Rossville Peaking at the Right Time For 1A Sub-State

With most of the sub-state hoopla going to the larger classifications, the 8-3 Rossville Bulldogs are sliding in the side door to sub-state in the 1A East bracket and looking to deliver more surprises.   Last week the Bulldogs pulled off a stunning 42-38 win in sectionals against #1-seed and unbeaten at the time, Jackson Heights, who was 10-0 and not only one of the hottest teams in the state at the time, but only had 29 points scored on them all year. For the season they thoroughly dominated, out-scoring their competition by a jaw-dropping 546-29.   Rossville surged when they needed to, scoring nine more points than all ten of the other teams combined that fell to the Cobras this year.   In this report we will take a closer look at the upcoming Rossville-Centralia match-up, with an emphasis on Rossville's incredible run to sub-state   The #4-seeded Bulldogs appear to be peaking at the right time, and will need every bit of it this week in sub-state when they travel to 10-1 Centralia, the #3-seed and fresh off dismantling St. Mary Colgan 46-14. The Panthers are undefeated in Kansas this year, with their only loss coming to Missouri powerhouse Mid-Buchanan, who is currently 12-0 and in the final four in the show-me state.   Rossville had a buzzsaw of an early schedule, starting 0-3, with an opening loss to Silver Lake 33-26, then fell to St. Mary's 24-19 and then in game three lost to powerhouse Nemaha Central 31-28.   Nonetheless, the Bulldogs regrouped and ripped off an eight-game winning streak that culminated with the dramatic Jackson Heights win, and earned the right to fight for a shot at the 1A state championship.   So, without further adieu, let's take a look at some the top players from these teams.   Tayson Horack, 5'10, 165, QB/DB, Rossville '25, stepped up big last week in the sectional win with a clutch performance, completing 15 of 25 passes for 277 yards and four scores. He also added 70 yards rushing and another TD to give him just under 350 total yards and five touchdowns. For the year he has piled up 2,400 total yards and 31 touchdowns. He out-dueled Jackson Heights stud dual-threat QB, [player_tooltip player_id='780353' first='Drake' last='Mellies'], 5'10, 170, QB/DB, '26, who ran and passed for 200+ yards and a pair of scores. Coming into the game Mellies had accumulated an impressive 2,254 total yards and 31 TD's, and was playing as good as any QB in the state. Horack will need to continue his hot hand this week if the Bulldogs are going to have a chance to go to state.   [player_tooltip player_id='1598898' first='Conner' last='Bush'], 5'11, 185, RB/DB, Rossville '26, is a two-way standout athlete who has been delivering on both sides of the ball all season. On defense he has been a headhunter, leading the team with an impressive 110 tackles and a couple of interceptions on the year. He has been blowing up the opposition the last two games when he racked up a jaw-dropping 37 tackles, with 18 tackles against Jackson Heights and 19 in the game before that. He has also come up big on offense for the Bulldogs this year as he picked up 658 yards rushing on 69 carries for a sizzling 9.5 average and 10 touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='1452348' first='Andre' last='Johnson'], 6'1, 215, RB/LB, Rossville '26, is another two-way playmaker who has come up big for the Bulldogs all season as an all-purpose back as well as as slobber-knocking linebacker on defense who routinely shuts down the opposing team's running game between the tackles. Against Jackson Heights he carried eight times for 76 yards and a TD, averaging just under 10 yards a carry. On defense he was a swarming, menacing presence, with 14 total tackles on the night. For the year he has been a defensive standout flying from sideline-to-sideline for 95 tackles to date.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229118' first='Jack' last='Donovan'], 5'11, 175, WR/DB, Rossville '26, as the leading receiver on the team this year, when Rossville wants to air it out it is usually to Donovan, who came up big last week with five catches for 130 yards, which included a 40-yard touchdown. On the season, he used his ability to gain separation and make the contested catch in traffic to grab 31 passes for just under 500 yards and four touchdowns, including a 70-yard scoring strike. He was also a standout defensive back, picking up 25 tackles, four tackles for loss off the blitz and added a couple of interceptions.   And, last but not least, a little love for a Jackson Heights stud who's season came to a close sooner than hoped.   [player_tooltip player_id='1552981' first='Titus' last='Eisenbarth'], 5'9, 170, RB/LB, Jackson Heights '25, was part of the one-two punch along with Mellies that destroyed opposing defenses all year long. On the year he gained 1,000+ yards rushing on only 79 carries for an eye-popping 12.8 per carry and 19 touchdowns. He added 25 receptions for another 450 yards and seven scores to give him 1,500+ all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns. He was also a force on defense, with 68 tackles, nine tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. The one-two punch will be back for another run at the title in 2025.   In conclusion, only a couple weeks left - now's the time to get out and see some of the best football played all year. And, as always, another reminder to give me a shout if you know of any teams or players flying under the radar via DM on X.

With most of the sub-state hoopla going to the larger classifications, the 8-3 Rossville Bulldogs are sliding in the side door to sub-state in the 1A East bracket and looking to deliver more surprises.