Kpreps Friday First Look provides our initial reaction to some of the most notable games and performances in the state from Week 8:
View: Playoff Brackets
View: Final District Standings
View: Week 8 Scores
Class 6A
Derby blasts Maize in battle of unbeatens
Derby earned the No. 1 seed in Class 6A West, and the Panthers and Dodge City are only undefeated squads in 6A overall. Derby rolled over Maize, ranked third in 3A. Derby has won 21 straight games. Derby led 42-0 at halftime and cruised to a 55-7 victory. The Panthers led a 24-4 edge in first downs, and limited Maize to just 17 rushing yards. Derby ran 60 plays for 549 yards, and Maize had 33 plays for 106 yards. The Panthers held standout Maize running back Caden Cox to six carries for 12 yards.
Free State rallies to hand Lawrence first loss
Lawrence Free State beat No. 2 Lawrence, which was previously undefeated, with a 31-30 victory. Free State lost, 26-17, to Olathe East in Week 2 and have captured a win every week since. Lawrence led 21-10 late in the second quarter.
However, Lawrence fumbled the opening kickoff to start the second half, and Free State tallied a 28-yard scoring run from Tyler Bowden. On the next drive, FS intercepted a pass and then scored for a 24-21 lead. Lawrence led 28-24 after three quarters before FS tallied another touchdown. Lawrence tallied a safety with just over five minutes left but couldn’t score.
Dodge City remains unbeaten
Dodge City captured the outright Western Athletic Conference title with a 45-6 home victory versus Liberal. DC took over the No. 2 spot in 6A West. The Red Demons will face Haysville Campus at home next Friday.
Class 5A
Northwest continues to roll
On Thursday, Wichita Northwest continued its hugely impressive defensive turnaround with a 55-0 victory versus Wichita Southeast. Northwest has not allowed a touchdown in the last month. The Grizzlies have four shutouts this year. Wichita Northwest, ranked No. 2 in 5A, has permitted just 41 points, the best scoring defense in 5A.
Class 4A
McPherson shuts out Circle
No. 2 McPherson shutout Circle, 49-0, and captured its second straight undefeated regular season. McPherson won the AVCTL Division III championship. Kaleb Hoppes had four touchdowns (three passing). He went over 200 passing and 100 rushing yards.
Paola handles Louisburg, Tongy rolls
No. 3 Paola and No. 4 Tonganoxie each finished 8-0 and shared the Frontier League title. The teams did not play each other. Paola won at rival Louisburg, 16-8. Tonganoxie rolled over Ottawa, 62-7.
Class 3A
No. 1 Andale survives Cheney
No. 1 Andale easily had its closest game of the season with a 29-22 victory against Cheney. The Indians won the District 6 title, and ended Cheney’s six-game winning streak. Cheney led 7-0 after the first quarter and the game was tied at 14 at halftime. However, Andale outscored the Cardinals, 7-0, in the third quarter.
Andale’s defense limited Cheney standout running back Riley Petz to nine carries for 15 yards. Zac Block completed 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions. Andale had four players record a rushing score, and three players delivered between 78 and 99 yards. Overall, Andale outgained Cheney, 279-32, on the ground and an 18-8 edge in first downs.
Holton takes the loaded District 4
Throughout the year, Wamego, Sabetha and Marysville have been the favorites in wild District 4. However, Holton ended up taking the district title with big victories versus Marysville and Wamego the last two weeks. Holton is 6-2, 4-1, while Marysville is 7-1, 4-1. Holton lost to Sabetha, 35-13, two weeks ago and then beat Marysville (30-8) and Wamego (41-14). Holton led Wamego, 35-14, with 8:15 left in the game. Holton had a pair of rare passing TDs, including a trick play, for a 27-14 lead.
Scott City shuts out Concordia
In District 8, Scott City earned the runner-up spot with a 31-0 victory against Concordia. The Beavers moved Parker Gooden back to quarterback after he’d played there the past two seasons. Scott City, Concordia and Beloit all were 3-2 in the districts, but Scott City finishes as the runner-up with plus-47, and Beloit is plus-46. Concordia did not complete a pass. Gooden was nine of 13 passing for 177 yards and three touchdowns, according to Western Kansas News. Scott City avoided its first three-game losing streak since 1995.
Hayden, Perry-Lecompton, Jeff West all finish 4-1 in District 3
In District 3, Jefferson West defeated Santa Fe Trail, 45-6, and had a neat moment when the Chargers allowed Cameron Homewood to get on the field for the final play. Hayden, Perry-Lecompton and Jeff West all went 4-1 in districts, though Hayden was the champion, Perry-Lecompton the runner-up and Jeff West in third place. Jeff West has allowed just 45 points and pitched four shutouts.
Raiders roll Columbus in District 1 unbeaten showdown
Frontenac rolled to the District 1 title with a 23-0 shutout versus Columbus behind a stingy defense and two Alex Johnson early touchdown runs. The Raiders are 8-0, and surprising Columbus is 7-1.
Class 2A
Hoisington wins district title at Norton
In District 8, No. 1 Hoisington led Norton, 10-0, at halftime but pulled away in the second half for a 38-7 victory. Wyatt Pedigo finished with four touchdowns and a season-high 293 rushing yards. Hoisington will get Southwestern Heights in Week 9 next week.
Garden Plain tops Conway Springs in CPL
No. 3 Garden Plain defeated No. 4 Conway Springs, 32-21, in a rivalry contest. The Owls led 14-0 after the first quarter and 20-7 at halftime. The Owls improved to 9-0. Blake Long opened the scoring with a pair of rushing touchdowns. Conway Springs had 58 plays for 345 yards, and Garden Plain delivered 50 plays for 310 yards. Peyton Winter delivered 25 carries for 198 yards and three scores. Heath Hilger has 20 carries for 112 yards. Matt Pauly paced the Owls with 13 carries for 86 yards.
Cherryvale upsets Eureka
Cherryvale pulled an upset against Eureka, which had already won the District 5 championship because of its big Week 7 victory versus Belle Plaine. Cherryvale led 20-0 after the first quarter and held on to win, 40-31. Eureka had won four straight games, all at home, and finished the regular season at 5-3. Gavin Hooper completed 14 of 25 passes for 231 yards with two touchdowns against one interception. Zaine Lantz had 11 attempts for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Gavin Hooper also enjoyed a big performance with 14 of 25 passing for 231 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cherryvale is also 5-3.
Humboldt slows down Lancers
In District 2, Humboldt won its second straight district title with an 8-0 record after a 50-18 victory against Southeast-Cherokee. The Cubs led 34-6 late in the third quarter.
Class 1A
Republic County ends losing streak
Republic County ended a 26-game losing streak with a 62-14 blowout win over Sacred Heart. The Buffaloes have been competitive all season with their seven losses coming by an average of 14 points to opponents that are a combined 41-15. Republic County's last win prior to Friday night came 24-21 against Sedgwick in the 2016 playoffs.
Ellis turns table on La Crosse
Ellis lost to La Crosse, 42-28, in Week 4 in a non-district contest. On Friday, Ellis beat the Leopards, 30-14, in the district game. In District 6, Plainville won the district, while Ellis was the runner-up. La Crosse opened 5-0, but went 0-3 in district.
Eight-Man, Division I
Macksville knocks out defending champs
Macksville has experienced its fair share of losses to Central Plains in the past few years. Before Friday night, Central Plains was 4-0 against the Mustangs, including a victory in the first round of the 2017 playoffs that ended Macksville’s 7-3 season.
This week, Macksville would get a taste of victory over their league rival, as the Mustangs defeated the Oilers, 68-22. The Macksville win eliminated Central Plains from playoff contention, which has happened only once before. The Oilers missed the playoffs in 2012, which was their second year as a school. Central Plains was formed through the consolidation of perennial football powerhouses Claflin and Quivira Heights after the 2010-2011 school year. CP is the defending state champions.
Macksville would start the game off with the ball and it only needed one play to score. Michael Seward would take the ball 46 yards to the house on the first play of the game. Seward would score seven touchdowns in the contest.
“It feels so great, man. Running that ball down the field, running past those guys felt amazing,” Seward commented on getting a victory against CP.
Macksville head coach Chet Skinner was in the same tune as Seward postgame. “It’s good to get a win against anybody, especially a team that’s had your number and had a lot of other teams’ number here. I know they’ve kind of struggled this year through injury. Very well coached, very disciplined, but to come here and execute a game plan they way like we did is always fun.”
Zane Johnson would intercept two passes in the second quarter, and both would be turned into touchdowns as Freshman QB Ryan Kuckleman would throw both TD passes to WR Cleven Huggins. Kuckleman would again connect to Huggins in the fourth quarter for a score from midfield.
Injuries have hindered Central Plains throughout the season. Of the Oilers’ four seniors, only one was able to play in their regular-season finale.
For Central Plains, Freshman QB Michael Laymon would run in two rushing touchdowns and throw a touchdown pass to Karter Beck.
Central Plains falls to 2-5 on the season, and will be projected to play Kiowa County in the final game of the year. Macksville improves to 4-4 on the season, and will be projected to play Ness City in the first round of the playoffs. Ness defeated Macksville 46-0 in week two of the season.
For Skinner, he knows what he wants to improve.
“Clean up the mental mistakes. We left, or I feel like we left a lot of points on the scoreboard. We got better, we got more disciplined through this later part of the season, so hopefully it’s a different ball game coming back next Thursday.”
Eight-Man, Division II
Osborne slips by Thunder Ridge in Game of the Week
In the Kpreps Game of the Week, No. 1 Osborne had a wild 40-34 road victory against Thunder Ridge in Kensington. Osborne improved to 8-0, 5-0 in District 5, and Thunder Ridge moved to 7-1, 4-1 and took the runner-up spot. Thunder Ridge standout running back Reece Struckhoff rushed for four touchdowns and 180 yards in the first half. However, he did not play in the second half because of apparent injury. He is expected to return next week.
Thunder Ridge led 26-6 before Osborne scored 26 straight points. Then, Thunder Ridge tied the game at 32 on a scoring run from Colton Davis. The Longhorns added a safety on a sack from Davis after Osborne mishandled a snap in the end zone. The Longhorns led 34-32 and got the ball back after an Osborne free kick.
However, the Bulldogs forced a punt, and then drove 40 yards. Steele Wolters scored on a sweep on the left side from 11 yards out. Wolters and Darrien Holloway had 136 and 91 rushing yards, respectively. Thunder Ridge had another chance after Wolters’ touchdown but time expired before Thunder Ridge could advance into Osborne territory.
Hanover takes down Frankfort to win District
No. 4 Hanover defeated No. 2 Frankfort, 52-34. The game was tied at 14 after the first quarter and Frankfort held a 28-20 lead at halftime. However, Hanover outscored Frankfort, 16-0, in the third quarter and 14-6 in the fourth. Frankfort had 59 plays for 333 yards, and Hanover finished with 51 plays for 326 yards.
But Frankfort committed three turnovers, and Hanover was plus-2 in turnover margin. Jacob Jueneman had a fine game as Hanover’s quarterback with nine of 15 passing for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Frankfort’s Gavin Corneilson finished 11 of 18 for 125 with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Taegan Schwartz paced Hanover with 18 carries for 106 yards and two scores, while Frankfort’s Garret Dalinghaus finished with 23 carries for 110 yards and four touchdowns. Both of Colin Jueneman’s receptions went for touchdowns; they accounted for 56 yards. He also had another big special teams performance with three kick returns for 140 yards.
Buessing returns, Axtell rolls
No. 3 Axtell easily defeated Doniphan West, 50-0, in a game that ended in the third quarter. Axtell scored eight points in the first and 28 in the second. Axtell had a 434-162 edge in total yards and 290-5 in passing.
Eagle four-year starting quarterback Quinn Buessing returned to action after he missed all but the first quarter in Week 6 and didn’t play in Week 7. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 290 yards and four scores against zero interceptions. Buessing also rushed 10 times for 69 yards and a pair of scores.
Hanover, Frankfort and Axtell all finished 5-1 in district play.
Lebo handles Burlingame
Lebo defeated Burlingame, 54-20, and outscored the Bearcats in every quarter. Lebo led 30-14 at halftime, and 46-14 after three quarters. Devan McEwen completed 10 of 13 passes for 187 yards with two touchdowns against one interception.
He also rushed nine times for 53 yards and two scores. Wyatt Ledom enjoyed a big night for Burlingame with 38 carries for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Lebo (6-2) has enjoyed a solid season and clinched the runner-up showing in District 3.
Six-man
Moscow completes unbeaten regular season
Moscow finished the regular season with an 8-0 mark with an 85-33 victory against Fowler. Moscow has a first-round playoff bye and will play next Nov. 8. The Wildcats led 32-6 after the first quarter. Cheylin also improved to 8-0 with an 89-44 victory versus Weskan. The Cougars led 50-25 at halftime and 64-38 after three.
WEEK 9 – NON-BRACKET GAMES
(Team from odd numbered district is home team)
Class 3A
District 1 (5th) – Parsons (2-6)
District 2 (5th) – Iola (1-7)
District 1 (6th) – Baxter Springs (0-8)
District 2 (6th) – Osawatomie (1-7)
District 3 (5th) – Wellsville (3-5)
District 4 (5th) – Royal Valley (1-7)
District 3 (6th) – Bishop Ward (0-8)
District 4 (6th) – Hiawatha (0-8)
District 5 (5th) – Chapman (2-6)
District 6 (5th) – Haven (3-5)
District 5 (6th) – Smoky Valley (2-6)
District 6 (6th) – Wichita Trinity (0-8)
District 7 (5th) – Pratt (1-7)
District 8 (5th) – Russell (1-7)
District 7 (6th) – Kingman (2-6)
District 8 (6th) – Goodland (1-7)
Class 2A
District 1 (5th) – Erie (2-6)
District 2 (5th) – West Franklin (1-7)
District 1 (6th) – Northeast-Arma (1-7)
District 2 (6th) – McLouth (0-8)
District 3 (5th) – Atchison County (2-6)
District 4 (5th) – Council Grove (2-6)
District 3 (6th) – Horton (0-8)
District 4 (6th) – Mission Valley (2-6)
District 5 (5th) – Douglass (2-6)
District 6 (5th) – Whitewater-Remington (1-7)
District 5 (6th) – Neodesha (1-7)
District 6 (6th) – Wichita Independent (0-8)
District 7 (5th) – Lyons (1-7)
District 8 (5th) – Phillipsburg (2-6)
District 7 (6th) – Ellinwood (1-7)
District 8 (6th) – Thomas More Prep (2-6)
Class 8-Man, Division I
District 1 (5th) – Oswego (5-3)
District 2 (5th) – Oxford (3-5)
District 1 (6th) – Flinthills (1-7)
District 2 (6th) – Udall (3-5)
District 3 (5th) – Burlingame (4-4)
District 4 (5th) – Peabody-Burns (2-6)
District 3 (6th) – Valley Falls (1-7)
District 4 (6th) – Herington (0-8)
District 5 (5th) – Central Plains (2-6)
District 6 (5th) – Kiowa County (4-4)
District 5 (6th) – St. John (0-8)
District 6 (6th) – Kinsley (1-7)
District 7 (5th) – Stockton (2-6)
District 8 (5th) – Oberlin-Decatur Co. (4-4)
District 7 (6th) – Lincoln (2-6)
District 8 (6th) – Atwood-Rawlins Co. (2-6)
Class 8-Man, Division II
District 1 (5th) – Southern Coffey Co. (2-6)
District 2 (5th) – Wakefield (1-7)
District 1 (6th) – Chetopa (0-8)
District 2 (6th) – Rural Vista (1-7)
District 3 (5th) – Doniphan West (3-5)
District 4 (5th) – Tescott (2-6)
District 3 (6th) – Blue Valley Randolph (1-7)
District 4 (6th) – Southern Cloud (1-7)
District 3 (7th) – Wetmore (1-7)
District 4 (7th) – Linn (0-8)
District 5 (5th) – Logan-Palco (3-5)
District 6 (5th) – Dighton (1-7)
District 5 (6th) – Wilson (1-7)
District 6 (6th) – Tribune-Greeley Co. (0-8)
District 7 (5th) – Pretty Prairie (2-6)
District 8 (5th) – Stafford (2-6)
District 7 (6th) – Fairfield (1-7)
District 8 (6th) – Satanta (1-7)
District 7 (7th) – Burrton (0-8)
District 8 (7th) – Chase (1-7)
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