On this playoff edition of Around the Brackets, we’ll recap regional action from Friday night.
Class 6A
8-Blue Valley North 42, 1-Gardner-Edgerton 41 – Blue Valley North eliminated Gardner-Edgerton for a second-consecutive season – this on with a dramatic two-point conversion stop late in the game. Gardner-Edgerton led 28-14 at halftime before four consecutive turnovers led to Blue Valley North touchdowns and a 42-28 Mustang lead. Teven McKelvey broke a long touchdown run to pull the Blazers within 42-35. Then in the final minute, McKelvey moved to receiver in an obvious passing situation. The Blazers converted a 4th-and-9 all the way down to the 5-yard line with under a minute to go. Shortly after, Tayezhan Crough scored from five yards with 32 seconds left to pull Gardner-Edgerton to within 42-41. Ryan Cornelsen chose to go for the two-point conversion and the lead, but McKelvey, back at quarterback, was stopped just short of the goal line by the Mustang defense. Blue Valley North recovered the onside kick and kneeled out the clock.
5-Blue Valley 24, 4-Olathe East 7 – Blue Valley built a 17-0 halftime lead in eliminating Olathe East, 24-7. Quarterback Jake Wolff passed for 248 yards including a touchdown to Tate Gillen in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 24-0. Wolff and Chase Jans each scored rushing touchdowns for the Tigers.
2-Olathe North 56, 7-KC Wyandotte 13 – Olathe North is the only Sunflower League team left in the playoffs. Arland Bruce, IV rushed for three touchdowns as Olathe North rolled to a 56-13 victory. Bruce scored twice early, then Wyandotte struck on a long pass play to pull within 14-7. Olathe North then scored six straight touchdowns to pull away. Caleb Nelson again played quarterback and threw a touchdown pass. Olathe North led 42-7 at halftime.
6-Blue Valley West 42, 3-Shawnee Mission Northwest 29 – Blue Valley West is into at least the quarterfinals since a semifinal showing in ’13. BVW has a four-win improvement under coach Josh Koerkenmeier. BVW has continued the great Eastern Kansas League success. Three of the 6A East teams are EKL squads. The EKL is 4-0 against the Sunflower in the playoffs, and the Sunflower League is 1-6 overall in the postseason. Blue Valley West outscored Shawnee Mission Northwest 35-6 over the second and third quarters to eliminate the third-seeded Cougars, 42-29. Jaguar quarterback Greg Riddle passed for 277 yards and four touchdowns in the win, while Riley Cummings rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown. Jaguar standout receiver David Brown had 11 catches for 235 yards and caught all four of Riddle’s touchdown passes.
1-Derby 49, 8-Wichita West 13 –Derby won its 23rd straight contest and got four touchdowns from Lem Wash in rolling to a 49-13 victory over Wichita West. Derby also saw Grant Adler return from injury to play some at quarterback. Adler rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass in the win.
4-Manhattan 49, 5-Lawrence Free State 28 – Manhattan defeated Free State in the playoffs for the second straight year. The Indians led 28-7 at intermission after a 16-play, 83-yard drive, according to Lawrence Journal World. Manhattan ran 15 times on the drive. Manhattan had a 456-331 edge.
7-Junction City 54, 2-Dodge City 7 – Dodge City finished 9-1. Junction City had lost at Dodge City in Week 9 in 2018. This time, JC led 13-0 before Dodge City scored. Then, JC scored 41 straight points. Dodge City finished its best season since 2010. After DC’s touchdown, Andrew Khoury had a 67-yard touchdown pass to Russell Wilkey. Chris Randolph then had a one-yard touchdown run.
3-Topeka High 56, 6-Lawrence 35 – Ky Thomas rushed 49 times for 359 yards and six touchdowns as Topeka High eliminated Lawrence, 56-35. Topeka led 35-14 at halftime. Topeka High gets its rematch versus Junction City. JC gave Topeka its only loss with a TD with less than a second left.
Class 5A
1-De Soto 31, 8-Shawnee Heights 0 – De Soto improved to 10-0, and defeated Shawnee Heights for the second time this year and fourth occasion in the last two falls. De Soto had a key interception and started a drive at the SH three-yard line. Shane Watts also picked off a pass. Eli Gratz kicked a 26-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead with 6:10 left in the third quarter. Jackson Miller threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Priddy for a 24-0 lead with 8:51 left in the contest.
4-Mill Valley 42, 5-Olathe West 6 – Mill Valley matched up with Olathe West coach T.J. O’Neill, a former MV assistant coach. MV ended OW’s six-game winning streak. The Jaguars have won six straight after a 1-3 start. Mill Valley will face De Soto for the first time in 15 years. MV led 21-0 at halftime.
2-St. Thomas Aquinas 34, 7-St. James Academy 7 – Aquinas won its 21st straight contest and led 14-0 after the first quarter and 27-0 at halftime. Tank Young rushed 33 times for 255 yards and three scores. Blake Anderson completed seven of 10 passes for 77 yards and a score to Tommy Carroll.
14-Blue Valley Southwest 37, 6-KC Schlagle 14 – Blue Valley Southwest won just one regular season contest, though has defeated the top Kansas City-Atchison League teams with KC Washington and KC Schlagle in the last two weeks.
1-Wichita Northwest 48, Great Bend 14 – Northwest moved to 10-0 and defeated GB for the second time this year after a 31-0 victory versus the Panthers in the regular season. Northwest led 28-7 in the first quarter.
4-Bishop Carroll 35, 12-Andover 7 – Carroll picked off five passes and improved to 8-2. The Golden Eagles have won six straight contests. Carroll has not permitted more than eight points in the last four wins. Carroll led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 entering halftime. Carroll gets its rematch with Wichita Northwest. Carroll is 0-3 against rival NW in the last two years, including an 84-67 playoff matchup in ’18 and a 21-17 season-opening loss this fall.
2-Maize South 41, Hays 10 – Maize South continued the best start in school history and improved to 10-0. The Mavericks did not allow an offensive touchdown. Hays High’s only score came on a fumble recovery in the end zone. Hays High led 7-0 early, though Maize South had a 14-10 lead at intermission. HHS quarterback Dylan Dreiling missed the majority of the second half, and Maize South’s defense limited the Indians to 25 yards after intermission. The Mavericks did struggle with turnovers as Tucker Veach picked off three passes, lost the fumble in the end zone and fumbled a pitch.
3-Maize 31, 6-Emporia 0 – Maize led 7-0 after the first quarter and 24-0 at halftime. Emporia received 24 carries and 140 yards from Beau Baumgardner. However, Maize quarterback Camden Jurgensen delivered 12 of 20 passing for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 18 times for 160 yards and a score. Maize outgained Emporia, 444-159. The Eagles advanced to the state semifinals last season.
Class 4A
1-Tonganoxie 45, 9-Spring Hill 24 – Spring Hill challenged top-seeded Tonganoxie for a quarter before the Chieftains took control for a 45-24 win. Cooper Cunningham carried 35 times for 261 yards and three scores to lead Tonganoxie. Sam Kleidosty rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries. Blake Poje added 118 yards and a passing touchdown to Tucker Isaacs. Tonganoxie is 10-0 for the first time in school history.
4-Bishop Miege 57, 5-Bonner Springs 16 – Bishop Miege scored 29 points in the first quarter in eliminating Bonner Springs, 57-16. Brison Cobbins rushed for three early touchdowns in the quarter as the Stags took control. Tim Dorsey threw four touchdowns passes, two to Daniel Jackson, one to Phillippe Wesley, and another to Mack Moeller.
2-Paola 42, 10-KC Piper 14 – Piper took an early lead on a La’James White touchdown run, but Garrett Williams quickly tied the score and Paola went on to a 42-14 win. Evan Phillips rushed for a touchdowns and caught two touchdown passes from Jeremy Sloan.
3-Chanute 30, 6-Louisburg 21 – Despite missing their top two quarterbacks, Louisburg challenged Chanute but fell 30-21. Chanute led 14-8 at halftime after two touchdown passes by Ty Bowman. Bowman’s third touchdown throw put the Blue Comets up 20-8 in the third quarter. But Louisburg’s Ben Wiedenmann scored his second touchdown to pull the Wildcats to within 20-14 after three quarters. Chanute added a field goal, and Wiedenmann scored his third touchdown to pull within 23-21. But Chanute’s Briley Peavy scored from a couple of yards out with under four minutes remaining to push the lead to 30-21.
1-McPherson 14, 8-Goddard 8 – McPherson avenged last season’s semifinal loss to Goddard with a 14-8 win on Friday night. Cody Stufflebean hauled in two touchdown passes from Kaleb Hoppes as the Bullpups overcame four turnovers to take a 14-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Goddard recorded a safety on blocked punt and got a punt return for a touchdown but couldn’t get any closer. Stufflebean had six catches on the night for 103 yards and two scores.
12Arkansas City 13, 4-Winfield 3 – For the second straight year, Arkansas City is in the state quarterfinals with a losing record. This time, the Bulldogs did so by defeating rival Winfield 13-3. Winfield had beaten the Bulldogs 20-18 in the season opener. Braiden Mattocks rushed for both Ark City touchdowns on the night. The Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals as a 12-seed, while last year they reach this round as a 13-seed. Ark City went 4-7 last year and is 4-6 this fall.
2-Andover Central 45, 7-Augusta 7 – Andover Central led 38-0 after three quarters and cruised to the victory. Andover Central advanced to the next round with a 45-7 victory over Augusta. Shomari Parnell threw touchdown passes to three different receivers in the first half as the Jaguars built a 24-0 lead. R.J. Betha and Jacob Rees each added touchdown runs in the second half as the Jaguars pulled away.
3-Buhler 24, 6-Mulvane 0 – Buhler shutout Mulvane, 24-0, on Friday to advance to the quarterfinal round. The Crusaders snapped Mulvane’s five-game win streak. Buhler held the Wildcats to 60 yards of total offense on the night.
Class 3A
Frontenac 20, Galena 6 – Frontenac and Galena were tied 6-6 at halftime before the Raiders scored twice after the break to claim the regional title. Brett Sarwinski put Galena up 6-0 early on a short touchdown run, but Ryan Raio answered for Frontenac. In the second half, Frontenac quarterback Jake Beckmann broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run to give the Raiders the lead. Later, Beckmann tossed a long touchdown pass to Cale Bridwell to provide the final margin.
Topeka Hayden 14, Jefferson West 6 – Hayden earned its second one-score victory versus Jefferson West this year and has not lost to JW in school history. Topeka Hayden’s defense again shut down Jefferson West as part of a 14-6 victory. The Wildcats built a 14-0 lead on two touchdown passes by Johnny Holloway. Holloway threw touchdown passes to Desmond Purnell and Cade Pavlik to lead by two scores at halftime. Hayden again struggled with turnovers and penalties – with a fumble leading to a short drive and a Jeff West touchdown. But overall, the Hayden defense held the Tigers to a little more than 100 yards of total offense.
Prairie View 35, Columbus 0 – Prairie View led 6-0 after the first quarter and 20-0 at halftime. PV was up 28-0 with four minutes left in the third quarter. The 10-0 Buffalos have double-digit wins for the first time since the best season in school history, an 11-0 mark in 1970, according to Kansas Football History. PV will travel to P-L this week.
Perry-Lecompton 35, Holton 21 – P-L lost 14-7 to Holton, 14-7, in Week 2. Holton is the last team eliminated from high-profile District 4. However, Hayden and P-L still remain alive from District 3. Thad Metcalfe had a four-yard run for a 14-6 lead with 7:57 left in the first half. The Kaws converted third-and-26 on the drive.
Cheney 30, Wichita Collegiate 13 – Cheney is in the quarterfinals for the second time in three years. The Cardinals bounced back from a 2-7 season to post an 8-2 mark this fall. Collegiate led 13-7 after a 46-yard touchdownrun with 3:21 left in the first half. Less than a minute later, Cheney tied the score on a 71-yard pass from Zac Block to Riley Petz. Cheney took the lead on a 20-yard field goal from Hunter Ivory with 8:10 left in the third quarter. Petz added a 20-yard touchdown run, and Zac Block completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Luke Grace.
Scott City 28, Concordia 0 – Scott City beat Concordia, 31-0, in Week 8 and earned its second victory versus the Panthers in three weeks. SC will play host to Cheney. SC has won three straight contests. The Beavers have five shutouts.
Andale 49, Clearwater 0 – Eli Rowland rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns as Andale defeated Clearwater for the second time this season. Easton Hunter passed for 88 yards, including touchdown passes to Rowland and Cole Landers. The Andale defense held Clearwater to 136 yards of total offense and intercepted Tanner Cash four times.
Beloit 28, Colby 14 – Colby defeated Beloit, 21-20, in district play. This time, the Trojans ended Colby’s best season in 35 years. Beloit is in at least the quarterfinals since a state runner-up showing in ’13.
Class 2A
Humboldt 60, Southeast-Cherokee 14 – Humboldt cruised over Southeast-Cherokee for the second time this year. The Cubs have its second straight 10-0 start. In Week 8, the Cubs defeated Southeast, 50-18.
Nemaha Central 29, Rossville 21 (OT) – Nemaha Central forced four turnovers and held Rossville out of the end zone in overtime to claim a 29-21 win. Tied at 21 at the end of regulation, the Thunder got the ball first in overtime and scored on a Gavin Duryea 1-yard run. Coach Warren Seitz chose to go for the two-point conversion and quarterback Dylan Schultejans ran it in for a 29-21 lead. Rossville got down to the three-yard line, but quarterback Torrey Horak was stuffed on third down. On fourth down, he was forced out of the pocket to his left and fired into the endzone but the pass fell incomplete.
Silver Lake 62, Riverton 21 – Silver Lake outscored Riverton 34-0 in the second half to turn a 7-point game into a rout. Cody Hay passed for 376 yards and threw six touchdown passes to help the Eagles advance to the quarterfinal round.
Riley County 14, Southeast of Saline 8 – Riley County defeated Southeast of Saline in the playoffs for the second consecutive fall, and beat SES for the second time this year. The Trojans committed three fourth quarter turnovers. Garrett Harmison passed for 208 yards and two scores. The game was tied at eight at halftime.
Conway Springs 40, Eureka 7 – Conway Springs moved into the quarterfinals for the second straight year. CS makes the 271-mile trip north to Norton for the quarterfinals. CS ended Eureka’s great season. The Tornadoes won a district crown for the first time in at least 17 years.
Norton 34, Cimarron 0 – Norton’s only three losses have come against Plainville, Smith Center and Hoisington, teams that have a combined one defeat. Cimarron has lost in the Round of 16 for the second straight year and continued its long losing streak in Week 10 contests. Norton took a 14-0 lead. Kade Melvin hit Carter Jones on a touchdown pass with 1:05 left in the first half. Midway through the third, Melvin scored on a quarterback scramble. Later in the quarter, Carter Jones had a scoop-and-score for a 27-0 lead. Norton scored again with seven minutes left in the contest. Norton has a three-win improvement from last year and will play host to Conway Springs at Travis Field next week. The Bluejays are in the quarterfinals for the first time since ’15.
Garden Plain 56, Belle Plaine 0 – Garden Plain raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead in ending the historic season for Belle Plaine. Matt Pauly passed for 111 yards and two touchdowns and added 52 yards on the ground in the win. Blake Long led the Owls with 146 rushing yards and two scores. Trey Smith caught four passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
Hoisington 48, Lakin 7 – The Cardinals led 48-0 after the third quarter. Mason Haxton delivered a career-high 110 rushing yards and a score, and threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Hoisington is in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in school history, according to Cardinal broadcaster Cole Reif. Lakin lineman Hadley Panzer, a Kansas State commit, did not play after he suffered a Week 9 injury.
Class 1A
St. Mary’s Colgan 29, Hillsboro 21 – Colgan advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 29-21 victory over Hillsboro. Colgan led 14-12 at halftime before the Trojans went on a long, time-consuming drive to start the third quarter that ended in a field goal and a 15-14 lead. Colgan answered right back with a touchdown run by Dominic Bevilacqua and two-point conversion to lead 22-15. Hillsboro answered with a touchdown, but a bad snap resulted in a fire scramble-pass to Jamari Harris who was tackled short of the end zone to keep the Panthers in front, 22-21. Colgan then put together a long drive and scored on a Jalen VanBecelaere touchdown to win 29-21.
Jackson Heights 6, Valley Heights 0 (OT) – Jackson Heights’ Jason Bosley tallied the game’s only score in overtime. JH is in the quarterfinals for the second straight fall and third time in the last five years. The Cobras beat Valley Heights for the second time this fall after a 26-12 win in Week 5. JH has won six in a row, including back-to-back shutouts. The Cobras will face St. Mary’s Colgan. SMC beat JH, 34-7, last year.
Olpe 56, Uniontown 0 – Olpe easily cruised past Uniontown for the second time this year. The Eagles beat Uniontown in Week 5, 67-0, and 56-0 this week. Olpe will play host to Centralia in a marquee quarterfinal matchup. Olpe defeated Centralia, 20-18, in the quarterfinals last season.
Centralia 46, Northern Heights 14 – Centralia overwhelmed Northern Heights for the second time this season. The Panthers led 46-0 at halftime before the Wildcats scored twice in the fourth quarter. Kamble Haverkamp rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, while Devon Feldkamp added a pair of rushing touchdowns for Centralia. Ian Haverkamp was the high-point man on the night, as three of this five carries went for touchdowns.
Smith Center 56, Republic County 14 – Smith Center captured its 20th straight contest. The two-time defending state champion Redmen led 21-0 after the first quarter and beat Republic County for the second time this fall. Griffin Kugler recorded a 12-yard scoop and score off a fumble during a kickoff return for a 14-0 advantage. As well, SC bumped the lead to 28-0 with 9:47 left in the first half on an 85-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Colby to Griffin Kugler.
Sedgwick 34, Meade 12 – Sedgwick eliminated Meade for a second-consecutive season. The Cardinals won at Meade, 34-12, behind a big night from Kale Schroeder. Schroeder rushed for more than 200 yards and scored two touchdowns in the victory. Gannon Resnik finished with 28 tackles.
Plainville 53, Ell-Saline 21 – Plainville led 26-0 after the first quarter and 47-7 at halftime. The game had a running clock starting midway through the third quarter. Jared Casey rushed 15 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan Finnesy passed for 118 and rushed for 143. He passed for one score and rushed for two.
Inman 43, Elkhart 13 – Inman has its best playoff advancement in 25 years and ended the Wildcats’ seven-game winning streak. The Teutons will play host to Plainville in the quarterfinals. After a winless season in ’17, Inman is 6-4 in each of the last two falls.
Class 8-Man, Division I
Caldwell 30, Medicine Lodge 28 – Caldwell held on to beat Medicine Lodge for the second time this fall. The Bluejays had a bad snap with 41 seconds to play, and ML scored. However, Caldwell halted Medicine Lodge’s two-point conversion and held on to win. The game was tied at 22 before Caldwell scored and converted the two-point play with 5:30 left.
Madison 52, Maranatha Academy 6 – Last year, Madison opened 9-0 and then lost to Solomon in Week 10. This year, Madison defeated Maranatha Academy, 68-58, at home in Week 4 in a comeback win. Madison rolled in the rematch.
South Central 43, Argonia-Attica 6 – South Central defeated Argonia-Attica, 17-0, in district play and earned a bigger victory in the rematch. Quarterback Chayde Snyder, a key four-year player, returned after he missed the Week 9 contest.
Canton-Galva 58, Lebo 8 – Canton-Galva rolled to its 10th straight win by the 45-point margin. The Eagles have permitted just 39 points this season. Canton-Galva trailed 8-6 midway through the first quarter and then scored 52 consecutive points. C-G gets a rematch against South Central. Last year, the Eagles defeated South Central, 54-52, in the state quarterfinals. Landon Everett threw for three touchdowns and rushed for four more scores. Kinser Colgin caught all three passes, according to the McPherson Sentinel.
Little River 44, Ness City 42 – Little River captured its ninth straight victory after a season-opening loss to No. 1-ranked Canton-Galva. LR led 14-8 after the first quarter and 22-16 at halftime. Little River led 44-34 with 3:37 left in the contest after a 40-yard touchdown reception from Braxton Lafferty, though NC countered with a quick score, according to Gallagher Martin. Little River had a 30-16 lead midway through the third quarter.
Leoti-Wichita County 54, Clifton-Clyde 38 – Wichita County had a huge game from quarterback Kayde Rietzke. He accounted for multiple touchdowns both rushing and passing. C-C finished 9-1 for the second straight year. WC is into at least the quarterfinals for the first time in 29 years. C-C led 16-8 after the first quarter.
Hodgeman County 62, Spearville 54 – Hodgeman County topped Spearville behind a big second half. The Longhorns trailed Spearville 40-24 at halftime before outscoring the Royal Lancers 38-14 after the break. Carson Rich led Spearville with 258 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 33 carries.
St. Francis 52, Hill City 0 – St. Francis scored 24 points in the first quarter and 28 more in the second in blanking Hill City, 52-0. Shadyron Blanka rushed for four touchdowns as the Indians racked up nearly 350 yards on the ground as a team.
Class 8-Man, Division II
St. Paul 28, Waverly 18 – After weeks of massive 45-point rule victories against soft competition, SP easily had its closest game of the year. St. Paul overcame several turnovers to hold off Waverly, 28-18. Adam Albertini scored two touchdowns in the win, but it was Easton Dent’s touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that helped extend the 22-18 lead to two scores and secure the Indians’ trip to the quarterfinals.
Hanover 36, Frankfort 32 – Emmitt Jueneman delivered a late first down to ice Hanover’s second victory against Frankfort this year. Hanover, the three-time defending state champions, led 36-24 before Frankfort scored with 4:42 left. Hanover had a 28-18 lead in the third quarter.
Centre-Lost Springs 46, Colony-Crest 0 – Lost Springs moved into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010.
Axtell 46, Beloit St. John’s-Tipton 0 – Quinn Buessing passed for 148 yards and two touchdowns as Axtell rolled to a 46-0 win over Beloit St. John’s-Tipton. Buessing also added a pair of touchdowns on the ground, while Mitchell Buessing also scored a rushing touchdown. Derek Buessing caught six passes for 63 yards and two scores. The Eagles held the Blujays to 71 yards of total offense.
Osborne 40, Sylvan-Lucas Unified 6 – Osborne defeated Sylvan-Lucas for the second time this year. The Bulldogs beat S-L, 48-0, in Week 4.
South Barber 62, Norwich 22 – South Barber is 9-2, 9-2, 9-1-1, and 9-1 in the last four years. Norwich led 22-16 at halftime before SB scored 46 points in the second half.
Thunder Ridge 64, Wheatland-Grinnell 16 – Thunder Ridge ended the best season in Wheatland-Grinnell history. TR has a four-win improvement from 2018. As well, Thunder Ridge’s 9-1 season is one more victory than the Longhorns had in the last four seasons combined. TR will travel to Hutchinson Central Christian in the quarterfinals.
Hutchinson Central Christian 64, Minneola 18 – Hutchinson Central Christian has won six straight games. The Cougars led 22-6 after the first quarter, 42-12 at halftime and the game was called in the third quarter.
6-Man Football
Cheylin 52, Golden Plains 36 – Cheylin and Moscow both remained undefeated, and both squads will play in its first Wild West Bowl next weekend in Dodge City. Cheylin had defeated Golden Plains, 71-61, in Week 4. Cheylin led 46-22 at halftime and 46-30 after three quarters.
Moscow 62, Weskan 53 – In the regular season, Moscow defeated Weskan, 30-27. In the rematch, Weskan led 14-7 after the first quarter. Weskan was up 28-21 at halftime. However, Moscow led 41-34 after three quarters.
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