The Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers will face off against the Derby Panthers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Gardner-Edgerton comes in on five and Derby on 11.
Gardner-Edgerton had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They breezed by Blue Valley on the road to the tune of 35-3. Considering Gardner-Edgerton has won ten contests by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Meanwhile, Derby faced Washburn Rural in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Derby pulled ahead with a 29-28 photo finish over Washburn Rural.
Derby's win on Friday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Braxton Clark, who threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Colton Ruedy, who picked up 166 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Derby's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. Mason Hopper was especially locked on to Washburn Rural's QB and sacked him twice.
Their wins bumped Gardner-Edgerton to 11-1 and Blue Valley to 7-5.
Gardner-Edgerton might still be hurting after the 48-28 loss they got from Derby in their previous matchup back in November of 2020. Can Gardner-Edgerton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
