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Kpreps takes you Around the Brackets to recap Sectional playoff action from Friday night.
Class 6A
6A – EAST
1-Blue Valley Northwest 56, 4-Olathe North 27 – Blue Valley Northwest built a 35-0 halftime lead and cruised into the state semifinals for the first time since 1999. Grant Stubblefield rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter – including a 91-yard burst – to give the Huskies a quick 14-0 lead. Quarterback Mikey Pauley added three rushing touchdowns of his own in the second quarter to account for the Huskies 35-point advantage at the break. Stubblefield added two more rushing scores in the third quarter and Pauley added his fourth rushing score of the game to complete the scoring for Northwest.
7-Blue Valley West 37, 6-Shawnee Mission Northwest 34 – Blue Valley West rallied from 14 points down twice to top Shawnee Mission Northwest, 37-34. The Jaguars trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-14 at halftime before slowing down the Cougars in the second half. Gage Roach threw his third touchdown pass of the game to open the third quarter and pull Blue Valley West within 28-21. Shawnee Mission Northwest would answer as Blake Reeder tossed a 30-yard touchdown to Jack Meylan to go back up 34-21. Sage Huffman’s short touchdown run pulled the Jaguars to within 34-28. Blue Valley West then blocked a Cougar punt through the end zone for a safety to pull within 34-30. Roach then hit Jack Ratigan for a short touchdown pass late in the third quarter to lead 37-34. The teams then played a scoreless fourth quarter as West made the three-point lead stand up. Roach passed for 282 yards and four touchdowns. Jack Schneider caught five passes for 188 yards and two scores – accounting for both first-half touchdowns for Blue Valley West. Reeder passed for 329 yards and a score and rushed for two more touchdowns for Shawnee Mission Northwest.
6A – WEST
1-Derby 27, 5-Lawrence Free State 21 – Derby held off a late charge by Free State to win 27-21 and advance to the state semifinals for the seventh consecutive season. Dylan Edwards rushed for 284 yards and three scores in the game – highlighted by a 95-yard touchdown sprint late in the third quarter after the Panther defense turned Free State away on downs. That touchdown pushed the Derby lead to 27-7. Jet Dineen added two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Jordan Brown to pull the Firebirds to within 27-21. Mercer Thatcher scored the other Derby touchdown on a short run in the second quarter to build a 21-0 lead. Free State answered as Dineen scored from 1-yard out before halftime to cut the deficit to 21-7. Derby will host Lawrence in next week’s semifinal.
6-Lawrence 41, 2-Manhattan 22 – Lawrence outscored Manhattan 27-0 in the second and third quarters to pull away for a 41-22 victory. Manhattan scored on a Keenan Schartz touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter to take a 14-7 lead. From there, the Chesty Lions scored the game’s next 34 points to take control. Truman Juelsgaard broke a long touchdown run and threw a touchdown pass to Cole Watson for a 21-14 halftime lead. The Lions opened the third quarter with a quick score on a Shance Wilkerson touchdown run to lead by 14. Grant Glasgow then added two field goals in the third quarter to push the lead to 34-14. Juelsgaard added another rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Juelsgaard led the lions with 141 yards rushing and added 76 yards through the air. The Lawrence defense forced four Indian turnovers on the night.
Class 5A
VIEW: 5A BRACKET
5A – East
1-Mill Valley 35, 12-Blue Valley Southwest 7 – Two-time defending champion Mill Valley moved back into the state semifinals with a 35-7 win over Blue Valley Southwest. Reice Kennedy rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in a 22-yard touchdown catch from Hayden Jay on a perfectly executed screen pass. Jay passed for 141 yards and two scores on the night – the other going to Aidan Jacobs in the fourth quarter. Sophomore quarterback Dylan Dunn passed for 219 yards and a score for the Timberwolves. Senior wideout Zach Atkins finished his stellar career with 13 receptions for 104 yards and a score. Atkins finished the season with 79 receptions for 1,053 yards and nine touchdowns.
7-St. Thomas Aquinas 30, 6-De Soto 14 – St. Thomas Aquinas scored in each quarter and methodically pulled away from De Soto in a 30-14 victory. Sean Carroll rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Aquinas offense. The Saints led 24-0 until De Soto scored consecutive touchdowns in less than a two-minute stretch of the fourth quarter. Brandon McIntosh tossed a touchdown pass to Ethan Schultze and Bryson Brummer added a scoring run to pull the Wildcats to within 24-14. But Aquinas would answer as Carroll scored from seven yards out with under three minutes remaining in the game. Aquinas will take on Mill Valley in the 5A state semifinals for the third consecutive season and the sixth time in the past seven years.
5A – West
1-Kapaun Mt. Carmel 38, 4-Wichita Northwest 35 – Kapaun Mt. Carmel overcame a 18-point deficit in the second half to edge Wichita Northwest, 38-35. Northwest had leads of 28-10 and 35-17 after Geremiah Moore hit Michael Lopez, Jr. for a 54-yard touchdown pass with under three minutes to go in the third quarter. The Crusaders responded as Dylan Hamilton connected with Will Anciaux on a 16-yard touchdown pass to pull within 35-24 late in the third quarter. Omari Elias’ second rushing score of the game pulled Kapuan to within 35-30 early in the fourth quarter. The Crusader defense again came up with a stop and Elias broke a 56-yard touchdown to give Kapaun the 36-35 lead. Hamltion then hit Anciaux for the conversion for a 38-35 lead. Northwest had one last attempt as Moore’s desperation heave into the end zone was intercepted by Austin Ruda. Elias rushed for 198 yards and three scores on the night. Moore was dynamic for Northwest in rushing for 240 yards and four touchdowns and passing for 133 yards and another score.
3-Maize 48, 7-Hays 36 – Maize held off Hays in an entertaining game that featured two of the state’s top players. The Eagles led 41-22 after a pair of touchdowns to open the second half. Hays responded with touchdown runs from Roy Moroni and Malik Bah to pull within 41-36. Hays was driving late in the game when McKinley Joynes intercepted Hays quarterback Jaren Kanak. Tayveon Williams then broke a 91-yard touchdown run to seal the game, 48-36. Kanak finished with 203 yards rushing including one of the highlights of the year with a 69-yard touchdown run where he broke tackle attempts from virtually every Maize defender.
Class 4A
VIEW: 4A BRACKET
4A East
8-St. James Academy 31, 5-KC Piper 7 – Defending-champion St. James Academy scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from KC Piper for a 31-7 victory. The Thunder led just 10-0 after three quarters and Piper pulled to within 10-7 on a Blake Porter two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Thunder then answered with a 47-yard touchdown run from Tiave Watts to lead 17-7. Piper the committed two consecutive turnovers that led to St. James touchdowns. After a Pirate fumble, Jackson House hit Tyler Claiborne on a 14-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 24-7. Piper then fumbled and Watts added an 11-yard score to cap 21 points in a little more than one minute of game time for St. James Academy. House passed for 278 yards and a touchdown, while Watts added 136 yards on the ground and two scores.
10-Bishop Miege 21, 6-Eudora 6 – Bishop Miege kept things on the ground in posting a 21-6 win over Eudora in the 4A quarterfinals. Jaylen Burch rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 24 attempts to lead the Stags. Mac Armstrong added 90 yards passing on the night, but was the primary offensive focus for the Stags. Octavius Lyles led Eudora with 131 yards on the ground and his early touchdown gave the Cardinals a 6-0 lead. Burch answered on the first play of the second quarter to put Miege up 7-6, then broke a 49-yard touchdown just before half. Burch then added an 18-yard score in the third quarter.
4A West
1-Buhler 7, 4-Mulvane 0 – Buhler scored the game’s only touchdown on a one-yard from Bradley Neill with 9:16 left in the third quarter. Buhler outgained Mulvane, 359-185. Sam Elliott, who is 17 yards away from Buhler’s all-time rushing record, delivered another huge game with 34 carries for 263 yards. He has 5,058 rushing yards in his career and 2,178 this season. Buhler’s pass defense, paced by Diante Campbell, limited Mulvane to 10 of 28 passing for 133 yards with an interception. Both teams had sizable improvements from 2020. Buhler has a four-win improvement from last year to 10-1. Mulvane went from 1-7 to 8-3.
3-Andover Central 48, 2-Wamego 0 – Andover Central dominated Wamego. 48-0, thanks to a quick start that saw the Jaguars score three quick touchdowns to start the game. Ashton Barkdull opened the barrage with a 14-yard touchdown for a quick 7-0 Jaguar lead. Cooper Tabor then returned an interception for a score on Wamego’s first play. The Red Raiders then lost a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Andover Central turned that mistake into a 21-0 lead as Barkdull scored again shortly after. Barkdull finished with 146 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. Kai Kunz passed for 136 yards and a touchdown to Tabor.
Class 3A
VIEW: 3A BRACKET
3A EAST
Frontenac 42, Rock Creek 26 – Frontenac went on the road and pulled away with a 42-26 win over Rock Creek. The Raiders used a consistent ground game and a solid defense to advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017. Frontenac led 21-14 at halftime as Mario Menghini rushed for a pair of touchdowns sandwiched around Justice Compton score. Jaydon Winans’ short touchdown run in the third quarter pulled to within 21-20, but Compton added his second score a few minutes later for a 29-20 lead. Early in the fourth quarter Compton score again, this time on a touchdown pass from Collin McCartney to lead 35-20. Compton added his fourth score as the Raiders pulled away.
Holton 36, Girard 0 – Holton dominated Girard 36-0 in a battle of unbeatens on a cold, windy night in Holton. The Wildcats forced five Trojan turnovers and had built a 29-0 lead by halftime. Matt Lierz led the Wildcats with 110 yards rushing and a touchdown. Garyson Booth added 79 yards and two scores and Jayden Fletcher rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Holton limited Girard to 123 yards of total offense.
3A WEST
Andale 54, Concordia 14 – Andale built an early lead and then smothered Concordia in a 54-14 victory. The Indians got a Gage Prosser touchdown run mid-way through the first quarter to build a 16-0 lead. Concordia pulled to within 16-6 with a Cav Carlgren touchdown run, but Andale’s Kelby Eck returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to lead 24-6. Wyatt Spexarth’s touchdown pass to Drew Bunger late in the half gave the Indians a 32-6 lead. Andale limited Concordia to 147 yards rushing – well below their 301 yard per game average entering Friday’s contest. Keyan Miller, who entered with 1,683 yards on the season, was limited to 38 yards on 23 attempts.
Southeast of Saline 34, Cheney 28 – Southeast of Saline rebounded from a slow start to top Cheney, 34-28, in one of the most anticipated Sectional round games in the state. Harrison Voth connected with Luke Grace on two short touchdowns early as Cheney built a 14-0 lead before the Trojans even ran a play. Luke Gebhardt connected with his twin brother Jake Gebhardt to pull Southeast of Saline within 14-8. Cheney responded on the third Voth to Grace connection to lead 21-8. Luke Gebhardt again answered with a scoring connection with Jake to pull within 21-14 at halftime. After an errant Cheney punt snap, Matthew Rodriguez scored from three yards out to bring the Trojans within 21-20 in the third quarter. Voth then hit Dayton Higgs for a long touchdown pass for a 28-20 lead. Late in the third quarter, Gebhardt hit Rodriguez on a screen pass for a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 28. After a Cheney fumble, Luke Gebhardt scrambled 33-yards for a touchdown to put the Trojans up 34-28. Gebhardt passed for 170 yards and three touchdowns and added 83 rush yards and the deciding score. Voth passed for 256 yards and four touchdowns for Cheney.
Class 2A
VIEW: 2A BRACKET
2A EAST
Rossville 56, Riverton 14 – Rossville saw the return of Torrey Horak at quarterback and blitzed Riverton in the second half for a 56-14 victory. Riverton’s Derek Larison broke free for an 85-yard touchdown run to pull within 14-6 late in the second quarter. Larison, who returned from injury a couple of weeks ago, suffered a rebroken collarbone after being pushed from behind as he crossed the goal line. Rossville quickly responded as Horak entered the game at quarterback and led the Bulldawgs on a 66-yard touchdown drive capped by Corey Catron’s 5-yard run. Rossville led 21-6 at halftime and extended that to 35-6 after three quarters. Riverton scored on a Gavin Cain touchdown reception on the first play of the fourth quarter to close the gap to 35-14. Rossville then added three consecutive touchdowns for the big win.
Silver Lake 33, Wellsville 27 – Silver Lake held off Wellsville, 33-27, to advance to the substate semifinal against rival Rossville. The Eagles led 13-6 at halftime, 26-13 after three quarters, and by as much as 33-13 in the fourth before Wellsville provided a late challenge. Wellsville scored on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Dezmond Winton to Brody Lee and added a late Dylan McCarty touchdown pass to Winton to pull within the final margin. Wellsville back Nash Money finished with 68 yards rushing and a touchdown. Daigan Kruger passed for 271 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score for Silver Lake. Kamryn Kaniper had 104 yards and a score for the Eagles, while Brogan Renfro had two touchdown receptions and a rushing score for the victorious Eagles.
2A WEST
Beloit 32, Hillsboro 27 – Beloit built a big lead at halftime and held off Hillsboro for a 32-27 victory. Benson Berndt’s touchdown run gave the host Trojans a 16-0 lead after one quarter. Matthew Potucek’s touchdown run pulled Hillsboro within 16-7 in the second quarter. Beloit added a pair of touchdowns to lead 32-7 at halftime. Hillsboro added three scores in the second half as Potucek hit Duncan Duell on a 17-yard score, Nicholas Smith on a 92-yard score, and Jaxxon Handschu on an 11-yard score to get within the final margin.
Kingman 35, Thomas More Prep 0 – Kingman went on the road and notched a 35-0 shutout of Thomas More Prep to advance to the Class 2A substate semifinal. The Eagles built a 14-0 lead at halftime as Nolan Freund hit Carter Helm on a 37-yard touchdown pass and Avery Albright on a 23-yard score. Freund hit Helm again to start the third quarter and build a seemingly insurmountable 21-0 lead the way the Eagle defense was playing. Kingman limited the TMP offense and quarterback Kade Harris all night. Meanwhile, Geoff Holloway and Colby Schreiner each scored rushing touchdowns to complete the scoring for Kingman.
Class 1A
VIEW: 1A BRACKET
1A EAST
Olpe 28, Jefferson Co. North 0 – Olpe recorded its ninth shutout of the season with a 28-0 blanking of Jefferson County North. The Eagles scored all 28 points in the first half on a rushing score by Damon Redeker and two Redeker touchdown passes. Redeker hit Blake Skalsky and Blake Redeker on scoring strikes and Garrett Cole added a rushing touchdown. Redeker passed for 173 yards on the night and added 72 yards on the ground. Derek Hoelting and Cole combined for 112 yards rushing as well. Blake Redeker caught three passes for 75 yards. The Olpe defense held the Chargers to 92 yards of total offense on 53 plays.
Centralia 53, Lyndon 22 – Centralia turned three first-half Lyndon turnovers into touchdowns to build a big lead, then shut out the Tigers in the second half to win 53-22. After the two teams traded scores early, Centralia’s Ethan McNalley scored three touchdowns and Trenton Talley added a fourth following three Tiger turnovers. Centralia led 33-6, but Lyndon rallied for a pair of touchdowns on a Jalen Massey run and a Darian Massey touchdown pass to Toby Miller to pull within 33-22 at halftime. McNalley rushed for 175 yards and five touchdowns in the game, while Jarod Blaha added more than 100 yards and two more scores on the ground.
1A WEST
Inman 26, Conway Springs 13 – Inman scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to overtake Conway Springs and remain unbeaten with a 26-13 decision. Conway Springs held a slight 7-6 edge at halftime on an Izic Billups touchdown run. In the third quarter, Jace Doerksen hit Harrison Brunk on a 29-yard touchdown pass and Kyler Konrade added a 13-yard rushing score to give the Teutons a 20-7 lead. Brayden Kunz pulled Conway Springs within 20-13 early in the fourth quarter, but Doerksen’s 1-yard touchdown with just over two minutes left sealed for Inman. Doerksen led Inman with 131 yards passing and 62 more on the ground. Kunz rushed for a game-high 189 yards for Conway Springs.
Sedgwick 49, Smith Center 48 – Lance Hoffsommer hit Ryan Stucky on a 14-yard touchdown pass with :21 seconds left and Connor Tillman added the game-winning PAT as Sedgwick survived for a 49-48 win at Smith Center. Tillman set the all-class record with 279 points during the game. Smith Center had taken a 48-42 lead on a Luke Franklin 3-yard touchdown run and Nathan Jaeger two-point conversion with 1:34 remaining. Hoffsommer then led the Cardinals on the game-winning drive resulting in his late connection with Stucky. Hoffsommer passed for 302 yards and three touchdowns and added 146 yards and a pair of scores for the Cardinals. Stucky had ten receptions for 130 yards and two scores.
Class 8-Man, Division I
VIEW: 8M-I BRACKET
8M-I EAST
Canton-Galva 52, Sedan 6 – Canton-Galva advanced to its third semifinal in four years in a game that ended in the third quarter. The Eagles outscored Sedan, 22-0, in the first quarter and led 38-6 at halftime. Garrett Maltbie finished 15 of 22 for 222 yards and three scores. He rushed 11 times for 71 yards and two TDs. Cason Mastre caught seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Canton-Galva limited Sedan’s high-powered offense to 109 total yards.
Little River 38, Madison 32 – Defending state champion Little River came back in the fourth quarter and won its 19th straight game. Madison led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-16 at halftime. Madison was up 32-22 with 9:53 left. However, Rylan Konen tossed an 18-yard pass to Braxton Lafferty for a score. With 50 seconds left, Konen hit Braden Young on a 12-yard pass for the final margin. Konen completed 14 of 24 passes for 181 yards with four scores against one interception. Lafferty accounted for 24 offense touches for 157 yards and three scores. Madison has just four losses in the last four years.
8M-I WEST
Meade 70, Goessel 20 – Meade improved to 11-0 and captured its 13th straight victory. The experienced Buffs have a seven-win improvement from last season. Meade led 20-0 after the first quarter versus a Goessel team that has made back-to-back state quarterfinals. Meade outgained Goessel, 412-201, including 228-21 in passing. Torren Haynes completed 18 of 24 passes for 228 yards and four scores. He rushed 13 times for 122 yards and two TDs.
Hill City 62, La Crosse 12 – Hill City steadily pulled away from the Leopards and moved to 10-1, the second-most wins in a season in school history. Hill City has scored at least 52 points in each contest during the eight-game winning streak. The Ringnecks led 16-6 after the first quarter and 36-12 at halftime in a game that was called in the third quarter. Sophomore quarterback Aiden Amrein completed 10 of 14 passes for 218 yards with four scores against zero interceptions. Junior Kaleb Atkins continued his breakout second half with 19 touches for 206 yards and four scores.
Class 8-Man, Division II
VIEW: 8M-II BRACKET
8M-II EAST
Axtell 62, Waverly 16 – Axtell scored 38 points in the first quarter to roll to a 62-16 win at Waverly. Isaac Detweiler passed for 117 yards and three scores and added a rushing touchdown for the Eagles. Grady Buessing hauled in three touchdown passes from Detweiler, while Brandon Schmelzle rushed for three scores. Waverly committed five turnovers in the first half. The Bulldogs will make the transition to 6-Man football next fall.
Thunder Ridge 52, Lebo 18 – Thunder Ridge broke open a close game with two touchdowns in a little over two minutes late in the third quarter and pulled away from Lebo for a 52-18 victory. Lebo’s Kyle Reese scored from 1-yard out with :15 seconds left in the first half to give the Wolves a 12-6 lead. But the Longhorns came right back as Dylan Bice hit Daxton Dunlap for a 46-yard gain to the Lebo 5-yard line with :01 second left. Bice then hit Dalton Bice for the 5-yard score to tie the game at 12 at halftime. Thunder Ridge scored first in the third quarter as Olin Brown rushed for the first of his four rushing touchdowns on the night for a 20-12 lead. Lebo answered as Kyle Reese hit Corey Reese for a 45-yard touchdown to pull within 20-18. From there it was all Longhorns. Dalton Bice broke a 36-yard touchdown run and Brown added a short touchdown after a Lebo fumble. Brown then added a 61-yard run in the fourth quarter as part of his 131-yard effort. The loss of Luke Davies and Landon Grimmett to injury during the game was costly for Lebo.
8M-II WEST
Victoria 46, Dighton 28 – Victoria advanced to the state semifinals for the second consecutive year. Dighton led 14-8 after the first quarter. Victoria led 24-22 in the third quarter. However, Grant Schoenrock tallied a one-yard rushing TD in the third quarter. Carson Werth had a five-yard scoring run in the fourth. Werth delivered another big game with 28 carries for 228 yards and three TDs. He has more than 230 all-purpose yards in each of the last two contests.
Wheatland-Grinnell 46, South Barber 0 – Wheatland-Grinnell turned away South Barber on downs on several times in the first half and the Thunderhawks eventually pulled away for a 46-0 shutout. South Barber’s opening drive reached the Wheatland-Grinnell 1-yard line before an errant fourth-down snap ended the threat. The next play, Trey Vincent hit his brother Jett Vincent on a short pass and Jett raced 72 yards for a touchdown and an 8-0 lead. Trey passed for 194 yards and two scores in the game, while Jett had five catches for 94 yards. Isaac Mendez led the Wheatland-Grinnell ground game with 113 yards and four touchdowns. South Barber had drives stall at the Thunderhawk 1, 24, 5, and 24-yard lines in the first half. They also threw an interception. South Barber lost standout senior Gatlin Jewell early in the game to injury.
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