Class 2A
2A EAST
Southeast-Cherokee (7-2) at Humboldt (9-0) – Humboldt (Nicholl)
Southeast-Cherokee has posted its most victories in a season since 2005. Humboldt has back-to-back 9-0 starts. Last year, the Cubs advanced to the sub-state title game, the best finish in school history. Humboldt has enjoyed another massive season from Conor Haviland and rushed for 338 yards a game. Haviland has 115 carries for 2,024 yards and 33 touchdowns. He has completed 19 of 37 passes for 295 yards with five touchdowns against one interception. Humboldt defeated Southeast, 50-18, in Week 8.
Rossville (7-2) at Nemaha Central (7-2) – Rossville (Gilmore)
Perhaps the most highlighted of this week’s games in Class 2A features Rossville traveling to Seneca to take on the Nemaha Central Thunder. Both programs have been fixtures in the playoffs in recent years. Nemaha Central won 32 games in three years from 2015-17 including a sub-state semifinal appearance in 2016. After heavy graduation losses dropped the Thunder to 5-4 a season ago, Nemaha Central is talented enough for a playoff run again this season. The Thunder’s two losses have come to Sabetha (13-6) and Holton (28-14). Nemaha Central has won six straight games. Senior quarterback Dylan Schultejans has passed for 1,337 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. Four receivers have between 224 and 411 receiving yards led by senior Andrew Leonard who also has a team-high eight touchdown receptions. The ground game is split between Gavin Duryea and Gage Palic. Duryea has 494 rushing yards and four scores, while Palic adds 338 yards and eight scores. Duryea rushed for 161 yards in last week’s 49-20 win over St. Marys in which the Bears scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. After three consecutive Class 3A state titles, Rossville fell back to 2-7 in 2017 due to heavy graduations losses. Last year, the Bulldawgs reached the quarterfinals with a 8-3 mark. This year’s team only has losses to No. 2 Silver Lake (14-13), and No. 4 Riley County (34-15). Sophomore Torrey Horak leads the Rossville offense with 1,044 rush yards and 16 touchdowns while passing for 939 more yards and 16 more touchdowns. Bo Reeves is Horak’s favorite target with 500 receiving yards and eight scores.
Riverton (6-3) at Silver Lake (9-0) – Silver Lake (Nicholl)
Silver Lake coach C.J. Hamilton and Riverton coach Johnny Mallatt have more than 80 combined years of coaching. Hamilton is the state’s all-time winningest coach. Mallatt led Riverton to a league championship in 1983 and has coached at a variety of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri schools, notably Baxter Springs, Galena, Missouri Southern and Riverton. Silver Lake is the favorite with 2A’s No. 1 scoring defense, but Riverton has quietly emerged as one of the state’s top turnaround stories. Riverton immensely struggled with numbers before Mallatt took over. The Rams had won six combined games in the last three years. Riverton had its most victories since a 7-3 season in 2010. Ethan Shawver has rushed for 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns, while his brother Will Shawver has added 991 yards and 21 scores. Silver Lake has passed for 163 and rushed for 195 yards a game. Senior Cody Hay has completed 86 of 141 passes for 1,442 yards and a 21/3 TD/INT ratio.
Southeast of Saline (7-2) at Riley County (7-2) – Riley County (Nicholl)
Last year, Southeast of Saline defeated Riley County, 23-21, in district play. The Trojans trailed 21-0 in the contest. In the playoffs, Riley County turned the table beating Southeast of Saline, 33-14. This year, Riley County won at Southeast of Saline, 33-29, back in Week 7. Riley County won District 4 with Rossville finishing second and Southeast of Saline third. This season, Garrett Harmison, who set Riley County’s single-season passing record last year, has 1,104 yards and 13 scores. Deon Barnes has 963 rushing yards and 17 TDs. Trojan junior Jaxson Gebhardt has 94 of 165 passes for 1,075 yards with a 7/5 TD/INT ratio. Junior Bryant Banks has 157 carries for 936 yards and 21 scores for Southeast of Saline. Gebhardt has 159 carries for 884 yards and 13 TDs.
2A WEST
Conway Springs (7-2) at Eureka (6-3) – Conway Springs (Gilmore)
Conway Springs will travel to Eureka for this regional playoff game. The Cardinals are on the road after finishing as the District 6 runners-up to Garden Plain, while Eureka won District 5 with a victory over Belle Plaine. Eureka picked up its first playoff win since 2002 with a 31-6 decision over Trinity Catholic. The Tornadoes are led by senior quarterback Cade Larcom who has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns. Zach Hare has followed up an all-state junior season with 31 catches for 561 yards thus far. The Tornadoes use juniors Brennan Lowe and Brett Escareno in the backfield. Lowe has a team high 682 yards, while Escareno has rushed for 567 yards. Both scored in last week’s win over the Celtics. Conway Springs’ two losses have come to Cheney (49-19) and Garden Plain (32-21). Conway Springs scored all 42 points in the first half of a 42-13 win over Cherryvale. The Cardinals played without quarterback Collin Koester for a second-consecutive game, but junior Heath Hilger stepped up with 207 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the win. Hilger also threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Koester. Cherryvale defeated Eureka 40-31 to close out the regular season.
Norton (6-3) at Cimarron (9-0) – Norton (Nicholl)
Cimarron has posted 6-4, 7-3, 7-3, 8-2 and 9-0 marks in the last five years. The Bluejays have lost in Week 10 in the last seven falls. Cimarron has rushed for 323 yards and passed for 52 yards a game. Senior Payton Marshall has enjoyed one of the state’s best all-around seasons with 59 carries for 877 yards and nine scores. Junior Tate Seabolt has 111 carries for 828 yards and 15 TDs. Marshall also has 15 catches for 316 yards and five TDs. Sophomore Braxton Harrison has completed 23 of 59 passes for 465 yards with a 7/1 TD/INT ratio. Cimarron sophomore Blake Schilling (6-0, 285), and juniors Logan Doyle (6-2, 248) and Hunter Renick (6-2, 240) are the only Bluejay players over 225 pounds. Norton is more balanced with 208 rushing and 154 passing yards a contest. Norton lost to 8-1 Plainville in Week 1, and has fallen only to unbeaten squads Smith Center and Hoisington, ranked No. 1 in 1A and 2A, respectively. Senior quarterback Kade Melvin has again enjoyed a dual threat year with 97 of 175 passing for 1,376 yards with a 10/5 TD/INT ratio. He leads the team with 140 carries for 871 yards and 12 scores. Norton counters with senior linemen Dante Smith (6-2, 295), junior lineman Christien Hawks (6-5, 225) and senior Judson Wiltfong (6-5, 220). Wiltfong has a Fort Hays offer and paces the Bluejays with 106 tackles, 17 for loss.
Belle Plaine (8-1) at Garden Plain (9-0) – Garden Plain (Gilmore)
Central Plains League rivals Belle Plain and Garden Plain will hook up with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line. Third-ranked Garden Plain has rolled to an unbeaten season with marquee wins over Cheney (35-19) and Conway Springs (32-21). The Owls average 51 points per game while allowing only 13 per contest. Matt Pauly leads the Garden Plain offense from his quarterback position. In last week’s 61-7 win over Fredonia, Pauly threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 104 yards and two more scores. Trey Smith has been Pauly’s top receiving target, while John Nowak and Blake Long have done the primary damage out of the backfield. Under first-year coach Colton Koenigs, Belle Plaine is having one of the best seasons in school history. The Dragons are 8-1 and captured the schools’ first playoff win since 1990 with last week’s 17-14 decision over Chaparral. Belle Plaine held a slight 10-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter until Chaparral took a 14-10 lead on a touchdown run mid-way through the fourth quarter. Belle Plaine’s Eli Wiseman then returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown on what proved to be the game-winning score. Prior to this season, Belle Plaine had posted a 31-104 record over the past 15 seasons – a stretch that included a 31-game losing streak from 2012 to 2016.
Lakin (8-1) at Hoisington (9-0) – Hoisington (Gilmore)
Top-ranked Hoisington will host the one-loss Lakin Broncs with the winner advancing to the state quarterfinals. Hoisington has ranked in the top spot for the majority of the season and have blitzed opponents by an average margin of 45 to 13. The Cardinals advanced with a 47-0 victory over Southwestern Heights last week. Senior Wyatt Pedigo rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Maxon Haxton completed only five passes, but four of them went for touchdowns. Avery Brewer caught two Haxton touchdown throws, while Pedigo and Cade Mason each added a touchdown catch. For the season, Pedigo has rushed for 1,823 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s also added 237 receiving yards and five scores. Lakin slipped by Ellsworth 21-14 by stuffing the Bearcats on to advance 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The Broncs advanced to the second round for a second straight season. Lakin improved to 8-1 on the season with their only loss coming 17-14 on a last-second field goal against Cimarron.
Class 1A
1A EAST
Hillsboro (6-3) at St. Mary’s Colgan (6-3) – Colgan (Gilmore)
Colgan will host Hillsboro for a second consecutive season in the reginal round. The Panthers defeated the Trojans 45-20 last season in a game played at Pittsburg State’s Carnie Smith Stadium. Colgan built a 31-0 lead in that game before Hillsboro added a couple of late scores. Colgan cruised into the regional round with a 57-0 win over Leon-Bluestem. The Panthers got touchdowns from six different players in the victory including two rushing scores and a passing touchdown by Gianni Piccini. The Panthers held Bluestem to less than 25 yards of total offense. Hillsboro advanced with a dominating 49-0 win over Pleasanton after leading 15-0 at halftime. Matthew Potucek passed for 129 yards and two touchdowns and added 162 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Caleb Potucek added 130 rushing yards and two scores.
Valley Heights (7-2) at Jackson Heights (7-2) – Jackson Heights (Gilmore)
Valley Heights and Jackson Heights will meet for a second time this season, and for the second consecutive year in the regional round of the playoffs. The Cobras defeated Valley Heights, 26-12, back in Week 5. The Cobras built a 14-6 halftime lead on touchdowns by Dylan Thompson and Jason Bosley, and then added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to defeat the Mustangs. Bosely broke a 66-yard touchdown run to put the Cobras up 20-6 early in the fourth quarter, then Cooper Williams later added a 44-yard touchdown run for the final margin. Williams rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 42-0 win over Wabaunsee. Valley Heights advanced with a 60-34 win over Jefferson Co. North. The Mustangs trailed the Chargers, 14-12 after the first quarter, but scored 28 points in the second quarter to take control. Jake Yungeberg rushed for 195 yards and five touchdowns in the victory, while Cameron Beardsley added 207 yards and a score. Cole Coggins rushed for 71 yards and two scores. For the season, Valley Heights averages 370 yards per game led by Coggins who has rushed for 1,319 yards and 20 touchdowns. Yungeberg has added 838 yards and 10 scores, while Beardsley has added 695 yards and nine touchdowns.
Uniontown (4-5) at Olpe (9-0) – Olpe (Gilmore)
After a forfeit win over Yates Center in the first round, Olpe will take on Uniontown for a second time this season. Olpe defeated Uniontown, 67-0, back in Week 5 in a game where Dawson Soyez got the scoring started early by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Soyez also caught a touchdown pass as the Eagles scored 27 points in each of the first and second quarters. Uniontown advanced with a 33-8 win over Marion in the first round to claim the schools’ first playoff victory since 2006.
Northern Heights (6-3) at Centralia (8-1) – Centralia (Gilmore)
Fourth-ranked Centralia will host District 4 foe Northern Heights for a second time this season. The Panthers defeated Northern Heights, 58-19, back on October 11th. In that meeting, Centralia scored 44 points in the first half and led by as much as 58-6 in the third quarter. Kamble Haverkamp rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the game, while Devon Feldkamp added 127 yards and a pair of scores. Feldkamp also caught a touchdown pass from Haverkamp. Cameron Heiman passed for 163 yards and rushed for 87 yards for Northern Heights in the loss. Last week, Heiman rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 160 yards and another score as the Wildcats avenged a regular season loss to Lyndon with a 44-14 win. Lyndon had defeated Northern Heights, 34-24, earlier this season. For the season, Heiman has passed for 1,150 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 1,181 yards and 16 scores.
8M-I WEST
Republic County (2-7) at Smith Center (9-0) – Smith Center (Gilmore)
Two-time defending champion Smith Center gets a district rematch against perhaps the most dangerous two-win team in the state in Republic County. Smith Center won the earlier meeting on October 18th, 41-12, in a contest that was 7-6 after one quarter. The Redmen scored 21 points in the second quarter and rushed for 378 yards in the game. Smith Center averages 358 yards per game on the ground. Senior Jaden Atwood leads the team with 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns, while classmate Colton Shoemaker has added 754 yards and 11 scores. In the first meeting, Atwood rushed for 112 yards and a score, Shoemaker added 95 yards and score, and senior Trenton Colby contributed 107 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries. Republic County broke a 26-game losing streak in the last week of the regular season with a 62-14 victory over Sacred Heart, then routed Ellis, 54-16, in the first round last week. The Buffaloes rushed for 417 yards on 64 attempts in the win over Ellis. Junior Jared Baxa led the Buffs with 224 yards on 27 carries, while classmate Kaleb Talkington added 100 yards on 19 attempts. Baxa has rushed for a team-high 1,163 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, but limited to 55 yards and a score against Smith Center the first time. Sophomore quarterback Brady Boyer passed for 127 yards and a score against the Redmen in the earlier meeting. Despite the Buffaloes losing their first seven games and extending their long losing streak, Republic County played a difficult schedule and was competitive in most games. The Buffaloes lost four games by 12 points or less with three losses by a touchdown or less.
Meade (4-5) at Sedgwick (7-1) – Sedgwick (Hammeke)
This is a district rematch and a rematch of last season’s regional round won by Sedgwick, 20-2. The Cardinals won the earlier meeting this season, 42-0. Sedgwick had a bye last week because of an odd number of teams in Class 1A. Sedgwick rolled through their District 7 schedule, en route to their ninth straight undefeated district title. Meade has a combined scoring margin of 205-209 in nine games, and is on a two-game winning streak. The Buffaloes are led by Korben Clawson, who paces the team in rushing yards with 635, and has six touchdowns. Grant Gillum has 201 yards and three touchdowns on 16 catches. Sedgwick has featured a defense that keeps teams stagnant, allowing only five points per game with three shutouts. No opposing team has been able to score more than 13 points against the Cardinals this season. Under Lance Hoffsommer at quarterback, the Cardinals offense has been red hot. Hoffsommer has passed for 2,392 yards with Qayden Shepherd totaling 694 receiving yards and Henry Burns catching 537 more yards. Kale Schroeder has eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark as well for the Cardinal offense. When Meade and Sedgwick played in week 6, Hoffsommer passed for 161 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
Ell-Saline (7-2) at Plainville (8-1) – Plainville (Nicholl)
This marks the third straight season that Ell-Saline and Plainville has met up in the playoffs. Two years ago, Plainville won at 27-20 in double overtime. Last fall, Plainville defeated Ell-Saline, 31-28, on a last-second field goal. Plainville senior Jared Casey has returned after he missed two weeks in the middle of the season with an injury. Both Casey and quarterback Jordan Finnesy have multiple collegiate offers. Finnesy has recently picked up an offer from Kansas Wesleyan. Ell-Saline, with longtime coach Terry King, features a variety of standouts, including Luke Parks, who cleared 200 rushing yards last week. Finnesy has 813 passing yards with a 10/5 TD/INT ratio. He has rushed for 682 yards and 11 TDs. Casey has 906 rushing yards and 15 scores. Sophomore Ben Hansen, who started as a freshman, has a team-high 72 tackles. Plainville has lost just one home game in the last two years.
Inman (5-4) at Elkhart (7-1) – Elkhart (Gilmore)
This is a rematch from a regional playoff game last season won by Elkhart, 53-10. Inman has won three of its past four games, and five of seven overall. Since consecutive losses to Belle Plaine and Hutchinson Trinity to begin the season, the Teutons only losses have come to Heart of America leaders Ell-Saline (14-0) and Sedgwick (42-7). Last week, the Tueutons advanced with a 49-6 victory over Stanton County behind a huge night from running back Kolby Blank. Blank rushed for more than 260 yards and scored six total touchdowns in the victory. Inman led 35-0 at halftime. Meanwhile, Elkhart came off of a district bye week with a 55-24 win over Sublette. The Wildcats led 27-18 at halftime, but pulled away with a 21-point fourth quarter. Chance O’Hair rushed for 153 yards and three scores in the victory to push his season total to 1,570 yards and 28 touchdowns. Jaxon Hastings added 109 yards and a score and Emmanuel Moreno rushed 98 yards and two scores. Elkhart rushed for 475 yards on the night.
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