Subway sponsors our Friday Fresh Take where we provide a recap of some of the state's most notable games and performances from Friday night's action. Here’s a look at several of the results that caught our attention from Week 8.
Remember, when you visit Subway this week, thank them for supporting Kpreps and Kansas High School Football!
Playoff brackets under the new system are now set
The first eight weeks of the regular season are now complete meaning the new Class 6A/5A format shifts to the elimination round. Whether we call it the first round of the playoffs or the ninth game of the regular season, from now on it is win or go home.
The seeding process isn’t perfect (see Goddard being seeded below Valley Center despite the same record and a 49-7 win over the Hornets) and will likely need revision in years to come. But the system should make for a handful of good match-ups next week, and several more in weeks to come.
The brackets have been released and can be found at the following links:
Back to the action that stole some of the headlines from Friday night.
Feature 4A-II games deliver
Top-ranked Holcomb goes down at Pratt
Defending Class 4A-II champion Holcomb saw its 16-game winning streak come to an end thanks to two fourth-quarter touchdown bursts by Pratt’s Hunter Kaufman.
Kaufman broke free around end from midfield to tie the game at 28 midway through the fourth quarter, then added a 28-yard touchdown run to give Pratt the lead with more than five minutes remaining.
A game that saw five lead changes, however, wouldn’t see a sixth as the Longhorns were unable to come up with any points on their final two possessions.
Travis Theis led Pratt with more than 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, while quarterback Landon Studer rushed and passed for a score in the game.
Holcomb’s Trey Gilbert game the Longhorn’s a 28-21 lead with just over eight minutes remaining before Kaufman’s two scores shifted momentum back to the Greenbacks.
Frontenac wins CNC by edging Columbus, 21-20
Frontenac won the outright CNC League title by running out the clock on Columbus as part of a 21-20 victory on Friday night. The Raiders and Titans entered ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in Class 4A, Division II.
Frontenac took the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Mlekus to Isaac Bicknell that Bicknell wrestled away from Columbus defender Peyton Hale.
WATCH Frontenac's winning touchdown
Trailing 21-20 with under four minutes remaining, the Titans decided to punt the ball back to Frontenac from inside their own territory. Mlekus and the Raiders converted three first downs around the left side of this line to run out the clock.
Leading 7-6, Mlekus hit Ryan Long on a short pass that led to Long breaking down the right sideline for a 38-yard touchdown.
Frontenac threatened to add to a 14-6 lead before halftime, but the Raiders missed wide right on a short field goal as time expired. Columbus scored to pull within 14-12 midway through the third quarter.
The Titans grabbed the lead with eight minutes remaining on a short touchdown run by Zach Porter and Keenan Stanley two-point conversion. That Titan scoring drive was extended by a roughing-the-punter penalty on Frontenac.
Hayden converts Holton turnovers into big third quarter in 47-32 win
Topeka Hayden converted three Holton turnovers into a 26-point third quarter in picking a up a key road victory that clinched the District 1 championship for the Wildcats.
Holton scored three consecutive touchdowns in the first half to turn a 14-6 deficit into a 26-14 halftime lead, but the host Wildcats had difficulty holding onto the ball in the third quarter.
Conor Hobart’s touchdown run to open the quarter pulled Hayden to within 26-20. A Holton fumble immediately led to a 34-yard touchdown pass from Hayden quarterback Sampson Houston to DeShawn Hanika as the visiting Wildcats took a 27-26 lead.
Holton fumbled again, and Hobart scored another touchdown to put Hayden up 34-26.
Hayden completed the third quarter scoring barrage as Jake Heit returned a third Holton fumble 50 yards for a score to lead 40-26. The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Hobart rushed for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Hayden Wildcats, while Spencer Baum led Holton with 150 yards rushing. Holton will now have to win at Santa Fe Trail (7-1, 1-1) next week to qualify for the 4A-II playoffs.
Wichita Collegiate holds off Nickerson 20-18
Wichita Collegiate held off Nickerson 20-18 to clinch the District 5 title in Class 4A, Division II. All of the scoring took place in the first half on Friday night as a pair of Addison Harris field goals proved to be enough for the Spartans.
After an early Nickerson touchdown, Collegiate grabbed a 14-6 lead on a Cody McNerney touchdown run and touchdown pass to Jad Hourani.
Harris would add his first field goal from 26 yards for a 17-6 lead midway through the second quarter.
Nickerson’s Tanner Schrag’s touchdown pass pulled the Panthers to within 17-12 before Harris added a 37-yard field goal for a 20-12 lead. The Panthers tacked on a late second-quarter touchdown as Schrag hit Austin O’Toole from mid field with 15 seconds in the half.
Blue Valley wins EKL by holding off Aquinas
Blue Valley won the Eastern Kansas League title and completed an unbeaten regular season with a 45-34 win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night.
The Tigers came out firing as quarterback Matt Dercher hit Cade Green on an 80-yard touchdown strike on the game’s first play.
Blue Valley added 21-straight points in the second quarter to take a 38-14 lead into halftime.
Sophomore back Alex Totta added a pair of touchdown runs in the second quarter for the Tigers.
Blue Valley earns the No.1 seed in the 6A East bracket and will host winless Shawnee Mission South. Aquinas, seeded third in the 5A East, will host Leavenworth (1-7).
Junction City holds off Topeka Seaman to finish second in Centennial League
Junction City scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to dash the hopes of Topeka Seaman for a top seed on the eastern side of Class 5A.
Tim Bell and quarterback Ryan Henington each rushed for a touchdown as the Blue Jays turned a 10-7 halftime deficit into a 20-13 victory. Henington once again led the Junction City offense in rushing for 150 yards and passing for 100 more yards and a touchdown. Jovon Baldwin added 85 yards on the ground for the Blue Jays.
Dalton Cowan’s 1-yard touchdown run gave the Vikings a first half lead, but Seaman could only manage a pair of Walker Bassett field goals.
In spite of the of the loss, Seaman retains the No. 2 seed in the 5A East bracket and will host winless KC Harmon (0-7). Junction City (7-1) was awarded the fifth seed in the 6A West bracket and will host No. 12 Wichita West (3-5).
Pike Valley holds of St. John’s-Tipton for 40-34 win
Pike Valley built raced out to a 20-point first half lead and then held on for a 40-34 district win over Beloit St. John’s-Tipton.
Devante Hammer one of two touchdown passes to Cole Strickler in helping the Panthers to a 20-0 early lead. Pike Valley led 26-6 at halftime.
The Blujays would rally in the second half behind quarterback Davis Dubbert and Aaron Henke. Dubbert finished 24 of 36 passing for 344 yards and three touchdowns, while Henke caught 14 passes for 180 yards and two scores.
Hammer finished with 175 passing yards and two scores. He also rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown. Pike Valley standout running back Lane Peters added 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Panthers clinch the District 4 championship with the win, while St. John’s-Tipton will host Mankato-Rock Hills next week with the winner earning the second playoff spot.
Phillipsburg wins the MCL title by beating Norton
Third-ranked Phillipsburg methodically pulled away from rival Norton to claim the Class 3A District 14 championship and the outright Mid-Continent League title as well.
The Panthers scored a touchdown and a safety late in the second quarter to break a 13-13 tie and go into the locker room up 22-13.
Phillipsburg added a touchdown in the third and one early in the fourth quarter to win 36-13.
The win was just the third in the past ten meetings for the Panthers in the series.
Garden Plain hands Chaparral its first loss, 22-14
Nate Pauly rushed for three touchdown as Garden Plain defeated Chaparral 22-14. The loss was the first for the Roadrunners this season, and they must now defeat Conway Springs next week in order secure a playoff spot our of 3A, District 10.
Chaparral took an early 6-0 lead on an Andrew Clark touchdown run, but the Owls responded with a Pauly touchdown in each of the first three quarters to lead 22-6.
Jacob Jenkins’ touchdown run in the third quarter pulled the Runners to within 22-14. Chaparral later faced a fourth-and-goal at the Garden Plain five yard line, when Jenkins was stopped short of the end zone.
Pauly rushed for 126 yards and those three scores on 17 attempts. Jenkins led Chaparral with 156 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Hays deals Abilene its first loss, 23-12
There is now only one unbeaten team remains in Class 4A, Division I as the Hays High Indians handed Abilene its first loss of the season, 23-12. Basehor-Linwood (8-0) is the lone remaining undefeated team in the classification.
After falling behind early, Hays took a 10-6 lead into halftime on a touchdown pass from Hunter Brown to Wyatt Sheve and a Logan Clark field goal.
The Indians grabbed the momentum out of the locker room in third quarter with a long touchdown drive ending in a Brown to Shane Berens touchdown pass and a 17-6 lead.
Parker O’Neal rushed for his second touchdown to pull the Cowboys within 17-12, but Brown added a touchdown run to allow Hays to pull off the 23-12 upset.
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