District play is in full swing as playoff spots will begin to be claimed in the 11 man classes this week.
Two highly anticipated district games will take place this week as Aquinas and Gardner-Edgerton will be featured live on ESPNU, and #1 versus #2 will take place in Class 4A as Topeka Hayden travels to Holton. We will feature a full-length preview of Hayden and Holton on Friday morning.
In addition, a couple of 8 Man contenders will be fighting for their playoff lives as Division I defending champ Quinter takes on Hill City, and Caldwell faces a must win situation in Division II.
Feature Games of the Week:
Shawnee Mission East (6-1) at Shawnee Mission West (6-1)
A pair of one-loss teams will battle in the Sunflower League as Shawnee Mission East will take on Shawnee Mission West in a game that will likely decide the 6A District 2 title. The Lancers and Vikings each have playoff aspirations in a district that also includes Blue Valley North (2-5) and Shawnee Mission South (2-5).
Each team’s lone loss has come at the hands of Olathe North; West 29-22 in week one, and East 24-13 in week four.
Perhaps surprising to many, the SM West Vikings have posted the second highest winning percentage in Class 6A over the past six seasons having gone 52-13. Only Olathe East (53-13) has been over that same period.
The Vikings finished 8-2 in 2009 after bowing out in the first-round to a hot Blue Valley –Stilwell team.
West features a strong running game led by junior Tre’ Burt (730 yards) and senior Will Livingston (462 yards). Junior quarterback Armani Williams adds balance to the Viking offense having thrown for 715 yards on the season. Tim Callaghan’s team is averaging nearly 34 points per game.
While SM West has been one of the measuring sticks for 6A programs in recent years, the SM East Lancers are trying to build that type of success.
Coach Chip Sherman has the Lancers off to a 6-1 start and looking for their second consecutive playoff appearance. It’s a quick turnaround for a program that was just 20-28 in the five season prior to Sherman’s arrival. Last season, Sherman guided the Lancers to a 4-6 finish and the school’s first playoff appearance since 2006. They would bow out in the first round to eventual 6A champ Olathe North.
Success is nothing new to the veteran coach. Sherman orchestrated a six-win improvement in his only season at Salina South in 2008. That season, the Cougars finished 8-3 before falling to eventual 5A state champion Hutchinson in the second round.
Success is not new to Sherman led teams. Before taking the job at Salina South, Sherman spent the previous 20 season at Platte County (Mo.) where he compiled a 191-37 record. Under his leadership, Platte County won 52 straight games and three consecutive state titles between 2000 and 2002.
For the Lancers to have success against SM West, big senior quarterback John Schrock (6-4, 215) will need to continue his strong play. Schrock has thrown for 1,450 yards this season while adding more than 400 yards on the ground.
The Lancers have another rushing compliment in senior Adam Lowe who has nearly 500 yards on the season. Receivers Elliott Faerber (506 yards), Krey Bradley (375 yards), and Grant Ellis (250 yards) provide several options in the passing game.
Both will need to have a big night on Friday if the Lancers are going to continue to prove they have arrived as a successful program.
Our Pick: SM West 35, SM East 24
Topeka High (5-2) at Junction City (6-1)
Every game is key in class 6A's balanced District 5. Topeka High opened with a tough 42-36 loss to highly ranked Manhattan last week while Junction City was able to tame an ever improving Washburn Rural squad 41-26.
The Blue Jays got 60 yards rushing and two scores from quarterback Braden Gallentine in the win and rebounded from a 28-21 week six loss to Emporia. Gallentine also passed for 100 yards and two more touchdowns to help the Blue Jays improve to 6-1.
Junction City running back Cody Parmely was also effective on land and through the air rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown and catching a 31-yard pass from Gallentine for the first touchdown of the game.
Quarterback Tevyn Harmon and running back Caleb Walker continue to produce for the Trojans offense with Harmon throwing for 229 yards and four touchdowns through the air and Walker adding 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Junction City will qualify for the playoffs with a win while the Trojans need to find a way to come out on top to stave off elimination.
This kicking game could be the difference in this one.
Our Pick: Topeka High 28, Junction City 27
St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) at 5A #2 Gardner-Edgerton (7-0)
Two of the top teams in the state will meet to help clear up the favorites in the eastern side of Class 5A as St. Thomas Aquinas plays at Gardner-Edgerton.
What else can be said about Bubba Starling? The Trailblazer’s senior quarterback added another line to his resume this week in being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio next January.
Starling, however, won’t have to wait until then to get his formal introduction to the rest of the nation. Aquinas and Gardner-Edgerton will be featured live on ESPNU this Friday. This is the third consecutive season that the network has provided live coverage of a Kansas high school football game due to high profile recruits such as Bryce Brown, Blake Bell, and Starling.
The game, moved from its initial location at Aquinas, is especially important for the Saints who must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Aquinas comes in having lost two straight to unbeaten Webb City (Mo.) and Blue Valley – Stillwell.
The Saints also come in with revenge on their mind as both of their losses in last seasons’ 10-2 campaign came at the hands of the Trailblazers. The later of the two was a 49-7 blowout that propelled Gardner-Edgerton to the state title game. Aquinas had won the previous three meetings; including twice in the 2008 season.
While much of the focus will be on Starling and the Trailblazer offense, the game will be decided by whether or not the Saints offense can convert drives into touchdowns instead of field goals. Gardner-Edgerton’s defense can be scored upon as evidenced by the 42 points McPherson put up two weeks ago.
Aquinas has the ability to spread the field with quarterback Richard Davila, running back Dagan Reed, and receivers Shane Nachbar and Clayton Henning.
It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Saints come out on top and place the pressure on the Trailblazers to beat Blue Valley next week.
But it would be even less surprising to see Starling lead the Trailblazers to their third straight win in this series.
Our Pick: Gardner-Edgerton 35, Aquinas 31
8 Man-I #4 Hill City (6-1) at Quinter (6-1)
Quinter faces the first of two decisive district seven games with a home contest against the Hill City Ringnecks Friday. Both teams are tied at 3-1 in district play with Hill City holding a 51-21 advantage in points and Quinter yet to play at district leader Osborne in week nine.
Last year's 8-Man Division I State Champions, Quinter returned only three starters from that team, but the Bulldogs have continued their success since turning back to 8-Man three years ago, opening the year 6-1 and continuing a 16 game home winning streak.
The Bulldog offense is fueled by quarterback Joe Simon and running back Logan Reed who have totaled nearly 1,700 yards rushing with 26 total touchdowns on the ground this season. Defensive end Brian Ochs, a 6-5, 235 pound junior, has tallied 78 tackles and eight sacks to lead the defense.
For Hill City it's the Reggie Jordan show.
The senior quarterback has already rushed for 1,209 yards with 23 touchdowns and added 621 yards through the air, 11 more scores and only three picks. Jordan averages more than 25 points a game and has scored 178 points on the season.
The Ringnecks also boast the third best scoring defense in 8-Man I behind only Pretty Prairie and Madison. Hill City has tallied 15 sacks with five different players posting at least two led by Tyler Bess with four. Dylan Anderson, Nathan Hanna and Eric VanLoenen lead the team posting 76, 73, and 67 tackles respectively.
Hill City and Quinter have faced each other nine times since 1995 with Hill City holding the series edge, 5-4. Quinter has won the last two contests including a 38-12 decision last season, one of only three losses for Hill City in 2009.
Our Pick: Hill City 38, Quinter 20
Caldwell (6-1) at South Haven (7-0)
Ranked as high as #4 in 8 Man Division II this season, the Caldwell Blue Jays are now fighting for their playoff lives.
Caldwell will travel to undefeated South Haven on Friday in a must win for Braden Lebeda and company. The Cardinals are 4-0 in District 4 while South Barber and Caldwell each have one loss. South Barber would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Caldwell by virtue of a 34-22 win in week five.
South Haven has flown under the radar a bit this season only recently garnering attention in state rankings. The Cardinals control their own destiny in the district thanks to a 38-22 win over South Barber last week in which they scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals are led by quarterback Austin Showman who threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the win last week.
He’ll be opposed by Lebeda, a talented athlete at quarterback who accounted for more than 2,600 yards and 45 touchdowns in leading the Blue Jays to a 10-1 mark and a quarterfinal appearance last season. Lebeda has thrown for 675 yards and rushed for 515 yards this season, but has been able to share more of the load with the emergence of Alex Davis (700 yards, 9 TDs).
Lebeda and the Blue Jay offense have averaged 44 points per contest this season, but will be challenged by a Cardinal defense that has allowed just 11 points per game.
A win will put South Haven back in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and avenge last season’s 57-36 loss to the Blue Jays.
Our Pick: South Haven 38, Caldwell 30
Tribune-Greeley Co. (5-2) at Cheylin (7-0)
Thanks to the return of nine players with starting experience and the emergence of junior running back Dalton Magnani (1,055 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns) the Cheylin Cougars are undefeated after going 3-6, 2-7 and 1-8 the last three seasons.
The Cougars will get a stiff test from the current second place team in District 7, Tribune-Greeley County.
The key for the Jackrabbits is the health of 6-2, 190 pound senior quarterback/linebacker Jonathon Miller.
Miller has rushed for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns and added 796 yards through the air with 12 more scores against only four picks. Miller is also a force on the defensive side of the ball with 100 tackles and three interceptions.
With only 16 players out the key for Tribune is depth. The Jackrabbits have none and one injury in a key position could be the difference in the game.
Scores against common opponents indicate an advantage for the Cougars, but a tougher schedule for the Jackrabbits and a close win last week by Cheylin over the one win Natoma Tigers may indicate a barn-burner in this key Western Kansas Liberty League and District contest.
With a win the Cougars will all but wrap up a district title while the Jackrabbits must find a way to win to avoid near certain elimination.
Our Pick: Cheylin 44, Tribune-Greeley Co. 36
The Pick List:
Abilene (7-0) at Hesston (6-1) – Abilene
Wichita Trinity (5-2) at 4A #5 Andale (6-1) – Andale
Marais des Cygnes Valley (5-2) at Burlingame (6-1) – Burlingame
Galena (6-1) at Caney Valley (5-2) – Galena
Centralia (6-1) at Washington County (6-1) – Centralia
3A #1 Conway Springs (7-0) at Chaparral (6-1) – Conway Springs
Riverton (6-1) at Cherryvale (5-2) – Cherryvale
Elkhart (6-1) at 2-1A #2 Meade (6-1) – Meade
5A #3 McPherson (6-1) at Emporia (5-2) – McPherson
3A #4 Garden Plain (6-1) at Sedgwick (6-1) – Garden Plain
Halstead (5-2) at 3A #5 Hutchinson Trinity (6-1) – Hutch Trinity
Kiowa County (4-3) at Jetmore-Hodgeman Co. (6-1) – Jetmore-Hodgeman Co.
Lyndon (6-1) at 2-1A #1 St. Mary’s Colgan (7-0) – St. Mary’s Colgan
Washburn Rural (5-2) at 6A #2 Manhattan (7-0) – Manhattan
Marysville (4-3) at Riley County (5-2) – Riley County
Pleasant Ridge (7-0) at 3A #3 Silver Lake (6-1) – Silver Lake
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