By Brad Hallier
When the first high school football games are played every season, the concept of postseason football almost seems nonexistent. The first Fridays in September are usually sweltering, and the sun doesn’t set until well after halftime.
But the playoffs are here again, with first-round games being played next week. We welcome a new format in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A, which introduces seeding for the first time. We also will see three centralized sites for state championship games for the first time, with Hutchinson hosting the aforementioned classes Nov. 29-30.
Which area teams can we expect to make a deep playoff push? Here are my 10 teams from Ad Astra’s area that are most likely to play for a state championship.
- Cunningham. It seems everyone is playing for second place in six-player football. Cunningham has not played a full game yet this season, even beating Peabody-Burns and South Barber – both of which are ranked – by mercy rule. The only concern for Cunningham is after byes and a pair of forfeit wins, the Wildcats will not have played a game between Oct. 4 and Nov. 8. Shake the rust off and the Wildcats will be well on their to a second state title in three seasons.
- Andale. The Indians once again are the prohibitive favorite in 3A. Andale saw its run of five straight state championships halted last year when the Indians blew a 24-0 lead in the semifinals to eventual champion Cheney, which also beat Andale in the regular season. Andale appears a little cranky with losing its crown, as the Indians are undefeated, ranked No. 1 and have beaten everyone to a pulp except for 4A Wellington (56-48 Andale win). They have smacked Wichita Collegiate and Hesston by a combined 107-20 score. Those are those two teams’ only loss. While you can’t discount Cheney, Collegiate, Pratt and Topeka Hayden, Andale is poised to reclaim its crown with a vengeance.
- Moundridge. Like the Kansas City Chiefs (or not like the Kansas Jayhawks), Moundridge just wins, man. Get into a tight, defensive game? Moundridge can win like it did, 12-8, against Marion. Get into a shootout? Moundridge can win like it did, 41-40 in overtime, at Sedgwick. Get into a sloppy, turnover-plagued game? Mounridge can win like it did, 13-8, against Inman. The Wildcats just find ways to win. For opponents, this has to be the most annoying kind of team to play.
- Sedgwick. The Cardinals were pretty much unchallenged before losing that overtime game to Moundridge. They’re still pretty doggone good and they have one of the best and most dynamic offenses in 1A. The Cardinals’ path to Hutchinson is a little tougher, as they may have to go through top-ranked Conway Springs and possibly Moundridge after to make it to the championship game. But the Cardinals are more than capable.
- Hutchinson. I was bullish on the Salthawks before the season, but I cringed when I saw they had gotten smoked 37-7 against Andover Central. Since then, the Salthawks have only lost to powerful Derby, and have hurt their other six opponents. They have posted five shutouts and held those five opponents to fewer than 100 yards of offense. The Salthawks have one of the state’s premier running backs in Kade Smith, a speedster in Terrell King, and a brick-wall defense. The biggest concern is the passing game. If the Salthawks need a touchdown late, do they have the ability to score using their passing game? If they need a field goal late, they have one of the state’s best kickers in Taysen Runyon. This is a team built for playoff football, and with 5A West seemingly wide open – you could make an argument for about nine teams to make the championship game – the Salthawks should ask themselves, “Why not us?” Besides, who wouldn’t love to see Hutchinson and coach Mike Vernon square off with St. Thomas Aquinas and coach Randy Dreiling – the architect of the Salthawks dynasty and Vernon’s former boss – for the championship?
- Garden Plain. It’s been a few years, but Garden Plain is on its way back among the state’s elites. The Owls, under third-year coach Todd Rice, have steadily rebuilt their program and head to the 2A playoffs with a 6-2 record. They have not lost to a 2A team, and on the western half of the playoff bracket, the Owls are opposite of undefeated Southeast of Saline. Garden Plain’s style should allow the Owls to compete with a dynamic Southeast of Saline team, should the matchup happen. It’s not unthinkable that we could see both Renwick School District teams in Hutchinson on Thanksgiving weekend.
- Buhler. Like Hutchinson in 5A, Buhler (and many others in Class 4A’s western half) has to be asking “Why not us?” At 6-2 with both losses being close to the top seed in 5A West (Great Bend) and 4A West (Wamego), Buhler is capable of ending its season in Emporia. Buhler got a tricky draw right away by being drawn with Arkansas City, but Buhler should be in good shape to at least reach the quarterfinals. There, Buhler would likely play Wamego again. Last time, a couple odd plays went against Buhler late in a 29-16 loss. The difference in this potential rematch would be location, as Wamego would host. Should Buhler get through the quarterfinals, a tough semifinal would wait against Kapaun Mount Carmel or Andover Central.
- Central Plains. The Oilers raised some eyebrows with their 68-44 win over Little River, but they followed that with a stinker, a 58-12 loss to Ell-Saline. Still, the bracket has set up nicely for Central Plains in Eight-player Division 1. A run to the quarterfinals should be the minimum expectation, and once there, the Oilers would likely get either undefeated West Elk or a rematch with Little River.
- Little River. A tough two-game losing streak to Ell-Saline and Central Plains may have left people forgetting about how good Little River is. With one of the state’s best coaches in Kevin Ayers, don’t discount Little River. The draw is brutal. Just brutal. Little River will start at 6-2 Lincoln, and if Little River advances, would take a trip to undefeated West Elk. The good news for Little River is, should it survive the first two games, a home quarterfinal game would await. That’s when a possible revenge tour could start. If Little River makes a run to the championship game, it would likely have to beat Central Plains and Ell-Saline. Goodness. What a brutal path for Little River, but nobody should be surprised if Little River makes it to Greensburg.
- Cheney. The reigning 3A champions cannot be discounted. Yes, Cheney lost 31-7 to Wichita Collegiate but other than that, the Cardinals have been dominant again. The biggest problem for Cheney is the draw. The Cardinals would have to play Collegiate in the second round in Wichita. And if Cheney gets that one, an angry, cranky and grouchy Andale team, with revenge on their minds, would be waiting in the quarterfinals. But Cheney is the reigning champion, and the Cardinals will play like it in November.