Week two of The Pick List features an early season test for two teams on the rise in the Centennial League, a pair of 4A contenders battle it out in the classification’s toughest league, and first true test for a new school made up of the combination of two traditional powers.
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:
6A #5 Olathe East (0-1) at Shawnee Mission East (1-0)
Another week; another key Sunflower League match-up for the Olathe East Hawks.
The Hawks remained in our top 5 rankings this week despite a 29-14 loss to top-ranked Olathe North, but a loss at Shawnee Mission East in week two will likely knock them out of the rankings and out of the Sunflower League picture.
Olathe East couldn’t stop the ground game of Olathe North early on as Orange Mooney and Treshawn Root ran wild.
But the Hawks found a scoring connection in quarterback John Blazevic and wide receiver Chad Johnson. The two hooked up for touchdown strikes of 77 and 31 yards to pull the Hawks back within eight at halftime.
Johnson finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns on his eight receptions.
The Hawk defense struggled in containing North wide-out Tanner Gentry who caught two touchdown passes. That’s that may not be a good sign for this week’s game as Jeff Meyers’ group must find a way to stop perhaps the state’s best receiver in Elliot Faerber.
Faerber, the Illinois commit, caught touchdown passes of 5 and 22 yards as Lancers turned a slim 7-3 halftime lead into a 28-3 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest.
SM East’s quarterback Dakota Collins completed 17 of 29 passes for 257 yards and the two touchdowns to Faerber. Collins was making his first start after replacing the graduated John Schrock who is now a Colorado Buffalo.
Chip Sherman’s Lancers will go up against a much more experienced opponent in Olathe East than the young SM Northwest group they played last week.
The Lancers have a difference-maker in Faerber, but the Hawks have the experience up front and can control the ball.
Our Pick: Olathe East 17, SM East 14
5A #5 Emporia (1-0) at Washburn Rural (1-0)
Emporia coach Dustin Delaney led the Spartans to a 7-4 record last year in his first season after a storied career as an assistant with the Hutch Salthawks.
In 2011 expectations are high as Emporia returns 10 players with starting experience including a number of big, physical offensive and defensive linemen.
The Spartans opened with a 60-14 beatdown of a struggling Highland-Park program, but should find a test in Friday's match-up at Washburn Rural.
The Junior Blues appear to be a team on the rise under sixth year head coach Derrick Hammes, but haven't been able to make the playoffs thanks to a stacked district featuring Topeka High, Junction City and Manhattan.
With nine starters back, including talented QB Skylar Curtis and speedy running back Bandon Dozier this may be the year Rural breaks out.
Washburn Rural won a thriller last year, 27-26 in overtime, in a game that was delayed by lightning.
Our Pick: Emporia 35, Washburn Rural 28
5A #3 McPherson (1-0) at Salina South (1-0)
In 2011 in Class 5A, one known commodity is the Tom Young coached McPherson Bulldogs.
The third ranked team in the Kpreps.com 5A rankings demonstrated the offensive explosiveness that has the AVCTL on alert as they opened the season with a 47-20 win over Andover in which TCU commit Tyler Matthews completed 11 of 15 passes for 183 yards and Jordan Hart tallied six touchdowns.
One unknown was the product the Salina South Cougars would put on the field in 2011.
After finishing 3-6 in 2010, including an 0-3 record in district games, Cougars players are motivated to get back to the playoffs and winning ways.
With the return of talented junior running back Cody Busby and senior QB Christian Linenberger, along with 23 other lettermen, the Cougars appear poised for a breakout season, but Friday's match-up with McPherson will tell them just how far they've come.
Our Pick: McPherson 42, Salina South 35
4A #5 Paola (1-0) at De Soto (1-0)
The Frontier League will again flex its muscles as 4A contenders Paola and De Soto will do battle on Friday night.
Both teams advanced to the 4A quarterfinals a year ago, while Paola advanced one game further to the semifinals.
De Soto’s season ended 21-0 to eventual state champion, and fellow Frontier League member, Louisburg. In fact, the final four teams on the eastern side of the 4A bracket last fall were all Frontier League members.
The league is equally as difficult in 2011.
Paola returns 15 starters including a three-year starter at quarterback in Seth Kern, fullback Tyler Henness, and running back Tanner Staats.
Mike Dumpert’s Panthers must replace a great back in Skylar Hawkins who graduated in May, but an experienced offensive line will help ease that transition. Plus, Henness and Staats each had valuable experience carrying the ball a year ago, and each found the end zone in the 27-6 win over Baldwin last week.
The De Soto Wildcats are a popular sleeper pick in Class 4A this fall. Eleven starters return for Tom Byers’ group, including an all-state caliber lineman in Hayden Chandler (6-3, 285).
Cole Cannon, Ryan Hicks, and Gabe Hamilton all return to give the Wildcats a senior-laden backfield.
Hamilton and Hicks each scored in the season opening shutout of Spring Hill, but it was quarterback Zach Atchison who shined in throwing a touchdown pass and rushing for two more scores.
Last season, De Soto surprised the Panthers with a 26-11 road victory as Paola started the season 0-2.
Look for experience to be the big factor in Paola returning the favor on Friday night.
Our pick: Paola 28, De Soto 20
Caney Valley (1-0) at #5 Olpe (1-0)
The Olpe Eagles continue their tour of the Tri-Valley League as they host the Caney Valley Bullpups on Friday night.
The Eagles entered the 2-1A rankings at #5 this week after picking up a 27-7 road win at Cherryvale.
Caney Valley opened the season with a 43-6 win over a young Humboldt squad.
The Bullpups return 14 starters from last year’s 3A quarterfinal team which fell to Rossville 18-16.
Coach Criss Daivs has an experienced backfield returning with quarterback Nick Newton, fullbacks Bryan Dixon and Sam Wats, and half-backs Dustin Mallinax and Anthony Camper.
Caney also returns three linemen to help lead the way for the Bullpup wishbone attack.
Olpe graduated a lot of talent off of a 2-1A semifinal team that went 10-2 with both losses coming to St. Mary’s Colgan.
Mitchell Argabright makes the transition from receiver into the backfield this fall. He’ll be joined by quarterback Jake Brinkman who has the ability to hit the big play with his arm or beat you with his legs.
When Brinkman looks to throw, tight-end Lee Redeker will be a primary choice. The two hooked up for a 21-yard touchdown pass in the win over Cherryvale last Friday.
Protecting Brinkman is a Kpreps All 2-1A District 1 lineman in Logan Dreier and senior Nolan Kehres.
Caney Valley will look to avenge a tough week two defeat last season where Olpe rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to win 24-14 thanks to a safety and two Tyson Pettijohn touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.
With the graduation of All-State players Linden Stueve and Austin Bass, as well as All-District selections like Pettijohn and Jason Klumpe, many in the state want to write this year’s Eagles off.
But Chris Schmidt is one of the best in the state at preparing his teams, and instilling a mental toughness that seem to result in just enough to win.
Our Pick: Olpe 22, Caney Valley 20
8M-II #5 Otis-Bison (1-0) at Central Plains (1-0)
After a state runner-up finish a year ago, the Otis-Bison Cougars have high expectations for 2011 in spite of the loss of a talented group of offensive linemen.
The Cougars do return nearly all of their skill positions including quarterback Trevor Keller, standout running back Patrick Piper and talented junior Dylan Wissman.
After years of great football, Claflin and Quivira Heights consolidated to form the Central Plains Oilers. Together the two programs provide one of the most intriguing new football programs in Kansas.
With Benn Kirmer and Nick Schepmann both in the backfield the Oiler offense is sure to put up a lot of points.
Our Pick: Otis-Bison 48, Central Plains 42
The Pick List:
Anderson County at Wellsville – Wellsville
Salina Central at Andover Central – Salina Central
Blue Valley Northwest at Bishop Miege – Bishop Miege
Neodesha at Burlington – Burlington
Concordia at Centralia – Concordia
Wichita Northwest at 6A #3 Dodge City – Dodge City
Plainville at Ellis – Plainville
Goodland at 4A #4 Ulysses – Ulysses
Halstead at Hesston – Hesston
Mankato-Rock Hills at Osborne – Osborne
Lawrence at Olathe South – Olathe South
Rose Hill at Wichita Collegiate – Wichita Collegiate
Sacred Heart at Southeast of Saline – Sacred Heart
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