024. As one of the team’s fastest linebackers, he plays with high energy and sets the tone of physicality for the team, coach Rod Stallbaumer said.
“The effort and physicality he plays with absolutely drives our defense,” Stallbaumer said. “I think the whole group plays with more confidence with him on the field, and his enthusiasm and confidence are contagious.”
Pierce finished Friday, Sept. 27’s 21-7 win over De Soto with 16 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. The performance helped Basehor-Linwood keep its winning streak and ended De Soto’s undefeated season.
“I know I am not the biggest on the field, so instead I choose to be the meanest and the most disciplined,” Pierce said.
The standout performance earned him The Star’s Week 4 high school football player of the week. He’s the second straight athlete from Basehor-Linwood to be named player of the week, as teammate Nick Doering earned the honor for Week 3.
Every week, The Star reaches out to high school football coaches in the Kansas City area for their Player of the Week nominations. Nominations from the coaches and other sources are collected for a weekly poll, which is open from Wednesday until midnight Thursday. This week’s poll received 8,181 votes from readers.
Pierce credited former teammate Gage Greer for helping him become a better player. He said Greer’s advice helped him grow into the linebacker he is now.
Pierce is a two-sport athlete, also playing baseball in the spring. Stallbaumer said you can see a lot of parallels between the way Pierce plays baseball and the way he plays football.
“The way he attacks the ball both in the field and at the plate are the same,” Stallbaumer said. “His enthusiasm and intensity is also a driving force for our baseball team.”
Up until this season, the senior was thinking about pursuing baseball at the collegiate level, but his success on the football field has made him want to explore other options football in college. Stallbaumer said he’s pound-for-pound one of the best football players to come to Basehor-Linwood and is hoping a college gives him a shot.
Pierce has Friday, Oct. 4, off since Basehor-Linwood had to modify their schedule and play Thursday, Oct. 3. The short week didn’t hurt the team. The Bobcats defeated Topeka West 59-6 and improved to 5-0 on the season.
Other players considered this week include:
- Tannar McDaniel, Piper: 63 receiving yards and 1 touchdown, 13 tackles and 1 interception in 20-13 loss to Spring Hill
- Jaxon Hicks, Liberty: 309 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns in 62-34 win over St. Joseph Central
- Grayson Moody, Eudora: 240 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in win against 24-21 win over Ottawa
- Jack Reeves, Shawnee Mission East: 195 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, 52 passing yards and 1 touchdown in 39-34 win over Olathe North
- Brady Roe, Pleasant Hill: 14 tackles, 1 interception, 1 blocked field goal in 21-14 win over Warrensburg
