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2025 Pick Records
Brandon
Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2024 Record: 153-32
Justin
Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2024 Record: 158-26
Kryndon
Last week: n/a
Overall: n/a
2024 Record: 145-40
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Riverside at Jackson Heights (103.9 KNZA & Cobra Channel)
Maur Hill-Mount Academy at Jefferson County North (KAIR 93.7)
Royal Valley at Hiawatha (Hiawatha Channel)
Holton at Sabetha (Holton & Sabetha Channels)
Silver Lake at Rossville (Silver Lake Channel)
Week 1 Games
Twin Valley League
Linn at Axtell
Linn last season finished their third straight year at 3-6; however, the Bulldogs did something in their football program that hadn’t been done in 27 years: host a playoff game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they lost their first home playoff game since 1998, 40-14, to Frankfort. Last year marked the first time since 2018 that the Bulldogs went 0-4 in the Twin Valley League, and they are entering their fifth year under Trevor Kulhman's leadership. Linn has not won their opening game of the season since 2014.
Axtell is a football team that really requires no introduction, but if you haven’t heard, they’re ready to continue one of the most dominant stretches in 8-Man history. 52 consecutive wins alongside four straight 8-Man Division II state titles. The Eagles went 13-0 last season with a 5-0 mark in the TVL. Axtell loses a powerhouse senior class who wound up never losing a football game ever in their careers. The Eagles continue this season under the leadership of head coach Eric Detweiler.
Last season, Axtell defeated Linn by a final score of 76-6, ending the game at halftime. The Eagles have won 10 straight contests against the Bulldogs dating back to 2006. The last time Linn beat Axtell was the prior year in 2005, 42-24. Going back to 1980, the Bulldogs are 3-21 against Axtell.
Brandon’s Pick: Axtell
Justin’s Pick: Axtell
Kryndon’s Pick: Axtell
Doniphan West at Onaga
Doniphan West re-entered 11-man football last year but didn’t have as successful a season as they hoped for. The Mustangs went 0-3 in the TVL and 2-7 overall, having just two wins over the same team in Pleasant Ridge, once during the regular season and the other in a week nine non-playoff game. Head Coach John Paolino enters his third year at the helm of the program and is looking to grow the team this season, having both a lot more depth and more seniors.
Onaga finally returned to the postseason last year for the first time in three years, scrapping their way to fourth in districts. The Buffaloes went 3-6 on the season with a 1-2 finish in the TVL, with their only league win coming against Doniphan West at the start of the season. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, they lose a solid senior class but return this year with Head Coach Ben Kolterman leading the herd into his 8th season.
Onaga dominated last year’s matchup against Doniphan West 40-0. The Buffaloes now lead the all-time series 4-2, having won back-to-back matchups against the Mustangs, including a triple overtime victory back in 2019.
Brandon’s Pick: Onaga
Justin’s Pick: Onaga
Kryndon’s Pick: Onaga
Clifton-Clyde at Frankfort
Last season, Clifton-Clyde won nine games for the first time since 2019, going 2-2 in the Twin Valley League and 9-3 overall. The Eagles also had their deepest run in the playoffs since 2008, when they lost the State Championship to Baileyville B&B 24-16. Last season was just as much of a heartbreaker for the Eagles, with Clifton-Clyde coming up short 28-25 in the sub-state championship game against Central Plains. Russ Steinbrock has officially been at the helm of the Eagles for 25 years now and has gone a combined 154-75 in that stretch.
Frankfort has also found much success over recent years, with back-to-back years finishing 9-3 overall. Like Clifton-Clyde, the Wildcats also were left heartbroken in a Sub-State Championship loss to Axtell. Frankfort graduated four 1st Team All-State and All-League players last season, but returns with the top quarterback in the state, Wes Anderson. Head Coach Nick Anderson now enters his 10th year leading the charge for the Wildcats.
Last year, Frankfort dominated Clifton-Clyde 70-34. Before last year, the Eagles hadn’t played the Wildcats since 2017, with Clifton-Clyde coming out victorious 46-0. Frankfort leads the all-time series against Clifton-Clyde 15-4; however, since 2010, in five meetings the Wildcats have just a 3-2 edge against the Eagles.
Brandon’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Justin’s Pick: Clifton-Clyde
Kryndon’s Pick: Frankfort
Valley Heights at Centralia
Valley Heights finished last season with Head Coach Trimble’s best post-season finish yet, with a Sub-State Runner finish after falling to the 1A state champs in Conway Springs 55-22. Coach Trimble enters his third year at the helm of the Mustang’s football program and helped lead the team last year to a 9-3 record with a 2-1 league mark. Eleven letterwinners return this season after a heavy senior class of seven will need to be replaced.
Centralia had a season to remember last year, despite the loss to Conway Springs in the 1A state championship game. The Panthers were yet again league and district champs. Centralia went 11-1 with a flawless 3-0 run through the Twin Valley League. This will be the fourth year leading the reigns of the team for Head Coach Roger Holthaus in 2025.
Last season Valley Heights and Centralia played an unforgettable close battle in week one, with the Panthers coming out on top by just one score, 20-14. Since 2000 the Valley Heights Mustangs are 1-26 against the Centralia Panthers, three of those losses being playoff games. The lone win in the 25 year stretch for Valley Heights was back in 2016, where the Mustangs won 51-36.
Brandon’s Pick: Centralia
Justin’s Pick: Centralia
Kryndon’s Pick: Centralia
Washington County at Blue Valley-Randolph
The Washington County Tigers had their worst season since 2017 last year, going just 1-8 overall. The Tigers went 0-8 throughout the regular season and 0-4 in the Twin Valley League, only finding their sole win in a week nine non-playoff game against Goessel 42-12.
The Blue Valley-Randolph Rams had their first season over .500 since 2018 a year ago going 5-4 overall. Blue Valley lost eight players to graduation and will be looking to fill a lot of shoes. Head Coach Quinton Cravens enters his third year at the helm of the Rams and is 9-9 in his tenure entering 2025.
Last year the Rams decimated the Tigers 42-14 to begin the year. It was the first meeting for both teams last year, but before Washington consolidated with North Central in 2006, the two schools last matched up in 1973, having only faced-each other a total of five times since 1970. The Rams lead the all-time series 3-2.
Brandon’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Justin’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Kryndon’s Pick: Blue Valley-Randolph
Ell-Saline at Hanover (Non-League)
Ell-Saline had a great season last year under head coach Joe Roche going 8-2 overall and not dropping a game in the Heart of America league. Ell-Saline suffered one loss in the regular season, and it was to Hanover at home in the season opener. After going 7-1 in the regular season the Cardinals would win their first playoff contest versus Rock Hills 56-8 but would drop the following playoff game in a heartbreaking defeat against Madison 14-12.
Hanover faced arguably the hardest schedule in all 8-man football last season, with eight of the ten teams they played having made the playoffs, including the 8-Man D-II state champs in Axtell. The Wildcats finished 8-2 with a 5-1 league record. Hanover returns Matt Heuer for his 21st year as the head coach, having been extremely successful in his tenure. Hanover will have some early trouble bringing up new faces and getting familiar ones more experience but will try to get the ground running early in 2025.
Hanover came out victorious in last year’s season opener against Ell-Saline 34-16, but the two games in 2022 and 2023 were won by Ell-Salina. The Cardinals lead the all-time series 2-1 over the Wildcats as Hanover would like to try and even that count with this home opening matchup.
Brandon’s Pick: Hanover
Justin’s Pick: Hanover
Kryndon’s Pick: Hanover
Big East League
Royal Valley at Hiawatha (Hiawatha Channel)
Royal Valley went from below .500 in 2023 to above .500 in 2024. They had a nice two-game improvement, going 5-4 last season, which included a 3-3 mark in league play. They finished the regular season winning three of their last four games with their lone loss in that stretch to Nemaha Central. The Panthers lost to Sabetha 16-14 in the first round of the playoffs.
Hiawatha will turn the page to 2025 after going 2-7 last season and 1-4 in league play. The lone wins for the Redhawks were against Jefferson West and Oskaloosa. The two wins were good to get the Hiawatha into the playoffs, but the first round matchup ended with a 56-6 loss to powerhouse Hayden. Head coach Wyatt Jiru enters his second season leading the program.
Since 2004, Royal Valley holds the slight 11-10 advantage in the series winning last year’s contest 18-13. The win last season for the Panthers snapped a four game losing streak against the Redhawks. Hiawatha’s last win over Royal Valley was two years ago with a final score of 14-13.
Brandon’s Pick: Royal Valley
Justin’s Pick: Royal Valley
Kryndon’s Pick: Hiawatha
Holton at Sabetha (Holton & Sabetha Channels)
Last year it was an epic 7-6 battle as Sabetha took the road win at Holton and went on to finish one game better than the Wildcats at 6-4 on the season while the Wildcats went 5-5. Both teams season ended in the second round of the playoffs.
In 2025, Holton returns four starting lineman plus a couple tight ends and more than 1,200 rushing between three running backs. Kayden Gale makes the switch from end to provide another powerful back in the wishbone offense which Brooks Barta feels will be stronger and more powerful than recent history as he begins his 30th season at Holton.
Kaleb Moeller returns for his second season in charge at Sabetha and also has a good nucleus of returning players including seven starters on offense and eight to a defense that allowed just 11 points per game a year ago. Like Holton, the Bluejays are breaking in a new varsity quarterback as Micah Lang will direct the offense. Sabetha has good experience and depth in their backfield with their biggest concern filling gaps across the line of scrimmage with only two key starters back up front.
Brandon’s Pick: Holton
Justin’s Pick:
Kryndon’s Pick: Holton
Jefferson West at Riley County
Jefferson West will hit the ground running in 2025 under new head coach Jeff Schwinn. The Tigers went 2-7 last season including 0-6 in Big East play. They started the season losing their first six games before beating ACCHS 29-6 in week seven. They were shutout by Hayden in the regular season finale and then would get some momentum into the offseason beating St. Marys Academy in a non-playoff game in week nine 27-6.
Riley County should be optimistic going into 2025 after finishing last season 5-4 and an impressive 3-1 mark in league play. They started the season 3-0 before taking their first loss against Council Grove. After a 4-1 start, three straight losses would follow against Silver Lake, Hesston, and Osage City to derail the season and keep them out of the playoffs. They won their week nine non-playoff game against Oskaloosa 63-0.
Last season was the first ever meeting between the two schools with Riley County getting the win 27-14.
Brandon’s Pick: Riley County
Justin’s Pick: Riley County
Kryndon’s Pick: Riley County
Silver Lake at Rossville (Silver Lake Channel)
Silver Lake will have high expectations going into 2025 after going 7-3 last season including a 4-1 mark in league play. They were 5-1 through the first six weeks with the lone loss in that stretch to Nemaha Central. The Eagles four game winning streak was snapped in week seven against Osage City in district play. They beat Council Grove to end the regular season but lost to the Braves in the second round of the playoffs 30-8 to end their season.
Rossville was one win away from the 1A state title game last season losing to Centralia in the sub-state title game 22-9. The Bulldogs went 8-4 overall but 0-3 in league play. They had one of the most memorable playoff wins in recent memory coming back from three scores down in the final stretch of the fourth quarter at Jackson Heights in the quarterfinals. It was their 31st playoff appearance in school history and the win vs. Jackson Heights was there 73rd all-time playoff win.
The War on 24 is one of the most well known rivalries in Kansas and this one kicks off in the season opener. The Eagles beat the Bulldogs last season 33-26 and have won three straight in the series. Rossville’s last win over Silver Lake was in the playoffs in 2019. Since 2004, Silver Lake is 22-7 against Rossville.
Brandon’s Pick: Silver Lake
Justin’s Pick: Silver Lake
Kryndon’s Pick: Silver Lake
St. Marys at Perry-Lecompton
St. Marys made a nice run to the second weekend of the playoffs in 2024, but the season ended with a 14-0 loss against Osage City. The Bears opened 2024 with three straight wins but followed that with three straight losses. They had two impressive wins against Council Grove and Sabetha to close out the regular season paired with a 49-0 win against Central Heights in the first round of the playoffs before the loss to Osage City.
The Kaws of Perry-Lecompton made a surprise deep run in the 3A playoffs last season making it all the way to the quarterfinals. They started the season just 1-4 but turned it on in the back half. The playoff run included a 35-0 win at Santa Fe Trail and 28-22 win at Frontenac before losing to Hayden in the sectional round. The Kaws have 17 returning letterwinners this season with head coach Mike Paramore entering his 25th season.
The Bears won the matchup last season against the Kaws 30-6. It was the first meeting between the two schools since 1969. St. Marys leads the all-time series 6-2-1. Perry won 13-0 back in 1966 with the two teams posting a 7-7 tie in 1964.
Brandon’s Pick: St. Marys
Justin’s Pick: St. Marys
Kryndon’s Pick: St. Marys
Nemaha Central at Marysville (Non-League)
Nemaha Central’s quest for a third straight class 2A state championship in 2024 was cut short in the title game in Hutchinson with a 36-28 loss to Southeast of Saline. The Thunder were coming off undefeated state title runs in both 2022 and 2023. Carter Hajek returns at quarterback and will once again be one of the best players in the state. Michael Glatczak enters his fifth season as the head coach and his resume in the last four seasons stacks up with anyone in the state. Glatczak has compiled a 44-5 record with two state titles along with multiple league and district championships.
Marysville finished last season 6-3 overall which included a 16-8 win over Nemaha Central in the season opener which snapped the Thunder’s 26-game winning streak. They finished 4-2 in North Central Kansas League play and 2-2 in districts. The Bulldogs got a tough draw in the first round of the playoffs losing at Holcomb 12-7. Replacing Will Otott at quarterback will be tough but Marysville brings back 11 total letterwinners.
The win for Marysville last season over Nemaha Central snapped a three-game losing streak to the Thunder. The previous meeting before last season was back in 2013 with NC winning 19-6. Going back to 2008, Marysville holds the 4-3 edge in seven meetings in that span.
Brandon’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Justin’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Kryndon’s Pick: Nemaha Central
Northeast Kansas League
Riverside at Jackson Heights (103.9 KNZA & Cobra Channel)
Riverside finished last season 7-3 and 5-1 in league play with their lone loss to Jackson Heights in week one 35-7. After the loss to the Cobras, the Cyclones won six straight games before closing out the regular season against Centralia with the Panthers pulling it out 34-28. Riverside beat Jefferson County North 42-22 in the first round of the playoffs followed by a 19-0 loss at Pitt-Colgan in the second round to end their season. Bryce Paden returns for his seventh season as head coach and will have back eight returning starters on offense and all 11 starters back on defense.
Jackson Heights won both the league and district titles last season and was looking prime to a potential run to the state championship game. But the season abruptly ended after blowing a three score lead in the final six minutes against Rossville in the playoffs. Coming off a 10-1 campaign, the Cobras start the season ranked #2 according to K-Preps with Drake Mellies back at quarterback and experience across all levels.
Jackson Heights won the meeting last season against Riverside 35-7. The two teams have split four meetings since 2011 with the Cobras adding a win in 2023. The Cyclones two wins against Jackson Heights in that stretch were in 2011 and 2022.
Brandon’s Pick:
Justin’s Pick: Jackson Heights
Kryndon’s Pick:
McLouth at ACCHS
McLouth posted their best season since 2013 last year finishing 7-3 overall and 5-2 in league play. The two losses in league play were in back-to-back weeks in the first half of the season against Riverside and Jackson Heights. Sitting at 2-2, they would rattle off five straight wins which included a 64-20 win against Pleasanton in the first round of the playoffs. The season ended in the following round with a 42-0 loss against Rossville.
Atchison County will look to improve this season after going 2-7 in 2024 which included a 2-2 mark in league play. The lone wins for the Tigers were against Valley Falls and Oskaloosa. The district included losses to Sabetha, Royal Valley, Jefferson West, and Nemaha Central. The one district win got them into the playoffs, but the first round was the end of the line as the season ended with a 57-8 loss against Humboldt.
McLouth beat ACCHS last season 32-12 with the Tigers last win against the Bulldogs back in 2021 by a final score of 58-0.
Brandon’s Pick: ACCHS
Justin’s Pick: ACCHS
Kryndon’s Pick: McLouth
Valley Falls at Horton
Valley Falls is ready to put the 2024 season behind them as they finished just 1-8 overall and 1-7 in league play. The Dragons failed to make the playoffs with their lone win coming in the final game against Pleasant Ridge 38-6. Wyatt Hofstra enters his seventh season as the head coach. They only had four seniors on the roster last season but have quite a few freshmen stepping up in 2025. 10 returning starters on both sides of the ball with good speed and athleticism should allow the Dragons to take a step forward this season.
Horton will enter the 2025 season under new leadership with Derek Richardson stepping in as the head coach. Last season, the Chargers won three games for the first time since 2017. They beat Valley Falls in the opener and then needed to win their last two games against Maur Hill and Doniphan West to get into the playoffs and they were able to make it happen. The Chargers draw in round one was not easy as they travel to St. Marys-Colgan and lost 62-16.
Horton dominated the matchup last season in the opener, winning 38-8 which snapped a three game losing streak against the Dragons. The last win for Valley Falls over Horton was 34-23 two years ago.
Brandon’s Pick: Valley Falls
Justin’s Pick: Valley Falls
Kryndon’s Pick: Horton
Maur Hill-Mount Academy at Jefferson County North (KAIR 93.7)
The 2024 season for Maur Hill-Mount Academy was a year of development with a lot of underclassmen being thrown into the fire early and often. The team also had to deal with some early injuries, but they battled and would finish the year 4-5 overall and 1-4 in league play. The Ravens dropped some key district games last that would keep them out of the playoffs. They defeated Valley Falls in a week nine non-playoff game 34-2. The Ravens return 15 letterwinners from last season with six returning starters on both sides of the ball.
JCN posted another winning season in 2024 under head coach Jeff Schneider. The Chargers finished 5-4 and made the playoffs with the season ending in the first round with a loss to Riverside. Let’s not forget, the Chargers made a magical run to the state title game two years ago and were replacing a heavy senior class after that season. JCN will have the experience and talent to be a contender in 1A this season.
The Ravens beat the Chargers 22-20 last year in the opener in what was the first meeting between the two schools since 2017. JCN won that game back in 2017 by a final score of 50-7. Since 2010, JCN is 3-2 against Maur Hill-Mount Academy.
Brandon’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Justin’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Kryndon’s Pick: Jefferson County North
Oskaloosa at Pleasant Ridge
Oskaloosa will enter the 2025 season under second year head coach Boone Heston. Last season, the Bears finished 2-7 overall and 2-2 in league play. The two wins for the Bears came against Pleasant Ridge and Valley Falls. They played five Big East league teams last season including in the final game which was a 64-0 loss to Riley County in a non-playoff game.
Pleasant Ridge is ready to forget about the 2024 season as they went winless going 0-9 overall. They went into last season with new faces and high hopes for the program, but the overall low numbers were a key factor in the struggles. The Rams five returning starters on both sides of the ball entering 2025 with head coach Spencer Foster entering his third season at the helm.
The Rams have dominated this series going back to 2004. Pleasant Ridge is 15-2 against the Bears in that span but Oskaloosa won the game last season 26-14 which snapped a five-game losing streak against the Rams.
Brandon’s Pick: Oskaloosa
Justin’s Pick: Oskaloosa
Kryndon’s Pick: Oskaloosa
Troy at Republic County (Non-League)
Troy had its fair share of ups and downs last season as they would finish 6-4 overall and 3-2 in league play. The Trojans dealt with key injuries in key games early in the season and they haven’t been a healthy squad over the last few seasons. Troy started last season 4-1 but close losses to Riverside and Centralia in district play put them on the road in the playoffs. The Trojans traveled to Jayhawk-Linn in the first round and won 48-18, with the season ending in the next round against Jackson Heights with a 38-6 loss.
The Buffaloes of Republic County finished the 2024 season with a 2-7 overall record and 0-3 mark in league play. The two wins for Republic County were back-to-back weeks in the middle of the season against Bennington and Herington. They would go on the road in the first round of the playoffs with the season ending with a 48-20 loss at Sedgwick.
Troy dominated Republic County last season in the opener winning 42-8 which was the first meeting all-time between the two schools.
Brandon’s Pick: Troy
Justin’s Pick: Troy
Kryndon’s Pick: Troy
Meadowlark Conference
Atchison at Ottawa (Non-League)
Another tremendous regular season and swift exit in the postseason for Atchison in 2024. The Phoenix was 8-2 overall and 6-0 in Meadowlark Conference which captured another league title. They lost the season opener against Ottawa and then would dominate the rest of the regular season schedule winning eight straight including the first round of the playoffs against Bonner Springs 62-12. The regional round which ended their season was a 23-15 loss at home against Lansing.
Ottawa finished 6-4 last season with their season ending in the second round of the playoffs against Chanute 30-0. The Cyclones were 5-1 through their first six games with their lone loss in that stretch coming against Eudora by three. They were 1-2 in their last three regular season games with a 10 point loss to Louisburg and an overtime loss at Tonganoxie 38-37. There first round playoff win was against Piper 31-7.
This will be the fourth straight season that Ottawa and Atchison open the regular season against each other. Ottawa won the matchup last season 24-14, Atchison won in 2023 48-42, and Atchison won the contest three years ago 31-24. Prior to that, the previous meeting was 2003 in which Atchison won 35-16.
Brandon’s Pick: Atchison
Justin’s Pick: Ottawa
Kryndon’s Pick: Atchison
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