Kansas High School Football 6A Playoff Quarterfinal Update
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
It was an exciting first week in the Kansas 6A playoffs as there several exciting games including Olathe North’s 35-28 victory over Blue Valley North and when Lawrence beat Shawnee Mission North 56-32 in an offensive shootout.
There were also some great performances in the eight games played on Friday and eight teams clinched their ticket to the quarterfinals. J.D. Woods carried the ball 18 times for 186 yards and four touchdowns in Lawrence’s win. Olathe North star Isaiah Simmons caught three passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s victory. Derby quarterback Brady Rust torched Topeka’s defense for 227 passing, 131 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in their 56-21 win.
Along with these great players, there are other athletes that are looking to lead their teams to state including Lawrence defensive end Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence Free State defensive back Bryce Torneden (North Dakota State), Derby defensive back Damare Simms, and Wichita Northwest Kevin Folsom.
Shawnee Mission East is the defending champion in 6A and it will be interesting to see if they can successfully defend their title this year. The winners of the other three games will have definitely earned their spot in the semifinals. Who can survive this tough this tough bracket? Only time will tell.
Quarterfinal Games and First Round Scores
Blue Valley @ Lawrence
Blue Valley blew out Shawnee Mission West, 37-14, while Lawrence beat Shawnee Mission North, 56-32.
Shawnee Mission East @ Olathe North
Shawnee Mission East destroyed Blue Valley Northwest, 49-13, while Olathe North escaped past Blue Valley North, 35-28.
Lawrence Free State @ Wichita Northwest
Lawrence Free State shutout Wichita West, 49-0, while Wichita Northwest dominated Wichita North, 55-19.
Derby @ Junction City
Derby beat Topeka, 55-21, while Junction City destroyed Hutchinson, 56-21.
Photo credit: The Lawrence Journal-World; Lawrence junior running back JD Woods