By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Football season is finally here.

Games are still a few weeks away but the 2017 season officially gets underway for teams across the state with the opening day of practice on Monday.

With season openers looming less than three weeks away here are 11 area players that are well worth watching this season.

Zach Jones, City High

Senior, Receiver/Defensive Back

Jones will be expected to shoulder an even bigger load for the Little Hawks this season after a breakthrough junior campaign last fall.

A big play threat any time he touches the ball, Jones scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams last season.

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound Jones excelled at receiver where he caught 39 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns and also made 36.5 tackles and three interceptions as a defensive back and averaged 18.1 yards per punt return. 

Evan Flitz, West High

Senior, Quarterback

Flitz produced one of the best seasons for any quarterback in the state last fall in his first year leading the West High offense.

The 6-1, 175 signal caller completed better than 70 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,237 yards and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 11 games.

Flitz also ran for 150 yards and two scores last season and should be even better this fall despite the loss of all-state receiver Oliver Martin.

Tyler Linderbaum, Solon

Senior, Offensive/Defensive Lineman

Linderbaum has been impressive from the time he stepped on the field as a sophomore and is coming off his most impressive season to date.

The Iowa commit earned first-team all-state honors last year after making 42.5 tackles with seven tackles for loss and three sacks from his defensive tackle spot.

At 6-foot-2, 270-pounds Linderbaum has the ability to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

Dillon Doyle, West High

Senior, Linebacker/Tight End

Iowa recruit is the anchor of the West High defense and ranks among the best and most versatile defenders in the State.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Doyle ranked third on the team with 54 tackles last season, 8.5 of which came behind the line of scrimmage.

Doyle can play at the line of scrimmage or in coverage and is also a threat on offense where he caught 12 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns last season from his tight end spot.

Jacob Barnhart, West Branch

Senior, Offensive/Defensive Lineman

The mammoth 6-foot-6, 305-pound Barnhart is the next in a long line of great West Branch lineman.

Barnhart was a second-team all-state pick as an offensive tackle last season and will be the anchor of a Bear offensive line that brings back three players with starting experience.

Isaac Vollstedt, Regina

Senior, Running Back/Linebacker

Vollstedt rumbled for 1,114 yards and 15 touchdowns in just eight games last season on his way to picking up third-team all-state honors.

The bruising 6-foot, 200-pound Vollstedt did his best work in the postseason, rushing for 612 yards and nine touchdowns in four playoff wins helping Regina return to the 1A title game.

With three starters returning on the Regal offensive line expect Vollstedt to pick up where he left off last season.

Matt Brimeyer, Clear Creek Amana

Senior, Running Back/Linebacker

Brimeyer came on strong as the season went on a year ago, finishing with 731 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

The senior back will be a headliner on a Clipper offense that returns three starters for first-year head coach Gabe Bakker.

Dillon Shephard, West High

Senior, Defensive End

A force off the edge, Shephard ranks among the most disruptive defensive ends in the state.

Shephard had nine sacks among his 17.5 tackles for loss last season on his way to earning third-team Class 4A all-state honors.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Shephard can do more than just rush the passer, he ranked fourth on the team with 48 tackles last season including 22 solo stops.

Kendrick Harris, Solon

Senior, Running Back/Linebacker

Harris rushed for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and has his sights set on becoming the Spartans’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Brandon Kramer in 2014.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Harris has two years of varsity experience and figures to be one of the focal points of a Solon offense breaking in a new quarterback.

Harris averaged 4.7 yards per carry and also caught 14 passes for 157 yards and two scores.  

Michael Conlon, Regina

Senior, Quarterback/Defensive Back  

Conlon returns for another season leading the Regina offense after rolling up nearly 2,400 yards of total offense last fall.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Conlon was a dual threat in his first season under center for Regina, passing for 1,673 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushing for 725 yards and 11 more scores on his way to third-team all-state honors.

Jacob Graves, West Branch

Senior, Receiver/Defensive Back

Graves broke through last season when he picked off seven passes on his way to earning second-team all-state honors.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Graves also ranked second on the team with 47 tackles last year while helping the Bears return to the Class 1A playoffs.