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:
6A No. 3 Lawrence (4-0) at Shawnee Mission Northwest (4-0)
Entering Week 5 of the Kansas high school football season, only five unbeaten teams remain in Class 6A. That elite group will at least diminish by one more on Friday as the third-ranked Lawrence Chesty Lions travels to take on the unbeaten Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars.
The game will be played at Shawnee Mission North High School.
Lawrence has been one of the state’s biggest surprises in starting 4-0 with still a relatively young team. The Lions finished just 1-8 last season, and veteran coach Steve Rampy has quickly made Lawrence a contender again.
The Lions rallied from 14 points down in winning 35-34 at then No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton. Quarterback Jackson Dooley hit Devin Neal out of the backfield for an 82-yard touchdown to pull the Lions within six points in the fourth quarter. Neal then broke an 80-yard touchdown run with a little under four minutes remaining in what would prove to be the game-winning points.
Neal is enjoying a breakout junior season out of the backfield and has recently picked up offers from Kansas and Kansas State. For the season, he has rushed for 538 yards on 74 carries and has three consecutive 100-yard games.
Last week, Neal rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries and caught four passes for 90 yards in the Lions’ 52-21 win over Olathe Northwest.
Lawrence averages 37 points per game while surrendering 21.
On the other sidelines will be Bo Black’s Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars – the only unbeaten team on the eastern side of Class 6A. The Cougars are unbeaten after four games for the first time since 2008.
Northwest doesn’t have the marquee victory on its resume that Lawrence has, but the Cougars do have an explosive offense that puts up 47 points per game.
Junior quarterback Ty Black, the coach’s son, is among the state’s leading passers with 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns in just four games. The Cougars like to use the short passing game as an extension of the run game, and Black has been incredibly efficient in completing 79 percent of his pass attempts.
The Cougar offense will try and get the ball to shifty receiver Ty Lindenman. Lindenman has already caught 35 passes for 727 yards and nine touchdowns through four games. He’s also a threat to carry the ball out of Northwest’s spread attack.
The Northwest defense has been sufficient through the first four weeks, but has surrendered more than 27 points per game as a unit.
There is a possibility that this game could be high-scoring. Last season Northwest won 20-2 in a contest where both offenses struggled and Lawrence struggled with four turnovers and three other fumbles. I would be surprised if we see a repeat of that on Friday.
The Cougars will have to play their most consistent game this Friday as they host fellow unbeaten No. 3 Lawrence.
Our Pick: Lawrence 35, SM Northwest 32 (Gilmore)
4A No. 4 Andover Central (4-0) at Maize South (4-0)
Andover Central and Maize South meet up to decide the Ark Valley Chisolm Trail League Division II championship. Both schools are undefeated and are the only unbeaten teams in the league. Both teams had experience rosters returning this fall. The Jaguars brought back six offensive and seven defensive starters, while Maize South returned five offensive and nine defensive starters.
Maize South has won every contest versus Andover Central. The Jaguars and Mavericks started meeting each other in 2012, when South won 33-21. The Mavericks won 21-7 in ’13; 35-10 in ’14; 51-41 in ’15; 49-0 in ’16; 23-13 in ’17; and 21-20 last year.
Andover Central has been very successful in the passing game with the wide receiver duo of Matthew Macy and Xavier Bell. In last week’s 17-14 victory over Valley Center, Bell had 11 catches for 150 yards and both touchdowns in the contest. Macy had 65 yards on two catches in the Valley Center game, but had a 189-yard, two-touchdown game against Goddard the week before.
On the season, Macy has 425 yards on 12 catches, while Bell has 390 yards on 23 catches. Both receivers have five touchdowns, but will certainly be tested by one of the state’s top defensive backs in Maize South’s Trevion Mitchell.
Defensively, Trey DeGarmo leads Andover Central with 53 tackles and five tackles for loss. Bridger Warrington isn’t far behind with 41 tackles, three for loss.
Maize South has been relying mostly on the run game. In their season opener, the Mavericks had 365 rushing yards with only 59 passing. The situation remained the same when they rallied to beat Arkansas City last week. The Mavericks had just 55 passing yards and 361 rushing yards behind a 247-yard, four-touchdown performance from Hunter Niemann. Defensively, South has allowed 16.3 points per game compared to Central’s 11 points per contest.
For Maize South to win, they may have to start going to the air more. In the past three contests, Andover Central has allowed just under 100 yards per game on the ground. Opponents have had more success through the air, where the Jaguars have allowed 180 yards per game.
If Derek Tuttle and the Andover Central Jaguars can slow the Maize South rushing attack, they can stop the seven-game losing skid and defeat the Mavericks for the first time in school history.
Our Pick: Andover Central 28, Maize South 17 (Hammeke)
Hesston (4-0) at Halstead (4-0)
Only 17 miles keep undefeated county rivals Hesston and Halstead apart. The Swathers and Dragons mirror each other in two aspects. Both schools brought back four offensive starters and seven defensive starters from last year; and both schools have defeated Pratt. Last year both squads lost to Pratt, who went on and became the 3A state runner-up, and Smoky Valley, who went 10-1 last fall.
Hesston comes into this contest on a two-game win streak in the series, defeating Halstead 38-22 last year and 37-22 in 2017. Halstead won the two years prior to that; in 2016 and 2015. Halstead edged Hesston 26-24 in 2016, and 18-6 in 2015.
Hesston has had a stifling defense so far this fall. They have allowed only 10 points a game, including a shutout versus Pratt. On the offensive side, Jacob Eilert has been the go-to man for the Swathers. Versus Smoky Valley last week, Eilert went 12 of 17 with two touchdowns and an interception. Brady Cox was his favorite target with four catches for 85 yards. Max Arnold added a touchdown from four yards out, and rushed for 53 yards in the contest.
Halstead also has a stingy defense this season as well. The Dragons have given up only 15 points per game, and also have a shutout versus Nickerson. Lakin Farmer had a team-high nine tackles and an interception in last week’s win versus Rock Creek. Farmer was also instrumental on the offense too, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for two touchdowns. Farmer connected to Carter Hiebert and Kaden Kraus on the receiving scores. Kraus added a first quarter score, and Scott Grider also added a pair of touchdown runs.
Last week Halstead had seven penalties for 113 yards. On the season, they average 66 yards of penalty yards per game. That will be key to this game. In this key 3A District 5 matchup, Hesston takes the victory and moves their win streak against their Harvey County counterpart.
Our Pick: Hesston 35, Halstead 14 (Hammeke)
Jefferson West (4-0) at 3A No. 3 Topeka Hayden (4-0)
The Class 3A, District 3 title will likely be on the line when unbeaten Jefferson West travels to take on third-ranked Topeka Hayden.
Jeff West not only is unbeaten, but the Tigers have yet to be scored upon this season. Jeff West has outscored its four opponents 136-0, although three of those opponents are winless on the season.
The Tigers’ most competitive game was in the season opener when quarterback Quinn Neuenswander hit Pene Saili on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds remaining to beat Holton, 7-0.
Since, Jefferson West has rolled through wins over Royal Valley (40-0), Hiawatha (55-0), and Bishop Ward (36-0).
The Tigers are loaded with experience and talent. Kauli Saili is a returning Kpreps 3A All-State selection on the defensive line, while his brothers Pene (LB), and Danny (OL/DL) are also standout players.
On the offensive side of the ball the Tigers have been run-heavy thus far – a change from a spread look that last year’s quarterback Cade Ross directed before his family moved out of state. That allowed Neunswander to move behind center from receiver, although he played some quarterback last season.
Nuenswander has rushed for nearly 400 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season, while Bryce Clements has added more than 300 yards on the ground.
The Tigers will no doubt get their toughest test of the season from Hayden. The Wildcats are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2008 – the last time they won a state title.
Hayden is averaging more than 46 points per game while allowing only 7 per contest. Junior back Desmond Purnell can be explosive in the run game or catching the ball. He’s also returned an interception for a score this season.
In last week’s weather-shortened 36-6 win at Santa Fe Trail, Purnell rushed for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass as the Wildcats scored 28 points in the opening quarter.
Quarterback Johnny Holloway has been efficient in leading the Hayden offense. Jack Konrade joins Purnell as one of the Wildcats’ primary ball carriers.
Last season, Hayden used a consistent running game and a stout defensive effort to win 30-7 at Meriden. The Wildcats rushed for more than 225 yards in the contest led by Purnell and only allowed a fourth-quarter touchdown pass by the Tigers.
These are certainly two playoff teams and two of the top teams on the eastern side of Class 3A. Jefferson West has never defeated Hayden in its history, and have a tall task to do so on the road on Friday night.
Our Pick: Hayden 27, Jeff West 14 (Gilmore)
3A No. 2 Marysville (4-0) at Wamego (4-0)
The two North Central Kansas League foes mark another big matchup in Class 3A, District 4 that features Marysville and Wamego at 4-0, along with Holton and Sabetha at 3-1. This is Marysville’s third straight road game. Both squads return a bevy of elite playmakers. The contest is also for the NCKL title.
Last week, Marysville was ranked third in the classification, and won at top-ranked Sabetha, 40-32. The contest ended Sabetha’s 23-game winning streak. Marysville bumped to second in the poll, and Sabetha fell fourth. After a 2-2 start last year, the Bulldogs are 10-1 since with the lone loss coming in the playoffs.
In ’17, Marysville finished as Class 3A state runner-up to Sabetha and fell in district play to the Bluejays in ’18. Wamego had captured four straight in the series before Marysville has won the last three.
Marysville, also the defending Class 4A wrestling champions, have plenty of starters back, including linebackers Garron Champoux and Storm Slupianek. Both were state runners-up in wrestling and delivered more than 100 tackles in ’18.
Champoux was a first team all-state football selection. Like Champoux and Slupianek, senior running back Atreyau Hornbeak is a three-year starter and one of the state’s top running backs. Additionally, Brandon Schroedl returns at quarterback.
Hornbeak has 112 carries for 624 yards and 16 scores. He rushed 44 times for 192 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Sabetha last week. Schroedl has delivered 39 carries for 288 yards and two rushing TDs. He has completed 43 of 54 passes for 588 yards with a 4/2 TD/INT ratio. Forty of the team’s 44 catches have come from seniors, and Owen Nietfeld leads with 23 catches for 274 yards and three scores.
Champoux, who suffered injury in the summer, returned in the Sabetha game and delivered five tackles. In his stead, the top-three tacklers are seniors with 37 by Slupianek, 30 from Jonny Crome and 24 by Brycen Detimore. Marysville has forced 22 and 24 turnovers the last two seasons but just three thus far.
Wamego, with second-year coach Weston Moody, was picked as a potential breakout team in the fall. The Red Raiders finished 5-4 in ’18 with 27.9 points scored per game and 21.1 allowed.
Wamego added Taybor Vetter, now a two-time all-state returner and dynamic athlete, as a transfer two years ago. This season, running back Isiah Childs tranferred from nearby Manhattan. Vetter has NAIA offers, and Childs has committed to Division I Akron. Both are among the state’s fastest players. Wamego has averaged 35.8 points per contest and permitted 15 a game.
The Red Raiders have not won more than five contests in a season since an 8-2 record in ’14 under then-coach Dale Burkholder. This marks Wamego’s first 4-0 start since before 1996, according to Kansas Football History. Childs has more than 540 rushing yards, Vetter has exceeded 335, and Brad Sackrider has more than 295.
Last year, Marysville defeated Wamego, 20-14, at home in a contest that was decided late. Midway through the fourth quarter, Schroedl tossed a touchdown pass to Jacob Backus for a 20-14 lead. Wamego drove down the field, but Champoux effectively sealed the game with a great interception over the middle. This contest will likely come down to the fourth quarter, too. Marysville’s experience, notably on defense with Champoux back, could be the edge in what’s expected to be a close game.
Our Pick: Marysville 24, Wamego 20 (Nicholl)
Clifton-Clyde (4-0) at 8M-I No. 5 Victoria (4-0)
Two teams meet up for what is likely the Eight-Man, Division I, District 7 title. Each team took key graduation losses from last year and each squad has picked up at least one quality victory. Notably, Clifton-Clyde graduated eight-man all-stater Drake Steinbrock. Victoria returned just two seniors with linemen Kirk Huser and Josh Schulte, and graduated quarterback Cooper Windholz and all-state end/punter Caden Oberle.
However, each team is undefeated through the first month with their veteran coaches. Victoria has vaulted to fifth in Division I behind coach Doug Oberle (119-30). Clifton-Clyde’s Russ Steinbrock is 117-72.
Victoria owns wins at Otis-Bison (42-14), versus Central Plains (50-14), at Macksville (50-0), and versus Lincoln (70-18). Otis-Bison stands at 3-1, while Central Plains is the defending Eight-Man, Division I state champions.
Clifton-Clyde shut out its first three opponents by the 45-point margin at Wetmore, at Valley Falls and versus Wilson. Last week, the Eagles delivered a quality win, 50-22, versus high-octane Hill City in a key district matchup. Last year, Clifton-Clyde defeated Victoria, 54-30, in a game that decided the first and second spots in the district.
Victoria has received big seasons from sophomore quarterback Grant Schoenrock, junior running back Jayvon Pruitt, the senior linemen and Trenton Engel on defense. Schoenrock first stepped in and played admirably as a freshman in the Week 9 bracket win versus Leoti-Wichita County when Windholz was out with injury.
Victoria made fundamentals, especially on defense, a point of emphasis before ’19 and has held all four teams to under 200 yards of total offense. Schoenrock has more than 550 rushing yards and 200 passing yards.
Clifton-Clyde returned five starters in junior quarterback Aiden Rudolph, along with senior lineman Eric Peterson, and junior linemen Dillon Provost, Mason Ferron and Douglas Koch. Koch also started at linebacker.
Victoria is 18-6 since the start of 2017, but is 12-0 at home in that stretch. The Knights are playing extremely well and always seem to find a way at its home field.
Our Pick: Victoria 36, Clifton-Clyde 24 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Blue Valley West (3-1) at 5A No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0) – Aquinas
Manhattan (3-1) at Emporia (3-1) – Manhattan
Mill Valley (1-3) at Blue Valley North (1-3) – Mill Valley
5A No. 3 De Soto (4-0) at Spring Hill (2-2) – De Soto
Goddard (2-2) at 5A No. 4 Maize (4-0) – Maize
Great Bend (2-2) at 5A No. 5 Bishop Carroll (2-2) – Bishop Carroll
Buhler (4-0) at 4A No. 2 McPherson (4-0) – McPherson
4A No. 4 Tonganoxie (4-0) at KC Piper (3-1) – Tonganoxie
Caney Valley (3-1) at Galena (2-2) – Galena
Holcomb (2-2) at Larned (2-2) – Larned
Wichita Collegiate (4-0) at Cheney (3-1) – Cheney
2A No. 1 Hoisington (4-0) at Ellsworth (4-0) – Hoisington
Jayhawk-Linn (3-1) at Southeast-Cherokee (4-0) – Southeast
Rossville (2-2) at 2A No. 4 Southeast of Saline (4-0) – SE Saline
Jefferson Co. North (4-0) at Christ Prep Academy (4-1) – Christ Prep
Lyndon (4-0) at Northern Heights (4-0) – Northern Heights
1A No. 4 Valley Heights (4-0) at Jackson Heights (2-2) – Valley Heights
Chase County (3-1) at Maranatha Academy (3-1) – Maranatha Academy
Hodgeman County (3-1) at South Gray (3-1) – Hodgeman County
8M-I No. 4 Madison (4-0) at Lebo (3-1) – Madison
Sedan (3-1) at Cedar Vale-Dexter (3-1) – Cedar Vale-Dexter
8M-I No. 2 St. Francis (4-0) at Hoxie (2-2) – St. Francis
WaKeeney-Trego (3-1) at Leoti-Wichita Co. (4-0) – Leoti-Wichita County
West Elk (3-1) at Oswego (3-1) – West Elk
Minneola (3-1) at Otis-Bison (3-1) – Otis-Bison
8M-II No. 3 Osborne (4-0) at Logan-Palco (3-1) – Osborne
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.
