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Over the past two seasons, Olathe North has been at the doorstep of a state championship.

In 2019, the Eagles were one win away when they fell in the Kansas Class 6A championship game to perennial powerhouse, Derby.

In 2020, the Eagles met crosstown foe Blue Valley North in the semifinals where the Mustangs came out on top and punched their third ticket to the championship game in the past four years. Olathe North finished the 2020 campaign with a 9-2 mark. 

Now, in 2021, the Eagles again are focused on the top prize - and look to have an abundance of talent to make it happen. With a roster loaded with potential D-1 signees, the Eagles return over half of their starers on both offense and defense. 

On offense, the Eagles line up one of the most talented groups as any team in the region.

Returning under center this season will be quarterback Noah Palmer (5-foot-8, 180). The senior threw for 758 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 975 yards and 12 scores.

Palmer, one of the top-ranked athletes in Kansas, will also see time at free safety, where he earned All-State honors last season. The two-way player holds offers from the likes of North Dakota State and is sure to pick up more as the season progresses thanks to his dual-threat playmaking ability.

Not only is QB1 a stud athlete, but the entire Eagle backfield occupies space on the recruiting website rankings.  

Senior running backs Jacob Parrish (5-foot-11, 180) and Aquantez Love (6-foot, 190) look to be one of the top backfield tandems in Kansas this season and will again look to need a wagon to carry their post-season honors awards home again in 2021.

Parrish’s play has already earned him offers from the likes of Air Force, Army, Dartmouth and Northern Iowa.  Parrish rushed for 762 yards and eight touchdowns, while also catching 25 balls for 536 yards and four scores. He’s also the number-two rated athlete for his class, right behind fellow super-freak athlete Jaren Kanak of Hays. 

Like Kanak and Palmer, Parrish can play both ways - and he happens to be one of Kansas’s top secondary defenders. Parrish earned All-State honors last season from his strong safety spot and was also named to the All-Simone team. 

Love’s measurables and intangibles are a recruiter’s dream. The top-rated running back in Kansas will use his bulking frame to again slice through defenses in the Sunflower League and any other comers this season. Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State are a trio potential suitors for the slippery speedster, who rushed for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

Junior Jason Scoma (6-foot-1, 190) is another bruising runner that will see plenty of carries - and receptions - from his h-back position. Fellow juniors Josh Parrish (5-foot-9, 155) and Michael Canseco (5-foot-9, 160) are two of the fastest Eagles and will be able to stretch the field to give Palmer an incredible slate of options. 

The Eagles offensive line is built around All-State workhorse senior, Parker Lane (6-foot-3, 275). Lane was recognized as the top center in 6A last year and is rated as one of the top centers in Kansas. 

The bookends of the line will be filled by senior Jorge Gallegos (5-11, 265), juniors Mason Hyskell (6-foot-3, 290) and Tell Western (6-foot, 250), and sophomore Braden Hales (6-foot-4, 270). The O-line bulldozers average a whopping 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds.

Senior tight end, Alex King (6-foot-1, 215) will return to his starting spot where he earned All-Sunflower League honorable mention last season.

King also helps anchor the Eagles defensive front four, also loaded with top talent and experience. The two-way player earned All-Sunflower League honorable mention from two positions last year - tight end and defensive end. 

Filling the other three spots on the defensive line will be seniors Jonathan Hide (6-foot, 230), and Devan Lowe (6-foot-2, 350). Lowe’s 350-pound frame has defensive line recruiters dreaming of sacks and tackles, taking up plenty of space on their line. The younger brother of current Liberty University standout Duron Lowe, will look to follow his brother at the next level and suit up on Saturdays. 

Sophomore Daniel Vann (6-foot-2, 275) looks to be the next great Eagle lineman and will start the year at defensive tackle.

The three-backer alignment for Olathe North will see a trio of seniors take the field. Jamal Pratt (6-foot-1, 220), Kenrick Osei-Bonsu (6-foot-1, 185), and Jackson Davis (5-foot-10, 185). Davis brought home All-Sunflower League honorable mention last season.

The Eagle’s secondary can be succinctly summarized with one word: salty. 

The trio of Josh, Jacob and Jason Parish (5-foot-8, 155) will be joined by quarterback and free safety Palmer in the defensive backfield.

Junior kicker Brad Polstonn is ranked in the top five in his position in the 2023 graduating class. 

Rounding out the kicking unit will be all-everything punter, Palmer who will presumably try to be on the field for every play this season. After garnering All-State honors as a punter last season, Palmer looks to be the area’s athlete to earn the title of three-way player in 2021. 

Head coach Chris McCartney will begin his seventh year at the helm of the Eagles. His 50-19 record is the second best is school history through his first six seasons, trailing only the legendary Gene Weir.

The Eagles open the 2021 campaign on September 3 against Shawnee Mission South.

>> Olathe North team page, schedule <<