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We’re down to the final week of the regular season! District and league titles still up for grabs while teams are still fighting for their playoff lives! Who will earn a spot in the postseason and who’s season is coming to an end? No better way to get you prepped for high school football in Northeast Kansas than the Friday Night Fever Show Presented by GN Banks!
2021 Pick Records
Jonny
Last week: 19-1
Overall: 112-29
Justin
Last week: 19-1
Overall: 114-27
Brandon
Last week: 20-0
Overall: 117-24
Games to be Broadcast
103.9 KNZA – Hiawatha at Sabetha
92.1 KMZA – Axtell at Onaga
93.7 KAIR – Jeff County North at Jackson Heights
Holton Channel – Jefferson West at Holton
Sabetha Channel – Hiawatha at Sabetha
Week 8 Games
8-Man Division I
(3-4, 2-2) Doniphan West at (4-2, 3-1) Burlingame (D3)
Doniphan West is coming off a much-needed victory outlasting Valley Falls last week in a shootout 56-46. Both teams scored on their first four possessions, but the Mustangs defense stood tall in the second half while Trent Spiker ran for over 230 yards and three touchdowns. Braden Simmons added 151 yards and three scores of his own in his best performance this season.
Burlingame has been solid all season long and last week walked past Maranatha 62-12 rushing for over 350 yards. Junior Colby Middleton racked up over 300 yards of offense with seven touchdowns and on the year has rushed for 866 yards and 16 scores.
The winner of this game will finish second in the district while the loser will take third. These two teams have played just once with Burlingame winning last season 46-12.
Jonny’s Pick: Burlingame
Justin’s Pick: Burlingame
Brandon’s Pick: Burlingame
(1-6, 1-3) Maranatha at (5-1, 4-0) Clifton Clyde (D3)
Clifton Clyde ran their win streak to four with a 50-0 win at Washington County last week. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 190-24 during the four-game winning streak since the loss to a ranked Little River squad.
Maranatha Academy lost to Burlingame last week, 58-12. The loss comes after Maranatha picked up their first win of the season two weeks ago against Washington County.
Clifton Clyde has already clinched the District Three Title so their spot in the postseason is set. Maranatha is not yet eliminated from the playoffs, but they need to beat Clifton Clyde and have some results bounce their way. The game last season between these two was cancelled.
Jonny’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
Justin’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
Brandon’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
(1-6, 1-3) Washington County at (3-4, 1-3) Valley Falls (D3)
A win and you are in the playoffs is on the line tonight between Washington County and Valley Falls who sit in a 3-way tie with Maranatha at 1-3 in district play.
Washington County is coming off their third consecutive loss falling to Clifton Clyde last week 50-0. The Tigers have been shut out three times this season with their only win coming in an upset of Doniphan West in week four.
Valley Falls meanwhile is coming off a disappointing loss last week falling in a shootout on the road at Doniphan West 56-46. The Dragons scored on their first four drives of the game but struggled in the second half and scored just twice. Samuel Drinkard ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns in the loss while catching another from Dylan Cervantez.
These two teams have played just twice in the last decade with Washington County winning both contests including 62-36 in the most recent meeting in 2019.
Jonny’s Pick: Valley Falls
Justin’s Pick: Valley Falls
Brandon’s Pick: Valley Falls
8-Man Division II
(7-0, 5-0, 5-0 TVL) Axtell at (4-3, 3-2, 3-3 TVL) Onaga (D3 / 92.1 KMZA)
Axtell continues to cruise past opponents each week and that stayed true last Friday with a 64-16 blowout over Wetmore. Axtell opened the game with a 36-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Isaac Detweiler accounted for five touchdowns and Brandon Schmelzle ran for over 100 yards and added three scores. The #1 ranked Eagles have won seven straight games for the first time since 2004 and have won 11 of their last 12 dating back to last season.
The Buffaloes of Onaga won their fourth straight game last week with a 70-26 thumping of Blue Valley. During the four-game winning streak, Onaga’s offense is averaging 64 points per game while the defense is allowing 21.5 points per game.
Axtell has clinched the district title and is looking to secure the undefeated TVL title with a win tonight. Onaga has clinched a spot in the postseason and can finish third in the District with a win. Axtell has won the last three meetings against Onaga outscoring the Buffaloes 176-40 in that stretch. Last season’s score was 68-26.
Jonny’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Brandon’s Pick: Axtell
(5-2, 4-1, 5-1 TVL) Frankfort at (2-5, 1-4, 1-4 TVL) Linn (D3)
Frankfort is out of K-Preps rankings this week in 8M-II after taking a 60-12 loss at #2 Thunder Ridge last week. Frankfort got down 22-0 in the first quarter and could never recover. Thunder Ridge was just shy of 300 yards of offense and held Frankfort to 76 yards. Ethan Armstrong scored the lone offensive touchdown for Frankfort in the game. The Wildcats other loss on the season was to current #1 Axtell.
Linn dropped their fourth straight game with a 58-12 loss at Hanover last week. During the four-game losing streak, three of those games were played on the road. Also, during this stretch, Linn’s defense is allowing nearly 60 points per game. Linn is eliminated from the playoffs.
Frankfort has already clinched the runner-up spot in District Three and will host Lakeside-Downs in the first round of the playoffs next week. Frankfort has won five of the last six meetings against Linn winning the last matchup two years ago 52-0. Linn’s last win against Frankfort was 2010.
Jonny’s Pick: Frankfort
Justin’s Pick: Frankfort
Brandon’s Pick: Frankfort
(4-3, 3-2, 3-2 TVL) Hanover at (0-7, 0-5, 0-5 TVL) Wetmore (D3)
Hanover bounced back in a big way last week by snapping their three-game skid with a 58-12 win over Linn. It’d been more than 10 years since Hanover lost more than back-to-back games. It was Hanover’s 11th straight win in the series.
Wetmore was down to just eight players last week in their 64-16 loss at #1 Axtell. The Cardinals have now lost nine straight dating back to last season.
Hanover has secured their spot in the postseason and can finish third in District Three with a win tonight and an Onaga loss to Axtell. Hanover has dominated against Wetmore in recent years winning the last five games since 2016 and outscoring the Cardinals 276-19 in those games.
Jonny’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Brandon’s Pick: Hanover
(5-2) Lakeside-Downs at (2-5) Blue Valley (Non-District)
Blue Valley had their brief two game winning streak snapped last week with a 70-26 loss against Onaga. Blue Valley had won back-to-back games against Linn and Wetmore prior to the loss to the Buffaloes. It was the first time since 2018 that the Rams had won back-to-back games.
Lakeside-Downs improved to 5-2 overall with a 64-48 shootout win over Beloit St. Johns-Tipton last week. The Knights have won three games in a row since back-to-back losses against Osborne and Thunder Ridge. Lakeside-Downs have already clinched a third-place finish in District Four and will play at Frankfort next week in the opening round of the playoffs. Blue Valley is eliminated from postseason contention.
Blue Valley has lost the last two and four of the last six meetings against the Knights with the Knights victorious last season, 52-6.
Jonny’s Pick: Lakeside-Downs
Justin’s Pick: Lakeside-Downs
Brandon’s Pick: Lakeside-Downs
Class 1A
(0-7, 0-5) Horton at (3-4, 1-4) Troy (D2)
This matchup features the bottom of district two with Horton still searching for their first district win while Troy is looking to wrap up the sixth spot with a win.
Horton took a bit of a step back last week falling to Wabaunsee at home 49-0 in a game where the visitors led 21-0 after the first quarter. Coach David Losey was not happy with the way his guys took that step back and is still looking for his young guys to stay involved from start to finish.
Troy meanwhile played better offensively last week but made a couple crucial mistakes falling to Jeff County North 22-12. Cam Anderson played one of his better games offensively throwing a pair of touchdowns, one each to Boden Benitz and Brayden Hamilton but it wasn’t enough in the end.
Troy has won five straight in the series dating back to 2016 and have won 12 of the last 14 against the Chargers.
Jonny’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Brandon’s Pick: Troy
(6-1, 5-0) Centralia at (5-2, 3-2) Wabaunsee (D2)
Centralia won their sixth game in a row last week with a 26-0 victory against Lyndon on senior night. It was a revenge game as Lyndon knocked Centralia out of the playoffs last season. The Panthers scored a touchdown in all four quarters and held Lyndon to 120 yards of total offense and just 2.4 yards per carry. Centralia’s defense has allowed just 13 points in the last three games. The Panthers have locked up the District Two title and have earned a bye next week in the playoffs.
The Chargers of Wabaunsee dispatched Horton on the road last week, 49-0. They’ve won three of their last four with the only loss in that stretch coming against Jefferson County North. Wabaunsee has clinched a spot in the playoffs and could finish anywhere between second and fourth depending on the outcomes of other games tonight.
Centralia has won five of the last six games against Wabaunsee including last season 52-6. The Chargers last win over Centralia was 2016.
Jonny’s Pick: Centralia
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Brandon’s Pick: Centralia
(5-2, 4-1, 2-1 NEKL) Jeff Co. North at (4-3, 3-2, 2-0 NEKL) Jackson Hts (D2 / KAIR)
Jefferson County North picked up a big district win last week over Troy, 22-12. JCN led 14-6 at halftime and was able to hold off Troy in the second half. Blake Fowler ran for two scores. The Chargers have won two straight and five of their last six since a week one loss to Pleasant Ridge. A win for JCN would lock up the runner-up finish in the district and a loss could drop them to fourth depending on some outcomes.
Jackson Heights is coming off one of the more impressive victories of week seven in a dominant 48-12 win over Valley Heights. Jason Bosley threw for 184 yards with three touchdowns and ran for 160 with three more scores. Wyatt Bacon added 108 yards on the ground while Taegan Binkley caught three passes for 75 yards and a score.
This has been an even series dating back to 2004 with JCN holding a slight 7-6 advantage. Jackson Heights has won five of the last seven meetings, but JCN got the win last season, 30-0.
Jonny’s Pick: Jackson Heights
Justin’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Brandon’s Pick: Jefferson County North
(0-6) Northern Heights at (2-4) Valley Heights (Non-District)
Valley Heights took a 48-12 loss last week at the hands of Jackson Heights. The Mustangs have lost three of their last four since a win over Horton. The Mustangs offense is averaging just 10.5 points per games in the last four games since scoring 62 against Horton. Valley Heights is on the outside looking in when it comes to postseason play next week.
Northern Heights is also a team on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason as they are still searching for their first win. The Wildcats lost last week to 1A #1 Olpe, 59-0. The Wildcats have been shut out in three game this season with their offense averaging just 5 points per game.
Valley Heights has won the last three against Northern Heights outscoring the Wildcats 142-13 in those games which includes last season’s final of 76-0.
Jonny’s Pick: Valley Heights
Justin’s Pick: Valley Heights
Brandon’s Pick: Valley Heights
Class 2A
(5-2, 3-1) Silver Lake at (5-2, 3-1) Pleasant Ridge (D3)
Pleasant Ridge bounced back last week after a big loss to 2A #1 Rossville with a 34-14 win over Oskaloosa. The Rams have won four of their last five games and against Oskaloosa, they’ve now won 13 of the last 14 meetings.
2A #2 Silver Lake lost the “War on 24” rivalry last week to #1 Rossville, 24-19. Rossville had their back up quarterback in the game and Silver Lake had the lead late in the third quarter, but Silver Lake couldn’t hold on and took their 2nd loss of the season.
Pleasant Ridge and Silver Lake have both clinched spots in the postseason and the winner tonight will finish runner-up to Rossville and will host a game next week while the loser will finish third and go on the road for the playoff opener next week.
Silver Lake has dominated the last five games against Pleasant Ridge dating back to 2010 winning all five by a combined score of 317-27.
Jonny’s Pick: Silver Lake
Justin’s Pick: Silver Lake
Brandon’s Pick: Silver Lake
(0-5, 0-4, 0-2 NEKL) McLouth at (0-7, 0-4, 0-4 NEKL) Oskaloosa (D3)
Oskaloosa hung tough last week but lost to Pleasant Ridge 34-14. It was the second straight game for the Bears scoring more than 10 points after taking three shutout losses in the three weeks prior.
McLouth saw some positives last week, but it didn’t show on the scoreboard with a 34-6 loss against Mission Valley.
McLouth and Oskaloosa have combined for 29 straight losses with these two not playing last season. Both teams are out of the playoffs and are looking for something positive to finish the regular season.
Jonny’s Pick: Oskaloosa
Justin’s Pick: Oskaloosa
Brandon’s Pick: Oskaloosa
(6-1, 3-1) ACCHS at (3-3, 3-0) St. Marys (D4)
ACCHS won their third straight game last week with a key district win over Republic County, 14-12. A game in which ACCHS scored on a blocked punt and a pick-six and Republic County having the ball for nearly 80% of the offensive snaps.
St. Mary’s didn’t play last week because their game against Maur Hill was cancelled due to Covid issues. The Bears will lock up the District Four title with a win over ACCHS. The Tigers have locked up their spot in the postseason but could potentially win the district depending on some outcomes or could end up in third and going on the road in the first round of the playoffs next week. The Bears have won the last two meetings against ACCHS. Last season 22-6 and in 2018 the final was 42-30.
Jonny’s Pick: St. Marys
Justin’s Pick: St. Marys
Brandon’s Pick: St. Marys
(2-4, 0-3) Maur Hill at (0-7, 0-4) Riverside (D4)
Maur Hill didn’t play last week as they were put into quarantine and their game against St. Marys was called off. The Ravens won their first two games of the season against Council Grove and Oskaloosa but since have lost four straight and are eliminated from postseason contention.
Riverside has also been eliminated from the postseason following a 46-12 loss to Nemaha Central last week. The Cyclones played well early on trailing just 14-6 in the second quarter, but Nemaha Central returned a kick for a score and rolled the rest of the way. Kobe Davis accounted for both touchdowns for the Cyclones throwing one to Ryder Davis.
Maur Hill and Riverside have split the last eight meetings dating back to 2011. The Ravens have won four of the last five including last season, 28-14.
Jonny’s Pick: Maur Hill
Justin’s Pick: Maur Hill
Brandon’s Pick: Maur Hill
(5-2, 3-1) Nemaha Central at (3-3, 2-2) Republic Co. (D4)
Nemaha Central picked up a big win over Riverside last week, 46-12. The Thunder led 14-6 in the second quarter until Gavin Cain returned a kickoff for a touchdown to change the momentum. Cooper Hajek added a pair of rushing touchdowns and Nemaha Central tallied 268 rushing yards.
Republic County started the season 3-1 but since have lost their last two including last week at ACCHS, 14-12. Two teams that are locked into postseason play next week but outcomes tonight will determine where they finish in district play and who they’ll be playing next week.
This will be the first meeting between Nemaha Central and Republic County since 2009 with the Thunder winning that game 27-0.
Jonny’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Brandon’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Class 3A
(4-3, 3-1) Perry Lecompton at (2-5, 2-2) Santa Fe Trail (D3)
Perry Lecompton has a chance to wrap up the second spot in the district with a win tonight but needing to bounce back after a 46-18 loss to Hayden last week. The Kaws trailed just 14-6 at halftime but allowed 21 points in the fourth quarter. Perry finished with just 37 passing yards and 150 yards of total offense.
Santa Fe Trail meanwhile racked up their second district win last week taking down Baldwin 37-28. The Chargers have wrapped up at least fourth place in the district and with a win can move up to third.
Perry Lecompton has won 13 straight meetings over Santa Fe Trail dating back to 2004 including a 52-6 win last season.
Jonny’s Pick: Perry Lecompton
Justin’s Pick: Perry Lecompton
Brandon’s Pick: Perry Lecompton
(4-3, 2-2, 4-1 B7) Hiawatha at (3-4, 2-2, 3-2 B7) Sabetha (D4 / 103.9 KNZA / Sabetha Channel)
The third spot in district four is on the line tonight with both teams holding on to 2-2 district records.
For the second straight week Sabetha put together a dominant showing beating Jeff West last week 56-13. The Bluejays returned two punts for touchdowns including one from Josh Herrmann who also ran for 198 yards and three scores. Matthew Garber added two passing touchdowns while Marcus Bauman added the other punt return scores.
Hiawatha has qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and is looking to clinch the number two spot in Big 7 play with a 4-1 mark thus far. The Redhawks not only won last week but shutout Royal Valley in a dominating 56-0. It was the second shutout this season for Hiawatha while holding two other opponents to just a single score. The Hawks led 35-0 at halftime and got a punt return for a TD from Ashton Rockey last week while Brandt Barnhill ran for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns while passing for two more scores.
Hiawatha is looking to secure their first winning season since 2013, which was also the last time they beat Sabetha.
Jonny’s Pick: Sabetha
Justin’s Pick: Sabetha
Brandon’s Pick: Hiawatha
(1-6, 1-3, 1-3 B7) Jefferson West at (7-0, 4-0, 5-0 B7) Holton (D4 / Holton Channel)
Jeff West has lost three straight since beating Royal Valley back in week four, last week falling to Sabetha 56-13. The Tigers gave up two special teams touchdowns and had no answer defensively giving up nearly 500 yards of offense. Kaden Stones did throw for 228 yards including 101 to Jacob Brooks but the Tigers could not finish off drives throwing a pair of interceptions.
It won't get easier this week for Jeff West playing on senior night at Holton as the 7-0 Wildcats have already clinched the district title and won the Big 7 League for the first time since 2014. Holton had 544 yards of offense in a 41-21 win at Rock Creek last week with 514 yards on the ground. Garyson Booth led the way with 215 yards while Matt Lierz and Jayden Fletcher were also over 100 yards on the ground.
Holton had won 20 consecutive games against Jeff West, but lost their previous two matchups with the Tigers, falling 7-0 in 2019 and 14-12 in 2018.
Jonny’s Pick: Holton
Justin’s Pick: Holton
Brandon’s Pick: Holton
(4-3, 3-1) Rock Creek at (1-6, 0-4) Royal Valley (D4)
The struggles continue for Royal Valley and the Panthers mustered less than 120 total yards last week at Hiawatha and failed to score for the third straight week. RV has scored just 12 points total since their lone week one win against Riverside and played without a few starters again last week, including their senior fullback, Levi Parrett. Royal Valley has just five seniors on a young roster that will play their final home game Friday night as they have been eliminated from a post-season berth.
Rock Creek has locked up a home playoff game as district runner-up after losing to Holton 41-21 last week that halted their four-game win streak. The Mustangs attempted 41 passes and threw for 253 yards. They are 3-0 against Royal Valley in the past including a 62-0 win a season ago.
Jonny’s Pick: Rock Creek
Justin’s Pick: Rock Creek
Brandon’s Pick: Rock Creek
(7-0) Riley County at (2-4) Marysville (D5)
Marysville defeated Clay Center in overtime last week, 10-3 for their second win of the season. They’ve won two of their last three after starting the season 0-3.
Riley County remained undefeated with a 48-7 win over Concordia last week. With seven straight wins, it’s the longest winning streak for the Falcons since 2005.
Riley County has clinched the district title while Marysville will play in the postseason as they’ve locked up the 4th place finish. Marysville will travel to Southeast of Saline next Friday night for their playoff opener. Marysville had won three straight over Riley County from 2015-2017 but lost the matchup last season, 38-8.
Jonny’s Pick: Riley County
Justin’s Pick: Riley County
Brandon’s Pick: Riley County
Class 4A
(6-1, 4-0 KCA) Atchison at (3-3, 2-1) KC Washington
Atchison won their sixth straight game last week with a 51-22 win at KC Schlagle. Atchison trailed 16-9 in the second half but went on a run where they scored six unanswered touchdowns to pull away for the convincing win. The Phoenix ran for over 330 yards and have already clinched at least a share of the KCA League title, but a win tonight would secure them the outright league title.
KC Washington snapped a three-game losing streak with a 36-15 win at KC Turner last week. The series has been competitive with Atchison and KC Washington since 2004 as Atchison has won eight of the last 14 games. They last played in 2019 with KC Washington getting the win 40-14.
Atchison right now is sitting in third place in Class 4A East behind only Chanute and Basehor-Linwood and will finish no worse than third as they have a two-game lead on KC Piper who sits in fourth place.
Jonny’s Pick: Atchison
Justin’s Pick: Atchison
Brandon’s Pick: Atchison
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