2022 Pick Records

Brandon

Last week: 16-4
Overall: 16-4
Last season: 158-31

Justin

Last week: 17-3
Overall: 17-3
Last season: 157-32

Jared

Last week: 13-7
Overall:  13-7
Last season: n/a

Games to be Broadcast

Valley Heights at Onaga – KMZA 92.1 FM
Hiawatha at Jefferson West – KNZA 103.9 FM & Hiawatha Channel
Sabetha at Holton – Holton Channel
ACCHS at Jefferson County North – KAIR 93.7 FM

Week 2 Games

6-Man

Pawnee City at (1-0) Wetmore

The Cardinals come off a dominant 58-0 halftime forfeit over Southern Cloud in their first game at the 6-Man level. Wetmore’s passing attack had more yardage than their ground game on Friday with 124 passing yards coming from seniors Dierk Hanzlicek and Kyler Wommack. They both had one passing touchdown and two touchdowns on the ground, and Hanzlicek had a receiving touchdown to boot. Wommack had a phenomenal day on the other side of the ball as well with 6.0 tackles for loss with a sack and a forced fumble.

The Pawnee City Indians are also coming off an impressive win last Friday, getting a 48-7 win over the Franklin Flyers. At quarterback, they start junior Justin Pierce. They didn’t throw the ball much, but when he did, it was for a big play. He went 3-for-4 with 116 yards which comes out to 38.7 yards per connection. Two of those three completions went for six, with the longest being a 58-yard connection to sophomore wideout Anthony King. On the ground, senior running back Andy Maloney will get more work this week after just eight carries, which resulted in 100 yards and three touchdowns at 12.5 yards per carry.

Brandon’s Pick: Pawnee City
Justin’s Pick: Pawnee City
Jared’s Pick: Pawnee City

8-Man (Non-League)

(0-1) Hanover at (1-0) Ell-Saline

Hanover began their season last week with a 52-6 loss to (8M-I #3) Clifton Clyde. The Wildcats had won six straight against the Eagles dating back to 2005 before the loss in week one. Hanover will have another tough test as they take on an Ell-Saline squad that had no problems in their opener at Moundridge winning 34-14. This will be the first time in at least 18 years that Hanover and Ell-Saline meet on the gridiron.

Brandon’s Pick: Ell-Saline
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Jared’s Pick: Ell-Saline

(0-1) Cair Paravel at (0-1) Doniphan West

Nick Fuemmeler’s first game back as head coach didn’t go as planned as they lost the opener against Washington County 46-0. Mustangs defense allowed 38 points in the first half but were able to improve in the second half. Cair Paravel got the defending 8M-II State Champs in week one with Axtell. CP led Axtell at halftime 26-22 but were outscored 60-12 the rest of the way. They gave up 38 points in the fourth quarter to Axtell and gave up nearly 400 yards and eight touchdowns to Eagles quarterback Isaac Detweiler.

DW and CP playing each other for the first time since at least the early 2000’s.

Brandon’s Pick: Cair Paravel
Justin’s Pick: Cair Paravel
Jared’s Pick: Cair Paravel

(0-1) Linn at (1-0) Logan-Palco

Linn was nearly able to take their season opener last week but lost 48-46 against Lakeside-Downs. Lakeside RB Ian Kresin ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns while Kaden McCoy added two more rushing touchdowns against the Bulldogs defense. Logan-Palco won their season opener at Stockton 60-14 as Michael Hensley enters his second year as head coach of the Trojans. Trojans quarterback Rhett Kats threw for 157 yards and three touchdowns while Austin Stohs was their leading rusher with 59 yards and four touchdowns.

No recent game history between Linn and Logan-Palco as these two teams will face off for the first time in a long time.

Brandon’s Pick: Logan-Palco
Justin’s Pick: Linn
Jared’s Pick: Linn

(0-1) Hartford at (1-0) Axtell

The Jaguars were blown out 66-6 by 8 Man-I Madison who made the round of eight a year ago. Things won’t get easier for them this week against the state champs. A season ago, they showed they can produce on offense after a 100-point effort in week one. They will be tested against the team that had the best defense in the state in 2021.

It took all of one half for Axtell to get warmed up after their 82-38 win over the Cair Paravel Lions last week. Axtell was actually trailing at the half-way mark 26-22, but they would go on to score an unprecedented 60 points in the second half including 38 points in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Isaac Detweiler scored eight total touchdowns with four over the air and four on the ground. He ran for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, and 159 passing yards on 12 completions. The Eagles were able to turn CPLS over three times in the win as well.

Brandon’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Jared’s Pick: Axtell

8-Man (Twin Valley League)

(0-1) Frankfort at (1-0) Washington County

The Wildcats were handed a decisive 60-8 loss to Chase County at halftime in week one. It’s difficult to take away positives after a game like that, but quarterback Wes Anderson was able to find the endzone on a connection to Carter Olson. Running back Brock Armstrong averaged 8.0 yards per carry as well, but he only got the ball six times because they were playing from behind most of the game. Frankfort will look for a major bounce-back this week.

Washington County was able to rest their starters for most of the second half in their 46-0 wash at Doniphan West last Friday. Quarterback Payton LeDuc threw for 95 yards and a touchdown, and he added 188 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. LeDuc will hope to be more protective of the football in week two after fumbling twice and throwing an interception.

Since 2006, these two teams have a split series at three games apiece. Frankfort has won three of the last four including winning last year’s contest 60-34.

Brandon’s Pick: Washington County
Justin’s Pick: Washington County
Jared’s Pick: Washington County

(0-1) Blue Valley at (1-0) Clifton Clyde

We’ll start here with Clifton Clyde and how impressive they looked in their 52-6 win at Hanover. The Eagles beat Hanover for the first time since 2005 and they had lost six straight prior to week one. Clifton Clyde averaged 42 points per game last season and tallied 52 in the first game this season. They have two of the best linemen in the State with Seth LeClair and Kansas Damman while they returned a 1,500-yard rusher in Trent Long. K-Preps currently has the Eagles ranked #3 in 8M-I behind only Leoti-Wichita County and Chase County.

The Rams lost their first game of the season last week against St. Paul 66-34. St. Paul is a team being considered for the top-five in K-Prep’s latest rankings. Blue Valley has lost their last seven games against Clifton Clyde with their last win against the Eagles in 2004. The last meeting between the two was in 2011 in which Clifton Clyde won 60-46.

Brandon’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
Justin’s Pick: Clifton Clyde
Jared’s Pick: Clifton Clyde

11-Man (Non-League)

(1-0) Troy at (0-1) Valley Falls

Troy was impressive in their week one win over Wabaunsee. The Trojans beat the Chargers 28-22 on the back of their defense that forced seven turnovers in the game. Troy had a 20-6 lead in the third quarter, but Wabaunsee tallied back-to-back touchdowns to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Trojans scored the game winning touchdown in the final two minutes as quarterback Reagan Hartman found Boden Bentiz for a touchdown reception.

Senior quarterback Dylan Cervantez threw the ball 31 times in their week one 44-6 home loss to Atchison County. He had 12 completions for 91 yards with a touchdown and an interception. No ball carrier had more than four yards with the team totaling -11 yards on 19 carries. Second year head coach Wyatt Hofstra will demand much more from their team this week in order to get their first win at the 11-Man level this week.

Troy and Valley Falls played five straight years from 2004-2008 and Troy won all five matchups and outscored the Dragons in that stretch 159-55.

Brandon’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Jared’s Pick: Troy

(1-0) Christ Prep Academy at (1-0) Centralia

A little bit about Christ Prep, they don’t belong to any district and aren’t even apart of KSHSAA. In most sports, they play in the KCAA, but they do not in football. They are freelancers and are very helpful when teams have an open spot on their schedule. The Patriots started the year 1-0 after their 27-7 win at Pembroke Hill in week one. Senior quarterback T.J. Crews gave the team most of its offense Friday going 10-for-15 with 128 passing yards and adding a 46-yard rushing touchdown. Junior Lorenzo Rusher found the endzone with his legs twice on just four carries, and junior Dontae Burch had a rushing touchdown as well, plus 70 yards receiving on five receptions. Some guys to look out for on defense are junior Logan Oden and Luke Ballou. Oden had four tackles for loss and Ballou had three with a sack. Senior Garrison Stamatis also had two interceptions and four pass deflections.

Centralia made an impressive first showing of the 2022 season with their 34-14 victory at Valley Heights a week ago. QB Trenton Talley had 55 passing yards and a touchdown with 89 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Their starting RB Drew Gibbs added two more touchdowns on the ground with 90 rushing yards and had 9 tackles. The Panthers got off to a bit of a slow start, but their defense stepped up in a big way in the second half and kept the big plays to a minimum. Their defense will need to get into a rhythm early in order to win this one. Coach Holthaus is open to the challenge of playing this unfamiliar opponent.

Brandon’s Pick: Centralia
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Jared’s Pick: Christ Prep Academy

Twin Valley League

(0-1) Valley Heights at (1-0) Onaga (KMZA 92.1 FM)

The Mustangs had a tough time playing from behind during Friday’s home 34-14 loss vs. Centralia. In Mack Shanks’ 2022 debut, he went 4-for-11 with 58 passing yards. Jayden DeWalt had a 50-yard touchdown with 2:07 left in the 4th quarter which helped him to 107 rushing yards on 12 carries. Fullback Kaison Bigham had 18 carries for 41 yards as well. Valley Heights will need more explosive plays to find some success this week.

Onaga started their season with a 21-0 road win against McLouth in week 1. Four-year starting quarterback Zac Fisher ran for 238 rushing yards with three rushing touchdowns averaging 11.3 yards per carry. The ground was where they got 95.2% of their yardage. Their 21 points was the fewest points Onaga has gotten in a win since Oct. 16th, 2014 when they won 16-8 at Doniphan West. These teams haven’t played since 2015 when the Mustangs won 19-6. Valley Heights have won 6 of the last 8 meetings dating back to 2008.

Brandon’s Pick: Onaga
Justin’s Pick: Valley Heights
Jared’s Pick: Valley Heights

Big 7

(1-0) Riverside at (0-1) Perry Lecompton

Riverside was able to beat Jefferson West 34-21 last week, but it wasn’t the prettiest game for the Cyclones. They turned the ball over four times with three fumbles lost and one interception. However, they forced six turnovers. Quarterback Beckam Griffin went 15-for-23 for 182 yards and 2 TDs in the win and added a touchdown on the ground. Running backs Elijah Moore and Percy Duncan got the bulk of the work on the ground. Moore had 12 carries for 70 yards and Duncan had 13 carries for 49 yards and 2 scores.

The Perry Lecompton offense was held in check for nearly three quarters in their 28-14 loss at Sabetha. The Kaws trailed 7-0 at halftime and trailed 14-0 before their first touchdown of the game. Sabetha would score the next two touchdowns and led 28-7 before the Kaws picked up a garbage time touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game. PL finished with 253 yards of total offense. Quarterback Gunnar Ball finished 9 of 17 passing for 141 yards and a touchdown. Kael Gorski had 3 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Riverside and Perry Lecompton face off for the first time since 2017. The Kaws won the last matchup 56-14 while Riverside last beat Perry in 2016 by a final score of 19-14.

Brandon’s Pick: Perry Lecompton
Justin’s Pick: Perry Lecompton
Jared’s Pick: Riverside

(1-0) Hiawatha at (0-1) Jefferson West (KNZA 103.9 & Hiawatha Channel)

Hiawatha had to hold off Royal Valley in week one as they held on for a 26-19 win over the Panthers. The Redhawks built a 19-point lead was able to hold on for the win. Redhawks quarterback Brandt Barnhill threw two touchdowns and added nearly 90 yards rushing. Xavier Oldham added 67 rushing yards and averaged over six yards per carry.

Jefferson West lost their opener to Riverside 34-21. The Cyclones have now won three of the last five meetings against Jeff West dating back to 2014.

Hiawatha and Jefferson West have played every year since 2004. The Redhawks have controlled the series going 13-5 against the Tigers. Jeff West had won three straight before Hiawatha dominated last year’s game with a 45-6 win.

Brandon’s Pick: Hiawatha
Justin’s Pick: Hiawatha
Jared’s Pick: Hiawatha

(0-1) Royal Valley at (1-0) Nemaha Central

Royal Valley was able to rally in their week one loss at Hiawatha. The Panthers got down 19 early but ultimately couldn’t get over the hump as they lost 26-19. Junior quarterback Aidan McKinsey threw for 99 yards and a touchdown. Jamison Shane and Treyson Murata combined for 155 rushing yards with Murata finding the endzone.

Running back Cooper Hajek ran rampant for 200 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns in their 35-28 win at Holton last Friday. Starting quarterback Brayden Uphaus ran well too with 10 carries for 72 yards added 134 passing yards on 12-16 passes completed with a passing touchdown caught by wide receiver Gavin Cain. Cain also had a spectacular day with seven receptions going for 101 receiving yards with that touchdown. The Thunder have a chance to show off what they have to offer on the defensive side of the ball against Royal Valley this week.

Nemaha Central is 7-4 against Royal Valley in their last 11 meetings including winning the last five by an average score of 45-9. The Thunder won last year’s meeting 49-0. Royal Valley’s last win against Nemaha Central was 2011.

Brandon’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Jared’s Pick: Nemaha Central

(1-0) Sabetha at (0-1) Holton (Holton Channel)

Sabetha got some revenge on Perry Lecompton last week with a 28-14 win in the opener at home. The Bluejays were eliminated by the Kaws in the first round of the playoffs last season. Sabetha led 7-0 and would build a 28-7 lead in the fourth quarter before PL got a late touchdown in the fourth quarter. They controlled the line of scrimmage as they ran for nearly 300 yards. Josh Herrmann was Sabetha’s leading rusher with 150 yards. Jonathan Renyer scored twice and had 66 yards while Colin Menold scored and added 43 yards.

Holton will host their second straight home game and look to bounce back from a tough 35-28 opening week loss against #2 ranked Nemaha Central. The Wildcats fell to #4 in the Class 3A rankings this week and will hope to keep their top backs on the field after Jayden Fletcher and Garyson Booth both sit out much of the second half with leg cramps despite each rushing for more than 100 yards in the game.

Holton is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings with Sabetha and the Wildcats have won the last two meetings by a total score of 86-38. Bluejays won four straight between 2016 and 2019.

Brandon’s Pick: Holton
Justin’s Pick: Holton
Jared’s Pick: Holton

Northeast Kansas League

(1-0) ACCHS at (1-0) Jefferson County North (KAIR 93.7)

ACCHS was dominant in their opener as they beat Valley Falls 44-6. The Tigers are looking to repeat as league champs and were nearly perfect against the Dragons. Quarterback Bricen Lee completed 9 of 11 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. He did most of his damage on the ground as he rushed for 165 yards. Sophomore running back Easton Schletzbaum tallied 15 carries for 156 yards.

Jefferson County North took care of business last week as they blasted Pleasant Ridge 50-8. Grady Noll ran for 286 yards and four touchdowns. Connor Keirns added 15 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers totaled 440 yards of offense and picked up 25 first downs.

ACCHS has won the last two meetings with JCN by a total score of 66-6, however those two meetings were back in 2010 and 2011.

Brandon’s Pick: ACCHS
Justin’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Jared’s Pick: Jefferson County North

(1-0) Jackson Heights at (1-0) Maur Hill-Mount Academy

Jackson Heights dominated Horton last week with a 61-7 win. The game ended in the third quarter as Jackson Heights scored the first 48 points of the game. The Cobras scored in all three phases as they had a punt return touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown.

The Ravens had no issues at Oskaloosa defeating the Bears 54-14. Their senior quarterback Mark Harris threw for 201 yards with two passing touchdowns and had a 49-yard rushing touchdown as well. Harris did a great job spreading the ball around as he connected with seven different targets. Thomas Rziha imposed his will in the running game running for 146 yards on 17 carries with three rushing touchdowns. Coach Fredrickson told me that the biggest battle will be in the trenches. The defense also played very well combining for five tackles for loss, four sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

This series is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings with the Cobras winning three of the last four. The Ravens beat Jackson Heights in 2019 by a final score of 18-14.

Brandon’s Pick: Jackson Heights
Justin’s Pick: Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Jared’s Pick: Jackson Heights

(0-1) Oskaloosa at (0-1) Pleasant Ridge

Oskaloosa lost last week at home to Maur-Hill Mount 54-14. The Bears had a difficult time slowing down the Ravens’ passing attack. This week, they start a stretch of games with three of their next four being on the road. Minor said that he left the field after last week’s game pleased with the way his team competed, and they were able to take away some positives. Head coach Eddie Minor told me that he was glad to get week 1 out of their systems. He talked about how the team has been getting a bunch of reps in this week during practice, and all they need to do is go out and execute.

The Rams come off a tough 50-8 loss in week 1 against Jefferson County North. The game started out close with it being tied 6-6 in the second quarter, but JCN returned an interception to the house and didn’t turn back. Pleasant Ridge’s defense couldn’t stop their heavy rushing attack which made it a long night at the office. After starting last season 5-2, the Rams have now lost three straight and will look for their first win since October 15th, 2021 which was against these same Oskaloosa Bears.

Brandon’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge
Justin’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge
Jared’s Pick: Pleasant Ridge

(0-1) McLouth at (0-1) Horton

McLouth had a tough go in their season opener as they lost 21-0 at home against Onaga. The Bulldogs have now lost 16 straight games and are looking for their first win since 2018.

Horton had a tough go in their opener as they lost 61-7 to Jackson Heights in a game that was ended in the third quarter. Horton’s losing streak has reached 39 straight as they’re looking for their first win since 2017.

The last time the Chargers won a game was against McLouth 46-14. Before that, The Bulldogs tallied six straight wins against Horton between 2004-2016.

Brandon’s Pick: McLouth
Justin’s Pick: McLouth
Jared’s Pick: Horton

KCA League

(1-0) KC Sumner at (1-0) Atchison

Atchison opened their season with a 31-24 win over Ottawa. Ottawa got two touchdowns on a kickoff return and then a muffed punt which gave them a short field. The Phoenix was able to overcome that with senior running back Jesse Greenly. Greenly compiled 27 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Trey Carter threw for 109 yards. Senior wide receiver Aidan Battle had 5 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

KC Sumner picked up a win in their opener 21-0 over KC Washington. Atchison has won 10 straight against Sumner with Sumner’s last win back in 2010. Atchison’s win last year was 35-14.

Brandon’s Pick: Atchison
Justin’s Pick: Atchison
Jared’s Pick: KC Sumner

North Central Kansas League

(1-0) Wamego at (0-1) Marysville

Marysville lost their season opener to Abilene 14-7. The Cowboys hadn’t won a game in a few seasons as the Bulldogs are under first year head coach Tony Trimble.

Wamego is one of the best teams in Class 4A but are without their star quarterback Hayden Oviatt who’s out six weeks with a foot injury. Oviatt posted 3,000 total yards last season and 45 touchdowns and is committed to play at Army.

Marysville has lost the last two meetings with Wamego by a combined score of 56-21.

Brandon’s Pick: Wamego
Justin’s Pick: Wamego
Jared’s Pick: Wamego