Preview: Week 9 Non-Bracket Games

Lincoln takes the field earlier this season. (photo by Becky Rathbun)
By: Matt Gilmore & Conor Nicholl for Kpreps.com
Oct 28, 2019

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WEEK 9 – NON-BRACKET GAMES
(Team from odd numbered district is home team)

The new playoff format instituted by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) prior to the 2018 season includes the expansion of districts and the reduction of the regular season to eight games. For Class 3A, 2A, and both divisions of eight-man football, KSHSAA organized schools into eight, six-team districts with the top four teams in each district qualifying for the playoff bracket.

Those fifth and sixth place teams (and sometimes seventh place teams) not qualifying for the bracket are paired with the fifth and sixth place teams from the neighboring district to complete a nine-game season as in past years.

The following are the non-bracket matchups that will take place this week. The fifth-place finisher from District 1 is matched with the fifth-place team from District 2, sixth-place plays the sixth-place team from the adjacent district, etc.  Teams from the odd numbered districts (1, 3, 5, 7) will serve as the host schools for these non-bracket games in this odd year (2019). Even numbered districts will host in even-numbered years.

Here is a quick description of all of this week’s non-bracket matchups.

CLASS 3A

District 2 (5th) Iola (1-7) at District 1 (5th) Parsons (2-6)  (Thursday)

Iola and Parsons played one of the more memorable games of the 2019 season to date. In the season-opener, Parsons topped Iola 54-48 in five overtimes. Parsons quarterback Ethan Houk connected on a pass in the left flat to Dariq Williams who avoided a tackler, broke outside and dived for the pile on. Iola never trailed in regulation, but Houk hit Williams on two consecutive touchdown passes to tie the game at 22 and force overtime. From there, the teams traded blows until the fifth overtime. Houk and Williams connected for five touchdown passes on the night.

District 2 (6th) Osawatomie (1-7) at District 1 (6th) Baxter Springs (0-8)  (Thursday)

These two teams met in this same game last season with Baxter Springs claiming a 12-0 victory. The Lions struggled to score this fall in averaging less than seven points per game. On the flip side, Osawatomie has been much more consistent offensively, but has allowed nearly 43 points per game. Senior Braden Bradshaw has rushed for 928 yards and seven touchdowns for the Trojans, including a 42-carry, 334-yard, 4-touchdown performance in their lone victory over Parsons.


District 4 (5th) Royal Valley (1-7) at District 3 (5th) Wellsville (3-5)  (Thursday)

After eight consecutive playoff appearances, Wellsville has now missed the bracket for a second consecutive season. The Eagles battled through a competitive district and nearly pulled off win over Santa Fe Trail and Jefferson West. The Eagles lost to the Chargers 25-19 and fell 29-23 to Jeff West. Anthony Signs has put up some big games this season for Wellsville, including a 168 yards and three scores against a Jeff West defense that is statistically one of the tops in the classification. Royal Valley’s lone win came over Hiawatha, 53-20, but the Panthers have been scoring at a better rate of late. Royal Valley has averaged 34 points per game in the past three weeks.


District 4 (6th) Hiawatha (0-8) at District 3 (6th) Bishop Ward (0-8)  (Friday)

These two teams met in this same game a year ago with Hiawatha winning 57-0. The Redhawks have struggled this season in given up 49 points per game. Meanwhile, Bishop Ward remains mired in a 55-game losing streak that dates back to the 2013 season.
 

District 6 (5th) Haven (3-5) at District 5 (5th) Chapman (2-6) (Friday)

Haven returned a good nucleus this year and was expected to contend for the schools’ first playoff appearance since 2012. In the end, the Wildcats fell just short in a strong district that included No. 1 Andale, Cheney, Clearwater, and Wichita Collegiate. Haven enters Week 9 with some momentum after last week’s 38-0 shutout of Wichita Trinity, but Chapman will be a tough test. The Irish are a well-tested team with four of six losses coming to teams with at least six wins.


District 6 (6th) Wichita Trinity (0-8) at District 5 (6th) Smoky Valley (2-6)  (Friday)

Smoky Valley pulled off a district upset of Rock Creek last week, 42-21. The Vikings rushed for more than 350 yards as a team led by seniors Trey Kennedy and Raleigh Wilson. Kennedy rushed for 145 yards and two scores, while Wilson added 133 yards and two more touchdowns. Kennedy has a team-high 688 rushing yards with five touchdowns this season, while Wilson has added 455 yards and five scores. Meanwhile, Trinity Academy has only scored 20 total points all season and has been shut out six times.


District 8 (5th) Russell (1-7) at District 7 (5th) Pratt (1-7)  (Friday)

Pratt finished as the Class 3A state runners-up last season, but took heavy hits to graduation. New coach Brent Hoelting has a less experienced roster and it has resulted in just one win on the season. That being said, the Greenbacks have lost their last three games by single digits and appear to be playing their best ball of the season. Russell makes the long trip to Pratt after being shut out by Beloit last week. The Broncos allow more than 37 points per game, while scoring less than 13 per contest.
 

District 8 (6th) Goodland (1-7) at District 7 (6th) Kingman (2-6)  (Friday)

Goodland will make the 296-mile trek to south central Kansas to face the Eagles. Goodland has a losing record for the sixth straight year, though can double its win total with a victory Friday. Kingman was 3-6 last year and has new coach Tanner Hageman, a former Cheney quarterback and Fort Hays State wide receiver. Leyton Cure has passed for more than 1,300 yards for Goodland. Both teams have struggled offensively. Goodland has tallied just 92 points, Kingman with 79. However, Goodland has allowed 341, Kingman 162.


CLASS 2A

District 2 (5th) West Franklin (1-7) at District 1 (5th) Erie (2-6) (Friday)

West Franklin’s lone win of the season came 28-6 against McLouth in district play. The Falcons scored in double figures only three times this season. Meanwhile, Erie is coming off of its second win of the season – a 32-0 shutout of Northeast-Arma. The Red Devils also topped Neodesha, 34-19, back in Week 2.  

District 2 (6th) McLouth (0-8) at District 1 (6th) Northeast-Arma (1-7) (Friday)

Northeast-Arma picked up their first on-field victory in 30 games with a 36-0 shut out of Yates Center. The Vikings won this non-bracket game by forfeit last fall, but prior to that their last win was in 2015. Senior Jasper Atchison leads the team with 685 rushing yards and six touchdowns. McLouth has struggled this season in only scoring 32 total points. The Bulldogs were shut out four times including in each of the past two weeks.


District 4 (5th) Council Grove (2-6) at District 3 (5th) Atchison County (2-6)  (Friday)

Atchison County ended a six-game losing streak with last week’s 52-6 win over Horton. The Tigers are led by senior Tucker Smith who has rushed for 1,261 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.  Classmate Trystin Myers has added nearly 650 rushing yards and eight more scores for the Tigers. Council Grove is more likely to put the ball in the air with junior quarterback Hayden Bieling. Bieling has passed for 969 yards and seven touchdowns. His top receiving target has been Brodey King who has 30 receptions for 505 yards and six scores.
 

District 4 (6th) Mission Valley (2-6) at District 3 (6th) Horton (0-8)  (Friday)

Horton has only scored in double digits once this season – a 58-24 loss to Troy. The Chargers have been shut out four times. Mission Valley has dropped six straight games since opening the season with wins over West Franklin and Wabaunsee. Senior Colby Stowe and sophomore Carter Phillips are the Vikings two primary offensive threats along with junior back Justice Dunbar. Dunbar has 321 rushing yards, second only to Stowe’s 375 yards and six scores. Stowe has also passed for 450 yards and six scores, while Phillips has thrown for 33 yards and five touchdowns.
 

District 6 (5th) Whitewater-Remington (1-7) at District 5 (5th) Neodesha (1-7) (Thursday)

New Neodesha coach David Gillett will try to get his team’s second win when they host Remington. The Blue Streaks have dropped four straight games since their 26-20 win over Douglass. Juniors Phoenix Carpenter and Seth Strange share carries out of the backfield and both have produced around 350 rushing yards and three scores. Remington is coming off of by far its best performance of the season – a 71-14 blowout of Wichita Independent. Prior to last week’s 71-point outburst, the Broncos had scored 48 combined points in their other seven games.


District 6 (6th) Wichita Independent (0-8) at District 5 (6th) Douglass (2-6)  (Friday)

This is a rematch from the season-opener won by Douglass, 56-6. Independent has scored only 42 points all season and the Panthers have struggled to slow any opponents down. Independent has allowed 485 points in eight games or an average of 60.6 per contest. Douglass bested Fredonia, 32-21, two weeks ago and played Belle Plaine tough last week. The Bulldogs will look to junior quarterback Cole Martin to put some points on the board. Martin has produced more than 750 yards of total offense this season.  
 

District 8 (5th) Phillipsburg (2-6) at District 7 (5th) Lyons (1-7)  (Friday)

Two defending state champions missed the postseason this fall in Central Plains and Phillipsburg. The Panthers battled through various injuries, turnover, and a tough scheduled to finish with just two wins. Meanwhile, Lyons was much more competitive this fall in several games. The Lions ended a 33-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over Ellinwood back in Week 5.
 

District 8 (6th) Thomas More Prep (2-6) at District 7 (6th) Ellinwood (1-7)  (Friday)

Thomas More Prep-Marian has its second new head coach in as many seasons, but the Monarchs have been competitive under Jay Harris. TMP has wins over Ellis and last week’s upset of Ellsworth – a team that finished third in the district. TMP also played well against Phillipsburg and Plainville. The Monarchs will take on an Ellinwood team that has allowed at least 50 points in a game five times this season.

 

CLASS 8-MAN, DIVISION I

District 2 (5th) Oxford (3-5) at District 1 (5th) Oswego (5-3)  (Thursday)

Oswego, which started the year just outside the top-five in Division I, surprisingly did not make the playoffs with coach Matt Fowler. However, Oswego can match last season’s 6-3 mark. Fowler is 72-38 overall, 11-5 with Oswego. The Indians went 3-0 in Three Rivers League action and 2-3 in district play, all road losses to Sedan (56-22), Central Burden (36-20) and Cedar Vale-Dexter (56-8). Oswego has one of the best eight-man players in Jace Wilson. Oxford has two more wins than last year.

District 2 (6th) Udall (3-5) at District 1 (6th) Flinthills (1-7)   (Thursday)

Udall pulled one of the bigger upsets of the year in a 31-16 home win in Week 7 against Caldwell. The Bluejays are 5-3. The Eagles finished 3-2 in league but 1-4 in district play under longtime coach Wyatt Williams, in his 14th year at the school. Udall finished 7-3 last year. District 2 was highly challenging with every team finishing with at least three victories. Flinthills’ only victory was a 40-28 home win versus West Elk in Week 7. Flinthills was 2-7 last year.


District 4 (5th) Peabody-Burns (2-6) at District 3 (5th) Burlingame (4-4)  (Thursday)

Burlingame had reached three straight sub-state title games from ’15-17 and went 8-2 last year. The Bearcats had lost just eight times in coach Jeff Slater’s first five years at the school. However, the Bearcats returned just two starters on both sides of the ball. Peabody-Burns finished 3-6 in ’18. Burlingame has outscored opponents, 268-172. P-B has tallied 118 points but permitted 281.


District 4 (6th) Herington (0-8) at District 3 (6th) Valley Falls (1-7)  (Thursday)

Valley Falls had one of the more improbable results of the 2019 season when the Dragons upset Lebo, 52-42. Despite the misstep, Lebo went on to finish 6-2 and as the runner-up in District 3. Valley Falls managed only the one win and didn’t stay within 26 points of any other opponent. Herington has dropped eight straight game since beating Valley Falls, 56-26, in this cross-district match-up last year. The Railers have given up nearly 57 points per game this season.
 

District 6 (5th) Kiowa County (4-4) at District 5 (5th) Central Plains (2-6)  (Thursday)

Defending champion Central Plains was hit hard by graduation and then has suffered through some injuries this fall. The Oilers are an uncharacteristic 2-6 and missed out on the playoff bracket for the first time since 2012. Kiowa County is among the top eight-man teams that didn’t make the playoff bracket. The Mavericks four losses have come to opponents that are a combined 25-7, including Pratt-Skyline (7-1), Hodgeman County (7-1), Spearville (4-4), and Ness City (7-1). The Mavs took care of their part in blowing out Kinsley last week, but South Gray’s slight “upset” victory over Spearville ended Kiowa County’s playoff chances. The Mavericks held the head-to-head victory over South Gray should they have finished tied with the Rebels in the standings.


District 6 (6th) Kinsley (1-7) at District 5 (6th) St. John (0-8)  (Thursday)

St. John has dropped 21 straight contests including last week’s forfeit to Pratt-Skyline. The Tigers have been shutout in every game this season except the Week 2 game against Kinsley won by the Coyotes, 44-42. Since that game, Kinsley has managed only 20 points and been shutout three times. Both teams will look to end the season on a positive note.


District 8 (5th) Oberlin-Decatur Co. (4-4) at District 7 (5th) Stockton (2-6)  (Thursday)

Oberlin can clinch its first winning season since an 8-2 record and district title in ’14. Since then, the Red Devils are 3-6, 2-6, 2-6 and 4-5. First-year coach Trevor Williams, who has coached Oberlin in other capacities, is in his first year as head football coach. Stockton upset Sylvan-Lucas, 14-12, on the road in Week 2, and then won at Lincoln, 53-8, in Week 7. Sylvan-Lucas finished 5-3 and scored at least 30 points in six other contests. Stockton was 3-6 last year.
 

District 8 (6th) Lincoln (2-6) at District 7 (6th) Atwood-Rawlins Co. (2-6)  (Thursday)

Rawlins County finished 7-1 in 2017 with the No. 1 scoring defense in eight-man football. Last year, the Buffs returned just one starter, then-sophomore Cyrus Green. The Buffs dropped back to 2-7 that included a 60-44 win versus Lincoln in Week 9. This year, the Buffs had eight starters back on both sides, though none of its passing or rushing yards come from seniors. Rawlins County opened 2-1 but struggled in challenging District 8 where every squad was 4-4 or better. For the second straight season, Lincoln opened 2-0 and has dropped every game since. Junior running back/linebacker Tyler Good is out for the year with injury.


CLASS 8-MAN, DIVISION II

District 2 (5th) Wakefield (1-7) at District 1 (5th) Southern Coffey Co. (2-6)  (Thursday)

Wakefield’s lone victory came in district play over Rural Vista, but the Bombers have played a competitive schedule. Junior quarterback Alec Vann leads the Wakefield offense with 406 passing yards and four touchdowns. His top target has been Jack Krueger who has 322 receiving yards and those four scores. Sophomore Trevor Uken leads the ground game with 341 yards and three touchdowns. Southern Coffey County’s two wins came in district play against Chetopa and Altoona-Midway. Senior Cooper Harred leads the Titan offense. Harred has passed for 445 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 231 yards and six scores.  

District 2 (6th) Rural Vista (1-7) at District 1 (6th) Chetopa (0-8) – Rural Vista has forfeited   

Rural Vista and Chetopa’s game has been canceled due to a lack of available players for Rural Vista. The Heat’s lone win of the season came 43-26 over Herington. Rural Vista scored 60 points in a 90-60 loss to Hartford last week. Meanwhile, Chetopa has struggled with roster numbers in recent years and went winless and lost by an average of 55 points per game each week.


District 4 (5th) Tescott (2-6) at District 3 (5th) Doniphan West (3-5)   (Thursday)

Tescott stopped a 15-game on-field losing streak with last week’s 18-8 victory at Southern Cloud. The Trojans also picked up a forfeit win over Linn a couple of weeks prior to that. Doniphan West has been competitive under Perry Smith, but has played a brutal schedule. The Mustangs chance at a playoff spot ultimately came down to a 42-36 overtime loss to Onaga back in Week 4.  Doniphan West lost to three of the top teams in the state in Hanover, Axtell, and Frankfort, but the Mustangs put up 52 points on Frankfort in a 74-52 loss.
 

District 4 (6th) Southern Cloud (1-7) at District 3 (6th) Blue Valley Randolph (1-7) (Thursday)

Blue Valley Randolph will try and stop a five-game slide when the Rams host Southern Cloud. The Rams have given up exactly 54 points in each of their last four games. Southern Cloud enters with only a forfeit victory over Linn. The Warriors are led by senior Tony Duggin who has rushed for 364 yards and six touchdowns.  
 

District 4 (7th) Linn (0-8) at District 3 (7th) Wetmore (1-7) -- Linn has forfeited   

Linn forfeited a district game and therefore was eliminated from playoff contention. The Bulldogs ended up forfeiting against Mankato-Rock Hills and Pike Valley. Although they counted as forfeit losses, Linn played exhibition games against Tescott and Southern Cloud – winning both games (66-16 over Tescott and 54-8 over Southern Cloud). Wetmore’s lone win of the season came against Southern Cloud, 28-22, back in Week 2. 


District 6 (5th) Dighton (1-7) at District 6 (5th) Logan-Palco (3-5)  (Thursday – 6-Man)

Dighton went 9-3 last year and advanced to the Eight-Man, Division II sub-state title game behind the “Dighton Nine,” a roster of just nine players. The Hornets are 1-2 in forfeit games this season. Dighton won a forfeit versus Greeley County in Week 4. The Hornets have forfeited its last two contests. Logan-Palco opened 3-1 but has battled injuries. The Trojans are the only team to beat Wheatland-Grinnell with a 32-30 road win in Week 2. Wheatland-Grinnell won District 6. Logan-Palco finished 3-6 last year.


District 6 (6th) Tribune-Greeley Co. (0-8) at District 5 (6th) Wilson (1-7) (Thursday)

This one is scheduled for Thursday if it takes place. Tribune-Greeley County has forfeited several games this fall given their lack of a full roster. The Jackrabbits have repurposed some of their Friday nights into 6-Man exhibition games in preparation for next fall when they move to that association. Wilson opened the season with a 50-0 blanking of Southern Cloud and hasn’t been in the win column since. The Dragons closest game since the Week 1 win came in a 42-32 loss to Northern Valley in Week 5.
 

District 8 (5th) Stafford (2-6) at District 7 (5th) Pretty Priaire (2-6)  (Thursday)

Pretty Prairie has first-year coach Dennis Detter, the longtime boys’ basketball coach. He is the third Bulldog coach in as many seasons. Stafford took a five-win dropoff after a 7-3 season, though had graduated standout Caleb Hildebrand. The Trojans have scored 196 points and allowed 324. Pretty Prairie has tallied 124 and permitted 316.


District 8 (6th) Satanta (1-7) at District 7 (6th) Fairfield (1-7) -- Fairfield has forfeited   

Fairfield’s lone victory of the season came against Burrton, but the Falcons haven’t scored in the last four games. Fairfield has reportedly forfeited this game to Satanta due to a lack of available players.


District 8 (7th) Chase (1-7) at District 7 (7th) Burrton (0-8) -- Burrton has forfeited

Burrton and Chase were scheduled to meet for a second consecutive week for a second consecutive season, but Burrton has reportedly forfeited the game due to a lack of available players. The Chargers will make the transition to 6-Man football next fall. Chase defeated Burrton, 40-28, last week.

 

 

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