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:
Blue Valley rushed for more than 400 yards in a 35-7 win over Gardner-Edgerton. A.J. Totta led the Tigers with 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Quarterback Colton McCumber added 129 yards on the ground and a score, while Williams Evans had two touchdowns and 75 yards rushing.
Joey Dolan passed for 319 yards and five touchdowns as Blue Valley North shut out Shawnee Mission South 48-0. Dolan completed 14 of 22 pass attempts and hit Alex Blake six times for 150 yards and four touchdowns. Josh Pederson also caught a touchdown pass for the Mustangs.
Blue Valley Northwest won their first game with a 44-20 win over Olathe South. Quarterback Jack Knutson had a big game carrying the ball for the Huskies who grabbed a key win in District 3. After three consecutive close losses to Blue Valley North (28-21), Blue Valley Southwest (34-28), and Blue Valley West (38-35), the Huskies finally got their first win. Blue Valley Northwest is facing its first losing season since 2010.
Wichita West scored 21 points in the first quarter to help put away Wichita South, 41-14. Quarterback Chaz Capps rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns and added a touchdown pass. Eight different players combined for 292 rushing yards for Wichita West.
Shawnee Mission West scored 35 points in the first half in a 45-6 blowout of Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Vikings added 10 points in the second half to improve to 6-1 on the season. The Vikings will be heavy favorites against rival Shawnee Mission South this week before finishing the season with a showdown against Blue Valley North.
Class 5A:
Salina South rallied from 21 points down to score four times in the fourth quarter in beating rival Salina Central 42-35. Sam Corona scored on a 4-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining to break a 35-35 tie and provide the winning points. The Cougars used an onside kick and a pair of Central fumbles to help in the dramatic comeback. Corona rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns to lead Salina South. Salina Central was led by Dalton Peters who rushed for 180 yards and a touchdown. The Mustangs rushed for 378 yards in the loss. Salina South has now won five straight against Central.
Brock Monty intercepted Emporia’s Tanner Taylor in the end zone with less than a minute to play to preserve Kapaun Mount Carmel’s 34-28 win over the Spartans. Monty helped out on the offensive end too by passing for 139 yards and rushing for 104 more yards. The Crusaders were led by Alexander Norris who rushed for 240 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries.
Maize South scored 28 points in the second half to top Valley Center, 35-16. Korie Frausto rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries to lead the Mavericks. Frausto also passed for 54 yards and a touchdown. Valley Center was led by Wyatt Lange’s 197 passing yards including a touchdown pass to Dalton Cross. Thayer Terwillinger caught six passes for 99 yards for the Hornets.
Great Bend won its district opener by blowing out Newton, 52-21. The Panthers built a 31-7 halftime lead in beating the Railers. Jacob Murray rushed for 75 yards and three touchdowns and added 176 passing yards and two more scores. The Panther defense returned two fumbles for touchdowns in the win.
Leavenworth led 14-0 at halftime and eventually pulled away for a 38-0 win over KC Schlagle. Wade Jackson led the Pioneers with 125 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. Clifford Robinson added 71 yards and scored two touchdowns, while quarterback Drew Sachen added 98 yards rushing on ten carries.
Class 4A-I:
Atchison improved to 7-0 with a 30-14 win over Tonganoxie. Redmen quarterback Wykeen Gill completed 13 of 19 passed for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Gill also added 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground for Atchison. Receiver Bryce Enzbrenner caught six passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Tonganoxie was led by sophomore Zac Morgan’s 145 yards rushing.
Down 31-13 in the third quarter, Ulysses rallied to pick up a key district win at Mulvane, 34-31. Ian Rudzik rushed for 278 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries to bring the Tigers back. Rudzik scored on a short run to pull the Tigers within 31-21 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Branden Scott hit Diego Maravilla on a 36-yard touchdown pass to pull Ulysses within 31-27 with 6:21 remaining. Less than two minutes later, Mario Rodriguez scored from three yards out to give the Tigers the lead.
Abilene remained unbeaten and picked up a key district win at McPherson, 26-17. The Cowboys trailed 17-13 at halftime, but Trey Bender returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to give Abilene the lead for good. Abilene actually trailed 17-7 before halftime, but quarterback Harley Hazlett scrambled for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired to pull within 17-13.
Eudora opened district play with a 46-8 win over Ottawa. Austin Downing rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to pace the Cardinals. Quarterback Grant Elston added a touchdown run for Eudora. The Cardinals allowed only a fourth-quarter touchdown run in the game.
Basehor-Linwood built a 34-7 lead en route to a 55-21 win over rival KC Piper. Justin Phillips completed 10 of 15 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bobcats. Jahron McPherson rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries and added two receptions for 60 yards and a score. Austin Ettinger carried 17 times for 104 yards and a touchdown for Basehor-Linwood.
Class 4A-II:
Nickerson picked up a key district win with a 28-0 shutout of Smoky Valley. The Panthers built a 20-0 halftime lead and added a touchdown in the third quarter. It was the third win of the season for Nickerson under Mike Vernon, as the Panthers’ four losses have come to quality opponents in Kingman, Hoisington, Pratt, and Halstead.
Holton improved to 4-3 with a 21-7 win over Jefferson West. The Wildcats rushed for 235 yards in the game and were led by Will Wright’s 90 yards on 16 carries. Mason Barta added 66 yards rushing and all three Wildcat touchdowns in the win.
Seniors Trevor Boudeman and Collin Watkins each rushed for 100 yards as Santa Fe Trail topped Bishop Ward, 41-14. Boudeman scored three touchdowns, while Watkins and Brett Masters each added one score on the ground. Bryce Erickson passed for 116 yards and a touchdown to Daniel Courtwright for the Chargers.
Girard moved to 4-3 with a 35-8 district win over Anderson County. Trey Eaton led the Trojans with 176 yards and a pair of touchdown runs. Quarterback Eric Wilson passed for 82 yards and two touchdowns to Junior Lindbloom. Chase Ratliff led Anderson County with 166 yards and a score.
The Hugoton Eagles picked up their third win of the season by beating Pratt, 14-7. Quarterback Valentino Degollado completed 11 of 18 passes for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Eagles. Degollado also added 49 yards on the ground for the Eagles. Freshman Travis Theis led Pratt with 106 rush yards and a touchdown.
Class 3A:
Galena used a big second quarter to hand the Cherryvale Chargers their first loss of the season. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the second quarter to build a 28-6 halftime lead en route to a 42-12 win. Galena improved to 4-3 on the season, but their three losses are to good teams in Frontenac (5-2), Columbus (7-0), and Augusta (6-1). Cherryvale’s Lane Raida completed only two passes, but both went for touchdowns.
Garden Plain used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to remain unbeaten with a 12-0 victory over Hutchinson Trinity (3-4). The Owls won the defensive battle that saw Garden Plain outgain the Celtics 181 to 131 in total yardage – all on the ground. Marty Landwehr and Hayden Horacek each scored touchdowns for Garden Plain. The Owls played without quarterback Alex Becker.
Pleasant Ridge improved to 6-1 with a 48-6 win over McLouth. Quarterback Nick Holmes completed all three of his passes for 138 yards and two scores. Holmes also rushed for 118 yards and a score. Nic Bridges, Jagar Haack, and Jared Schmalstieg added rushing touchdowns for the Rams.
Washington County rallied from an 18-0 halftime deficit against Riley County to remain unbeaten with a 22-18 win. Kolton Penning threw a touchdown pass to Jae Eaton in the final minute to give the Tigers the lead. Penning also returned a fumble 96 yards for another score in a pivotal turning point in the game.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy improved to 5-1 with a 62-20 win over Atchison County. Senior running back Harry Trotter broke the school record with 430 yards rushing and four touchdowns to lead the Ravens. The win sets up a probable district championship against Pleasant Ridge in Week 8.
Class 2-1A:
Sacred Heart blasted Medicine Lodge 49-14 to keep their playoff hopes alive in District 5. The Knights were led by sophomore Jacob Faerber’s 279 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Abel Alvarez added 105 yards and two scores on ten carries for the Knights.
Defending champion Olpe won its fifth straight game by beating Lyndon 28-6. The Eagles led 7-0 at halftime and expanded that lead to 13-0 by the end of the third quarter. Lyndon pulled to within 21-6 early in the third quarter, but the Eagles tacked on another score for the 22-point win. Dylan Redeker led Olpe with 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Ryker Schmidt rushed for a score and passed for 166 yards and a touchdown to Brady Scheidegger. Olpe held Lyndon to 66 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
Syracuse picked up its second consecutive win with a 44-8 rout of Elkhart. The Bulldogs forced six Elkhart turnovers in the win including five fumbles and an interception. Syracuse can end a 10-year playoff drought by winning at Stanton County next week.
Mission Valley scored 30 points in the first quarter in beating Chase County, 42-19. The Vikings led 30-14 at halftime and scored single touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter to seal the win. Clay Phillips led the Vikes with 175 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Mission Valley is 2-0 is District 3 and trying to reach the playoff for consecutive seasons after ending a five-year drought in 2014.
Stanton County picked up its first win of the season with a 38-0 shutout of Sublette. The Trojans were led by sophomore Jeffrey Gum’s 177 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Junior Jayden Rios also added 50 rushing yards and a touchdown run for Stanton County.
Class 8-Man I
West Elk remained unbeaten with a 52-6 win over Udall. The Patriots exploded for 36 points in the second quarter to put the game away. Sophomore quarterback Cade Miller rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while Armando Gomez contributed 142 yards and four touchdowns. West Elk kept the offense entirely on the ground in beating the Eagles.
South Central cruised to another district win by beating Pratt-Skyline 48-0. Junior quarterback Gerald Morehead rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 48 yards and another score.
Lincoln outscored Mankato-Rock Hills 30-26 in the second half to edge the Grizzlies 42-38. Lincoln senior Zac Walter carried 44 times for 213 yards and five touchdowns on the night. Walter also completed 16 of 19 passes for 214 yards and another score. Rock Hills was led by quarterback Spencer Callaway who rushed for three touchdowns and passed for two more.
Stockton won for the second time by beating Hill City 34-6. The Tigers scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to pull away. Senior quarterback Ethan Hamel rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown and passed for 93 yards and two more scores. Gabe Hamel led Hill City with 119 rush yards and a touchdown.
Uniontown remained unbeaten with an 80-40 win over Marais des Cygnes Valley. The Eagles led 40-14 heading into halftime, but the Trojans scored to pull within 64-40 at the end of the third quarter. Uniontown put up 16 points in the fourth to move to 7-0.
Class 8-Man II
Minneola drilled Ashland 66-16 in a key match-up in District 5. Ashland had no answer for Minneola senior Landon Walker. Walker rushed 51 times for 324 yards and eight touchdowns for the Wildcats. He also completed all four of his passes for 82 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Cody Berger. The Wildcats led 38-16 at halftime and outscored the Blue Jays 28-0 in the second half. Minneola held Ashland to nine yards rushing on ten carries. Walker (6-4, 200) now has 1,004 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns this season.
Colony-Crest rallied for a dramatic 50-46 win over Chetopa. Chetopa recovered a Crest fumble on a punt and turned it into points for a 40-38 lead in the fourth quarter. Crest regained a 44-40 lead with two minutes left, but the Green Hornets scored on the first play of their next possession to lead 46-44 with 1:40 left. Facing a fourth down, Crest scored on the game’s final play to win 50-46. Evan Godderz passed for 233 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 111 yards and another score.
Triplains-Brewster moved a step closer to their first playoff appearance since 2007 with a 61-16 win over Tribune-Greeley County. The Titans scored 49 points in the first half in building a 49-16 lead. Senior quarterback Ryan Gfeller rushed for 154 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Titans. Gfeller also threw a touchdown pass to Tad Holm.
South Barber moved to 6-1 by outscoring Caldwell 60-36. The Chieftains led 34-22 at halftime, and outscored the Blue Jays 20-6 in the fourth quarter to pull away. Quarterback Grant Cantrell posted phenomenal numbers in the Chieftains’ win. Cantrell carried 44 times for 220 yards and six touchdowns, and completed 10 of 14 passes for 129 yards and another score. Freshman Neal Gugelmeyer added 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries for South Barber.
Frankfort may be the best 3-4 team in the state. The Wildcats picked up their third win of the season by blasting Linn, 60-12. Senior Jase Suther rushed for 262 yards and six touchdowns on 17 carries, while Adam Kenworthy added 141 yards and a score on 16 attempts. Frankfort’s four losses have come to teams that have all been ranked this season in Hanover (60-32), Burlingame (48-26), Axtell (30-24), and Pike Valley (74-50).
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