Game Watch

Thursday, September 4
Bishop Carroll at Wichita Heights
Pundits touted the 2007 season opener between Carroll and Heights as the de facto city championship. Carroll eked out a double-overtime 28-21 win. From there, the teams went opposite directions. Carroll made the 5A state final, and Heights missed the playoffs.
Bishop Carroll has won three of the last six City League titles outright and tied for first with Wichita Heights in 2004. Heights also won the title outright in 2006 and tied atop the city in 2000.
Carroll coach Alan Schuckman has a record of 114-37 in fourteen seasons, thirteen at Carroll. Heights coach Rick Wheeler is 61-26 in nine seasons at Heights. This has become the perennial marquee match-up in Wichita.


Friday, September 5
Hutchinson at Rockhurst (Mo.)

Four-time Kansas 6A state champ Hutch travels to defending Missouri Class 6 state champ Rockhurst for its season opener. Rockhurst also won the Class 6 title in 2000 and 2002 before losing in the state semifinals in 2004 and 2005, in which years Hutch won its first two state titles. Both teams were undefeated (13-0) in 2007.

After the Hutch-Rockhurst game was scheduled, Rockhurst added a game at Blue Springs South (Mo.) on Sunday, August 31. ESPN will broadcast Rockhurst's opener as part of the Old Spice High School Showcase.
Sports Illustrated ranked the Rockhurst athletic program No. 5 in the nation for the 2007-08 school year. Hutchinson's win streak stands at 36 entering the match-up.


Friday, September 19
Goddard at Derby

With Hutch now out of the picture moving down to 5A, The Goddard-Derby game could uncover a power swing in western 6A football. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Derby consistently challenged in the state playoffs and made it to four 6A state title games.

Derby fell off the map in 2005, going winless, while Goddard began major improvements. Goddard won five games in 2006, and Derby won just one game.

Derby then ran off three district wins in 2007 to revive the program, while Goddard continued to rise, winning its first playoff game since 1988 and making it to 6A sub-state.

Goddard used a potent running attack to pound Derby in 2007, 42-21. Will Derby re-establish itself, or has Goddard arrived?


Friday, September 19
Wichita Heights at Wichita Northwest

This game could determine the City League championship and preview a 6A state playoffs meeting. Both teams underachieved in 2007 but return key starters for this match-up between the 2005 (NW) and 2006 (Hts) city champs.

Adrian Hall and Ian Knight of Heights lead a quick, strong defensive line against a veteran Northwest offensive line, led by college prospect, Colby Duranleau. Keep an eye on the trenches in this one.

And, no, Northwest coach Weston Schartz and Heights assistant Mike Schartz are not related.


Friday, September 26
Andale at Wellington

Two-time defending 4A state champ Andale travels to former two-time 4A champ, Wellington (2001, 2002). With Andale having graduated 19 starters, the balance of power could shift once again.

This is a meeting between two traditional titans. Both teams have won about 70 percent of their games in program history, dating back to the first half of the 20th Century.


Friday, October 17
Conway Springs at Garden Plain

Conway Springs won 21 consecutive playoff games from 2001 to 2005, has the second-highest playoff winning percentage in state history (82.5) and has five state titles.

Garden Plain is third all-time in playoff appearances (26) in the state, seventh in playoff wins (41) and had one the most dominant seasons in state history last fall, beating playoff opponents 241-21.

After years of losing to Conway, Garden has won the last four meetings, including two drubbings last fall.

Players to have participated in this rivalry include two of the top four all-time career rushers in Kansas - Conway's Darrin Seiwert and Garden's Logan Dold, now teammates at K-State.


Friday, October 31
Liberal at Bishop Carroll
The 1997 district game between Liberal and Carroll, which some say was the best prep football game in state history, ended at the last second on a successful Trace Haskell Hail Mary. Liberal won the district on Haskell's play before earning its fourth 5A state title under Gary Cornelson.

The game matched up the state's top two quarterbacks in their senior seasons - consensus all-staters Haskell and Carroll's Craig Steven.

Craig's younger brother Brett brought new heroics to the series in 2007, scoring five touchdowns in a 44-37 Carroll win at Liberal.

Liberal could be back on top in the WAC this fall under Tom Schroeder, as Carroll re-loads coming off a state trip in '07.


Friday, October 31
Maize at Goddard

In the aftermath of the classic West-Northwest matchups in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Maize-Goddard game has now become the premier west-side rivalry.

Both the 2006 and 2007 games went into overtime, with each team winning at home. Despite being a huge underdog, Maize won 36-35 last fall in double overtime, as quarterback Garrett Gould, who will sit out his senior season to prepare for a collegiate or pro career in baseball, ran in the two-point conversion on a busted play.

Over 7,000 people will attend.