The Kpreps Friday First Look provides our impressions of some of the game’s most notable games and performance from Friday night’s action!
The Kpreps Friday First Look is presented by K-LAWN
Class 6A
Manhattan holds off Washburn Rural, 28-25
In a battle of unbeaten Centennial League teams, top-ranked Manhattan held off Washburn Rural, 28-25.
Washburn Rural got off to a fast start as Ma’Kentis Adams sprinted 75 yards for a touchdown on the game’s second play.
Manhattan responded with quarterback Keenan Schartz hitting Jason Sanchez on a 51-yard touchdown pull the Indians within 7-6 after the PAT was missed. Schartz then hit DeAndre Aukland for a 20-yard score for a 14-7 Manhattan lead.
Washburn Rural would then respond with two scores of their own. After a field goal pulled the Junior Blues within 14-10, quarterback Branton DeWeese hit Titan Osborne on a 32-yard touchdown strike for a 17-14 lead.
Manhattan answered just before halftime as Schartz scored on a short touchdown run with :30 seconds remaining. The Indians led 21-17 at the break.
The two teams traded turnovers to start the third quarter, and Aukland then broke a 35-yard touchdown run to build the Manhattan lead to 28-17.
Washburn Rural would pull closer mid-way through the fourth quarter. DeWeese hit Amr Sabbarini on a touchdown pass and two-point conversion to trim the Manhattan advantage to 28-25.
The Junior Blues got the ball back late, but Manhattan intercepted DeWeese to seal the game.
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Derby makes late defensive play to top Hutchinson, 28-21
Derby linebacker Miles Wash intercepted a Hutchinson pass at the goal line on the game’s final play to preserve the Panthers’ 28-21 win over the Salthawks.
Derby entered the game ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, while Hutchinson was the No. 4 ranked team in Class 5A.
Nic Lange’s short touchdown run gave the Salthawks an early 6-0 advantage. Derby answered on a Brock Zerger touchdown run for a 7-6 lead.
Lange would answer for Hutchinson early in the second quarter for a 14-7 advantage.
Zerger’s second rushing score knotted the game at 14, but Hutch’s Noah Khokhar scored from midfield on a fake punt to give the Salthawks a 21-14 lead at halftime.
Zerger’s third touchdown tied the game at 21, the Derby standout Dylan Edwards scored early in the fourth quarter to provide what would become the eventual go-ahead score.
On the game’s final play, Lange’s pass in the end zone was deflected in the air and towards a Hutchinson receiver. Wash leaped up and ripped the ball away from the potential Salthawk receiver to preserve the win.
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Wichita Northwest rolls past Wichita East
Wichita Northwest won its third consecutive game by blowing past Wichita East, 52-14.
The Grizzlies scored the game’s first 31 points thanks to a rushing touchdown from Cencere Thompson and two touchdown passes from Jayce Glasper to Michael Lopez. Glasper also added a touchdown pass to Chase Carter.
L.J. Phillips rushed for a 5-yard touchdown before halftime as the Grizzlies went up 38-8. Phillips added a second rushing score in the third quarter to extend the Northwest lead to 45-8.
Thompson’s second rushing score of the night completed the scoring for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have now alternated scoring outputs of 41 points, 52 points, 41 points and 52 points over their first four games.
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Class 5A
Mill Valley scores 35 unanswered to beat Blazers
In a battle of unbeaten Sunflower League teams, Mill Valley scored 35 unanswered points to top Gardner-Edgerton, 35-14.
The three-time defending 5A champs fell behind 14-0 early in the second quarter as Gardner-Edgerton’s Dawson Kindler rushed for his second short touchdown run.
Mill Valley quarterback Hayden Jay then hit Tate Nekola for a 43-yard touchdown pass to pull the Jaguars within 14-7. Later in the quarter, Jay added a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14.
Less than a minute later, Mill Valley’s Dylan Massey picked off a Blazer touchdown and returned it for a touchdown for a 21-14 lead.
Jay then hit Hayes Miller on a 12-yard touchdown pass with :11 seconds remaining in the half to lead 28-14 at the break.
Jay added his third touchdown pass in the third quarter – hitting Tristan Baker on a 29-yard score. The junior quarterback passed for 163 yards and three scores in the game and added 82 rush yards and a touchdown.
Kindler rushed for 122 yards and two scores for Gardner-Edgerton to push his season total to 519 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Shawnee Heights shuts out Basehor-Linwood
Shawnee Heights picked up its third consecutive victory by shutting out Basehor-Linwood, 27-0. The Bobcats were ranked No. 5 in this week’s Class 4A poll.
Allen Baughman carried 29 times for 235 yards and three touchdowns for the Thunderbirds.
Basehor-Linwood’s offense put up more than 330 yards of total offense, but committed four turnovers.
Sean Wunder, Taylen LeClere-Bryant, and Jayden Berry each had interceptions for Shawnee Heights.
The Thunderbirds will host De Soto next week with the winner being the frontrunner in the United Kansas League race.
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Maize rolled past Salina South, 56-7
Second-ranked Maize dominated Salina South, 56-7, and improved to 4-0.
The Eagles have posted the most points for the program after the first month since at least the mid-90s. Maize has won every game by at least 28 points. The Eagles now have their massively two high-profile games at rival Maize South and at 6A No. 2 Derby in the next two weeks.
On Friday, Maize led Salina South, 21-0. Maize delivered more than 10 yards per play. Avery Johnson, the state’s top recruit and Kansas State commit, had another huge game with 11 of 15 passing for 227 yards and two scores, both to Bryce Cohoon.
Johnson has delivered remarkable numbers: 52 of 69 for 1,041 yards (75.4 percent) with 13 touchdowns against no interceptions.
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Maize South defeats Newton
Maize South trailed 7-0 after the first quarter before the Mavericks scored 34 straight points in a 34-14 victory. Maize South outgained Newton, 430-234 on the night.
Sophomore Tate McNew completed 30 of 41 passes for 379 yards with three touchdowns against no interceptions. The Mavericks improved to 3-1.
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Class 4A
St. James Academy beats No. 2 Aquinas
Two-time defending champion St. James Academy snapped a three-game losing streak with a 24-20 win over No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas.
After falling behind 7-0 early, the Thunder responded with 17 straight points to lead 17-7 at halftime.
St. James quarterback Blake Boydston tossed touchdown passes to John Niesen and Ayden Brady sandwiched around a Kylar Haarhuis field goal before halftime.
Sean Carroll added his second of three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull the Saints within 17-14.
Boydston then added a short touchdown run to put the Saints up 24-14.
Aquinas then threatened by driving to the St. James 15-yard line but fumbled and the ball was deflected forward into the end zone. The Thunder recovered for a touchback. The Saints added a touchdown – Carroll’s third – on the final play of the game.
Boydston passed for 242 yards and two scores in the game, while Niesen caught seven passes for 201 yards.
The victory is the first ever for the Thunder over St. Thomas Aquinas.
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McPherson hands Circle its first loss, 35-15
McPherson used a run of 21 consecutive points in the second half to pull away from Towanda-Circle, 35-15.
The Bullpups rushed for more than 250 yards on the night while holding the Thunderbirds to 2 net yards rushing on 26 attempts.
Hunter Alvord broke a long touchdown run and Jaytin Gumm added another score to put McPherson up 14-0 early.
Circle pulled to within a touchdown as Cooper Chadwell hit Cole Glaves on a 15-yard strike. A Circle safety narrowed the score to 14-9 by halftime.
Gumm then added three consecutive touchdowns in the second half as the Bullpups pulled away. Gumm finished with 152 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
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Class 3A
Rock Creek outscores Silver Lake in Mid-East battle
Rock Creek outscored Silver Lake, 44-28, to finish unbeaten in the Mid-East League this season.
The two teams traded touchdowns early and were knotted up at 14 after the first quarter. Rock Creek’s Dalton Whitworth tossed a pair of touchdown passes. The Mustangs then scored 10 points in the second quarter to lead 24-14 at the half.
Silver Lake pulled to within 24-20 in the third quarter on a Tanner Martin touchdown pass to Troy Heiman.
Rock Creek punched in another score to lead 31-20 after three quarters and Whitworth tossed another scoring pass in the fourth quarter to lead 38-20.
Martin responded with a touchdown pass to Ian Stithem to bring the Eagles to within 38-28.
Rock Creek has won three straight since a season-opening loss to top-ranked Southeast of Saline. Silver Lake drops to 2-2 with both losses coming to ranked 3A teams in Rock Creek and Topeka Hayden.
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Scott City doubles up TMP, 28-14
In a highly unique game through three quarters, Scott City pulled away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns for a 28-14 win against Thomas More Prep-Marian at Lewis Field Stadium.
Both teams are 3-1, though Scott City’s loss came to an Oklahoma team.
With 2 minutes, 47 yards left in the third quarter, TMP had zero yards of total offense. However, the game was tied at 14 after Monarch senior Kade Harris returned a fumble 75 yards for a score. He also took a kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown earlier in the game.
TMP eventually finished with negative total yards.
Scott City struggled with red zone opportunities. The Beavers ran out of time just before halftime at the TMP 11-yard line. Earlier in the first half, the Beavers lost a fumble after it reached the Monarch 6-yard line.
Scott City junior fullback Brady Welker rushed for all four touchdowns and delivered more than 170 yards. He scored on runs from one and four yards in the first half. Welker tallied a three-yard run early in the fourth quarter and scored on a one-yard run with 2:05 left. Scott City finished with six sacks.
Junior JP Harris delivered three tackles for loss, including two sacks.
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Class 2A
Lakin edges Cimarron, 2-0
In one of the most unusual final scores reported, Lakin topped Cimarron 2-0 on Friday night to open play in District 7.
After a scoreless first half, Lakin got a safety in the third quarter to take a 2-0 lead.
Cimarron threatened to score in the third quarter, but the Blue Jays’ 38-yard field goal deflected off of the upright.
Lakin held on for the 2-0 win and improved to 4-0 on the season.
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Norton uses big second half to win fourth straight
The Norton Bluejays improved to 4-0 with a 38-20 victory on the road at rival Phillipsburg.
Norton outscored the Panthers 26-6 in the second half to remain unbeaten in Mid-Continent League play.
The Bluejays will be on the road at winless Goodland next week before a string of challenging district games against Beloit (2-2), Thomas More Prep (3-1), and Russell (2-2).
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Beloit uses big night on the ground to defeat Russell
Beloit defeated Russell, 38-22.
The Trojans delivered 552 yards of total offense. All-state running back Benson Berndt returned from injury and had 162 rushing yards. Logan Arasmith went over 300 total yards.
Beloit started 1-2 the last two seasons. The Trojans finished as a state semifinalist and state runner-up the last two falls. Beloit opened 1-2 again in 2022 and faced a significantly improved Russell squad. The Trojans scored 12 points in the first two weeks and 80 the last two.
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Council Grove holds off Humboldt, 20-14
Council Grove continued its remarkable turnaround on Friday, delivering a huge district-opening win, 20-14, against Humboldt.
The Braves knocked down a fourth down pass near the five-yard line with 23 seconds left. Council Grove again had big showings across the board, including senior Ethan Burton, a Division II Arkansas Tech commit. He contributes in all three phases. Burton has two receiving scores, including the game-tying touchdown. Burton picked off two passes and recorded 10-plus tackles.
The Braves went 1-8 last season and allowed the most points per game in 3A. Council Grove started this season with three straight shutouts and has its best start since 2016.
Council Grove (4-0) will face surprise West Franklin (4-0) next week.
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Ellsworth shuts out Hillsboro, 28-0
Ellsworth shutout Hillsboro, 28-0, and delivered its third straight shutout.
The Bearcats had won four games in the last two years, but are now 4-0 under veteran Josh Homolka.
Ellsworth opened with a 14-6 win against Beloit, then delivered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since at least 1995.
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Class 1A
Centralia scores late, holds off Troy
Drew Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run with :34 seconds remaining to propel No. 5 Centralia past No. 4 Troy, 20-19.
Troy took the lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Reagan Hartman to Christian Etherton late in the third quarter.
The Trojans appeared to be salting away a key road victory when Hartman was intercepted by Centralia late in the game.
The Panthers then used a couple of passes and outside sweeps to get down near the goal line with less than a minute to go. Two plays later, Gibbs pushed across the goal line for the 20-19 Panther lead.
With time for one last play, Troy had the ball at its own 43-yard line. Hartman lofted the ball high into the air down the right sideline. Jerrit Norris leaped above two Centralia defenders and came down with the ball. Norris broke free from the two Panther defenders and began racing free down the right sideline towards the end zone. Centralia’s Trenton Talley then raced over from the middle of the field to knock Norris out of bounds inside the 10-yard line as the clock expired.
Centralia led 14-7 at halftime after Talley scored on a short touchdown run.
Troy opened the second half with an onside kick which led to a Hartman touchdown pass to Norris. The Trojans elected to attempt a two-point conversion, but the double pass fell incomplete leaving Centralia in the lead, 14-13.
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Wabaunsee rallies to shock Smith Center, 40-38
In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Wabaunsee rallied from deficits of 26-6 and 32-18 to edge Smith Center, 40-38.
Smith Center entered the contest ranked No. 2 in Class 1A. This game is expected to decide the District 5 championship.
Wabaunsee has won three straight since a six-point loss to Troy in Week 1 when the Chargers committed seven turnovers.
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Class 8-Man, Division I
Burlingame edges No. 2 Chase County in Game of the Week
Once again, the Fan’s Choice for Kpreps Game of the Week lived up to its billing. Burlingame landed the first blow in a loaded Eight-Man, Division I, District 2 with a 26-24 victory over second-ranked Chase County.
Mitch Budke got things started with a 60-yard touchdown run early in the game to put the Bulldogs up 8-0.
Burlingame answered with a Colby Middleton touchdown run to narrow the Chase County lead to 8-6. After a Chase County turnover, Middleton threw a touchdown pass to Dane Winters for a 12-8 lead.
Budke rushed for a second score to allow Chase County to regain the lead, 16-12. The lead was brief, as Burlingame’s Matthew Heckman returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown and a 20-16 Bearcat lead.
Budke then led the Bulldogs right down the field, scoring his third touchdown of the game to regain a 24-20 lead.
That score would remain until midway through the fourth quarter when Middleton pushed across the goal line from 8 yards out for a 26-24 Burlingame lead.
Chase County mounted a drive into Burlingame territory in the fourth quarter, but Heckman picked off final Budke to end the threat.
Budke ended with more than 230 yards on the ground.
The Bearcats get an important win over Chase County in a loaded district that also includes contenders Madison, Lyndon, and Cair Paravel.
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Class 8-Man, Division II
Canton-Galva rolls to road win at Norwich
Second-ranked Canton-Galva kept pace with No. 1 Axtell with a 46-0 win against Norwich.
The Eagles suffered three key preseason injuries to senior starters. In Week 3, quarterback Garrett Maltbie returned from injury. This week, running back Ryder Norstrom came back from a knee injury. He finished with two carries for 54 yards on Friday. Maltbie passed for 290 yards and four scores in the win over Norwich.
Senior Jett Vincent recorded six offensive touches for 197 yards and three touchdowns.
Vincent did not record an interception. He is currently tied for three eight-man state marks: career INTs, career pick-sixes and single game pick-sixes.
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Stafford shuts out South Central
Stafford improved to 4-0 with a 48-0 victory over Coldwater-South Central.
The Trojans have allowed just 46 total points under first-year coach Mitchell Engelken, a former Baileyville B&B standout and Osborne assistant coach.
Stafford is 4-0 for the first time since 2014 and second occasion since 1988, per Kansas Football History.
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Class 6-Man
Cunningham, Cheylin win ranked matchups
Top-ranked Cunningham played a complete game with a 42-0 win against No. 3 Tescott.
The Wildcats have two wins against ranked teams, including 38-30 versus second-ranked Ashland back in Week 3.
Tescott had seven total wins in the last six seasons in eight-man. The Trojans dropped down to six-man and had beaten two ranked teams at the time of meeting.
Elsewhere, No. 5 Cheylin defeated No. 4 Northern Valley, 49-48. The Cougars lost by 50 in this matchup last season.
Cheylin is 3-1 and has matched its three-win total from ’21.
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