Kpreps 2021 playoff coverage is presented by BTI – “Proud Supporter of Kansas High School Athletics”
Class 1A
VIEW: 1A Bracket
1A EAST
Highlighted Games:
D2-#4 Jackson Heights (5-4) at D1-#1 Olpe (8-0) – Olpe
Olpe and Jackson Heights will meet for a second time in back-to-back seasons. Olpe won both meetings last season en route to an undefeated campaign and the Class 1A state championship. The eagles defeated Jackson Heights 35-0 during the 2020 regular season and 53-0 in the second round of the 1A playoffs.
Earlier this season, Olpe again defeated Jackson Heights 35-0 as Damon Redeker passed for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Olpe led 14-0 at halftime and widened the gap with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter. The Eagle defense, which has again been exceptional this fall, forced three turnovers and held Jackson Heights to three first downs. Olpe has posted seven shutouts this season and allowed 12 total points. Last year, the Eagles shut out seven opponents and allowed 35 total points all season.
Jackson Heights rely on Jason Bosley who missed most of last season with an injury. Bosley and Wyatt Bacon lead the Cobra offense, while Silas Holliday and Jude Williams are primary receiving targets.
D2-#6 Troy (5-4) at D2-#2 Jefferson Co. North (6-2) – Jeff Co. North
This is a rematch of a district game from a few weeks ago won by Jefferson County North, 22-12. In that game, the Chargers led 14-6 at halftime and 22-6 in the third quarter before Troy pulled to within 22-12. In the fourth quarter, Troy mounted two scoring threats Charger territory, but JCN’s Carson McAfee came up with a big interception to end one drive and the second ended on downs inside the Charger 15-yard line.
In that meeting, Jefferson Co. North quarterback Blake Fowler rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns and completed all 10 of his passes for 59 yards. Troy quarterback Cam Anderson passed for 282 yards and both touchdowns in the first meeting, but the Trojans only managed 19 rush yards on eight attempts.
For the season, Fowler has rushed for around 750 yards and 11 touchdowns and passed for more than 530 yards and five more scores. Caleb Worthington has added more than 450 yards on the ground and tight-end Ryan Feldkamp (6-5, 220) provides a big receiving target for the Chargers.
Anderson has had a great year for Troy having passed for 1,794 yards and 23 touchdowns. Jerrit Norris has 752 receiving yards and eight scores, while Boden Benitz has 489 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Other first-round games:
D2-#5 Valley Heights (4-4) at D2-#1 Centralia (6-2) – Centralia
D2-#3 Wabaunsee (7-2) at D1-#2 Lyndon (5-3) – Wabaunsee
1A WEST
Highlighted Games:
D3-#5 Oakley (4-5) at D3-#1 Inman (8-0) – Inman
This is the fourth time the two squads have faced off in the last two years. Last season, Inman beat Oakley, 39-13, in district play. Then, Oakley significantly slowed the game down and ran a great plan in a 9-0 home victory in the 1A state semifinal. Oakley went to its first 1A state championship where it lost to Olpe. Inman had its best finish since a state semifinal in ’91. The Teutons have never made a state final.
In Week 4 this season, Inman won, 40-0, at Oakley. Inman has delivered a superlative season with a total margin of 452-18. Inman allowed its first touchdowns in a Week 8, 38-15, win at Smith Center to clinch a district title. The Teutons returned nearly all key players from 2020, including four-year starting quarterback Jace Doerksen, skill players Kendyn Blank, Kyler Konrade, Harrison Brunk and Tanner Heckel, and three offensive linemen, including Dawson Mannebach. Oakley had significant graduation losses, including quarterback Eric Cain and 2,000-yard running back Ethan Abell, the consensus 1A Offensive Player of the Year.
Oakley opened with five consecutive losses and has since won four in a row. This year, Doerksen has thrown for 1,233 yards, 16 passing TDs and an interception. Blank has 52 rushes for 724 yards (13.9 yards per carry) and 21 rushing scores. Brunk has seven receiving scores. Konrade paces with 92 tackles and a pair of defensive TDs. Mannebach has 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Oakley junior dual threat quarterback Will Schmidt has 627 total yards and eight TDs accounted for. Jonathan Temaat, Josiah Annis, and Corbin Bockwinkel all have either 56 or 57 tackles. Inman has proven it’s the 1A West favorite and has the edge here.
D3-#3 Plainville (6-3) at D4-#2 Conway Springs (7-2) – Conway Springs
For the second straight year, Plainville and Conway Springs meet up a Round of 16 contest at Conway. Last season, the Cardinals finished 5-5 and took a 14-7 loss to Conway Springs. In 2020, Plainville finished 5-5 and averaged 22.3 points per game with 12.6 points allowed. The Cardinals were 15th in 1A in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense. Conway Springs was fourth in offense with 40.9 points a contest and allowed 14.3 points a game.
This season, Plainville has faced a much more difficult schedule than Conway Springs with losses against Thomas More Prep-Marian, Inman and Smith Center for a 6-3 mark. At times, the Cardinals have been ranked higher than Conway Springs. Plainville has a 247-110 margin with the No. 9 strength of schedule, and Conway Springs has a total score of 386-83 with the No. 26 SOS, per Prep Power Index.
Plainville is highly experienced with quarterback Ethan Hamilton, running back Kyle Werner, lineman Dakota Yost and end Ben Hansen, and all-purpose threat Anders Dewey, all multi-year starters. The Cardinals switched to the run-heavy option this fall. Conway Springs (7-2) has competitive losses to Garden Plain and Sedgwick. Both teams have its fair share of massive blowout wins versus the lower-tier of 1A. Against Conway Springs’ three best opponents (Garden Plain, Sedgwick and Whitewater-Remington), the Cardinals have averaged 5.3 yards per play.
Overall, Izic Billups has completed 34 of 67 passes for 640 yards with nine scores against one interception. He has rushed 97 times for 641 yards and 13 TDs.
In its three losses, Plainville has averaged 4.5 yards per play. That goes up to 5.1 when the best win (Oakley) is added. Overall, these are two very evenly matched teams, and Plainville could definitely win. However, Conway Springs, with a slightly more explosive offense and home field advantage, enters as a slight favorite.
Other first-round games:
D3-#4 Ell-Saline (4-5) at D4-#1 Sedgwick (8-0) – Sedgwick
D4-#3 Whitewater-Remington (5-3) at D3-#2 Smith Center (8-1) – Smith Center
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