> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# McPherson football named a 4A team to watch with 19 starters back
- URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-football-named-a-4a-team-to-watch-with-19-starters-back/
- Published: 2026-08-17T13:40:55.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-17T13:40:55.000Z
- Description: Sports in Kansas called returning receiver Ashton Malm a potential "Top 11" candidate with FBS or FCS potential
- Author: Greg Loving
- Tags: mcj, dnn, #news

If this story matters to you, a subscriber made it happen. Your turn.

[Become a subscriber](https://www.citizenjournal.us/?ref=cta-4#/portal/signup)

McPherson High School's football team enters 2026 with 19 combined returning starters off a 5-4 season, experience that earned the Bullpups a Sports in Kansas 4A team-to-watch nod. The school shared the Sports in Kansas post to its Facebook page Saturday, Aug. 15\. Nine of those starters return on offense and 10 on defense, and head coach Jace Pavlovich enters his 23rd year in coaching with an 89-31 record as a head coach, according to the post.

Wide receiver Ashton Malm headlines the returnees, and the post describes him as a potential Top 11 candidate and a player with FBS/FCS potential, a reference to the two Division I levels of college football. Also back are defensive backs Takoda Linn and Brody Hoffman, tailbacks Dane Becker and Brody Milleson, quarterback Carter Bengston, offensive lineman McKoy Berggren, Dylan Hall at offensive and defensive line, Bo Barkley at tight end and defensive end, linebacker Carter Melton and kicker Jaxon Hoover.

“We have a chance to be a pretty good football team this season. However, we will need to execute at a high level in order to achieve our potential,” Pavlovich said in the post.

*This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our* [*AI policy*](https://www.citizenjournal.us/ai-policy/)*.*

---

---

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

[Contact Us](https://www.citizenjournal.us/contact/)

---