By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
The Week's Top Contests
No. 6 Blue Valley 42, No. 2 Olathe North 41
It was fitting that this high scoring, on the edge of your seat first round district contest would come down to the final ticks of the clock Friday.
Unfortunately for Olathe North kicker Jared Morss, his 19-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining missed its mark handing the Eagles their first loss since falling to top-ranked Olathe East, 14-13, in the first week of the season.
The Eagles also misfired on an extra point following David Blazevic’s 1-yard plunge that gave Olathe North its final lead, setting up the opportunity for the Tigers to win in regulation.
Christian Ensz’s extra point kick following Luke Rampy’s 15-yard scoring strike from Tiger quarterback Anthony Abenoja proved to be the game winner in a contest in which Blue Valley was constantly playing catch up.
With the win, Blue Valley pulled out its second straight ‘W’ over a top-notch foe.
A week earlier, the Tigers upended Class 5A’s top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas 31-7. With the two wins, Blue Valley appears capable of winning its first state title since claiming the 5A title in 2006.
The first half, which entertained fans on both sides of the field with five scoring plays of 20 yards or more, ended with a 21-21 tie following a 1-yard plunge by Blue Valley’s Tanner Purdon.
In the third quarter, Eagle running back James Franklin, who rushed for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns on 35 carries, gave Olathe North its largest lead with touchdown runs of 59 and 42 yards.
But Blue Valley narrowed the gap on a Tyler VanGerpen 15 yard scoring reception from signal caller Anthony Abenoja, and tied the score on Trevor Cornley’s 48-yard run.
“It was a good high school football game,” Flood told the Kansas City Star. “It’s just kind of one of those deals. We played a good football team.”
Other District Contests Matching Ranked Teams
* Class 6A No. 5 Shawnee Mission West continued its undefeated season with a 17-10 win over No. 9 Shawnee Mission Northwest.
* Class 5A top-ranked Gardner-Edgerton blanked No. 8 Pittsburg 35-0.
* Class 5A No. 3 Hutchinson continued its climb back toward the top with a 68-7 blasting of No. 2 McPherson.
* Class 4A No. 1 Topeka-Hayden began district play with a 50-20 win over No. 7 Hesston.
* Class 4A No. 4 Andale secured a spot in the top 5 for another week with a 48-27 victory over No. 5 Buhler.
* Class 3A No. 2 Garden Plain edged No. 4 Conway Springs 21-7.
* Class 3A No. 3 Riverton knocked off No. 8 Galena 45-6.
Top Individual Performances
Rushing
Garrett Breech of Flinthills Christian rushed for 395 yards and 6 touchdowns on 37 carries in a 45-24 win over Hutchinson Central Christian…Nickerson’s Weston Cottrell rushed for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Haven…Curry Sexton of Abilene rushed for 289 yards and 5 touchdowns on 26 carries in a 35-7 win over Chapman…Sunrise Christian’s Andrew Westerfield rushed for 276 yards and 5 touchdowns on 27 carries in a 70-64 double overtime win over Cair Paravel…Derek Barrett of Pike Valley rushed for 272 yards and 5 touchdowns on 37 carries in a 66-42 win over Rock Hills…Eudora’s Ryan Fisher rushed for 272 yards and 5 touchdowns on 46 carries in a 41-33 loss to Perry-Lecompton…James Franklin of Olathe North rushed for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns on 35 carries in a 42-41 loss to Blue Valley…Ellinwood’s Glenn Whitaker rushed for 248 yards in a 37-35 loss to Lyons…Lucas Humerickhouse of West Franklin rushed for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns on 33 carries in a 39-20 win over Osage City…Santa Fe Trail’s Caleb Cook rushed for 237 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 46-18 loss to Baldwin.
Passing
Spenser Bennett of Sumner Academy completed 21 of 37 passes for 321 yards and 1 touchdown in a 17-15 loss to Kansas City Turner…Blue Valley’s Anthony Abenoja completed 16 of 34 passes for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-41 win over Olathe North…Mitch Buhler of Rossville completed 14 of 17 passes for 308 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 62-8 win over Mission Valley…Perry-Lecompton’s Shane Gimzo completed 17 of 20 passes for 299 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 41-33 win over Eudora…Jordan Gosch of Mulvane completed 24 of 33 passes for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 47-23 loss to Andover Central…Ashland’s Jay Luerman passed for 271 yards in a 28-14 loss to Haviland…Blake Bell of Bishop Carroll completed 18 of 26 passes for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 54-6 win over Wichita West…Cair Paravel’s Jeremy Wynne completed 7 of 13 passes for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 70-64 double overtime loss to Sunrise Christian…Kevin Ritz of Bishop Miege completed 8 of 13 passes for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Spring Hill…Wichita Independent’s Sam Dunne completed 11 of 12 passes for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 41-0 win over Bluestem.
Receiving
Jake Copp of Cair Paravel caught 7 passes for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 70-64 double overtime loss to Sunrise Christian…Rossville’s Matt Buhler caught 9 passes for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 62-8 win over Mission Valley…Tyler Springer of Mulvane caught 14 passes for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 47-23 loss to Andover Central…Ashland’s Ervin Swonger caught 165 yards in passes in a 28-14 loss to Haviland…Marcus Webb of Shawnee Mission East caught 5 passes for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 19-3 win over Shawnee Mission North…Holcomb’s Tyler Terry caught 152 yards in passes in a 57-7 win over Southwestern Heights…Tyler Dunham of Derby caught 6 passes for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Wichita Southeast…Sumner Academy’s Charvis Johnson caught 10 passes for 137 yards and 1 touchdown in a 17-15 loss to Kansas City Turner…Levi Miller of South Central caught 132 yards in passes in a 52-6 win over Bucklin.
Week 7 Football Rankings
Class 6A
1. Olathe East (7-0) 221-47
2. Derby (7-0) 263-164
3. Junction City (7-0) 288-93
4. Shawnee Mission West (7-0) 272-75
5. Blue Valley (6-1) 224-128
6. Olathe North (5-2) 259-95
7. Manhattan (6-1) 179-52
8. Wichita East (6-1) 243-107
9. Wichita Heights (6-1) 244-85
10. Wichita Northwest (5-2) 224-104
Class 5A
1. Gardner-Edgerton (7-0) 301-24
2. Hutchinson (5-2) 315-110
3. Bishop Carroll (6-1) 301-99
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1) 260-92
5. Lansing (7-0) 269-134
6. Mill Valley (6-1) 150-98
7. McPherson (6-1) 244-155
8. Emporia (5-2) 212-144
9. Salina South (5-2) 210-159
10. Great Bend (5-2) 201-168
Class 4A
1. Topeka Hayden (6-1) 260-75
2. Andover (6-1) 225-109
3. Andover Central (6-1) 222-69
4. Andale (6-1) 252-61
5. Holton (6-1) 247-131
6. Cheney (6-1) 198-90
7. Buhler (5-2) 209-165
8. Columbus (6-1) 178-82
9. Baldwin (6-1) 200-111
10. Iola (6-1) 224-114
Class 3A
1. Silver Lake (7-0) 292-45
2. Garden Plain (7-0) 327-41
3. Riverton (7-0) 349-34
4. Beloit (7-0) 376-35
5. Wichita Collegiate (7-0) 247-73
6. Conway Springs (5-2) 278-60
7. Norton (5-2) 225-115
8. Scott City (7-0) 228-52
9. Holcomb (6-1) 200-54
10. Marysville (6-1) 228-103
Class 2-1A
1. Smith Center (7-0) 311-57
2. LaCrosse (7-0) 365-76
3. St. Francis (6-1) 224-80
4. Pittsburg-Colgan (6-1) 256-119
5. Ellis (6-1) 152-74
6. Olpe (7-0) 316-36
7. St. Marys (5-2) 173-88
8. Meade (7-0) 356-42
9. Ell-Saline (7-0) 292-71
10. Centralia (6-1) 249-86
Class 8-Man 1
1. Baileyville B&B (7-0) 358-82
2. Madison/Hamilton (7-0) 348-26
3. Goessel (6-1) 294-75
4. Deerfield (7-0) 370-168
5. Quinter (7-0) 366-100
6. Claflin (5-2) 326-182
7. Pretty Prairie (6-1) 268-76
8. Clifton-Clyde (6-1) 296-126
9. Macksville (4-3) 246-146
10. Crest (6-1) 298-146
Class 8-Man 2
1. Victoria (7-0) 308-130
2. St. Johns-Beloit (6-0) 293-40
3. Hanover (6-1) 342-82
4. Quivira Heights (6-1) 305-92
5. Cunningham (7-0) 400-178
6. Pawnee Heights (6-1) 376-192
7. Wallace County (5-2) 290-110
8. Moscow (6-1) 298-96
9. Axtell (5-2) 276-158
10. South Central (6-1) 312-132