On this playoff edition of Around the Brackets, we’ll recap quarterfinal action from Friday night.
Class 6A
5-Blue Valley 21, 8-Blue Valley North 20 – Blue Valley built a 21-0 lead on Blue Valley North and had to hold on to defeat the Mustangs, 21-20. Tiger quarterback Jake Wolff threw touchdown passes to Dorian Stephens and Tate Gillen, and Chase Jans added a touchdown run as Blue Valley led 21-0. Henry Martin tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Theo Grabill within a two-minute span in the second quarter to get North within 21-14 at halftime. That score remained until Martin hit Grabill for a third touchdown with :46 seconds remaining in the game. The Mustangs initially lined up to go for the winning two-point conversion, but Blue Valley called a timeout. Out of the timeout, Blue Valley North decided to try and tie the game, but Spencer Sprenger’s PAT was blocked. Wolff passed for 194 yards and two scores, while Jans rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown. Martin threw for 127 yards with 99 going to Grabill. Boogie Allen led the Mustangs with a game-high 127 rush yards.
2-Olathe North 35, 6-Blue Valley West 34 (OT) – Arland Bruce, IV’s 10-yard touchdown run in overtime and Zach Willoughby-Neal’s PAT lifted Olathe North to a 35-34, overtime win over Blue Valley West. The Eagles built a 21-7 lead at halftime as Caleb Nelson threw a pair of touchdown passes and Bruce rushed for a score. Blue Valley West started to chip away in the third quarter as David Brown’s touchdown from Greg Riddle closed the gap to 21-14. But Bruce would score again to push the Eagle lead to 28-14. A long touchdown run in the fourth by the Jaguars made it 28-21. Then Brown’s second touchdown reception from Riddle tied the game at 28 with :26 seconds remaining. Blue Valley West got the ball first in overtime, and again Riddle connected with Brown, but the Jaguars PAT was blocked by Olathe North’s Mason Pride.
1-Derby 56, 4-Manhattan 0 – Top-ranked Derby dominated another opponent and beat Manhattan in the playoffs for the second straight year. The Panthers led 21-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 at halftime. Derby has won 24 straight contests and now faces Topeka High, into the state semifinals for the first time since 1973. Tre Washington rushed for all three of the first quarter scores. Manhattan had its first loss by more than 50 points in the last 21 years, according to the Derby Informer. The Panthers scored its first touchdown in the first 90 seconds. Derby completed three passes, all four scores. Manhattan finished 9-2.
3-Topeka High 35, 7-Junction City 14 – Topeka High avenged its only loss of the season by eliminating Centennial League rival Junction City, 35-14. Ky Thomas rushed for 291 yards and three touchdowns and in the process moved in to second all-time on the state’s career rushing list. The Trojans led 14-7 at halftime behind a Thomas touchdown run and one of two touchdown passes from Da’Vonshai Harden to Geivonnii Williams on the night. Thomas extended the lead to 21-7 in the third quarter before the Blue Jays Chris Randolph scored for a second time to keep the game close. Thomas scored again in the fourth quarter to provide a two-score lead, and Harden again connected with Williams to provide the final margin. Thomas now has 7,337 career rushing yards according to the Topeka Capital Journal, while Wichita Collegiate’s DeAngelo Evans (1992-95) has the state record with 8,472 according to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Class 5A
4-Mill Valley 18, 1-De Soto 7 – Mill Valley outscored top-seed De Soto 16-0 in the second half to advance with an 18-7 victory. After an early safety for the Jaguar defense, Garrett Kellner gave De Soto a 7-2 lead at halftime. Mill Valley took the lead for good in the third quarter as quarterback Cooper Marsh scored from 20 yards out to lead 8-7. Tyler Green’s 40-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 15-7, and the Jaguars added a Chris Tennant field goal late for the final margin. Green rushed for 123 yards and a score, while Marsh added 66 yards and his touchdown and 115 yards passing. The Jaguar defense held De Soto to 61 rushing yards on 32 attempts.
2-St. Thomas Aquinas 47, 14-Blue Valley Southwest 20 – Top-ranked Aquinas earned its second big win versus Blue Valley Southwest this year. Aquinas led 41-0 at halftime and moved to 10-0. The Saints have won 22 straight contests. Blake Anderson has completed seven of eight passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Tank Young had 11 carries for 95 yards and five scores. Aquinas held a 423-212 edge in total yards. Tom Downey caught three passes for 116 yards and a score. Tanner Curry had a solid day passing for the Timberwolves going 10 of 15 for 116 yards and two scores. In a rarity, Aquinas had more passing yards (238) than rushing (185).
1-Wichita Northwest 35, 4-Bishop Carroll 18 – Wichita Northwest improved to 4-0 in the last two seasons against Bishop Carroll with wins in the regular season and the quarterfinals in '18 and '19. Bishop Carroll scored the game's first touchdown, but Northwest quarterback Reagan Jones responded with a pair of rushing scores. In the third quarter, Julius Bolden scored on a rushing TD. Malcolm Bell had a pick-six, and then Bolden had another rushing score. No. 2-ranked Northwest, the defending 5A runner-up to Aquinas, moved to 11-0. Carroll ended at 8-3.
3-Maize 28, 2-Maize South 0 – Maize defeated Maize South for the second straight year in the playoffs. Both teams are 10-1. Maize led 7-0 at halftime on a blown coverage that allowed Preven Christon to catch a touchdown pass from Cam Jurgensen. The Eagles tallied 21 points in the second half and will have a rematch with Wichita Northwest in the 5A sub-state semifinal game. The Grizzlies defeated Maize last year, 67-60.
Class 4A
4-Bishop Miege 54, 1-Tonganoxie 10 – Bishop Miege broke open a 7-7 tie in the second quarter with three touchdowns and eventually wore down Tonganoxie, 54-10. Timothy Dorsey threw six touchdown passes as part of his 244-yard night. Dorsey’s touchdown pass to Mack Moeller early in the second quarter broke the tie, and shortly after Phillippe Wesley returned a punt for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead. Moeller caught three touchdown passes in the win, while Daniel Jackson had two, and Wesley one. Tonganoxie was led by senior Cooper Cunningham who rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown.
2-Paola 42, 3-Chanute 34 – Paola held off Chanute 42-34 in a back-and-forth game. The Panthers and Blue Comets seemed to trade touchdowns all night with Paola taking a 28-21 lead into halftime. Chanute tied the score at 28 in the third quarter as Ty Bowman threw one of his four touchdown passes – his first of two to Jaden Costin. Paola’s Fletcher Aude broke the tie towards the end of the third quarter with his third touchdown run of the night to make it 35-28. Jovanni Blackie then added a short scoring run in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers up 42-28. Bowman connected with Costin again late to pull the Blue Comets within the final 42-34 margin.
1-McPherson 26, 12-Arkansas City 6 – McPherson used a strong defensive effort to advance to the state semifinals with a 26-6 win over upstart Ark City. The Bullpups got three Drew Schrader field goals to lead 9-0 at halftime. McPherson didn’t get into the end zone until Kaleb Hoppes connected with Cody Stufflebean on a touchdown pass to make it 16-0 in the third quarter. Schrader added another field goal and Jakob Feil’s touchdown run made it 26-6 in the fourth quarter.
2-Andover Central 31, 3-Buhler 14 – Andover Central improved to 10-1 and has doubled last year's win total. The Jaguars had an 81-yard touchdown run from Shomari Parnell to open the game. Parnell also threw a touchdown pass to Xavier Bell. Trey Herrmann also threw a touchdown pass to Matt Macy. The Jaguars will face McPherson in the state semifinals. Andover Central led 14-0 after the first quarter, 14-7 at halftime and 21-7 after three quarters. The Jaguars had a 409-327 edge in total yards. Parnell finished 15 of 25 for 180 yards and a score. He rushed five times for 100 yards and a TD. Xavier Bell caught 10 passes for 122 yards and a score.
Class 3A
Topeka Hayden 14, Frontenac 6 – Topeka Hayden again won another low-scoring battle with a solid ground game and a stout defense. Hayden and Frontenac were scoreless at halftime and remained that way until Will DeVader broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Wildcat lead. Frontenac answered right back as quarterback Jake Beckmann scored on a three-yard run, but the PAT was blocked keeping Hayden in front 7-6. The Raiders got in position to score on a long hook-and-ladder from Beckmann to Cale Bridwell who pitched to Ryan Raio. After Frontenac’s score, Hayden answered with a 52-yard touchdown spring by Desmond Purnell to provide the final margin. Parnell rushed for a game-high 150 yards. Hayden quarterback Johnny Holloway suffered an injury in the first half and did not return.
Perry-Lecompton 30, Prairie View 6 – Perry-Lecompton advanced to the state semifinals and earned a rematch with Topeka Hayden after Friday’s 30-6 win over previously-unbeaten Prairie View. The Kaws led 10-0 at halftime on the strength of a Billy Welch touchdown pass to James Roush and a Ticiano Gonzalez field goal. In the second half, Welch threw touchdown passes to Roush and Dawson Williams, and Thad Metcalfe scored on a short run. This will be Perry-Lecompton’s first semifinal appearance since 2008 when the Kaws finished as the state runner-up to Hayden, 42-21.
Cheney 38, Scott City 7 – Cheney made the long trip to Scott City count as the Cardinals advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in school history with a 38-7 win over the Beavers. Seth Teague got the scoring started early as he returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score and a 7-0 Cardinal lead. Riley Petz added a touchdown run to put Cheney up 14-0. Scott City would pull within 14-7 at halftime, but that’s all the closer the Beavers would get. Zac Block added a short touchdown run in the third quarter and then hit Petz on a long touchdown pass. Block later added a fourth-quarter touchdown run for a 35-7 lead. Cheney also kicked a field goal in the final five minutes. Petz rushed for 102 yards and had 60 yards receiving.
Andale 42, Beloit 0 – No. 1-ranked Andale moved into the semifinals for the third straight year. The Indians improved to 11-0 and have permitted just 68 total points. Andale led 14-0 at halftime. In the second half, Eli Rowland returned the third-quarter kickoff for a score, and scored on a 20-yard run. Mac Brand and Scotti Easter also tallied touchdowns.
Class 2A
Nemaha Central 44, Humboldt 28 – Nemaha Central and Humboldt combined for 66 points in the second half as the Thunder advanced with a 44-28 win. The Thunder’s lead was only 6-0 at halftime as the two teams combined for five turnovers. Nemaha Central took a 14-0 lead in the third quarter on Gavin Duryea’s second rushing touchdown. The two teams would then trade three touchdowns with Conor Haviland’s score pulling Humboldt to within 36-28 with under five minutes remaining. Nemaha Central would score with under two minutes left to push the final margin to 16. Duryea rushed for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Haviland’s career ended with another strong effort in 189 yards and two touchdowns rushing and two more passing.
Riley County 14, Silver Lake 7 – Avrey Brokenicky scored a touchdown on each side of the ball as Riley County advanced back to the state semifinal round with a 14-7 win over No. 2 Silver Lake. Brokenicky picked off Silver Lake’s Cody Hay early in the game and returned it for a 7-0 Falcon lead. Hay responded with a long touchdown pass to Gannon Renee to tie the game at 7-7. That score stood at halftime, with Riley County eventually taking the lead on a Brokenicky 7-yard touchdown run mid-way through the third quarter. Trey Harmison’s late interception of Hay sealed the Falcon playoff victory over Silver Lake for the second consecutive season. Deon Barnes led Riley County with 92 rushing yards, while Brokenicky added 31 yards and the game-winning score.
Norton 34, Conway Springs 32 – Norton tied the best finish in the Lucas Melvin era along with a semifinal berth in 2009. Norton is 8-3 and has doubled its win total from last year. Conway Springs lost to Mid-Continent League's Phillipsburg, 25-24, in the '18 quarterfinals. This time, another MCL squad edged the Cardinals, and Conway Springs finished 8-3. Conway Springs led 20-14 after the first quarter, though Norton took a 21-20 advantage early in the second quarter on Kade Melvin's third rushing touchdown. Conway Springs led 26-21 at halftime but Norton took a 27-26 lead midway through the third quarter. The Bluejays scored on a Melvin run with seven seconds left in the third quarter for a 34-26 lead. Conway Springs scored with 10:04 left in the fourth quarter and closed to within two for the game's final points. Norton stopped the Cardinals on the two-point conversion.
Hoisington 48, Garden Plain 22 – Hoisington tied the best finish in school history after semifinal showings in '16 and '18. Top-ranked Hoisington steadily pulled away. The Cardinals led 7-6 after the first quarter and 20-6 at halftime. Hoisington running back Wyatt Pedigo set the school's career rushing record. Just before half, Hoisington held Garden Plain on a fourth-down play from the seven-yard line. The Cardinals were up 34-14 after the third quarter. Overall, Pedigo finished with 245 rushing yards and five scores, and quarterback Mason Haxton delivered 196 rushing yards and a pair of TDs, according to Cardinal broadcaster Cole Reif. The Cardinals rushed for 465 yards in the game, while the Owls had 324 yards rushing. Garden Plain quarterback Matt Pauly finished with 159 yards and a touchdown on the ground and threw a touchdown pass to Trey Smith. Hoisington is 11-0, and Garden Plain stands at 10-1. Hoisington gets a rematch with Norton, which it defeated 38-7 for the district championship.
Class 1A
Jackson Heights 42, St. Mary’s Colgan 10 – Jackson Heights used a consistent rushing attack and strong defense to roll into the 1A semifinals with a 42-10 win over St. Mary’s Colgan. Cooper Williams rushed for a pair of early touchdowns as the Cobras built a 21-3 halftime lead. Colgan pulled to within 21-10 in the third quarter, but the Cobras responded with three more touchdowns, including a Williams score with 1:19 in the game. Jackson Heights advances to the state semifinal round for the fourth time in school history and the first since 1983.
Centralia 22, Olpe 20 – These two small-school powers played another playoff classic with the road team winning for a second straight season. Centralia held off Olpe 22-20 to advance back to the state semifinal round for the first time since their state championship in 2013. Olpe led 14-6 at halftime and Centralia tied in late in the third quarter. With the game still tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter, Kamble Haverkamp broke a 25-yard touchdown run and the Panthers added the two-point conversion for a 22-14 lead. Olpe had to punt on their ensuing possession, but the Eagles defense got a stop. Olpe then dialed up a hook-and-ladder to advance the ball deep in Centralia territory. The Eagles then scored with 1:34 left on a Colby Hoelting touchdown pass to Wylie Redeker. However, after a timeout, Hoelting’s two-point pass fell incomplete and Centralia was able to cover the ensuing onside kick. Olpe won last year’s quarterfinal game at Centralia, 20-18.
Smith Center 21, Sedgwick 10 – Sedgwick had shown significant improvement on the defensive side this year, and it showed with a much closer game compared to 2018. Smith Center won this matchup, 61-27, in '18. Smith Center is 11-0 and has won 21 straight games. Sedgwick, finished at 9-1, but also had a playoff bye. Smith Center scored late in the second quarter to lead 7-3 at halftime after Sedgwick opened the scoring with a field goal from Connor Tillman. With 7:15 left in the third quarter, Nate Hendrich scored from one-yard out for a 14-3 lead. He added another 1-yard score with 7:15 remaining for a 21-3 advantage. With 2:12 left in the contest, Sedgwick had a 20-yard passing score for the final margin.
Plainville 53, Inman 26 – This game was much closer than the final score. Plainville, the significant favorite, led 21-12 at halftime. Then, the Tuetons scored a touchdown to start the second half and recovered an onside kick. Plainville though led 40-26 entering the fourth quarter and tallied 13 points. Plainville moved to 10-1 and will face Mid-Continent League rival Smith Center for the second time this year and eighth occasion in the last four years. The Cardinals won regular season and state semifinals in '16. Smith Center has won the last five meetings, though Plainville standout Jared Casey did not play in the 40-14 Week 4 loss. Smith Center is the back-to-back state champion.
Class 8-Man, Division I
Madison 60, Caldwell 14 – Madison advanced back to the state semifinals for the first time since 2012 with a dominating, 60-14 win over Caldwell. The Bulldogs built a 46-14 lead at halftime and ended the game mid-way through the third quarter. Nasun Wasson rushed for a pair of early touchdowns as the Bulldogs took control.
Canton-Galva 42, Canton-Galva 16 – Canton-Galva defeated South Central in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. However, this game was much closer than the final score. The contest turned when South Central, leading 16-8 with 4:38 left in the third quarter, was whistled for a controversial holding penalty in the end zone resulting in a safety. The Timberwolves completed a pass on the play for a first down. Canton-Galva got the two points and turned the momentum in to more points as Brayden Collins rushed for a touchdown and the lead. Then, Colgin picked off a pass and had a 22-yard receiving score. Collins rushed for 173 yards, according to the McPherson Sentinel. Kinser Colgin caught five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. South Central has fallen in the quarterfinals in the last four years.
Leoti-Wichita County 74, Little River 38 – Wichita County advanced to the state semifinals for the second time in school history and the first time since 1990. The Indians built a 32-8 lead behind three first-half touchdowns by Jesse Gardner. Little River scored on the final play of the first half on a long pass from Trey Rolfs to Keaton Richardson to pull within 32-16 at the break. Little River then opened the third quarter with consecutive touchdowns to pull within 32-30. That’s when Wichita County turned it on. Quarterback Kayde Rietzke hit Sheldon Whalen for a long touchdown pass, then then Indians recovered an onsite kickand Gardner added another scoring run to make it 46-30. Gardner’s fifth and sixth touchdown of the night made it 60-30 later in the third quarter. Rietzke later added a long touchdown run for the final margin.
St. Francis 50, Hodgeman County 0 – St. Francis throttled Hodgeman County behind its outstanding line play and backs Brady Dinkel and Shadyron Blanka. The Indians improved to 11-0 and have allowed just 42 total points. The Indians scored on the game's opening drive. Then, Hodgeman County drove down to the Sainty 1-yard line before Blanka forced a fumble that the Indians recovered at the three-yard line. Hodgeman County finished 9-2 and lost to St. Francis in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. The game was called early in the third quarter by the 45-point rule. Hodgeman County had multiple players banged up in the contest, including junior quarterback Isaac Salmans, who suffered a knee injury late in the second quarter. Dinkel rushed 12 times for 111 yards and three scores. Blanka finished with 18 carries for 173 yards and four touchdowns in the single-wing, run-heavy offense. St. Francis led 44-0 at halftime and narrowly missed a two-point conversion late in the first half that would have likely ended the game at intermission. Hodgeman County senior running back Eli Salmans capped his terrific career with 12 carries for 60 yards. He has more than 5,000 rushing yards in his career.
Class 8-Man, Division II
Hanover 62, St. Paul 30 – Hanover kept its bid for a fourth consecutive state title alive with a 62-30 road win at St. Paul. The Wildcats got off to a quick start as Colin Jueneman returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and an 8-0 lead. After a St. Paul three-and-out, the Wildcats needed only two plays as Jacob Jueneman hit Colin Jueneman on a long touchdown pass for a 16-0 lead. After Easton Dent cut the lead to 16-8 with a touchdown run, Jacob Jueneman hit Colin Jueneman for another long touchdown pass and a 24-8 lead. Adam Albertini broke free for a 35-yard score to pull the Indians within 24-14, but Jacob Jueneman tossed another long touchdown pass to Tanner Link then added a scoring run of his own for a 38-14 lead after the first quarter. Albertini scored the only points of the second quarter on a short run to make it 38-22 at the break. A long Jacob Jueneman touchdown run followed by a pick-six by Emmitt Jueneman put Hanover up 54-22 in the third quarter and the Wildcats advanced to the state semifinal round for the eighth consecutive season and the 12th time in the past 13 seasons.
Axtell 76, Centre-Lost Springs 26 – Axtell built a 36-14 halftime lead and then outscored Centre 40-12 in the second half of a 76-26 victory. The Eagles produced 537 yards of total offense on the night led by senior quarterback Quinn Buessing. Buessing passed for 257 yards and four touchdowns and added a touchdown run in the game. Quinn threw two touchdown passes to Derek Buessing and one each to Isaac Detweiler and Mitchel Buessing. Detweiler added 84 yards rushing and two scores, while both of J.J. Hart’s carries went for touchdowns covering 95 total yards.
Osborne 28, South Barber 20 – Osborne, the defending state runner-up, led 8-0 after the first quarter, 14-8 at halftime and 22-20 after three quarters. Last year, Osborne defeated South Barber, 54-8, in this matchup. South Barber has captured exactly nine wins and lost in the quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons. Osborne played without four-year standout running back/linebacker Darrien Holloway, who suffered a season-ending injury last week. Sophomore Mason Schurr stepped up with 12 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns. South Barber contained Osborne quarterback Steele Wolters to four of eight passing for nine yards with an interception, along with 20 carries for 39 yards and a score. Senior Evan Garman, who didn't play football in 2018, continues to lead the Bulldogs in tackles and had a team-high 12. Osborne is the only undefeated team left in Division II at 11-0, and South Barber finished 9-2.
Hutchinson Central Christian 64, Thunder Ridge 60 – In the state's wildest game, Central Christian accomplished school history with the furthest advancement in Cougar history. Central Christian had previously made the quarterfinals four times, including '16 and '17. The Cougars led 58-20 with seconds left in the first half. Then, Thunder Ridge's Reece Struckhoff threw a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass, which ignited the Longhorns into a big comeback. The Longhorns closed to within four points in the fourth quarter before Adam Hall sealed the win with an interception off a Struckhoff pass. Struckhoff rushed for more than 2,000 yards this year and finished with 36 carries for 249 yards, according to Central Christian statistics. Garrett Burns led the Cougars with 23 carries for 216 yards, and Caleb Lambert passed for 184 yards. Central Christian improves to 10-1, and Thunder Ridge ends the year at 9-2.
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