The second season begins as district play kicks off for the rest of the state (3A-6A) in week seven.
Two of the most loaded districts in the state reside in the large classes as 6A District 5 features teams that are a combined 21-3, and the four teams making up 5A District 4 are a combined 22-2. We have featured games from each of those districts in this week’s edition of the Pick List.
In addition, another 8 Man showdown between ranked teams highlights the schedule as #3 Lebo visits #2 Madison, and #3 Olpe travels to #5 Oswego in Class 2-1A for what may be a district elimination game. Needless to say, each match-up in district play can be considered a playoff game.
Feature Games of the Week:
5A #5 St. Thomas Aquinas (5-1) at 5A #4 Blue Valley – Stilwell (6-0)
Three teams remain undefeated in the Eastern Kansas League and all three are in the same district. By the way, those three teams are also ranked second, fourth, and fifth in the state in Class 5A.
The first of weekly showdowns in District 4 begins on Friday when #5 St. Thomas Aquinas takes on #4 Blue Valley – Stilwell.
The Saints return a large senior class from last year’s 10-2 team that lost in the state semifinals.
Coach Mike Thomas’ Saints feature a talented offense that has averaged 41 points per game this season.
Running back Dagan Reed gets most of the attention from opposing defenses, and has already been offered by the University of Nebraska. In five games this season, the senior has rushed for 418 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 14 passes for 198 yards and four more scores.
Senior quarterback Richard Davila distributes the ball to multiple weapons. Davila has completed 63 percent of his attempts this season for 1,402 yards and 15 touchdowns. His primary targets include Shane Nachbar and Clayton Henning. Nachbar has caught 21 balls for 431 yards and four touchdowns, while Henning has added 16 catches for 432 yards and five scores.
Davila is also the Saints’ second leading rusher with 362 yards and four touchdowns.
Aquinas is looking to rebound from their only loss of the season, 34-26 to Missouri Class 4 second-ranked Webb City Cardinals. Aquinas never led in that game, and surrendered more than 300 yards rushing to the talented Cardinal running back Maddie Johnson.
The Saints will face another talented running back this week in Blue Valley junior Justin Fulks who is already over 1,000 yards on the season with 11 touchdowns.
The Tigers have a talented quarterback of their own in Kyle Zimmerman who replaces an all-stater in Pitt State signee Anthony Abenoja.
Zimmerman has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this season and has 14 touchdowns passes. His primary targets are seniors P.J. Debey (7 TD receptions) and Jacob McDermott (6 TD receptions). Debey caught 69 passes for more than 850 yards and 11 scores as a junior last season.
The strength of the Tiger offense may be up front where four seniors anchor the offensive line for first-year head coach Eric Driskell. Kirk Harris (6-5, 285), Chris Daschke (6-5, 245), Bryant Reber (5-10, 180), and Alex Newell (6-1, 260) have been effective in opening up gaps for Fulks.
Linebacker Ian Allen leads a Tiger defense that allows only nine points per game, and passing their biggest test of the season by sacking Miege quarterback Max Shortell five times in a 28-13 win.
Our Pick: Blue Valley 30, Aquinas 24
6A #2 Manhattan (6-0) at Topeka High (5-1)
Manhattan and Topeka High kick off the party in 6A District 5, possibly the state's toughest of any class.
After a one-point victory over 4A's top-ranked Topeka Hayden to open the season, the Indians have plowed through the last five victories by an average score of 48-16.
The Trojans of Topeka High did not fare as well against Hayden losing in week five 23-13.
High rebounded with a 62-7 win over Topeka West last week to improve to 5-1 on the season.
This was an epic match-up in 2009 with Manhattan coming out on top 42-35.
The winner of this one will have the inside track on what's sure to be a hard-earned playoff berth.
Our Pick: Manhattan 28, Topeka High 21
3A #3 Hutchinson Trinity (6-0) at 3A #5 Garden Plain (5-1)
After unseating Conway Springs during the 2009 playoffs, the Hutch Trinity Celtics will get a chance at fellow Central Plains League power Garden Plain to open district play Friday night.
The Trinity offense has been one of 3A's most explosive this season averaging more than 50 points a game behind dual-threat quarterback Derek Racette and talented skill players Michael Mesh, Will Bothwell, Austin Rea and Brandon Koenigsman.
In spite of Garden Plain's expanded passing game behind the arm of Aaron Tomlinson the Owls still rely on the ground game featuring running back Joey Capul.
This game could decide the district championship but don't count out Halstead and Sedgwick - both teams are 5-1.
Our Pick: Garden Plain 38, Hutch Trinity 28
2-1A #3 Olpe (6-0) at 2-1A #5 Oswego (5-1)
For the second consecutive week, the game of the week in Class 2-1A will be in Oswego. Third-ranked Olpe makes the trip to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the fifth-ranked Indians in what could be considered a district elimination game.
Oswego played really well last week in challenging top-ranked Colgan for most of the game. The Indians forced three turnovers on Colgan’s first eight snaps and moved the ball well on offense in a first quarter that yielded no points for either team.
Indian quarterback Lane Martin began the scoring with a 49-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Oswego grabbed all the momentum after recovering a fumble at the Colgan 40 yard line on the first play of the ensuing possession.
The Indians, however, could not score and from there on out, however, it was all Colgan behind their talented pair of junior-twin running backs Christian and Zach Smith.
The duo used their speed to get outside and gash the Oswego defense for 341 combined rushing yards and four touchdowns en route to a 42-8 win.
This week the Indians must rebound against an Olpe Eagle team that has been tested by a brutal schedule that has featured unbeaten opponents the Eagles first five games.
Chris Schmidt’s team keeps finding a way to win.
The largest margin of victory in Olpe’s first four wins was 14 points, and two of those wins were by single digits.
Linden Stueve has been the Olpe workhorse in the backfield. The senior back entered last week’s game against Jayhawk-Linn with more than 730 yards rushing on the season. Olpe won that game 54-0.
These two last met in the second-round of the 2009 playoffs. In that game Olpe held off a late Oswego scoring attempt to advance 20-16. The Indians will need to enact their revenge on Friday night to keep their 2010 playoff aspirations alive.
Our Pick: Olpe 24, Oswego 16
8 Man-I #3 Lebo (6-0) at 8 Man-I #2 Madison (6-0)
In the second 8 Man district showdown between ranked teams in as many weeks, Division I’s third-ranked Lebo Wolves travel to Madison to take on the second-ranked Bulldogs. Aside from being a key matchup in District 3, the game may serve as the unofficial Lyon County League championship game as well.
The anticipation for this match-up has been high since Lebo took down the Bulldogs 30-16 in week eight last fall, but the game may have lost a bit of its luster over the past two weeks.
Two weeks ago, Lebo’s talented junior quarterback Trevor White went down with a shoulder separation. It was a dampening moment in the second half of an otherwise dominating 62-22 win over previously unbeaten Burlingame.
In last week’s game against Southern Coffey County, the Wolves were without White and leading receiver Alex Linsey who missed the game due to an appendectomy.
The Wolves got past the Titans 42-20, but the injury list worsened.
Star tailback Sam Strawder left in the first quarter with an ankle injury, and back-up quarterback Tyson Robke suffered an injury to his collarbone forcing freshman Jacob Gould into action.
The prospects of the Wolves being 100 percent by Friday do not seem likely, and veteran Coach Butch Jones and company have their work cut out for them with an already thin roster.
On the other side, Fred McClain’s Madison Bulldogs have rolled to a 6-0 start behind a stifling defense that has allowed only 16 total points.
The Madison offense may get overlooked, but has been equally as dominant in averaging 54 points per game.
Kole Schankie has led the Bulldogs ground attack with 721 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.
Zach Fox and Kale Schankie give Madison options in the backfield, and quarterback Collin Kile gives the Bulldogs an efficient passing threat.
Madison will pose a challenge for any team, and Lebo may be just too banged up to hang with the Bulldogs on Friday night.
Our Pick: Madison 36, Lebo 8
Quivira Heights (5-1) at Hope (5-1)
In a game that should determine the District 2 championship, Quivira Heights will travel to Hope in a battle of two one-loss teams.
The Thunderbirds high-flying offense is led by quarterback Gunner Phelan who has tallied nearly 900 yards passing with 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Hope running backs Lucas Bird and Tyler Mudd lead the Lions, one of the state's most consistent playoff qualifiers.
Our Pick: Quivira Heights 52, Hope 40
The Pick List:
Smith Center (3-2) at Beloit (5-1) – Smith Center
Mill Valley (4-2) at Bishop Miege (3-3) – Bishop Miege
Northern Heights (5-1) at Burlington (4-2) – Northern Heights
Caney Valley (5-1) at Riverton (5-1) – Caney Valley
Central Burden (4-2) at Sedan (4-2) – Central Burden
Valley Heights (4-2) at 2-1A #4 Centralia (5-1) – Centralia
Independence (6-0) at Chanute (4-2) – Chanute
Cherryvale (5-1) at Galena (5-1) – Galena
South Gray (4-1) at Deerfield (5-1) – South Gray
Elkhart (6-0) at Stanton County (5-1) – Elkhart
5A #2 Gardner-Edgerton (6-0) at Pittsburg (5-1) – Gardner-Edgerton
Norton (5-0) at Goodland (4-2) – Norton
Sedgwick (5-1) at Halstead (5-1) – Sedgwick
Junction City (5-1) at Washburn Rural (5-1) – Junction City
Kiowa County (4-2) at Macksville (4-2) – Macksville
Lakeside-Downs (5-1) at Mankato-Rock Hills (4-2) – Lakeside-Downs
8 Man-II #4 Ashland (6-0) at Moscow (4-2) – Ashland
Victoria (5-1) at Palco (5-1) – Victoria
St. John (4-2) at 8 Man-I #1 Pretty Prairie (6-0) – Pretty Prairie
Quinter (5-1) at Hoxie (4-2) – Hoxie
Rossville (4-2) at 3A #2 Silver Lake (5-1) – Silver Lake
Royal Valley (6-0) at 4A #1 Topeka Hayden (5-1) – Hayden
Salina Central (4-2) at Salina South (3-3) – Salina Central
South Haven (6-0) at South Barber (5-1) – South Barber
Troy (4-2) at Wathena (5-1) – Troy
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