Top Matchups For Week 8

Weeks 1 through 7 brought us many thrilling games and unbelievable performances, but now we're at the point in the season when things start to really get interesting. So much will be on the line for several teams in the final week of the regular season. League titles will be up for grabs, and there are a number of games with major playoff implications. Here's a breakdown of three marquee matchups that headline Week 8.    De Soto 5A (6-1) vs. Basehor Linwood 4A (6-1)   The race for the United Kansas Conference title comes down to this big-time matchup between the De Soto Wildcats and the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats. Both programs have once again been the top teams in the conference, and they've been on a collision course all season. For Basehor, they're looking to claim their second straight UKC title, and a win would improve their playoff seeding in a crowded Class 4A bracket. Knocking off the defending UKC champions in hostile territory will be a challenge for the Wildcats, but De Soto has been one of the hottest teams in Class 5A, and a win would potentially give them one of the top seeds on the East side of the 5A bracket.   The Prospect Matchup to look for in this conference championship game will be the battle of the quarterbacks. Both <a href="https://twitter.com/cjmiller1325?s=21&t=xPdTRe0LWZTmWkg9d2Yl9w" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/cjmiller1325?s=21&t=xPdTRe0LWZTmWkg9d2Yl9w">Carson Miller</a> of De Soto and [player_tooltip player_id='334729' first='Brady' last='VanDonge'] of Basehor have navigated their teams to six wins in their first year as starting quarterbacks. The two juniors have looked sharp and have a strong command for their respective offenses. Look for the two signal callers to put on a show.    Sabetha 2A (6-1) vs. Nemaha Central 2A (7-0)   Class 2A has produced some absolute battles this season, and this Week 8 matchup could be the best one yet. The soaring Sabetha Bluejays head to Seneca, KS., to take on unbeaten Nemaha Central in what shapes up to be a huge league game. Sabetha enters Week 8 riding a five-game winning streak, and they've outscored opponents 249-14 during that span. On the other side, the Thunder have been one of the most dominant teams in Class 2A this season, and they're determined to secure one of the top seeds in the playoffs. Will the Bluejays play spoiler, or will the Thunder move to 8-0? Folks will want to tune in to find out.    One thing folks should expect to see in this game is a physical brand of football displayed by both teams. The two squads love to run the ball, and they both feature stout defenses. So the play of seniors like <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_herrmann33?s=21&t=XA7C1a3SBBsvs31lRBYaOQ" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/josh_herrmann33?s=21&t=XA7C1a3SBBsvs31lRBYaOQ">Josh Herrmann</a> of Sabetha, and [player_tooltip player_id='243299' first='Cooper' last='Hajek'] of Nemaha Central will be important for their respective teams. Both seniors are the leading rushers for their team, and they both play pivotal roles on defense. Pads are sure to be popping in this one.    Ellsworth 2A (7-0) vs. SE of Saline 2A (7-0)   With a number of marquee games taking place during Week 8, this matchup has flown way under the radar. It deserves much more attention though, as it is a clash of undefeated 2A squads looking to stay atop of the standings. The Ellsworth Bearcats have surprised everyone with their incredible turnaround this season. While they have been impressive, they'll face their toughest challenge yet against the Trojans. Southeast of Saline has been dominant throughout the '22 campaign, with their closest margin of victory being 12 points. This matchup wasn't particularly close a season ago, but this year's game looks to be a different story.    Two very impactful prospects in this game will be <a href="https://twitter.com/loden_west?s=21&t=75WsO-IapHURS5CcGgD5ww" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/loden_west?s=21&t=75WsO-IapHURS5CcGgD5ww">Loden West</a> of Ellsworth and [player_tooltip player_id='317201' first='Luke' last='Gebhardt'] of SE of Saline. Both players deserve a ton of credit for their teams' success this season. <a href="https://twitter.com/loden_west?s=21&t=75WsO-IapHURS5CcGgD5ww" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/loden_west?s=21&t=75WsO-IapHURS5CcGgD5ww">Loden West</a> has gotten the job done on both sides of the ball for the Bearcats. The junior is second on the team in rushing and on defense he is Ellsworth's leading tackler. For the Trojans, Gebhardt's dual-threat ability makes Saline's offense dangerous. He'll have the opportunity to eclipse 2,000 yards of total offense on the season in this showdown. It will be interesting to see which team heads into the postseason at 8-0.

Weeks 1 through 7 brought us many thrilling games and unbelievable performances, but now we're at the point in the season when things start to really get interesting. So much will be on the line for several teams in the final week of the regular season. League titles will be up for grabs, and there are a number of games with major playoff implications. Here's a breakdown of three marquee matchups that headline Week 8.