On this playoff edition of Around the Brackets, we’ll recap sub-state semifinal action from Friday night.
Class 6A
2-Olathe North 28, 5-Blue Valley 7 – Olathe North jumped on Blue Valley early with two quick touchdowns and then rode its defense to a 28-7 victory and the schools first trip to the state championship game since 2010. Jacob Parrish broke a 28-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into the game, and less than two minutes later Arland Bruce IV hit Dale Stout on a 45- yards touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead. The Eagle defense got into the act as Noah Palmer returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead. That lead turned out to be insurmountable as the Olathe North defense, led by linebacker A.J. Patillo, held Blue Valley to 1 net rush yard for the game and picked off Tiger quarterback Jake Wolff three times. Noah Palmer picked off two of those passes. Blue Valley’s touchdown early in the fourth quarter came on a blocked punt recovery by Beau Palmer. Bruce paced the Olathe North offense with 110 yards rushing and a late touchdown. Olathe North is into the state title game for the 11th time in school history and will be seeking their ninth championship trophy.
1-Derby 63, 3-Topeka High 35 – Derby improved to 12-0 and won its 25th straight contest with a 63-35 win against Topeka at home. Topeka was into the state semifinals for the first time since 1973 and finished 10-2. Derby is into the state championship game for the fifth straight year and is the defending state titlist. The Panthers again jumped out to a big start with a 28-0 lead after the first quarter. Lem Wash opened the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown. Then, Jack Hileman delivered a pick-six. Wash tacked on a 77-yard score, and Tre Washington had a rushing touchdown. Derby led 49-14 entering halftime. Topeka running back Ky Thomas did enjoy a huge game with 49 carries for 366 yards and three touchdowns according to the Topeka-Capital Journal. He completed his career as the second-leading rusher in state history with 7,703 rushing yards, including 3,009 yards and 39 touchdowns this season.
Class 5A
4-Mill Valley 34, 1-St. Thomas Aquinas 31 (OT) – Mill Valley rallied from down two scores in the fourth quarter to force overtime, then knocked out the defending state champs on a Tyler Green 6-yard touchdown run. Aquinas’ 21-14 halftime lead was still intact in the fourth quarter until Mill Valley’s Chris Tennant connected on a short field goal to pull the Jaguars within 21-17. Tyron “Tank” Young nearly returned the ensuing kickoff for an Aquinas touchdown, but instead set up the Saints with a short field and then pushed across his third touchdown of the night a couple of plays later to extend the lead to 28-17. But Mill Valley would respond. Junior quarterback Cooper Marsh scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with less than five minutes to go and added the two-point conversion pass to Jared Napoli to pull Mill Valley within 28-25. Aquinas appeared poised to run out the clock, but Young was stopped just short on a fourth-down play giving the Jaguars new life. Tennant then connected on a 30-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime tied at 28. Aquinas started with the ball first, but the Mill Valley defense stiffened and held the Saints to a 27-yard field goal by Charlie Weinrich. Mill Valley’s possession included feeding Green who rushed for four yards on first down, then broke through the middle for the game-winning touchdown. Green finished with 160 yards on the ground as the Jaguars piled up 350 yards rushing. Marsh added 129 yards rushing and two scores, while Quin Wittenauer added 61 yards and a touchdown. Young led St. Thomas Aquinas with 132 yards and two touchdowns on the ground along with a 42-yard touchdown reception.
1-Wichita Northwest 80, 2-Maize 42 – For the second straight year, Northwest defeated Maize in the sub-state title game. The 2018 game combined for 127 points as the Grizzlies won 67-60 victory. This year's meeting wasn't supposed to match last fall's high-octane effort, but it nearly did. The teams exchanged scores early and the score was tied at 14. Northwest led 21-14 after the first quarter and 45-28 at halftime. After a 14-14 third quarter, Northwest had a 21-0 margin in the fourth quarter. Overall, Northwest carried a 654-217 edge in rushing yards. Julius Bolden had 25 carries for 282 yards and five scores. Reagan Jones completed eight of 12 passes for 141 yards, along with 29 carries for 259 yards and four scores. Northwest finished with 86 plays for 795 yards. Maize had four turnovers, while Northwest finished with zero. Camden Jurgensen led Maize with 17 of 28 passing for 251 yards, and 16 carries for 184 yards with three rushing scores against two interceptions.
Class 4A
4-Bishop Miege 48, 2-Paola 14 – Bishop Miege built a 41-0 halftime lead in defeating an injury-riddled Paola team, 48-14. Miege quarterback Timothy Dorsey passed for 154 yards and four touchdowns and backup quarterback Joe Lopez also threw a touchdown pass in the win. Stag wide receiver Daniel Jackson caught five passes for 122 yards and four touchdowns to give him the state record for single-season receiving touchdowns with 25 topping the mark set by Garden Plain’s Kendall Fisher (23) back in 2004. Brison Cobbins added 135 yards rushing and a pair of scores. Paola got on the board on a Fletcher Aude touchdown run late in the third quarter, then the Panthers added a Brock Pitzer touchdown in the fourth. Connor Hasz returned from injury for Paola and contributed 51 rushing yards.
2-Andover Central 7, 1-McPherson 0 – Andover Central defeated McPherson, 7-0. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown, and Andover Central had under 100 total yards of offense. The only score came in the second quarter when the Jaguars pressured McPherson punter Aiden Hoover forcing him to fumble. Andover Central's Kyren Parrott picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. McPherson had more than twice as many yards as Andover Central. However, the Bullpups threw an interception in the end zone late in the second quarter. Late in the game, Aaron Powell caught a deflected deep pass inside Andover Central's five-yard line. McPherson moved to the two-yard line but had a penalty and had an incomplete pass. McPherson lost in the state semifinals for the third straight season and has not made a championship game in school annals. Andover Central has tied the best finish in school history with a 2015 runner-up.
Class 3A
Perry-Lecompton 35, Topeka Hayden 27 – Perry-Lecompton advanced to the state championship game for the second time in school history with a 35-27 win over Topeka Hayden. Hayden jumped out to a 14-0 lead early on a pair of touchdown runs by Desmond Purnell, but Perry-Lecompton tied the game early in the third quarter on a touchdown run by Thad Metcalfe. The Kaws then took the lead as quarterback Billy Welch hit Ben Stone on a 15-yard touchdown pass for a 21-14 lead. Hayden tied the game at 21 as Purnell scored his third touchdown of the night, but Welch again connected with Stone for a long touchdown pass to put the Kaws up 28-21 early in the fourth quarter. Hayden would again respond. Quarterback Cade Pavlik, playing for injured starter Johnny Holloway, tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trey Pivarnik to pull Hayden within 28-27 as the PAT was blocked. Metcalfe returned the ensuing kickoff deep into Hayden territory and added his second touchdown run a couple of plays later for 35-27 win. Metcalfe led the Kaws with 87 yards on the ground, while Welch passed for 215 yards and three scores. Perry-Lecompton prior state championship game appearance ended with a 42-21 loss to Topeka Hayden in the 2008 title game.
Andale 55, Cheney 20 – Andale scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters to knock out Cheney. Mac Brand rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns and Easton Hunter added 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Indian offense. Hunter also passed for 140 yards and threw touchdown passes to Brand and Cole Landers. The Andale defense had three interceptions and used a fumble recovery for a short field that led Hunter’s touchdown pass Landers. Cheney’s Riley Petz rushed only two times for 1 yard in the game, but also threw a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a Cardinal score. Andale improved to 12-0 and reached the state finale for the first time since 2017. Cheney had the first sub-state appearance in school history and finished 9-3, a seven-win improvement from 2018.
Class 2A
Nemaha Central 39, Riley County 14 – Nemaha Central punched its ticket to the schools’ first-ever state football championship game with a 39-14 win over 2018 state runner-up Riley County. The Thunder defense was suffocating on Saturday – not allowing Riley County to get on the scoreboard until the final three-and-a-half minutes of the game. Nemaha Central picked off four Riley County passes on the afternoon. The teams traded empty possessions early on with fourth-down stops and turnovers. But Nemaha Central, which hosted all four of its playoff games, took control with 21 points in the second quarter on a pair of Dylan Schultejans short touchdown runs sandwiched around a touchdown by Gavin Duryea. After halftime, Duryea added three more scores as the Thunder extended their lead to 39-0. Duryea finished just shy of 100 yards on the ground in the game, while Shultejans rushed for 50 yards and passed for 105. Riley County’s two late touchdowns came on a Trey Harmison touchdown run and a Garret Harmison touchdown pass to Avrey Brokenicky.
Norton 10, Hoisington 8 – In a classic matchup, all of the game's points were scored in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning 32-yard field goal from Luke Wahlmeier with six seconds left. Norton advanced to a state title game for the first time in 30 years. Hoisington suffered a stunning loss and dropped to 0-3 all-time in sub-state championship games. Norton is 9-3, while Hoisington finished 11-1. Norton had lost to Hoisington, 38-7, in district play when Cardinal running back Wyatt Pedigo rushed for 290 yards. This time, the Bluejays made some defensive tweaks with its defensive ends and outside linebackers and limited Pedigo to 100 rushing yards, a phenomenal effort against the senior who has produced consecutive 2,000-yard seasons. Norton scored first on a 27-yard touchdown run from Kade Melvin early in the fourth quarter. Then, Hoisington had a drive that went more than seven minutes. Pedigo scored on an eight-yard run, and delivered the two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead. Hoisington first elected to kick, but Norton was offsides, and the Cardinals then decided to try for two. Norton responded with the game-winning drive, and several remarkable plays from Melvin, including a key fourth-down conversion. Then, Norton moved into field goal range for the game-winning score. Melvin passed for 191 yards and rushed for 90 yards in the victory.
Class 1A
Centralia 44, Jackson Heights 6 – Centralia punched its ticket to the state title game for the first time since 2013 with a dominating 44-6 victory over Jackson Heights. Centralia built a 22-0 halftime lead as Kamble Haverkamp rushed for a pair of scores and Cole Becker scored on a long touchdown run on a reverse. Cooper Williams pulled the Cobras within 22-6 in the third quarter, but Ian Haverkamp returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown to restore Centralia’s lead to 28-6. From there, Kamble Haverkamp hit Devon Feldkamp on a touchdown pass and the Panther added another late score. Centralia rushed for more than 300 yards in the game led by Haverkamps’ 186-yard night. The Centralia defense slowed the Jackson Heights power run game in dropping the Cobras to 9-3 on the season.
Smith Center 20, Plainville 19 – Smith Center defeated Plainville in the sub-state title game for the third straight year. The Redmen also beat the Cardinals in the regular season in the last three seasons. Plainville took a 7-0 lead just 1 minute, 9 seconds into the contest on a 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Ben Hansen. With 3:29 mark in the second quarter, Jaden Atwood delivered a three-yard score, and the Redmen tied the game at seven. Plainville scored with 3:38 left in the third quarter on a 12-yard scoring run from Jordan Finnesy, though the extra point was blocked, and Plainville led 13-7. Smith Center stopped Plainville on fourth and inches at the Smith Center 26-yard line, and the Redmen responded with a 74-yard touchdown drive. Smith Center converted the extra point for a 14-13 lead with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter. However, Plainville retook the lead at 19-14 with 3:28 left on a 43-yard scramble from Jordan Finnesy. However, Plainville couldn't convert the 2-point play. With 1:26 left in the game, Trenton Colby threw a 33-yard touchdown to Griffin Kugler for a 20-19 lead. With 33 seconds left, Sergio Lambert intercepted Finnesy's pass at the Redmen 20-yard line to seal the victory. Smith Center improved to 12-0 and has won 22 straight contests. Plainville ended at 10-2. The Redmen will look for its third straight crown and a state mark 11th all-time.
Class 8-Man, Division I
Canton-Galva 46, Madison 6 – Canton-Galva advanced to the third state championship game in school history and the first since 1991 with a dominating 46-6 win at Madison. The Eagles led 24-6 at halftime as Landon Everett tossed a touchdown pass to Tyson Struber and added two rushing touchdowns. Madison’s lone score came on a kickoff return for a touchdown by Nasun Wasson. Freshman quarterback Garrett Maltbie rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the second half as Everett did not return due to an injury. Madison also played without one of its top players in Hunter Engle who sat out the second half.
St. Francis 66, Leoti-Wichita County 20 – For the second time this year, St. Francis beat Leoti-Wichita County by the 45-point margin. St. Francis led 22-6 after the first quarter with three scores from Shadyron Blanka. St. Francis led 36-14 at halftime and Wichita County quarterback Kayde Rietzke left the game with an injury. At halftime, Blanka rushed 20 times for 199 yards and four total scores (three rushing). Blanka scored his fifth touchdown of the game on a 56-yard play for a 44-14 lead. Blanka also picked off two passes for scores, including the final one to ended the scoring by the 45-point margin. Wichita County finished 10-2 and tied the 1990 season for the best showing in school history. St. Francis (12-0) joins 2016 as the only Indian squads to make a final in school annals.
Class 8-Man, Division II
Axtell 26, Hanover 12 – For the first time since 2013, Hanover will not play for a state championship. After missing most of the first meeting between these two teams, Axtell quarterback Quinn Buessing accounted for four touchdowns on Friday to lead the Eagles to their first state championship game since 1993. Buessing passed for 232 yards including touchdowns to freshman Isaac Detweiler and J.J. Hart. Buessing also added 112 yards rushing and two scores on 32 carries. Detweiler caught nine passes for 109 yards and his score, while Derek Buessing added 76 receiving yards on three catches. Axtell led 20-6 at halftime and the teams battled through a scoreless third quarter. With four minutes remaining, Buessing essentially sealed the victory with his 12-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 26-6. Hanover was led by Jacob Jueneman who passed for 171 yards and a score and rushed for 100 more yards and a touchdown. Colin Jueneman caught five passes for 97 yards.
Osborne 52, Hutchinson Central Christian 26 – After winter weather conditions postponed the game until Saturday, Osborne warmed up with 38 points in the second quarter to cruise past Hutchinson Central Christian, 52-26, and into the state title game for the fourth time since 2013. Darrien Holloway, thought to be lost for the season with an injury, returned in a big way on Saturday. Holloway rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and registered a team-high 12 tackles for a Bulldog defense that held the Cougars to nearly 25 points below their season average. Steele Wolters and Mason Schurr also recorded double-digit tackles with 11 and 10, respectively. Schurr added 94 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and caught two passes for 44 yards and a score.
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