Top Matchups for Week 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three of the four games from the&nbsp;<em>Top Matchups</em>&nbsp;of Week 1 ended in dramatic fashion, as each contest went down to the wire. Week 2's slate of games has the potential to be just as thrilling. This week may not have the star power that Week 1 had, but there are still some intriguing prospect matchups to keep an eye on.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Blue Valley NW</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 2 is arguably headlined by this exciting <em>EKL</em> matchup. St. Thomas Aquinas and Blue Valley Northwest were considered two of the top teams in the state heading into the '22 campaign, and they both lived up to that hype in Week 1. Aquinas surprised folks by knocking off Blue Valley West 31-7, and BVNW managed to takedown St. James Academy 35-21. The BVNW Huskies accomplished a lot last season, but one thing they failed to do was beat the Saints. Aquinas ended Northwest's bid for an undefeated season in Week 7 of the '21 campaign, which the Huskies surely still remember. It will be interesting to see who walks away 2-0. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two programs feature elite rushing attacks, which means their defenses will need to step up in order to secure the win. Two key defenders for the Huskies will be their D-I targets, [player_tooltip player_id='237199' first='Aidan' last='Behymer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='334739' first='Trey' last='Ridley']. Behymer's presence off the edge will be huge for Northwest, as well as Ridley's closing speed and tackling ability. Defenders to look for on Aquinas' defense will be juniors [player_tooltip player_id='176606' first='Wyatt' last='Potter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='145607' first='Kian' last='Payne']. Potter led the team in total tackles during Week 1 with seven total, and Payne led the Saints with two tackles for loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Hesston vs. Pratt</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This 3A matchup should draw some attention during Week 2. Both squads head into the matchup at 1-0 after taking care of business during the first week of the season. The Hesston Swathers took down a tough Hoisington team 21-14, while the Pratt Greenbacks lit up the scoreboard against Larned High School. Hesston is likely to come into the contest with some extra motivation after losing to the Greenbacks in 2021.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fans will see a clash of two different offensive schemes, as the Greenbacks are known for their physical ground game, while the Swathers opt to attack their opponents through the air. A key player for Hesston will definitely be junior quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='145515' first='Hudson' last='Ferralez']. He was sharp in the season opener, completing 73% of his passes while throwing for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Pratt features do it all senior, <a href="https://twitter.com/hoemecarson?s=21&amp;t=QXiXzfo7OjFwbqZC867o_Q" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/hoemecarson?s=21&amp;t=QXiXzfo7OjFwbqZC867o_Q">Carson Hoeme</a>. The senior accumulated 114 yards of offense with two total touchdowns, and chipped in a few tackles with an interception during Week 1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Jackson Heights vs. Maur Hill Prep&nbsp;</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some folks might overlook this game, but it has a lot of promise, and could be one of the top matchups from Class 1A this season. The scoreboard operator might have a busy night in this one, as both teams scored over 50 points during Week 1. The Cobras of Jackson Heights hung 61 points on Horton High, and the Maur Hill Prep Ravens would score 54 points against Oskaloosa. Fans won't want to miss a minute of the action. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two players to look out for in this potential barnburner will be senior quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='316550' first='Mark' last='Harris'] of MHP, and breakout freshman, <strong>Drake Mellies</strong> of Jackson Heights. Harris is a very underrated signal caller in this senior class, and he's coming off a solid outing in Week 1. He threw for 201 yards and a touchdown, and also had a 49-yard touchdown run. Mellies did a little bit of everything in his first varsity game. The freshman racked up 241 yards of total offense with three total touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how he follows up his debut performance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->