Kpreps Friday Frist Look – Week 5
Kpreps Friday First Look provides our initial reaction to some most notable games and performances in the state from Week 5.
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CLASS 6A
Olathe North handles Gardner-Edgerton, 28-7
Third-ranked Olathe North went on the road at Gardner-Edgerton and controlled the game in defeating the Blazers, 28-7.
Jacob Parrish started the scoring in the first quarter with a 67-yard touchdown run. After Gardner-Edgerton tied the score, Aquantez Love added a nine-yard touchdown run to put Olathe North up for good.
Parrish would later score again to put the Eagles up three scores.
The trio of Parrish, Love, and quarterback Noah Palmer continually found success as the Olathe North line controlled the game up front.
Olathe North will host Shawnee Mission East next week, while Gardner-Edgerton will host Shawnee Mission North.
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Wichita East slips by Heights
After scoring 134 points in its first two games, Wichita East found itself in a battle on Friday night with Wichita Heights.
The Blue Aces eventually used a pair of touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Deonte Mitchell to top the Falcons, 16-13.
After Heights scored early for a 6-0 lead, Wichita East responded as Mitchell hit A.J. King on a 53-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion gave East an 8-6 lead at the half.
Mitchell would strike again early in the fourth quarter as he connected with Caquoy Patterson for a 17-yard score and a 16-6 lead.
Heights would later add a score on D.J. Dingle’s second rushing touchdown of the game with a little more than four minutes left.
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Blue Valley Northwest stays unbeaten
Blue Valley Northwest improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2009 with a 42-19 win over Blue Valley Southwest.
The Huskies fell behind 13-0 after the first quarter as Southwest quarterback Tanner Curry tossed a touchdown pass to Tristen Everard and Junior Keuwo rushed for a score.
Mikey Pauley got Northwest on the board in the second quarter on his first of two touchdown passes to Max Muehlberger. Currey hit Everard again to extend the Southwest lead to 19-7 late in the second quarter.
The Timberwolves wouldn’t score again.
Pauley and Muehlberger connected in the final minute of the half to pull the Huskies within 19-14 at the break.
Northwest scored twice in the third quarter on a Pauley touchdown run and his third touchdown pass – this time to Josh Cusick.
Pauley passed for nearly 200 yards and three scores while adding 94 yards rushing and another touchdown. Muehlberger caught six balls for 146 yards and those two scores.
Curry passed for 215 yards and two scores to lead Southwest. Everard caught nine for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
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CLASS 5A
Aquinas surges in second half to top SM Northwest
Second-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas outscored 6A No. 5 Shawnee Mission Northwest 28-6 in the second half to escape with a 35-34 victory.
Trailing 28-7 at halftime, Aquinas cut into the lead in the third quarter on a long touchdown pass from Maxwell Ford to Evan Kammerer. Northwest’s 28-14 lead held until the fourth quarter when Tank Young scored the first of his two touchdowns to pull the Saints within 28-21.
Young again scored on a short run with less than three minutes remaining to tie the game at 28.
The Saint defense then forced the Cougars to go three-and-out and punt. Aquinas’ Danji Brooks returned Connor Stewart’s punt 84 yards for a touchdown to give the Saints their first lead 35-28 with 1:45 remaining in the game.
Northwest qurat4erback Ty Black, an Air Force commit, quickly led his Cougars down the field and he punched in a 1-yard run with :38 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 35-34. Black’s father, Shawnee Mission Northwest Head Coach Bo Black, elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win, but Ty’s pass fell incomplete and Aquinas held on, 35-34.
Black threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score as Shawnee Mission Northwest built a 28-7 halftime lead. After completing his first 12 passes on the night, Black finished 18 of 29 for 237 yards and two scores. He also added 54 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Young returned from injury to lead Aquinas with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts. Aquinas played without starting quarterback Blake Anderson, but Ford was effective in passing for 183 yards and a score. Sean Carroll added 88 rush yards and a touchdown for the Saints.
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Seaman beats Manhattan, 35-21
Topeka Seaman took advantage of multiple Manhattan turnovers in building a two-score lead at halftime and held off the Indians, 35-21.
Viking quarterback Reid Cowan connected with Case Stallbaumer on a touchdown pass late in the second quarter for a 21-7 lead.
After the Indians pulled to within 21-13 in the third quarter, Seaman’s Nathan Zeferjahn added his second rushing score and Stallbaumer rushed for a touchdown to extend the lead to 35-13.
Overall, Seaman forced five Manhattan turnovers – including picking off four passes.
Cowan passed for 185 yards and those two touchdowns. He also rushed for a short touchdown in the first quarter.
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Andover hands Hutch first loss
In a game added due to Derby’s quarantine, Andover slowed down Hutchinson, 14-7. The Trojan defense forced three turnovers in handing the Salthawks their first loss of the season.
Hutchinson led 7-0 at halftime on a long touchdown pass from Myles Thompson to Noah Khokhar. Andover would tie the game in the third quarter with a long touchdown pass of their own from Brady Strausz to Isaiah Maikori.
The Trojans took the lead on a Max Middleton touchdown run with less than four minutes remaining.
Middleton rushed for 100 yards to lead the Trojan offense. The Andover defense limited Hutchinson’s Alec McCuan to 134 yards on 24 carries. McCaun entered Friday averaging 175 yards per game.
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De Soto outscores McPherson in a game added late
De Soto built a 20-point lead in the second half and held off Class 4A’s No. 4 McPherson, 41-35.
This game was added during the week with both teams’ regularly-scheduled opponents had to cancel due to quarantine. The game was played at Washburn Rural in Topeka.
The Wildcats and Bullpups traded touchdowns in the first half before De Soto’s Jackson Miller tossed a touchdown pass to Austin Tabor late in second quarter to put the Wildcats’ up 21-14.
De Soto would extend that lead to 34-14 in the third quarter as Miller threw touchdown passes to Hayden Henderson and Ethan Schultze.
McPherson would get back within 34-21 late in the third quarter, before Miller hit Henderson again for a 41-21 De Soto lead.
McPherson then pulled closer with a pair of Brycen Labertew touchdown runs to get the final margin within 41-35.
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CLASS 4A
Top-ranked Bishop Miege holds off No. 5 St. James for first win
After a pair of losses to St. Thomas Aquinas and Rockhurst (Mo.), top-ranked Bishop Miege got into the win column with a 38-28 decision over No. 5 St. James Academy.
The Stags put up nearly 550 yards of total offense and scored in each quarter, but had to overcome three turnovers to hold off the Thunder.
Quarterback Timothy Dorsey completed 20 of 27 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns on the night. Dorsey connected with Mack Moeller 12 times for 210 yards and three scores.
Jaylen Burch led the Miege ground game with 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
St. James Academy was led by Dakota Burritt’s 226 passing yards and two scores. LaJames White rushed for 103 yards and two scores for the Thunder and caught six passes for 95 yards and a third score.
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Buhler beats Augusta 41-21 behind Elliott
Buhler claimed its third consecutive victory behind a big night from running back Sam Elliott. Elliott rushed for 366 yards and six touchdowns to lift the Crusaders past the Orioles, 41-21. Buhler led 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-14 at halftime.
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CLASS 3A
SE Saline dominates Colby in defensive battle; Colby first regular season home loss since ’16
In Class 3A, District 6, Southeast of Saline defeated Colby, 32-8. The Trojans, ranked No. 4 in 3A, moved to 5-0, 2-0. Colby dropped to 4-1, 1-1.
Entering the game, Southeast of Saline and Colby ranked first and second, respectively, in 3A in scoring defense. Southeast remains first with just 24 points allowed.
Southeast of Saline scored single touchdowns in the first and second quarter and 16 points in the third. SES’ veteran defense, with 10 returning starters, had a pair of scores. Junior Matthew Rodriguez, who led the team in tackles in ’19 and again in ’20, enjoyed a massive performance. In the second quarter, he had a tackle for loss and forced a fumble on the play that junior Chase Poague recovered for a touchdown.
Jaxson Gebhardt had a rushing touchdown and pick-six in the third quarter and threw a touchdown pass to Poague in the first. Rodriguez has also delivered sack and a pair of key fourth-down defensive plays. Bryant Banks cleared 100 rushing yards.
Freshman Zane Betz tallied the lone TD for Colby.
It marked Colby’s first regular season loss since Week 7 at Scott City in ’18. As well, Colby had its first regular season home loss since Oct. 14, 2016 – the year before Rees McKinney took over the program.
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Santa Fe Trail outscores Bishop Ward in offensive shootout
If you like offense, this one was the game for you. Santa Fe Trail outscored Bishop Ward 55-42 on Friday to improve to 2-0 in District 3. The Chargers and Cyclones combined for 1,114 yards of total offense, including 906 rushing yards on Friday night.
The game was deadlocked at 28 entering the fourth quarter when Santa Fe Trail’s McClain Weekley rushed for a pair of touchdowns in less than a minute to put the Chargers up 42-28.
The teams would trade touchdowns from there on out with Ward pulling to within 49-42 with 3:23 left on a James Jarrett III touchdown run.
Weekley would break a 55-yard touchdown run in the final minute to put the game on ice.
Weekely rushed for 326 of Santa Fe Trail’s 592 rush yards. He also added four rushing touchdowns. Tyler Duncan added 198 yards and two scores on 14 attempts.
Bishop Ward was led by Jarrett’s 166 rushing yards and two scores. Cyclone quarterback Christian Stein passed for 174 yards including a touchdown to Dustin Rector in the losing effort.
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Frontenac hands Burlington first loss
Frontenac went on the road and handed Burlington its first loss, 28-12.
The Raiders scored twice early in the first quarter and seemed to take control.
But Burlington would close to within 14-12 at halftime and threaten in the fourth quarter before a Frontenac interception at the 15-yard line thwarted the Wildcat scoring effort.
Frontenac then went on a time-consuming drive to extend the lead to 21-12 with 2:30 remaining, then added another late touchdown for the 28-12 win.
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Galena shuts out Caney Valley in battle of unbeatens
Galena went on the road to Caney Valley and defeated the Bullpups, 20-0. The win was the fourth consecutive for the Bulldogs in this series.
After a scoreless first quarter, Galena built a 12-0 halftime advantage after A. J. Holmes busted a 50-yard touchdown run from midfield.
Any hope the Bullpups had of rallying in the second half was dampened by Galena returning the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and the 20-0 advantage.
The victory moves Galena to (4-0; 2-0) and sets up next week’s huge showdown in District 1 with Columbus (5-0; 2-0).
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Andale throttles Hesston, 66-7
Top-ranked Andale fell behind early, but quickly took control in a blowout win over Hesston.
Hesston scored on a 98-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Eilert to Brayden Schilling to take a 7-0 lead. But Andale would smother the Swather offense from there on out – allowing only 86 more yards the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, the Andale offense responded with two scores in the first quarter and led 38-7 by halftime. The lead ballooned to 60-7 after three quarters.
The Indians rushed for 466 yards on the night led by Eli Rowland’s 194 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Gabe Ungles added three rushing scores and 63 yards, while Cody Parthemer added 104 yards and a score.
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Clearwater tops Halstead to keep pace with Andale
The Clearwater Indians went on the road and picked up a key district win, 35-18, over Halstead. The victory helps the Indians keep pace with No. 1 Andale and Wichita Collegiate – both of which are unbeaten in District 7.
Clearwater scored three time sin the first half and held a slime 21-18 lead.
The Indians then shut out the Dragons in the second half while adding a pair of touchdowns.
Clearwater (5-0; 2-0) will host Wichita Collegiate (5-0; 2-0) next week.
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CLASS 2A
Hoisington wins at Minneapolis
Hoisington continued to take control over Class 2A, District 8 with a 27-6 road victory against Minneapolis. This marked the first game at Minneapolis’ new turf. Minneapolis had delivered back-to-back upsets versus Republic County and Norton.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 16-1 since the start of last year. All five of the Cardinals’ wins have come by 21 points or fewer.
Hoisington led 7-6 at halftime after the Cardinals trailed Phillipsburg at halftime last week. The Cardinals moved to 14-6 after three quarters when Joshua Ball had a six-yard touchdown.
Hoisington limited Minneapolis to under 100 total yards.
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Ellsworth surprises Norton, 27-20
Ellsworth picked up its first win of the season, surprising the defending-2A runners-up, 27-20.
The Bearcats and Bluejays were tied 20-20 at halftime. Ellsworth added a touchdown in the fourth quarter to take the lead and got a key interception late in the game to seal the victory.
Ellsworth (1-3; 1-1) now joins Beloit, Minneapolis, and Phillipsburg who all have 1-1 records in 2A, District 8. Norton has dropped consecutive games after a 3-0 start. The Bluejays are the lone team in District 8 without a district win.
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West Franklin knocks off Humboldt
West Franklin built a 27-0 lead at halftime in cruising to a 39-20 win over Humboldt.
Falcon quarterback Lance McCullough rushed for two touchdown and connected with Cameron Wise on a touchdown pass as part of that 27-0 first half. Wise also added a rushing score which accounted for the only points of the first quarter.
Any hope Humboldt had at mounting a serious comeback may have been thwarted when Caleb McKenzie returned the second-half kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown. West Franklin led 33-0.
Trey Sommer scored a pair of touchdowns to pull the Cubs within 33-14. Wise would then add another score – breaking free from midfield to put West Franklin up 39-14.
Ethan Doepke’s touchdown later pulled Humboldt within 39-20.
The win is West Franklin’s firs of the season after scoring a total of 28 points in the first four games of the year.
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Late Pick-6 lifts TMP over Ellis; Cimarron with back-to-back wins
Cimarron, Lakin and TMP gained separation in Class 2A, District 7. Cimarron, TMP and Lakin are all 2-0, and Ellis, Syracuse and Southwestern Heights are 0-2.
Notably, TMP beat Ellis, 28-21, on a pick-six with three seconds left from junior Jace Wentling in the Ellis County rivalry. The teams call the game the “Battle of Big Creek” for the creek that runs through Ellis and Hays.
TMP is 4-1 and has won four straight – the best start for the school since ’03, according to the Kansas Football History database.
The Monarchs have won four in a row in the series, including the last three by a combined 17 points or fewer. Cimarron beat Syracuse, 36-14, to move to 3-2, 2-0.
Cimarron is 20-2 in its last 22 regular season/Week 9 contests. Lakin won at Southwestern Heights, 58-26.
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CLASS 1A
Lyndon whips Anderson County, 56-6
Lyndon scored three touchdowns in the first and third quarters in routing Anderson County, 56-6. The game was added after each had a cancellation.
Lyndon quarterback Darian Massey tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Ethan Edington and another to Toby Miller. Tiger senior Luke Detwiler rushed for two touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another score.
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Smith Center controls Oakley
Smith Center scored three times in the second half to pull away from Oakley, 42-14.
Oakley’s Ethan Abell got the scoring started with a first-quarter touchdown for a 7-0 lead. But the third-ranked Redmen would score three times in the first half to lead 21-7, then add another score in the third quarter for a 28-7 lead.
Abell’s second score cut the led to 28-14 in the fourth quarter, but the Redmen added a pair of touchdowns in the final three minutes to win, 42-14.
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Inman wins big over Plainville
Jace Doerksen passed for 120 yards and three touchdowns as Inman posted a dominating 35-7 victory over Plainville.
Doerksen threw touchdown passes to Carter Brown, Eli Brunk, and Tanner Heckel on the night. Heckel also added a rushing touchdown.
Inman led 35-0 before Plainville scored late.
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Sedgwick rolls Ell-Saline, 45-13
Sedgwick moved to 5-0 with a 45-13, non-district victory over Ell-Saline.
The Cardinals got another big performance from quarterback Lance Hoffsommer who passed for 315 yards and three scores on 25 of 32 passing. Hoffsommer also added nearly 60 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Henry Burns hauled in 11 receptions for 128 yards and two scores to pace the Cardinals, while Blake Hubert also topped the 100-yard receiving mark and had a touchdown as part of his four receptions.
Sedgwick should be heavily-favored the next couple of weeks against Whitewater-Remington and Elkhart. The Cardinals get their stiffest district test when they host Conway Springs in Week 8.
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CLASS 8M-I
Canton-Galva pulls away from Little River
In District 4, No. 1 Canton-Galva beat No. 5 Little River, 56-38, in a home game that likely will decide the district. This was one of the marquee games Friday and was voted as the statewide Game of the Week by the Kpreps’ fans.
Canton-Galva extended its winning streak to 18 games and remains tied with Andale for the longest current streak in Kansas. The Eagles’ last regular season loss came to Little River in Week 1 of ’18.
Canton-Galva led 16-6 after the first quarter, and 24-18 at halftime. The Eagles outscored Little River, 24-8, in the third. Sophomore Garrett Maltbie continued his great season with 8 of 15 passing for 149 yards and three TDs. Senior Brayden Collins recorded 16 carries for 95 yards and two scores. Tyson Struber caught four passes for 70 yards and a pair of TDs and picked off a pass – remarkably already the 21st of his career. Maltbie also picked off a pass.
For Little River, Jayden Garrison had 25 carries for 177 yards and a score.
Maltbie opened the scoring with a 65-yard run on the game’s first play. Canton-Galva never trailed. In the second quarter, the Eagles led 16-12 and Collins ran for a 28-yard TD. Little River responded with a 47-yard TD run by Graham Stephens, but the Redskins were continually denied on two-point conversion attempts.
In the third, Canton-Galva led 32-24 before three straight touchdowns and a 56-32 lead midway fourth quarter. Maltbie found Struber for a 43-yard TD, Collins had a three-yard touchdown run, and then Maltbie hit Struber for a 19-yard score.
Little River had seven more first downs, ran 22 more plays, outgained Canton-Galva by 56 yards and won the time of possession.
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South Gray handles Meade, 30-12
In District 7, South Gray continues to be one of the state’s more surprising teams after a 30-12 home win versus previously unbeaten Meade.
The Rebels stand at 5-0, 2-0, and Meade is 2-1, 0-1.
Aaron Skidmore had 28 carries for 212 yards and four touchdowns to lead South Gray. He has 880 rushing yards and 20 TDs this season. Brady Deges blocked a pair of punts. No points came in the first quarter and the contest was tied at six mid-way through the third.
Meade ran eight more plays and held a 135-0 edge in passing yards. Ethan Salmans helped with nine tackles.
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Burlingame beats Washington County with consistent effort
Burlingame pulled back into the District 3 race with a 48-28 home win over Washington County.
The Bearcats scored in each quarter and used a 28-14 second half to pull away for the 20-point win.
Senior Wyatt Ledom rushed for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries to lead Burlingame. Colby Middleton added 75 yards on the ground and two more scores. Evan Young threw three touchdown passes – all to Austin Tyson who caught four passes for 101 yards.
The win evens the Bearcats’ district record at 1-1 along with Washington County, Doniphan West, and Valley Falls. Burlingame has a key game next week at Valley Falls before traveling to Doniphan West in Week 8.
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CLASS 8M-II
Frankfort hands Axtell second straight defeat
Frankfort rushed for 275 yards and controlled the game in a 36-14 win over No. 5 Axtell.
Ethan Armstrong rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns, but it was his touchdown reception from Gavin Cornelison in the closing seconds of the first half that put the Wildcats up 22-8.
Cornelison added a touchdown pass to Aiden Gerstner in the third quarter to put Frankfort in control, 30-8. Cornelison also led the Wildcat ground attack with 139 yards and a score on 24 carries.
Isaac Detweiler rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Mitchell Buessing to account for the Axtell offense. The Eagle were unable to establish a ground game, rushing for 61 yards on 22 attempts.
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Stafford upsets Caldwell, 44-38
In one of the odder results of Friday, Stafford upset Caldwell, 44-38, in District 6. Caldwell is 4-1, 3-1, and Stafford is 3-2, 1-2. Stafford lost, 64-62, at Peabody-Burns in Week 3, and 62-42 against South Barber in Week 4. Caldwell and South Barber are 3-1, and Norwich is 2-1. Even with the loss, Caldwell still controls its own destiny as it won 70-24 at Norwich in Week 3 and will play at South Barber in Week 7.
Stafford led 28-6 at halftime. The Trojans scored on a long run on 3rd-and-39 in the first half. Caldwell threw an interception, and Stafford then scored for a 22-6 advantage. Caldwell then took advantage of two Stafford turnovers, the first that led for a fumble recovery for a TD and took a 30-28.
Stafford responded with a blocked punt for a 36-30 lead advantage after three quarters. Caldwell scored for a 38-36 lead with eight minutes left, before Stafford again took the lead.
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Victoria doubles up Central Plains
In District 5, Victoria is 5-0, 3-0 and Central Plains dropped to 2-1, 2-1. Victoria won at rival Central Plains, 28-14, in Claflin. This marked the Knights’ first game within 28 points this fall.
No one scored in the first quarter, and Victoria led 12-8 at halftime. Central Plains ran nine more plays, while the Knights outgained the Oilers, 287-197. Central Plains was plus-2 in turnover margin.
The Oilers led 8-0 in the first quarter and 14-12 in the third, though Victoria tacked on a go-ahead four-yard TD run by Jayvon Pruitt. He tacked on a 38-yard run in the fourth. Pruitt has 22 rushes for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Grant Schoenrock completed six of nine passes for 89 yards with a touchdown and an interception and helped on 16 tackles. He picked off a pass.
Victoria has defeated Sylvan-Lucas and Central Plains in the last two weeks and with a significantly easier schedule in the next three weeks, they should win the district.
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