Season Preview: 4A Football

Arkansas City football coach Jon Wiemers holds the seven departed seniors from his 2020 team – the ones who led an improbable run to the Class 4A championship game – in high esteem.

So when he noticed the Bulldogs' 10 current seniors taking charge of offseason activities in a manner that stirred memories, he couldn't help but be pleased.

"They were kind of doing things the way that those seven before them were doing it," said Wiemers, who is entering his fourth season of his second run as Ark City's coach. "They were just developing the culture you want your program to have."

Last fall was a tribute to resiliency for the Bulldogs. Ark City took its lumps against the mostly larger schools in Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division II, dropping five league games on the way to a 2-6 start. Six-point losses to Valley Center and Salina Central were missed opportunities, but other outcomes were decisive, including a 37-6 loss to Andover Central in the eighth week.

With quarterback Gabe Welch running for three touchdowns and passing for another, Ark City's fortune began to turn the following week with a 27-6 win at Wellington. Then came a series of upsets – 33-28 at Andover Central, 21-20 at Wamego and 28-27 at McPherson – that sent the Bulldogs to their first state title game in 33 years. The Cinderella run ended with a 56-34 loss to St. James Academy.

"At some point, we became a player-led program," Wiemers said. "We were battle-tested. I think our kids understood our league makes us better."

The Bulldogs will try to parlay that understanding into greater success. Welch, a 6-foot junior, is one of eight returning offensive starters. He completed 235 of 367 passes for 2,679 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

"It's been fun to watch him grow from his freshman year," said Wiemers, who served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Southeast Missouri State prior to returning to Ark City. "Football is important to Gabe. He's very motivated. On and off the field he's a great leader for our program."

The Bulldogs had six receivers with at least 24 receptions a year ago, and three are back. Junior Cadon Clark caught 74 passes for 638 yards, senior Lucas Barnes had 33 receptions for 613 yards, and senior Lance Blubaugh hauled in 24 passes for 227 yards.

On defense, Blubaugh, senior Rhett Lathers and junior Wyatt Bahm, who had eight sacks last season, give Ark City depth at linebacker.

Wiemers, whose collegiate coaching stops included Emporia State and Coffeyville Community College, led Ark City to a district title and its first playoff appearance in 16 years during his first run as head coach in 2012. The Bulldogs tapped deeper into their history with last year's runner-up finish, falling one win short of matching Ark City's 1979 5A championship team, which was led by quarterback and future World Series-winning catcher Darren Daulton.

"After that state championship game, I talked to the rest of the team about our seniors," Wiemers said. "There was a group of seven that were really bought in, and I wanted our younger guys to understand that. It's easy to see the example when it's right in your face. They held the ship together, so to speak, so that we could make that run."
The opportunity for a darkhorse occurred when St. James ended Bishop Miege's six-year run atop 4A with a 36-35 semifinal upset. Miege will try to reclaim the title with just four returning starters on each side of the ball, including their top rusher, Jaylen Burch, who ran for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns.

McPherson will continue its quest to reach its first state title game. The Bullpups, 42-6 the past four seasons, return junior tailback Jaytin Gumm, who ran for 1,329 yards and 13 touchdowns. St. James lost several key pieces from its championship team, but returns senior tight end Tyler Claiborne, who had 1,171 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.