Football Friday #8: What we're watching for!

Here's a look at a few games we're watching this eighth Football Friday of the season:

Spearville (4-3) at South Gray (4-3)

There is still plenty to be decided in 8-Man Division I, District 6.

Hodgeman County and Ness City have already claimed playoff spots and will play each other for a district championship tonight, but the four teams remaining are battling for two playoff spots left.

Both Spearville and South Gray enter the final regular season game with a 4-3 record, but Spearville owns a 2-2 district record and South Gray is 1-3. Spearville has a plus 18-point differential while South Gray has been outscored in district play by 25 points so far.

Spearville has three losses to teams with a combined record of 20-1. On Oct. 11, Spearville played undefeated Ness City within a touchdown, losing 32-26.

Spearville has dominating wins over Santanta, Ingalls, Kinsley, and Kiowa County. 

Three Lancers lead a balanced rushing attack. Senior Carson Rich, who has an offer to play college football for Benedictine, leads the team with 76 carries and is second on the team with 532 rushing yards. Rich’s seven rushing touchdowns are third on the team. 

Sophomore quarterback Kolten Bennett has 432 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, while junior Trace Tasset is the team-leader with 665 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Bennett also has 253 yards and four touchdowns through the air on just 11 completions.

The South Gray offense features multiple weapons that Spearville will need to prepare for, but junior quarterback Aaron Skidmore will be at the center of the attack.

Through the air, Skidmore has 131 passing yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Skidmore leads the team with 530 yards and six touchdowns. Like Skidmore, junior Ethan Salmans has played in all seven games and has thrown and ran the ball well. Salmans has passed for 86 yards and two touchdowns and ran for five additional scores.

Senior Adam Thiessen and junior Storm Flores have combined for 435 rushing yards and six touchdowns as well.

Spearville will make the playoffs with a win tonight. South Gray needs a win and help from Kinsley against Kiowa County. South Gray fell to Kiowa County by four points, but Kiowa County is -50 in point differential. 

Spearville has played the eighth toughest strength of schedule in 8-Man I, according to Prep Power Index, while South Gray's schedule ranks 19th of 48 teams in 8-Man I.

*Spearville stats were updated through Week 6 only.

Gallagher Martin

Junction City (6-1) at Emporia (4-3)

Junction City had its undefeated season come to a close two weeks ago at Manhattan, but the Blue Jays still have plenty on the line in Week 8. 

Junction City is currently in fifth place in 6A East standings behind Manhattan, Dodge City, Lawrence, and Derby. Lawrence Free-State and Topeka, currently sixth and seventh, are hot on Junction City’s tail as well.

Manhattan, Topeka and Junction City are tied atop the Centennial League standings with one loss each.

The Blue Jays are enjoying a 6-1 season after going 4-5 last year. Junction City is responsible for Topeka’s only loss this season after defeating the Trojans on the road 48-41. 

Junction City is led by junior Andrew Khoury, who has thrown for almost 1,500 yards with 19 touchdowns this season. Khoury has done a nice job protecting the football, throwing just three interceptions on 130 attempts.

Russell Wilkey leads the team with 573 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. D.J. Giddens has 453 rushing yards and is averaging 9.4 yards per attempt.

On defense, Terrance Crumpton is tied for first with 53 tackles and leads the team with four sacks. Kazerick Smith also has 53 tackles on the year and has recorded an interception and a fumble recovery.

Junction City could have a stiff test this week in their final regular season contest. Despite the 4-3 record, Emporia is a talented football team that has played a tough schedule. 

The Spartans have a narrow loss to Legend (Colorado), currently ranked 10th in the state's largest class, and losses to Manhattan and Topeka who are a combined 13-2.

Emporia is a senior-led team. Quarterback John Miller has thrown for 542 yards and seven touchdowns. Beau Baumgardner leads the team with 422 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Skyler Douglas has also rushed for five touchdowns to go along with 356 rushing yards. Miller is the team’s third-leading rusher with 289 yards and three touchdowns.

The Spartans has size and talent up front on both sides of the ball with Hayden Pauls, Charles Snyder and Riley Wagner among those leading the way. The Spartans hope to deliver a strong performance ahead of the 5A playoffs.

Emporia is currently sitting in fifth place in 5A East behind Bishop Carroll, Maize South, Maize, and Wichita Northwest. 

Gallagher Martin

Columbus (7-0) at Frontenac (7-0) 

There’s a lot on the line Friday night between Columbus and Frontenac: the 3A District 1 Championship, the CNC League Championship, and an undefeated regular season.

Columbus is one of Kansas’ biggest surprises this season. The Titans went 1-8 last year but are now a win away from an 8-0 turnaround under new head coach Blake Burns.

Senior Patrick Cassidy is a big reason why Columbus is heading to the playoffs. Cassidy has thrown for 841 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 420 yards and nine scores. Gabe Martin has a team-high 454 rushing yards on 67 carries for four touchdowns. Grayson Walden has also rushed for four touchdowns to go along with 254 yards.

The Columbus defense is holding the opposition to just under 12 points a game. The Titans also have two shutouts in their last three games. Trent Smith leads the team with 61 tackles while Martin is second with 56.

Frontenac reached the 4A Division II State Championship game in 2017 and is led by one of the state's top coaches, Mark Smith. Now in his eighth season as head coach, Smith, the son of former legendary Colgan coach Chuck Smith, has never posted a losing season.

Outside of a 20-14 win over Richmond (Missouri) in Week 1, Frontenac has won every game by double digits this season. The closest game the Raiders have played against Kansas competition this season was a 27-14 win over Galena on Sept. 27.

Frontenac loves to run the ball, with quarterback Jake Beckmann especially. Beckmann leads the team in rushing attempts (76), rushing yards (636), and rushing touchdowns (10). But Beckmann is an effective passer who has 557 yards and six touchdowns through the air. 

Ryan Raio is second on the team with seven rushing touchdowns and third on the team with 352 rushing yards. Alex Johnson has 443 yards to go along with four touchdowns on the ground. Eight different Raiders have a rushing touchdown this season.

The Raiders have three different receivers who have at least 100 yards this season, led by Johnson who has three receiving touchdowns. 

When the Raiders are on defense, opposing offenses must know where Collin McCartney and Drew Bollinger are at during all times. The duo have a combined 9.5 sacks on the season. Bollinger leads the team with 52 tackes. 

Frontenac currently owns a three-game winning streak over Columbus that dates back to 2015. 

Gallagher Martin

Osborne (7-0) at Thunder Ridge (7-0)

Osborne and Thunder Ridge are both 7-0, 4-0 in District 5 and will play for the district title tonight in Kensington. Osborne is ranked first in the classification, and TR has been in the top-five for most of the year. 

Both teams have a standout senior back that ranks among the best in the state: Osborne’s Darrien Holloway and Thunder Ridge’s Reece Struckhoff. Holloway is mainly used as a running back, and Struckhoff plays quarterback, but is the primary ball carrier, catches passes and returns kicks and punts. Both start at linebacker.

However, in close games like this, it’s often the supporting cast that makes the difference when the stars are on equal footing. 

Osborne’s defense has quietly been outstanding this year and ranks first in the classification in fewest points allowed with 54. Osborne’s pass defense has allowed zero touchdowns and picked off nine passes. 

It’s flipped on the Bulldogs’ offensive side with nine touchdowns against zero interceptions. Quarterback/safety Steele Wolters has delivered a big year, along with a senior trio that either was a reserve or wasn’t on the team in ’18: Evan Garman, Connor Goheen and Damien Rothenberger.

For Thunder Ridge, senior Riggs Reneberg is a multi-year starter on the line. Coach Joel Struckhoff has been highly pleased with the play of linemen Joseph and Mark Ferguson. They have helped the Longhorns average 307 rushing yards a game.

“Just super, super good kids that just want to win at everything they do, whether it’s in the classroom, on the football field,” coach Struckhoff said. “They just want to win, and they will do whatever you tell them. Those kids are some of the best kids that I have ever coached, and they just give max effort on everything they do.”

As well, freshmen Dalton and Dylan Bice. Both have exactly 69 tackles, which tie for fourth on the team behind Struckhoff, Reneberg and senior Colton Davis.

“Him and his brother both worked their butt off this summer in the weight room,” coach Struckhoff said. “Really set themselves up for success as a freshman, and they just do a lot of good things for us as young players.”

Conor Nicholl

Hoisington (7-0) at Norton (5-2)

In  Class 2A, District 8, No. 1 Hoisington (7-0) will face Norton (5-2). Both teams are 4-0 in district play. Norton has won five straight after an 0-2 start. 

Norton senior Kade Melvin has passed for 1,086 yards and rushed for 682 with 17 scores accounted for. Norton’s offense has been highly explosive with 57 plays per game and 6.7 yards per play. 

As well, the Bluejays’ line features senior Dante Smith (6-1, 295), junior Christien Hawks (6-5, 255) and senior Judson Wiltfong (6-5, 220). Wiltfong has a Fort Hays offer and Smith is incredibly strong. Hawks father, Jeremy, a Norton native and assistant coach, was an All-American at Fort Hays State.

Hoisington counters with Wyatt Pedigo for an offense that has rushed for 352 yards per game.  Pedigo has 99 carries for 1,322 yards and 22 scores. 

Hoisington, which has had several blowouts, has averaged 42.6 plays per game and 9.2 yards per play. The Cardinals have averaged 352 rushing yards a contest and 9.5 yards per rush. 

Standout senior lineman Riley Philbern, who has a Kansas Wesleyan offer, has had a knee injury this year.

Conor Nicholl