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.
**We will only feature five games this week given one of the games on our poll (Hutchinson at 6A No. 2 Derby) was cancelled due to Derby being on quarantine.
Feature Games of the Week:
5A No. 4 Bishop Carroll (3-1) at 6A No. 1 Lawrence (3-0)
After a quarantine period, Lawrence returns to the gridiron with a featured game hosting traditional 5A power Bishop Carroll on Saturday.
Lawrence features an explosive offense led by four-star KU commit in Devin Neal. Neal has 530 yards and eight touchdowns on 42 carries. He also has 148 yards and three touchdowns on seven catches in three games.
Jackson Dooley has been a big threat at quarterback, completing 51 of 78 for 876 yards and ten touchdowns. The receiving core of John Green and Tre’ Jackson add to the arsenal, with both players scoring two touchdowns on the season. The Chesty Lion defense is stingy in allowing only seven points a game.
Bishop Carroll has posted 3-1 record with arguably the toughest schedule in the state. Carroll slipped by 6A ranked Junction City, defeated rival Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the Holy War, and lost to 6A powerhouse Derby. The Golden Eagles bounced back last week with a big won over Dodge City.
Hunter Trail leads the Golden Eagles with 337 yards and seven touchdowns. Quarterback Aiden Niedens has completed 34 of 74 passes for 700 yards and three touchdowns. Niedens’ favorite target has been Oscar Gallardo, who has seven receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Eagle defense has forced seven turnovers this fall.
This is the first meeting between the two schools. This high-octane matchup will prove to be a big one for both teams, but I give the edge to Lawrence.
Our Pick: Lawrence 38, Bishop Carroll 27 (Hammeke)
6A No. 3 Olathe North (3-0) at Gardner-Edgerton (2-0)
A huge Sunflower League battle takes place this week with Gardner-Edgerton hosting Olathe North.
Olathe North dealt with some roster changes when a handful of starters transferred out of state over the summer when a football season in Olathe looked uncertain. Headlining that list was all-stater Arland Bruce IV, the 2019 Simone Award winner as the top player in the KC Metro. His move to Iowa along with the departures of Dale Stout and Mario Sanchez appeared to leave some holes in the Eagles’ lineup.
Despite their absence, North has started 3-0 and produced 1,130 yards of offense. A majority of the Eagles’ yardage has come on the ground. Quarterback Noah Palmer has led the ground game with 420 yards. Aquantez Love and Jacob Parrish have also been productive in contributing 217 and 213 yards, respectively. While the Eagles give favor to the run over the pass, Parrish has thrown for 119 of Olathe North’s 196 passing yards.
The Eagles have a stellar pass defense, allowing 100 passing yards a game through their three games. In addition, the Eagle defense has forced six turnovers. Parrish leads the team with 14 tackles and two interceptions. Palmer, Alex King, and Jackson Davis have recovered fumbles this season. The Eagles have also sacked opposing quarterbacks twelve times in three games.
Gardner-Edgerton opened the season with an overtime victory over Olathe South, then notched an impressive 28-26 victory over then 5A No. 1 Mill Valley. In the 31-24, OT victory over Olathe South, the Trailblazers had 492 yards of offense, with 410 yards on the ground and 82 through the air. Tyler Butash had a solid game, with 152 yards and one score, with a total of six trailblazers running the ball and four scoring.
The Trailblazers also have a stout defense. In last week’s 28-26 victory over Mill Valley, Gardner-Edgerton held the Jaguars to 105 passing yards. The Jaguars were also held to 1/13 on third down conversion and 1/5 on fourth down conversion. Mill Valley played without starting all-state quarterback Cooper Marsh.
This is only the third meeting between these two teams. Gardner-Edgerton defeated Olathe North 29-26 in 2013, and 59-28 in 2012. Both teams have played Olathe South. Olathe North blew out South 41-0 in the season opener, while Gardner-Edgerton outlasted the Falcons 31-24 in overtime a week later.
The turnover battle will be key. Last week versus Mill Valley, Gardner-Edgerton turned the ball over four times. Freshman quarterback Asher Weiner passed for 193 yards and three touchdowns, but was picked off four times. Turnovers could prove costly against the Eagles, who force two turnovers a game.
I look to Olathe North to grab escape Gardner with a victory over another Sunflower League challenger, and put the Eagles one step closer to the Sunflower League crown.
Our Pick: Olathe North 31, Gardner-Edgerton 28 (Hammeke)
6A No. 5 Shawnee Mission Northwest (2-0) at 5A No. 2 St. Thomas Aquians (3-0)
It sets up as an air attack versus ground and pound as the Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars travel to face the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints.
Senior quarterback Ty Black, who has already committed to Air Force, participated in all seven Cougar touchdowns (five passing, one rushing, and one receiving) during last week’s 49-0 win over Shawnee Mission North. Duke Henke led the Cougar receivers with 91 yards and three touchdowns.
In Northwest’s season opener on Sept. 19, Black threw for 361 yards during a 36-6 win over Shawnee Mission East. Blake Reeder was Black’s main target with 106 yards. As a junior, Black completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,655 yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
This will be the Cougars’ toughest so far as their first two opponents have a combined record of 1-3.
Coach Bo Black has helped build a program at Northwest. After finishing his first two seasons with a combined 2-16 record, Black has led the Cougars to an 18-13 record since then.
Aquinas, who has won each of the past three weeks after being forced to cancel the first week of the season, does most of its damage on the ground. Through three games, the Saints average 332.7 yards rushing and only 22.3 yards passing.
Senior running back Tank Young, who has received an offer from Iowa State, rushed for 483 yards and six touchdowns combined during wins over St. James Academy and Class 4A’s top-ranked Bishop Miege. However, Young did not play during last week’s 28-14 win over Raytown (Mo.). It is unclear whether Young will play this week.
Without Young, the Saints still struck to a ground attack, rushing for 220 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. Sophomore Sean Carroll led the way, running for 120 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. Senior quarterback Blake Anderson passed for 46 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 62 yards and another score. The Aquinas defense forced five turnovers. Anderson forced two fumbles and Will Gavin recovered another, while Gavin and Dajni Brooks each recorded an interception.
Coach Randy Dreiling has led the Saints to a 62-14 record and one state title since taking over the program in 2014.
This will be the first meeting of the two teams in recent memory.
Our Pick: Aquinas 34, SM Northwest 26 (Schremmer)
3A No. 4 Southeast of Saline (4-0) at Colby (4-0)
In Class 3A, District 6 contest, Southeast, Colby and Scott City are all 1-0 in district play. This is the first ever matchup between the schools, according to the Kansas Football History database.
Class 3A has five 4-0 teams left: No. 1 and defending state champion Andale, Columbus, No. 2 Perry-Lecompton, No. 4 Southeast of Saline and Colby. SES and Colby rank first and second, respectively, in 3A scoring defense with 16 and 22 points allowed. Southeast has scored 152, while Colby has 87, easily the fewest of the undefeated squads. Last year, Colby finished 9-1 and permitted just 13.2 points per game in 3A, while SES was 7-3 and allowed 17.3 points per contest in 2A.
Colby lost first team all-state all-purpose threat Calvin Stapp and lineman Aaron Kurth, though fourth-year coach Rees McKinney, a Scott City graduate, is 27-7 with the Eagles.
McKinney has molded Colby into a physical unit that has excelled defensively and has overcome graduation to key players such as Jordan Schippers (now at Kansas State), Stapp and Kurth. Colby ranked seventh in 3A in scoring defense, while Southeast of Saline, in 2A last season, was No. 12 in scoring defense.
Last year, Colby beat Scott City for the first time since 1999. The 9-1 record marked the best Colby team since ’84. The Eagles returned quarterback Ryan Myers and running back/defensive Hagan Booi. Myers passed for 578 yards and five touchdowns, and Booi delivered 598 rushing yards and seven scores. Colby has continued to improve since an 0-9 season in ’13. From ’14-19, the Eagles bumped up its win total every season and has bettered its scoring defense every fall from ’16-19. The Eagles have not lost in the regular season since a 35-12 defeat at Scott City in Week 7 of 2018.
Southeast of Saline returned 95 percent of its rushing yards and the top-eight tacklers for ’20. Coach Mitch Gebhardt has his son, senior Jaxson, at quarterback for a third straight fall. Jaxson is also a returning first team all-state defensive back. The Trojans have been very consistent, though have not won more than eight games since ’06.
Thus far, Jaxson has cut down on his turnovers with 529 passing yards with four touchdowns against zero interceptions. He has rushed for 316 yards and six scores, and Banks has delivered 311 yards and five TDs. Senior Tyler Breeding has 15 catches for 141 yards. Junior Matthew Rodriguez again paces with 35 tackles and seven TFLs, and senior Sterling Harp has 10 tackles for loss. Southeast of Saline is known for tempo and has averaged 55 plays per game. In the previous four years, SES has had between 56.5 and 61.9 plays a contest each year.
McKinney and Colby have put together another nice team, but SES, even with the 221-mile one-way trek, does have the advantage with its experience, especially defensively.
Our Pick: SE Saline 24, Colby 14 (Nicholl)
Oswego (3-0) at Sedan (4-0)
A key Eight-Man, Division I, District 1 contest between Sedan and Oswego. The pair of teams and Cedar Vale-Dexter (3-1) are the 1-0 squads left in the district. Oswego’s single wing, under coach Matt Fowler, has earned three big wins and allowed just 26 total points. The Indians won Chetopa, 58-12, and at St. Paul, 54-8. After not playing in Week 3, Oswego beat Yates Center, 52-6, at home.
Sedan and Argonia-Attica were the only eight-man teams to open 3-0 and not allow a point. The Blue Devils won 38-0 at St. Paul, 48-0 versus Flinthills, 50-0 against Central Burden and 52-6 at West Elk.
Oswego is 15-6 with coach Fowler after back-to-back 6-3 seasons – the program’s first in eight-man. The Indians have not had three consecutive winning records from ’08-10.
The Indians had to replace Jace Wilson, though returned six starters. Wilson finished his career with 153 tackles, 11 interceptions and 4,429 all-purpose yards. He was a two-time first team all-state player.
Oswego, with a 20-player roster, five seniors and Fowler’s longtime mantra of “Pain and Respect,” has a 7/4 TD/INT ratio with senior Lance Teal as the primary quarterback. Sophomore Jake Hutchinson has 46 carries for 475 yards and five touchdowns. However, senior Isaac Elliott has played in just one game and has seven carries for 27 yards and a TD. Elliott rushed for 626 yards and accounted for 13 offensive TDs in ’19. The 6-foot-5 Elliott has not played since Chetopa. Junior Jesse Blumer is the leading tackler with 25 stops.
Sedan is quite possibly the best team Oswego has played in Fowler’s three-year tenure. Tenth-year coach Mick Holt is 60-34 with the Blue Devils. Like Oswego, Sedan had to replace a first team all-stater with Tayte Halderman. He delivered 838 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, along with 355 passing, nine scores, a pair of pick-sixes and 54 tackles in ‘19. However, Sedan notably returned Eli Campbell and Dameion Hatten at the skill positions.
Junior Isaiah Smilko has rushed for more than 200 yards, while Campbell has cleared 150 and served as the starting quarterback. Hatten is the top returner; four of his first five catches went for touchdowns. Jared Roggow-Harter had paced the defense with 16 tackles, five for loss in the first three weeks. Sedan also lists 27 players on its roster, including five seniors.
Sedan won 56-22 last year, and 38-34 two years ago. Before then, the last matchups came in 11-man in ’09 when Oswego won a pair of games 41-0 and 50-0.
Great credit to both successful coaches for strong starts after the graduation of Wilson and Halderman. However, Sedan, playing at home, gets the advantage with its airtight defense.
Our Pick: Sedan 36, Oswego 22 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Manhattan (2-2) at Topeka Seaman (3-1) – Seaman
Wichita East (2-0) at Wichita Heights (2-0) – Wichita East
Andover Central (3-0) at Valley Center (2-2) – Andover Central
Goddard-Eisenhower (2-2) at Goddard (3-1) – Goddard
Pittsburg (3-1) at Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2-1) – Kapaun
4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (0-2) at 4A No. 5 St. James Academy (2-1) – Bishop Miege
De Soto (3-1) at 4A No. 4 McPherson (4-0) – De Soto
KC Piper (3-1) at 4A No. 3 Tonganoxie (3-1) – Tonganoxie
Wamego (3-1) at 4A No. 2 Paola (4-0) – Paola
Anderson County (3-1) at 1A No. 5 Lyndon (3-1) – Lyndon
Clearwater (4-0) at Halstead (2-2) – Clearwater
Frontenac (1-3) at Burlington (4-0) – Frontenac
Galena (3-0) at Caney Valley (4-0) – Galena
Hesston (3-0) at 3A No. 1 Andale (4-0) – Andale
2A No. 3 Hoisington (4-0) at Minneapolis (2-2) – Hoisington
Republic County (2-2) at Riverside (3-1) – Republic County
St. Mary’s Colgan (2-2) at Southeast-Cherokee (3-1) – Colgan
Syracuse (3-1) at Cimarron (2-2) – Cimarron
Jefferson Co. North (3-1) at 1A No. 2 Centralia (3-1) – Centralia
Oakley (3-1) at 1A No. 3 Smith Center (3-1) – Smith Center
Plainville (2-2) at Inman (3-1) – Inman
Sedgwick (4-0) at Ell-Saline (2-2) – Sedgwick
Meade (2-0) at South Gray (4-0) – South Gray
Spearville (4-0) at Hodgeman County (3-1) – Hodgeman County
Valley Falls (3-1) at 8M-I No. 4 Clifton-Clyde (4-0) – Clifton-Clyde
8M-II No. 5 Axtell (3-1) at Frankfort (3-1) – Axtell
Logan-Palco (4-0) at 8M-II No. 1 St. Francis (3-0) – St. Francis
Osborne (2-2) at 8M-II No. 2 Hanover (3-0) – Hanover
8M-II No. 3 Victoria (4-0) at Central Plains (2-0) – Victoria
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