Friday Performances: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

It was another wild night of playoff football as some of the state's most powerful teams showed why they are headed to the big dance next week in either Hutch or Emporia to play for the most coveted crown in the land.   State Championship hardware...as well as some serious bragging rights for the next calendar year.   And, while the ticker-tape celebration and soaring emotions played out for the winners and their fans, on the other side of the field the players were trying to come to grips with how ruthless of a zero-sum game football can be.   The separation between winner and loser is often microscopic. Sometimes it is as simple as a misstep in execution, a poorly-timed penalty, a redzone turnover, questionable play calls, injuries, etc., etc., you get the picture. For the underclassmen, there is still hope for tomorrow and it will be back to the grindstone soon.   For the seniors, it's a wrap. No more chances. It's gut-wrenching to say the least, but it is also time to get back to work on turning a setback into a comeback...   But, as usual, I digress, in this report we will take a look at three sub-state games and some of the key players involved.   So, without further adieu, let's jump into a few snap shots of the action that unfolded last night.     Manhattan Players: (Manhattan defeats Derby 31-21)   [player_tooltip player_id='1112377' first='Carter' last='Aslin'], 6'0, 180, Manhattan QB, '25 - has been one of the most dangerous dual-threat QB's in the state this year and last night was more of the same. He went super nova on the vaunted Panther defense all night, passing for 159 yards, rushing for 198 more and scoring three critical touchdowns enroute to a 31-21 victory over top-seeded Derby. With those 357 yards running and passing he now has just under 3,000 total yards and an eye-popping 37 touchdowns going into state.   Also coming up big for the Indians was D1-coveted defensive back and wideout/return man, [player_tooltip player_id='904447' first='James' last='Dunnigan Jr']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/james-dunnigan-jr/"></a> , who once again brought his versatile skill set and helped anchor both sides of the ball. On defense he has been avoided all year for obvious reasons, and last night was much of the same. Derby went his way four times all game and paid for it, as he blew up three pass attempts and picked off a fourth pass his way. On offense he was in game-breaker mode, catching three passes for 70 yards.     Derby Players:   [player_tooltip player_id='354613' first='Drew' last='Kemp'], 6'0, 185, QB, Derby '25 - had one of the most efficient statistical seasons in the state, posting a gaudy 153 passer rating, completed 76% of his passes and fired 24 TD's to only a single interception on the year. Last night things imploded when he ran into a buzz saw Indian defense that picked him off twice and forced a pair of fumbles, as well as forcing a late goal line stand and numerous fourth-down stops. For the night Kemp ran and passed for 249 yards and a TD but barely completed 50% of his passes, and with only four short balls going to Tennessee-commit [player_tooltip player_id='570288' first='DaSaahn' last='Brame'], 6'6, 235, ATH, Derby '25.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228444' first='Daylen' last='Bledsoe'], 6'1, 170, WR, Derby '25 - has been a dynamic option in the Panther passing game all year and last night was one of the few bright spots on the normally prolific offense. On the night he snagged six passes for 106 yards, including a spinning, one-handed 29-yard touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone late in the game. With his excellent catch radius, soft hands and precise route running he has shredded secondaries throughout the playoffs.   Hays Players: (Hays defeats Eisenhower 24-14)   [player_tooltip player_id='1115489' first='Dalton' last='Meyers'], 6'2, 200, LB, Hays '25 - is playing like a seasoned WAC defensive player of the year and continued in that marauding manner last night as his team knocked off a favored Eisenhower team 24-14. On the night he used his razor-sharp baller instincts and fast flow to the football to shut down the perimeter, hammering his way to six tackles and had two interceptions in pass coverage. In the regular season the defensive warrior was dominant, piling up 80 tackles, 15 TFL, three sacks, two interceptions and a pair of safeties just for good measure.   Along with [player_tooltip player_id='1115502' first='Wyatt' last='Kirkpatrick']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/wyatt-kirkpatrick/"></a> , 6'2, 225, LB, Hays, they form the nucleus of one of the top linebacker units in the state. Kirkpatrick has had significant D1 interest after a dominating junior season and has put an exclamation point on it this year. He has next-level linebacker size and athleticism and plays with a mauler mentality. These two ball-busting Hays backers are going to need to bring their A-game next week against powerhouse Aquinas.   Also coming up big for the Hays defense was junior Caleb Thompson, 5'11, 165, WR/DB, Hays '26, a versatile, two-way playmaker who came up clutch for his team as a wide receiver and defensive back all year. Last night he stepped up in the most important game of the year to date with a pair of interceptions, including a sizzling pick-six touchdown.   Speaking of stepping up in a big way, on the offensive side of the ball, Hays playmaker Ian McGuire, 5'10, 195, RB, Hays '25, did just that as the Indians inexplicably lost not one, but two quarterbacks to injury in the game , forcing him to step in as the emergency quarterback. Starter Carter Graham, 5'11, 195, QB, Hays '25 went down first with a broken collarbone, with [player_tooltip player_id='904445' first='Zane' last='Viegra'], 6'3, 185, QB, Hays '26, finally getting a big opportunity to step up in a huge game, only for him to go down to injury as well, as he sustained a broken tibia running the ball.   Unphased, McGuire shifted gears and not only made things happen on the offensive side of the ball, but pulled off one of the rare feats in football, when a third-stringer catapults his team into the state championship game. Also stepping up to solidify the ground attack, was Holden Lind, 5'10, 165, RB, Hays '25, who gouged the Eisenhower defense for over 200 yards rushing.   Eisenhower Players:   [player_tooltip player_id='676467' first='Derek' last='Morgan'], 6'3, 195, QB, Eisenhower '25. Coming into this game he had put together one of the most impressive QB stat lines in the state, which included a lofty 140+ passer rating. Last night it all caved in on him as he suffered one of the worst games of his impressive career, throwing four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. All season long he had only thrown four picks to 38 touchdowns. He is a tough, resilient QB who will learn from this and emerge even better.   [player_tooltip player_id='442660' first='Carter' last='Pabst'], 6'1, 185, WR, Eisenhower '25, there is not a whole lot more anyone can say about the most prolific wide receiver in Kansas history who shattered the record for touchdowns earlier in the year. Last night he was double and even triple covered as Hays made it a part of their defensive game plan to seriously limit his opportunities. That and his QB having an off night did not bode well for Pabst having a big sub-state game. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure following one of the best who has done it in the Sunflower state.   [player_tooltip player_id='426515' first='Brayden' last='Pappas'], 5'8, 185, RB, Eisenhower '26, the Eisenhower workhorse was one of the bright spots in the first half and highlighted it in the second quarter when he took the handoff, accelerated through the line of scrimmage, shook off a few defenders and with a seamless burst took it to the house on a 38-yard TD run. Unfortunately, with his team trailing much of the game his opportunities dried up and he surprisingly only carried the ball three times in the second half.   Special Recognition: (SE Saline comes back to knock off Beloit 34-30)   [player_tooltip player_id='1403641' first='Gannon' last='Jacobson'], 6'1, 170, QB, SE Saline '26. The junior gunslinger and comeback artist came up huge for his team as he fired the winning touchdown pass as time expired to Kenyon Douglas, 5'10, 165, ATH, '26, to give his team a stunning 34-30 come-from-behind win over Beloit. Douglas did a little bit of everything, catching a couple of passes for 40 yards and a TD, piled up 15 tackles and two tackles for loss and added a 24-yard kickoff return. On the night, Jacobson was en fuego, firing five touchdown passes on 20 of 33 passing for 364 yards. He also added 30 yards rushing to give him a 400-yard night. These two will need to play a similar game next week when they take on powerful Nemaha Central.   In conclusion, you're running out of time if you want to catch some of the best football in the state. The last few options are next week in either Hutchinson for the lower classes, or Emporia for the larger classifications. Greensburg will host 8-man. And, as always, give me a shout if you know of any teams or players flying under the radar, give me a shout via DM on X.

It was another wild night of playoff football as some of the state's most powerful teams showed why they are headed to the big dance next week in either Hutch or Emporia to play for the most coveted crown in the land.