On Oct. 12, 2018, Madison and Burlingame played a Week 7 contest. Both squads were undefeated. The game decided District 3 and the Lyon County League championship. Burlingame had not lost a regular season game since ’14. The contest was the Kpreps state game of the week.
Madison, an up-and-coming program under coach Alex McMillian, pulled off a 26-24 victory. Burlingame led 24-20 until late in the third quarter when Madison recorded a 12-yard fumble recovery for a score. Late in the fourth, Burlingame faced fourth-and-3 from the Madison 6-yard line.
Burlingame converted the first down, though was stopped just short of the goal line with 17 seconds left. On the next play, Madison forced a fumble to deliver the goal line stand and victory. McMillian labeled the victory “huge” for the program.
“We kind of shocked them,” McMillian said.
Earlier that season, another Madison and Burlingame football game occurred. In eighth-grade football, Madison defeated Burlingame, 76-72, in the season opener on Aug. 30, 2018.
“That was the Bryson Turner vs. Colby Middleton show,” McMillian said.
Madison’s Turner and Burlingame’s Middleton were their team’s standout running backs. Middleton called the contest “an insane game.”
“I was probably the size now I was in eighth grade,” Middleton said. “So probably a little harder to tackle in junior high.”
Burlingame was not expecting a high-scoring contest. Austin Masters, then the Bearcats’ eighth-grade coach, preaches defense. Throughout the entire week, the focus was clear.
“Stop Bryson,” Middleton said. “We knew he was going to have big plays, and he definitely did, but we matched it back, and sadly fell a little short.”
Four years later, No. 2 Burlingame (6-0, 3-0) plays host to Madison (5-1, 3-0) in a marquee Eight-Man, Division I, District 2 matchup.
“It was a very similar feeling in 2018 that it is right now,” McMillian said.
This is the fourth of five significant weeks in District 2, considered the classification’s deepest. Five quality teams, Burlingame, Madison, Chase County (5-1, 2-1), Lyndon (4-2, 1-2) and Cair Paravel (2-4, 0-3) are competing for four postseason spots.
“Me and Bryson Turner, us and Madison, we have always played each other throughout junior high school,” Middleton said. “So it’s always a fun game to go against those guys and see who can get the edge on the win this year.”
In high school, Madison beat Burlingame, 56-6, in 2019 and 48-24 in 2020. Last season, the squads were supposed to play in Week 1, but Burlingame had to cancel because of COVID.
“We had a really good team last year,” Middleton said. “And then it really (stunk) because the seniors last year, I was close with a lot of them, and they have always played Madison just like we did, and they really wanted to end their careers with a win against Madison.”
This year, many of the pivotal figures are back from 2018. McMillian is 54-15 at Madison, while Burlingame coach Jeff Slater stands at 71-18. Madison is 10-1 in the series dating back to 2008.
“We have had some crazy games with Burlingame,” McMillian said. “And I think this Friday is going to be the same.”
Masters is in his first season as the Bearcats’ defensive coordinator. Middleton and Turner are at quarterback – and taken very different routes as the signal caller.
Both are among Kansas’ top dual threat quarterbacks. Turner is a multi-time state sprinting champion and, as a running back in ’21, led Kansas in yards per carry.
This season, Turner has 108 passing yards, 1,013 rushing yards and 160 receiving yards with 29 offensive scores. Middleton has completed 75 percent of his passes for 672 yards with 13 scores against no interceptions. He by far paces the Bearcats with 77 carries for 543 yards and 17 scores.
“My favorite part is just being the leader, and being out there for all the big plays, and give everyone a chance to get the ball honestly,” Middleton said.
Each team has excellent supporting casts, particularly Burlingame highly athletic senior receiver Matthew Heckman and the Bearcats’ sophomore class of Dane Winters and JD Tyson.
Heckman, a reigning state runner-up in the high jump, has 18 catches for 377 yards and six scores. Heckman is a key safety on defense.
“The best wide receiver in the state,” Middleton said.
Winters has seven offensive touchdowns and starts at cornerback. Tyson (51 tackles, nine TFLs), Middleton, Winters and Heckman are the top-four tacklers. Heckman had a huge kickoff return for a score in a Week 4 district-opening win against Chase County, then No. 2 in the class.
“Coach Slater does an outstanding job with those guys year in, year out,” McMillian said. “He does a good job scheme-wise with them, and a Slater team always plays extremely hard, and they are extremely well-coached.”
Middleton had played linebacker, running back and backup quarterback in junior high. In his freshman year, he was fullback and nose guard. As a sophomore, he moved to tight end and running back with a little linebacker and backup quarterback.
Sophomore year, Middleton’s dad, Travis, knew Colby could eventually become the starting quarterback. Middleton believed he didn’t have the veteran status to ask Slater what position he wanted to play. Travis’ dad put $100 on the line if Colby would ask Slater. That convinced his son to talk with Slater.
Middleton knew Burlingame was limited under center in ’21 and ’22. In the past two falls, Middleton played quarterback and linebacker.
“We have tons of playmakers,” Middleton said. “I think one of Slater’s favorite things about me is honestly I can scramble, too. Honestly, I can do more than just throw the ball. We have a great offensive line that makes me a lot better than I am honestly.”
Madison has encountered a variety of injuries.
Bulldog senior Luke Fankhauser, the starting center/defensive end, rolled his truck after the preseason jamboree and suffered a collarbone injury. Jesse Schneider moved from guard to center to replace Fankhauser. He just returned last week and played a little defense. Fankhauser is looking to come back on the offensive line this week.
The offensive line is all first-year starters, and McMillian said the group still has “a lot of learning.” McMillian would like for more consistency up front and has really encouraged his line to stay on their blocks for “as long as they can” to give Turner a crease. Braxton Worrell has played guard nearly all season, and Packer Bolinger is on the offensive line.
Lane Darbro is a returning starter at defensive end and fullback, and Bolinger starts at nose. Schneider is at defensive end. Darbro suffered a shoulder injury and missed some practice, though no games.
McMillian labeled Madison’s quarterback situation “crazy.” Hayden Helm took over for his brother, Casey, now on the Princeton track team after a highly acclaimed football and track career at Madison. Hayden showcased an impressive arm and played well this summer.
He enjoyed a big Week 2 performance, especially throwing, against Marais des Cygnes Valley. Madison had a key non-district league game against Lebo in Week 3. The day before Lebo, Helm had a freak injury when he fell on the ground and dislocated his elbow. Helm was cleared Monday, though Madison has considered using him in a couple of roles.
McMillian had around 45 minutes to one hour to get a new game plan ready. Madison lost, 30-26, to the Wolves, which marked the Bulldogs’ first regular season loss since the 2017 finale, by far the state’s longest current regular season winning streak.
Sophomore Cade Hurlburt stepped in and performed admirably. He completed nine of 18 passes for 116 yards with a touchdown and rushed for 95 yards and a score. Lebo limited Turner to 17 touches for 122 yards and three scores.
The following Monday, Madison was throwing some routes in practice after the JV game. McMillian saw Turner toss the ball, was impressed and entertained the idea of moving him to quarterback. In Week 4, Madison defeated winless Maranatha Academy, 46-0, in the district opener. Hurlburt remained at quarterback, Turner at running back.
The next week, Madison switched Turner for the critical district game against Lyndon. Turner had never played quarterback before at any level.
“That was never really a thought,” McMillian said.
Turner went 10 of 13 passing for 80 yards. He delivered a remarkable 43 carries for 325 yards and six scores in the 40-26 victory.
Last week, Turner delivered one of the all-time great statistical performances in Kansas eight-man history in an 86-72 win against Cair Paravel. Madison led 48-22 after the first quarter before Cair Paravel closed to 48-44 at halftime. McMillian labeled the contest “stressful.”
Madison’s lead hovered around 20 points for most of the second half, though Cair Paravel recovered an onside kick, and then scored again. Cair Paravel has given opponents, including Eight-Man, Division II No. 1 Axtell, some problems with its spread offense. Madison has always been a 3-2 read defense, though switched to a 2-4 and 2-3 because of Cair Paravel’s passing attack.
“Our guys just weren’t super comfortable with it, and that’s probably our fault as a coaching staff,” McMillian said. “But I think that’s what we have to do against teams like that. I think we were thinking and not playing. Cair Paravel is probably the best 2-4 team in the state of Kansas, there’s no question about that. Yeah, the flow of the game was crazy. Turner played unbelievable, and they had a really hard time tackling him. With his speed and physicality, he is a hard guy to bring down a lot of times, but a pretty special performance by Bryson.”
Turner completed 3 of 4 passes for 28 yards and rushed 39 times for 435 yards and nine scores. Defensively, he recorded 14 tackles, 2.5 for loss and an interception. He delivered four kick returns for 131 yards and a TD.
“Our offense hasn’t really changed that much at all,” McMillian said. “Obviously, a little bit more QB-run heavy now, but any time you have a solid athlete at the quarterback position in eight-man football, you can get plus-one on blocking a lot.”
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