Playoff predictions: How we see the 2020 Kansas high school football season ending
The postseason isn’t guaranteed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with almost every team in Kansas still scheduled to play as of Thursday, it isn’t too early to look ahead to what might be.
Here are the Eagle’s predictions for the Western half of the state playoffs at 6-1A:
Derby is just too strong not to make a state title game. The Panthers have been there in each of the past five seasons and six of the past seven. Lawrence, Junction City and a few others have a few game-changers that could keep their teams in games against Derby, but the Panthers’ depth and talent across the board is too much for the rest of the west on paper.
The rest of Class 5A West should have shivered a little bit when Wichita Northwest was reinstated. The Grizzlies have won the West in each of the past two seasons, and the gap feels to have at least stayed the same if not grown since last season. Bishop Carroll might be the biggest test, and the Eagles have set a brutal schedule, which will surely see their seeding drop.
It should be a three-horse race to win the West in Class 4A. McPherson has the most talent. Andover Central is the defending West champion. And Buhler has the tradition to ride on. Andover Central plays Buhler in Week 2, and McPherson plays Buhler in Week 6. By that time, the postseason picture should be clearer.
It would be a shock if Andale didn’t make it out of the bottom half of its bracket for a third straight year. The Indians bring back quite a lot from its 3A title team last year. Although they don’t have some of their biggest play-makers, the foundation of the program alone is almost unflappable in Class 3A. Southeast of Saline and Riley County might be the only others who could contend.
Under long-time Kapaun coach Dan Adelhardt, Garden Plain has its sights set on state. The Owls were rock solid last year but lost in the quarterfinals of Class 2A. Although Garden Plain might not be as strong in 2020, teams like Norton, Hoisington and others on the bottom half figure to take a slight step back, too.
The bottom half of Class 1A is up for grabs. Smith Center, who has reached three straight title games, has to be the favorite, but with Conway Springs dropping down from 2A and teams like Inman and Sedgwick reloading from good 2019 seasons, the road to state might not be as clear cut as it was in years past.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we made our picks
Postseason predictions were made based on each team’s strength of schedule, quality wins, quality losses and recent history of Kansas high school football.