On this special Week 9 edition of Around the Brackets, we’ll recap first-round playoff action from Thursday night.
Class 6A
Blue Valley North 40, Shawnee Mission South 0 – The 8-seed Mustangs opened their run towards a third consecutive Class 6A championship game appearance with a 40-0 shutout of 9-seed Shawnee Mission South. Blue Valley North led 7-0 after the first quarter and expanded their lead to 26-0 by halftime. The Mustangs advance to take on the winner of top-seed Gardner-Edgerton and 16-seed Shawnee Mission North. Bleu Valley North upset Gardner-Edgerton 49-28 in the state quarterfinals last season.
Class 5A
Olathe West 49, Topeka Seaman 28 – Olathe West scored all 49 points in the first half in rolling past Topeka Seaman, 49-28. Sophomore Anthony Favrow rushed for four touchdowns, including three in the first quarter as the Owls built a 28-0 lead. Favrow entered this week’s action with 1,077 rushing yards and 12 scores. Alex Birge also threw three touchdown passes in the first half, including two in the final minute as Olathe West built a 49-7 lead. Birge’s touchdown passes went to Luke Bishop, Connor Delong, and Jackson Novacek.
Class 4A
Goddard 32, Rose Hill 14 – Goddard advanced to the second round with a 32-14, turnover-filled victory over Rose Hill. The Lions and Rockets combined for ten turnovers on the night. Goddard opened the scoring on a blocked punt by Zeke Howell and a scoring run by Taygen Bantz. Kaeden Hoefer started at quarterback for the injured Kyler Semrad and rushed and passed for a touchdown in the game. Barring a major upset, the 8-seed Lions will likely take on top-seed McPherson next week.
Class 3A
Frontenac 34, Girard 0 – Frontenac advanced to the next round with a 34-0 shutout of CNC League rival Girard. Quarterback Jake Beckmann rushed for two touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes to Cale Bridwell in the first half as the Raiders built a 28-0 lead. Frontenac will host Galena next week. The Raiders beat the Bulldogs 27-14 earlier this season.
Galena 44, Burlington 34 – Galena traveled to Burlington and defeated the host Wildcats, 44-34. The Bulldogs scored 22 points in each half in picking up their sixth win of the season. Galena will travel to Frontenac next week for a rematch of a regular-season game won by the Raiders, 27-14. Galena defeated Frontenac 27-7 in the second round last season on its way to a state semifinal finish.
Columbus 33, Anderson County 20 – Columbus rebounded from a loss to Frontenac with a 33-20 playoff win over Anderson County. The Titans used a strong second half after trailing the Bulldogs 7-6 at the break. Quarterback Patrick Cassidy scored on a pair of touchdown runs and the Titan defense set up another score with an interception. Columbus (8-1) will take on the winner of Prairie View (8-0) and Caney Valley (5-3).
Class 2A
Humboldt 70, Central Heights 8 – Humboldt rolled to a 70-8 victory over Central Heights in the opening round. The Cubs led 36-0 after one quarter and 64-0 at halftime. Humboldt will now host Southeast-Cherokee in the second round. The Cubs defeated the Lancers, 50-18, in district play last week.
Southeast-Cherokee 12, Osage City 6 (2 OT) – Bryce Petersen scored on a 1-yard sneak in the second overtime to lift Southeast past Osage City, 12-6. This marks the first playoff win for the Lancers since 2010 when Southeast defeated Central Heights, 37-12. Southeast improved to 7-2 with the win – the most wins in a season since 2005. Last season, Osage City defeated the Lancers in the first round, 28-6.
Silver Lake 68, Jayhawk-Linn 8 – Silver Lake cruised into the second round with a 68-8 victory over Jayhawk-Linn. The Eagles will host Riverton in the next round. The Eagles and Rams last met in the state semifinals back in 2008.
Riverton 44, Oskaloosa 14 – Riverton improved to 6-3 on the season with a 44-14 win over Oskaloosa. The Rams hadn’t won more than two games in a season since 2014, but have now won three straight and five of their last six. On Thursday night, Riverton led the Bears 44-0 at halftime.
Garden Plain 61, Fredonia 7 – The third-ranked Owls rolled to a 61-7 win over Fredonia on Thursday night. Garden Plain scored 28 points in the first quarter and led 55-0 at halftime. Matt Pauly threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 104 yards and two more scores. Garden Plain advances to take on the winner of Central Plains League rivals Belle Plaine and Chaparral.
Class 1A
St. Mary’s Colgan 57, Leon-Bluestem 0 – Colgan rolled past Bluestem on Thursday night, 57-0. The Panthers scored 21 points in the first quarter and 27 more in the second to take a 48-0 halftime lead. The younger Panther players helped contribute a touchdown and a field goal in the second half for the final margin.
Jackson Heights 42, Wabaunsee 0 – Jackson Heights shut out Wabaunsee 42-0 on Thursday. Cooper Williams rushed for four touchdowns spanning 190 yards as the Cobras cruised to a 35-0 halftime lead. Jason Bosley also added a pair of touchdowns on runs of 76 and 58 yards.
Valley Heights 60, Jefferson Co. North 34 – Valley Heights trailed Jefferson Co. North 14-12 after the first quarter, but the Mustangs eventually took control. Valley Heights scored 28 points in the second quarter to take a 40-20 lead in to halftime. In the end, the Mustangs held on for a 60-34 victory and earned a date with Jackson Heights next week. The Cobras won the earlier meeting this season, 26-12.
Olpe 1, Yates Center 0 – Olpe advances to the next round as Yates Center forfeited due to lack of available players.
Smith Center 35, La Crosse 14 – Smith Center led 7-6 late in the second quarter before the Redmen took firm control by scoring three touchdowns in the final three minutes for a 28-6 halftime lead. La Crosse scored late in the game for the final margin.
Class 8-Man, Division I
Caldwell 46, Cedar Vale-Dexter 30 – Caldwell and Cedar Vale-Dexter were tied at 24 at halftime, but the Blue Jays used a defensive score to spark a second-half rally and win, 46-30. Dawson Bristor forced a Spartan fumble and Trey Strnad scooped up the ball and raced for a touchdown to give Caldwell a 30-24 lead late in the third quarter. By the end of the third quarter, Jude Stow added a score for a 38-24 lead. Cedar Vale-Dexter pulled within 38-30 early in the fourth quarter, but Stow added another touchdown run for the final 46-30 margin. Caldwell will travel to Medicine Lodge in a district rematch from Week 8 of the regular season – won by Caldwell, 48-34.
Medicine Lodge 58, Central Burden 12 – Josh Bowman had a big night as Medicine Lodge advanced to the second round with a 58-12 win over Central Burden. Bowman passed for 144 yards and four touchdowns and added 138 yards rushing. Freshman Cauy Scripsick rushed for 87 yards and had 41 yards receiving. The Indians advance to take Caldwell. Medicine Lodge lost to Caldwell, 48-34, on the last week of the regular season.
Madison 57, Solomon 0 – Madison avenged last season’s second-round loss to Solomon with a 57-0 blowout in round one this season. Madison jumped out to a 35-0 lead after the first quarter. The Bulldogs took advantage of several Gorilla turnovers. Ryan Wolgram rushed for two touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes in the win.
South Central 47, West Elk 0 – South Central shut out West Elk 47-0 to open what they hope will be another deep playoff run. Jonny Robles, Eli Jellison, and Gage Girk each rushed for touchdowns, while Girk tossed a touchdown pass to Landon Uhl.
Argonia-Attica 38, Sedan 32 – For the second straight season, Argonia-Attica won at Sedan to advance. On Thursday, the Titans withheld a late charge from the Blue Devils to prevail, 38-32. A&A scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the second quarter to turn a two-point deficit into a 26-16 halftime lead. That score held until the fourth quarter when the Titans added another touchdown to go up 32-16. Sedan pulled to within 32-24 before A&A added another score late to widen the lead to 14. Last season, Argonia-Attica used 20 points in the fourth quarter to break an 8-8 tie and win a muddy game at Sedan.
Canton-Galva 46, Chase County 0 – Canton-Galva rolled to a first-round playoff win over Chase County. The Eagles beat the Bulldogs by the identical 46-0 score for the second time this season. Canton-Galva has still only allowed opponents to score 31 points this season – the best in the classification.
Lebo 58, Goessel 8 – Lebo took control with 28 points in the first quarter in beating Goessel, 58-8 by halftime. Devan McEwen passed for 119 yards and threw touchdowns to three different receivers. McEwen and Andrew Bailey each rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Bailey, Luke Davies, and Kaden Ott all caught scoring passes from McEwen.
Little River 54, South Gray 0 – Little River exploded for 40 points in the second quarter of Thursday’s 54-0 shutout of South Gray. The Redskins were led by junior Graham Stephens who rushed for four touchdowns and 69 yards. Jayden Garrison added 58 yards rushing and two scores. The Redskin defense forced four turnovers including Evan Johanning’s interception return for a touchdown.
Ness City 23, Macksville 8 – Ness City defeated Macksville to open the playoff bracket for a second-consecutive season. The Eagles and Mustangs played a scoreless first half until Alex Rodriguez kicked a field goal to end the half. Nate Gabel added a touchdown run in the third quarter for a 9-0 lead. Macksville pulled within 15-8 in the third quarter before Gabel added another touchdown. The Eagles beat the Mustangs 44-20 in the first round last season.
Leoti-Wichita Co. 88, Victoria 66 – Wichita County survived a wild first-round shootout with a strong defensive performance in the second half. The Indians outscored the Knights 42-6 in the second half to win 88-66. That’s right, Victoria led 60-46 at halftime. Both teams came outscoring as Victoria scored on a blocked punt and a kick return in the first quarter. When the opening quarter ended, Wichita County led 40-30. Victoria outscored the Indians 30-6 in the second quarter to go into halftime with the 14-point lead. Wichita County quarterback Kayde Rietzke rushed for five touchdown and threw four touchdown passes.
Hodgeman County 54, Moundridge 0 – Hodgeman County bounced Moundridge 54-0 using an effective passing game. Isaac Salmans passed for 228 yards and six touchdowns in the win as Hodgeman County rushed for only 104 yards. Ethan Burns caught three passes – all three of which went for touchdowns. Eli Salmans, Dalton Lee, and Conner Ruff each caught touchdown passes.
Spearville 48, Pratt-Skyline 26 – Spearville stopped a three-game losing streak with a 48-26 win at Pratt-Skyline. Carson Rich rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries to lead the Royal Lancers. Trace Tasset also added a touchdown run and caught a touchdown pass.
St. Francis 46, Washington County 0 – St. Francis earned its sixth shutout of the season and with a 46-0 win over Washington County. The Indians will now await the winner of Hill City (5-3) and WaKeeney-Trego (5-3).
Class 8-Man, Division II
St. Paul 64, Hartford 0 – St. Paul scored 64 points in a little more than a quarter-and-a-half in rolling past Hartford, 64-0. The Indians returned four interceptions for touchdowns on the night and had another punt return for a score.
Waverly 62, Marmaton Valley 14 – Waverly picked up the first playoff win of the Nick Fraenza era by beating Marmaton Valley, 62-14. Fraenza, who took over for longtime coach Mike Hevel, has led the Bulldogs to a 6-3 record. Waverly has won six of its past seven games after consecutive losses to Lebo and Madison to open the season.
Hanover 48, Pike Valley 0 – Hanover opened its title defense with a 48-0 shutout of Pike Valley. The Wildcats also defeated the Panthers, 58-14, in the season opener. Hanover advances to host Twin Valley League rival Frankfort. Hanover beat Frankfort 52-34 in district play last week.
Frankfort 54, Mankato-Rock Hills 8 – Frankfort rolled to a 54-8 victory over Manakto-Rock Hills. Garrret Dalinghaus rushed for 181 yards and five touchdowns in the game as the Wildcats put up 250 yards rushing. The Frankfort defense was equally impressive in limiting Rock Hill standout Rylee Whelchel to 26 rush yards on 12 attempts.
Centre-Lost Springs 56, Altoona-Midway 0 – Centre ended Altoona-Midway’s season with a 56-0 shutout. The Cougars were led by Jensen Riffel who rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries. Riffel also caught a touchdown pass in the win.
Colony-Crest 52, Marais des Cygnes Valley 12 – Colony-Crest turned in an impressive performance in a 40-point opening-round win over Marais des Cygnes Valley. The Lancers limited the Trojans to 12 points after MdCV had recently had outputs of 54, 52, and 82 points in district games. Crest has now won five consecutive games.
Beloit St. John’s-Tipton 50, Onaga 0 – St. John’s-Tipton steadily pulled away from Onaga to earn a 50-0, first-round win. The Blujays led 18-0 after the first quarter, and 24-0 at halftime. Finally, St. John’s-Tipton ended the game mid-way through the fourth quarter with a touchdown to reach the 45-point mercy rule.
Axtell 52, Lakeside-Downs 0 – Axtell scored 22 points in the first quarter and 30 more in the second to defeat Lakeside-Downs. Quinn Buessing threw two touchdown passes and rushed for 96 yards and two more scores in the win. Derek Buessing and Isaac Detweiler also each added a touchdown on the ground. The Eagle defense held the Knights to 59 total yards on 36 plays.
Osborne 56, Sharon Springs-Wallace Co. 8 – Top-ranked Osborne cruised to a 56-8 victory over Wallace County in a game called at half. The Bulldogs scored 32 points in the first quarter to take control. Osborne will host Sylvan-Lucas Unified in the next round. The Bulldogs defeated the Mustangs 48-0 earlier this season.
Sylvan-Lucas 52, Triplains-Brewster 8 – Sylvan-Lucas finished third in the District 5 standings but pulled away from Triplains-Brewster on Thursday night. The Mustangs will now travel to take on Osborne next week. Osborne defeated Sylvan-Lucas, 48-0, in a district game back in Week 4.
South Barber 70, Bucklin 20 – South Barber made sure Bucklin’s first playoff appearance since 2006 was a short one. The Chieftains defeated the Red Aces 70-20 to advance to next week where they will host Norwich. South Barber defeated Norwich 64-6 back in early October.
Norwich 22, Otis-Bison 6 – Norwich picked up an impressive road victory at Otis-Bison, 22-6, in a defensive struggle. The Eagles led 8-6 at halftime, but scored twice in the third quarter to provide some cushion. This is Norwich’s first playoff appearance in 11 years.
Wheatland-Grinnell 44, Northern Valley 30 – Wheatland-Grinnell picked up its first playoff win since the two schools consolidated back in the early 2000s. The Thunderhawks beat Northern Valley, 44-30, after topping the Huskies 28-18 back in Week 3 of the regular season.
Thunder Ridge 50, Quinter 0 – Thunder Ridge rolled into the next round with a 50-0 blanking of Quinter. Reece Struckhoff rushed for 195 yards and five touchdowns on just ten carries. The Longhorns will travel to Wheatland-Grinnell next week.
Minneola 50, South Haven 0 – Minneola advanced to next week with a 50-0 shutout of South Haven. Tuck Lang rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats, while Sebastian Colbert added 100 yards and three scores.
Central Christian 54, Ingalls 6 – Central Christian defeated Ingalls to open the bracket for a second consecutive season. The Cougars will take on Minneola next week.
6-Man Football
Golden Plains 60, Pawnee Heights 8 – Golden Plains advanced to the semifinals with a 60-8 win over Pawnee Heights. Roberto Loya rushed for 139 yards and two scores for the Bulldogs. Harley Weese scored a rushing touchdown, had two touchdown catches, and returned one of his three interceptions for a score.
Weskan 58, Ashland 54 – Weskan slipped by Ashland, 58-54, to advance to the 6-Man semifinals. The Coyotes have won the 6-Man state title in two of the three seasons of the association and taken third place the other year. Weskan is now 7-1 in the 6-Man playoffs in the last three season.
Non-Bracket Week 9 Finals:
Class 3A
Iola 38, Parsons 28
Osawatomie 26, Baxter Springs 14
Wellsville 36, Royal Valley 26
Class 2A
Whitewater-Remington 34, Neodesha 13
8-Man, Div. I
Atwood-Rawlins Co. 62, Lincoln 14
Burlingame 38, Peabody-Burns 26
Kinsley 44, St. John 20
Kiowa County 48, Central Plains 0
Oswego 24, Oxford 14
Udall 45, Flinthills 18
Valley Falls 58, Herington 12
8-Man, Div. II
Blue Valley Randolph 1, Southern Cloud 0 (forfeit)
Chase 1, Burrton 0 (forfeit)
Chetopa 1, Rural Vista 0 (forfeit)
Doniphan West 47, Tescott 0
Logan-Palco 64, Dighton 6 (6-Man)
Pretty Prairie 28, Stafford 18
Satanta 1, Fairfield 0 (forfeit)
Wakefield 58, Southern Coffey Co. 36
Wetmore 1, Linn 0 (forfeit)
Wilson 1, Tribune-Greeley Co. 0 (forfeit)
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
