We've hit the midway point of the high school football season as week five is upon us. District play gets rolling for several 2-1A area teams, while every 8-Man area team is in District now. Eight area teams remain unbeaten entering week five, while only five area teams are still searching for their first win of the season. A full preview of all the week five matchups involving area teams is below to get you ready for another week of football. 

Week Five Games to be Broadcasted:
103.9 KNZA – Hiawatha at Jeff West (click here to listen)
92.1 KMZA – Axtell at Frankfort (click here to listen)
KAIR 93.7 FM – Riverside at ACCHS (click here to listen)
Holton Channel – Royal Valley at Holton (click here to watch)
Sabetha Channel – Sabetha at Perry Lecompton (click here to watch)
KAIR Sports Channel – Horton at Jefferson County North (click here to listen)

Horton (1-3) at Jeff County North (4-0)
Jefferson County North is off to a 4-0 start dominating the first four games by an average margin of 33.5 points. Boston Lane continues to lead the Chargers on offense in his first season as the team’s starting varsity quarterback accounting for four total touchdowns in JCN’s 54-6 win over Oskaloosa last week. Ridge Robertson totaled two touchdowns on the ground in the win and enters this week first on the team in rushing touchdowns with nine to his credit. While the offense is averaging 40 points per game, the defense enters Friday night giving up just 26 total points through the first four games. 

Horton is coming off their first win of the season last Friday night taking down Immaculata at home 62-12, which also put an end to a 13-game losing streak. The Chargers worked their way out to a 22-6 lead after the first quarter before outscoring the Raiders 28-0 in the second to cruise to the victory. Conner Dean led Horton with 221 yards on the ground and five touchdowns, while Lane Selle also added two scores. The Chargers enter the matchup with JCN averaging 19 points per contest, while giving up nearly 27 a game. 

Jefferson County North took last year’s meeting 40-20, outscoring Horton 14-0 in the third quarter to pull away after leading by just six at halftime. 

Immaculata (0-4) at Oskaloosa (2-2) 
Both teams enter this week off tough losses as the Raiders fell to Horton 62-12 last week, while the Bears were topped by JCN 54-6. Immaculata has scored just 18 total points this season, with all three touchdowns coming from Micah Webb who has two on the ground and one on special teams. Oskaloosa has lost two straight following a 2-0 start to the season, but the last two losses have come against the top two teams in the NEKL who are a combined 8-0. The offense continues to be the main weakness of the Bears averaging just eight points per contest, as this is the last game before district play begins next week for Oskaloosa. 

Pleasant Ridge (1-3) at Jayhawk-Linn (4-0) 
Since a season opening 36-0 win over Horton, the Pleasant Ridge Rams have lost three straight games by an average margin of just 13 points. In those games the offense hasn’t been able to score more than eight points and is averaging just 230 total yards. Sophomore Hunter Wagner continues to lead the team in rushing with 200 total yards on the season, while through the air sophomore quarterback Eli Schwinn has thrown for just 177 total yards on 25 attempts and two touchdowns. Jayhwak-Linn enters Friday night undefeated on the season outscoring their first four opponents 150-12. 

Maur Hill-Mount Academy (2-2) at Missouri Military Academy (2-4) 
The Ravens are coming off a 59-27 loss to Jackson Heights which put an end to two-game win streak. Ronald Faulk-Tindal led MH-MA in the loss rushing for 142 yards on eight carries and a score while also catching two touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Jack Caudle. Faulk-Tindal is just six yards away from surpassing the 400 yard rushing mark for the season and has compiled five touchdowns on the ground, while Caudle has thrown for 753 yards and nine scores to just four interceptions. The Missouri Military Academy is located in Mexico, Missouri and a three and a half hour trip for the Ravens Friday night. 

Jackson Heights (4-0) at Washington County (3-1) 
Class 2A District Two looks to be very competitive with Jackson Heights and Washington County square off to start play this week.  Valley Heights and Wabaunsee as well as Centralia are also in this district.  Like JCN, Jackson Heights has dominated all four of their NEKL opponents by a combined score of 185-40.  Mason Thomas had four rushing scores as Heights used a 22-0 third quarter to pull away from and beat MH-MA 59-27 last week.  

Washington County, who moves down after going 10-1 in Class 3A a year ago, is coming off their first loss of the season 47-6 at Hoisington, who is state ranked and undefeated in Class 3A.  The senior-laded Tigers have been a great second half team this season, led by a senior backfield of Hunter Kier and Jae Eaton, while head coach Doug Thompson in his second year is 13-2 with both losses to Hoisington. 

Doniphan West (0-4) at Troy (4-0)
It’s the Class 2A District One opening game for these TVL and Doniphan County rivals.  The Trojans remain a consensus #1 ranked team in Class 2A after a 25-22 win at Perry Lecompton last week.  Reid Greaser completed 21 of 32 passes for 361 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Trojan passing offense continued to roll.  Troy beat D-West 46-14 a year ago.  

The Mustangs are still looking for their first win of the year after falling against Centralia 49-13 a week ago.  Doniphan West hopes to use a rushing attack led by Carson Lackey and Clayton Rideout to find success in district play.    

Valley Heights (3-1) at Wabaunsee (1-3) 
Valley Heights is riding a three-game winning streak after last week’s 41-36 win over Ellis heading into 2-1A District play as they open District two action with a road trip to Wabaunsee, a team they lose to 12-7 last year. Mustangs offense has been tough to stop all year rushing for 386.8 yards per game as a team with a trio of guys with 50+ carries each and each averaging over five yards per carry, leading the way is Hunter Stevenson who’s ran for 839 yards on 82 carries (10.1 ypc) and 11 TDs. Defensively Valley Heights is giving up 27.8 points per game but does have six guys with 25+ tackles and have forced seven turnovers. 

Don’t let a 1-3 record be on the only thing you judge Wabaunsee on, as they entered the season with 11 starters back on each side of the ball and two of their three losses are to Silver Lake and Rossville, playing in the tough Mideast League. Kolby Droegemeier leads a Charger offense that posts 233 yards per game, as Droegemeier has 451 yards on 94 carries with four touchdowns and senior quarterback, Kameron Wurtz will spread the ball around in the passing game when they do throw. 

Axtell (2-2) at Frankfort (2-2)
Starting off District play on the right foot is key for both Axtell and Frankfort as they meet up to open 8-Man District three play. Last year Axtell snagged a 30-24 win scoring the go ahead touchdown with 8.1 seconds left after Frankfort had tied the game with 1:19 left. Both teams enter with two wins for Axtell it’s been a tale of different games in wins and losses and they continue to see guys adjust but sophomore, Hunter Koch has been a weapon no matter where on the field accounting for 459 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns, throwing, catching and running for scores. 

Frankfort enters the game with a bit of confidence after a 62-12 win over Valley Falls and senior, Adam Kenworthy led the way accounting for seven touchdowns in the win. Kenworthy on the season has ran for 410 yards and eight touchdowns, while going 20-55 for 229 yards with four touchdowns. Both Colton Parthemer and Garrett Dalinghaus made a solid impact last week and expect to see increased roles for the Wildcats. 

Before last year’s tight contest the previous seven matchups between the Eagles and Wildcats were decided by an average of 34.7 points per game, but this year lines up to be more like last year a tight contest.

Wetmore (0-4) at Hanover (3-0)
The Hanover Wildcats have been dominating 8-Man football for a while and that trend continues this year having outscored their three opponents 120-0, while Wetmore is in their first varsity season since 1987 and came close to their first win last week in a 40-34 loss to Madison. The Cardinals tied the game with just over 30 seconds left and with 0.7 seconds left Madison hit a Hail Mary pass to snag the win. Wetmore despite the loss did see plenty of improvement scoring in all three facets of the game and forcing three turnovers. Garrett Evans continues to run the ball successfully rushing for 105 yards last week, while Ethan Osterhaus might play some quarterback this week if starter Joel Hutfles isn’t 100%. 

The Wildcats have been flying high all year and despite a few turnovers in week one against Lebo they look hard to beat. Will Bruna tossed four touchdowns and 231 yards last week in a win against Linn, while Carter Bruna, Kevin Deiderich, Daiken Stallbaumer and others continue to contribute. 

Blue Valley-Randolph (1-3) at Wakefield (3-1)
Last year Wakefield handled Blue Valley 54-8, but this year the matchup counts towards District play. The Rams enter the contest after their first win of the season last week, claiming the 72-40 victory over Southern Cloud but are giving up 42 points per game so far this year and averaging only 25. Continuing to play through Trevor Schwerdt and Bradley Young will be key for the Rams to find success. 

Wakefield comes into District play with a three-game winning streak after a 14-point week one loss to Goessel and are hungry for their first playoff appearance since 2006. Junior, Justin Craver has ran for 386yds and seven touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback, Skylur Merritt has 306 yards passing and 265 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns. 

St. John’s/Tipton (3-1) at Linn (2-2) 
Linn is the only 8-Man DII Twin Valley League team not in District three as they will compete in District four and start District action against St. John’s/Tipton. The Bulldogs two wins and two losses have been drastically different games beating teams that are a combine 1-7 and falling to teams that are a combined 7-0. Linn enters the game averaging 222 yards total offense per game, with Evan Bott leading the way with 383 yards and three touchdowns. 

St. John’s/Tipton comes into contest with their lone loss to a 4-0 Osborne team and scored 50+ points in all three of their wins with a balanced offense of 177 yards per game rushing and 212 yards per game passing. Senior quarterback, Davis Dubbert leads the way for St. John’s/Tipton with 693 yards passing and nine touchdowns, along with 184 yards rushing with five touchdowns, while the team carries a 5.1 yard per carry average. 

Onaga (1-3) at Burlingame (4-0)
The gauntlet continues for Onaga as they face an unbeaten team for the third straight week and another ranked team ,this time traveling to Burlingame. The Buffaloes kept the game close early against Herington but couldn’t keep up with their scoring falling 78-30 last week. Coach Travis Callaway says the focus is on the defense being able to come up with stops and force turnovers something Onaga has struggled with on the year. Logan Marten and Brendan Melvin lead the offense with 230+ yards rushing each and combined nine touchdowns. 

Burlingame has been strong on both sides of the ball to start the year outscoring opponents 226-34, as their defense is giving up just 8.5 points per game and has forced 12 turnovers. Offensively they enter the game against Onaga averaging 241 yards per game rushing and junior quarterback, Dalton Sporing has 514 yards passing 12 touchdowns (2 INTs) and 515 yards rushing 11 touchdowns. 

Herington (4-0) at Clifton-Clyde (4-0)
District three in 8-Man DI is complete stacked and it showcases itself again this week with another battle of unbeaten and ranked teams. Clifton-Clyde after a 20-point comeback double overtime 74-72 win over Rural Vista last week is thrown right back into the fire with another test as they host unbeaten Herington. The Eagles are putting up some huge numbers with 364.5 yards per game (300 rushing) and 50.8 points per game, and the defense has been strong too giving up just 16 points and 331 yards of offense the first three weeks, but gave up 72 points and 375 yards last week to Rural Vista. Caleb Charbonneau has been running wild with 691 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead the Eagles. 

Herington who has only won 11 games over the last 10 years is off to a strong start making the move to 8-Man this year. Through four games Herington is averaging 460 yards total offense per game and nearly 60 points per game, led the trio of Richard Hagerman, Tate Becker and Trenden Scneider who all have 350+ yards rushing each and combined 26 touchdowns on the ground. The defense is giving up 31 points per game, but has a +13 turnover margin. 

Nemaha Central (4-0) at Centralia (1-3)
Nemaha County showdown between teams that played the last two years as part of Class 3A Districts this time it’s just a regular season contest. Last year Nemaha Central won 43-14 with Ryan Hasenkamp accounting for nearly 350 yards total offense with four touchdowns, but Centralia won two years ago 35-6. The Thunder roll into the game having shutout three of four opponents this year as the defense has been great setting up the offense with great opportunities. Hasenkamp has led the offense with nearly 500 yards through the air with five touchdowns, while rushing for six scores. Jacob Koelzer, along with Hasenkamp and Mitchell Henry all have 200+ yards rushing and 18 touchdowns combined, while four other guys have scored a rushing touchdown also for Nemaha. 

Centralia picked up their first win of the season last week beating Doniphan West 49-13 and continue to grow as a team running for 478 yards led by Trenton Flentie who returned from injury and ran for 257 yards on 10 carries with five touchdowns. The Panthers are averaging 282 yards per game rushing and have gotten contributions from youngsters in Kamble Haverkamp and Isaac Gore, but turnovers continue to be an issue as the Panthers on the season. 

Sabetha (4-0) at Perry Lecompton (2-2)
The Bluejays remain on course for a Big 7 League and District Title matchup against rival Nemaha Central in week seven.  Sabetha remained unbeaten with a 48-0 victory against Royal Valley last week as the defense pitched a second straight shutout in League play.  Sabetha still hasn’t turned the ball over this season, and after attempting just one pass the first three games combined, they did showcase that attack as Christian Meyer connected on 4 of 7 passes and a touchdown last week and Trae Snyder had 130 rushing yards and three trips to the endzone. 

Perry Lecompton has won two straight Big 7 games, but lost a homecoming non-league matchup to Troy last week 25-22.  The Kaw Cousin backfield duo of Michael and Cole each ran for 100 yards in the defeat, but Perry showcased very strong play on the offensive and defensive lines and hopes to match the Bluejays ground and pound game in week five.  
Perry Lecompton beat Sabetha 28-14 last season and Sabetha won a shootout 41-37 two years ago as the teams have split their last four meetings and all games have been decided by less than three scores.      

Royal Valley (1-3) at Holton (1-3)
Another League and County rivalry game finds Royal Valley and Holton both looking for their second win of the season.  After losing their first three games by a combined total of 14 points to a trio of undefeated teams, th Wildcats celebrate homecoming in just their second home game of this season.  Holton broke into the win column last week in a 41-7 route at Riverside.  Holton ran for nearly 500 yards led by Miles McClintock-Stozier and Spencer Baum surpassing 120 yards each and two scores for the third time this season. 
Royal Valley sustained some early drives but couldn’t punch the football into the endzone for points last week in the loss at Sabetha.  It was the third time in four games the Panthers were shutout this season.  

Last year in pouring rain, Holton pulled away from a 6-6 halftime tie at home to beat Royal Valley 34-6.  The Wildcats haven’t allowed more than 6 points to the Panthers in their last four meetings and haven’t lost to Royal Valley since 1996 when Brooks Barta arrived in Holton.       

Hiawatha (3-1) at Jeff West (0-4)
Hiawatha has certainly surprised in 2016 after just one win the previous two years, but pump the brakes a little as their three wins this year have come against teams with a combined record of 1-11.  This week, they travel to play another winless team as Jeff West celebrates homecoming and hopes to be healthier and start the game better.  The Tigers fell down 28-0 at Nemaha Central in the first quarter last week and never got the ball across the 50-yard-line while managing just 53 yards of total offense.  Jeff West got 36 yards on 19 carries for freshman runningback Bryce Clements and has been playing frosh QB, Quinn Neuenswander as well as starting two freshman on the line.  Jeff West beat Hiawatha 52-0 a year ago and has won 9 of the last 10 meetings with the Hawks prevailing 24-23 in 2012.  

Hiawatha is playing and starting a handful of freshman and sophomores as well with Manuel Flores (frosh) gaining 107 yards on just 5 carries and scoring twice last week in a 34-14 win against ACCHS.  The Redhawks, under new Coach Ted Brown, have been balanced with senior QB Joseph Kunkel throwing for more than 110 yards per game and 7 different players have scored an offensive touchdown in 2016.  

Riverside (2-2) at ACCHS (0-4) 
Speaking of health, no area teams have been hit harder by injuries this year than Riverside at ACCHS.  The Tigers lost their starting senior quarterback Lane Bowen before the season and now their top senior runningback, Hunter Ostertag, is out with a knee injury.  ACCHS is 0-4, although their opponents have a combined 13-3 record thus far.  The Tigers are allowing 56 points per game, but did score their first two offensive touchdowns of the season last week in a 34-14 loss at Hiawatha.  

Riverside lost their star Big Seven League runningback and linebacker Gaige Olivero for the season a week ago, and now will be without as many as six starters this week.  Quarterback Andrew Miller, center Cade Wendt, tight end Drew Trump, slotback Tre’Nez Wilkinson and lineman Da’Lon Goodwin could all be sidelined.  A lot of sophomores have stepped into new starting roles for the Cyclones, including Dawson Dick, who ran for 97 yards and a touchdown last week in the loss to Holton.  

Riverside is 4-0 against ACCHS since the teams rejoined the Big Seven.     

Clay Center (3-1) at Marysville (3-2)
Only nine points were scored between the two teams last year and all in overtime as Marysville won 6-3 in overtime with Hunter Warnick rushing for a four-yard touchdown to earn the win. The Bulldogs enter this week’s matchup with Clay Center having won their last two games including a 34-0 win over Concordia last week. The defense has been great holding three of four opponents to 120 yards of total offense or less while giving up just 12.8 points per game. Warnick continues to lead the offense with 560+ yards rushing, while the Bulldogs sprinkled in the passing game last week with Jack Blumer going 8-12 for 98 yards and three touchdowns. 

Clay Center comes into the NCKL matchup winning three in a row after a season opening loss to Phillipsburg and have only gave up one score the last three weeks. The team is rushing for 255 yards per game and have four guys with 120+ yards rushing each with senior quarterback, Kade Wallace and junior, Levi Pfizenmaier have all nine rushing touchdowns for the team. 

Rural Vista (3-1) at Valley Falls (1-3)
The Valley Falls Dragons are currently on a three game losing streak after a season opening 24-14 win over Wetmore. The most recent setback came last week to Frankfort 62-12 in the opening round of districts in which the Wildcats led 36-6 after the first quarter and the game stopped at halftime. Tyler Lockhart threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the loss as the Dragons displayed a spread offense for the first time. Valley Falls is averaging just 15.5 points per game while giving up nearly 45 points a contest. Rural Vista is coming off a 74-72 loss to Clifton-Clyde and is averaging 55 points per game. 

KC Washington (0-4) at Atchison (4-0)
For the second straight year Atchison is off to a 4-0 start and on track for another KCAL title. The Redmen are currently ranked in the top five of most Class 4A-I state rankings after a 52-12 rout of Wyandotte last Friday. In the win senior quarterback Adam Smith was 11-for-17 passing for 167 yards and five touchdowns with Bryce Enzbrenner hauling in three scores. Enzbrenner is currently 15th in all classes in the state receiving with 374 yards and eight touchdowns on just 16 receptions. Atchison enters Friday night averaging nearly 42 points per game while outscoring opponents 167-46. 

The Redmen dominated last year’s week three meeting between the two teams 62-6 holding Washington to -31 yards rushing in the contest and enter the matchup on a nine-game winning streak in KCAL play.