Countdown to Kickoff: Maize Eagle football

MAIZE, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - The Maize High Eagles made history last year by advancing to the 5A state championship game for the first time, coming up just short and settling for runners up.

But with an offense that’s back and reloaded, and arguably the best in the state of Kansas, they plan to make even more noise in 2022.

“We feel like we’ve got a lot of good players on offense,” said head coach Gary Guzman. “The way our offense is designed, it allows our quarterback to make a lot of those decisions.”

The machine that is the Maize offense runs through senior Avery Johnson, a Kansas State commit ranked as the second-best dual-threat QB in the nation by Rivals. He’s the 164th overall player and shined at the Elite 11 camp this summer.

“As a defense, we’re playing one of the best offenses in the state and one of the best pass offenses. That helps us in any way,” said senior defensive lineman Eli Cunningham. “We have a great offensive line, great running backs, great coaching and one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

The Eagles return starters at all three levels of the defense.

“I think they’re gonna fly around and be aggressive and make plays for us,” Guzman said. “They know they need to get the ball back to the offense and let them go score.”

When it’s all said and done, the Eagles hope what they’ve done is enough to finish the job and capture their first state title.

“Just keep that mindset of keep grinding, keep working and make it back to state because nothing’s gonna be handed to us,” Cunningham said.

Maize 2022 schedule

9/3 - @ Topeka

9/9 - @ Andover Central

9/16 - vs. Newton

9/23 - vs. Salina South

9/30 - @ Maize South

10/7 - @ Derby

10/14 - vs. Hutchinson

10/21 - vs. Campus

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