Two weeks into the high school football season and some teams have started the season, while others are still in search of their first win.

Week Three Games to be Broadcasted:
103.9 KNZA– Centralia at Troy  (click here to listen)
92.1 KMZA & Holton Channel –
     Holton at Nemaha Central (click here to listen & click here to listen & watch)
KAIR 93.7 FM – Pleasant Ridge at JCN (click here to listen)
Sabetha Channel – Jeff West at Sabetha  (click here to listen & watch) 

Wetmore (2-0) at Linn (1-1)
What a start to the season for the Wetmore Cardinals as they are flying high with a 2-0 start to the football season taking down Onaga 62-36 last week. The Cardinals are playing with a lot of confidence and making plays all over, as they have taken advantage of 14 turnovers in the first two games from their opponents and scored twice on kickoff returns. Wetmore in two weeks have scored 122 points that’s only 40 points less than what they scored in nine games last year. Joel Hufles and Kyler Vance have been at the forefront leading the Cardinals as Hutfles ran for 225 yards and three touchdowns last week, along with throwing two scores to Ethan Osterhaus and had a kickoff return touchdown. While Vance has ran for 100-plus yards in the first two games and multiple scores.

Wetmore heads to Linn this week and faces a Bulldog team that put up 422 total yards on them last year in a 50-6 Bulldog win, while holding Wetmore to 122 total yards offense in the contest. This year the Bulldogs sit at 1-1 after a 49-0 rout of Blue Valley-Randolph last week. Evan Bott had a strong game week two throwing for 194 yards and three scores and rushing for two more touchdowns with 104 yards and is the engine that makes the Bulldog team go. But the Bulldogs have multiple other playmakers including 6’4 target Dillon Cooper who has 178 yards receiving through two games with a pair of scores.

Frankfort (1-1) at St. Paul (2-0)
After a strong showing out of the gate for Frankfort the Wildcats were tamed last week by Clifton-Clyde falling 46-0 and struggled to move the ball in the contest. The Wildcats look to get back a pair of upperclassmen in Austin Hardwick and Spencer Dressman who could see the gridiron in limited action this week. While sophomores, Garrett Dalinghaus and Brandon Bussmann who each had strong week one performances with 100-plus yards rushing and three scores each look to find that groove again to help the Wildcats against a solid St. Paul.

Not only will be the Wildcats facing a tough team that beat them 58-8 last year but a four hour bus trip awaits the team and the game will kick-off early at 6:00pm. The Indians have rolled to a 2-0 start to the season outscoring their opponents 80-8 in the first two weeks. Runningback, Albert Albertini has been leading the charge for the Indians with his elusive running posting 140 yards with three touchdowns in week two against Chetopa.

Onaga (0-2) at Rural Vista (1-1)
After a pair of tough losses the first two weeks the Onaga Buffaloes are still working out some kinks headed into week three as they continue to get players settled into their spots. Turnovers really hurt the Buffaloes in the week two loss to Wetmore and Coach Travis Callaway knows they have to shore that department up and continue to develop the passing attack to partner with the rushing of Tanner Marten who has 525 yards rushing with eight touchdowns in two games. The passing attack worked into mix against Wetmore as Marten tossed a pair of scores to Aaron Schwartz and Jaiden Kolterman and the team threw for over 100 yards.

Last year Rural Vista won handily 48-0 over the Buffaloes with Onaga mustering only 98 yards of offense. While there’s been a coaching change with Austin Flowers taking over as Coach for longtime coach Jeff Hostetter the mentality has stayed the same with Rural Vista as they look to run the ball out of their single wing formation with guys like Eli Fleming and Chase Krause helping led the way.

Clifton-Clyde (2-0) at Valley Falls (0-2)
It’s been two different starts to the season for Clifton-Clyde and Valley Falls. The Eagles are 2-0 and flying high after a 46-0 rout of Frankfort in week two. Through the first two weeks Clifton-Clyde is getting contribution all-around with Drake Steinbrock and Christian Seifert leading the way each with 100-plus yards rushing a multiple scores, while Elias Girard and Aiden Rudolph each have over 60 yards rushing and a score. Rudolph has done a great job to at quarterback going 11-16 for 120 yards with three touchdowns helping the Eagles outscore their opponents 98-6. The Eagles defense has given up just six points and scored twice on the season on fumble returns.

Valley Falls came into the season with solid group of experience coming back but have had to rely upon several young guys in key positions too leading to some challenging and tough situations. While week two ended in a loss the Dragons took strides forward as they limited their turnovers from the previous week and were able to be more balanced on offense with Carter Allen rushing for 108 yards while quarterback, Tyler Lockhart threw for 109 yards. Finding a level of consistency will be key for the Dragons to accomplish their goals moving forward.

Last year Clifton-Clyde took this contest 48-0.

Hanover (2-0) at Southern Coffey County (1-1)
After two weeks it doesn’t look like much has changed for the Hanover Wildcats as they look they dominate 8-Man program they have been for years and they continue to be ranked #1 in 8-Man Division II across the State. The Wildcats cruised past Udall 54-6 in week two ending the game at the half. After leading just 16-0 after the first quarter Hanover had a flurry of points to finish the game at the halftime with Thomas Atkins, Carter Bruna and Daiken Stallbaumer leading the offense. On defense the Wildcats who gave up just over six points per game last year have given up just six points each to their first two opponents.

The Wildcats cruised past Southern Coffey County last year 56-0 ending the game at the half. The Titans enter this game with a tough nosed 24-18 win against Waverly last week after being throttled by Burlingame in week one. Holding on the ball and minimalizing mistakes will be key for Southern Coffey County to stay in the game against Hanover who took advantage of the Titans mistakes last year.

Blue Valley-Randolph (0-2) at Tescott (0-2)
Injuries have plagued Blue Valley-Randolph early in the season and the Rams have not been able to recover from them at the moment being outscored 119-34 in two games this season including being shut-out by Linn last week. The Rams managed only just over 200 yards of total offense last week against the Bulldogs and will need the likes of Cole Montgomery to shoulder the load while other guys try and fit into spots and help the Rams.

While Tescott won this contest 36-14 last year this setups to be a solid opportunity for the Rams to taste victory if they can put things together. After being shutout week one by Lincoln, Tescott managed 22 points last week but gave up 68 in the loss to Sylvan-Lucas. The Trojans did enter the season with six offensive and seven defensive starters back to build upon from last year.

Centralia (1-1) at Troy (1-1)
Taking the lessons learned from week one against a good Sabetha team the Centralia Panthers went on the road and beat a tough St. Mary’s team out of the Mid-East League. The Panthers established their rushing attack out of the single wing with Noah Quigley and Trenton Flentie leading the way each surpassing 130 yards rushing with three touchdowns between them helping the offense post 396 total yards in the game. The defense was strong too giving up just 175 total yards to St. Mary’s and only eight points on the road. On top of the win last week another bit of good news junior, Isaac Gore continues to make strides and eyes a return to the field soon for the Panthers.

Troy bounced back from their season opening loss with a 42-24 route at ACCHS last week.  The Trojans outscored the Tigers 22-8 in the second half and Kipp Jasper threw for more than 300 yards again and three more scores.  The running game also came to life with 160 yards.  Troy could be minus a starting lineman and the defense will have to show some major improvements to have a chance against Centralia, whom they beat 33-16 last year.      

Christ Prep Academy (2-0) at Valley Heights (2-0)
Valley Heights is off to a great start to the 2017 season rolling to a 2-0 start after a 60-20 win over Doniphan West in week two compiling over 500 total yards of offense. The Mustangs continue to open the playbook with freshman quarterback, Cameron Beardsley at the helm as he continues to learn. The Mustangs have managed to rack up nearly 800 yards rushing as team through the first two weeks with Cole Coggins and Jordan Yungeberg a good portion of the yardage. The defense looks to continue to improve but did hold a solid offensive playmaking Doniphan West to 175 yards of total offense. 

Valley Heights beat Christ Prep last year 55-21. Christ Prep enters this showdown with a pair of wins and likes to run the ball also rushing for 134 yards per game though the first two contests with great balance with four guys around 50 yards or more rushing on the season.

Washington County (0-2) at LaCrosse (0-2)
Washington County Tigers opened the season with low numbers and have taken a hit to those numbers just young into the season. In week two the Tigers took on Riley County with just 11 guys and fell 41-0 in a game that was called before halftime. The Tigers face an uphill battle with just 11 guys moving forward but look to continue to fight on the gridiron putting forth a competitive effort under the Friday Night Lights. Riley Moore has scored the lone touchdown on the season for the Tigers.

LaCrosse struggled last week falling to Colby 49-6 but played Elkhart tough in week one falling just 30-20. The Leopards like to run the ball and Christian Suppes leads the charge with 119 yards on the ground through two games as the team is averaging 131 yards rushing per contest.

Washington County won this matchup last year 36-14.

Doniphan West (1-1) at Hiawatha (0-2)
A short two-year series is about to come to an end as the Redhawks and Mustangs meet one last time before D-West goes to 8-Man football.  Last year, Hiawatha held on for a 34-26 win, but this season, the Hawks limp into the non-league showdown with an 0-2 record and didn’t have much of anything go right in a 63-8 loss at Perry last week.  Doniphan West is 1-1, but also struggled in week two against Valley Heights losing 60-20, managing just 184 yards of total offense.  Both teams have shown the desire and ability to throw the football, but must take care of the pigskin and limit mistakes to get much-needed week three win.

Holton (1-1) at Nemaha Central (2-0)
Holton is coming off their first home shutout loss in 22 year under Coach Brooks Barta and after falling to Sabetha 21-0, is on the road for the first time this season.  The task is daunting against the two-time defending Big 7 League Champs, who snapped the Wildcats 48 game League winning streak two years ago (27-13) and last year snuck away with a successful two-point conversion at Holton in a 43-42 game that featured seven lead changes and 950 yards of offense.  After just 137 yards last week, Holton is hoping to ignite some offense with the return of starting runningbacks AJ Haussler and Bryce Clements.  The key is better blocking up front and containing the speed and perimeter game of the top ranked Thunder.    

After that spectacular game last year between the it will be hard to live up to that game but the Thunder aren’t worried about that they are worried about finishing off what they started last year and the past few seasons. The Thunder are ranked #1 in Class 3A across the State in several polls and have rolled to a 2-0 start after beating Royal Valley 55-14 last week but it came at the cost of senior, Luke Haverkamp the team’s top receiver as he suffered a season ending knee injury. While he will be missed the team has plenty of depth and upperclassmen that look to step up. Senior, Mitchell Henry was a big playmaker against Royal Valley with 248 yards passing on 11-14 with three scores and ran for 139 yards with three more touchdowns and leads a crew of playmakers that help an offense that’s scored 48 points per game over the last 15 contests dating back to last year. The senior laden line is a big key of why the Thunder have had so much success.

Jeff West (2-0) at Sabetha (2-0) 
Last year at this time, the Tigers were 0-2 and on way towards a 1-8 season.  However, Jeff West has started 2-0, thanks in large part to a stingy defense and takes some confidence to Sabetha to face the 2-0 Bluejays.  Freshman quarterback, Cade Ross tossed five touchdown passes last week and set a school record with 340 yards passing on 27 of 42 accuracy as Jeff West beat Riverside 46-12, despite 75 percent of their team being underclassmen.  This will be the first major challenge for the Tigers facing Sabetha, who has been dominant on defense in starting 2-0 and now going into their first home game of the season.  The Jays blanked Holton 21-0 last Friday and Joseph Gruber scored two more touchdowns despite the team registering only 166 yards of offense and one first down in the second half.  Sabetha has won three straight against Jeff West, including a 46-0 triumph last season.   

Royal Valley (1-1) at  Riverside (0-2)
Riverside was 2-0 coming into this game a year ago, but have struggled to replace starting lineman and been outscored 92-26 the first two weeks combined.  The Cyclones get help with the return of senior Scott Resler this Friday, but must take care of the football and tighten up the defense as they face more of a rushing offense this week in Royal Valley.  The Panthers are 1-1 coming off a 55-14 loss at Nemaha Central, but still moved the ball effectively, before committing a trio of turnovers.  Brandon Rodewald led another balanced rushing attack with 85 yards last week. A season ago, Royal Valley posted a 33-21 win against Riverside for the Panthers first win of the year.

ACCHS (0-2) at Perry Lecompton (2-0)
The Kaws are off to one of the best starts of any team around the area with wins of 40-plus points in weeks one and two. Perry opened up the season with a 56-14 win over Riverside and followed that up with a 63-8 victory at home last week. Dalton Kellum already has eight rushing touchdowns on the season and leads an offense that has ran for over 200 yards in each of the first two games. The Kaws took last season’s week three meeting over the Tigers 56-0, jumping out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter.

Despite a tough week one loss to 3A #1 Nemaha Central, ACCHS bounced back and played a much more competitive contest against Troy last week trailing by just four at halftime eventually falling 42-24. The Tigers amassed 337 total yards in the contest as Shawn Boos and Tucker Smith each ran for over 60 yards while Matt Oswalt threw for over 100 yards and a score. The Tigers are looking to snap a 12-game losing streak, which dates back to the 2015 season.

Jackson Heights (2-0) at Oskaloosa (2-0)
It’s a battle of unbeaten teams in the NEKL as Jackson Heights travels to Oskaloosa.  The Cobras have dominated their first two games 106-6 on the scoreboard and on both sides of the football.  Besides a punt return for a score, Brady Holliday was a work-horse last week with 159 yards on 26 carries, which was the most by a runningback in Coach Caleb Wick’s six years with Heights and the wishbone offense.  Oskaloosa pulled away from Horton with a 22-6 fourth quarter last week to earn their second win.  Hunter Reed (98 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Jerad Miller (26-131, TD) carried the Bears load and Oskie has some speed that the Cobras have yet to see this year.  Both teams came into this game 2-0 last year as well, but Jackson Heights jumped to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and took a 46-0 advantage into the second half before posting a 46-7 win.     

Horton (1-1) at MH-MA (1-1)
Looks like a battle of solid 1-1 teams in Atchison as the Chargers and Ravens have both had to overcome some injuries.  Horton only trailed 14-6 entering the fourth quarter and had five starters out before falling to Oskie last week, but they do expect to have most everyone on the field in week three.  MH-MA is hoping to get star senior Ronald Faulk-Tindal back at runningback, but did play better in week two posting a 25-0 victory against McLouth.  Jack Caudle was 14-30 for 155 yards passing and Dylan Smith filled in with 110 yards rushing for MH-MA.  The Ravens have beaten Horton 44-0 and 44-8 the past two years

Pleasant Ridge (0-2) at Jefferson County North (2-0)
The Chargers are off to 2-0 start for the second consecutive season under third year head coach Jeff Schneider, winning their first two contests by a combined 87 points. Ridge Robertson is off to one of the better starts around the state at running back rushing for five total touchdowns in the first two games. The defense has been spectacular as well giving up just a combined 13 points total and holding opponents scoreless in three of four halves. The Chargers took last season’s meeting 22-6, as Boston Lane tossed three touchdowns in the victory.

Pleasant Ridge is off to a tough start scoring just six points total through their first two contests. Breydon Baragary has been the lone bright spot for the Rams rushing for nearly 70 yards and passing for over 60 in week one, while following that up with a touchdown pass last week. The Rams are still trying to replace four starts on each side of the ball from last year, so growing pains were to be expected

Maranatha (0-2) at McLouth (0-2)
The Bulldogs enter week three looking to bounce back from two tough losses to Oskaloosa and Maur Hill-Mount Academy to begin the season. McLouth has given up a combined 83 points in the first two weeks, but that is in part due to ball security by the offense which fumbled three times in week one. The Bulldogs are still looking to replace three all-league selections from a year ago, so it’s going to be critical for underclassman to step up. Maranatha is also dealing with young and inexperienced players being thrown into the fire, as the Eagles have scored just six points total on the year. The Bulldogs took last season’s meeting with then Immaculata 39-6, rushing for five touchdowns in the win.

Schlagle (2-0) vs. Atchison (1-1)
Atchison opened up the season with a 45-14 loss to 4A-II Holton, before bouncing back with a resounding 40-14 win over Sumner in the home opener last week. Sercy Duncan and Taye Helms were a force for the Redmen in week two, as Duncan ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns while Helms added 205 yards rushing and a score. Brayden Dame has stepped in for the injured Cole Batemon at the quarterback spot and has played well, tossing touchdowns in each of the first two weeks. The Redmen have won three straight over the Stallions, including a 40-12 victory last season.

Wamego (1-1) at Marysville (2-0)
After two weeks of the high school football season you’ll be hard pressed to look across the State and find a team with a better start to their season than the Marysville Bulldogs who have opened the year in impressive fashion. After a routing winning over three-time defending 3A champs Rossville in week one the Bulldogs earned their first win over Abilene since 2008 and snapped the Cowboys 17-game NCKL win streak winning 43-20. Through two games Marysville is averaging 413.5 yards of total offense and 46.5 points per game. Jack Blumer has thrown for 556 yards with nine touchdowns, while Gabe Pieshcl has caught 11 passes for 334 yards with four touchdowns.

Marysville topped Wamego last year 26-10 and the Red Raiders head into this year’s matchup with a 1-1 record after beating Rock Creek in a one score game week one and falling to Ottawa last week 28-13. Senior, Justin Ebert switched to quarterback last year during the season and returns to hold the reins of Wamego’s offense, while the defense entered the year with eight starters back.