2024 Pick Records

Brandon

Last week: 21-1
Overall: 153-32
2023 Record: 159-25
2022 Record: 172-29

Justin

Last week: 21-0
Overall: 158-26
2023 Record: 160-24
2022 Record: 174-27

Kryndon

Last week: 18-4
Overall: 145-40

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

KNZA 103.9 & Cobra Channel – Troy at Jackson Heights
KMZA 92.1 – Olpe at Centralia
KAIR 93.7 – Lansing at Atchison
Sabetha Channel – Sabetha at Nemaha Central
Holton Channel – Holton at Wellsville

Regional Round Matchups

8M-I

(7-2) Oswego at (7-2) Clifton-Clyde – 6 PM

Oswego beat Lyndon last week 60-50. The Indians scored 14 points in the first quarter, 22 points in the second quarter, and 16 points in the third quarter. They rushed for 276 yards and averaged over seven yards per carry. Junior Owen Jackson led the attack with 15 carries for 116 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson also completed his only two pass attempts for 19 yards. Oswego has won five straight games.

Clifton-Clyde advanced in the playoffs with a 45-0 win last week against Solomon. The win for the Eagles was their seventh in a row as they started the season 0-2 with losses to Hanover and Frankfort. During their seven-game winning streak, the Eagles have allowed double-digit points only once and have posted three shutouts.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Clifton-Clyde and Oswego.

Brandon’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde 
Justin’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
Kryndon’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde

8M-II

(7-2) Frankfort at (8-1) Marmaton Valley – 6 PM

Frankfort was able to pull away from Linn in the second half last week to win 40-14. Linn led 6-0 after the first quarter and the game was tied 14-14 at the half. The Wildcats would pitch a second half shutout of 26-0. Frankfort’s offense was balanced throwing for 187 yards and rushing for 182 yards. Lane Loiseau had 11 carries for 122 yards and three touchdowns while adding four receptions for 69 yards and another score. Wes Anderson completed 15-of-21 passes for 187 yards and four touchdowns.

Marmaton Valley dominated Hartford last week in their playoff opener winning 76-12. They rushed for 240 yards and averaged a whopping 17 yards per carry. Jaedon Granere led the way with 188 yards on just six carries with four touchdowns (31 yds/carry). Brayden Lawson completed 5-of-10 passes for 116 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Marmaton Valley have won five straight games with their lone loss in week four to Reno County Homeschool with that final score being 84-78.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Frankfort and Marmaton Valley.

Brandon’s Pick: Frankfort 
Justin’s Pick: Frankfort
Kryndon’s Pick: Frankfort

(8-1) Hanover at (9-0) Burlingame

Hanover enters the regional round of the playoffs ranked #4 in the class. They defeated Pike Valley in their playoff opener last week 49-0. Rieken Stallbaumer threw for 125 yards and three touchdowns. Hanover have won back-to-back games since their lone loss of the season to Axtell. There last four wins have all been shutouts and the defense is allowing just over 10 points per game.

Burlingame is the #3 ranked team in the class behind only Axtell and Victoria. Burlingame beat St. Paul last week 54-0. They were led by senior quarterback JD Tyson as he threw for 140 yards and four touchdowns while adding 57 rushing yards on just four carries. Burlingame is one of just five remaining unbeaten teams in the classification.

These two team’s matchup in the playoffs for the first time since 2015 in which Hanover won 58-32. There have only been two other meetings all time and that was a non-playoff matchup in 2007 where Hanover won 48-0. They also met in the regular season in 2006 which Hanover won 46-0.

Brandon’s Pick: Burlingame 
Justin’s Pick: Burlingame
Kryndon’s Pick: Hanover

(7-2) Rural Vista at (9-0) Axtell

Rural Vista defeated Waverly last week 62-6. They ended that game by halftime as they scored 29 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the second quarter. They rushed for 263 yards and averaged over 17 yards per carry. Senior Logan Tate led the charge with four carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Koden Sanford threw a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown while three other players found the endzone for the Heat. Tate is the leading rusher this season with 891 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Another quick ender last week for the Eagles as they beat Thunder Ridge 54-0. They scored 38 points in the first quarter and 16 more in the second quarter. Axtell ran just 18 plays and piled up nearly 280 yards of offense. Brandon Schmelzle completed 10-of-12 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Eli Broxterman touched the ball three times and scored three touchdowns. Wyatt Detweiler, Landon Schmitz, and Clayton Heinen also scored for Axtell who have now won 48 consecutive games.

This will be the first all-time meeting between the Eagles and Heat.

Brandon’s Pick: Axtell 
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Kryndon’s Pick: Axtell

1A

(6-3) Troy at (9-0) Jackson Heights – 103.9 KNZA & Cobra Channel

Troy jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead on the road at Jayhawk-Linn last week and would go on to win the game 48-18. Another monster performance from quarterback Gannon Bowe as he threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Logan Blevins caught 12 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Blevins added seven tackles to lead the defense in that category. Despite Bowe missing some time earlier in the season, he’s still thrown for 1,855 yards with 19 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Hunter Engemann is the leading receiver with 548 yards and six touchdowns.

Jackson Heights is ranked #2 in the classification behind only the defending champs in Conway Springs. Cobras continued their dominant season beating Erie at home last week 56-8. Drake Mellies completed six passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Titus Eisenbarth rushed for 140 yards on just six carries with three touchdowns. The Cobras have allowed only 23 points all season. Mellies this season has thrown for over 1,000 yards with 16 touchdowns and only one interception while adding 833 rushing yards and 11 more scores. Eisenbarth has rushed for 811 yards and a team leading 16 touchdowns.

Troy is 8-5 against Jackson Heights dating back to 2004 with the Cobras winning the matchup last season 48-12. Troy defeated Jackson Heights 32-0 in 2022.

Brandon’s Pick: Jackson Heights 
Justin’s Pick: Jackson Heights
Kryndon’s Pick: Jackson Heights

(7-2) McLouth at (6-3) Rossville

McLouth scored their most points in a game this season in their win last week over Pleasanton 64-20. That was the most points they have scored in a game in a long time (looking back as far as the mid 2000’s and they hadn’t scored more than 60 points looking that far). The Bulldogs have won five straight games and their only losses this season are against Jackson Heights and Riverside who have a combined record of 16-2.

Rossville took care of business last week in their playoff opener and beat Wabaunsee 47-13. They led 34-6 at halftime and never looked back. The #3 ranked team in 1A started the season 0-3 but have rattled off six straight wins since. Senior quarterback Tayson Horak rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns while adding 125 passing yards. Conner Bush rushed nine times for 131 yards and three touchdowns.

Rossville is 8-0 all-time against McLouth with the first meeting dating back to 1981. The last meeting between the two teams was 2021 which Rossville won 66-0.

Brandon’s Pick: Rossville 
Justin’s Pick: Rossville
Kryndon’s Pick: Rossville

(7-2) Riverside at (8-1) St. Marys-Colgan – 6 PM

The Cyclones bounced back last week in their playoff opener after the loss to Centralia to defeat Jefferson County North 42-22. Riverside opened the season with a loss to Jackson Heights and then rattled off six straight wins before the loss to the Panthers. Their two losses are to teams with a combined record of 17-1. Riverside won a total of six games the previous three seasons and they were 2-7 last season.

St. Marys-Colgan defeated Horton last week in their playoff opener 62-16. There only loss was against Frontenac in week two, which was a 26-0 final. Frontenac is undefeated at 9-0 and are a 3A team. The Panthers don’t give up a lot of points. Outside of the loss the Frontenac, the 16 points allowed last week to Horton was the most allowed in a game this season. Through nine games, Colgan is allowing just 12 points per game.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Riverside and St. Marys-Colgan.

Brandon’s Pick: St. Marys-Colgan
Justin’s Pick: St. Marys-Colgan
Kryndon’s Pick: St. Marys-Colgan

(7-2) Olpe at (8-1) Centralia – 92.1 KMZA

Olpe defeated Mission Valley last week 35-21. They lost to Osage City in week one 41-0 who is 9-0 and one of the top ranked teams in 2A. The only other loss was against Rossville who is the number three ranked team in Class 1A.

Centralia defeated Onaga last week 44-20 which was the second win against the Buffaloes this season. Centralia’s only loss was against Mid-Buchanan (MO) back in week two so Centralia is currently riding a seven-game winning streak.

These two teams always find their way against each other once we get to the postseason. Panthers beat Olpe 8-7 two years ago in the playoffs. Olpe won the playoff matchup in 2021 with a final score of 28-6. These two teams have played six times in the playoffs since 2010 with Olpe holding the 4-2 edge in that span.

Brandon’s Pick: Centralia 
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Kryndon’s Pick:

(6-3) Sterling at (7-2) Valley Heights

Sterling defeated Thomas More Prep last week 48-6 as they tallied 375 yards of offense. The Black Bears rushed for 295 yards and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry. Junior Zane Farney tallied 18 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Junior quarterback Logan Isaac completed his only two pass attempts for 80 yards and two touchdowns, both to Boston Ekart. 

Valley Heights defeated Oakley last week 41-7. The win comes after the loss to Marion in the regular season finale. The Mustangs’ other loss was against Centralia back in week one. The Mustangs’ offense is averaging over 40 points per game.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Valley Heights and Sterling.

Brandon’s Pick: Valley Heights 
Justin’s Pick: Sterling
Kryndon’s Pick: Valley Heights

2A

(6-3) Council Grove at (7-2) Silver Lake

Council Grove won their playoff matchup last week against Caney Valley 35-14. Sophomore quarterback Luke Stewart completed 14-of-19 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Ace Monihen rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. Stewart has thrown for 1,374 yards and 15 touchdowns this season while Monihen has rushed for 1,032 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Braves three losses have come against good teams in Osage City, St. Marys, and Silver Lake.

Silver Lake blasted Galena last week 61-0 and have won back-to-back games since their loss to Osage City. The only other loss this season for the Eagles was against Nemaha Central back in week two. The Silver Lake offense is averaging over 30 points per game while the defense is allowing only 16 points per game.

This is a rematch from two weeks ago in the regular season finale in which Silver Lake won at home 29-12. It was only the second all-time meeting between the two schools as the only other meeting was a Silver Lake 55-31 playoff win back in 2011.

Brandon’s Pick: Silver Lake 
Justin’s Pick: Silver Lake
Kryndon’s Pick: Silver Lake

(6-3) St. Marys at (9-0) Osage City

After three straight losses in the middle of the season to Silver Lake, Riley County, and Osage City, St. Marys was in danger of missing the playoffs. Now they’re a dangerous team moving forward as they won at Central Heights last week 49-0 for their third straight win. They held Central Heights last week to 104 total yards of offense and only 2.6 yards per carry.

Osage City is the #3 ranked team in the class and improved their record to 9-0 after beating Leon-Bluestem last week 76-6. The Indians scored 42 points in the second quarter in that game. Kasen Parsons put up an absurd stat line completing 11-of-14 passes for 302 yards and six touchdowns. Quenten Stack caught four passes for four touchdowns and piled up 153 receiving yards. Osage City came out of district 3 with Silver Lake, St. Marys, and Council Grove with those four teams combined to have a 19-1 record against non-district opponents.

This is a rematch from week six in which Osage City won on the road 24-16. It was the second closest game that Osage City has played this season as they beat Council Grove by six in the week prior. Prior to this season, the last matchup between the two teams was 2003 which St. Marys won 30-0.

Brandon’s Pick: Osage City 
Justin’s Pick: Osage City
Kryndon’s Pick: Osage City

(6-3) Sabetha at (8-1) Nemaha Central – Sabetha Channel

Sabetha won a wild game last week against Royal Valley 16-14. The Bluejays defeated the Panthers twice this season by a combined three points. Despite the win, Royal Valley was able to put up 300 rushing yards against the Bluejays’ defense. Sabetha’s only three losses this season are against Perry-Lecompton, Nemaha Central, and St. Marys.

The #2 ranked Nemaha Central Thunder won their eighth straight game last week defeating Fredonia at home 55-13. Light day for Carter Hajek in terms of yardage but he was able to produce 114 passing yards and 88 rushing yards with six total touchdowns. Nemaha Central’s only loss was in the season opener against Marysville, and they have won 34 of 35 games dating back to the start of the 2022 season.

This is a rematch from week six which Nemaha Central won on the road 24-0. Nemaha Central have won six straight against Sabetha and are 16-8 against the Bluejays dating back to 2008. Sabetha is still in search of their first win over the Thunder since 2020.

Brandon’s Pick: Nemaha Central 
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Kryndon’s Pick: Nemaha Central

3A

(5-4) Holton at (9-0) Wellsville – Holton Channel

Holton put together one of thier most complete games of the season last week in beating Burlington 51-21. The Wildcats had 575 yards of offense, including a trio of completed passes by Bodie Dillon for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dillon also ran for a 90-yard TD while fullback Cael Frazier had a career night with 173 yards on 18 carries and scored FOUR times.

Holton also won the turnover battle and is now plus 15 in the takeaway/giveaway category this year. Holton has four players with more than 470 yards rushing in Kyler Jackson (693), Korban Wilson (538), Dillon (505), and Frazier (472). However, a few key players missed last week's game with injury and are expected to miss again this week.

Wellsville comes into this game 9-0, just as they were last year when they hosted Holton in a week 10 playoff Regional. Holton won that game a year ago 21-13. However, this year, the Eagles have soared past all their opponents winning by more than two touchdowns with a 44-8 average margin. Against the only common opponent in 2024, Wellsville beat Burlington 35-14 two weeks ago and last week advanced with a 49-7 win versus Baldwin. 

Wellsville has used two different quarterbacks to pass for 117 yards per game while running for 181 yards per contest, led by Armond Graves with 805 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. Matt Newhouse has 415 yards receiving while Kenyon Gillins leds Wellsville with 34 receptions for 375 yards. Pete Dorsey is a sophomore that has thrown for 627 yards while senior Micah Holmes has completed better than 70 percent of his passes for 423 yards.  Simiiliar to Holton, the Eagles are plus 12 in takeaways this year.  

Brandon’s Pick: Wellsville 
Justin’s Pick:
Kryndon’s Pick: Holton

(4-5) Perry-Lecompton at (9-0) Frontenac

Perry-Lecompton picked up an impressive road win last week to open the playoffs as they won at Santa Fe Trail 35-0. The Kaws have won three of their last four games since starting the season 1-4. The only loss for the Kaws in the last month was against a top tier team in 3A in Hayden. The Kaws rushed for 213 yards last week and averaged six yards per carry. Bronzen Rush had 88 yards and a touchdown while Koltyn Kaniper and Tristan Gorden both found the endzone.

The Frontenac Raiders have had a dominant season and it continued last week with a 71-21 win against Baxter Springs. Baxter Springs was able to move the ball against the Raiders as they tallied 284 yards of offense, but Baxter Springs turned the ball over five times. Frontenac made the sectional round last season finishing 9-2 but lost to Holton which ended their season.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Perry-Lecompton and Frontenac.

Brandon’s Pick: Frontenac 
Justin’s Pick: Frontenac
Kryndon’s Pick: Frontenac

4A

(5-4) Lansing at (8-1) Atchison – KAIR 93.7

The Lansing Lions won their playoff matchup last week against Eudora 37-19. Reid Oakley completed 6-of-19 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Lansing was held to just 65 rushing yards averaging less than three yards per carry. Lansing is out of the United Kansas Conference and have losses this season to Tonganoxie, Seaman, KC Piper, and Basehor-Linwood.

The Meadowlark Conference champion Atchison Phoenix won their playoff matchup last week against Bonner Springs 62-12. Atchison scored 26 points in the second quarter and led the game 40-6 at halftime. Kolton Bonnel completed 10-of-16 passes 206 yards and three touchdowns. Atchison rushed for 164 yards and averaged five yards per carry. Leighton Boldridge rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown.

This will be the first meeting between Atchison and Lansing since 1988 with Atchison winning that game 35-7.

Brandon’s Pick: Atchison 
Justin’s Pick: Lansing
Kryndon’s Pick: Atchison