NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEEK 5 PICK SIX
 
ATCHISON (3-2) AT HIGHLAND PARK (3-2)
 
Since Atchison joined the Meadowlark Conference in 2021 and Highland Park followed in 2022, they’ve been the pre-eminent powers in the league. Atchison was undefeated in league play from 2021-24, winning all 24 league contests and four straight titles, while Highland Park had suffered only four league losses from 2022-24, three coming to Atchison.
 
But whereas their showdown each of the past three seasons has been for the league title, that won’t be the case this year when they meet Thursday at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka.
 
Following a melee in the second half of its Week 3 victory over Schlagle, Highland Park has had to forfeit its last two games, including a league contest with previously winless Harmon. Atchison, meanwhile, is coming off its first-ever league loss as the Phoenix couldn’t slow down Washington quarterback Savion Stone in an 82-44 shootout loss.
 
Highland Park was undefeated before its forfeit losses, having outscored Wyandotte, Sumner Academy and Schlagle by a combined 112-40. Jojo Kingcannon and G’honi Montgomery had been a dynamic backfield punch with Kingcannon rushing for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns and Montgomery adding 256 yards and 3 scores. They’ve been complemented by quarterback Dontrail Fox, who’s thrown for 274 yards and 3 scores.
 
Atchison opened the season with a loss to Ottawa, but had bounced back with three straight wins before Stone went crazy against the Phoenix last week to the tune of nearly 500 yards of total offense and 9 touchdowns. The Phoenix were able to trade punches early and they finished the game with Leighton Boldridge rushing for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns and Yogi Purdy adding 164 yards and 2 scores on the ground while also throwing for 196 yards and a score.
 
Atchison has scored at least 60 points in its three league meetings with Highland Park, taking wins of 70-56, 64-8 and 62-21. 
 
 
BALDWIN (3-2) AT SANTA FE TRAIL (5-0)
 
Off to its first 5-0 start since going 6-0 to start the 2016 season, Santa Fe Trail has already matched last year’s win total. What’s more, the Chargers already have a pair of statement wins on the resume.
 
Trail opened some eyes with a 35-20 win over Prairie View in Week 2, handing the Buffaloes the only loss they’ve suffered so far this season. After a pair of blowout wins, the Charters won a defensive slugfest with Pioneer League rival Wellsville – a 13-6 win that all but wrapped up the league title with only a contest against Anderson County remaining for the Chargers.
 
Trail mustered only 187 yards of total offense in the win over Wellsville, including just 5 yards passing. But one of those completions was a 5-yard touchdown pass from Rigley Sleichter to Jack Gragg and Trail’s other touchdown came on a 47-yard run by Kain Tantaros.
 
Baldwin also has a win over Wellsville, taking a 35-14 victory the week before the Eagles played Trail. Last week, the Bulldogs stepped out of 3A district play and suffered a 47-7 blowout loss to Silver Lake.
 
It’s been a turnaround season for Baldwin under first-year head coach Jeff Melcher. After having its lone win a year ago come via forfeit, Baldwin has its most wins since 2022 and with another win can reach its highest win total since going 6-4 in 2017.
 
Bryis Alford has stepped in at quarterback and thrown for 623 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception. Jackson Rood is the leading receiver with 222 yards and 3 touchdowns while Colton Collum has 4 TD catches. Kreyton Frost has added 391 yards and 4 scores on the ground.
 
The winner of the game will be in the driver’s seat for the Class 3A District 3 title.
 
 
SABETHA (5-0) AT NEMAHA CENTRAL (5-0)
 
One of the top rivalries in the state, Nemaha Central has had the upper hand again its top Big East League rival in recent years, winning seven straight games. The wild thing is that’s come in just a four-year span as the two programs have met in both the regular season and playoffs each of the past two seasons.
 
As dominant of a run as the Thunder have been on since 2022, winning 42 of their last 44 games, their contests with Sabetha have been hard-fought, as might be expected in a rivalry game. The Thunder defense has been the difference, holding Sabetha to just 35 points in the last seven meetings, shutting the Bluejays out twice last year in 24-0 and 28-0 victories.
 
Nemaha Central, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, has been fairly stout defensively this year as well with only Rossville really able to find much offense against it, falling 56-28. The Thunder followed that up with a tough 28-14 win over Class 4A Chanute before opening district play with a 55-6 rout of Oskaloosa last week in which Caleb Strathman returned two punts for touchdowns and also caught two touchdown passes.
 
It was the top passing game of the season for Carter Hajek, who threw three TD passes in the contest. Typically, Hajek simply demolishes opponents via the run, having rushed for 950 yards and 17 touchdowns already this season. That included a 364-yard, 6 TD performance against Rossville.
 
Sabetha, which moved into the Class 2A rankings this week at No. 5, opened the season with a solid 28-16 win over Holton before winning a pair of low-scoring shutouts with Hiawatha (15-0) and Royal Valley (16-0). The Bluejay defense has been stout all year, allowing just 30 points with Holton the only team to score twice.
 
Offensively, Sabetha has also leaned heavily on the run game, amassing 1,283 yards and 17 scores as a team led by Will Voos’ 646 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Bluejays have only attempted 31 passes with 206 yards and a touchdown.
 
Sabetha’s last win in the rivalry came in 2020, a 29-22 win. That was the third straight in the series, which Nemaha Central now leads 10-4 since the merger of Nemaha Valley and Baileyville B&B in 2014.
 
 
TROY (4-1) AT RIVERSIDE (4-1)
 
Both Troy and Riverside enter Friday’s game riding four-game winning streaks after falling in their season openers. Riverside dropped a 21-0 decision to now-Class 1A No. 1 Jackson Heights in its opener while Troy lost in overtime to Republic County, which is also 4-1.
 
Riverside hasn’t been challenged since, outscoring its last four opponents 159-15. The Cyclones are working on two straight shutout victories and the defense has led the way in the four-game winning streak, forcing 12 turnovers.
 
The Cyclone offense has been efficient, but hasn’t had a huge breakout statistical game. Beckam Griffin has thrown for 575 yards and 7 touchdowns this season while the Cyclones have rushed for just 673 yards and 15 touchdowns as a team led by 212 yards and 6 TDs Elijah Moore.
 
Troy, meanwhile, has been explosive offensively in the passing game. First-year starter Kaston Jasper has thrown for 1,337 yards and 26 touchdowns and has a trio of receivers averaging better than 70 yards per game – Caden Rosenberger (472 yards, 5 TDs), Colt Jensen (416 yards, 9 TDs) and Hunter Engemann (293 yards, 6 TDs).
 
The Trojans have also dominated their last four foes, winning by a combined 172-20.
 
Last year’s contest was a defensive struggle with Riverside pulling out a 14-12 victory.
 
 
MADISON (5-0) AT LYNDON (4-0)
 
If last year’s contest was any indication, Friday’s clash between long-ago league rivals should be a dandy. Madison pulled out a 40-36 victory in last year’s contest that sparked the Bulldogs’ run to the Eight-Player Division I quarterfinals, upsetting Ell-Saline along the way.
 
Both teams enter this year’s contest with an impressive win on the ledger.
 
Madison upset then-Eight-Player Division II ranked Burlingame 42-26 in Week 3, moving the Bulldogs into the Division I rankings at No. 5. Last week’s 64-16 win over Northern Heights clinched the Lyon County League title for the Bulldogs, who are 5-0 for the first time since 2021.
 
Cruz Leiser has carried the load for Madison’s offense this year, rushing for 918 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 10 yards per carry. Octavian Dean has added 290 yards and 8 catches in the passing game and also has been huge defensively. Quarterback Brayden Grimmett is coming off his best game of the year, throwing for 179 yards and 6 touchdowns against Heights.
 
Lyndon is 5-0 for the second time in three years, also doing it in 2023 when the Tigers won the Eight-Player Division I state championship. After a 5-4 season last year, the Tigers have been impressive this season in their undefeated start, including a 54-44 win over Frankfort in Week 2 and a 68-18 win over Chase County in Week 4.
 
James Marcotte and Lucas Griffin have been a dynamic duo in the Lyndon backfield, each with 10 rushing touchdowns. Marcotte has 533 yards and Griffin has 479, while also throwing for 379 yards and 4 touchdowns.
 
 
LEBO (3-2) AT RURAL VISTA (4-1)
 
Coming off a tough 36-32 loss to Lyon County League rival Burlingame last week, Lebo has an equally tough challenge on the road at Rural Vista with Friday’s game being played in Hope.
 
The Heat have been dominant outside its lone loss and even that defeat was somewhat impressive as they put up 30 points on Eight-Player Division I No. 2 Little River, which has allowed just six points in its other four games.
 
There’s no secret to what’s fueled Rural Vista’s success. Senior back Kole Riedy has rushed 80 times for 1,015 yards and 18 touchdowns, accounting for the bulk of the Heat’s offense. Koden Sanford has been a nice complement in the backfield, however, adding 8 touchdowns and 151 yards on the ground and 401 yards and a pair of scores through the air.
 
Lebo spent most of last week’s loss to Burlingame in catchup mode, but took a 26-22 lead in the third quarter on a Garrison Knight run before the Bearcats got two straight touchdowns and a key two-point conversion to take a 36-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Brock Hadley hit Brayden Hopkins for a 4-yard touchdown late, capping a game where Hadley threw for 218 yards and 2 TDs and Hopkins had 115 yards receiving.
 
The duo have been a strong connection all season with Hadley throwing for 732 yards and 13 touchdowns and Hopkins hauling in 25 passes for 375 yards and 8 TDs.
 
Rural Vista won last year’s game 40-24.