Each week 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.
**The four feature games are determined each week by an online fan vote!
Feature Games of the Week:
5A No. 4 Hays High at 6A No. 1 Derby
Last year, these two teams met for the first time with Derby winning 40-7 in the season opener at Fort Hays State University.
Derby was ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and had multiple Division I athletes, notably tight end DaSaahn Brame, who is now at Tennessee. Brame had multiple key catches, notably on fourth down, for key scoring drives. The Panthers scored 20 consecutive points late in the second quarter to build a 33-7 halftime lead. Derby went on to an 11-1 season with a loss to Manhattan in the 6A semifinals.
Hays High went 8-5, won four straight road playoff games and went to the first state title in school history. The Indians fell 35-13 to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 5A championship game.
Hays suffered significant injuries to quarterbacks in the state semifinal win at Eisenhower, including one to Zane Viegra. The senior, a program player who has waited his turn, now moves into the starting role with multiple stars surrounding him. Junior lineman Gus Cosair has eight Power 5 offers at 6-2, 285. Senior Holden Lind rushed for 1,800 yards last season. Seniors Canon Weber, Maximo Luna and Mason Dreher are part of the experienced offensive line. Hays High finished with the No. 6-defense in Class 5A with 16.2 points allowed a contest.
Derby by far led 6A with 50.8 points per game and allowed just 17.8 points a contest. The Panthers return significant pieces, led by running back Arieus Finely (1,500-plus rushing yards) and five starters across an offensive line that has Maxwell Robinson, a four-year starter and Division I recruit.
Two overarching questions: How will the new starting quarterbacks fare for both teams, and can Hays High match Derby’s talent across the board?
Our Pick: Derby 38, Hays High 21 (Nicholl)
Silver Lake at 1A No. 4 Rossville
Silver Lake and Rossville will kick off the season with the 112th rendition of the War on 24 - one of the state’s most storied rivalries.
Silver Lake has won three consecutive games in the series, while Rossville had won three in a row prior to that.
Last season, Silver Lake rallied from down 13-3 in the second half and eventually won in overtime, 33-26. In a wild second half that saw four lead changes, Silver Lake’s Dysen Schooler connected on a 22-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to force overtime tied at 26. The Eagles would score on a 2-yard touchdown run by Allen Lees in overtime to take the 33-26 lead. Silver Lake then knocked down a pass in the end zone and stopped the Rossville quarterback short of the goal line on fourth down to preserve the win.
The question coming into the season for Silver Lake is who will replace Schooler at quarterback. What ever player is in that position will have the benefit of experience at receiver with Dayne Johnson, Joel Miller, and Grady Bergamann. The Eagles also return some experienced pieces up front.
Silver Lake will follow the challenging Big East schedule with a brutal district including contenders Council Grove, Osage City, Riley County, and St. Marys.
Rossville opens the season ranked in Class 1A. The Bulldawgs reached the state semifinal round last season before falling to Centralia, 22-9.
Rossville must replace quarterback Tayson Horak and its entire offensive line, but there is plenty of talent at the skill positions. Conner Bush and Andre Johnson are among the top players in the classification and Jack Donovan returns as the team’s leading receiver.
Canan Mitchell will likely step in at quarter back after playing some last fall.
The defense returns Bush and Johnson – the Bulldawgs top two tacklers from a season ago.
Our Pick: Rossville 24, Silver Lake 21 (Gilmore)
Valley Heights at 1A No. 3 Centralia
Twin Valley League rivals Valley Heights and Centralia will meet in the season opener for the fourth consecutive season. Both the Mustangs and Panthers are considered contenders in a deep 1A classification.
Centralia has been one of the premiere small-school programs for years and has had the upper hand in this series. The Panthers have won nine straight against the Mustangs with Valley Heights’ last win coming in 2016.
Last fall, Centralia finished an 11-2 season with a state runner-up finish in Class 1A. The Panthers had playoff wins over Onaga, Olpe, St. Mary’s Colgan, and Rossville before falling to Conway Springs in the title game.
Among the standout players that the Panthers must replace include Jacob Flentie and Ben Haverkamp. Flentie rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall, while Haverkamp lead the Panthers in tackles.
Centralia returns six starters including Quentin Alderfer, who complimented Flentie last season with more than 1,000 yards rushing and 11 scores. Other key returners include Grady Becker, Isaac Reineke, and Degen Ronnebaum at skill positions along with Aidan Talley and Tyren Talley up front.
Valley Heights finished the 2024 season with an 9-3 mark, reaching the state semifinals before falling to eventual-champion Conway Springs. The Mustangs posted impressive playoff wins over Oakley, Sterling, and Medicine Lodge before falling to the Cardinals.
The Mustangs must replace their backfield including standout running backs Jayden DeWalt and Logan Gray and quarterback Mack Shanks. But Coach Cody Trimble brings back four starters across the offensive line including Creighton Smith and Lawson Stryker. Brady DeWalt and Austin Unruh are expected to get more opportunities in the backfield.
The last two meetings have been decided by a total of eight points; both Centralia victories. Expect another close game this week.
Our Pick: Centralia 26, Valley Heights 20 (Gilmore)
8M-I No. 4 Ell-Saline at 8M-II No. 3 Hanover
Ell-Saline and Hanover will meet for a fourth consecutive season. Hanover won this game last year, 34-16, en route to an 8-2 season. Ell-Saline also posted an 8-2 mark. The Cardinals won the prior two meetings in 2023 (44-28) and 2022 (50-14).
This year, both teams are major state contenders, notably Hanover, ranked No. 2 in Eight-Man, Division II. The Wildcats pose a real threat to rival Axtell, four-time defending Division II champions and on a 52-game winning streak.
Ell-Saline enjoyed a huge season, particularly defensively, and finished fourth in the classification with 13.8 points allowed a contest. Hanover was fourth in Division II with 13.2 points permitted per game.
The teams are very even on paper and return the bulk of their top skill players. Hanover, which has six state titles under coach Matt Heuer, has senior Alec Jueneman. He has 111 carries for 841 yards and 14 scores. Junior Kadrick Cohorst has delivered 38 rushes for 198 yards and 12 TDs. Three of the top-four tacklers return. Senior Tanner Bruna recorded 42 tackles, eight for loss.
Ell-Saline quarterback Reese Krone had a remarkable season with 695 yards for 14 scores against zero interceptions. Senior Kas Kramer posted 104 carries for 1,020 yards and 20 TDs. Junior Branton Gosvener is one of several returners back on defense after 36 tackles.
This will be a great measuring stick for both teams.
Our Pick: Hanover 30, Ell-Saline 28 (Nicholl)
The Pick List:
Bishop Carroll at 6A No. 4 Wichita Northwest – Wichita Northwest
6A No. 5 Blue Valley Northwest at Blue Valley North – Blue Valley Northwest
Garden City at 6A No. 3 Manhattan – Manhattan
6A No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton at Lawrence Free State – Gardner-Edgerton
Olathe Northwest at Shawnee Mission East – SM East
5A No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas at Blue Valley West – Aquinas
4A No. 1 Bishop Miege at 5A No. 5 St. James Academy – St. James
Hutchinson at 4A No. 3 Andover Central – Hutchinson
McPherson at 5A No. 3 Great Bend – Great Bend
Salina Central at Salina South – Salina Central
4A No. 4 Buhler at Mulvane – Buhler
Eudora at 3A No. 2 Topeka Hayden – Hayden
3A No. 5 Wichita Collegiate at Wellington – Collegiate
3A No. 3 Cheney at Holcomb – Cheney
2A No. 2 Nemaha Central at Marysville – Nemaha Central
Pratt at Hoisington – Hoisington
Humboldt at Caney Valley – Humboldt
Olpe at 2A No. 3 Osage City – Osage City
Chase County at 8M-I No. 5 Little River – Little River
Clifton-Clyde at 8M-II No. 4 Frankfort – Frankfort
Oswego at Marmaton Valley – Oswego
Peabody-Burns at 6M No. 5 Tescott – Tescott
6M No. 4 South Barber at 6M No. 2 Cunningham -- Cunningham
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.
