By Dean Backes

MaxPreps.com

For the most part, ranked teams in Kansas have made their way through district play, and into the playoffs. But there are still some that are fighting for their playoff lives. Below is a look at which teams have work to do in order to qualify for the playoffs and what they need to do earn that berth.

Class 6A

1. Hutchinson (8-0) 359 - 100

Defeated Dodge City, 49-14. Next: Garden City

2. Shawnee Mission Northwest (8-0) 279 - 102

Defeated Blue Valley Northwest, 42-14. Next: Olathe East

3. Junction City (8-0) 320 - 97

Defeated Wichita Heights, 26-14. Next: Emporia

4. Olathe North (7-1) 288 - 82

Defeated Leavenworth, 41-0. Next: Olathe South

5. Olathe East (7-1) 230 - 125

Defeated Shawnee Mission West, 21-14. Next: at Shawnee Mission Northwest

6. Olathe South (6-2) 287 - 105

Defeated Olathe Northwest, 49-6. Next: at Olathe North

7. Lawrence Free State (6-2) 270 - 98

Defeated Lawrence, 27-0. Next: Washburn Rural

8. Goddard (6-2) 283 - 108

Defeated Garden City, 21-0. Next: Dodge City

9. Wichita Heights (5-3) 232 - 136

Lost to Junction City, 26-14. Next: at Manhattan

10. Wichita Northwest (6-2) 260 - 89

Defeated Wichita North, 55-3. Next: Maize

Hutchinson is the lone top-ranked team in the 11-Man ranks that still has work left to get into the field of 16. It is my belief, however, that the Salt Hawks will have no problem qualifying. They get the job done with a win over Garden City. Third-ranked Junction City and eighth-ranked Goddard qualify with wins over Emporia and Dodge City respectively.

Class 5A

1. Blue Valley West (8-0) 307 - 89

Defeated Ottawa, 62-16. Next: at Blue Valley

2. Wichita Carroll (7-1) 289 - 61

Defeated Winfield, 52-0. Next: at Liberal

3. McPherson (7-1) 294 - 87

Defeated Great Bend, 26-19. Next: at Hays

4. Lansing (7-1) 243 - 146

Defeated KC Washington, 33-13. Next: KC Schlagle

5. Great Bend (6-2) 209 - 178

Lost to McPherson, 26-19. Next: Salina South

6. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-2) 245 - 94

Defeated Mill Valley, 37-12. Next: at Bishop Miege

7. Bonner Springs (7-1) 303 - 94

Defeated KC Wyandotte, 65-0. Next: at KC Turner

8. Topeka Seaman (6-2) 192 - 112

Defeated Salina Central, 24-7. Next: at Topeka Highland Park

9. Newton (6-2) 291 - 120

Defeated Wichita West, 35-0. Next: Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel

10. Kapaun Mount Carmel (5-3) 247 - 139

Defeated Valley Center, 51-13. Next: at Newton

Fifth-ranked Great Bend and eighth-ranked Topeka Seaman are still in contender mode. But the 5A powers will find themselves in the playoffs following wins Thursday over Salina South and Topeka Highland Park respectively.

Class 4A

1. Andale (8-0) 314 - 108

Defeated Pratt, 44-14. Next: at Kingman

2. Topeka-Hayden (7-1) 251 - 116

Defeated Royal Valley, 42-14. Next: at Santa Fe Trail

3. Louisburg (8-0) 369 - 80

Defeated Osawatomie, 51-14. Next: Paola

4. Eudora (8-0) 360 - 118

Defeated De Soto, 55-14. Next: at Baldwin

5. Pittsburg (7-1) 191 - 54

Defeated Girard, 19-7. Next: at Cherokee Southeast

6. Mulvane (8-0) 262 - 134

Defeated Douglas, 42-13. Next: Belle Plaine

7. Columbus (7-1) 298 - 83

Defeated Cherokee Southeast, 55-14. Next: Girard

8. Holton (7-1) 339 - 104

Defeated Marysville, 47-20. Next: Clay Center

9. Andover Central (7-1) 261 - 90

Defeated Augusta, 24-7. Next: Andover

10. Ulysses (7-1) 295 - 75

Defeated Colby, 42-6. Next: Hugoton

Three ranked teams in the 4A ranks still need a win to get into the field of 32. But wins they should get. Third-ranked Louisburg qualifies for postseason play with a victory over Paola. Seventh-ranked Columbus has the more intimidating task of the trio of unqualified ranked teams as they have to tackle Girard, which was ranked a good part of the season, and is a team that could still possibly be one of the top 10 teams in all of 4A. Eighth-ranked Holton gets its bid to the playoffs with a victory over Clay Center.

Class 3A

1. Silver Lake (8-0) 397 - 47

Defeated McLouth, 90-14. Next: at Jefferson County North

2. Garden Plain (8-0) 453 - 102

Defeated Wichita Collegiate, 63-0. Next: at Leon Bluestem

3. Salina Sacred Heart (8-0) 350 - 116

Defeated SE of Saline, 56-12. Next: at Ellsworth

4. Hesston (8-0) 271 - 65

Defeated Hillsboro, 35-22. Next: at Marion

5. Hoisington (7-1) 331 - 84

Defeated Scott City, 43-15. Next: at Ellinwood

6. Sabetha (7-1) 240 - 87

Defeated Riley County, 21-14. Next: at Nemaha Valley

7. Horton (7-1) 257 - 75

Defeated Maur Hill Prep, 54-0. Next: at Atchison County

8. Pleasant Ridge (7-1) 283 - 87

Defeated Atchison County, 48-16. Next: at Maur Hill Prep.

9. Remington (6-2) 237 - 136

Lost to Marion, 36-12. Next: at Hillsboro

10. Holcomb (7-1) 250 - 111

Defeated Lakin, 27-12. Next: at Cimarron

Only half of the ranked teams in the 3A ranks have qualified to get into the playoff brackets, and five still have work to do. Sixth-ranked Sabetha, eighth-ranked Pleasant Ridge and tenth-ranked Holcomb are in races that are too close to call. Sabetha is battling Rock Creek and Riley County for the two berths remaining in District 1. The Bluejays play at Nemaha Valley, who has been knocked out of contention. Seventh-ranked Horton is locked into a battle with eighth-ranked Pleasant Ridge and unranked Atchison County for the two berths still alive in District 2. Horton travels to Atchison County, while Pleasant Ridge goes to Maur Hill. With a win, the Chargers get into the playoffs. Ninth-ranked Remington needs a win at Hillsboro to secure a berth in the post season.

Class 2-1A

1. Smith Center (8-0) 557 - 0

Defeated Osborne, 72-0. Next: Playoffs

2. Pittsburg-Colgan (8-0) 310 - 48

Defeated Pleasanton, 40-0. Next: Uniontown

3. LaCrosse (8-0) 396 - 79

Defeated Kinsley-Lewis, 53-7. Next: Meade

4. Oakley (8-0) 341 - 39

Defeated WaKeeney-Trego, 56-13. Next: at Hoxie

5. St. Francis (7-1) 312 - 98

Defeated Leoti Wichita County, 50-6. Next: Atwood

6. Meade (7-1) 319 - 89

Defeated Ness City-Dighton, 35-7. Next: at LaCrosse

7. Wathena (7-1) 232 - 90

Defeated Jackson Heights, 54-6. Next: Valley Falls

8. Humboldt (7-1) 270 - 80

Defeated Uniontown, 39-12. Next: at Pleasanton

9. Centralia (6-2) 268 - 120

Defeated Frankfort, 20-0. Next: at Doniphan West

10. Hoxie (7-1) 203 - 81

Defeated Quinter, 34-12. Next: Oakley

Seventh-ranked Wathena wraps up a berth in the playoffs with a home win over Valley Falls. Eighth-ranked Humboldt finds itself in the field of 32 with a win at Pleasanton.

8-Man 1

1. Jetmore (8-0) 304 - 112

Defeated Greeley County, 20-6. Next: Wheatland-Grinnell

2. Macksville (8-0) 406 - 84

Defeated Stafford, 52-0. Next: Pawnee Heights

3. Clifton-Clyde (8-0) 420 - 80

Defeated Pike Valley, 46-20. Next: at Jewell

4. Madison (7-1) 380 - 100

Defeated Crest, 46-0. Next: at Hartford

5.Marmaton Valley (8-0) 472 - 38

Defeated Altoona-Midway, 56-0. Next: at Burden-Central

6. Lebo (7-1) 390 - 172

Defeated Waverly, 36-20. Next: at Crest

7. Waverly (7-1) 452 - 218

Lost to Lebo, 36-20. Next: Playoffs

8. Pawnee Heights (7-1) 388 - 116

Defeated Greensburg, 54-6. Next: at Macksville

9. Hanover (8-0) 442 - 116

Defeated Wakefield, 62-0. Next: at Burlingame

10. Claflin (6-2) 296 - 152

Defeated Goessel, 24-12. Next: South Central

8-Man 2

1. Sharon Springs (8-0) 432 - 84

Defeated Cheylin, 56-2. Next: at Northern Valley

2. Tescott (8-0) 444 - 126

Defeated Hutchinson Central Christian, 48-0. Next: Southern Cloud

3. Hope (7-1) 438 - 104

Defeated Southern Cloud, 64-14. Next: at Sylvan

4. South Haven (8-0) 467 - 142

Defeated Attica, 61-14. Next: Argonia

5. Victoria (7-1) 346 - 38

Defeated Logan, 42-6. Next: at Palco

6. Quivira Heights (6-2) 380 - 156

Defeated Wilson, 76-28. Next: Haviland

7. Bucklin (6-1) 310 - 120

Idle. Next: at Wilson

8. Baileyville B&B (6-2) 334 - 190

Defeated Blue Valley, 38-24. Next: Linn

9. Argonia (6-2) 250 - 152

Defeated Burrton, 57-32. Next: at South Haven

10. Axtell (6-2) 296 - 228

Defeated Linn, 50-32. Next: Bern

These are the 11-Man teams that have secured a playoff berth heading into the final week of the regular season.

Class 6A

Shawnee Mission Northwest, Olathe East, Olathe South, Olathe North, Lawrence Free State, Wichita Southeast, Derby, Maize, and Wichita Northwest.

Class 5A

Lansing, Bonner Springs, St. Thomas Aquinas, Blue Valley West, McPherson, Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel, Newton, Wichita Bishop Carroll, and Liberal.

Class 4A

Labette, Pittsburg, Chanute, Fort Scott, Baldwin, Eudora, Basehor-Linwood, Atchison, Perry-Lecompton, Topeka Hayden, Chapman, Andover Central, Mulvane, Smoky Valley, Andale and Ulysses.

Class 3A

Silver Lake, Central Heights, Neodesha, Caney Valley, Garden Plain, Medicine Lodge, Conway Springs, Hesston, Sedgwick, Ellsworth, Salina Sacred Heart, Norton, and Hoisington.

Class 2-1A

Valley Heights, Washington County, Centralia, Pittsburg-Colgan, West Elk, Olpe, Peabody, Solomon, Moundridge, St. John, Smith Center, Ellis, Oakley, Hoxie, Rawlins County, St. Francis, Meade, and LaCrosse