Class 8-Man, Division I
8M-I EAST
D2-#2 Chase County (8-2) at D4-#2 Little River (8-2) – Little River
Chase County has enjoyed its best season in 30 years and has doubled its win total from last year. The Bulldogs went 4-5 in ’19 and have six wins total in the last three years. No. 4-ranked Little River lost 42-36 in overtime to Clifton-Clyde in Week 2, and then fell, 56-38, to No. 1-ranked Canton-Galva in Week 5. That is by far Canton-Galva’s closest game.
Last week, Little River, then ranked No. 5, beat Clifton-Clyde, 46-26, in the rematch. Clifton-Clyde was ranked fourth. Coach Kevin Ayers is 17-4 in his two seasons with the Redskins and 175-43 in his career with three state titles.
Little River has its excellent senior combination of Graham Stephens and Jayden Garrison. Stephens has thrown for 372 yards with a 9/3 TD/INT ratio, and Garrison has 506 passing yards with 10 scores against zero interceptions. Garrison has rushed 89 times for 1,049 yards and 25 TDs, and Stephens has 87 carries for 635 yards with 14 scores. Sophomore Braxton Lafferty has 11 offensive scores on 45 offensive touches. Garrison is excellent in all three phases with 1,671 all-purpose yards. Stephens leads the defense with 96 tackles, 16 for loss.
Chase County’s Mitch Budke has enjoyed a big year including a 21-carry, 117-yard, two-touchdown performance last week. He passed for a touchdown, ran back an interception for a score and delivered 22 total tackles. Chase County has lost only to undefeated Madison and Lebo. In a 46-0 win versus Moundridge earlier this year, Budke completed 11 of 14 passes for 194 yards and two scores. He rushed 15 times for 113 yards and three TDs. Blaise Holloway had two catches for 90 yards and two scores.
D2-#1 Madison (10-0) at D4-#1 Canton-Galva (10-0) – Canton-Galva
This is unquestionably one of the state’s more premier matchups. Top-ranked Canton-Galva is the defending state champion and is on a 23-game winning streak, the state’s longest current run. Third-ranked Madison is 21-1 in the last two years. The only loss being a 46-6 defeat to Canton-Galva in the state semifinals last year. In the win, Canton-Galva outgained Madison, 431-199.
Canton-Galva moved the ball in both phases. Then-quarterback Landon Everett was hurt part of the game, and freshman Garrett Maltbie stepped in. The Eagles threw for 183 yards, and Brayden Collins has rushed 23 times for 134 yards and a TD. Canton-Galva standout Tyson Struber finished with more than 100 yards of total offense, along with 10 tackles and an interception.
This season, both squads have been incredibly dominant with the majority of the games over by halftime. Madison has a total score of 575-70, while Canton-Galva is at 574-58. However, Madison’s opponents have a combined 41-38 record when not playing the Bulldogs. Canton-Galva’s opponents are a combined 45-32 when not playing the Eagles. That includes a 56-38 win versus No. 4 Little River. The Eagles beat Burlingame, 56-6, last week and Madison defeated Burlingame, 48-24 in the season-opener.
Madison defeated Chase County, and Canton-Galva beat Goessel, a pair of quarterfinal squads. Madison has averaged 14.1 yards per play and permitted just 2.4 yards play. As well, Madison, known for turnover creation with coach Alex McMillian, has forced 24 turnovers and is +12 in turnover margin. Canton-Galva has delivered 10.6 yards per play and permitted 2.8 yards per play.
Maltbie has stepped into a leading role and has yet to throw an interception in his career. Canton-Galva is +16 in turnover margin with just five turnovers. This fall, Maltbie is 59 of 90 passing for 1,162 yards with 21 scores against zero interceptions. He has rushed 43 times for 755 yards and 15 TDs.
Struber has caught 37 passes for 803 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has delivered 48 tackles and picked off five passes. Struber, with KU and K-State offers, has more than 20 career interceptions. Last year, he recorded more than 15 receiving scores. The Eagles also feature talented players in running back Brayden Collins (1,018 rushing yards), jack-of-all trades Brandon Huff – a returning first team all-state linebacker – and a veteran offensive line with senior Conner Koehn, Tyler Rummel and Keaton Littrell.
Madison has its multiple stars with Hunter Engle, Drew Stutesman (both returning first team all-state picks) and quarterback Casey Helm. Engle has 30 carries for 615 yards and 19 scores. He has 11 catches for 219 yards and three TDs. Defensively, Engel has delivered 13 tackles for loss. Stutesman has 9.5 TFLs.
Ryan Wolgram has moved from quarterback to running back where he has 21 carries for 339 yards and nine scores. Helm has completed 52 of 74 passes for 1,017 yards with 20 scores against three interceptions. Tristan Smith and Brome Rayburn are key offensive weapons.
The likely key will be Madison’s pass defense against Canton-Galva’s passing offense, specifically containing Struber – which has been nearly unsolvable for any defense in the last three years. Madison’s defense has allowed a 6/16 TD/INT ratio and a 34.5 passer rating. Canton-Galva’s pass defense has a 3/13 TD/INT ratio and a 22.6 passer rating. Canton-Galva, with a stronger passing offense and more quality wins, has the slight edge.
8M-I WEST
D5-#1 Argonia-Attica (9-1) at D7-#1 Leoti-Wichita Co. (10-0) – Wichita County
Like Canton-Galva and Madison, Wichita County has rolled through arguably the most challenging schedule of any remaining eight-man team. The Indians won a district that had just one non-district regular season loss. Wichita County is 20-0 against opponents other than Saint Francis since the start of ’19. This season, the Indians are the only team to beat Hoxie and one of just two squads to beat South Gray. Argonia-Attica has a total score of 473-112, and Wichita County is at 586-96. Last week, A&A beat La Crosse, 60-14. The Titans were 0-4 all-time against Central Prairie League foes before the victory.
Wichita County has its depth-laden senior team, led by its returning first team all-state players: quarterback Kayde Rietzke, wide receiver Sheldon Whalen and lineman A.C. Hermosillo. Rietzke has 99 of 146 passing for 1,406 yards with 27 scores against five interceptions. He has 101 carries for 1,155 yards and 21 scores.
Senior Jesse Gardner has 95 carries for 771 yards and 11 TDs. Whalen has 37 catches for 647 yards and 16 scores. Senior Manny Chavez, a key two-way player after he transferred back from nearby Greeley County, has 32 catches for 438 yards and six TDs and leads with 15 tackles for loss. Wichita County averages nine yards per play, slightly ahead of A&A’s 8.7 yards per play.
Like Rietzke, junior Xander Newberry leads the offense. He has completed 81 of 121 passes for 1,214 yards with 22 scores against four interceptions. Newberry has delivered 90 carries for 761 yards and 16 scores.
A&A has committed 12 turnovers and is +10 in turnover margin. Wichita County has just five turnovers and is +10 in turnover margin. Titan senior Blake Goodman has enjoyed a great career with 296 tackles. A&A has delivered a nice year and has hovered just outside the top-5 throughout the fall, but Wichita County has established itself as the West favorite behind its seniors and overall depth.
D8-#1 Hoxie (8-1) at D5-#2 Goessel (5-3) – Hoxie
Hoxie, which moved into the rankings at No. 5 this week, has doubled its win total after a rare sub-.500 season in ’19. The Indians most recently went to the state semifinals in ’13, won the state crown in ’17 and went to the quarterfinals in ’18 with veteran coach Lance Baar. Last week, Hoxie put together its best game of the year with a 50-0 home win versus South Gray.
Goessel, one of the state’s biggest remaining surprises, has tied the best finish in school annals. The Bluebirds have made the quarterfinals four previous times, most recently in ’08 and ’09. Last week, Goessel beat Pratt-Skyline, 54-48, in a wild double overtime win.
Against Pratt-Skyline, Goessel played two quarterbacks with Luke Wiens and Grant Bryant. They combined for 75 passing yards, two touchdowns against one interception. They both rushed for 110 yards and collectively tallied three rushing scores for coach Garrett Hiebert.
Overall, Jake Wiens has 77 carries for 593 yards and 13 scores. Bryant has delivered 88 carries for 496 yards and four TDs. Bryant and Luke Wiens have combined for 10 scores against six interceptions. Bryant has thrown for 382 of the team’s 469 yards. Nate Zogleman has 19 catches for 258 yards and seven scores. Jake Wiens leads with 35.5 tackles, and Bryant has broken up five passes. Goessel has been quite strong in special teams with 10 touchbacks with Kacen Smith and two special team scores.
Hoxie is expected to have a definite size advantage. Goessel’s biggest player is 201-pound freshman Kyle Valdois. Hoxie, long known for run game, defense and special teams, has made a huge passing game improvement with junior Ashton Dowell. Hoxie elected to run more spread offense with his depth of skill players. The Indians’ line features well-known senior Harlan Obioha (6-10, 325) and junior center Kaden Sekavec (5-8, 240). Hoxie has six players at 200 pounds or above.
Dowell accounted for five touchdowns last week. He has 1,426 passing yards with 20 scores against three interceptions. Junior Cade Gourley leads with 591 rushing yards. Four players have double-digit catches, led by a breakout year from senior Aidan Baalman. He has 22 catches for 535 yards and 10 scores. Obioha is at 20 tackles for loss and six sacks. Gourley has been a standout punter with 36 yards per attempt and seven of 20 kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Class 8-Man, Division II
8M-II EAST
D1-#1 Colony-Crest (10-0) at D3-#1 Hanover (8-0) – Hanover
A pair of unbeaten teams will battle for a trip to the state semifinals when Colony-Crest travels to Hanover. The two schools have only met once in football with Hanover claiming an 80-30 victory back in the second round of the 2012 playoffs.
The Crest Lancers have enjoyed an incredible turnaround under coach Nick McAnulty. The Lancers finished 0-9 during the 2018 season and were outscored by an average margin of 50 to 7. Last year, McAnulty’s first as head coach, the Lancers rebounded with a 6-4 campaign that included a playoff victory over Marias des Cygnes Valley. Crest fell 46-0 to Centre-Lost Springs in the second round.
This year’s Lancers have several players that are multiple-year starters. Leading the was in senior Jacquez Coleman – the feature back in the Lancers’ single-wing. Coleman has rushed for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns on only 83 carries – that’s an average of 14.3 yards per carry! Sophomore Holden Barker has added 762 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, while senior Stratton McGhee has contributed 550 yards and 12 scores. Senior Caleb Nolan also has 30 attempts for 338 yards and five scores. The Lancers’ top four ball carriers combine to average 11.4 yards per carry. As a team, Crest averages 311 yards per game on the ground.
But in facing traditional power Hanover the Crest offense will face its biggest challenge to date. The Wildcat defense has allowed only 56 total points in eight games. That may force Coleman to seek success in the passing game. For the season, Coleman has passed for 468 yards and 11 touchdowns with McGhee and Tyson Hermreck being his primary targets.
On the other side, Crest will have to slow down a talented Hanover offense that features a returning all-state player in Colin Jueneman and an experienced quarterback in Jacob Jueneman. Colin Jueneman rushed for three touchdowns and returned an interception for a fourth score in last week’s 52-6 win over Axtell. Jacob Jueneman added a touchdown run as did Emmitt Jueneman.
It’s imperative for Crest to have some success early in this game, especially with their run game. The Lancers will need to limit the big-play capability of Hanover, especially in the return game where Colin Jueneman can be dangerous. Crest has forced 15 turnovers this season and will likely need to be opportunistic in order to slow Hanover down. Ultimately, Hanover has played the tougher schedule and is always prepared come playoff time.
D2-#1 Lebo (10-0) at D3-#2 Frankfort (6-1) – Lebo
Lebo has reached the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, when the Wolves reached the substate semifinals before falling to Madison. Frankfort advanced to the second-round last year before falling to Hanover. Frankfort finished the 2019 season with an 8-2 record with both losses coming to Hanover. That regular season included a 24-20 win over eventual state runner-up Axtell. Frankfort and Lebo have split a pair of playoff meetings in their history, with Frankfort winning 46-44 in 2009 and Lebo claiming a 36-12 win back in 2005.
Both teams are led by athletic, dual-threat quarterbacks. Lebo’s Devan McEwen has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,156 yards and 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions. McEwen has also added 644 rushing yards and 15 scores. Meanwhile, Frankfort’s Gavin Cornelison has passed for 649 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 688 yards and ten scores. Cornelison’s numbers have come in only seven games as Frankfort did not play their final two weeks of the regular season due to quarantine, and the Wildcats had an open week in due to district foe Linn not fielding a team this fall.
Both schools have legit rushing talents as well. For Frankfort, Ethan Armstrong leads the Wildcats with 710 yards and 14 touchdowns on 87 carries. Cornelison is the team’s second leading rusher, while Aiden Gerstner has added 291 yards (5 TDs) and Caden Dalinghaus had contributed 246 yards (4 TDs). Junior Kyle Reese compliments McEwen in Lebo’s offense. Reese has rushed for 587 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 55 attempts. Reese has also caught 27 passes for 428 yards and 12 scores.
On the season, Frankfort has held teams to only 18 points a contest, led by the 46 tackles of Aiden Gerstner. The Wildcats have forced ten turnovers all season. For Lebo, The Wolves have forced 12 turnovers on the year, led by three interceptions from sophomore Luke Davies and two fumble recoveries from Reese. Lebo is only allowing eight points a contest. The Wolves have allowed two teams to score more than one touchdown in a contest, allowing 14 against Hartford and 40 in a 70-40 shootout win over Thunder Ridge. Lebo should have the edge, but this game will be closer than what Lebo fans have been accustomed to this season.
8M-II WEST
D5-#1 Victoria (01-0) at D8-#2 Wheatland-Grinnell (8-2) – Victoria
Third-ranked Victoria is the favorite, but Wheatland-Grinnell has already accomplished what only a few teams enjoy each fall – the best season in school history. Wheatland and Grinnell first started to play football together in the mid-2000s before eventually consolidating in Grainfield. Last year, Wheatland-Grinnell went 8-2 with a district title, the first playoff berth for the school. This season, the Thunderhawks are again 8-2, though beat South Central, 36-26, on the road last week. Wheatland-Grinnell has four wins by 14 points or fewer. The Thunderhawks lost, 58-18, to Axtell in the season opener and 62-16 at St. Francis for the district championship.
Wheatland-Grinnell features several of eight-man’s most well-known players for coach Jesse Vincent: linebacker Trevor Zarybnicky, brothers Trey and Jett Vincent, and running back Isaac Mendez. This season, Zarybnicky has 145 tackles and 11.5 for loss, both team-highs. Zarybnicky, with an Ottawa University offer, has led the Thunderhawks in tackles for a third straight year. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder has 387 tackles, 29 for loss.
Vincent has picked off 22 passes, including nine INTs this year after he led Kansas in picks as a freshman. He is on pace to set the all-time all-classes record for interceptions. Vincent has delivered an all-state caliber year at receiver with 39 catches for 764 yards and 15 scores.
Trey, the starting quarterback since his freshman year, has stayed healthy after injuries the last two falls. He has completed 108 and 195 passes for 1,604 yards with 22 scores against 11 interceptions. Mendez has 198 carries for 1,476 yards and 27 scores. Wheatland-Grinnell has committed 18 turnovers, is plus-six in turnover margin, and has an average score of 42-32. Junior Ryan Heier has 128 tackles.
Victoria has permitted just six points in the last four weeks and has an overall average score of 51-11. The Knights have its own stars, notably in the backfield, with junior quarterback Grant Schoenrock, senior running back Jayvon Pruitt (Bethel offer) and sophomore all-purpose threat Carson Werth. Victoria has 8.2 yards per play, while Wheatland-Grinnell is at 7.1 yards per play. Schoenrock, who has won a Week 9/playoff game in all three seasons, has completed 44 of 74 passes for 659 yards with a 12/3 TD/INT ratio. He has rushed 83 times for 882 yards for 17 scores.
Pruitt has 84 carries for 694 yards and 17 TDs. Werth, also key in the return game, has 65 carries for 566 yards and nine scores. Victoria has a strong supporting cast, including senior center Trenton Engel and freshmen end Seth Schwien. Victoria has limited depth at center, and Engel was banged up with an ankle injury against Norwich, though still delivered a fine effort. Victoria has its first double-digit season since back-to-back titles in ’14-15. A big matchup will be the Knights’ offensive line versus Wheatland-Grinnell’s defensive front.
D6-#1 Caldwell (8-2) at D8-#1 Saint Francis (9-0) – Saint Francis
Caldwell makes the 419-mile trip north to face No. 1-ranked St. Francis. This is believed to be the longest road trip in recent Kansas playoff history. For perspective, this is three miles shorter than Kanorado, KS (Exit 1 by the Colorado border) to Kansas City, KS. The game has been moved to a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. Caldwell is expected to drive to Colby on Friday.
Saint Francis, the state favorite all season, cruised to a 54-0 home win last Saturday against Bucklin. Star running back Shadryon Blanka rushed for 125 yards and delivered four touchdowns. Overall, he has tallied 1,547 rushing yards and 32 total scores and is on the short list for eight-man’s best player. Blanka has delivered 60 tackles and three defensive TDs.
Last week, St. Francis ran both its standard single wing and some I formation. St. Francis has run the I a lot lately. Sophomore Ben Busse, who started at point guard as a freshman on Sainty’s state-qualifying basketball team last winter, has played well at quarterback in the I. Busse has been the team’s most improved player and has started every game at cornerback. He leads the defense with six interceptions.
Adam Krien has played in the backfield, too. He has 500 rushing yards and 10 scores. Saint Francis has its well-known senior defensive line of Colton Neitzel, Jesse Baxter and Krien. The Indians have five on-field shutouts. Baxter and Neitzel have combined for 27 TFLs.
Saint Francis has lost just two games in the three-year Nick Fawcett era. The Indians lost in the state semifinals in ’18 and Division I state title game last year.
Caldwell opened 4-0, lost two in a row and then won four straight. Last week, the Blue Jays held on to beat Central Plains, 36-34, at home. In the win over Central Plains, Dawson Bristor returned a pair of kickoffs for scores in the first quarter. Jude Stow clinched the win with a late interception. Tenth-year coach Sean Blosser has consistently delivered winning seasons and stands 64-36. He has led Caldwell to quarterfinals in ’12, ’15, ’17, and the last two falls.
Keiondre Smith completed 10 of 14 passes for 159 yards and two scores against one interception. He rushed 17 times for 107 yards. Senior Trey Strnad accounted for a pair of scores. In the week before versus Wilson, Smith accounted for 222 offensive yards and six scores. Strnad rushed for 127 yards and two TDs.
Bristor caught a pair of scoring passes and returned an interception for a score. It’s clear that Caldwell is a better team with Smith and Stow back. Both players notably missed the Peabody-Burns contest. Caldwell has put together another fine season, but all four quarterfinal losses have come by the 45-point margin.
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