Class 3A
3A EAST
D2-#4 Girard (4-5) at D2-#2 Prairie View (7-1) – Prairie View
Girard may have pulled off the upset of the first round with its 29-18 win at previously-unbeaten Columbus. The Trojans got off to a good start, but were clinging to a 13-12 lead when Luke Niggemann connected with Mason Huebner on a touchdown pass in the final :20 seconds of the first half to lead 19-12 at the intermission. Girard then scored in the third quarter as Niggemann hit Logan Thomas on a 30-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 26-12. Garrett Humble’s field goal put Girard up three scores, 29-12. Connor Olivera, maybe Girard’s most versatile offensive player, also scored in the game.
Meanwhile, Prairie View improved to 7-1 with a 44-16 win over Caney Valley. The Buffaloes average 245 yards per game on the ground led by Bodi Isenhower’s 634 yards and nine touchdowns. Otis Jacobs has added 617 rushing yards and eight scores, while shifty quarterback Damien Kline has added 399 rushing yards and 13 scores. Kline has also passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns – primarily looking for Zach Theis in the passing game. The Prairie View defense has allowed only 11 points per game and is led by Colton McCammon’s 91 tackles, while Kyle Waterman has 57 tackles including 17 for loss and 7.5 sacks.
D3-#3 Perry-Lecompton (8-1) at D3-#1 Topeka Hayden (7-1) – Hayden
This game is happening a couple of weeks earlier than many had anticipated. Perry-Lecompton finished third in District 3 by virtue of Baldwin not facing the Kaws or eventual district champion Topeka Hayden due to quarantine. The two met a couple of weeks ago in one of the better games of the regular season regardless of class. The game was scoreless for 46 minutes and 32 seconds of the game time before Skyler Specht connected on a 24-yard field goal with 1:28 remaining to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Hayden then chose to squib the ensuing kickoff which hit a Perry-Lecompton player and bounded free. The Wildcats jumped on the ball and were essentially running out the clock when Desmond Purnell broke a 33-yard touchdown run on fourth-&-1 with :20 seconds remaining to close out the 10-0 victory.
While the scoreless nature of the majority of that first meeting may indicate defenses ruled, each offense had opportunities and were turned away. Hayden picked off three Perry-Lecompton passes, while the Kaws intercepted two Wildcat pass attempts. Hayden rushed for 213 yards in the game led by Purnell’s 124 yards and Will DeVader’s 93 yards, while Perry-Lecompton was held to 85 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Both are experienced teams, however Perry-Lecompton lost all-state quarterback Billy Welch to a season-ending injury back in Week 3. Since then Thad Metcalfe has played well in passing for 869 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 815 rushing yards and 17 scores. Junior Reichen Rush has added 787 yards rushing and ten touchdowns.
D2-#3 Frontenac (5-4) at D2#1 Burlington (8-1) – Frontenac
These two met back in Week 5 in a district contest won by Frontenac, 28-12. The Raiders will try to duplicate that performance, again on the road at Burlington. The Raiders scored twice early in the first meeting and seemed to be in control of the contest, but Burlington would close within 14-12 at the half. The Wildcats were threatening in the fourth quarter when a Frontenac interception at the 15-yard line thwarted the Wildcat scoring effort. The Raiders 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 16-point win. Last week, Collin McCartney rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns and passed for more than 150 more yards to lead Frontenac to a 25-7 win at Galena.
Meanwhile, Brayden Sloyer rushed for 299 yards and three touchdowns to lead Burlington to a 56-22 win over Parsons. Sloyer has rushed for 1,349 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season, while Gavin Price has added 793 more yards and 11 scores. Sloyer has also passed for 327 yards and four scores, including one to Price last week. Frontenac held Sloyer under 100 yards (92) in the first meeting on 25 carries – his lowest yard per carry output of the season. The Raiders will need to hold him in check again to win at Burlington for a second time this fall.
D3-#2 Baldwin (3-4) at D4-#1 Holton (7-1) – Holton
After earning their first playoff win since 2013, Baldwin will travel to Holton for a second-round game this week. The Bulldogs are just 3-4 on the season after missing a pair of district games against No. 2 Topeka Hayden and No. 3 Perry-Lecompton due to quarantine. The Bulldogs picked up their third consecutive victory last Saturday with a 40-12 decision over Jefferson West. For Baldwin, Gardner-Edgerton transfer Adam Callahan has been all over the field on defense. He and his Bulldog unit will need the performance of their season this week to slow down the Holton rushing attack.
The Wildcats have been cruising since a Week 3 loss to Perry-Lecompton. Holton averages 365.8 yards per game on the ground and feature a good offensive line and an experienced backfield. Canon Karn leads the Wildcat ground attack with 970 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Addison Hundley has added 532 yards and Konnor Tannahill has 437 yards – each having scored six touchdowns.
3A WEST
D6-#2 Scott City (6-3) at D5-#1 Riley County (7-1) – Riley County
Scott City has arguably the longest drive in all of the second-round matchups as the Beavers hit the road to take on the Riley County Falcons. The first matchup between the two schools will feature the high-octane Falcon offense and a Scott City Beaver team that can slow down and control the game. Riley County has scored 51 touchdowns this season, with Nic Allen leading the Falcons with 25 of those on the ground with 1,265 yards on 150 carries. Conner Holle has also had monster numbers in the passing game with 1,247 yards and 15 touchdowns, his favorite target being Trey Harmison, who has 25 receptions and seven touchdowns. Scott City has found a way to keep games close and grind things out, only having three games with a margin over twenty points.
D7-#3 Clearwater (7-2) at D7-#1 Andale (8-0) – Andale
Andale defeated Clearwater 40-21 in week seven and the defending champions will look to repeat the result on their home turf. Andale, winners of 21 straight games, have won their contests on an average of 47 points, scoring on average 51 points. The week seven matchup versus Clearwater was the closest for Andale on the season, with Andale winning by 19 points in the battle of the Indians. Andale led 20-7 going into the locker room, and extended the lead to 34-14 after the three quarters. Noah Meyer carried 30 times for 196 yards and four touchdowns to pace an Indian offense that played without leading rushers Eli Rowland and Gabe Ungles. Cody Parthemer also added a pair of rushing touchdowns and 61 yards on 13 carries. Clearwater standout quarterback Tanner Cash rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown and passed for 80 more yards and a score. Andale hasn’t lost to Clearwater since 2011.
D5-#2 Marysville (4-4) at D6-#1 Southeast of Saline (8-0) – SE Saline
Marysville has pulled several upsets in recent playoffs, including a slight upset in a 45-21 home win against Colby last week. Senior Caden Brinegar was the only returning skill player for Marysville. The Bulldogs have averaged 109 passing and 186 rushing yards a game. Senior Ayden Price has completed 53 of 89 passes for 824 yards with eight scores against two interceptions. Junior Patrick Smith has 124 carries for 526 yards and seven scores. Southeast senior quarterback Jaxson Gebhardt has completed 70 of 110 passes for 969 yards with 10 scores against one interception. He has 794 rushing yards, Bryant Banks with 744. They have combined for 25 rushing TDs.
Junior Matthew Rodriguez has enjoyed a big year with a team-high 69 tackles, and 16 tackles for loss, second-most on the squad. No. 4 Southeast of Saline has been very dominant, especially defensively. SES has the No. 1 scoring defense in 3A with just 46 points allowed. The Trojans are well-known for playing better at home under coach Mitch Gebhardt. SES is 12-2 in its last 14 home games. From ’13-19, SES went 24-8 at home, 23-14 on the road.
A win gives the Trojans its most victories since a 10-1 season in ’06. As well, the Trojans are known for its high number of plays. This season, SES is at 6.4 yards per play, slightly better than Marysville’s 6.1. SES, though, has 56 snaps a game, and Marysville is at 49. In the previous four years, SES averaged 57, 60, 62 and 58 snaps a game. Last year, SES had more plays per game than several top 2A teams, including finalists Nemaha Central and Norton.
D7-#2 Wichita Collegiate (8-1) at D8-#1 Cheney (9-0) – Collegiate
Cheney and Wichita Collegiate square off for the third time in two years. Cheney won both matchups over the Spartans last year, winning 46-21 in the regular season and 30-13 in the second round of the playoffs. Both schools have high-octane offenses; with Collegiate putting up 39 points on average, while Cheney averages 43 points on Fridays. The defenses have also built stout units throughout the season, with Cheney holding teams to roughly 14 a game and Collegiate allowing 13 a game.
Last week, Collegiate rolled to a 50-0 win over Pratt, while Cheney needed a late touchdown pass from Harrison Voth to Dayton Higgs to break a 34-34 tie and defeat Halstead, 40-34. Voth has thrown for 235 yards per game this season with Logan Bartlett being his primary receiver. Wesley Fair leads the Collegiate offense in rushing for nearly 150 yards per contest.
Class 2A
2A EAST
D2-#3 Wellsville (4-4) at D1-#1 St. Mary’s Colgan (6-2) – Colgan
This will be the second-ever meeting between Wellsville and St. Mary’s Colgan with Colgan claiming a 17-8 victory in the second-round of the 3A playoffs in 2013. Wellsville has won four of its last five games after an 0-3 start that included losses to Burlington, Anderson County, and Iola. The Eagles and Panthers have one common opponent in Riverton. Wellsville defeated Riverton 28-22 last week to advance to this round, while Colgan beat the Rams 44-12 in district play.
Wellsville is led on offense by a pair of sophomores in quarterback Dylan McCarty and running back Nash Money. McCarty has passed for 1,068 yards and eight touchdowns, but has been intercepted 11 times. Money is a shifty back that has 711 rushing yards and nine scores. Money has topped the 200-yard mark in consecutive games including 240 yards and three scores in a win over West Franklin and 205 yards and a scores against Riverton last week.
Colgan is led by the backfield duo of Domenico Bevilacqua and Blaise Dawson. Bevilacqua has rushed for 967 yards and 15 scores, while Dawson has added 651 yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Wright has thrown for 983 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 63 percent of his passes.
D4-#2 Maur Hill-Mount Academy (8-0) at D3-#1 Rossville (9-0) – Rossville
A pair of unbeaten teams will square off with the winner advancing to the state quarterfinals. Top-ranked Rossville will host Maur Hill-Mount Academy. The Ravens sit just outside of the top five this week after last week’s 56-32 win over Mission Valley. The Ravens led 35-32 entering the fourth quarter before scoring three touchdowns to pull away. Andrew Schwinn continued his massive senior season with 33 carries for 327 yards and six touchdowns. Schwinn also caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Drew Caudle. Caudle completed 11 of 15 passing for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Schwinn has rushed for 1,809 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Caudle has passed for 1,123 yards and 13 scores.
This will be Maur Hill’s biggest test of the season. The Ravens missed defending-champion Nemaha Central in district play due to quarantine. By comparison, Rossville defeated Mission Valley 53-0 in district play. The Bulldawgs have several options on offense led by junior quarterback Torrey Horak. Horak has rushed for 1,123 yards and 24 touchdowns and passed for 856 yards and 16 more scores. Woodrow Rezac and Corey Catron have added 569 and 528 rushing yards, respectively.
D1-#2 Fredonia (5-3) at D2-#1 Osage City (8-1) – Osage City
Fredonia will travel to Osage City with the winner advancing to the quarterfinal round. The Yellow Jackets improved to 5-3 with a 47-20 win over West Franklin. The victory marked Fredonia’s first in the playoffs since the 2006 season. Marc Svaty’s team has won four straight games since a 1-3 start that included losses to Caney Valley, Humboldt, and Colgan.
Fredonia will have a tall task in taking on an Osage City team that has rattled off eight consecutive wins since a season-opening loss to Lyndon. The Indians are led by sophomore quarterback Landon Boss. Boss has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,469 yards and 24 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He’s also the Indians’ leading rusher with 931 yards and 11 scores. Junior Brody Littrell has added 473 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. Senior Gunnar Fort is Boss’ main receiving target with 23 catches for 465 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The two teams have three common opponents in Humboldt, Neodesha, and West Franklin. Osage City defeated all three teams by an average margin of 41 points, while Fredonia defeated Neodesha and West Franklin by an average margin of 21 points. The Yellow Jackets fell to Humboldt, 30-26, back in Week 2.
D3-#2 Silver Lake (6-1) at D4-#1 Nemaha Central (6-2) – Silver Lake
Silver Lake and Nemaha Central will hook up in what will feel more like a state semifinal game than a second-round battle. The two schools have met early on in the playoffs in recent history. Silver Lake defeated the Thunder 25-7 in the second round of the 2017 3A bracket, while Nemaha Central won 21-14 in the second round in 2016. Last year, Nemaha Central squared off with Rossville in the second round and escaped with a 29-21 overtime victory that eventually propelled the Thunder to state title victory over Norton a few weeks later.
Nemaha Central has won five straight games since a 1-2 start that included close losses to Holton (15-13) and Sabetha (29-22). Since then, the Thunder defense has been stellar in allowing 22 total points in the past five games. For the season, Nemaha Central is allowing nine points per game. In last week’s 50-6 win over Pleasant Ridge, Zac Kramer threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for another score. Gage Palic also scored twice on the ground and standout athlete Tyler Gerety rushed for a score and caught a touchdown pass from Kramer.
Silver Lake held a slight lead over Republic County after one quarter last week before blowing out the Buffs, 63-6. Daigan Kruger threw five touchdown passes and rushed for two more scores. Gannon Remer caught a pair of touchdown passes from Kruger, while Brogan Renfro added a touchdown catch and a rushing score. For the season, Kruger has passed for 1,478 yards and 23 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also leads the Eagle ground game with 495 yards and 11 scores. Remer is the team’s leading receiver with 19 catches for 432 yards and eight scores, while Nathan Boyden has added 330 yards and five scores.
2A WEST
D5-#3 Haven (7-2) at D5-#1 Hutchinson Trinity (8-1) – Haven
Haven won its first playoff game in 44 years last week and has its first winning season since ‘01. Trinity won the state title in ’79. Since then, its best playoff advancements are quarterfinals in ’09, ’10 and ’18. In district play, Haven beat Hutchinson Trinity, 20-18. Last week, Haven won, 42-21, at Kingman.
Trinity is fifth in 2A in offense (326 points) and first in points allowed per game (8.8). Haven is eighth in offense (300 points) and has allowed 17.9 points a game. Senior quarterback Lucas Hammeke has paced the Celtic offense. Haven runs a similar offense to Derby behind dual threat quarterback Darby Roper. In the first matchup, Haven led 14-0 after the first quarter on runs of 43 and seven yards from Roper. However, Trinity closed to 14-12 after three quarters on a one-yard run from Walt Gray, a 31-yard field goal from Landon Gray and a safety.
Then, Hammeke threw a 1-yard pass to Andrew Bergmeier for an 18-14 lead. Roper rushed for the game-winning score from 14 yards out with 3:40 left. Haven was plus-50 in total yards, plus-4 in total plays and plus-2 in turnover margin. Nathan Schmidt, Haven’s 140-pound tailback, rushed 34 times for 161 yards in the Trinity win and delivered 43 carries for 236 yards versus Kingman. Overall, Roper leads with 68 tackles and seven pass breakups, and Keaton Loop has delivered 56.5 tackles. Hunter Barlow, a four-year starter on the line, has 10 TFLs. Schmidt has 210 carries for 1,153 yards and eight scores. Roper has delivered 108 carries for 784 yards and 14 TDs. He has passed for 815 yards with a 13/5 TD/INT ratio. This should be another close game, but Haven has the edge with its offensive depth.
D8-#4 Beloit (3-6) at D8-#2 Phillipsburg (5-4) – Beloit
Phillipsburg has won state titles in ’15 and ’18, including a 13-0 mark and the school’s best-ever team two seasons ago. Last year, the Panthers took significant graduation losses and dealt with a variety of injuries to slip back to 3-6. After an 0-2 start, Phillipsburg is 5-2 since behind standout senior quarterback Ty Sides. Beloit was a quarterfinalist last year, its best finish since a state runner-up in ’13. Phillipsburg defeated Beloit, 49-28, on the road in a Week 5 district game. However, Beloit committed six turnovers in the contest. Beloit has significantly improved behind its big offensive line and its change to the power run game in early season. Plus, junior Owen Eilert has developed as a passer. He has 689 passing yards and a 9/5 TD/INT ratio, including five touchdown passes the last two games.
Sophomore Benson Berndt has emerged as a breakout player in the backfield on a very heavy non-senior offense. Berndt has 196 carries for 1,173 yards and nine scores, and senior Anthony Henke has 111 carries for 645 yards and 10 TDs. Beloit has lost to three teams (Hoisington, Centralia, Southeast of Saline) with a combined one loss. Beloit has also enjoyed nice seasons from junior Brennan Walker (6-3, 200), junior Braden Burks (5-8, 205) and sophomore Grady Seyfert (6-2, 250), among others. Senior Hunter Prohaska leads Beloit with 63 tackles, eight for loss. Walker and Burks have a combined 95 stops. Beloit, which won 55-14 at TMP last week, could pull a second straight upset.
D5-#2 Hillsboro (6-3) at D6-#1 Garden Plain (8-1) – Garden Plain
Garden Plain and Hillsboro will meet for the first time in a decade. The Owls beat Hillsboro 41-0 in the first round of the 2010 playoffs which is the only matchup between the two in the past ten seasons according to the Kansas High School History database. This game will also feature two players who will most likely hit the 1,000-yard mark in the season.
Garden Plain, under first year head coach Dan Adelhardt, has built a stout defense that has only allowed 11 points a game, including shutouts over Sterling, Chaparral, and Bluestem. Junior running back Reed Adelhardt is 34 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, with 966 yards and 11 touchdowns on 116 carries. Hillsboro has built a strong offense that puts up roughly 28 points on the board every game.
Junior quarterback Matthew Potucek is 49 passing yards away from the 1,000-yard mark with 951 yards on 48 of 90 passing with eleven touchdowns to three interceptions. Potucek is an electric player, but Garden Plain’s defense unit may have enough to slow him and the Trojan offense.
D7-#2 Cimarron (6-3) at D8-#1 Hoisington (9-0) – Hoisington
Cimarron’s all-time best playoff appearance is the quarterfinals, achieved six times, most recently in ’98. Hoisington is looking for its first state finals berth in school annals after semifinal showings in ’16, ’18 and ’19. Cimarron has lost in Week 10 every year from ’12-19. That includes four playoff losses to Hoisington. In ’18, the Cardinals won 41-18. In ’17, Hoisington earned a 47-22 victory. In ’15, Hoisington won, 76-19. In ’14, the Cardinals had a 48-6 win.
This season, coach Mike Schartz was pleased the Bluejays switched to the more competitive Greater West conference and has looked to get Cimarron over the Week 10 hurdle. Cimarron beat Scott City – still alive in 3A – for the first time since the ‘40s. The Bluejays have moved fullback Hunter Renick to the line, including more recently to center. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Renick has committed to Butler CC. Junior Braxton Harrison has delivered a solid year with 927 passing yards and an 8/8 TD/INT ratio, along with 881 rushing yards and 12 TDs.
Junior Mason Eskam has emerged after senior Tate Seabolt suffered a season-ending injury. Seabolt rushed for more than 2,900 career yards. Eskam has delivered 507 rushing and eight scores. Cimarron has average 6.1 yards per play and has 15 turnovers. Hoisington has its stable of running backs and looks like the 2A West favorite. Senior Mason Haxton has passed for 613 yards with eight scores against one interception. Senior Holt Hanzlick has 93 carries for 762 yards and 12 scores, and senior Josh Ball has delivered 92 carries for 632 yards and 10 TDs.
Hoisington has 7.4 yards per play and just five turnovers all year. Hanzlick leads the defense with 65 tackles, 10 for loss. The Cardinals are 6-0 at home this season in one of the louder small-school venues in Kansas. Hoisington is 20-1 since the start of last year and has not lost at home since the ’18 season opener. This should be closer than the recent Hoisington/Cimarron playoff games, but the Cardinals are still the clear favorites.
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