The Kansas Football Coaches Association released its preseason poll of Kansas 11-Man high school football teams.
The 2026 Kansas high school football season opens Friday night for most of the schools in the state.
Manhattan is No. 1 in Kansas Class 6A, followed by Mill Valley, Derby, Gardner-Edgerton and Wichita Northwest. Manhattan defeated Olathe Northwest 27-0 in the 6A state championship game in 2025.
Kapaun-Mount Carmel is the top-ranked team in Kansas Class 5A, followed by Lenexa-St. James Academy, Salina Central, Basehor Linwood and Blue Valley High School.
Salina Central defeated Basehor-Linwood in the 2025 Kansas Class 5A state title game.
St. Thomas Aquinas is ranked first in Kansas Class 4A after dropping down from 5A. Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege is ranked second, followed by Great Bend (also dropping down from 5A), Eudora and Wamego.
Kapaun defeated Miege 56-21 in the 4A state title game in 2024.
Andale is ranked first in Class 3A, followed by Topeka Hayden, Holcomb, Cheney and Seneca-Nemaha Central.
Andale defeated Hayden 38-6 in the 2025 Kansas Class 3A state title game. Nemaha Central moved up to 3A after defeating Southeast of Salina 35-6 in the 2A state title game last year.
Sabetha is No. 1 in Kansas Class 2A, followed by Osage City, Silver Lake, Garden Plain and Beloit.
Rossville and Sterling are Nos. 1 and 2 in Kansas Class 1A. Sterling defeated Rossville 35-34 in the 1A state championship game in 2025.
Smith Center is third in Class 1A, followed by Inman and Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan.
Area football matchups for Friday, Sept. 4:
Reno County
Andover at Hutchinson
Argonia at Pretty Prairie
Buhler at Maize South
Belle Plaine at Hutchinson Trinity
Haven at Nickerson
Life Prep at Hutchinson Central Christian
Macksville at Pretty Prairie
Reno County Sabres at Axtell
Stafford at Fairfield
McPherson County
Augusta at McPherson
Elyria Christian at Peabody-Burns
Inman at Sedgwick
Larned at Smoky Valley
Little River at Ell-Saline
Rice County
Chase at Bucklin
Lyons at Republic Valley
Moundridge at Sterling
Barton County
Ellinwood at Southwestern Heights
Hillsboro at Hoisington
Scott Community at Great Bend
Harvey County
Hesston at Halstead
Kingman County
Kingman at Wichita Trinity Academy
Spearville at Cunningham
Ellis County
Central Plains at Victoria
Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian at Norton
Hays High at Junction City
Hoxie at Ellis
Other area matchups
Beloit at Southeast of Saline
Ellsworth at Minneapolis
Garden Plain at Cheney
La Crosse at Kinsley
Remington at Marion
Rose Hill at Andale
Russell at Smith Center
Salina South at Salina Central
St. John-Hudson at Ness City
Salina Sacred Heart at Valley Heights
Other notable Kansas high school games Sept. 4
Andover Central at Maize
Centralia at Rock Creek
Douglass at Conway Springs
Hodgeman County at South Gray
Holcomb at Lakin
Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst at Manhattan
Lansing at Spring Hill
Lawrence at Gardner-Edgerton
Mulvane at Chanute
Osage City at Olpe
Otis-Bison at Lost Springs-Centre
Perry-Lecompton at Rossville
Sabetha at Holton
Silver Lake at St. Marys
Topeka Hayden at Eudora
Towanda-Circle at Pratt
Wichita Heights at Garden City
Valley Center at Newton
