This is the inaugural season for Class 4A, Division II and early reviews are that it is a fairly top-heavy classification.
Many expected 4A-II to be ruled by the likes of Andale and Holton year-in and year-out, and while the Indians and Wildcats are the two top-ranked teams, other contenders have emerged.
The Columbus Titans and Frontenac Raiders join Andale as Division II’s only remaining unbeaten teams. The third-ranked Tians and fourth-ranked Raiders will meet in district play on October 24th.
While there are other contenders in the field, only twelve of the 32 teams are above .500 through the first six weeks of the season. Similarly, only ten teams currently in 4A-II reached the playoffs a season ago before the split.
Top-heavy or not, there are some great turnaround stories in the classification. Santa Fe Trail is 4-2 after entering this season having only won 10 of their past 90 games over the past ten seasons.
Similarly, Wamego is poised for a playoff appearance for the first time since 2007. The Red Raiders have finished 5-4 and 7-2 in the past two seasons, but have been blocked from the playoffs from traditional powers Holton and Topeka Hayden.
This season, Wamego is 5-1 and has spent some time ranked in the 4A, Division II poll.
EAST
District 1
- Holton (5-1) – After a season-opening 18-7 loss at Silver Lake, the Wildcats have won five straight. Senior Indie Allen leads the Holton rushing attack, but Justin Rieschick, Trey Tanking, Mason Barta, Justin Pool, and Lucas Lovorn have each gathered significant carries. As the Wildcats gain experience, they’ll be a force in the new 4A, Division II.
- Perry-Lecompton (3-3) – Aside from losses to powerful Silver Lake and Baldwin, the Perry-Lecompton offense has proven capable of putting up points. The Kaws have averaged 32 points per game including 44 points per game over their past three contests.
- Royal Valley (2-4) – Former Southeast-Cherokee coach Jake Lott will try and lead the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2005. Royal Valley snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 39-13 win over Hiawatha in Week 2. The offense will have to find consistency as the Panthers have only scored 26 total points in their four losses.
- Jefferson West (1-4) – The Tigers are 1-4 after an open date in Week 3. Jefferson West’s losses have come to opponents with a combined record of 18-6. The Tigers played well in a 14-10 loss to Nemaha Central last week. Jefferson West has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Royal Valley at Perry-Lecompton; (Wk 8) Royal Valley at Jefferson West; (Wk 9) Perry-Lecompton at Jefferson West
Winner: Holton
Runner-up: Perry-Lecompton
District 2
- Osawatomie (4-2) – Osawatomie enters district play with three straight wins and consecutive shutouts. The Trojans are led by junior running back Riley England who has 1,072 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. England is already over 3,075 rushing yards for his career after a 2,000-yard season as a sophomore in 2013. Quarterback Brody Russell has passed for 650 yards and 11 scores with just one interception.
- Prairie View (4-2) – The Buffalos opened the season with a 3-0, overtime win over Wellsville. Blowout wins over Iola and Central Heights followed before back-to-back losses to Ottawa and Fort Scott. The Cyclones and Tigers are a combined 9-3 this season. Prairie View is seeking its first playoff appearance since 2005.
- Santa Fe Trail (4-2) – The Chargers won their first four games to eclipse their most wins in a season in at least the past ten years. Santa Fe Trail snapped a long losing streak last season, and entered this year with a combined 10-80 record over the past ten years. Despite back-to-back losses close to Wellsville and Ottawa, the Chargers feel they’re playoff ready. Darric Cashier leads three senior backs with a team-high 683 yards and eight scores, while Weston Gloss has passed for 550 yards and six scores.
- Bishop Ward (0-6) – The Cyclones broke a 33-game losing streak last season; winning two district games and getting to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Ward will need to be better on both sides of the ball make consecutive playoff appearances. Quarterback Bryan Barnhart leads the Cyclones with nearly 200 rushing yards and 387 passing yards.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Osawatomie at Prairie View; (Wk 8) Prairie View at Santa Fe Trail; (Wk 9) Santa Fe Trail at Osawatomie
Winner: Prairie View
Runner-up: Santa Fe Trail
District 3
- Burlington (3-3) – The Wildcats’ losses have come against the upper echelon of the Tri-Valley League in Caney Valley, Cherryvale, and Neodesha. Burlington picked up a quality 23-6 win at Fredonia in Week 5. Quarterback Colby Johnson and senior Kendall Jeffers lead the Wildcat offense.
- Anderson County (1-5) – First-year coach Greg Welch got the Bulldogs’ first win in 13 tries in beating Central Heights 27-8 in Week 1. Since, Anderson County has scored just 28 points in the past five games, while surrendering 226 points.
- Girard (1-5) – The Trojans have just one win after going through a brutal six-game CNC League stretch. Girard’s last two losses have come by six and three points, including a 16-13 loss to unbeaten Frontenac. Girard is seeking a fourth playoff appearance in the past 12 seasons.
- Iola (1-5) – Like Anderson County, Iola’s only win came against winless Central Heights. The Mustangs have struggled on offense in scoring only 13 points in four losses. Iola had won 11 games in the past two seasons, but hasn’t made the playoffs since 2008.
Key Games: (Wk 8) Girard at Burlington should decide both playoff spots.
Winner: Girard
Runner-up: Burlington
District 4
- Columbus (6-0) – The Titans are loaded with talent and have survived challenges against Chanute (25-14), Galena (27-6), and Colgan (14-12). Columbus uses two quarterbacks in Nate Bole (312 rush, 201 pass) and Trey Robinson (337 pass) and have plenty of athletes out wide. Jace McDown is the feature back with 764 yards and 11 scores. McDown has carried most of the load after senior Zane Roark suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. The defense is led by McDown and Taylor Watkins; both state wrestling champions.
- Frontenac (6-0) – Frontenac is one of three unbeaten teams in the classification. The Raiders will try and reach the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, but haven’t advanced past the first round since 2007. The Raiders average 27 points per game, while surrendering nearly 12.
- Baxter Springs (0-6) – Tim Parrish returns to his alma mater to try and turn around a Baxter Springs program with only two total wins in the past 3.5 years. The Lions haven’t reached the postseason since 2006. Baxter has already been shut out three times this season.
- Parsons (0-6) – Marc Svaty’s first season at Parsons has been a struggle. The Vikings’ best performance came in a 15-13 loss to rival Labette County. A week later, injuries and suspensions played a part in a second-quarter forfeit at Pittsburg while trailing 56-0. Coach Svaty is someone who can turn the Vikings around, but it will take time.
Key Games: (Wk 8) Frontenac at Columbus will decide both playoff spots.
Winner: Columbus
Runner-up: Frontenac
WEST
District 5
- Andale (6-0) – Ranked No. 1 in the state, the Indians have scored at least 40 points in five of their six games. Their closest game was a 34-28 victory over Class 3A powerhouse Wichita Collegiate in Week 3. The backfield trio of Hunter Knoblauch, Anthony Capul, and Hank Eck have been nearly impossible for opponents to contain.
- Wichita Trinity (5-1) – The Knights lost their first game of the season this past Friday, falling 42-21 to Class 3A’s Conway Springs. Trinity has posted three shutouts this year, and senior running back Tyler Burns has rushed for almost 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s averaging 11.5 yards per carry.
- Haven (2-4) – The Wildcats enter district on a two-game losing streak after falling to Hesston and Larned. Haven has already matched its win total from last year. Quarterback Tim Hendrixson, who was an all-conference pick last year, leads the Wildcat offense.
- Clearwater (1-5) – The Fighting Indians should enter district play with some confidence, earning their first victory of the season this past Friday against Towanda-Circle. The 47-0 victory snapped a six-game losing streak that dated back to last season.
Key Games: (Wk 7) It’s only the first week of districts when Andale travels to Wichita Trinity on Friday, but this one will likely determine the district champion.
Winner: Andale
Runner-up: Wichita Trinity
District 6
- Wamego (5-1) – The Red Raiders look to end their postseason drought of six years. Wamego entered the season with 10 returning starters on defense. The defense has lived up to expectations, allowing two touchdowns or fewer in four of six games. Quarterback Kyler Alderson has passed for 1,051 yards and 15 scores.
- Chapman (3-3) – The Fighting Irish have already matched their win total from a year ago. Chapman will have to rely on its defense as it has scored 13 points or fewer in four of six games. Robert Steck has been a steady producer out of the backfield this season.
- Smoky Valley (3-3) – A year after finishing 6-0 in the Central Kansas League, the Vikings are 3-2 in the conference. Smoky Valley has enjoyed a pair of close victories, defeating Haven 29-26 and Hillsboro 21-20.
- Nickerson (1-5) – The Panthers’ only victory is against a winless Lyons team. The victory in Week 3 snapped a 13-game losing streak for Nickerson.
Key Games: (Wk 9): Chapman faces Smoky Valley for a matchup that could decide the district runner-up.
Winner: Wamego
Runner-up: Smoky Valley
District 7
- Concordia (4-2) – Concordia has already won two more games than it did all of last season, and has easily the No. 1 scoring defense in the classification at just 45 points allowed. The Panthers have only lost to NCKL rivals Abilene (14-7) and Wamego (20-14), but do own a quality 26-0 Week 1 victory against high-octane Beloit. The Panthers didn’t allow a point until Week 3. The Panthers have rushed for 249 yards per contest, and senior Drake Hake has 131 carries for 1,054 yards and 13 TDs. Junior Colby Trost has 78 tackles, 7.5 for loss, both team-highs.
- Goodland (3-3) – The Cowboys have played the No. 6 strength of schedule under first-year coach Josh Stephenson. Goodland has tallied 183 points, but has the classification’s worst scoring defense at 261 points allowed.
- Clay Center (2-4) – Clay Center is normally a solid team, but has had trouble scoring this season. In all but one game, the Tigers have been under 22 points. Two of its losses have come by a combined 21 points. However, Clay Center’s schedule has been difficult with losses to Rossville, Wamego and Abilene. The Tigers have already matched their loss total from a 6-4 team.
- Colby (1-5) – Colby has been competitive with the No. 2-hardest SOS in the classification, but continued its struggles in the win column. Colby played Oakley to 14-10 in Week 1 in 21-7 against Norton last Friday. Its lone victory was a 27-12 win against Hugoton in Week 3.
Key Games: (Wk 9) Concordia at Clay Center may determine both playoff spots.
Winner: Concordia
Runner-up: Clay Center
District 8
- Holcomb (5-1) – First-year coach Kent Teeter, a veteran who previously coached at Goodland, led the Longhorns to a second-place finish in the GWAC and a 17-14 overtime win versus Ulysses. Holcomb has rushed for 159 yards and passed for 158 yards a contest. Junior Trey Teeter, the coach’s son, has completed 78 of 133 passes for 936 yards with an 11/5 TD/INT ratio.
- Larned (4-2) – Larned, which made the playoffs for the first time since 1985 last season, is close to a 6-0 record. Coach A.B. Stokes, who has done a masterful job in three years with the Indians, had directed a defense that’s allowed just 82 points, ninth-best in the classification.
- Pratt (3-3) – Pratt has rushed for 235 yards a contest, and has four players between 191 and 558 yards, led by junior Sean Noel. He has a pair of 100-yard performances. A big problem for the Greenbacks is turnovers; Pratt has 14 turnovers, including 11 lost fumbles.
- Hugoton (2-4) – Hugoton has had trouble producing offense, averaging just 4.3 yards a carry and having a 6/9 TD/INT ratio. Hugoton defeated Guymon (Okla.) 31-22 in Week 1, and beat Southwestern Heights, 33-9, last week. Hugoton does have a pair of losses by 15 and three points.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Holcomb vs Larned will likely decide both playoffs spots.
Winner: Holcomb
Runner-up: Larned
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