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:
Dodge City outscored Topeka High 38-21 on Thursday night to remain unbeaten. The Red Demons were led by quarterback Reis Ochs who passed for 116 yards and a touchdown and added 63 yards on the ground. Dodge City rushed for 182 yards in the game with a balanced attack. Eight Red Demons split carries with none having more than nine carries. Courtney Sanders and Kaidyn Lucas led the Topeka High ground game.
Shawnee Mission South evened its record at 1-1 with a narrow 9-7 victory over Lincoln College Prep (Mo.). Senior back Drew Gilmore rushed for 139 yards on 26 carries to lead the Raider offense.
Lawrence High went on the road and picked up an impressive 31-7 win at Junction City. Junior quarterback Joey Dooley passed for 145 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Chesty Lion offense. Dooley threw two touchdown passes to Truth Pope and one to Kayden Pitts. Acein Goodman added a touchdown run, while Ethan Curry led the Lions with 66 yards rushing.
Wichita East rolled to a 69-0 shutout of Wichita North. Sophomore quarterback C.T. McGill passed for 251 yards and five touchdowns in the win. Prince Marshall rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown and added a pair of touchdown receptions. Brandon Dickson, Jr. and D’Anthony Smith each added touchdown catches, while Kyson Coleman added a rushing score.
Olathe North rebounded from a season-opening loss with a 28-21 win over Blue Valley North. Sophomore quarterback Chase Cain completed 24 of 37 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles. Both of Cain’s touchdown passes went to Jayson Rush. Akobi Bruce added 84 yards rushing with a pair of scores for the Eagles.
Class 5A:
Bishop Carroll scored 42 points in the first half in cruising to a 49-16 win over Wichita Southeast. Carroll’s Jonah Mull passed for 127 yards and a score and added 90 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Cooper Herrman and Mitchell Frank also added rushing touchdowns for the Golden Eagles. Mack Obar rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Will Obar for Southeast’s two touchdowns.
Liberal moved to 2-0 with a 19-8 win over Wichita Heights in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Redskin defense forced four Falcon turnovers including three interceptions. Landry Fitzgerald’s short touchdown run was the only score by the Liberal offense. Ariel Gaytan kicked two field goals and Evan Castillo returned an interception for a touchdown to put the Redskins up two scores.
Pittsburg broke open a 7-7 game with a 26-6 second half to defeat Shawnee Mission West, 33-13. JaMarcus Davis rushed 18 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Purple Dragon offense. Landon Southard added 63 yards and two scores on the ground. Senior Ashton Bauder recorded 18 tackles, including three for loss and two sacks.
KC Piper held off Lansing, 39-32, to move to 2-0 on the season. Quarterback Leeum Healy passed for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the Pirates. Healy threw two touchdown passes to Roman Byers and one to Andrew Durham. Byers caught four passes for 99 yards and added 103 yards rushing with a touchdown.
Salina Central rebounded from its loss to rival Salina South by going on the road and defeating Goddard, 34-20. Quarterback Griffin Hall rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns and added 105 yards passing with a touchdown pass. Erik Olivas led Goddard with 189 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
Emporia improved to 2-0 with a 58-20 victory over Wichita West. Spartan senior Benjamin Collins rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns, while Cael Claibourn added 81 yards rushing and two more scores. Claibourn also passed for 71 yards with all three of his completions reaching the end zone. Terrick Franklin, Jerald Clifton, and Jax McNeese each caught touchdown passes from Claibourne.
KC Washington traveled to Topeka Highland Park and came away with a 56-0 shutout. The Wildcats were led by junior quarterback Benito Morrell who passed for 345 yards and four touchdowns. Morrell connected with Cam’Ron Fields six times for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Fields also added 75 yards rushing with a score. Morrell and Khaliel Burns-Bey each added rushing scores.
Class 4A:
Tonganoxie evened its record at 1-1 with a huge 34-13 victory over traditional-power Topeka Hayden. The Chieftains got 113 rushing yards and a touchdown from senior Blake Riedel, while Kipton Harder and Roman Holthaus each added rushing scores. Hudson Myers passed for 141 yards with a touchdown going to Landen Ruff.
Ulysses improved to 2-0 with a 55-7 win over Cimarron. Senior quarterback Caden Ledesma passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns and added 70 yards on the ground with two more scores. Stryker Berglund led the Tigers with 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Tyce Perez had eight catches for 225 yards and two scores, while Jaxon Curl added 69 receiving yards with a score.
Buhler rallied from behind to defeat Mulvane, 28-23. The Crusaders trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter. Landon Martinez rushed 16 times for 152 yards and all four Buhler touchdowns. Seniors Jackson Rumbaugh, Nate Wells, Asher McCounnaughy, Jaxon Pratt, and Dylan Scripsick all had double-digit tackles for the Crusader defense.
Wellington scored 33 unanswered in defeating Wichita Collegiate, 33-13. The Spartans took a 13-0 lead after the first quarter on a Jai Johnson touchdown reception and his long touchdown run. Wellington responded on a Fisher Elder touchdown to pull within 13-7 at half. Colton Elmore hit Jackson Curry on a long touchdown pass in the third quarter to tie the game. Wellington took the lead on a 28-yard touchdown run by Nelson Armstrong. Armstrong led the Crusaders with 158 yards rushing on the night.
Class 3A:
Frontenac built a 13-0 halftime lead and pulled away for a 33-7 win at Labette County. The Raiders used a strong ground game and controlled the line of scrimmage against the Grizzlies. Luke Sneed rushed for an early score to put the Raiders in the lead. Frontenac will host rival St. Mary’s Colgan this week.
Chapman dominated at home in a 38-13 victory over Rock Creek. The Irish were led on the ground by senior Audiel Becker’s 295 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. Bo Rothchild, Colton Bell, and Kaicen Deweese each added rushing touchdowns for Chapman.
Wellsville scored in each quarter in cruising to a 49-0 shutout over Prairie View. Quarterback Pete Dorsey passed for 171 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes. He also added a team-high 69 rushing yards with a score. Ryker Robertson and Josh Toman caught touchdown passes from Dorsey. Kohen Fouts rushed for two touchdowns and Hudson Evans added a rushing score.
Santa Fe Trail rolled to a 50-2 victory over Osawatomie. The Chargers were led by junior quarterback Rigley Sleichter’s 85 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Jack Gragg also added a pair of rushing scores, while Dalan Brownlee, Trevin Cox, and Tanner Bolt each added a score on the ground.
Columbus outscored Galena 34-6 in the second half to win 40-9 at Abbey Field. Titan quarterback Cole Howard passed for 108 yards and three touchdowns – two to Jonas Stover and one to Jayen Dohle. Braun Stone added 165 yards rushing with two touchdowns for Columbus.
Class 2A:
Haven held off Pratt, 42-41, in overtime. It marked the first matchup between the teams since 2017. Haven is 3-12 all-time versus the Greenbacks and had not won in the series since 1989, per Kansas Football History. Haven had lost 11 in a row to Pratt. Haven senior quarterback Brogan Wray completed 14 of 28 passes for 222 yards with three scores against one interception. Wray tallied 12 carries for 100 yards and three scores. Junior Cole Brawner finished with 23 rushes for 114 yards. He also tallied five catches for 104 yards. The game was tied at 13 after the first quarter. Pratt led 28-27 entering the fourth.
Norton won the first game of the Zac Dreher era with a 24-13 home win versus Plainville in a Mid-Continent League contest. Dreher is a former Norton Shrine Bowl linebacker with 12 years of experience as an assistant at various places. The game was scoreless after the first quarter, and Plainville took a 13-12 lead into halftime. Norton scored six points in the third and fourth quarter. Norton finished with 59 plays, including 45 rushes, and tallied 188 total yards. Senior quarterback Ashton Kats accounted for 84 passing, 27 rushing, one passing score and a rushing TD. Norton accounted for three turnovers, including a pair of interceptions from Kats. Plus, Norton tallied eight tackles for loss, six sacks and four quarterback hurries. Senior Jarrett Pfannenstiel tallied two tackles for loss.
Humboldt, a Kpreps Potential Breakout Team, improved to 2-0 with a 42-0 home win versus Eureka. Humboldt has outscored teams, 74-6. Last year, Humboldt finished 3-6 with a 0-2 start. The Cubs fell, 34-6, at home to Eureka last year. Humboldt led 8-0 after the first quarter and 22-0 at halftime. Junior quarterback Ty Shaughnessy posted four of nine passing for 65 yards and two scores, along with 13 carries and 143 yards.
Smoky Valley earned a 24-8 win against Ellinwood. The Vikings led 16-0 before Ellinwood’s Luke Heinz had a 86-yard fumble recovery for a score that cut the lead to 16-8. Smoky Valley tallied a 63-yard TD run on the following snap by Crew Elliott, per Ad Astra Radio.
Class 1A:
Sacred Heart delivered a 26-0 road win versus Ellsworth in NCAA play. The Knights tallied six points in the first quarter and 20 in the third. The Knights are 2-0 for the first time since 2016, per Kansas Football History. Sacred Heart quarterback Maddox Wells completed 12 of 21 passing for 265 yards and two scores. He also rushed 19 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
Republic County got its first win of the season with a 26-6 decision over Minneapolis. Senior Nick Kendall rushed 16 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns for the Buffaloes. Grady Siemsen added a rushing score for Republic County. The Buffs rushed for more than 400 yards on the night.
Uniontown went on the road and picked up a dominant 32-2 victory over Leon-Bluestem. The Eagles got 157 passing yards and three touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Kyson Stock. Stock also added a pair of rushing touchdowns. Stock threw touchdown passes to Blake Ervin, Hunter Johnson, and Ashton Brooks.
Class 8-man I
WaKeeney-Trego, the preseason No. 2 team, bounced back from its slightly surprising Week 1 loss to a big 46-0 road win versus Ellis. Trego led 24-0 after the first quarter and 40-0 at halftime. Sophomore quarterback Vladon Crawford completed eight of 11 passes for 104 yards with two scores against one interception. He rushed nine times for 135 yards and a score. Senior Jack Conness finished with eight rushes for 71 yards and three touchdowns.
Oxford outscored Flinthills 14-8 in the second half to pull out a close 38-32 victory. Wildcat back Logan Gaither rushed 28 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Beau Hall countered with 136 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Mustangs.
Hoxie held off Osborne 30-24 in a close game between two contending teams. Hoxie led 24-12 at halftime and had just enough to hold off the Bulldogs. Sophomore Gage Epp passed for 257 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Indians. Epp threw a pair of scoring passes to Chase Meyer, who also rushed for 89 yards and a score. Noah Nickelson had three receptions for 109 yards for Hoxie. Tate Tiernan threw for 286 yards and a score for Osborne. Tiernan also added 86 yards rushing with two touchdowns.
West Elk rolled to a 48-0 shutout over South Central Border League rival Udall. The Patriots got two passing touchdowns and a rushing score from senior quarterback Jaxson Bogdahn. Sophomore Ryatt Griesel added two rushing scores and caught a 50-yard touchdown pass.
Class 8-man II
Thunder Ridge rolled over Mankato-Rock Hills, 58-8. Junior quarterback Tate Foreman rushed 15 times for 200 yards and a score. He also passed for 102 yards and a touchdown. Junior Rashad Stafford posted 10 rushes for 100 yards and two TDs.
Marmaton Valley held off Yates Center, 58-50, in a wild contest. Yates Center led 30-20 after the first quarter and 36-26 at halftime. Marmaton Valley scored 18 unanswered points in the third quarter. Junior Kaden McVey tallied 17 of 20 passing for 270 yards with four touchdowns against three interceptions. He tacked on 14 rushes for 98 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Lane Lord had nine catches for 120 yards and a score.
Hutchinson Central Christian cruised to a 46-0 win over Fairfield. The Cougars got 146 rush yards and three touchdowns from senior Calvin Barnett. Quarterback Adam Eigsti and Karson Sullivan each added rushing touchdowns for Central Christian.
Wakefield is off to a surprising 2-0 start after a 42-34 win at Burlingame. Senior Bradyn Moenning rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns and added a passing score to Landen Anderson. The Bombers will try to move win three consecutive games for the first time since the 2017 season.
Meade rolled to a 70-22 win over South Gray thanks to a huge performance from junior Tate Jones. Jones rushed 14 times for 235 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 51 yards and two more scores for the Buffaloes. Senior Tyson Knott added 130 yards rushing with two scores and caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jones. Jones also intercepted a Rebel pass on defense.
6-Man
Pawnee Heights won 76-48 against Chase, the Tigers’ first game since the death of player Rylan Reece this summer. Chase led 15-14 after the first quarter, though Pawnee Heights took a 32-21 advantage at halftime. The Tigers led 48-41 entering the fourth. Chase junior Malik Carson had 13 rushes for 325 yards and five scores.
Logan, which ended its co-operative agreement with Palco, improved to 2-0 with a 50-0 home victory against Western Plains. Senior Taden Gottschalk tallied nine rushes for 136 yards and four scores.
Chetopa kept Elyria Christian from the program’s first ever win by holding on for a 38-32 overtime victory. Harrison Carter rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown to lead the Green Hornets. Chetopa also got three rushing touchdowns from Gabriel Robison and two scores from Ethan Wulf.
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