NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS PICK SIX
NEMAHA CENTRAL AT HOLTON
If history is any indication, this Big Seven League opener could very well come down to the final play of the game.
Two years ago, Holton came away with a somewhat controversial 15-13 win on a last-second Matt Lierz field goal that came when the Wildcats got a second chance after a first attempt was blocked, the play negated by a penalty.
Last year, Lierz was the hero once again, this time booting a field goal in the final minute to give Holton a 25-24 victory after Nemaha had taken a 24-22 lead on a field goal of its own with just under four minutes left in the game. Twice on the final drive, Holton converted on fourth down to keep it alive.
Holton rode the momentum of the thrilling victory to an undefeated regular season and all the way to the Class 3A state semifinals before falling 32-13 to Frontenac. The Wildcats return their entire backfield from last year in Lierz, Jayden Fletcher, Garyson Booth and Jace Boswell, who led a ground game that averaged 338 yards per game.
Nemaha Central overcame the loss of senior quarterback Zac Kramer to an early-season injury to finish 7-3 overall, its other losses coming to St. Marys and eventual Class 2A champion Rossville, the latter a 32-12 playoff loss. While Kramer and leading rusher Sam McWilliams have graduated, the Thunder return four key skill players, arguably the top lineman in the Big Seven in junior Holden Bass and boast a top-notch linebacking corps on defense.
Holton is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A to start the season, while Nemaha Central is No. 3 in Class 2A.
ROCK CREEK AT SOUTHEAST OF SALINE
Both Dalton Whitworth and Luke Gebhardt had big shoes to fill when they stepped into starting quarterback roles for their respective teams last year. Whitworth replaced record-setting quarterback Charlie Killingsworth at Rock Creek, while Gebhardt followed in the footsteps of older brother Jaxson at Southeast of Saline.
Not only did the duo fill the voids, they even outproduced their predecessors, finishing as two of the top passing quarterbacks in Class 3A. Whitworth led Rock Creek to a 7-4 record and the state quarterfinals, throwing for a school-record 2,894 yards and 38 touchdowns. Gebhardt, meanwhile, guided Southeast to an 11-1 mark and the state semifinals, throwing for 2,389 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Whitworth returns virtually his entire receiving corps from last year, including All-3A receiver Ethan Burgess, who set school records for catches (61), receiving yards (1,030) and touchdowns (11). The Mustangs return 10 starters on offense overall and nine on defense.
Gebhardt will have to find some new complements after the Trojans lost leading receiver Chase Poague and leading rusher Matthew Rodriguez. But he’s already got chemistry with his top returning receiver, twin brother Jake, who caught 38 passes for 596 yards and 6 TDs last year.
Both Rock Creek and Southeast of Saline begin the year ranked No. 4 in their respective class – Rock Creek in 3A and Southeast in 2A with the Trojans dropping down a classification this season.
OLPE AT HAYDEN
As interesting openers go, it doesn’t get more so than this one.
With both Olpe and Hayden playing without a league affiliation in football – Olpe the lone 11-player member of the Lyon County League and Hayden the lone 3A in the 6A/5A Centennial League – each was on the hunt for opponents to fill the schedule and found each other.
Olpe is the two-time reigning Class 1A state champion and has posted back-to-back undefeated seasons, entering the 2022 season on a 24-game winning streak. The Eagles had one of the historically great defenses of all-time last season, allowing just 24 points all season with only one team scoring more than one touchdown. The Eagles finished with eight shutouts overall.
But graduation claimed a very talented senior class with the likes of All-State Top 11 pick Ted Skalsky and All-21A performers Damon Redeker and Derek Hoelting. All five starters that return for the Eagles this season will be playing in new positions this fall. Olpe is No. 1 in 1A to start this season.
Hayden, meanwhile is coming off an 8-2 season in which its only losses came to Seaman and Rock Creek. The Wildcats lost most of their skill-position players from a year ago, but return an experienced offensive line led by Notre Dame commit Joe Otting.
The game is the first of three straight against new powerhouse opponents for Hayden, which is ranked No. 5 in 3A to start the season. The Wildcats take on Silver Lake in Week 2 and defending 2A champion Rossville in Week 3.
ROSSVILLE AT ST. MARYS
Rossville had won the last two Class 2A state championships, bringing the number of titles under Derick Hammes’ watch to five in nine years. The Bulldawgs topped Beloit 35-12 in last year’s title game, their first championship that didn’t come down to the fourth quarter.
Entering the season on a 26-game winning streak, Rossville will have to replace All-2A standouts Torrey Horak and Corey Catron, who combined for more than 4,100 yards of total offense and 58 touchdowns last year. The Bulldawgs return five starters, including standout lineman Jacob Carver and leading receiver Kade Perine.
One of Rossville’s toughest regular-season games a year ago came against St. Marys, a 44-20 win in Week 3. The loss dropped the Bears to a tough 0-3 after tight losses to Riley County (17-14) and Silver Lake (29-28). St. Marys responded with five straight victories, including a 30-12 win over Nemaha Central.
While the season ended with a 51-36 loss to Silver Lake in the playoffs, St. Marys can carry the momentum gained into this season. Keller Hurla is a three-year starter at quarterback and one of seven returning starters for the Bears, who move down to Class 1A this season where they should be a serious contender for the state title.
LITTLE RIVER AT CANTON-GALVA
The powers that be in the Wheat State League, Little River and Canton-Galva were Nos. 1 and 2 in Eight-Player Division 1 when they first met in Week 5 last year. And boy did that meeting live up to the hype.
Canton-Galva quarterback Garrett Maltbie threw for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to offset a huge night by Little River back Braxton Lafferty, who ran for 309 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the Redskins to a wild, back-and-forth 60-52 victory.
If that game wasn’t crazy enough, the encore in a semifinal playoff rematch was flat-out berzek. Canton-Galva led 46-34 after three quarters but Little River exploded for 42 fourth-quarter points to pull out a 76-68 victory to return to the state championship game for the second straight year. The usual suspects were at it again as Maltbie threw for 419 yards and 6 touchdowns in a losing effort while Lafferty ran for 193 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Both Maltbie and Lafferty are back to lead their respective teams again this season. Lafferty is joined by the rest of Little River’s skill players from last year, including quarterback Rylan Konen and receiver Braden Young. The Redskins graduated their entire line from last year, making that the priority entering the season.
Maltbie loses All-State Top 11 receiver Tyson Struber, but his void will be filled the the addition of transfer Jett Vincent from Wheatland-Grinnell. Vincent was an All-Eight-Player II receiver last year and is one of the top defensive backs in eight-player. Young on the line a year ago, Canton-Galva has experience there this season with everyone back.
Even if it’s another epic showdown to start this season, it will be their only meeting this year. Little River is No. 1 in Eight-Player Division I this year, but Canton-Galva has dropped to Division II this season and is No. 2 to start the season.
AXTELL AT CAIR PARAVEL
Three eight-player teams come into the 2022 season off undefeated seasons. How is that, when there are only two divisions? Well, Cair Paravel wasn’t a KSHSAA member last year, playing in the Kansas Christian Athletics Association, and went 11-0 to capture that championship.
The Lions become full-fledged KSHSAA members in football this season and will get an immediate taste of what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Axtell captured the Eight-Player Division II championship last year, going 13-0 and beating Wheatland-Grinnell to both start and end the season.
Not only is Axtell the defending champion, the Eagles return every player off last year’s team. Senior quarterback Isaac Detweiler is a four-year starter – three and a half of those at quarterback after filling in part-time his freshman year. He’s coming off a junior season that saw him throw for 1,984 yards and 38 touchdowns and run for another 1,273 yards and 29 scores. Sophomores Brandon Schmelzle and Eli Broxterman were impact freshmen skill players to complement Detweiler last year and Owen Strathman leads an experience offensive line.
Cair Paravel had a quarterback a year ago that also put up astounding numbers as Carter Brian threw for 2,515 yards and a whopping 51 touchdowns while getting picked off just one time. But he has graduated as has leading receiver Noah Hastert, leaving Jachin Bonura as the top returning offensive producer from last year’s 11-0 team.
Axtell is ranked No. 1 in Eight-Player Division II to start 2022.