Kpreps 2021 playoff coverage is presented by BTI – “Proud Supporter of Kansas High School Athletics”
Class 6A
VIEW: 6A BRACKET
6A East
Highlighted Game:
#10 Shawnee Mission West (3-5) at #7 Blue Valley West (4-4) – Blue Valley West
Blue Valley West will try and snap a two-game losing streak when they host the first-ever playoff game at their new home. The Jaguars have been led by senior quarterback Gage Roach and sophomore back Sage Huffman. Roach has passed for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Huffman has rushed for 994 yards and seven scores. Blue Valley West will take on a Shawnee Mission West team that has struggled to score points all season. The Vikings have scored only 81 points all season and have been held to single digits in five of their games. Quarterback Mehki Knight has been the Vikings leader on offense with nearly 600 yards of total offense and five total touchdowns.
Other first-round games:
#16 KC Harmon (0-5) at #1 Blue Valley Northwest (7-1) – Blue Valley Northwest
#13 Olathe East (1-7) at #4 Olathe North (6-2) – Olathe North
#15 Shawnee Mission South (1-7) at #2 Blue Valley (7-1) – Blue Valley
#10 Shawnee Mission North (1-7) at #3 Olathe West (6-2) – Olathe West
Thursday’s Scores:
#8 Olathe South 17, #9 Blue Valley North 13 – Olathe South scored on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Noernberg to Erwin Nash with under two minutes remaining to top Blue Valley North, 17-13. Noernberg was flushed out to the right and dropped the ball off to Nash about 15-yards down field and he eluded a tackler on his way to the end zone. The Falcons other touchdown came on a 78-yard punt return for a score by Zane Hall. Blue Valley North quarterback Henry Martin ended his outstanding career with a pair of touchdown passes. Last year’s state runners-up, Blue Valley North lost six consecutive games to end this season.
#5 Olathe Northwest 42, #12 Shawnee Mission East 28 – Olathe Northwest outscored Shawnee Mission East 14-0 in the third quarter to break open a 21-21 halftime tie and held on for a 42-28 win. Eric Butler rushed for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass for Northwest. Brett Dechant also rushed for a pair of scores. This is the third playoff win in school history for Olathe Northwest and the second in as many seasons.
#6 Shawnee Mission Northwest 62, #11 KC Wyandotte 7 – Northwest scored 55 points in the first half in cruising past Wyandotte. Jack Meylan rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass from Blake Reeder. The Cougars also got a kickoff return for a touchdown by Mason Clark and a punt return for a score by Malik O’Atis.
6A – WEST
Highlighted Game:
#10 Gardner-Edgerton (3-5) at #7 Dodge City (6-2) – Dodge City
Both teams have first-year coaches. Gardner-Edgerton is 3-5 under new coach Jesse Owen. The Trailblazers are 1-2 in one-score games. Dodge City has enjoyed a plus-two win improvement with new coach Glenn O’Neil. Gardner-Edgerton will make a 306-mile one-way drive across Kansas. Dodge City quarterback Tucker Smith has enjoyed a fine year with 1,120 passing yards with 11 touchdowns against four interceptions. Dylan Smith has 431 receiving yards. D’Andre Vontress and Smith pace the conference in receiving yards. Manny Aguilar has already set a couple of Dodge City placekicking records and gives the Red Demons a big edge. Gardner-Edgerton has passed for 400 total yards and averaged 5.3 rushing yards a carry. Senior Carter Dewey has 161 carries for 732 yards and three scores.
Other first-round games:
#16 Wichita Southeast (0-8) at #1 Derby (7-0) – Derby
#9 Garden City (5-3) at #8 Wichita East (5-3) – Wichita East
#13 Wichita West (2-6) at #4 Washburn Rural (7-1) – Washburn Rural
#12 Wichita South (2-6) at #5 Lawrence Free State (6-2) – Free State
#15 Wichita North (1-7) at #2 Manhattan (7-1) – Manhattan
#14 Haysville-Campus (1-7) at #3 Junction City (7-1) – Junction City
#11 Topeka High (2-6) at #6 Lawrence (6-2) – Lawrence
Class 5A
VIEW: 5A BRACKET
5A – East
Highlighted Games:
#9 KC Sumner Academy (4-4) at #8 Shawnee Heights (4-4) – Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights enters this contest having won three consecutive games. A couple of those victories have been over quality opponents in De Soto (21-20) and Blue Valley Southwest (23-7). In fact, half of the Thunderbirds games have been decided by single digits. Shawnee Heights opened the season with three straight close losses to Leavenworth (20-13), Bonner Springs (35-34 in 2OT), and Lansing (17-14). Jarin Sanders leads the Heights offense with 915 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. Callan Carver has thrown for 929 yards and 10 scores. Sumner Academy is seeking its first playoff win since 2010. The Sabres are led by junior running back Antonio Harrison. Harrison has rushed for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, while classmate Camron Johnson has passed for 836 yards and nine scores.
#12 Blue Valley Southwest (2-6) at #5 Leavenworth (5-3) – Blue Valley Southwest
Blue Valley Southwest will travel to Leavenworth in a rematch of a game played back in Week 4 when the Timberwolves held on for a 28-21 win. It was the last victory for Blue Valley Southwest this season as the Timberwolves enter this contest having dropped four straight. Sophomore quarterback Dylan Dunn has passed for 1,589 yards and 13 scores for Southwest. Zach Atkins has continued his stellar career with 50 receptions for 689 yards and six scores. Atkins now has more than 100 receptions for nearly 1,600 yards in his career. Dual-threat quarterback Eddie McLaughlin leads the Leavenworth offense. If the Timberwolves are going to stop their four-game losing streak, containing the explosive McLaughlin must be a priority.
Other first-round games:
#16 Topeka Highland Park (0-8) at #1 Mill Valley (7-1) – Mill Valley
#13 Emporia (1-7) at #4 Topeka Seaman (5-3) – Topeka Seaman
#15 KC Schlagle (0-7) at #2 Spring Hill (7-1) – Spring Hill
#10 KC Washington (3-4) at #7 St. Thomas Aquinas (4-4) – Aquinas
#14 KC Turner (1-7) at #3 Pittsburg (5-3) – Pittsburg
#11 Topeka West (3-5) at #6 De Soto (4-3) – De Soto
5A – West
Highlighted Game:
#9 Wichita Heights (5-3) at #8 Maize South (5-3) – Wichita Heights
Maize South started 5-0, though has lost three straight games. The Mavericks are historically strong on defense under Brent Pfeifer, the only coach in program history. These two teams are similar. Heights has outscored teams, 316-219. Maize South, against a slightly harder schedule, has outscored opponents, 312-235. John Randle, a major FBS recruit, has more than 1,000 rushing yards. Evan Cantu has cleared 1,500 yards and has led 5A for much of the year. This is the third all-time meeting between the schools after a split in ’18 and ’19. Maize South’s Owen Bailey set a school record for passing yards in a road loss to Hays High in Week 7. Heights had all of its yards from non-seniors last year.
Other first-round games:
#16 Goddard (0-8) at #1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (7-1) – Kapaun Mt. Carmel
#13 Valley Center (2-6) at #4 Wichita Northwest (6-2) – Wichita Northwest
#12 Liberal (4-4) at #5 Salina Central (6-2) – Salina Central
#15 Salina South (1-7) at #2 Andover (6-2) – Andover
#14 Newton (2-6) at #3 Maize (6-2) – Maize
#11 Hutchinson (4-4) at #6 Bishop Carroll (6-2) – Bishop Carroll
Thursday’s Scores:
#7 Hays 19, #10 Goddard-Eisenhower 13 – Hays High senior quarterback Jaren Kanak, a Clemson commit and the state’s top recruit, hurt his hamstring in the Week 8 road loss to Wichita Northwest. Kanak could not run the ball. In the first half Thursday, Kanak had one carry. However, Goddard-Eisenhower tied the game at 13 in the third quarter.
Kanak wanted to carry the ball, and the coaching staff agreed. He rushed 12 times for 88 yards, all but three rushes in the fourth quarter. With 12 seconds left, Kanak and the Indian offensive line moved the pile forward, and he scored from a yard out for the game-winning touchdown in a 19-13 win at Lewis Field Stadium. Hays improved to 7-2, and Eisenhower finished 5-4.
Eisenhower moved the ball to its own 42 and ran a play that had multiple successful laterals before Hays made the tackle. Junior Tyner Horn threw for 126 yards for Eisenhower.
Both teams misfired on multiple scoring chances. In the first quarter, Eisenhower faced 4th-and-goal from the Hays High 2-yard line. However, a bad snap halted the scoring threat. Eisenhower also dropped two likely touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. The Tigers missed a 47-yard field goal. Hays missed three kicks.
Both teams had a TD called back because of penalty, though Hays High eventually scored on its drive. Senior Roy Moroni delivered an impressive game with 21 carries for 123 yards and a score. Sophomore Henry Fitzthum has stepped up at center with an experienced offensive line that includes four-year starter Gavin Nutting. Remy Stull blocked a key extra point and intercepted a pass, and senior Gavin Meyers was part of four tackles for loss.
After a scoreless first quarter, Moroni gave Hays a 7-0 lead with a five-yard run. Eisenhower closed to 7-6 in the second quarter on an eight-yard jump pass to Mason Levin. In the third quarter, junior Kyreese Groen scored on an impressive 35-yard run down the left side. Eisenhower came back with a 23-yard TD run.
Hays High will play 10 games for the ninth time since 1923. Thus far, just two Hays teams have played 11. No HHS team has played 12.
Class 4A
VIEW: 4A BRACKET
4A East
Highlighted Games:
#9 Louisburg (4-4) at #8 St. James Academy (4-4) – St. James Academy
This is a rematch of last year’s first-round game won by St. James Academy, 41-12, on their way to claiming the Class 4A state title a few weeks later. Last season, the Thunder were the 9-seed, but St. James will host this matchup at Bishop Miege. The Thunder have won four consecutive games since an 0-4 start to the season. During the win streak, St. James Academy has averaged more than 39 points per game after only scoring 36 total points the first four weeks of the season. Junior quarterback Jackson House has passed for 1,651 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 462 yards and four scores on the ground. Tiave Watts is the leading rusher with 474 yards. John Niesen leads a talented receiving group with 41 catches and 818 yards with five touchdowns. Tyler Claiborne has added 53 receptions for 558 yards and eight scores. Louisburg dropped a 21-7 decision to rival Paola last week. That loss ended the Wildcats three-game win streak. Louisburg has played several close games – going 2-2 in contests decided by less than one score.
#10 Bishop Miege (2-6) at #7 Tonganoxie (4-4) – Bishop Miege
Bishop Miege will visit Tonganoxie in a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal showdown won by the Stags, 30-7. This season both teams have experienced growing pains after returning less experienced rosters. Miege has struggled through a 2-6 regular season with an extremely difficult schedule. IN addition to the traditional Eastern Kansas League schedule, the Stags have lost to Rockhurst and Lutheran North (Mo.). Miege is still explosive on offense. Quarterback Mac Armstrong has passed for 1,807 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Jaylen Burch has added 724 yards and 13 scores rushing. Tonganoxie has alternated two-game losing streaks and two-game win streaks this season. That pattern has resulted in a 4-4 overall mark. Two of the Chieftains’ losses have come in overtime (Louisburg and Spring Hill) and another has come by three points. Sophomore quarterback Trevor McGraw directs the Chieftain offense and has passed for 833 yards and four touchdowns. Sam Kleidosty leads the ground game with 763 yards and 15 scores.
Other first-round games:
#16 Labette County (0-8) at #1 Basehor-Linwood (8-0) – Basehor-Linwood
#13 Lansing (2-6) at #4 Paola (5-3) – Paola
#12 Coffeyville (2-6) at #5 KC Piper (5-3) – KC Piper
#15 Bonner Springs (1-7) at #2 Chanute (7-1) – Chanute
#14 Fort Scott (1-7) at #3 Atchison (7-1) – Atchison
#11 Ottawa (2-6) at #6 Eudora (4-4) – Eudora
4A West
Highlighted Game:
#10 El Dorado (3-5) at #7 Augusta (5-3) – El Dorado
El Dorado had a high expectation season in 2021 after a breakthrough 5-3 mark last year, the team’s first playoff win in school history with a 46-14 victory against Winfield. Last fall, the Wildcats beat Augusta, 14-7. This year, Augusta won 21-14 in Week 2. El Dorado has several standout players. Senior lineman Gavin Bell has Division I offers. Running back Jaydon Sundgren has set El Dorado’s single-game school rushing record this year with four touchdowns and 284 rushing yards in a 46-25 win versus Wellington. He has 184 carries for 1,214 yards and 14 rushing TDs. Augusta has its talented group of offensive threat Sebastian Flower and quarterback Gavin Kiser. In the win versus El Dorado, Kiser rushed for a pair of scores.
Overall, El Dorado has averaged 307 rushing yards and 6.6 yards per carry this season. ED has 6.8 yards per play. El Dorado is plus-2 in turnover margin. Augusta had a slight 278-238 yardage edge in the first game. A lot of signs point to Augusta winning this game, but the teams have nearly identical scoring defense. Plus, El Dorado has struggled with fumbling, including three fumbles lost in the first matchup versus Augusta. If that’s improved, these are two close teams. El Dorado’s veteran group could pull the upset.
Other first-round games:
#16 Abilene (0-8) at #1 Buhler (7-1) – Buhler
#9 Winfield (3-5) at #8 Independence (4-4) – Winfield
#13 Ulysses (2-5) at #4 Mulvane (6-2) – Mulvane
#5 McPherson 1, #12 Arkansas City 0 – Ark City has forfeited after the tragic death of Bulldog player Rhett Lathers
#15 Great Bend (0-8) at #2 Wamego (7-1) – Wamego
#14 Wellington (2-5) at #3 Andover Central (7-1) – Andover Central
#11 Rose Hill (3-5) at #6 Towanda-Circle (5-3) -- Circle
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