Hutch takes the ruckus down a class

Take a look at the western half of the last fall's Class 5A state playoffs bracket. The level of competition is outstanding. The state quarterfinals matched up McPherson and Salina Central. McPherson, who gave eventual 2007 6A champ Hutchinson its closest game of the year (17-7 in their opener), fell 28-14 to Salina Central, a team which got off to a slow start getting absolutely smothered by Goddard but which ended strongly. Their loss to Central was only McPherson's second loss of the year. In the other western quarterfinal, Bishop Carroll matched up with postseason rival Great Bend, a team which had ruthlessly ousted them the year before in a blowout. Great Bend, whose two losses on the year were to Hutch and McPherson, lost to Carroll on a final-minute play 17-14. Carroll grinded out a 17-7 win over Salina Central at sub-state, and on the eastern half, Blue Valley West, which had terrorized every playoff opponent going into the game, remained undefeated with a 20-17 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. Remove Blue Valley West from the picture (the defending champs move to 6A this fall) and replace them with Hutch, and quite a picture begins to form. Emporia also moves down to 5A, after making the playoffs in 6A last year. Who will rise from the heap? Without Blue Valley West, the east looks very weak. St. Thomas Aquinas is the only team which sticks out. The West? Take your pick of contenders. Carroll's district remains a cupcake with the addition of Valley Center and Wichita West to most difficult opponent Liberal in District 8. And Kapaun and Newton should out-do Ark City and Winfield. But the Hutch, Great Bend, McPherson and Hays district is intriguing, and Emporia and Salina Central should duke it out to win theirs with Salina South and Topeka West coming in behind them. The western playoffs will once again be the most compelling series of playoff games in 2008. We should see Hutch, Carroll, Great Bend, McPherson, Salina Central, Emporia and Kapaun wearing one another out to get to the title game. This will be fun.