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 Free State (6-1) at 6A No. 2 Lawrence (7-0)
This cross-town rivalry game will be a big one.
Lawrence Free State will play at No. 2 Lawrence in a game with major implications both in the Sunflower League and in terms of the 6A West seedings.
Currently, Lawrence is joined by Derby and Dodge City as the only unbeaten teams in Class 6A, and the all happen to reside on the west side of the bracket. Immediately behind that group of unbeatens is four teams with 6-1 records including Free State, Junction City, Manhattan, and Topeka High.
In terms of the Sunflower League, a Lawrence victory would give the Chesty Lions the outright league title since they are the only remaining unbeaten team in the league.
The turnaround orchestrated at Lawrence by Steve Rampy is incredible. After a 1-8 first season in 2018, Rampy has led the Lions to a 7-0 start including last week’s 35-10 over then No. 2 Olathe North. The Chesty Lions also beat current 6A No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton 35-34 back in Week 3.
Lawrence junior running back Devin Neal seems to continue to make big play after big play each week. Neal scored four touchdowns, including two scoring catches from quarterback Jackson Dooley, in last week’s win over Olathe North.
On the other sideline, first-year Free State coach Kevin Stewart has guided his team to five consecutive wins since a 26-17 loss to Olathe East back in Week 2.
During the stretch, Malik Berry took back over at quarterback and has passed for 716 yards and seven touchdowns. Berry has also added 197 yards rushing and five scores.
The Firebird offense is led by senior back Tyler Bowden who has rushed for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns on 143 attempts. Bowden averages 181 yards per game and nearly nine yards per carry.
Lawrence’s last win in this series came 14-12 back in 2015. This Lions team has the talent to stop that streak by the Firebirds.
Our Pick: Lawrence 35, Free State 27 (Gilmore)
5A No. 3 Maize (7-0) at 6A No. 1 Derby (7-0)
Two unbeaten powerhouse programs will close out the regular season in a ranked showdown in the Wichita suburbs.
Derby and Maize, both at the top of the 6A and 5A rankings, respectively, will meet in a matchup that will decide the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail – Division I championship and have implications on playoff seeding in the state’s top two classifications.
With a Derby victory, the Panthers can take the top seed in the 6A West bracket, while Wichita Northwest can take the top seed on the 5A West side of the bracket. With a Maize victory, The Eagles can seal the top spot in the 5A West, and could send Dodge City or Lawrence to the top spot in the 6A West bracket.
Last year Derby beat Maize 35-21 en route to an undefeated season that was capped off with the 6A championship victory over Blue Valley North. Maize fell just short of the state championship game, falling to Wichita Northwest in a shootout sub-state semifinal, 67-60.
The last time that Maize defeated Derby was back in 2014, when the Eagles won the season-opener, 20-13. The 2014 Maize victory is their only victory versus Derby in the current decade.
In last week’s 54-27 victory against Haysville Campus, Derby was phenomenal. The Panthers led at half, 54-7, behind a big night from Lem Wash who has taken over for the injured Grant Adler at quarterback. Wash would only throw for 96 yards on four passes, but send two touchdown passes to Jacob Karsak. But Wash’s damage was done on the ground as he tallied 111 yards on five carries. Fellow senior Tre Washington added 138 yards rushing on the night. Both had two rushing touchdowns. Reid Liston would score a rushing touchdown, and Terry Ginyard would bring in a punt return to the house as well.
After losing all-state quarterback Caleb Grill to graduation, Maize new starter Camden Juergensen has maintained the explosive nature of the Eagle offense in guiding the unit to just under 40 points per game. Juergensen went over 1,000 passing yards in last week’s 26-8 win over Salina Central.
Caden Cox has also been a threat this season, and could break 1,000 rushing yards this week. Cox currently has 964 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns.
The Maize Eagle defense, which returned five starters from last year, has allowed only six points per contest. The Eagles forced two more turnovers in last week’s win over Salina Central to push their season total to 20 forced take-aways.
If Wash and Washington can get rolling for the Derby offense, it could be a big night overall for the Panthers. The Eagle defense has been able to force turnovers, but Derby’s offense is efficient and explosive. This game will be one of the closest football games Derby will play this season, but look for the Panthers to prevail.
Our Pick: Derby 27, Maize 24 (Hammeke)
Cheney (6-1) at 3A No. 1 Andale (7-0)
Andale versus Cheney is for the District 6 title.
Class 3A is the state’s deepest classification and full of rankings changes throughout the fall. Last week, three of the top-five teams lost with Marysville, Sabetha, and Topeka Hayden taking losses. However, while multiple districts have at least three teams still in contention for a district title entering this Friday, Andale has continued to cruise as the No. 1 team. The Indians, overshadowed by 3A’s depth, has outscored squads, 368-39.
Andale leads 3A in scoring offense and is tied with Jefferson West for tops in scoring defense. Andale has yet to lose in the regular season under third-year coach Dylan Schmidt. The Indians were Class 4A, Division I state runner-up to Bishop Miege in 2017. Last year, Andale was ranked first most of the fall, though lost to Pratt in the state semifinals.
Notably, Andale has a 47-7 road win versus Wichita Collegiate two weeks ago. The Spartans are a 5-2 team. Andale features a bevy of playmakers, including defensive back Scotti Easter and running back/linebacker Mac Brand.
Against Collegiate, Andale scored the game’s first 47 points. Noah Meyer has stepped in for Easton Hunter at quarterback. He completed 3 of 9 passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns, and had 12 rushes for 108 yards and a score in the Collegiate victory. Brand rushed 11 times for 89 yards. Easter picked off two passes in the win. Last week, Andale defeated Clearwater, 42-12.
Cheney finished 9-3 in 2017 in the first year with coach Shelby Wehrman, a former Derby assistant. In ’18, the Cardinals dropped back to 2-7, including a 35-13 loss to Andale. This year, Cheney opened with a 35-19 road defeat to Garden Plain, a top-five team in Class 2A.
In Week 2, the Cardinals defeated Conway Springs, 49-19, in a big early season upset. Garden Plain is currently third in 2A, Conway Springs fourth. However, Cheney has continued to roll since behind running back Riley Petz and quarterback Zac Block.
Cheney has won every game by at least 25 points, including a 46-21 victory versus Collegiate. In the Collegiate victory, Block completed 8 of 15 passes for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and caught two passes for 75 yards.
Cheney has tallied 325 points, second-most in 3A, behind Andale. However, the Cardinals have permitted 108 points, just outside the top-10. Cheney is 0-5 against Andale since 2010.
The last time Cheney defeated Andale was a 21-6 victory in 1998, according to Kansas Football History. Cheney has made one of the biggest improvements of any team and should give Andale its closest game. However, the Indians likely have too much depth – and a stronger defense.
Our Pick: Andale 40, Cheney 20 (Nicholl)
Columbus (7-0) at 3A No. 4 Frontenac (7-0)
This battle of unbeatens has been brewing for several weeks now. Columbus will travel to Frontenac to decide the Class 3A, District 1 championship.
The two CNC powers also sit atop the league standings. This will provide a de-facto league title as well, although the league is not awarding a champion due to the lack of a minimum number of league games among all its members.
Columbus is one of a few teams in the state that have enjoyed major turnarounds. The Titans finished just 1-8 last season, but have started 7-0 behind new head coach Blake Burns.
The Titans average 35 points per contest led by senior quarterback Patrick Cassidy. Cassidy has passed for 841 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season, while rushing for 420 yards and nine more scores.
The Columbus rushing attack is led by sophomore Gabe Martin who has 454 yards and four scores. Grayson Walden has added 254 yards and four more touchdowns.
Clay Saporito and Lynn Shallenburger lead a deep receiving group that has seen 11 different players catch a pass. Saporito has nearly 300 yards receiving on 18 catches and four touchdowns, while Shallenburger has eight catches for 205 yards and five touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Titan defense has been solid in allowing only 11.5 points per game. Columbus has surrendered 20 total points in the four weeks of district play including two shutouts. Sophomore Trent Smith leads the unit with 61 tackles, while classmate Gabe Martin has 56 stops.
Frontenac has rolled to a 7-0 record by scoring more than 36 points per game. The Raider defense has also been a strong suit in allowing only 9.2 points per game.
The Raider offense is led by senior signal caller Jake Beckmann. Beckmann is a dual-threat quarterback that has solid skill kids around him. Alex Johnson leads the Raiders rushing attack out of the backfield.
Columbus hasn’t defeated Frontenac since 2015. This will be a great battle featuring two really good senior quarterbacks, but the Raiders get the slight edge at home.
Our Pick: Frontenac 27, Columbus 21 (Gilmore)
2A No. 4 Conway Springs (6-1) at 2A No. 3 Garden Plain (7-0)
In a winner-take-all contest, Conway Springs heads to Garden Plain to decide the 2A District 6 title and the Central Prairie League title. If Garden Plain wins, they will finish 6-0 against Central Prairie League competition although several schools only play a handful of league games. A Conway Springs victory would result in several teams with one loss in the standings, meanwhile, Belle Plaine has played only two league games and does not play Conway Springs or Garden Plain in this cycle.
The matchup between the Cardinals and Owls has been one-sided recently. Conway Springs has defeated the Owls in 2018 and 2017; by scores of 28-7 and 26-6, respectively. In 2016, Garden Plain had their only regular season loss to the Cardinals, falling on a 20-21 decision. The last time Garden Plain defeated Conway was back in 2015, in a 27-12 result.
Garden Plain has been on a roll recently. The Owls have allowed an average of only 11.5 points per game, including shutouts against Wichita Trinity and Hutchinson Trinity. Garden Plain has forced 19 turnovers this season.
Offensively, senior quarterback Matt Pauly has completed 26 of 47 passes for 642 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has also been a rushing threat causing defenses headaches, having 612 yards and nine touchdowns on 41 carries. Fellow Seniors Blake Long and Trey Smith also highlight the explosive offense, which averages 45 points per game. Long has had seven scores and 534 yards on 55 carries; while Smith has 12 touchdowns and 536 yards on 17 receptions.
Despite a 49-19 defeat to Cheney in Week 2, the Cardinals have also put together a solid season. In the loss to Cheney, quarterback Colin Koester threw his only two interceptions of the season. Outside of that, Koester has accounted for 18 touchdowns, 13 on the ground and five through the air.
Jack Ebenkamp has been another good rushing force for the Cardinals, with 308 yards and four touchdowns on 51 carries. Conway is versatile, as they have had eight players so far this season score. The Conway defense has also been stingy, forcing 14 turnovers on the season.
The Garden Plain seniors will have their senior night be a memorable one, defeating Conway Springs in their final chance.
Our Pick: Garden Plain 22, Conway Springs 14 (Hammeke)
8M-II No. 4 Hanover (6-1) at 8M-II No. 2 Frankfort (7-0)
District 3 has easily been the highlighted district in Eight-Man, Division II. Frankfort is ranked second, Axtell third and Hanover fourth. Two weeks ago, Axtell, with freshman quarterback Isaac Detweiler, defeated Hanover, 28-26. Axtell ended Hanover’s 43-game winning streak, the longest in eight-man state history.
Last week, Frankfort delivered an incredible victory with a 24-20 road victory against Axtell. With under a minute to go, Axtell was ruled to have run out of bounds, which gave Frankfort enough time to get the ball back. After Frankfort took over, the Wildcats completed a long pass to Axtell territory.
The officials correctly put a few seconds back on the clock for the Wildcats’ last snap. Then, Frankfort scored on the game’s final play on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Cornelison to Branden Bussmann for a 24-20 victory.
Frankfort stands at 7-0, 5-0 in district play, while Hanover and Axtell are both 6-1, 4-1. If Frankfort defeats Hanover, Frankfort wins the district. Assuming Axtell beats Doniphan West, and if Hanover wins, the district would come down to tiebreakers.
After the Axtell loss, Hanover cruised to a 54-7 road victory versus Wetmore. Frankfort has its trio of talented backs in Cornelison, Bussmann and Garret Dalinghaus. Frankfort is just one of four undefeated teams left in the classification, along with Thunder Ridge, St. Paul and Osborne.
Frankfort has outscored teams, 362-98, and Hanover is at 350-79. Hanover returned just one starter this season in lineman Jonah Weber. Junior Jacob Jueneman starts at quarterback, while senior Taegan Schwartz and junior Colin Jueneman are the top running backs.
Two key factors will likely be the special teams battle, and Frankfort’s passing game versus Hanover. When Hanover has been tested – and beaten – its normally come when teams have been able to throw the ball effectively.
That includes Axtell in ’18 and ’19 and the last two state championship games versus Hodgeman County and Osborne. Frankfort’s running game is stout and arguably the best grouping in the classification.
However, Frankfort will likely need to be able to connect on some passes to earn the victory. Hanover is 11-1 in its last 12 meetings versus Frankfort and has won eight in a row. None of those meetings are closer than 14 points. This one should be.
Our Pick: Hanover 30, Frankfort 28 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Blue Valley (4-3) at Blue Valley West (5-2) – Blue Valley West
Great Bend (3-4) at Garden City (2-5) – Great Bend
Junction City (6-1) at Emporia (4-3) – Junction City
Wichita East (5-2) at Wichita West (4-3) – Wichita West
Pittsburg (4-3) at 5A No. 5 De Soto (7-0) – De Soto
Basehor-Linwood (4-3) at KC Schlagle (4-2) – Basehor-Linwood
Buhler (5-2) at Winfield (5-2) – Buhler
4A No. 3 Paola (7-0) at Louisburg (5-2) – Paola
Concordia (4-3) at Scott City (5-2) – Scott City
Holcomb (4-3) at Hugoton (3-4) – Hugoton
Wamego (6-1) at Holton (5-2) – Wamego
Cherryvale (4-3) at Eureka (5-2) – Eureka
2A No. 1 Hoisington (7-0) at Norton (5-2) – Hoisington
2A No. 5 Humboldt (7-0) at Southeast-Cherokee (6-1) – Humboldt
Nemaha Central (5-2) at Maur Hill-Mount Academy (6-1) – Nemaha Central
1A No. 4 Centralia (6-1) at Valley Heights (6-1) – Centralia
Ell-Saline (6-1) at 1A No. 1 Smith Center (7-0) – Smith Center
Hillsboro (5-2) at 1A No. 2 Olpe (7-0) – Olpe
Jackson Heights (5-2) at Lyndon (7-0) – Jackson Heights
Lebo (5-2) at Burlingame (4-2) – Lebo
Ness City (7-0) at Hodgeman County (6-1) – Ness City
Bucklin (4-3) at Minneola (6-1) – Minneola
Mankato-Rock Hills (6-1) at Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (5-2) – Rock Hills
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