KPG FB Rankings presented by Salina Ortho

Decided to just release our complete ballot from the media rankings. Really hard to rank teams as you get further down the list, but we feel pretty confident about the top three to five in most of the classifications.

Class 6A

1. Derby (4-0)
2. Manhattan (4-0)
3. Wichita Northwest (4-0)
4. Blue Valley Northwest (4-0)
5. Gardner Edgerton (4-0)
6. Blue Valley West (3-1)
7. Free State (2-2)
8. Lawrence (2-2)
9. Shawnee Mission Northwest (2-2)
10. Wichita East (2-2)

Others: Olathe East (4-0), Olathe North (1-3), Shawnee Mission East (3-1)

Derby is the clear favorite, but the margins between two and about 12 or more in this classification are slim. Coach Jesse Owen deserves tremendous credit for keeping Gardner Edgerton among the best in the classification after significant graduation losses. What a great start for Jason Filbeck in his first year leading the Topeka High Trojans, but the next three weeks will let us know if THS deserves rankings consideration.

Class 5A

1. Mill Valley (3-1)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0)
3. Blue Valley (3-1)
4. Great Bend (4-0)
5. Eisenhower (4-0)
6. Basehor-Linwood (4-0)
7. St. James Academy (1-3)
8. De Soto (3-1)
9. Maize South (4-0)
10. Hays (2-2)

Others: Goddard (3-1), Pittsburg (3-1), Spring Hill (4-0), Hutchinson (3-1), Topeka Seaman (3-1)

Mill Valley, STA and Blue Valley likely occupy a tier of their own but Great Bend, Eisenhower and Basehor-Linwood continue to look impressive. Highland Park and KC Washington have enjoyed excellent starts to the season, but both teams get their stiffest tests of the season this week.

Class 4A

1. Andover Central (4-0)
2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (3-1)
3. Bishop Miege (0-4)
4. Buhler (3-1)
5. Wellington (2-2)
6. Louisburg (4-0)
7. Wamego (3-1)
8. Chanute (3-1)
9. Tonganoxie (2-2)
10. McPherson (2-2)

Others: Atchison (3-1), Eudora (2-2), Fort Scott (3-1), Lansing (3-1), Ottawa (3-1), Winfield (3-1)

Bishop Miege is still a top three team in these rankings and will be until the playoffs prove otherwise. Kapaun's loss to Northwest doesn't knock them out of the top three. All that said, the margins between one and seven or eight in this poll are probably slimmer than any time in the last decade, unless of course Andover Central is just a runaway favorite, which is very possible.

Class 3A

1. Andale (4-0)
2. Cheney (4-0)
3. Topeka Hayden (3-1)
4. Rock Creek (3-1)
5. Wichita Collegiate (3-1)
6. Clay Center (2-2)
7. Pratt (4-0)
8. Frontenac (4-0)
9. Scott City (3-1)
10. Marysville (4-0)

Others: Hesston (4-0), Prairie View (3-1), Wellsville (4-0), Holton (2-2)

After Andale's dismantling of Collegiate we feel most confident about Andale's position at the top of these rankings and Cheney likely joins the Indians in a tier above the rest of the classification. From there it gets much tougher to rank three through 10. Clay Center and Wellsville are putting a great product on the field in spite of graduation losses. We are probably not giving Marysville enough credit, but Tony Trimble is no doubt one of the leaders for coach of the year consideration in leading the Bulldogs to a 4-0 start with huge wins over Nemaha Central and Wamego. They are likely favorites the next three weeks with a huge Week 8 matchup against Clay Center that could signal the Bulldogs are equipped to make a deep playoff run.

Class 2A

1. Norton (4-0)
2. Southeast of Saline (4-0)
3. Nemaha Central (3-1)
4. Osage City (4-0)
5. Council Grove (4-0)
6. Silver Lake (3-1)
7. St. Marys (3-1)
8. Humboldt (4-0)
9. Beloit (3-1)
10. Sabetha (3-1)

Others: Riley County (3-1), Hoisington (1-3), Garden Plain (2-2), Haven (4-0), Ellsworth (4-0)

Beloit is likely to give Norton a gauge of just how good they are this week, and a solid performance may mean that the Bluejays, SES and Nemaha Central occupy their own tier in the rankings. As expected, 2A District 3 is going to be a bruiser. Look for more fun this week as Osage City battles one of the best Council Grove teams in program history. Haven gets the stiffest test of the season against Garden Plain this week while Ellsworth sees their schedule ramp up the rest of the way, but coach Josh Homolka deserves credit for keeping things rolling in spite of big graduation losses. Hoisington's brutal schedule continues this week against Cheney, but the Cardinals are still likely headed for a district title, unless Lakin has something to say about it.

Class 1A

1. Conway Springs (4-0)
2. Rossville (1-3)
3. Sedgwick (4-0)
4. Jackson Heights (4-0)
5. Medicine Lodge (2-1)
6. St. Mary's Colgan (3-1)
7. Moundridge (3-0)
8. Thomas More Prep (3-1)
9. Centralia (3-1)
10. Valley Heights (3-1)

Others: Troy (3-1), Olpe (3-1), Plainville (3-1), Inman (3-1), Marion (3-1), Sterling (2-2), Riverside (3-1)

Medicine Lodge failed their test against Conway Springs last week, but the Indians are still a very good team and will get another good test this week against Sterling. Their performance against the Black Bears could tell us whether the top four in these rankings occupy a tier of their own. After suffering three razor-thin losses to three of 2A's best teams the Rossville Bulldawgs were handed a forfeit victory over Maranatha last week and finally get to start their 1A schedule this week at Mission Valley.

8-Man I

1. Hoxie (4-0)
2. Wichita County (2-1)
3. Little River (4-0)
4. West Elk (4-0)
5. South Central (4-0)
6. Ell-Saline (3-1)
7. Sylvan-Lucas Unified (4-0)
8. Ellis (3-1)
9. Lincoln (3-1)
10. Rawlins County (3-1)

Others: Hill City (2-2), Clifton-Clyde (2-2), Chase County (2-2), Sublette (3-1), Oxford (3-1), Decatur Community (3-1), Central Plains (3-1)

Hoxie, Wichita County and Little River are likely in a tier of their own, but from there it gets a little less clear. Tip of the cap to much-improved Decatur Community and St. Francis teams who will be severely tested this week.

8-Man II

1. Axtell (4-0)
2. Hanover (4-0)
3. Frankfort (3-1)
4. Victoria (4-0)
5. Burlingame (4-0)
6. Osborne (1-3)
7. Dighton (4-0)
8. Bucklin (4-0)
9. Lebo (4-0)
10. Hodgeman County (4-0)

Others: Marmaton Valley (3-1), Minneola (4-0), Logan/Palco (4-0)

Are we watching the best 8-Man football program in the history of the game in Axtell? Very possible! The Axtell Eagles tied Hanover for the all-time record for consecutive 8-Man wins with Friday's victory and will stand alone if they deliver a 44th consecutive victory this week. Hanover edged Frankfort in an instant classic on Friday and now we wait for the two squads to play Axtell in the final two weeks of the regular season to see if they can slow down the dynasty. In one of the craziest games of the week Reno County Homeschool handed Marmaton Valley their first loss of the season. MV was up 38-8 at the 9:55 mark in the second quarter, 58-40 at half, 66-54 at the end of third and Reno County finally took the lead at the 6:44 mark in the fourth quarter, 68-66. A touchdown pass from Bo Smith to Brecken Guthrie with just :33 left in the game gave RCH the lead back, 84-78, and the defense tackled MVHS on the 10 yard line as time expired, with the Wildcats nearly taking a thrilling hook and lateral into the end zone in a game that Reno County coach Lee Smith calls the "craziest" in his 23 years of coaching. Lebo at Burlingame is one to watch this week.

6-Man

1. Cunningham (4-0)
2. Weskan (4-0)
3. Ingalls (4-0)
4. South Barber (3-1)
5. Golden Plains (3-1)

Others: Otis-Bison (3-1), Marais des Cygnes (4-0), Peabody-Burns (3-1), Tescott (2-2)

It's Cunningham's world and the rest of 6-Man is just living in it.