Week 7 preview with audio streaming links

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Garden City (4-2, 0-0) at Maize Eagles (5-1, 0-0); 7 p.m. kickoff (6:30 pm pregame on 99.9 FM KWKR with Mike Pilosof and Ross Miller)

Live Audio Streaming: https://www.westernkansasnews.com/kwkr/

Maize, Kan-If last year’s thriller between these two teams taught us anything, it’s that district games in the state of Kansas are anything but a sure thing. 

Down late, Greyson Tempel hit tight end Taylor Foley on a screen pass; then watched the senior take it ten yards for the go-ahead touchdown to give the Buffaloes a dramatic 31-26 win over the Eagles. So is redemption on the mind for third-year Eagles Head Coach Gary Guzman?

“We’re not really approaching it like that,” Guzman said. “It serves as a memory and motivation, but not necessarily redemption.”

Well maybe it should, seeming how that loss cost Maize a shot at the 6A playoffs-a place they haven’t been since 2009. 

The 2013 Eagles: A much different team.

“This is without a doubt, the best team we’ve put on the field since I’ve been here,” Guzman said. “We just go out week in and week out looking to get better.”

Better is being kind. The Eagles have outscored their last three opponents 158-40; granted those teams are a combined 3-15. But their talent is undeniable. 

There’s junior quarterback Connor Lungwitz, who’s thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Then there’s Chase White, who comes in as one of the leading rushers in the state. Don’t believe it? Well just look at his 12-yard per carry average. 

Garden City meantime is not too shabby themselves. The last 10 quarters has seen Brian Hill’s team rummage through the Western Athletic Conference like an old married couple at a garage sale. 

Three straight wins over Hays, Liberal and Wichita East have the Buffaloes sitting right outside the state rankings. But the reality is, as Coach Hill eloquently put it, the preseason is over and the regular season is here. 

“Everyone is 0-0,” Hill said. “These next three games will determine out season.”

If they’re anything like the past three games, Garden City might be looking at their first district champion since 2011. Stat tuned!

Series Notes: Garden City leads all-time 10-3

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Scott City (5-1, 0-0) at Hoisington (2-3, 0-0); 7 p.m. kickoff (6:30 pm pregame on 99.9 FM KWKR with Adam Kadavy)

Live Audio Streaming: https://www.westernkansasnews.com/mix94/

The Scott City Beavers will begin the first of their two straight road games at Hoisington on Friday night at Elton Brown Field. Last week, the Beavers overcame a slow start and rallied to a 28-14 win over the Goodland Cowboys at Darner Field.

Scott City did not take their first offensive snap until the 2:54 mark of the first quarter, and trailed 7-0 after the first period, before leading 14-7 at the break. Paco Banda was Scott City’s first 100-yard rusher of the season, with 104 yards and an 18-yard run. The Beavers also wrapped up their league portion of the schedule at 4-1, and are 5-1 heading into tonight’s game with Hoisington. Scott City will finish no worse than second in the Great West Activities Conference, and have finished no worse than second in league play since 2004, with all four losses coming to Ulysses.

Hoisington has won two of their last three games, with their last coming at home last Friday night by knocking off previously unbeaten Larned 27-9. The Cardinals are 2-3 overall, and did not allow an offensive touchdown to the Indians. Their leader on offense is junior Nolan McCurry, who has 683 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns. Hoisington is one of the youngest, if not, the youngest team in Class 3A, as they start three freshman on offense, and four overall, to go along with one additional starter that’s a sophomore.

Last meeting saw Scott City shutout Hoisington October 12 of last year 36-0. The Beavers have won nine of the last 10 games against their former MSAA foe, and are making their first trip to Hoisington since 2006, Scott City’s first year of playing Class 3A football.

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Hugoton (4-2, 0-0) at Pratt (2-4, 0-0); 7 p.m. kickoff (6:30 pm pregame on 106.7 FM KWKR with Brett Mahan and Kevin Watkins)

Live Audio Streaming: http://174.79.96.177/kfxx/

Hugoton Eagles coming off a Homecoming Victory 48 to 0 over the SWH Mustangs, open district play with the Pratt Greenbacks.  Pratt enters districts with a 2-4 record averaging 163 yards of offense with 133 of that coming through the air.  

Leading Passer is Quarterback #12 Brandon Ruckle  43/91 for 532 yards 4 touchdowns and 7 picks.  #21 Cesar Regaldo (Wrestling State Champ @113 pounds) is the Greenbacks leading rusher – 54 carries for 165 yards.  Pratt has three receivers with over 100 yards on the season.  #10 Shawn Ramos – 15/123 yards, #5 Derek Barnarnd 8/155 yards, and Drew Dobbs 5/119 yards.  

The Hugoton Eagles go into districts with the usual suspects at the top of the stats sheet.  Yates Sutton is 14/39 passing for  272 yards 3 touchdowns 7 picks, on the ground Yates has 85 carries for 471 yards.  Ross Davis 80 carries for  647 yards.  Leading Receiver is Tightend Nic Frederick 9 catches for 159 yards.  Leading Tacklers are Bradley Campbell with 73, that is 12.2 tackles per game.  Andrew Mendoza has 56 tackles 9 of those for loss. Mitchell Persinger has chipped in 8 tackles for loss as well

The 4-2 Eagles average 344 yards of offense per game with 299 of that coming on the ground.  

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SW Heights (3-3, 0-0) at Holcomb(3-3, 0-0); 7 p.m. kickoff (6:30 pm pregame on 1030 AM KBUF with Kirk and Jacob)

Live Audio Streaming: https://www.westernkansasnews.com/kbuf/

Class 3A teams open district play this week and it’s a new season for everyone. Holcomb Longhorn head coach Jerry Johnson likes to say that when district play begins, everyone has the same record.That’sreally true in this district as Holcomb, Southwestern Heights, Lakin and Cimarron all come in with 3 wins and 3 losses on the season. They have three weeks to sort all that out.

The Longhorns begin with a visit from the Southwestern Heights Mustangs, a team that relies on a power running game and controlling the ball.

The Longhorn defense will need to stop the rushing attack, which features sophomore Efrain Chavez, who has three games with over 100 yards rushing, including 227 yards against Syracuse two weeks ago and 118 yards last week against Hugoton. The Longhorn offense will try to take advantage of a defense that is giving up about 25 points a game, but does have one shutout to its credit this season.