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:
Wichita Southeast built a 16-6 halftime lead and held off Wichita South, 22-20. The Golden Buffaloes were led by junior Kedrick Harrison’s 154 rushing yards on 22 carries. Harrison’s classmate Mack Obar added 94 yards on 17 attempts. Both Harrison and Obar rushed for touchdowns. Obar also added 54 yards passing, including a touchdown pass to David Cooks. Jay’den Kirk-McGowan led South with 117 yards on the ground. after ending a 14-game losing streak last season, Wichita Southeast has now won three of its last four games.
Olathe North opened the season on Thursday night with a 35-24 victory over Shawnee Mission South. Trailing 17-14 at halftime, the Eagles outscored the Raiders 21-7 in the second half. Senior quarterback Riley Johnson passed for 123 yards and added 107 yards and a score on the ground. Blaise Adger led Olathe North with 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Akobi Bruce caught five passes for 101 yards for the Eagles. Marquan Washington led SM South with a pair of rushing scores.
Olathe South rolled to a 63-7 win over Shawnee Mission West in the season-opener. The Falcons scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and led 42-7 by halftime. The Olathe South defense forced four turnovers on the night including three interceptions. Olathe South hosts 5A No. 3 Great Bend this week.
Junction City exploded for 34 points in the third quarter to pull away from Haysville Campus, 48-3. Quarterback Conrad Gomez passed for 315 yards and six touchdown passes for the Blue Jays. Gomez threw five touchdown passes in the third quarter alone. Lance Norris caught a team high six passes for 122 yards and a score. Jamarcus Tyson caught two touchdown passes and Brody Boeckman, Lovell Autry, and Ayden Martin each added one touchdown catch.
Shawnee Mission East rallied from down 14 points and kicked a field goal as time expired to top Olathe Northwest, 31-28. Lancer quarterback Jack Reeves rushed for 183 yards and a touchdown and passed for 106 yards and a score. Reeves also kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal. Chase Jehle hauled in six passes for 121 yards for the Lancers, while Thomas Vanice added 79 yards and a score on the ground. Bryce Randall rushed 29 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns for Olathe Northwest.
Olathe West rallied from down two scores to top Lawrence, 35-31. Owl quarterback Brody Hale passed for 130 yards and three touchdowns and added a team-high 46 yards on the ground. Sam Krzykowski caught five passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns. Lawrence was led by Tahj Edwards’ 214 rushing yards on 39 attempts.
Class 5A:
KC Washington scored 48 points in the first half in routing KC Sumner Academy, 62-20. Quarterback Savion Stone passed for 186 yards and three touchdowns and added 170 yards and three more scores on the ground. Camron Fields added 88 yards rushing and a score and 168 yards receiving with two touchdowns. Darreon Baskin and Shon Williams each caught touchdown passes for the Wildcats.
Basehor-Linwood doubled-up Leavenworth 42-21 to open the season victorious for a second consecutive season. Quarterback Carson Dixon was consistent in completing 13 of 18 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers. Nash Morrrison, Nate Martin, and Peter Rodriquez each caught touchdown passes with Morrison hauling in six catches for 94 yards. Sophomore Gavin Mitchell led the Bobcat ground game with 114 yards and a score on 18 attempts. Rodriquez also added a rushing score.
Valley Center avenged last season’s opening loss to Goddard-Eisenhower by defeating the Tigers, 38-28. Hornet quarterback Conner Thatcher passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns – both to sophomore Spencer Crumrine. Crumrine, who transferred from Sedgwick over the summer, caught five passes for 110 yards. Thatcher added a pair of rushing scores for Valley Center. Eisenhower was led by senior Brayden Pappas’ 118 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Hutchinson scored two touchdowns in each of the third and fourth quarters to pull away from defending 4A champion Andover Central, 34-0. The Salthawks were led by senior Robert Hunter who passed for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Hunter threw touchdown passes to D’Angelo Gray, Larry Jeremiah, and Jeremyah Gaito-Karanu. Karmelo Green also added a rushing score. The Salthawk defense held Andover Central to 144 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers.
Pittsburg High scored 10 points in the final quarter to break a 14-14 tie and defeat Emporia, 24-14. The Purple Dragons were led by Malcolm Riley’s 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts. Quarterback Christian Krogen rushed for a score and threw a touchdown pass to Malakai Meadows.
Class 4A:
Lansing opened United Kansas Conference play with a 56-12 win over KC Turner after beating the Golden Bears 56-14 in the season-opener a year ago. Junior Jaxon Pollard rushed 29 times for 256 yards and six touchdowns for the Lions. Quarterback Caden Garcia added 144 yards and a pair of touchdown passes through the air. Garcia threw touchdown passes to Chase Legault and Mehki Stephens. Lansing will host Leavenworth this week.
Towanda-Circle scored 41 points in the first half in routing Coffeyville-Field Kindley, 55-8. Circle kept the ball on the ground rushing for 304 yards. Senior Franklin Ekue rushed 13 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns, while Sophomore Jason Smith added 136 yards and three scores on just six carries. Quarterback Mason Stobart passed for 128 yards with touchdown passes to Dominic Sawyer and Jay Bonewitz.
KC Piper built a 31-7 lead before holding off Topeka Seaman for a 31-22 win. The Pirates were led by junior Roman Byers’ 261 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. Quarterback Leeum Healy passed for 150 yards and two more scores.
Arkansas City captured the Cowley Cup with a narrow 7-6 win over rival Winfield. Trailing 6-0 at halftime, the only points of the second half came on a short Jordan Pierce touchdown run in the third quarter. The Ark City win snaps a streak of consecutive wins by Winfield in the series. The last three meetings have been decided by single digits.
Ulysses opened the Mitchell Foote era with a 47-46 win over Colby. The win snapped the Tigers’ 25-game losing streak. The last Ulysses win came in the 2022 season-opener over Colby, 46-28. Quarterback Caden Ledesma completed 25 of 29 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns on the night. Receivers Julian Meraz caught 14 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while Preston Hittle added five catches for 135 yards and two scores.
Class 3A:
Hesston scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from Halstead for a 27-7 win. The Swathers were led by senior Blayne Wilson who rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns on 20 attempts. Daxon Deering also caught a touchdown pass for Hesston. Halstead’s score came on a rushing touchdown from Brock Odendahl.
Neodesha scored four touchdowns before halftime in beating Cherryvale, 33-6. Sophomore Tayte Leck passed for 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue Streaks. Leck threw touchdown passes to Camryn White, Cole Ramey, and J’Vonte White. Jayedin Huckabey added two rushing scores for Neodesha.
Smoky Valley stopped a two-game losing streak to Larned by edging the Indians, 8-6. Junior Crew Elliott scored the only touchdown for the Vikings and his two-point conversion proved the be the difference in the game. Senior Brock Gengler led the Viking defense with ten stops including one for loss.
Chaparral scored in each quarter in beating Kingman, 23-7. Quarterback Daniel Schmidt passed for 102 yards and two touchdowns for the Roadrunners. Schmidt threw touchdown passes to Kenny Diaz and Jack Walker and Kale Greve added a rushing score for Chaparral.
Class 2A:
Fresh off the best season in school history, Council Grove beat Wabaunsee, 26-7. Council Grove has posted a 2A top-10 scoring defense in each of the last three years. The Braves, a state semifinalist last year, permitted 48 yards on 43 plays. Luke Stewart, Council Grove’s returning quarterback, completed 12 of 23 passes for 166 yards with two scores against two interceptions. The Braves led 14-0 after the first quarter.
Hoisington defeated Pratt, 34-8. Pratt led 8-7 after the first quarter before the Cardinals scored 27 straight points. Hoisington held Pratt to 196 yards of total offense.
Phillipsburg defeated Plainville, 33-18, in a Mid-Continent League contest. Phillipsburg has won three in a row in a series.
Ellsworth rolled to a 49-8 North Central Activities Association win over Sacred Heart. After trailing 8-7 at halftime, the Bearcats scored 35 points in the third quarter to take control. Carson Jacobs rushed for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while senior Tucker Goss added 133 yards and two scores. Cooper McGowan and Rett Bohl each added scoring runs for Ellsworth.
Leon-Bluestem picked up a 30-24 win over Uniontown to open the new season. The Lions rushed for 358 yards in the game with a pair of players going over the 100-yard mark. Axton Vice rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown, while Logan Squier added 143 yards and two scores. Ayson Shepherd added a rushing score for the Lions.
Class 1A:
Thomas More Prep-Marian and Russell is one of Kansas’ closest rivalry games. Russell defeated TMP, 29-22, in a Mid-Continent League game played at Fort Hays State University. The teams have split the last 18 meetings with six of them (including the last two) decided by one score. TMP won 7-6 last fall when it did not have an offensive touchdown. This time, Russell, helped by a pick-six from Trey Zorn, pulled ahead in the second quarter. The game was tied at 22 entering the fourth quarter. Zorn tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter for the final margin. Then, Russell thwarted TMP’s final drive. Russell picked off TMP three times. Kolten Jones led Russell with 13 carries for 131 yards, per KRSL radio. Zorn passed for 164 yards.
In its last season of 11-man football, Oakley opened with a 20-14 win against Norton. Oakley led 7-0 after the first quarter. The game was tied at 14 at halftime before Oakley scored again in the fourth quarter. Oakley ran just 27 plays, 25 on the ground. Senior Jorgan Schlitz posted five carries for 110 yards and two scores, including a 76-yard run. Plus, sophomore Jett Wolf returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score. Oakley had lost nine straight to Norton dating back to 2005. Norton has Jeremy Hawks, a longtime assistant and former Bluejay standout, as head coach. Hawks took over for Lucas Melvin, who won more than 100 games before he took over as athletic director.
Cair Paravel, expected to be much improved this year, defeated West Franklin, 60-14. The Lions led 20-0 after the first quarter and 26-8 at halftime. Cair Paravel forced three turnovers and allowed just 25 rushing yards on 21 carries.
South Sumner County bested Pleasanton, 26-7. Outlaw quarterback Mak Blosser passed for 104 and rushed for 176 yards. Pleasanton had the lead in the second quarter.
St. Mary’s Colgan shut out Girard 28-0 on Friday at Hutchinson Field. On a rainy night, the Panthers rushed for 253 yards on the night. Quarterback Carston Simmons rushed for 113 yards and two scores, while Lane Stultz and Klayton Adamson added 64 and 63 yards on the ground, respectively. Adamson scored two touchdowns.
Class 8-man I
In Mid-Continent League action, WaKeeney-Trego won at Hill City, 30-20. The Golden Eagles ended a 12-game losing streak versus Hill City that stretched back to 2015. Trego, expected to be much improved this season, had exactly 128 passing and rushing yards. Hill City outgained Trego with 184 passing and 162 rushing. For WaKeeney, senior quarterback Ashton Wynn threw a TD and an interception, along with nine carries for 67 yards. Junior Jack Conness delivered 13 rushes for 54 yards and two scores, along with one catch for a 50-yard touchdown. Sophomore Westyn Windholz picked off two passes. Trego allowed 33.4 points per game last season, including a pair of losses to Hill City: 50-20 in the season opener and 34-26 in the playoffs.
Atwood-Rawlins County defeated Dighton, 46-0, in a game called at halftime. Dighton took major graduation losses from an Eight-Man, Division II semifinalist squad. Rawlins County graduated Ryan Sramek, a two-time first team all-state running back, though still rushed for 264 yards and five scores. Senior Austin Chumley delivered 11 carries for 107 yards and two TDs, while sophomore Dominique Paz finished with 11 rushes for 132 yards and a pair of scores. Chumley also blocked a punt.
Lincoln overwhelmed Ellis, 62-14. Junior Jeremiah Miller completed 14 of 20 passes for 279 yards and two scores. Miller rushed 13 times for 132 yards and three TDs. Lincoln held an Ellis offense that scored 42 points per game last season to 1.9 yards per carry and just over five yards a pass attempt. Ellis had defeated Lincoln, 48-44, in its first season of eight-man football last year.
Oxford defeated Sedan, 48-0. Oxford scored two non-offensive touchdowns on a 45-yard pick-six from Xzavier McClamy and a 50-yard fumble recovery from Wyatt Gaither, per Sumner Newscow.
Class 8-man II
In traditionally a back-and-forth rivalry, Marmaton Valley beat Oswego, 44-25. The Wildcats led 6-0 after the first quarter and 18-0 at halftime. The rushing numbers were basically even with 279 for Marmaton Valley and 259 for Oswego. However, the Wildcats held a 164-20 edge in passing. Marmaton Valley senior Tyler Lord rushed six times for 112 yards and two scores, along with three passing TDs. Sophomore Demitri Williamson rushed for 159 yards and three TDs. Marmaton Valley sophomore Ethan Lawson finished with 21 tackles. Marmaton Valley has won four of the last five, including three in a row. However, two of those games are decided by one score.
Sylvan-Lucas Unified defeated Thunder Ridge, 56-20. Sylvan-Lucas led 24-6 after the first quarter. Mustang quarterback Zayne Maupin rushed for 15 carries for more than 200 yards and a pair of scores, per Russell radio. Sylvan-Lucas is 11-1 in its past 12 season openers, including four straight victories. The Mustangs have posted nine straight winning seasons under coach Ben Labertew.
6-Man
Crawford (Neb.) held off Northern Valley, 67-51. The game was played at noon on Saturday in a neutral site at Big Springs, Neb. Crawford led 20-7 after the first quarter and 46-31 at halftime. Owen Hammond, one of six-man’s top returning players, finished with 13 tackles. He delivered 186 total yards, including 21 carries for 141 yards. Taiton Thalheim passed for 122 yards and four scores. Crawford outgained Northern Valley 644-343.
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.
