Class 4A
4A East
#9 Spring Hill (5-4) at #1 Tonganoxie (9-0) – Tonganoxie (Nicholl)
Tonganoxie won this matchup, 41-0, in Week 6. Chieftain junior Blake Poje has completed 94 of 153 passes for 1,563 yards with a 17/6 TD/INT ratio. Senior Cooper Cunningham has 192 carries for 1,745 yards and 22 scores. Tonganoxie’s best all-time finishes are quarterfinal showings in ’75, ’92 and ’95. Spring Hill advanced by shutting out Pittsburg in the second half for a 17-13 win. It was the Broncos first postseason win since 2013.
#5 Bonner Springs (7-2) at #4 Bishop Miege (7-2) – Bishop Miege (Nicholl)
Bonner Springs has five straight victories after a 2-2 start that includes losses to Paola and Tonganoxie, both undefeated teams. Miege has won five straight state titles. The Stags feature quarterback Tim Dorsey, running back Brison Cobbins and wide receiver Daniel Jackson, a Minnesota commit. Dorsey has passed for 1,774 yards, while Jackson has 759 receiving yards. Bonner Springs running back Bryce Krone leads the state with 2,182 rushing yards. Armani Washington has 521 receiving yards. Johnny Tapia has passed for 1,279 yards. Somewhat surprisingly, the teams have not matched up since 1993, according to Kansas Football History.
#10 KC Piper (4-5) at #2 Paola (9-0) – Paola (Nicholl)
Paola is No. 1 in 4A in scoring offense and defense. The Panthers defeated KC Piper, 43-16, in Week 6. Paola has won every game by at least 27 points, except for a 16-8 road victory over Louisburg in Week 8. Paola has won three straight versus Piper. La’James White has rushed for 1,058 yards for the Pirates. For the second straight year, Piper linebacker Branden Martin has 154 tackles and leads the state in stops for the second straight season. Brandon Ahart has five interceptions for Piper. Last week, Paola defeated Ottawa, 56-9. Fletcher Aude, Evan Phillips and Garrett Williams each accounted for a pair of touchdowns.
#6 Louisburg (6-3) at #3 Chanute (8-1) – Louisburg (Nicholl)
Louisburg advanced to the quarterfinals in ’16 and ’18. Chanute has never gone past the quarterfinals in school history, though has advanced to the round six times, most recently in ’11-12. Chanute has first-year coach Clete Frazell, a longtime assistant and Blue Comets graduate. Louisburg opened 0-2 and is 6-1 since. Chanute lost to Pittsburg, 41-27, in Week 2. Since then, the Blue Comets have three victories by a combined 20 points. Chanute has starting quarterback Ty Bowman, a four-year starter with multiple collegiate offers. Bowman earned a PWO offer from Kansas State this week. Chanute has plenty of size up front and has enjoyed a huge season from Briley Peavy. Against Fort Scott, Chanute opened the scoring with a double reverse pass from Peavy to Bowman. Later in the game, Peavy had a pick-six.
Class 4A – West
#8 Goddard (4-5) at #1 McPherson (9-0) – McPherson (Hammeke)
Goddard was in the middle of a five-game losing streak when they lost starting quarterback Kyler Semrad to a meniscus tear. The defending 4A state runnesr-up went to RB-turned-QB Kaedan Hoefer to fill in the void at signal caller. Hoefer has gone 50/111 for 671 yards and five touchdowns in Semrad’s absence. This week Goddard heads to McPherson to keep the season alive. The Lions will need to find creative ways to score against the McPherson defense, which allows only 8 points per game. McPherson will look to Jakob Feil to bolster offensive production for the Bullpups, with 603 yards and 10 touchdowns on 95 carries. The Bullpup offense puts up on average 44 points per game. The Bullpups will be seeking to avenge last seasons’ 15-14 state-semifinal loss to Goddard.
#12 Ark City (3-6) at #4 Winfield (6-3) – Ark City (Nicholl)
The Cowley County Cup rivalry continues. Winfield opened the season with a 20-18 victory versus Arkansas City. Winfield was 3-6 last year and has doubled its win total this season. Ark City went 4-7 last year with playoff wins against Mulvane (29-26) and Coffeyville (28-6). Winfield has its most victories since a 7-4 mark in 2013. In Week 9, Winfield defeated El Dorado, 37-0. K.C. Crandall rushed for two touchdowns and threw for a TD pass. Last week, Arkansas City defeated another higher-seeded team with a 55-17 victory versus No. 5 Ulysses. Ark City freshman quarterback Gabe Welch threw five touchdown passes in the victory.
#7 Augusta (5-4) at #2 Andover Central (8-1) – Andover Central (Hammeke)
In Derek Tuttle’s first year with the Jaguars, Andover Central has reaped success. Their only loss on the season was to undefeated Maize South, and the Jaguars average 30 points per game and only give up an average of 12. Xavier Bell, who picked up a PWO offer from Oklahoma this week, has been unstoppable. Bell has 658 yards and nine touchdowns on 46 catches. Matthew Macy has been great on both sides of the ball; with 691 yards and eight touchdowns offensively, and four interceptions on defense. Augusta is on a three-game winning streak, including a two-overtime battle against Coffeyville-Field Kindley last week. The Orioles have given up 23 points per game while only scoring 20 per contest.
#6 Mulvane (5-4) at #3 Buhler (7-2) – Buhler
In another matchup from the regular season, Buhler defeated Mulvane 25-14 in Week 4. Mulvane would go on to break their four-game losing streak the next week versus Coffeyville, and the Wildcats have not lost since. For Buhler, Sam Elliott would have two touchdowns and 86 yards on 19 carries. Elliott has 763 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season for the Crusaders. Mulvane allows an average of 18.7 points per game. Cole Diffenbaugh will be a difference maker in this game. Diffenbaugh had 155 yards and a pair of scores in last week’s 47-14 win over Independence. On the season, Diffenbaugh has emerged in the teams five-game winning streak, with 336 yards and three rushing touchdowns during the stretch. The first game was a defensive battle with Buhler producing only 218 total yards to Mulvane’s 174.
Class 3A
VIEW: 3A Bracket
Galena (6-3) at Frontenac (9-0) – Frontenac (Nicholl)
These two CNC League rivals will meet for a second time this season. Frontenac won the district opener back in Week 4 at Galena, 27-14. The Raiders, Andale, Prairie View and Colby are the four undefeated teams left in 3A. Frontenac ranks second with 65 points permitted in 3A. Last year, Galena defeated Frontenac, 27-7, in the second round and went to the state semifinals. In Week 9, Frontenac beat Girard, 34-0. Quarterback Jake Beckmann accounted for four touchdown passes. Galena went on the road and outscored Burlington, 44-34, behind a huge night from senior Nick Sarwinski. Sarwinski rushed for 170 yards and four touchdowns. His younger brother Brett Sarwinski has passed for more than 1,200 yards this season.
Jefferson West (8-1) at Topeka Hayden (8-1) – Hayden (Nicholl)
In Week 5, Hayden held off Jefferson West, 13-6, in district play. Jeff West has permitted 59 total points behind the Saili family, notably Pene and Kauli, and has allowed the fewest points in 3A. Hayden has never lost to Jefferson West in school history. Last week, Hayden beat Sabetha, 35-0. Sabetha was back-to-back Class 3A state champions. In the first half, Will DeVader, Jack Konrade and Desmond Purcell rushed for touchdowns. Johnny Holloway threw for more than 200 yards. Jefferson West trailed Marysville, 14-6, at halftime. Hayden has only allowed 67 points and has shown a more explosive offense compared to Jeff West. In the first meeting, Hayden took a 7-0 lead before Jeff West had a long kickoff return inside the 10-yard line. The Tigers scored but missed the two-point conversion for a 7-6 deficit. Jefferson West had a long drive in the final two minutes and was inside Hayden’s 10-yard line on the game’s final play before fumbling. Hayden doubled up Jeff West in total yards in the victory, but the Wildcats committed three turnovers.
Columbus (8-1) at Prairie View (9-0) – Prairie View (Nicholl)
The matchup features a pair of teams that have a combined 17-1 record, but have not been ranked in 3A throughout the fall. Columbus has flipped its ’18 record behind new coach Blake Burns. Prairie View has its first perfect season in 21 years. While the Buffaloes have not played one of 3A’s more challenging schedules, Prairie View does own wins versus Santa Fe Trail (35-15) and Caney Valley (34-7). Last week, Columbus trailed Anderson County, 7-6, at halftime. Quarterback Patrick Cassidy rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Prairie View had dispatched Anderson County, 41-0, in the regular season. The Buffaloes advanced to the Round of 16 for the third straight season. A win gives Prairie View its best showing since a 1970 championship. Senior Hunter Boone has 153 carries for 1,120 yards and 17 rushing scores. He rushed for 1,114 yards last year.
Perry-Lecompton (6-3) at Holton (7-2) – Holton (Nicholl)
Holton was 3-6 last year, including a 46-0 loss to Perry-Lecompton, the first losing season since in the inaugural fall under 24th-year coach Brooks Barta. The Wildcats lost 7-0 in the final minute to Jefferson West in Week 1, but then earned a 14-7 victory versus Perry-Lecompton in Week 2, a win that has helped shape a four-win improvement. Holton won challenging District 4 that had four teams with six or more victories. The Wildcats have seven new offensive line starters and feature five players with at least 259 rushing yards. Ian Watkins has paced the offensive line at tight end. Juniors Konnor Tannahill (757 rush) and Canon Karn (658) have led the wishbone offense. Karn paces the squad with 68 tackles, and Tannahill has 65. Perry-Lecompton was 7-4 and 7-3 the last two years and then graduated Dalton Kellum (25 scores accounted for in ’18). Senior Billy Welch and Thad Metcalfe have led the offense with a combined 19 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing scores. Metcalfe has 1,019 rushing yards. Holton’s offense has significantly improved throughout the year and the Wildcats are the favorite with Tannahill and Karn.
8M-I WEST
Wichita Collegiate (6-3) at Cheney (7-2) – Cheney (Gilmore)
Collegiate will travel to Cheney in an intriguing game between the AVCTL-IV and the Central Plains League. After a 4-0 start, Collegiate scuffled in losing three of its next four games including a 46-21 district loss to Cheney. Last week, the Spartans got back on track with a 35-14 win over then No. 2 ranked Halstead. Collegiate scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Dragons. Quarterback Nate Voegeli passed for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown and added 76 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, Cheney scored 31 points in the first half as part of their 51-18 win over Rock Creek. Zac Block threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another score as the Cardinals rolled to their seventh win. Harrison Voth caught two touchdown passes and added a rushing score, while Riley Petz had over 100 yards receiving and two scores. In the first meeting between these two, Petz had a massive game with 135 rushing yards and two scores, and had 145 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Concordia (5-4) at Scott City (7-2) – Scott City (Gilmore)
This is a rematch of a district game played just two weeks ago where Scott City handled Concordia, 31-0. That victory stopped a rare two-game losing streak for the Beavers. Parker Gooden passed for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, and the Beaver defense held Concordia to 126 total yards. Last week, Scott City advanced with a 35-18 win over conference rival Holcomb. Hunter Yager led the Beavers with 175 yards on the ground and two scores. Concordia picked up the schools’ first playoff win since 2014, 43-18, after a long road trip to Hugoton. The Panthers rushed for 440 yards on the night led by quarterback Wyatt Trost’s 184 yards and four touchdowns. Hunter Schroeder added 129 yards and a pair of scores and Keyan Miller rushed for 100 yards on 15 carries. For the season, Schroeder has rushed for a team-high 1,100 yards and six scores, while Trost has 553 yards and 12 touchdowns. Miller has added 688 yards on the ground and six scores.
Clearwater (7-2) at Andale (9-0) – Andale (Nicholl)
Andale has been the No. 1 ranked teams virtually all of 2019 and most of last season. The Indians beat Clearwater 50-12 in Week 7 and will be a significant favorite this week. However, Clearwater has enjoyed a nice climb and has the most victories for the program since an 8-2 mark in 2011. Clearwater, with quarterback Tanner Cash, has improved from one to four to seven wins in the last three years. Cash missed three contests this year with 1,153 passing yards with a 14/3 TD/INT ratio. He has 825 rushing yards and six rushing scores. Last fall, Cash set the school mark for single season touchdowns. Andale defeated Clay Center, 68-7, with 28 points in the first quarter. Eli Rowland delivered 119 rushing yards and three TDs, and Easton Hunter tossed a pair of touchdown passes. Noah Meyer accounted for three scores.
Beloit (6-3) at Colby (9-0) – Colby (Nicholl)
This is a Week 3 rematch that Colby narrowly won, 21-20, and should be one of the better Round of 16 games in the state. The Eagles have enjoyed their best season since 1984 and won close District 8 with the Beloit victory, a 21-14 win versus Concordia and a 28-20 double-overtime home victory versus Scott City. All four teams are still alive in the playoffs. As well, Colby won 16-8 at home versus Hugoton in Week 2, another district champion. Third-year coach Rees McKinney has featured all-purpose threat Calvin Stapp, lineman Aaron Kurth and fullback Hagan Booi. Stapp delivered 233 offensive yards in last week’s win versus Nickerson and has rushed for 1,114 yards. Quarterback Ryan Myers accounted for three TDs, and Booi rushed for one. Kurth has a KU offer. Beloit is 6-3, 6-4 and 6-3 the last three years under coach Brad Gober. Quarterback Hudson Gray missed most of last season with injury, and has accounted for more than 930 yards of offense this season. Beloit has to again make the 167-mile trip west, and the Eagles’ home field advantage gives Colby a slight edge.
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