By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Goddard may have been caught looking ahead to Friday's game with Hutchinson last weekend when it lost to 2-4 Maize in a 36-35 double overtime thriller. But it still offers a strong challenge to Hutchinson's 29-game winning streak.
The Lions will have to play a near perfect game, however, if they are to pull off the upset.
Hutchinson's last loss occurred more than two years ago when Salina Central whipped the Salt Hawks 42-14 during the 2005 regular season. But since then Hutchinson has been unbeatable. In fact, since that 28-point loss the Salt Hawks have won the 29 games by an average of 40-13.
Hutchinson has relied on a strong running game this season in out scoring six opponents 289-79. The Salt Hawks are led by Josh Smith's 774 yards rushing on 110 carries and 14 touchdowns. Gage McKinnis has added 261 yards on 27 carries, while Deveon Dinwiddie has carried the ball 14 times for 258 yards. As a team, Hutchinson has run the ball 279 times this season for 1979 yards and 32 touchdowns, and average 396 yards a game rushing.
Through five games Goddard had rushed the ball 260 times and attempted just 22 passes. Quarterback Logan Watkins, who scored three touchdowns on the ground against Maize last weekend, leads the Lion running game.
Top Week 7 Games in Kansas
Class 6A No. 1 Hutchinson (6-0) hosts Class 6A No. 8 Goddard (5-1); Class 6A No. 2 Shawnee Mission Northwest (6-0) hosts Class 6A No. 5 Shawnee Mission West (5-1); Class 6A No. 6 Olathe East (5-1) hosts Class 6A No. 9 Blue Valley Northwest (4-2). Class 5A No. 5 Lansing (5-1) travels to Class 5A No. 9 Shawnee Heights (4-2). Class 4A No. 4 Columbus (6-0) travels to Class 4A No. 6 Pittsburg (5-1). Class 3A No. 5 Hesston (6-0) hosts Class 3A No. 6 Remington (6-0). Class 2A No. 2 Pittsburg Colgan (6-0) travels to Class 2A No. 6 Humboldt (6-0). 8-Man 1 No. 4 Kensington (6-0) travels to 8-Man 1 No. 5 Clifton-Clyde (6-0). 8-Man 2 No. 1 Hope (6-0) travels to 8-Man 2 No. 3 Tescott (6-0); 8-Man 2 No. 2 Sharon Springs (6-0) hosts 8-Man 2 No. 8 Triplains-Brewster (5-1); 8-Man 2 No. 5 Bucklin (6-0) hosts 8-Man 2 No. 10 Quivira Heights (4-2); 8-Man 2 No. 6 Victoria (5-1) travels to 8-Man 2 No. 9 Natoma (5-1).
Backes' Kansas Rankings
Team (Record) Offensive - Defensive Scoring
Class 6A
1. Hutchinson (6-0) 289 - 79
Defeated Salina South, 49-7. Next: Goddard
2. Shawnee Mission Northwest (6-0) 216-81
Defeated Lawrence, 41-18. Next: Shawnee Mission West
3. Junction City (6-0) 252 - 76
Defeated Shawnee Heights, 33-6. Next: at Manhattan
4. Olathe North (5-1) 206 - 82
Defeated Shawnee Mission East, 42-7. Next: at Olathe Northwest
5. Olathe East (5-1) 192 - 104
Defeated Leavenworth, 52-22. Next: Blue Valley Northwest
6. Wichita East (5-1) 189 - 60
Defeated Wichita Heights, 34-21. Next: at Derby
7. Shawnee Mission West (5-1) 107 - 73
Lost to Lawrence Free State, 32-0. Next: at Shawnee Mission Northwest
8. Goddard (5-1) 255 - 87
Lost to Maize, 36-35. Next: at Hutchinson
9. Blue Valley Northwest (4-2) 111 - 108
Defeated Blue Valley, 17-14. Next: at Olathe East
10. Olathe South (4-2) 179 - 99
Defeated Shawnee Mission North, 47-6. Next: at Leavenworth
Class 5A
1. Blue Valley West (6-0) 203 - 59
Defeated St. Thomas Aquinas, 24-3. Next: Gardner-Edgerton
2. Wichita Carroll (6-0) 181 - 54
Defeated Wichita Kapaun, 26-7. Next: at Arkansas City
3. McPherson (5-1) 241 - 46
Defeated Valley Center, 47-6. Next: Salina South
4. Great Bend (5-1) 169 - 152
Defeated Liberal, 34-14. Next: at Hays
5. Lansing (5-1) 196 - 122
Defeated Mill Valley, 42-6. Next: at Shawnee Heights
6. Bonner Springs (5-1) 189 - 77
Defeated Immaculata, 57-12. Next: at Sumner Academy
7. Topeka Seaman (4-2) 126 - 105
Defeated Topeka, 38-22. Next: Topeka West
8. KC Washington (5-1) 168 - 104
Defeated Sumner Academy, 21-2. Next: at Schlagle
9. Shawnee Heights (4-2) 123 - 104
Lost to Junction City, 33-6. Next: Lansing
10. Salina Central (4-2) 215 - 163
Defeated Derby, 41-21. Next: Topeka Highland Park
Class 4A
1. Andale (6-0) 221 - 86
Defeated Circle, 61-13. Next: at Clearwater
2. Topeka-Hayden (5-1) 177 - 85
Defeated Washburn Rural, 8-0. Next: Wamego
3. Louisburg (6-0) 299 - 66
Defeated Defeated Spring Hill, 47-0. Next: at Prairie View
4. Columbus (6-0) 243 - 48
Defeated Coffeyville Field Kindley, 35-7. Next: at Pittsburg
5. Eudora (6-0) 256 - 90
Defeated Anderson County, 48-7. Next: Spring Hill
6. Pittsburg ( 5-1) 151 - 47
Lost to Webb City (Mo.), 14-6. Next: Columbus
7. Mulvane (6-0) 187 - 115
Defeated Augusta, 28-22. Next: Wellington
8. Holton (5-1) 250 - 72
Defeated Royal Valley, 35-14. Next: Hiawatha
9. Girard (5-1) 287 - 115
Defeated Baxter Springs, 50-34. Next: Southeast
10. Andover Central (5-1) 206 - 69
Defeated Clearwater, 27-7. Next: at Rose Hill
Class 3A
1. Silver Lake (6-0) 244 - 33
Defeated Riley County, 35-0. Next: at Oskaloosa
2. Garden Plain (6-0) 319 - 74
Defeated Medicine Lodge, 52-0. Next: at Wichita Independent
3. Sabetha (6-0) 206 - 58
Defeated Maur Hill Prep, 47-0. Next: at Riley County
4. Salina Sacred Heart (6-0) 236 - 104
Defeated Inman, 42-7. Next: Lyons
5. Hesston (6-0) 202 - 43
Defeated Haven, 41-0. Next: Whitewater Remington
6. Whitewater Remington (6-0) 225 - 66
Defeated Bennington, 45-19. Next: at Hesston
7. Hoisington (5-1) 227 - 63
Defeated Halstead, 55-0. Next: More Prep Marian
8. Pleasant Ridge (6-0) 228 - 58
Defeated McLouth, 41-0. Next: at Horton
9. Beloit (5-1) 280 - 89
Defeated Republic County, 72-6. Next: Norton
10. Lakin (6-0) 182 - 75
Defeated Meade, 32-27. Next: at Cimarron
Class 2-1A
1. Smith Center (6-0) 407 - 0
Defeated Plainville, 72-0. Next: at Lincoln
2. Pittsburg Colgan (6-0) 230 - 48
Defeated Frontenac, 41-0. Next: at Humboldt
3. LaCrosse (6-0) 290 - 65
Defeated Defeated Sedan, 50-6. Next: Ness City Dighton
4. Oakley (6-0) 238 - 26
Defeated Goodland, 36-0. Next: at Quinter
5. St. Francis (5-1) 213 - 80
Defeated Quinter, 58-20. Next: Syracuse
6. Humboldt (6-0) 231 - 28
Defeated Neodesha, 38-0. Next: Colgan
7. Meade (5-1) 242 - 75
Lost to Lakin, 32-27. Next: at Kinsley-Lewis
8. Lyndon (6-0) 190 - 92
Defeated Olpe, 31-0. Next: at St. Mary's
9. Wathena (5-1) 154 - 63
Defeated Doniphan West, 26-15. Next: Immaculata
10. Troy (4-2) 225 - 122
Defeated Valley Falls, 30-14. Next: at Centralia
8-Man 1
1. Waverly (6-0) 364 - 162
Defeated Hartford, 70-14. Next: at Colony-Crest
2. Jetmore (6-0) 260 - 86
Defeated Deerfield, 38-18. Next: South Gray
3. Macksville (6-0) 306 - 84
Defeated Spearville, 60-8. Next: Otis-Bison
4. Kensington (6-0) 302 - 62
Defeated Pike Valley, 14-12. Next: at Clifton-Clyde
5. Clifton-Clyde (6-0) 326 - 60
Defeated Lakeside-Downs, 60-12. Next: Kensington
6. Goessel (6-0) 297 - 86
Defeated Little River, 52-6. Next: at Sunrise Christian Academy
7. Madison (5-1) 288 - 100
Defeated Lebo, 50-36. Next: at Southern Coffey County
8. Marmaton Valley (6-0) 364 - 32
Defeated Chetopa, 62-0. Next: Udall
9. Pawnee Heights (5-1) 274 - 96
Defeated Otis-Bison, 44-14. Next: at Stafford
10. Hanover (6-0) 314 - 90
Defeated Marais des Cygnes Valley, 46-22. Next: at Elwood
8-Man 2
1. Hope (6-0) 338 - 52
Defeated Central Christian, 56-6. Next: at Tescott
2. Sharon Springs (6-0) 318 - 70
Defeated Golden Plains, 52-14. Next: Brewster-Triplains
3. Tescott (6-0) 358 - 90
Defeated Rock Hills, 52-22. Next: Hope
4. South Haven (6-0) 356 - 92
Defeated Cunningham, 74-38. Next: South Central
5. Bucklin (6-0) 290 - 84
Defeated Chase 56-6. Next: Quivira Heights
6. Victoria (5-1) 256 - 32
Defeated Eastern Heights, 46-0. Next: at Natoma
7. Ashland (5-1) 275 - 74
Defeated Rolla, 58-8. Next: Moscow
8. Triplains-Brewster (5-1) 286 - 130
Defeated Cheylin, 54-6. Next: at Wallace County
9. Natoma (5-1) 296 - 160
Defeated Lucas-Luray, 64-20. Next: Victoria
10. Quivira Heights (4-2) 268 - 108
Defeated Centre, 58-0. Next: at Bucklin
Still Unscored Upon
Smith Center looks to be a real threat to go undefeated and unscored upon through the 2007 regular season. So far this year the Redmen have out scored their opponents 407-0, or by an average of 68-0. Norton came the closest to knocking off Smith Center when they lost in the first week of action by a score of 60-0.
So far this season Smith center has defeated Norton (60-0), Hill City (67-0), Phillipsburg (74-0), Ellis (62-0), Stockton (72-0) and Plainville (72-0). Lincoln (0-6) and Osborne (0-6) are the only teams remaining on the Redmen schedule during the regular season. Lincoln has scored 34 points so far this season, while Osborne has tallied 47 points in six games.
