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.Â
Class 6A:
Garden City lived up to their preseason hype after blowing past Wichita East 43-19 on Friday night. Quarterback Jesse Nunez threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns while totaling 127 on the ground and one score in the Buffaloes win. Jordan Herman caught five balls for 73 yards and a touchdown to lead the Buffaloes in receiving.
Hutchinson cruised to a 41-13 win over Olathe East on Friday night. Salthawks quarterback Conor Craig and Tracy Harris combined to rush for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Topeka High turned a 7-6 halftime deficit into a 30-13 win over Topeka Hayden to open the season with a win. Quarterback Corey Thomas led the Trojans with 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while freshman Miekyah Thomas rushed for 103 yards and a score.
Lawrence raced past Shawnee Mission Northwest 50-20 to open the 2016 season. Lion senior running back Trey Moore rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Dante’ Jackson. Moore worked hard in training with Athletic Strength Institute to returned from a season-ending knee injury suffered against the Cougars last season. Xavier Perry carried 32 times for 230 yards and three touchdowns for Northwest.
Class 5A:
Andover opened up their 2016 campaign with a 48-20 victory over Salina Central. The Trojans racked up 510 yards of total offense led by quarterback Chase Oberg and running back Robert Bundy. Oberg threw for 262 yards in the first half and Bundy rushed for 134 yards and four touchdowns in the win.
The Maize Eagles took advantage of big play opportunities to come away with a 49-27 win over Newton on Friday. Dayln Johnson led the way for the Eagles with 219 rushing yards and two trips to pay dirt. Johnson also was on the receiving end of one of three touchdown passes from quarterback Brayden Payne.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel opened up the 2016 football season with a 27-7 win over Wichita Southeast. Senior running back Tate Heiland rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns for the Crusaders.
KC Schlagle scored 14 points in each of the first, second, and fourth quarters to beat KC Southeast (Mo.), 42-14. Stallion running back Cornelius Ruff (5-11, 220) got his senior year off to a great start with a 28-carry, 274-yard, five-touchdown performance. Ruff rushed for 750 yards and eight touchdowns last fall, and 681 yards and ten touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014. Â
Topeka Seaman opened the Glenn O’Neil era with a 44-7 win over Topeka West. Viking senior quarterback Dalton Cowan completed 7 of 9 attempts for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Kevin Moranz led Seaman with 91 rushing yards on four carries.
Class 4A-I:
Wamego grinded out a 18-6 win over Rock Creek on Friday night. The Red Raiders found the end zone three times and were led by junior running back Alex Vontz in rushing for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Senior classmates Dillin Blain and Jace Ward also connected for a passing touchdown in the win.
Hays rallied in the fourth quarter and scored 21 points to knock off Scott City 31-21. The Indians scored on two fourth down passes to take the lead for good in the final frame. First quarterback Hunter Brown found Collyn Kreutzer for a touchdown to bring Hays within 21-17 and after a Beaver fumble, Brown heaved it up to Shane Berens for a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
De Soto won their season opener in dramatic fashion with a 28-27 comeback over Ottawa. The Wildcats overcame a 21-7 half time deficit and used a 52-yard touchdown pass from Brice Mohl to Darren Winans late in the fourth quarter to escape with the one-point victory.
Eudora opened the season with a 22-6 road win over Baldwin. Lee Andrews rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cardinals. Andrews had touchdown runs of 37 yards, 12 yards, and two yards.
Despite graduating standout running back Ian Rudzik, Ulysses opened the 2016 with a 370-yard rushing night in a 30-13 win over Liberal. Quarterback A.B. Romero rushed nine times for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He also tossed a short touchdown pass to Kaden Everett. Everett finished with 93 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.
Class 4A-II:
Wichita Trinity picked up a solid Central Plains League win by beating Cheney, 36-21. The Knights were led by junior quarterback Sammy Hardin’s 210 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Hardin also led the Knights in rushing with 86 yards, while Sam Schroeder added 81 rushing yards and two scores.
Nickerson scored 33 unanswered points that led to a 57-16 blowout of Haven on Friday night. Austin O’Toole led the way for the Panthers with 144 yards and two touchdowns while Peyton Kuhns ran for 141 yards and two scores.
Columbus rolled to a 57-20 win over Riverton on Friday night. The Titans were led by junior Keenan Stanley’s 194 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Shawn Robinson also found the end zone twice in the win.
Colby upended Oakley, 41-10, in a game that is historically low scoring. The towns, separated by less than 20 miles on I-70, generally open the season against each other. Jordan Schippers had touchdown catches of 49 and 67 yards and a 72-yard run. Oakley had won the last three in the series. In the six meetings, the teams had averaged a combined 26 points.
Pratt opened the season with a 31-16 road win over Larned. Sophomore Travis Theis led the Greenbacks with 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Theis also tossed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Noah Myers, and senior Hunter Kaufman added 68 rushing yards and a score.
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Class 3A:
Wellsville opened the season with a 35-7 win over new Pioneer League member Burlington. Eagle quarterback Trajen Smith completed 7 of 9 attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Reece Williams caught one of Smith’s touchdown passes and paced the Eagle ground game with 68 yards and another score.
Beloit held off Concordia, 22-12, in a NCAA/NCKL matchup. Beloit, known for great offense, was contained by the Panthers, which ranked second in 4A-II in scoring defense last season. Beloit never trailed but led 6-0 after the first quarter, 14-6 at halftime and then had a scoreless third quarter. The Trojans finished with 60 snaps, 15 more than Concordia. Senior Hunter Budke rushed 23 times for 124 yards and a score. Senior Ryan Jackson threw for 26 yards with a touchdown, while sophomore Zach Meier tallied 13 rushes for 77 yards.
Riverside opened the season with a 19-14 victory over Perry-Lecompton thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown. Sophomore Dawson Dick had a strong all-around contest with seven tackles for Riverside, while Gaige Olivero and Andrew Miller played well on offense and special teams, respectively. The Cyclones tallied 286 rushing yards and three scores with seven yards a carry. Olivero rushed 21 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Miller completed 4 of 6 passes for 49 yards and averaged 44 yards on three punts, including a 55-yarder. Senior Cole Kellum led the Kaws with 13 carries for 144 yards and two TDs. Riverside had lost 42-41 and 33-0 to Perry-Lecompton in the previous two seasons.
Despite a massive yardage disadvantage, Russell defeated Ellsworth, 28-20. The Broncos finished with 312 rushing yards and 20 passing. Ellsworth tallied 435 yards, including 242 on the ground. However, Russell turned Ellsworth over five times and had 12 penalties, six fewer than Ellsworth. New quarterback Alex Windholz led Russell with 17 carries for 164 yards. Windholz, who replaced standout quarterback Reshean Holloway, scored on runs of 57 and one-yard out.
Riley County opened with a 47-14 victory versus Wabaunsee as four players scored touchdowns, including two apiece from quarterback Wes March and running back Garrett Staten. One of March’s TD runs came from 87 yards out. March also threw a 5-yard TD pass to Ty Nelson. Wabaunsee led 14-6 after the first quarter.
Class 2-1A:
Sacred Heart opened with a 31-8 home victory against Minneapolis in NCAA play. The Knights, 5-5 last season but with plenty of returners, scored on its first three possessions versus the Lions, which went winless last year. Sacred Heart tallied 244 yards of total offense, including 164 rushing, and didn’t have a turnover. Sophomore David Anderson steadied the quarterback position after multiple starters in 2015, and threw for 80 yards with a one-yard TD run. Jacob Faerber, who set the Knights’ single season rushing record last season, tallied 128 yards on 17 carries. Minneapolis’ lone score came with 77 seconds left.
Elkhart defeated La Crosse, 18-12, at home. Elkhart led 12-6 at halftime before La Crosse tied the score in the fourth quarter. Elkhart had a late touchdown pass to win the game. Clayton Herdman led La Crosse with 53 passing yards and rushed 22 times for 147 yards.
Uniontown successfully returned to 11-man football with a 54-0 shutout of Southeast-Cherokee. The Eagles, who competed at the 8-man level the past four seasons, also registered the first career coaching victory for former Uniontown standout Chad Hays. Sophomore Hayden Miller led the Eagles with 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while freshman quarterback Andrew Reed added 125 yards and three scores on the ground.
Ellis won at Class 3A Syracuse, 40-6, behind an offense that produced 389 total yards. The Railers had good balance with 239 rushing yards and 151 passing yards. Ellis built a 32-0 halftime lead to break the game open.
Chase County opened the Brody Vandegrift coaching era with a 41-0 shutout of Eureka.  The Bulldogs got 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns from senior Kraig Hatcher. Hatcher’s classmate Doyle Conley added 78 yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass. Â
Class 8-man I
WaKeeney-Trego defeated Stockton, 52-20, in a game that moved venues. The contest was supposed to be played in WaKeeney, but the field was deemed unplayable and the game was switched to Stockton. Hunter Folsom and Keagan Shubert each rushed for two touchdowns. Shubert, a sophomore, finished 9 of 19 passing for 117 yards with a touchdown and an interception. WaKeeney-Trego tallied 205 rushing yards. Stockton led 14-0 after the first quarter before WaKeeney scored 14 unanswered in the second and another 24 in the third. Sophomore T.J. Hafliger tallied 15 tackles and recovered three fumbles, including one for a score, while senior Alex Haxton had 12 tackles. Junior Brendan Flax picked off two passes as the Golden Eagles forced six turnovers and also tallied a safety. WaKeeney-Trego is now 7-3 in its last 10 contests and has won three straight.
Central Plains won at Victoria, 48-22, and ended the Knights’ 24-game winning streak. Victoria last lost at Central Plains to open the 2013 season. The Oilers outgained Victoria, 510-217, in the Central Prairie League contest. Sophomore quarterback Devin Ryan stepped in for three-year starter Braedan Crites and rushed for 264 yards. Victoria fullback Cooper Pfanenstiel returned the opening kickoff 60 yards for a score and tallied 121 rushing yards; he accounted for all three of the Knights’ TDs.
Madison opened with a 52-6 victory versus undermanned Marais des Cygnes Valley. The Bulldogs opened with the Lyon County League win under first-year coach Alex McMillan, a Victoria assistant the last two years.
Sedan, with seven starters back on both sides, opened with a 44-22 victory versus Cedar Vale-Dexter. Seniors Jake Mills (159 rushing yards), Hunter Padgett (121) and Alex Burger (59) led the Blue Devil offense.
Logan-Palco defeated Triplains-Brewster, 44-20, behind 17 carries and 196 yards with four scores from David Thompson.
Class 8-man II
Minneola junior Tristan Haynes took over under center for the Wildcats’ Landon Walker, who eclipsed 1,400 rushing yards last year. Haynes completed 6 of 12 passes for 81 yards with two scores against no interceptions as the Wildcats delivered a 42-22 home victory versus Kiowa County. Running behind one of eight-man’s biggest, most experienced lines, Haynes delivered 22 carries for 135 yards and two scores. Junior Lander Martin hauled in two catches for 57 yards and a TD. Minneola is at South Central followed by Spearville in a pair of key eight-man games the next two Fridays.
Hartford opened with a 60-14 victory versus Waverly behind big nights from Clayton Fowler and Danen Kistner. Fowler scored in three ways: off a 55-yard kickoff return, an 18-yard rush and a 65-yard pass from Kistner. Overall, Kistner threw for five touchdowns and rushed for a four-yard TD. Hartford faces Burlingame in a high-profile contest this week. Hartford had lost the previous six contests versus Waverly before winning the last two seasons by a combined score of 116-20.
Ingalls has a new coach with Vestal Teeter and had massive graduation at the skill positions but still opened with a 62-16 victory against South Gray. The Bulldogs, 9-2 last season and 10-1 in 2014, led 40-0 at halftime.
South Barber opened the season with a 52-6 win over Pratt-Skyline in Heart of the Plains League play. The Chieftains were led by senior quarterback Grant Cantrell’s 167 passing yards. Cantrell tossed four touchdown passes; three to Neal Gugelmeyer and the other to Gavin Doherty.
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KCAA
Wichita Homeschool scored 32 points in the first quarter and 26 more in the second quarter in beating Veritas Christian 58-8 in a game called at halftime. Quarterback T.J. Masterson tossed four touchdown passes to lead the Warriors. Regan Messner caught a pair of touchdown passes from Masterson and scored on a 34-yard run in the first quarter.
Sunrise Christian Academy opened with a 46-0 shutout win at Altoona-Midway. Five different Buffaloes combined for 252 rushing yards in the game. Junior John Dunn led Sunrise with 90 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Nathan Kampe added 80 yards on the ground.
6-Man
Golden Plains opened the new 6-man league with a 52-6 win over Natoma. Sophomore A.J. Comacho rushed ten times for 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs. Comacho also completed all three of his passes for 44 yards and two scores. Senior Dawson Spresser passed for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
Pawnee Heights used a big second half to pick up the school’s first football win in six years by beating Wheatland-Grinnell, 65-20. Roger Klenke rushed for four touchdowns to pace the Tigers, which led 34-14 at halftime. Kade Scott scored the initial touchdown of the game, and also returned an interception and fumble for touchdowns. The Tigers last fielded a football team in 2010. Â
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