Friday Night Fever: Regional Round Playoffs w/ Previews & Predictions
2026 Picks
Brandon
Last week: 25-3
Overall: 152-34
2025 Record: 123-33
Justin
Last week: 26-2
Overall: 153-32
2025 Record: 132-22
Kraxner
Last week: 23-5
Overall: 156-29
Jake
Last week: 24-3
Overall: 149-41
2025 Record: 117-27
Boz
Last week: 25-2
Overall: 155-34
2025 Record: 123-21
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
1A – McLouth at Centralia – 92.1 KMZA
1A – St. Marys at Jefferson County North – 93.7 KAIR
2A – Riverside at Neodesha – 103.9 KNZA (6 PM)
2A – Osage City at Sabetha – Sabetha Channel
2A – Humboldt at Silver Lake – Silver Lake Channel (6 PM)
3A – Burlington at Jefferson West – 106.9 KTPK
WEEK 10 PLAYOFFS – REGIONAL ROUND
Class 8M-I
(6-3) Washington County at (9-0) Oswego
Washington County picked up a very impressive win last week over Cair Paravel, in the first all-time meeting. The 52-0 win pushed the Tigers to a 6-3 record under first year head coach Jake Pannbacker. The Tigers three losses have been against Frankfort, Hanover and Clifton-Clyde. The six wins are the most for Washington County in football, since 2016, when they finished 8-3.
Oswego has been mighty impressive this season. The Indians are a perfect 9-0 and have played just one close game this season and that was against Yates Center in week 4, 66-56. The Indians have thrown just 28 passes on the season, rushing 211 times for a total of 3,129 yards. Demitri Williamson leads that charge with 78 carries for 1,641 yards and 29 touchdowns.
This will be the first all-time meeting between these two schools.
Brandon’s Pick: Oswego
Justin’s Pick: Oswego
Kraxner’s Pick: Oswego
Jake’s Pick: Oswego
Boz’s Pick: Oswego
(6-3) Yates Center at (8-1) Clifton-Clyde (6 PM)
Yates Center is 6-3 for the first time since 2021. The Wildcats have been 2-7 or worse every year since then. The three losses for Yates Center this season are to Lebo, Oswego and Marmaton Valley, all who are playing in the regional round, with a combined record of 25-2. The Wildcats have two players with over 1,000 rushing yards on the season, also combining for 41 of their 45 rushing scores.
Clifton-Clyde was very dominant last week in their win over Pleasanton. The Eagles cruised to a 56-6 win last Thursday. The Eagles are 8-1 on the season and outside of the week two loss to Axtell, have only been challenged once this season, and that was to Washington County in week seven, 40-28.
The Eagles have played the Wildcats once all-time, back in the playoffs in 2013, with the Eagles winning 42-26.
Brandon’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Justin’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Kraxner’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Jake’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Boz’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Class 8M-II
(7-2) Troy at (9-0) Cunningham
Troy took the bus ride south to play Waverly last week and dominated on the road, winning 50-0. Waverly was just 5-3 on the season. Kaston Jasper threw for 245 yards and 3 TDs. Colt Jensen had 8 catches for 105 yards and 2 TDs, he also had a 66 yd TD run. Troy now makes the long trip to Cunningham, to take on the defending 6-man champs, who moved up.
Cunningham is a perfect 9-0 this season, and the defending champions of 6-man football. However, this year, the Wildcats moved up. They have won 17 straight games, dating back to last season. In 9 games this season, Cunningham has pitched 8 shutouts, with their only points allowed coming in week 8 to Sunrise Christian Academy, in a 56-19 win. Their opponents have combined to go 29-51 this season.
This is the first all-time meeting between these two schools.
Brandon’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Kraxner’s Pick: Troy
Jake’s Pick: Cunningham
Boz’s Pick: Troy
(5-4) Attica at (9-0) Axtell (6 PM)
Argonia-Attica picked up a win last week over Flint Hills 42-32, to move to 5-4 on the season. The Titans have had an up and down season all year, with some blowout victories and blowout losses as well. Five different players have attempted a pass for them this season. Maddex Hemberger has thrown the most passes this season, 80 of them, completing just 38 for 679 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is also the leading rusher for the team with 545 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Axtell cruised last week over Hartford, 62-0 in half a game. Axtell scored 48 first quarter points as they dominated Hartford. Wyatt Detweiler threw 4 TDs, while rushing for one as well. Joe Lybarger had 2 interceptions, a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown. The Eagles are averaging well over 50 points per game this season.
This will be the third all-time meeting between the two schools, with the previous two coming in the playoffs. In 2015, Argonia-Attica beat Axtell 52-0. In 2014, Axtell won 44-7.
Brandon’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Kraxner’s Pick: Axtell
Jake’s Pick: Axtell
Boz’s Pick: Axtell
(8-1) Hanover at (7-2) Marmaton Valley (6 PM)
Hanover didn’t allow an inch last week to Wakefield in a 51-0 win. The Wildcats unofficially allowed less than 30 yards of total offense. When they had the ball, it was smooth sailing. Cooper Bruna had 4 carries for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Hunter Kickhaefer had three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Marmaton Valley beat Norwich last week 58-12. The Wildcats have just two losses this season, in week one to Oswego, 56-32 and in week six to Madison, 74-72. They beat Yates Center 58-50 in week two, but otherwise have blown their competition out. They run the ball about 60 percent of the time, with quarterback Kaden McVey completing 103 of his 141 passes on the season for 1,547 yards and 24 touchdowns. Cooper Scharff is the leading rusher with 1,292 yards on 111 carries, scoring 24 times.
This is the first all-time meeting between these two schools.
Brandon’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Kraxner’s Pick: Hanover
Jake’s Pick: Hanover
Boz’s Pick: Hanover
Class 1A
(5-4) St. Marys-Colgan at (7-2) Rossville
After an 0-4 start, Colgan has turned its season around, earning its fifth consecutive victory last week with a 43-14 win over Maur Hill-Mount Academy at home. In their first four games, losses to Girard, Riverton, Frontenac, and Olpe, the Panthers were outscored 120-48. Those four opponents have a combined record of 25-11. During their current five-game winning streak, however, the Panthers have outscored their opponents 239-46. Those five teams have a combined record of 13-32.
Rossville erupted for 27 points in the second quarter last week and cruised to a 56-6 victory over Atchison County. Quarterback Landen Lewis completed 8-of-11 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Cael Horgan added 83 yards on the ground, while Michael Cooney hauled in three receptions for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Through nine games, Lewis has completed more than 70% of his passes for 1,427 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has also been a major threat on the ground, rushing for 950 yards and 20 touchdowns.
These two teams met in the quarterfinals of the playoffs last season, with Rossville coming away with a 27-20 victory. The teams also squared off in the quarterfinals in 2020, when Rossville claimed a decisive 56-7 win.
Brandon’s Pick: Rossville
Justin’s Pick: Rossville
Kraxner’s Pick: Rossville
Jake’s Pick: Rossville
Boz’s Pick: Rossville
(8-1) McLouth at (6-3) Centralia – 92.1 KMZA
McLouth bounced back from their week eight loss to Jefferson County North in a big way last week, destroying Uniontown 64-14. The Bulldogs are a run-heavy attack, with two players right around 1,000 yards rushing this season. Beau Harsh leads the team with 99 carries for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. Peyton Wyatt has 81 carries for 974 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Quarterback Justin Patz has 570 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, while also throwing for 586 yards and 9 touchdowns on the season.
Centralia beat Jackson Heights for the second time in three weeks, 35-30. The Panthers were up 35-16 in the final quarter, but the Cobras late run wasn’t enough. Quentin Alderfer has carried the ball 181 times for 1,377 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Degan Ronnebaum has 79 carries for 550 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Both defenses don’t surrender a lot of points. Surprisingly enough, this will only be the second all-time meeting between these two teams. Centralia beat McLouth back in 2022 in a first round playoff matchup, 48-8.
Brandon’s Pick: McLouth
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Kraxner’s Pick:
Jake’s Pick: McLouth
Boz’s Pick: McLouth
(3-6) St. Marys at (8-1) Jefferson County North – 93.7 KAIR
St. Mary’s cruised to a 45-0 victory over Onaga last week to open the playoffs. The Bears held an 8-0 lead after the first quarter before erupting for 24 points in the second quarter to put the game out of reach. St. Mary’s dominated on the ground, rushing for more than 370 yards while averaging over 10 yards per carry. Jace Hurla led the way with 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Mason Mayhew added 104 yards and two scores.
Jefferson County North extended its winning streak to eight games last week with a 58-20 victory over Mission Valley in the opening round of the playoffs. Merrick Noll was recognized as an MSC Athlete of the Week after rushing for more than 240 yards and five touchdowns in the win. This marks the first time since 2017 that the Chargers have put together a winning streak of at least eight games. That season, JCN won 10 consecutive games before falling to Olpe in the playoffs.
This will be just the third meeting all-time between the Bears and Chargers. When JCN made its run to the state championship game in 2023, its only loss before the title game came against St. Mary’s in the regular season, with the Bears earning a 34-18 victory. The teams also met in 2022, when St. Mary’s came away with a convincing 45-0 win.
Brandon’s Pick: St. Marys
Justin’s Pick: St. Marys
Kraxner’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Jake’s Pick: St. Marys
Boz’s Pick: St. Marys
Class 2A
(7-2) Osage City at (9-0) Sabetha – Sabetha Channel
After falling to Silver Lake 42-0 in the regular-season finale, Osage City bounced back in a big way last week to open the playoffs with a 52-20 victory over Riverton. The loss to Silver Lake was just the second of the season for the Indians, whose only other defeat came in Week 2 against Council Grove. Silver Lake and Council Grove have a combined record of 17-1. Senior quarterback Reed Silver was sensational in the win over Riverton, completing 12-of-19 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also did plenty of damage on the ground, rushing 14 times for 247 yards and four more scores. As a team, Osage City rushed for 318 yards and averaged 10 yards per carry.
No. 1-ranked Sabetha took care of business in its playoff opener last week, rolling to a 60-6 victory over Cherryvale at home. Quarterback Micah Lang led the way with nearly 100 rushing yards and four touchdowns while also throwing for 122 yards. Lincoln Menold and Easton Stahl also found the end zone on the ground for the Bluejays. Sabetha is averaging 42 points per game this season while its defense has been equally impressive, allowing just 11.2 points per contest.
This will be the first meeting between Osage City and Sabetha since 2017, when the two teams squared off in the sectional round of the playoffs. Sabetha came away with a convincing 56-13 victory and went on to capture the Class 3A state championship that season.
Brandon’s Pick: Sabetha
Justin’s Pick: Sabetha
Kraxner’s Pick: Sabetha
Jake’s Pick: Sabetha
Boz’s Pick: Sabetha
(5-4) Royal Valley at (9-0) Caney Valley
After limping into the playoffs with losses in three of their final four regular-season games, Royal Valley got back on track last week with a 32-14 road victory over Baxter Springs to open the postseason. The win was especially impressive considering Baxter Springs’ quarterback threw for more than 300 yards. However, the Panthers were dominant against the run, holding the Lions to just 33 yards on 19 carries.
No. 3-ranked Caney Valley improved to 9-0 last week with a dominant 66-6 victory over Jayhawk-Linn in its playoff opener. The Wildcats wasted little time getting things going, scoring a touchdown on the first play of the game before cruising the rest of the way. Traxcyn Garton added two rushing touchdowns, while Boone White also found the end zone on a long scoring play.
This will be the first meeting all-time between Royal Valley and Caney Valley. This is the first time since 2005 that Royal Valley has played a 10th game in a season while Caney Valley is looking for their most wins in a season since 2012 if they’re able to defeat the Panthers.
Brandon’s Pick: Royal Valley
Justin’s Pick: Caney Valley
Kraxner’s Pick: Caney Valley
Jake’s Pick: Royal Valley
Boz’s Pick: Caney Valley
(8-1) Riverside at (8-1) Neodesha (6PM) – 103.9 KNZA
Riverside picked up its fourth consecutive win last week, opening the playoffs with a convincing 46-6 victory over Oskaloosa at home. Offensively, the Cyclones have been outstanding at all three levels this season. Quarterback Kobe Koehler has completed more than 66% of his passes for 1,312 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Freshman running back Charles Hewins has been one of the most productive backs in the state, rushing for 1,997 yards and 31 touchdowns. On the outside, Keagan Hughes has been a major target, hauling in 25 receptions for 526 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Neodesha also opened the playoffs with an impressive performance last week, defeating Pleasant Ridge 61-26 at home. The game was tied at 14 after the first quarter, but the Blue Streaks took control from there, outscoring the Rams 47-12 over the final three quarters. Junior quarterback Tayte Leck has thrown for 1,479 yards and 21 touchdowns while tossing just three interceptions. The Blue Streaks have also been productive on the ground, averaging more than 230 rushing yards per game. Senior Camryn White leads the way with 772 yards and 18 touchdowns.
This will be the first meeting all-time between Riverside and Neodesha.
Brandon’s Pick:
Justin’s Pick: Riverside
Kraxner’s Pick: Riverside
Jake’s Pick: Riverside
Boz’s Pick: Riverside
(6-3) Humboldt at (9-0) Silver Lake (6 PM) – Silver Lake Channel
Humboldt kept its season alive last week with a thrilling 28-27 comeback victory over Central Heights at home. The Cubs trailed 19-8 heading into the fourth quarter but rallied in the final 12 minutes, outscoring Central Heights 20-8 to secure the win. Humboldt rushed for more than 300 yards, led by junior quarterback Ty Schaughnessy, who accounted for 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Shaughnessy also completed 6-of-14 passes for 98 yards and another score.
Silver Lake will open its playoff run at home against Humboldt after receiving a forfeit victory over West Franklin last week. Sophomore quarterback Kip Kruger has been outstanding this season, completing 68% of his passes for 1,496 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Dom Monhollon has provided a strong presence in the running game, rushing for more than 700 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Mason VanVactor leads the Eagles' receiving corps with 353 yards and five touchdowns.
This will be the first meeting all-time between Humboldt and Silver Lake.
Brandon’s Pick: Silver Lake
Justin’s Pick: Silver Lake
Kraxner’s Pick: Silver Lake
Jake’s Pick: Silver Lake
Boz’s Pick: Silver Lake
(7-2) Riley County at (8-1) Beloit
Riley County picked up an impressive first round win last week over Halstead 28-7. It was tied 7-7 at the half, but the Falcons scored 14 straight in the 3rd quarter to pull away. The Falcons picked off a pass defensively. The 7 wins this season are the most since 2021 for Riley County.
Beloit has won 8 straight games, after losing in week one to Southeast of Saline 24-22 in week one. Last week, the Trojans dispatched Southwestern Heights 62-7. Sophomore quarterback Truitt King has completed 124 of his 169 passes for 2,014 yards this season for 23 touchdowns. On the ground, Paxton Fouts leads the team with 198 carries for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns.
This will be the 19th all-time meeting between these two, with the last one coming in 2017, with the Falcons winning 12-0.
Brandon’s Pick: Beloit
Justin’s Pick: Riley County
Kraxner’s Pick: Riley County
Jake’s Pick: Riley County
Boz’s Pick: Riley County
Class 3A
(7-2) Burlington at (7-2) Jefferson West – 106.9 KTPK
Burlington opened the playoffs in dominant fashion last week, rolling to a 54-7 victory over Holton. The Wildcats were impressive defensively, holding Holton to 0-of-5 passing and just 84 rushing yards on fewer than three yards per carry. Junior quarterback Shawn Mautz led the way offensively, completing 16-of-20 passes for 260 yards and five touchdowns. This season, Mautz is averaging more than 220 yards of total offense per game while accounting for 17 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores.
Jefferson West bounced back in a big way last week after suffering a narrow two-point loss to Wamego in the regular-season finale. The Tigers responded with a 56-7 home victory over Santa Fe Trail, jumping out to a 28-point first-quarter lead and taking a commanding 49-0 advantage into halftime. Sophomore quarterback Brixton Schwinn was nearly perfect, completing 20-of-27 passes for 311 yards and six touchdowns. His older brother, Brody, was once again his favorite target, hauling in five receptions for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Brixton's 2,594 passing yards this season lead all quarterbacks in the state. Seaman's Cale Ketter ranks second with 2,495 yards.
This will be the first meeting all-time between Jefferson West and Burlington.
Brandon’s Pick: Jefferson West
Justin’s Pick: Jefferson West
Kraxner’s Pick: Jefferson West
Jake’s Pick: Jefferson West
Boz’s Pick: Jefferson West
(6-3) Nemaha Central at (9-0) Wellsville
Nemaha Central turned in a dominant defensive performance last week, shutting out Perry-Lecompton 34-0 in the opening round of the playoffs. The Thunder defense was relentless, forcing six turnovers by the Kaws. Sullivan Haverkamp led the offensive attack, rushing for 165 yards and two touchdowns while averaging more than seven yards per carry. Junior quarterback Cole Ranieri added 101 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Mason Schultejans hauled in four receptions for 69 yards and a score.
No. 5-ranked Wellsville was equally impressive in its playoff opener, dominating Atchison 68-6. The Eagles wasted little time taking control, scoring eight touchdowns in the first half against the Phoenix. Senior quarterback Pete Dorsey accounted for five total touchdowns and more than 200 yards of offense, while Jake Doles added 85 rushing yards and two scores. Dorsey has been outstanding all season, rushing for 1,410 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 871 passing yards and eight touchdowns without throwing an interception.
This will be just the second meeting all-time between Nemaha Central and Wellsville. The only previous matchup came in the 2016 quarterfinals, when the Thunder earned a 42-14 victory.
Brandon’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Kraxner’s Pick: Wellsville
Jake’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Boz’s Pick: Wellsville
