NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEEK 4 PICK SIX
 
JUNCTION CITY (2-1) AT MANHATTAN (3-0)
 
Class 6A No. 1 Manhattan survived its biggest test and a heck of a scare against a Hays team that had arguably the most impressive resume in the state going into the game after knocking off both 6A power Derby and Oklahoma power Choctaw in its first two games.
 
Hays’ defense was instrumental in those victories and once again came up big against Manhattan, holding the Indians to just 234 yards and a field goal. But Manhattan’s defense was just as good, if not better, holding Hays to 233 yards and out of the end zone until Holden Lind’s 32-yard touchdown run with 4:24 left in the game.
 
By that time, Manhattan led 10-0 with the lone touchdown coming on JJ Dunnigan’s 87-yard punt return early in the third quarter. Prescott Balderson added a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth and then Manhattan made a late defensive stand after Lind’s score to hold on for a 10-8 win.
 
Junction City was in position to knock off Class 6A No. 2 Wichita Northwest in their showdown, falling 31-21. Northwest led just 10-7 going into the fourth quarter before both a shootout broke out. The Blue Jays grabbed leads of 14-10 and 21-17 on touchdown passes from Conrad Gomez, a 16-yarder to Lovell Autry and 23-yarder to Ayden Martin, but they couldn’t stop the Grizzlies late.
 
Gomez has thrown for 606 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception this season and has three different receivers with over 100 yards and four with multiple touchdown catches. 
 
Mclain Aslin has rushed for 264 yards and 5 TDs for Manhattan while Kha’Mario Davis has added 216 yards and a touchdown. Finn Watson has thrown for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns.
 
Manhattan cruised to a 52-0 win in last year’s rivalry game and has won four straight in the series.
 
 
EMPORIA (2-1) AT TOPEKA HIGH (2-1)
 
Winless the last two seasons, Emporia has enjoyed a big turnaround under first-year head coach Daniel Goodman, a Spartan alum. The Spartans ended a 20-game losing streak with a 52-6 rout of Wichita West in Week 2 and then followed it up with a 50-0 blowout of Coffeyville last week.
 
Rylan Crowell has been a driving force for the breakthrough season, rushing for 410 yards and 9 touchdowns through three games. That included last week’s performance of 163 yards and 5 touchdowns.
 
Topeka High saw its 2-0 start halted in a defensive slugfest with Wichita Southeast last week with the Buffaloes pulling out a 6-0 victory. The Trojans also have a win over Wichita West, beating the Pioneers 40-14 in the season opener before edging Wichita Heights 28-20 in Week 2.
 
Topeka has dominated the series for the last decade-plus, winning 12 straight with Emporia’s last win coming in 2009 when the Spartans won a 40-21 season-opener. Since, the Trojans have dominated with only three of the 12 games decided by one score or less. The Trojans won last year’s game 47-14.
 
 
WAMEGO (2-1) AT HAYDEN (3-0)
 
Hayden suffered just one blemish on its resume during the regular season a year ago and it was one the Wildcats would’ve loved back. Hayden led 28-14 going into the fourth quarter only to see Wamego rally for a 31-28 victory on Brody Graber’s 27-yard field goal late in the game.
 
Despite the loss, Hayden went on to play for the Class 3A state title for the second straight year, finishing runner-up to Andale. The Wildcats graduated All-State receiver Jensen Schrickel and four-year starting quarterback Jett Wahlmeier, among others, but are ranked No. 2 in 3A this season and have dominated their first three opponents.
 
Connor Hanika, who filled in for Wahlmeier at quarterback during Hayden’s 2023 playoff run to the finals after Wahlmeier was injured in the postseason opener, has taken over full time at quarterback this season and thrown for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kade Mitchell has replaced Schrickel as Hayden’s do-it-all back, rushing for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
 
Hayden opened the season with a 28-6 win over 4A Eudora, which has won two straight since.
 
Wamego comes in off a 34-8 win over Marysville, a team that upset the Red Raiders 22-20 ahead of the Hayden contest a year ago. It was a bounce-back win for the Red Raiders, who saw their prolific offense shut down by Rock Creek 21-13 in Week 2.
 
Logan Fulton has thrown for 709 yards and 8 touchdowns while Dominic Falco has been his top target with 24 catches for 360 yards and 5 TDs.
 
 
CHANUTE (2-1) AT NEMAHA CENTRAL (3-0)
 
After making the trip south a year ago and pulling out a tough 13-7 win over the Blue Comets, Nemaha Central welcomes their Southeast Kansas League foe north this season.
 
After the narrow win a year ago, Nemaha Central got on a roll and returned to the Class 2A state championship game for the third straight year, falling short of a title three-peat after suffering a last-second 36-28 loss to Southeast of Saline in the title game.
 
The Thunder have manhandled their first three foes this season, outscoring Marysville, Silver Lake and Rossville by a combined 146-35 with a 56-28 shootout win over Rossville last week the first time the Thunder defense showed any cracks.
 
But senior quarterback Carter Hajek was just too much for the Bulldawgs, rushing for 364 yards and 6 touchdowns. Through three games, Hajek is well on his way to a third straight season of 2,000-plus rushing yards and 40-plus touchdowns, amassing 735 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also thrown for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns.
 
Chanute saw its 2-0 start end with a 42-12 loss to McPherson last week as the Blue Comets gave up 467 total yards to the Bullpups. Jalen Duncan led Chanute with 119 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including a 60-yarder. Kris Harding II also threw for 105 yards.
 
 
ST. MARYS (2-1) AT SILVER LAKE (1-2)
 
While Silver Lake picked up its first win of the season with a 19-6 victory over Perry-Lecompton, St. Marys was staring a second straight loss in the face, trailing Jefferson West 21-8 going into the fourth quarter and 27-24 with time winding down.
 
But Lane Smith hit Jace Hurla for a touchdown pass with five seconds left to pull out a 30-27 victory to move to 2-1. Smith finished with 275 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, with Kanon Vansickle and Ben DeVader also grabbing TD passes and DeVader finishing with 123 yards. Korleone Holz ran for 80 yards and a touchdown.
 
Smith has now thrown for 600 yards and 5 touchdowns and Holz has run for 341 yards and 4 scores.
 
Silver Lake got 280 yards and a touchdown through the air from freshman Kipton Kruger in last week’s win over Perry. Dayne Johnson hauled in 16 passes for 164 yards and the touchdowns and Bryson Burgos added a rushing TD.
 
For the season, Kruger has thrown for 644 yards and 3 touchdowns and Johnson has 32 cathes for 413 yards and 2 scores.
 
Both teams suffered tough losses to Rossville with Silver Lake falling 28-27 in overtime in the season opener and St. Marys losing 40-34 on a Rossville touchdown in the final minute.
 
 
HANOVER (3-0) AT FRANKFORT (1-2)
 
Hanover’s 28-22 win over Frankfort signaled that the Wildcats were back among the top contenders in Eight-Player Division II and this season’s 3-0 start has only solidified that point.
 
The Wildcats have as impressive of a resume as any team in Division II, opening the season with a convincing 32-8 win over ranked Ell-Saline and then blowing out Clifton-Clyde (56-6) and Washington County (60-0). 
 
Kadrick Cohorst has completed 19 of 24 passes for 335 yards and 8 touchdowns and also added 5 touchdowns. The Wildcat defense has allowed just 133 yards per game.
 
Frankfort lost three All-Division II first-teamers off last year’s team and started 0-2 before rolling past Solomon 46-0 last week. That included an overtime loss to Clifton-Clyde in the season opener.
 
Wes Anderson has thrown for 308 yards and 5 touchdowns and also run for 127 yards and 3 more touchdowns. Porter Colvin has three receiving touchdowns and Henry Ketter has two.