Friday night’s 11-man quarterfinal games have set the stage for several familiar foes to face off in semifinal games.
At least seven of the 10 11-man semifinal games will be rematches from some point in the season. If Conway Springs beats Scott City on Saturday, eight of the semifinal games will be rematches.
One of those rematches is a bit of a surprise as LaCrosse ousted Class 2-1A powerhouse Meade 21-12. The victory sets up a district rematch with Plainville, a 6-0 winner against Stanton County. Meade had won 22 consecutive games before Friday night. The Buffaloes defeated every Kansas opponent by 18 points or more before the loss to the Leopards. Meade had a 12-7 lead at halftime, but LaCrosse scored 14 points in the third quarter to earn the victory.
Plainville scored on a 1-yard TD run from quarterback Kyle Becker in the second quarter and its defense kept Stanton County out of the end zone for the win. LaCrosse beat Plainville 14-8 in district play.
In the east side of 2-1A, it was a pair of blowouts at St. Mary’s Colgan blasted Doniphan West 59-14 and Centralia dropped Riverside 52-18. Colgan scored on its first three offensive plays as Christian Smith scored on a 46-yard run, quarterback Sam Gilbert threw an 84-yard TD pass to Jesse Newcomb and Zach Smith scored on a 54-yard run.
Centralia dominated to lead 30-0 at the end of the first quarter. Senior Michael Glatczak rushed for 241 yards and three TDs on 14 carries and completed 4-of-8 passes for 92 yards and two more TDs.
In Class 6A, Derby upset Manhattan 39-28. The loss means the Indians ended their season in the quarterfinals with a 10-1 record for the third consecutive season. The Derby Panthers defense kept Manhattan’s running game in check with 68 yards on 34 carries. Star running back Ty Suggs was held to 15 yards on 12 carries.
Derby’s victory sets up a district rematch with Wichita Heights, a 35-3 winner against Garden City. Heights, the defending state champion, defeated Derby 49-35 earlier this season.
On the east side of the 6A bracket, Olathe South and Olathe East will meet again as South beat Shawnee Mission East 55-42 and East beat Shawnee Mission West 46-16. Olathe South won the first meeting against East 36-18.
In a game that may have featured the two best teams 5A in the state, Blue Valley – Stilwell bested Bishop Miege 24-21 for the second time this season. The Tigers’ win means they will have a rematch with Gardner-Edgerton, a 32-0 winner over Shawnee Heights, in the semifinals. Gardner-Edgerton sophomore running back sprinted for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Blue Valley already thumped the Trailblazers 40-6 once this season.
In 4A, Topeka Hayden exorcised its demons from last year by beating Buhler 21-14 after the Crusaders ousted Hayden from the playoffs a year ago. Hayden senior quarterback Grant Arnold passed for 150 yards and two TDs in the victory. Buhler’s star running back had 139 yards rushing on 12 carries, but he was kept out of the end zone for the entire game.
The 8-Man Division I state championship game is all set for next week in Newton as Madison beat Lakeside-Downs 52-6 and South Gray outgunned Osborne 42-38. Madison will be going for its second consecutive state title and will enter the game on a 25-game winning streak. The fact that the Bulldogs won the game wasn’t all that surprising, but the way they handled a competitive Lakeside-Downs team definitely makes a statement.
A big defensive play by South Gray sealed the win. Osborne had a fourth down on South Gray’s 17 toward the end of the game. Colter Croft intercepted a pass on the play to give South Gray the win and a trip to the state championship.
In 8-Man Division II, Thunder Ridge will be heading to Newton after a 54-20 win against Otis-Bison. Thunder Ridge won’t know its opponent until Saturday when Baileyville B&B faces South Haven in the semifinals.
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