Week 2 football rankings

Week 2 helped clear some things up for us in our personal Top 5 for each classification. The returning champs in each classification continue to look the part of title defenders in spite of our concerns entering the season, and a few new contenders are starting to make some noise. Let’s take a closer look.

Class 6A

1. Gardner-Edgerton (2-0)

2. Wichita Northwest  (2-0)

3. Manhattan (2-0)

4. Olathe North (2-0)

5. Blue Valley Northwest (1-1)

2022 state runner-up Gardner-Edgerton is one of just two remaining undefeated teams on the east side of 6A and is likely to be a significant favorite again this week against Olathe West, but a three game stretch against Mill Valley, Olathe North, and Lawrence is likely to be the defining portion of the schedule. The Trailblazers are getting great play from their offensive line and junior quarterback Bravin Powell, but an inexperienced defense has been the story early in the season, allowing just seven points in two games. …Wichita Northwest continues to dominate what appeared to be a tough early season schedule with a 41-13 win over Wichita Heights. If the Grizzlies are similarly dominant in the next two weeks against Kapaun and Wichita East than this is likely a scary good team. …Manhattan is rolling early behind a primarily new group of skill players and the next two weeks against Hays and Washburn Rural should provide a pair of stiff tests. …Olathe North got a quality win over SMNW and TJ Porter and Aiden Bruce showed off why they are two of the biggest home run hitters in Kansas high school football. …Blue Valley Northwest suffered a tough loss to Aquinas, but it’s little reason for concern as the big three private schools in 4A are among the best teams in any classification with Miege and Aquinas likely the top two teams in the overall ranking for the state of Kansas. …Derby rebounded from their Week 1 loss and the Braxton Clark to Da’Saahn Brame passing connection looks like one of the best in Kansas. Washburn Rural got a quality win over 5A power De Soto Friday and should be 3-0 entering a Week 4 matchup with Manhattan, a rematch of a game decided by just three points a year ago. Blue Valley West could be on a similar path as last year, with potentially just a couple more victories on the brutal regular season schedule, and Blue Valley could be right there beside them, though both teams are incredibly talented and regardless of their record come playoff time they are likely to make it hard on any opponent. Lawrence High and Free State improved to 2-0 behind explosive dual-threat quarterback play from Banks Bowen and Wesley Edison respectively.

Class 5A

1. Mill Valley (2-0)

2. Kapaun (2-0)

3. Blue Valley Southwest (1-1)

4. De Soto (1-1)

5. Maize South (2-0)

Not much more you can say about Mill Valley that hasn’t already been said, best program in Kansas. …Kapaun has looked the part of a 5A contender through two weeks with an explosive offense driven by running back Omari Elias and the return of virtually every starter from a season ago, but a game with Wichita Northwest this week is one to watch. …Yes Blue Valley Southwest lost to Miege and De Soto lost to Washburn Rural, but neither are bad losses. Rural is likely one of the top teams in 6A and Miege may just be the best team in all classifications, with Aquinas not far behind. …Maize South’s offense is among the best in Kansas and a defense with young superstars should be much better come the end of the season. We still like the Mavericks at five. …Eisenhower made the most noise of the weekend with a big win over Salina Central to improve to 2-0 with a pair of quality wins. Quarterback Derek Morgan is an emerging star and the Tigers are a team to watch. Running back Lucas Dickman provides an excellent complement to Morgan in the backfield. …Hutch rebounded from the close loss to Eisenhower for a dominant with over Newton. …Bishop Carroll rebounded from the lopsided loss to Wichita Northwest in Week 1 to dominate Wichita South. …Hays and Great Bend are clearly better than anticipated entering the season and played one of the best games of the year Friday night with the Indians winning 28-27 in OT. Liberal has started the season 2-0 and it looks like the WAC championship is a battle that will come down to the wire. …Salina Central will be without starting QB Gunnar Gross after an injury in Week 1 but the Mustangs still have plenty of weapons surrounding backup QB Jack Gordon. …Seaman at Shawnee Heights is a game we’ve got our eyes on this week. …Valley Center is 2-0 behind the strength of senior running back Dai’Mont Mucker.

Class 4A

1. Bishop Miege (2-0)

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0)

3. St. James Academy (0-2)

4. Andover Central (2-0)

5. Chanute (2-0)

Bishop Miege’s dominant performance in the second half against 5A ranked Blue Valley Southwest leaves us thinking the Stags may have the best team in all classifications this season, unless Aquinas does. …Yes, SJA is 0-2, but close losses to 6A powers Blue Valley Northwest and Blue Valley still leave the Thunder as the third best squad in 4A, though the margin between SJA and the next four or five teams in 4A is closer than we thought entering the season. …Andover Central has a pair of quality wins to open the season over McPherson and 5A power Maize, and coach Derek Tuttle has a proven track record of keeping the Jaguars near the top of 4A. …Chanute had the biggest win of the week in 4A with a 27-0 shutout of Pittsburg, the first shutout for the Blue Comets against the Purple Dragons since 1964. …Eudora looks impressive through two weeks but Spring Hill should provide a much better gauge of where the Cardinals are at so far this season. …In spite of graduation losses Louisburg is 2-0 and got a quality win over Paola last week and should be 4-0 entering a Week 5 matchup with Eudora. QB Declan Battle has had an incredible start to the season. …Buhler rebounded from a 20-14 loss to Andover Central in Week 1 to slip by Circle. …Wamego rebounded from a close loss to Clay Center in Week 1 to dominant Marysville last week. …Abilene has looked good through two weeks but will get a major challenge this week against Clay Center.

Class 3A

1. Andale (2-0)

2. Cheney (2-0)

3. Topeka Hayden (2-0)

4. Clay Center (2-0)

5. Wichita Collegiate (2-0)

The top of this classification is starting to look better and better. The question is whether or not teams like Cheney, Hayden, and Clay Center have closed the gap with Andale or not. For Andale, back-to-back weeks against Wichita Collegiate and Cheney to start October are likely to tell us everything we need to know about the classification. …Hayden’s domination of 1A power Olpe and 2A Silver Lake in the first two weeks leave us wondering if the Wildcats could make a run at ending Andale’s streak. … The winner of the GWAC, likely one of a group of three led by Hugoton and Scott City along with a one loss Holcomb, will try to through a wrench in the pecking order in the west. …Parsons has the athletes to make some noise in the east.

Class 2A

1. Sabetha (2-0)

2. Nemaha Central (2-0)

3. Southeast of Saline (2-0)

4. Hoisington (2-0)

5. Kingman (1-1)

Sabetha and Nemaha Central may very well be 1 and 1a in the classification. Nemaha Central opened the season with a 31-6 win over perennial 3A power Holton while Sabetha beat the Wildcats 24-8 last Friday. …Southeast of Saline has now down enough to show they aren’t missing the Gebhardt twins and Michael Murray as much as we originally thought. Big wins over Rock Creek and Beloit to open the season leave us believing the Trojans will again be a factor in the 2A race. …Hoisington survived tough tests in the first two weeks in fine form and should be 4-0 entering a Week 5 matchup with Pratt. …Kingman rebounded from a lopsided loss to Cheney (a team that may challenge Andale this season) with a big win over Conway Springs. A matchup at upstart Wichita Trinity, with one of the most explosive passing offenses in Kansas, should provide another stiff test this week. …Ellsworth is not too far behind the top five, but they’ve got work to do to prove they can push the elites in this classification. October matchups with Russell and Southeast of Saline will tell us more. …Humboldt, Norton, and Council Grove are off to great starts.

Class 1A

1. St. Mary’s Colgan (2-0)

2. Sedgwick (2-0)

3. St. Marys (0-2)

4. Smith Center (1-1)

5. Marion (2-0)

This classification is the toughest to predict. Colgan was dominant over Girard last week after surviving rival Frontenac in Week 1. …Sedgwick is playing some of the best football in the classification and while games with Sterling this week and Osage City in Week 5 could present challenges the Week 8 contest at Marion should be one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. …St. Marys very well could start the season 0-3 but should still be in the thick of the 1A playoff race. Week 6 at Jeff. County North will be a highlight of the 1A calendar. …A close loss to a solid Norton squad shouldn’t ding Smith Center too much. This week’s game at Russell could be another banger ahead of a key district matchup at home against Wabaunsee next week. …Jeff County North and Wabaunsee face off in one of the key matchups in 1A this week, while Jackson Heights and Centralia play a key district matchup on the 29th. …Jayhawk-Linn and Pleasanton are both 2-0, but until someone knocks them off, Olpe is the favorite in District 2 …Valley Heights could be poised to make some noise in District 5 while Sterling, Conway Springs, Inman, and Hutch Trinity are likely to battle for District 7 supremacy even though they currently all have at least one loss. …Plainville is 0-2 against a tough opening schedule but remain the heavy favorites in District 8.

8-Man, Division I

1. Wichita County (2-0)

2. Lyndon (2-0)

3. West Elk (2-0)

4. Quinter (2-0)

5. Meade (2-0)

Wichita County has now outscored their first two opponents 142-0 but this week’s matchup at Hoxie is the measuring stick 8-Man football fans have been waiting for. The two teams had virtually identical margins of victory over common opponent Wheatland-Grinnell. WC is still relatively young with only two seniors – Wyatt Gardner and Colton Harbin – serving in key roles, though standout senior Christopher Michel was expected to return this week. …Lyndon has been similarly dominant through two weeks outscoring opponents 116-0 and a matchup at Frankfort this week is intriguing before the Tigers entered play in what appears to again be a brutal district schedule. …West Elk is 2-0 behind the junior duo of Creyo Koop and Trent Haag. Koop has rushed for 339 yards and nine scores while Haag has thrown for 135 yards on 12 of 17 passing with two touchdowns. Koop is also the leader of the defense with 17 total tackles. The schedule is likely to take a bump up this week as the Patriots travel to Burden where they’ll face the Jace Wunderlich led Central Raiders. …Quinter’s season has started similarly to last year. The Bulldogs played a close opener with SS-Wallace Co. – but reversed the outcome with a double OT win – and were similarly dominant as last year over St. Francis in Week 2. This week the Bulldogs will try to avenge another loss of a season again when they travel to Dighton. District play will again be tough with Quinter, Hill City, a surprising Rawlins County team, and Hoxie all expected to battle for District 6 supremacy. …Meade posted another quality win last week in a 54-34 win over Hodgeman County. …Moundridge is one of the top stories in 8-Man I with new coach Tyler O’Connor leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 start behind players like Henry Hecox and Bear Moddlemog and he got a boost from the addition of Kreighton and Kaizer Kanitz when their dad, Dustan, took over the Moundridge basketball program from retired Wildcat coach Vance Unrau. …It feels like the top two spots are pretty firm in this classification with a number of potential contenders that might shuffle in and out of the top five as the year goes on. Clifton-Clyde is off to a hot start but we’ll learn a lot from this week’s game with DII power Axtell. Burlingame and Madison are likely to be 3-0 before they start play in that loaded district that includes a Cair Paravel team that could make some noise. District 3 may also be deep, with Argonia-Attica, Central-Burden, South Sumner, and Wichita Independent all fielding formidable squads. Little River is 2-0 after losing virtually everyone to graduation a year ago but the Redskins allowed a surprising 20 points to an improved Rural Vista squad this week. Kevin Ayers’ squad should get a bit of a challenge from Ell-Saline this week but the final game of September against Moundridge is one to watch for. Hill City has a rematch of a good game of a year ago with Thunder Ridge this week and thankfully for the Ringnecks they get QB Aiden Amrein back. Lincoln has looked explosive behind a nice mix of senior leadership and young talent and could challenge Clifton-Clyde for district supremacy in spite of a close loss to a very good Sylvan-Lucas team in Week 1.

8-Man, Division II

1. Axtell (2-0)

2. Osborne (2-0)

3. Kinsley (2-0)

4. Sylvan-Lucas (2-0)

5. Sharon Springs-Wallace Co. (1-1)

We think Axtell, the winner of 28 straight games, is still very good this season. The Week 1 victory over Cair Paravel was a quality victory and the Eagles get another chance at a quality victory over a Division I opponent this week against Clifton-Clyde. If AHS is able to distance themselves from CC in a 58-12 victory last season then Eric Detweiler’s squad may be equipped to make a third straight dominant state title run. …After surviving a tough test without senior QB Doak Guttery in Week 1 the Bulldogs didn’t get much opposition from Stockton last week. This week’s matchup with Hanover should be a significantly more difficult challenge, but Steve Tiernan’s squad still looks like heavy-favorites in what could be the toughest game remaining on the regular season schedule. Junior QB Dalton German has performed well in absence of Guttery completing 10 of 14 passes for 235 yards and three TDs with no INTs. Nathan Goheen has showed why he’s one of the top defensive players in Kansas with 22 tackles and three sacks. …Kinsley is 2-0 and still riding the high of the Week 1 upset of Victoria. After a 50-0 beating of Otis-Bison the Coyotes face tougher matchups with Macksville and South Barber the next two weeks with the latter against the Chieftains a pivotal game in DII District 7. …Sylvan-Lucas continues to blend Wilson transfers with existing experience to develop a team that could be very, very good come playoff time. …SS-Wallace Co. shouldn’t be punished for a double overtime loss to a ranked Division I opponent. The Wildcats will be tested by Rawlins County this week. …Frankfort has a tough matchup with DI second ranked Lyndon this week. Central Plains is a team to watch in their first year under coach JD Klima after big wins over Ness City and Macksville the first two weeks. The Oilers, together with Victoria and Sylvan-Lucas, may have District 5 as the toughest in Division II, though Bucklin, Minneola, Dighton and Hodgeman County may have something to say about that in District 8. Marmaton Valley and Canton-Galva appear to be favorites in District 1 and 2 respectively.

6-Man

1. Ashland

2. Cheylin

3. Cunningham

4. Northern Valley

5. Waverly

The senior trio of Kale Harris, Britt Grigsby, and Landen McPhail has Ashland playing some good football but the game with Cheylin this week should provide a tough test. …The Cheylin Cougars also have a senior trio leading the way in Logan McCarty, Pablo Bermudez, and Brady Ketzner, but coach Chris Walden also has some depth with 12 total players recording at least one tackle for his CHS squad that’s outscored opponents 97-0 through two games. Junior Harley McPherson has enjoyed a great season in the defensive secondary for the Cougars recording an interception and three passes defensed and six total tackles in two games.  ...Cunningham may not be seriously tested again until Week 5 against Pawnee Heights and are likely the favorites in each of the games left in the regular season. The defending 6-Man champs have employed an aerial attack behind senior QB Luke McGuire (21-35, 304 yds., 4 TDs) junior receiver Luke Albers (9 rec., 92 yds., 1 TD). …Northern Valley faces off against a good 2-0 Ingalls team this week in a game that should give us an indication whether the Huskies have the juice to avenge last season’s one-point loss at Cheylin next week. …Quarterback Ben Meehan has the Waverly offense humming. Long-struggling Chetopa and Deerfield teams are the feel good stories of the 6-Man season after each started 2-0.