Deck’s Week Nine Top Games: Eight-Man Division II

Scout Jeremy Deckard previews five top games in Kansas.

Jeremy Deckard October 26, 2023 @ 10:19 AM

The Division II ranks in eight-man football will not have as many head-to-head games between winning teams in Week Nine, but there are plenty of prospects to watch post impressive statistics in each game.   Here is a look at five games and five prospects from the first round of playoff games, the majority of which will be played tonight.   South Barber (6-1) @ Hodgeman County (5-3) – This might just be the best match-up on paper this week. If nothing else it would be worth a trip to see the Longhorn's quarterback. The winner of this game should face a tough Victoria team (6-1) unless the Logan/Palco (2-6) can pull off an upset.   Owen Reece,  QB, 6'3”, 175, Hodgeman County, ‘24   Reece is a tall young man which would make him a solid prospect at TE or WR at the collegiate level. He plays quarterback for the Longhorns and does it well. He has thrown for 1,875 yards and 25 touchdowns to lead the Hodgeman Co. offense. He can also tote the rock rushing for 609 yards and 19 total touchdowns.   Central Plains (6-2) at Thunder Ridge (5-3) – Here is one of the few matchups involving two winning clubs facing each other. The winner of this game will face the winner of South Central (5-3) and Bucklin (3-5) in the regional round.   Mason Baker, RB/LB, 6”1, 190, Thunder Ridge, ‘24   The Longhorns' Baker likes to hit people whether he is playing on defense or running the ball. He is a physical running back who has carried the ball 108 times for 896 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the defensive side, he has accounted for 76 total tackles in eight games.   Rural Vista (4-4) @ Marmaton Valley (6-2) – This is an under-the-radar game that could be fun to watch. The winner of this contest in the regional round will face the winner of Blue Valley (4-4) at Osborne (7-1).   Brayden Lawrence, QB, 6'1”, 185, Marmaton Valley,  ‘25   Junior quarterback Brayden Lawrence is the leader of the Wildcats' offense. He has thrown for 1,294 yards and 25 touchdowns in eight games. He is also a threat to score on the ground as he has rushed for 539 yards and seven scores.   Dighton (4-4) @ Kinsley (7-1) – Kinsley has been near the top of the 8-Man polls, but Dighton has an interesting prospect who will hope to lead the Hornets to an upset win. The team that advances from this contest will meet the winner of Otis-Bison (0-8) at Wallace Co. (5-3).   Daniel Cramer, ATH,  5'10”, 160, Dighton, ‘25   Cramer is a big-play athlete who is extremely versatile. He has thrown, rushed, and caught touchdowns this season. He has thrown for 706 yards, rushed for 729, and has 13 receptions for 105 yards. He has 22 total touchdowns for the Hornets.   Hanover  (4-4)  at Lakeside (6-2) – The Knights have put together a very quiet winning season. They could very well be a surprise team as the playoffs move forward. The winner of this contest will face the winner of Lebo (5-3) and Norwich (3-5) in the regional round.   [player_tooltip player_id='1214923' first='Gabe' last='Smith'], LB, 5'9” 185, Lakeside, ‘25   Smith is a hard-nosed football player. He is among the state leaders in total tackles from the eight-man ranks. He has registered 95 total tackles in eight games, 68 of those tackles are solo, and 11 of them have resulted in lost yardage.

The Division II ranks in eight-man football will not have as many head-to-head games between winning teams in Week Nine, but there are plenty of prospects to watch post impressive statistics in each game.