|
Three weeks of the high school football regular season are in the books and some teams have started the season strong, while others are still in search of their first win. District play begins for Classes 4A, 3A and 2A with each game becoming more meaningful as the season moves on. Below you can find a complete preview of each matchup along with prediction from Jonny Kane and Justin Fluke on each contest.
Jonny’s Pick Record
Last week: 17-2
Overall record: 46-10 (82%)
Justin’s Pick Record
Last week: 18-1
Overall record: 47-9 (84%)
Week Four Games to be Broadcast
Jackson Heights at Olpe - 103.9 KNZA
Marysville at Sabetha - Sabetha Channel
Onaga at Doniphan West – 92.1 KMZA
Hiawatha at Holton – Holton Channel
ACCHS at Pleasant Ridge – KAIR 93.7 FM
Jeff West (3-0) at Bishop Ward (0-3) Class 3A District 3
Jeff West has still not allowed a point scored against them this season following a 55-0 route of Hiawatha last week. The Tigers also got a touchdown from their defense and two more scores on special teams last week while seven players scored and JW improved to 3-0. The Tigers start district play to an unfamiliar setting at Bishop Ward, a team they beat 55-0 last season.
Bishop Ward has lost 50 games in a row, dating back to 2013. All three losses this year have been by at least 35 points and all three games have been against teams in the state of Missouri.
Jonny’s Pick: Jeff West
Justin’s Pick: Jeff West
Perry Lecompton (1-2) at Wellsville (2-1) Class 3A District 3 at 5:00 p.m.
Perry Lecompton has lost back-to-back games to Holton and Sabetha, despite having chances to win both contests. Last year, the Kaws led 14-0 entering the second quarter and had dominated almost every phase of the game. Yet, the Bluejays scored on five straight drives and the Kaws tossed a couple second half interceptions in a 41-21 final. Thad Metcalfe has ran for 366 yards while Billy Welch has passed for 532 in a balanced Perry attack that averages 159 yards rushing and 177 passing.
Wellsville is 2-1 in their Pioneer Conference tilts, with their only setback a tough 8-6 loss a week ago against Burlington. Mike Berg is in his first season at Wellsville coach after coming over from a long succssful stint at Baldwin. The Eagles are senior laden at the skill positions and mainly a run-oreinterd team led by Anthony Signs with 310 yards.
Perry won last year's meeting 52-18 in the school's first football matchup in several years.
Jonny’s Pick: Perry
Justin’s Pick: Perry
Hiawatha (0-3) at Holton (2-1) Class 3A District 4 on Holton Channel at 6:00 p.m.
Holton has won back-to-back impressive wins after a 7-0 loss at Jeff West in the closing seconds to open the season. The Wildcats won at Nemaha Central 28-14 last week and rushed for more than 300 yards. Fullback Konnor Tannahill paved the way with 131 yards and two touchdowns and the Cats have now surrendered only 28 points in three games all season. Holton has won 17 straight against Hiawatha dating back to a 2001 playoff game.
The Redhawks are reeling a bit and continue to struggle with injuries and health problems. They were shutout in the second half of week two and blanked last week 55-0 by Jeff West. Hiawatha is on the road for the third time in four games to start the season and has lost 10 straight district games.
Jonny’s Pick: Holton
Justin’s Pick: Holton
Wamego (3-0) at Royal Valley (0-3) Class 3A District 4
Royal Valley scored their first points of the season last week and drove for a touchdown to take the lead and open the game. However, the Panthers turned the ball over five more times and ended up losing to Riverside 42-14. The Panthers lost to Wamego 45-6 last year in their first meeting since 2013.
Wamego is off to a 3-0 start after topping Clay Center 32-20 last week in a game that was tied at 20 at halftime. The Red Raiders are led by fast Manhattan transfer Isiah Childs, who is an Akron commit and has 543 yards rushing this season while the dynamic Taybor Vetter, a Beloit transfer, has ran for 350 yards and is a top return man in the state. Wamego has faced three NCKL opponents, winning by an average score of 33-15.
Jonny’s Pick: Wamego
Justin’s Pick: Wamego
Sabetha (3-0) at Marysville (3-0) Class 3A District 4 on Sabetha Channel
It’s a battle of teams both ranked in the top three of the state and a rematch of the 2017 state championship game in which Sabetha won 7-6. The defending champs beat the Bulldogs last year 36-12 and the program has now won 23 consecutive games. The Jays trailed 14-0 at Perry last week before scoring on five straight drives and tightening things up on defense to get a 41-21 win. Gabe Garber was dynamic with 335 yards and five total touchdowns. The senior has now passed for 320 yards and ran for 280 this season.
Marysville went 8-3 last year and brought back eight starters on each side of the ball to start 3-0 this year with a trio of wins in the NCKL by an average score of 39-22. Brandon Schroedl has passed for 477 yards completing 79 percent of his passes while rushing for 171 more. Atreyau Hornbeak has rushed for 432 yards and 11 scores and fellow senior star Storm Slupianek leads the defense with 30 tackles.
Jonny’s Pick: Marysville
Justin’s Pick: Marysville
McLouth (0-3) at Silver Lake (3-0) Class 2A District 2
McLouth is still searching for answers and a first win after suffering a tough 35-6 loss to Pleasant Ridge last week. The Bulldogs did force three turnovers in the contest but allowed over 200 rushing yards and 300 yards total to the Rams. McLouth received their only touchdown on a Matt Kuglin run for the second straight week, but the Bulldogs continue to deal with low numbers.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs it won’t get much easier this week as they will face Silver Lake who is currently ranked second in Class 2A with a perfect 3-0 record after a 25-0 shutout of Riley County last week. It marked win No. 425 in the career of legendary head coach C.J. Hamilton who the state record for career victories in his 44th season.
Jonny’s Pick: Silver Lake
Justin’s Pick: Silver Lake
Oskaloosa (0-3) at Central Heights (0-3) Class 2A District 2
Someone is going to pick up their first win of the season Friday night to open district play and Oskaloosa is looking for any type of positivity after a 58 loss to Jeff County North last week. It’s been tough on both sides of the ball for the Bears so far this season as they have been shutout the past two weeks and have given up over 50 points in each of the first three games.
They will have a chance to get on track Friday night as they will face Central Heights who is also 0-3 with losses to Lyndon, Council Grove and Wabaunsee. It’s been a struggle offensively so far for the Vikings who are averaging just over 130 total yards per game with seven total turnovers through three games and just one offensive touchdown.
Jonny’s Pick: Central Heights
Justin’s Pick: Central Heights
ACCHS (1-2) at Pleasant Ridge (1-2) Class 2A District 3 at 5:30 p.m. on KAIR 93.7 FM
On paper it’s expected to be one of the best matchups throughout Northeast Kansas with each team coming off a very different week three. ACCHS suffered their second straight loss against a ranked team last week falling to Valley Heights 66-19. The Tigers turned the ball over twice which resulted in touchdowns for the Mustangs and despite the loss against a very good team Tucker Smith and Trystin Myers continued their strong season with touchdowns and Smith rushing for over 200 yards. Those 200 yards put Smith over 560 yards rushing on the year which is first in 3A and 10th in all classes.
Pleasant Ridge meanwhile is feeling good after picking up their first win of the season last week taking down McLouth 35-6. Conner Gibson combined for four total touchdowns in the win throwing for 113 yards and two scores while rushing for 80 yards and two more touchdowns. Jake Heckman added 95 yards and a score for the Rams while Caden Ramos caught two passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Jonny’s Pick: ACCHS
Justin’s Pick: ACCHS
Riverside (2-1) at Maur Hill-Mount Academy (3-0) Class 2A District 3 at 5:30 p.m.
Riverside has already matched their win total from the past two seasons and now has sights on their first winning campaign since 2013. The Cyclones responded from an early 6-0 deficit to thump Royal Valley 42-14 last week and has put up some impressive numbers on offense. Sophomore Kobe Davis has led an impressive aerial attack while Beau Horn, Quenton Barron and Jase Wendt have all shared the load in the backfield. Another key has been the addition of 6’4, 290 junior, Xavier Stillman on the line of scrimmage, in his first year with the Cyclone program.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy is coming off perhaps the programs best win in the last 15 years as the Ravens upset Jackson Heights last week 18-14 coming back from a 14-3 deficit. Senior quarterback Jack Caudle showcased his legs and was the difference rushing for over 120 yards and a touchdown while Andrew Schwinn added 100 yards on the ground and one score. Caudle has now accounted for 10 total touchdowns through the Ravens first three games while Schwinn leads the team on the ground with 243 yards and four touchdowns.
Jonny’s Pick: MH-MA
Justin’s Pick: MH-MA
Nemaha Central (1-2) at Horton (0-3) Class 2A District 3
Nemaha Central is looking to bounce back after struggling defensively last week in a 28-14 loss to Holton where the Thunder allowed over 300 yards on the ground. Nemaha Central did get a solid performance from quarterback Dylan Schultejans who threw for 146 yards and a touchdown while Gage Palic ran for the other score. Schultejans has now thrown for over 430 yards this season and six touchdowns while Palic has four rushing touchdowns to lead the Thunder with the only rushing scores of the season.
Horton scored 28 points in the second half last week after trailing 58-0 at halftime against Troy. The Chargers had two fumbles and a pair of punts blocked all inside their own 10-yard line and things snowballed quickly. The 24 points was the most Horton has scored since their week four loss a year ago at Nemaha Central 62-26 as underclassmen: Tre Green, Xander Monson and Ethan Vanderweide all found the endzone. Tonight is homecoming to start 2A District play in Horton.
Jonny’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Lebo (3-0) at Valley Falls (0-3) 8-man DI District 3
For the second time this season, Valley Falls found themselves in a 14-14 halftime tie last week against Washington County. Yet, they fell 62-36 despite Drew Pickerell accounting for four touchdowns, including three through the air. 62-12 was the score last year as Lebo won at home over the Dragons.
Lebo is 3-0 this year and averaging 62 points per game after a 76-6 beat down of Chetopa last Friday. McEwen has thrown for 418 yards and ran for 182 to lead the Wolves this season.
Jonny’s Pick: Lebo
Justin’s Pick: Lebo
Hills City (1-2) at Clifton-Clyde (3-0) 8-man DI District 7
Clifton-Clyde continued to roll through the early portion of the 2019 season last week by blowing out Wilson 72-0. The Eagles have yet to give up a point through the first three weeks and are averaging 62 points per game scoring over 60 points twice. Clifton-Clyde has another favorable matchup this week against a 1-2 Hill City team that has allowed around 41 points per game. The Ringnecks are coming off a 48-22 loss to Thunder Ridge and The Ringnecks are coming off a 48-22 loss to Thunder Ridge and have struggled holding onto the football committing eight turnovers through the first three weeks.
The Eagles easily got by the Ringnecks last season 64-14 and allowed Hill City to record just 44 total yards of offense.
Jonny’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Justin’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Stockton (1-2) at Washington County (2-1) 8-man DI District 7
Washington County has been up and down so far this season and last week the Tigers bounced back after a week two loss with a 62-36 win over Valley Falls. Washington County scored 48 points in the second half to break a 14-14 halftime tie as Drew Buhrman scored six times to lead the Tigers. Burhman has been outstanding for Washington County through the first three weeks as he leads the team with 11 total touchdowns which includes the Tigers being shutout in week two.
Washington County will have a struggling Stockton team in week four as the Tigers are coming off a 46-8 loss to Osborne who is currently ranked third in 8-man DII. Stockton had a punt blocked a week ago and gave up over 300 yards on the ground.
Stockton blew out Washington County a year ago 56-8 which was the Tigers first year at the 8-man level.
Jonny’s Pick: Washington County
Justin’s Pick: Washington County
Onaga (1-2) at Doniphan West (0-3) 8-man DII District 3 on 92.1 KMZA
Onaga is coming off back-to-back tough opponents in weeks two and three including a 60-14 loss to Axtell who is ranked second in several 8-man DII polls. The Buffaloes allowed over 300 yards through the air and gave up 46 points in the first half. Onaga got both of their touchdowns in the first two quarter and both from Zach Fisher who ran for a score and threw one to Jason Abitz. The passing touchdown was the first of the season for Fisher while the Buffaloes are led on the ground by senior Ethan Powell who has ran for over 230 yards and four touchdowns this season
Doniphan West has been competitive in all three games but not quite found a way to win against a couple ranked teams the last two weeks. The Mustangs fell to Frankfort 74-52 and just could not stop the Wildcats. Trent Spiker returned a kick for a touchdown and accounted for three offensive touchdowns last week and has ran for 370 yards to direct the Mustang offense and Nathaniel Howerton has added 291. Doniphan West topped Onaga 58-20 last season for their first 8-man victory, which started a three-game win streak for D-West a year ago.
Jonny’s Pick: Doniphan West
Justin’s Pick: Doniphan West
Wetmore (1-2) at Frankfort (3-0) 8-man DII District 3
Wetmore struggled once again holding onto the football last week which resulted in a 70-24 loss to Blue Valley. The Cardinals gave up 38 points in the first quarter and allowed the Rams to throw for four touchdowns along with 318 yards rushing. Kael McQueen recorded a 22-yard rushing touchdown and a 72-yard kick return for a score while Eric Bloom added a 2-yard run.
It won’t get any easier for Wetmore this week as they will face Frankfort who continued to look like one of the best teams in the state last week in 74-52 win over Doniphan West. The Wildcats scored over 20 points in each of the first three quarters and forced two turnovers in what was an absolute shootout. Frankfort finished with 580 yards of total offense with Gavin Cornelison throwing for three touchdowns and running for two more while Garrett Dalinghaus added for more rushing scores.
Frankfort shutout Wetmore 52-0 a season ago and held the Cardinals to just 83 total yards of offense while recording two special teams touchdowns.
Jonny’s Pick: Frankfort
Justin’s Pick: Frankfort
Blue Valley (1-2) at Hanover (3-0) 8-man DII District 3
Blue Valley took a huge step in the right direction last week scoring early and often in a 70-24 beat down of Wetmore which was the first win of the season for the Rams. Blue Valley forced five turnovers and scored 38 points in the first quarter to go on for the blowout win. Brody Barr had a huge day accounting for six total touchdowns with four coming through the air and two on the ground.
The Rams will have a tough task this week as they will face off against Hanover who won their 41st consecutive game last week in a 66-16 beat down of previously unbeaten Rock Hills. The win tied the Wildcats with Northern Valley for the 8-man record for consecutive victories which was set back in 1988. Colin Jueneman had two kick return touchdowns last week for Hanover and added three rushing scores while Taegan Schwartz ran for 156 yards and two scores.
These two teams didn’t play a year ago after Blue Valley was short on players and was forced to forfeit.
Jonny’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Rock Hills (3-1) at Linn (0-4) 8-man DII District 4
Due to injuries, Linn has forfeited this game.
Jonny’s Pick: No Pick – Forfeit
Justin’s Pick: No Pick – Forfeit
Axtell (3-0) at Pike Valley (2-1) Non-District
Axtell had little problems a week ago moving to 3-0 with a 60-14 blow out victory over Onaga scoring 30 points in the second quarter. Quinn Buessing was huge once again throwing for 314 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for two more. The Eagles did suffer two key losses in the contest as they will be without their two starting tailbacks for the remainder of the season.
Pike Valley meanwhile is riding a two-game win streak heading into Friday night with two blowouts the last two weeks after suffering a loss to Hanover in week one. The Panthers were dominant a week ago flying by Southern Cloud 64-14 and have scored over 60 points the last two games.
Axtell dominated this matchup in week four last season winning 52-6 behind six passing touchdowns from Buessing.
Jonny’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Centralia (2-1) at Pitt-Colgan (1-2) Non-District
Centralia is riding high after a second straight win last week which came in a 40-0 shut out of St. Mary’s where the Panthers led 26-0 at halftime. Kamble Haverkamp rushed for 237 yards and three touchdowns in the win and is now at 555 yards rushing for the season which is 11th throughout all classes and No. 1 in Class 1A. The Panthers also allowed just 53 total yards last week and defensively are allowing just 244 total yards of offense per game.
Centralia will look to make it two wins in a row against Pitt-Colgan who picked up their first win of the season last week over Baxter Springs 34-7. The Panthers started the season with losses to Frontenac and Columbus but last week broke a 7-7 halftime tie and scored 27 unanswered points with all five touchdowns coming on the ground.
Centralia dominated last season’s meeting winning 20-0 and holding Colgan to just 63 total yards while Haverkamp rushed for two touchdowns and over 100 yards.
Jonny’s Pick: Centralia
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Republic County (0-3) at Valley Heights (3-0) Non-District
Valley Heights continued to roll along last week as the Mustangs jumped out to a 44-7 lead at halftime before going on to beat ACCHS 66-19. The Mustangs got two defensive touchdowns in the win while Cole Coggins ran for five touchdowns. Cameron Beardsley also threw for a touchdown and returned an interception for a score which was one of two turnovers the Valley Heights defense recorded.
The Mustangs have another favorable matchup in week four as they face a Republic County team that is currently riding a 22-game losing streak. Valley Heights hung 60 on Republic County in last season’s 60-18 week four win led by Coggins 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Jonny’s Pick: Valley Heights
Justin’s Pick: Valley Heigths
Jackson Heights (2-1) at Olpe (3-0) Non-District at 5:30 p.m. on 103.9 KNZA
It was shaping up to be a battle of 3-0 ranked teams in Class 1A until the Cobras got tripped up at home 18-14 against MH-MA last week, which likely ended the Cobras three-year run a top the Northeast Kansas League. Jackson Heights led 14-3 entering the fourth quarter of the game but had a costly turnover and couldn’t recover an onside kick while the Ravens rallied for the win. Jackson Heights still ran for more than 300 yards with quarterback Cable Wareham having a strong rushing season to compliment Dylan Thompson, Cooper Williams and Jason Bosley.
Olpe is 3-0 but survived a scare themselves last week before topping Christ Prep 21-14. Olpe won 20-18 at Heights last year and went on to finish the season (12-1) as state runner-up. Colby Hoelting has thrown for more than 400 yards in three games this season while Kynden Robert had ran for 351. The Olpe defense is allowing just seven points per game after holding 10 opponents to a single score of less last year.
Jonny’s Pick: Olpe
Justin’s Pick: Olpe
Wabaunsee (1-2) at Jeff County North (3-0) Non-District at 5:30 p.m.
Jeff County North continued to be one of the biggest surprises throughout Northeast Kansas last week as the Chargers moved to 3-0 on the season with a 58-0 dominant victory over Oskaloosa. Logan Budy rushed for three touchdowns in the win while Landon Gutchenritter and Mason Noll each recorded two touchdowns. The Chargers are averaging 48 points per game so far this season and have allowed just 18 total points on defense.
JCN will look to continue their undefeated season Friday night against a Wabaunsee team that picked up win No. 1 of the season last week in a 31-6 victory over Central Heights. The Chargers have had a tough schedule to start the season with losses to Christ Prep and Mission Valley and are looking to avenge a 38-6 loss to Jeff County North last season.
Jonny’s Pick: JCN
Justin’s Pick: JCN
KC Harmon (2-1) at Atchison (0-3) at 5:30 p.m.
Atchison played much better a week ago but still suffered multiple turnovers which resulted in a 40-6 loss to Piper. The Redmen jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first quarter, but turnovers led to short fields and Piper capitalized scoring 20 points in the second quarter to take control. Elijah Haley scored the only touchdown in the first quarter for the Redmen who have now lost six of their last seven games dating back to last season.
Atchison will have another tough foe in week four in Harmon who is a Class 6A team coming off a 48-25 win over KC Northeast. Harmon is looking to get revenge on the Redmen who won last season’s week four meeting 48-8 which started a three-game win streak for Atchison.
Jonny’s Pick: Harmon
Justin’s Pick: Harmon
Troy (2-1) at Christ Prep (2-1) Saturday at 2 p.m.
Troy will play on turf for the second straight week, but they will have to wait until 2 pm on Saturday and hope the weather is clear in Olathe. Their opponent will also be a lot tougher as Christ Prep is a physical team that was the national home school champions last season. Their first loss this year came last week 21-14 against Olpe. Troy scored 58 points in the first half last week capitalizing on several short fields and Kipp Jasper accounted for five touchdowns. Jasper leads Troy with 377 yards passing and 315 on the ground in 2019 while fellow senior Jacob Moore has 239 rushing. The Trojans are likely without two starters, including senior Dillon Wells, who is one of their top lineman and tacklers on defense.
Jonny’s Pick: Christ Prep
Justin’s Pick: Christ Prep
|
