Game Balls From Around the State: Week 10

During the Opening Round of the playoffs the underdogs were held in check for the most part. But the Regional Round would be a different story. Week 10 of the '22 campaign was filled with upsets, as multiple No. 1-seeds were eliminated across nearly every classification level. It will be interesting to see if the upsets continue during the Sectional Round this week.    There were many noteworthy performances that took place during the madness of the Regional Round, but these 11 were some of the best in the state. Take a look at the offensive and defensive Game Ball winners from Week 10.    Offense:   [player_tooltip player_id='230440' first='Dylan' last='Dunn'] – Blue Valley SW, 6'3”, 180, QB, Class of '24    Something about the Regional Round elevates Dunn's game to an elite level. He came up huge last year as a sophomore during Regionals, and he did so once again to help the Timberwolves claim their fourth straight Regional Championship. Dunn earns his first Game Ball of the season after completing 29-of-34 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for one score as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='265194' first='Brayden' last='Kunz'] – Conway Springs, 6'2”, 200, RB, Class of '24   [player_tooltip player_id='265194' first='Brayden' last='Kunz'] is making a very strong case for Class 1A Offensive Player of the Year. Kunz turned in his third Game Ball worthy performance of the season in Conway Springs' narrow victory over Plainville. The junior eclipsed 300 yards on the ground for the second time this year, as he went on to rush for 319 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='1107786' first='Colin' last='Menold'] – Sabetha, 5'7”, 155, RB, Class of '24   Junior running back, [player_tooltip player_id='1107786' first='Colin' last='Menold'], had the hot hand in Sabetha's dominating win over Riley County. Menold went into the Regional game as Sabetha's third leading rusher, but he'd end up being the focal point of the offense for the Bluejays. The junior rushed for 248 yards and four scores, and earned his first Game Ball of the season.   [player_tooltip player_id='87649' first='Dylan' last='Edwards'] – Derby, 5'9”, 165, RB, Class of '23   [player_tooltip player_id='87649' first='Dylan' last='Edwards'] added yet another dominant playoff performance to his impressive résumé during Regionals. The top-ranked back didn't play all four quarters due to Derby's lopsided lead against Lawrence, but Edwards did make a significant impact on the plays he was a part of. Edwards only touched the ball 15 times during the contest and still managed to accumulate nearly 300 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns.   <a href="https://twitter.com/colbymiddleto9?s=21&t=oyFr0YEWczDSmW4OZWgM5A" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/colbymiddleto9?s=21&t=oyFr0YEWczDSmW4OZWgM5A">Colby Middleton</a> – Burlingame, 5'10”,180, ATH, Class of '23   The Burlingame Bearcats' offense has been one of the most explosive units in the 8-Man ranks, and it was on full display again this past week. Burlingame lit up the scoreboard with 62 points thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/colbymiddleto9?s=21&t=oyFr0YEWczDSmW4OZWgM5A" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/colbymiddleto9?s=21&t=oyFr0YEWczDSmW4OZWgM5A">Colby Middleton's</a> strong performance. Middleton ran the ball 21 times for 221 yards and five touchdowns, and completed four passes for 94 yards and one score.   [player_tooltip player_id='123616' first='Octavius' last='Lyles'] – Eudora, 5'8”, 160, RB, Class of '23   Although Eudora fell to powerhouse Bishop Miege during Regionals, they didn't go down without a fight. Lyles and Co. gave the Stags everything they could handle. The senior made several plays to give the Cardinals a chance in the 33-27 loss. Lyles went on to rush for 225 yards and hit pay dirt twice. This performance put Lyles over 1,600 yards on the ground for the season.   [player_tooltip player_id='122493' first='Hayden' last='Oviatt'] – Wamego, 6'2”, 205, QB, Class of '23   [player_tooltip player_id='122493' first='Hayden' last='Oviatt'] has been one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state over last few years, but it's safe to say he's settled into his new role nicely. The Army commit has become the feature back for the Red Raiders' offense, and the switch worked to perfection in Wamego's matchup against Rose Hill. Oviatt rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the 35-8 victory.   Defense:   [player_tooltip player_id='259756' first='Michael' last='Boganowski'] – Junction City, 6'2”, 195, DB, Class of '24   Junction City's Regional Round loss to Wichita Northwest put an end to a great breakout season for [player_tooltip player_id='259756' first='Michael' last='Boganowski']. The junior finished the game as one of the leading tacklers for the Bluejays, as he went on to accumulate 20 total, and he came up with an interception. Not only did Boganowski standout on defense, but he also had a Game Ball worthy performance on offense as well. Boganowski rushed for 267 yards on 17 carries and accounted for three total touchdowns. He is sure to continue to pick up more D-I offers before his senior year.   [player_tooltip player_id='145604' first='Brody' last='McManamon'] – Blue Valley West, 6'1”, 240, DL, Class of '24   [player_tooltip player_id='145604' first='Brody' last='McManamon']'s first Game Ball of the season could not have come at a better time. Blue Valley West faced a tall task when they squared off against top-seeded Olathe North during Regionals, but McManamon and the Jags' defense came to play. McManamon helped the Jaguars hold Olathe North to just 14 points, and the junior led the way with 13 total tackles and two tackles for loss in the upset victory.   [player_tooltip player_id='123069' first='Yanci' last='Spiller'] – Rock Creek, 5'11”, 185, DB, Class of '23   [player_tooltip player_id='123069' first='Yanci' last='Spiller'] and the Mustangs' defense helped Rock Creek get the job done against a tough Hesston squad during Regionals. Rock Creek only surrendered 11 points to the Swathers, and they limited one of the top quarterbacks in the state. Spiller was a key contributor with nine total tackles, and he came up with a huge interception in the red zone.   [player_tooltip player_id='122525' first='Jaytin' last='Gumm'] – McPherson, 6'0”, 175, RB, Class of '23   Gumm has typically been highlighted for his play at running back throughout his career, but his play on defense this past week earned him his first Game Ball of the season. The Bullpups picked up their 9th win in shutout fashion, and advanced to the Sectional Round after a one year absence. Gumm led the charge with a team-high nine total tackles, and the senior came up with two sacks.

During the Opening Round of the playoffs the underdogs were held in check for the most part. But the Regional Round would be a different story. Week 10 of the '22 campaign was filled with upsets, as multiple No. 1-seeds were eliminated across nearly every classification level. It will be interesting to see if the upsets continue during the Sectional Round this week.