Like last season, district play begins in Class 4A, Division I with four remaining unbeaten teams. Also like last season, only two of those four teams are ranked in the Kpreps poll.
The two top teams in the classification reside in District 2. Top-ranked Bishop Miege enters district play as three-time defending state champions and riding an 18-game win streak. The Stags last playoff loss in Class 4A was to Baldwin back in 2008.
Joining Miege in District 2 is second-ranked De Soto. The Wildcats have rolled to a 6-0 start having outscored their opponents by an average of 41-6. De Soto will travel to Bishop Miege in a district showdown in Week 8.
Joining Miege and De Soto on the east side is unbeaten Tonganoxie. The Chieftains have started with six consecutive wins thanks to a defense that allows only nine points per game. Tonganoxie may not have a test until the regular-season finale at home against Basehor-Linwood.
The lone unbeaten team on the west side of the state is Andale. The Indians are unbeaten thanks to a defense that allows only eight points per game and has posted three shutouts. Andale will host No. 3 Buhler this week.
The Crusaders join fellow AVCTL members Maize South and McPherson in the Kpreps 4A-I poll. The three teams have beaten up on each other this season. McPherson topped Buhler 33-21 to open the season before losing 9-0 at Maize South the following week. Maize South then fell 17-14 to Buhler in Week 4.
EAST
District 1 (Schremmer)
- Tonganoxie (6-0) – The Chieftains enter district competition as one of only four teams in 4A Division II with an undefeated record. However, it must be noted that Tonganoxie’s six opponents have a combined record of 9-27. Senior Dalton Bock leads the Chieftains’ rushing attack with 871 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries. Junior Korbin Riedel has rushed for more than 600 yards, and senior quarterback Mason Beach has passed for nearly 800.
- Basehor-Linwood (5-1) – The Bobcats cruised through the first four games of the season, not even allowing a point during wins against Bishop Ward, Spring Hill, KC Turner, and Independence. However, Basehor-Linwood fell 33-21 to Bonner Springs and earned a close win over 1-5 Lansing. Senior T.J. Williams (301), junior Nolan Ford (282), and junior Marlon McDaniel (208) have all rushed for more than 200 yards. The Bobcats are the defending district champs.
- Atchison (4-2) – The Redmen have posted three consecutive victories after falling 30-0 to KC Schlagle in Week 3. Senior running back Taye Helms ran for 205 yards and three touchdowns during a 40-14 win over KC Sumner. Last season, Atchison started last season with a 6-0 record before dropping all three district games and failing to make the playoffs.
- KC Piper (3-3) – The Pirates lost their first three games of the season but followed with three straight wins to enter district competition with a .500 record. KC Piper beat its past two opponents – KC Turner and Bishop Ward – by a combined score of 79-0. Dalton White leads the Pirates’ rushing attack with 240 yards and three touchdowns on 47 carries.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Basehor-Linwood at KC Piper; (Wk 9) Basehor-Linwood at Tonganoxie
Winner: Tonganoxie
Runner-up: Basehor-Linwood
District 2 (Schremmer)
- Bishop Miege (6-0) – The Stags are the three-time defending Class 4A Division state champions and the No. 1 team in the state. Miege enters district competition on an 18-game winning streak. All six of the Stags’ six games this season were against Class 5A and 6A opponents. The offense is led by senior quarterback Carter Putz, who owns the state record in career passing yards. This season, Putz has passed for nearly 1,400 yards 13 touchdowns. Sophomore Brison Cobbins has rushed for 600 yards and seven touchdowns on only 55 carries. Sophomore Daniel Jackson has 25 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns.
- De Soto (6-0) – The Wildcats are ranked No. 2 in the state. Unlucky for De Soto, however, is the fact that it is in the same district as top-ranked Bishop Miege. De Soto has dominated the Frontier League with a 4-0 record and has allowed no more than 14 points in a game. Leo Oplotnik ran for 100 yards and a touchdown during last week’s 42-0 win over Baldwin.
- Eudora (2-4) – The Cardinals have struggled to score points against good teams. They’ve scored 79 points during their two victories but have been limited to a total of 34 points in their four losses. Eudora was 8-4 in 2015 but has a 4-11 record since the start of 2016.
- Spring Hill (1-5) – A year after finishing 5-1 in the Frontier League, the Broncos are only 1-3 in the Frontier this year. Spring Hill’s only win this season came 27-19 at Ottawa. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since 2014.
Key Games: (Wk 8) De Soto at Bishop Miege will decide both playoff spots.
Winner: Bishop Miege
Runner-up: De Soto
District 3 (Gilmore)
- Louisburg (5-1) – Louisburg is off to a 5-1 start under first-year coach Robert Ebenstein. The Wildcats lone loss came 41-0 to No. 2 De Soto back in Week 3. That is also Louisburg’s only Frontier League loss to date. Entering district play, the Wildcat defense has pitched two consecutive shutouts with wins over Baldwin and Spring Hill.
- Paola (5-1) – Paola had a streak of 11 consecutive playoff appearances snapped last fall when the Panthers finished 4-5. Paola has already eclipsed last year’s win total having won five of their six games this season. Like Louisburg, Paola’s only loss came to De Soto, 40-14, in Frontier League play. The Panthers rebounded with consecutive wins over Eudora and Bonner Springs. Paola picked off four Bonner Springs passes in last week’s 37-14 win. The Panther offense is led by seniors Kurt Golubski and Colton Gleghorn.
- Fort Scott (4-2) – After consecutive losses to Pittsburg and Labette County, Fort Scott got back on track last week in a 48-21 victory at Coffeyville. Tiger backs Zarek Fewell and Jessie Lawrence each scored three touchdowns in the win. Fewell has rushed for 1,013 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 9.6 yards per carry. As a team, the Tigers average 316 yards on the ground per game. The Tigers will get two of three district games at home.
- Ottawa (1-5) – After an 8-3 season and a state quarterfinal appearance last season, the Cyclones have just one win this fall. Ottawa has dropped four consecutive games since their 28-13 win over Wamego back in Week 2. All four of those losses have come by 10 points or less. Ottawa will need big performances from Devion and Shavion Bethea if the Cyclones are to earn one of the two playoff spots.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Louisburg at Fort Scott; (Wk 8) Fort Scott at Paola; (Wk 9) Paola at Louisburg
Winner: Paola
Runner-up: Louisburg
District 4 (Gilmore)
- Labette County (5-1) – The Grizzlies have won four consecutive games since a 39-0 loss to unbeaten Andale. Labette County is averaging 42 points per game behind 6-foot-7 quarterback Easton Dean. Dean has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,086 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding seven touchdowns on the ground. T.J. Mayhue leads the Grizzlies in rushing with 618 yards and 11 scores.
- Chanute (3-3) – The Blue Comets evened their record with a 62-43 shootout win over Parsons. Chanute sophomore quarterback Ty Bowman was injured against Augusta and the offense sputtered in a 20-14 loss. Junior Corbett Kimberlin has moved behind center and led the Comets to the win over Parsons. Kimberlin had a hand in five touchdowns in the Parsons victory.
- Coffeyville (3-3) – After a 3-1 start, Field Kindley has dropped its last two games to Galena (6-0) and Fort Scott (4-2). Now Coffeyville will travel away from Veteran’s Stadium for the first time in three weeks when they visit Chanute and Indy in consecutive weeks. Speedy junior quarterback C.J Kelley leads the Golden Tornado offense. Since taking over a program that had lost 12 straight games, coach Darrin Wegner has led the ‘Nado to a 7-8 record.
- Independence (2-4) – After winning eight games and reaching the 4A-I playoffs last season, Independence was hit hard by graduation. The Bulldogs are 2-4 this season with a pair of wins over Parsons (0-6) and Anderson County (1-5). To compete in this district the Bulldog defense will have to be better than the 44 points per game they are giving up through six weeks this season.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Coffeyville at Chanute; (Wk 8) Chanute at Labette County; (Wk 9) Labette County at Coffeyville
Winner: Labette County
Runner-up: Chanute
WEST
District 5 (Nicholl)
- Mulvane (3-3) – Mulvane has played part of the season with standout quarterback Jayden Price, a North Dakota State commit. The Wildcats opened 3-1, including a 35-19 home win against Wichita Collegiate. However, Mulvane has lost its last two contests without Price, at Maize South (42-6) and at Conway Springs (44-13). Mulvane tallied 33, 42, 20 and 35 points in the first month. Mulvane went 8-3 last year.
- Wellington (3-3) – Wellington entered this season on an 11-game losing streak but opened with three victories for second-year head coach Zane Aguilar, formerly an assistant. Wellington has lost to Andale, Wichita Collegiate and Scott City the last three weeks. The Crusader defense has permitted 113 points. Through six games last year, the Crusaders had permitted 222 points. Quarterback Cade Phelps and running back Joe Ybarra have led the offense. Wellington last made the playoffs in ’10.
- Winfield (2-4) – Coach Linn Hibbs has had several stops in his 20-year head coaching career, including Wellington. The Vikings finished 1-8 in his first season and have two wins this year with home games against Towanda-Circle (32-16) and Arkansas City (24-14). Winfield’s last playoff berth came in ’13.
- Ulysses (0-6) – Coach Jason Kenny called this team the youngest he has had in his 24 years on staff. The Tigers lost its first two games by a combined 10 points. Since then, the schedule has become more challenging and the defeats have come by 27, 43, 31 and 36 points. Zak Anderson has switched from quarterback to running back.
Key Games: (As long as Price returns – and he should – Mulvane is the head of the district. Last year, Winfield defeated Wellington, 21-20 in overtime, in a matchup of two coaches who know each other. (Wk 7) Wellington at Winfield, a rivalry game, will likely be for the runner-up spot.
Winner: Mulvane
Runner-up: Wellington
District 6 (Nicholl)
- Maize South (5-1) – Maize South earned statewide attention when it opened the season with three straight shutouts. The Mavericks, a top-5 team, fell at home to Buhler, 17-14, in Week 4. Maize South has permitted just 44 points, eight behind De Soto for classification best. The Mavericks are 15-3 the last two years with all three losses to Buhler.
- Augusta (4-2) – Augusta has once again produced a strong defensive unit. Augusta has tallied just 110 points but permitted 98, 12th best in the 32-team classification. From ’14-17, Augusta has allowed no more than 22 points a contest in any season. The Orioles opened 3-0 before losses to McPherson and Buhler in two of the last three weeks.
- Andover Central (2-4) – AC is 4-11 since reaching the Class 4A-I state championship game in 2015. Last year, the Jaguars went 2-7 with an 0-5 start. This season, Andover Central opened 1-4 with a 41-14 home win against Abilene. Two of the losses have come by a combined 12 points.
- Rose Hill (1-5) – The Rockets’ only victory was a 21-14 home win versus El Dorado in Week 4. Since a surprise state title in 2011, Rose Hill last reached the playoffs in ’12-13.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Augusta at Maize South may decide both playoff spots.
Winner: Maize South
Runner-up: Augusta
District 7 (Nicholl)
- Andale (6-0) – Andale finished 8-2 last year under longtime successful coach Gary O’Hair before he moved to New Mexico. The Indians did not win a playoff game for the first time since ’04. Andale, which has made the postseason since ’01, won three state crowns from ’06-14. Veteran assistant Dylan Schmidt has paced the Indians to a 6-0 start. After a season-opening 28-21 road win at Andover Central, Andale has won each contest by at least 28 points. Parker Bruce has helped the defense, including two interceptions in a 48-20 Week 3 win versus Mulvane. In that contest, Andale limited Mulvane’s Jayden Price to 7 of 17 for 116 yards with a 1/3 TD/INT ratio. Junior quarterback Ethan Baalmann has run the offense with Jeremy Jansen in the backfield.
- Buhler (5-1) – After a 33-21 season-opening loss to McPherson, the Crusaders have started to roll and returned to the top-5. That includes back-to-back road wins versus Wichita Collegiate (47-21) and Maize South (17-14) in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. Running back Dalton Brown and linemen Brendan Webb and Braden Rose have paced the powerful run-heavy offense.
- El Dorado (3-3) – El Dorado didn’t score a point in the first two weeks of the year, but is 3-1 since. The Wildcats have matched last year’s win total. El Dorado last made the playoffs in 2008.
- Towanda-Circle (0-6) – Circle has lost 13 straight contests. The Thunderbirds have tallied 51 points this year and allowed at least 26 points in every contest. Ulysses and Circle are the lone winless teams in the classification.
Key Games: (Wk 7) Buhler at Andale will decide both playoff spots
Winner: Buhler
Runner-up: Andale
District 8 (Nicholl)
- McPherson (5-1) – McPherson, Buhler and Maize South went 1-1 against each other and remain the top-three teams on the west side in 4A-I. McPherson has again delivered a dominant defense. The Bullpups ranked second at 11.8 points per contest in 2016. This year, McPherson has permitted just 8.5 points a game, fifth-best in the class.
- Wamego (3-3) – Wamego has tallied just 89 points, fifth-worst in the classification, and permitted 143. However, the Red Raiders are .500 because of three wins by a combined 13 points. In the last two weeks, Wamego has 14-12 North Central Kansas League victories against Chapman and Concordia.
- Abilene (2-4) – Abilene, a 7-3 team last year and 22-8 in the first three seasons with coach Steve Simpson, had dominated the NCKL the past three years. This fall, Abilene is 1-3 in league play. Abilene defeated TMP, 32-27, in Week 1 despite allowing a state record for passing yards from Monarchs’ quarterback David McFarland. Abilene has tallied 124 points and permitted 208.
- Hays (2-4) – Hays High has been very competitive versus again by far the classification’s hardest strength of schedule. Third-year coach Randall Rath, long known for defense at Oakley, has built one of 4A-I’s top defenses. Hays has tallied only 66 points but permitted just 92, 11th-best in the classification. The Indians held off rival Great Bend, 21-20 in overtime, and lost to Garden City (7-3) and Dodge City (12-7) in games that went down to the final seconds. Hunter Brown, Hayden Brown and Keaton Markley have combined for eight interceptions. Hunter Brown has accounted for seven scores as the starting quarterback.
Key Games: (Wk 7) McPherson at Hays may decide both playoff spots
Winner: McPherson
Runner-up: Hays
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