Week one of the high school football season didn't disappoint in Northeast Kansas as there were some dominate victories, close game down to the wire and some surprises. The season rolls along with week two action and it expects to be filled with plenty of great action in the area. A full preview of all the week two matchups involving area teams is below to get you ready for another week of football. 

Week Two Games to be Broadcasted:
103.9 KNZA & Sabetha Channel - Holton at Sabetha (click here to listen & to watch)
92.1 KMZA - Doniphan West at Valley Heights (click here to listen)
KAIR 93.7 FM - ACCHS at Troy (click here to listen)
KAIR Sports Channel - McLouth at Maur Hill-Mount Academy (click here to listen)

Pleasant Ridge (1-0) at Jackson Heights (1-0)
Fresh off a 36-0 shutout against Horton, the defending Northeast Kansas League champs figure to get a strong test in their first road game of the year. Their defense not only pitched a shutout against Horton, but forced five turnovers, including one that resulted in a touchdown.  The Rams however, did have at least five guys get injured in the week one victory and may be a bit short handed.  Sophomore, Eli Schwinn had a nice starting quarterback debut completing 6 of 8 passes for 135 yards and a score, while rushing for a TD as well.   

Jackson Heights pitched a shutout off their own while cruising to a 44-0 win against Immaculata/Maranatha in week one.  The Cobras got 210 yards rushing from Brady Holiday behind a rebuilt offensive line that includes a trio of underclassmen.  Freshman, Carson Williams is the new Jackson Heights center and fellow frosh, Cooper Williams made his impact felt with a trio of interceptions for the Cobra defense last week.  Jackson Heights also scored on special teams as Wyatt Olberding returned a kickoff for a touchdown. 

Despite competing in the same League, these teams have not played since 2009, when P-Ridge won 42-8. The Rams may have an advantage on the line, but the Cobras have more experience and depth at the skill positions.  Should be a great game for early season supremacy in the NEKL. 

McLouth (0-1) at Maur Hill-Mount Academy (0-1)
McLouth is coming off a tough 14-6 loss in week one to Oskaloosa, giving up a touchdown in the final two minutes that proved to be the difference. The defense allowed just 239 total yards, but the offense turned the football over twice in Oskaloosa territory that halted drives. Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Carlton completed 6-of-11 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown, with senior receiver Brody Troupe catching three passes for 86 yards. Heading into Friday night the defense is still the key for the Bulldogs, but it’s up to the offense to protect the football and sustain drives.

Maur Hill-Mount Academy entered last week’s season opener with a lot of questions and young players being forced into action. The Ravens got down early to Jefferson County North trailing 24-0 at halftime, but outscored the Chargers 14-10 in the second half after the younger guys were able to gain confidence. Freshman quarterback Jack Caudle connected with senior tight end Arthur Rocha on a touchdown, while Ronald Faulk-Tindal registered a rushing touchdown of his own. The Ravens also suffered injuries to two starters on offense, so once again MHMA must rely on the underclassman to step up and contribute Friday night.

Immaculata (0-1) at JCN (1-0)
Jefferson County North was dominant in the 2016 season opener taking down Maur Hill-Mount Academy at home last Friday 24-14. Having to replace All-NEKL quarterback Bryce Noll the Chargers relied on the run with Ridge Robertson compiling 147 yards on the ground scoring four touchdowns, while Anthony Cahill added a TD run. The defense kept the Ravens out of the end zone in the first half, and made it tough on MHMA the entire ballgame. Immaculata is coming off a tough 44-0 loss to Jackson Heights in week one, so a stop early and a quick score could be the key for the Chargers Friday night. JCN topped Immaculata 32-8 the last time the two teams played each other back in 2013.

Horton (0-1) at Oskaloosa (1-0)
Both teams are trying to get their offense on track as the Chargers had five turnovers and only 110 total yards of offense against P-Ridge in week one and Oskie scored a fourth quarter TD to eke past McLouth 14-6.  The Chargers had to move runningback Conner Dean to quarterback early last week when Cameron Smith suffered a head injury, but returned after getting four staples in and should be good this week.  The Chargers need stability to get their timing down on offense.

Oskie sophomore signal caller, Jaxon Webb was 5 of 8 for 88 yards with a touchdown rushing and passing in the week one win.  The Bears only had 16 total players suited up, but forced a couple huge turnovers to stop drives in the first half.   

Another new matchup among League foes in the first meeting between these school since 2011, when Horton won 38-6. 

Axtell (0-1) at Valley Falls (1-0)
Each team started the season in drastically different ways with what they had returning this year and with their week one contest. Valley Falls started their first year in 8-Man football with a 24-14 win over Wetmore running the ball effectively and taking advantage of 5 Cardinal turnovers, while the young Axtell squad lost 52-12 to St. Mary’s Academy, struggling to move the ball in the contest with only 185 yards of total offense. The Eagles each sophomore, Hunter Koch back after sitting out week one and he will take the reins at quarterback, while Axtell makes some moves along the line to try and secure the line of scrimmage after struggles week one. The Dragons who used their size to their advantage week one look to establish that advantage again in week two with quarterback, Chris Yates leading the way against the smaller Eagles.

Wetmore (0-1) at Onaga (0-1)
It’s been awhile but Wetmore and Onaga have been on the same football field before but it hasn’t happened since 1980, was Wetmore is having their first varsity program since 1987 and Onaga moves down to 8-Man. Both teams started the season with losses as Onaga fell 42-34 to Frankfort despite leading most of the game. The Buffaloes did run the ball effectively with Logan Marten suprassing 100 yards with a touchdown and Ben Kufhal and Brendan Melvin got in the mix too, but Onaga gave up 400-plus yards on the ground and had two fumbles. Wetmore also had turnover issues week one with five and managed only 122 yards as their lack of depth and size hurt them at times against Valley Falls but the they only fell by 10 points. Both teams will be looking to clean up week one mistakes with turnovers and build upon week one as they look for their first win of the season; Onaga won the last matchup between the two 19-8 in 1980.

Frankfort (1-0) at Clifton-Clyde (1-0)
You can expect a physical game on Friday when Frankfort and Clifton-Clyde hit the field against each other as they last two years have been that type of game between the two with Frankfort winning both games by eight points (36-28 last year). The Wildcats came from behind to beat Onaga week on 42-34 and ran the ball with great efficiency posting over 400 yards on the ground as quarterback, Adam Kenworthy a current “Athlete of the Week” here on MSCSports.net ran for 224 yards with five touchdowns and Lane Rogers stepped up with 182 yards and two touchdowns. Clifton-Clyde stonewalled Linn in week one for a 28-8 win holding them to 129 total yards of offense and Caleb Charbonneau lead the way with a touchdown pass & 143 yards rushing & 3 touchdowns. Frankfort has ran the ball effectively in the past against Clifton-Clyde and will look to do the same this time, while the Eagles will need guys to step up along with Charbonneau to be able to snag the win.

Linn (0-1) at Blue Valley-Randolph (0-1)
Both Linn and Blue Valley struggled in week one both taking losses to Clifton-Clyde (28-8) and Colony-Crest (40-16), respectively. The Bulldogs managed only 129 yards of total offense with strong offensive weapons returning like Evan Bott, Kalen Richardson and Chase McGatlin and recorded their only score on a punt return in week one. It was much the same for Blue Valley who gave up a huge third quarter to seal the win for Colony-Crest as sophomore quarterback, Cole Montgomery tossed a touchdown to Trevor Schwerdt and Bradley Young ran for a score. Last year Linn won 32-22 over Blue Valley with Bott running for 290 yards on 35 carries with five touchdowns in that game; the Bulldogs have won two in a row against the Rams with the last win for Blue Valley over Linn in 2013 (16-6).

Doniphan West (0-1) at Valley Heights (0-1)
Last year the battle of the Mustangs in the Twin Valley League didn’t disappoint as Doniphan West edged Valley Heights 35-34 behind the duo of Levi Watts and Cooper Leach. Watts tossed the ball for 363 yards and five touchdowns all to Leach who caught 16 passes for 261 yards, but Valley Heights was able to run the ball in the game with 358 rushing yards in the contest. Both teams enter the week two contests after rough week one losses as Doniphan West lost 50-0 to Washington County and Valley Heights took a 58-27 loss to Troy. Turnovers will be key in the contest and which team can establish their game plan will go a long way to determine the winner. Valley Heights was able to run the ball against Troy week one out of their triple-option with around 430 yards total offense behind the play of Logan Woodyard and Hunter Stevenson and solid performance form the offensive line. While Doniphan West struggled moving the ball against Washington County. Despite the loss last year for Valley Heights against Doniphan West it’s been Valley Heights coming out four of the last six matchups.

Riley County (1-0) at Washington County (1-0)
It was a close ballgame last year and in District play as Washington County edged Riley County 22-18 using a 22-0 second half to snag the win. This year it’s just a non-league/non-district contest as the Tigers move back to 2-1A and enter week two looking like they team they were last year cruising past Doniphan West in week one 50-0. Jerrod Hoover took over at quarterback full-time and improved to 6-1 as a starter, while Hunter Kier was solid for the Tigers also. Riley County who has six starters back on each side of the ball opened the year with a 47-14 win over Wabaunsee and run their offense through returning 1,000-plus yard rusher, Garrett Staten.

St. Mary’s (1-0) at Centralia (0-1)
Centralia has played St. Mary’s for the last seven years and in the regular season for the last six winning the last six games by 16 or more points. The Panthers got off to a rough start to the season falling 40-14 to Sabetha in week one giving up touchdowns on six of the first seven drives for Sabetha, but played a solid second half in the contest. The Panthers single wing attack relies on establishing the line of scrimmage something that Coach Larry Glatczak says has to improve in week two as Centralia ran for only 66 yards against Sabetha, but did have Trenton Flentie throw for 137 yards on 7-19 with a touchdown and freshman, Kamble Haverkamp caught four passes for 104 yards with a touchdown.  St. Mary’s comes into week two riding a high of a 20-14 win over Olpe and game in which they forced three turnovers, but had two themselves and only managed 179 yards of total offense. Runningback, Taegan Schoenfeld and quarterback, Mitch Flanagan led the way for St. Mary’s.

ACCHS (0-1) at Troy (1-0)
Former DVL foes meet for the first time since 2013 as Class the 3A, Big 7 League ACCHS Tigers visits #1 ranked, Class 2-1A Troy of the Twin Valley League.  The last two meetings were decided by just one point as Troy won a 28-27 game in 2013 in the season opener, but ACCHS beat Troy 7-6 in 2012. 

Troy is coming off a 58-27 win against Valley Heights in which they had 525 yards of offense and Reid Greaser was 11 of 13 for 330 yards passing.  183 of those yards went to Cuttar Huss on five catches as quick-strike Troy ran only 43 total plays in the game.  ACCHS was blanked by Nemaha Central 66-0 in week one with Hunter Ostertag moving to quarterback filling in for the injured returning starter, Lane Bowen.  The Tigers hope to avoid giving up the big plays as they battle through one of the toughest schedules around to start the 2016 season.   

Holton (0-1) at Sabetha (1-0)
It’s the Big 7 opener for these teams who prior to last season had accounted for the last 16 League titles (Holton 14, Sabetha 2).  The Bluejays are coming off a 40-14 rout of Centralia in which they jumped to a 33-0 lead and scored of six of their first seven offensive drives and held the Panthers without a first down for five possessions.  Trae Snyder had 214 yards and three touchdowns and Blake Plattner scored a trio of times as well for the Jays.  Sabetha last beat Holton when the won the League in 2007 (34-28) but has closed the gap in recent years, including a 14-13 setback last season.  They have the size and experience across the line to match up with the Wildcats this season. 

Holton lost their season opener for the third consecutive year, as they fell to Atchison 24-14.  The Wildcats did move the ball and have a 14-7 lead before a 14-14 tie entering the final quarter.  Miles McClintock Stozier led the wishbone rushing attack with 163 yards of the total 320 yards.  Both teams are similar in run-oriented, ball control offenses and tough defenses, which means this intriguing game comes down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.         

Jeff West (0-1) at Riverside (1-0)
Riverside is flying high heading into their home opener after stealing a 19-14 upset win at Perry Lecompton in week one.  The Cyclones got 169 yards rushing from Gaige Olivero and Tre’Nez Wilkinson added 132 yards of total offense.  Dawson Dick (sophomore) also scored and led the defense with 7 tackles in the back and forth battle.  Riverside hopes to mix in more of the pass this week completing four of six attempts and hopefully avenge a 26-0 loss against the Tigers from a year ago.  

Jeff West also had their game decided in the final quarter last week, however, the Tigers allowed a score by Chapman with less than two minutes remaining to fall 8-6.  Because senior QB, Hunter Dean was battling cramps, freshman Quinn Neuenswander came on to direct the offense and led the fourth quarter scoring drive for the Tigers.  Fellow freshman, Bryce Clements scored the touchdown and led the Tigers in rushing.  Jeff West played well on defense with 15 tackles for a loss, but Coach Steve Johnson hopes to play fewer guys both ways this week to keep them fresh in the final quarter.  

Perry Lecompton (0-1) at Hiawatha (1-0)
Hiawatha was the surprise team of the week to start 2016 with a shocking 21-0 victory at Royal Valley.  It was the first Big 7 win since 2013 and first shutout since 2007 as the Redhawks opened the Coach Ted Brown era in a big way.  Joseph Kunkel found Andrew Woods for a trio of touchdown passes to account for all the scoring, but the Hiawatha defense that gave up more than 50 points on average and 61 to Royal Valley last year that was the story.  Collin Sample led the charge with 14 tackles.  Next up for the Redhawks is trying to avenge a 53-0 loss from last season against Perry Lecompton.  The Kaws are stinging after having three turnovers and a touchdown called back because of penalty in their week one setback against Riverside.  Perry got 144 yards rushing from Cole Kellum, but completed only 8 of 21 passing plays for 91 yards and could not hold on to a fourth quarter lead.   

Royal Valley (0-1) at Nemaha Central (1-0)
The two Big Seven League foes haven’t meet up since Nemaha Central has been known as the Thunder having last played back in 2013 as then Nemaha Valley won 39-8 over Royal Valley. Nemaha Central comes rolling into week two after a 66-0 rout of ACCHS in week one a game in which seven different guys finished the endzone. Ryan Hasenkamp tossed only six passes and was 6-6 for 142 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another, while Jacob Koelzer ran for three touchdowns for the Thunder.

Surprised and disappointed were the words used by Coach Lott to describe the Panthers week one performance against Hiawatha. It’s back to the drawing board for Royal Valley and all their new starters at the skill positions.  But the schedule gets more difficult with a road trip to face the defending League champs in Seneca. The Thunder have the biggest roster in the Big 7 in terms of numbers, and maybe the most athletic team as well, which showed in a 66-0 rout of ACCHS to start the season.  Last time these two teams played was before Jake Lott arrived at Royal Valley as Nemaha beat the Panthers in 2013 and 2012. Royal Valley last beat Nemaha in 2011 in a 14-13 game in Seneca.

Marysville (0-1) at Abilene (1-0)
Abilene has had Marysville number winning the last seven matchups in the series including a 21-0 win last year in which Abilene ran the ball for 221 yards, while the Bulldogs had 10 penalties for 70 yards and managed on 120 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs enter this week’s action after a hard fought 27-20 loss in week one to the defending 3A champs in Rossville; it was a game in which Marysville had an opportunity to potentially tie the game with 14 seconds left. The big positive for the Bulldogs was the balance of contribution as Jayton Haggard scored three rushing touchdowns, Derek Roever found the endzone, Hunter Warnick ran for 118 yards and Jack Blumer was 12-23 for 108 yards taking over at quarterback. Abilene coming off a strong playoff year and NCKL championship rolled past Thomas More Prep 51-28 in week one and has Ryan Wilson taking over at quarterback after playing wideout last year.

Atchison at KC Sumner
Atchison shocked most of the state of Kansas in week one taking down 4A perennial power Holton at home 24-14. The Redmen outscored the Wildcats 10-0 in the fourth quarter, outgaining Holton in total yards for the game 400-329.  Adam Smith was sensational at the quarterback spot Friday night in his first action taking over for 2015 KCAL Player of the Year Wykeen Gill Jr., going 8-for-11 through the air for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Bryce Enzbrenner caught both touchdowns from Smith and finished with 145 yards on five catches. Sumner is coming off a 26-12 win over Harmon last week, so it will be another tough test for the Redmen Friday night. Atchison cruised past Sumner last year 52-8 and won all their KCAL matchups last year by an average of 43.2 points.