Class 4A– Division II
East: No. 1 Frontenac (10-0) at Holton (6-4)
Looking at the records, this may seem like a mismatch. The undefeated Raiders are the top-ranked team in the state and have pitched four shutouts. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are unranked and have allowed 24 points or more six times.
However, Holton isn’t a team that should be counted out. Led by coach Brooks Barta, Holton is a perennial Class 4A power. The Wildcats finished as the 4A Division II runner-up last season, topping Frontenac 22-7 along the way.
Frontenac took a 7-0 lead in that game before Holton scored the game’s next 22 points. The Raiders turned the ball over three times in the loss. Holton’s defense also recorded a safety.
The Wildcats are 6-1 in their past seven games after opening the season with three consecutive losses to Atchison, Sabetha and Nemaha Central. The losses to Sabetha and Nemaha Central were by four points combined.
Holton is coming off a 20-14 win at Baldwin.
The Wildcats are one of the top rushing teams in the state, running for 379.8 yards per game.
Spencer Baum and Miles McClintock-Strozier have each rushed for more than 1,000 yards.
Frontenac won the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League, topping Columbus 21-20 in a key conference battle on Oct. 21. The Raiders have won every other game by no fewer than three touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Brandon Mlekus passed for 185 yards and four touchdowns during last week’s 56-14 win over Iola.
Mark Smith has led the Raiders to 38-14 record since taking over the program in 2012.
Barta and Smith are sons of two of the state’s most legendary coaches. Roger Barta earned more than 300 victories at Smith Center, and Chuck Smith continues to add to his 300-plus wins at St. Mary’s-Colgan. Ironically, Barta’s Redmen and Smith’s Panthers battled each other in the 2-1A playoffs.
Holton 21, Frontenac 20 (Schremmer)
West: No. 5 Wichita Collegiate (7-3) at No. 3 Holcomb (9-1)
Wichita Collegiate has won four straight entering the long road trip west to Holcomb, the defending Class 4A-II champions. The Longhorns have righted themselves after a Week 8 loss to Pratt with key wins versus GWAC foes Hugoton (47-7) and Scott City (34-20).
Collegiate has lost a pair of road games versus quality teams in Hoisington (31-22 in Week 2) and Andale (32-21 in Week 7). Both opponents were power running squads, while Collegiate is more pass-oriented. In both contests, specifically Andale, the Spartans lost the game in the second half. The last time Collegiate went west in the playoffs, the Spartans fell 26-6 at Scott City in the 2014 quarterfinals.
Junior quarterback Cody McNerney has completed 140 of 222 passes for 1,876 yards with 25 scores against 10 interceptions. Collegiate has averaged 192 passing yards and 130 rushing yards a contest. He has led the Spartans with 129 carries for 620 yards. The Spartans have averaged just 4.2 yards per carry.
However, Collegiate has been very strong defensively with just a plus-5 turnover margin. The Spartans have averaged 4.2 TFLs per contest. Senior Cooper Root has 77 tackles with four TFLs. Last year, Collegiate’s 3A state runner-up team averaged five TFLs a contest.
Against the hardest strength of schedule in the classification, Collegiate has permitted just 17.6 points and scored 31.9. Holcomb has an average score of 38.4-11.9. Holcomb is second in scoring defense, while Collegiate is fifth. Both teams rank in the top-seven in scoring offense.
Holcomb has a significantly stronger rushing attack with 231 rushing yards and 182 passing a game. Junior Trey Gilbert has completed 104 of 189 passes for 1,824 yards with 24 scores against eight interceptions.
Holcomb is turnover-prone with 18 miscues, but the Longhorns’ defense is exceptional at forcing turnovers with 33 forced and a plus-15 margin.
Senior Dillon Williams paces Holcomb with 95 carries for 816 yards and seven scores. He also leads the team with 113 tackles and has 515 in his career with four consecutive 100-tackle years.
Collegiate will keep this game close, but Holcomb’s depth in the running game leads to a home win.
Holcomb 28, Collegiate 20 (Nicholl)
The rest of our 4A-II quarterfinal picks:
Girard (5-5) at No. 4 Topeka Hayden (6-4) – Topeka Hayden
Smoky Valley (8-2) at No. 2 Pratt (9-1) -- Pratt
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.
