Each Thursday throughout the regular season, The Pick List will feature a few of the best match-ups across the state, and make our predictions on a handful of other games.
Feature Games of the Week:
Gardner-Edgerton (3-1) at 6A No. 5 Olathe North (4-0)
Gardner-Edgerton will take on Olathe North in a key game in the Sunflower League standings and in determining the contenders on the east side of Class 6A.
After starting off the season with three consecutive wins, Gardner-Edgerton looked to make a statement in last week’s match-up with 5A No. 1 Mill Valley.
Early on, the Trailblazers looked every bit the equal of the three-time defending champion Jaguars. Gardner-Edgerton led 14-0 on the strength of two short touchdown runs from Dawson Kindler. From there, Mill Valley took control, scoring 28 points in the second quarter and eventually pulling away for a 35-14 win.
The Trailblazers had some success on the ground against Mill Valley’s stout defense. Kindler rushed for 122 yards and those two scores to push his season total to 519 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Quarterback Conner Elder has thrown for 629 yards this season after adding 124 yards against Mill Valley, but his interception late in the second quarter was returned by Dylan Massey for a touchdown to give the Jaguars the lead for good.
The Trailblazers must now rebound against a talented Olathe North team that has outscored its opponents by an average of 43 to 15 this season.
Olathe North remains ranked fifth in Class 6A and has posted wins over Olathe East (26-6), Shawnee Mission Northwest (49-35), Shawnee Mission North (35-14), and Shawnee Mission South (63-7).
In last week’s big win over Shawnee Mission South, the Eagles got off to a great start with touchdown runs by Aiden Bruce and Jason Scoma sandwiched around a blocked punt for a score. The Olathe North lead was 28-0 after the first quarter and 42-7 at halftime.
Scoma has provided a dual-threat with more than 500 yards passing and is a capable runner. Junior T.J. Porter has rushed for 592 yards and seven touchdowns for the Eagles. Bruce, Michael Canseco, Joshua Parrish and Caden Butler provide the Eagles with several weapons on offense.
Currently, Gardner-Edgerton and Olathe North are among the top three seeds on the eastern half of Class 6A. Olathe North is the only unbeaten team, while Gardner-Edgerton and Olathe South sit at 3-1. Both the Eagles and Trailblazers have challenges left on their schedule, but this week’s game will be key in helping separate the top spots in 6A East.
Our Pick: Olathe North 31, Gardner-Edgerton 27 (Gilmore)
De Soto (3-1) at Shawnee Heights (3-1)
De Soto will travel to Shawnee Heights in a game with significant implications in the United Kansas Conference standings.
Both teams are 3-1 to start the season with close losses on their resume. De Soto’s lone loss came 28-21 to Washburn Rural in a game that the Wildcats led 21-7. Rural scored on its final three possessions to pull out the win.
De Soto has averaged 42 points per game with an offense led by quarterback Carson Miller and the emergence of junior running back Bennet Hutchinson. Hutchinson has rushed for nine touchdowns in the Wildcats’ first four games including four scores in last week’s 57-16 win over Leavenworth.
Miller has rushed for four touchdowns and passed for three more scores so far this season. Miller has thrown touchdown passes to Antonio Sullivan, Braden Griggs, and Jordan Langford this season.
The Wildcat defense has been opportunistic, forcing four Lansing turnovers in overcoming a 21-13 halftime deficit to beat the Lions 27-21 in the season opener.
Shawnee Heights has won three consecutive games since a season-opening loss to KC Piper. A week after De Soto defeated Lansing (27-21), the T-Birds doubled-up the Lions, 46-23. In the past two weeks, Shawnee Heights has posted impressive victories, 14-7 over Topeka Seaman and a 27-0 shutout of Basehor-Linwood.
The Thunderbirds are led on offense by junior Allen Baughman. Baughman has rushed for 781 yards and ten touchdowns through four games. His 95 carries account for 58 percent of the rushing attempts by Shawnee Heights this season.
Senior Nick Freeland has provided some balance passing for 161 yards and two scores.
The Thunderbird defense has been solid lately allowing seven total points in the past two weeks. Junior Alex Dittman leads the defense with 31 stops, while Sean Wunder has added 25 tackles including four tackles for loss.
Shawnee Heights won last year’s meeting 21-20, but De Soto had won the previous six meetings. The two schools met twice per season from 2018-2020.
Our Pick: De Soto 27, Shawnee Heights 24 (Gilmore)
Hugoton (4-0) at Scott City (3-1)
Hugoton is 1-0 in Class 3A, District 8 play, while this will be Scott City’s district opener. Both teams were 4-5 last fall. Hugoton is 4-0 for the first time since 2009, per Kansas Football History. Scott City is 3-0 against Kansas/Colorado opponents with the only loss on the road versus Millwood (Okla.), just over a 700-mile round trip. In Week 2, SC beat Wray (Colo.), a team that often schedules Kansas teams.
Hugoton has second-year coach Jay Witt and his assistants include Trey O’Neil, a highly acclaimed former Scott City athlete, who, among many other awards, was 3A basketball player of the year. Scott City suffered key injuries to Lawson Bailey and Jace Thomas in the first month of last fall. A 3-1 start turned into a 1-4 finish.
This season, Hugoton has four wins of sizable margins, the closest a 31-14 home win in Week 2 against Ulysses. On paper, Scott City has played a harder schedule. The Beavers won at Wray (Colo.), 28-0, in Week 2. Last week, Scott City held Thomas More Prep-Marian to negative total yards in a 28-14 road victory. TMP and Wray are a combined 6-0 when not playing Scott City.
Scott City’s defense was highly dominating against Wray. The Beavers held Wray to 8 of 15 passing for 57 yards with no touchdowns against two interceptions. Wray recorded 26 carries for 82 yards. TMP ran 31 plays for minus-26 yards.
Hugoton has senior running back Adam Mendoza as a key offensive player. He rushed 17 times for 165 yards and a score in a 49-0 win against Southwestern Heights.
Scott City is highly experienced with senior quarterback Dylan Metzger and junior 190-pound fullback Brady Welker. Against TMP, Welker, known for his physical style, bowled over Monarchs multiple times. He rushed for four touchdowns against the Monarchs and finished with more than 160 rushing yards.
Bailey and Thomas are key lead blockers. Welker has significantly improved from last fall. Senior JP Harris (6-0, 225) had a huge defensive performance with three tackles for loss versus the Beavers. This is the first meeting since 2019. Scott City has won 10 in a row from ’10-19.
Hugoton has delivered a nice turnaround, though Scott City has been highly dominant on defense. Welker is challenging to stop. Scott City has allowed multiple non-offensive touchdowns, and if the Beavers can clean up that, they will be a significant 3A contender.
Our Pick: Scott City 31, Hugoton 20 (Nicholl)
Rossville (2-2) at Silver Lake (2-2)
One of the state’s top rivalries will be renewed this week as Rossville will visit Silver Lake in the latest rendition of the War on 24.
The two traditional powers have altered wins and losses thus far with each entering this contest with a 2-2 record.
Two-time defending 2A champion Rossville opened with a 20-13 loss to then Class 1A No. 1 St. Marys. The loss ended Rossville’s 26-game win streak. The Bulldawgs got back on track the week after with a 36-15 win over Riley County before falling to Class 3A ranked Topeka Hayden (55-34) in Week 3.
Last week, Rossville opened district play with a 49-8 win over Atchison County.
The Bulldawgs are averaging 253 yards per game on the ground and 143 yards through the air. Junior Camden Horak has passed for 566 yards and six touchdowns. He’s connected with seniors Braiden Hensley and Kade Perine on ten receptions each. Hensley has 164 receiving yards and five touchdowns, while Perine has 132 receiving yards.
Horak also leads the Bulldawgs on the ground with 399 rushing yards and three scores. Perine has added 335 yards rushing and six scores, while Hensley has added 157 rush yards and a score.
Silver Lake has also alternated wins and losses under first-year head coach Logan Pegram. The Eagles opened with a 28-21 win over Riley County before losing to Topeka Hayden, 43-10. Silver Lake then handled Class 1A contender St. Marys 43-16 before falling at 3A ranked Rock Creek, 44-28, last week.
Dual-threat quarterback Tanner Martin has passed for around 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. Martin has also rushed for 269 yards and four scores.
The Eagles have several talented receivers including Eli Barnes, Troy Heiman, Brody Dieter, Trenton Rollenhagen, and Ian Stithem. Barnes leads the Eagles with 278 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Deiter has 209 yards and a score. Rollenhagen has eight receptions for 181 yards and Heiman has 14 catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Dysen Schooler has handled a lot of the ball carrying duties along with Martin. Meanwhile, Kaden Walker has scored three short rushing touchdowns.
Rossville has won six of the last ten meetings in the series including the last three. Silver Lake has won 13 of the past 20 meetings.
Our Pick: Rossville 28, Silver Lake 26 (Gilmore)
Hutchinson Trinity Catholic (4-0) at 1A No. 1 Inman (4-0)
Last season, Inman opened the best season in school history and eventual 1A state runner-up to Olpe with a 52-0 win against Trinity Catholic, a Heart of America league rival. Before last year, Inman was 2-15 in its last 17 meetings against the Celtics.
Trinity finished 4-5 last fall and moved to 1A this season. The Celtics have controlled several victories: 24-18 at Sedgwick, 48-16 versus Remington, 21-8 at Marion and 24-0 versus Ellinwood. Against essentially the same schedule, Inman has a 46-12 victory versus Marion, 42-24 versus Sedgwick, 54-14 at Whitewater-Remington and a 40-0 road victory versus Sterling.
Inman has played since early Week 2 without standout speedy junior dual-threat quarterback Tanner Heckel. Well-publicized by Kpreps, Josiah Buller, who had never played quarterback before, stepped in. Inman briefly trailed against Sedgwick and Buller finished 7 of 10 for 159 yards and three scores.
Inman coach Lance Sawyer called Buller a highly intelligent player. Against Remington, Buller passed for 116 yards. Standout Harrison Brunk opened the scoring with a 74-yard TD run and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass. Eli Brunk, Harrison’s cousin, caught a pair of scoring passes.
Coach Lance Sawyer has done a great job with building depth. Samuel Shober is another key player in the backfield. Dom Nuese-Rasmussen is an all-state caliber lineman. Dawson McConnell and Zach Martisko have been other key Teutons.
Trinity scored 18.3 points a game and allowed 25.7 a contest in 2021. This year, the Celtics have enjoyed big seasons from QB Eric Armour, RB Caleb Sanger, and WRs Isaiah Suter-Tan and Blake Hammeke. Two weeks ago, Hammeke tallied a pair of touchdowns. Last week, Hammeke had one offensive touch. Trinity outgained Ellinwood, 352-68, though had a couple of turnovers.
Trinity has been impressive this season and is just outside the top-5 in 1A. Inman, though, has probably been the classification’s most consistent team. It’s been highly impressive what the coaching staff, Buller and the Teutons have done to continue success.
Our Pick: Inman 30, Trinity Catholic 22 (Nicholl)
Lyndon (4-0) at Madison (3-1)
This week marks the second of five highly intriguing Fridays in District 2, which is Eight-Man, Division I’s best district. Lyndon and Madison are both 1-0 in district play. Lyndon is in his first season of eight-man football after posting a 22-9 mark the last three years in the 11-man ranks.
Madison had the state’s longest regular season winning streak end with a 30-26 home loss against Lebo in Week 3. Madison has won its other three games by a combined score of 162-6. Lyndon opened with a 20-14 road win at Lebo. After a pair of blowout shutout victories, Lyndon beat Cair Paravel, 28-24, at home in the district opener.
Madison has not lost more than one game in a fall since 2017. The teams have two of the state’s best players, regardless of classification. Madison has senior running back Bryson Turner, a two-time 100-meter state champion. Turner led Kansas in yards per carry last year. Lyndon features 6-foot-8, 255-pound junior Kaedin Massey, who has Big 12 offers from Kansas and Iowa State.
Madison has used different quarterbacks in 2022. Hayden Helm started the year, while Cade Hurlburt has played the last several weeks. Against Lebo, Madison held a slight yardage edge, though was minus-2 in turnover margin. Turner had 17 offensive touches for 122 yards and three scores.
Lebo outgained Lyndon, 239-99. Lyndon threw four interceptions against Lebo, though forced three turnovers and senior Evan Feuerborn returned a kick for a score.
Lyndon delivered 308 total yards versus Cair Paravel, including 180 passing from senior Jackson Biggs. Feuerborn caught four passes for 82 yards and a score, and junior Jalen Massey rushed for 99 yards. Junior Casten Wirth delivered 17 tackles.
Madison, paced by Turner, has been stronger on a per-play basis. The team that limits mistakes should have the edge. Biggs’ passing has improved for Lyndon. But Madison, led by Turner, has enough offense for the victory in a game that could go either way.
Our Pick: Madison 28, Lyndon 26 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Shawnee Mission Northwest (2-2) at Olathe West (2-2) – Olathe West
4A No. 1 Bishop Miege (4-0) at Blue Valley (2-2) – Bishop Miege
Blue Valley West (2-2) at 6A No. 3 Blue Valley Northwest (2-2) – Blue Valley Northwest
Junction City (3-1) at Washburn Rural (3-1) – Washburn Rural
Olathe South (3-1) at 5A No. 1 Mill Valley (4-0) – Mill Valley
Goddard (3-1) at Andover Central (3-1) – Andover Central
5A No. 2 Maize (4-0) at Maize South (3-1) – Maize
Louisburg (3-1) at 4A No. 5 Eudora (4-0) – Eudora
Clay Center (3-1) at 2A No. 1 Southeast of Saline (4-0) – SE Saline
2A No. 3 Kingman (4-0) at Hesston (3-1) – Kingman
Pratt (3-1) at Hoisington (3-1) – Pratt
Wellsville (4-0) at Bishop Ward (3-1) – Wellsville
Council Grove (4-0) at West Franklin (4-0) – Council Grove
1A No. 3 Centralia (4-0) at Jackson Heights (3-1) – Centralia
Cair Paravel (2-2) at 8M-I No. 3 Burlingame (4-0) – Burlingame
Wichita Independent (4-0) at Argonia-Attica (3-1) – Argonia-Attica
8M-II No. 4 Thunder Ridge (3-1) at Lakeside-Downs (3-1) – Thunder Ridge
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