The Oxford Wildcats prepared for the 2025 season knowing they would have to find long-term solutions to replace graduating standouts like Cordell Jordan and Johnathan Schroeder.
 
They showed Friday they’re pretty good at making short-term adjustments, as well.
 
After senior quarterback Chase Douglas was sidelined with a shoulder injury in the first quarter of Oxford’s homecoming game against Pratt-Skyline, coach Kyle Westerman turned to sophomore Kale Moberly. But the Wildcats didn’t need Moberly to do too much, as junior running back Logan Gaither burned Skyline for 273 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 20 carries in a 46-0 victory over the previously unbeaten Thunderbirds.
 
Gaither added a 30-yard touchdown pass to his older brother Wyatt to help Oxford win its Eight-Player I District 5 opener and improve to 4-0.
 
“We had to change things a little bit,” said Gaither, whose five TD runs included dashes of 46, 76 and 49 yards. “With our passing, we rely heavily on Chase. We couldn’t really do that without him. So we just followed TB up the hole every time, and it worked out great for us.”
 
“TB” is junior Tyler Brown, a 257-pound junior lineman and another reason Oxford’s optimism remained high after a 7-3 season a year ago. During that campaign, Jordan earned all-state honors after rushing for 1,142 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Schroeder’s signal-calling yielded more than 1,400 yards of total offense and 29 combined rushing and passing touchdowns.
 

The Wildcats haven’t missed a beat, outscoring their opponents by a combined 206-14. The shutout Friday was their second of the season and it came against a team that averaged 43 points in its first four games.
 
“This was one we’ve been looking forward to all year,” Gaither said. “We haven’t really played many teams of their caliber yet. It was nice to get a physical check-up and see how we were going to fare, especially with what we have down the line.”
 
Coming off an open week in its schedule, Oxford was sluggish early against Skyline, turning the ball over on downs on its first possession and punting on its second. Facing fourth-and-2 on its third possession, Gaither took a direct snap and broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown.
 
“We came out a little flat and their defensive line gave us some problems early on,” Westerman said. “Once we got that figured out, the second quarter really turned things around for us.
 
“We use Logan a lot in the quarterback run game. I’m so glad to have him back because he’s an absolute hoss running the ball and on defense.”
 
Gaither, who leads the Wildcats with 497 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns, also is the team’s top tackler with 43. But he isn’t Oxford’s lone playmaker. Xzavier McClamy, a 5-foot-6, 133-pound senior, scored his seventh touchdown of the season Friday and disrupted Skyline’s offense with seven tackles and two pass deflections.
 
Sophomore Dwayne Fountain had a team-high 13 tackles against the Thunderbirds. Wyatt Gaither added 10.
 

The Wildcats, who travel to Kiowa County on Friday, have a challenging district draw with top-ranked South Central still on the schedule. Oxford’s playoff run ended last year with a loss to eventual state champion Hoxie.
 
Gaither and Westerman agreed the experiences of playing competition like that can serve the Wildcats well.
 
“Having South Central in our district the last two years has just shown them what a physical team that’s coached really well looks like,” Westerman said. “I try to emulate those coaches who are doing that and try to teach our kids that’s what hard-nosed football is about. We know if we can’t compete with that, we’re not going to go far in the playoffs.”

 
OTHER WEEK 5 FOOTBALL STANDOUTS

• Maize remained at the top of the Class 6A rankings, defeating Campus 53-9 as quarterback Brayden Myovela accounted for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Myovela completed 11 of 14 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns, and ran six times for 128 yards and a score. Junior Malachi Leichner had a pair of touchdown receptions.
• Wichita Northwest bounced back from an overtime loss to Kapaun, getting four touchdown passes from Jaylen Mason and four rushing TDs from Augie Fast in a 76-7 victory over Wichita West. Mason completed 8 of 13 passes for 186 yards, while Fast produced 91 yards on nine carries.
• Bishop Carroll’s John Corrigan passed for two touchdowns and ran for one in the Golden Eagles’ 29-12 victory over Wichita Heights. Junior Cooper Herrman ran 18 times for 132 yards for Carroll, which improved to 3-2.
• Wichita South senior Rashawn Johnson ran for 133 yards on five carries and threw a touchdown pass in the Titans’ 38-7 victory over Wichita North.
• Maize South junior Reign Illian passed for 371 yards and six touchdowns, and added 65 rushing yards and two scores in the host Mavericks’ 56-21 victory over Arkansas City. Illian completed 21 of 27 attempts for Maize South, which improved to 4-1.
• Derby quarterback Blade Clark connected with Michael Castillo on two touchdown passes in a 26-point third quarter as the host Panthers blistered Hutchinson 51-7. Castillo also had a 16-yard touchdown run prior to pulling in TD receptions of 32 and 34 yards. Clark finished 5 of 13 for 159 yards, also finding Rowan Foster for a 52-yard score. Amarion Houston returned an interception for a touchdown for Derby’s defense, which limited Hutch to 98 total yards.
• Valley Center senior Rylan Bailey ran 23 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the Hornets’ 29-23 victory over Salina South. Senior Connor Thatcher passed for 187 yards, with top target Spencer Crumrine hauling in seven receptions for 112 yards and a score.
• Salina Central senior Cooper Reves went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season, gaining 213 yards on 22 carries in the Mustangs’ 42-0 victory over Newton. Reves ran for two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass from junior Griffin Hall, who completed 16 of 24 attempts for 201 yards and two TDs. Reves, who has 1,058 rushing yards in five games, finished with six receptions for 83 yards as Central moved to 5-0.
• Andover junior Pete Vega ran 28 times for 182 yards and a touchdown as the host Trojans won their third straight with a 35-7 victory over Eisenhower. Vega’s 6-yard run gave Andover a 14-7 halftime lead and helped it move to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II play.
• Goddard junior Erik Olvias ran for 212 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns as the host Lions defeated Andover Central for the fourth consecutive season, winning 31-23. Seniors Gage Koenigs and Elliott Walk each had 12 tackles for Goddard.
• Andale senior Jack Horsch scored three first-half touchdowns to lead Class 3A’s top-ranked Indians to a 45-3 District 6 victory at Nickerson, their 18^th consecutive win. Horsch opened Andale’s 37-point first quarter with a 9-yard TD run, then caught scoring passes of 19 and 30 yards from quarterback Sam Harp. Harp and sophomore Parker Lies added interception returns for touchdowns as Andale’s defense forced four turnovers.
• McPherson sophomore Brody Milleson scored on a 1-yard run with 1:21 remaining to help the host Bullpups complete a comeback from a 21-point deficit and edge Rose Hill 37-35. Dane Becker added a pair of touchdown runs and quarterback Carter Bengtson connected with Ashton Malm and Aaron Winter on scoring passes of 79 and 53 yards respectively, as McPherson, which trailed 28-7 in the second quarter, won its fourth straight to move to 4-1.
• Wellington sophomore Colton Elmore completed 12 of 20 passes for 282 yards and five touchdowns – three to senior Emerson Brownlee – and the host Crusaders needed all of them in a 49-48 victory over Augusta. Elmore added 10 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown for Wellington, which denied the Orioles a two-point conversion with 21 seconds remaining. Brownlee finished with three receptions for 173 yards, and Jalik Armstrong ran for 128 yards and a TD on 16 attempts for the Crusaders.
• Mulvane junior Grady Myers ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Manny Myers passed for a touchdown and ran for one in the Wildcats’ 52-0 victory over El Dorado. Hagen Warkins added a 47-yard interception return during Mulvane’s 39-point second-quarter blitz.
• Winfield got its first victory of the season, topping host Circle 28-21 behind 85 rushing yards and two touchdowns from junior Dane Chattam. Chattam scored on runs of 13 and 4 yards as the Vikings improved to 1-4.
• Chaparral junior Kenny Diaz’s 48-yard field goal proved to be the difference in the Roadrunners’ 10-7 victory at Clearwater. Chaparral shut out the Indians in the second half to move to 4-1.
• Kingman sophomore Logan Birkenbaugh passed for 200 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 76 yards and four scores in the visiting Eagles’ 54-40 victory over Douglass. Birkenbaugh completed 8 of 15 passes with first-quarter touchdowns of 69 and 54 yards to Trenton Clark. Birkenbaugh added TD runs of 9, 21, 4 and 4 yards. Clark finished with five receptions for 149 yards.
• Garden Plain sophomore Braylen Dold ran for 149 yards and a touchdown, and senior Emrick Hays added 125 rushing yards and a score as the host Owls held off previously unbeaten Haven 15-14. The Owls churned out all 320 of their yards on the ground and scored the winning points midway through the fourth quarter.
• Wichita Trinity junior Zac Zimmerman passed for two touchdowns and ran for two in the Knights’ 35-0 victory over Belle Plaine. Zimmerman finished 12 of 22 through the air for 155 yards with scores to Korie Murphy and Bryton Baty. Zimmerman also ran for 56 yards on 15 carrries. Sophomore Camdon Kilgore fueled the shutout with four sacks as the Knights forced five turnovers.
• Hoisington junior Taylen Morales ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a scoring pass from quarterback Mason Martin as Class 2A’s No. 4-ranked team won 20-6 at Cheney to improve to 4-0. Hoisington’s defense also registered four sacks and limited Cheney to 152 total yards.
• Hesston senior Blayne Wilson ran for 155 yards on 10 carries and scored three touchdowns in the Swathers’ 51-0 victory over Smoky Valley. Junior Jerick Humphreys completed 10 of 12 passes for 120 yards and touchdowns to Daxon Deering and Kason Landes for Hesston, which scored 44 first-half points.
• Hillsboro’s Jesiah Gooch scored on runs of 3, 62, 55 and 56 yards, and Jaeten Loewen returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in the Trojans’ 54-32 victory over Ellsworth. Quarterback Zayne Haslett added two touchdown passes and a 23-yard scoring run for Hillsboro, which improved to 3-2.
• Pratt sophomore Cade Liggett ran 19 times for 207 yards and a touchdown, and senior Arley Morrell added a pair of touchdown runs as the Greenbacks defeated Wichita Collegiate 35-0 to improve to 4-1. Morrell also intercepted a pass and junior Kyler Barker registered 12 tackles as Pratt posted its third shutout of the season.
• Caney Valley’s Jace Buckley ran 12 times for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and Traxcyn Garton added 15 carries for 170 yards and a touchdown as the Bullpups defeated Cherryvale 44-0. Quarterback Layne Denny was 4-of-4 passing for 125 yards and two TDs as Caney rebounded from its first loss of the season to move to 4-1.
• Eureka senior Peyton Hare ran 13 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and added a scoring pass in the host Tornadoes’ 30-12 victory over Bluestem. Hare had TD runs of 9 and 66 yards in the first quarter, and a 77-yard score just before halftime. He also completed 3 of 9 passes for 72 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown to senior Cole Ptacek.
• Neodesha senior Cole Ramey ran for 116 yards and a touchdown, and caught six passes for 97 yards and two scores from quarterback Tayte Leck in the Bluestreaks’ 37-6 victory over Fredonia. Leck finished 11 of 28 for 140 yards and three touchdowns as Neodesha improved to 4-1.
• Hutchinson Trinity senior Drew Dechant passed for 163 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 130 yards and two TDs in the Celtics’ 40-6 victory over Conway Springs in Class 2A District 7. Dechant connected with Bentyn Chastain on scoring passes of 46 and 38 yards, and added first-half touchdown runs 40 and 28 yards. Kaid McElgunn returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown and hauled in Dechant’s third TD pass, a 55-yarder in the third quarter.
• Moundridge junior Cyrus Blough booted a 56-yard field goal to punctuate the Wildcats’ 33-0 victory over Remington. Blough added three extra-point kicks after touchdown passes from Owen Colwell to Heath Churchill and Logan Greenwalt, and Josh Koehn’s 75-yard punt return. Colwell was 8 of 10 passing for 207 yards.
• Sterling senior Zane Farney ran 15 times for 193 yards and five touchdowns as Class 1A’s No. 3-ranked Black Bears moved to 5-0 with a 47-10 victory over Medicine Lodge. Farney added one of Sterling’s two interceptions, and senior Wyatt Newberry had a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half.
• Inman’s Korbyn McClellan ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns, and also hauled in a 65-yard touchdown pass from Malachi Brunk to help the visiting Teutons defeat previously unbeaten Marion 52-30. Brunk, who finished with 27 carries for 277 yards and three touchdowns, added a 76-yard scoring run late in the first half that helped Inman tie the Warriors at halftime. McClellan’s interception in the fourth quarter sealed the victory and moved Inman to 4-1.
• Ell-Saline senior Reese Krone completed 5 of 5 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 50-0 victory over Solomon. Krone, who also ran for a 10-yard touchdown, connected with Landon May, Trey Williams and Kas Kramer on scoring passes. Kramer also had seven carries for 174 yards and two TDs.
• Argonia-Attica’s Carson Vineyard ran 22 times for 98 yards and four touchdowns, and added a fifth score on quarterback Maddex Hemberger’s 51-yard pass in the Titans’ 48-18 victory over Fairfield. Vineyard scored on runs of 2, 48, 3 and 3 yards, and hit Garrett Morrison for a two-point conversion pass. Hemberger was 7 of 13 for 154 yards, also connecting with Tanner McCurley on a touchdown pass.
• Cedar Vale-Dexter senior Royce Potter ran for 62 yards and four touchdowns, and junior Cooper Criss completed all eight of his passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-0 victory over West Elk. Potter hauled in one of Criss’ touchdowns for the Spartans, who moved to 4-1.
• Sedan junior Lincoln Dowell ran 12 times for 216 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to a 36-28 victory over Northeast-Arma.
• Norwich senior Zane Wohlgemuth ran for 80 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 52-6 victory over Pretty Prairie. Sophomore Easton Schroeder added a pair of scoring runs and finished with a team-high 160 yards on 13 carries. Schroeder also caught a touchdown pass from Kyedon Schroeder.
• Peabody-Burns junior Aiden Hurst accounted for 385 yards of total offense in the Warriors’ 67-18 victory over Marais des Cygnes Valley. Hurst connected on 15 of 23 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns, and ran five times for 129 yards and two scores. Senior Joesuf Aydelott added 10 carries for 96 yards and three touchdowns.
• South Barber junior Austin Swonger passed for 164 yards and five touchdowns, and sophomore Cody Shklar ran for 106 yards and three scores in the Chieftains’ 70-0 victory over Chetopa. Swonger hit on 6 of 8 passes, while junior Garen Cantrell had four receptions for 100 yards and three scores.
• Cunningham sophomore Tyler Osner completed 8 of 8 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 46-0 victory over Otis-Bison. Junior Stephen Kerschen added 85 rushing yards on five carries with a touchdowns as Cunningham improved to 4-1.