4A West Bracket Half - First Round Highlights

It was looking to be a busy Friday night as we rolled into Andover, Kansas to catch not one but two playoff games in the same night.   And, since it was the first round of the playoffs for the 2024 season, I came prepared with some seasoned assistance. Serving as expert spotters, were my son Derek, a standout strong safety in college and my dad, Tom, who has coached on and off over the years and built many a playbook in his day.   The game plan was to hit the 5A Hays-Andover playoff game first, but only briefly; and then roadtrip a couple miles south and catch Andover Central hosting El Dorado.   My primary interest for these playoffs is in covering 4A and 3A, so I did not have a lot of time to devote but the 5A Hays-Andover preview was intriguing and it looked like it was going to be a dog fight, so I wanted to squeeze it in.   We got there right at game time and before we knew it the score had ballooned to 14-0. It would never get any better for Andover, as the visiting Indians eventually hammered the home team 31-0.   With the game starting to get out of hand, we shifted gears and high-tailed it south to Andover Central and it too was a one-sided affair early, but the script was flipped as the home team had the upper hand.   AC dominated from the beginning and before the first quarter was over they were already up 21-0. As the second quarter started, all-state running back Maddox Archibald, 5'9, 170, RB, AC '25, scored from 10 yards out to stretch the lead to 28, and then the avalanche came in hard and fast.   After pinning El Dorado deep in their own territory, Jaguar defenders scored the first of two second-quarter TD's on a scoop-and-score fumble recovery, and then minutes later scored again on a blocked punt.   Sandwiched in between the the two big plays was a [player_tooltip player_id='442661' first='Jace' last='Adler'], 6'3, 190, ATH, AC '25, punt return for the ages. The future D1-standout made a head's up play, picking up a punt that was inadvertently touched by a teammate. As he grabbed the ball, he was quickly swarmed, but after shaking off a couple of would-be tacklers, he made a quick cut to get to the perimeter and accelerated down the sidelines, eluding defenders along the way for a stunning 65-yard touchdown return. He also scored earlier on a deep sideline pass from QB [player_tooltip player_id='1333007' first='Jace' last='Jefferson'], 6'0, 185, QB, AC '25.   Minutes later AC was already 49 points ahead and was starting to shuttle in reserve players and underclassmen. In the second half El Dorado would tack on a couple of TDs to make the final 49-13, but the die was cast by halftime of this one.   With Winfield overwhelming Circle with a powerful ground game 35-20, they will travel to Andover Central for an interesting second-round matchup next week. The Vikings have hit their stride the last few games, two weeks ago knocking off #6-ranked Mulvane 42-21 before handling Circle on Friday.   Winfield's running attack was dominant all game as they piled up 57 carries for 341 yards, with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1586645' first='Dane' last='Chattam'], 5'10, 165, RB/DB, Winfield, '27, leading the way, rushing for 243 yards and three touchdowns.   Teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1115495' first='Jackson' last='Davis'], 5'10, 175, ATH, Winfield, '25, a versatile senior playmaker on both sides of the ball, added 126 total yards rushing, receiving and on returns. On defense he has been a headhunter all year with 71 tackles, five TFL, three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.   For Circle, dangerous running back [player_tooltip player_id='571096' first='Westin' last='Rose'], 5'11, 195, RB, Circle, '25, kept the Thunderbirds in for as long as he could, picking up 100+ total yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns.   The Vikings and legendary coach Monty Lewis will have their hands full, as Central has been strong statistically in all three phases of the game all year, as well as showcasing an arsenal of college-ready players. And, other than an early-season stumble against Goddard, AC has looked like title contenders.   Also of behind-the-scenes interest, Jaguar standout [player_tooltip player_id='442661' first='Jace' last='Adler']'s dad, Marcus Adler, was one of the finest all-around athletes in Winfield history and was one of the Viking's all-time best quarterbacks. Next week, however, I doubt if he will be rooting for his alma mater.   If Andover Central can hold off the Vikings it sets up a sizzling matchup with the winner of the Wellington-Kapaun contest, which should be a good old-fashion fist fight of a game.   On Friday Wellington demolished Ulysses 61-6 as senior wideout [player_tooltip player_id='1552950' first='Grady' last='Norris'], 6'0, 175, WR/DB, Wellington, '25, hauled in six passes for 310 yards, averaging an eye-popping 52 yards per reception, and scored four touchdowns as the Crusader passing attack continues to be exceptionally strong.   Kapuan mauled Rose Hill in their opening game of the playoffs 55-7, setting up an epic showdown with Wellington next week.     In conclusion, this part of the bracket is a brutal gauntlet to run, but whoever emerges will be battle tested and prepared to go to war for the state crown. And, as always, if you know of any player or team flying under the radar and maybe not getting the attention they deserve, feel free to reach out to me via DM on X.

It was looking to be a busy Friday night as we rolled into Andover, Kansas to catch not one but two playoff games in the same night.