Class 6A
6A East
#5 Blue Valley (6-1) at #1 Olathe North (7-1) – Olathe North
These two KC-Metro powerhouses will meet for the first time this season, but Blue Valley and Olathe North are definitely not strangers when it comes to playoff meetings. Olathe North won the first of four contests in six years with a 27-14 victory in ’14, while Blue Valley won matchups in ’15 and ’17. Olathe North won last year’s meeting, 28-7, to advance to the 6A title game, where they fell to Derby.
Both schools feature rush heavy offenses. Olathe North features the junior trio of Noah Palmer, Aquantez Love, and Jacob Parrish, who have combined for 2,186 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season. Blue Valley has Michael Soloman and Greyson Holbert as the Tigers’ primary ballcarriers, with 1,464 yards and 18 touchdowns between the two.
Blue Valley had some adjusting to do when the season started as 2019 quarterback Jake Wolff transferred to Texas and running back Chase Jans decided not to play football. Holbert has transitioned from the backfield to quarterback where he’s completed 57 of 112 pass attempts for 775 yards and six touchdowns. Tate Gillen and Sterling Lockett are the two main targets for Holbert.
Olathe North throws the ball less frequently than Blue Valley. Quarterback Noah Palmer has gone 25 of 43 on the season for 529 yards and eight touchdowns, with seventeen of those twenty-five completions going to Jacob Parrish. Parrish has 372 yards and four touchdowns on the season receiving.
This will be only the second contest for Blue Valley outside of their school district this season. The Tigers defeated St. James Academy in the regular season finale, and have played Blue Valley West and Blue Valley Northwest in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Olathe North has played a good schedule, going up against Gardner-Edgerton and Lawrence, only falling to the top-ranked Chesty Lions by one point. Olathe North needs to avoid playing from behind in order to dictate their style of play with the run game where they have several weapons. If they can do so, the Eagles have a good shot of finding themselves back in the state semifinal round.
#6 Blue Valley North (5-2) at #2 Shawnee Mission Northwest (6-1) – SM Northwest
Blue Valley North will once again be on the road this week as the Mustangs travel to Shawnee Mission Northwest to take on the fifth-ranked Cougars.
Blue Valley North has won three consecutive games since a somewhat surprising 31-28 loss to Blue Valley West. The Mustangs have beaten 5A quarterfinalist Blue Valley Southwest twice this season.
Last week, the Mustangs took out 3-seed Olathe East, 33-21, behind a huge first half from junior quarterback Henry Martin. Martin passed for more than 270 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone and finished with 324 yards through the air. Martin’s classmate Mekhi Miller caught 12 passes for 207 yards and two scores, while adding a rushing touchdown as well.
Although this is his second full season as the starter, Martin saw plenty of action during his freshman campaign when Graham Mertz was out with an injury. His strong arm and the Mustangs’ talented group of receivers makes Blue Valley North a dangerous team that can put up a lot of points.
On the other side is another prolific offense led by a standout quarterback. Ty Black leads a Shawnee Mission Northwest unit that averages nearly 440 yards of total offense and 37 points per game. Black has been the catalyst having completed nearly 79 percent of his passes for 1,821 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s also doubled as the teams leading rusher with 582 yards and six touchdowns on 111 attempts.
Black’s supporting cast includes Justin Mitchell in the backfield and four other players that have double-digit receptions on the season. Mitchell has rushed for 380 yards and nine touchdowns, but he’s also the team’s leading receiver with 40 catches for 497 yards and a score. Duke Hanke has 33 catches for 420 yards and seven touchdowns, while Blake Reeder has 26 catches for 381 yards and three scores. Junior Jack Maylan has a team-high ten touchdown catches to go along with 300 yards receiving.
The Cougar defense will certainly get challenged this week by Martin and the North passing attack. Phillip Vesta leads Northwest with 99 tackles, while Michael Harris and Lucas Ihde each have 11 tackles for loss.
This one could be a shootout given the talent each team has on offense. Turnovers and timely stops likely decide this one.
6A – WEST
#4 Derby (6-2) at #1 Lawrence (9-0) – Lawrence
One of the state’s marquee matchups features No. 3 Derby at No. 1 Lawrence. Derby is 4-1 in the last five Class 6A finals and has won two straight championships. Coach Brandon Clark stands at 136-38 in 15 years.
The Lions have delivered a huge turnaround under third-year coach Steve Rampy, a legend with previous long stints at Blue Valley head coach and Pittsburg State’s offensive coordinator. Rampy went 4-4 in eight state title games with Blue Valley and won a national title at PSU. Lawrence was 1-8 two years ago and is 17-2 since. The Lions feature back Devin Neal, the state’s No. 1 recruit and a Kansas football/baseball commit.
Derby closed out Panther Stadium with a 48-28 victory against Gardner-Edgerton last week. Derby won the last 40 home games. The Panthers have lost 45-14 at Mill Valley in Week 1, and 36-35 at Maize in Week 7. Derby beat Bishop Carroll, 35-21, in Week 3. Lawrence defeated Bishop Carroll, 37-28, in Week 5. Carroll is ranked third in 5A. Both teams have played eight on-field games. Lawrence has a collective score of 363-122, and Derby has a total score of 333-184.
Derby features quarterback Lem Wash, FCS Tennessee Tech commit and returning first team all-state Kpreps pick. He chose Tennessee Tech over Missouri State. Wash has passed for 902 yards with 12 touchdowns against five interceptions.
The Panthers have sophomore Dylan Edwards, on the short list for the best 6A running back. As well, Derby features standout linemen Alex Key and Jonas Vickers, and wide receiver Reid Liston (28 catches, 385 yards, six receiving TDs). All three are expected to contend for all-state honors. Derby has passed for 112 yards and rushed for 302 a game. Edwards has 134 carries for 1,253 yards and 19 scores, and Wash has recorded 126 rushes for 855 yards and 11 TDs.
Defensively, Derby had to replace seven starters and features its well-known linebacking duo of Jack Hileman, Coleson Syring and Luke Stewart. Hileman leads with 72 tackles, and Syring has 71 tackles with a team-high 13 for loss.
Safety Tanner Knox was hurt and missed the first three games, including the Mill Valley contest. He is among the top safeties in the classification. Corey Akins is one of top cornerbacks in 6A. Hileman led Derby in tackles in ’19. Overall, Derby is minus-2 in turnover margin.
Derby has had back-to-back defensive linemen (Isaac Keener and Tyler Dorsey) as 6A Defensive Player of the Years. This season, the Panthers allowed 53 plays for 385 yards versus Mill Valley, including 215 rushing.
Derby slightly outgained Maize, 357-347. Maize running back Josh Sanders rushed for 138 yards. Both coaches believed Maize’s line played better.
Neal accounted for 32 offensive touchdowns, along with 1,687 rushing yards and 523 receiving yards in ’19. He has produced another big year in 2020. Jackson Dooley has delivered a strong fall at quarterback. Up front, Lawrence has junior Noah Smith (6-4, 300) and senior Porter Dannevik (6-3, 262) as part of a deep offensive line. Dannevik has an Air Force offer and a PWO offer from KU. Kicker Connor Gellender has recently picked up an offer from Hutchinson Community College.
Linebacker Cole Mondi has enjoyed a big season, including the game-clinching stop in a 21-20 victory versus Olathe North, ranked No. 2 in 6A.
Two keys will be Lawrence’s offensive line against Derby’s defensive front, and how many touches the Lions give Neal. This should be a great game that could swing either way. Well-known statistical site Massey Ratings gives the edge to Derby, but Lawrence is a slight favorite here.
#3 Wichita East (7-1) at #2 Junction City (8-1) – Junction City
Wichita East will travel to take on Junction City in the first meeting between the two schools. At 7-1, Wichita East has posted their best season since 1983, when they won the 6A State Championship. The Blue Aces played a bubble schedule with their Wichita counterparts, and their lone loss to Wichita Northwest is the closest victory the Grizzlies have had all season. Junction City, winners of the Centennial League, fell to Bishop Carroll 29-28 in the season opener, but have remained spotless ever since.
Wichita East features an explosive offense, averaging roughly 300 yards a game and 40 points a contest. In the playoffs, they have only allowed 13 points and held a Manhattan to 178 yards – more than 130 yards below their season average.
Last week Junction City blew past Washburn Rural, 70-25. The Blue Jays defeated Rural by only four points during the regular season. Senior quarterback Andrew Khoury had a huge game completing 23 of 36 attempts for 529 yards and six touchdowns. Receivers Marcello Bussey and Russell Wilkey each caught three touchdown passes from Khoury, while DJ Giddens held down the running game with three scores of his own.
This should be an even match with both schools having a shot at a substate semifinal appearance next week. Both schools have one loss to a highly ranked opponent, and have some quality wins. Both feature explosive offenses. Khoury has shown a flare for the dramatic in his career and when you pair his ability with talented receivers like Bussey and Wilkey, the Blue Jays look like the favorite to make just enough big plays to advance.
Class 5A
5A – East
#9 Blue Valley Southwest (3-4) at #4 St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3) – St. Thomas Aquinas
The Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves entered the playoffs with only one victory. Now, they are just two wins away from playing in the state championship game.
The Timberwolves opened the postseason with a 36-14 win over Emporia. Last week, Southwest earned a 27-21 upset over top-seeded Topeka Seaman. The Timberwolves scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure the win. Quarterback Tanner Curry scored on a short touchdown run to tie the game at 21 with about 6 minutes left. Then with less than a minute to play, Curry connected with Zach Atkins on a 12-yard TD pass for the win.
Curry has passed for 1,692 yards and 15 touchdowns in only seven games. Tristen Everard has been Curry’s most frequent target with 41 catches for 551 yards and eight touchdowns, while Atkins has been the big-play threat with 35 grabs for 728 yards and seven TDs.
Senior linebacker Ian Keylon has posted 88 tackles in seven games.
Aquinas ended a three-game losing streak with last week’s 48-13 win over Pittsburg. Tank Young led the way with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Saints received a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Before that, they suffered consecutive losses to Lawrence, Omaha-Westside and Bishop Carroll.
Most of the Saints’ offensive success comes on the ground as they average 242.8 yards rushing. Young has led the charge with 1,103 yards and 13 touchdowns on 180 carries. Sophomore quarterback Maxwell Ford has completed 20 of 54 passes for 426 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Defensively, senior Cameron Penny is a disruptor with 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Southwest and Aquinas also met in the 2019 quarterfinals with the Saints earning a 47-20 victory. Aquinas has advanced to at least the semifinals every season dating back to 2014.
#3 Mill Valley (6-2) at #2 De Soto (8-1) – Mill Valley
The De Soto Wildcats have suffered only two losses over the past two seasons. Both of those losses have come at the hands of the Mill Valley Jaguars. Mill Valley topped De Soto 18-7 in last year’s quarterfinals and then went on to win the 5A state title. In Week 2 of this season, the Jaguars cruised to a 70-21 victory over the Wildcats.
Now, De Soto is set for a rematch with Mill Valley entering on a seven-game winning streak. Last week, the Wildcats posted a 56-31 win over Leavenworth. Quarterback Jackson Miller threw four TD passes, connecting with Hayden Henderson on three of them.
Mill Valley enters on a four-game winning streak, beating Spring Hill 51-0 last week. Quarterback Cooper Marsh passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Quin Wittenauer led the rushing attack with 168 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, Marsh has passed for 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wittenauer has rushed for 876 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jacob Hartman leads the receivers with 33 catches for 658 yards and eight TDs.
Senior defensive tackle Ethan Kremer has posted 6.5 sacks. Senior kicker Chris Tennant boasts a strong leg, making 45 of 46 extra points and 9 of 15 field goals, including a 48-yarder.
5A – West
#4 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (8-1) at #1 Wichita Northwest (8-0) – Wichita Northwest
Wichita Northwest is ranked No. 1 in 5A, and Kapaun is No. 5.
The two City League teams match up after not playing in the regular season. The Wichita Public Schools, in a well-publicized move, elected to start late and just play each other.
Kapaun and Bishop Carroll are private schools in the City League and decided to play a full regular season. Kapaun’s only loss was a 31-28 defeat to rival Carroll in the Holy War in Week 2. KMC primarily faced Western Athletic Conference teams. Northwest won the City League, notably with a 17-2 victory versus Wichita East, which is still alive in the 6A playoffs. KMC has delivered a massive turnaround with coach Weston Schartz, in his 37th season. The Crusaders finished 2-7 last fall, tied for the fewest victories in more than 50 years.
He and his staff have notably delivered big changes in offensive scheme, offensive line improvement and defense. The Crusaders have delivered a power run attack behind a depth-laden backfield. Schartz has coached at multiple other City League schools, including Northwest and West.
Northwest is the back-to-back 5A state runner-up behind coach Steve Martin. Outside of the East game, the Grizzlies have dominated their schedule and lead 5A in scoring offense and defense. Northwest brought on defensive coordinator Marc Marinelli last year, and the Grizzlies have made significant strides on that side.
Northwest had its best scoring defense since ’05 last season. Kapaun and Northwest have zero common opponents; KMC has played a harder schedule, including wins against Hays High (24-6) and Goddard (38-15). Kapaun has a total score of 367-65 in on-field games, while Northwest is at 491-42.
Kapaun averages 78 passing yards and 261 rushing yards a game. The Crusaders have used two quarterbacks, mainly senior Andrew Gimino. He has completed 30 of 41 passes for 534 yards with four scores against zero interceptions. Senior Cale Curtis has 83 carries for 551 yards and 12 scores. Gimino has 95 carries for 512 yards and six scores.
Three other players have between 293 and 407 yards, including two-way senior Doug Bates (eight receiving TDs). KMC has rushed the ball 87 percent of the time. Sophomore receiver Will Anciaux has 16 catches for 333 yards and two scores and emerged as the primary receiver. Junior Isaac Schmitz has 20 touchbacks, along with 37.2 yards per punt. Senior outside linebacker/defensive back Ethan Stuhlsatz has Division II offers.
Northwest has 110 passing and 350 rushing yards a game. Senior Mason Ross has completed 43 of 69 passes for 788 yards with 11 scores against one interception. Senior Julius Bolden has 89 carries for 994 yards and 19 scores. Northwest’s excellent defense features seniors Jacob Younkman, Nathan Hale, Zac Daher, Todric McGee and Wetu Kalomo.
Younkman has the career school record for tackles for loss. Daher has committed to Army West Point, and Kalomo has committed to Northern Illinois. Last year, Northwest defeated Kapaun, 45-0 and 55-14 and has won seven straight in the series. The last KMC win against Northwest was a 26-6 victory in the ’13 season opener. This should be the closest game in the series in several years. The two key matchups will likely be Kapaun’s revamped O-Line versus Northwest’s well-known D-Line, and KMC’s ability to contain the electrifying Bolden.
#7 Bishop Carroll (7-2) at #3 Maize (9-1) – Bishop Carroll
Bishop Carroll and Maize will be entering familiar territory. Both teams advanced to the 5A quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season. Last year, Maize moved on to the semifinals after a 28-0 win over Maize South, while Carroll’s season ended in the quarterfinals with a 35-18 loss to Wichita Northwest.
Carroll enters on a four-game winning streak after last week’s 42-28 win over Hutchinson. Quarterback Aiden Niedens served as a dual threat, passing for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 126 yards and another touchdown. Hunter Trail led the Bishop Carroll rushing attack with 156 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Matt Holthusen and Oscar Gallardo each posted touchdown receptions. As a team, Carroll ran for 282 yards, gaining more than 7 yards per carry. Carroll’s only losses have come to Derby and Lawrence, who are meeting in this week’s 6A quarterfinals.
Maize’s only loss was to Hutchinson, falling 32-28 on Oct. 23. Last week, Maize defeated Maize South 59-27. The Maize offense starts with Josh Sanders, who ran for 265 yards and four touchdowns during the win over Maize South. Sanders’ touchdown runs included a 96-yarder.
Class 4A
4A East
#9 St. James Academy (5-4) at #4 Basehor-Linwood (7-3) – St. James Academy
Fresh off a 45-35 win over top-ranked Paola, the St. James Academy Thunder enter the Class 4A quarterfinals with a lot of confidence. St. James has won three of its past four games. All four losses have come to perennial powers in St. Thomas Aquinas (28-0), Bishop Miege (38-28), Rockhurst, Mo. (44-29) and Blue Valley (38-28).
The Thunder averages 242.2 yards passing and 141.6 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Dakota Burritt has completed 145 of 242 passes for 2,089 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. Junior Tyler Claiborne has been Burritt’s main target with 59 catches for 779 yards and five TDs. Senior running back La’james White has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.
While St. James won a shootout over Paola, the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats beat Eudora 19-12. Zach Sisemore ran for 105 yards and scored on a short touchdown run with 1:20 left to secure the win for the Bobcats. Like St. James, the Basehor-Linwood offense has been balanced. The Bobcats average 243.3 yards through the air and 163.9 yards rushing. Senior Isaac Stanton has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the state by completing 63 percent of his passes for 2,413 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sisemore has rushed for 1,487 yards and 18 TDs. Junior Jordan Brown has 59 catches for 938 yards and 15 touchdowns.
St. James defeated Basheor-Linwood 42-35 in a regular-season matchup on Sept. 25. The Thunder led 28-21 at halftime and held off a Bobcat rally late. Burritt passes for 260 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Stanton completed 34 of 46 passes for 282 yards and three TDs. Sisemore ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Bobcats senior Ethan Huber neared a single-game state record with 18 receptions for 137 yards. St. James took advantage of three lost fumbles by the Bobcats.
#10 Bishop Miege (4-4) at #3 Tonganoxie (9-1) – Bishop Miege
The second-ranked Bishop Miege Stags and top-ranked Tonganoxie Chieftains will meet in the state quarterfinals. Bishop Miege is the six-time defending state champ and has rolled the past two weeks with lopsided wins over Chanute (64-17) and previously undefeated Fort Scott (63-12) despite being a No. 10 seed.
Quarterback Timonty Dorsey passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns as the Stags scored all 63 points in the first half against Fort Scott.
Tonganoxie is coming off a 49-10 victory over Lansing. Standout running back Tyler Bowden ran for 257 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Lansing. Tonganoxie is on a seven-game winning streak since falling 35-28 to Paola in Week 3. On the season, Bowden has rushed for 2,479 yards and 37 touchdowns, good for 9.2 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Blake Poje has completed 90 of 150 passes for 1,322 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. Senior Brandon Martin has posted 133 tackles with three sacks.
As good as the Chieftains have been this season, they have their work cut out for them against the Stags. Miege beat Tonganoxie 54-10 in last year’s quarterfinals and hasn’t won a playoff game by fewer than 29 points since winning the 2014 state championship.
4A East
#5 Buhler (6-3) at #1 McPherson (9-1) – McPherson
The McPherson Bullpups will try to defeat Buhler for the second time this season after winning 18-6 on Oct. 9.
Both teams are coming off lopsided wins. McPherson topped Augusta 52-20 as Jaytin Gumm rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown. The Crusaders, meanwhile, ended Rose Hill’s six-game winning streak with a 42-8 victory. Buhler running back Sam Elliott led the way with 280 rushing yards.
The Bullpups boast a balanced offensive attack with 222.6 passing yards per game and 204.4 rushing yards. Gumm, a sophomore, has broken the 1,000-yard rushing barrier and averages 7.8 yards per carry. McPherson senior quarterback Dylan Rinker has passed for nearly 2,000 yards with 22 touchdowns. The Bullpups have three receivers with at least 400 yards in Aaron Powell (56-730), Trey Buckbee (36-505) and Gus Ruddle (25-446).
Elliott has been the leader of the Crusaders’ offensive attack all season, rushing for multiple 200-yard games and a 360-yard, six touchdown effort against Augusta.
In McPherson’s previous win over Buhler, Rinker completed 26 of 38 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Buckbee caught nine passes for 151 yards. Elliott scored Buhler’s only touchdown of the night.
McPherson will attempt to advance to the state semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. Buhler fell 31-14 to Andover Central in last year’s 4A quarterfinals.
#10 Arkansas City (2-6) at #6 Wamego (4-4) – Ark City
Just like Bishop Miege on the other side of the bracket, the Arkansas City Bulldogs keep winning despite being a No. 10 seed and entering the playoffs with a losing record. The Bulldogs opened the season with a 1-4 record, losing four straight to Andover, Goddard, Maize and Salina Central. This is the third-consecutive season Ark City has pulled a pair of playoff seed “upsets” to advance to the quarterfinals.
Ark City opened the playoffs with a 27-6 win over Wellington and then avenged a previous loss to Andover Central by winning 33-28 in the second round of the playoffs. Lucas Barnes had 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the win over Andover Central. On the season, Ark City sophomore quarterback Gabe Welch has passed for 2,102 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Cadon Clark has hauled in 52 receptions for 464 yards.
Like Ark City, Wamego has battled through some early-season adversity. The Red Raiders suffered three consecutive losses to Paola, Bishop Miege, and Fort Scott in October but are now on a three-game winning streak. Last week, Wamego held off El Dorado 21-18. Red Raider quarterback Hayden Oviett ran for 211 yards.
Ark City fell 26-6 to McPherson in the 2019 quarterfinals. A year ago, Wamego suffered a Class 3A first-round loss to Perry-Lecompton.
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