2023 Pick Records

Brandon

Last week: 16-5
Overall: 102-17
2022 Record: 172-29

Justin

Last week: 16-5
Overall: 105-14
2022 Record: 174-27

Jared

Last week: 18-3
Overall: 100-19
2022 Record: 154-47

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

KNZA 103.9 & Holton Channel – Holton at Hayden
KMZA 92.1 – Axtell at Frankfort
KAIR 93.7 – Perry-Lecompton at Atchison
Sabetha Channel – Sabetha at Horton
Hiawatha Channel – Marysville at Hiawatha
Cobra Channel – ACCHS at Jackson Heights

Week 7 Games

8M-I DISTRICT 5

(5-1) Ell Saline at (2-4) Washington County

Ell Saline is in the driver’s seat for the district title after their 40-26 win over Clifton-Clyde. The Cardinals have won five straight games after a season opening loss to #3 Moundridge. They avenged what was a 50-0 loss last season against Clifton-Clyde. A win over Washington County would match their win total from last season when they went 6-3.

Washington County is in danger of missing the playoffs as they enter this matchup 0-3 in district play. They lost last week at Lincoln 42-8 and have lost three straight games after starting the season 2-1. Miles Miller scored the lone touchdown last week for the Tigers as Lincoln held them to just 107 yards of total offense.

Ell Saline and Washington County have played four times since 2008. The Cardinals have won all four matchups including last season 46-12. The matchup last season was the first meeting between the two since 2013.

Brandon’s Pick: Ell Saline
Justin’s Pick: Ell Saline
Jared’s Pick: Ell Saline

(2-4) Rock Hills at (4-2) Clifton-Clyde

Rock Hills lost their third consecutive game last week at Bennington 62-14. In the two games prior to that, they were outscored 101-0 against Lincoln and Ell Saline. Rock Hills does most of their damage offensively on the ground with junior Isaiah Ridgeway leading the way at nearly 100 yards per game.

Clifton-Clyde is in a three-way tie for second place in the district standings at 2-1 after their 40-26 loss last week to Ell Saline. The Eagles hold the second spot in the standings on points as they’re 7 points ahead of Lincoln and 12 points ahead of Bennington.

Clifton-Clyde is 6-3 against Rock Hills since 2008 and won last year’s matchup 46-0. That was the first meeting between the two schools since 2015. They played in eight consecutive seasons from 2008-2015.

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

8M-II DISTRICT 3 – TVL

(3-3) Hanover at (2-4) Linn

Hanover’s three-game winning streak was snapped last week with a 56-0 home defeat against Axtell. The Wildcats were held to just 74 yards of total offense, including 16 carries for just 18 yards. Hanover still has a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win as they sit in third in the district with a 2-1 record and 21 points. If they win out, they could still have a home playoff game in Week 9.

As for Linn, they have -21 points and are in fourth place with some work to do, but they control their own destiny to get into the playoffs. The Bulldogs are coming off a dominant 84-18 home win against Doniphan West. That point total is the highest in school history. They scored 88 points in their previous four games combined. A win against Hanover would give them back-to-back seasons with three or more wins for the first time since 2016 and 2017.

Hanover has won the last 12 meetings with Linn’s last win against the Wildcats coming in 2005. They have outscored the Bulldogs 598-60 in that span for an average final score of 50-5. In seven of those 12 games, Hanover was able to shutout Linn.

Brandon’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Jared’s Pick: Hanover

(6-0) Axtell at (5-1) Frankfort – KMZA 92.1 FM

Brandon Schmelzle has continued to tear it up for Axtell after going 8-for-9 with 132 yards and five touchdowns in their 56-0 win at Hanover. He has a completion percentage of 81% with no interceptions. He also has a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown this season and four interceptions on defense. Schmelzle was this week’s Athlete of the Week presented by Highland Community College. Axtell will all but wrap up the district with a win this week with winless Doniphan West on the horizon in Week 8.

The Wildcats won their third game in a row shutting out Blue Valley-Randolph 49-0 on the road. Wes Anderson had three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Anderson is averaging 213.7 yards per game with most of their games not going the full four quarters. Lane Loiseau had 108 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also had an interception on defense.

Axtell has won 8 of the last 11 meetings dating back to 2012. However, the series has been split in the last four years 2-2.

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

(2-4) Blue Valley-Randolph at (0-6) Doniphan West

The Rams dropped their third consecutive game with a 49-0 loss last week to Frankfort. The Rams have been outscored 155-14 in their last three games with losses to Frankfort, Axtell, and Hanover. The Rams haven’t won more than two games in a season since 2018 when they went 5-4. 

The struggles have been real for Doniphan West this season and it continued in a big way last week as they lost to Linn 84-18. It’s the most points allowed in a game since giving up 82 to Washington County in 2020.

Both these two teams are at the bottom of the district at 0-3 and in danger of missing the playoffs. The winner will still more than likely be on the outside looking in going into the final week of the regular season. They’ve split the last four games with the Rams winning last season 54-8 and the Mustangs winning 54-8 in 2021.

Brandon’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Justin’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Jared’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph

1A DISTRICT 3 – NEKL

(1-5) Valley Falls at (5-1) Jefferson County North

The Dragons lost their third game in a row with a 45-0 loss at home against McLouth. Valley Falls has combined for just 14 points in their last three games. Zac Evans has been making plays regardless with 471 passing yards, 236 rushing yards and 159 receiving yards. He has a combined seven touchdowns, but he’s been having to force some throws due to game script resulting in eight interceptions. At 0-3 in district play, a loss would eliminate them from the playoffs.

Jefferson County North will look to bounce back for the first time this season after suffering their first loss last season against the defending champs St. Marys 34-18. Grady Noll led the Chargers against the Bears with 147 passing yards and 57 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. JCN is in a three-way tie for second in the district at 2-1 but sit in third place due to points behind Mission Valley.

The Chargers are 7-6 against the Dragons since 2004 with JCN winning the last two meetings. Last year’s win for JCN was 56-14 and Valley Falls’ last win in the series was back in 2014.

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

(5-1) McLouth at (1-5) Oskaloosa

McLouth is off to one of their best starts in recent memory and it continued last week with a 45-0 win at Valley Falls. The Bulldogs are in a good spot to make the postseason as they’re in a three-way tie for second place in the district with JCN and Mission Valley. Although, they sit in fourth place overall due to points. A win over Oskaloosa would go a long way as the Bulldogs will close out the regular season against defending champs St. Marys.

The Bears have now been shut out in back-to-back weeks with a 34-0 loss on the road to Mission Valley. In the first three weeks of the season, Oskaloosa got a one-possession win over MHMA and had two competitive one-possession losses against Pleasant Ridge and ACCHS at home. Since then, they have been outscored by their opponents 157-6 in their last three games.

Oskaloosa is 11-6 against McLouth dating back to 2006 but the Bulldogs have won two of the last three meetings. McLouth won last season 30-14 and Oskaloosa won 25-8 in 2021.

Brandon’s Pick: McLouth
Justin’s Pick: McLouth
Jared’s Pick: McLouth

1A DISTRICT 4

(1-5) Onaga at (2-4) Troy – TVL

Onaga lost in a non-district game at home versus Christ Prep last week 32-0. The Buffaloes were only able to complete one pass for 11 yards in the loss, and they were only able to get 2.6 yards per carry in their 51 rushing attempts. Despite a rough season, Onaga can still make the playoffs, but they must win this week to give themselves a chance. If they lose, they will be eliminated from postseason play. They also have a chance to avoid the basement of the TVL standings with a win.

Troy had a tough go last week as they lost a key district game at Jackson Heights 48-12. The Trojans defense gave up over 400 rushing yards including three 100+ yard rushers. Gannon Bowe had a rushing touchdown, and he also threw a touchdown to Alex Dishon. Troy has lost three of their last four games with the lone win in that stretch coming against Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Both teams are desperate for a district win as both teams enter their matchup in week seven 0-2 in district play. The Trojans have won five of the last six meetings against the Buffaloes including three straight. Last year’s win for Troy was 42-13 with Onaga’s last win over Troy coming back in 2009.

Brandon’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Jared’s Pick: Troy

(2-4) Riverside at (5-1) Centralia

The Cyclones lost 60-3 at Sabetha last week, but it was a non-district game for Riverside. Last week was their fourth game with less than 15 points this season. They hope to shake off that performance as they control their own destiny en route to a playoff berth with a 1-1 district record. A second win would give them a spot in the playoffs for sure.

The absence of Jacob Flentie was felt in last week’s 35-6 loss at home against Garden Plain in a non-district bout. The will continue to revolve around Maveryk Becker who is having a stellar senior campaign with 562 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also leads the team in receptions (15), receiving yards (310), and receiving touchdowns (5). They are hoping to avoid back-to-back games since their first two games of the 2018 season. Their 35 points allowed is the most in a regular season game since Week 8 of 2021.

These two teams have met just twice with Centralia winning both matchups. Last year’s game saw Riverside score the second-most points against the Panthers all year, but Centralia ended up winning 26-20.

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

1A DISTRICT 5

(5-1) Valley Heights at (4-2) Wabaunsee

The Mustangs survived a high-scoring tight battle against 3A Marysville last week by a final score of 38-30. There were 699 yards of combined total offense with Valley Heights getting 367. Carson Spoonts, Jayden DeWalt, and Kaison Bigham all had rushing touchdown with Bigham leading the team in rushing with 13 carries for 102 yards. Spoonts was 4-for-7 with 97 yards and a touchdown connection with Royce Ekstrum. The Mustangs have now won five games in a row since their season-opening loss at Centralia.

The Chargers have been playing in streaks of two games with two wins to start the year, followed by two losses, followed by two more wins. Last week they won 30-6 at Sacred Heart to give them their second district win. Their offense has been solid with 39 points per game and their defense complimenting it with only 14.3 points allowed per game. This will be Wabaunsee’s last district game.

Wabaunsee has won the last two meetings being last year and in 2021, but before that, Valley Heights had won the last eight dating back to 2006. Last year’s game resulted in a 56-8 blowout loss for the ‘Stangs.

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

2A DISTRICT 3

(5-1) Silver Lake at (0-6) Maur Hill-Mount Academy

The Eagles won the Mid-East League with a perfect 4-0 record in its final year ahead of their merger with the Big 7 next year. They now hope to add a district title to their already extensive trophy case. Silver Lake is 2-0 in district play which is a half-game up ACCHS (2-1). Their season ends next week with a possible district-deciding home game against ACCHS.

The Ravens struggled finding the endzone in their 44-6 loss at ACCHS last week, but quarterback Luke Seibert had his most efficient day throwing it with a completion percentage near 60% in his 22 passes he attempted. He also had his first touchdown over the air since week three and his second-highest quarterback rating of the season.

Silver Lake has never lost to MHMA in the four times they have played. In three of the four meetings, the Eagles have scored 50+ points, and in all four meetings MHMA has scored less than 15 points.

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

(3-3) Rossville at (2-4) Pleasant Ridge

The Bulldogs are coming off a surprise victory on the road against Holton as they shut out the Wildcats 21-0. Camden Horak didn’t have his best game with just 31 rushing yards on 19 carries and completing only 50% of his passes and an interception. However, he did get a touchdown on the ground and over the air. His younger brother Tayson Horak helped in a big way on the ground with 75 yards on just seven carries. Rossville sits third in their district, a half-game behind ACCHS, who they beat 70-0 a few weeks ago.

The Rams are right behind Rossville in fourth place in the district at 1-2 with this being their final game in district play. They’re looking to bounce back after a 54-0 road loss to Silver Lake. The Rams have now lost three of their last four games with their lone win in that stretch being against Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Pleasant Ridge has never bested Rossville in their nine all-time meetings dating back to 2010. The Bulldogs have shut out the Rams in six of those nine games.

Brandon’s Pick: Rossville
Justin’s Pick: Rossville
Jared’s Pick: Rossville

2A DISTRICT 4

(3-3) Riley County at (6-0) Nemaha Central

The Falcons have one of the toughest schedules in the state. Their losses are at Silver Lake, at home versus Rock Creek and at Sabetha. They also grinded out a tough win at Rossville in Week 2. Now, they must face the #1 team in 2A on the road in Nemaha Central. Fortunately for them, they have already clinched a playoff spot.

Carter Hajek was busy last week in their 24-0 win at Minneapolis as the sophomore quarterback ran 38 times for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Their defense has now played five consecutive games without giving up a single point. The only points they allowed was a singular touchdown in their season opener against Holton.

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

(6-0) Sabetha at (0-6) Horton – Sabetha Channel

Sabetha gave Riverside the beats last week 60-3 in a non-district, Big 7 showdown. The 60 points were the most points scored by the Bluejays in a 10-game stretch going back to last season. Sabetha’s defense remains one of the best units in the state as they’ve given up more than 10 points in a game just one time through six games this season.

Horton’s struggles continued in 2023 with a loss last week at Riley County 56-0 to drop to 0-6. Riley County finished the game with over 400 yards of offense while the Chargers could only muster up 61 yards of total offense. The Chargers offense has been shutout in three straight games and haven’t scored since week three at Valley Falls.

Sabetha is 9-0 against Horton dating back to 2008 with last year’s win being in dominant fashion 62-7.

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

3A DISTRICT 4

(1-5) Royal Valley at (1-5) Jefferson West – Big 7

Royal Valley has played a difficult schedule this season and that theme continued last week with a 49-0 loss at home against 3A #3 Hayden. The Panthers have lost three straight games since their lone win of the season against Riverside. The Panthers are in danger of missing the playoffs as they are last in the district standings at 0-2 and -42 points.

Just like Royal Valley, Jefferson West has also played a gauntlet of a schedule this season but had a chance last week at Perry-Lecompton. The Kaws were able to hold on for the 19-12 win which dropped the Tigers to 1-5. Jefferson West has dropped four straight since their lone win of the season at Hiawatha.

The series between the Tigers and Panthers is 8-8 going back to 2004. Royal Valley won the meeting last season 46-0 which snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tigers against the Panthers.

Brandon’s Pick: Royal Valley
Justin’s Pick: Royal Valley
Jared’s Pick: Jefferson West

(3-3) Holton at (6-0) Hayden – KNZA 103.9 & Holton Channel

Holton was completely dominated last week at home against Rossville 21-0 as their three-game win streak was snapped. The Wildcats could only muster a handful of first downs and were held to 93 total yards of offense in the non-district game. Holton also had three turnovers and defensively couldn't get off the field allowing Rossville to convert 11 of 16 times on third down.

#3 Hayden continued their dominant season with a 49-0 win at Royal Valley to remain unbeaten. Hayden has not allowed a point in three games as they’ve shut out Royal Valley, Perry-Lecompton, and Jefferson West in their last three. They’ve also posted strong resume type wins early in the season against Olpe, Rossville, and Silver Lake. 

The district title is on the line between Holton and Hayden with these two teams playing for the district title last season with Holton winning that game. The two teams met again in the Sub-State round of the playoffs with Holton winning that game and advancing to the state championship.

Brandon’s Pick: Hayden
Justin’s Pick: Hayden
Jared’s Pick: Hayden

3A DISTRICT 5

(2-4) Marysville at (1-5) Hiawatha – Hiawatha Channel

Marysville suffered a non-district loss last week to a strong 1A opponent in Valley Heights 38-30. Valley Heights rushed for 270 yards in the game. It was the Bulldogs second straight loss after they had won back-to-back games against Chapman and Concordia.

Hiawatha dropped their fifth straight game last week 69-13 at Rock Creek in district play. Hiawatha is the lone team in the district without a win and is in danger of missing the playoffs again this season. Marysville is currently 1-1 in district play sitting in the middle of the standings and behind both undefeated teams Rock Creek and Clay Center.

Hiawatha is 1-6 against Marysville dating back to 2004. The Bulldogs have won five straight in the series including last season 43-13. The Redhawks last win over Marysville was back in 2005.

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

NON-DISTRICT – NEKL

(4-2) ACCHS at (5-1) Jackson Heights – Cobra Channel

ACCHS won the battle of Atchison County last week with a 44-6 win over Maur Hill-Mount Academy in both league and district play. ACCHS rushed for over 300 yards with Jeston Vessar rushing for 123 yards and two scores. The Tigers have won back-to-back games against Pleasant Ridge and MH-MA since losing 70-0 at the hands of Rossville.

Jackson Heights bounced back in a big way, beating Troy last week 48-12 in a key district game. That was after the Cobras had suffered their first loss of the season against Centralia. The Cobras rushed for north of 400 yards and had three 100+ yard rushers. Kade Holliday rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown, Weston Schultejans rushed for 111 yards on just six carries and a score, and Josh Smith added 101 yards and a touchdown.

A win for Jackson Heights would secure at least a share of the NEKL title this season and it would be an outright league title with a win and a Jefferson County North loss to Valley Falls. It will end the run of back-to-back league titles for ACCHS.

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

NON-DISTRICT

(2-4) Perry-Lecompton at (6-0) Atchison – KAIR 93.7

The Kaws were able to hold off Jefferson West last week 19-12 for their second win of the season. The Kaws scored all 19 of their points in the first quarter. Tristan Gorden had rushing touchdowns of 47 and 58 yards and led the game with 228 rushing yards. The win also snapped a three-game losing streak for Perry-Lecompton.

Atchison remains the top scoring offense in Class 4A as they dominated at Highland Park last Thursday 64-8. Atchison is averaging 61.5 points per game, and they haven’t scored less than 48 points in a game all season. They gave up 42 points in their season opening win against Ottawa but are allowing just 9.4 points per game over their last five. The win for the Phoenix clinched them at least a share of their second straight Meadowlark Conference title.

Atchison won the matchup last season against Perry-Lecompton 34-22 which was the first meeting between the two schools since 2009.

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