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 (6-0) at 6A No. 2 Olathe North (5-1)
Olathe North will host Lawrence in a showdown that will have significant playoff implications on each side of the state.
While Lawrence is on the west side of Class 6A, Olathe North is on the east side and has a shot to take over the top seed in the 6A East standings. Gardner-Edgerton takes on Shawnee Mission Northwest in a battle of 5-1 teams with the Blazers and Cougars currently sharing the top spot in the east with Olathe North.
If Shawnee Mission Northwest were to beat Gardner-Edgerton this week, that could move Olathe North into the top seed line. A Lawrence over victory over Olathe North would allow the winner of the Gardner-Edgerton and SM Northwest game to grab the top spot in the standings. Olathe North does not play Gardner-Edgerton or Shawnee Mission Northwest, so the final seedings could come down to the points margin.
Last year Olathe North defeated Lawrence 48-23.
Arland Bruce, IV has been on fire this season for Olathe North. The Junior, who is receiving interest from Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Mizzou, has rushed 169 times for 1,234 yards and 21 touchdowns. Through the air, Eagle quarterback Caleb Nelson has connected with Mario Sanchez, Jacob Parrish, Dale Stout, and Sylvester Union each for more than 150 yards this fall. The Eagle offense has averaged 44 points per game.
The Olathe North defense has allowed 24 points per contest with AJ Patillo leading the team in tackles with 78 so far this season. Abram Phillips and Malcolm McKibben have had two interceptions apiece for a team that has seven interceptions this season.
Lawrence has enjoyed an impressive turnaround after a 1-8 season in Steve Rampy’s first year with the Lions.
Last week in their 40-21 victory versus Shawnee Mission South, Lawrence exploded for 469 yards, which is almost double the yards that they had in last year’s game versus the Raiders. Lawrence dominated the second half of the game, scoring 26 unanswered points after falling behind by two scores early.
The Lions have averaged just under 40 points per game, and have been tested in victories over Shawnee Mission Northwest and Gardner-Edgerton, who are battling Olathe North for the 6A East No. 1 seed.
This could be a game that comes down to the final minute with a pair of the state’s most exciting players in Lawrence’s Devin Neal and North’s Bruce. Lawrence has been great in late-game heroics this season and could pull off the slight upset at ODAC.
Our Pick: Lawrence35, Olathe North 27 (Hammeke)
5A No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (6-0) at 4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (5-1)
It doesn’t get much bigger than No. 1 versus No. 1.
Class 5A’s top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas Saints will close out their regular-season schedule with a trip to Class 4A No. 1 Bishop Miege on Friday. The Saints can win the Eastern Kansas League championship outright with a win.
Aquinas rolled to a 3-0 start winning by an average margin of 45 points. The last three weeks, the Saints have been challenged in victories over Mill Valley (28-21), Blue Valley West (35-21), and St. James Academy (28-21).
Despite losing several talented players from last year’s state championship team, the Saints have been one of the favorites to get back to Pittsburg for the 5A final. Aquinas again is getting it down on the ground in averaging nearly 350 rushing yards per game.
Junior running back Tyron “Tank” Young has followed up his all-state sophomore campaign with 940 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on only 97 carries this season. Young has rushed for 199 yards in each of the last two games. Last season, he broke on to the Kansas high school football scene by rushing for 2,075 yards and 26 scores.
Despite having to replace multiple high-level recruits on the offensive line, the Saints have played well up front. Junior quarterback Blake Anderson has provided balance in the offense with nearly 700 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Rangy receiver Isaiah Gavin leads the team with 261 yards and four scores, while Finn Barnett is effective as a runner or receiver.
Bishop Miege can share the EKL title with a win over Aquinas and a victory over Blue Valley Northwest next week. The Stags have rebounded from a 28-27 Homecoming loss to St. James Academy with impressive wins over Rockhurst (34-7) and Blue Valley (41-23).
Brison Cobbins has rushed for 272 yards and eight touchdowns in the past two weeks. For the season, Cobbins has 699 rushing yards and 14 scores.
Tim Dorsey has played well at quarterback and has perhaps the best receiving group in the state. Dorsey has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,360 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions.
When Dorsey looks to throw, he can look to a pair of D1 recruits in Daniel Jackson and Phillippe Wesley. Jackson has 32 receptions for a team-high 530 yards and seven touchdowns, while Wesley has 25 catches for 413 yards and five scores. Mack Moeller has contributed 21 receptions for 326 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, Aquinas rushed for nearly 500 yards in defeating Miege 41-21 to end a six-game losing streak in the series. In that game, Young went wild in rushing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints had patience with their run game despite falling behind 14-0 early. Look for Aquinas to try and control the ball in this one as well. It should be another state-championship caliber atmosphere at Dixon Doll Stadium.
Our Pick: Aquinas 35, Bishop Miege 28 (Gilmore)
Emporia (4-2) at 6A No. 5 Topeka High (5-1)
Topeka High and Emporia will meet up in another big Centennial League matchup. Entering this week, the Centennial League standings show four teams tied on top with 4-1 records – Emporia, Junction City, Manhattan, and Topeka. Topeka can claim a share of the Centennial League title and knock Emporia out of contention with a win; however, Emporia can do the same with a victory.
Both teams have guaranteed a first-round playoff game at home.
Last year, Emporia pushed Topeka before kicker Gregorio Leonardo hit a game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Trojans to a 27-26 victory.
Emporia hasn’t defeated Topeka since 2009, when the Spartans won 40-21.
Emporia is coming off of a head-turning 98-16 victory against struggling Topeka Highland Park. The halftime (84-8) and final margin sparked a lot of debate throughout the state, but the Spartans pulled their starting players midway through the second quarter. Emporia took advantage of short fields throughout the game, as a result of Highland Park’s decision not to punt. Emporia used 11 different running backs for 443 yards, and used four quarterbacks in the contest.
The Spartans have only allowed 13 point per game, while offensively, Emporia has scored at a clip of 36 points per game.
Topeka had another big week from Ky Thomas and Da’Vonshai Harden in a 42-28 victory over Washburn Rural. Thomas broke the Centennial League career rushing record of 5,598 yards with his 271-yard performance last Friday. Thomas now has rushed for 6,082 yards in his career.
Harden accounted for 258 yards on the night with the opening touchdown of the game. The Topeka defense has only allowed for 20 points per contest, while the Trojans score 46 points per game.
This should be a highly competitive game, but the due of Harden and Thomas have been virtually unstoppable this fall for opposing defenses.
Our Pick: Topeka 41, Emporia 35 (Hammeke)
3A No. 4 Sabetha (5-1) at Wamego (5-1)
Each week, it seems Class 3A District 4 provides another great matchup worthy of a state quarterfinal playoff game. This week is no different as Marysville (3-0) hosts Holton (2-1) and Sabetha (2-1) travels to Wamego (2-1).
With the top four teams in the district standings squaring off, we’ll know much more about how they playoff qualifiers will be seeded after this week.
Two-time defending champion Sabetha has won two consecutive since their lone loss, 40-32, to Marysville. That loss snapped the Blue Jays 23-game win streak, but Sabetha has responded with a 53-0 shutout of Hiawatha and a 35-13 win over Holton last week.
Now the Blue Jays will travel to Wamego to take on a Red Raiders squad that may be one of the more explosive teams in the classification. Wamego’s lone loss came 20-17 to Marysville two weeks ago – a game in which they led 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Red Raiders still have a trip to Holton left on their schedule next week.
Wamego features the likes of Isaiah Childs at running back and the ever-dangerous Taybor Vetter as one of the state’s top return men.
On the other sideline, Sabetha counters with the toughness of a two-time champion and a gamer in senior quarterback Gabe Garber.
Garber has passed for 818 yards and seven touchdowns this season. His top targets have been Braden Argabright, Drew Schmelzle, and Kaleb Grimm. Argabright has a team-high 16 catches for 278 yards, while Schmelzle adds 12 catches for 212 yards and three touchdowns, and Grimm 119 yards on ten receptions.
Sabetha primarily sticks to the ground game where they average nearly 250 yards per game. Garber leads the team with 494 rushing yards and 15 scores, while classmate Andrew Frazee is close behind with 479 yards on the season.
Both teams feature stout defenses that surrender 14 points per game on average. In fact, Wamego has given up 86 points this season to Sabetha’s 87.
In last year’s meeting Sabetha rushed for more than 300 yards as the Blue Jays rolled 56-0. These teams are much different than a year ago, but in a game that’s anticipated to be close it’s difficult to go against a team that has been in big-game situations so many times over the past couple of seasons.
Our Pick: Sabetha 26, Wamego 21 (Gilmore)
Scott City (5-1) at Colby (6-0)
Scott City travels to Colby to decide the Greater West Activities Conference title – and likely Class 3A, District 8. Colby is 6-0, 3-0 and Scott City stands at 5-1, 2-1 after last week’s 28-13 upset loss to Beloit. Both squads are 4-0 in GWAC play.
Additionally, Beloit (4-2, 2-1) and Concordia (3-3, 2-1) play each other Friday in what could have a significant impact on the district. If Colby defeats Scott City, it will win the district title. Colby owns a 21-20 victory versus Beloit, and 21-14 versus Concordia. However, a Scott City victory causes some disarray and possible tiebreakers. Scott City faces Concordia in Week 8.
Scott City was fifth in 3A but dropped out of the rankings after the defeat. Scott City had its 35-game district winning streak end, and lost at home in district play for the first time since 2007, according to Western Kansas News. The Beavers had permitted just 10 points before the loss, the best scoring defense in 3A. Overall, Colby has a margin of 188-77, and Scott City is at 164-38.
The teams have played virtually the same schedule. In GWAC play, Colby beat Ulysses (36-0), Hugoton (16-8) and Holcomb (39-21). Scott City defeated Ulysses (27-7), Hugoton (14-0) and Holcomb (14-3). Last year, both teams were undefeated entering the matchup, but Scott City pulled away for a 35-12 home victory.
Colby coach Rees McKinney, a Scott City graduate, is 20-6 as the Eagles’ head coach. Last year’s 6-0 start marked the best for the program since 1990. Colby eventually finished 8-2.
This season, the Eagles graduated Jordan Schippers, a Western Illinois signee. Colby had few returners, but they are high quality players. Senior lineman Aaron Kurth holds several offers, including Kansas. He is playing on both sides of the ball for the first time and has recorded double-digit tackles. Senior Aden Basgall also has delivered more than 10 stops.
Senior Calvin Stapp is one of the state’s best all-purpose players. Stapp recorded 47 carries for 304 yards and five scores, along with eight catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, 88 return yards and two interceptions in the first three games. Last week, he had eight carries for 136 yards and three scores in the win against Russell. In his career, Stapp has recorded more than 3,500 all-purpose yards. Junior Hagan Booi, a returning state wrestling runner-up, has been one of the main ball carriers.
Scott City has won 15 straight in the series. This year, Scott City has continued to struggle with turnovers, including earlier in the season versus Hugoton and Ulysses. Beloit tallied a defensive touchdown, won the time of possession and the turnover battle. The Beavers had just 208 total yards versus Beloit. Former quarterback Parker Gooden has transitioned to running back, alongside Cale Goodman and Brandon Winderlin. Harrison King has taken over at quarterback. Scott City did not allow an offensive touchdown through the first five games, a first since ’84.
This game is likely going to be low-scoring and very close. It’s unusual for Scott City to lose a game – and even more unusual for the Beavers to drop two straight. Two key factors to watch: whether Scott City continues to have turnover issues, and the Beavers’ run defense versus Stapp/Booi. Scott City struggled against Beloit’s Carson Cox last week.
Our Pick: Colby 20, Scott City 17 (Nicholl)
Frankfort (6-0) at 8M-II No. 1 Axtell (6-0)
Axtell delivered one of the year’s highlighted wins with its 28-26 victory versus rival Hanover last week. The win ended Hanover’s 43-game winning streak, the longest in KSHSAA history for an eight-man program. It also marked Hanover’s first regular season loss since 2013.
Axtell senior quarterback Quinn Buessing, a four-year starter and one of the best in state history, suffered injury in the first quarter and did not return. However, freshman Isaac Detweiler stepped in and played brilliantly.
Detweiler threw a game-tying 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to George Volle. Then, Axtell ran a trick play and converted for the two-point play. That marked the first time the Eagles led all game. Detweiler sealed the game with an interception. Axtell defeated Hanover for the first time since 2005.
Hanover led 20-6 before Axtell scored on the last play before halftime. This game has significant District 3 ramifications. Axtell and Frankfort are both 6-0, 4-0, and Hanover stands at 5-1, 3-1. Axtell and Hanover flip-flopped in the poll. Axtell is ranked first, Hanover second. Frankfort has been just outside of the rankings all season.
Frankfort will play Hanover in Week 8. Frankfort has outscored teams, 338-78, against the No. 45 strength of schedule in the classification. Axtell stands at 336-92 versus the No. 28 SOS. Last year, Frankfort started 6-0 with similar results and then lost 76-28 to Axtell, and 46-0 to Hanover. After a first-round playoff victory at Beloit St. John’s-Tipton, Frankfort fell 78-30 to Hanover. Axtell is 16-2 since the start of ’18 with two losses to Hanover last year, the latter in the sub-state title game.
Frankfort is a ground-heavy attack with many different formations under coach Nick Anderson.
Frankfort features its talented backfield of seniors Branden Bussmann, Garret Dalinghaus and junior Gavin Cornelison. Last week, Frankfort delivered a 54-20 victory versus Beloit St. John’s-Tipton. Dalinghaus is a four-year starter. He delivered more than 1,000 rushing yards and 100 tackles last year. All four running backs have at least 393 rushing yards.
Two weeks ago in a 54-0 win versus injury-plagued Blue Valley Randolph last week, Dalinghaus delivered 11 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Cornelison rushed for 105 yards and a score. Bussmann rushed for 53 yards.
Against BSJT, Bussmann ran for five touchdowns and caught a TD pass. Much of the game hinges on Buessing’s health. However, Axtell is likely the more explosive offense with its passing game. This one should be much closer than last year.
Our Pick: Axtell 42, Frankfort 28 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Dodge City (6-0) at Garden City (2-4) – Dodge City
Mill Valley (3-3) at Blue Valley (4-2) – Mill Valley
Olathe East (4-2) at Pittsburg (4-2) – Olathe East
Shawnee Mission Northwest (5-1) at 6A No. 4 Gardner-Edgerton (5-1) – Gardner
5A No. 3 Maize (6-0) at Salina Central (4-2) – Maize
KC Schlagle (4-1) at KC Washington (4-2) – Washington
Andover (2-4) at 4A No. 5 Andover Central (5-1) – Andover Central
5A No. 2 Wichita Northwest (6-0) at Wichita Heights (3-3) – Northwest
Anderson County (4-2) at Prairie View (6-0) – Prairie View
Clearwater (5-1) at 3A No. 1 Andale (6-0) – Andale
Galena (4-2) at Columbus (6-0) – Columbus
Holton (4-2) at 3A No. 2 Marysville (6-0) – Marysville
3A No. 3 Topeka Hayden (6-0) at Perry-Lecompton (3-3) – Hayden
Phillipsburg (2-4) at 2A No. 1 Hoisington (6-0) – Hoisington
Riley County (4-2) at Southeast of Saline (5-1) – Riley County
Southeast-Cherokee (6-0) at Riverton (3-3) – Riverton
Jackson Heights (4-2) at Jeff Co. North (4-2) – Jackson Heights
Valley Heights (5-1) at Northern Heights (4-2) – Valley Heights
Argonia-Attica (4-2) at Medicine Lodge (3-3) – Argonia-Attica
Burlingame (4-2) at 8M-I No. 4 Madison (6-0) – Madison
Hodgeman County (5-1) at Spearville (4-2) – Hodgeman County
Oswego (4-2) at Cedar Vale-Dexter (5-1) – Cedar Vale-Dexter
WaKeeney-Trego (4-2) at 8M-I No. 2 St. Francis (6-0) – St. Francis
Minneola (5-1) at Ingalls (4-2) – Minneola
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