Kpreps Game Day feature is designed to provide you with a program for things to watch out for each week in Kansas High School Football. This week, we focus on teams off to surprising unbeaten starts.
If you have suggestions for what you would like to see in future Game Day features, send us a message on Twitter or Facebook.
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The roots of Hanover’s dynasty
The 2007 Eight-Man, Division I state championship game featured undefeated Macksville and veteran coach Dan Grizzell against Hanover. Macksville had reached the quarterfinals and semifinals the previous two years.
Matt Heuer, a Hanover alum in his third season, finished 2-7 in his first fall. In ’06, the Wildcats opened 9-0 and then lost to Kensington, 46-0, in the first round of the playoffs.
2007 marked Hanover’s second all-time appearance in a state title championship, first since ’79.
Heuer hadn’t really met Grizzell before the teams matched up in the state finale. Back then, coaches still had to trade film before games in person. Heuer still recalled Grizzell’s “extremely nice” personality.
Macksville defeated Hanover, 24-20. In the next several years, Heuer talked to Grizzell, heard him at coaching clinics, and “picked his brain.” The two worked together at an eight-man all-star game.
Grizzell is one of many coaches Heuer has talked to, a list that includes Victoria’s Doug Oberle, current Little River coach Kevin Ayers, current Oakley coach Jeff Hennick, Ness City’s Marc Cowles, retired Waverly coach Mike Hevel, retired Pike Valley coach Don Melby, Caldwell’s Sean Blosser, and Axtell coach Eric Detweiler.
“You kind of form that friendship,” Heuer said. “And it’s one of those things where you are able to communicate after the season, you feel comfortable doing so. That’s the one thing I will probably give a lot of my props to our success on is I have been blessed to be able to communicate with a lot of really good football coaches over the past 15 years.”
“The things that we have stolen from this program or that program or from picking this coach’s brain or that coach’s brain,” he added.
Grizzell’s early work helped Heuer. Grizzell stopped coaching football after 2009, though is still involved with Macksville athletics in basketball and track.
“Some of the things that we have done is kind of based off some of the things that he did against us,” Heuer said.
Since ‘07, the year after the Macksville loss, Hanover started one of the state’s all-time great Kansas dynasties. In the Wildcats’ first three years with Heuer, Hanover finished 23-9 and averaged 37.3 points a game. Since then, Hanover is 122-16 and tallied 49.6 points a game. In the last two seasons, Hanover has won each of the highest two scoring eight-man championships in state history.
After the ’07 loss, Hanover won titles in ’08 and ’09 and runner-up showings in ’14-15. The Wildcats have posted undefeated seasons in the last three falls. Heuer has led Hanover to a 5-0 start this year and has won 43 consecutive games, the longest eight-man winning streak in the KSHSAA era.
This Friday, No. 1 Hanover plays host to No. 2 Axtell in one of its toughest tests in the winning streak in Eight-Man, Division II, District 3. Frankfort is 5-0, 4-0 in districts. Axtell and Hanover are both 3-0 in districts. Frankfort is at Beloit/St. John’s-Tipton (4-1) in non-district this week before it travels to Axtell and then faces Hanover.
In ’08, Oberle faced Macksville in the regular season and then Hanover in the state title. This summer, Oberle said Grizzell “probably doesn’t get enough credit” for helping Heuer. Oberle said Heuer and Grizzell continue give teams different looks and sets.
Twice, Heuer has enjoyed great seasons with either zero or one offensive starter back, including ’19. Hanover has scored at least 51 points a game in the last six years. Part of the success comes from the athletes.
This year, Hanover has nine athletes between 6-foot and 6-foot-4. While many eight-man teams are consistent running teams, Hanover holds multiple eight-man passing records. The Wildcats averaged 249 passing yards a game in ’15.
Two other times Hanover has thrown for at least 161 yards a contest. The Wildcats passed for at least 28 touchdowns five times from ’09-16.
Hanover averaged between 204 and 227 rushing yards a game six times from ’09-18. His last two quarterbacks, Will Bruna and Daiken Stallbaumer, were both first team all-state players with varying statistics.
“First and foremost, it’s a lot easier when you get to work with the athletes that I have gotten to work with,” Heuer said. “I am blessed to work with that. I am blessed to work with good assistant coaches to help us open things up. Secondly, I think that our kids do a really good job of buying into what we try to do as a program and what we try to do both offensively and defensively.
“As you go, there’s certain things that we try to look at it from week to week as far as what to do defensively and where we think that we might be able to attack them and have a little bit of success,” he added.
Oberle said he doesn’t know if there’s “anybody better” than Heuer at understanding defensive weaknesses and “exploiting them.” During the years, multiple coaches have noted how well Hanover makes plays in space.
“He’s a mad scientist a little bit, and I think in terms of teaching a play, Xs and Os,” Oberle said. “However he does that to his players and getting them to understand and execute, I don’t know if there anybody better.”
This season, Hanover has again delivered big numbers with brand new skill position starters, including senior Taegan Schwartz and junior Colin Jueneman.
“That’s my favorite place to be is 1-on-1 or 1-on-8, anybody. It’s the best feeling,” Jueneman said. “Being out there, and being able to run and show my speed, show what I can do, is just what I look forward to.”
Halstead continues excellent special teams
Halstead has enjoyed great special teams in recent seasons. Kicker Taiten Winkle is a Division I recruit and earned KJCCC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 2 for Butler County Community College this year. In 2017, Aric Propst averaged 40.5 yards per kickoff return and was a first team all-state returner. Long snapper David Schulte was also an outstanding specialist.
This season, Halstead (5-0) again has great special teams. Senior Ryan Rodriguez has eight touchbacks on 36 attempts. He is six of six on extra point attempts. Senior punter Brian Casey has averaged 38.6 yards per kick. Casey ranks No. 11 in 11-man punting average, according to MaxPreps statistical lists.
“All of a sudden now, he’s booming the ball,” Halstead coach Jason Grider said of Rodriguez . “Just very fortunate there. Brian Casey punting, he’s very athletic. Just does a nice job. He’s very, very consistent, and when we need him the most, it seems like he punts his best, he is able to flip the field.”
Halstead has 439 return yards, ninth-best in Kansas. Sophomore Conner Boyd has returned a kick for a touchdown. Senior Scott Grider is a key returner and returned a punt for a score in ’18. Halstead is at Clay Center (3-2) this week.
Underrated players in District 2 contest
In Eight-Man, Division I, District 2, Coldwater-South Central is 5-0, 2-0 and Caldwell stands at 4-1, 1-1. Caldwell plays host to SC, ranked third in Division I.
South Central has well-known key players such as quarterback Chayde Snyder and Gage Girk, though junior Jonny Robles has continued to put together a great career.
Robles, a big play threat, has 17 carries for 143 yards and three scores. He has nine receptions for 245 yards and six touchdowns. Robles has 22 tackles, four for loss and picked off two passes.
In his career, Robles has scored 25 offensive touchdowns on 77 offensive touches. He has averaged 15 yards per offensive touch. Robles has six touchdowns and four fumble recoveries in his career.
Caldwell, with coach Sean Blosser, has consistently delivered big offensive numbers. The Bluejays have averaged at least 39.8 points per game every year since ’14. This year, Caleb Noyes has stepped up at quarterback after eight-man all-star Corbin Rice graduated.
Noyes, a wide receiver last year, has run the read option offense well. Caldwell has averaged 44.8 points per game. SC has allowed just 20 points, best in the classification.
In a 56-28 win against Cedar Vale-Dexter in Week 3, Noyes delivered 14 of 20 passing for 253 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed 22 times for 71 yards and picked off two passes. CV-D is 4-1.
Overall, he has completed 38 of 66 passes for 711 yards with 11 touchdowns. Noyes has rushed 72 times for 242 yards and six scores.
Keep an eye out for these games – and here’s why:
5A No. 4 De Soto (5-0) at Basehor-Linwood (3-2)
Fourth-ranked De Soto will get perhaps its most difficult challenge to date when the Wildcats travel to Basehor-Linwood. De Soto has rolled through the first five games winning by an average margin of nearly 44 points per game. The offense has been explosive led by quarterback Jackson Miller, but it was the Wildcat defense that solidified the win in a 14-0 shutout of Spring Hill. In Basehor-Linwood, the Wildcats get an opponent that has put up nearly 39 points per game. Chase Torkelson leads the Bobcat offense having passed for 1,389 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Ethan Huber has been Torkelson’s top target with 29 catches for 481 yards and four scores, but three other receivers have double-digit catches on the year. The winner is in the driver’s seat for the United Kansas Conference title.
Pittsburg (4-1) at Mill Valley (2-3)
Both of these teams sit just outside the top five rankings in their respective classification. Pittsburg has been ranked in the 4A poll this season before their lone loss, 27-3, at Blue Valley North in Week 3. Since then, the Purple Dragons have posted consecutive victories over Fort Scott (28-0) and Ulysses (42-3). Now Pittsburg closes out its regular-season schedule with challenging games against large class opponents in Mill Valley, Olathe East (3-2), and 5A No. 4 De Soto (5-0). Mill Valley is likely the best sub-.500 team in the state. Despite the Jaguars’ 2-3 record, they are a contender on the East side of Class 5A. Mill Valley’s three losses have come by seven points each to Blue Valley West, 4A No. 1 Bishop Miege, and 5A No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas. Last week, the Jaguars handled Blue Valley North 38-7, while North beat Pittsburg by 24 points three weeks ago.
Class 3A:
Perry-Lecompton (3-2, 2-0) at Jefferson West (4-1; 1-1) – The Kaws and Tigers meet in a key game in District 3. Perry-Lecompton is 2-0 in district play after consecutive wins over Wellsville and Santa Fe Trail. The Kaws got three touchdowns from William Welch and 167 rushing yards from Thad Metcalfe last week to pull away from Santa Fe Trail. Perry-Lecompton’s only two losses have come to Sabetha and Holton. Meanwhile, Jefferson West played third-ranked Topeka Hayden tough before falling 13-6 last week. The Tigers didn’t product a lot of offense last week, but the defense forced three Hayden turnovers and didn’t break in the red zone. Jeff West will look to rebound and establish itself as a contender on the east side of 3A in the next few weeks.
Beloit (3-2; 1-1) at No. 5 Scott City (5-0; 2-0) – Another key game in District 8 has Beloit traveling to Scott City. These two programs look to be on their way to another playoff spot out of this district. Scott City has rolled to a 5-0 start and done so with defense. The Beavers have allowed only 10 points all season and have yet to allow an opponent to score an offensive touchdown. Meanwhile, Beloit enters this contest averaging 28 points per game.
Class 2A:
Nemaha Central (3-2; 2-0) at Riverside (4-1; 2-0) – This is the key game in District 3 as Nemaha Central and Riverside both sit atop the district standings with 2-0 marks. While it may have been expected for the Thunder to be in this position, Riverside is bit of a surprise under first-year coach Bryce Paden. The Cyclones pulled off an impressive late-game touchdown to upset Maur Hill-Mount Academy, 28-27, two weeks ago, then followed that up with a 51-12 blowout of Atchison County last week. Nemaha Central’s two losses have come to Big 7 Conference rivals Sabetha (13-6) and Holton (28-14). The Thunder are led on the ground by junior Gage Palic (338 yards, 8 TD), but quarterback Dylan Schultejans has passed for 650 yards and nine touchdowns.
Lakin (5-0; 2-0) at Cimarron (5-0; 2-0) – A pair of unbeatens will hook up in Cimarron and likely decide the District 7 championship. Lakin and Cimarron a rolled through their schedule thus far. Lakin has wining by an average scoring margin of 44 to 10, while Cimarron’s is 37 to 12. The Broncs are led by senior back Kayden Christiansen and sophomore quarterback Servando Gonzalez. Cimarron features the backfield of Tate Seabolt (483 yards, 8 TD), Peyton Marshall (403 yards, 5 TD), and Hunter Renick (284 yards, 3 TD). Last season, Cimarron’s Dylan Harrison tossed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Newton with :40 seconds remaining to lift the Bluejays to an 18-14 victory over Lakin.
Class 1A
La Crosse (5-0) at Plainville (4-1) -- Two longtime rivals, separated by 49 miles on Hwy 183, match up for likely the last time in the 11-man ranks. La Crosse, 3-6 last year, has made a big improvement. Plainville has missed star Jared Casey the last two weeks.
Plainville has the No. 8 strength of schedule in Class 1A, according to Prep Power Index. La Crosse has faced the No. 29 SOS. La Crosse won nine straight in the series from ’04-14, while the Cardinals have won four in a row.
La Crosse and Plainville have combined for three state runner-up finishes and four semifinal showings since ’11.
8-Man, Division I
Cedar Vale-Dexter (4-1; 2-0) at West Elk (3-2; 1-1) –District 1 remains wide open and some things will be decided this week as Cedar Vale-Dexter travels to West Elk. The Spartans are the only unbeaten team in district play, while West Elk will try and rebound from a 54-50 shootout loss to Oswego a week ago. Nic Moreno leads the Patriots with 834 yards rushing and 16 scores, while Devin Loudermilk has added 689 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. Moreno was off to a promising start last season rushing for nearly 670 yards in four games before suffering a season-ending injury. Cedar Vale-Dexter won this contest, 46-0, a year ago.
Maranatha Academy (4-1; 1-1) at Burlingame (4-1; 1-1) – Two 4-1 teams currently in the middle of the pack in District 3 will square off tonight in Burlingame. Maranatha lost a shootout, 68-58, at district favorite Madison last a couple of weeks ago, then bested Chase County 58-48 last week. The Eagles are led by their high-powered offense featuring quarterback Nate Burdette and receiver Brock West. Burlingame fell 38-12 to Chase County the week prior. The Bearcats are led statistically by senior quarterback Kade Kline who has rushed for 331 yards and nine touchdowns and passed for 283 yards and eight scores. Freshman Colby Middleton has added 325 yards rushing and five scores, while junior Wyatt Ledom has 301 yards on the ground with six scores.
Spearville (4-1; 2-0) at Ness City (5-0; 2-0) – Spearville, Ness City, and Hodgeman County are the three teams without a loss in district play entering this week. Things will start to work themselves out as Spearville travels to unbeaten Ness City tonight. The Royal Lancers picked up an impressive 46-16 win over Kiowa County last week. Spearville is led by junior Trace Tasset who has rushed for nearly 650 yards and 14 scores on the season. Meanwhile, Ness City has used a stout defense that has allowed only seven points total in the last four weeks.
8-Man, Division II
Frankfort (5-0) at Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (4-1) – This is not a district game, but the Wildcats and Blujays will battle for a second-consecutive season in a cross-district match-up. Both teams come into this week knowing they have already clinched a playoff spot. Both Frankfort and BJST carry 4-0 district records, and, with two district games remaining, cannot finish worse than fourth in their respective districts.
Otis-Bison (3-2) at South Barber (4-1) – This is another non-district / cross-district game features two teams that played a classic half last season. Last year, both were ranked entering this contest – No. 3 South Barber & No. 4 Otis-Bison. The game ended in a 36-36 tie after the game was cut short at halftime due to severe weather. Despite the anticlimactic finish, the Chieftains and Cougars packed in about as much excitement into two quarters as anyone could ask for. Otis-Bison’s Anton Foust and South Barber’s Trevor Rooks seemingly traded big-play blow-after-blow in a first half that featured ten lead changes. Neither team lead by more than six points. Foust has graduated, but Rooks is still around making plays for the Chieftains and likely makes them the favorite at home.
Keep an eye on the state’s current longest streaks (by classification):
Current Longest Winning Streaks:
Class 6A
Derby – 18
Class 5A
St. Thomas Aquinas - 17
Class 4A
Multiple tied – 5
(McPherson, Paola, Tonganoxie)
Class 3A
Several tied – 5
(Andale, Colby, Columbus, Frontenac, Halstead, Marysville, Prairie View, Scott City, Topeka Hayden)
Class 2A
Several tied – 5
(Belle Plaine, Cimarron, Garden Plain, Hoisington, Humboldt, Lakin, Silver Lake, Southeast-Cherokee)
Class 1A
Smith Center – 15
Class 8M-I
Several tied – 5
(Canton-Galva, Clifton-Clyde, Leoti-Wichita County, Madison, Ness City, St. Francis, South Central)
Class 8M-II
Hanover - 43
6-Man
Cheylin, Moscow – 5
Current Longest Losing Streaks:
Class 6A
Wichita North – 13 games (includes Thursday night Week 6 game)
Class 5A
Topeka Highland Park – 48 games
Class 4A
Baldwin – 10 games
Class 3A
Bishop Ward – 52 games
Class 2A
Horton – 16 games
Wichita Independent –15 games
Class 1A
Republic County – 24 games
Class 8-Man, Division I
St. John – 18 games
Class 8-Man, Division II
Burrton – 22 games
Tescott – 14 games
6-Man
Western Plains – 24 games
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