The following athletes and head coach were selected for the Lawrence Journal-World’s All-Area Football team for the 2022 season.

Players were nominated by their coaches and the team was selected by the Journal-World sports staff.

• Player of the Year: Octavius Lyles, Eudora High

The 5-foot-9, 164-pound Cardinals running back was a handful for opponents all season long, racking up 1,400 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. It wasn’t just his overall production that made him standout. He also averaged 156 yards per game an 9.3 yards per carry. In addition to earning all-league and all-state honors, Lyles was named to the 2022 All-Simone Team, given out by the Simone Award, which is given annually to the top all-around high school football player in the Kansas City metro area.

• Coach of the Year: Bob Lisher, Baldwin High

The longtime Free State High coach who retired a few years back and resurfaced at Baldwin in 2021 led the Bulldogs to a massive turnaround in 2022. After struggling to even score a single point throughout much of the 2021 season, with limited numbers and several inexperienced players, BHS recorded three wins this season and earned a spot in the Class 3A state playoffs.

• Wesley Edison, Free State

The Free State quarterback tasked with following in the footsteps of Jet Dineen had no easy job, but he produced at a high level and led the Firebirds with 1,830 total yards and 20 touchdowns. The FSHS junior also finished fifth on the team with 35 tackles.

• Calvin Clements, Free State

The Kansas-bound offensive tackle anchored the Firebirds’ offensive line and also played an important role as one of the team’s top leaders. FSHS’s rushing attack averaged 225 yards per game in 2022 and the 6-foot-8, 285-pound senior was a big part of the reason why. After initially committing to Baylor, Clements recently changed his pledge and elected to stay home to play football for KU coach Lance Leipold.

• Kenton Simmons, Lawrence High

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound middle linebacker was a force for the Lions defense all season. He finished with 98 total tackles (54 solo and 42 assists) and seven tackles for loss with two sacks. He also played some tight end for the LHS offense.

• Tyrell Reed, Lawrence High

The Topeka transfer who joined LHS for his senior season made a huge impact on the Lions’ offense from minute one. He finished with 963 yards and 20 touchdowns on 136 carries and also added another 164 yards as a receiver. Reed’s impact extended to the kicking game, as well, where he averaged 41 yards per return and took two kickoffs to the end zone for touchdowns.

• Gunnar Ball, Perry-Lecompton High

Despite playing in just seven games because of a hand injury, the veteran PLHS quarterback still threw for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 383 yards and seven TDs. On defense, Ball recorded 47 tackles and an interception.

• Kael Gorski, Perry-Lecompton High

The PLHS senior wide receiver recorded 694 yards and six touchdowns on 38 receptions in 2022 to lead the Kaws’ offense. He also played defensive back and led the team with four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

• Jack Harvey, Baldwin High

The BHS quarterback finished with 1,651 yards of total offense in eight games while rushing for 12 touchdowns and throwing for seven more. He completed 55% of his passes and averaged 10.7 yards per carry. He also added 36 tackles and an interception from his free safety position.

• Kale Hammerschmidt, Eudora High

He missed time because of injuries but made a monster impact when he was on the field. The Cardinals’ senior defensive back finished the season with 65 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions while averaging a whopping nine tackles per game.

• Jahleel Stratton, Veritas

The Veritas freshman played middle linebacker during the 2022 season and, in six games, finished with 78 tackles, seven sacks and five forced fumbles. He also played quarterback part-time for the Eagles and tossed five touchdown passes.

Honorable Mention: Sam Darnell, Baldwin; Jake Van Horn, Baldwin; Brett Davidson, Baldwin; Spencer Doan, Free State; Tay Ware, Free State; Colton Berger, Free State; Hank Fuchs, Free State; Kaden Lonard, Free State; Cole Watson, LHS; Dominic Ostronic, LHS; Lance Bassett, LHS; Brayton Leochner, Perry-Lecompton; Adrion Seals, Eudora; Jaden Hamm, Eudora; Jaiden Bener, Eudora; Eythen Moore, Eudora.

Baldwin High football coach Bob Lisher