CLASS 1A FOOTBALL STATE QUARTERFINALS PREVIEW
 
EAST
 
ROSSVILLE (9-1) AT ST. MARY’S COLGAN (10-0)

In what is one of the premier games of the night, a pair of state-ranked teams will square off for the right to go to the state semifinals. Rossville, which is ranked No. 4 in Class 1A, will travel to No. 2 St. Mary’s Colgan as the two teams will square off for the first time since 2020. That season, Rossville rolled Colgan en route to an undefeated state championship. 

However, this season, Colgan comes in with an undefeated season on the line as the Panthers have cruised to 10 straight victories, with their latest coming in a 56-0 victory over Troy for a regional championship. The Panthers haven’t been tested since week two, which was a 16-point win over Frontenac that gave them the, the upper hand on the CNC title. The Panthers have ridden running back Klayton Adamson, who is having an historic season. Adamson scored five touchdowns to lead the Panthers’ offense with 202 yards on the ground against Troy. Adamson is two touchdowns away from tying the program record for the most touchdowns in a single season as he currently has 42 scores on the year.  

As for Rossville, the Bulldawgs earned a 53-18 win over Jefferson County North to win a regional championship. Quarterback Canann Mitchell accounted for five touchdowns, throwing a 17-yard TD pass to Andre Johnson and rushing for four more. Johnson had scoring runs of 18 and 24 yards. Mitchell finished with 137 yards rushing and 127 passing and the Bulldawgs had 453 yards of total offense. On the season, Mitchell has thrown for more than 1,300 yards to go along with 31 total touchdowns and more than 800 yards rushing. Rossville’s lone loss came to Nemaha Central back in week two. 

 
RIVERSIDE (8-2) AT JACKSON HEIGHTS (10-0)
 
The Northeast Kansas League rivals began the season facing each other and one will now end the other’s season as well.
 
In the opener, Heights jumped out to a 21-0 first-half lead on the strength of a two touchdown passes and TD run from Drake Mellies. The Cobras couldn’t score in the second half, but their defense dominated, holding Riverside to just 115 yards of total offense in the game while forcing four turnovers.
 
Heights’ defense has been nearly as stingy since, allowing just 46 points all season. Nearly half of those came last week as the Cobras got a big-time scare from Olpe in a 21-20 win. Heights came up with a game-saving interception late in the fourth quarter as Olpe was driving for a go-ahead score and then knocked away a two-point conversion pass after the Eagles elected to go for two and the win after answering Heights’ OT TD, a pass from Mellies to Austin Zeller.
 
Mellies has led the offense with 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns passing and 1,277 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing.
 
Riverside has already avenged its only other regular-season loss, turning the tables on Centralia last week with a commanding 41-26 win over falling 14-7 to the Panthers in the regular-season finale. Elijah Moore ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns and now has 837 yards and 11 TDs. Beckam Griffin has thrown for 1,184 yards and 14 TDs.
 
 
WEST
 
HUTCHINSON TRINITY (8-2) AT STERLING (10-0)
 
Three weeks after defeating Hutchinson Trinity for the Class 1A District 7 title, unbeaten Sterling hosts its Heart of America League counterpart again with higher stakes on the table.
 
Sterling is in the midst of its winningest season since it captured the 2A championship in 1982 for its lone state crown. The Black Bears’ 53-14 victory over Marion last week marked their first double-digit total for victories since that dream run 43 years ago.
 
Sterling, which topped Trinity 34-12 on Oct. 24, features an experienced squad led by senior all-state running back Zane Farney. Farney has nearly half of the Black Bears’ 3,783 rushing yards this season, running for 1,926 yards and 36 touchdowns. Classmate Wyatt Newberry has added 897 yards and 13 rushing scores, and leads the defense with a team-high four interceptions.
 
Hutch Trinity has had its best season since 2020 under coach Jordan Bell, getting key contributions on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Drew Dechant has been a dual-threat weapon, helping the Celtics capture their first regional title since 2017 last week at Republic County by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another.
 
In the teams’ first meeting, Sterling led just 14-12 at halftime. But Newberry, who scored on a 46-yard run in the first half, added a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter to ignite a 20-point second-half blitz for Sterling.
 
 
MOUNDRIDGE (8-2) AT SMITH CENTER (10-0)

After a rare down season in 2024, Smith Center has quickly returned to its powerhouse form. 

The Redmen moved to 10-0 after beating TMP-Marian for the second time this season, securing a 24-14 regional win over the Monarchs. 

Smith Center did all of its offensive damage on the ground, with Riley Griffin Powers, Brant Wilson and Parker Hutchinson accounting for all of the Redmen’s 381 rushing yards behind a powerful offensive line. Griffin Powers finished with 161 yards on 14 carries, followed by Wilson with 136 on 21 attempts and Hutchinson with 84 on 17 tries. They each had a touchdown. 

Moundridge avenged a Week 8 loss to Inman by rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit to top the Teutons 22-14 last week. Quarterback Kaizer Kanitz ran for two touchdowns and the Wildcats’ shut out Inman in the second half. Their other loss was a 27-15 setback to undefeated Sterling in Week 2. 

Four of Smith Center’s games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including a 16-14 win in Week 2 against Phillipsburg. The Redmen rolled to 70-0 and 64-0 wins against Syracuse and Remington, respectively, before beating TMP again. 

The Redmen and Wildcats have met just one other time, with Smith Center taking a 52-6 playoff win in 2016.