Week nine of the high school football season and some teams have wrapped up playoffs spots, others are in must win situations to make the playoffs and some teams are playing for pride to wrap up the season. A preview of all week nine area showdowns is below and listen to 103.9 KNZA and 92.1 KMZA at 6:00pm for Thursday Night Fever preview on the radio of the games with coaches comments and more before the game action tonight. Wrap up the night with the Community National Bank Scoreboard show after the games on 103.9 KNZA and 92.1 KMZA.

Week Eight Games to be Broadcasted:
103.9 KNZA & Holton Channel – Santa Fe Trail at Holton
       (click here to listen & click here to watch)
92.1 KMZA – Valley Falls at Onaga (click here to listen)
KAIR 93.7 FM – Maur Hill-Mount Academy at ACCHS (click here to listen)
Sabetha Channel – Riverside at Sabetha (click here to watch)
Holton Channel (Friday) – Jackson Heights at Centralia (click here to watch)
KAIR 93.7 FM (Friday) – Mclouth at Jefferson County North (click here to listen)

Riverside (2-6) at Sabetha (7-1)
The Bluejays are back in control of their own playoff destiny and with a win at home over Riverside Thursday will begin a ninth straight playoff run which last year ended with a 34-28 loss to eventual state champion Rossville in regionals. Sabetha is coming a huge bounce back 70-6 win over Hiawatha last week in which eight different guys found the end zone led by Gabe Garber’s 91 yards and two scores. The Bluejays are averaging over 264 yards rushing per game this season led by Joe Gruber who has surpassed the 600 yard mark on the season with 10 touchdowns and enter Thursday averaging just under 30 points per contest.

After missing out on the playoffs a season ago the Cyclones have chance to get back there with a win Thursday night. The Cyclones are averaging just 186 yards of total offense per game and have allowed less than 20 points only twice this season. Andrew Miller leads Riverside on offense throwing for 100 yards per game, but has thrown just five touchdowns to eight interceptions. The Cyclones are averaging just 12 points per game and fell to the Bluejays last season 58-6.

Hiawatha (2-6) at Nemaha Central (8-0)
With a playoff spot and District title locked up, Nemaha Central still has plenty to play for in the regular season game of the season as the Thunder are looking to cap their third straight regular season unbeaten and win an outright Big Seven League title. The Thunder continue to put forth strong performances averaging 39 points per game and defensively are only given 8.9 points per game. Nemaha Central has plenty of guys that man make plays on both sides of the ball but with some big wins have gained the advantage of being able to get younger guys reps and develop depth for the playoffs. Staying healthy in the regular season finale will be a focus, while the team also continues to stay sharp and prepare for the postseason as they will host either Pleasant Ridge or Maranatha on Tuesday, October 31st in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Hiawatha is playing for pride and hoping to avoid a fourth straight loss to end the season.  Despite taking a couple steps back in the win column this year, the Redhawks competed with a young roster that included only a couple seniors and lost three games by seven points or less.  Last week however, things snowballed early as Hiawatha fell down 28-0 and lost at Sabetha 70-6.  Sophomore Tyler Brockoff is closing in on 1,500 yards passing with classmate Michael Moreno netting nearly 900 yards this season as well.  Hiawatha has lost six straight against Nemaha and been outscored 172-8 the last three meetings combined. 
 

Maur Hill-Mount Academy (6-2) at ACCHS (0-8)
Heading into the final game of district play, Maur Hill-Mount Academy has already wrapped up the Class 3A District 2 title after wins over Pleasant Ridge and Maranatha. The win over the Eagles came last week by a 52-12 final in which sophomore quarterback Jack Caudle threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow sophomore Dylan Smith also had a big game rushing for 108 yards and three scores, while the Raven defense limited Maranatha to negative 31 rushing yards. The Ravens are averaging 159 yards per game both through the air and on the ground, led by Caudle who has thrown for 1,322 yards and 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions.

The Tigers are still in search of win No. 1 on the season after a 28-18 loss to Pleasant Ridge last week which officially eliminated ACCHS from the playoff hunt. In the loss to Pleasant Ridge the Tigers played well leading 12-6 at halftime, but failed to stop the offense of the Rams giving up 248 rushing yards. Tucker Smith continued his strong sophomore season for the Tigers rushing for 130 yards including a 98-yard touchdown, and on the season has surpassed 725 yards on the ground.

The Ravens took last season’s meeting 57-14 rushing for eight touchdowns and have won the last three matchups over the Tigers.

Maranatha (2-6) at Pleasant Ridge (3-5)
Despite under .500 records, a playoff spot is on the line in Easton Thursday night with the winner claiming the second spot out of Class 3A District 2. After a 1-5 start the Rams have won 2 of their last three games including a 28-18 win over ACCHS last week and are looking to reach the playoffs for the sixth straight season. The Rams ran wild over the Tigers last week rushing for 248 yards with Konner Walker leading the way rushing for 134 yards on 14 carries in just his second game of the season in the backfield.

The Eagles are looking to rebound after a 52-12 loss to Maur Hill-Mount Academy last week in which they were held to negative 31 rushing yards. Nate Burdette did throw for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Brock West hauled in four passes for 112 yards and a score. On the season Burdette has thrown for 1,466 yards and 18 touchdowns as the Eagles average just over 20 points per game.

Royal Valley (4-4) at Silver Lake (8-0)
Silver Lake remains unbeaten although was tested against Perry Lecompton before pulling out a 40-35 win.  It was the Eagles second win by one score this year and they pulled away in the second half and outgained the Kaws 452 yards to 225. The Eagles are the District Champs with a win. 

Royal Valley needs a win and a lot of help to make the playoffs, but has improved their win total from last year following a 14-8 victory last week at Oskaloosa.  The Panthers were blanked 50-0 against Silver Lake last year, and have scored just 20 total points in their four losses this season. They need a perfect game with their balanced rushing attack to keep pace with the Eagles who average 36 points in a very balanced offense.    
 

Oskaloosa (7-1) at Perry Lecompton (5-3)
While the Bears have been eliminated from the playoff race, the Kaws are currently in a three-team race with Silver Lake and Royal Valley for the two playoff spots out of Class 3A District 3. The Kaws need just a win to guarantee themselves a playoff spot after suffering a 40-35 heartbreaking loss to current 3A No. 4 Silver Lake last week. Dalton Kellum delivered a huge performance on the ground rushing for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and on the season has accounted for over 1,800 total yards.

The Bears were eliminated from postseason play last week with a 20-14 loss at home to Royal Valley. Jared Miller accounted for both touchdowns rushing for 115 yards on 20 carries while on the season accounting for 818 yards on the ground. The Bears were dominated by the Kaws last season 49-7 in the first district meeting between the two teams in the newly arranged 3A District 3.

Riley County (7-1) at Marysville (7-1)
Marysville football program has made a huge full circle from their time of a 30+ losing streak to now as the team is set to make their third straight appearance in the Class 3A playoffs. Already locked into a playoff spot the battle against Riley County is for the District 13 title and a home playoff game, also would give the Bulldogs the most wins in a season since 2009. Offensively the team has been great all year averaging 49.5 points per game with a balance offense – passing for 209.7 yards and rushing for 146.4 yards per game. Senior quarterback, Jack Blumer is approaching 2,000 yards passing needing only 107 yards to surpass that mark and has tossed 24 touchdowns to just two interceptions, while rushing for 11 scores. Plenty of playmakers are all around for Marysville with four guys with 380+ yards of total offense each along with Blumer.

Last year Marysville won this contest 14-0 and it expects to be a battle again this season. Riley County is averaging 36.4 points per game and only giving up 11.1 points per contest. The Falcons offense is focused on the run averaging 336 yards per game on the ground Tyler Halstead and Mikey Waggoner leading the way with 865 and 697 yards, respectively and 13 and nine touchdowns. The defense has forced 16 turnovers on the year while the offense has turned it over less than a handful of times.

The winner of this game gets to host a first round playoff game against most likely Norton, which is the team that beat Marysville in the first round of the playoffs last year. While the loser has to travel to unbeaten Phillipsburg in round one.

Santa Fe Trail (6-2) at Holton (5-3)
For the second straight season, both teams are 1-1 in district play and only the winner gets into the playoffs.  Holton has won the last five and all by at least 46 points until a 36-24 victory last year at Trail to qualify for their 19th post season in a row.  Santa Fe Trail finished 7-2 a season ago, but this year didn’t repeat as Frontier League champs with a loss against Wellsville.  Holton has won four straight games and led 13-7 last week at halftime at Topeka Hayden, but could only muster one first down in the second half and succumbed to some big passing plays to fall 27-13.  Santa Fe Trail meanwhile kept their playoff hopes alive breaking away from a scoreless halftime game to shutout Jeff West 18-0. The Chargers pass for 81 yards per game but are led by a ground attack that includes 1,116 yard rusher Will Herren.  Holton has rotated a lot of athletes in their balanced wishbone backfield with 352 yards rushing per game and five guys with more than 350 yards on the ground this season.     

Hayden (4-4) at Jeff West (2-6) on Friday
Hayden has clinched another district title following their 27-13 comeback win against Holton where DeShawn Hanika had 225 yards receiving and caught the final two scores of the game.  The state runner-up from last year has won back to back games for the first time this season after battling through the Centennial League and hopes to stay sharp against a Jeff West team that is reeling with six straight losses.  Hayden won last year 58-8 against Jeff West.  The Tigers have been shutout two weeks in a row and scored less than 98 points total this season.  One bright spot has been senior Caleb Middendorf who surpassed 1,000 yards of offense this season in a tight 18-0 loss to Santa Fe Trail last week. 
 

Atchison (4-4) at KC Piper (3-5) on Friday
The Redmen and Pirates are both playing for pride Friday night after each team was eliminated from the playoff race with losses last week. Atchison fell 34-0 at Basehor-Linwood a week ago, but are looking to finish above .500 with a win this week. Taye Helms has been a bright spot for the Redmen the past two weeks rushing for over 80 yards in both games and on the season has accounted for 744 yards. Piper on the other hand is coming off a 45-7 loss to Tonganoxie in which the offense was held to just 119 total yards. The Pirates are averaging under 200 yards of total offense and 17 points per game, led by Junior tailback Dalton White who on the season has surpassed 400 yards on the ground along with four touchdowns. Piper took last season’s meeting 40-19, forcing three Redmen turnovers.

Hanover (8-0) at Axtell (6-2)
Both teams are in the playoffs but there is plenty to play for as the District title is up for grabs. Hanover Wildcats have dominated opponents this year ending seven of the eight games by point-rule but their shutout run ended last week when Wakefield scored 12 points but the Wildcats have only now given up 24 total points on the season. Offensively the Wildcats are finding plenty of ways score points posting 54.8 points per game this season. Hanover has won 20-straight games and 11-straight by 40+ points (18 of last 19).

The Axtell Eagles are just a couple years removed from a run to Sub-State are back in the playoffs. Things are rolling for the Eagles as they’ve won four-straight with the offense taking flight for 49.3 points per game with a balanced attack led by the trio of Quinn Buessing who’s thrown for 1,444 yards with 25 touchdowns to five interceptions, while Michael Swanson has 1,193 yards of total offense with 16 touchdowns and Hunter Koch has 861 yards receiving with 19 touchdowns. The Eagles defensively are giving up 33 points per game this season.

Last year Hanover won a lopsided contest 63-8 in this showdown. A win in the contest gets the winner a first round home playoff game against either Rock Hills or St. John’s/Tipton while the loser will travel to Pike Valley in the first round of the 8-Man DII playoffs.

Wetmore (3-5) Wakefield (5-3)
From restarting the football program three years ago to the second year over varsity level of competition this year the Wetmore Cardinals have taken plenty of strides. The Cardinals who finished winless last year have three wins this season and close out the season hoping for another but take on discipline Wakefield team. The Cardinals have been led all season by the duo of Kyler Vance and Joel Hutfles as Vance has 1,040 yards of total offense with 16 touchdowns, while Hutfles has ran 670 yards with nine touchdowns and thrown for 486 yards with 11 scores.

Wakefield won this matchup last year 52-6 but unlike last season the Bombers will not be heading to the postseason. The Bombers have ran the ball for 202 yards per game led by Justin Carver who has 734 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns, while Skylur Merritt has 641 yards passing with 10 touchdowns and has 431 yards rushing with 10 scores.

Blue Valley-Randolph (1-7) at Frankfort (3-5)
Both teams are looking to cap the season with a victory to head into the offseason. Blue Valley has had plenty of struggles moving guys around to multiple positions throughout the season and with low numbers that has worked its toll on the team. The Rams have found some success with Lane Peter who had nearly 700 yards of total offense with five touchdowns. Blue Valley however has given up nearly 400 points on the season in eight games and have struggled to stay with their opponents only mustering 112 points on the year.

A win over Wetmore last week showed that a pretty healthy Frankfort team with their trio of runners in Garret Dalinghaus, Brandon Bussmann and Carson Schreiner can be a dangerous one. The Wildcats have operated basically all season with a full complement of guys with players injured throughout the season. On the year Dalinghaus has 643 yards, while Bussmann has ran for 427 and Schreiner 444 yards with 10, nine and four touchdowns, respectively. Frankfort took this ballgame last year 57-12.

Pike Valley (8-0) at Linn (4-4)
Eight of the last 10 years the Linn Bulldogs have finished with a 4-5 record and Linn enters the final week of the regular season staring that record in the face as they take on unbeaten Pike Valley. The Bullodgs wins have comes against teams with losing records and their losses to teams in the playoffs or in contention for a playoff berth as the teams has played out basically the same as last year. Linn is averaging around 200 yards per game rushing and has been led by Joseph Trumble who has 668 yards rushing with seven touchdowns, while Evan Bott, Tanner Spence and Ricardo Cardenas have all been strong contributors in the backfield.

Pike Valley is unbeaten on the season and has played only two tight games both against good teams in Osborne and Rock Hills. The Panthers are averaging 49 points per game with 343 yards per game. Five different guys have over 100 yards rushing this season including quarterback, Davante Hammer who has also thrown for 777 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defensively Pike Valley is only surrendering 12.5 points per game and has forced 20 turnovers. Pike Valley won this matchup easily last year 48-0.

Valley Falls (0-8) at Onaga (0-8)
Records fell last year in the showdown as the teams combined for 182 points to set a Kansas 8-Man single game record for most combined points, while multiple other individual and team records also were broken. Both teams enter this year’s showdown looking for their first win of the year and trying to cap the season on a positive note. Valley Falls has struggled to find an identity that fully fits their guys has Coach Nick Cummings has moved pieces around throughout the season and has had to play several young guys. Carter Allen has run for nearly 500 yards on the season, while Tyler Lockhart has thrown for 585 yards. The Dragons defense has struggled quite a bit giving up 63.3 points per game.

Onaga Buffaloes came into the year going to go with plenty of inexperience and young guys and that has led to learning curve and struggles throughout the season. The Buffaloes have tired multiple things throughout the year to find success but the best success they’ve had has been Tanner Marten who has 902 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns and has thrown for 306 yards with six touchdowns. The Buffalo offense is managing just 18.5 points per game while the defense has given up 53.9 points per game this season.

Last year’s State record game ended with a 114-68 score and Onaga gaining the victory.

Jackson Heights (8-0) at Centralia (6-2) on Friday
Coming off a thrilling 44-40 district win against Valley Heights that clinched a return to the playoffs, Jackson Heights played a sluggish first half before pulling away from a 12-12 tie last third quarter to beat Horton 36-12 last week.  The victory clinched another Northeast Kansas League Title for the Cobras who have outscored their opponents this year 41-9 on average.  Brady Holliday had 281 yards rushing last week and is over 1,000 for the season with Sebastian Butto not far behind.  Jackson Heights beat Centralia 22-14 last year in a game only for pride but their first win against the Panthers since 2003.  This year, a District Title and home playoff game is on the line. 

For the first time in 20 years the Centralia Panthers missed the playoffs last year but this season after a 30-22 win over Valley Heights last week the Panthers are back in the Class 2-1A playoffs and also back atop the Twin Valley League standings. Centralia has been healthy over the course of the season and that has led to stability which has led to plenty of success as the team averages 321 yards rushing per game along with 34 points per game with Trenton Flentie leading the way with 1,061 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. The Panther stout defense has returned to form as the team has allowed just 83 points this season and has plenty of physical guys ready to battle on the gridiron.

Wabaunsee (1-7) at Doniphan West (5-3) on Friday
This is a non-district game as the final contest of the year for Wabaunsee while Doniphan West is heading to the playoffs for the first time in three years.  The Mustangs look to triple their win total from last year and send their seniors out in style after sneaking past McLouth last week 14-8.  Levi Watts threw for over 240 yards with fellow seniors Luke Blevins and Zeb Speer having long touchdown receptions, a staple of the D-West offense this year.  Wabaunsee has struggled against Mid-East League opponents and a very small roster with their lone win last week 12-9 against Washington County.  The Chargers have scored 58 total points this season but did beat Doniphan West 56-12 last season.      

Mclouth (0-8) at Jefferson County North (8-0) on Friday
This game has no playoff implications as JCN has locked up the Class 2-1A District 1 title while McLouth has been eliminated from possible postseason play. The No. 3-ranked Chargers remained unbeaten last week with a dominant 46-0 over Troy, officially knocking out the defending 2-1A State Champs. The Chargers outgained the Trojans 378 yards to 132 as Ridge Robertson ran for 195 yards and four touchdowns while the defense recorded five interceptions. The Chargers feature one of the most potent offenses around the state averaging over 46 points per game, led by Robertson who has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season.

McLouth is still in search of win No. 1 on the season after a 14-8 loss to Doniphan West last week. The Bulldogs forced three Mustang turnovers in the contest, but failed to score in the second half. McLouth is allowing just under 38 points per game and looking to snap a 10-game losing streak.

Troy (3-5) at Horton (3-5)
After both teams lost tight heart-breaking games against Doniphan west in district play, this game is only for pride, and two teams trying to finish the year with a fourth win.  Besides the records, the matchup looks pretty even, although Troy has utilized the passing game much more than the Chargers.  Troy was shutout at JCN 46-0 last week with five interceptions hurting the cause while Horton played tough for three quarters before falling to Jackson Heights.  Matthew Lobdell ran and passed a touchdown to Nathan Isaacs, who also used the wind to boot a 73 and 67-yard-punt last week that both went out of bounds inside the five-yard-line.  Troy only has a couple seniors on the team and Horton suited up less than 20 athletes a week ago with a depleted roster.  The Trojans won last year 51-6 after losing the previous two meetings against the Chargers.           

Valley Heights (6-2) at Washington County (0-7)
Game has been forfeited by Washington County and cancelled.