Each Thursday throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature a few of the best match-ups across the state, and make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
5A No. 3 Bishop Carroll (2-0) at 6A No. 1 Derby (1-0)
This has annually been one of the best games in the Wichita area and certainly throughout the state. This will mark the sixth straight year the teams have faced each other. Derby is 5-0 in the series, though the last four games have been reasonably close margins: 14, 18, 21 and 14.
Bishop Carroll opened the 2021 season with a big 37-27 win against City League foe Wichita Northwest. Last week, Carroll beat Wichita South, 35-6.
Derby has won three straight 6A state titles and has made six consecutive championship games with five crowns. The Panthers were open in Week 1 after their originally scheduled out-of-state opponent elected to go in a different direction.
Last week, Derby opened its newly refurbished stadium by putting up more than 500 yards in total offense with a 50-17 home win versus Newton. The Panthers rushed for 525 yards in the victory, including nearly 300 from standout Dylan Edwards, maybe the best state’s best running back. Only a junior, Edwards already has attracted the interest of several Power 5 schools.
Derby is well-known for its loaded offensive and defensive lines. Offensively, the Panthers feature Jonas Vickers and Alex Key on the line.
Last year, Bishop Carroll navigated through one of the more difficult regular season slates in recent history. The Golden Eagles allowed 30.1 points a game, though the number is markedly better when strength of schedule is factored in. Carroll played three of the top-four 5A scoring offenses and the top-three 6A offenses, including Derby. In games when Bishop Carroll’s opponents did not play Derby, they collectively scored 40.6 points game. The Golden Eagles held every opponent under its season scoring average.
Bishop Carroll is well-known for its depth and new players stepping up under veteran coach Dusty Trail. Chase Smarsh is in first year as Carroll’s quarterback. Michael Polley and Cooper Buessing are at defensive back for a unit that held up against Wichita Northwest. Bishop Carroll took advantage of two big offensive plays and two Northwest interceptions. Northwest had 531 yards of offense on 77 plays against Carroll, and then delivered 795 on 68 snaps versus Wichita Heights in Week 2.
Carroll is going to keep Derby down offensively, but the Panthers, playing at home, might have Kansas’ best position groups at RB, OL and DL.
Our Pick: Derby 28, Carroll 14 (Nicholl)
6A No. 2 Olathe North (2-0) at Lawrence Free State (2-0)
The premier game in the Sunflower League matches No. 2 Olathe North traveling to take on resurgent Lawrence Free State.
Free State struggled through a winless 2020 season that was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic. In addition to the pandemic, the Firebirds’ schedule included six opponents that combined for a 47-14 overall record.
Through two weeks, the Firebirds have shown the sort of consistent play we’ve come to expect from the program. Free State opened with a 49-21 win at Shawnee Mission Northwest, then beat Shawnee Mission South 49-12 last week.
Jet Dineen directs the Firebird offense and has already had a hand in 10 total touchdowns in the first two weeks. Dineen has passed for 260 yards and six scores, while rushing for 233 yards and four more touchdowns. Joining Dineen in the backfield is Dash Cleveland who has rushed for 210 yards and score, while Tay Ware has added nearly 100 yards and two scores in the first two weeks.
Free State’s primary receiving targets have been Jerred Willits (94 yards, 2 TD), Jake Patchen (83 yards, 2 TD), Cleveland, and Basehor-Linwood transfer Jordan Brown (46 yards, TD).
Colton Berger and Josiah Nash have paced the Firebird defense thus far with 11.5 and 11 tackles, respectively. Tai Newhouse anchors the defensive line.
That Firebird defense will have its hands full with one of the most dynamic backfields in Class 6A in Olathe North.
The Eagles feature several options in the backfield with quarterback Noah Palmer and running back Jacob Parrish, Jason Scoma, Aquantez Love, and MJ Devoe.
Palmer, Love, and Parrish combined for 2,629 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns last season. The trio is off to a good start this season with Parrish rushing for 194 yards and five touchdowns, Palmer adding 120 yards and two scores, and Love with 81 yards on only seven carries. Scoma has 100 yards rushing on just six attempts.
The Eagles are averaging 317 yards per game on the ground thanks to an talented and experienced offensive line that features Jorge Gallegos, Mason Hyskell, Parker Lane, Braden Hales, and Alex King.
Palmer has completed 15 of 25 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Parrish also leads the team in receiving with 107 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
The Eagle defense has been exceptional led by Devan Lowe’s 17 tackles and Jackson Davis’s 12 stops including five for loss.
Olathe North has posted shutout victories over Shawnee Mission South (56-0) and Gardner-Edgerton (47-0).
Our Pick: Olathe North 34, Free State 24 (Gilmore)
2A No. 4 Garden Plain (2-0) at 3A No. 3 Cheney (2-0)
Garden Plain had won 14 of the last 16 games in this series before Cheney delivered a 44-7 win last season. Before then, Garden Plain had won five in row.
Garden Plain has an historically great program and has posted a winning record every year since 2015. The Owls are 9-2, 10-2, 7-2, 6-4, 10-1 and 9-2 during that stretch. Last year, Dan Adelhardt took over for Ken Dusenbury as head coach.
In the Cheney game last year, Garden Plain went 5 of 16 passing for 101 yards with a touchdown against four interceptions. The Owls rushed 34 times for 133 yards. Overall, Garden Plain completed 45 percent of its passes with 12 touchdowns against 12 interceptions on the season.
Senior running back Reed Adelhardt had 153 carries for 1,179 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2020. Garden Plain graduated both of its quarterbacks in a two-signal caller system. Plus, the Owls graduated its second through fourth-leading rushers. More than 80 percent of its receptions graduated. Defensively, Adelhardt was third with 67 tackles. He was the only of the Owls top-seven tacklers back on defense. Stalwart Anthony Hays easily led Garden Plain last season with 130 tackles.
Cheney finished 9-1 in 2020 behind a dynamic offense featuring quarterback Harrison Voth. Voth rushed for 665 yards and passed for 2,376 yards last season, including 36 scores.
The Cardinals return the bulk of their offensive skill players with running back Quincy Thomas (579 yards) and wide receiver Luke Grace (761 yards, 14 TDs). Cheney has several senior linemen returning with Peyton Hays, Rylan Doshier, Peyton Becker, Dayton Higgs, and Cameron Summerer.
In Week 1, Cheney earned a quality 34-14 win versus Kingman in a rain-delayed game. The Cardinals scored 34 unanswered points in the contest with Voth throwing five touchdown passes.
Garden Plain opened the season with a big 14-7 win versus Conway Springs. Overall, Garden Plain has averaged 42 passing yards and 323 rushing yards a game. Adelhardt has 45 carries for 410 yards and six touchdowns.
Last year, Garden Plain finished No. 12 in 2A with 29.4 points a game. The Owls were seventh in defense with 13.9 points allowed a contest. In 3A, Cheney was fourth with 41 points a game. The Cardinals were No. 11 in 3A defense with 16.5 points allowed a contest.
Overall, Cheney certainly has an edge at quarterback with Voth, one of the state’s best. Adelhardt is on the short list for best running back in 2A. Overall, Cheney has more explosive offensive potential and has the edge here.
Our Pick: Cheney 31, Garden Plain 21 (Nicholl)
Riley County (2-0) at 2A No. 2 Silver Lake (2-0)
Two of the three remaining undefeated teams in the Mid-East League will face off this week as Class 2A’s second-ranked Silver Lake Eagles will take on the Riley County Falcons.
Silver Lake is 2-0 this season, but it hasn’t been easy. The Eagles have won their first two games by total of seven points, winning at Rock Creek 34-28 before nipping St. Marys 29-28 at home.
Through the first two games, the Eagles have relied on their passing game led by another Kruger at quarterback. Senior quarterback Daigan Kruger has completed 33 of 62 passes for 437 yards and six TD passes. Gannon Remer has been Silver Lake’s top receiving target with 11 catches for 124 yards.
The Eagles are averaging 218.5 passing yards and only 87.5 yards on the ground.
Like Silver Lake, Riley County scratched out a tough win over St. Marys, beating the Bears 17-14 in the opener on a Collin Rankin 42-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
Last week’s win was easier, however, as the Falcons handled Minneapolis 42-21.
In the win over Minneapolis, Riley County quarterback Trey Harmison passed for 94 yards and rushed for 136 yards with four touchdowns. Blake Brokenicky added 110 rushing yards and two TDs.
A year ago, Silver Lake edged Riley County 29-28. Expect another tight one.
Our Pick: Silver Lake 28, Riley County 27 (Schremmer)
The Pick List:
Blue Valley Southwest (1-1) at 6A No. 3 Blue Valley North (2-0) – Blue Valley North
Junction City (1-1) at Topeka Seaman (2-0) – Seaman
Washburn Rural (2-0) at Pittsburg (1-1) – Washburn Rural
Andover (1-1) at Salina Central (1-1) – Andover
4A No. 2 Andover Central (2-0) at Goddard-Eisenhower (1-1) – Andover Central
De Soto (1-1) at Basehor-Linwood (2-0) – Basehor-Linwood
Hutchinson (1-1) at Maize South (2-0) – Maize South
5A No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0) at 4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (0-2) – Aquinas
5A No. 4 Wichita Northwest (1-1) at Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2-0) – Wichita Northwest
4A No. 5 Buhler (1-1) at Winfield (2-0) – Buhler
Wamego (1-1) at Clay Center (2-0) – Wamego
Cimarron (1-1) at Scott City (2-0) – Scott City
2A No. 3 Nemaha Central (1-1) at Sabetha (1-1) – Nemaha Central
1A No. 5 Plainville (2-0) at Thomas More Prep (1-1) – Plainville
1A No. 1 Olpe (2-0) at Lyndon (1-1) – Olpe
Jackson Heights (2-0) at Centralia (1-1) – Centralia
Bucklin (2-0) at Hodgeman County (2-0) – Hodgeman County
Leoti-Wichita Co. (1-1) at 8M-I No. 4 Hill City (2-0) – Hill City
Oberlin-Decatur Co. (2-0) at Quinter (2-0) – Quinter
Sedan (2-0) at Central Burden (2-0) – Sedan
Norwich (1-1) at Caldwell (2-0) – Caldwell
Waverly (2-0) at Lebo (1-1) – Lebo
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