Kpreps.com takes you Around the Classes as we look at a handful of games in each classification from teams outside our top five rankings.
Class 6A:
Banks Bowen delivered a huge opening game as Lawrence scored in each quarter to top Olathe West, 41-22, on Thursday night. Bowen rushed for 256 yards and three scores to lead the Chesty Lion offense. He also added 104 yards through the air. Malcolm Paul added 90 yards and two scores on the ground.
Shawnee Mission North answered rival Shawnee Mission South’s overtime touchdown to pull within 42-41 of the Raiders. The Bison then successfully converted the two-point conversion for the 43-42 win. Shawnee Mission North has now won two consecutive season openers.
Washburn Rural edged Wichita East 26-25 in a battle of two 6A contenders. Rural and East were tied 19-19 at halftime before Rural quarterback Branton DeWeese added the second of his two rushing touchdowns to give the Junior Blues a 26-19 lead in the third quarter. Wichita East would respond late in the game with a touchdown pass from Daeonte’ Mitchell to Rey’zhian Shears, but Rural’s JC Heim blocked the PAT to preserve the 1-point lead.
Class 5A:
After a scoreless first quarter, Goddard erupted for 24 points in the second on its way to a 46-8 win over Haysville Campus. The Lions were led by standout senior back Micah Johnson who carried 13 times for 151 yards and two scores. Classmate Mason Healy added 100 yards and two scores on the ground, while Ashton Sell also rushed for a touchdown. Campus scored on a touchdown pass from Drake McPherson to Lukas White.
KC Washington score in each quarter in beating KC Sumner Academy, 39-20. Senior quarterback Ja’Quarey Williams passed for 181 yards and two scores and added 51 yards on the ground and another touchdown for the Wildcats. Savion Stone rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns, while Xavyer Powell had 114 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Sumner was led on the ground by Deavon McWashington’s 90 yards on 18 attempts.
Salina Central rolled to another Mayor’s Cup win over crosstown rival Salina South. The Mustangs got 194 yards rushing and four touchdowns from senior Elijah Wilson. Senior quarterback Gunnar Gross passed for 117 yards and two scores in limited action, while junior Jack Gordon completed 17 of 26 attempts for 194 yards and two more scores. Hunter Mowery led Central with four catches for 119 yards and two scores. Salina South has now lost 16 consecutive games.
Shawnee Heights running back Allen Baughman picked up where he left off last season with a big game to help the Thunderbirds. Baughman rushed for 164 yards and two scores as Heights blanked KC Piper. Baughman rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and had 20 touchdowns last year, including 92 yards in a season-opening 31-20 loss to Piper to open last season.
Pittsburg High rushed for 327 yards in rolling to a 54-28 road victory at Emporia. Wyatt Rink led the Purple Dragon ground game with 158 yards and three scores on 21 carries. Webb Fern, Stone Peery, and Conner Proffitt each added rushing scores, while Tucker Akins threw touchdown passes to Proffitt and Jayden Brown.
Great Bend held on for a 29-16 win over McPherson. Sophomore Daxton Minton passed for 162 yards and three touchdowns – one each to classmates Jacob Hall, Ian Premer, and senior Colton Brack. Freshman Cooper Ohnmacht returned an interception for a touchdown for a Panther defense that had two key takeaways.
Class 4A:
Tonganoxie scored in each quarter to pull away from Basehor-Linwood, 34-20. The Chieftains led 21-13 at halftime. Senior Colton Brusven carried 39 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Quarterback Trevor McGraw passed for 230 yards and three scores – two of which went to Isaac Holthaus who had 105 receiving yards.
Independence slipped by Bishop Ward 7-6 in Kendall Fiscus’ first game as head coach of the Bulldogs. Senior quarterback Camdon Julian passed for 141 yards and added 96 yards on the ground including his team’s only score. Lamarcus Allen, who played at Coffeyville last fall, chipped in 17 carries for 85 yards.
Chanute doubled up Augusta 42-21 thanks to a huge night from Quinton Harding. Harding carried 19 times for 335 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Comets. Kaiden Seamster and Kris Harding each added a touchdown run and Seamster hauled in a touchdown reception and intercepted a pass on defense. Eliott Stephenson registered 10 tackles and had a fumble recovery for the Chanute defense.
Labette County rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to shock Towanda-Circle, 40-28. Grizzly quarterback Kendall Holtzman completed 17 of 23 passing for 332 yards and five touchdowns. Labette County had two receivers eclipse 100 yards with Zavier Phillips catching five for 103 yards and two scores and freshman Nolan Nash hauling in three catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Jamaal Jackson had 70 receiving yards and a touchdowns and added 89 yards rushing on the night. Circle rushed for 286 yards in the game led by Westin Rose’s 131 yards (TD), Conner Chadwell’s 111 yards (TD), and Cannon McCormack’s two rushing scores.
Louisburg scored 34 points in the first half in rolling past Rogers-Heritage (Ark.), 48-14. Quarterback Declan Battle rushed for 135 yards and five touchdowns and added 100 yards through the air on 11 completions. Ashton Moore chipped in 87 yards ad Darby Van Eaton added 73 yards on the ground with each scoring touchdowns. The Wildcats rushed for 340 yards against the War Eagle defense.
Sophomore Manny Myers passed for 110 yards and three touchdowns to help Mulvane edge Coffeyville-Field Kindley, 28-25. Myers connected with Lucas Sorensen on a pair of scoring strikes and tossed a third to Kaiden Abasolo. Coffeyville was led by Aaron Tunstall’s 153 yards rushing and two touchdowns on nine carries.
Class 3A:
Colby pulled away from Ulysses, 32-8, to pick up the first win for new coach Ryan Mosier at the school. Senior Zane Betz rushed for 149 yards to lead the Eagle offense, while Casen Carroll passed for 122 yards and three scores. Two of Carroll’s touchdown passes went to Brayden Foss with the other going to Kasey Giesenhagen. Ulysses has now lost nine consecutive games.
Iola scored all 50 points in the first half of its 50-14 win over Osawatomie. Senior quarterback Landon Weide passed for 190 yards and four touchdowns – two going to Benjamin Kerr and one each to Mac Leonard and Cortland Carson. Carson and Drayden Reiter each rushed for scores for the Mustangs.
Pratt pulled away from Larned for a 48-12 win in the Central Kansas League. Max Younie completed both of his passes for 155 yards – both going for touchdowns to fellow senior Noah Riley. Younie was equally effective on the ground with 200 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 11 carries. Junior Owen Schmidt chipped in 74 yards rushing on three carries.
Chapman edged North Central Kansas League rival Concordia, 14-13. Irish sophomore quarterback Kelan Gruver passed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but it was Cooper Lewis’ two-point conversion catch that proved to be the difference in the end. Chapman rushed for 243 yards on the ground as a team averaging nearly 7.0 yards per carry. Mason Eickmann and Drew Sterrett led Concordia on the ground combining for more than 150 yards and each scoring a touchdown.
William Dorsey passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns as Wellsville handled Anderson County, 40-12. Senior Dezmond Winton caught six passes for 99 yards and a score, while Brody Lee added a pair of touchdown catches. Winton also added a rushing score as did Jace Troutman and Payton Otwell.
Class 2A:
Osage City opened the season with a dominating 48-7 win over Mission Valley. Quarterback Kasen Parsons passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns for the Indians and added 62 yards on the ground and another score. Dylan Theel led Osage City with 101 yards rushing and a touchdown. Quenten Stark had three catches for 118 yards and a score, while Jess Reece’s three catches went for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Indian defense came up with three interceptions against the Viking passing attack.
Halstead defeated Smoky Valley for the second consecutive year to open the season. The Dragons used a stingy defense and an effective passing game to top the Vikings, 47-8. Junior quarterback Braxton Creed completed 13 of 17 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score. Tucker Divine, Owen Farmer, and Noah Diehl each caught touchdowns and were among six different receivers to catch passes. Senior Brayden Logan added a pair of rushing scores for Halstead. The Dragon defense held Smoky Valley to 137 yards of total offense.
Riverton made the short 4-mile trip to Abbey Field in Galena and beat the Bulldogs, 35-8. It marks Riverton’s first win over its CNC rival since 2008, ending a streak of 15 consecutive losses to the Bulldogs. Lake Crowder broke free for 179 yards and two touchdown on just five carries to lead the Rams.
Norton defeated Plainville, 37-18. Junior Eli Jones completed 20 of 29 passes for 319 yards with four touchdowns against no interceptions. The Bluejays finished with 453 yards of total offense. Junior Tyce Melvin had 11 catches for 203 yards and two scores. Senior Roman Hauser had two sacks.
Class 1A:
Wabaunsee held off Troy, 46-28, in a matchup of two teams that were in the top-5 in 1A in passing offense and scoring offense last year. Wabaunsee led 14-6 after the first quarter and 30-12 at halftime. Senior Wyatt Wurtz completed 3 of 10 passes for 39 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He rushed 11 times for 138 yards and two scores. Senior Miguel Hernandez had five carries for 118 yards and two TDs. Wabaunsee had 35 carries for 329 yards.
McLouth held off Onaga, 30-26. McLouth had lost eight straight season openers.
Medicine Lodge beat Chaparral, 20-6, on the road. Chaparral was 7-2 last fall and went 5-0 at home. Medicine Lodge used a balanced effort with six players getting carries – and none having more than 50 yards. The Indians delivered 45 carries for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Sawyer Stone posted four of Medicine Lodge’s seven tackles for loss. The Indians had four sacks, two from Stone. All three of Medicine Lodge’s touchdowns came on the ground, one apiece from sophomores Jack Schneider and Braxx Farr and one by Jack Schreiner.
Class 8-man I
Hoxie, just outside the top-5, opened with a 47-0 win against WaKeeney-Trego. Junior Duncan Bell completed six of 11 passes for 83 yards with two touchdowns against no interceptions. Junior Braydon Scheetz finished with 12 carries for 124 yards and three scores. Hoxie finished with 37 plays for 292 yards. Bell also picked off two passes, and senior Jonathan Mader recovered a fumble.
Rural Vista defeated Solomon, 44-18. The Heat ran for 400 yards, all from non-seniors. Junior Logan Tate had two carries for 130 yards and two scores, from 70 and 60 yards. Sophomore Kole Riedy posted 23 carries for 153 yards and a touchdown. Rural Vista held Solomon senior Spencer Coup to nine of 19 passing for 173 yards with two scores against one interception. The Heat held Solomon to three yards a rush. Junior Gavin Carson posted 14 tackles.
Atwood-Rawlins County rolled over Northwest Kansas League rival St. Francis, 42-0, to win the Yoke Bowl. Junior Ryan Sramek posted 17 carries for 89 yards and two scores.
Class 8-man II
Frankfort scores all 38 points in the first half and held off Chase County, 38-20. Quarterback Wes Anderson completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 305 yards and five touchdowns for the Wildcats. Carter Olson caught seven passes for 122 yards and three scores, while Trent Hardin added 85 yards and Lane Loiseau had 72 yards with each finding the end zone.
Marmaton Valley blanked Oswego 50-0 to open Three Rivers League competition. The Wildcats put up nearly 400 yards of total offense on 40 plays. Jaedon Granere rushed for a pair of touchdowns and Brayden Lawson rushed for a score and tossed a touchdown pass to Dreden Ellis. In addition to Ellis’ touchdown reception, he also scored on a short run and returned a fumble for a score to end the game.
Reno County Homeschool opened its varsity competition with a wild 70-68 win at Pike Valley. The Sabres trailed 68-84 with six seconds left but scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass on the game’s final play.
Quinter won, 30-28, at Sharon Springs-Wallace County in double overtime. Quinter had lost, 14-6, in this game last season. The Bulldogs were 1-4 in one-score games en route to a 4-6 mark in 2022. QHS made a huge stop late in the fourth quarter and then scored to tie the game. Quinter won in double overtime.
Hodgeman County defeated South Gray, 56-8, at home. Owen Reece enjoyed a big 2022 before he suffered injury. He opened with a huge stat line: 30 of 36 passing for 267 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Reece posted nine carries for 122 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Dawson Ruff recorded five carries for 21 yards and two TDs.
Bucklin beat Spearville, 52-24, at home. Junior Lucas Kirk had a big night with 14 of 31 passing for 172 yards with one touchdown against two interceptions. Kirk had 31 carries for 281 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Kolson Cook had 16 carries for 141 yards.
Central Plains started the J.D. Klima era with a 56-14 win against Ness City. Junior Brodie Crites completed nine of 15 passes for 142 yards with two scores against no interceptions. Senior Blaine Hickel had 13 carries for 84 yards and a TD. The OIlers had four players with one rushing touchdown.
Minneola beat Kiowa County, 68-14, at home. Senior Eli Lang delivered five of nine passing for 117 yards with three touchdowns against no interceptions. He had five carries for 100 yards with a score. Sophomore Levi Lang posted three carries for 71 yards, all for touchdowns. The The longest run was 54 yards. Three players caught a receiving score. Minneola finished with eight sacks, including three from junior Allen Skeen.
6-Man
Deerfield defeated Triplains-Brewster, 51-18, at home. Junior Maverick Najera completed 11 of 21 passes for 172 yards with five touchdowns against two interceptions. He had eight carries for 68 yards. Junior Yulexis Quintero-Robles had 23 carries for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
Ingalls won at Tribune-Greeley County, 55-18. Junior Langston Nothern and senior Layton Simon each passed for a touchdown. Junior Breck Averhoff had five catches for 91 yards.
Pawnee Heights, expected to be much improved in 2023, opened with a 47-20 win against Moscow. Pawnee Heights lost, 34-13, in this contest last fall. Junior Jimmy Gardner had four of five passing for 115 yards with two scores against no interceptions. Junior Clayton Hammeke had four of seven passing with 56 yards with two scores versus no interceptions. Senior Davin Hamby had eight carries for 142 yards and a TD. Gardner had nine carries for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
