Sunflower Week-9-2018 - "Play In" - 2 6 & 5A

5A-EAST

1 STA (7-0) vs. 16 HPS (0-8) (Series tied 0-0)

* For the Saints to have the week-8 game off prior to facing the Highland Park Scotties of the Centennial League at home will not come easy for Highland Park. A week of healing injuries and solid consistent practice will be a benefit for the Saints.

While winning has come easy for the Saints, which speaks for their success on the gridiron early on, the Scotties are riding a 42 game losing streak dating back to the 2014 season. That Scotties team defeated the JC Harmon Hawks in week-2 and has been struggling with 0-9 seasons in 15, 16, and 17 Football seasons of play.

4 MVJ (5-3) vs. TWC (1-7) (Series tied 0-0)

* The Jaguars of Mill Valley will meet the Topeka West Chargers for the first time in school history.

For the last few years, the Chargers have struggled in Centennial play, and will be looking to get a win. However, where they land in the bracket against the Jaguars, playing at cozy Mill Valley Stadium will be very intimidating, as the Jaguars home is a successful place to be for a home game.

5 LAN (5-3) vs. 12 SJA (1-7) (SJA leads the series 2-0)

* Both programs have been very fortunate in the recent seasons to be able to meet in the modern era of Kansas Football.

The Lansing Lions have had a great start under first year coach Dylan Brown, while the Thunder, have fallen on hard times at 1-7 overall. This is rare for a very strong program having lost kids to graduation, and injury throughout the year.

For game time, look for the Lions to be represented well in their home stadium hosting the Thunder, in which the Thunder will be looking to upset the Lions and move on to a week-10 game.

4 FLS (5-3) vs. 13 LVP (1-7) (LVP leads the series 5-1)

* Rare. How rare? Going in to the KCK archives the last time the Stallions and Pioneers played against each other was the 1984 week-1 game in which the Stallions won 18 to 7. That game ended a five game losing streak in 78-79-81-82-83. 

All these years later, both schools have seen an abundant amount of changes on and off the Football field. 

Look to see first year Head Coach Pat Hansen bring his Liberty Bluejays Football style of play versus an experienced Mark Littrell who has seen his Pioneers struggle for most of the 2018 season. The Pioneers are not short of talent, as they can score. One thing that will be tested is the Pioneers defense as the Stallions have won four of their last five games, and won the KCA Title outright 5-0.  

6 WAS (4-4) vs. 11 OWO (2-6) (Series tied 0-0)

* The Washington Wildcats and Olathe West Owls will be meeting for the first time in both schools history. 

For the Wildcats to be successful, they will have their work cut out for them attempting to stop a high scoring first year Varsity program. TJ O'Neill will have his Owls prepared for post-season play, as his pedigree as a Mill Valley Jaguars Assistant will come in to play for his young Olathe squad. 

Can the Wildcats win their first playoff game in school history? It is certainly a possibility for the longtime KCAL school. Prior to the change in playoff format change the last Wildcats appearances were in 1980 for Larry Harless, and 1985 for retired BV Northwest AD-Steve Harms. 

7 TSH (4-4) vs. 10 BSW (3-5) (BSW leads the series 2-0)

* In their first ever 5A post-season meeting, the Thunderbirds of Shawnee Heights will host the SW Timberwolves who have had their best season so far under Anthony Orrick. This is a toss up game for the T-Wolves who can come away from the Thunderbirds with a strong game plan to steal a game from  a top-8 seed. 

The last time these two met was in a non-conference week-2 game in the 14 and 15 regular seasons. Former TW Head Coach Bill Lowe played them in his final season in 2014, while Orrick met them in 2015. 

4A-EAST

5 BMS (5-3) vs. 12 Altamont-Labette County (BMS leads the series 1-0)

* The Bishop Miege Stags are taking on the Grizzlies of Labette County for the second time in school history. Week-11 of 2017 was the first time both meet after a successful week-10 win.

With the move to 4A in 2014, the Stags have played nearly every school to the east side of the state you can find in post-season from week-10 on. 

This time around, the Grizzlies (4-4) will be one of many for the Stags in the following weeks. Should the Stags come away with the win, they have a chance to meet the winner of the Spring Hill Broncos or Pittsburg Purple Dragons, who had an exceptional season finishing (7-1) overall and (2-1) versus Johnson County schools. 

Those Dragons defeated BV North in week-3, 34-31, lost to Mill Valley in week-7 35-13 and defeated Olathe East 28-21. 

Spring Hill is no stranger to playing the Johnson County schools as well should they too defeat the Purple Dragons which is no easy task. The Broncos have fallen victim to #StagNation in week-9 during the 16 and 17 seasons in the old playoff format.


Quick Key: 

STA - ST Aquinas Saints
HPS - Highland Park Scotties
MVJ - Mill Valley Jaguars
TWC - Topeka West Chargers
LAN - Lansing Lions
SJA - SJ Academy Thunder
FLS - FL Schlagle Stallions
LVP - Leavenworth Pioneers
WAS - Washington Wildcats
OWO - Olathe West Owls
TSH - Tucumseh-Shawnee Heights
BMS - Bishop Miege Stags
LBC - Labette County Grizzlies