The defending Class 1A state champion Sterling Black Bears will begin the 2026 season right where they finished last fall — at the top.
Sterling is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A in the Kpreps.com preseason high school football rankings released ahead of the opening week of the season. Inman joins the Black Bears in the Class 1A Top 5 at No. 3.
Kpreps begins its 19th season covering Kansas high school football and will release its rankings each Monday throughout the season. The rankings are compiled through a collaborative effort involving multiple media sources from across Kansas.
Sterling is coming off a perfect season that ended with a 35-34 victory over Rossville in the Class 1A state championship game. It was the Black Bears' second state football championship and first since 1982.
Sterling graduated standout running back Zane Farney but returns several experienced players, including Jacob Lewis, who caught the winning touchdown pass with 52 seconds remaining in last year's state championship game. Lewis also recorded 174 tackles, including 15.5 tackles for loss, on defense.
The Black Bears open the season against Moundridge.
Rossville begins the season ranked No. 2 in Class 1A, followed by Inman, Centralia and Smith Center.
Inman returns 17 players with starting experience from an 8-2 team that averaged 39.6 points per game last season. Senior quarterback Malachi Brunk returns after throwing for more than 1,000 yards and rushing for more than 1,300 yards in 2025.
The Teutons open the season on the road against Sedgwick.
Several other area teams received consideration but fell outside their respective Top 5 rankings.
Hutchinson was among the teams considered in Class 5A, while Buhler and McPherson received consideration in Class 4A. Hesston and Pratt were considered in Class 3A.
Halstead and Haven received votes in Class 2A, while Moundridge was among the teams considered in Class 1A. Hutchinson Central Christian received consideration in Eight-Man, Division II.
Defending state champions hold the preseason No. 1 ranking in several classifications. Manhattan leads Class 6A, while Andale tops Class 3A, Sterling leads Class 1A, South Central is No. 1 in Eight-Man, Division I, and Hanover begins atop Eight-Man, Division II.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel, which won the Class 4A championship last season before moving back to 5A, is ranked No. 1 in Class 5A. St. Thomas Aquinas begins its move from 5A to 4A as the top-ranked team in Class 4A.
Sabetha is No. 1 in Class 2A after defending champion Nemaha Central moved to Class 3A. Weskan tops the six-man rankings after defending champion Cunningham moved to Eight-Man, Division II.
The 2026 Kansas high school football season begins this week.
KPREPS.COM PRESEASON FOOTBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 6A
- Manhattan
- Mill Valley
- Derby
- Olathe Northwest
- Wichita Northwest
Others considered: Blue Valley Northwest, Blue Valley West, Gardner-Edgerton, Lawrence Free State, Junction City, Maize, Olathe North, Olathe West, Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Washburn Rural, Wichita East, Wichita Southeast.
CLASS 5A
- Kapaun Mt. Carmel
- St. James Academy
- Salina Central
- Basehor-Linwood
- Hays
Others considered: Andover, Andover Central, Bishop Carroll, Blue Valley, Blue Valley North, Blue Valley Southwest, De Soto, Goddard, Hutchinson, Leavenworth, KC Piper, Maize South, Salina South, Spring Hill, Topeka Seaman.
CLASS 4A
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Bishop Miege
- Eudora
- Great Bend
- Wamego
Others considered: Buhler, Chanute, Labette County, Lansing, Louisburg, McPherson, Mulvane, Ottawa, Paola, Rock Creek, Rose Hill, Tonganoxie, Wellington.
CLASS 3A
- Andale
- Topeka Hayden
- Holcomb
- Cheney
- Hoisington
Others considered: Baldwin, Clay Center, Frontenac, Girard, Hesston, Holton, Hugoton, Jefferson West, Nemaha Central, Pratt, Santa Fe Trail, Scott City, Wellsville, Wichita Collegiate.
CLASS 2A
- Sabetha
- Silver Lake
- Osage City
- Garden Plain
- Council Grove
Others considered: Beloit, Caney Valley, Chaparral, Ellsworth, Halstead, Haven, Kingman, Marysville, Neodesha, Phillipsburg, Riley County, Riverside, Riverton, Southeast of Saline.
CLASS 1A
- Sterling
- Rossville
- Inman
- Centralia
- Smith Center
Others considered: Conway Springs, Hillsboro, Jackson Heights, Jefferson County North, Moundridge, Olpe, Republic County, Sacred Heart, St. Marys, St. Mary's Colgan, Thomas More Prep-Marian, Valley Heights.
EIGHT-MAN, DIVISION I
- South Central
- WaKeeney-Trego
- Oberlin-Decatur Community
- Lincoln
- Leoti-Wichita County
Others considered: Atwood-Rawlins County, Cedar Vale-Dexter, Central Plains, Chase County, Clifton-Clyde, Ell-Saline, Hill City, Hoxie, Kiowa County, Lyndon, Oakley, Oswego, Oxford, South Sumner County, Southeast-Cherokee, West Elk.
EIGHT-MAN, DIVISION II
- Hanover
- Axtell
- Little River
- Victoria
- Sylvan-Lucas Unified
Others considered: Argonia-Attica, Cunningham, Dighton, Flinthills, Frankfort, Hodgeman County, Hutchinson Central Christian, Kinsley, Lebo, Linn, Madison, Marmaton Valley, Meade, Osborne, Sharon Springs-Wallace County, Thunder Ridge, Troy.
SIX-MAN
- Weskan
- South Barber
- Tescott
- Peabody-Burns
- Ingalls
Others considered: Logan, Marais des Cygnes Valley, Northern Valley, Otis-Bison, Wheatland-Grinnell.