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
Dodge City quarterback Caden Walters passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns as the Red Demons beat Wichita West 27-18. Walters hooked up with Bryce Unruh on two scoring strikes and connected with Eric Reid on the other.
Olathe East built a 23-7 halftime lead in beating Garden City, 26-14. Chase Miller tossed a pair of touchdown passes as part of his 130-yard night. The Hawks were led on the ground by Jalen Branson who rushed for 104 yards on 28 carries. Chris Diddle booted field goals of 32 and 47 yards for Olathe East. Garden City receiver Caleb Tramp caught two touchdown passes as part of his seven-catch, 131-yard night.
Olathe South rolled past Hutchinson 24-2 thanks to a strong defensive performance. Hutchinson’s only points came on a safety when Olathe South suffered an offensive penalty when backed up in the own end zone. Jake Seurer rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns for Olathe South and added 57 yards in the air. Hutchinson managed just 166 yards of total offense.
Class 5A
In front of a statewide audience on Cox Channel Kansas, Alex Barnes rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns as Pittsburg cruised past defending 4A runner-up Coffeyville 55-14. The game was delayed for nearly two hours due to a thunderstorm that hit Hutchinson Field just before kickoff.
Tanner Taylor scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:04 left to propel Emporia to a 45-44 win over Washburn Rural. Taylor rushed for nearly 200 of the Spartans 405 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns. He also passed for 169 yards on the night. Blake Peterson passed for 277 yards and three touchdowns, but the Junior Blues final drive ended on downs at midfield.
Salina South opened the season on Thursday night with a 61-32 win over McPherson. Dalton Wassenberg passed for 221 yards and four touchdowns as the Cougars outscored the Bullpups 27-7 in the second half. Eric McCullough rushed for 135 yards and a score for Salina South, while Dylan Becker caught six passes for 172 yards and three scores. Nathan Nutter led McPherson with 128 yards and a touchdown.
Class 4A-I
Wykeen Gill rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 74 yards and another score as Atchison beat Pleasant Ridge, 42-22. Sophomore Parker Welch added 92 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns for the Redmen. Atchison scored 21 straight fourth-quarter points to overtake the Rams.
In Rod Stallbaumer’s first game as head coach at Basehor-Linwood, sophomore quarterback Justin Phillips scored from eight-yards to lift the Bobcats to a 20-17 overtime win over Baldwin. After a scoreless first half, the Bobcats and Bulldogs ended regulation tied at 14. Phillips rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the game, while Austin Ettinger added the other Bobcat score.
Mason Knopp passed for 137 yards and a touchdown as Fort Scott blanked Parsons, 30-0. The Tigers displayed good balance on offense by rushing for nearly 200 yards in the game. Chase Brown led the Tigers with 83 yards rushing on 18 carries. The Fort Scott defense held Parsons to under 75 yards of total offense for the game.
Class 4A-II
Beloit averaged 52 points a game in 2013 on their way to a 3A state runner-up finish, but the Trojans were shutout 26-0 by Concordia to open this season. Drake Hake rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries to lead the Panthers.
Perry-Lecompton broke open a 20-20 tie with 25 points in the fourth quarter as part of a 45-20 win over Tonganoxie. Senior quarterback Seth Surface rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries, while classmate Austin Kurtz added 122 yards and two scores on 14 attempts. The Kaws’ defense held Tonganoxie to 30 rushing yards on 18 carries.
Burlington rushed for more than 300 yards as part of a 45-18 win over Tri Valley League rival Eureka. The Wildcats were led by Kendall Jeffers who rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries. Sophomore quarterback Colby Johnson added 116 yards on the ground, and Alexis Carrasco scored two rushing touchdowns.
Class 3A
Lakin rolled to a 53-8 win over Syracuse to open Hi-Plains League play. Wyatt Burnett rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Udall transfer Alex Perez added 81 yards on the ground and three scores. Perez also tossed an 85-yard touchdown pass to Matt Armstrong who caught four passes for 142 yards.
Hesston shut out Smoky Valley in the second half to preserve a 27-7 win on the road in the Central Kansas League. Senior quarterback Grant Raleigh completed 12 of 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 104 yards and three scores. Raleigh spread the ball around to six different receivers led by sophomore Zach Esau’s 54 yards on four catches, and junior Scott Duerksen’s 47 yards and a score.
Centralia’s first game as a 3A member came against an old 2-1A foe and with very little change. The Panthers rolled 54-6 over Valley Heights as Darrian Turner rushed for three touchdowns. Wyatt Vandorn added nearly 200 yards on the ground and a pair of scores for Centralia.
Class 2-1A
Oswego junior quarterback John Walker rushed 14 times for 209 yardds and three touchdowns as the Indians ran past Maranatha Academy, 44-21. Weston Eckermann added 72 yards and a score on the ground and a 32-yards touchdown catch. Oswego rushed for 335 yards in the game.
Chase County opened Flint Hills League play with a 36-21 win over West Franklin. Junior quarterback Brendan Watts completed only two passes, but both went for touchdowns. Watts added 94 yards rushing and two scores to go with his 100-yard passing night. The Bulldogs scored 29 points in the first quarter and led 36-6 at halftime.
Onaga built a 16-0 halftime lead and held on for a 16-8 win over Doniphan West. The Buffaloes rushed for 336 yards in the game led by David Koelzer’s 145 yards on 19 carries. Senior Michael Bliss added 105 yards and a touchdown, while Wyatt Cordell finished with 85 yards and a score.
Class 8M-I
Senior fullback Dan Hacker (6-0, 210) rushed 30 times for 219 yards and six touchdowns to lead an experienced Pratt-Skyline over South Barber 48-32. The Thunderbirds also got 146 rushing yards on 23 carries from Dustin Weber. Skyline rushed for nearly 400 yards in the game. South Barber, which began the season No. 5 in 8M-II, got 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns apiece from Peyton Yandel and Dylan Allison.
In their first game in 8-Man, Division I, Ellinwood ended an 18-game losing streak with a 40-20 victory over St. John. Jordan Duvall rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Eagles. Sophomore quarterback Tyson Martinez completed all three of his passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Wakefield rolled to a 50-0 season-opening win against Blue Valley Randolph. Junior Zac Melius rushed six times for 166 yards and three scores to pace the Bombers. Wakefield recovered seven fumbles by the Rams in the game and picked off two passes.
Class 8M-II
Stafford outscored Pretty Prairie 20-6 in the fourth quarter to claim a big 34-26 win in the Heart of the Plains League. Senior Ethan Johnson, a 2013 Kpreps All-State selection, rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Trojans. Austin Ceniti caught four passes for 76 yards and a score. Johnson also added a 23-yard touchdown reception.
Frankfort opened the season with a 38-30 win over Twin Valley League rival Clifton-Clyde. The Wildcats got 217 yards rushing and four touchdowns from junior Jase Suther. Quarterback Jake Rose added 82 yards rushing for a touchdown and passed for 42 additional yards and a score.
Minneola shutout rival Fowler 46-0 to open the season. Landon Walker rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats, while Joey Harrington added 94 yards on the ground and two scores. Fowler won last year’s meeting 50-24.
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