Kpreps.com takes you Around the Classes as we look at a handful of games in each classification from teams outside our top five rankings.
Class 6A:
Washburn Rural quarterback Branton DeWeese scored on a short touchdown run in the fourth quarter to lift the Junior Blues to a 21-14 win over then No. 4 Manhattan. After the DeWeese touchdown run, the Washburn Rural defense intercepted Manhattan on three consecutive possessions to preserve the victory. DeWeese also threw a touchdown pass to Robby Bolin and Ma’Kentis Adams add a rushing touchdown for the Junior Blues.
Blue Valley West outscored St. Thomas Aquinas 28-0 in the second half as part of a 31-7 victory on Thursday night. Junior Jack Schneider stepped in at quarterback and rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns and also passed for 176 more yards. Sage Huffman added a rushing touchdown for the Jaguars. Blue Valley West improved to 4-2 with the victory.
Wichita East defeated Garden City for the first time in school history on Friday, 50-7. Sophomore quarterback DaeOnte Mitchell had a big night in accounting for four touchdowns for the Blue Aces’ offense. Mitchell passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score.
Gardner-Edgerton won for the second consecutive week as the Blazers topped Shawnee Mission North, 17-7. Kyle Oatman led the offense with 101 yards rushing and a touchdown, while Jake McClure also added a rushing score. The Trailblazers rushed for 260 yards as a team and did not complete a pass in beating the Bison.
Class 5A:
A week ago, Wichita Northwest running back LJ Phillips rushed for more than 21 yards per carry during a win over Haysville Campus. Phillips outdid himself by rushing for 333 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries (30.3 ypc) during a 67-6 win over Wichita Southeast. As a team, the Grizzlies ran for 481 yards and eight TDs. Northwest is now 4-2 after losing two of its first three games to ranked teams Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
Shawnee Heights scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and defeated De Soto 21-20. The T-Birds trailed De Soto 20-7 at halftime. Shawnee Heights’ Jarin Sanders rushed for 155 yards, and T-Birds quarterback Callan Carver passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns. De Soto’s Ethan Schultze caught 10 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown.
Andover delivered its third shutout of the season with a convincing 30-0 win over Valley Center. The Trojans are now on a five-game winning streak after losing 17-14 in the opener to Maize. Andover’s previous shutout wins came 41-0 at Ark City and 19-0 vs Goddard-Eisenhower. The Andover defense has allowed only 24 points through six games. Andover running back Max Middleton is approaching the 1,000-yard mark in rushing.
Newton won its first game of the season and ended a six-game losing streak with a 24-12 win over Goddard. Railers wide receiver Camden Carr was a perfect 2-for-2 passing with 103 yards and a touchdown. Carr also caught six passes for 25 yards. Goddard’s Mason Healy caught four passes for 123 yards. Goddard is still looking for its first win of the season as its losing skid increased to seven games.
Class 4A:
Sebastian Flower ran for about 175 yards and two touchdowns as Augusta topped Winfield 35-20. Augusta improved to 4-2 on the season, bouncing back from the previous week’s 56-21 loss at Buhler. Winfield dropped to 2-4, losing its fourth consecutive game.
El Dorado’s Jaydon Sundgren rushed for what was reported as a school record 284 yards during a 46-25 win over Wellington. As a team, the Wildcats ran for 434 yards. Sundgren’s 284 yards and four rushing TDs came on 38 carries. El Dorado ended a two-game losing streak and improved its record to 3-3.
Louisburg used a little trickery and a defensive touchdown to top Bonner Springs 29-7. Leading only 3-0 with less than a minute left in the first half, the Wildcats used a halfback pass from Kolby Kattau to Mason Dobbins for a 56-yard TD with 27 seconds left and went into the locker room with a 9-0 lead. Louisburg’s final TD of the game came on a 40-yard fumble return by Wyatt Holland. Delcan Battle passed for one touchdown and ran for another.
Paola came back to earn a 24-19 win over KC Piper. The Panthers trailed 13-10 early in the fourth quarter and then held on for their third win of the season. Paola quarterback Trey Moala passed for one TD and ran for one. Jovanni Blackie’s 73-yard touchdown run gave Paola a 24-13 lead with 5:22 left in the game.
Wamego earned its fifth consecutive win with a 48-14 victory over KC Schlagle. The Red Raiders lost their opening game 41-40 to Concordia in four overtimes. Since then, Wamego is unbeaten, earning overtime wins over Clay Center and Paola. Junior quarterback Hayden Oviatt has passed for more than 1,000 yards and has rushed for about 650.
Class 3A:
Parsons inched a step closer to a playoff berth with a 28-20 district victory over Caney Valley. Sophomore quarterback Tra Mack rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown and also passed for 90 yards and a touchdown that went to classmate J.J. Kendrick. Isiah Tyson returned a fumble for a touchdown as the Viking defense contributed to the scoring. Senior Dion Sylvester also added a rushing touchdown in the game.
Hesston blanked Halstead, 54-0, behind a huge night from sophomore quarterback Hudson Ferralez. Ferralez completed 27 of his 40 pass attempts for 439 yards and six touchdowns in the victory. He threw two touchdown passes each to Jake Proctor and Brayden Schilling. Proctor caught 10 balls for 166 yards and Max Werner added 7 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. The Swather defense was equally impressive holding Halstead to 70 total yards on 37 plays.
Prairie View’s Peyton Doty kicked a 25-yard field goal with seven seconds left to cap a fourth quarter comeback for a 23-20 win versus Iola. The Buffaloes trailed 20-6 entering the fourth quarter, but got some help when an errant snap set up the Buff offense deep in Iola territory. Dakota Stogsdill’s touchdown run pulled Prairie View to within 20-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Prairie View then tied the game on a long halfback pass for a touchdown.
Southeast of Saline rolled to a 6-0 start with a 53-0 shutout of Goodland. Junior quarterback Luke Gebhardt completed 11 of his 12 passes for 186 yards and a score. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns to go with his 56 rush yards. Matthew Rodriguez led the Trojans with 100 yards rushing and four touchdowns on only eight carries.
Concordia improved to 6-0 by pulling away from Marysville in the second half for a 32-6 victory. The Panthers led 7-6 at halftime before scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter. Senior Keyan Miller rushed 22 times for 216 yards and a touchdown, while Cav Carlgren added 105 yards rushing and two scores. Carlgren also threw a touchdown pass to Joey Henderson. The Panther defense held Marysville to 57 rush yards on 26 attempts.
Class 2A:
Cimarron rolled over rival Lakin, 55-7, and set up the big home game with Thomas More Prep-Marian for the expected district title this week. Cimarron is 5-1 and has won five in a row. The Bluejays led 12-0 after the first quarter and 26-7 at halftime. Cimarron experienced senior pair of quarterback Braxton Harrison and running Mason Eskam led the way. Harrison completed 4 of 6 passes for 84 yards with two scores against one interception.
He rushed 10 times for 174 yards and two scores. Eskam delivered 18 carries for 194 yards and three TDs. Cimarron’s defense has held Lakin to 53 plays for 222 yards. Cimarron has won eight straight in a series that has generally been close. Three of those wins have come by a combined nine points. This marked the most points and biggest margin of victory in the yearly series for the Bluejays since before 2004.
Haven enjoyed the best season in school history last year, though graduated two elite players: Shrine Bowl lineman Hunter Barlow and QB/S Darby Roper, the 2A Defensive Player of the Year. Haven had opened with five straight losses, though two came by a combined 14 points. Haven scored 40 total points. Haven earned its first win of the year with a 50-15 victory against Lyons. Haven delivered 517 yards of total offense. Overall, Haven completed 12 of 15 passes for 204 yards and three scores. The Wildcats rushed 46 times for 313 yards and three TDs. Lyons briefly led 7-6 in the first quarter before Haven tallied 30 straight points. Of the five first-half touchdowns, four came on plays of at least 19 yards.
Hillsboro traveled to Marion and drilled the Warriors, 56-8. Senior Matthew Potucek passed for 188 yards and a touchdown and added 86 rush yards and three more scores. Hillsboro was led by Jamari Harris who rushed for 159 yards and three scores.
Atchison Cunty improved t 5-1 on the season with a 32-13 win over Riverside. The Tigers rallied from down 13-6 at halftime to outscore the Cyclones 26-0 in the second half. Quarterback Bricen Lee passed for 120 yards and two scores and rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown on Friday. Kieran Courter led the Tigers with 156 yards rushing and two scores.
Class 1A:
After a highly difficult first month that included a head coaching change, a game cancelled because of COVID-19 protocol and four losses, Ellis won its Homecoming game, 65-0, against Syracuse. The Railers set a school record for points in a game. Ellis led 30-0 after the first quarter and 58-0 at halftime. Senior Easton Burton completed four of four passes for 95 yards with three scores. Senior Mason Gottschalk delivered seven rushes for 108 yards and two TDs. Junior Rex Johnson also rushed for a pair of scores. Freshman Ian McGuire, a highly touted player in the younger ranks, delivered nine carries for 84 yards and a TD. Gottschalk has 1,602 combined rushing yards in the last three years.
Conway Springs earned its fifth straight victory with a 42-0 win versus Sublette. The Cardinals scored 21 points in the first and second quarters. Izic Billups finished 7 of 10 passing for 163 yards and two scores. Brayden Kunz delivered six carries for 100 yards and two TDs. Overall, Conway Springs finished with 25 plays for 376 yards.
Class 8-man I
Hill City won its third straight contest, moved to 5-1 and set up the big road matchup for the district title with WaKeeney-Trego this week. The Ringnecks beat Hoxie, 61-40. Hill City’s players of the game went to guard/linebacker Ayden Nickelson, end/safety Derek Keith and quarterback Aiden Amrein. The Ringnecks led 20-0 after the first quarter. Amrein completed 8 of 12 passes for 170 yards with four scores against one interception. He rushed 21 times for 110 yards and a score. Senior Derek Keith had seven catches for 136 yards and four scores. Hill City now has a one-win improvement over last fall and its fourth winning record in five years. Hoxie senior Ashton Dowell continued his big season when he completed 25 of 39 passes for 282 yards with three touchdowns against zero interceptions. Dowell has 1,120 passing yards with 16 passing scores against four interceptions.
West Elk moved to 5-1 and won its second straight with a 64-6 win versus Cedar Vale-Dexter. The Patriots led 40-6 after the first quarter in a game called at halftime. Freshman Creyo Koop rushed four times for 45 yards and two scores. Four different players ran for a touchdown. West Elk has clinched its first winning season since 2017.
Macksville beat St. John, 54-0, and improved to 2-4. Ryan Kuckelman has quietly put together a big season. The Mustangs led 46-0 after the first quarter. Kuckelman completed 3 of 5 passes for 66 yards with two touchdowns. Freshman Hector Gomez had three carries for 63 yards and two scores.
In a game that came down to the final play, Spearville held off South Gray, 42-40. Spearville led 20-8 after the first quarter and 34-16 at halftime. South Gray outscored the Lancers, 6-0, in the third quarter and 18-8 in the fourth. The Lancers rushed 28 times for 400 yards. Senior Kolten Bennett delivered 16 carries for 251 yards and five touchdowns. He has 106 carries for 960 yards and 20 total scores this year. Bennett has rushed for 2,577 career yards. Spearville is 4-2.
Oxford earned its first win this year with a 47-6 victory against Udall. Kyan Morris rushed for three touchdowns and passed for a score.
Marmaton Valley and Oswego combined to set a new state record for combined points in a single 8-Man game on Friday night. Marmaton Valley’s Quincy Adams scored on a 33-yard touchdown with :06 seconds left to break a 98-98 tie and the Wildcats held on for the 106-98 win. The 204 combined points broke the previous eight-man single-game record for combined points of 184 set in Onaga’s 114-68 win over Valley Falls in 2016. Oswego’s 98 points by a losing team also sets a state mark previously held by Logan which scored 82 in an 84-82 loss to Natoma back in 2007. Adams rushed for 209 yards and scored five touchdowns in the win for Marmaton Valley. Senior quarterback Garrett Henderson completed 21 of 28 passes for 249 yards and three scores and freshman Jaedon Granere had 11 receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards and five scores.
Class 8-man II
Caldwell avenged a loss to Peabody-Burns last season and remained undefeated in 2021 with a 42-20 win versus Peabody-Burns. Caldwell led 6-0 after the first quarter and 18-6 at halftime. Caldwell outgained the Warriors, 442-267, and was plus-3 in turnover margin. Junior Keiondre Smith continued his huge year when he completed six of 12 passes for 109 yards and touchdown. Smith rushed 34 times for 280 yards and five scores. Jackson Risley caught three passes for 75 yards and a TD. Dawson Bristor recovered a pair of fumbles.
Wheatland-Grinnell won its fifth straight and moved to 5-1 with a 50-0 win versus Logan-Palco. The Thunderhawks have scored at least 50 points in all five wins. Senior Trey Vincent completed eight of 13 passes for 85 yards with a touchdown. Senior Isaac Mendez rushed nine times for 198 yards and four scores. Junior Jett Vincent had five catches for 70 yards and a score. Junior Adam Phillips delivered 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss, and Tyrell Chapin finished with two tackles for loss. Vincent picked off a pass, his 23rd of his career. Vincent has recorded at least one receiving score in 16 of his last 17 games. Mendez has 93 carries for 721 yards and 16 scores this year.
Lebo is 5-1 and has won four in a row after a 52-0 win versus the Manhattan-Flint Hills Christian Eagles. Senior Kyle Reese completed six of 11 passes for 116 yards with three touchdowns. He rushed 12 times for 117 yards and two scores. Junior Luke Davies recorded two catches for 63 yards and two TDs.
Bucklin continued it big turnaround with a 6-0 start and 68-22 victory versus Minneola. The Red Aces have enjoyed a bevy of historical footnotes throughout the first six weeks with coach Trever Powell. Bucklin is at winless Ingalls next week. A victory gives the Red Aces its most wins since an 8-2 mark in 1996, per the Kansas Football History database. Three teams have separated themselves in District 7: Dighton (5-1, 4-0), Bucklin (6-0, 3-0) and Minneola (3-2, 2-1). Bucklin led Minneola, 24-8, after the first quarter and 40-14 at halftime.
Senior Nathan Bowman completed 6 of 12 passes for 120 yards and two scores and rushed six times for 25 yards and three TDs. Bucklin has made a sizable difference in tackles for loss compared to last year and delivered five in the contest. Senior Scott Price finished with 14 tackles, 1.5 for loss. In his career, Price now has 2,499 rushing yards, 55 career scores and 256 tackles.
Dighton earned its fourth straight victory and clinched a winning season with a 32-20 victory against South Central. The Hornets are 5-1 after two wins in their previous 18 games. The game was tied at six after the first quarter, and Dighton led 12-6 at halftime and 26-6 after the third quarter. Junior Max Neeley finished with another prolific game with six of 15 passing for 91 yards with three scores against two interceptions. He delivered 33 carries for 180 yards and two scores.
6-Man
Natoma passed a big test on Friday with a 40-32 win over defending 6-Man champion Cheylin. The No. 2 Tigers got another huge game from senior Kayden Martinez who rushed for 399 yards and five touchdowns in the win. Martinez also passed for 70 yards and another score.
Northern Valley scored 45 points in the first half in a 57-12 win over Golden Plains. Bailey Sides rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on only four attempts, while Jeremiah Hansen added 98 yards and two scores on his three carries. Brody Preston rushed for a score and had a pair of touchdown catches.
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