By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
TOPEKA WEST (0-2, 0-2) at SEAMAN (1-1, 1-0)
Topeka West is coming off a 53-8 home United Kansas Conference loss to Shawnee Heights while Seaman dropped a 35-7 non-league decision to Shawnee Mission East last Friday. Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston has completed 23 of 48 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns while senior Bryer Finley has caught 10 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown and junior Kaden McKinney has caught five passes for 115 yards and a TD. McKinney leads the Vikings with 122 rushing yards and two TDs on 27 attemps. Topeka West senior Alesecio Batson scored the Chargers' lone touchdown against Shawnee Heights on a 20-yard reception from freshman Josiah Wilke while senior Treyvion Barr added a 2-point conversion.
COUNCIL GROVE (2-0, 2-0) vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (1-1, 1-1)
At Yager Stadium
Cair Paravel will play its first home game at Washburn University's Yager Stadium, with the Lions facing Council Grove in a Flint Hills League contest. Cair Paravel is coming off a 54-20 league loss to Osage City while Council Grove improved to 2-0 with a 50-13 league win over Mission Valley. Lion senior quarterback Jase Pavlik passed for 226 yards and two touchdowns last Friday while senior Ben Roeder had 13 catches for 165 yards and two TDs and junior Tobias Bonura carried the ball 13 times for 74 yards and caught six passes for 55 yards. Council Grove sophomore quarterback Luke Stewart has completed 28 of 38 passes for 419 yards and three TDs while senior Ace Monihen has rushed or 208 yards and seven TDs and senior Landon Dody has nine catches for 236 yards and a TD.
KC-WARD (0-2) at HAYDEN (2-0)
After finishing second in Class 3A last season, Bill Arnold's Wildcats are off and running again this fall, improving to 2-0 with a 42-14 win over St. Michael The Archangel (Lee's Summit, Mo.) last Friday. Junior Kade Mitchell rushed for more than 100 yards in the Hayden while also returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier threw for three touchdowns against the Guardians.
BASEHOR-LINWOOD (2-0, 2-0) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-1, 1-0)
Shawnee Heights opened United Kansas Conference play with a 53-8 road win over Topeka West last Friday while Basehor-Linwood improved to 2-0 with a 48-14 win over Piper. T-Bird junior quarterback Aiden Scott completed 16 of 26 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns against West and has passed for 655 yards and five TDs on a 40 of 66 performance in two games. Junior David Wakes has carried the ball 32 times for 176 yards and two TDs while junior Tyren Parker has caught 11 passes for 185 yards and two TDs. Basehor-Linwood junior quarterback Carson Dixon has completed 23 of 41 passes for 215 yards and three TDs while senior Nick Doering has 183 rushing yards and five TDs on 29 carries and junior Noah Morrison has 10 receptions for 94 yards and two TDs.
HIGHLAND PARK (2-0, 2-0) at KC-SCHLAGLE (1-1, 1-0)
Highland Park has outscored its two Meadowlark Conference opponents by a 94-0 margin, including a 42-0 win over Kansas City-Sumner Academy last Friday. KC-Schlaglee picked up its first win in a 48-0 win over KC-Wyandotte. Scot junior quarterback Dontrail Fox went 9 of 16 in the passing game for 112 yards and three touchdowns while Highland Park rushed for 231 yards on 37 attempts as sophomore G'honi Montgomery picked up 78 yards on 15 attemps and senior Jamon Wilson gaining 75 yards on nine carries. Wilson caught seven passes for 76 yards and also returned a punt return for a 59-yard touchdown, one of three punt-return TDs for the Scots. Highland Park also got an 80-yard punt return from senior CJ Brown and a 23-yard score from junior Genesis Cooper. Senior Ricky Crawford led the Highland Park with nine tackles, including five solo stops.
ROSSVILLE (0-2, 0-2) at NEMAHA CENTRAL (1-1, 1-0)
Rossville has dropped two close Big East decisions to open its 2024 season and faces another tough test Friday, taking on two-time defending Class 2A state champion Nemaha Central. Rossville is coming off a 24-19 loss to St. Marys while Nemaha Central took a 35-7 win over Silver Lake. Bulldawg senior quarterback Tayson Horak has completed 23 of 42 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown and has rushed for 201 yards and two TDs on 28 attempts. Junior Jack Donovan has caught seven passes for 62 yards and a TD. Thunder junior quarterback Carter Hajek has completed 16 of 25 passes for 268 yards and two TDs and rushed for 308 yards and four TDs on 57 attempts. Junior Caleb Strathman has six catches for 122 yards and a TD.
SILVER LAKE (1-1, 1-1) at PERRY-LECOMPTON (1-1, 1-1)
Silver Lake is coming off a 35-7 Big East League loss to two-time defending Class 2A state champion Nemaha Central while Perry-Lecompton picked up its first win of the season, a 12-9 league win over Sabetha. Nemaha Central opened up a 14-0 lead in last Friday's game before Silver Lake got on the board late in the first half on a touchdown pass from Dysen Schooler to Brody Deiter. But that would be the Eagles' lone touchdown of the night as Nemaha Central scored the final 21 points.
TOPEKA HIGH (2-0) at WICHITA SOUTHEAST (0-2)
The Trojans scored two non-offensive touchdowns and forced five turnovers to collect their second victory of the season last Friday, matching their win total from 2022 and 2023 combined with a 27-14 win over Wichita Heights. Topeka High scored a defensive score in the first quarter and had a kickoff return in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. Linebacker Payton Stevicks picked up a fumble and raced 42 yards to stake Topeka High to a lead late in the first quarter and the Trojans forced two more Falcon fumbles in the first half. Saron Carter completed a 67-yard halfback pass to senior Jayden Norman to put Topeka High up, 21-0, and High sophomore Courtney Sanders put the game away with an 85-yard kickoff return. Southeast is coming off a 45-6 loss to Bishop Carroll.
WASHBURN RURAL (1-1) at PLATTE COUNTY, MO. (3-0)
Washburn Rural is coming off a 34-7 non-league loss to Blue Valley last Friday while Platte County, Mo. improved to 3-0 on the season with a 28-13 win over Fort Osage, Mo. Platte County has outscored its first three opponents by a 138-34 margin. Blue Valley, now in Class 5A after reaching the 6A semifinals last season, never trailed against the Junior Blues after scoring the first 14 points but Washburn Rural got within 14-7 after a touchdown from junior TJ Minikwu before the Lancers scored the final 20 points.