The 2023 high school football season is underway in Kansas. Week one saw some interesting results and what some may consider upsets. It’s also an example of how things can change from year to year and why teams always have a new hope when a new season starts.
Super 10
1. Mill Valley (1-0)
2. Gardner-Edgerton (1-0)
3. Manhattan (1-0)
4. Wichita Northwest (1-0)
5. Bishop Miege (1-0)
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0)
7. Blue Valley Southwest (1-0)
8. Lawrence (1-0)
9. De Soto (1-0)
10. Andale (1-0)
6A
1. Gardner-Edgerton (1-0)
2. Manhattan (1-0)
3. Wichita Northwest (1-0)
4. Lawrence (1-0)
5. Washburn Rural (1-0)
Notes: #1 Gardner-Edgerton opened the season with a 42-7 win at Shawnee Mission East. #2 Manhattan began their title defense with a 33-19 win over Derby. #3 Wichita Northwest crushed then 5A #3 Bishop Carroll 59-7. #4 Lawrence won 41-22 at Olathe South. Washburn Rural moves in at #5 with a 26-25 win over then #5 Wichita East. The Blue Aces drop from my poll.
Big game in Week 2: #5 Washburn Rural hosts 5A #3 De Soto on Friday night.
5A
1. Mill Valley (1-0)
2. Blue Valley Southwest (1-0)
3. De Soto (1-0)
4. Salina Central (1-0)
5. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (1-0)
Notes: #1 Mill Valley opened the season with a 42-13 win over Olathe Northwest. #2 Blue Valley Southwest won 33-19 at Blue Valley. De Soto moves up to #3 after a 42-21 win over Lansing. Salina Central picked up a 54-28 win over city rival Salina South and moved up to #4. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel is in at #5 after a 72-14 win over Wichita South on Thursday. Bishop Carroll drops from the poll after a 59-7 loss to 6A #3 Wichita Northwest to start the season.
Big game in Week 2: #2 Blue Valley Southwest hosts 4A #1 Bishop Miege on Friday night.
4A
1. Bishop Miege (1-0)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0)
3. St. James (0-1)
4. Andover Central (1-0)
5. Eudora (1-0)
Notes: #1 Bishop Miege rolled to a 54-14 win over Blue Valley North. #2 St. Thomas Aquinas won 49-42 at Blue Valley West. #3 St. James lost 30-21 at 6A Blue Valley Northwest. I’ll keep them in the same spot this week. #4 Andover Central beat Buhler 20-14. Eudora moves in at #5 after a 48-7 win over Baldwin. Wamego falls out of the Top 5 after a 19-7 loss to Clay Center to open the season.
Big game in Week 2: #2 St. Thomas Aquinas host 6A Blue Valley Northwest (1-0) on Friday night.
3A
1. Andale (1-0)
2. Cheney (1-0)
3. Wichita Collegiate (1-0)
4. Clay Center (1-0)
5. Topeka-Hayden (1-0)
Notes: #1 Andale extended their winning streak to 52 games with a 75-28 win over Wellington. #2 Cheney cruised to a 34-7 win at then 2A #4 Kingman. #3 Wichita Collegiate picked up a 35-0 shutout win at Rose Hills. #4 Clay Center opened with an impressive 19-7 win over Wamego. #5 Topeka-Hayden also impressed in a 41-7 win at Olpe.
Big game in Week 2: #5 Topeka-Hayden hosts 2A #2 Silver Lake on Friday night.
2A
1. Nemaha Central (1-0)
2. Silver Lake (1-0)
3. Sabetha (1-0)
4. Ellsworth (1-0)
5. Hoisington (1-0)
Notes: #1 Nemaha Central began defense of their 2A title with an impressive 31-6 win over 3A Holton. #2 Silver Lake opened with a 40-24 home win over Riley County. #3 Sabetha picked up a 30-0 shutout over Perry-Lecompton. Ellsworth moves up to #4 after a 22-14 win at Beloit. Hoisington is into the poll at #5 with a 39-6 win over Hesston. Kingman falls out of the poll after a 34-7 loss to 3A #2 Cheney to open the season.
Big game in Week 2: #5 Hoisington travels to Halstead (1-0) on Friday night.
1A
1. Pittsburg-Colgan (1-0)
2. Smith Center (1-0)
3. Marion (1-0)
4. Sedgwick (1-0)
5. St. Marys (0-1)
Notes: #1 Pittsburg-Colgan opened with a 27-20 win over Frontenac. #2 Smith Center beat MCL rival Phillipsburg 28-20. Marion enters at #3 after a 46-22 win over then #3 Inman, which fell out of my poll. Sedgwick is in at #4 after a 42-7 blowout win at Hutchinson-Trinity. Despite a season opening 30-22 loss at Rossville, I’ll keep St. Marys at #5. Conway Springs falls out from #4 after a 20-14 loss at Garden Plain.
Big game in Week 2: #2 Smith Center hosts league rival Norton (2A, 1-0) on Friday night.
8-Man DI
1. Wichita County (1-0)
2. Lyndon (1-0)
3. Meade (1-0)
4. West Elk (1-0)
5. Clifton-Clyde (1-0)
Notes: #1 Wichita County opened with a 54-0 shutout of Wheatland-Grinnell. #2 Lyndon also won 54-0 over Lebo. Meade moves up to #3 after a hard-fought 22-14 win over South Central. West Elk is into the poll at #4 with a 70-8 win over Udall. Clifton-Clyde was impressive in a 50-8 win over Hanover and moves in at #5. Dropping from the poll were Hill City from #3 after a 28-16 season-opening loss to Osborne at home and Chase County with a 38-20 loss to Frankfort.
Big game in Week 2: #3 Meade hosts 8M-DII Hodgeman County (1-0) on Friday night.
8-Man DII
1. Axtell (1-0)
2. Dighton (1-0)
3. Osborne (1-0)
4. Minneola (1-0)
5. Canton-Galva (0-1)
Notes: #1 Axtell won their 27th straight game, beating Cair Paravel 60-44. Dighton moves up to #2 with a 52-16 win over Decatur Community. Osborne is #3 after an impressive 28-16 win in their opener at then 8M-DI #3 Hill City. Minneola is in at #4 after a 68-14 win over Kiowa County. Canton-Galva drops from #4 to #5 with a 42-40 loss to traditional 8M-DI power Little River. Victoria drops from the poll after a 20-14 loss at Kinsley.
Big game in Week 2: #2 Dighton is at Rawlins County (1-0) on Friday night.
6-Man
1. Ashland (1-0)
2. Cunningham (0-1)
3. Cheylin (1-0)
4. Waverly (1-0)
5. Tescott (1-0)
Notes: Cunningham and Ashland will swap spots with the Bluejays moving up to #1 after a 32-22 win over the Wildcats in the season opener. The season will play itself out, but those two seem to be the right picks at the top. #3 Cheylin picked up a 50-0 shutout over Cheyenne Wells (CO). #4 Waverly rolled to a 54-6 win over Southern Coffey County. #5 Tescott started with a 45-26 win over Peabody-Burns.
Big game in Week 2: #5 Tescott is at Northern Valley (1-0) on Friday night.
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