Quarterfinal football: Seven Wichita-area high school teams reach the semifinals
Three of the Wichita area’s eight undefeated teams fell Friday night.
Five are left heading into the Kansas high school football semifinals, and seven total lived to practice another week. Here is a recap of the sectional round in the Wichita area.
Maize at Maize South: The biggest in city history
Midway through the first quarter, Camden Jurgensen was pulled out of the backfield for a freshman.
Avery Johnson is one of the most talented freshman quarterbacks in all of Kansas, and it wasn’t the first time this season Jurgensen, a senior, was benched.
In Week 8, undefeated Maize traveled to Derby to face the unquestioned best team in Kansas. The Eagles were underdogs but entered the south side of the Wichita area with legitimate hope of an upset.
Maize lost 55-7, the worst loss since 2014.
Jurgensen didn’t make it to halftime at quarterback before coach Gary Guzman went with his freshman.
Since that loss, Jurgensen has reclaimed his starting position. Maize is 3-0, and the Eagles soared into the Class 5A semifinals after a 28-0 win over crosstown rival Maize South in the biggest high school football game the city had ever seen.
Jurgensen threw for three touchdowns in the win after Johnson suffered a game-ending left leg injury.
“Avery is great, but also having him next to me pushes me,” Jurgensen said. “We have each other’s back no matter who is in there.”
Maize senior reciever Preven Christon said Jurgensen has opened up and been himself a little more since the Derby game. Christon said Jurgensen has been one of his best friends for as long as he can remember.
Christon caught Jurgensen’s first touchdown pass of the night with less than a minute left in the first quarter.
Normally lined up against Maize South’s Trevion Mitchell all night, Christon was one-on-one on the outside with Mitchell on the other side of the field.
Jurgensen dropped a fade route in the bucket.
The matchup between Christon and Mitchell was one to watch heading into the quarterfinal matchup. Christon said it was a great experience going against one of his friends and one of Kansas’ best cornerbacks.
“It started friendly, and then it got what it got, but at the end of the day, we’re still friends,” he said.
Christon was another Eagle who was humbled in Derby to finish the regular season. After having a pass swatted from his hands, Derby cornerback Terry Ginyard held up a zero with his right hand to indicate how many points the Eagles had on the night at that point.
It would have been easy for Maize to turn its shoulder on the 2019 season after the embarrassing loss. Senior running back Caden Cox said this year’s team has a ‘never quit’ mindset.
“It was probably good that we lost,” Cox said. “It showed us that we’re not invincible. We needed that. It just gave us more passion and drive to bounce back and prove we’re not just going to lay down - that we’re here to stay, and we’re coming for it all.”
With the Maize South offense sputtering Friday night, Cox scored a stunning touchdown midway through the third quarter to put the Eagles up two scores. He took a handoff to the right from about 30 yards out.
He got to the corner, delivered a vicious stiff arm to an oncoming tackler and reached the ball over the goal line for the score.
On Cox’s way back to the sideline, he gave two ‘horns down’ signs with his hands for the cameras to give Maize South a parting piece in his last game against the school he could have attended after going to Maize South elementary and middle schools.
Maize South entered Friday night with one of the best defenses in Kansas. The Mavericks had allowed an average of 10.5 points per game before their first and only loss of the season.
The Mavs posted three shutouts, including one in the first round of the playoffs against Salina South. But even on the road when Maize was considered the underdog, the Eagles’ defense played better.
Three of Maize South’s first four drives started in Maize territory. The Eagles never even allowed a field goal attempt.
“All I got to say is our defense is the real cut throat defense,” Cox said. “Those guys are the real deal.”
Guzman agreed Friday’s game was the biggest game the City of Maize had ever seen. Only Maize’s loss to Derby held the two programs away from a meeting of undefeated teams. And Maize and Maize South had never met later than the regional round of the postseason.
Last year, the Eagles beat Maize South 35-0 to reach the quarterfinals.
2018 was a year of almost for Maize. After beating Great Bend in the sectional round, the Eagles lost 67-60 at Wichita Northwest in the semifinals.
They face Northwest again in the same round Friday.
Guzman said his team was quick to move on from the Derby loss. In a similar way, the Eagles will have to move on from the Maize South win.
“I’m proud of the kids,” Guzman said. “This is a tough game. It’s a tough game to get ready for. Any time it’s a rival, it makes it even tougher.”
Bishop Carroll at Wichita Northwest: Not quite 151 points
Aliyah Funschelle, Eagle correspondent
The Wichita Northwest Grizzlies and the Bishop Carroll Golden Eagles have one of the most talked about football rivalries in the Wichita area.
The rivals went head-to-head in Week 1, where the Grizzlies defeated the Golden Eagles by four points. The Week 1 matchup was highly anticipated following the 2018 playoffs.
In the 2018 season, the two teams made history for Class 5A. Northwest defeated Carroll 84-67, which was the highest scoring 5A playoff game in Kansas history.
The storylines of the 2018 and 2019 rivalry are nearly identical, except for one thing: defense.
Northwest had made some major defensive adjustments with the hire of former Eisenhower head coach Marc Marinelli as defensive coordinator.
The addition of Marinelli to the coaching staff has shown immediate impact for the Grizzlies. Heading into the 5A sectional game, Northwest had outscored their opponents 524-69.
Although the Grizzlies had an impactful addition to the team, Northwest also had two key players graduate.
Despite the loss of their two All-Americans, Breece Hall, now of Iowa State, and Marcus Hicks, now of the University of Oklahoma, the Grizzlies haven’t skipped a beat.
That showed on Friday as Northwest defeated Bishop Carroll 35-18 to claim the 5A sectional title at Northwest.
The final score did not reflect the back-and-forth nature the game had for three quarters.
Carroll got on the board early, but Northwest was able to answer with a touchdown of its own from senior Reagan Jones.
By the half, Northwest lead by two points. The Grizzlies re-adjusted their plan and focused even more on their defense.
“Our coaches did a great job making some adjustments to slow it down,” coach Steve Martin said. “Hats off to defense that kept us in the game until we can get some rhythm going into our offense.”
Northwest’s offense found its rhythm late in the third quarter with the help of junior Julius Bolden running in a touchdown.
Senior Malcolm Bell helped the Grizzlies get a comfortable 10-point lead with a pick-six, followed by another touchdown from Bolden that sealed the game.
The 17-point win made the Grizzlies 2-0 against their rivals for the 2019 season.
“We just showed amazing grit,” Martin said. “There was a lot of roller-coaster rides tonight in this game, and our guys didn’t break when adversity kicked in.”
Martin said that the team’s grit and determination to sweep Carroll for the season was what motivated their halftime turnaround.
Before Martin took over as coach in 2012, Northwest hadn’t defeated the Golden Eagles since 2005.
“Carroll is such a hallmark of what a great program is. … They just do the little things right,” Martin said. “It took us a while to figure that out, but at the end of the day we figured it out and it’s just about believing in each other and doing what matters.”
Martin told his team that they can enjoy the feeling of their beating their rivals for the night, but then the next day it’s back to focusing on their next opponent.
Northwest advances to play (10-1) Maize in substate.
Jones said that the team is hungry for the state title game and that the players’ bond runs deep enough to help them see success at substate.
“The connection that we all have in that locker room is tight and everybody loves everyone. ... We’re just trying to fight for that state title, so that’s the main goal that everybody is in there for,” Jones said. “We’re really hungry. We need that (state title game) for the community.”
Manhattan at Derby: A week’s worth of work
Taylor Eldridge, teldridge@wichitaeagle.com
On Friday, the most dominant high school football program in Kansas steamrolled its way to another playoff victory in what seems like yet another run to a state championship.
Manhattan came to Derby ranked as the fourth-best team in Class 6A and figured to at least push the No. 1-ranked Panthers, whose offensive starters haven’t played in a fourth quarter all season. They still haven’t after Derby defeated Manhattan 56-0 on Friday to advance to the 6A semifinals next Friday against Topeka.
It was the third straight postseason Derby has eliminated Manhattan, which has a combined record of 27-3 not counting those games. And this time Derby’s defense shut out a Manhattan offense that entered averaging 45 points, the first time the Indians have been shut out since Week 2 of the 2012 season — a string of 82 games.
So how is Derby so dominant on Fridays? The engineer behind the machine, Brandon Clark, says it’s because the winning for Derby doesn’t start on Friday.
“Everybody enjoys Friday nights, especially when you win, but this team is unique,” Clark said. “They enjoy Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“I don’t know if I’ve coached too many teams that are as focused as this team is. From Monday’s film preparation to our Thursday night movie, those guys are like a pack of hungry dogs. They’re so focused and they want it so bad. And we just saw what happens when we’re focused on Friday night.”
Derby has won four of the last six Class 6A championships, including two undefeated seasons, and is a heavy favorite to win again this season. The Panthers have won 93% of their games since 2013, haven’t lost since 2017, and are currently on a 24-game winning streak with an average margin of victory of 40 points.
Yet, there are no egos in Derby.
Senior running back Tre Washington has rushed for 1,334 yards, a figure that could be doubled if he played past halftime. Lem Wash is averaging 11.7 yards per carry and has 19 touchdowns, but on only 70 touches. Even the defense probably doesn’t receive the credit it deserves, overshadowed by such a high-octane offense, despite the starters having only allowed two touchdowns this whole season.
“I want to cry right now because I’m looking out at my brothers, my seniors,” Washington said. “It’s amazing to be apart of this family. It’s crazy we only have one more game left on this field. It’s special. I’m so blessed to be apart of this team.”
The disease of more does not exist in Derby. Clark and his coaching staff have created a culture where winning on Monday and Tuesday is celebrated just as much as winning on Friday.
“We love the first four days of the week because that’s what makes us so good: our preparation,” senior defensive lineman Tyler Dorsey said. “We’re one big family and we love being around each other and working hard together. And then on Friday, we get to show everyone else what we’ve been cooking up in the lab.”
No one has had an answer for what’s cooking in Derby’s laboratory this season.
Manhattan trailed on Friday less than 65 seconds into the game, as Derby’s backfield tandem of Washington and Wash sprinted, juked and spun their way all over the field. Washington scored three touchdowns in the first quarter, then Wash added touchdown runs of 40 and 31 yards before halftime.
It feels almost unfair when defense finally do sell out to stop the run, then Derby goes to the air to its wealth of talented receivers for big plays. On Friday, Derby scored touchdowns on all three of its completed passes to Reid Liston (54 yards), Cavion Walker (39) and Dylan Edwards (24).
“We just make one big play after another and that starts to beat a team down,” Clark said.
“You can tell they want to stop playing after a while when we start scoring that fast,” Washington said. “If it was happening to me, I would probably do the same too.”
It’s even less fun for the opposition when it can’t do anything against Derby’s defense. On Friday, the Panthers constantly stopped Manhattan’s rushing attack on first and second down to force them to play in uncomfortable third-and-longs. The result was Manhattan averaging just 3.6 yards per play and finishing with 193 total yards.
Clark has seen his fair share of dominant teams in Derby. The 2019 team is proving on a weekly basis that it’s different.
“You ask any one of these kids, they’re not going to talk about their stats or about how many times they touched the ball,” Clark said. “They’re in it for the final score and the brotherhood.
“We had a Thursday night meeting this week and the vibe in there, the kids just love each other. You can preach family all the time, but you can’t preach how big of a family they really are. It just naturally happened and it’s really cool to see.”
| Manhattan (9-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Derby (11-0) | 21 | 21 | 14 | 0 | — | 56 |
D—Washington 12 run (Simmons kick)
D—Washington 35 run (Simmons kick)
D—Washington 2 run (Simmons kick)
D—Liston 54 pass from Adler (Simmons kick)
D—Wash 31 run (Simmons kick)
D—Wash 40 run (Simmons kick)
D—Walker 39 pass from Wash (Simmons kick)
D—Edwards 24 pass from Thatcher (Simmons kick)
Rushing—Manhattan, Aschenbrenner 17-46, Young 10-37, Flores 1-2, Wilhoite 1-1, Team 1-(-2); Derby, Washington 11-142, Edwards 5-90, Wash 4-84, Adler 5-40, Thatcher 3-(-6), Hamblin 1-(-10).
Passing—Manhattan, Aschenbrenner 5-21-1-110; Derby, Adler 1-2-0-54, Wash 1-2-0-39, Thatcher 1-3-0-24.
Receiving—Manhattan, Higgins 1-43, Reid 2-38, Wilhoite 1-31, Young 1-(-2); Derby, Liston 1-54, Walker 1-39, Edwards 1-24.
Buhler at Andover Central: It’s Sho time
On one of the first plays of the game, Shomari Parnell took control.
The Andover Central senior quarterback ripped off an 81-yard touchdown to open the game, and he followed it with a touchdown pass to senior receiver Xavier Bell in the back of the end zone.
Parnell’s two accounted touchdowns helped lift Andover Central past Buhler, 31-14, and into the Class 4A state semifinals for the first time since the Jaguars reached the state championship game in 2015.
A touchdown pass from senior Ty Herrmann to Matthew Macy midway through the third quarter put Andover Central up two scores and the game out of reach. Junior Jacob Rees scored midway through the fourth for good measure.
Andover Central improves to 10-1 with the win. Buhler’s season ends at 8-3. The Jaguars will face undefeated McPherson on the road for the right to go to the 4A championship game.
Arkansas City at McPherson: Deja vu for Dogs
Last year, Arkansas City won two games in the regular season before going on a postseason tear, winning a regional championship before falling in McPherson.
The Bulldogs followed the same script in 2019.
McPherson beat Ark City 26-6 to remain undefeated and go back to the Class 4A semifinals for the second straight year.
Through three quarters, the Ark City defense was much of the story as McPherson was held to four field goals from soccer star Drew Schrader and a touchdown from K-State verbal pledge Cody Stufflebean.
A late score from running back Jakob Feil dashed any chance of another dance for Cinderella.
McPherson moves to 11-0 with the win and will face the No. 2 seed in Class 4A West, Andover Central. Ark City’s run comes to an end at 4-7.
Cheney at Scott City: Cards make history
Cheney is a state semifinal team for the first time in school history.
The Cardinals beat Scott City 38-7 on the road to set up a rematch with district rival Andale in the Class 3A sub-state round.
Cheney won two games last season.
In 2017, Cheney reached the quarterfinal round but lost 42-25 to Topeka Hayden. This year’s Cardinal bunch proved to be different.
Zac Block and Riley Petz each scored two touchdowns in the win, and Seth Teague brought back the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown to set the tone.
Friday was believed to be the first meeting in history between Cheney and Scott City. The Cardinals now must move past the historic win and focus on Andale.
The Indians reached their third straight semifinal Friday and beat Cheney 29-22 in Week 8 to end the regular season.
Andale at Beloit: Now the fun begins
Andale is going to the state semifinals for the third straight year.
The Indians beat Beloit 42-0 on the road in the second-biggest shutout in Kansas 11-man football Friday. Most bizarre: Andale led 14-0 at halftime.
The Indians caught fire on the opening kickoff of the second half when running back Eli Rowland returned its for a touchdown. Fewer than 10 minutes of real time later, Rowland scored again on a 20-yard scoring run.
Seniors Mac Brand and Scotti Easter scored the night’s final two touchdowns to set up one of the biggest rematches in Kansas this season.
Andale will face district rival Cheney in the Class 3A semifinals. The Indians beat the Cardinals 29-22 in Week 8 to end the regular season.
It was Andale’s first one-score home game during the regular season since Sept. 19, 2014, in a 34-28 win over Collegiate.
Andale lost in the semifinal round last year to Pratt and Top 11 running back Travis Theis. Since that loss, the Indians have been determined to not only go to state but win their first championship since 2014.
Conway Springs at Norton: 2-point failure
It was one of the most entertaining games in Kansas.
Conway Springs went to Norton for a chance at the Class 2A semifinals. The game-winning stop came with 10:02 left in the fourth quarter.
Norton stonewalled Conway Springs on a two-point attempt that would have tied the game. Instead, Norton won 34-32.
2019 marks the third straight year Conway Springs has scored at least 24 points in a season-ending loss. The Cardinals finish 8-3.
Smith Center at Sedgwick: Needing more offense
Last season, Smith Center beat Sedgwick by 34; it was the Redmen’s closest playoff game.
Friday, Sedgwick lost to the back-to-back state champs to end its season for the second straight year, but the final score was 23 points closer.
Smith Center beat Sedgwick 21-10. Smith Center hadn’t been held to that few points since Oct. 19, 2018. The Redmen haven’t lost in the postseason since Nov. 18, 2017.
Sedgwick finishes its season 9-1 as back-to-back-to-back Class 1A district champs.
Garden Plain at Hoisington: Can’t pin Pedigo
Garden Plain hadn’t scored more than 20 points in a playoff loss since 2008.
The Owls lost 48-22 at undefeated Hoisington in the sectional round. Hoisington senior running back Wyatt Pedigo broke the school’s career rushing record and finished with five touchdowns.
Pedigo, who is verbally pledged to North Dakota, had 245 of Hoisington’s 458 rushing yards.
Garden Plain went down 20-6 at halftime and couldn’t dig out of the hole. The Owls finished their 2019 season at 10-1 as Class 2A regional champions.
This story was originally published November 16, 2019 at 12:56 AM.