Back to Kpreps this fall, our contributors will hand out helmet stickers to a team or individual that delivered the most important performance of the week in their opinion. Check back each Sunday to see that week’s helmet stickers, and follow @Kpreps on Twitter and Facebook to watch as the Kpreps helmet fills up with stickers as the season goes on.
Helmet sticker: KC Schlagle (Matt Gilmore -- Kpreps)
The KC Schlagle Stallions completed an undefeated regular season with a 58-0 shutout of KC Harmon on Friday. In doing so, the Stallions earned the top seed in the Class 5A east bracket for the second consecutive season.
Dewayne Williams has now posted a 25-11 record in his fourth season as head coach at Schlagle. The Stallions had posted a 40-51 combined record in the ten years prior to his arrival. Schlagle’s only playoff appearance during that time came in 2009 when they finished 6-4.
It’s been an impressive run for a team from the seldom talked-about Kansas City-Atchison League. Schlagle has resurrected football some football discussion about the KCAL statewide primarily due to the performance of backs Cornelius Ruff and Ivan Webb the past two seasons.
Last season, Ruff rushed for 2,019 yards and 27 scores last season, while Webb added 490 yards and 10 scores. This season, Webb (6-0, 200) may challenge the state’s single-season state record as he sits at 2,479 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns after eight weeks. Webb’s season-low has been 231 yards in a Week 2 win over Kansas City Northeast (Mo.).
Sure there are questions about Schlagle’s strength of schedule. After all, Schlagle entered bracket play as the No. 1 seed last season and had to survive a 24-16 scare from 16-seed Topeka Highland Park. The Stallions were blown out a week later by St. James Academy, 53-17. Schlagle gets that same winless Highland Park team again this week to open the bracket round. The Scots have lost 33 consecutive games. But regardless of the outcome, Coach Williams and the Schlagle Stallions may be inspiring a football mindset long dormant among Kansas City, Kansas schools.
Helmet sticker: Macksville (Matt Gilmore – Kpreps)
Macksville is on the verge of the school’s first playoff appearance since 2011 after a crucial 42-22 road win at Argonia-Attica last week. The Mustangs broke open a 6-6 tie by outscoring the Titans 30-0 in the second and third quarters combined to improve to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in District 6 of Eight-Man, Division I.
Macksville, an eight-man state power in the late 2000s, had fallen on hard times as a football program since a 10-1 season and a quarterfinal finish in 2011. The Mustangs had posted a combined 10-35 record the five years since with no playoff appearances. Macksville reached the state playoffs seven consecutive seasons from 2005-2011 culminating in a perfect 13-0 season and the Eight-Man, Division I state championship in 2007. The Mustangs also reached the state semifinals in 2006 and 2008.
This season, Macksville has only dropped games against Central Prairie League rival Victoria (60-12) and District 6 leader South Central (23-16). Junior quarterback Koy Mead has led the Mustang offense in passing for 1,136 yards and 24 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. Mead has also added five rushing touchdowns. Senior Jacob Rein is the team’s leading rusher with 622 yards and 11 scores while also grabbing 21 receptions for 466 yards and 11 more receiving touchdowns. Senior Kreed Parr has a team-high 26 catches for 418 yards and nine touchdowns.
South Central will play Argonia-Attica this week with the winner likely securing a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Macksville must take care of business against winless Fairfield in order to punch its ticket to the postseason.
Helmet sticker: Marion (John Baetz – Kpreps)
After back-to-back 7-2 seasons in which they narrowly missed the playoffs the Marion Warriors finally sewed up a trip to the postseason this year with a 44-12 pounding of Hillsboro. The Warriors have rolled up 108 total points in their first two district games and veteran coach Grant Thierolf has praised the play of his offensive line and the talented backfield trio of Chase Stringer at quarterback, and running backs Corbin Wheeler and Jack Schneider.
Friday against Hillsboro the Warriors rolled up over 400 yards of total offense, with 399 of that coming on the ground. Two weeks ago against Southeast of Saline the Warriors got nearly 300 yards rushing and five TDs from Wheeler and 190 yards and three TDs from Schneider in a key district win.
This week Marion takes on a surging Hesston team for the district title.
Helmet sticker: Ness City (Conor Nicholl – Kpreps)
With its playoff hopes in the balance, Ness City trailed Satanta, 28-6 and then scored an incredible 52 unanswered points for an eventual road 80-50 victory. The game encapsulated the Eagles’ season where Ness City has bounced back from tough situations several times.
Ness City started 0-2, including a 60-20 season-opening defeat against Macksville. The Eagles led the contest 20-6 and then permitted 54 unanswered points. While Macksville is much improved this year, it ended a five-game winning streak for the Eagles against the Mustangs.
In Week 2, Ness City lost, 44-20, to Central Plains, currently 7-1. It’s still the second-most points Central Plains has allowed in 2017 and tied for the Oilers’ lowest margin of victory.
Then, Ness City won three straight games and bumped to 3-2. Eight-Man, Division I, District 7 play featured Spearville at the favorite and Ness City, Satanta and South Gray in the mix for the runner-up spot. In Week 6, Ness City fell to Spearville, 58-8, and then lost at South Gray, 32-24.
On Friday, Ness City trailed 28-6, answered with 22 points and tied the game at 28 entering halftime. In the third quarter, the Eagles had a score and next tallied a pick-six by sophomore Alex Rodriguez for a 44-28 lead.
Then, junior Landon Reinhardt caught a touchdown pass for a 52-28 lead. Junior quarterback John Pfannenstiel found Reinhardt again to bump the advantage to 58-28. With 6:45 left, sophomore Nate Gabel caught a long score from Pfannenstiel for a 72-44 lead.
Satanta, which opened 6-0, had allowed just 98 points before the NC loss.
Now, Spearville (8-0, 4-0) has already won the district. South Gray (7-1, 3-1) is second, while Ness City is 4-4, 2-2, and Satanta stands at 6-2, 2-2. This week, South Gray plays host to Satanta. Ness City hosts Wichita County.
If Satanta can beat South Gray and NC defeats 3-5 Wichita County, the Eagles could earn a playoff berth based on the tiebreakers – a scenario that was created by the Eagles’ big comeback.
Additionally, another Ness City win would give the program seven non-losing seasons in eight years since the Eagles formed their own eight-man program starting in 2010. Previously, Ness City and Dighton had engaged in an 11-man co-operative agreement for several seasons.
Credit to third-year coach Marc Cowles and the Eagles for battling through the No. 3 strength of schedule in Eight-Man, Division I, according to Prep Power Index, and still in the hunt for a playoff berth and winning record. Especially at the skill positions, Ness City is very non-senior heavy outside of leading rusher Brennan Chacon.
The 20 eight-man squads that have a top-10 SOS in Division I/Division II have combined for a 38-119 record. Just four, all in Division I, are at .500 or better: Ness City, Osborne, Victoria and Central Burden.
Helmet Stickers (2017 Season)
Week 1 – Burrton, Pittsburg, St. James Academy, Thomas More Prep, Wetmore
Week 2 – Ellsworth, Goddard, Hays, Maize South
Week 3 – Altoona-Midway, Lakin, St. Mary’s Colgan, Southern Cloud, Wellington
Week 4 – Colby, Concordia, Manhattan, Riley County
Week 5 – Bennington, Labette County, Osage City, Osborne
Week 6 – Dighton, Galena, Satanta, Victoria
Week 7 – Haysville Campus, Liberal, Mission Valley, Shawnee Mission Northwest
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