6A Regional Round Preview: Old-fashioned Shootouts Out West
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Class 6A’s western bracket is loaded for bear and those games this week will be fun to watch. So moving into the regional playoff week, I am going to drop down from five games to four and highlight two games…
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Continue ReadingClass 6A’s western bracket is loaded for bear and those games this week will be fun to watch.
So moving into the regional playoff week, I am going to drop down from five games to four and highlight two games and prospects from each side of the bracket.
Wichita East (7-2) @ Wichita Northwest (7-2) – This is a rematch I would love to see in person. The Aces and Grizzlies will meet for a second time this season. The Aces are just one of two teams to defeat Northwest this season. East won a 34-28 week four match-up. The road won’t get any easier for these two teams as the winner will face either No. 1-seeded Washburn Rural (9-0) or No. 8-seeded Junction City (6-3).
Michael Lopez Michael Lopez 5'7" | 150 lbs | WR Wichita NW | 2024 State KS Jr., WR/CB, 5’5”, 140, Northwest, ‘24
Northwest has a roster filled will college prospects and one of those is Lopez. He is playing only on the offensive side of the ball this season. He is a solid route runner, has nice hands, and has breakaway speed. He can line up in the slot or on the outside. Lopez is very dangerous on quick screens.
Lawrence (7-2) @ Derby (8-1) – This game could be a high-scoring affair that comes down to which team takes care of the ball better. The Panthers are the No. 3 seed in the western bracket, while the Lions are the No. 6 seed. The winner of this game will face either defending champion Manhattan or Free State in the sectional round.
Gabe Wingerd Gabe Wingerd 5'11" | 185 lbs | WR Lawrence | 2025 State KS , WR, 5’11”, 185, Lawrence, ‘25
Wingerd is the Lions’ top receiving threat. He has hauled in 25 receptions for 442 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions have a very dangerous quarterback in Banks Bowen Banks Bowen 6'2" | 175 lbs | ATH Lawrence | 2025 State KS , but the Panthers will need to lock down Wingerd to have a better chance of defeating the Lions.
Blue Valley West (4-5) at Olathe North (8-1) – Games featuring the No. 5 and No. 4 seeds always seem to be competitive on paper. The No. 4 seed in the east the Olathe North Eagles will look to claw the eyes out of the No. 5-seeded Blue Valley West Jaguars. The winner of this match will face either Olathe East (7-2) or Blue Valley (5-4) in the sectional round.
Tate Nagy Tate Nagy 5'10" | 140 lbs | QB Blue Valley West | 2025 State KS , QB, 5’9”, 140, Blue Valley West, ‘25
Nagy is the unofficial passing leader in Class 6A in terms of yardage. He has thrown for 1,621 yards in nine games for the Jaguars. He has a 65 percent completion rate and has thrown for 15 touchdowns. He is also a threat on the ground as he has rushed for 578 yards and four scores.
Blue Valley Northwest (5-4) @ Olathe South (6-3) – The No. 7-seeded Huskies and the No. 4-seeded Eagles will face each other this week in a Thursday night tilt. The winner of this game likely gets a date with No. 1 seed Gardner-Edgerton in the sectional round. The 8-1 Trailblazers play No. 8 seed Shawnee Mission Northwest (4-5).
Andrew Nogueras Andrew Nogueras 5'8" | 170 lbs | LB Olathe South | 2025 State KS , LB, 5’8”, 170, Olathe South, ‘25
Nogueras is the leading tackler for the Falcons. He finished the regular season with 85 total tackles. He has high-quality speed and can play solid pass protection from his linebacking position.