Class 4A – Division I
4A-I East: No. 3 KC Piper (10-1) at No. 1 Bishop Miege (11-0)
The Kansas City Piper Pirates are having a fantastic season, but they are running into a Bishop Miege Stags squad that some argue may be the best team in the entire state.
Bishop Miege has won its two playoff games against Basehor-Linwood and Fort Scott by a combined score of 110-0.
Miege has posted four shutouts this season and has registered quality wins with such opponents as Blue Valley, St. Thomas Aquinas and Blue Valley West.
Quarterback Ryan Willis, a KU commit, passed for 217 yards and two touchdowns during last week’s win over Fort Scott. Dawson Downing rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Jafar Armstrong caught four passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
The Stags beat Basehor-Linwood 63-0 in the first week of the playoffs. Piper defeated Basehor-Linwood 59-18 on Oct. 17.
The Pirates’ only loss came 31-24 to Bonner Springs in overtime on Oct. 3. Piper is on a six-game winning streak since then, defeating Spring Hill 33-0 and Paola 24-14 in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Junior Sterling Owens leads Piper with more than 1,000 yards rushing on only 110 carries. Senior Colton Beebe leads the Pirates with 137 tackles and four sacks.
Miege 42, Piper 20 (Schremmer)
4A-I West: No. 4 Buhler (9-2) at No. 2 Topeka Hayden (10-1)
Topeka Hayden and Buhler meet up in the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons in this seasons Class 4A-I semifinals. Hayden leads the playoff series 3-2 during that span.
The Wildcats get their rematch with the defending state champions and playoff rival after the Crusaders ended their season with a 27-18 win in the state quarterfinals a season ago.
This season’s match-up is a little bit different. Topeka Hayden owns the better record and will be playing on its home turf. Hayden enters the contest with a 10-1 record and has scored 33 points or more in every win this season.
Senior quarterback Jacob Head and fellow classmate Derrick McGreevy lead the way for the high-powered offense. Head threw for two touchdowns and McGreevy rushed for one score and caught another in Hayden’s 34-12 quarterfinal win over Mulvane.
The Wildcats need to continue to put up big numbers to advance to the state championship. They are fully capable, scoring 40 or more points in six of their last seven games.
Buhler enjoys putting points up on the scoreboard as well. The Crusaders have scored 34 or more points in all but two games this season.
The Crusaders come into the game with a 9-2 overall record and have are averaging 43.5 points per game. To get a chance to in consecutive state titles, the Crusaders will have to earn one more road win to get there.
Juniors Dillon Engelland and Jace Williams will lead the rest of the Crusaders into the semifinal matchup after totaling 319 rushing yards combined and four touchdowns.
This will be a high scoring heavyweight fight. I like the Buhler’s talented backfield, but I am favoring the home team and revenge factor. Hayden advances.
Hayden 34, Buhler 32 (J. Wachter)
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