NE KS Teams in the Semifinals

A lot of teams in northeast Kansas have been knocked out the past two rounds of the playoffs. But there will still be some exciting action in the area this Friday, headlined by a rematch between Rossville and Silver Lake. Here are some things to watch in the games involving other northeast Kansas schools: 6A - Lawrence (9-2) vs Derby (10-0): The Lions will try to do what their crosstown rival Free State couldn’t last Friday, knock off defending 6A champ Derby. Lawrence High was led last Friday to a win over Manhattan by quarterback Truman Juelsgaard, who did it with his arm and his legs. He passed for 91 yards and ran for 165 more. The Lions’ defense will be put to the test Friday when they try to slow down Derby back Dylan Edwards Dylan Edwards 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Derby | 2023 State KS , who torched the Firebirds for 251 yards and on 25 carries and three scores. 3A - Holton (11-0) vs Frontnac (9-2): Holton’s defense carried the day against Girard on Friday, shutting out the Trojans 36-0. They forced five turnovers and helping the offense through some early-game struggles. The Wildcats’ offense was led by Garyson Booth, who covered 79 yards and got to the end zone twice. The Holton defense will be tested by Mario Menghini Mario Menghini 6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH Frontenac | 2023 State KS , one of the top athletes in the 2023 class, and fellow ball carrier Justice Compton. Compton rocked Rock Creek with 113 yards and three touchdowns last Friday, while Menghini went for 195 yards and two more scores. 1A - Olpe (11-0) vs Centralia (9-2): Defending 1A champ Olpe is right back at it. Defense is the star of the Eagle program, having shut out eight opponents. Multi-sport star Damon Redeker Damon Redeker 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB Olpe | 2022 KS leads a diverse offense that hasn’t been forced to put up a lot of points because of the dominance of the defense. They take on Centralia, who was led by Ethan McNally in a performance for the ages against Lyndon. The senior quarterback ran for six touchdowns and 174 yards against the Tigers last Friday.