NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEEK 7 PICK SIX
WASHBURN RURAL (5-1) AT JUNCTION CITY (4-2)
Washburn Rural has somewhat quietly been lurking as a potential contender in Class 6A this year after going just 3-6 last year after posting an 11-1 mark in 2023. The Junior Blues’ only loss this season has come to Missouri power Platte County, a 60-28 blowout in Week 3.
But against Kansas competition this fall, the Junior Blues have been strong. They opened the season with a 51-41 shootout win over Shawnee Heights and then nipped Blue Valley 31-30 in Week 2. The past three weeks, the Junior Blues have blown out Blue Valley Northwest, Topeka High and Emporia by a combined 104-13.
The finishing stretch is tough, starting this week with Junction City and next week against Manhattan, both teams having spent multiple weeks in the Top 5 of the KSHSAA Covered rankings this year.
The Blue Jays are currently ranked No. 3 despite suffering their second loss of the season two weeks ago against Hays, falling 34-28 after holding a second-half lead. Junction City bounced back with a 44-6 romp past Topeka High last week as Conrad Gomez threw for 247 yards and 2 touchdown and also ran for two scores.
Gomez has had a big season, throwing for 1,299 yards and 17 touchdowns while being picked off just twice. Lovell Autry has been his top target with 33 catches for 519 yards and 7 scores while the running game has been pieced together with injuries decimating the backfield around Gomez.
John Hoytal has been just as good at quarterback for Rural, throwing for 1,216 yards and 16 touchdowns with the wealth spread among a number of receivers with Nate Selm grabbing 7 TD passes, Kellen Roth snatching 4 and Gavin Vantuyl catching 3. Jaiden Baum has run for 799 yards and 6 touchdowns.
OSAGE CITY (6-0) AT SILVER LAKE (4-2)
A year ago, Osage City picked up one of the biggest wins in program history when the Indians claimed a 35-21 win over Silver Lake. The victory not only locked up the Class 2A District 3 title, but also was a long time coming for Osage City.
Former Mid-East League rivals before Osage City joined the Flint Hills League, the Indians hadn’t beaten Silver Lake since 1993, losing 18 straight games to the Eagles since. Tied 21-21 after three quarters, the Indians outscored Silver Lake 14-0 in the fourth quarter for the win, which propelled them to an undefeated regular season.
Osage City, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A this season, has been steamrolling toward another perfect regular season, having outscored their opponents 315-61 in its 6-0 start. But last week’s 49-14 win over St. Marys was a costly one.
Standout quarterback Kasen Parsons had already thrown for 129 yards and two touchdowns and run for another when he went down with a non-contact injury to his leg in the second quarter and did not return. Parsons has been spectacular the past two-plus seasons, having thrown for nearly 5,800 yards and 69 touchdowns and run for over 2,500 yards and 45 scores in his career, including 1,285 yards and 17 TDs through the air this year with another 449 yards and 10 TDs on the ground.
The Indians didn’t miss a beat after Parsons went down with Reed Silver moving from receiver to quarterback and doing his best impression of Parsons. Silver threw three touchdown passes to Quenten Stark and finished with 136 yards passing while also rushing for 132 yards to help Osage City pull away from a 21-14 lead in the second quarter.
Silver Lake has rebounded with four straight wins after starting the season 0-2, the first of those losses coming in overtime to arch rival Rossville in a game where the Eagles massively outgained the Bulldawgs. The other loss came to 2A No. 2 Nemaha Central.
But in the four-game winning streak, Silver Lake has outscored its opponents 129-27, including blowout wins over Baldwin (47-7) and Riley County (42-8) the past two weeks. Dayne Johnson has had a huge year at receiver with 46 catches for 692 yards and 7 touchdowns, serving as a go-to target for freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger, who has thrown for 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bryson Burgos has added 520 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground.
ELLSWORTH (5-1) AT BELOIT (3-3)
Beloit has pulled out of a stunning three-game slide that took the Trojans from the No. 4 spot in the Class 2A rankings to a 1-3 start. Back-to-back wins over Norton and Minneapolis have gotten the Trojans back to .500, but a tough two-game finish to the regular season begins this week with Ellsworth.
The Bearcats were cruising along to a potential showdown of unbeatens against No. 1 Southeast of Saline in the season finale, but saw Hillsboro spoil that big in Week 5 with a 54-32 win over the Bearcats. Ellsworth bounced back last week with a 42-14 win over Halstead.
Tucker Goss has been one of the breakout stars in 2A this season. After serving as a complementary back to Landin Johnson a year ago, rushing for 273 yards and 6 TDs on the season, he’s filled Johnson’s role as workhorse back this fall.
Goss has gone over 300 yards in a game twice this season and hasn’t rushed for less than 111 in a game this year, sitting at 1,255 yards and 17 touchdowns in leading the Bearcats to a 5-1 start. Carson Jacobs has added 524 yards and 6 scores on the ground and also has thrown for 342 yards and 5 scores to complement Goss.
Beloit leaned heavily on Joel Rexroat and the ground game a year ago, but has been considerably more balanced offensively this season with the arrival of freshman quarterback Truitt King. King has thrown for 995 yards and 10 touchdowns this year and is coming off back-to-back games of 320 yards or more. Rexroat has only run for 388 yards and 5 touchdowns a year after running for 1,354 yards and 20 scores.
CENTRALIA (5-1) AT TROY (4-2)
Formerly Twin Valley League rivals during Troy’s near-decade stint after leaving the Delaware Valley league before returning to the Northeast Kansas League last fall, Centralia has won the last eight meetings with the Trojans, whose last win in the series came in their 2016 undefeated state championship season.
Centralia rallied late to win last year’s game 28-20, starting the Panthers’ surge that carried them to the Class 1A state championship game. With the eastern half of 1A as deep as ever, both teams could use a little momentum with the postseason drawing near.
Centralia was off last week, taking a forfeit win over Horton, which didn’t have enough players due to injury to play. The Panthers’ only loss thus far was the same lone regular-season loss they suffered a year ago, coming to Missouri power Mid-Buchanan 49-13 in Week 2. Centralia has shut out its last two opponents, Doniphan West and Maur Hill, but still has work to do to win the regional title with one-loss Riverside awaiting next week.
Riverside ended Troy’s four-game winning streak last week with a 28-0 shutout of the Trojans. The game was scoreless at halftime before the Cyclones took control with 21 third-quarter points.
Kaston Jasper did throw for 145 yards in the game and now has thrown for 1,482 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Three receivers have at least 350 yards -- Caden Rosenberger (502 yards, 5 touchdowns), Colt Jensen (454 yards, 9 TDs) and Hunter Engemann (353 yards, 6 TDs).
ROSSVILLE (5-1) AT OLPE (5-1)
A strong statement for challenger status can be made by the winner of this Class 1A District 2 showdown, one Rossville won 28-0 a year ago.
Last year, Rossville was just starting to hit its stride after starting the season 0-3. This year, the Bulldawgs turned around their non-district results, going 2-1 with tight wins over Silver Lake (28-27 in OT) and St. Marys (40-34) before losing a 56-28 shootout with 2A No. 2 Nemaha Central. Once again the Bulldawgs have been dominant against their 1A foes, winning by a combined 173-20 over the past three games.
Canann Mitchell has had a big year taking over as starting quarterback for Rossville, throwing for 908 yards and 12 touchdowns and also leading the team in rushing with 415 yards and 6 touchdowns. Andre Johnson and Conner Bush have been a solid backfield complement with a combined 503 yards and 12 scores on the ground. Cameron Miller (367 yards, 6 TDs) and Jack Donovan (268 yards, 2 TDs) have led the receiving corps.
Olpe dropped its opener to 2A No. 3 Osage City, but has been on a roll since. After giving up 41 points to Osage City, the Eagles have allowed just 19 points over the past five games, including shut outs of South Sumner County and Jayhawk-Linn.
Olpe’s offense has also come to life, averaging 51 points per game over the past five contests.
OSBORNE (3-3) AT LINN (4-2)
Playing in the ultra-tough Twin Valley League, Linn has flown under the radar a little bit this season. The Bulldogs opened the season with four-time reigning Division II state champion Axtell and lost 52-6, but the only other defeat was an 8-0 loss to Clifton-Clyde, which made the Division I semifinals last year.
Linn is already 3-0 against Northern Plains League foes this season, beating Thunder Ridge (36-30), Beloit-St. John’s (54-22) and Pike Valley (68-16) the past three weeks in district play. The Bulldogs can clinch the district title with a win over Osborne, which has won two straight after enduring a three-game losing streak.
Osborne opened the season with a 52-46 win over defending Division I state champion Hoxie, but then suffered a blowout loss to Ell-Saline in Week 2, forfeited its Week 3 game with Victoria and then fell 58-24 to Beloit-St. John’s in Week 4.
A tremendous freshman class has led the way for Osborne with quarterback Tate Tiernan throwing for 792 yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushing for 574 yards and 7 TDs. Donovan Holloway has added 521 yards and 9 TDs and also is the leading receiver with 409 yards and 3 scores.