It’s evident that this week’s Pick List is loaded when we don’t feature a Baileyville B&B and Hanover match-up in our top six.
While the Falcons and Wildcats are certainly on our radar; so are several other key district games, including three 8-man showdowns.
In addition, this week’s Pick List features the annual “War on 24” between rivals Silver Lake and Rossville.
Feature Games of the Week:
Washburn Rural (5-1) at Junction City (5-1)
Junction City rolled through the first five weeks of the season, while Emporia limped to a 2-3 start including a surprising loss to Shawnee Heights. But last week, the Spartans came to play and handed the Blue Jays their first loss of the season in a hard fought 28-21 contest.
Now the Blue Jays enter district play in class 6A's toughest district featuring Manhattan (6-0), Junction City (5-1) and Washburn Rural (5-1), and, injury hampered Topeka High may be better than their 3-3 record indicates.
Excitement surrounds the Washburn Rural program this season as a 21-14 overtime loss to 4A power Hayden is the only blemish on the Junior Blues' record.
Rural's offense goes through a big offensive line, and Topeka's total offense leader -- senior quarterback Skylar Curtis -- has accounted for 1,274 total yards this season with an even distribution between run and pass. The Blues have been without top running back Brandon Dozier for the past three games.
A stingy Junior Blue defense, has allowed less than 11 points in four of six contests this season, but Junction City also plays defense allowing 13 points or less in four games.
Rural has been building toward this season under sixth year coach Derrick Hammes, but the past two campaigns have started 5-1 as well and yielded no playoff appearances.
Could this be the year the Junior Blues plays beyond district competition?
Our Pick: Washburn Rural 21, Junction City 14
4A #4 Beloit (5-1) at Smith Center (4-1)
The Beloit Trojans’ season changed dramatically last week when leading rusher, sophomore Jadon Adams, collapsed on the field at Southeast of Saline with a suspected head injury. He was life-flighted to a Wichita hospital where he was said to be critical condition.
According to Trojan coach Greg Koenig, the family reports the cause of the head injury is unclear, and Jadon was recently placed back on a ventilator to insure he gets enough oxygen.
The Kansas high school football community's thoughts are with the Adams family as they face this very difficult challenge.
The season continues for the Trojans though. After a hard-fought victory over previously unbeaten Southeast of Saline last week, Beloit opens district play on the road in what will most likely be the District 14 championship game against a one-loss Smith Center Redmen squad.
The Trojans double-wing offense is averaging nearly 45 points per game behind a huge offensive line, but injuries to Adams and Stanten Krone leave the black and orange with a depleted backfield and a limited supply of linebackers for its 10-1 defense.
For the Redmen, the explosive Truitt Kuhlmann is already over 1,000 yards rushing with 18 rushing touchdowns on the season. Kuhlmann is also a dynamic defensive back and kick returner and has scored on both defense and special teams this season.
If the Trojans are to avenge last year's 35-30 loss to the Redmen it will be behind the giants up front, led by 6-5, 260 pound senior Jacob English. Beloit will also need to turn to an effective, albeit rarely used, passing game spearheaded by talented sophomore quarterback Payton Vetter.
Our Pick: Beloit 22, Smith Center 16
3A #5 Silver Lake (5-1) at Rossville (6-0)
Defending 3A champion Silver Lake will travel to unbeaten Rossville for the 95th edition of the “War on 24”.
The two rival Mid-East League schools are separated by just six miles on Highway 24 northwest of Topeka.
Silver Lake holds a 56-35-3 overall advantage in the series, and hasn’t lost to Rossville since 2003.
Last season the two teams played in district play and again in the state semifinals, as they’ve grown accustomed to doing.
In the district match-up, the Eagles scored on a late touchdown run from Cameron Rickel to edge the Bulldogs, 34-28.
The state semifinal rematch wasn’t as close as the Eagles shutout Rossville, 38-0.
Both schools had to replace talented players off of those semifinal teams.
Silver Lake lost quarterback Keenan Kruger along with ten other starters on the offensive side of the ball.
This season’s starting quarterback Even Burdiek was injured in a Week 4 loss to defending 4A champion Louisburg.
Sophomore Dailin Kruger has stepped in and thrown for 371 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for more than 200 yards and five scores.
Junior running back Peter Pfannenstiel leads the Eagles with 435 yards rushing and six scores.
Silver Lake has averaged 27.5 points per game, but has only scored 17 per contest over their past three games.
The Eagle defense is surrendering less than nine points per game for veteran coach C.J. Hamilton who became the state’s all-time winningest coach with a 13-3 victory over Rock Creek in Week 5.
Rossville also lost a talented quarterback in Mitch Buhler who is now a Washburn Ichabod.
But the Bulldogs returned seven starters on each side of the ball from last year’s substate runner-up.
Gage Streckel leads the Rossville rushing attack with 536 yards and five touchdowns. Streckel rushed for 130 yards in last week’s 20-7 win over Rock Creek.
Rossville is not featuring the passing game nearly as much with Sam Reesor under center as with Buhler in past years. The Bulldogs are only averaging 80 yards per game through the air compared to more than 200 last season.
Our Pick: Silver Lake 21, Rossville 13
Sedan (6-0) at 8M-I #5 Central Burden (6-0)
Unbeaten Sedan travels to take on fifth-ranked Central Burden in a match-up that features two of the state’s highest scoring offenses.
The Blue Devils and Raiders have each scored 352 points through the first six weeks of the season for an average of 58.7 points per game.
But that’s where the similarities end.
While Central Burden likes to spread the field and utilize their speed, Sedan will use more of a ball-control running game.
The Raiders feature one of the state’s most prolific passers in 8-man history in Bo Savage.
Savage (6-2; 185) has thrown for 1,392 yards and 34 touchdowns with only two interceptions this season. For his career, Savage has completed 425 of 677 attempts (63%) for 6,426 yards and 122 touchdowns.
Savage’s main target on offense has been senior Ky Biddle.
Biddle has caught 37 passes for 788 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. He has also rushed for 378 yards and three more scores. For his career, Biddle has rushed for 2,033 yards and 26 touchdowns, and accumulated 2,358 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns.
Sedan features a balanced rushing attack which includes running backs Tim Walther and Sam Powell, and quarterback Nick Kimple.
Walther leads the Blue Devils with 580 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, while Powell has added 363 yard s and four scores from his fullback position.
Kimple has rushed for 471 yards and 11 scores, while passing for 247 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Blue Devils are led by a veteran group up front including Zach Ford, Kolton Chase, and Robert McCann.
Sedan has given up just 74 points all season; 46 of which came against another pass-happy offense in Chetopa.
The Raider defense has also been impressive in allowing only 46 total points while posting four shutouts.
Last season, Central Burden built a 32-8 halftime lead only to see Sedan rally and win 46-44. In that game, Sam Powell led the way for Sedan with 128 yards and a touchdown.
The Blue Devils, however, would eventually miss out on the playoffs after finishing third in the district points tie-breaker as a result of a loss to Cedar Vale-Dexter.
Our Pick: Sedan 44, Central Burden 38
Mankato-Rock Hills (5-1) at 8M-I #3 Lakeside-Downs (6-0)
Rock Hills looked impressive last week in handing previously unbeaten Lincoln their first loss of the season, 54-8. Now the Grizzlies return to district play against state-ranked Lakeside.
The Grizzlies power run game is led by a huge offensive line and features multiple threats starting with quarterback Blake Walter.
Walter, a 6-1, 195-pound senior, is back in his role as starting quarterback after suffering a knee injury early in the 2010 season.
Behind Walter is fullback Clay Cosand and tailback Alex Smith. Each of these three Grizzlies have rushed for more than 400 yards already this season.
A deep Lakeside team that features 35 players out for 8-Man football is led by bruising running back Miles Thomas. The 5-10, 220-pound senior has rushed for 760 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
Thomas is joined in the backfield by senior quarterback Alex Renken. The 6-1, 190-pound senior has thrown for 461 yards this season completing 31 of 48 attempts with seven touchdowns and only one interception.
The Knights have not had a close game since a 32-26 win over Osborne in week one, while Rock Hills has similarly dominated opponents except for a 56-34 week two loss to that same Osborne squad.
This emerging rivalry game between 8-Man I powers will most likely determine the District 4 champion.
Our Pick: Rock Hills 32, Lakeside-Downs 30
Moscow (6-0) at 8M-II #4 Ashland (6-0)
The state’s highest scoring offense will face its biggest test of the regular season when Moscow travels to fourth-ranked Ashland.
The Wildcats are averaging 74 points per game thanks to the play of quarterback Breck Roop and speedsters Osvaldo Granillo and Jonathan Manriquez.
Roop has thrown for nearly 800 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, whil adding more than 400 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Manriquez leads the Moscow rushing attack with 758 yards and 13 touchdowns, while averaging nearly 11 yards per carry.
But Granillo is a difference maker with his speed. A state champion sprinter last spring, the senior has averaged nearly 14 yards per carry in racking up 678 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has also caught 24 passes for 526 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Wildcat defense was also impressive in a 64-14 win over Dighton in Week 6 where they held Guy Fullmer to under 150 yards rushing.
Moscow will need a similar performance on Friday when they take on Ashland.
The Blue Jays are surrendering less than 10 points per game, and have an offense that averages 54 per contest.
Fullback Giles Fox is a leader on both sides of the ball. The senior has rushed for 370 yards and 11 touchdowns in just five games. He also leads the team in tackles with 64; an average of nearly 13 per game.
Chance Stebens leads the Ashland offense in rushing with 459 yards and nine touchdowns.
Austin Stebens has thrown for 475 yards and nine touchdowns. Jay Luerman is Stebens’ primary target having caught 12 passes for 178 yards and four scores.
Ashland has the big-game experience in advancing to the state semifinals last season, but do they have the speed to slow down Moscow?
Our Pick: Moscow 36, Ashland 34
The Pick List:
6A #3 Olathe South (6-0) at BV Northwest (3-3) – Olathe South
Lawrence (4-2) at 6A #4 Olathe North (5-1) – Olathe North
5A #3 Bishop Miege (5-1) at Mill Valley (5-1) – Bishop Miege
5A #1 Blue Valley (6-0) at St. Thomas Aquinas (3-3) – Blue Valley
Great Bend (3-2) at Hays (5-1) -- Hays
Pittsburg (5-1) at 5A #5 Gardner-Edgerton (4-2) – Gardner-Edgerton
Salina South (2-4) at Salina Central (5-1) – Salina Central
Parsons (5-1) at Girard (4-2) -- Parsons
Ulysses (5-1) at Holcomb (4-1) -- Ulysses
Chanute (4-2) at Independence (4-2) -- Chanute
3A #1 Garden Plain (6-0) at Hutch Trinity (6-0) – Garden Plain
Halstead (5-1) at Sedgwick (6-0) -- Sedgwick
Pleasant Ridge (5-1) at McLouth (6-0) -- McLouth
Moundridge (3-3) at Sacred Heart (3-3) – Sacred Heart
Lincoln (5-1) at Central Plains (5-1) – Central Plains
St. Paul (5-1) at Chetopa (5-1) -- Chetopa
8M-II #1 Baileyville B&B (6-0) at Hanover (3-2) – Baileyville B&B
Chase (4-1) at Hope (6-0) – Hope
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
