Record-setting Head prepares for Shrine game

Photos

Mack McClure

Dodge City High School product Landon Head was selected for the Kansas Shrine Bowl after a record-setting career as a wide receiver with the Red Demons. Head just returned from Hutchinson Community College, where he took part in a mandatory team camp for the most part of June.

  

Yellow Pages

By Mack McClure
Posted Jul 08, 2010 @ 11:39 PM
Last update Jul 09, 2010 @ 12:55 AM
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Wide receiver Landon Head spent the better part of last month in football camp at Hutchinson Community College, where he will be playing this fall after a record-setting career at Dodge City High School.
    Head will be spending a better portion of this month absorbing what he learned with the Blue Dragons, along with getting ready to play in the 37th Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game, which is set for Saturday, July 31, at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg.
    Head, along with other members of the West squad will report to Salina on July 23 to begin practicing for the prestigious annual game featuring some of the state’s top graduated high school seniors. The East squad will gather on the same day in Emporia.
    During training camp, the teams will fly to St. Louis, Mo., to visit youths in Shrine Hospital burn units.
    “It’s an honor to be able to support the Shrine Bowl and help out the kids at the Shriners Hospital,” said Head, who moved atop the career DCHS football receiving charts in both receptions (124) and yards (1,723) this past fall, helping lead the Demons to an 8-3 record, including a berth in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
    Head just returned from Hutchinson last week.
    “I was in Hutch all of June,” Head said of starting summer drills on June 6 and returning to Dodge City on July 1. “It was mandatory practices for players. It’s eye-opening to a new level of football and how the speed changes in the game.
    “As of right now, I should be seeing some playing time next year (at wide receiver).”
    Head put up the most memorable single-season, pass-receiving campaign in DCHS history during his junior year, setting school  records for yards (1,050) and receptions (77), along with a single-game record of 12 catches.
    Head had 539 receiving yards in 38 catches his senior year, as Demons quarterback Ty Thomas spread around the wealth, also getting some big games from wide receiver Zach Harvey, along with record-setting running back Jace Banner terrorizing DCHS opponents.
    Head also was the Red Demons’ top defender in the secondary, totaling four interceptions to lead the team.
    “It was just competitiveness, the willingness to win and the desire to do whatever the team needed from me to help win,” Head said. “I wasn’t needed as much on the offensive end last year, so I worked hard and tried to play better on defense, so I could help the team. Last year, it was something we had been building to do ever since I can remember.
    “Just lifting weights, and we always thought we would be the class that would achieve something like that and bring a winning tradition back to Dodge that really meant something. Last year was just really special, making it to the second round of the playoffs and go as far as we did.”

Wide receiver Landon Head spent the better part of last month in football camp at Hutchinson Community College, where he will be playing this fall after a record-setting career at Dodge City High School.
    Head will be spending a better portion of this month absorbing what he learned with the Blue Dragons, along with getting ready to play in the 37th Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game, which is set for Saturday, July 31, at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg.
    Head, along with other members of the West squad will report to Salina on July 23 to begin practicing for the prestigious annual game featuring some of the state’s top graduated high school seniors. The East squad will gather on the same day in Emporia.
    During training camp, the teams will fly to St. Louis, Mo., to visit youths in Shrine Hospital burn units.
    “It’s an honor to be able to support the Shrine Bowl and help out the kids at the Shriners Hospital,” said Head, who moved atop the career DCHS football receiving charts in both receptions (124) and yards (1,723) this past fall, helping lead the Demons to an 8-3 record, including a berth in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
    Head just returned from Hutchinson last week.
    “I was in Hutch all of June,” Head said of starting summer drills on June 6 and returning to Dodge City on July 1. “It was mandatory practices for players. It’s eye-opening to a new level of football and how the speed changes in the game.
    “As of right now, I should be seeing some playing time next year (at wide receiver).”
    Head put up the most memorable single-season, pass-receiving campaign in DCHS history during his junior year, setting school  records for yards (1,050) and receptions (77), along with a single-game record of 12 catches.
    Head had 539 receiving yards in 38 catches his senior year, as Demons quarterback Ty Thomas spread around the wealth, also getting some big games from wide receiver Zach Harvey, along with record-setting running back Jace Banner terrorizing DCHS opponents.
    Head also was the Red Demons’ top defender in the secondary, totaling four interceptions to lead the team.
    “It was just competitiveness, the willingness to win and the desire to do whatever the team needed from me to help win,” Head said. “I wasn’t needed as much on the offensive end last year, so I worked hard and tried to play better on defense, so I could help the team. Last year, it was something we had been building to do ever since I can remember.
    “Just lifting weights, and we always thought we would be the class that would achieve something like that and bring a winning tradition back to Dodge that really meant something. Last year was just really special, making it to the second round of the playoffs and go as far as we did.”

37th Annual Shrine
All-Star Football Game
Saturday, July 31
At Pittsburg
Carnie Smith Stadium

Kansas Shrine Bowl
2010 East/West Roster

EAST
Troy Albright..................................... Galena High
Brandon Barnes................................... Oskaloosa
Matt Bollig....................................... Chanute High
Matt Buhler.................................... Rossville High
Tank Burns................................... Columbus High
Chris Fields................................ Olathe East High
James Franklin......................... Olathe North High
Tyler Glatczak................................. Centralia High
Brad Gourley........................... Olathe South High
Brannon Green........................... Labette Co. High
Nathan Haug...................................... B & B High
Jase Hubert........................................... Olpe High
Sam Johnson..................................... Topeka High
Cale Karigan......................................... Paola High
Regan Kays...................... St. Marys-Colgan High
Mark Kolmer................................... Emporia High
Adam LeBlanc............................... SM West High
Michael Lisher.............. Lawrence Free State High
Ben Malotte................................. Marysville High
Cameron McLain............. Gardner-Edgerton High
Sean McLerran................ Blue Valley North High
Ryan Mueller................ St. Thomas Aquinas High
Luke Olsen.................................... St. Marys High
Dallas Shalz............................. Bishop Ward High
Neil Shortell.................... SM Bishop Miege High
Micah Smith............................ Colony-Crest High
Keenan Soles.................................. Pittsburg High
Jordan Tice.................................. Osage City High
Matt Tyree....................................... Riverton High
Spencer Vanderbogart...................... Seaman High
Andrew Voegeli............................... Hayden High
Taylor Wallace................................. Schlagle High
Jace Warren........................... Pleasant Ridge High

COACHES:
Bill Arnold (head)............................ Hayden High
Mike Zegunis........... Blue Valley Northwest High
Mike Thomas............... St. Thomas Aquinas High
Dan Grundy................................. Columbus High
Beau Sarwinski.................................. Galena High
Larry Glatczak................................ Centralia High

TEAM TRAINERS
Curt Sudbeck................................................. Bern
Kyle Montgomery................................... Highland

WEST
Lucas Allen............................. Salina Central High
Mitch Bean................................ Garden City High
Jay Cotter...................................... Goodland High
Jake Craig........................................... Lyons High
Jasan Elzinga........................... Junction City High
Matt Erbert............................................. Ellis High
Dominic Farinas..................... Wichita North High
BJ Finney.......................................... Andale High
Jorden Funk...................... Scott Community High
Caleb Gifford.................................. Hugoton High
Landon Head.............................. Dodge City High
Jacob Ingham...................... Quivira Heights High
Ethan Jirak......................................... Oakley High
Miguel Johns................................... Newton High
Meshach Kennedy.............................. Derby High
Seth Klausmeyer...................... Garden Plain High
Brett LeMaster................. Wichita Collegiate High
John McClure...................... Wichita Heights High
Zach Nemechek................................ Quinter High
Jorden Oden....................................... Buhler High
Jacob Owen................................ Hoisington High
Travis Pfannenstiel............................... Hays High
Trevin Pfanenstiel.............................. Meade High
Joel Piper.................................... McPherson High
Trent Raile................................... St. Francis High
Tyler Richards............................... Rose Hill High
Demarcus Robinson........ Wichita Northwest High
Colt Rogers.............................. Smith Center High
Jason Seibel.............................. Salina South High
Curry Sexton.................................... Abilene High
Josh Smith.................................. Hutchinson High
Tate Snyder.................................. Manhattan High
Jonathan Truman............ Kapaun-Mt Carmel High
Chad Wollenberg............................. Hesston High

COACHES
Randall Zimmerman (head)...... Junction City High
Rick Wheeler....................... Wichita Heights High
Sam Sellers............................... Salina South High
Clint Merritt.................................... Hugoton High
Bill Messamore................ Wichita Collegiate High
Randall Rath...................................... Oakley High

TEAM TRAINER
Jennifer Lehmkuler.............................Dodge City


Source: Kansas Shrine Bowl

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