Top Matchups From the KC Metro: Week 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half of the regular season is officially here in the <em>Sunflower State</em>. Folks can expect to see the competition level intensify with league title races heating up and playoff seeding on the line over the next few weeks. Safe to say things are about to get interesting.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday evening looks to be an entertaining night in the Kansas City metro and surrounding counties. There's some big-time matchups that headline Week 5, but these three games are ones folks shouldn't overlook. Here's a preview of the games and a look at some impact players.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Blue Valley North 5A (2-2) @ Blue Valley 5A (1-3)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This cross-town rivalry hasn't been kind to the Blue Valley North Mustangs. It's fair to say Blue Valley has dominated North over the past decade, but the Mustangs are hopeful this meeting Friday night will be different. The Blue Valley Tigers are looking to start the second half of the season with a win after a grueling three game stretch against tough competition. Meanwhile, North will be determined to tie their win total from 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense will be the point of emphasis in this matchup. In North's two losses this season they've allowed 71 points. Two prospects that can help limit the Tigers' offense are <strong>Frank Hall</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='1610780' first='Aiden' last='Boulton']. On the other side, during Blue Valley's three game skid they've come up short in a couple shootouts. Seniors <strong>Ethan Piotrowski </strong>and <strong>Charlie Zimmerman</strong> are players that should be able to help get them some stops defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Atchison 4A (3-1) @ Washington 5A (4-0)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The matchup between Atchison and Washington is arguably one of the more intriguing games of Week 5 but it hasn't received nearly enough buzz. These squads have been on a crash course since the beginning of the season, and the winner will likely go on to claim the <em>Meadowlark Conference</em> crown.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's quite a few playmakers taking the field in this one. For Atchison, all eyes are sure to be on dynamic senior [player_tooltip player_id='1598868' first='Leighton' last='Boldridge']. He's such an impactful player for the Phoenix, and his recruitment has been heating up. For Washington, they obviously have two very talented playmakers on their offense. However, one prospect that often gets overlooked is senior <strong>Darreon Baskin</strong>. He had a career night in Week 4 as he caught five passes for 104 yards and four scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Seaman 5A (2-2) @ Lansing 5A (2-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another overlooked matchup that should be receiving more recognition is between Seaman and Lansing. The two <em>UKC</em> rivals are looking to keep pace with Basehor-Linwood, De Soto, and Leavenworth in the conference title race. Both teams are fairly equal, and they've traded shots since Seaman joined the <em>UKC</em> in 2022. It'll be interesting to see who walks away victorious Friday night.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this matchup I'm interested in seeing how Lansing's defense will game plan to limit Seaman's offense. Two of Lansing's top defensive prospects are juniors <strong>Jameson Barnes</strong> and <strong>Sawyer Jorgensen</strong>. Between the two they've combined to record 78 total tackles. They'll have their hands full containing Seaman's duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1650851' first='Quentin' last='Moravec'] and <strong>Cale Ketter</strong>. Moravec has rushed for over 500 yards and nine scores, while Ketter has thrown for nearly 900 yards and 11 touchdowns.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->