Weekend Rusher (Districts II)

Let's take a look at how wide open Class 6A is, at least on the western half of state. 

 

Junction City looked to be back in state title form through seven games, thoroughly defeating their opponents a year after going 13-0 to win 6A. Going into Friday night's game at Topeka High, they were on a 20-game winning streak. This Friday's game against Manhattan, their rival, looked to be the final roadblock in the way of another undefeated regular season.

 

But Topeka, now 5-3 and 1-1 in district play, defeated Junction on Friday and there really never was any doubt about the eventual 40-28 result. After answering Junction City's opening score with three touchdowns of their own, Topeka never let Junction within 12 points, which was the final deficit. Junction City scored a touchdown with just over three minutes remaining to make the game closer than it actually was.

 

Topeka is a team that has led in all three of their losses, including last week's district-opening 42-35 loss to Manhattan. Now, they're in the playoff hunt, with Washburn Rural remaining on the schedule. Junction City is at risk of not making the playoffs. 

 

That group of four teams, District 5 in the 6A West, would seem better than this group of four: District 8's Dodge City, Maize, Goddard and Garden City. But, hey, both groups are in the hunt for playoff spots. Dodge, having now defeated Goddard and Maize handily, has clinched the district title. But rivals Maize and Goddard play this Friday for the second playoff spot, despite the fact Maize is 2-6 and Goddard is 1-7. Complaints about the system aside, that will be a very fun game to be at this week. What will its result mean in a couple weeks, however? Bragging rights, not playoffs.

 

Elsewhere on the western half of 6A? South High, on sabbattical from the playoffs since 1971 and without a winning record since 1996, clinched a playoff spot with a 12-9 win over Campus Friday. What's most impressive to me, though, is that this isn't a soft playoff berth by the Titans. Yes, they beat struggling North and Campus to earn the berth, but during the regular season they defeated Southeast, which has always had a better program than South, and Heights, which left South behind in the cellar a decade ago. South is 5-3, and if they make next week's game against Northwest competitive, they'll become the darling of Wichita. They might be already. Cory Brack, the DC last year, has orchestrated a complete turnaround in his first year as coach. I also wonder if Tony Johnson, the coach at South the previous two seasons, left a bit too soon for an assistant job in Texas. I can't figure if Johnson laid any groundwork for this turnaround or not. The team did show occasional signs of improvement under Johnson.  

 

Northwest, of course, is the other team which has clinched a berth in District 7. They have completed this season just as they did a year ago. They started 1-2, losing to Carroll and Heights, and have completed blowout victories the rest of the way.

 

Grizzly running back Demarcus Robinson is the workhorse in the state of Kansas. He has carried the ball over 40 times in a game this season. He took the ball 27 times against North on Thursday, gaining 214 of his 278 yards in the first half. K-State has certainly got a worker coming in Robinson, and you have to think Northwest has a shot at winning in the playoffs with him in the backfield. Northwest beat Manhattan at home in the first round last year; that was a great win. They'll have to do better than their quarterfinal effort a year ago, however. Derby trounced them 55-14.

 

Finally, Heights plays at Derby on Friday to settle District 6. Last year, Heights was fighting for its playoff life going into Week 9. Following a shocking district-opening loss to East last season, Heights entered their closing game against Derby needing a win and an East loss to Southeast, which had lost four in row. Southeast pummelled East, which no one saw coming, and Heights stifled Derby in their 33-14 win. 

 

Everything was on the line last year, and Heights answered the call. A playoff spot is not on the line this year -- both have clinched -- but seeding is, and payback. Heights seemed to know exactly what Derby was going to do on every play in last year's game; Derby wondered how. This game will be very hard-fought. Each needs a win to be rolling into the playoffs.

 

Why? Isn't it clear? The 6A West is wide freaking open. They could be playing a couple more weeks.

 

Question and Verdict

Why did Buhler come out throwing the football against Andale last week? In their first six games of the season, Buhler threw on average 6.5 attempts per game. Against Andale, Buhler threw the ball 18 times.

 

Granted, they were behind from the start, so maybe they tried to throw more in the second half in order to come back. But, Buhler actually went through the air from the start of the Andale game, throwing three interceptions in the first half.

 

What happened this past Friday against Nickerson? Buhler threw the ball only twice and didn't complete one of them in a 63-28 win after leading 56-14 at halftime. They had 28 run attempts. The run game made them great all year before the Andale game, at which point they were not loyal to it. Jorden Oden rushed for 195 yards on 13 carries Friday.

 

I'm guessing they come out with the running game against Andale next time, if there is a next time.

 

Xs and Os

One time I left a Notre Dame game early. Against Florida State at home in 2003, Tyrone Willingham called one too many three-yard out-routes, so I left after one series in the third quarter. It was 3rd and 8, and he called for an out pattern five yards short of the first down marker. I'd had it. I was done.

 

While I'm not a fan of the short out at the college level, I really don't see how anyone could see its relevance in high school football. Kids at the high school age just don't have the arm strength for it to be effective. The pros can zip it right in there, but, honestly, there aren't even many college quarterbacks who can use it effectively. I'm always stunned when I see one attempted in high school.

 

New Rankings

1. (1) Hutchinson (8-0, 2-0, Hays 56-0)

2. (3) Olathe North (8-0, 2-0, BV West 49-8)

3. (4) McPherson ((6-1, 1-1, Great Bend 49-10)

4. (5) Gardner Edgerton (8-0, 2-0, Aquinas 28-26)

5. (7) Manhattan (8-0, 2-0, Rural 10-0)

6. (8) Carroll (8-0, 2-0, Valley Center 52-0)

7. (6) Aquinas (7-1, 1-1, Gardner 26-28)

8. (9) BV Northwest (7-1, 2-0, SM South 34-0)

9. (2) Junction City (7-1, 1-1, Topeka 28-40)

10. (10) Lawrence Free State ( 6-2, 2-0, Lawrene 42-14)

Note: I'm stunned by Junction City's deficit to Topeka High. It wasn't even close. I think they bounce back this week against Manhattan. We'll see. Gardner-Edgerton remains intriguing in 5A. They beat Aquinas by two, though Aquinas tacked on a late touchdown.

 

4A Rankings

1. (1) Andale (8-0, 2-0, Haven 74-0)

2. (2) Miege (6-2, 2-0, St. James 60-15)

3. (3) Buhler (7-1, 1-1, Nickerson 63-28)

4. (NR) Rose Hill (7-1, 2-0, Andover Central 45-13)

5. (NR) Hugoton (8-0, 2-0, Kingman 65-0)

Note: John Baetz at Kansas Pregame told me before the season began that Hugoton was going to finally get things going. Let's see how they do against 5-3 Ulysses this Friday. I'm also starting to think that Rose Hill, actually, with a healthy Tyler Shirley at QB and their rushing attack, is the sleeper in Class 4A.

 

3A Rankings

1. (1) Conway Springs (8-0, 2-0, Belle Plaine 67-0)

2. (3) Garden Plain (8-0, 2-0, Medicine Lodge 48-8)

3. (2) Scott City (8-0, 2-0, Norton 14-6)

4. (4) Marysville (7-1, 2-0, Riley County 49-21)

5. (5) Silver Lake (8-0, 2-0, West Franklin 55-0)

Note: Conway Springs and Garden Plain amaze me every week. Class 3A right now is like Class 5A would be if there were two Hutch Highs. Conway and Garden are just that unstoppable. It's great that each at least has the other to compete against.

 

Those Who Became Big Winners

Don't overlook what Hutch High did the past two weeks in district play. They not only defeated two previously unbeaten teams in McPherson and Hays, but they made their one-loss records afterward look like mis-prints. The scores, 55-20 and 56-0, should come against average teams, not undefeated teams. Just ridiculous, once again.

 

As I wrote above, South High beat Campus 12-9 to make the playoffs and become the heartfelt story in Wichita this week. Thirty-eight years is a long time to not make the playoffs. The last time the Titans made the playoffs was in the third year of the system's existence. Of course, today two teams from each district make the playoffs.  In the old days, South would have to beat Northwest this Friday. Still, I hope that match-up is full of intensity. We should see how good South is. What level can they really play on? A win over Northwest would be stunning, I think.

 

Trinity Academy has been playing state-sanctioned 11-man football for two years. Two years! Following a 28-26 win over Mulvane, they play Andover Central for a playoff spot this Friday. I know, they have Morgan Burns, who is really, really good. Austin Kessinger has had 14 and 13 tackles in each of the past two weeks. He's really, really good. But so much credit goes to coach Mike Kriwiel for getting a very difficult job done. Nine players play both ways, and Trinity is totally out-sized on the line of scrimmage. I mean they're not even close to the size of some of linemen they go up against. Andover Central has struggled this year, but they are very large on the line. I am very interested in that game this week.

 

Gardner-Edgerton got the job done. After a season of playing 4A teams in their league which can't play at their level, Gardner answered the call against Aquinas, which dealt them their two losses a year ago. Now, Gardner will march through the playoffs and probably beat Aquinas again at sub-state. A match-up with Hutch is in the works, likely.

 

Wichita Heights is putting it together after all. Nearing the end of an up-and-down season, Heights overcame a 20-19 loss to South at the end of league play to win its first two district games against East and Southeast and clinch a playoff spot. Remember, this is the same team which pounded Northwest 55-21 in Week 3. Maybe there are more surprises in store. They can start with Derby this Friday.

 

I don't think Garden City is very good. They had a good record bloated with wins over 4A teams early. That said, it's not always easy to go play there. Goddard, after seven consecutive losses this season, got its first win at Garden City 21-14. I hope its hopping at Maize this Friday for that rivalry game.

 

I did not expect Abilene, a 56-13 loser to Buhler in Week 2, to win at Topeka Hayden on Friday. They did, 21-20. Buhler really is just that good this year; they just didn't show it last week. Anyway, it looks like Abilene will make the 4A West playoffs just that much more competitive. Look at these likely teams in the 4A West playoffs: Andale, Buhler, Rose Hill, Andover, Abilene, Hayden, Wellington. Should be fun.

 

Quote Of the Week 1

"I'm like a guaranteed first down..."

-Six-foot-six Collegiate wideout Tre Bailey in the Wichita Eagle on Friday, as recorded by beat writer Jonathan Long.

 

Quote Of the Week 2

"We understand that we don't have the best competition in our league, so we have to prove ourselves and winning in the playoffs is the only way to do that."

-Indeed, from Collegiate quarterback Blake Jablonski in the Wichita Eagle on Friday, as recorded by beat writer Jonathan Long.

 

Nice job, Jonathan Long. He got two very readable quotes from two high school students in the same story. That can be very difficult to do. Bailey and Jablonski sure don't hold back. Way to just lay it out there, fellas.

 

Awards

Stat Of the Week

Buhler threw the football twice against Nickerson, a week after throwing 18 times against Andale. Back to the ground game.

 

Player Of the Week

Dyllon Knox has been due for a big rushing game for a couple years. Very nice back, gets around the corner extremely quickly, which, oftentimes, is what high school and college football is all about. Speed. Knox rushed for 221 yards in a 28-21 win over Winfield. Kapaun needed every yard.

 

Team Of the Week

Don't forget that McPherson is really, really good. They went to Great Bend and won 49-10. Great Bend isn't what they used to be, but they're still pretty good and well-coached. Any time a good coach gets completely dominated, it's because the other team is very well-coached and has supremely better talent. Mac has that combo.

 

Did You See That?

Hutch threw a pass and completed it, and Trinity Academy won with probably the smallest offensive line in Class 4A. It's the size of the fight in the dog, right?

 

Bold Prediction

Trinity Academy will beat Andover Central and make the playoffs -- somehow. Did you see the video? Did you hear Mike Kriwiel say on Preps Weekly that their linemen are out-sized by 30 pounds? Wow, maybe they should be the Fighting Knights.

 

Multimedia Gamut

Tune in to Preps Weekly driven by Mel Hambelton Ford on Saturday at 8 a.m. Ted Woodward is going to turn it into a Halloween edition. I will then proceed to head out to Douglass, Kansas to drive cattle and eat smoked meat. Can I borrow anyone's cowboy boots?