SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEEK 8 PICK SIX
 
ANDOVER (5-2) AT ANDOVER CENTRAL (4-3)
 
After clinching a share of the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II title last week with an impressive 48-21 victory over previously unbeaten Salina Central, Andover goes for its first outright league crown since 2013 with its crosstown rival standing in the way.
 
Andover has won five consecutive games since opening the season with losses to Class 4A No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel and 6A No. 1 Maize. The Trojans got 100-yard rushing efforts from junior quarterback Will Quinn and junior running back Pete Vega in the victory over Salina Central, and posted a season-high point total after scoring touchdowns on all seven of its possessions.
 
Recent history hasn’t been good to the Trojans, however, in their series with Andover Central. The Jaguars have won the last seven meetings and own a 16-8 overall advantage. Andover Central is coming off a wild 55-52 victory over Eisenhower in which junior Jaxson Green ran for 193 yards and four touchdowns, and added a fifth score on a 94-yard kickoff return. Green has run for 1,260 yards and 13 TDs this fall.
 
Both teams lean heavily on their feature backs, as Green has 159 carries this season and Vega has 157. The start time for Friday’s game has been moved up an hour due to an ominous forecast, but it doesn’t figure to alter either team’s devotion to the run. Especially Andover, which has thrown the ball only 34 times this season with Quinn.

 
BISHOP CARROLL (4-3) AT DERBY (5-2)
 
Bishop Carroll has had several barometer games in its first season under coach Chris Jaax, and the regular-season finale against Class 6A No. 5 Derby will be another. While the Golden Eagles haven’t won any of the nine annual matchups with Derby since the teams began playing in 2016, most had been competitive until the last two seasons.
 
Carroll is coming off its first shutout victory in four years, topping Wichita East 24-0 to avenge blowout losses to the Blue Aces each of the last two seasons. Quarterback John Corrigan threw touchdown passes to Nathan Goertz and Brittyn St. Vrain as Carroll bounced back from a loss to rival Kapaun two weeks ago.
 
Derby has won three straight since falling to Maize. The Panthers rolled up 55 first-half points in a 70-28 victory at Maize South last week, as the teams combined for 1,202 yards of total offense. Junior Arieus Finley ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and enters the Carroll game with 1,070 yards and 13 TDs. Quarterback Blade Clark has passed for 717 yards and 12 touchdowns with one interception.
 
After starting the season No. 2 in 6A and falling out after losses to Hays and Maize, Derby re-entered the rankings this week at No. 5. The Panthers defeated Carroll 56-14 two seasons ago and 51-7 last year.

 
CHENEY (5-2) AT PRATT (6-1)
 
Class 3A’s District 7 title will be up for grabs in Pratt, where the host Greenbacks will try to change their fortunes against an opponent that has defeated them each of the last five seasons.
 
Since losing 34-8 at Hoisington in its season opener, Pratt has been on a roll, posting three shutouts and scoring three defensive touchdowns in last week’s 42-13 victory at Clearwater. Seniors Cresten Pore, Gavin Rupe and Luke Gatlin combined on the defensive hat trick for a unit that yielded just six points in the first four games of its six-game winning streak.
 
Cheney will provide a stern challenge, however, behind senior quarterback Reece Tolar. Tolar was nearly unstoppable last week in the Cardinals’ 48-27 victory over Wichita Collegiate, throwing for 189 yards and three touchdowns, running for 100 yards and three TDs, and catching a 55-yard scoring pass from Colton Young. Cheney has won two straight since a 20-6 home loss to Hoisington on Oct. 3.
 
After losing four times to Cheney by an average of 31.5 points from 2020-23, the Greenbacks came close last season before falling 28-26. Pore passed for 216 yards in the loss and his classmate, 6-foot-5 Arley Morrell, had six receptions for 159 yards. Both will likely need to perform well for Pratt to win the district showdown.

 
HUTCHINSON TRINITY (6-1) AT STERLING (7-0)
 
Trinity showed flashes of its potential last November, knocking off previously unbeaten Moundridge in Week 9 and taking a talented Medicine Lodge team to overtime before its 4-6 season ended. Nearly a year later, the Celtics have a chance to win the Class 1A District 7 crown.
 
Something will have to give at Smisor Stadium. Trinity hasn’t been scored on in eight quarters, shutting out Ellinwood and Medicine Lodge to run its winning streak to six games. Meanhwhile, Sterling, No. 3 in 1A, is coming off an offensive onslaught in its 75-33 victory over South Sumner County in which the Black Bears ran for 531 yards and averaged 23 yards per play.
 
Sterling, which won last year’s meeting 41-18, features senior running back Zane Farney, who has run for 1,297 yards this season and 5,683 for his career. His 27 rushing touchdowns this season have raised his career total to 75. Senior Wyatt Newberry has complemented Farney with 735 rushing yards and 10 TDs, and is one of Sterling’s key defenders with 63 tackles and a team-high three interceptions.
 
The Black Bears’ defense will have to deal with Trinity quarterback Drew Dechant, who has been a key playmaker for the Celtics all season. Dechant accounted for five touchdowns in a 40-6 victory over Conway Springs. Fellow senior Kaid McElgunn has been a top target for Dechant and has also shined on special teams and defense, returning a punt for a touchdown against Conway Springs and an interception for a score in the win over Medicine Lodge.
 
 
INMAN (6-1) AT MOUNDRIDGE (6-1)
 
Inman and Moundridge will settle the Class 1A District 6 championship and for Moundridge, it will hinge on slowing a red-hot Teuton offense.
 
Inman’s lone loss came in Week 3 to unbeaten Sterling. But the Teutons scored 47 points in that shootout, and have averaged 58 points over their last five games. Junior quarterback Malachi Brunk’s dual-threat capability will test the Wildcats, who have withstood the loss of injured standout quarterback Kaizer Kanitz by allowing a combined 26 points in the last four games.
 
Brunk ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns as Inman dealt Marion its first loss in Week 5. He had touchdown runs of 35 and 50 yards in last week’s 76-0 victory over Bennington.
 
Senior Owen Colwell has filled in for Kanitz, and tossed three touchdown passes in Moundridge’s 38-8 victory over Sedgwick. Colwell was 13 of 17 for 128 yards in that game, with two of his scoring passes to Heath Churchill. Logan Greenwalt added an 86-yard kickoff return. The Wildcats won last year’s meeting 13-8 at Inman, and probably wouldn’t balk at another low-scoring duel.

 
CENTRAL PLAINS (5-2) AT ELL-SALINE (6-1)
 
Eight-Player I’s District 3 will finish establishing its order with Ell-Saline welcoming Central Plains on senior night. The Cardinals put themselves in the catbird seat two weeks ago with a 22-20 victory over previously unbeaten Little River, while Central Plains will try to rebound this week after falling 68-32 to Little River last Friday.
 
Ell-Saline’s senior tandem of Reese Krone and Kas Kramer have helped the Cardinals settle in to the No. 4 ranking in Eight-Player I. Krone, who took over at quarterback last season, has passed for 757 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 159 yards and six scores. Kramer leads Ell-Saline in rushing with 67 carries for 608 yards and 13 TDs.
 
Central Plains will try to reset after surrendering 537 yards of total offense in the loss to Little River. The Oilers, state finalists a year ago, entered that contest yielding just 9.3 points per game with two shutouts.
 
Ell-Saline clinched its second straight district title last season with a 58-12 victory over Central Plains. Kramer came up big for the Cardinals, running for 167 yards and four touchdowns, and added a receiving touchdown and three interceptions. Central Plains made the longer playoff run, but both would take a win to build momentum for the 2025 postseason.