We have redesigned our Kpreps Kansas Game Day feature this week in order to provide you with a program for things to watch out for in Week 6 action.
In this week’s Game Day, we’ll look at how the new playoff format in Class 6A & 5A would shape up if the season ended today. We’ll also look at the best teams in the state that are currently below .500, preview some key league and district match-ups, and highlight some other notes to get you ready for Friday night’s action. If you have suggestions for what you would like to see in future Game Day features, send us a message on Twitter or Facebook.
Current 6A & 5A seeds
You are probably aware that Kansas is in the first year of a new playoff format for Class 6A and 5A. The new format splits each classification into a 16-team east side and a 16-team west side. The system eliminates districts in the traditional sense, reduces the regular season to an 8-game schedule, and qualifies all teams for the “playoffs” beginning in Week 9. After Week 8, all teams will be seeded 1 through 16 on the east and west sides based on objective measures.
Naturally, we’ve been peeking ahead at what the seeds would be should the season end today. Some items to note:
6A East:
· Blue Valley would be the top seed as the only unbeaten team
· Only four of the 16 teams have a winning record (Blue Valley, SM East, Lawrence, SM West)
· Six teams are tied with the same record spanning the 5th through 10th seeds
6A West:
· Manhattan, not Derby would be the top seed if the season ended today. Both the Panthers and Indians are 5-0 and have 105 points in the tie-breaker system, but Manhattan has more wins against 6A schools (2) than Derby (1).
· Garden City and Junction City are also unbeaten at 5-0. Junction City plays Manhattan tonight.
· On the west side, 12 of the 16 teams have winning records compared to just four teams on the east.
· Seven teams are tied with a 3-2 record spanning seeds 6 through 12.
5A East:
· While three teams are tied at 4-1, KC Schlagle would be the top seed if the season ended today. The Stallions are unranked in Class 5A.
· KC Sumner Academy and KC Harmon have each had OPEN dates and 1-less game may impact the seeding.
· Defending champion Mill Valley would be seeded 4th if the season ended today.
5A West:
· Wichita Heights, Valley Center, and Great Bend would be the top three seeds as all three remain unbeaten.
· Nine teams have a winning record on the west side.
· Traditional playoff contenders Salina South and Salina Central would be the 14 and 15 seeds, respectively.
DANGER! – The best below .500 teams in the state at the mid-way point
Class 6A
· Blue Valley North (2-3) – Andy Sims’ Mustangs have lost to 5A No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (35-14), 6A No. 2 Blue Valley (25-7), and 4A-I No. 1 Bishop Miege (24-6). North isn’t a team you want to draw in the first-round as a mid-level seed.
· Olathe North (1-4) – Eagles losses have come to 5A No. 1 Wichita Heights, Blue Springs South (Mo.), 6A No. 3 Shawnee Mission East, and Lawrence (4-1).
· Olathe Northwest (2-3) – Ravens have suffered a 27-26 double-overtime loss to Goddard (4-1), an overtime loss to Olathe East, and a 5-point loss to Lee’s Summit North (Mo.)
Class 5A
· Bonner Springs (2-3) – Braves three losses are to team’s with a combined 12-3 record including De Soto (4-1), KC Piper (3-2), and 4A-I No. 4 Basehor-Linwood (5-0). Bonner has a challenging schedule remaining at Paola, home with Pittsburg, and at Lansing.
· Shawnee Heights (1-4) – Heights has lost two games by a total of seven points. The T-Birds fell 24-21 to Topeka Seaman and 32-28 to Topeka High. Other losses are to 6A No. 5 Manhattan and Washburn Rural.
· Goddard-Eisenhower (1-4) – The Tigers began the year ranked in several polls, but have only one win. Ike’s losses have come against opponents that are a combined 17-3.
Class 4A-I
· Fort Scott (2-3) – Two of the Tigers’ losses have come by a total of 4 points; the other to 5A Pittsburg, 28-0.
· Paola (2-3) – Paola opened with a 23-13 loss at KC Piper, and lost at Spring Hill 18-12 before being beaten by De Soto in Week 5. The Panthers are in the same district as Fort Scott.
Class 4A-II
· Holton (2-3) – Including last season’s 4A-II state title gaem, Holton had lost four consecutive games before a Week 4 win over Riverside. The Wildcats have won consecutive games by a 41-7 score following losses to Atchison (5-0), Sabetha (5-0), and Nemaha Central (5-0). All three losses are by a combined 14 points.
· Topeka Hayden (1-4) – Maybe the most dangerous sub .500 team in the state, Hayden began its inaugural season in 4A-II with only one win. The Wildcats have losses to 5A & 6A opponents that are a combined 13-7.
Class 3A
· Perry-Lecompton (2-3) – Two of Perry-Lecompton’s losses are to Riverside (19-14) and 2-1A No. 1 Troy (25-22). The Kaws’ third loss came last week against unbeaten Sabetha.
· Hesston (2-3) – Coach Riders’ Swathers opened with close road losses at Garden Plain (33-27) and Halstead (26-24). Both of those opponents remain unbeaten through five games. The Swathers then fell 36-27 at Nickerson (4-1) in Week 4
Class 2-1A
· St. Mary’s Colgan (2-3) – The Panthers’ three losses have come against opponents that have a combined 14-1 record this season. Colgan won at Girard, 35-13, last week, and the Panthers will be heavily favored in each of their next four games.
· Olpe (2-3) – One of the Eagles’ two wins includes a 14-7 descision over Caney Valley at halftime due to weather. Olpe has suffered close losses to St. Marys (20-14), Osage City (35-33), and Burlington (20-7).
Class 8M-I
· Centre-Lost Springs (1-3) – Matt Warta inherited a veteran team at Centre, but the Cougars have won just once thus far. Things might not be as bad as they seem. After a 34-28 win over Little River to open the season, Centre’s three losses have come to Goessel (18-12) in a game called at halftime due to weather, Herington (30-16), and No. 3 Burlingame.
· Victoria (2-3) – Yes we’re talking about the two-time defending 8M-II champs as being “under the radar”. Victoria’s losses have come to No. 5 Central Plains (48-22), Otis-Bison (46-36), and Logan-Palco (50-28). Those three combined opponents are 13-2 this season.
· Hoxie (2-3) – Hoxie is a football program that never seems to shy away from a challenge. The Indians are 2-3 with losses to 8M-II No. 4 Sharon Springs-Wallace County (30-22), unbeaten Atwood-Rawlins County, and No. 1 St. Francis.
Class 8M-II
· Chase (2-3) – After two consecutive undeafeated regular seasons, Chase opened 2016 with consecutive losses to Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (56-32), Wilson (30-26), and Mankato-Rock Hills. Those three opponents are a combined 13-2 entering Week 6. Chase also handled Sylvan-Lucas (4-1) by 26 points in Week 4.
· Lakeside-Downs (1-4) – Keep an eye out for Lakeside, a team that returned 13 total starters but lost four straight to open the season. Those four losses were to 8M-II No. 3 Pike Valley, Hoxie (see above), 8M-I No. 4 Osborne, and unbeaten Mankato-Rock Hills. When the scheduled lightened up last week, Lakeside hung 86 points on Northern Valley.
Watch Another Feature Game
Class 4A-II No. 4 Wichita Collegiate (3-2) at 4A-I No. 2 Andale (5-0)
WATCH Collegiate vs. Andale Live
The AVCTL Division IV features Andale, Collegiate and Mulvane, which lost to Andale but rolled over Collegiate. This matchup is generally always high-scoring and close. Last year, Collegiate won 46-45 in overtime and finished as the Class 3A state runners-up.
The teams have split the last six contests. The last three meetings are decided by just nine points. Of the six occasions, five are within 14 points. The winner has always scored at least 30, so fireworks are definitely possible between Andale’s rushing offense and Collegiate’ passing attack.
Key Stat: 1,199.
Collegiate junior quarterback Cody McNerney has completed 85 of 132 passes for 1,199 yards with a 16/5 TD/INT ratio. He could surpass Austin Waddell’s numbers this week. Waddell delivered a great season in ’15 when he completed 76 of 124 passes for 1,491 yards with an 18/4 TD/INT ratio for an offense that averaged 52.1 points per contest.
Shawnee Mission East continues its dominance
The Lancers are 24-1 in its last 25 regular season games against Kansas schools under fourth-year coach Dustin Delaney. SM East has continually dominated the Sunflower League and KC area competition at an historical rate. In the victories, the Lancers have an average score of 51-11 in those contests. Not a single win has been closer than 21 points.
This season, SM East does have a 26-20 Week 3 loss to Missouri power Rockhurst, but has scores of 62-7, 48-6, 48-13 and 77-26 in its other games. Two weeks ago, SM East defeated Olathe North, 48-13, for the Eagles’ biggest margin of loss in more than eight years. The Lancers (4-1) will resume Thursday night’s suspended game with Olathe East (2-3) tonight. SM East led the Hawks 21-7 at halftime.
Schneider 8,000?
Shawnee Mission North’s Will Schneider (6-4, 205) has started at quarterback the past four seasons for the Indians. While he has guided the Indians to an overall record of just 7-27, Schneider has climbed the state’s all-time passing charts. Through five games this season, the senior has thrown for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns bringing his career total to 7,227 yards and 65 touchdowns. Schneider is 773 yards away from 8,000 career passing yards. With a guaranteed four games remaining, Schneider has to pass for an average of at least 193 yards per game to reach 8,000. The state record for career passing yards is held by Silver Lake’s Kyle Kruger (2000-03) who passed for 8,781 yards; 1,554 yards ahead of Schneider.
Private performance?
Did you realize that non-public schools have combined for a 42-51 record (.452) through five weeks of the 2016 season?
Spearville pulling away early
Spearville, which has won 18 straight games, has probably its most challenging district test this week versus Ness City (4-1). The Lancers have outscored teams 264-38. In the first quarter, Spearville holds a 158-0 advantage, including 20-0 versus Hodgeman County in Week 2 and 32-0 against Minneola in Week 3 in wins against quality opponents.
Multi-faceted Stroede
Lakeside-Downs senior Austin Stroede helped the Knights to their first victory since Week 3 of the 2014 season with an 86-50 home district win versus Northern Valley. Stroede caught four passes for 134 yards and two scores and scored a touchdown apiece with a fumble recovery, interception and punt return. Both the fumble recovery and interception were 67 yards, while the punt was 37 yards. Entering the game, Stroede had four touchdowns, none on defense or special teams. This week, Downs (1-4, 1-0 in Eight-Man, Division II, District 5) plays host to Sylvan-Lucas (4-1, 1-0).
Who will get a win?
Altoona-Midway travels to take on the Marais des Cygnes Valley Trojans in a game featuring two teams struggling this season. The Jets are seeking their first win since beating Tyro Christian 45-24 on October 27, 2011. Since that win, Altoona-Midway didn’t field a team in 2012 or 2013, went 0-9 in 2014, and 0-8 in 2015. The Jet’s have lost 22 consecutive games. Altoona-Midway is 0-5 and has been outscored 250-6 on the season.
Meanwhile, Marais des Cygnes Valley is battling low numbers in their first season under coach Brandon Wise. The Trojans went 29-13 the past four seasons under veteran coach Butch Jones including four playoff appearances. This season, MdCV is 0-4 and has been outscored 204-14.
Key District Games
Eight-Man, Division II
Dighton (5-0; 1-0) at Sharon Springs-Wallace County (3-2; 1-0)
The 5-0 Hornets travel to Wallace County, ranked fourth in Division II, in another huge District 6 matchup. SSWC rallied to earn a key district win with a 28-20 home victory versus Otis-Bison in a game where the Wildcats trailed 14-0 at halftime.
Dighton has rolled through its soft schedule, outscoring teams 293-32 with just 14 players on its roster. The Hornets are known for its passing game but have ran the ball well for 177 yards a contest. Senior Lake Lewis has 39 carries for 461 yards and 13 rushing yards. Senior Tyler Lingg is threatening the eight-man completion percentage record with 44 of 57 passing (77.2 percent) for 698 yards with 15 scores against zero interceptions.
Senior Dylan Foos has 23 catches for 436 yards and nine scores for an offense that averages 9.4 yards per play. Wallace County has won with defense. The Wildcats have averaged 3.2 yards per rush and senior Levi Johnson leads the team with 351 passing, 231 rushing and 10 touchdowns accounted for. Senior Chisom Grund is already up to 64 tackles, 10 for loss.
Key Number – 0
Dighton has no turnovers this season, an area the Hornets have struggled with the last several years. Last season, the Hornets had 14 turnovers and finished minus-4 in turnover margin.
SSWC’s defense versus both the run and pass has been very solid. The Wildcats limited Otis-Bison to 4.6 yards per play last week. For the season, teams have completed passes on the Wildcats (6.7 yards per pass attempt), but opponents are 33 of 68 for 455 yards with a 4/7 TD/INT ratio. Opponents have rushed for 3.9 yards per carry.
SSWC already has four defensive/special teams scores, including three defensively, a huge help for an offense that has averaged just 4.5 yards per play. Two years ago, Wallace County had seven non-offensive scores, last season the Wildcats had three (one defensive); both teams went 11-1 with far more high-octane offenses.
Dighton’s offense is explosive and it is likely going to come down to turnover margin – and what plays are created off the turnovers.
Mankato-Rock Hills (5-0) at Pike Valley (4-1)
A key game in Eight-Man, Division II, District 4 that also includes Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (4-1, 1-0) features two of the fastest tailbacks in eight-man football. For Rock Hills, sophomore Zane Colson has 62 carries for 516 yards and nine scores. Senior Luke Broeckelman has completed 70 percent of his passes for 613 yards with a 13/1 TD/INT ratio for the Grizzlies. For Pike Valley, junior Lane Peters has 83 carries for 706 yards and 14 scores. Junior Davante Hammer has completed 57 percent of his passes for 433 yards with eight scores against one interception.
Key stat – 51.6
Pike Valley averages 51.6 snaps per contest for 384 yards per game and 7.4 yards per play. Rock Hills averages 10.5 yards per play but has just 33.2 snaps a contest for 345 yards.
Both teams have played in some shortened games due to blowouts, but the difference is stark. Each team has a very distinct style: Rock Hills’ big play ability against Pike Valley’s big offensive line and time of possession.
In its 34-32 road loss to Osborne in Week 4, Pike Valley held a 71-58 edge in plays and had 496 yards compared to 384 for Osborne.
However, last season, Rock Hills defeated Pike Valley, 34-28, in Week 2. For the year, Rock Hills averaged 46 snaps a game. Pike Valley was at 47. In the win, Rock Hills had 70 offensive snaps, nine more than Pike Valley, and held a 475-351 edge in yards. Rock Hills has won eight straight in the series.
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
