2024 Pick Records

Brandon

Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2023 Record: 159-25
2022 Record: 172-29

Justin

Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2023 Record: 160-24
2022 Record: 174-27

Kryndon

Last week: n/a
Overall:  n/a

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

KMZA 92.1 FM – Onaga at Doniphan West
KNZA 103.9 FM – Horton at Valley Falls
KAIR 93.7 FM – Ottawa at Atchison
KOZA 96.9 FM – Rossville at Silver Lake
Hiawatha Channel – Hiawatha at Royal Valley
Holton Channel – Sabetha at Holton
Sabetha Channel – Sabetha at Holton

Week 1 Games

NON-LEAGUE

Hanover at Ell-Saline (8-Man)

Hanover is coming off a 6-5 season last year which included multiple playoff wins on the road at Lakeside and Lebo. The five losses for Hanover last season were against teams that made deep playoff runs or played in the state title game. Matt Heuer returns for his 20th season as the head coach of the Wildcats as they return five starters on both sides of the ball.

The Ell-Saline Cardinals finished last season 10-2 overall and were one win away from the 8M-I State Championship game. They lost their first game of the season to Moundridge and would win 10 straight games before the loss to Wichita County in the Sub-State round. The run included wins over TVL opponents Clifton-Clyde and Washington County.

Both teams are ranked to start the 2024 season with Ell Saline #3 in 8Man 1 and Hanover #6 in 8Man 2. The Cardinals won at Hanover in week two last season 44-28 and they’ve outscored the Wildcats 94-42 in the two wins in the last two seasons. This will be the third all-time meeting between Hanover and Ell-Saline.

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

Republic County at Troy

The Republic County Buffaloes are looking for a fresh start in 2024 after finishing last season 0-9. They scored double digit points in only one game, and they gave up 50 or more points in all but two games. One of their notable losses was to Valley Heights in week four 52-0.

Troy is looking for a rebound season after going 4-5 last season and going one-and-done in the playoffs with a loss to Jefferson County North. They played much better in the second half of the season winning three of their last four regular season games. Derek Jasper enters year 12 as the head coach and is 71-43 during his time at the helm. Gannon Bowe leads the Trojans offense at quarterback throwing for 2,033 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Republic County and Troy.

Brandon’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Kryndon’s Pick: Troy 

Marysville at Nemaha Central

Marysville is coming off a 3-6 season last year and it ended in the first round of the playoffs with a loss at Hesston. The Bulldogs will enter year three under head coach Tony Trimble. The Bulldogs are hoping to turn things around in 2024 with their last winning season coming back in 2019. Will Otott leads the charger at quarterback as he was Marysville’s leading rusher last season with 789 yards and 13 touchdowns.

It was a picture perfect season for Nemaha Central in 2023 as they went a perfect 13-0 and captured their second straight Class 2A State Championship. They had a stretch where they posted eight straight shutouts outscoring their week two thru week nine opponents 333-0. Sports in Kansas 2A Offensive Player of the Year Carter Hajek returns at quarterback. Last season as a sophomore, Hajek finished with 2,431 rushing yards, 962 passing yards, and 53 total touchdowns.

The Thunder enter 2024 with 26 straight wins and they’ve won 30 of their last 31 games going back to the middle of the 2021 season.

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

Ottawa at Atchison (KAIR 93.7 FM)

The Ottawa Cyclones are coming off a 3-6 campaign last season with their three wins coming against Baldwin, Eudora, and Bonner Springs. The three wins are the most put up in a season since they went 8-3 back in 2016. Ottawa hosted Atchison last season in the opener and played the Phoenix tough but Atchison won the game 48-42.

Atchison posted another strong season last year finishing 10-1 overall and securing their second straight Meadowlark Conference title. After the six-point week one win at Ottawa last season, the Phoenix would outscore their next eight opponents 429-54 as they boasted one of the top offenses in the state. Jim Smith enters his 26th year as the head coach and is 140-106 during his tenure. Jaden Carter returns as an all-league running back after finishing last season with 776 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Atchison defeated Ottawa 31-24 in 2022 and that was the first meeting between the schools since 2003.

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

TWIN VALLEY LEAGUE

Axtell at Linn (8-Man)

Axtell succeeded in becoming the second team ever in 8-Man II to three-peat (Hanover in 2016-2018 being the other). The Eagles have the longest winning streak in the state at 39 games entering 2024 which is also one of the longest streaks in the nation. During the winning streak, only two of those games were one-score games. They outscored their opponents last season 734-88. This year, they truly have a chance to do something even more unprecedented. No team in state history has won four straight state titles in the same 8-Man classification.

The Linn Bulldogs are coming off a season where they dealt with injuries and low numbers but at times showed some flashes. They ended 2023 with a 3-6 record and it was certainly up and down at times. In all of their games last season, at least one of the team’s playing scored more than 40 points. Linn also put up a staggering 92 points in their week nine game versus Pike Valley. Trevor Kuhlman is entering his fourth season as the head coach as they will be looking for their first winning since 2005.

Axtell has dominated Linn winning 10 of the last 11 meetings including nine straight with last year’s 56-6 win. The last time Linn defeated Axtell 42-24 back in 2005.

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

Blue Valley-Randolph at Washington County (8-Man)

The Blue Valley-Randolph Rams finished last season with a record of 4-5 which included a 2-4 mark in Twin Valley League play and a 2-3 mark in district games. The Rams lost to Axtell, Hanover, and Frankfort in the middle of the season but finished with back-to-back wins over Doniphan West and Linn before first round playoff loss at Osborne. Quinton Cravens enters his second season as the head coach as they bring back some quality talent which includes multiple four-year starters.

The Washington County Tigers are coming off a 3-6 season and they will enter 2024 under new direction with Jason Hamm taking over as the head coach. The Tigers were a young roster last season as they only had three seniors and three juniors with the rest filled out with freshmen and sophomores. They will return multiple starters on both sides of the ball and will look to improve offensively after averaging just 18 points per game last season.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Washington County and Blue Valley-Randolph.

Brandon’s Pick: Blue Valley Randolph 
Justin’s Pick: Blue Valley Randolph
Kryndon’s Pick: Blue Valley Randolph 

Frankfort at Clifton-Clyde (8-Man)

The Frankfort Wildcats bounced back last season after an underwhelming 2022 season in which they finished below .500 for the first time since 2017. They went 9-3 last season and made their second Sub-State appearance in the last four seasons. They lost to Axtell twice and Lyndon (8M-I State Champs). In their nine wins, they outscored their opponents 448-94. Wes Anderson is an all-state caliber quarterback who returns after throwing for 2,184 yards which was first among 8-Man quarterbacks and 13th across all classifications.

The Clifton-Clyde Eagles posted a strong 2023 season finishing 7-3 overall. However, the playoffs have not been particularly kind to the Eagles over the past decade. They lost in the second round last season to Wichita County. Clifton-Clyde hasn’t won multiple playoff games since 2013. The Eagles have to replace multiple key pieces and will enter year #24 under head coach Russ Steinbrock.

This will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and Eagles since 2017 with Clifton-Clyde winning that matchup 46-0. They’ve split the last four meetings which were played between 2014 and 2017.

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

Onaga at Doniphan West (92.1 KMZA)

The Onaga Buffaloes finished last season with a record of 2-7 which included an 0-3 mark in Twin Valley League play. One of their two wins was against Kickapoo Nation which was a non-KSHSAA sanctioned school, but they would close the season with a 65-22 win over Valley Falls. Head coach Ben Kolterman enters his seventh season leading the program. Onaga will look to improve offensively in 2024 after scoring a total of 67 points in their seven losses.

Doniphan West will charge into 2024 under second year head coach John Paolino. Last season was tough for the Mustangs as they were able to get their lone win of the season in the final game against Marais Des Cygnes Valley. Things change this season for D-West as they step up from 8-Man to Class 1A 11-Man action. The Mustangs are returning 13 total letterwinners this season which include seven on offense and six on defense.

This is the first meeting between Onaga and Doniphan West since 2019 with the Buffaloes winning that game 42-36. The Mustangs beat Onaga in 2018 by a final score of 58-20.

Brandon’s Pick: Onaga 
Justin’s Pick: Onaga
Kryndon’s Pick: Onaga 

Centralia at Valley Heights

The Centralia Panthers finished last season with an 8-2 record and dealt with some key injuries throughout the season. They would reach the regional round of the playoffs, but the season ended to state runner-up Jefferson County North 16-0. They went a perfect 3-0 to capture the TVL title with their lone loss in the regular season coming against Garden Plain. Jacob Flentie returns at quarterback for his senior season after playing through a torn ACL last season. Centralia averaged over 34 points per game last season with Flentie earning Honorable Mention All-State honors.

Valley Heights is coming off one of their best seasons in school history with a run to the Sectional round of the playoffs and finishing with a record of 8-3. Their eight wins tied for the second most in school history. Centralia beat the Mustangs in a thrilling opener last season 18-16. They won six straight games after the loss to Centralia which was their longest winning streak since 2017. Head coach Cody Trimble enters his fourth season at the helm and is hoping to build off last season’s success.

The Panthers have dominated the recent series against Valley Heights winning eight straight and 14 of the last 15 meetings. Valley Heights’ lone win in that stretch was back in 2016.

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

BIG EAST

Hiawatha at Royal Valley (Hiawatha Channel)

The Hiawatha Redhawks will have a new head coach in 2024 as Wyatt Jiru takes over the program. Hiawatha finished last season 1-8 overall with their lone win coming against Royal Valley. The Redhawks are bringing back seven letterwinners from last season and multiple starters on both sides of the ball. They will need to improve on both sides of the ball as they scored only 10.5 points per game last season while allowing nearly 45 points per game to the opposition.

The Royal Valley Panthers finished last season with a record of 3-6 overall which included a 3-3 mark in Big 7 league play which was good for fourth place. The Panthers were able to qualify for the playoffs, but it was a first round exit with a 56-40 loss at Santa Fe Trail. David Boucher returns for his fourth year as the head coach as they bring back five starters on offense and nine on defense. They return to running backs in Jaxson Stevens and Nolan Bausch. Stevens was first team all-league last year rushing for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns while Bausch added 552 yards and four touchdowns.

Hiawatha won the matchup in week one last season 14-13 and have won four straight in the series. The last win for Royal Valley was back in 2019. Since 2004, these two teams have played 20 times with both teams winning 10.

Brandon’s Pick: Royal Valley 
Justin’s Pick: Royal Valley
Kryndon’s Pick: Royal Valley 

Sabetha at Holton (Sabetha & Holton Channels)

The Sabetha Bluejays in 2023 finished one game away from the 2A State Championship game as they posted a record of 10-2. The Bluejays lost to Nemaha Central 17-7 in the sub-state round. Both losses were to the Thunder, and they were 10-0 against everyone else. The Bluejays outscored those ten opponents 439-101. The Bluejays will have as much turnover as any team in the Big East league including a new head coach with Kaleb Moeller taking over for Garrett Michael.

Despite a tough start to 2023, the Holton Wildcats turned their season around quickly finishing 7-5 and making the sub-state round for a fourth straight season. Brooks Barta returns for his 28th season and has compiled a record of 264-64 making the playoffs in 26 consecutive seasons. During that stretch, Holton has made sub-state in 13 of those seasons and have played in the championship game eight times. Four starters return on offense and will look to continue to the ground and pound behind a rebuilt offensive line as the Cats averaged 380 rushing yards per game last season.

Sabetha won the matchup last season against Holton 24-8 which snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bluejays against the Wildcats. Since 2006, Holton has won 12 of the 18 meetings against the Bluejays.

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

Riley County at Jefferson West

The Riley County Falcons are one the four teams to make the jump from the Mid-East league to join the now called Big East league. The Falcons are coming off a 5-5 season with their season coming to an end in the second round of the playoffs with a loss to Nemaha Central. Erik Willimon returns for his fourth season as the head coach and has quality talent returning on both sides of the ball. Riley County could boast the best linebacking core in the league with Sam Allen, Brett Hopper, Trent Webber, and Rielyn Woodward.

It was a tough 2023 season for the Jefferson West Tigers as they would finish 2-7 overall and 1-6 in league play. They were able to end the season with some positive momentum as they defeated Osawatomie 59-6 in their week nine game. Head coach David Bowen enters his fourth year as the head coach, and he will have nine returning starters on both sides of the ball which includes the leading tackler on defense and the leading receiver on offense.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Jefferson West and Riley County.

Brandon’s Pick: Riley County 
Justin’s Pick: Riley County
Kryndon’s Pick: Jefferson West 

Perry-Lecompton at St. Marys

The Perry-Lecompton Kaws finished last season with a record of 2-7 which included a 2-4 mark in Big 7 league play. The lone wins for the Kaws were against Jefferson West and Riverside. The season ended with a first round playoff loss at Wellsville. The Kaws will have 24 returning letterwinners under Mike Paramore who enters his 24th season as the head coach. Paramore is one of the more experienced coaches in the area with a 122-107 record with the Kaws and a career coaching record of 174-160.

St. Marys enters the 2024 season ranked #5 in Class 2A according to KPreps. The Bears bring quality tradition to the Big East league and will look to have a quality season in 2024 after going 7-4 last season. They beat Riverside and Jackson Heights in the first two rounds of the playoffs before their season ended against St. Marys-Colgan. The Bears have a new head coach this season with CJ Marple taking over the program.

This will be only the second all-time meeting between St. Marys and Perry-Lecompton. The Kaws defeated the Bears 27-21 back in 2017 in the first round of the playoffs.

Brandon’s Pick: St. Marys 
Justin’s Pick: St. Mary's
Kryndon’s Pick: St. Marys 

Rossville at Silver Lake (96.9 KOZA)

The Rossville Bulldogs enter 2024 as the #2 ranked team in Class 1A according to KPreps behind only the defending champion Conway Springs Cardinals. They went 5-4 last season and lost to Riley County in the first round of the playoffs. 1994 Emporia State grad Derick Hammes enters another season as the head coach and has compiled a record of 135-79 during his tenure. They bring back 18 letterwinners with six returning starters on offense and seven returning starters on defense.

The Silver Lake Eagles finished 8-2 last season and won the last Mid-East league title as they now join the Big East league. The season ended in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs with a loss at home to Sabetha. The only other loss they suffered was against 3A powerhouse Hayden. Logan Pegram enters his third season as the head coach and went 6-3 in his first year. Pegram was also the coach at Anderson County prior to his time at Silver Lake.

Silver Lake has won the last two “War on 24” meetings with their rival Rossville including last year 42-28. Rossville’s last win over Silver Lake was 36-8 in the playoffs back in 2021. Since 2004, these two teams have played 28 times with Silver Lake holding the 21-8 advantage.

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

NORTHEAST KANSAS LEAGUE

ACCHS at McLouth

After two years of dominating the NEKL and being on top in 2021 and 2022, ACCHS couldn’t quite replicate that dominance last season going 4-5 under first year head coach Kody Tegtmeier. Last year was a complete reset for the coaching staff as they brought in three new members. They started the year winning four of their first six games but lost three straight to end the season. ACCHS will return eight starters on offense and nine starters on defense.

The McLouth Bulldogs came out of nowhere last season and posted one of their best seasons in one time. The Bulldogs finished 5-4 which included their first 3-0 start for the first time in more than a decade. Despite the above .500 record, they were unable to make it out of district play and into the playoffs. Head coach Seth Mills enters his second season and is expecting to build off last season. They will have the luxury of returning nine starters on both sides of the ball.

ACCHS has won the last three meetings against McLouth with the most recent being 58-0 back in 2021.

Brandon’s Pick: ACCHS 
Justin’s Pick: McLouth
Kryndon’s Pick: McLouth 

Horton at Valley Falls (103.9 KNZA)

The Horton Chargers will look to reset after going 1-8 last season. The Chargers lost their first eight games of the season by a combined score of 367-42. The Chargers would end their season with a 30-20 win over Maur Hill-Mount Academy in their week nine game. Horton has a new head coach as Beau Gadwood takes over the program after serving as an assistant last role at Holton.

The Dragons of Valley Falls are looking to rebound after a tough 1-8 season last year. There only win of the season was against Horton in week three. Wyatt Hofstra returns for his fourth season as the head coach and sixth overall with the team. Valley Falls will have to replace five seniors and will have six incoming freshmen that could get some early time. Eight returning starters on both sides of the ball should provide a much better outlook in 2024.

Valley Falls beat Horton last season 34-24 and they have won their last three meetings against the Chargers. The last time Horton beat Valley Falls was 21-6 back in 2014.

Brandon’s Pick: Valley Falls 
Justin’s Pick:  Horton
Kryndon’s Pick: Horton 

Pleasant Ridge at Oskaloosa

The Pleasant Ridge Rams posted a 2-7 campaign last season with a 2-3 mark in NEKL play. The lone two wins for the Rams were put up in the first month of the season against Oskaloosa and Maur Hill-Mount Academy. Despite just two wins, the Rams were able to make the playoffs, but the season ended in the first round to Nemaha Central. Spencer Foster enters his second season as the head coach and noted despite the record, the team improved and got better throughout the course of the season.

The Oskaloosa Bears enter 2024 after posting a record of 3-6 last season. They had three blowout losses in the middle of the schedule before they ended a five-game losing streak with a win over McLouth. They did just enough to get into the playoffs, but the run ended in the first round with a loss to Centralia. The three wins matched their best win total since 2017. The Bears turn to a new head coach with Boone Heston, who graduated from Oskaloosa in 2008.

Pleasant Ridge has dominated this series since 2006. The Rams are 15-1 against Oskaloosa with the Bears lone win coming back in 2016. The Rams defeated Oskaloosa last season 21-16.

Brandon’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge 
Justin’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge
Kryndon’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge 

Jefferson County North at Maur Hill-Mount Academy

The Jefferson County North Chargers posted their best season in school history last year as they advanced through the playoffs to reach their first state championship game in school history. The magical run ended in the title game with a 35-6 loss to Conway Springs. They won sectional and sub-state games for the first time in school history, and they added their fourth NEKL title in the nine years that Jeff Schneider has been the head coach. They have as much turnover as any team in the area and must replace 11 seniors including multiple all-state caliber players.

The Maur Hill-Mount Academy Ravens went winless last year for the first time since 2009. Head coach Zack Fredrickson enters his third season leading the program and they move down from 2A to 1A this season. With the schedule toning down a little bit and 10 returning starters on both sides of the ball, MH-MA has a significant chance of putting some wins up on the board this season.

JCN won the last meeting against the Ravens 50-7 back in 2017. They have won three of the last four meetings against the Ravens with MH-MA’s lone win in that stretch coming back in 2011.

Brandon’s Pick: JCN 
Justin’s Pick: JCN
Kryndon’s Pick: JCN 

Jackson Heights at Riverside

Jackson Heights is coming off a very successful 2023 season in which they finished 8-2 and claimed a piece of the Northeast Kansas League title along with JCN. Their only loss in the regular season was against Centralia. They defeated Mission Valley 36-12 in the first round of the playoffs before losing to St. Marys 14-6 in the next round, despite leading that game 6-0 at halftime. The Cobras return nine starters on offense and eight starters on defense including all-state caliber quarterback Drake Mellies.

Riverside makes the jump from the Big 7 league and joins the Northeast Kansas League in 2024 along with Troy who made the jump to the league from the TVL. The Cyclones finished last season 2-7 with their two wins coming against Jefferson West and Onaga. Head coach Bryce Paden enters his sixth season at the helm and has compiled a record of 16-29 during his time. Riverside has plenty of experience returning with 10 starters back on both sides of the ball.

Jackson Heights beat Riverside last season 36-7 while Riverside beat the Cobras 28-12 in 2022. The lone meeting before that was back in 2011 with Riverside winning 48-8.

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