The No. 1-ranked teams in each classification did not have any changes. However, all of the classifications had at least one difference in the other spots.
Class 6A
Derby, Topeka, and Blue Valley remained first, second and third. Olathe North moved from fifth to fourth after the Eagles defeated Blue Valley West in overtime. Blue Valley West bumped into the fifth slot. No. 4 Manhattan dropped out of the poll.
No. 1 Derby (11-0) defeated Manhattan, 56-0, and led 21-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 at halftime. Derby has won 24 straight contests. Derby will play host to Topeka in the semifinals.
No. 2 Topeka (10-1) had lost to Centennial League rival Junction City in the regular season. In the second matchup, the Trojans beat Junction City, 35-14. Ky Thomas rushed for 291 yards and is second all-time on the career rushing list in state history. He has 7,337 career rushing yards, according to the Topeka Capital Journal. Topeka is into the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1973.
No. 3 Blue Valley (8-3) defeated Eastern Kansas League rival Blue Valley North, 21-20, for the second win versus the Mustangs this year. Blue Valley has doubled its win total from '18. The Tigers led 21-0. Blue Valley North closed to within one point with 46 seconds left in the game. The Mustangs initially lined up for the winning two-point play, but Blue Valley called a timeout. After the timeout, Blue Valley North elected to kick, but the extra point was blocked. Blue Valley will travel to Olathe North.
No. 4 Olathe North (9-2) defeated Blue Valley West, 35-34, in overtime. Arland Bruce IV rushed for a 10-yard run in overtime, and Zach Willoughby-Neal's extra point won the game. Blue Valley West opened overtime with a touchdown with a David Brown receiving score, but the Jaguars' extra point was blocked. Olathe North is the only Sunflower League left, and Bruce delivered 37 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 5 Blue Valley West (7-4) had a four-win improvement off last year and had its most victories since an 8-4 season in 2013. The Jaguars had just six total wins in the last three falls. Quarterback Greg Riddle cleared 1,500 passing yards, while Riley Cummings went over 1,000 rushing, and Brown had 968 receiving yards.
Class 5A
St. Thomas Aquinas, Wichita Northwest and Mill Valley stayed in the top three spots, respectively. Maize is back in the poll at No. 4. Bishop Carroll dropped from fourth to fifth after its competitive loss to Wichita Northwest. De Soto was previously ranked at No. 5, though dropped out of the poll after its first loss.
No. 1 Aquinas (10-0) easily beat Blue Valley Southwest, 47-20. The Saints have won 22 straight contests, including two victories versus Southwest in 2019. Aquinas led 41-0 at halftime.
No. 2 Wichita Northwest (11-0) moved to 4-0 against rival Bishop Carroll with regular season and playoff victories the last two years. Northwest defeated Carroll, 35-18. Reagan Jones cleared 100 passing and 100 rushing yards in the contest. Northwest will play host to Maize in the state semifinals for the second straight season.
No. 3 Mill Valley (8-3) defeated previously unbeaten De Soto, 18-7. The Jaguars have captured seven straight games. The Jaguars trailed 7-2 at halftime. Mill Valley will again face EKL rival St. Thomas Aquinas in the playoffs.
No. 4 Maize (10-1) beat rival Maize South, 28-0. Maize scored 21 points in the second half.
No. 5 Bishop Carroll (8-3) lost to Wichita Northwest in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.
Class 4A
The top three spots again remained unchanged with Bishop Miege, McPherson and Paola. Andover Central and Tonganoxie flipped spots at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
No. 1 Bishop Miege (9-2) had an emphatic 54-10 win versus Tonganoxie. Miege has won five straight state titles. Tim Dorsey threw for six touchdowns and 244 yards. Miege will travel to Paola.
No. 2 McPherson (11-0) earned its second straight quarterfinal victory versus Arkansas City with a 26-6 victory. The Bullpups will play host to Andover Central in the state semifinals. McPherson has reached three straight semifinal contests but has never made a state final in school history.
No. 3 Paola (11-0) has battled injuries in recent weeks at quarterback and running back. The Panthers escaped with a 42-34 victory versus Chanute. Paola led 28-21 at halftime.
No. 4 Andover Central (10-1) has a five-win improvement from 2018. The Jaguars beat Buhler, 31-14, notably from standout performances from quarterback Shomari Parnell and receiver Xavier Bell.
No. 5 Tonganoxie (10-1) had the first 10-0 start in school history before the loss to Miege. Cooper Cunningham cleared 2,000 rushing yards.
Class 3A
Andale and Topeka Hayden stayed in the top-two places. Last week, Frontenac, Cheney and Perry-Lecompton were third, fourth and fifth, respectively. This week, Cheney is third, Perry-Lecompton fourth and Frontenac fifth.
No. 1 Andale (11-0) cruised past Beloit, 42-0. Andale will play host to Cheney. In districts, the Indians had easily its closest game of the year with a 29-22 win versus Cheney.
No. 2 Topeka Hayden (10-1) beat Frontenac, 14-6. Hayden gets a rematch with Perry-Lecompton. The Kaws beat Hayden, 21-20, in overtime in district play.
No. 3 Cheney (9-2) won at Scott City, 38-7. The Cardinals are into the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Cheney has a seven-win improvement from last fall.
No. 4 Perry-Lecompton (8-3) beat Prairie View, 30-6. The Kaws have the second-best showing in school history. Prairie View finished 10-1 and its top season in 49 years.
No. 5 Frontenac (10-1) took its first loss of the year with a 14-6 loss to Hayden.
Class 2A
Hoisington stayed in the pole position. Last week, Silver Lake, Garden Plain, Riley County and Humboldt were in the next four spots. However, a lot of 2A ranked squads faced each other. Riley County beat Silver Lake, and Hoisington defeated Garden Plain. Humboldt lost to Nemaha Central.
The poll now has Hoisington, Riley County, Nemaha Central, Norton and Garden Plain. Norton defeated Conway Springs and is in the semifinals for the first time in 10 years.
No. 1 Hoisington (11-0) has tied the best finish in school history after a 48-22 win versus Garden Plain. The Cardinals will get a rematch at Norton, which they beat for the district title in Week 8. Wyatt Pedigo set the Hoisington career rushing record.
In the last two years, No. 2 Riley County (9-2) lost to Silver Lake in the regular season and then came back to beat the Mid-East League rival Eagles in the state quarterfinals. RC defeated Silver Lake, 14-7. Avery Brokenicky scored two touchdowns. Riley County is the defending 2A state runner-up to Phillipsburg. Riley County will travel to Nemaha Central.
No. 3 Nemaha Central (9-2) has a four-win improvement from 2018, and beat Humboldt, 44-28.
No. 4 Norton (8-3) is into the semifinals for the first time in a decade, and has doubled its win total from last year. Norton beat Conway Springs, 34-32.
No. 5 Garden Plain (10-1) had a four-win improvement from 2018 and has completed its season.
Class 1A
Smith Center stayed first. Last week, Smith Center led Olpe, Plainville, Centralia and Sedgwick. This week, the Redmen are No. 1, followed by Plainville, Centralia, Olpe and Jackson Heights is back in the poll. Centralia defeated Olpe, but Olpe stays ahead of Jackson Heights. Olpe beat the Cobras in the regular season.
No. 1 Smith Center (11-0) has won 21 straight contests and beat Sedgwick, 21-10. This marked the second straight year the Redmen beat the Cardinals in the quarterfinals, but Sedgwick offered much more resistance this season and led 3-0. For the fourth straight year, Smith Center will face Mid-Continent League rival Plainville in the regular season and in the state semifinals. Smith Center, which will host Friday, has won five in a row in the series.
No. 2 Plainville (10-1) pulled away from Inman in the second half and won 53-26. The Cardinals' only loss came against Smith Center this year, but standout running back Jared Casey did not play in the contest.
No. 3 Centralia (10-1) had lost to Olpe, 20-18, last year and won 22-20 this year versus the Eagles. Centralia has captured 10 straight wins. Olpe scored with 1:34 left but was unable to convert the 2-point play.
No. 4 Olpe (10-1) is the defending state runner-up to Smith Center and had its season end with Centralia. Olpe remains in front of Jackson Heights because of a 28-14 victory versus the Cobras in Week 4.
No. 5 Jackson Heights (9-2) lost to Colgan in the quarterfinals last year, and earned a 42-10 win versus the Panthers this year. The Cobras have their best playoff showing since a state runner-up finish in 1983.
Eight-Man, Division I
Canton-Galva stayed at No. 1 after it defeated then-No. 3 Coldwater-South Central in the quarterfinals for the second straight fall. St. Francis remained second after its big 50-0 victory versus Hodgeman County.
Last week, South Central stood third, Madison fourth, and Hodgeman County fifth. This week, Madison moved to third, Leoti-Wichita County is in the poll at No. 4 and South Central is fifth.
No. 1 Canton-Galva (11-0) is into the semifinals for the second straight year after a 42-16 victory versus South Central. The Eagles will travel to Madison for the state semifinals.
No. 2 St. Francis (11-0) has permitted just 42 points, best in the eight-man ranks. SF has four straight shutouts. St. Francis gets a rematch with Wichita County, who it defeated 46-0 in Week 6.
No. 3 Madison (11-0) is into the semifinals for the first time since 2012 after a 60-14 win versus Caldwell. Ryan Wolgram was nine of nine for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 4 Leoti-Wichita County (10-1) defeated Little River, 74-38, and is into the semifinals for the first time since 1990. Wichita County has a four-win improvement from 2018.
No. 5 South Central (10-1) had its season end in the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year.
Eight-Man, Division II
Osborne remained No. 1, but it's very close between the Bulldogs, No. 2 Axtell and No. 3 Hanover. Thunder Ridge remained at No. 5. Hutchinson Central Christian replaced No. 4 St. Paul after Central Christian earned a 64-60 win versus Thunder Ridge.
No. 1 Osborne (11-0) held off South Barber, 28-20, in its first game without standout senior linebacker/running back Darrien Holloway, who is out for the season with injury. Osborne is the defending Division II state runner-up. Osborne will play host to Hutchinson Central Christian.
No. 2 Axtell (10-1) beat Lost Springs, 76-26, and gets the much anticipated rematch with Twin Valley League rival Hanover. Last year, Hanover beat Axtell in the regular season and the state semifinals en route to its third state title. Axtell defeated Hanover this fall, 28-26, in Week 6 to end the Wildcats' 43-game winning streak, a KSHSAA eight-man state record.
No. 3 Hanover (10-1) beat St. Paul, 62-30, and is into the semifinals for the eighth straight year. Hanover will play host to Axtell.
No. 4 Hutchinson Central Christian (10-1) is into the state semifinals for the first time after the wild 64-60 win versus Thunder Ridge.
No. 5 Thunder Ridge (9-2) had a four-win improvement from last fall and had its season end with the Central Christian loss.
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