Saturday Playoff Preview

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Say all you want about Louisburg’s 4-5 regular season record, but the fact remains that the Wildcats are the defending 4A state champions. So while Louisburg has struggled to find itself at times this season after the loss of so many great seniors from 2010, the Wildcats still boast several players with talent and playoff experience.

Louisburg showed this Tuesday night against a talented Fort Scott team as senior running back Garrett Griffin led the Wildcats with 295 yards and all four of the team’s touchdowns in a 27-20 win. The Wildcats have gradually built the offense around Griffin over the course of the season. The senior will line up in the I-formation, as well as take direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation and be split out wide in the spread.

Expect to see a lot from Griffin against Chanute.

The Blue Comets are coming off a dramatic 28-27 overtime win against Coffeyville on Tuesday, avenging a 47-29 loss earlier in the season.

Chanute’s offense is led by Brock Gilmore at quarterback and Blake Kisner at running back. Gilmore completed 14 of 22 passes for 170 yards in the Comets first-round win over Field Kindley.

Both teams enter with impressive records, but Eudora gets the edge when it comes to schedules. The Cardinals got through an extremely difficult Frontier League with only one loss. On the other hand, the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats mostly cruised through a less competitive Kaw Valley League.

As all Gregg Webb-coached football teams over the years, Eudora’s offensive success has come by running the football. The Cardinals are rushing for 320 yards per game and have three players with more than 500 yards rushing on the season in running backs Chris Pyle and Gabe Cleveland and quarterback Derek Webb. Pyle rushed for 125 yards in Tuesday’s 12-0 win against DeSoto, making it five consecutive games where he rushed for 100 yards or more.

Defensively, Eudora is led by defensive back Matthew Gadberry, who records about eight tackles per game.

Basehor-Linwood brings a more balanced offensive attack. The Bobcats average 247 passing yards and 213 rushing yards this season.

Senior quarterback Colin Murphy (6-6, 201) has been one of the more accurate passers in the state, completing 120-of189 attempts for 2,275 yards with 20 TDs and six interceptions.

Senior Ryan Murphy (6-6, 221) is the team’s leading receiver with 43 catches for 1,003 yards and six TDs. Junior tight end Ben Johnson (6-6, 213) has been more of a possession target with 44 catches for 818 yards and 12 TDs.

Someone will get their first loss of the season as Buhler travels to Abilene in the only remaining 11-man match-up featuring two unbeaten teams.

Abilene has quietly posted a 10-0 record, never entering the Kpreps.com 4A rankings this season. The Cowboys were not dominant in wins over seven teams that finished the season with losing records, but they did get key victories over Concordia (17-16) in week two and Hesston (28-13) in week eight.

Buhler has continued its onslaught on the AVCTL III under veteran coach Steve Warner, and were dominant against seven teams with losing records scoring 42 points or more. The Crusaders have also played exceptional defense allowing 10 points or less in nine games.

Buhler added key wins over Rose Hill (18-10) in week one, Mulvane (31-21) in week five, and Holcomb (56-6) on Tuesday. The trio of teams combined for a 24-6 record and Rose Hill and Mulvane posted first round playoff victories Tuesday night.

Buhler welcomes back standout running back Tanner Fisher for this contest. Fisher missed the last two weeks with a staph infection, but is anticipated to be back at full strength for this second round playoff game.

The pass and catch combo of Andy Wilson to Collin Sexton drives the Abilene offense, while linebacker Kane Kelley is the leader of a hard hitting Cowboy defense.

How uncharacteristic was Andale’s 0-5 start to the season? Considering the fact that the Indians had lost just 10 games the previous seven seasons, it’s understandable that the poor start made headlines. Andale has posted a remarkable 78-10 record since 2004 including two state championships, and like all winning programs – they responded.

Gary O’Hair’s Indians have since won five straight and find themselves in a familiar spot – in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Andale travels to Rose Hill to take on the fourth-ranked Rockets on Saturday.

Andale will try and avenge a Week 3 loss to Rose Hill in which they were beaten 42-7. Sounds like a tall task, but Andale has already won one rematch of an earlier loss. The Indians drilled Clearwater 42-7 on Tuesday after falling to them 36-31 earlier this season. 

The task will be much taller though. 

Rose Hill is coming off of a big 28-12 win over second-ranked Holton in the first round. In that game, junior back Jonny Pearson rushed for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Rockets. Pearson now has totaled 1,382 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. 

Rocket quarterback Derrick Decker also provides a strong threat on offense given his ability to run and pass. 

After passing their early playoff test, the Rockets appears ready to make a deep 4A run.

 

KC Piper (7-3) at Blue Valley Southwest (5-5)

Paola (9-1) at Columbus (4-6)

Mulvane (8-2) at #1 Topeka Hayden (9-1)

Ulysses (9-1) at Hesston (8-2)

At first glance, this game may seem like an easy pick for the Silver Lake Eagles.

Of course, the Eagles are the defending state champions, enter with a better record and already beat Riley County 24-14 win Week 6 of this season.

However, that leaves out one key factor. The Falcons are healthy again after having some key injuries earlier in the season.

After missing some time with an injury, quarterback Bryce Chavis is ready to lead Riley County against Silver Lake on Saturday. In Tuesday’s first-round playoff game against Sabetha, Chavis rushed for 117 yards and seven touchdowns, while passing for 169 yards and another TD in a 48-27 victory.

However, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a winnable game for Silver Lake. The Eagles have gradually improved through the season as quarterback Dailin Kruger has developed. The sophomore passed for 203 yards and two TDs in the 55-31 first-round victory against Council Grove.

Riley County will try to put pressure on the young quarterback, who threw four interceptions against McLouth in Week 9.

The game will be a matchup of two veteran coaches as Silver Lake’s C.J. Hamilton has coached 36 years and owns the state record for career victories with 341, and Riley County’s Steve Wagner has 201 wins in his 27 years.

Unbeaten Wellsville will take on a second consecutive CNC school when they travel to take on the Galena Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Eagles overcame a slow start on Tuesday to get past Frontenac, 24-7. Wellsville led the Raiders 12-7 at halftime, and used a solid defensive performance to take out the Raiders. Logan O’Dea led the Eagles with 20 tackles in the game.

The Eagles are built on their ground game, but could only muster 129 yards rushing on the night against a good Frontenac defense.   

They’ll face another stout defense on Saturday when they take on the CNC champion Bulldogs. 

Galena took advantage of four Neodesha turnovers on Tuesday to build an 18-7 halftime lead. 

Four Galena backs combined for more than 200 yards rushing on the night, and quarterback Nick Sivert threw for 63 yards and two touchdowns – both to Chad Shepherd. 

Galena’s road victory on Tuesday means the Bulldogs have the advantage of hosting Wellsville at Abbey Field. 

The Smith Center Redmen entered their second-round playoff game with Scott City last season as an underdog for the first time in seven years. At home the Redmen responded in fine fashion jumping to a sizable early lead and surviving a comeback by the Beavers, 42-35.

The Redmen are likely considered an underdog again this season as they travel to Scott City to play a Beaver team ranked number one in Class 3A.

Scott City has been nothing short of spectacular this year allowing only 53 total points on defense - an average of 5.3 points per contest - and beating 6A playoff qualifiers Garden City (30-3) and 4A power Ulysses (27-13) along the way.

The Beaver defense is led by defensive end duo Colborn Couchman and Luke Hayes. The seniors have combined for 127 tackles and 14 sacks through 10 games.

For the Redmen they'll have to get senior running back Truitt Kuhlmann the ball early and often. The 5-11, 185-pounder has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards in just nine games this year and is one of the top running backs in the state.

Another of the great second-round match-ups in Class 3A will take place in Conway Springs where the Cardinals will host the unbeaten Sedgwick Cardinals.

Conway Springs has rolled through their schedule since a 19-13 overtime loss to Garden Plain in Week 4. For the season, the Cardinals are outscoring their opponents by an average of 56 to 8. 

Conway will feature their physical rushing attack out of the single wing on Saturday. The Cardinals are led by senior backs Brian Doffing and Cory Misak. Both backs have rushed for more than 1,000 yards and are averaging more than 12 yards per carry. 

Sedgwick beat Hillsboro 41-20 on Tuesday night to capture the school’s first playoff win. The Cardinals have remained unbeaten thanks to the play of their senior quarterback Trent Stucky. 

Stucky has thrown for 1,960 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,000 yards and 12 more scores. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark rushing in each of his three seasons under center for the Cardinals.

Stucky is fortunate enough to have a good receiving corps as well. Twins Daniel and Levi Vogt have each put up big games for the Cardinals this season. In the Cards’ biggest win of the season over Garden Plain, Daniel caught nine passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. On Tuesday it was Levi, who hauled in seven catches for 151 yards in a touchdown against Hillsboro. 

Sedgwick’s ability to spread the field should cause Conway Springs some problems, but the question remains as to whether or not they can limit Doffing and Misak enough to remain unbeaten.

 

Erie (6-4)at Caney Valley (10-0)

Rossville (9-1) at Rock Creek (7-3)

Wichita Collegiate (8-2) at Garden Plain (9-1)

Phillipsburg (7-2) at Beloit (8-2)

The defending state champion Madison Bulldogs have won their past 23 games with few bumps in the road.

Madison has posted six shutouts this season, and only one game has been even close. Other than a 50-44 win against a good Lebo team, Madison has beat everyone else by at least 38 points.

Star running back Kole Schankie leads the Madison offense, while also keying the defense from cornerback position.

The Bulldogs pose a big obstacle, but Central Burden is no slouch either. The Raiders have scored 50 points or more in eight games this season. Their first round playoff game against Chetopa ended at halftime with a 72-0 victory.

Senior quarterback Bo Savage has put up astounding numbers again this season, completing 127-of-196 passes for 2,090 yards with 50 TDs and three interceptions. Savage has had eight games with four TD passes or more. 

Savage also has a great athlete at his disposal in Ky Biddle. The senior has rushed for 849 yards and nine TDs, while catching 51 passes for 921 yards and 22 TDs.

The Raiders will try to get some revenge as Madison knocked them out of the playoffs 58-12 last season.

Marmaton Valley will make a long 285-mile, one-way trip from Moran to Downs to take on third-ranked Lakeside on Saturday. 

The Wildcats survived a first round game with Udall by scoring late and stuffing an Eagle two-point conversion to advance. Marmaton Valley trailed 39-38 until scoring with 1:23 left in the game to take a 46-39 lead. Udall scored on a long touchdown pass with :27 seconds left, but the two-point conversion pass was incomplete and the Wildcats held on for a 46-45 win. 

Marmaton Valley is led by in the backfield by junior Cole Becker. The Wildcats are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2007 when they finished 10-1 with a second-round loss at Clifton-Clyde.

Lakeside-Downs proved that they are a legitimate contender for the Division I crown with a 48-20 win over Lebo. The Knights knocked out Lebo quarterback Trevor White in the third quarter and pulled away for the win. 

Miles Thomas rushed for 113 yards on Tuesday, and the senior has 1,469 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. 

Quarterback Alex Renken is effective in throwing the ball to the tune of 972 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Renken threw for 175 yards and a pair of scores against Lebo. 

 

Osborne’s offense continued to roll in a 70-44 first round win against Little River. Osborne is tied for second in Eight-Man, Division I with 558 points.

Last year, the Bulldogs went 10-2 behind an offense that averaged 48 points and 390 yards of total offense per game. This year, Osborne has averaged 55.8 points and 421 yards per contest.

Damon Schurr has 1,862 rushing yards and 42 total scores. Ethan Slothower has tacked on 1,543 total yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns, and Maverick LeRock has rushed for 621 yards.

Macksville senior quarterback Seth Filbert has completed 135-of-201 passes for 1,992 yards with 27 touchdowns against four interceptions.

The Mustangs have tallied 500 points, sixth-best in Eight-Man, Division I.

Macksville had to hold off a late Ness City rally to win 42-40 in the first round.

 

Central Plains, in its first year of a consolidation between Claflin and Quivira Heights, defeated an injury-plagued Quinter squad, 50-22, in the first round.

The Oilers have outscored opponents 488-212 this season behind a solid backfield that includes Benn Kirmer, Skylar Turner and Nick Schepmann. 

South Gray beat Pretty Prairie 60-12 in the first round. The Rebels, one of four undefeated Eight-Man, Division I teams, have outscored opponents 458-108 and rank third in the classification in scoring defense.

Their backfield rivals that of any other team in Eight-Man in the state. Coulter Croft and Wyatt Slaven are capable of putting up huge rushing numbers as evidenced in the win over Pretty Prairie. Croft rushed for 322 yards and five touchdowns, while Slaven added 134 yards and five more scores. 

 

Top-ranked Baileyville B&B makes a long road trip to Kiowa to take on South Barber. 

The Falcons have thus far in a 9-0 season behind a talented nucleus of players that returned off of last season’s state championship team. 

Senior fullback Cody Heiman is a bruising running and dominant linebacker. Heiman rushed for 167 yards, four touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass in Tuesday’s 62-16 win over Linn.

Mitch Engelken is a speedy back that is dangerous out of the backfield and on kick returns. Engelken has rushed for 853 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. 

B&B may be without quarterback Eric Huerter who left Tuesday’s game with an injury and did not return. Sophomore Dustin Rottinghaus stepped in and was efficient in throwing for 86 yards and a touchdown.

South Barber is a team that wants to spread the field and use the arm of their quarterback Micah Polson. Polson spreads the ball around to receivers Connor Black and Luke Yearout – who at 6-5 is a big target.

Blake Waggenbach provides a strong running threat for the Chieftains. His 80-yard touchdown run on Tuesday night set the tone in a 58-12 win over Waverly. 

South Barber’s two losses came to playoff teams in Pretty Prairie (24-22) and South Haven (50-30).

While the Ashland and Thunder Ridge game may get most of the headlines from 8-Man, Division II, the eastern side of the bracket has a battle of unbeatens as well. South Haven travels to Hope to take on the Lions in a battle of two 10-0 teams.

On Tuesday, South Haven avenged last season’s first-round loss to Centre-Lost Springs by blowing out the Cougars 46-0 in a game that ended at halftime. Blake Wilkey rushed for two first quarter touchdowns as the Cardinals improved to 10-0. 

South Haven also received two touchdown passes from quarterback Austin Showman in the win. 

The Cardinal offense has been explosive this season under Showman’s guidance. South Haven has averaged more than 51 points per game, and have not scored less than 46 in any game this season. 

South Haven’s defense has been equally impressive, giving up a mere 14 points per game. South Haven forced six Centre-Lost Springs turnovers including five interceptions. The Cardinals also blocked a punt in the first quarter which set up a touchdown. 

The Hope Lions have quietly put together an unbeaten season with a similar formula to South Haven. The Lions average an even 50 points per game, and feature a stingy defense that allows on 13 points per contest. 

Shilo Goracke is a talented, versatile athlete for Hope. The senior threw a touchdown and caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Adam Adkins in Tuesday’s 40-26 win over Frankfort. 

Nathan Lorson provides another option out of the backfield for the Lions. Lorson rushed for a team-high 69 yards and contributed 48 receiving yards in the win over Frankfort. 

Hope also owns a win over Centre-Lost Springs this season as the Lions beat the Cougars 50-6 in Week 3. 

The Cougars enjoyed a big win against Moscow, 68-20, in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

Junior running back Dylan Wissman rushed for 314 yards and five scores in a game called at halftime because of the 45-point mercy rule. Wissman has rushed for 1,021 yards and 19 scores, while senior fullback Patrick Piper has tacked on 914 yards and 17 scores.

Quarterback Trevor Keller has passed for 960 yards and 17 scores.

Otis-Bison has an underrated defense unit that has held six strong teams – Chase, Central Plains, Moscow, Frankfort, St. John, and Moscow – to its lowest or second-lowest point total of the season.

Victoria enjoyed a 36-18 road victory against Cheylin, the squad that beat Victoria 56-6 in the first round of the playoffs last year. The Knights are at home for the playoffs for the first time for only the second time in the last six games.

 Quarterback Corey Dinkel rushed for 286 yards and running back Dalton Dreiling tacked on 138 yards in the win against Cheylin.

The two Central Prairie League rivals, separated by less than an hour, haven’t matched up in more than two seasons. The last meeting was a 72-26 Otis-Bison victory in Week 8 of the 2009 season.

 Otis Bison 46, Victoria 28

Thunder Ridge has dominated the opposition all season, outscoring teams 444-30.

The Longhorns have seven shutouts this season, including six in a row. They defeated Sharon Springs 48-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Thunder Ridge has not allowed a point since the first half of a Week 4 win against Otis-Bison.

Senior running back Joel Struckhoff has broken eight-man career records for rushing yardage and total touchdowns in the last two weeks.

Ashland defeated Chase in the first round of the playoffs, 74-24 and has outscored opponents 526-100.

Austin Stebens has passed for 694 yards with a 15-1 touchdown to interception ratio. Chance Stebens has rushed for 638 yards and Giles Fox has rushed for 646 yards with 101 tackles.

Fox will likely match up against Thunder Ridge’s Dakota Foreman in a battle of two of the state’s top linemen.

Last year, Ashland defeated Thunder Ridge in the second round of the playoffs before it lost to Otis-Bison in the sub-state championship game.