Each Thursday throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature six of the best match-ups across the state, and make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
Lawrence (2-0) at 6A No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton (2-0)
Through two weeks, there are three Sunflower League teams that are 2-0 in league play. Olathe North reached the Class 6A state semifinals a season ago, and Gardner-Edgerton returns a lot of talent back from a state quarterfinal appearance. The other is the Lawrence Lions – a team that went 1-8 last season.
But second-year Lawrence coach Steve Rampy has his Chesty Lions off to a pair of quality wins. Could the Lions be 2019 version of Gardner-Edgerton?
Last season the Trailblazers won their first ten games after finishing 0-9 the season prior. It was an incredible turnaround for new head coach Ryan Cornelsen who made the transition over from Hutchinson High School. While the Blazers schedule didn’t include a couple of traditional powers from the Sunflower League, they nevertheless reached the state quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Blue Valley North.
This season the expectations are much higher. Gardner-Edgerton has opened with dominating wins over Shawnee Mission East (49-14) and Olathe West (34-7). Last week’s game against Olathe West was called “final” late in the third quarter as severe weather rolled through the state on Thursday night.
The Blazer led 21-0 at halftime behind another solid performance from senior quarterback Teven McKelvey. McKelvey rushed for three scores and threw a touchdown pass in the win over the Owls.
McKelvey returns as a key part of the Blazer backfield after sharing time with fellow 1,000-yard backs Luke Jennings and Jacob Hunsperger last season. He now has Reggie Dennis joining him. Dennis has rushed for 183 yards and is averaging more than 10 yards per carry through two weeks.
Lawrence’s game with Shawnee Mission East also faced weather delays last Thursday, and was eventually postponed until Friday afternoon. The Lions led 7-0, then ultimately scored on a Jackson Dooley touchdown pass to Bryce Smith to lead 14-0.
After scoring two defensive touchdowns in the season-opening 31-21 win over Olathe South, Lawrence got a pick-six from Austin Hollins to extend its lead to 21-0 over SM East. In all, the Lion defense forced five Lancer turnovers, including four interceptions, and held East to less than 50 rushing yards.
Devin Neal leads the Lion ground game as he added 168 yards and two scores to his total in last week’s win. Dooley is a capable passer which has helped with the Lions balance on that side of the ball.
Whether Lawrence is primed for a dramatic turnaround in one season like Gardner-Edgerton pulled off in 2018 remains to be seen. But, although still relatively young, Coach Rampy has something to build upon with a talented roster at Lawrence High.
Our Pick: Gardner-Edgerton 34, Lawrence 21 (Gilmore)
5A No. 2 Wichita Northwest (2-0) at Great Bend (2-0)
Great Bend and Wichita Northwest meet up in a high-profile 5A matchup this Friday. Both teams are 2-0 on the season.
Great Bend had a come-from-behind victory in the final minute of regulation to defeat Andover in overtime, 13-10, in the season-opener. Last week, the Panthers defeated WAC rival Hays by a score of 46-30.
Wichita Northwest defeated Bishop Carroll, 21-17, in a game that could ultimately decide the City League title. Last week, Northwest cruised past Wichita East, 75-8.
Both teams went deep into the 5A playoffs last year. Great Bend lost to Maize in the 5A quarterfinals to finish the season at 8-3. Wichita Northwest defeated that same Maize team in the Semifinals and then fell to 5A powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in the state championship game the following week.
The Grizzlies and Panthers have met up in each of the last three seasons with the Grizzlies holding a 2-1 series advantage. Each of the games have been high-scoring shootouts. Great Bend won the 2016 meeting, 58-47, before reaching the 5A semifinals and losing to Goddard. Wichita Northwest has won the past two meetings, defeating the Panthers 63-27 in 2017 and 56-34 last season.
Great Bend and Wichita Northwest both had some heavy graduation losses. The Panthers return only five starters on both sides of the ball, while Northwest returns seven on offense and five on defense. The Panthers graduated Shrine Bowl quarterback Koy Brack, while the Grizzlies lost two Big 12 recruits in DE Marcus Hicks (Oklahoma) and RB Breece Hall (Iowa State).
Great Bend quarterback Dalton Miller is coming off a great performance in last week’s win over Hays. Miller started off last week’s victory with a 70-yd touchdown run on the Panthers’ first offensive play. He would then connect to Peyton Duvall on a pair of touchdown passes. The Hays defense took note of Alex Schremmer after he caught the game-tying pass the week prior against Andover. The Indians double-teamed Schremmer for the entire game, limiting him to four catches for 17 yards. Gage Fritz would tack on two touchdowns as well for the Panthers.
Reagan Jones had a big night in Wichita Northwest’s 75-8 crushing of Wichita East. Jones went 12 of 19 passing for 153 yards and three touchdowns. The Missouri Western commit connected to Kaleb Coleman, Camden Aldrich, and Mason Ross for scores.
Senior running back Jamar Martin scored three touchdowns on the ground as well. The Grizzly defense, coached by former Hesston and Goddard-Eisenhower coach Marc Marinelli, intercepted four passes and forced a fumble. Northwest had two special teams’ mistakes in their season opener against Bishop Carroll, with a muffed punt and inadvertently touching a Carroll punt that Eagles then recovered.
This game will be the litmus test of the Northwest defense. The Grizzlies kept Carroll at bay and had a field day versus a struggling Wichita East team. Great Bend has more returning offensive weapons than what Bishop Carroll does, but when Northwest is on offense, not many teams have been able to keep the Grizzlies from having an advantage.
Our Pick: Northwest 36, Great Bend 13 (Hammeke)
Maur Hill-Mount Academy (2-0) at 1A No. 3 Jackson Heights (2-0)
Maur Hill-Mount Academy versus Jackson Heights is annually a key game in the Northeast Kansas League. Jackson Heights is ranked third in 1A, and Maur Hill is just outside the rankings in 2A.
Maur Hill returns senior quarterback Jack Caudle, while Jackson Heights has a host of key returners, including senior lineman Carson Williams and senior running back Cooper Williams.
Maur Hill has coach Brandon Wilkes, back in his first year of his second stint at the school. MHMA opened with a 42-0 victory at McLouth before winning 54-0 against Oskaloosa last week.
Jackson Heights has been similarly dominant with 46-8 against Horton, and 41-8 at Atchison County. The Cobras have a veteran line, mainly whom have played since they were freshman and sophomores. Jackson Heights will likely rely on the run game behind the wishbone from coach Caleb Wick, a Smith Center graduate.
Senior Riley Watkins (6-2, 240), senior Joel Kennedy (6-4, 185), junior Taylor Wamego (5-10, 290), junior Colby Doyle (5-10, 260), sophomore Hudson Roles (6-3, 360), and sophomore Trey Manuel (6-2, 250) are returning starters up front.
Maur Hill will likely pass more frequently behind the lefty Caudle. Jack’s dad, Todd, was the starting quarterback all four seasons at Midway-Denton in the ‘80s, won a state crown each year and played at the University of Kansas.
Jackson Heights has won three consecutive in the series by results of 59-27, 16-14 and 14-0. Notably last year, Jackson Heights’ defense put constant pressure on Maur Hill’s offensive line and Caudle. The Cobras are 5-4 in the last nine meetings in the series.
Caudle has been nearly perfect this season with 27 of 37 passing for 525 yards and a 9/0 TD/INT ratio. Junior Andrew Schwinn has 16 carries for 138 yards and three scores.
Junior Grant Kocour has seven catches for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Drew Caudle has seven catches for 164 yards and three scores. Junior Brody Mispagel has six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Senior Abe Siebenmorgen easily leads the team with 17 tackles, five for loss.
Caudle, Siebenmorgen and Carson Williams are returning first team all-state players. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Siebenmorgen has 238 tackles, 32.5 for loss in his career. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Caudle was the team’s player of the game last week.
In his career, Caudle has passed for 5,646 yards with a 72/22 TD/INT ratio.
Last year, against Jackson Heights, he went 12 of 20 for 70 yards with an interception for a 45.8 QB rating, easily his lowest of the year. Two years ago, he was 1 of 6 for 45 yards with no scores and no interceptions. As a freshman, he was 12 of 23 for 189 yards with a 2/1 TD/INT ratio versus the Cobras. Maur Hill is 7-3, 7-3, 8-2 in each of the last three seasons.
While Caudle and Siebenmorgen are elite talents, this game, similar to last year, will likely come down to the guys up front. Caudle will likely have his best passing numbers in three seasons in the series, but Jackson Heights comes in with a distinct size advantage. MHMA has no one over 235 pounds. This should be a close matchup, and whoever wins the battle up front likely will win the game – and the league title.
Our Pick: Jackson Heights 21, Maur Hill-Mount Academy 14 (Nicholl)
Christ Prep Academy (3-0) at 1A No. 4 Olpe (2-0)
Two teams that played for a championship in 2018 will meet up again this fall. Last year, Olpe defeated Christ Prep Academy, 13-8, in Week 3. Olpe eventually advanced to the Class 1A state championship game and posted a 12-1 record with a title game loss to Smith Center.
Christ Prep is not KSHSAA affiliated, but is approved to play KSHSAA schools – and often has. Last year, the Patriots, led by longtime coach Tom Hurley and veteran defensive coordinator Jay Geeding, finished 11-2, including road wins against Troy (20-19), Jefferson County North (28-6) and a 24-14 loss versus 4A Coffeyville.
Christ Prep, which normally uses Olathe Northwest as its game field, eventually won the national homeschool championship in Emerson, Georgia. The Patriots defeated Tulsa NOAH, Lighthouse Christian (Mo.), Tomball Christian (Tex.), and Landmark Christian (Ohio) to capture the title. That included a 10-3 overtime semifinal victory versus Tomball, and 21-0 shutout of Landmark in the title game.
Christ Prep brings in players from all over the Kansas City metro area from both Kansas and Missouri sides. The Patriots have posted multiple strong finishes at homeschool nationals, though had not earned the title until last year.
Last season, Christ Prep ranked among the state’s leaders in rushing yards with 579 carries for 2,977 yards. The Patriots graduated home all-star players Connor Hurley, Ewen Cornstubble, and Grant Gilkeson. Hurley led with 681 rushing, along with 97 tackles, 19.5 for loss.
Like Olpe, Christ Prep is known for defense. Last year, the Patriots opened with a 41-0 win at Wabaunsee, 47-0 at Polo (Mo.), and 36-12 versus University Academy (Mo.). Overall, Christ Prep allowed just 10 points per game. This year, Christ Prep has opened against the same three opponents and won all three by shutout: 42-0, 55-0, and 49-0.
Senior quarterback Noah Blair returns after a big season in ’18. Christ Prep again has used a running back by committee with seven players getting between four and seven carries in the first week. Sophomore Sway Jenkins delivered nine carries for 111 yards and two scores, while juniors Micah Krause and Jesse Traw are in the backfield, too. Blair posted six tackles in the first game.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Blair has thrown for more than 1,500 career yards. This is his third fall as the starting quarterback. He rushed 127 times for 515 yards and 10 touchdowns last year.
Defensively, though, Blair is a shutdown corner. In his first three high school seasons, he delivered 19 interceptions, five forced fumbles and a pair of pick-sixes.
Olpe was second in 1A in scoring defense last season with 9.3 points allowed a contest. The Eagles also scored 35.5 points a game. Olpe has captured 17 straight regular season contests dating back to a 22-13 road loss to Osage City in Week 3 of the 2017 season.
For the Eagles, quarterback Colby Hoelting, linemen Seth Wright and Joel Dieker, defensive end Hayden Rhodes, wide receiver Dawson McCarthy, and tight end Wylie Redeker are all returning senior starters. Junior running back/cornerback Kynden Robert is a key player for longtime coach Chris Schmidt.
Olpe has faced little resistance in a 55-7 win versus Osawatomie and 42-0 versus Burlington. While Osawatomie has lost 11 straight games, Burlington is 13-9 in its last 22 contests.
This is the second-ever meeting between the schools. Although this one was scheduled to be a home game for Christ Prep, the lack of an available field has shifted Olpe back into the host role. Christ Prep is likely going to be very strong again, and Blair is an all-state caliber player. However, the Patriots lost a significant number of seniors and talent off the ’18 team. Olpe has plenty of returning seniors back, and should get the edge with experience and playing at home.
Our Pick: Olpe 24, Christ Prep 16 (Nicholl)
8M-I No. 3 Hodgeman County (2-0) at 8M-I No. 4 South Central (2-0)
While these two schools are just 85 miles apart and are both in the Southern Plains Iroquois league, it is possible the squads could meet again for the state championship. South Central, the consolidation of Coldwater and Protection, is considered east, while Hodgeman County, the consolidation of Jetmore and Hanston, is in the west for Eight-Man, Division I.
South Central has followed the same pattern the last three falls: a 9-2 record with a single regular season loss to Hodgeman County, and then a Week 11 playoff defeat. Hodgeman County has won 66-22, 30-27 and 28-14 since the series has resumed after a seven-year hiatus. Overall, the Longhorns are 9-1 in the last 10 matchups in the series with South Central’s lone victory a 36-22 win on Sept. 26, 2008.
Both teams ranked in the top-12 of eight-man scoring defense last season, and each squad features an experienced quarterback.
South Central has opened with a pair of quality wins: 56-8 against Bucklin and 45-0 versus Spearville. It marked the first time the Lancers had been shutout since a 44-0 loss to Hodgeman County in Week 5 of 2012, according to Kansas Football History.
South Central senior Chayde Snyder has played significantly in all four years for the T-Wolves and has completed five of 10 passes for 145 yards with a 5/1 TD/INT ratio this season. He easily leads the squad with 21 carries for 155 yards and five scores. Junior Jonny Robles has three catches, all for scores, for 74 yards.
In his career, Snyder has completed 59 percent of his passes with 2,947 yards with a 51/14 TD/INT ratio. He has rushed for 2,090 yards and 41 scores. He has 187 tackles with 20 TFLs.
Senior Gage Girk’s only reception this year was a 56-yard touchdown. Girk, one of the state’s best kickers and defensive players, has picked off two passes, recorded 12 touchbacks on 15 kickoffs, and made a 47-yard field goal last week. Overall, he has 198 tackles, 20 interceptions and five field goals in his career.
Hodgeman County counters with the Salmans brothers, senior running back Eli and junior quarterback Isaac. The Longhorns have won two home games: Dighton (54-6) and Medicine Lodge (48-28). Isaac has completed 11 of 15 passes for 223 yards with four touchdowns against zero interceptions. He has 17 carries for 115 yards and five scores.
Eli has 32 carries for 260 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Ethan Burns has delivered three receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Austin Ruff leads with 24 tackles.
In his career, Salmans has 590 carries for 3,974 yards and 64 rushing scores. Last year, he recorded 27 carries for 111 yards and two scores in the win against South Central.
Last year, Hodgeman County held a 192-146 edge in rushing yards, and 136-60 in passing yards. Two years ago, South Central held a 193-188 edge in rushing, though the Longhorns again had a big passing margin (149-54).
Both teams return the majority of its marquee talent from ’18, including the Salmans duo, Snyder, Robles and Girk. The big difference will likely come down to the passing game. This should be a very close contest, but a slight edge to Hodgeman County.
Our Pick: Hodgeman County 30, South Central 28 (Nicholl)
South Barber (1-1) at 8M-II No. 5 Hutchinson Central Christian (2-0)
In a game that should to decide both the 8M-II, District 7 championship and the Heart of the Plains League title, South Barber takes the drive north to take on Hutchinson Central Christian.
Central Christian comes in at 2-0 on the season, with a close 40-34 victory at Argonia-Attica in week one, and easily defeated Norwich 52-0. South Barber is 1-1, with a loss to Cherokee, Oklahoma 44-8, but defeated Fairfield last week by a score of 72-16.
Last year’s contest held at South Barber was a barn burner. The Chieftains won 70-68 in a game that took three overtimes to decide. It was the first matchup between the Chieftains and the Cougars since Central Christian’s return to KSHSAA football in 2016.
South Barber finished the regular-season undefeated and lost to eventual state runner-up Osborne in the playoffs. Central Christian finished the season at 7-3, falling to Otis-Bison in the second round of the playoffs.
Hutch Central Christian has been known for their high scoring offence. HCC has scored 108, 92, and 90 points in single games over the past three years.
Senior quarterback Caleb Lambert is going into his second season being the leader of the offense. Last year, Lambert was the rushing and passing leader for the team. In the air, Lambert produced 2,055 yards and 38 touchdowns to seven interceptions. When Lambert kept the ball on the ground, he accounted for 798 yards and 22 TD’s on 106 carries.
Central Christian also returns a lot of Lambert’s weapons, in running back Garrett Burns, and wideouts Adam Hall and Deonis Coon. In HCC’s 40-34 win over Argonia-Attica, Hall caught one touchdown and Coon caught two.
South Barber returns six starters on both sides of the ball. Trevor Rooks returns for his senior season behind center after a 2018 season where he completed 101 for 168 pass attempts for 1,416 yards and 28 touchdowns. Rooks returns two wide receivers for a big passing attack. Senior Gage Cantrell caught 25 passes last year for five scores. Junior Emilio Perez hauled in 24 catches, resulting in 466 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Caden Rathberger caught 5 scores and 190 yards last year on 13 receptions.
Don’t be surprised to see this game go into overtime like last year. Both schools have a good passing game, with returning standouts at quarterback and receiver. In this matchup, I give the edge to Central Christian playing on their home field seeking revenge for last year.
Our Pick: Central Christian 64, South Barber 58 (Hammeke)
The Pick List:
Blue Valley West (1-1) at St. James Academy (1-1) – Blue Valley West
Olathe East (1-1) at Olathe West (0-2) – Olathe East
4A No. 5 Pittsburg (2-0) at Blue Valley North (0-2) – Blue Valley North
Wichita West (2-0) at 5A No. 3 Bishop Carroll (1-1) – Bishop Carroll
4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (2-0) at Mill Valley (1-1) – Bishop Miege
Bonner Springs (1-1) at Spring Hill (2-0) – Spring Hill
4A No. 2 Goddard (2-0) at Andover Central (2-0) – Goddard
Galena (2-0) at Prairie View (2-0) – Galena
Larned (1-1) at 2A No. 1 Hoisington (2-0) – Hoisington
3A No. 1 Sabetha (2-0) at Perry-Lecompton (1-1) – Sabetha
Wamego (2-0) at Clay Center (1-1) – Wamego
Humboldt (2-0) at Eureka (1-1) – Humboldt
Northern Heights (2-0) at Mission Valley (2-0) – Northern Heights
2A No. 3 Silver Lake (2-0) at Riley County (1-1) – Silver Lake
1A No. 1 Smith Center (2-0) at 2A No. 2 Phillipsburg (1-1) – Smith Center
Argonia-Attica (1-1) at Pratt-Skyline (2-0) – Argonia-Attica
Cedar Vale-Dexter (2-0) at Caldwell (2-0) – Caldwell
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