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Class 8-Man, Division I
VIEW: 8M-I Bracket
8M-I EAST
D1-#1 Sedan (10-0) at D4-#2 Canton-Galva (9-1) – Canton-Galva
Sedan will look to continue its undefeated season with a trip to take on fourth-ranked Canton-Galva.
The Blue Devils are in the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2004 thanks to a talented senior class. Quarterback Brec Long, who transferred from Caney Valley over the summer, has had a breakout year at the eight-man level. Long (6-4, 200), has rushed for 1,221 yards and 29 touchdowns and passed for 1,335 yards and 32 scores. He’s thrown only one interception this season.
Classmate Dameion Hatten (6-3, 185) is an explosive athlete and leads the team with 30 receptions for 773 yards and 18 scores. Jeremiah Prince and Isaiah Smilko are also viable receiving targets. Prince has put up 580 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns, while Smilko has added more than 380 yards and eight scores.
On the opposite sideline will be another explosive athlete in Kansas State commit Tyson Struber. Struber (6-2, 200) recently set the Kansas eight-man record for career receiving yards (3,695) and touchdown receptions (65). With his 189 career receptions, Tyson is within reach of the state record of 210 set by Kyle O’Connor of Brewster whom he surpassed in receiving yards. Struber has 51 catches for 1,127 yards this season with 19 touchdowns.
Canton-Galva quarterback Garrett Maltbie has been banged up this season, but has passed for 1,449 yards and 24 touchdowns in seven games. Maltbie has also become a threat to run with 564 yards and 17 scores. Ryder Norstrom is the Eagles’ second leading rusher with 511 yards and eight scores, while Struber has 296 rush yards and 11 touchdowns.
This has the potential to be a high-scoring game full of big plays. It will likely come down to turnovers and which team can have the most success running the ball.
D4-#1 Little River (10-0) at D2-#1 Madison (10-0) – Little River
Defending-champion and top-ranked Little River will go on the road to take on No. 2 Madison in the marquee game in the 8-Man, sectional slate.
This is a rematch from the 2020 semifinal game won by Little River, 48-24. In that contest, the Redskins jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead and led by as many as 28 before Madison began to trade scores. Little River standout Jayden Garrison rushed for 277 yards and six touchdowns in the game and the Redskins were an unbelievable 9 of 10 on third & fourth down. Garrison went on to lead Little River to the state title a week later.
Fast forward to this year’s sectional showdown and the Redskins have continued to roll to a 10-0 season despite losing standouts Garrison and Graham Stephens to graduation. In their place, juniors Braxton Lafferty and Rylan Konen have stepped up and had big offensive seasons. Konen has passed for 560 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 807 yards and 18 scores on the ground. Lafferty is the team’s leading rusher with 1,084 yards and 19 scores. They’ve enjoyed success behind and experienced and talented line.
Two more juniors, Braden Young and Grant Stephens, are also viable weapons out of the backfield or catching the football. Young has accounted for 573 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns, while Stephens has added more than 400 total yards and 11 scores.
Madison returned a good portion of their offensive production from a season ago. Quarterback Casey Helm, a recent Princeton track commit, has passed for 1,235 yards and 26 touchdowns this fall with only one interception. Bryson Turner has had a monster year with 1,485 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. He’s also added 603 yards receiving and 13 scores.
In the Bulldogs’ biggest games this season, Turner has been exceptional. He rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns in a 66-50 win over Chase County, and added 313 yards and five scores in last week’s 56-6 win over West Elk.
Drew Stutesman has been a long-time leader on the Bulldog defense and has totaled 50 tackles, including 18.5 for loss, and two interceptions.
8M-I WEST
D7-#1 Meade (10-0) at D5-#1 Goessel (8-2) – Meade
Both teams are highly experienced, especially at the skill positions. Meade returns seniors Torren Haynes and Korben Clawson in the backfield, and Goessel has Jack Wiens and Grant Bryant.
Goessel has won seven in a row after a 1-2 start with league losses to Canton-Galva and Little River, both teams that are still alive in the quarterfinals on the east side of the bracket. The Bluebirds are in the state quarterfinal for the second straight year. Goessel has its most wins since ’09.
Up front, Goessel has started guards Logan Sterk and Caleb Burkholder, center Kyle Valdois on the offensive side. On the defense, Caiden Duerksen and Sterk are at defensive end, and Dylan Riley is at nose guard. Jevin Base and Gunnar Davis have played well on the defensive line, too. Last week yielded Goessel’s most consistent game of the year in a 50-16 home win versus Macksville.
Overall, Wiens has 106 carries for 1,114 yards for 18 TDs. Bryant has 118 carries for 619 yards and nine scores. Bryant has completed 35 of 67 passes for 521 yards with 12 scores against two INTs. Skyler Wuest and Caiden Duerksen have combined for 31 catches for 13 receiving scores. Goessel has 7.6 yards per play.
Meade has won 12 straight games, the second-longest current streak in eight-man football behind Little River. In its second year of eight-man football, Meade has a six-win improvement from last season.
The Buffs dominated high-octane WaKeeney-Trego last week in a game that turned on Golden Eagle early turnovers and a key Meade stop in the red zone. Meade has an average score of 50-9. The Buffs have continually put up big offensive numbers. Against Trego, Meade ran 20 plays for 272 yards.
Meade, which returned all non-seniors for its offensive yards from 2020, has averaged 8.8 yards per play. Haynes has 948 passing yards, 1,054 rushing yards and 30 total offensive touchdowns. Clawson has contributed 1,465 rushing yards and 24 rushing TDs. Junior Grayden Stapleton has 19 catches for 386 yards and nine scores. Junior Brayden Norris (92), Clawson (86), sophomore Brock Keith (76) and Stapleton have led the defense.
D8-#1 Hill City (9-1) at D6-#1 La Crosse (8-2) – Hill City
Both squads have enjoyed nice improvements this season. Hill City went through a litany of injuries last fall and finished 4-4. This season, the Ringnecks have posted a five-win improvement and currently have the second-best record in school history. La Crosse has its most wins since 2014 and is in its second year of eight-man football. The teams are headlined by its record-breaking players. Hill City has sophomore quarterback Aiden Amrein and senior wide receiver Derek Keith, and La Crosse has running back Colby Stull.
Hill City has averaged 52.5 points per game and allowed 26. La Crosse has tallied 51.9 points a game and permitted 31 against a slightly weaker strength of schedule. Amrein has completed 84 of 131 passes for 1,254 yards with 25 scores against eight interceptions. He has 202 carries for 1,337 yards and 21 TDs in coach Travis Desbien’s quarterback-run and screen-heavy offense. Amrein has 2,591 total yards. Keith has 35 catches for 640 yards and 13 scores this season.
In last week’s 68-48 victory versus Hoxie, Amrein broke the school single-game passing yard record for 318 yards and four TDs. Keith broke the single-game receiving mark for eight catches for 225 yards and three TDs. Hill City won the league title and the first district championship in school annals.
Overall, Hill City has averaged eight yards per play. The Ringnecks have improved in several areas, including the passing game. In his first three games, Amrein completed 49 percent of its passes, averaged 6.3 yards per play with two scores against three interceptions. Since then, he has completed 69 percent of passes for 12.9 yards per play with 23 scores against five INTs. Junior Kaleb Atkins has emerged as a key player with 1,563 all-purpose yards. Junior Conner Dinkel has 96 tackles, and senior Ayden Nickelson has 13 tackles for loss.
La Crosse has 8.1 yards per play. Stull has 1,686 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He is the school’s all-time leading rusher with 5,059 yards. Sophomore Caden Morgan has stepped up as a strong passer with 637 yards with 15 scores against four interceptions. Last week, he completed the game-winning TD pass with one second to go to Gage Burk to beat Argonia-Attica, 58-56. La Crosse has won eight in a row.
Longtime La Crosse coach Jon Webster and Hill City defensive coordinator Craig Amrein are longtime friends. This should be a high-scoring game between two squads that have delivered nice years for their programs.
Class 8-Man, Division II
VIEW: 8M-II Bracket
8M-II EAST
D3-#1 Axtell (10-0) at D1-#1 Waverly (7-1) – Axtell
Top-ranked Axtell has posted its first 10-0 start since 1995. The Eagles beat Wheatland-Grinnell (62-16) in Week 1 and have two wins versus rival Hanover, the defending state champion. In Week 4, Axtell won at Hanover, 30-24. Last week, Axtell beat Hanover, 52-26.
Axtell junior quarterback Isaac Detweiler has completed 92 of 121 passes for 1,475 yards with 26 touchdowns against two interceptions in another remarkable season. Detweiler has not thrown an interception in the last five games. Last week, he completed 14 of 16 passes for 142 yards for two TDs versus zero interceptions. He also added 34 carries for 201 yards and three scores. On the season, Detweiler has 143 carries for 932 yards and 24 TDs.
Detweiler has benefited from its brand-new receiving corps: freshman Brandon Schmelzle, junior Evan Buessing, sophomore Grady Buessing and freshman Eli Broxterman. Schmelzle has 50 catches for 546 yards and 14 receiving scores. He has also delivered 31.5 tackles and picked off eight passes. Evan Buessing has 42 tackles and three receiving scores. Grady Buessing has 20 catches for 375 yards and nine TDs. Broxterman has 11 offensive scores.
Waverly has easily enjoyed the best season of teams moving to six-man next year. The Bulldogs have had two games cancelled and earned two quality wins versus Marais des Cygnes Valley (34-22, 54-14), and Burlingame (26-20 in overtime). Waverly lost, 42-34, to Lebo in overtime for its lone defeat.
Senior Damian Foster rushed for four touchdowns and caught a TD pass in the Round of 16 win. Foster has rushed for more than 1,100 yards this season. Quarterback Ben Meehan has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and provides good balance to the Bulldog offense.
Waverly has put together a nice year, but Axtell and Thunder Ridge have separated themselves from the pack in Division II.
D4-#1 Thunder Ridge (10-0) at D2-#1 Lebo (9-1) – Thunder Ridge
This is the second time in the last two seasons the squads have matched up. The Longhorns and Wolves met in Sylvan-Grove last season with both teams had an open date due to cancellations. Lebo won that meeting, 70-40.
The Wolves have put together another strong year with junior Kyle Reese stepping in at quarterback after the graduation of standout Dustin McEwen. Reese has thrown for 1,233 yards with 23 scores against four interceptions. In addition, Reese has 109 carries for 1,180 yards and 27 rushing scores. Lebo has an average score of 52-10. The Wolves are tied for the third-best scoring defense among the 16 remaining eight-man playoff teams. Lebo also has posted five straight shutout victories.
Thunder Ridge was expected to be much improved after a 5-4 squad that featured three one-score losses. The Longhorns returned seven defensive starters, along with junior quarterback Dylan Bice. He has a great arm and long frame and cut down on his turnovers this year. Thunder Ridge is 10-0 and has a five-win improvement. Thunder Ridge has averaged 58.1 points, best among the eight-man playoff squads, and permitted just 12.2 points a game.
Last season, Thunder Ridge scored 39 points and allowed 29 a contest. Bice has a chance to break the state eight-man record for completion percentage. He has completed 80 percent of his passes for 967 yards with nine scores against one interception. Bice has 101 carries for 1,335 yards and 27 TDs. Senior Olin Brown has 101 tackles. He and Dalton Bice pace with 15 TFLs.
8M-II WEST
D7-#1 Dighton (9-1) at D5-# Victoria (9-1) – Victoria
Victoria won a wild game, 58-52, against Caldwell at home last week. The Knights never trailed in the contest that was decided until inside the final 40 seconds. Victoria has lost just one home playoff game from 2012-21, a stretch that included two state titles and a semifinal showing last year. The Knights led 36-14 late in the first half. Caldwell outgained Victoria, 493-328. However, the Knights didn’t have a turnover, finished plus-four in turnover margin and scored a pair of non-offensive touchdowns on a fumble recovery TD from Grant Schoenrock and a kickoff return for a score from Carson Werth.
Victoria has dealt with injuries in the backfield. Fullback Nate Windholz has been out with injury. Schoenrock moved from quarterback to fullback, and sophomore Thaddeus Wohler has stepped in at quarterback. Both have dealt with hand/thumb injuries. Werth scored TDs via rushing, receiving and returning and finished with more than 240 all-purpose yards.
Coach Ken Simon has orchestrated another mammoth turnaround at Dighton. The Hornets had one on-field win in the last two seasons has it dealt with low numbers. Last week, Dighton beat Quinter, 52-22, and flipped its lone loss from Week 2. Dighton has three seasons of at least nine wins in the last six seasons. Before then, Dighton had three nine-win seasons in 59 years.
Dighton junior quarterback Max Neeley. He has completed 57 of 101 passes for 771 yards with 11 scores against four interceptions. Neeley has delivered 202 carries for 1,494 yards and 31 scores. Senior running back Jaden Coleman, the team’s lone four-year player, has 130 carries for 809 yards and 14 scores. Both teams are quite strong in special teams, which generally favors Victoria in playoff games. The Hornets have nine touchbacks, averaged 36 yards a punt and returned three kicks for scores.
Victoria has enjoyed good depth and has several quality linemen/ends, including Tanis Brungardt and Seth Schwien. This one should be close, but the Knights hold a slight edge.
D8-#1 Wheatland-Grinnell (9-1) at D6-#1 South Barber (9-1) – Wheatland-Grinnell
This is a contest that could go either way as Wheatland-Grinnell makes the 232-mile trip south to Kiowa. South Barber is ranked fifth in Division II and Wheatland-Grinnell has hovered just outside the rankings since a Week 1 loss to Axtell. The Thunderhawks have posted the best season in school history in each of the last three years. The Thunderhawks lost to Victoria in the quarterfinals last fall. South Barber has won eight in a row since a 26-24 loss to Norwich in Week 2. Last week, South Barber avenged that loss to Norwich with a 20-12 victory.
South Barber won its lone state title in 2005. The Chieftains are 0-8 in state quarterfinal games since then, including four straight defeats from ’16-19. Matt Cantrell has spent more than 20 years with South Barber and stands 56-16 in his seventh year as a head coach.
Both teams are highly experienced at the skill positions. Wheatland-Grinnell features the Vincent brothers, senior quarterback Trey and junior wide receiver Jett. Plus, Wheatland-Grinnell has senior running back Isaac Mendez, who has 3,630 career rushing yards.
Wheatland-Grinnell is well-known for its turnover creation. Junior Adam Phillips has stepped up in a big year with 120 tackles, 10.5 for loss. Tyrell Chapin has forced five fumbles.
Trey Vincent has completed 112 of 186 passes for 1,862 yards with 22 scores against six interceptions. Mendez has 145 carries for 1,343 yards with 29 rushing TDs. Jett Vincent has 51 catches for 1,051 yards with 15 TDs. He has 26 career interceptions and continues to close in on the state record.
Wheatland-Grinnell has forced 26 turnovers and is plus-18 in turnover margin. The Thunderhawks have averaged 9.3 yards per play.
South Barber has its own set of brothers with the Jewells: sophomore quarterback Briggs and senior running back Gatlin. Briggs has completed 79 of 140 passes for 1,225 yards with 22 touchdowns against four interceptions. Gatlin has 201 carries for 1,304 yards and 28 TDs. Gatlin, who has a Kansas Wesleyan offer, has 3,344 all-purpose yards and accounted for 59 total scores. Senior Caden Rathgeber has extensively played with 234 tackles and 14 interceptions in his career.
South Barber has forced 30 turnovers and is also plus-18 in turnover margin. The Chieftains have averaged 6.4 yards per play against a much more difficult strength of schedule. Wheatland-Grinnell gets the slight edge with its running game and kicking. Mendez has surprisingly emerged as a standout specialist with 26 touchbacks while South Barber has eight. Field position should be key in a likely one or two-possession game.
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