By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Class 6A Football Playoffs
Olathe North demonstrated its desire to get back to where it feels it belongs with a resounding 32-16 win over third-ranked Shawnee Mission Northwest Friday night. The Eagles, who have been a mainstay in the deep rounds of the playoffs in recent years, used a game-changing defense to get back there.
Doug Peete's 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown changed all momentum and gave the Eagles a 25-10 fourth quarter lead. The win allowed Olathe North to avenge its only loss of the season, a 45-22 setback to Northwest in the third week of the season. North also relied on the rushing power of James Franklin. The sophomore back followed his blocks and used his quick feet to tally 214 yards on 30 carries.
Olathe South will be North's opponent in one semifinal game this Friday. The Falcons locked up a rematch with their cross-town rival by edging Olathe East 21-17. After trailing 17-7 in the third quarter, South's Kyson Ginavan returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown and Falcon quarterback Mike Keese connected with Alex Nixon for a 26-yard score.
Top-ranked Hutchinson will face Goddard in the other semifinal game. The Salt Hawks, owners of a 34-game winning streak, just keep rolling along in an attempt to win their fourth straight state title. Hutchinson's last loss was a 42-14 setback to Salina Central during the third week of the 2005 season.
The Salt Hawks made the round of four by posting a 56-6 win over Wichita Southeast Friday. Hutchinson led just 14-0 at halftime, but Romero Cotton scored touchdowns on the Salt Hawk's first two-second half possessions to open the game up. Cotton led the way for Hutchinson by rushing for 149 yards on just 10 carries and scored three touchdowns.
Goddard punched its ticket to the semifinals by posting a 20-13 win over Junction City. Ryan Smith led the Lions into the rematch with Hutchinson by rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Goddard fell to Hutchinson 21-7 in October.
Class 5A
Mike Besler threw four touchdown passes in Blue Valley West's 55-0 blanking of Bishop Miege Friday to push the Jaguars into a repeat match with St. Thomas Aquinas. Besler finished the night with 204 passing yards on 13 of 17 passing. Brian Grover caught six passes for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
Aquinas' defense played a key role in assuring the rematch by intercepting four Gardner-Edgerton passes in a 21-0 win. The Saints also stopped the Trailblazers on three crucial fourth down attempts in the second half. Kyler Reed rushed for 120 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns in the win.
Bishop Carroll drove 92 yards in the final three minutes of their 17-14 win over Great Bend to secure a spot in the semifinals against Salina Central. The Golden Eagles rode the success of a 26-yard hook-and-lateral play to secure the three-point win. Salina
Central workhorse Andrew Braxton was a huge reason Central was able to land in the other semifinal spot. Braxton ran the ball 39 times for 195 yards and a touchdown in the 28-14 win. Wyatt Hall added 115 yards on the ground on just nine carries and three scores.
Class 4A
Unranked Baldwin appears to be playing the Cinderella role in this year's 4A playoffs. The Bulldogs have knocked Bishop Ward, Maryville and Columbus out of the playoffs, and have done so in convincing fashion.
Maryville's 28-7 loss to the Frontier League school has been the Bulldogs' closest challenge in the playoffs. Baldwin made it to the semifinals by knocking off Columbus 56-22. Louisburg will try to stop Baldwin's run in the semifinals. The Wildcats eeked out a 10-3 win over Holton when Colby Kueser scooped up a fumble with 2:02 left in the contest and raced 60 yards for the only touchdown of the game.
Andale waited until the final three seconds of its 29-28 win to earn its spot in the semifinals. The defending champs fended off second-ranked Topeka-Hayden with a 20-yard field goal for the one-point win. Andale fell behind 14-0 and 28-20 in the contest before quarterback Bret Macari's heroics.
Ulysses edged Mulvane 20-17 for the spot opposite Andale. Andrew Anderson and Jerrod Grimes combined to rush for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the win for Ulysses.
Class 3A
Top-ranked Silver Lake had a huge night offensively in a 48-19 win over Central Heights. And they used balance to achieve it. Cameron Renfro rushed for 217 yards and touchdown runs of 2, 1 and 4 yards on 26 carries. But he was only part of the equation. Tyler Roberts was his usual self in throwing for 260 yards and three more scores after completing 17 of 27 passes. Quinn Bruce got his hands on 11 Roberts passes and racked up 159 yards and all three touchdowns through the air.
With the win the Eagles will play Rossville, a 31-13 winner over Riverton. Ethan Brown passed the Bulldogs into the semifinals by connecting on 17 of 24 aerials for 230 yards and three scores.
The other semifinal will pit second-ranked Garden Plain against Conway Springs. Logan Dold led the Owls to a 55-7 win over Hoisington by rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. Conway Springs edged Scott City 6-0 in their quarterfinal contest. Caleb Brill's 1-yard run with 4:56 left in the first half was the deciding points in the game.
Class 2-1A
Smith Center's try at a fourth straight 2-1A state title is still in the cards after a 56-0 blanking of previously undefeated Oakley. It was thought that the Plainsmen had a shot at stopping Smith Center's string of 11 straight shutouts. Now it's up to St. Francis. The Indians nearly ended Smith Center's run last season when they fell to the Redmen 6-2. St. Francis made the semifinals by posting a 47-14 win over Minneapolis.
Second-ranked Pittsburg-Colgan thumped Lyndon 55-7 to set up its match with unranked St. Mary's. The Bears upset seventh-ranked Humboldt 24-6 in their quarterfinal contest.
Eight-Man Championships
Both eight-man title games are set for this Saturday at Fischer Field in Newton. In eight-man 1 undefeated and eighth-ranked Hanover is set to battle undefeated and second-ranked Macksville.
Preston Schotte passed for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Wildcats as they qualified for the championship game with a 28-26 win over third-ranked Clifton-Clyde.
Macksville also took to the air in its 38-34 semifinal win over unranked Pawnee Heights. Jared Loomis connected on 12 of 17 passes for 171 yards and three scores. Sergio Espino caught four passes for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
South Haven and Sharon Springs will battle in the eight-man 2 championship game. Both teams are undefeated. Derrick Spencer paced South Haven to a 28-14 win over Hope by rushing for 162 yards and a couple of scores on 25 carries. Sharon Springs secured a spot in the finals by edging Quivira Heights 26-22.
Top Rushing Performances
Cameron Renfro carried the ball 26 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns for Silver Lake in a 48-19 win over Central Heights.Olathe North's James Franklin rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries in a 32-16 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest.JaVon Williams ran for 221 yards and a pair of scores on 33 carries for Olathe East in a 21-17 loss to Olathe South.Salina Central's Andrew Braxton ran the ball 39 times for 195 yards and a touchdown in a 28-14 win over McPherson.Logan Dold ran for 182 yards and four scores on 15 carries for Garden Plain in a 55-7 win over Hoisington.South Haven's Derrick Spencer ran the ball 25 times for 162 yards and a pair of scores in a 28-14 win over Hope.Romero Cotton needed just 10 carries to run for 149 yards and three touchdowns for top-ranked Hutchinson in a 56-6 win over Wichita Southeast.Topeka-Hayden's T. J. McGreevy ran the ball 19 times for 147 yards and three scores in a 29-28 loss to top-ranked Andale.Kyler Reed carried the ball 13 times for 120 yards and a pair of scores for St. Thomas Aquinas in a 21-0 win over Gardner-Edgerton.Goddard's Ryan Smith ran the ball 22 times for 119 yards and a touchdown in a 20-13 win over Junction City.Wyatt Hall carried the ball just nine times for 115 yards and three scores for Salina Central in a 28-14 win over McPherson.Louisburg's Jason Spradling rushed for 110 yards on 25 carries in a 10-3 win over Holton.Andrew Anderson ran for 110 yards and a pair of scores on 27 carries for Ulysses in a 20-17 win over Mulvane.Bishop Carroll's Brett Steven carried the ball 16 times for 109 yards in a 17-14 win over Great Bend.Anthony Schuetz rushed for 108 yards on 21 carries for Holton in a 10-3 loss to Louisburg.Scott City's Calvin Hughes ran for 108 yards on 18 carries in a 6-0 loss to Conway Springs.Kade Neilson carried the ball 20 times for 107 yards for Lyndon in a 55-7 loss to Pittsburg-Colgan.Ulysses' Jerrod Grimes rushed the ball 16 times for 106 yards and a touchdown in a 20-17 win over Mulvane.Zach Carlton ran for 105 yards for Gardner-Edgerton in a 21-0 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.
Top Passing Performances
Kenny Wachter connected on 13 of 15 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns for Pittsburg-Colgan in a 55-7 win over Lyndon.Silver Lake's Tyler Roberts completed 17 of 27 passes for 260 yards and three scores in a 48-19 win over Central Heights.Jordan Welch completed just six of 21 aerials for 249 yards and a pair of scores for Central Heights in a 48-19 loss to Silver Lake.Rossville's Ethan Brown connected on 17 of 24 passes for 230 yards and three scores in a 31-13 win over Riverton.Mike Besler connected on 13 of 17 passes for Blue Valley West in a 55-0 win over Bishop Miege.Pawnee Heights' Mason Salmans completed 15 of 24 aerials for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 38-34 loss to Macksville.Kolin Walk connected on 13 of 23 passes for 180 yards for McPherson in a 28-14 loss to Salina Central.Bishop Carroll's Brett Steven completed 20 of 29 aerials for 179 yards and a score in a 17-14 win over Great Bend.Jared Loomis connected on 12 of 17 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns for Macksville in a 38-34 win over Pawnee Heights.Junction City's Ty Zimmerman completed 14 of 21 aerials for 163 yards and a touchdown in a 20-13 loss to Goddard.Bret Macari connected on 14 of 27 aerials for 174 yards and a score in a 29-28 win over Topeka-Hayden.Riverton's Kaleb Clark connected on six of 10 aerials for 152 yards in a 31-13 loss to Rossville.Dustin Cyr completed 13 of 24 aerials for 148 yards and a pair of scores in a 28-26 loss to Hanover.Mulvane's Jordan Gosch connected on six of 15 passes for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 20-17 loss to Ulysses.Derek Ellis completed 17 of 21 passes for 151 yards and a pair of scores for Great Bend in a 17-14 loss to Bishop Carroll.Hanover's Preston Schotte connected on 11 of 23 aerials for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 28-26 win over Clifton-Clyde.Ricky Nachbar threw for 136 yards for St. Thomas Aquinas in a 21-0 win over Gardner-Edgerton.Hope's Chris Billinger completed 10 of 28 passes for 101 yards and a score in a 28-14 loss to South Haven.
Top Receiving Performances
Quinn Bruce caught 11 passes for 159 yards and three scores in a 48-19 win over Central Heights.McPherson's Tanner Hawkinson caught five passes for 117 yards in a 28-14 loss to Salina Central.Michael Lambert latched on to four passes for 104 yards and a pair of scores for Clifton-Clyde in a 28-26 loss to Hanover.Blue Valley West's Brian Grover caught six aerials for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns and returned the second half kick off 90 yards for a score in a 55-0 win over Bishop Miege.Stewart Jeck caught three passes for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Pittsburg-Colgan in a 55-7 win over Lyndon.Blue Valley West's Aaron Ashley latched on to six aerials for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 55-0 win over Bishop Miege.Dustin Weissbeck caught four passes for 96 yards and a score for Topeka-Hayden in a 29-28 loss to Andale.Pawnee Heights' Chris Housman latched on to four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in a 38-34 loss to Macksville.Tyler Springer caught three aerials for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Mulvane in a 20-17 loss to Ulysses.Junction City's Anthony Caine caught five passes for 75 yards in a 20-13 loss to Goddard.Pat Doran caught 90 yards in passes for St. Thomas Aquinas in a 21-0 win over Gardner-Edgerton.Macksville's Sergio Espino latched on to four passes for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 38-34 win over Pawnee Heights.