Regional Round - Friday Nov. 6, 2015

Scoreboard
6A-EAST
Lawrence (1) vs SM North (8)
Blue Valley (4) vs SM West (5)
BV North (3) vs Olathe North (6)
SM East (2) vs BV Northwest (7)
6A-WEST
Free State (4) vs Wichita West (5)
5A-EAST 
Leavenworth (8) vs Mill Valley (1)


Week-10 Game Preview
Lawrence vs SM North (@ Lawrence) 
The Chesty Lions and Indians are no strangers to each other, either in regular season play or playoffs dating as far back as the 1941 season. Take note, that these two did not officially begin playing as league counterparts 10 years later in 1951. This game will be the schools 70th meeting of all-time.

Incredibly, these two have met in the State Playoffs as well. The Chesty Lions are 2-1 in all playoff games dating back to the 92-93 and 2000 seasons. Sam Brown is the only former Indians Head Coach to account for a playoff win against the Lions early on in Dirk Wedd's tenure.

The Chesty Lions own the series at 48W-18L-3T (48-18-3) in 69 prior meetings.


Blue Valley vs SM West (@ Blue Valley) 
With two great Football programs meeting for only the third time, this will be a great game at the Blue Valley Tigers Field. Tim Callaghan's Vikings will have another shot at taking down a tough Tigers Football team. This season the EKL has played well against the Sunflower League, and with SM Northwest making a game of week-1, much improved fell short on the scoreboard.

In modern day Sunflower/EKL time 1980s to the 2015 season, these Football programs last met in 1986 (First round playoff loss), and again 23 years later in 2009 with a first round Win. This

The series is tied 1-1 in two prior meetings (86 & 09)


BV North vs Olathe North (@ BV North)
The 2015 East 6A First round bracket again has another rare meeting of 6A foes. These two, similar to SM East and BV Northwest, also meet up quite often during Basketball season and in other Spring team sports.

10 seasons ago, and a handful of former Head Coaches earlier, these two met in the Sub-State Final with the Eagles coming away with the win 13-6. Gene Weir had left after two historic three-peates for the Eagles and six, 6A State Titles. Assistant John McCall was in his first of two seasons as Head Coach, finishing 1-1 in 6A State Title games with the likes of Maurice Mack Jr, and James Franklin in his back pocket as Running Backs after Darren Sproles had graduated.

Look to see a shootout come your way, with both offenses wanting to outmatch each other. QB Joey Dolan of BV North has an incredible arm and a talented Receiver corp, while the Eagles will use their ground game to pound the ball up and down the field.

The Eagles are 3-0 all-time vs the Mustangs having only met in


SM East vs BV Northwest (@ SM North) 
In which may seem like an odd match up in Football, these two teams/schools manage to meet frequently at times in all other 6A Varsity Sports throughout the school year at least one time or another.

The experienced Lancers, led by JR QB Luke Kaiser, and WR Sky Tate and others take on a young NW Huskies, that have struggled throughout the 2015 season. In a constantly tough EKL schedule, it can be hard to gain ground on the opponent some times.

Although two years in to the tenure of Randy Dreiling at ST Aquinas, the Huskies have been the unfortunate victims of the Flexbone offense. This week, they will see it again, and perhaps prepared to knock off a hungry Lancers Football program looking to return to the 6A State Title game from the 2014 season.

Ironically, these two teams have only met one other time in their Football history. During the week-10 season of the 1998 year, the Lancers traveled to BVDAC to face a very talented Steve Harms Huskies, that went on to finish with an 8-3 record, losing only to the Olathe North Eagles who went on to finish #1 in State that season and accomplishing a first of their two three-peats of State Title runs. The Lancers lost 38-0 in former Head Coach Glen Percy's only playoff game he ever coached.


Free State vs Wichita West (@ Free State) 
For the first time since the 90's a new Sunflower opponent will face the Wichita West Pioneers. It was not since the Olathe North eagles faced, and won two consecutive State Titles in 1996, and 1997 at Lawrence Memorial Stadium capping off the first of the Eagles two three-peats.

These days, nearly 17 years later, the Pioneers find a very tough task on their hands facing a red hot Free State Firebirds. With six straight wins entering week-10, look for QB Bryce Tornaden to run the show with his arm, and powerful run game. With a strong Back in Sam Skwarlo, this could be a devastating combination all night long for the Pioneers.

Wichita West itself, closed out the season 5-4, and struggling to find itself consistency all season. Their two most notable games of play, are a week-5 blow out loss to City League Champions Wichita NW Grizzlies, and a week-9 loss to the 2013 State Champions Derby Panthers with a 2-1 District record.  

Leavenworth vs Mill Valley (@ Mill Valley) 
This will be the first time ever the Pioneers and Jaguars have met in playoff competition or regular season games all time.

The Jaguars, have nothing but high expectations to succeed in knocking off the Pioneers in this round one game. Leavenworth will need to find a way to strike first and move the ball up and down the field, against a very talented defense that has allowed only 12.6 PPA. Offensively, QB Drew Sachen and his line will not make many mistakes, where the Jaguars defense will make them pay.

Mill Valley's firepower too will be coming at all angles as well. WR Christian Jegen,  and QB Logan Koch will be names you will hear often throughout this playoff bracket should the Jaguars move on to the next round. Don't expect the Pioneers to lay down for anyone, they will battle to the final whistle.