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Class 8-Man, Division I
VIEW: 8M-I BRACKET
8M-I EAST
D4-#2 Canton-Galva (10-1) at D4-#1 Little River (11-0) – Canton-Galva
The two Wheat State League rivals match up for the third time in the last two years. In 2020, Canton-Galva beat Little River, 56-38, in Week 5. Since then, Little River has not lost. The Redskins, with coach Kevin Ayers, have won 19 straight contests. Canton-Galva and Little River have won the last two Eight-Man, Division I state titles.
Earlier this season, Little River beat Canton-Galva, 60-52 in a wild district contest. In the game, Canton-Galva quarterback Garrett Maltbie passed for 436 yards and five touchdowns. Tyson Struber had 11 catches for 184 yards and two TDs. Struber, a Kansas State commit, now holds eight-man state records for career receiving yards and career receiving TDs. Little River had 25 carries for 332 yards and five TDs from Braxton Lafferty. The game featured 1,148 yards of total offense, including 605 from Canton-Galva.
Canton-Galva led 38-30 in the third quarter before Little River scored 30 straight points. A major issue for Canton-Galva came in two-point conversions. The Eagles finished 2 of 8 on two-point conversions. In the last few weeks, Canton-Galva head coach Shelby Hoppes, the offensive coordinator, has turned two-point plays over to his brother, Zac, a former Eagle head coach and current assistant. Shelby said the change has made a key difference in two-point success in the last few games.
Last week, Canton-Galva beat Sedan, 52-6, in the state quarterfinals. The Eagles limited Sedan standout quarterback Brec Long to 94 total yards of offense. Maltbie enjoyed another huge game with 15 of 22 for 222 yards and three scores. He also rushed for 71 yards and two scores. Cason Mastre recorded seven catches for 130 yards and a TD.
Overall, Maltbie has completed 87 of 142 passes for 1,671 yards for 27 scores against two interceptions. He has rushed for 635 yards and 19 TDs. Struber has 58 catches for 1,209 yards and 21 scores. Canton-Galva has looked to get the ball to Struber as much as possible. He has also delivered more carries in the backfield.
Little River has delivered a better offense in 2021 than 2020 when it had first team all-state standout skill players Jayden Garrison and Graham Stephens. Last season, the Redskins averaged 8.8 yards per play, still an elite number. This season, the Redskins are at 9.4 yards per play behind its experienced offensive line of seniors Kaden Schafer, Carter Holloway and Kyle Bruce, all returning starters.
Last week, Little River trailed 14-0 early and 32-22 against Madison with 9:53 left. Then, the Redskins scored two touchdowns for the victory, including the game-winning TD pass with 50 seconds remaining on a 12-yard pass from Rylan Konen to Braden Young. Legendary Little River coach Kevin Ayers is 4-1 all-time in state title games and is the only eight-man coach in Kansas history to win crowns at three different schools.
Konen has completed 39 of 73 passes for 730 yards with 13 TDs against two interceptions. Lafferty has 117 carries for 1,169 yards with 20 rushing scores. Lafferty, Grant Stephens and Young have been key pass catchers. Little River has just six turnovers all season.
This game should be another shootout and will likely exceed 100 combined points. At least one No. 1 ranked team has lost in the semifinals in the last four years (eight total).
Canton-Galva had key players banged up, especially with Maltbie and along the offensive line, earlier in the season. Coach Hoppes said the team is healthy now. It’s always hard to pick against an Ayers coached team and Little River will have the experience advantage up front. Canton-Galva must do better on two-point plays. The Maltbie/Struber connection could prove the slight edge in a contest that could go either way.
8M-I WEST
D8-#1 Hill City (10-1) at D7-#1 Meade (11-0) – Hill City
Both squads have had superlative seasons. These two teams were a combined 8-7 last year and are 21-1 this season. Both were preseason Kpreps Potential Breakout Teams. Hill City has won eight in a row. Meade carries a 13-game winning streak, second only to Little River in the eight-man ranks. Hill City has its second-best season in school annals. Meade is in eight-man football for the second year.
Each squad has an explosive offense. Meade has a total margin of 565-110, and Hill City has a margin of 587-272. Meade has the edge in comparative scores. Hill City lost to Wichita County (62-28), beat WaKeeney-Trego (56-50) and South Gray (60-22). Meade defeated South Gray (44-6) and Wichita County (49-24) before a 54-6 win versus WaKeeney-Trego in the Round of 16.
Meade, which returned all of its skill players from 2020, has enjoyed big years from a variety of players. Senior quarterback Torren Haynes has completed 61 of 97 passes for 1,195 yards and 17 TDs against six interceptions. Haynes has 114 carries for 1,185 yards with 19 scores. Senior Korben Clawson has 231 carries for 1,547 yards and 27 scores.
Junior Grayden Stapleton has 26 catches for 491 yards and 12 scores. Junior Brayden Norris leads with 102 tackles, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.
Meade has just seven turnovers all year and is plus-23 in turnover margin. The Buffs shut down Trego’s great passing game to 7 of 22 passing for 71 yards with zero touchdowns against two interceptions. Meade has 7.4 yards per play.
Hill City has enjoyed significant improvement throughout the fall, especially with its passing game and the emergence of junior all-purpose threat Kaleb Atkins and senior receiver Derek Keith.
Sophomore quarterback Aiden Amrein has enjoyed an expected breakout year with 94 of 145 passing for 1,472 yards with 29 scores against eight INTs. He has 215 carries for 1,423 yards and 22 scores. Atkins has 139 offensive touches for 1,322 yards and 21 offensive TDs.
Keith has 41 catches for 753 yards and 16 scores. Amrein and Keith have set Hill City single-game school records for passing and receiving yards. Hill City has turned the ball over 17 times, though has just three in the last four games.
Hill City has a better per-play offense than Meade at 8.1. The Ringnecks are plus-12 in turnover margin. Senior Conner Dinkel has 105 tackles, while senior Ayden Nickelson has 15 TFLs.
As well, the Ringnecks have 22 touchbacks from Amrein, while Clawson has 26.
So much of this contest depends on turnovers. Meade has thrived in turnover creation, including key turnovers early versus WaKeeney-Trego. Hill City extensively runs its quarterback and frequently uses its screen game. There are several key indicators that point to Meade, but if Hill City can keep miscues down, the Ringnecks can go to their second state title game in school history.
Class 8-Man, Division II
VIEW: 8M-II BRACKET
8M-II EAST
D3-#1 Axtell (11-0) at D4-#1 Thunder Ridge (11-0) – Thunder Ridge
No. 1 Axtell and No. 2 Thunder Ridge match up in Kensington in a highly anticipated game. Axtell (which owns a win against Wheatland-Grinnell) and Thunder Ridge have separated themselves from the Division II pack throughout the year. Axtell, the state runner-up to Osborne in ’19, went 7-3 last season and has a four-win improvement in 2021.
Thunder Ridge was a Kpreps Potential Breakout Team in 2021. The Longhorns have a six-win improvement from 2020. Axtell has its best record since its undefeated state title team in 1993.
Last season, Axtell beat Thunder Ridge, 42-40, in a remarkable comeback. Thunder Ridge led 20-0 at halftime and 32-6 in the third quarter. Axtell scored three touchdowns in the final 2:53. With 29 seconds left, Isaac Detweiler rushed for a four-yard score.
Both teams returned its standout quarterbacks with Axtell’s Detweiler and Thunder Ridge junior Dylan Bice. Detweiler has completed 101 of 132 passes for 1,587 yards with 29 scores against two interceptions. He delivered 151 carries for 1,013 yards and 25 scores. Axtell has its brand-new wide receiving corps with 6-2 Grady Buessing, Eli Broxterman and Evan Buessing. Freshman Brandon Schmelzle has 26 offensive TDs. Axtell has just two seniors with 16 total players.
Thunder Ridge, which returned seven defensive starters, has more than 20 players on the roster. Thunder Ridge will have a size advantage. Bice could break the eight-man state single season completion rate. He has completed 61 of 79 passes for 1,042 yards with nine TDs against one interception. He has 114 carries for 1,394 yards and 27 scores.
Coach Joel Struckhoff is trying to become deliver an exceedingly rare feat of leading the same school to a state championship as both a player and coach. Struckhoff was looking for the Longhorns to cut back on turnovers in ’21, and Thunder Ridge has one turnover this year. The Longhorns have enjoyed impressive blocking up front, including 6-foot-3, 310-pound junior Brian Shaw (42 pancake blocks). Shaw has been an underrated player all season.
Bice’s twin, junior Dalton Bice, has 80 carries for 587 yards and 11 touchdowns. Junior Jace Randall and senior Olin Brown have combined for 95 rushes for 18 rushing scores. Senior Olin Brown has 115 tackles, 17 for loss. Thunder Ridge has 10.3 yards per play.
The winner of this contest will likely be the Division II favorite. Axtell has a total margin of 614-142, while Thunder Ridge is at 575-128. Axtell has a slightly more difficult strength of schedule, per Prep Power Index, mainly because of the Wheatland-Grinnell win. Similar to last year, this should be a close contest. Detweiler and Bice are the two leading candidates for Division II Player of the Year. Thunder Ridge has a slight edge with its overall experience, defensive depth and size.
8M-II WEST
D5-# Victoria (10-1) at D8-#1 Wheatland-Grinnell (10-1) – Wheatland-Grinnell
These two squads are nearly identical. Wheatland-Grinnell has a total score of 560-184, and Victoria has a total margin of 557-188. The strengths of schedule are virtually the same. Last year, Victoria beat Wheatland-Grinnell, 44-26, in the Round of 16 in a game was close throughout.
Victoria has won three state championships since Doug Oberle became head coach in 2006. Last year, Victoria lost to St. Francis in the state semifinals. Wheatland-Grinnell is 8-2, 8-3 and 10-1 in the last three falls, the best seasons since Grainfield and Grinnell consolidated in the mid-2000s. It’s the best finish for either school since Grinnell reached the state semifinals in 1984.
Both teams are well-known for their experienced skill players. Victoria has senior QB/FB Grant Schoenrock, RB/KR Carson Werth, QB Thaddeus Wohler and TE Seth Schwien. FB Nate Windholz is out with injury. On the other side, the Thunderhawks feature the Vincent brothers (QB Trey and WR Jett), along with RB Isaac Mendez.
Trey Vincent has completed 124 of 205 passes for 2,056 yards with 24 scores against six interceptions. Mendez has 157 carries for 1,456 yards and 33 rushing scores. Jett Vincent has 56 catches for 1,149 yards and 16 TDs. Trey has 5,336 career passing yards, and Mendez has 3,743 rushing yards.
Wheatland-Grinnell has averaged 9.3 yards per play, well up from 6.9 yards per play last season. The Thunderhawks have continually been great at forcing turnovers, including 28 this year. Senior Tyrell Chapin has five forced fumbles. Jett Vincent has five INTs in ’21 and 27 in his career as he moves closer to the eight-man career INT record.
Mendez has also helped Wheatland-Grinnell win the field position battle. He emerged as the kicker in early season and has 26 touchbacks.
Victoria has needed comebacks versus La Crosse, Sylvan-Lucas and Dighton and held on in a one-score win versus Caldwell. Victoria has routinely made key non-offensive plays, a hallmark under Oberle. Against La Crosse, a fake punt pivoted the game. Taylor Anderson returned a kickoff for a score against Sylvan-Lucas. Against Caldwell, Schoenrock returned a fumble for a key TD, and Werth had a kickoff return for a score. Victoria was plus-1 in turnover margin versus Dighton.
Even in a 42-40 loss to WaKeeney-Trego, Werth returned a kick 75 yards for a TD.
Victoria has battled injuries, including to Schoenrock, who has won playoff games as a starter in all four seasons. Werth has enjoyed another great year, including more than 475 all-purpose yards in the last two weeks. The Knights have plenty of depth, with Schwien, Anderson and lineman Tanis Brungardt.
In Victoria’s five biggest games (La Crosse, Trego, Sylvan-Lucas, Caldwell and Dighton), the Knights have collectively been outgained by 31 yards. Overall, Victoria has 8.1 yards per play, per Hudl stats/Kpreps research.
Oberle is one of eight-man’s all-time great coaches, and special teams will likely play a big role. On a per-play basis, though, the Thunderhawks have a slight edge. A big key will be Jett Vincent versus Victoria’s defensive backs in 1-on-1 matchups.
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