Rusher Rankings

Power Rankings
1. (1) Hutchinson (7-0, 1-0, McPherson 55-20)
2. (3) Junction City (7-0, 1-0, Washburn Rural 23-8)
3. (4) Olathe North (7-0, 1-0, Blue Valley Stilwell 49-35)
4. (2) McPherson (6-1, 0-1, Hutchinson 20-55)
5. (5) Gardner-Edgerton (7-0, 1-0, Pittsburg 52-12)
6. (6) St. Thomas Aquinas (7-0, 1-0, Ottawa 21-6)
7. (7) Manhattan (7-0, 1-0, Topeka 42-35)
8. (8) Bishop Carroll (7-0, 1-0, West 55-0)
9. (9) BV Northwest (6-1, 1-0, Olathe East 27-21)
10. (NR) Lawrence Free State (5-2, 1-0, Leavenworth 55-0)
Note: It's beginning to look a lot like last season. Hutch and Junction were the state's best in 2008, too.

4A Rankings
1. (2) Andale (7-0, 1-0, Buhler 41-28)
2. (3) Bishop Miege (5-2, 1-0, Bishop Miege 41-7)
3. (1) Buhler (6-1, 0-1, Andale 28-41)
4. (4) Louisburg (6-1, 1-0, Prairie View 49-6)
5. (5) Andover (6-1, 1-0, El Dorado 49-9)
Note: Don't count out Andover High.

3A Rankings
1. (1) Conway Springs (7-0, 1-0, Garden Plain 19-13)
2. (5) Scott City (7-0, 1-0, Goodland 42-0)
3. (2) Garden Plain (6-1, 0-1, Conway Springs 13-19)
4. (3) Marysville (6-1, 1-0, Nemaha Valley 42-7)
5. (4) Silver Lake (7-0, 1-0, Wellsville 35-12)
Note: I'm beginning to think Scott City is the best team in the state.

State championship game predictions
6A: Still Junction. They enter Friday's game at Topeka on a 20-game winning streak. I have to admit something: In July when I finalized the football preview, I hadn't spoken with Randall Zimmerman, coach at Junction City. Didn't have his cell and couldn't get a hold of him through school or by email. So I faked knowledge about the team, saying Ty Zimmerman, a top 11 player, had graduated, so Junction wouldn't be as good. Asinine of me. Tried to do the research, didn't get the info, wrote something anyway. Who knows, maybe Manhattan will beat them in Week 9, but I don't expect it. Junction City (3) over Olathe North (4) 21-14.

5A: Hutch (1) over Gardner-Edgerton (5) 42-21. Gardner remains a bit of a mystery to me, due to their mostly 4A schedule this season. This week, however, is THE WEEK. At home they've got Aquinas, which beat them twice by narrow margins last season to keep them from a district title and out of the state title game. It's easily the game of the week in the state of Kansas. After this game, we will know how for real Gardner is.

4A: My 4A rankings finally change up top. Buhler did not show up in time against Andale, and the Indians once again strong-armed another opponent into a poor performance. Andale, if they continue on to another state title, can put together an historic run for 4A Kansas ball, the best since Scott City, 1988-91. Andale (1) over Miege (2) 35-28.

3A: Conway takes a 19-0 lead before squeaking out a 19-13 win. Garden still hasn't put in their last word, though. They'll have another say before the 3A title is awarded. The intriguing thing in Class 3A is the fact that I'm beginning to think neither Conway nor Garden will be in the state title game this year. Scott City is very tough. I'm going to begin researching that team. Scott City (2) over Marysville (4) 27-20.