Each week throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature a few of the best match-ups across the state and make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
5A No. 2 Hays High (5-1) at 4A No. 3 Great Bend (6-0)
Long-time rivals Hays and Great Bend will square off in a showdown that will decide the Western Athletic Conference title.
Hays High (5-1) enters this contest as the No. 2 ranked team in Class 5A, while Great Bend (6-0) is No. 3 in Class 4A. Great Bend moving down to Class 4A this cycle means Friday’s game will be the only meeting this season. The Indians and Panthers have met twice in each of the last two season.
In 2024, Great Bend shut out Hays 21-0 in the regular season before the Indians upset the Panthers, 19-14, in the playoffs on their way to a state runner-up finish. Last season, Great Bend won 43-19 in the regular season and 29-22 in the playoffs.
Hays has won five of the last eight meetings, but Great Bend has won three of the last four.
Great Bend has continued a high-level of success under Coach Erin Beck despite losing some key players to graduation. The Panthers graduated Ian Premer (Notre Dame), quarterback Daxton Minton, and linebacker Trent Kern among others. But Great Bend returned one of the state’s top players in K-State commit Cooper Ohnmacht. Ohnmacht is the teams leading receiver with 44 catches for 553 yads and five touchdowns. He’s also made 35 tackles and intercepted two passes – returning both for touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Maxson Smiley, a transfer from Colby, has played well in completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,236 yards and 15 touchdowns without an interception. Junior Cal Schartz has rushed for 531 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing one game. Sophomore Carlos Alcala has added 229 yards and two scores. Alec Premer joins Ohnmacht as a receiving threat with 306 yards and three touchdowns. Jaxon Wondra has added 163 receiving yards and two scores, while Kale Kern has 12 catches for 149 yards and three scores.
Defensively, junior Blake Suppes leads the Panthers with 50 stops with Kern registering 48 tackles and three sacks.
Hays High has played one of the most difficult schedules in the state thus far. The Indians opened with road wins at Junction City (28-7) and Gardner-Edgerton (20-6) before their lone loss – a 20-14 decision to Bentonville – the top-ranked team in Arkansas Class 7A. In recent weeks, the Indians have won at Garden City, stymied Wichita East, and blanked Dodge City.
The Indians are finding success with a stingy defense and productive offense. Hays High has allowed only 54 total points this season and is holding opponents to less than 160 yards of total offense per contest. Jace Dreher leads the Indians with 54 stops, while Keiston Evans-Grant has 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Max Gerstner and Tanner Geist are also among the team leaders in tackles with 42 and 41, respectively.
Offensively, Hays has relied on backs Archer Amrein and Braxton Basgall. Amrein, a former Hill City Ringneck, leads the team with 457 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Basgall has added 370 yards and four touchdowns. Both backs have the benefit of running behind one of the state’s top players in Oregon-commit Gus Corsair.
Joey Dintino has played well at quarterback after transferring from Class 1A Plainville. Dintino has passed for 551 yards and six touchdowns while adding nearly 200 yards rushing and a pair of scores.
When Dintino puts the ball in the air he typically looks to Brogan Albers, Riley Windholz, or Jaxon Prediger. Albers has 310 receiving yards and three scores, while Windholz has a pair of touchdown catches and is also a threat in the return game.
For the Indians’ success to continue, they’ll need to rely on their fast, physical defense in limiting the big play capability of Great Bend. Both teams should be major factors come playoff time in their respective classifications.
Our Pick: Hays 22, Great Bend 21 (Gilmore)
Kingman (6-0) at Chaparral (6-0)
A battle of unbeatens in the Central Plains League will take place on Friday as the Kingman Eagles visit the Chaparral Roadrunners. This game will decide the Class 2A, District 8 championship.
Chaparral is under the direction of veteran coach Justin Burke who took over for J.C. Zahradnik who led the ‘Runners to a 22-23 record over five seasons. Burke was previously the head coach at Chaparral from 2010 to 2018 when he led the program to a 53-35 record.
This year’s Roadrunner squad is talented and can put up points. Chaparral is averaging 44 points per game while allowing less than 16 points per outing.
Quarterback Daniel Schmidt is the catalyst for the ‘Runner offense. The senior quarterback has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions. Schmidt is also the team’s leading rusher with 443 yards and 11 touchdowns on his 59 attempts. Classmate Kenney Diaz has added 189 yards and five scores on the ground.
Schmidt has a talented group of receivers to work with. Senior Carter Hostetler has team highs in receptions (33), receiving yards (523), and touchdown catches (7). Sophomore Jayden Harper has added 17 catches for 298 yards and three scores, while junior Trace Hadsall has added 296 receiving yards and five scores. Mason Walker adds yet another option with 157 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Schmidt is also the team’s leading tackler with 57 stops, while Harper has been a ballhawk in the secondary with six interceptions including one for a touchdown. Junior Nick Brittain adds 38 tackles, including eight for loss and three sacks.
Kingman also enters this contest with an unblemished record and an explosive offense. The Eagles have put up 45 points per game while allowing only 10.5 points per contest.
Tanner Hageman has delivered a 50-27 record now in his eighth season at Kingman. The Eagles have depth and play a physical brand of football.
Quarterback Landon Birkenbaugh is part of talented group of skill players that includes senior running back Boston Beck and receiver Joey Brannan.
The Eagles have good size and physicality on both sides of the ball led by senior Brennan Van Wyhe (6-2, 225) and junior Andrew Ziegler.
The Roadrunners and Eagles have three like opponents so far this season. Chaparral has defeated Central Plains League members Medicine Lodge (47-22) and Wichita Trinity (44-14), while Kingman beat Medicine Lodge (42-8) and Trinity (20-14). Each team also owns a district victory over Southwestern Heights. Chaparral defeated the Mustangs 62-16, while Kingman defeated SW Heights 63-7.
Chaparral defeated Kingman 23-7 last year in the season opener. That win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Roadrunners against the Eagles.
Our Pick: Kingman 35, Chaparral 33 (Gilmore)
2A No. 3 Council Grove (6-0) at 1A No. 2 Inman (5-1)
Both Council Grove and Inman step out of district play and will face in a matchup of top five teams from different classes. Both squads are coached by alums who have led their programs to the best finishes in school history. Lance Sawyer has a pair of state runners-up finishes, while Derron Reddick was the defensive coordinator when Council Grove reached the state semifinals in 2024. Reddick stands at 13-3 since he took over as head coach.
Council Grove is ranked third in 2A and has its third straight big game, while Inman is second in 1A. The teams have never played before. Inman leads 1A in fewest points allowed with 41 and has fashioned four shutouts, including two straight. Inman’s only loss is against Sterling, ranked first in 1A and on a 19-game winning streak. Council Grove has three blowout victories and three by one score: at Osage City (22-14 in Week 2), versus Marysville two weeks ago (46-41) and at Southeast of Saline last week (14-8). Those teams are a combined 13-2 when not playing Council Grove. The Braves have played a significantly harder strength of schedule per nationally recognized Massey Ratings.
Inman is highly experienced with Malachi Brunk, a four-year starter at quarterback, and key target Korbyn McLellan. Last week, Inman rolled over Remington, 35-0. Brunk threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Jerrick, McCellan scored on a four-yard run, and Gage Sisson tallied a touchdown off a blocked kick. Additionally, Cayden Gaeddert returned an interception 30 yards for a score and had a 15-yard TD pass in the fourth. Kash Schierling paced the defense.
Council Grove is equally experienced, too. The Braves have opened 6-0 and outscored teams by a combined total of 279-75. Senior Luke Stewart has enjoyed one of the most prolific careers in Braves history. He has completed 94 of 133 passes for 1,470 yards with 17 scores against three interceptions. Senior Mason Samuels recently picked up a preferred walk-on (PWO) offer from Kansas. He has 29 catches for 531 yards and eight scores. Senior Bradley Doornbos impacts all three phases and leads with 675 all-purpose yards.
This is a great measuring stick contest for both teams and credit to both programs for scheduling this rare matchup. In a game like this, line play could prove the difference.
Our Pick: Council Grove 28, Inman 21 (Nicholl)
8M-II No. 1 Hanover (6-0) at 8M-II No. 2 Axtell (6-0)
The state’s premier eight-man rivalry continues with another big matchup for the District 4 and Twin Valley League titles.
Hanover is the defending Eight-Man, Division II state champion and has won 19 straight games. Last year, Hanover defeated Axtell, 26-18, and stopped Axtell’s 58-game winning streak, the longest in Kansas eight-man history. Before last year, Axtell had won four straight and Hanover captured the 2020 title. The last non-Hanover/Axtell team to win Division II was Osborne in 2019.
In the 2025 state semifinals, Hanover earned a 34-24 victory versus Axtell. This is likely the first of two meetings again this year.
Hanover has been highly dominant against Kansas schools with five straight wins by at least 46 points. The Wildcats started the year with a 62-20 road win versus Thayer Central (Neb.). Axtell has been equally as dominant. The Eagles started with a 74-44 home win versus Reno County Homeschool. Since then, Axtell has quality victories versus Clifton-Clyde (56-0), Chase County (54-6) and Troy (62-14). All four teams are 4-1 or better when not playing Axtell.
Axtell features quarterback Wyatt Detweiler. Last week, he completed six of seven passes for 95 yards and a score. He rushed 12 times for 126 yards and five touchdowns. Clayton Heinen and Joe Lybarger are among the key offensive threats.
Hanover quarterback Kadrick Cohorst is the reigning Division II Offensive Player of the Year. Brody Sedlack, Cooper Bruna and Landen Stallbaumer are the top offensive threats.
This is another terrific game between Hanover and Axtell. Axtell has featured a slightly better offense, while Hanover has been more prolific defensively.
Our Pick: Hanover 34, Axtell 32 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
5A No. 3 St. James Academy (4-2) at Blue Valley Northwest (4-2) – St. James Academy
Garden City (3-3) at Dodge City (2-4) – Garden City
Blue Valley North (3-3) at 4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (6-0) – Bishop Miege
Topeka Seaman (4-2) at 5A No. 4 Spring Hill (6-0) – Spring Hill
Independence (4-2) at Labette County (4-2) – Labette County
Tonganoxie (4-2) at 4A No. 4 McPherson (5-1) – McPherson
Wamego (4-1) at 3A No. 2 Hesston (6-0) – Hesston
Wellington (4-2) at Fort Scott (5-1) – Wellington
Columbus (5-1) at Frontenac (6-0) – Frontenac
Pratt (3-3) at 3A No. 4 Cheney (4-2) – Cheney
3A No. 5 Wellsville (6-0) at Burlington (5-1) -- Wellsville
2A No. 5 Garden Plain (5-1) at 2A No. 4 Haven (6-0) – Haven
Royal Valley (4-2) at 2A No. 1 Sabetha (6-0) -- Sabetha
Southeast of Saline (4-2) at Riley County (4-2) – SE Saline
1A No. 5 Thomas More Prep (6-0) at 1A No. 3 Smith Center (5-1) – Smith Center
Hoxie (4-2) at Hill City (4-2) – Hill City
Oberlin-Decatur Co. (4-2) at Central Plains (4-2) – Oberlin-Decatur Co.
WaKeeney-Trego (4-2) at 8M-I No. 1 Lincoln (6-0) – Lincoln
Argonia-Attica (4-2) at Central Christian (5-1) – A&A
8M-II No. 3 Little River (6-0) at 8M-II No. 4 Sylvan-Lucas (6-0) – Little River
Quinter (6-0) at Sharon Springs-Wallace Co. (5-0) – Wallace County
6M No. 3 Ingalls (6-0) at 6M No. 4 South Barber (5-1) – Ingalls
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