6A East & Week-10 Playoff Preview

6A - EAST

1) SME vs. 9) ONW (SME leads the series 6-2)
* Since Olathe Northwest began their Varsity program in 2004, these two have only met eight times as the league has continued to evolve and grow. For many current Lancers and Ravens fans, most of you might be able to recall the last time these two met. It was 2013 in week-3 with a new era of Lancer Football about to begin with Dustin Delaney, and former Head Coach Chip Sherman left to rebuild a struggling Ravens Football team.

This game will be a great match up for both teams. Both on opposite ends of the Coaching spectrum. Chip Sherman's Ravens will have a pass/run offense to the Lancers Flexbone, which is, and can be notoriously deceptive. Olathe Northwest sports some very large student-athletes to the Lancers, just a tad smaller on their O & D lines. The Ravens will be able to score, no doubt, as this game could go both ways on the scoreboard.

For the Ravens, their week-9 win against SM South was their first playoff win in Team history. From 2004 to 2016 they had three appearances in the old playoff format going 0-3.

4) BVN vs. 5) OEH (OEH leads the series 5-3)
* In another local, and rare match up, the Mustangs and Hawks will meet in a tale of two 5-4's. Both schools have been very successful, despite a slow start to get the season going. The Mustangs last trip up was a couple weeks back vs. the Mill Valley Jaguars, while the Hawks have slowly been climbing the Sunflower standings in the last few weeks to dig deep in the middle of a very large pack.

Of their eight total games played, two have came in the playoffs in 2007 and 2011. Unfortunately, these two have not seen each other since the 2013 week-7 game in which the Hawks won. This game should be great for a chance to move on to the next round. Both the Mustangs' Andy Sims and Jesse Owen, are two highly respected Coaches by their student-athletes.

2) BVT vs. 10) OSF (BVT leads the series 5-0)
* The Tigers and Falcons origins date back to their first meetings in the EKL from 1981 to 1988. Olathe South under Bud Wheeler was an impressive 7-1 vs. a very young Steve Rampy at that time. Once the Falcons left for the Sunflower League in 1989, a span of 19 seasons took place before their next meeting.

While the Falcons came out on the short end on each of their previous meetings in 08, 09, 14, and 15 all in District play, the Tigers kept them in the game in each meeting. Second year Coach Craig Lewis, and his Falcons are looking to avenge their 2016 week-10 loss to the Tigers falling 49-35 at Blue Valley against first year Head Coach Allen Terrill.

3) ONE vs. 6) LAW (ONE leads the series 19-14)
* As week-10 approaches, these two will reunite from an earlier week-5 game in which the Eagles came away the better team with a 33-28 win. Since 2006, the Eagles are 7-3 against the Chesty Lions, while the Lions have won their prior meetings in 2015 and 16.

Look for both teams to bring their offense power in droves. All-everything Lawrence QB Donte Jackson will be looking to provide a huge spark along with RB Hunter Krom to get through the Eagles defense. This could easily be high scoring affair keeping the pressbox-faithful busy.

6A - WEST

1) LFS vs. 9) JCB (Series tied 1-1)
* The Firebirds will have a tough task on their hands as they face a talented and Junction City Blue Jays of the Centennial League.

Digging through the Sunflower archives, finding a history against much of the 6A West can be a challenge at times. For the Firebirds faithful, who love this program inside and out, they may recall a huge meeting in 2008 taking on the Blue Jays in the 6A Final only to fall short in their first and only appearance to this day.

A few years later the 2014 Firebirds came away week-10 winners against the Blue Jays winning by 20 only to lose to Hutch the following week.