Five weeks of the high school football regular season are in the books and some teams have started the season strong, while others are still in search of their first win. District play continued last week for Classes 3A, 2A and 8-man DI & DII while 1A gets underway tonight with each game becoming more meaningful as the season moves on. Some games have also been moved up due to the weather, so note those changes for each contest.

Games to be Broadcast

Jackson Heights at Troy at 6:00pm - 103.9 KNZA
Holton at Sabetha at 5:30pm - Sabetha Channel
Hanover at Axtell at 5:00pm – 92.1 KMZA
Maur Hill-Mount Academy at ACCHS at 6:00pm – KAIR 93.7 FM

Jeff West (4-1) at Perry Lecompton (4-1) in 3A District 3

Both Big 7 League teams are 4-1, but Perry remains unbeaten in District play, while the Tigers are coming off their first loss of the season.  Jeff West fell 30-7 against Hayden last week despite one of the best rushing games of the season, including 130+ yards from Bryce Clements.  Yet, the Tigers fumbled at the three-yard line going in for a score in the second quarter and also allowed a safety and defensive score in the second half while playing from behind as Hayden led early 19-0.  Clements now has 358 yards rushing for the year and Cade Ross went over 1,000 yards passing for this campaign.

Perry has bounced back from their only loss of the year (35-33) at Sabetha in week three with a pair of 3A District wins against Wellsville and Santa Fe Trail.  Dalton Kellum ran for 235 yards and two scores as the Kaws topped the Chargers 28-6 last week.  Kellum now has 939 yards rushing in 2018

These rivals have not played the last two years, but Jeff West has won four straight in the series, all by 15 points or less.    

Marysville (3-2) at Royal Valley  (1-4 ) in 3A District 4

The Bulldogs have won three of their last four games and despite a couple crucial turnovers last week, escaped with a 20-14 win at Wamego.  Brandon Schroedl has thrown for 781 yards with Jacob Backus having 33 receptions for 432 yards and Atreyau Hornbeak has added a team high 409 yards rushing. 

The Panthers have been outscored by an average score of 50-11 this year and lost 58-8 at Holton a week ago.  The Panthers have had turnover problems of their own and struggled to finish drives with points on the board.  Royal Valley has not played Marysville in more than 15 years.   

Hiawatha (1-4)  at Wamego (3-2) in 3A District 4

Hiawatha has lost four in a row, allowing nearly 42 points per game during that stretch and lost several players to injury in the process.  Tyler Brockoff has completed 25-55 passes on the year for 319 yards with Michael Moreno having 226 yards receiving and Alan Simpson making 11 catches for 121.  Simpson also has 112 yards rushing, third on the Redhawk team behind Julian Brown (142) and Kaiser Isaac (129).  Isaac has added 178 yards passing, but 14 turnovers have hampered the Hawks offense.

Wamego is coming off a tough 22-14 setback against Marysville, and both of their losses this year have been by a combined 20 points. Ty Cooper had 139 yards passing and 105 rushing while accounting for both Red Raider touchdowns under new Head Coach Weston Moody.  These teams haven’t meet since a 29-27 Hiawatha victory in 2009 with the showdown tonight played on turf.         

Holton (3-2)  at Sabetha (5-0) in 3A District 4 on Sabetha Channel at 5:30pm

Both teams are 2-0 in district play and while Sabetha has maintained the #1 ranking in the state, Holton has turned their season around with three straight wins. 

The Bluejays coasted to a 49-7 victory at Hiawatha last week with junior quarterback Gabe Garber leading the way.  Garber ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing for 118 yards and a pair of TD tosses to Braeden Cox.  Gabe leads the team with 519 yards rushing and 328 passing.  Sabetha is getting healthier, but keeps having new players step up each week.  Tristan Edelman made his first start of the season last week and the senior ran for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Wildcats scored over 50 points for the season straight week and have seven athletes rush the football and six different players score.  One of those was quarterback Parker Gilliland, who looks to take over the signal caller duties this week, after sharing time with Zane Moylan.  Moylan is dinged up but has all eight of the teams completed passes this year. In Holton’s 58-8 triumph over Royal Valley, Trey Wright had 84 yards and two scores and now has 315 yards rushing on the season.  Konnor Tannahill leads the Cats with 397 yards and eight trips to the endzone. 

Sabetha has won two straight in this series, including 21-0 a year ago after the previous two years meetings were decided by four total points combined.      

MH-MA (4-1) at ACCHS (1-4) in 2A District 3 on KAIR 93.7 FM at 6:00pm

Throw the records out when the Ravens and Tigers meet up in one of the biggest rivalries around the area. The Ravens enter tonight on a two game win streak after a homecoming win over Horton last week 44-12, getting out to a 15-0 lead after the first quarter and 30-6 at halftime. Junior quarterback Jack Caudle had a huge game throwing for 136 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 54 yards and a score. Through five games Caudle is now over the 775 yard mark passing with 10 touchdowns and just three picks, while he’s just 14 yards away from leading the Ravens in rushing with 184 yard on the ground this season with four more touchdowns.

ACCHS meanwhile is looking to bounce back after what was a tough loss last week to Riverside 62-12. The Tigers were once again without all-state running back Tucker Smith who is still dealing with an ankle injury, and threw four interceptions in the contest. Since the season opening 46-0 win over Oskaloosa the Tigers have struggled offensively, averaging less than 10 points their last four contests.

While it is a big-time rivalry the Ravens have dominated the series as of late, taking the last four meetings dating back to 2014 by over two scores each contest.

Pleasant Ridge (3-2) at Horton (0-5) in 2A District 3

The Rams are looking to bounce back after an absolutely heart-breaking loss to Nemaha Central last week 29-28 as the Thunder connected on a late touchdown pass to escape after Pleasant Ridge dominated a majority of the contest. The Rams jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, but the Thunder scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and got a two-point conversion try late that proved to be the difference. Quarterback Colton Comer accounted for 235 total yards of offense in the contest, and on the season has accounted for over 65 percent of the total offense for the Rams.

Horton is hanging tough with just 14 healthy kids on their 11-man roster and scored for the third straight game in a 44-12 loss at MH-MA.  One highlight was a 10-play, 83-yard scoring drive for the Chargers under new Coach Mark Friess.  

Riverside (1-4) at Nemaha Central (3-2) in 2A District 3 at 5:00pm

The Thunder are riding high and have to be feeling pretty good after a thrilling come-from-behind 29-28 victory over Pleasant Ridge last week. Nemaha Central got down 14-0 after the first quarter, but rattled off 15 points in the fourth quarter and got a 91-yard touchdown pass from Cole Kramer to Ty Hermesch with little time on the clock to escape with a win. The Thunder received two touchdown runs from Luke Reitz in the contest, while on the season Gavin Duryea leads the team on the ground with 238 yards rushing and five scores.

Riverside is coming off their first win of the season in a 61-12 beat down of ACCHS.  The Cyclones created six turnovers and had their defense help them establish an early lead, including a pick-six by Conner Hayes.  Dawson Dick ran for another 123 yards and scored three times.   

McLouth (2-3) at Oskaloosa (0-5) in 2A District 2

The Bulldogs are feeling good and riding high after picking up their second win of the season last week in a thriller over West Franklin 26-24. The two teams went back-and-forth throughout, but senior quarterback Jeremy Carlton took over and delivered a memorable performance to say the least to will the Bulldogs to victory. Passing the football he was 18 for 21 with 157 yards and two touchdowns, while also carrying 28 times for 169 yards and another score while recording the game-winning touchdown receiving as well.

Oskaloosa meanwhile is searching for their first victory of the season after a 56-0 loss to a very good Osage City team last week. The Bears have scored just 12 points all season long, and are looking to continue to build on the positives down the stretch of the season.

Oskaloosa actually dominated last season’s meeting 58-22, but nearly production from that game for the Bears is gone.

Lyndon (2-3) at Jeff County North (2-3) in 1A District 3

It’s a matchup of a pair of 2-3 teams in Winchester tonight and also a matchup of two teams that are looking to rebuild. In the past several years both teams were typically in the playoffs, but the loss of several key players to graduation has both teams going through growing pains. After a two-game win streak the Chargers suffered a setback last week falling to Christ Prep at home 28-6. But it’s a clean slate for JCN as tonight marks the first district game of the season for the Chargers.

Jackson Heights (4-1) at Troy (3-2) in 1A District 3 on 103.9 KNZA at 6:00pm

A couple very good teams open Class 1A District play as Jackson Heights lone loss was 20-18 against Olpe and Troy has led in the fourth quarter of every game this season.  The Trojans spotted Centralia a 14-0 lead last week before tying the score at halftime and took a brief 22-21 advantage in the fourth frame.  Kipp Jasper ran for 93 yards and was 14-33 passing for another 237.  But Troy was beat on a couple long balls and allowed 165 yards passing to the Panthers.  This week, Troy welcomes a pure straight ahead rushing attack in the Jackson Heights wishbone. 

The Cobras have played three consecutive games decided by 14 points or less and found a way to win at Valley Heights 22-14 last week. Conlon Bruggeman had a monster night with 23 tackles for the Jackson Heights defense and went over 100 yards rushing, along with Cooper Williams, who has a team high 710 yards rushing this year.

The winner tonight gets the inside track on winning the district in the first meeting between the schools since 2013.  Troy has won seven straight over Jackson Heights dating back to 2004, but four of the last five meetings have been decided by six points or less and three of those games were decided by two points or fewer.          

Centralia (3-2) at Northern Heights (2-3) in 1A District 4

After starting the season off 0-2 the Panthers have rattled off three straight victories with the latest coming in a 36-22 win over Troy. The Trojans had a one-point lead with four minutes to play, but the Panthers answered with two long touchdowns to effectively end the game. Kamble Haverkamp had a big night passing the football going 5-of-7 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 199 yards and two touchdowns including a 75-yard score late. Northern Heights meanwhile is coming off a 21-12 win over Lyndon last week and has won two straight.

Valley Heights (3-2) at Wabaunsee (0-5) in 1A District 4 at 6:00pm

The Mustangs are looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss at home to Jackson Heights last week 22-14, giving up a touchdown with under 45 seconds to play on fourth-and-goal from the one yard line. Valley Heights actually got down 14-0 at one point in the second half after having three possessions in the first half that all got inside of the Cobras 30 yard line. The Mustangs just simply struggled to finish off drives in the contest, and were led by Cole Coggins who finished with 71 yards rushing and a touchdown. Coggins is the leading rusher for the Mustangs on the season with 847 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Jeremy Reed has also compiled 442 yards on the ground

Clifton-Clyde (5-0) at Stockton (2-3) in 8-man DI District 7 at 6:00pm

Clifton-Clyde continues to push right along and score at will after another 50-point outing in a 54-30 win over Victoria last week. The Eagles got out to a 24-0 lead early and held a 30-18 lead at halftime, before opening up the second half with a touchdown pass from Drake Steinbrock to Brant Douglas which pushed the lead back up to 18. The Eagles have scored over 45 points each game they have played this season and over 60 points twice, while currently holding the No. 3 ranking in 8-man DII.

Madison (5-0) at Valley Falls (1-4) in 8-man DI District 3

Valley Falls has lost four straight, all by 45 points or more, and faces one of their toughest test of the season tonight versus Madison.  Madison beat Lebo 70-20 a week ago as Ryan Wolgram and Austin Watts each ran for more than 100 yards.  Valley Falls fell to Lebo 62-12 a couple weeks ago and lost 58-8 last week at Burlingame.     

Onaga (0-5) at Blue Valley-Randolph (1-4) in 8-man DII District 3 at 5:30pm

Despite rough seasons to this point somebody is going to end their night on a positive note this evening as the Rams host the Buffaloes. Since picking up a win in week three over Wetmore the Rams have dropped their last two games with the latest setback coming in a 62-14 loss to undefeated Frankfort last week. The Buffaloes meanwhile finally have a break in their schedule after playing three of the top ranked teams in the state through the first five weeks with the latest loss coming to top-ranked Hanover 66-0 last week.

Tonight marks the first meeting between the two schools, as the Buffaloes are in just their third season of 8-man football.

Doniphan West (2-3) at Wetmore (1-4) in 8-man DII District 3 at 5:30pm

After getting through the tough part of their schedule in their first 8-man season, the Mustangs have won back to back games, even despite some key injuries for new Coach Jeff Savage.  D-West topped Linn 52-14 on the HCC turf field last Friday with Cooper Jensen taking over at QB.  One week after losing freshman signal caller Trent Spiker, the Mustangs had runningback Austin Owen get hurt in the win last week.  Still, with just 14 healthy athletes, Doniphan West has a chance to win their third straight game.  

Wetmore is searching for answers after suffering their third straight loss last week, falling to state-ranked Axtell 60-0. The Cardinals were held in check last week with -13 yards of offense, as they still in the midst of building up the program that is in just its third season as a varsity sport.

Hanover (5-0) at Axtell (5-0) in 8-man DII District 2 on 92.1 KMZA at 5:00pm

The storylines don’t get any bigger than what the Eagles and Wildcats have heading into tonight’s matchup in Axtell. The Eagles have blown out its first five opponents scoring them 284-31 and have yet to play into the fourth quarter in any of their games. Quinn Buessing threw for five more touchdowns last week in a 60-0 beat down of Wetmore and has 29 on the season with no picks and 1,038 yards. Hunter Koch also has 20 touchdown receptions on the season and 627 yards, after three more touchdown receptions last week.

The Wildcats are in the midst of a 30-game winning streak and are averaging 58 points per game and have allowed just six points on defense all season long. The Wildcats have not lost a game since the 2015 8-man Division One state title game and have defeated Axtell 11 straight times dating back to 2005.

St. John’s/Tipton (4-1) at Frankfort (5-0) in 8-man non-district at 6:00pm

 In one of the only non-district games of the week the Wildcats host the Bluejays in a matchup of two district leaders. Frankfort continued to rack up points in another comfortable win last week as the Wildcats easily got by Blue Valley-Randolph 62-12. Brandon Bussman delivered another stellar performance compiling 239 yards of total offense and six touchdowns, while on defense he recorded seven tackles and an interception. St. John’s/Tipton meanwhile has rebounded after a loss to Axtell in week one with four consecutive victories including a 20-6 win over Pike Valley last week.

Atchison (3-2) at Louisburg (5-0) in 4A East

After an 0-2 stretch in weeks two and three the Redmen have rattled off two straight victories after going on the road last week and taking down Wyandotte 47-27. Atchison actually trailed 14-7 after the first quarter, but rattled off 21 straight points in the second quarter to take control. Sercy Duncan continued his breakout season with another huge game, rushing for 158 yards and four touchdowns in the contest. Duncan continues to lead the Redmen on the ground with 532 yards and seven touchdowns. Atchison will face their toughest test to this point up against an unbeaten Louisburg team that is coming off a 34-0 win over Eudora.