Welcome to the 2020 football season and our first edition of The Pick List. Each Thursday throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature six of the best match-ups across the state, and make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
5A No. 5 De Soto at Lawrence Free State
Despite moving up to Class 5A in 2018, coach Brian King has maintained a high level of success at De Soto. The Wildcats are 18-4 over the past two seasons and finished only two victories shy of a state title in 2019 when eventual champion Mill Valley handed them an 18-7 loss in the state semifinals. It was De Soto’s only loss of the season.
The Wildcats have reason to expect more success in 2020 as they return a pair of 5A All-State performers in quarterback Jackson Miller and all-purpose offensive weapon Tyson Priddy.
Under Miller’s direction last season, De Soto scored at least 50 points in more than half of their games. A dual threat, he passed for nearly 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 606 yards and six scores. Priddy did a little bit of everything last year, catching 20 passes for 505 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 446 yards and eight touchdowns. He also returned a kick for a TD.
De Soto has plenty of reasons to be excited about the season but it opens with a difficult challenge on the road against perennial 6A contender Lawrence Free State.
Listed among the others considered in the 6A preseason rankings, the Firebirds are fresh off an 8-2 season in which they lost to Manhattan in the second round of the playoffs.
Free State, however, will be without All-State running back Tyler Bowden, who transferred to Tonganoxie late in the summer. Bowden rushed for 1,859 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior.
With Bowden gone, the Firebirds will look to junior quarterback Jet Dineen as one of the leaders on offense. Dineen follows a long line of standouts at Free State as he is the younger brother of Jay, Joe and Jax. Jay is a linebacker at KU, and Jax is a fullback at K-State. Joe was a linebacker at KU and spent some time on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad last year.
Senior Joey Wood returns as an All-State kicker after making 43 of 45 PATS and 4 of 9 field goals last year. He boasts a strong leg, making a 47-yarder and recording 15 touchbacks.
Overall, Free State returns four starters on offense and five on defense.
A chaotic offseason for the schedule makers helped bring this unique matchup together. It is unclear if the two teams have faced off before. If so, it is the first time in recent memory.
Our Pick: De Soto 21, Free State 17 (Schremmer)
4A No. 4 Tonganoxie at Basehor-Linwood
Perhaps no team has benefited more from transfers than Tonganoxie in 2020. The Chieftains are surrounded by schools that are either not playing football this fall, or, at the very minimum, not starting on time. Additionally, Tonganoxie is doing in-person classes. The Chieftains finished 10-1 last fall, one of five teams in Class 4A with double-digit wins. Tonganoxie set a school record for single season victories.
The Chieftains have enjoyed an all-state running back for three straight seasons, but graduated Cooper Cunningham. He rushed 259 times for 2,124 yards and 26 scores. Over the summer, Tonganoxie picked up running back Tyler Bowden, formerly of nearby Lawrence Free State. In addition, KC Piper two-time first team all-state linebacker Branden Martin transferred to Tonganoxie.
Bowden had enjoyed a spectacular career at Free State, including 1,859 rushing yards and 162 points last fall. Free State is long known for great tailbacks, and it’s possible Bowden could have become the Firebirds’ all-time leading rusher. He already held single-season rushing and points records, along with the career points record.
Martin has recorded 346 tackles, 42 for loss in his career. He has paced Kansas with 159 and 169 tackles in the last two falls. He is a rare Kansan who could reach 500 career tackles.
They join quarterback Blake Poje, who completed 110 of 196 passes for 1,743 yards with an 18/8 TD/INT ratio. Senior tight end/defensive end Dallas Bond is a dynamic two-way player. He caught 36 passes for 660 yards and six touchdowns and finished with five TFLs. Tonganoxie graduated its top-two tacklers, both multi-sport standouts with Connor Searcy (100 stops) and Cole Sample (53 tackles). Each tied for the team lead with 14 tackles for loss.
Basehor-Linwood has posted a winning season every fall under seventh-year coach Rod Stallbaumer. The Bobcats graduated quarterback Chase Torkelson, who passed for 2,483 yards and 22 scores. However, junior Zack Sisemore is back with 88 carries for 453 yards and five touchdowns; the first two numbers led the team. Senior Ethan Huber had 53 catches for 701 yards and five scores. Junior Aidan Ingram delivered 67 tackles, second-most on the squad.
Tonganoxie won this game, 49-28, in Week 1 last season and didn’t lose until the playoffs against Bishop Miege, the six-time defending state champion. The Chieftains finished third in 4A scoring offense with 41.6 points per game. Bashor-Linwood was 5-4, though sixth in 4A with 35.9 points a game. However, the Chieftains permitted 14.6 points a contest, and Basehor allowed 30.3.
Basehor-Linwood won 42-6 in the season opener in ’18. In ’17, Tonganoxie beat Basehor-Linwood, 10-3, in Week 9 in a game that decided District 2 and the Kaw Valley League title. Tonganoxie had a slight edge with Poje and Bond before Bowden and Martin transferred. The Chieftains, though, are now among 4A’s top teams behind Miege. Expect a lot of carries for Bowden and tackles for Martin.
Our Pick: Tonganoxie 40, Basehor-Linwood 21 (Nicholl)
3A No. 4 Holton at 2A No. 2 Nemaha Central
Nemaha Central returns to the gridiron after winning their first football state title in school history with a 19-0 shutout over Norton. The Thunder, a consolidation of Nemaha Valley and former eight-man powerhouse Baileyville B&B, held the Bluejays to 67 yards and forcing five interceptions.
Last fall, the Thunder were 1-2 after three weeks, and went untouched the remainder of the season. The Thunder entered the playoffs as undefeated district champions and advanced past powerful teams in Humboldt, Rossville, and Riley County before their title game victory over Norton.
Nemaha Central lost quite a bit from last years’ 11-2 squad. Quarterback Dylan Schultejans and running back Gavin Duryea, alongside the wide receiver trio of Austin Ahlquist, Andrew Leonard, and Bryce Uphaus all graduated, with 64 percent of their yardage last season concentrated in those five players.
The cupboards are not completely empty for the Thunder offensively. Nemaha Central returns Tyler Gerety, who hauled in 558 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and Gage Palic, who rushed for 338 yards and eight touchdowns. Even Schmitz and Kaleb Reitz will shore up the offensive line up front.
The defensive side returns more pieces for the Thunder. Zac Kramer is back for his junior campaign after posting 60 tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2019. Nathan Deters and Gage Palic contributed 40 and 37 tackles from last year, respectively. Deters was also the team’s sack leader last year, with four, alongside Mo Hilbert and Zac Kramer with two apiece.
Holton is no stranger to the state championships, winning three under 24th year head coach Brooks Barta. The Wildcats were crowned champions in 2003, 2005, and 2012 and reached the title game last in 2015. Holton improved to 7-3 last year after a rare losing season in 2018, where the Wildcats finished 3-6. Last fall, the Wildcats fell to Perry-Lecompton, the eventual runner-up, in the second round of the playoffs.
This year, Holton is primed for a big year, returning their two top rushers in Konnor Tannahill and Canon Karn. Tannahill and Karn had 799 and 716 yards, respectively, and combined for 19 touchdowns. Holton primarily stuck to the run last year, only attempting twenty passes. A strong, experienced offensive line returns including Logan Dieckmann, Jordan Huntington, Carter Watkins, Kaeden Cattrell, and Andrew Williams and should be the key to the Wildcats’ offensive attack.
Holton will have more questions to answer on the defensive side of the ball. The Wildcats lose Kolby Rousch, Karson Brandt, Dustin Chermok, Trey Wright, and Jackson Gilliland, who produced seven of the Wildcats’ ten turnovers last season. Holton’s senior core from last year also registered 469 of the teams 735 tackles from last season. Karn and Tannahill were the team leaders with 75 and 71 apiece.
Nemaha Central fell to Sabetha and Holton last year in their run to the state championship game, and the last time that Holton lost to the Thunder was in 2017. Before that, Nemaha Central had the upper hand winning in ’17, ’16, and ’15. Holton beat Nemeha Central in the first season after the Nemaha Valley-Baileyville B&B merger in ’14. In those contests, Nemaha Central is 1-2 at home versus Holton at home. I expect the Holton duo of Tannahill and Karn to secure an opening week victory for the Wildcats on both sides of the ball.
Our Pick: Holton 35, Nemaha Central 17 (Hammeke)
2A No. 1 Rossville at 1A No. 1 Centralia
If it wasn’t for the late summer addition of Derby’s showdown with Mill Valley to the schedule, this game may have grabbed the state’s top billing in Week 1.
Rossville, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, will travel to Centralia to take on the defending state champion Panthers. Centralia opens the season as the top-ranked team in 1A.
The two schools have met to open each of the last two seasons. Rossville scored a pair of late touchdowns to top Centralia, 26-14, back in 2018 and then bested the Panthers 28-8 in last season’s opener.
That would be the last time Centralia would lose. Larry Glatczak’s Panthers reeled off 12 consecutive wins culminating with the school’s fourth state football title.
Standout Kamble Haverkamp, who scored the winning touchdown in the final minutes of Centralia’s 18-14 championship win over Smith Center, has graduated after a decorated career. Over the past two seasons, Haverkamp rushed for 3,855 yards, 56 touchdowns, and added nearly 1,200 passing yards and 16 more scores.
But for Centralia, the cupboard is not bare.
The Panthers return four starters across the offensive line and a 1,000-yard back in Devon Feldkamp.
The Centralia defense returns leading tackler Austin Holthaus at linebacker. He’ll be joined by three returning three starters on the defensive line and a pair of other linebackers from a unit that allowed only allowed 12.7 points per game last fall.
That defense will likely be challenged by a Rossville team that returns a multitude of returning impact players from last year’s 7-3 season.
Leading the Bulldawg offense will be junior quarterback Torrey Horak. Horak brought back memories of his older brother Tucker with a stellar sophomore season in which he rushed for 1,214 yards and 16 touchdowns and surpassed 1,000 passing yards and 17 more scores. Joining him in the backfield will be seniors Woodrow Rezac (828 yards, 10 TD) and Tyree Sowers (636 yards, 7 TD).
When Horak wants to throw, the lefty will likely look in the direction of Bo Reeves. Reeves (6-5, 210) hauled in more than 500 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns last fall and holds multiple collegiate offers from MIAA schools.
Up front, Rossville returns three starters but must replace all-state selection Kody Davoren.
The Bulldawg defense returns three of its four top tacklers from last season in Layne Hurla (90 tackles), Kaiden Brown (77) and Corey Catron (71).
In last year’s opener, Horak threw two touchdown passes to Bo Reaves and rushed for another score as the Bulldawgs topped the Panthers, 28-8.
Both of these tradition-rich programs will be a factor in their respective classifications, but in this early season contest, Rossville may have the more experienced playmakers.
Our Pick: Rossville 26, Centralia 20 (Gilmore)
1A No. 3 Conway Springs at 2A No. 4 Garden Plain
Conway Springs and Garden Plain are longtime traditional powers and rivals. Last year, Garden Plain finished 10-1 and Conway Springs went 8-3. Garden Plain defeated Conway Springs, 32-21. Two years ago, Garden Plain was 6-4, and Conway Springs was 10-1. Conway Springs defeated Garden Plain, 26-6. Conway Springs bumps down to Class 1A for this cycle.
This season, Garden Plain took significant graduation losses and has new coach Dan Adelhardt, formerly at Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Former Garden Plain coach Ken Dusenbury took the same position at Andover.
Conway Springs took key losses to graduation, notably with quarterback Collin Koester. He passed for 720 yards with a 6/2 TD/INT ratio and rushed for 1,294 yards and 16 scores. Senior Heath Hilger is expected to step up in a bigger role with 63 carries for 536 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Jonathan Wright is back after 18 catches for 318 yards and six touchdowns, all easily team highs. The top-two and four of the leading six tacklers return. Wright paced with 83 tackles, two TFLs. Junior Logan Warren had 47 tackles, and a team-high eight TFLs.
Garden Plain finished second in 2A with 49 points a game and was ninth in scoring defense at 15.3 points a contest. Conway Springs was fifth in 2A with 39 points per game, and 11th in defense on 16.5 points a game. Notably, Garden Plain graduated Matt Pauly (942 passing, 1,013 rushing, 37 touchdowns accounted for). The top-three rushers all graduated.
Senior Trey Smith also graduated following 26 catches for 772 yards and 17 scores. However, Anthony Hays returns after he was a unanimous first team all-league offensive lineman, and the Central Plains League defensive MVP at linebacker. Hays paced the Owls with 68 tackles.
Coach Adelhardt’s son, Reed, will figure to be a key addition to Owls roster after earning honorable mention all-league at Kapaun last season.
Conway Springs is the more experienced team, while Garden Plain must learn a new system with Adelhardt, who had coached at Kapaun for 15 seasons.
Our Pick: Conway Springs 30, Garden Plain 24 (Nicholl)
La Crosse at 8M-II No. 5 Victoria
The two Central Prairie League foes meet up for the first time since ’97 and the seventh occasion in the last 58 years. Victoria’s only win in that span was a 19-14 victory against La Crosse in 1962, according to Kansas Football History database. The last matchup was a 33-6 La Crosse victory.
La Crosse was generally Kansas’ smallest 11-man school for many years. The Leopards were state runners-up in ’11 and ’13 and semifinalists in ’12. La Crosse also had five other quarterfinal showings from ’06-16. The Leopards elected to drop to eight-man football because of depth and numbers.
La Crosse, just outside the Division I rankings, is expected to have just 15 players available for Friday. Three key players are expected to miss because of COVID-19 quarantine. Another player will miss the game because of a funeral, and another Leopard is out with a season-ending injury.
The Leopards narrowly had enough practices as a team to play Week 1. La Crosse will have three big games to start with Victoria, Hoxie and Ness City. Nearby league teams, such as Central Plains and St. John, are not playing Friday because of COVID-19 quarantine. Overall, La Crosse has had 10 students in middle/high school go into quarantine because of direct exposure to positive cases.
Last year, La Crosse opened 5-0, though lost its final four contests in 1A football. La Crosse averaged 27 points a game and permitted 25.7. The Leopards graduated three-year starting quarterback Hunter Morgan. Junior Colby Stull had 151 carries for 1,322 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
Freshman fullback/defensive end Gage Burk is expected to step up, along with junior wide receiver/defensive back Haden Sherman. La Crosse is expected to have a full team for Week 2. Senior lineman Lucas Webster (6-6, 235) is a talented player.
Victoria and Hanover have been arguably the dominant eight-man powers in the last two decades. Victoria, with longtime coach Doug Oberle, has posted a winning season ever year since 2000. The Knights have four titles and a runner-up since ’04. Victoria drops down to Eight-Man, Division II for the 2020-21 cycle.
Victoria finished 7-3 and 6-3 the last two seasons. In ’19, Victoria had just two seniors, but both were key linemen in Kirk Huser (Kpreps first team all-state) and Josh Schulte. This year, the Knights return junior quarterback Grant Schoenrock and senior Jayvon Pruitt, both who have started since ’18. Victoria lists 23 players, including five seniors.
Pruitt, with a Bethel College offer, had significant gains in the weight room. Schoenrock passed for 603 yards with 10 scores and rushed for 978 yards. Pruitt delivered 841 rushing yards as all of Victoria’s offensive yards came from non-seniors.
Victoria has the edge in depth and eight-man experience, but these are likely a pair of top-10 eight-man teams this fall.
Our Pick: Victoria 36, La Crosse 24 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Garden City at 6A No. 4 Manhattan – Manhattan
Junction City at 5A No. 4 Bishop Carroll – Bishop Carroll
Shawnee Heights at 6A No. 3 Lawrence – Lawrence
Kapaun Mt. Carmel at Dodge City – Dodge City
Andover at Maize – Maize
Great Bend at Maize South – Maize South
Buhler at Goddard – Goddard
Ulysses at Scott City – Scott City
Frontenac at Columbus – Frontenac
Minneapolis at 3A No. 5 Southeast of Saline – SE Saline
Lyndon at Osage City – Lyndon
1A No. 2 Smith Center at Norton – Smith Center
Argonia-Attica at Norwich – Argonia-Attica
8M-I No. 1 Canton-Galva at Goessel – Canton-Galva
Hill City at Osborne – Hill City
Hoxie at 8M-I No. 2 Leoti-Wichita Co. – Leoti-Wichita Co.
8M-I No. 4 Madison at Burlingame – Madison
Meade at South Central – South Central
8M-II No. 3 Axtell at Wheatland-Grinnell – Axtell
6M No. 1 Cheylin at 6M No. 3 Golden Plains – Cheylin
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