#1 Centralia (11-0) and St. Mary’s (9-2) meet up in the sub-state round of the Class 1A playoffs on Friday. This is the first meeting between these two teams since 2019 when the Panthers won 40-0.

These two teams played against each other in the sub-state round in 2009, which was won by the Panthers 34-28 en route to their program’s first state title. That meeting was the most recent game between these two teams in the playoffs until this upcoming Friday.

Centralia has won three state titles since then including their most recent one being in 2019. That was the last time they had beaten Olpe until last week’s 8-7 dog fight. Centralia’s defense helped them come out on top with eight sacks and a fumble recovery.

As for the offense, quarterback Trenton Talley had a rushing touchdown, which was the team’s lone score for the night. Talley had 79 rushing yards on just nine carries. Running back Drew Gibbs scampered for 112 rushing yards and had the game-deciding two-point conversion. Overall, the Panthers had 207 rushing yards against Olpe’s stellar defense.

The Bears are hoping to get their first playoff win against the Panthers since 2007. St. Mary’s has started to get their program back on the right track. Third year head coach Kyle Schenk has the Bears back to their winning ways.

Their 5-4 finish last season was the first winning season since 2009. It was also their first playoff appearance since 2017. Their postseason run this season is the deepest run they have made since 2009, when they reached the sub-state round.

St. Mary’s is hoping to get to the state title game for the first time since 2006, when they lost 56-26 to Smith Center in the championship. They are also seeking their first ever state title.

Last week, St. Mary’s defeated St. Mary’s Colgan in Pittsburg by a final of 36-12. Before that, they took care of business against then #5 Troy 26-0 in the regional finals and defeated Jackson Heights 46-14.

Quarterback Keller Hurla surpassed 3,000 total yards last week in their victory over SMC. He also surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in passing yards. He has a total of 42 touchdowns with 18 on the ground and 24 over the air. Hurla has an unprecedented TD-INT ratio with just two interceptions.

The biggest matchup to watch will be the high-flying, electric scoring offense from St. Mary’s vs. the scrappy, hard-nosed Centralia defense. With how unstoppable both units have been this season, something has to give way.

The winner will go to the 2022 Class 1A state title game in Hays to face the winner between District 7 foes Inman and Conway Springs. The Cardinals won the regular season meeting in Week 7 35-14.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. this Friday and will air on KMZA 92.1 FM. Pre-game coverage from St. Mary’s will begin at 6:45 p.m. with Jared Sleppy on the call.