FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PLAYOFFS
CLASS 6A
FREE STATE (5-3) AT WICHITA EAST (5-3)
Arguably no team in the state got a bigger jolt of confidence and momentum going into the playoffs than Free State has. After starting the season 1-3, the Firebirds have picked off three straight wins, including two big-time victories in the past two weeks, to get back to .500.
First, the Firebirds took down arch rival Lawrence 28-26 in Week 7. They backed it up with a stunning 31-19 domination of previously unbeaten and No. 2 Olathe North, which was fresh off its own upset of Class 5A No. 1 Mill Valley the week before.
Tay Ware scored on a pair of early touchdown runs and Free State built a 21-0 lead before North scored last Friday. The Eagles got as close as 21-13, but Free State denied North the comeback bid, handing the Eagles their first loss.
Wesley Edison has led the Firebird offense all season, rushing for 826 yards and 11 touchdowns and throwing for 897 yards and 9 TDs. Ware has added 684 yards and 6 TDs on the ground.
Wichita East has seen two of its three losses come down to the final quarter, dropping a pair of tight decisions to Washburn Rural (49-42) in the season opener and Bishop Carroll (34-30) in the season finale.
The Blue Aces' only other loss came to Wichita Northwest and they picked up a big win early in the season against Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
East has a dynamic playmaker at quarterback as well in sophomore Daeonte Mitchell, who has thrown for 1,770 yards and 20 TDs while getting picked off just once. He also has rushed for 650 yards and 5 TDs.
Three East receivers have at least 35 catches and 400 yards, led by Marcus White's 34 grabs for 734 yards and 7 TDs. Ashton White has 33 catches for 567 yards and 5 TDs and LT Robinson adds 25 catches for 480 yards and 6 TDs.
Both teams saw their postseason end at the hands of Derby a year ago, East falling in the second round and Free State in the quarterfinals.
CLASS 5A
MAIZE SOUTH (4-4) AT VALLEY CENTER (6-2)
Defensive coordinators will face unique and contrasting challenges when Maize South and Valley Center meet for the seventh time overall and first in the postseason.
Maize South, the No. 10 seed in Class 5A’s western bracket, has shifted from a run-heavy approach last season featuring departed All-Class 5A back Evan Cantu to a free-wheeling passing game this season with sophomore quarterback Tate McNew. McNew opened the season with a 448-yard, five-touchdown performance in a victory over Andover, and has continued to air it out.
In the Mavericks’ 56-27 victory over Salina South on Friday that snapped a three-game losing streak, McNew and his favorite target, junior Sammy Dresie set Maize South single-season records for passing and receiving yards. McNew, 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, has completed 162 of 273 attempts for 2,145 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 6-2, 165-pound Dresie has 68 receptions for 1,042 yards.
Valley Center, which settled for a three-way share of the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division II title after a 21-7 loss at Andover Central last week, has posted its most victories since going 9-2 in 2016. The Hornets have discovered a go-to guy this season in junior running back Dai’Mont Mucker. A transfer from Staley (Mo.), Mucker is among the state’s leaders in rushing with 205 carries for 1,500 yards and 17 total touchdowns.
During the Hornets’ five-game winning streak that Central snapped, Mucker surpassed 300 rushing yards against Campus, Salina Central and Arkansas City. He ran for 225 yards on 38 carries and caught a touchdown pass last week against Central.
The winner will face either 5A West No. 2 seed Hays or No. 15 Wichita West next week. Maize South has won at least one postseason game in seven of the past eight seasons, while Valley Center is looking for its first playoff victory in six years.
CLASS 4A
ST. JAMES ACADEMY (4-4) AT BASEHOR-LINWOOD (6-2)
If it’s the Class 4A postseason, go ahead and pencil in a showdown between Basehor-Linwood and St. James Academy at some point in the playoffs.
Since the Thunder made the drop from 5A to 4A in 2020, they’ve become a thorn in Basehor-Linwood’s side, ending the Bobcats’ season each of the last two seasons on their way to capturing the Class 4A state title.
Last year, it was a 35-7 victory over an unbeaten Basehor-Linwood team in the second round of the playoffs. In 2020, it was a 56-35 win over the Bobcats in the state quarterfinals. Basehor’s only win in the series came in 2007, St. James’ first year as a full-fledged varsity program.
Both teams enter the playoffs coming off losses to league rivals. Basehor dropped a 31-21 decision against De Soto in a game for the United Kansas Conference title. The Bobcats got 150 yards and two touchdowns passing from Brady VanDonge in the game, but couldn’t stop De Soto quarterback Carson Miller, who ran for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns.
VanDonge has been solid in his first year as starting quarterback for the Bobcats, throwing for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brant Wilson has been his top target with 33 catches for 573 yards and 5 TDs but five different players have at least 180 yards receiving and multiple TDs. Jekai Harris has added 624 yards on the ground with 7 scores.
St. James started the season 0-3, with all three losses coming to powers in the ultra-tough Eastern Kansas League – Blue Valley Northwest, Blue Valley and Bishop Miege. The Thunder avoided a second straight 0-4 start with a 24-20 upset of St. Thomas Aquinas, which started a four-game winning streak that was snapped with a 25-20 upset loss to previously winless Blue Valley North.
Winner of two straight Class 4A state titles, the Thunder have turned it on in the postseason each year and were a four-loss team in both title seasons. The defense is led by All-Stater Wade Spencer and leading tackler Spencer Dohm (80 tackles).
Offensively, Blake Boydston took over as starting quarterback this season and has thrown for 1,671 yards and 21 TDs and also is the leading rusher with 417 yards and 3 TDs. John Niesen is is favorite target with 45 catches for 6612 yards and 8 TDs, but Finn Burritt (39 catches, 615 yards, 6 TDs) and Callahan Huston (32-443-6) are also dangerous weapons.
CLASS 3A
PRATT (6-2) AT HOLCOMB (7-1)
Pratt and Holcomb didn’t meet in the regular season for the first time since 2013, but the quality depth of Class 3A’s two westernmost districts will bring them together to start the postseason.
Pratt finished third in District 7 behind three-time defending state champion Andale and Cheney, losing to both while handling its other opponents by an average of 32.6 points per game. Holcomb dropped a 28-14 contest to Scott City on Oct. 7, its lone defeat in what proved to be the District 8 championship game.
Andale extended the state’s longest current winning streak to 45 games with a 42-14 victory at Pratt on Friday, but the Greenbacks found fleeting moments of success. Seniors Carson Hoeme and J’air Johnson connected on a fourth-and-11 pass for a 28-yard touchdown near the end of the first quarter that gave Pratt a 7-6 lead. Hoeme also was on the receiving end of a 51-yard touchdown pass from junior Max Younie as the Greenbacks produced 247 yards of total offense.
Younie has led a balanced rushing attack for Pratt this season with 685 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Johnny Martinez has run for 505 yards and Hoeme has 390 as the Greenbacks average 231.5 per game.
Holcomb, which defeated Pratt 41-20 last season and has won three straight in the series, is coming off a 58-7 victory over Southwestern Heights in which Longhorn senior Chris Palacios left a huge mark. Both of his pass receptions and his lone rushing attempt went for touchdowns. Defensively, he added two interceptions, one of which went for a score.
Like Pratt, the Longhorns feature good balance in their running game, with junior Damon Mesa (862 yards, 12 touchdowns), senior Khai Cosner (526 yards, 6 TDs) and junior Manny Reyes (449 yards, 4 TDs) pacing an offense that averages over 315 yards of total offense per game.
CLASS 2A
ATCHISON COUNTY (6-2) AT SABETHA (6-2)
A six-win team for the second straight season, Atchison County nearly pulled off a huge upset last week in district play, leading No 4 Silver Lake 30-22 in the second quarter. But the Tigers couldn’t hold on and saw the Eagles score the game’s final 19 points for a 41-30 win.
It’s still been a strong season for the Tigers, whose only other loss came to Rossville in district play. Atchison County handled its Northeast Kansas League opponents to take the league title, but is still seeking a signature non-league win.
Knocking off Sabetha would accomplish that. The Bluejays are a perennial contender in the postseason and won back-to-back state championships in Class 3A in 2017 and 2018. This season, the Bluejays’ only losses have come to Class 3A No. 2 Holton and Class 2A No. 1 Nemaha Central.
The latter of those losses came last week in the district finale. Sabetha led the Thunder 7-0 at halftime on the strength of a Jonathan Renyer touchdown run and late goal-line stand. But the Bluejays wore down in the second half to fall 24-7.
In its six wins, Sabetha has allowed just 28 total points, its stingy defense led by linebacker Josh Herrmann. Herrman also is the Bluejays’ leading offensive player, rushing for 784 yards and 11 TDs. Matthew Garber has thrown for 541 yards and 12 scores.
Atchison County’s offense centers around quarterback Bricen Lee, whose had a big senior season. Lee has run for 1,073 yards and 14 touchdowns and thrown for 904 yards and 10 TDs. Trenton Kimmi has 425 yards and 7 TDs receiving and sophomore Easton Schletzbaum has complemented Lee in the running game with 449 yards and 5 TDs.
CLASS 1A
RIVERSIDE (3-5) AT JEFFERSON COUNTY NORTH (5-3)
Riverside’s 3-5 record may not impress many, but the Cyclones have shown they are capable of making some noise in Class 1A. Three of the losses have come to state-ranked teams and three are to teams that are either 3A or 2A, a 56-0 loss to Sabetha hitting both designations.
But Riverside showed its potential two weeks ago, tied with Class 1A No. 1 and lone unbeaten Centralia 20-20 in the final minute of the game. Centralia got a game-winning 76-yard touchdown pass in the final 30 seconds for a 26-20 win.
The question will be can Riverside recover from last week’s 65-0 blowout loss to Troy in the district finale. The shutout loss was the second in three games for the Cyclones, who have gotten a big season from their passing game this season. Beckam Griffin has thrown for 1,043 yards and Percy Duncan has 31 catches for 444 yards.
Todric Duncan is a tackling machine for the Riverside defense with 127 total tackles, 4 sacks and 5 interceptions.
Jefferson County North, meanwhile, has lost only to team who enter the playoffs with 6-2 marks or better – 7-1 Wabaunsee and 6-2 St. Marys and Atchison County. The Chargers have won four of their last five with a 45-0 loss to St. Marys the only blemish during that stretch.
North gets things done on the ground, having a pair of 100-yard rushers each of the last two weeks in Grady Noll and Connor Keirns and against Valley Falls, Ethan Noll made it three rushers over 100 yards.
Grady Noll leads the Chargers on the season with 1,045 yards and 16 touchdowns and Keirns has added 537 yards.
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION I
LYNDON (6-2) AT WEST ELK (8-0)
In its first year as an Eight-Player program, Lyndon is about as dangerous of a fourth-place district finisher as there could possibly be. The Tigers were stuck in the toughest district in the state with the likes of Burlingame, Chase County, Madison and Cair Paravel.
Lyndon showed just how hard of an out it will be in the postseason last Friday, upsetting No. 3 and previously undefeated Burlingame 60-59. The Tigers trailed 59-46 in the fourth quarter before rallying with late touchdowns, the last coming with just 9 seconds left in the game.
Jalen Massey ran in the game-winning two-point conversion to give the Tigers the upset. Lyndon’s two losses came to Chase County by two points and to Madison by 14 in back-to-back weeks. Massey leads the offense with 648 yards and 12 TDs on the ground while Jackson Biggs, who had two TD passes that put Lyndon in position for the upset of Burlingame, has thrown for 522 yards and 6 TDs.
West Elk, meanwhile, has cruised through its schedule with no game closer than 22 points, that a 28-6 win over Central-Burden in Week 3. The Patriots – one of four unbeatens left in Eight-Player Division I -- have allowed just 54 points and have scored at least 50 points in seven of their eight wins.
Sophomore standout Creyo Koop is the bell cow for the Patriot offense, rushing for 1,039 of West Elk’s 1,691 yards and 22 of the team’s 38 rushing touchdowns this season. Fellow sophomore Trent Haag has been a nice complement at quarterback, throwing for 640 yards and 13 touchdowns.
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II
HODGEMAN COUNTY (5-3) AT SOUTH BARBER (6-2)
The Longhorns and Chieftains will meet for the second straight week after Hodgeman County held off South Barber 40-30 in last week’s regular-season finale.
Senior Seth Pelton helped carry Hodgeman County past South Barber in a non-district game, rushing for 322 yards and four touchdowns.
Hodgeman County’s losses were against defending Eight-Player Division I champion Meade (48-0), undefeated Dighton (42-12) and 7-1 Minneola (44-30). The Longhorns own wins over South Gray (58-16), Spearville (18-16), Bucklin (38-18) and Satanta (58-18) in addition to South Barber.
South Barber reeled off six straight wins to open the season – Pratt-Skyline (36-22), Pretty Prairie (46-0), Fairfield (68-0), Kinsley (60-30), South Central (44-28) and St. John (36-30). The Chieftains took their first loss in a 68-54 shootout to Stafford before falling to Hodgeman County.
South Barber quarterback Briggs Jewell has thrown for 1,621 yards with 28 touchdowns. Jewell has rushed for 480 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Thursday. The winner will meet the winner of Thunder Ridge (7-1) and Wilson (2-6).
SIX-PLAYER
NATOMA (4-4) AT CENTRE (3-5)
After an undefeated season and Wild West Bowl championship, Natoma went through growing pains early after taking heavy graduation losses.
Natoma opened with shutout losses to Northern Valley and Cunningham before earning four straight wins, including a 37-28 victory over Centre.
The Tigers will look to recover from back-to-back losses against Tescott and Pawnee Heights. Natoma is led by senior Javon Letsch, who accounted for nine touchdowns in a 64-19 win over Burrton.
Centre owns wins over Southern Coffey County, Altoona-Midway and Chetopa. The Cougars will look to bounce back from losses to Wetmore (79-29) and Peabody (76-21).
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Lost Springs. The winner will meet Cunningham (9-0).