Arapahoe (4-1) at Wallace (2-3)
2016 result: Arapahoe won 54-28
Beau's pick: Arapahoe
Comments: Arapahoe brings a three-game winning streak to Wallace. During that stretch the Warriors have averaged 63 points per game. The Arapahoe option attack should find plenty of yards and points in Lincoln County, as Wallace has allowed an average of 58 points against teams with more than one win this season.
The Warriors will be tasked with stopping a Wallace air attack that has averaged 253 yards in its last three games. The Wildcats threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns at Wauneta-Palisade last week, with star receiver Micah Swedberg catching seven passings for 178 yards and two scores.
Dundy County-Stratton (2-3) at Sutherland (1-5)
2016 result: DCS won 56-30
Beau's pick: DCS
Comments: Dundy County-Stratton suffered its second straight heartbreaking loss with a last-second 66-58 setback to Perkins County. That said, the Tigers should get back on track the next two weeks. First up will be a trip to Sutherland to take on a Sailor squad that has struggled scoring points. Sutherland has averaged 12 points in its five losses.
Decatur Community, Kan. (1-4) at WaKeeney-Trego, Kan. (2-3)
2016 result: Decatur Community won 44-36
Beau's pick: Decatur Community
Comments: Decatur Community broke a six-game losing streak with last week’s 58-12 win over Quinter, Kan. Can the Red Devils continue that momentum into another winnable game this week?
After last week’s five-touchdown performance, Red Devil running back Kel Grafel will likely see plenty of carries against the Golden Eagles. WaKeeney-Trego is looking to break out of its own two-game slump.
Harvard (5-0) at MHC (1-4)
2016 result: 66-14
Beau's pick: Harvard
Comments: Homecoming couldn’t be a more appropriate way to describe this one for Maywood-Hayes Center. The Wolves hosted Heartland Lutheran on Sept. 1 before their Sept. 15 game with McPherson County was forfeited, meaning it’s been over a month since MHC’s last home game.
The Wolves’ homecoming opponent is one of the best in six-man football. State-rated Harvard will likely go undefeated against its regular season slate, giving the Cardinals another postseason appearance. Harvard is led by Tucker Scherbarth, who has 1,030 total yards and 16 touchdowns to his name.
Loomis (2-3) at Hitchcock County (1-4)
2016 result: Loomis won 70-6
Beau's pick: Loomis
Comments: Hitchcock County head coach Dusty Gaston didn’t ignore the fact that upcoming opponent Loomis beat Eustis-Farnam, the team that handed the Falcons a 68-32 loss last week. That said, Gaston called the Falcons’ Week 6 performance the best of the season so far. Hitchcock County jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter en-route to 401 yards of offense.
Loomis has struggled to do much beyond its run game this season. The Wolves accounted for 203 yards on the ground last week, but also gave up 76 points to Arapahoe. If Hitchcock County can limit Loomis’ smashmouth attack, the Falcons will be in good shape.
Mitchell (3-3) at Chase County (3-3)
2016 result: Chase County won 37-22
Beau's pick: Chase County
Comments: Chase County returns home after scoring a huge 40-12 win at Gordon-Rushville in Week 6. With a 3-3 record, the Longhorns will likely need to win its district to qualify for the Class C1 playoffs, as only 16 teams make the postseason in 11-man.
Coming to Imperial this week will be a Mitchell squad that is in a similar position at 3-3. Tiger running back Drake Gilliland leads C1 in rushing with 1,561 yards, or an average of 260 per game, and 15 touchdowns. The senior has ran for 603 yards and six scores in his last two games.
Rawlins County, Kan. (3-1) at St. Francis, Kan. (5-0)
2016 result: St. Francis won 52-6
Beau's pick: St. Francis
Comments: Rawlins County faces a big task in trying to take down Kansas’ top-ranked eight-man team in St. Francis. With the Buffs already owning one district loss, a second blemish may put them in ‘win out’ mode just to try qualifying for the state playoffs.
Southern Valley (0-6) at Doniphan-Trumbull (3-3)
2016 result: Doniphan-Trumbull won 55-14
Beau's pick: Southern Valley
Comments: Southern Valley continues its quest for its first win of 2017. Their Week 7 opponent, Doniphan-Trumbull, will be a tough outfit as the Cardinals have won three straight games.
The Eagles showed plenty of promise last week, only trailing 7-0 at halftime and 28-20 midway through the fourth quarter. The Southern Valley offense remains a work in progress, as the Eagles ‘O’ has only scored five times this season.
Southwest (2-3) at Cambridge (3-2)
2016 result: Cambridge won 62-42
Beau's pick: Cambridge
Comments: This rivalry returned to the gridiron last year when Cambridge dropped to Class D1. If Friday’s game is anything like last year’s 62-42 game, fans will be in for a treat.
There may not be a team that’s looked better in recent weeks than Cambridge. The Trojans blew open a close game at Bertrand before coming home to beat Alma last week 72-6. Cambridge’s rushing attack has been well-documented this season. Can Southwest, which made enough plays to beat DCS earlier this season, get timely defensive stops? That will be a key to Friday’s outcome.
Wauneta-Palisade (2-3) at Eustis-Farnam (2-3)
2016 result: Eustis-Farnam won 44-0
Beau's pick: Wauneta-Palisade
Comments: One of the toughest games to pick this week. Wauneta-Palisade has played a tougher schedule, but Eustis-Farnam beat the Broncos 44-0 last year.
Records aside, this one will come down to who plays better run defense. Eustis-Farnam averages 360 yards on the ground to Wauneta-Palisade’s 190. That may seem lopsided, but consider that the Broncos have already played Mullen, Garden County and Arapahoe. Like Hitchcock County last week, Wauneta-Palisade will try to limit the Knights’ star runner Christian Timm, who ran for 342 yards in Week 6.
sports1@mccookgazette.com
@gabegauthier1
Menu
