2023 Pick Records

Brandon

Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2022 Record: 172-29

Justin

Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2022 Record: 174-27

Jared

Last week: n/a
Overall:  n/a
2022 Record: 154-47

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

KMZA 92.1 FM – Valley Heights at Centralia
KNZA 103.9 FM & Sabetha Channel – Sabetha at Perry-Lecompton
KAIR 93.7 FM – Atchison at Ottawa
Holton Channel – Holton at Nemaha Central
Hiawatha Channel – Hiawatha at Royal Valley
Cobra Channel – Jackson Heights at Horton

Week 1 Games

NON-LEAGUE (8-MAN)

Cair Paravel at Axtell

After an opening week loss to Axtell a year ago, the Lions were only able to get three wins, but they were able to outscore those opponents 178-28. The 82 points they gave up to Axtell wasn’t even the most points they allowed in a game last year as they gave up 86 to Madison. Cair Paravel missed the playoffs with a 1-4 district record.

After winning back-to-back state titles, they are hoping to continue a 26-game winning streak alive going into the new season. The Eagles dominance in that span has only seen two of those victories be one-score games and out of their 13 wins last year, only two didn’t end via mercy rule. Axtell loses 8-Man DII Offensive Player of the Year Isaac Detweiler to graduation, and to replace him is junior Brandon Schmelzle. The last time he played quarterback was in junior high, but he’s proven that whenever he has the ball in his hands, he is lethal. He ran for 16 touchdowns and 512 rushing yards with 10.4 yards per carry. In last year’s game between these two, Cair Paravel had a 26-22 lead at halftime, but Axtell outscored the Lions 60-12 in the second half to win 82-38.

Brandon’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Jared’s Pick: Axtell

Frankfort at Chase County

After losing their first three games last season, including a 60-8 opening week loss to Chase County, Frankfort found new life mid-season and was able to extend their streak of five consecutive seasons with a playoff victory, beating Beloit St. John’s-Tipton on the road. Sophomore Wes Anderson returns at quarterback after missing the last two-and-a-half games with an injury. He broke all of Frankfort’s 8-Man passing records as a freshman with 1,367 passing yards and 21 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs had a solid season in 2022 reaching the sectional round before falling to the eventual 8-Man DI champions Little River. Their offense paved the way for their 9-2 season averaging 52.9 points per game. Chase County turns the page to a new era with first-year head coach Derick Budke taking over a program that hasn’t had a losing season since 2019.

Brandon’s Pick: Chase County
Justin’s Pick: Frankfort
Jared’s Pick: Chase County

Linn at Lakeside

Last year was feast or famine for Linn. In their three wins, they scored 50+ points. However, in five out of their six losses, they scored just 12 points or less. The one game that was the exception was against…Lakeside-Downs which was a 48-46 thriller in Week 1 of last season. Senior quarterback Gavin Turk enters his third year as a starter and his second year at quarterback with Trevor Kuhlman entering his third season as head coach.

The Knights had a lot of success running against Linn in last year’s game with senior running back Ian Kresin getting 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries with an additional receiving touchdown. Junior Kaden McCoy also added two more rushing touchdowns. Lakeside-Downs went 5-4 in 2022 with their playoff loss coming in Week 9 at Hanover.

Brandon’s Pick: Lakeside
Justin’s Pick: Lakeside
Jared’s Pick: Lakeside

St. Paul at Blue Valley-Randolph

St. Paul bested Blue Valley in Week 1 a year ago 66-34. The Indians went on to go 4-5 and snuck into the playoffs despite a 1-3 district record. They went on to lose in their Week 9 game at Canton-Galva 60-0.

The Rams’ defense struggled last year with opponents scoring 40+ points in seven of their nine games. This year, Blue Valley replaces longtime head coach Matt Schreiber with Quinton Cravens taking over the team. He gets back junior Landon Schreiber at quarterback after throwing over 1,100 yards and 18 passing touchdowns in his sophomore season.

Brandon’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Justin’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Jared’s Pick: St. Paul

TWIN VALLEY LEAGUE (8-MAN)

Hanover at Clifton-Clyde

Hanover will look to get back to their winning ways in 2023 after combining for an 11-9 record over the last two seasons. The Wildcats went 11-0 and won the 8M-II state title back in 2020. Hanover started last season 0-3 and four of their five losses were against ranked teams at the time they played them. They return over 90% of their rushing production from last season including their quarterback Rieken Stallbaumer. The junior threw for nearly 1,300 yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing seven interceptions.

Clifton-Clyde has had tremendous success over the years, but they have not been able to make a deep playoff run. Since 2016, the Eagles have a combined record of 54-12 but they have failed to make it past the second week of the playoffs. They’ve gone 7-2 in each of the last three seasons with a first-round playoff loss last season against Quinter 28-22.

Since 2004, Hanover is 7-2 against Clifton-Clyde but lost last year’s game 52-6. The win in that game for Clifton-Clyde snapped a six-game losing streak to the Wildcats. Hanover enters the season ranked #5 in 8M-II in K-Preps rankings.

Brandon’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Jared’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde

Doniphan West at Washington County

Doniphan West will begin 2023 with a new head coach in John Paolino. He takes over the Mustangs program that finished 2-7 last season. The two wins for D-West were against Maranatha Christian Academy and Marais Des Cygnes Valley in the final game of the season. They have three returning starters on offense and two returning starters on defense. Junior Cooper Eberly is a quality athlete and will make the jump from wide receiver to quarterback.

Washington County took a step forward in 2022 going 5-4 after going 2-7 in 2021. They won four of their first five games before finishing the season 1-3 with a blowout loss to Hill City in the first round of the 8M-I playoffs. The five wins was the highest win total since 2016 when they finished 8-3. The Tigers have two returning all-league players in Miles Miller and Joe Kern. However, they lost an all-state caliber quarterback and their top two rushers from last season.

Washington County has won nine of the last 11 meetings against Doniphan West since 2010 including five straight. They beat the Mustangs last season 46-0 with Doniphan Wests’ last win over the Tigers back in 2017.  

Brandon’s Pick: Washington County
Justin’s Pick: Washington County
Jared’s Pick: Washington County

NON-LEAGUE

McLouth at Onaga

The Bulldogs won a pair of games in 2022, with their win against Valley Falls being their first win since 2019, thus snapping a then 20-game losing streak. McLouth defeated Oskaloosa the following week which clinched their first multi-win season since 2018 when they went 5-5. This year, they will be led by first-year head coach Seth Mills. The Bulldogs also brought back junior quarterback Jerrick Chenhall, who they hope will break out this season after averaging just under 16 points per game.

After an injury-plagued 2022, the Buffaloes are fully healthy and ready to improve on a 2-7 season. Junior quarterback Jackson Kolterman got some playing time and showed off his playmaking ability and athleticism. With a full offseason of running the offense, we could see dramatic improvements in his game. The Buffaloes also have a Swiss-army knife at running back with Rayce Fisher, who is 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds and is nearly impossible to bring down.

Brandon’s Pick: Onaga
Justin’s Pick: Onaga
Jared’s Pick: Onaga

Troy at Wabaunsee

Troy had a quality season in 2022 finishing 8-2 with just one regular season loss at Centralia 20-19 in week four. The Trojans would win five straight games after that before falling to the eventual 1A state champs in St. Marys 26-0 in the second round of the playoffs. Troy is having to replace a few all-state and all-league players from last year’s roster. Junior Gannon Bowe will take over at quarterback and will be a dual-threat option. Jack Hartman, Logan Blevins, Christian Etherton, and Seth Judd can all be playmakers. Brogan Morris is the lone returning starter along the offensive line.

Wabaunsee has more than turned around their football program. The Chargers went 1-8 in 2017, 2018, and 2019. They went 4-6 in 2020 before going 7-3 in 2021 and posting a 9-2 record last season. They won two playoff games against Belle Plaine and Marion but lost at Conway Springs in the Sectional round.

Troy and Wabaunsee enter the season on the outside looking in when it comes to K-Preps top five in Class 1A. These two teams have met five times since 2015 with Troy going 4-1 against the Chargers. Troy won a thrilling matchup last season 28-22. Wabaunsee’s lone win in that stretch was 37-13 back in 2020.

Brandon’s Pick: Wabaunsee
Justin’s Pick: Wabaunsee
Jared’s Pick: Wabaunsee

Atchison at Ottawa – KAIR 93.7 FM

Atchison couldn’t make a deep 4A playoff run last season, but it was a season filled with accolades. Atchison posted a 9-1 record and an undefeated Meadowlark Conference title. The lone loss for the Phoenix was in the second round of the playoffs to a very good St. James Academy squad. Atchison is led by head coach Jim Smith who is entering his 26th season at the helm and has compiled 130 wins in his tenure. They were one of the top scoring offenses in the state last season, scoring 49 points per game. They return six starters on offense and nine starters on defense. Trey Carter returns for his second season as the starting quarterback.

Ottawa has not won more than two games in a season since an 8-3 mark back in 2016. The Cyclones finished 2-7 last season and lost to Atchison to begin the season 31-24. The lone two wins last season were against Baldwin and Bonner Springs. They lost in the first round of the playoffs 63-14 to the eventual 4A state champs in Bishop Miege.

Brandon’s Pick: Atchison
Justin’s Pick: Atchison
Jared’s Pick: Atchison

TWIN VALLEY LEAGUE

Valley Heights at Centralia – KMZA 92.1 FM

The Mustangs get a much-needed boost on their offense this season with Carson Spoonts transferring from Eureka High School. He will be the team’s starting quarterback with junior running back Jayden DeWalt by his side after getting a near 1,000-yard season on the ground last year. He will share the backfield with the likes of senior fullback Kaison Bigham and junior fullback Logan Gray. With all of their starters back, this team is bound for major improvements in just about everything they do.

For the second straight season, Centralia was eliminated by the eventual state champion after falling to St. Mary’s 46-16 in the sub-state round. Their defense didn’t give up 20+ points in any of their games until their lone loss. Their offense scored 20+ points in each of their first ten games. However, they lose their starting quarterback Trenton Talley and running back Drew Gibbs from last season. In their place are junior quarterback Jacob Flentie and senior running back Maveryk Becker. The Panthers have won 13 of the last 14 games in this TVL matchup dating back to 2004 with Valley Heights’ lone win coming in 2016.

Brandon’s Pick: Centralia
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Jared’s Pick: Centralia

BIG 7

Holton at Nemaha Central – Holton Channel

Holton is coming off an 11-2 campaign and following the tight week one loss to Nemaha, did not lose again last year until the state championship game against Andale. The Wildcats graduated all their skill position players but return four top blockers from a year ago, led by all state lineman, Dalton Roush. One of those four blocking seniors, Abbott Hundley, has made the shift to the backfield and could have a breakout season behind Roush, Trevor Barnett and Jackson Bear. Holton also lost 8 of their top 11 tacklers on defense from last season and could be in for a slow start while facing two of their toughest opponents to start 2023.

Nemaha Central won their second state title in the last four years after a perfect 13-0 season. The Thunder lost their starting quarterback, four out of their top five rushing leaders including Cooper Hajek who ran for 2,094 yards and 42 touchdowns, and their top four receiving leaders from their state championship team last year. Despite this, they still open the season as the consensus #1 ranked team going into the season. Leading the offense this year will be senior quarterback Jonah Deters with sophomore running back Carter Hajek expected to get a significant workload after being just shy of a 500-yard season in 2022.

The last eight games in this series have all by decided by 14 points or less.  Last year Nemaha won a back and forth battle 35-28, after Holton had escaped with one-point wins in 2020 and 2021. 

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

Riverside at Jefferson West

Riverside’s season started strong, winning three of their first five games, but they finished the year losing their last four for a record of 3-6. Sophomore quarterback Beckam Griffin had a solid freshman season with 1,307 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns. Three-year starter Percy Duncan is back for his senior year after getting nearly 500 yards last season.

Jefferson West missed the playoffs last season and avoided a winless season by beating Osawatomie in week nine 35-20. The offense struggled to score while the defense gave up 45+ points in each of their last six regular season games. The Tigers have 12 returning letterwinners with seven returning starters on both sides of the ball. The Tigers might be rocking the two-quarterback system this season with junior Tucker Holthaus and sophomore Brodie Thelen. The schedule does not do the Tigers any favors as they will have to play the likes of Sabetha, Nemaha Central, Hayden, and Holton.

Riverside beat Jefferson West in the opener last season 34-21 which was their first meeting since 2017. Jefferson West won matchups over the Cyclones in 2017 and 2015 while Riverside won other matchups in 2016 and 2014.

Brandon’s Pick: Riverside
Justin’s Pick: Riverside
Jared’s Pick: Riverside

Hiawatha at Royal Valley – Hiawatha Channel

Hiawatha won their first two games of 2022 against Royal Valley and Jefferson West before losing their final seven games. They dealt with a lot of injuries that included some of their top players in key positions. The health of junior quarterback Tyler Willich could determine a lot this season for the Redhawks. He’ll be the starting quarterback as he’s coming back from an ACL tear. Bradyn Newell and Alex Pyle could be in the mix under center early if Willich is not fully healthy. They scored under nine points per game last season during their seven-game losing streak and the defense allowed over 45 points per game.

Head coach David Boucher enters his third season at the helm for Royal Valley and it could be his most talented group to date. They finished 2-7 last season and 2-4 in Big 7 league play. They lost in the first round of the playoffs at Wellsville. Senior Aidan McKinsey returns for his third season as the starting quarterback and he’s also an all-league defender in the secondary. The Panthers have seven returning starters on offense and six returning starters on defense. The offensive line could be the biggest strength in helping the run game as they return four starters from last season.

Hiawatha won the season opener last year against Royal Valley 26-19. The Redhawks have won three straight games against the Panthers with Royal Valley’s last win coming in 2019. Since 2004, Royal Valley holds a 10-9 edge in the series.

Brandon’s Pick: Royal Valley
Justin’s Pick: Hiawatha
Jared’s Pick: Royal Valley

Sabetha at Perry-Lecompton – KNZA 103.9 FM & Sabetha Channel

Sabetha enters the season ranked #2 in Class 2A according to K-Preps behind only defending champs Nemaha Central. The Bluejays went 9-3 last season and lost in the sub-state round to the Thunder. There only losses were against Nemaha Central and Holton. It was their best postseason run since winning back-to-back 3A titles in 2017 and 2018. They return 20+ seniors and boasted one of the top rushing attacks and scoring defenses last season. They arguably have the best offensive line unit in the state in 2A and have multi-year experience at about every level. The Bluejays will deploy a new quarterback this season as junior Mitchell Kramer steps in to take over an offense that averaged 38 points per game last season.

The combination of injuries and a daunting schedule led to a 3-6 campaign in 2022 for Perry-Lecompton. Three of their first four games were against Sabetha, Nemaha Central, and Holton. They also had to play Atchison and Hayden. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to Bishop Ward. The Kaws will have some talent but must replace a lot of positions as they have just four returning starters on both sides of the ball. Mike Paramore returns for his 23rd season as head coach and has won 120 games with the Kaws.

Sabetha won the matchup last season over Perry-Lecompton 28-14 and are 9-5 against the Kaws dating back to 2010. The Bluejays have won seven of the last eight games in the series with the Kaws lone win in that stretch in 2021.

Brandon’s Pick: Sabetha
Justin’s Pick: Sabetha
Jared’s Pick: Sabetha

NORTHEAST KANSAS LEAGUE

Pleasant Ridge at Jefferson County North

Despite going 2-7 last season, Pleasant Ridge could be a sneaky dark horse squad that could challenge for the NEKL title this season under first year head coach Spencer Foster. The Rams have a heavy senior class with most of them being multi-year starters. They have a four-year starter at quarterback in senior Cooper Beying and they might have the best 1-2 punch at running back in the league with Lucas Beying and Lane Wohlgemuth. They will have some early opportunities to get some wins but will have a tough four-game stretch to end the season with ACCHS, Silver Lake, Rossville, and Centralia.

Another solid campaign for Jeff Schneider and Jefferson County North last year as they finished 6-4 with a loss in the second round of the playoffs to Centralia. JCN is also very experienced in 2023 with 17 returning letterwinners, 16 upperclassmen with 11 being seniors. That equates to nine starters returning on both sides of the ball.  Senior Grady Noll will lead the charge at quarterback after rushing for more than 1,250 yards last season which earned him first team all-league honors and honorable mention all-state. He led the team with 26 touchdowns. JCN has seven players returning with all-league honors from last year, which is the most of any team in the NEKL.

JCN dominated the meeting last season against Pleasant Ridge winning 50-8. Pleasant Ridge dominated this series between 2004 and 2015, winning 11 of the 12 meetings. Since then, the Chargers have won five of the seven meetings against the Rams.

Brandon’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Justin’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Jared’s Pick: Jefferson County North

Valley Falls at ACCHS

The Dragons had a mix of a lot of youth and a lot of injuries last year which resulted in a 1-8 season with their lone win coming at Horton. Their defense struggled, allowing 44.1 points per game while surpassing 20 points just twice on offense. Their quarterback from last year Dylan Cervantez graduated, so this year it will be junior quarterback Hayden Kearney stepping up. He played some last year when Cervantez was hurt so he has some experience running the Valley Falls offense. It’s also worth noting that last year was their first year back in 11-Man since 2015.

ACCHS will once again have the target on their back when it comes to NEKL play. The Tigers secured their second straight league title last season going 6-0 in league play. It’s the first back-to-back league titles for ACCHS since the 1970 and 1971 seasons. They were 0-3 in non-league games and were eliminated by Sabetha in the first round of the playoffs. The Tigers have a new head coach in Kody Tegtmeier. Tegtmeier is a Hanover native with plenty of coaching experience at both the 8-man and 6-man levels. The Tigers haven’t lost a league game since 2020 but they haven’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs dating back to 2012.

ACCHS is 6-1 against Valley Falls winning the matchup last season 44-6. That was there first meeting since 2013. The two teams played six times between 2008 and 2013 with the Dragons lone win in that stretch in 2008.

Brandon’s Pick: ACCHS
Justin’s Pick: Valley Falls
Jared’s Pick: ACCHS

Jackson Heights at Horton – Cobra Channel

Jackson Heights posted a 4-5 record in 2022. They finished second in NEKL play with a 3-1 mark but were fourth in their district with a 1-4 record. They lost to the eventual 1A state champs in St. Marys in the first round of the playoffs. Caleb Wick returns as head coach and will have some new faces scattered across both sides of the ball. Overall, the Cobras return 13 letterwinners and six starters on both sides of the ball. Junior Kade Holliday and sophomore Drake Mellies appear to be in line to share duties at quarterback.

The Horton Chargers finished 2022 with a record of 1-8. The win was significant as it snapped a 38-game losing streak dating back to the 2017 season. The win was against McLouth in week two and the final score was 22-14. It was the school’s first win since October 13, 2017, at McLouth with that final score being 46-14. The team returns nearly all their starters in 2023 under first year head coach Andy Gwennap. They return all their 11 starters on offense and 10 starters on defense.

The Cobras dispatched the Chargers last season 61-7 and are 12-4 against Horton since 2004. They have won seven straight in the series with Horton’s last win against Jackson Heights in 2014.

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

Oskaloosa at Maur Hill-Mount Academy

Last year was Oskaloosa’s first year under head coach Eddie Minor, and the Bears matched their 2021 record of 1-8. Their lone win came in the final week of the regular season against Valley Falls. Coy and Colsen Perry are back with another year of experience under their belts. This year will be Coy Perry’s last ride after being an All-NEKL Honorable Mention at quarterback. Expect the Bears to run different formations to have him run the ball quite a bit this year.

2022 was an up-and-down year for the Ravens resulting in a 3-6 record under head coach Zack Fredrickson. They got off to a good start to the year winning two of their first three games, however, they would lose five of their last six. MHMA is switching it up at quarterback with junior Luke Seibert taking the snaps. Last year, he earned All-League honors at wide receiver. In the meeting between these two teams last year, the Ravens won at Oskaloosa 54-14. Their win streak against the Bears is currently six games. The last time the Bears won against the Ravens was in 2013.

Brandon’s Pick: Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Justin’s Pick: Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Jared’s Pick: Maur Hill-Mount Academy

NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS LEAGUE

Abilene at Marysville

Abilene finished 2022 with a record of 4-5 under head coach Brad Nicks. They won three of their first four games but went 1-4 down the stretch and were eliminated by Rose Hill in the playoffs. It was their best season in recent years. They went 0-9 in 2019, 0-6 in 2020, and 0-9 in 2021.

The 2022 season for Marysville was up and down for first year head coach Tony Trimble. Trimble led the Bulldogs to a 3-6 record and a first-round playoff loss against Hesston. There best stretch of the season was in between weeks four through seven as they went 3-1 with wins over Concordia, Valley Heights, and Hiawatha. Trimble has won 157 games in his coaching career and enters this season with five returning starters on both sides of the ball.

The Cowboys have controlled the series with Marysville dating back to 2004 as they are 11-4 in those 15 games. Abilene won the matchup last season 14-7 while Marysville won the previous matchup in 2017 by a final score of 43-20.  

Brandon’s Pick: Abilene
Justin’s Pick: Abilene
Jared’s Pick: Marysville