CLASS 6A
 
EAST
 
OLATHE NORTHWEST (8-3) AT GARDNER-EDGERTON (9-2)
 
Gardner-Edgerton and Olathe Northwest will be a matchup of similar teams, both relying heavily on their running games to make deep playoff runs after spending last year just chasing .500 records.

But where they differ is the Trailblazers are having a return to form by achieving their best postseason run since reaching the Class 5A state title game in 2009. Olathe Northwest keeps moving further into uncharted territory with every playoff win.

Gardner-Edgerton finished last season 4-6, although the team started the year 0-4 before winning four of five heading into a regional game, which the Trailblazers lost by field goal against Manhattan.

This season Gardner-Edgerton started strong with a 3-0 record before running into two straight losses against perennial state contenders Mill Valley and Olathe North. The Trailblazers got things back on track with two straight blowout victories before dropping a 37-36 contest against Olathe South in the regular season finale.

Gardner-Edgerton shrugged off the close loss by winning three straight games, which included knocking off reigning Class 6A state champ Blue Valley Northwest in the regional round.

In last week’s 21-14 victory over Blue Valley West, Gardner-Edgerton junior fullback Dawson Kindler rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns while junior running back Dylan Butash led the team with 171 rushing yards on a 10.1 yard per carry average.

Olathe Northwest started the year 1-3 before rattling off seven straight wins heading into this matchup.

In the state quarterfinals, Olathe Northwest avenged one of its regular season losses for the second straight week. The Ravens trailed Olathe West at halftime but took control of the second half in a 35-33 victory over the Owls.

Senior running back Eric Butler finished with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Max Keller added another 79 rushing yard and a score.

The Ravens continued to successfully rotate two quarterbacks into the game. Senior Cooper Carley finished with 107 passing yards and two passing touchdowns while  sophomore Merak Greinert completed both of his attempts for 51 yards. Carley threw touchdowns to Mason Schlittenhard on a 60-yarder and Micah Geary on a 13-yarder.

First-year Ravens head coach Lorne Clark served as the defense coordinator under the last three guys in charge of the program before taking on that job himself this year. Clark spent a decade working in the Olathe school district, including the last eight years as a science teacher at Olathe Northwest.

Whether the team wins this week or not, Clark’s first season at the helm has already set multiple program-best marks. The Ravens set the team record for most wins in a season and topped the program’s deepest playoff run by two rounds so far. WEST

DERBY (9-2) AT MANHATTAN (11-0)
 
Manhattan set the tone for its best season since going 11-1 in 1987 when it upset Derby 26-23 in overtime in the season opener at Derby, handing the preseason No. 1 Panthers their first home loss since 2014.
 
The Indians jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the second quarter on touchdown runs by Jason Sanchez (7 yards) and DeAndre Aukland (18 yards) only to see Derby rip off 23 straight points, getting a trio of TD runs from All-State back Dylan Edwards to take a 23-15 lead into the fourth quarter. Keenan Schartz scored on a 6-yard run early in the third period and then hit Jaxon Bowles on the game-tying two-point conversion.
 
In overtime, Manhattan’s defense denied Derby and Braxton Frey hit a game-winning 26-yard field goal for the upset victory. The win ended a string of five straight Manhattan losses to the Panthers, all of them coming in the playoffs.
 
The victory served as a springboard for Manhattan’s unbeaten run to the state semifinals. The Indians also handed 5A semifinalist Hays its only loss in Week 3 and have swept through a trio of Wichita schools in the playoffs, topping Wichita Northwest 27-18 last week in the quarterfinals – the Indians' second win over the Grizzlies in a four-week span.
 
Schartz has led a Manhattan offense that averages 46.7 points and 410.9 yards per game, rushing for 1,070 yards and 19 touchdowns and throwing for 1,291 yards and 10 TDs. Aukland also is over 1,000 yards rushing with 1,040 yards and 15 TDs.
 
Since losing to Manhattan in the opener, Derby has won nine of its last 10 with its only loss a last-second 52-51 loss to 5A No. 1 and unbeaten Maize. The Panthers also posted 7-point wins over Bishop Carroll and Hutchinson but have been on a roll since the Maize loss, averaging 57 points per game.
 
The Panthers fought off Washburn Rural 36-21 in the quarterfinals, but the win was a costly one as starting quarterback Brock Zerger broke his leg in the game. Zerger had emerged as a solid complement to Edwards in the Panther backfield, rushing for 1,083 yards and 16 TDs and throwing for 1,123 yards and 10 scores.
 
Junior Braxton Clark likely will step in at quarterback but even without Zerger, Derby has one of the top offensive players in the state in Edwards, a Notre Dame commit. As a senior, Edwards has rushed for 1,764 yards and 29 TDs and also has 3 receiving TDs and 2 return TDs.
 
Derby has ended Manhattan’s season in the playoffs five times during Schartz’s 14-year tenure, including three straight seasons from 2017-19. Schartz is 1-5 against Derby and Manhattan is just 2-9 against Derby in the playoffs overall.
 
Derby is seeking its eighth straight trip to the Class 6A state championship game with the Panthers winning five of the last seven state titles, including three straight from 2018-20 before falling to Blue Valley Northwest in last year’s title game.
 

CLASS 5A
 
EAST
 
BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST (6-5) AT MILL VALLEY (10-1)
 
Mill Valley enters this game as the favorite. That’s clear from the impressive resume of the Jaguars as they look to complete a Class 5A state championship four-peat. A victory here would give Mill Valley its sixth trip to the state final in the last eight years, winning each of those visits with the team earning state titles in 2015 and 2016 as well.

Mill Valley has trailed for approximately 22 minutes and 35 seconds this season. Almost 17 minutes of that was against Gardner-Edgerton in Week 4 when a two-touchdown lead at the beginning of the second quarter still ended with the Jaguars in victory formation, running out the clock for a 21-point win.

The Jaguars defense finished the regular season with just two offenses, Gardner-Edgerton and Olathe South, scoring multiple touchdowns against them — both maxed out at two scores — while delivering two shutout victories. Mill Valley proceeded to shut out three straight opponents in the postseason heading into this matchup.

Senior quarterback Hayden Jay has 1,256 passing yards with 13 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 440 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns this season. Junior running back Tristan Baker leads the team with 1,081 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns while senior Amarian Graves added another 540 rushing yards and eight touchdown runs.

Senior Grant Rutkowski leads the team with six sacks while also having six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Sophomore Jayden Woods and senior Noah Coy both have double-digit tackles for loss and a combined eight sacks, while Woods also has 11 quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

Senior defensive backs Dylan Massey, Holden Zigmant and Mikey Bergeron are tied for the most interceptions on the team with two. The Jaguars have 11 interceptions total this season.

Blue Valley Southwest is hoping its explosive offense will be the first to score on the Jaguars during this year’s playoffs.

Blue Valley Southwest started this season 0-3 before going 3-1 to close out the regular season. The Timberwolves reached another level once the playoffs began, winning the next three games by a 167-69 margin.

In the third game of that stretch, Blue Valley Southwest junior quarterback Dylan Dunn threw for 601 yards and eight touchdowns. The defense also showed a knack for taking away the ball, which proved to be the key factor in Mill Valley’s only loss this season.

Dunn has thrown for 2,654 yards with 28 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He had 2,587 passing yards as a sophomore with a 19-10 TD-INT ratio. 

But his biggest improvement might be avoiding negative-yardage plays. He finished with negative-232 rushing yards last year on 65 carries. By avoiding sacks and improving as a runner, Dunn has turned that number into 50 rushing yards with three rushing touchdowns. Still, he leaves a majority of the ground game to senior running back Parker Smith, who racked up 850 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Dunn’s top target is junior wide receiver Tate Everard, who has 620 receiving yards and eight TD receptions this year. Senior Sam Swickard is next up with 470 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. Juniors Gage Ilges, Alex Parks, Emmit Peters and senior Cooper Leiker each have at least 300 receiving yards and combine for 12 touchdown receptions.

Junior lineman Brent Gillis and senior Ethan Thomas have combined for five sacks and nine tackles for loss while senior defensive end Brett Sawaya and junior linebackers Landon Christiansen and Jackson Ready added another 21 stops in the backfield.

Blue Valley Southwest finally advanced to the state semifinals after reaching the state quarterfinals in four straight seasons. In the previous three years, the Timberwolves lost in the quarterfinals by at least three touchdowns against Aquinas twice and once against Mill Valley, which earned a 35-7 win over the Timberwolves last year.

Blue Valley Southwest is looking for its first ever win against Mill Valley. The Jaguars have won the previous six matchups, including a 35-7 win in last year’s state quarterfinals.

WEST
 
HAYS (10-1) AT MAIZE (11-0)
 
Top-ranked Maize’s bid to return to the Class 5A title game in back-to-back seasons has come down to a playoff rematch with Hays, which notched a program-record 10^th victory last week against Salina Central.
 
The Eagles will again host Hays after ending the Indians’ 2021 campaign in a 48-36 quarterfinal shootout. Maize senior quarterback Avery Johnson passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns in the meeting last November, but the Eagles needed a late interception and a 91-yard touchdown run by Tayveon Williams to seal it.
 
Hays no longer has Jaren Kanak, the all-state quarterback and linebacker who landed a USA Today Play of the Year award and ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 play for his bruising, 61-yard touchdown run against the Eagles in last year’s game before heading off to Oklahoma. But the Indians welcomed back junior running back Malik Bah last week after he sustained a dislocated elbow, and Bah ran for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the 49-12 victory over Salina Central.
 
Bah leads an offense that averages 301.8 rushing yards with 1,565 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. Senior quarterback Kyreese Groen, who ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s contest, has passed for 744 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions.
 
After winning its first 10 games by an average of 40 points, including a 52-51 nail-biter at Class 6A No. 2 Derby on Oct. 7, Maize got tested again last week by Hutchinson before prevailing 21-14. Johnson completed just 6 of 16 passes, but three went for touchdowns, including an 81-yarder to wide receiver Justin Stephens in the third quarter that held up as the game-winner.
 
Johnson, a Kansas State commit, has completed 68% of his passes for 2,486 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception. He and senior Daeshaun Carter both have over 700 rushing yards, while Williams has 503 to give the Eagles nearly perfect balance between run and pass (2,516 to 2,590).

 

 
 
CLASS 4A
 
EAST
 
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (9-2) AT BISHOP MIEGE (9-2)
 
Miege and Aquinas will clash in the second straight week of Class 4A private school powerhouse showdowns.

Aquinas had its 3-0 start to the season upended by St. James Academy in Week 4 when the Saints lost 24-20. While St. James has won the last two Class 4A state championships, the Thunder had never beaten Aquinas until that game.

The Saints refused to let it happen again. 

Aquinas senior running back Sean Carroll rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, to beat St. James Academy 28-13 in the state quarterfinals and ended the Thunder's two-year reign atop 4A.

Carroll sits at 1,622 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns on the season. Junior Giovanni Rizzi adds another 841 rushing yards and four touchdown runs.

Junior Kian Payne leads a stout front seven as he’s delivered the Saints 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss this season. Junior Wyatt Lewis has earned four of the team’s 11 interceptions this season. Junior Luke Hancock leads the team with 50 solo tackles and 24 assists.

Now it will be Miege that has the score to settle. The Stags looked like they would deliver Aquinas a third straight loss during their Week 6 matchup, only for Miege’s 20-point lead late in the third quarter to disappear as the Saints stormed back for a 29-26 victory.

Not only did that loss ruin Miege’s previously undefeated record, it started a 1-3 stretch to close out the regular season as the Stags lost to reigning Class 6A champ Blue Valley Northwest 28-21 in Week 8.

That first matchup between Miege and Aquinas this season proved that this game will be about Aquinas’ relentless rushing game trying to outscore Miege’s potent passing game and nothing that happens on the scoreboard will have much effect on either team’s plan of attack.

Senior quarterback Mac Armstrong has thrown for 3,172 passing yards with 32 touchdowns to just four interceptions this year. All of Armstrong’s picks were in the team’s two losses. Senior wideout Isaiah Coppage has been Miege’s top target in the passing game. Coppage has 1,176 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions this year. He’s eclipsed 100 receiving yards in all but three games.

Armstrong has had many three passing touchdown performances over the last two seasons as the Stags’ starter at quarterback, but he had never reached four passing scores until facing Piper last week. In the team’s 68-20 victory, Armstrong set his new personal-best with five passing touchdowns while throwing for 349 yards on 24-of-32 passing.

Miege looked like it would start a win streak in this series before Aquinas stormed back in Week 6. The Stags had won last year’s matchup 23-20 to end a three-game win streak for Aquinas heading into that contest. Prior to that stretch, Miege had won the previous five games against the Saints.
WEST
 
MCPHERSON (10-1) AT WAMEGO (11-0)

History will be made in Wamego on Friday night as either the host Red Raiders or visiting McPherson will clinch their program’s first-ever appearance in a state championship game with a win.
 
The semifinals have been the heartbreak round for McPherson in recent years with the Bullpups coming agonizingly close to having their title-game breakthrough. McPherson reached the semifinals four straight years from 2017-2020, each time coming up one score short.
 
In 2017, it was a 20-13 loss to Andale. In 2018, a 15-14 loss to Goddard. In 2019, a 7-0 loss to Andover Central. And in 2020, a 28-27 upset loss to Arkansas City.
 
Wamego, meanwhile, is making its first semifinal appearance since 1975 when the Red Raiders finished 11-1 with a 20-0 loss to Parsons in the Class 3A semis. This season marks only the second time since that season that the Red Raiders have won multiple playoff games, the other time coming in 2020 when Wamego lost 21-20 to Arkansas City in the quarterfinals a week before the Bulldogs upset McPherson.
 
Wamego avenged last year’s 42-0 playoff loss to Andover Central with a convincing performance in last week’s quarterfinal rematch. The Red Raiders gave up an early touchdown, but dominated the rest of the way, rolling to a 42-7 victory.
 
Hayden Oviatt ran for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns and has now run for 676 yards and 8 TDs in four games since returning from a broken foot that sidelined him for Wamego’s first seven games. 
 
In his absence at quarterback, Colin Donahue flourished and has thrown for 1,894 yards and 26 touchdowns with Chase Cottam (789 yards, 11 TDs) and Hagan Johnson (735 yards, 10 TDs) his top targets. Johnson came up big in the run game in the quarterfinals, taking two of his three carries for TDs and finished with 126 yards.
 
As prolific as the Red Raider offense has been, averaging 43.1 points and more than 400 yards per game, the defense has been arguably more impressive. Only KC Washington has scored more than one touchdown on the Red Raiders, those coming against the reserves, and on the season, Wamego has allowed just 64 total points and are giving up just more than 100 yards per game.
 
McPherson will certainly test that unit, boasting a prolific offense of its own that is balanced almost equally between the run and pass as the Bullpups average 211.7 yards per game rushing and 142.8 yards per game passing.
 
Senior quarterback Hunter Alvord has had a big hand in both aspects, throwing for 1,515 yards and 14 TDs and also rushing for 795 yards and 7 TDs. Dawson Gottewald (753 yards, 9 TDs) and Jaytin Gumm (656 yards, 19 TDs) give the Bullpups a three-pronged attack in the backfield.
 
McPherson’s lone defeat was a 30-15 loss to 6A Junction City, a game the Bullpups led 12-3 at halftime before the Blue Jays stormed back in the second half. McPherson has won eight straight since, starting and ending that streak with wins over Circle, including a 49-28 shootout win in last week’s quarterfinal rematch.
 
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
EAST
 
HAYDEN (10-1) AT HOLTON (10-1)
 
The stakes always seem high whenever Hayden and Holton meet on the gridiron. And usually, they are.
 
Friday’s game will mark the sixth time the two teams have met in the playoffs, while every other time they’ve met has been a district-deciding contest. Hayden leads the series 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the playoffs with each team winning a state title at the expense of the other – Hayden beating Holton 52-27 for the 1998 Class 4A crown and Holton taking a 34-21 win for the 4A title in 2003.
 
Hayden comes into the game with plenty of motivation after Holton completely dominated their regular-season meeting in Week 7, taking a 37-13 victory. Hayden’s Finn Dunshee returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, but Holton responded with 37 straight points as Garyson Booth ran for 171 yards and 4 TDs and also caught a TD pass.
 
Booth has been the bell cow for a Holton rushing game that averages 388 yards per game. Despite missing one game, Booth has run for 1,537 yards and 21 TDs and is coming off a monster 357-yard, 4-TD showing in last week’s 47-27 win over previously undefeated Girard. He’s one of four Holton backs over 500 yards rushing this season.
 
Dunshee, meanwhile, has had a breakout season for Hayden in his return to the school after spending last year playing rugby for a private school in southeast Kansas. He’s run for 1,027 yards and 12 TDs while fellow backfield mate JC Cummings has added 642 yards and 8 TDs.
 
Jett Wahlmeier has added 1,240 yards and 15 TDs through the air with Jensen Schrickel hauling in 30 passes for 648 yards and 10 TDs. Schrickel also has three return TDs and a defensive score, making him a threat in all three phases of the game.
 
While Hayden’s only loss came to Holton, Holton’s only loss came to 2A unbeaten Nemaha Central in the season opener, 35-28. Holton’s win in the regular season over Hayden ended a four-game losing streak to their fellow Wildcats.
 
Only once in their history have the two teams met twice in the same season. That came in 2016 when Hayden swept Holton, winning 47-32 in the regular season and 20-8 in the playoffs.
 

WEST
 
CLAY CENTER (8-3) AT ANDALE (11-0)
 
Dominant back-to-back victories over Wichita Collegiate and Cheney have earned Clay Center a shot at three-time defending 3A champion Andale, which will try to become the fifth program in Kansas high school history to win at least 50 consecutive games in Friday’s semifinal against the Tigers.
 
Trailing only Smith Center (79 games from 2004-09), Pittsburg Colgan (66, 2000-04), Conway Springs (62, 2001-05) and Claflin (51, 1997-2000) for Sunflower State longevity, Andale improved to 72-2 under sixth-year head coach Dylan Schmidt with a 48-0 quarterfinal victory last week over Rock Creek. The Indians collected a season-high eight turnovers, including seven interceptions, with senior Tegan Orth and junior Karson Butts returning their picks for touchdowns.
 
Andale has won all of its games by at least 32 points and, despite running clocks in all but one game and a liberal use of reserves, outscored opponents 625-68. The Indians are averaging almost 43 of their 56.8 points per contest in the first half.
 
Senior halfback Cody Parthemer is coming off a season-best 174 rushing yards against Rock Creek and leads the Indians with 98 carries for 802 yards. Junior Gage Prosser has added 628 yards and senior Riley Marx has 433 on the ground as Andale’s legion of 18 ball carriers this season has combined to average 7.7 yards per attempt.
 
Clay Center, which fell to 4-3 after a 42-21 loss to Rock Creek on Oct. 14, has found a recipe for success during its playoff run. The Tigers dominated time of possession in a 35-0 road victory over Collegiate and replicated it last week against Cheney, using a 10-minute, first-half drive and four Cardinal turnovers to fuel a 24-6 victory.
 
Juniors Carter Long and Brody Hayes have provided Clay Center with a strong 1-2 punch, with Long rushing for 799 yards and eight touchdowns and Hayes adding 778 and a team-high 14 TDs. Sophomore Owen Craig has added 623 yards on the ground, while senior quarterback Mark Hoffman has passed for 967 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
 

CLASS 2A
 
EAST
 
SABETHA (9-2) AT NEMAHA CENTRAL (11-0)

For all the history the Big Seven League arch rivals have with one another, Friday’s semifinal showdown will be the first such meeting this late in the postseason.
 
In fact, postseason meetings between the two programs have been scarce in general. The only two times they have met in the playoffs came in back-to-back seasons with Nemaha Central (then Nemaha Valley) winning 6-0 in 2013 and Sabetha returning the favor with a 28-8 win the following season.
 
Sabetha will be looking for a little payback this time around as well as Nemaha Central handed the Bluejays one of their two losses in the regular-season finale – Sabetha’s other loss coming to 3A semifinalist Holton.
 
The Bluejays led the first meeting with Nemaha 7-0 at halftime and had an opportunity for a two-touchdown lead, driving inside the Thunder 5 late in the first half. But the Thunder made a late defensive stand and carried that momentum into the second half.
 
Nemaha opened the half with a TD pass and Cooper Hajek and Brayden Uphaus added rushing TDs as the Thunder dominated the second half for a 24-7 vicrtory. Nemaha nearly doubled up Sabetha in total offense (348-174) and Uphaus threw for 171 yards and Hajek ran for 144.
 
Both have had big senior seasons with Hajek among the state’s leading rushers with 1,760 yards and a whopping 35 touchdowns. Uphaus has thrown for 1,100 yards and 10 TDs.
 
Sabetha’s offense seemingly took a big hit when Josh Herrmann was lost for the season with an injury early in the playoff opener against Atchison County after having rushed for 824 yards and 11 TDs in Sabetha’s first eight games.
 
But junior Colin Menold has stepped up in a big way in his absence. After rushing for just 258 yards in the Bluejays’ first eight games, Menold has posted three straight big games in the playoffs. He ran for 123 yards against Atchison County before going for 248 yards and 4 TDs in a 48-13 win over Riley County and 194 yards and a TD in the 47-0 quarterfinal win over Caney Valley.
 
Jonathan Renyer added 156 yards and 2 TDs against Caney and on the season has rushed for 821 yards and 8 TDs.
 
Nemaha Central is looking to get back to the title game for the first time since 2019 when the Thunder captured the Class 2A state title. Sabetha last reached the finals in 2018, winning its second straight Class 3A state title.
 
 
WEST
 
SOUTHEAST OF SALINE (11-0) AT KINGMAN (11-0)
 
Southeast of Saline’s move from Class 3A to 2A this season has yielded a colossal semifinal in the state’s western half. The Trojans and Kingman saw title hopes fade in this round in their respective classes a year ago.
 
Kingman, trying to reach the state championship game for the first time in 50 years, positioned itself with a 35-6 quarterfinal victory last week at Beloit on the same field where its 2021 season ended. The Eagles and Trojans both committed four turnovers, but Kingman tilted the scales by limiting Beloit’s offense to 175 yards, all on the ground.
 
Seniors Nolan Freund and Avrey Albright helped the Eagles avenge last year’s 22-19 loss to Beloit by sparking a big second quarter. Freund finished with 128 rushing yards, 147 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns both by ground and air. Albright had a 57-yard TD reception from Freund and a 49-yard dash as Kingman quickly responded after Beloit cut its deficit to 7-6.
 
The Eagles have been rock solid all season on defense, posting three shutouts while allowing no more than seven points since a season-opening 28-14 victory over Cheney.
 
Southeast, which fell to eventual 3A winner Andale 37-16 in last year’s semis, has won its first 11 games for the second year in a row. The Trojans, who defeated Hoisington 44-21 last Friday, match Freund’s experience at quarterback with senior Luke Gebhardt. Gebhardt has completed 171 of 250 passes for 2,274 yards and 23 touchdowns.
 
The Trojans’ senior trio of Michael Murray (53 receptions, 806 yards, 6 TDs), Landen Allen (50-633-4) and Jake Gebhardt (42-477-11) has challenged opposing secondaries, while junior Nathan Friesen (984 yards, 17 TDs) and Luke Gebhardt (819 yards, 17 TDs) provide balance on the ground.
 
 

 
CLASS 1A
 
EAST
 
CENTRALIA (11-0) AT ST. MARYS (9-2)

No. 1 and unbeaten Centralia cleared a major hurdle in the quarterfinals, knocking off two-time defending state champion Olpe in an 8-7 defensive slugfest.
 
But the Panthers’ biggest hurdle toward adding their fifth state championship since 2009 could very well come in this week’s state semifinals. Not only do the Panthers have to go on the road in the postseason for the first time in three years, they face a St. Marys team making a highly successful drop from 2A to 1A this season.
 
The Bears opened the season 1-2 with a win over two-time defending 2A champion Rossville and losses to 3A quarterfinalist Rock Creek and 2A Silver Lake, but have won eight straight in impressive fashion. St. Marys’ closest game during its streak was last week’s 36-12 quarterfinal victory over St. Mary’s-Colgan.
 
Against Colgan, the Bears built a 20-0 halftime lead and never let Colgan seriously threaten in the second half. Keller Hurla threw for 130 yards and 2 TDs and also ran for 109 yards and 2 scores to power the Bears.
 
The All-State basketball player has had a huge year on the gridiron, throwing for 2,096 yards and 24 TDs and rushing for 960 yards and 18 TDs. Kason Gomez has led a trio of strong targets for Hurla with 721 yards and 7 TDs.
 
Centralia’s one-point win over Olpe was its second such victory of the season, the Panthers also edging Troy 20-19 earlier in the season. St. Marys beat Troy 26-0 in the second round of the playoffs.
 
Down 7-0 to Olpe at halftime after having turned it over three times, Centralia got a 53-yard run from Trenton Talley and Drew Gibbs ran in the game-winning two-point conversion. That duo has led the Panther offense all season with Talley rushing for nearly 900 yards and 14 TDs and Gibbs adding more than 600 yards and 16 TDs on the ground. Talley also has more than 900 yards passing.
 
Centralia and St. Marys have met in the state semifinals once, that coming in 2009 when the Panthers prevailed on their way to their first-ever state championship. That was the last time the Bears have advanced this deep in the playoffs, while Centralia added state titles in 2011, 2013 and 2019.
 
 
WEST
 
INMAN (10-1) AT CONWAY SPRINGS (8-3)
 
Inman traveled to Conway Springs on Oct. 14 with Class 1A’s No. 1 ranking and an unbeaten record in tow. The Teutons left with a 35-14 loss, their lone blemish as they try to reach back-to-back state title games.
 
Inman will try to settle that score and end Conway Springs’ season for the third consecutive year. But the Cardinals have their own compelling story this fall. Conway Springs wasn’t far removed from an 0-3 start when it stunned the Teutons behind Brayden Kunz’s 287 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
 
It was one of several virtuoso performances this season for the junior running back, who is among the state’s leaders with 2,149 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
 
Conway Springs, which opened the season with losses to Garden Plain, Kingman and Chaparral, snapped a four-year streak of losses in the sectional round last week with a 39-14 victory over Wabaunsee. It stretched the Cardinals’ winning streak to seven (they had a first-round playoff bye) and gives them a shot to reach the state title game for the first time since 2011, when they won the last of their seven state titles.
 
Inman has won four straight since the loss to the Cardinals, and has settled in since the return of quarterback Tanner Heckel from an early-season injury. Heckel passed for two touchdowns and ran for two in the Teutons’ 28-6 victory over Smith Center last Friday.
 
Since allowing the season-high 35 points to Conway Springs, Inman has been solid defensively, yielding just 19 points in four games with a shutout victory at Oakley. The Teutons held Smith Center to a season-low point total and 262 yards – all on the ground – last week, and will try to match their program-best victory total of a year ago by avenging the October loss.

 

EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION I
 
EAST
 
LITTLE RIVER (10-1) AT BURLINGAME (10-1)

It’s two District 2 foes down and one to go if Little River wants to return to the Division I state championship game for the third consecutive season.
 
After opening the playoffs with a win over Argonia-Attica, the Redskins have taken out two of Burlingame’s district rivals in the past two weeks, blowing past Madison 60-14 in the second round and surviving a 48-40 quarterfinal shootout with Chase County. Now Little River gets the district champion Burlingame, which avenged its only loss of the season in last week’s 39-16 quarterfinal win over Lyndon.
 
Little River has won 10 straight games after opening the season with a 66-36 shootout loss to Division II unbeaten Canton-Galva. The Redskins didn’t have a game closer than 32 points until last week’s squeaker against Chase County, which previously had only lost to Burlingame.
 
A rebuilt offensive line has keyed Little River’s ability to maintain a contender as the Redskins graduated every starter up front off last year’s state runner-up team, but returned every skill player. Those skill players have flourished as well.
 
Braxton Lafferty has led the Redskin offense with 1,271 yards and 25 TDs on the ground, including a pair of games that saw him go over 200 yards and rush for at least 5 TDs. He was held to just one rushing TD by Chase County, but quarterback Rylan Konen stepped up and ran for 3 TDs and threw for another.
 
Konen has thrown for 754 yards and 16 TDs this season while also adding 433 yards and 12 TDs rushing.
 
Burlingame has leaned heavily on senior quarterback Colby Middleton, who has delivered with a 1,200-1,200 season. Middleton ran for 144 yards and 4 TDs in the quarterfinal win over Lyndon and also threw for 131 yards and 2 scores, giving him 1,207 yards and 30 TDs on the ground and 1,235 yards and 21 TDs through the air.
 
While Little River has played in the last two state championship games, winning the 2020 title and finishing runner-up to Meade last year, Burlingame is seeking the program’s first state championship game appearance since winning the Class 1A state championship in 1972. The Bearcats reached the state semifinals three straight years from 2015-17, but lost in that round each of those seasons.
 
The two teams met in the second round of last year’s playoffs with Little River taking a 42-36 victory as the Redskins broke free from a 20-20 halftime tie and got two rushing TDs from receiver Braden Young and a TD run and catch from Lafferty.
 
WEST
 
LEOTI-WICHITA COUNTY (11-0) AT HILL CITY (10-1)

Nobody has been able to slow down Wichita County so far, with the Indians averaging over 60 points per game. 

Wichita County hasn’t scored fewer than 56 points in any game this season, outscoring opponents 662-94 on the year. 

The Indians took over the No. 1 spot in Eight-Player Division in KSHSAA Covered’s rankings midway through the season and remained at the top spot.

Hill City was ranked No. 1 for the first five weeks until the Ringnecks suffered their only hiccup with a 20-14 loss at Hoxie. 

The Ringnecks advanced to the state semifinals for the second straight year after avenging last year’s semifinal loss to defending state champion Meade last week in the quarterfinals. Hill City outlasted the Buffaloes 68-50. Kaleb Atkins rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns while Trent Long caught three touchdown passes. 

Another shootout figures to await the Ringnecks this week.

Wichita County rolled to a 58-12 win over Rawlins County last week. Quarterback Erhik Hermosillo threw for 177 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards and two scores. Khris Hermosillo added 146 yards and two TDs on the ground, while Wyatt Gardner caught three passes for 107 yards and two scores. 

The Indians own two wins over Hoxie (56-28 and 64-20) and took a 56-20 win over Meade in Week 6. Hill City’s best regular-season win came in Week 3 with a 48-22 victory over Eight-Player Division II semifinalist Thunder Ridge. 

Hill City quarterback Aiden Amrein has thrown for 1,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. Atkins leads the team in rushing (825 yards, 15 TDs) and receiving (837 yards, 13 TDs). Atkins has picked off 10 passes and linebacker Conner Dinkel has racked up 132 tackles. 

Erhik Hermosillo has rushed for 1,589 yards and 31 touchdowns and thrown for 1,086 yards and 22 touchdowns with two interceptions. Khris Hermosillo has 1,026 yards and 21 scores on the ground. 

Romeo Terriquez has made five interceptions for the Indians while Cordell Brown leads the team in tackles with 70. 
 

EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II
 
EAST
 
CANTON-GALVA (11-0) AT AXTELL (11-0)

Even before the season started, a semifinal showdown between Axtell and Canton-Galva seemed imminent this season. Axtell came into the season as defending Division II state champions, going 13-0 last year, while Canton-Galva was making the drop from Division I where the Eagles have been one of the powerhouse programs for the past five seasons.
 
And here we are, in what many would consider the two clear-cut best teams in Division II this season. And that’s hard to argue from a statistical standpoint.
 
In running its winning streak to 24 straight games, Axtell has been challenged only once. That came in the season opener when the Eagles were locked in a dogfight for a half with KSHSAA newcomer Cair Paravel before pulling away in the second half for an 82-38 victory.
 
Axtell has given up just 54 points over its last 10 games and has outscored its three playoff opponents by a combined score of 170-14. The Eagles did trail Osborne 6-0 at the end of the first quarter of last week’s quarterfinal before scoring 52 straight to win 52-6.
 
Isaac Detweiler completed 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and 2 TDs in the win and Eli Broxterman had one of his biggest games of the year with 193 combined rushing and receiving yards and three total TDs.
 
Detweiler’s accuracy through the air against Osborne was no surprise. He’s completed 73.6% of his passes this year and is on track to break the eight-player career completion percentage record held by former teammate Quinn Buessing. This season, he’s thrown for 1,679 yards and 36 TDs with just 1 interception and also run for 652 yards and 17 TDs.
 
Brandon Schmelzle has a combined 1,067 rushing and receiving yards with 26 total TDs and Broxterman has 790 combined yards and 17 total TDs. The Eagles have been the model of efficiency in averaging 61.3 points per game, getting 84 total touchdowns on just 320 offensive plays – scoring roughly once every four plays.
 
Like Axtell, Canton-Galva had its only true test of the season in the first game of the year, a 66-36 win over Division I semifinalist Little River. The Eagles have allowed just 32 points in the 10 games since with only one team getting more than a touchdown.
 
Last week, Canton-Galva blew past Lebo 52-6, bringing its playoff edge to a 174-14 margin. Garrett Maltbie threw for 225 yards and 3 TDs and also ran for 62 yards and 3 TDs.
 
Maltbie missed the Eagles’ first two games with an injury, but in the nine games since he’s thrown for 1,541 yards and 27 TDs and rushed for 514 yards and 19 TDs. Cason Mastre has been his favorite target, catching 40 passes for 856 yards and 18 TDs.
 
In Maltbie’s absence, Jett Vincent – who faced Axtell in last year’s Division II championship while playing for Wheatland-Grinnell before transferring this season – moved from receiver to quarterback had a monster game against Little River, rushing for 344 yards and 8 TDs and throwing for 187 yards and 2 scores.
 
He’s been nursing an injury the last month or so and has played mostly defensively the past two games after missing one, picking off three passes – two against Lebo – to give him 8 on the season and a state-record 36 in his career. 
 
Canton-Galva won the 2019 Division I state championship but lost in the quarterfinals in 2020 and in last year’s semifinals to Little River.
 
WEST
 
DIGHTON (11-0) AT THUNDER RIDGE (10-1) 

Dighton has posted shutouts in four of its last five games, including last week’s 38-0 victory over Sharon Springs-Wallace County.  

The Hornets have surrendered just 90 points all season. Sylvan-Lucas scored the most points on the year against Dighton in the Hornets’ 52-28 win in the second round of the playoffs. 

Max Neeley and Carson Shimer combined for 241 yards on the ground in the Wallace County win. Neeley ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns while Shimer had 105 and two scores. Eli Wilkinson recorded 20 tackles and a sack. 

Thunder Ridge advanced to the state semifinals for the second straight year with a 62-46 win at Victoria. The Longhorns amassed nearly 500 yards of offense and cashed in all on all but one of its two-point tries, converting 7 of 8. 

Thunder Ridge quarterback Dylan Bice rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 145 yards and a TD last week. 

The Longhorns suffered their only loss in Week 3 to Hill City, falling 48-22. Last week was the first time they have been tested since the loss. 

Bice has thrown for 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 1,605 yards and 28 scores. Josh Ferguson leads the Longhorns with 144 tackles. 

The Hornets ended the regular season with a big statement, posting a 46-0 win over previously-unbeaten Minneola. Dighton’s closest game all season was a 30-26 win over Quinter in Week 3. 

Dighton made a quarterback switch midway through the season, moving standout Neeley to running back while Shimer took the reins of the offense. 

Neeley has rushed for 1,080 yards and 24 touchdowns while Shimer has thrown for 888 yards and 17 touchdowns without throwing an interception. Wilkinson has a team-high 118 tackles.   

SIX-PLAYER
 
EAST
 
CUNNINGHAM (11-0) AT WAVERLY (11-0)
 
State runner-up to Natoma a year ago, Cunningham came into the season as the favorite for the inaugural KSHSAA state championship this year. And the Wildcats have done little to dispel that notion.
 
After opening the season with a hard-fought 38-30 win over Ashland, Cunningham has run roughshod over every opponent since. Last week’s quarterfinal win over Wetmore was their closest game since a 42-0 win over Tescott with the Wildcats ending the game in the third quarter via the mercy rule in a 58-12 victory.
 
Cunningham actually trailed 6-0 early before scoring the next 30 points to take control. Luke McGuire ran for 148 yards and 4 TDs on just 8 carries and also threw for 98 yards and a TD while Trey DeWeese threw for 104 yards and 3 TDs.
 
The Wildcats have been ultra-efficient on offense, throwing 36 TD passes on 113 completions and scoring 22 rushing TDs on just 103 carries. McGuire has run for 480 yards and 12 TDs and thrown for 539 yards and 9 TDs and DeWeese has thrown for 854 yards and 23 TDs.
 
Waverly is in its first year of six-player football, but has made the seamless transition. The Bulldogs join Cunningham as the lone unbeatens left in the class, though they’ve had a few more tests along the way, namely back-to-back wins over Wetmore (38-32) and Peabody (38-34).
 
After routing Pawnee Heights 52-18 to start the playoffs, Waverly outscored Tescott 27-0 in the second and third quarters to win last week’s quarterfinal game 46-12. Koy Myers ran for three TDs and Ben Meehan threw for 197 yards and three scores.
 
Meehan has thrown for 1,424 yards and 26 TDs this season in leading the Bulldogs to the state semifinals for the first time since Waverly won back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006.
 

WEST
 
CHEYLIN (10-1) AT ASHLAND (9-1)
 
State champions in 2020, Cheylin has bounced back from a 3-5 season last year to become a contender again. 

The Cougars rolled to a 51-6 win over Ingalls last week. Logan McCarty passed for 138 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 114 yards and two scores. 

Ashland took third place last year at the six-player level in the last season before it became sanctioned by KSHSAA. 

The Blujays moved to the semifinals with an impressive 68-20 win over Northern Valley. Landen McPhail had a huge game for Ashland, rushing for 306 yards and seven touchdowns. Kale Harris rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns. 

Ashland took a 50-28 win over Cheylin in Week 3. The Blujays have been the only team to challenge undefeated Cunningham, dropping a tight 38-30 decision in the season opener. 

Following its loss to Ashland, Cheylin pulled out a 49-48 win over Northern Valley to start an eight-game win streak. 

Britt Grigsby leads Ashland in passing with 744 yards and 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. Landen McPhail and Lathan McPhail are also capable passers for Ashland, which hasn’t thrown an interception all season. 

Landen McPhail leads the Blujays in rushing with 951 yards and 21 touchdowns. Harris, who missed last year with a torn ACL, has added 813 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harris also has a team-high 74 tackles. 

McCarty is Cheylin’s top playmaker. He’s thrown for 1,238 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 1,063 yards and 20 TDs. Harley McPherson has five interceptions for Cheylin while Brady Ketzner has four picks. Pablo Bermudez has a team-high 82 tackles.