Class 6A
6A East: No. 3 Lawrence Free State (10-1) at No. 4 Shawnee Mission West (10-1)
Sunflower League rivals Lawrence Free State and Shawnee Mission West will play for the second time this season with the winner advancing to the 6A state championship game in Topeka.
Shawnee Mission West won the Sunflower League title with a 7-0 record, but the Vikings know that the “1” in the right side of their record came at the hands of Free State 28-14 in Week 2. Only the last seven games against league opponents count towards the Sunflower League standings in this even numbered year of 2012. So despite their Week 2 win over the Vikings, the Firebirds finished one game behind SM West in the league standings after losing to defending champion Olathe South in Week 3.
In that earlier meeting, Free State used a punt return for a touchdown before halftime by Tye Hughes to build a 21-7 lead. The Firebirds gashed the Vikings for more than 240 yards rushing on the night. A similar performance on Friday would likely result in Free State advancing to the state title game for the first time since 2008.
Free State will feature a balanced offense led by senior quarterback Kyle McFarland. McFarland has thrown for nearly 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns while also leading the Firebirds in rushing with more than 700 yards and seven scores. T.J. Cobbs and Joe Dineen have combined for nearly 1,200 yards and 23 scores on the ground. Hughes is the Firebirds main receiving threat with 588 yards and nine touchdowns.
Shawnee Mission West, on the other hand, is built to run the ball and control the clock. The Vikings possess the Sunflower League rushing champion in Bret Sterbach who has accumulated 1,862 yards on the ground and 20 touchdowns this season. If he is able to put up his typical numbers, the Vikings will be hard to beat. Add in that SM West has used the “Wildcat” offense with Sterbach and Andre Maloney in recent weeks, and Free State will have a challenge on its hands.
Bob Lisher’s group will likely will stack the box and try and make West junior quarterback A.J. Verdini beat them. Verdini has progressed all season in throwing for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Free State’s secondary may be their strength on the defensive side of the ball. The Firebirds secondary has more than a dozen interceptions and have returned five for touchdowns. If Free State can slow the Vikings’ running attack and solve the “Wildcat”, the Firebirds will be back in the state title game.
Free State 28, SM West 20 (Gilmore)
Fan Vote: Free State (65%)
6A West: No. 1 Hutchinson (9-2) at No. 2 Derby (10-1)
In the Class 6A sub-state, Hutchinson and Derby have a rematch from its thrilling Oct. 4 contest, one of the best games in Kansas this year. Hutchinson won 31-28.
Hutchinson has lost twice this year – in Week 1 to Rockhurst (Mo.) and a 35-10 defeat to Salina South in Week 5. The Salthawks are the lone team to defeat Derby.
Last week, Hutchinson defeated Topeka, 42-33, in a game that had 976 yards of total offense. Hutchinson had several big plays in the victory, including a blocked extra point, a key fourth-down stop and a late interception. The Salthawks trailed 20-14 at halftime before taking the lead in the third quarter. Trevor Turner collected 20 rushes for 175 yards, while Will Smith rushed 26 times for 149 yards. Hutchinson has won state championships in seven of the past eight years.
Derby defeated Dodge City, 42-19, last week. Quarterback Chandler Shantz rushed for 186 yards and three scores. He also threw for 106 yards and a TD. Kellan Sims returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a score. Derby is now in the Class 6A semifinal for the fourth time in the last five years, but is 0-3 in sub-state contests. The Derby senior class has never defeated the Salthawks before in any level of football.
Derby comes close, but Hutchinson always seems to play its best in the playoffs – and make enough plays to win.
Hutchinson 34, Derby 31 (Nicholl)
Fan Vote: Hutchinson (61%)
Class 5A
5A East: No. 5 Bishop Miege (6-5) at No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (10-1)
For the third consecutive season an Eastern Kansas League (EKL) team will be playing in the 5A state championship game, but it will not be the Blue Valley Tigers for a third straight time. Top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas ousted Blue Valley 23-22 in the state quarterfinals one week ago, and at the same time avenged their only loss of the season. Blue Valley scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes and converted a winning two-point conversion to top the Saints 29-28 back in Week 6.
This time it was the Saints who scored on a 23-yard Danten Cosentino touchdown run in the fourth quarter to take a 23-22 lead. The Tigers converted a fourth down deep in their own territory late in the fourth quarter, but that drive would eventually stall on downs at the Aquinas 28.
On Friday, St. Thomas Aquinas will host Bishop Miege for a chance to get back to the state championship game for the first time since 2008. The Stags survived with a one-point win of their own, knocking out Blue Valley West 38-37 in double overtime. Miege stopped Blue Valley West quarterback Ryan Ralston short of the goal line on a potential game-winning two-point conversion to advance to the Sub-State semifinal. The Stags improved to 6-5 on the season with the win, but keep in mind that all five of Miege’s losses have come to playoff teams and four of those games were decided by a touchdown or less.
The Saints and Stags met just three weeks ago when St. Thomas Aquinas stopped Miege at the 1-yard line as time expired to preserve a 27-24 win. Cosentino threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in that earlier meeting, while Miege quarterback Montel Cozart completed 36 of 57 attempts for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
While Miege has all but abandoned the run recently and put their success on the arm of Cozart, the Saints will still try and run with Nick Williams and at times Cosentino. Williams ran for more than 100 yards in the first meeting, but Miege was without standout linebacker Brad Ivey. Last week, Miege’s defensive front really made things difficult for Ralston and Conley Wilkins of Blue Valley West. The Stags must have a similar performance on the defensive side of the ball this week.
Cozart has the ability to make all the throws and may be the best quarterback in the state. With his arm, the play-making ability of McKinley Johnson, and Ivey leading the defense this will likely be another close game between EKL rivals. Including last week’s playoff wins by Miege and Aquinas, 19 of the 28 games played between EKL opponents this season have been decided by a touchdown or less. Miege’s outstanding junior kicker Collin Carter could be the difference in this one and send the Stags to state title game.
Miege 34, Aquinas 31 (Gilmore)
Fan Vote: Aquinas (60%)
5A West: No. 2 Salina South (10-1) at No. 1 Bishop Carroll (11-0)
The Bishop Carroll Eagles have rolled through their first 11 games, but the Salina South Cougars seem primed to give the Eagles their biggest challenge thus far.
Salina South has won 10 straight games since falling 27-14 to Class 6A semifinalist Derby in the season opener. The Cougars own quality wins over the likes of another 6A semifinalist, Hutchinson, as well as Blue Valley, Salina Central, Hays and Emporia.
They beat Emporia 35-20 last week in the quarterfinals. The Cougars rushed for 401 yards in the win. Salina South scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Junior running back Mike Jones rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown.
Jones and senior running back Cody Busby have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing this season. Jones leads the Cougars with 1,624 yards and 16 touchdowns on 169 carries, while Busby has rushed for 1,139 yards and 17 touchdowns on 143 carries.
Salina South is a run-first team, rushing for 358.3 yards per game while passing for an average of 87.7 yards. However, quarterback Justin Stonebreaker has completed 53 of 101 passes for 844 yards with 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Bishop Carroll has scored 52.4 points per games, and the Eagles’ tightest margin of victory this season has been 25 points.
The Eagles beat Andover 49-14 in the quarterfinals. In that game, running back Tory Smith rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Zeke Palmer completed 15 of 16 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Carroll led 49-0 before Andover scored twice in the fourth quarter.
Bishop Carroll 37, Salina South 28 (Schremmer)
Fan Vote: Bishop Carroll (58%)
Class 4A
4A East: No. 5 KC Piper (10-2) at No. 4 Eudora (11-1)
Way back on August 31st few people may have guessed that a non-conference opener between KC Piper and defending 4A runner-up Eudora would be a preview of the Sub-state semifinal. But two-and-a-half months later, that is exactly how it has turned out as the Piper Pirates will travel to Eudora for the second time this season to take on the Cardinals.
The stakes are much larger this time, and hopefully the weather will be much better. That Week 1 game was played in the rain and wind as remnants of Hurricane Issac impacted games in much of the state.
Piper’s Paul Jones scored an early touchdown and the Pirates led 7-6 at halftime. They threatened to score again in the third quarter after a Eudora fumble, but the Cardinals stopped them on fourth-and-goal. Eudora answered right back with a 97-yard drive that resulted in a go-ahead touchdown. The Cardinals added 13 points in the fourth quarter to pull away.
As typical with a Gregg Webb coached team, Eudora is a run-heavy offense. The Cardinals average 276 yards per game on the ground. Junior quarterback Andrew Ballock leads the way with 1,068 yards and 15 touchdowns. Garret Elston has added 886 yards and three scores, while Gabe Cleveland has rushed for nearly 700 yards and eight touchdowns. Markis Hill has transitioned to tight end, but before had rushed for more than 520 yards on the season with eight scores.
It was Cleveland who led the Cardinals past Piper in that first meeting. The senior rushed for 165 yards and a score as Eudora put up 200 yards rushing against the Pirates. Ballock also had a nice night throwing for 129 yards and a score. He has thrown for 738 yards this season with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Eudora defense may be the strength this season. The Cardinals have given up less than eight points per game and have only allowed 46 total points in the past nine games.
Piper has advanced to the Sub-state semifinal round for the first time in school history. The Pirates outscored Chanute 10-6 in the second half to edge the Blue Comets 24-22. Piper pressured and sacked Chanute quarterback Brock Gilmore six times in the game.
Piper’s leading rusher on the season Matt McDonald was limited to just 24 yards on 10 carries, but sophomore Colton Beebe picked up the slack by rushing for 71 yards on 11 attempts. Beebe (6-3, 240) is also a force on the defensive side of the ball from his linebacker position. Paul Jones can be a difference maker for the Pirates both rushing and receiving the ball out of the backfield.
The Pirates struggled rushing the ball against the Eudora defense in the first meeting. Piper finished with 85 yards on the ground on 29 attempts. Similar results on the ground will likely lead to a similar result on the scoreboard in Eudora’s favor. Look for the Cardinals to get Coach Webb back to his 11th state championship game appearance.
Eudora 24, Piper 13 (Gilmore)
Fan Vote: Eudora (71%)
4A West: No. 1 Holton (12-0) at No. 2 Mulvane (11-1)
The top-ranked Holton Wildcats continue to march through one of the most difficult playoff draws in the state. Holton opened the playoffs with wins over ranked opponents in Wichita Collegiate and McPherson and now must go on the road to face another ranked opponent in Mulvane.
Holton beat McPherson 31-27 in what may be the most dramatic game of this year’s playoffs. The lead changed twice in the final one minute and 11 seconds of the game. McPherson took a 27-24 lead at the 1:11 mark when Bullpups quarterback Kyler Kinnamon hit Marcus Houghton on a 15-yard TD pass.
Holton, which entered with only 40 pass attempts on the season, responded with a 65-yard TD pass on a short slant route from quarterback Jaxon Wright to fullback Trent Tanking.
Now, the Wildcats will try and collect themselves from the emotional victory and focus on Mulvane’s balanced attack.
Mulvane, which is coming off a 15-0 win against Buhler, is led by quarterback Ty Redington. The senior signal caller has passed for 2,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 608 yards and nine touchdowns. Redington passed for 173 yards and two TDs in last week’s quarterfinal victory.
Michael Mason leads the Mulvane Wildcats rushing attack with 865 yards in 10 games, including 102 yards in the win over Buhler.
Holton rushed for 411.6 yards per game. The top-ranked Wildcats boast two 1,000-yard rushers in Drake Ewing and Cameron Karn.
Mulvane’s only loss this season came 35-30 to McPherson.
Holton 27, Mulvane 20 (Schremmer)
Fan Vote: Holton (72%)
Class 3A
3A East: Rossville (11-1) at No. 1 Silver Lake (12-0)
The Rossville Bulldogs and Silver Lake Eagles will meet in a rematch of the War on 24 – this time in the Class 3A semifinals.
Silver Lake, the top-ranked team in 3A, beat Rossville 32-12 on the road in Week 6.
And that was the closest game the Eagles have had all year in a season of domination thus far.
Silver Lake is coming off a 40-0 win at Caney Valley in which the Eagles built a 19-0 lead in the first quarter. Cody Renfro led the Eagles rushing attack with 132 yards and two touchdowns, while Silver Lake quarterback Dailin Kruger completed 13 of 20 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 17-7 quarterfinal win over St. Mary’s Colgan. Rossville’s Nick Reesor rushed for 117 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Rossville’s defense recorded three interceptions.
Both the Eagles and Bulldogs boast balanced offenses. Silver Lake passes for 181.4 yards per game and runs for 220 yards per game. Rossville averages 148.7 yards passing and 181 yards rushing.
This will be the sixth time in the past 10 years for Silver Lake and Rossville to meet in the semifinals.
Rossville hasn’t defeated Silver Lake since a 30-28 win during the 2003 regular season. The Eagles bounced back to beat the Bulldogs 41-12 in the playoffs that year.
Silver Lake 31, Rossville 14 (Schremmer)
Fan Vote: Silver Lake (85%)
3A West: No. 2 Scott City (12-0) at No. 3 Beloit (12-0)
Beloit will host Scott City at Trojan Field Friday night in a match-up of two traditional football powers anxious to break through to a 3A title game after a long drought.
Scott City was finally able to make it past the quarterfinal round of the playoffs and did so in style handing previously unbeaten Garden Plain a 49-0 beat down. Scott City's defense was the star of the show forcing seven turnovers and holding the explosive Owl offense to less than 160 total yards. The Beavers scored on each of their first six possessions of the first half and took a 42-0 lead into the locker room adding one more score in a second half that ended quickly by a running clock.
The Beavers were effective on the ground and through the air as senior running back Dalton Buehler ran for 130 yards on 11 carries and classmate Brett O'Neil threw for 72 yards and four touchdowns on 6 of 10 passing. Buehler has rushed for over 1,600 yards on the season while O'Neil has thrown an incredible 24 touchdowns with only one interception.
Beloit advanced with little trouble in their 52-24 win over Sedgwick. Three Trojan backs rushed for over 100 yards led by Bowe Behymer's 201 yards and followed by Tanner Niemczyk with 140, and Staten Krone with 110. The Beloit defense allowed 227 yards passing by Sedgwick quarterback Logan Thompson and 149 yards rushing to running back Dalton Brandt.
The tale of the tape shows these two teams as evenly matched. Both boast effective running games, efficient quarterbacks that can throw the ball when called upon, and stout defenses led by big fronts and outstanding linebackers.
So which team has the edge?
Scott City, but by a slim margin. While Payton Vetter is a great quarterback for Beloit, Scott City's Brett O'Neil is one of the state's best and has been consistently successful in completing passes to multiple receivers including brother Trey and an athletic tight end in Drew Kite. The Trojans are a powerful team with great backs and should be able to run the ball, but their ability to stop Scott City's aerial attack could be the difference in a close game.
Scott City 28, Beloit 20 (Baetz)
Fan Vote: Scott City (54%)
Class 2-1A
2-1A East: No. 3 Lyndon (11-0) at No. 4 Centralia (11-0)
A pair of unbeatens are set to do battle in the Class 2-1A semifinals.
The Lyndon Tigers are trying to make it to the state championship for the first time in program history, while the Centralia Panthers are trying to defend their state crown.
Both teams have been dominating through their first 11 games.
Centralia has scored at least 28 points every game and has pitched five shutouts, including last week’s 28-0 win over Olpe. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 74-7 in the playoffs.
Lyndon has scored no fewer than 39 points in a game and has pitched six shutouts. The Tigers are coming off a 39-6 win at McLouth. Lyndon has outscored its two playoff opponents by a combined score of 85-6.
Centralia’s Sam Steinlage rushed for three TDs and received another in last week’s win against Olpe.
On the year, junior quarterback J.T. Rosine has rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Steinlage has compiled for than 1,100 rushing yards and 22 TDs.
Lyndon quarterback Joe Walsh has thrown for more than 1,300 yards, while rushing for almost 700. Skylar Farwell has rushed for more than 1,100 yards. All-State lineman Dakota Jiskra is a big presence up front.
A big game with two talented teams, the one with the most experience may have the edge.
Centralia 24, Lyndon 14 (Schremmer)
Fan Vote: Centralia (54%)
2-1A West: No. 1 La Crosse (11-0) at No. 2 Meade (10-1)
Arguably the best rivalry in Class 2-1-A will see another chapter when La Crosse and Meade meet up in the sub-state championship game. The two teams are separated by more than two hours, but were often in the same district for many years. Now, they will meet up in the playoffs for the third straight season.
Two years ago, Meade defeated La Crosse on the road in the second round en route to the state championship. Last year, La Crosse won 21-12 in Meade in the second round en route to a state runner-up showing to Centralia.
The Leopards defeated Oakley 20-8 last week and should be healthy entering Friday. Sophomore lineman Sheldon Schmidt, the team’s leader in sacks, second-leading tackler and starting kicker, missed the game because of a hip injury. He is going to try to play Friday. Senior running backs/linebackers Kip Keeley (cramps) and Levi Morss (ankle) missed part of the game late versus Oakley. Both should be fine for Meade.
For La Crosse, Morss has collected 1,531 rushing yards and 17 scores, while Keeley has 943 rushing yards, 468 receiving yards and 20 offensive TDs. Sophomore Jack Garcia, the brother of former Leopard standout quarterbacks Joey and Jeremy Garcia, has completed 74 of 118 passes for 1,338 yards with a 16/4 TD/INT ratio.
Meade hasn’t lost since a one-point defeat in Week 1 to Holcomb. Three players have at least 730 yards, led by 1,426 rushing yards from senior running back Trevin Wiens. Senior quarterback Chris Hardaway has completed 57 of 89 passes for 1,022 yards with a 17/3 TD/INT ratio. The Buffs have defeated Oberlin-Decatur Community and Sterling in the playoffs.
The difference will likely come down to turnovers and fourth-down stops. Last year, La Crosse made a big fourth down stop inside the Leopard 10-yard line early in the game and won the turnover margin. In two playoff games, Garcia has zero turnovers, while La Crosse has picked off seven passes. La Crosse makes just enough plays and heads back to state.
La Crosse 26, Meade 24 (Nicholl)
Fan Vote: Tied (50%)
Class 8 Man-I State Championship
Fan Vote: Ness City (63%)
Class 8 Man-II State Championship
Fan Vote: Baileyville B&B (60%)
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