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Class 8-Man, Division I
VIEW: 8M-I Bracket
8M-I EAST
Highlighted Games:
D2-#2 Chase County (8-1) at D3-#1 South Sumner Co. (9-0) – Chase County
Maybe the marquee Regional round game in the state this week pits fifth-ranked Chase County at No. 3 South Sumner County. The game will feature two of eight-man football’s premiere players in Chase County’s Mitch Budke and South Sumner County’s Keiondre Smith.
Budke has been exceptional for the Bulldogs. He has rushed for 1,898 yards and 34 touchdowns while passing for 372 yards and six scores. Defensively, Budke has 113 stops and has more than 500 tackles in his career. Chase County has plenty of key players around him, including junior Brock Griffin and senior Cal Kohlmeier.
South Sumner County will counter with their explosive quarterback Keiondre Smith. Smith has rushed for 1,683 yards and 38 touchdowns and averages more than 12 yards per carry. Smith has added 528 passing yards and four scores. Alex Smith and Colby Irey are also threats for the Outlaws.
South Sumner County has been incredible in the first-year co-op between Caldwell and South Haven. The Outlaws have outscored their nine opponents by an average score of 57 to 8. Chase County has outscored its opponents by an average score of 54-16. The Bulldogs survived a challenging District 2 that also included Burlingame, Lyndon, and Madison – each of which advanced to the Regional round. Chase County’s opponents have posted a 44-36 record (.550), while South Sumner’s opponents have posted a 33-47 (.413) record.
D3-#2 Wichita Independent (8-1) at D2-#1 Burlingame (8-1) – Burlingame
Another key matchup on the eastern half of 8M-I features eight-man newcomer Wichita Independent traveling to Burlingame. The Independent Panthers struggled to just three total wins over the past five seasons before moving to eight-man this fall. The Panthers responded with an 7-1 regular season and a 56-36 win over Goessel in last week’s first-round.
Independent is led by senior Christian Dean who has rushed for 1,255 yards and 28 touchdowns while averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. Sophomore Tatum Stalnaker has passed for 671 yards and 11 touchdowns, while senior Maddon Nguyen has added 339 passing yards and nine scores. Joseph Recalde-Phillips leads the team with 661 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. In last week’s win over Goessel, Nguyen threw five touchdown passes – four to Recalde-Phillips.
Burlingame opened with eight consecutive wins and captured the District 2 championship – widely considered the most difficult district in eight-man football. The Bearcats lost 60-59 to Lyndon on a late touchdown in the final week of the regular season. Burlingame rebounded last week with a 52-6 win over Flinthills.
Colby Middleton leads the Bearcat offense with 1,010 yards passing and 18 touchdowns. Middleton has also added 852 yards rushing and 25 scores. Matthew Heckman is the team’s leading receiver with 471 yards and eight scores, while sophomore Dane Winters has 422 receiving yards and seven scores. Winters has also added 340 rushing yards and six scores.
Other first-round games:
D2-#4 Lyndon (7-2) at D4-#2 Moundridge (6-3) – Lyndon
D2-#3 Madison (6-3) at D4-#1 Little River (8-1) – Little River
8M-I WEST
Highlighted Games:
D6-#4 Quinter (4-5) at D8-#2 Meade (8-1) – Meade
Quinter delivered a big comeback and knocked off district champion Clifton-Clyde – and looks for another upset against defending state champion Meade. Quinter had taken close losses to Sharon Springs-Wallace County, Dighton, and Hoxie. Senior Preston Havlas completed four of six passes for 78 yards with two scores. Junior Trace Kinderknecht had 28 carries for 145 yards and a TD. Junior Lakin Getz had 13 carries for 70 yards and a score.
Meade rolled over Ness City 65-8 in the first round. Meade led 36-0 after the first quarter and outgained Ness City, 387-70, on the night. Brock Keith had eight rushes for 160 yards and three scores. Grayden Stapleton had five carries for 92 yards and three TDs.
Havlas has delivered an impressive passing season with 86 of 141 for 1,168 yards with 16 scores against four interceptions. Quinter has struggled some in the run game with 3.3 yards per carry. Sophomore Ethan Gruenbacher paces with 33 catches and six scores. Meade is the favorite behind a stronger rushing attack and a 23-1 record in its last 24 contests.
D6-#2 Atwood-Rawlins Co. (7-2) at D7-#1 Macksville (9-0) – Rawlins County
Both of these squads have enjoyed significant turnarounds and this is anticipated to be an even matchup. Macksville was 5-5 last year and a Kpreps Potential Breakout Team in the preseason. The Mustangs have their most wins since 2011. Rawlins County has not won more than seven games in a year since 2013. This is the first time these teams have ever met, per Kansas Football History.
Macksville improved to 9-0 and has outscored teams, 464-98 after a 54-6 win against South Gray. Senior Ryan Kuckelman had 10 carries for 120 yards and four scores. Macksville finished with 20 carries for 315 yards and six touchdowns.
Kuckelman is Mackville’s well-known standout with 902 passing yards, 70 percent completion and 20 scores against no interceptions. He has 856 rushing yards and 18 scores. However, Macksville has enjoyed big seasons from several other players. Sophomore Hector Gomez has 60 carries and 799 yards with 17 scores. Senior Lance Lickiss has 12 catches for 238 yards and seven scores. Junior Ervey Traina has 107 tackles, and Kuckelman has delivered 15 tackles for loss. Macksville has 9.7 yards per play.
Rawlins County has won five in a row and defeated Lincoln, 46-0, in a game that ended at halftime. The Buffs led 26-0 after the first quarter. Senior Drew Withington, senior Jayden Reed and sophomore Ryan Sramek combined for seven touchdowns and 239 rushing yards. Withington has completed 39 of 75 passes for 720 yards with 11 scores against five interceptions. He has 107 carries for 752 yards and 15 scores. Sramek has 10 rushing TDs. Rawlins County has averaged 7.7 yards per play.
Macksville has a slightly more dynamic offensive attack and is playing at home, but Rawlins County has played a more difficult schedule. This game could go either way.
Other first-round games:
D7#2 WaKeeney-Trego (6-3) at D6-#1 Hill City (8-1) – Hill City
D6-#3 Hoxie (7-2) at D8-#1 Leoti-Wichita Co. (9-0) – Wichita County
Class 8-Man, Division II
VIEW: 8M-II Bracket
8M-II EAST
Highlighted Games:
D3-#3 Frankfort (4-5) at D1-#1 Lebo (7-2) – Lebo
Lebo has won seven consecutive games after an 0-2 start with losses to Lyndon (20-14) and Burlingame (54-6). The Wolves have quality victories over other Regional teams in Madison (30-26) and Crest (64-28).
Last week, Lebo advanced with a 58-0 shut out of Rural Vista. Sophomore Drew Konrade completed three of six passes for 91 yards with two touchdowns, while classmate Taegan Kelley delivered seven carries for 78 yards with two scores. Junior Corey Reese added 86 yards and two scores. Konrade has passed for 714 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding more than 400 rushing yards and seven scores. Reese has rushed for 837 yards and 16 scores.
Frankfort continued its recent success against Beloit St. John’s-Tipton winning four times since 2016. Frankfort led 28-6 at halftime and held off the Blujays in the second half. Frankfort forced five Bluejay turnovers, and Frankfort committed three. Lane Loiseau carried 30 times for 263 yards and three scores in the win as the Wildcats racked up more than 400 rushing yards. Ty Smith added 150 yards and three scores on the ground.
D1-#2 Colony-Crest (7-2) at D4-#1 Osborne (8-1) – Osborne
This is another close contest that could go either way. Osborne coach Steve Tiernan, who has stops at Baileyville B&B, Osborne and Solomon, is 9-1 against teams from the southeast Kansas/Emporia area teams in his career.
Osborne has won eight straight games. The Bulldogs average 50.4 points per game and have an average score of 51-13. Junior Doak Guttery has completed 63 percent of passes for 464 yards with nine scores against two interceptions. Osborne is balanced with three players between 11 and 18 rushing scores: Guttery, senior Connor Schurr and sophomore Hunter Howell. Osborne has been superb at creating negative plays with 95 TFLs, including 23 for loss from Schurr.
Crest is highly senior-laden with an average score of 55-25. The Lancers will make a 279-mile one-way trip north. Crest has not won a road playoff game in at least a decade, including three road postseason losses in ’19, ’20 and ’21.
The Lancers are into the Round of 16 for the third time in seven years after a 60-40 win against an experienced Norwich squad. Senior Ethan Godderz completed eight of 14 passes for 217 yards for four touchdowns. Senior Holden Barker, hurt earlier this season after more than 2,000 rushing yards last year, had 15 carries for 157 yards and three scores. Senior Stetson Setter has five catches for 153 yards and three TDs. Godderz has enjoyed marked improvement with 912 passing yards with 19 scores against two interceptions. He has 1,042 rushing yards with 17 scores. Barker has delivered 984 yards and 21 scores. Crest has 9.5 yards per play. The Lancers have 22 players and 11 seniors, a remarkable number for an Eight-Man, Division II school.
Other first-round games:
D3-#2 Hanover (5-4) at D2-#1 Canton-Galva (9-0) – Canton-Galva
D2-#2 Hutchinson Central Christian (4-5) at D3-#1 Axtell (9-0) – Axtell
8M-II WEST
Highlighted Games:
D8-#3 Hodgeman County (6-3) at D6-#1 Thunder Ridge (8-1) – Thunder Ridge
Hodgeman County will make the trip to Thunder Ridge to decide the Regional championship. Lat week, Thunder Ridge rolled to a 62-0 win against Wilson in what is expected to be the Dragons’ last football game before the school closes.
Thunder Ridge has won six straight, all by at least 36 points, since a Week 3 loss to Hill City. The Longhorns have a total score of 459-132. In the Wilson win, senior Dylan Bice rushed for three scores and passed for one. The Longhorns ran 27 plays for 231 yards.
For the second straight week, Hodgeman County defeated South Barber with a 58-28 victory. Hodgeman County won 40-30 in Week 8. Senior Seth Pelton rushed for more than 300 yards in the first win, which was more yards than he had in his entire career. He finished with 21 carries and 156 yards for three scores last week. Senior Sawyer Bowman delivered 26 carries for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Hodgeman County has bounced back after a rare losing season in a 4-5 season last fall. Thunder Ridge will be the favorite with the Bice twins (Dalton and Dylan) and its 10 seniors for coach Joel Struckhoff. Bice has completed 60 percent of its passes for 942 yards with 10 scores against three interceptions. He has rushed 1,331 yards and 22 scores. Bice has delivered a remarkable career with 3,702 passing yards, 3,843 rushing yards and 98 touchdowns accounted for. Thunder Ridge will be the favorite with its experienced senior class.
D8-#4 Bucklin (6-3) at D6-#2 Sharon Springs-Wallace Co. (6-3) – Wallace County
Both Bucklin and Wallace County have enjoyed success with young coaches who were former consensus first team all-state selections as players. Bucklin coach Trever Powell, a Kiowa County graduate, has led the Red Aces to its best seasons since the ‘90s. Wallace County had no winning seasons from ’17-21. Alum Kyle Gfeller, the starting quarterback on the ’13 state runner-up squad, has enjoyed a strong turnaround with the Wildcats.
Bucklin pulled a slight upset against undefeated Stafford last week with a 32-30 win. The Red Aces, who had played a more challenging strength of schedule than Stafford, trailed 22-6 after the first quarter. Bucklin scored six points in each of the first three quarters. Bucklin outscored Stafford, 14-8, in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Lucas Kirk delivered 12 of 19 passing for 268 yards with two scores. Junior Andrew Bowman had a rushing and passing score. This was an extremely even game; Bucklin held a 424-415 edge in total yards.
Wallace County shut down Central Plains in a game that ended in the third quarter. The Wildcats scored six points in the first quarter and 30 in the second. The Wildcats’ defense held two-win Central Plains to 5 of 16 passing for 37 yards with two interceptions. Wallace County limited the Oilers to 57 rushing yards and two yards a carry. Wallace County quarterback Cade Johnson has been a strong dual threat signal caller.
Other first-round games:
D8-#2 Minneola (8-1) at D5-#1 Victoria (9-0) – Victoria
D5-#2 Sylvan-Lucas Unified (7-2) at D8-#1 Dighton (9-0) – Dighton
Class 6-Man
VIEW: 6-Man Bracket
6-Man EAST
Highlighted Games:
D2-#4 Pawnee Heights (4-5) at D1-#1 Waverly (8-0) – Waverly
Waverly, in its first year of six-man football, is one of two remaining undefeated teams. The Bulldogs had a first-round bye last week. Waverly has two close victories over Wetmore (38-32) and Peabody-Burns (38-34).
Pawnee Heights opened 1-5 and has since won three straight, including a forfeit victory. The Tigers won a back-&-forth game against Altoona-Midway, 49-46, last week. Junior Davin Hamby completed 10 of 14 passes for 141 yards with three scores. He also rushed 24 times for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the win over the Jets. Senior Dakota Ryan had six catches for 74 yards for two scores. Hamby has quietly enjoyed a huge season with 598 passing and 10 scores, along with 1,117 rushing and 18 touchdowns. Sophomore Jimmy Gardner has added 784 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Gardner, Dakota Ryan, and Connor Gilliland have combined for nearly 750 receiving yards.
D2-#3 Burrton (6-3) at D1-#2 Wetmore (6-2) – Wetmore
Burrton and Wetmore are both enjoying successful seasons in 6-man football. Burrton is 6-3 after winning five total games over the past ten seasons. Burrton is into the Round of 16 for the first time since 2003. The Chargers advanced to this game with a 73-24 win over Southern Coffey County. Wetmore received a first-round bye.
Aiden Hoopes has put up big numbers for the Chargers. Hoopes has rushed for 1,581 yards and 26 touchdowns. Hoopes has added 1,279 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s also caught 12 passes for 309 yards and five scores.
Wetmore had posted nine wins in the six seasons since restarting its football program. The Cardinals have registered six blowout wins and a close loss to unbeaten Waverly (38-32) this season. Wetmore’s other loss came to Pawnee City (Neb.). Senior Dierk Hanzlicek has rushed for 1,006 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. He’s also passed for 370 yards and six scores and has 242 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Fellow senior Kyler Wommack has passed for 838 yards and 14 touchdowns and added seven rushing scores. Jacob Carls is the Cardinals leading receiver with 547 yards and nine scores.
Other first-round games:
D1-#3 Peabody-Burns (6-3) at D2-#2 Tescott (8-1) – Tescott
D2-#5 Natoma (5-4) at D2-#1 Cunningham (8-0) – Cunningham
6-Man WEST
Highlighted Games:
D3-#3 Deerfield (5-3) at D4-#2 Northern Valley (6-2) – Northern Valley
Northern Valley, ranked fifth in the classification, has two one-point losses to Tescott (25-24) and Cheylin (49-48) this season. Last week, Deerfield won its first playoff game since 2008.
The Spartans have enjoyed a huge turnaround in their first year of six-man football. Deerfield is 5-3 and has averaged 46.9 points a game. Sophomore Maverick Najera completed 13 of 21 passes for 142 yards with four scores against two interceptions. Senior Cesar Ramirez finished with four carries for 105 yards and two TDs in last week’s 52-7 win over Western Plains. This season, Najera has completed 70 of 139 passes for 1,180 yards with 18 scores against six interceptions. The Spartans have 6.4 yards per play.
Northern Valley, known for its depth, has enjoyed a stronger offense, especially running the ball. The Huskies have averaged 8.4 yards per play. Gavin Thalheim has 72 tackles, while Foster Brands has 61, including 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Kenton Thalheim has 55 of 93 passes for 1,012 yards with 25 scores against four interceptions.
D4-#3 Tribune-Greeley Co. (4-4) at D3-#2 Ingalls (5-2) – Ingalls
Both Greeley County and Ingalls had first-round byes last week and have enjoyed nice improvements this fall. Ingalls was winless in Eight-Man, Division II last year. The Bulldogs defeated Tribune-Greeley County, 41-19, in the season opener. Ingalls is 5-0 against unranked squads, including a 100-87 win against Deerfield. Aside from the loss to Ingalls, Greeley County dropped two games to ranked teams, and a 52-21 decision to Eads (Colo.), a 7-3 squad.
Ingalls has scored 43.4 points a contest and has registered its most wins since 2017. Greelcy County had two combined wins in the last three years. The Jackrabbits have not posted a winning season since 2010. Quarterback Will Ast has paced Ingalls, and Valentin Villalobos has led Greeley County with 853 rushing yards and 16 scores. Sophomore Lincoln Shafer, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer in Greeley County’s state championship basketball squad last winter, has 648 passing yards with nine scores against five interceptions.
Other first-round games:
D4-#4 Golden Plains (3-6) at D3-#1 Ashland (6-1) – Ashland
D3-#4 Moscow (4-3) at D4-#1 Cheylin (7-1) – Cheylin
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