By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
After a brief week-one stumble against the #1 team in Class 2A, the Rock Creek Mustangs have exploded out of the gates to a 4-1 record and will enter week six as the #5 team in Class 3A.
The Mustangs rebounded quickly with a statement 41-20 victory over the then #1 St. Mary’s Bears and never looked back outpacing their last four opponents 186-90.
“We were proud of the guys for how they responded after a tough week one loss to Southeast of Saline,” Rock Creek head coach Shane Sieben said. “We expected a lot coming into this season and we didn’t play our best in week one but they responded to that loss with four good wins.”
Unsurprisingly, Rock Creek has set opposing secondaries ablaze with the #1 passing offense in Class 3A, averaging an absurd 300+ passing yards through the first four weeks of the season.
Dalton Whitworth, who led the entire state of Kansas in passing last year, is back with a vengeance, completing 67% of his throws for 1,531 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only one pick.
The senior signal-caller tacks on 40 carries for another 155 yards and two rushing scores, adding another layer to the Mustang ground game anchored by feature back Jaydon Winans.
Winans leads the team with 591 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to pair with 8 catches for 80 yards in 2022.
While Whitworth has looked otherworldly again this season, none of this would be possible without a deep corps of talented receivers, led by 1,000-yard returner Ethan Burgess, who has 750 yards and 11 scores in the passing game through just five weeks.
“Our skill guys are a group that we feel we can hang our hat on every week,” Sieben said. “Obviously Dalton has had an outstanding year but a lot of that comes down to the number of weapons that we have.”
While the Rock Creek offense looks like an unstoppable force, checking in as the #4 scoring unit in 3A at 42 points per game, the defense will need to find another gear after allowing just under 26 points a contest through week five.
“Defensively we’ve got to be a little bit tougher and a little more physical, especially on the edge,” he said. “Marysville schemed us well and we didn’t respond to that as well as we could have. We still need to be more physical up front.”
Aside from the points allowed being above where the Mustangs would like, Rock Creek has remained aggressive on that side of the ball forcing opponents into seven picks and four lost fumbles.
Daegan Vinduska has been a ball hawk in the secondary, collecting four of those interceptions for himself.
In any other class, Rock Creek would look like a solid favorite to hoist a trophy at the end of the season, but the road to 3A glory still runs through an Andale team that has won their last 43 straight, with their last loss coming in the 2018 state championship game against Pratt.
The Mustangs however, aren’t interested in wasting time stacking themselves up against an opponent they may or may not run into in the future, instead dedicating themselves to steady improvement and a 1-0 every week approach.
“We’re not going to sit here and compare ourselves to others,” Sieben said. “Statistically, it looks like it’s Andale and everybody else right now but comparison is the thief of joy and we don’t have time to waste on that. We’re just worried about ourselves, how we can improve, and how we can beat Hiawatha this week.”
That matchup with the 2-3 Redhawks will take place this Friday in Hiawatha before the Mustangs host Clay Center in week seven and travel to Concordia in week eight.
For continuing coverage of Rock Creek football stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.