Hill City beat Quinter for the first time since 2007 with a 44-28 win that was highlighted by the play of Ringneck quaterback Reggie Jordan. Jordan rushed for a school record 400 yards on 40 carries and helped snap Quinter's 16 game home win streak. Hill City is 7-1 for the first time since 1970 and only the third time in school history. Tyler Bess set a Hill City record for sacks in a game with five. Hill City has now qualified for one of the two playoff spots from District 7 while Quinter, last year's 8-Man Division I State Champions, have been eliminated.
Ell-Saline kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over Inman thanks to the return of senior quarterback Tate Omli. Omli, injured since week two of the season, came into the game in the second quarter and engineered a come from behind victory as the Cardinals rallied from 14-8 down at the half to upend the Teutons 42-27. Omli completed 23 of 33 passes for 378 yards (349 of those yards coming in the second half) and four touchdowns. The Cardinals finish district play at 2-2 and await the result of the Inman/Ellinwood and LaCrosse/Plainville contest to discover if the playoffs are in their future. In the loss, Inman tailback Luke Ropp had 272 yards on 35 carries with three scores and went over 1,200 yards rushing on the season.
Bubba Starling delivered as Gardner-Edgerton pounded St. Thomas Aquinas 57-17 in front a national audience watching on ESPNU. Starling, the highly touted three-sport prospect that has committed to Nebraska to play both football and baseball, picked up 309 yards on 19 carries (266 of that in the first half) and three touchdowns in the win.
Phillipsburg got caught looking ahead to a week nine match-up with Norton as Goodland upset the previously unbeaten Panthers 48-28 in a key district match-up. The Cowboys now face a 2-6 Thomas More Prep team that is 0-2 in district play while the Panthers must find a way to beat a 7-0 Norton team that has outscored district foes 103-23.
The Garden Plain Owls got all they wanted from a tough Sedgwick squad in a loaded 3A District 10 that also saw Halstead put up a fight against Hutch Trinity in a 34-21 Celtic win. Garden Plain jumped out to a 28-14 halftime lead and held on down the stretch for the nine-point victory. The Owls rushed for 392 yards in the win while Sedgwick quarterback Trent Stucky carved up the Owl defense with 365 yards and five touchdowns on 22 of 37 passing.
Topeka High saw their playoff hopes dashed in the ultra-tough 6A District 5 as Junction City's running game was too much for the Trojans in a 45-26 Blue Jay win. Junction City (7-1) now faces an undefeated and highly ranked Manhattan Indian team that rolled over Washburn Rural 34-7 and got big games from Ty Suggs and Jordan Nelson. The rivalry game will determine the district champion, but not playoff qualifiers as both teams have already punched their ticket.
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