November 5, 2009

The first-round games for the top seeds in Class 6A and 5A are fodder for more argument against the current playoff system. Undefeated Manhattan hosts 3-6 Maize; Undefeated Hutchinson hosts 3-6 Liberal. The playoffs as they are certainly do not hit the ground running. If there were half as many teams, they certainly would. Imagine if we were watching state quarterfinal games this Friday. There would be insane intensity all week. Instead, we slowly gain momentum each week. Very NBA-like.

That said, these first-round match-ups in the West have intriguing elements:

South and Heights have already played. I'm shocked South won that Week 6 match-up. Cory Brack is a very good coach. I have Heights winning this time going away, though. But, as I said before, I wish this Friday was the state quarterfinal, because Heights' potential game next Friday is tantalizing, if not totally unfair. Potentially 6-4 Heights, as the more western school of the two, will host potentially 10-0 No. 1 seed Manhattan for a shot at sub-state. Does that make sense to anyone? Heights season is far from over.

Topeka travels to Dodge City for their first-round game. Wow. I'm surprised that the state association hasn't passed a law disallowing such travel during these economic times. Poor Topeka. I wonder how many kids on that team have ever been to Dodge City. First and last time, probably.

Ask me a week ago who wins a Derby at Northwest playoff match-up, and I don't even give you a winner. Instead, I scold you for not understanding how the playoffs are structured, because there's no way two district winners can meet in the first round. (Then again, who does know how the playoffs in 6A and 5A are structured?) But, wow, Heights destroyed Derby 27-0, and now the Panthers are left searching for answers going to Northwest this Friday. Northwest has to be favored in this game, no matter the fact that Derby crushed them in last year's quarterfinals, just because Derby's offense, already a shadow of last year's, competely stalled against Heights. Still, I'm going with Derby. Heights has Derby's number; they whipped them last year, too, then Derby went on a playoff run. I'm going to disregard that game. Speaking of teams having numbers, I think Derby will show they have Northwest's number.

Kapaun is rolling behind running back Dyllon Knox ever since losing a heartbreaker to Carroll 36-34 in Week 6. Out of all the 5A and 6A games, Salina South at Kapaun is probably my favorite match-up. South has had a roller coaster season, getting a new head coach in Sam Sellers after Week 3. Kapaun is playing with great confidence, and from what I saw of them against Carroll, they play very hard and have just enough athletes. Kapaun should have beaten Carroll. Ark Valley Chisholm Trail teams and eventual sub-state finalists McPherson (2008) and Salina Central (2007) have ousted Kapaun from the first round the past two years at home. Now, it's Salina South. I think Kapaun finally breaks through.

If that's not the best game in 5A for the first round, then 8-1 McPherson at 7-2 Emporia is. Emporia has two losses, to Junction City and Manhattan. McPherson lost to Hutch. These are two very good football teams. Emporia made it through the district gauntlet of Salina South and Salina Central unscathed. McPherson may be the second-best team in the state. But it's at Emporia.