The state of Kansas is well represented by Catholic football teams for the 2022 season. The football season will kick off for the sate in the first week of September.

Bishop Miege High School

The normally stellar Bishop Miege Stags are looking for a bounce back year. Bishop Miege went 5-7 in 2021 under head coach Jon Holmes.

The Stags history is a decorated one with 10 state championships under their belt, including six consecutive state championships from 2014 to 2019.  

In 2022, the Roeland Park-based squad has a blue chip senior recruit returning in Isaiah Coppage, a 6’1”, 194-pound wide receiver.

“One of the guys that has a very physical build among the WRs that were at the FINALS, this guy for sure is one of the prime playmakers for the Bishop Miege program entering the 2022 season and should be one of the main go-to targets this year at WR with a QB that has experience back, Coppage should reap the rewards of experience and with his frame and ability to get separation and use his size, all signs point to a big year for this 6-1, 190 Bishop Miege standout playmaker and athlete,” Six Star Football reports.  

“Coppage is a very impressive natural athlete who has played where the team needed him the most and will be looking to be an offensive weapon in 2022 that has some good hands and open field speed. Very good speed for sure, Coppage is a hot prospect to have on the radar.”

Bishop Ward High School

The Bishop Ward Cyclones went 4-5 under head coach Gregg Duggins in 2021. The Kansas City, Kansas, team won three of its last four contests culminating the year in a 42-19 loss to St. James Academy.

Cyclones team members have been busy hitting the gym, according to the team’s Facebook page.

The team also recently held its summer camp.

“We are on the field at 5:30 p.m. for the first day of Team Camp. Pre-practice for kickers, holder and snappers at 5:20. Locker room opens at 4:30. We will take plenty of breaks but pay attention to how much water you need to drinking throughout the day! #BishopWardFootball #WeCan," the Cyclones reported on Facebook.

Bishop Ward returns running back Brice Johnson. The 5’7”, 170-pound senior is expected to carry the load for the Trojans.

“Johnson is a back from Bishop Ward that can beat a defense in several ways, has some good open field moves, can be a RB or special teams standout as a return man, one of those elusive in space kind of running backs, and has the speed to take it to the house with any touch or chance he gets, good looking player that should be a name to know for KCK players in the radar for the ’23 class. Johnson has a knack for reading a defense and seeing the best running lanes to attack as a ball carrier,” Six Star Football reports.

Hayden Catholic High School

Hayden Catholic High School in Topeka went on a tear last season winning 7 of 8, only losing to Seaman.

The team kicks off the 2022 season Sept. 2 at home vs. last year’s 1A state champion, Olpe.

Hayden head coach Bill Arnold recently thanked Sharp Performance for contorting to the team’s summer camp.

"@sharp_spelite can’t thank you guys enough for coming to Topeka and delivering such a good message, as well as a great workout#whynotus,” Arnold said on Twitter, accompanied by a photo of team members on the field.

The team returns top-ranked defensive lineman in Ben Evans, a 6’2”, 250-pound senior.

Hayden lost three-star guard Joel Otting, who graduated and joined the Division I college ranks at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.

“Otting may be considered a three-star recruit by every rating service, but the Irish standard of offensive line talent evaluation and development warrants more faith than those rankings do,” NBS Sports reports.

Maur Hill-Mount Academy

The Maur Hill-Mount Academy Ravens went 4-4 in 2021 under head coach Brandon Wilkes.

The team finished off the season with back-to-back wins versus Riverside, where they squeaked by with a 24-21 victory, and a 46-12 pounding of Oskaloosa.

The Atchison-based Ravens last state championship win came in 1992.

The schools has been highlighted by the NFHS Network.

“Maur Hill-Mount Academy home of the Ravens is a private school located in Atchison, Kansas. Maur Hill-Mount Academy is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and has approximately 210 students and 14 varsity sports. Maur Hill-Mount Academy (MH-MA) provides a well-respected college prep education where students will experience a challenging and inspiring atmosphere and benefit from the safe, structured and supportive boarding program,” NFHS reported.

The team competes in the Northeast Kansas League (NEK), which includes nine schools at the 2A and 3A levels.

Sacred Heart Senior High School

Sacred Heart Knights were winless in a nine-game schedule under head coach Shane Richards in 2021. In six of those contests they went scoreless.

In the fifth week of the season, the Knights saw a chance to break the streak but fell short in two overtimes versus Ellinwood, which eventually won the game 9-6.

The Salina school’s highest scoring matchup of the year came with 34 points against Wichita Independent, which put up 50 points of its own.

In January, the team posted an announcement seeking new head coach.

“Sacred Heart Jr-Sr High School is now accepting applications for our Head High School Football coaching position for the 2022-2023 School Year,” it said on Twitter.

“Sacred Heart is a 2A Catholic High School located in Salina, Kansas. We serve approximately 205 students in grades 7-12. Sacred Heart staff enjoy small class sizes, an excellent student body, and a very supportive community. Coaches who are committed to excellence and the development of a Christian Spirit within the Faith Community are encouraged to apply.”

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School

The St. Francis Xavier Indians went 1-8 in the 2021 season under head coach Grant Wiegers in the Northwest Kanas league.

Its lone win of the season came against Logan-Palco in the fifth week of the season.

The St. Francis-based team scored 26 points to Logan-Palco’s 22 in that matchup.

At the other St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Junction City, students will be able to play for the Junction City High School Blue Jays after the school board’s vote in 2021 to allow the Catholic school’s athletes to join their public school counterparts.

St. James Academy

The Lenexa-based St. James Academy lost it first four games in 2021.

But in the last two-thirds, the Thunder rebounded in a big way under head coach Tom Radke.

St. James ended the season 9-4 and with a 4A state championship win, turning in a 28-21 performance versus Andover Central.

The team also won the 4A state championship in 2020.

The team was down at one point by a score of 14-0 before coming back in the state championship game to beat Andover Central.

"It's special my family got to be down here, and this was just special for the St. James community. The emotions were high, and the crowd was amazing. I'm excited for the community that they get to celebrate. That's what St. James is all about right there,” Radke said in St. James press release, of the state championship.

For the 2022 season, the Thunder lost quarterback Jackson House, who moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. House was the team’s Frank Fontana award recipient in 2021.

In 2021, House threw for 2,856 yards with 25 passing touchdowns and added 794 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in the 2021 season.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School

The St. Thomas Aquinas Saints went 7-5 in 2021.

The Overland Park team had a good run to end the season, wining five games in a row before losing to Mill Valley 35-19 in the playoffs.

The team won its last state championship in 2018.

St. Thomas Aquinas junior safety/linebacker DJ Marshall recently received some love from SixStarRecruits.

“Aquinas will be looking for big time players to step up on the defensive side of the football again this year and one of their best of the best for athletes on the field at

any time should be hybrid Safety and outside speed backer Dillon Marshall, a player we have seen at two of the 6Star Football Showcases and one of the guys that is standout athlete that you can tell is that guy that poses a lot of mismatches with his athletic frame and speed to cover in the open field, its not surprising being that he is a top hurdler in the KC West area. Minnesota, SMU, Mizzou camps, no doubt this guy is that hot radar maker right there for the next big recruit,” the Saints retweeted.

Bishop Carroll Catholic High School

The Bishop Caroll Eagles went 7-3 in 2021 under head coach Dusty Trail.

The Wichita-based team made it to the second round of the playoffs, where it lost 21-18 to Maize. In the first playoff battle, the team matched up against Hutchinson and notched a 31-28 win in overtime.

Bishop Carroll has won four state championships, including three in the 2010s.

“We will be consistently guided by our unwavering personal commitment to the highest standards expected of us as Catholics and members of this football team,” the team notes in its mission statement. “Our daily actions will be deliberately focused and uncompromising. They will not be driven by emotion, fatigue, or the need for acceptance. To achieve our goals, we will relentlessly hold ourselves accountable and demonstrate unfailing and selfless dedication to the betterment of our team, school and community.”

Bishop Carroll landed five All-Greater Wichita Athletic League players on last year’s team.

The 2022 team features Fort Hays State University Football commit Michael Polley, who was also noted as a “playmaker on the rise” by SixStarFootballTalks.

Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School

Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School went 10-2 under head coach Weston Schwartz in 2021.

The Wichita-based team lost a nail-biter 22-21 in the fourth round of the playoffs to state runner-up Maize. Prior to that loss, the team competing in the Greater Wichita Athletic League had won 10 out of its last 11 games.

The Crusaders return junior running back Omari Elias, who had 2,500 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns on 315 carries in 2021.

Kapaun Mt. Carmel has won 10 state championships and nine municipal league championships. 

The 2022 season will be Schartz’s third campaign. He joined the team in 2020 and has over 30 years experience as a coach.

“Kapaun Mt. Carmel is a very special place with a rich tradition in athletic and academic excellence,” Schwartz said when first hired.

This year, senior tight end Will Anciaux has already signed with the Kansas State Wildcats. The 6’6”, 225-pounder looks to be a force for the Crusaders in 2022.

Tipton-St. John’s

Tipton-St. John’s Catholic Blujays includes players from Tipton Catholic and St. John's of Beloit who play under cooperative agreement. The team competes in 8-man DII.

Outgoing player Jaret Eitzmann was recently featured in the DII all-star 8-man football game. The St. John’s Catholic High School graduate split time as St. John’s/Tipton’s quarterback over his career, where he rushed for 1,653 yards and 33 touchdowns and added 1,628 yards passing and 19 passing touchdowns.

Thomas More Prep-Marian Sr. High School

Thomas More Prep-Marian went 7-3 in 2021 under head coach Jay Harris. The Hays-based Monarchs lost in the third round of the playoffs in a scoreless 35-0 effort versus Kingman.

2021 was a historic season for the Monarchs, who won the school’s first playoff game since the 2002 season. 

The team beat the Minneapolis Lions 42-18 at Lewis Field at Fort Hays State University. The Monarchs began that game by returning two turnovers for touchdowns.

Thomas More Prep has been holding weightlifting session throughout the summer to prepare for the upcoming season.

“Summer weights sessions begin tomorrow, 5/31/22, for High School and Junior High students. Please see the graphic below for times and important information related to pick up and drop off with the road construction in front of the Fieldhouse. See you tomorrow Monarchs!” the school posted on its Facebook page.

St. Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools

St. Marys-Colgan went 4-5 in 2021 under head coach Shawn Seematter.

The Pittsburg-based Panthers won four in a row before dropping two games consecutively to end the season. St. Marys-Colgan lost 48-36 to Humboldt in the first round of the playoffs.

The Panthers have won seven state championships, with the last coming on the end of a four-year repeat from 2000 to 2003. The team won 66 games straight form 2001 to 2004 and has notched seven seasons without a loss overall.

In 2021 the team saw four players make the the Wichita Eagle’s All-Class 2A Honorable Mention team.

Saint Mary's Academy

The St. Mary's Academy Crusaders went 7-2 under head coach Tom Gaynor in 2021.

The team, competing in the Kansas Christian Athletic Association, saw both of its losses versus Cair Paravel, who ended their season in the playoffs.