Week four brings us three games pitting ranked opponents including 4A #3 Louisburg at 3A #1 Silver Lake which we will feature on Friday. This week’s Pick List will break down the Central Plains League showdown between Conway Springs and Garden Plain, a second consecutive test for Bishop Miege in the EKL, and we’ll tell you whether or not we think Andale will rebound against defending 3A champ Collegiate. Each Thursday throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature six of the best match-ups across the state, and we will make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
3A #2 Conway Springs (3-0) at 3A #5 Garden Plain (3-0)
Two schools separated by just over 20 miles are separated by less than that at the top of Class 3A.
These two perennial powers like to juggle Central Plains League titles and trips to the 3A state championship game.
Only twice in the last five seasons has either team finished with less than 10 wins (Garden Plain, 8-2 last season; Conway Springs, 6-3 in 2006) and from 2006 through 2008 one of the two teams finished the season in the 3A title game (Garden Plain, runner-up '06, champs '07; Conway Springs, champs '08).
Garden Plain head coach Todd Puetz tallied his 100th win as the Owls head coach earlier this season while Conway Springs coach Matt Biehler enters his second season as Cardinals head coach after 10 years as an assistant.
This one was a dog-fight last year as the Cardinals posted the 19-13 victory.
Our Pick: Conway Springs 24, Garden Plain 12
Wichita Collegiate (3-0) at 4A #5 Andale (2-1)
After last week’s shocking 31-8 loss to Rose Hill, Andale will try and rebound by hosing the Class 3A defending state champion Wichita Collegiate Spartans.
The loss to Rose Hill was the Indians’ first regular season loss since a 14-13 setback at the hands of Winfield in week two of the 2008 season.
The Andale rushing attack had rolled in its first two games behind Jake Hattabaugh. The senior rushed for 140 yards in a season opening win over Wellington, before rushing for five touchdowns in a 46-21 win over Mulvane in week two.
Trent Horsch has also provided some explosiveness for the Indian ground game.
Despite graduating all-state caliber players in quarterback Blake Jablonski and wide receiver Brett LeMaster, the Spartans are off to a 3-0 start and putting up some impressive offensive numbers.
Sophomore quarterback Markus Phox has been exceptional. Through Collegiate’s first three wins, Phox has rushed for 338 yards and seven touchdowns. Phox has been equally effective with his arm in completing 71 percent of his passes for 506 yards and three scores.
Spartan running back Raymond Taylor has led the ground game with 363 yards rushing and five touchdowns.
William Short (173 yards) and Spenser Schooler (139 yards; 3TDs) are Collegiate’s two main receiving threats.
Collegiate had less trouble with Rose Hill; posting a 28-15 win in week two.
Our Pick: Collegiate 28, Andale 22
5A #5 Bishop Miege (2-1) at Blue Valley – Stilwell (3-0)
The Bishop Miege Stags will face their second major test in as many weeks as they visit Blue Valley – Stilwell.
Miege quarterback Max Shortell threw for 372 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the powerful Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers pulled away for a 43-29 win.
Shortell, a University of Minnesota signee, has thrown for 743 yards and five touchdowns thus far this season.
The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start under first-year head coach Eric Driskell. Driskell, a long-time Tiger assistant, took over the reigns this season after veteran Blue Valley coach Steve Rampy left to become the offensive coordinator at Pittsburg State.
The Tigers also lost a pair of talented players off of last year’s team in quarterback Anthony Abenoja and safety Tyler Disney. Both players followed Rampy south to become Gorillas.
Kyle Zimmerman has filled Abenoja’s shoes admirably at quarterback thus far this season. The junior has thrown for eight touchdown passes in his first three games; four of which have gone to senior wide receiver P.J. Debey.
Junior running back Justin Fulks headlines the Tiger rushing attack. Fulks (5-11, 180) has produced six rushing touchdowns thus far in 2010.
Last week, Gardner-Edgerton wore down the Miege Stags up front in rushing for 425 yards. Blue Valley will try and do the same thing using a big line anchored by Kirk Harris (6-5, 285), Chris Daschke (6-5, 245), and Alex Newell (6-1, 260).
If the Tigers can control the game up front, don’t be surprised if Miege drops its second straight.
Our Pick: Blue Valley 35, Bishop Miege 31
8 Man-I #1 Pretty Prairie (3-0) at 8 Man-II #5 South Barber (3-0)
Pretty Prairie opened the season a clear favorite in 8-Man Division I with eight starters returning and Baileyville B&B taking the step down to Division II.
The Bulldogs are led by a number of returning senior starters including running back Daniel Krehbiel.
The 6-3, 200 pound back rushed for 1,615 yards and 28 touchdowns last year and posted 112 tackles on the defensive side of the ball and he's picking up right where he left off with 239 yards and four touchdowns rushing on only 19 carries through three games - an average of 12.58 yards per carry.
For perennial power South Barber veteran coach James Johnston (143 wins in 22 seasons) has the Chieftains in the 8-Man II rankings with their 3-0 start and QB Christian Johnston is enjoying a solid senior season with 125 and 133 yards passing in the last two contests while running back Matthew McMurray rushed for 263 and 99 yards in the last two wins.
Our Pick: Pretty Prairie 44, South Barber 20
2-1A #1 St. Mary’s Colgan (3-0) at Galena (3-0)
While the game will not technically have the same bearing on the CNC League title as last season, Colgan’s trip to Galena should make for an exciting atmosphere at Abbey Field on Friday night.
These two played a classic last season with the Bulldogs pulling off a shocking 36-34 win at Hutchinson Field. Beau Sarwinski’s group parlayed the momentum from that game and a talented senior class into a 12-1 season that ended with a 31-21 loss to Marysville in the state semi-finals.
Both schools lost key players off of last year’s teams to graduation. Galena’s offense seems to be still searching for a rhythm in replacing Jacoby Martin and Troy Albright. The questions for Colgan surround the play up front where the Panthers are breaking in four new starters.
It will be difficult to top last season when the two teams combined for 43 points in the fourth quarter. Colgan rallied from a 28-13 deficit with 7:30 left in the game to take a 34-28 lead on a long Jesse Watt to Andy Farmer touchdown pass with 50 seconds left.
Galena would respond with a one-yard Jacoby Martin touchdown pass to Dallas Prall with one second left to tie the game at 34.
The Bulldogs would elect to go for the two-point conversion, and won the game when Martin hit Colton Leet just over the goal line.
The two teams appear to be the class of the CNC once again this season, but Colgan is ineligible for the CNC League title and player honors because of a 2-1A district schedule that does not allow them to play the minimum five game league schedule.
These two programs shared the CNC title in 2005 when they did not meet in the regular season.
Colgan won the last meeting at Abbey Field in Galena, 26-19, in 2008.
Our Pick: Colgan 27, Galena 16
Concordia (3-0) at Abilene (3-0)
In his first season as Concordia head coach former St. Francis head man Tim Lambert opened with seven straight losses, but Lambert's philosophy has caught on as the Panthers have won five of their last six games dating back to week eight of 2009.
Concordia is using some new look formations in addition to Lambert's long-time wishbone look in an effort to capitalize on the talents of 6-2 junior quarterback Blake Woellhof and a number of talented skill position players. But the Abilene Cowboys don't need to install a nickel package just yet as the ground game is still the primary mode of transportation for the Panther O.
The real battle in this contest will be between the "big uglies" up front as both teams sport huge interior lines.
For Abilene, K-State commit Cody Whitehair gets much of the press, and at 6-3, 305 pounds, one can see why, but teammates Matt Holt (6-2, 265, OG/DT) and Monte Sexton (6-2, 210, TE/DE) make for a formidable front.
The Panthers will counter with a line that includes Jordan Brown (6, 240, OL/DT), Zach Beims (6-2, 275 OL/DT), Devin Fleming (6-2, 245, OL/DT), James Remley (6, 230, OL/DT) and Gabe Bergmann (6-3, 220, TE/DE) among others.
Our Pick: Concordia 20, Abilene 14
The Pick List:
Argonia (2-1) at 8M-II #4 Caldwell (3-0) – Caldwell
Waverly (2-1) at Burlingame (3-0) – Burlingame
Cherryvale (2-1) at Burlington (2-1) – Cherryvale
Eureka (3-0) at Caney Valley (2-1) – Caney Valley
Quivira Heights (2-1) at Central Burden (2-1) – Quivira Heights
Rossville (3-0) at Centralia (2-1) – Rossville
Pittsburg (2-1) at Chanute (2-1) – Chanute
Clifton-Clyde (2-1) at Mankato-Rock Hills (3-0) – Clifton-Clyde
Colony Crest (3-0) at 8M-I #2 Madison (3-0) – Madison
DeSoto (2-1) at Eudora (2-1) – Eudora
Phillipsburg (3-0) at Ellis (1-2) – Phillipsburg
6A #1 Wichita Heights (3-0) at Great Bend (1-1) – Wichita Heights
Hope (2-1) at Peabody-Burns (2-1) – Hope
Salina Central (2-1) at 5A #1 Hutchinson (2-1) – Hutchinson
Junction City (3-0) at Topeka Seaman (1-2) – Junction City
SM East (3-0) at 6A #4 Olathe North (2-1) – Olathe North
SM West (2-1) at Olathe Northwest (2-1) – SM West
Valley Heights (3-0) at 2-1A #3 Olpe (3-0) – Olpe
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