Kansas High School Football 6A Playoffs Semifinal Update

Written by Charlie Beuttel 

After an exciting weekend of quarterfinal action in Kansas 6A playoffs, the semifinal matchups have been set with Blue Valley taking on Olathe North and Lawrence Free State facing Derby.

On Friday, Olathe North took down defending champion Shawnee Mission East, 44-30, behind great performances from Isaiah Simmons and Storey Jackson. Another great performance came from Derby’s quarterback Brady Rust who helped his team get past Junction City, 46-27. Rust had 292 rushing yards, 124 passing yards and four total touchdowns.

These four teams have all earned their spot in the semifinals and it will be exciting to see who will play for a chance to be named Kansas 6A state champion on November 28.

Olathe North Eagles (10-1) at Blue Valley Tigers (9-2)

Olathe North beat defending champion Shawnee Mission East, 44-30, in the quarterfinals so it is a guarantee there will be a new 6A champion this year. The Eagles have a high-scoring offense averaging 38.8 points a game. The leaders of this offense is senior dual-threat quarterback Matt Wright (5’11”, 200 pounds) who has 1,392 passing yards, 1,027 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns. Olathe North’s leading rusher is senior Vinnie Shabazz (5’10”, 190 pounds) who has 1,868 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Isaiah Simmons (6’3”, 212 pounds) has 879 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns this year and had a 98-yard kickoff return in the quarterfinal game.

The Eagles’ defense is limiting the opposition to an average of 21.8 points a game this year. Simmons, a safety, is the leader of this defense. Another player to watch is defensive lineman Zach Burk (6’3”, 240 pounds).

Blue Valley beat Lawrence, 42-17, in their quarterfinal matchup and will face a tough Olathe North team at home this week for a chance to play in the state championship game.

The Tigers are scoring 37.5 points a game this year and their offense has several leaders including quarterback Colton McCumber (6’0”, 183 pounds). McCumber threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns last week in the quarterfinals. William Evans (5’10”, 187 pounds) did a great job filling in for starting running back A.J. Totta as he had 230 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week. Another offensive weapon is Taylor Debey who caught six passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

Blue Valley’s defense has been strong all season limiting teams to an average of 20.3 points a game and just 15.5 in their two playoff games thus far. Defensive end Jeff Gurley (6’2”, 206 pounds) is one of the leaders of the defense and returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown against Lawrence. Another defensive weapon is linebacker Michael Maffry (6’0”, 211 pounds).

Lawrence Free State Firebirds (8-3) at Derby Panthers (10-1)

Lawrence Free State beat Wichita Northwest, 52-34, in the quarterfinals and will look to continue their offensive show against Derby in the semifinals. The Firebirds have averaged 34.2 points this game but have scored just over 50 points in their two playoff games. One of the leaders of this offense is senior quarterback Bryce Torneden (5’10”, 185 pounds), who threw for 109 yards, ran for 108 yards and had two total touchdowns in the quarterfinals. Senior running back Sam Skwarlo (6’0”, 205 pounds) had 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns on Friday night and will look to have another big game in the semifinals.

The Firebirds defense has given up 14 points a game this year and just 17 points in their two previous playoff games. They forced five turnovers last week including three interceptions. Torneden also spends time on the defensive side of the ball and he had one of the team’s three interceptions returning the pigskin 21 yards for a touchdown. The stars of this defense are the linebackers led by senior Paul Bittinger (5’11”, 220 pounds) and junior Jay Dineen (6’1”, 215 pounds).

Derby beat Junction City, 46-27, in their quarterfinal matchup. The Panthers are scoring on average 49.3 points a game this season and will use their high-scoring offense to try and clinch a spot in the finals. The leader of this offense is quarterback Brady Rust (6’0″, 180 pounds). Rust had 292 rushing yards, 124 passing yards, and four total touchdowns. Another offensive weapon is junior wide receiver Kenyon Tabor (6’4″, 190 pounds).

The Panthers defense is only giving up 19.4 points a game this year but is giving up on average 24 points in their two previous playoff games. Two players to watch on the Derby defense include defensive end Ryan Stang (6’3″, 210 pounds) and linebacker Tommy Carter.

Who will play for the 6A championship on November 28th? Only time will tell.

Photo credit: kansascity.com; Olathe North star Isaiah Simmons