We’re already two weeks into the high school football season in the state of Kansas and, believe it or not, district play starts for some eight-man schools this week. But before we begin to talk about playoffs, let’s take a look at this week’s top five polls.
Remember to visit the Rankings page to view a complete list of the top five teams in each classification and how they performed last week.
The showdown between ranked teams in the Sunflower League went the way of No. 2 Olathe North. The Eagles took the lead midway through the fourth quarter on a Venus Triplett touchdown run to escape then-No. 5 Lawrence Free State, 14-7. Olathe North was turned away inside the Free State five-yard line two other times in the game. The Eagles will face the No. 5 team in the classification for a second consecutive week when they host Olathe South. The Falcons blasted bitter rival Olathe East 46-17 in a game they led 40-3.
Elsewhere in Class 6A, No. 1 Shawnee Mission East continues to roll. The Lancers handled Shawnee Mission South 48-10 behind a 20-point first quarter. Blue Valley remains at No. 3 this week after using a strong defensive performance to beat then 5A No. 3 Blue Valley West, 30-13. The Tigers registered seven sacks and forced four Jaguar turnovers, including an interception for a touchdown. Fourth-ranked Topeka High eased past Topeka West 76-6 after scoring 55 points in the first half.
The top two teams in Class 5A remain unchanged this week as No. 1 Bishop Carroll and No. 2 Wichita Heights rolled to big victories. Third-ranked Maize survived a shootout at Garden City to move up a spot to No. 3. Connor Lungwitz passed for 408 yards and Jordan Guerrero scored five touchdowns to lift the Eagles to the 53-37 win. Losses by Blue Valley West and Kapaun Mt. Carmel allow Salina South and Pittsburg enter the poll at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. The Cougars blasted Haysville Campus 57-14, while the Purple Dragons won 48-0 at Independence.
The top five poll in 4A, Division I remains unchanged this week as three of the top five teams posted shutouts. Top-ranked Bishop Miege shutout Gardner-Edgerton 29-0, No. 2 Topeka Hayden blanked Washburn Rural 43-0, and No. 4 KC Piper beat Baldwin 20-0. Hays, ranked third, blasted Great Bend 49-6 and No. 5 Ulysses rolled to a 46-14 win over Hugoton. Big tests await this week; however, as Miege hosts 6A No. 3 Blue Valley, Topeka Hayden travels to Manhattan, and Piper is on the road at Louisburg.
After a week one loss to 3A-power Silver Lake, Holton got back on track by pasting Maize South 40-21. The Wildcats remain at No. 3 in this week’s poll, behind top-ranked Andale and No. 2 Columbus. The Indians beat McPherson 42-21, while the Titans beat Southeast-Cherokee 34-6. Holcomb remains at No. 4 this week after handling Goodland 55-14, and Wamego rounds out the poll at No. 5. The Red Raiders improved to 2-0 with a 42-20 win at Jefferson West.
In Class 3A, the top four teams in the poll rolled to wins of at least 40 points. Fifth-ranked Wichita Collegiate also posted a sound 35-6 win over Towanda-Circle. The Spartans get a big test in Week Three when then travel to 4A, Division II No. 1 Andale. Meanwhile, third-ranked Conway Springs will play its annual showdown with rival Garden Plain this week.
There was a point on Friday night where the top three teams in the Class 2-1A poll were all in danger of losing. Once the dust settled, only top-ranked La Crosse was able to escape with a win after scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute to beat Larned, 14-7. Meade is the new No. 2 team in the poll after a solid 36-16 win over Lakin. The Buffaloes come in just ahead of No. 3 Olpe, which beat Riley County 33-8. Smith Center enters the rankings at No. 4 after forcing seven turnovers in beating last week’s No. 3 team, Oakley. The Plainsmen fall out of the poll this week after the 35-8 loss. Phillipsburg drops from No. 2 down to No. 5 in this week’s poll after falling 34-7 to Norton.
The Eight-Man, Division I poll remains unchanged this week as all top five teams posted impressive wins. Perhaps none was as impressive as Osborne, which beat the top-ranked team in Division II for a second consecutive week. The Bulldogs knocked off Beloit St. John’s-Tipton 42-22 and remain at No. 2 in the Division I poll. Top-ranked Hanover eased past Frankfort 60-12, but the Wildcats could get a test to begin district play this week when they travel to Wakefield. Central Plains and Spearville remain at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively after posting big wins. Fifth-ranked Madison overcame a 16-0 early deficit to score 40 straight points in winning 48-22 at Uniontown.
For the third consecutive week we have a new No. 1 atop the Eight-Man, Division II poll. The Chetopa Green Hornets get the nod in the top spot after the aforementioned Osborne Bulldogs took down previous No. 1s St. John’s-Tipton and Thunder Ridge. The Blujays and Longhorns remain close to the top; however at No. 2 and No.3, respectively. Victoria bounce back from a Week One loss to Central Plains by pasting Ellinwood 62-8, and No. 5 Sharon Springs-Wallace County picked up an impressive road win 34-20 at Oberlin-Decatur Community.
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