The 5-minute recap to Wichita-area games in Kansas high school football state playoffs

To help readers catch up on the results from Friday’s semifinal games in the Kansas high school football state playoffs, Varsity Kansas has prepared an easy-to-digest guide to the action.

Below is a recap of how all of the Wichita-area football teams fared in the semifinals and which teams are advancing in the KSHSAA playoffs to the state championship games to be played on Saturday, Nov. 26.

Derby’s bid for revenge comes up short at Manhattan

Down to its third-string quarterback, Derby made a valiant effort to knock off No. 1-ranked and undefeated Manhattan but ultimately fell short in a 28-23 road loss in the Class 6A semifinals.

Derby was looking for revenge for a 26-23 overtime loss to Manhattan from the first week of the regular season. Manhattan became the first team to defeat the Panthers twice in a season since Hutchinson in 2012.

The Panthers managed to put Manhattan in its biggest deficit of the season when star running back Dylan Edwards scored his second touchdown of the game to put the Panthers up 13-0 early in the second quarter.

Derby led 16-7 at halftime, but Manhattan dominated the second half and took the lead for good on a 69-yard touchdown run by DeAndre Aukland to go up 21-16 with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.

A third rushing touchdown by Edwards cut Manhattan’s lead to 28-23 with 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Manhattan converted two critical third downs to run out the clock.

Manhattan (12-0) advanced to its first state title game since 2001 and will face Gardner-Edgerton (9-3) in the 6A finals at Emporia State on Saturday.

Derby’s string of seven straight appearances in the state championship game was also snapped by Manhattan.

K-State recruit Avery Johnson, Maize back in 5A state title game

For the second straight year, Maize is back in the Class 5A state championship game.

This time, the Eagles are undefeated with a perfect 12-0 record after a 42-9 dismantling of Hays at home in the 5A semifinals on Friday. Maize (12-0) will get its much-anticipated rematch with Mill Valley (11-1) in the 5A title game at Pittsburg State next Saturday.

Maize’s running back duo of Tayveon Williams and Daeshaun Carter powered the Eagles to the runaway victory over Hays, as the pair combined for 158 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the win.

That didn’t leave much for K-State quarterback commit Avery Johnson to do in the win, as he finished with 134 passing yards and a throwing score to Justin Stephens.

Hays actually took a 7-0 lead after scoring on the first drive of the game and took a 9-7 lead when it sacked Johnson in the end zone for a safety in the first quarter. But the Eagles scored 35 unanswered points after that, highlighted by a blocked punt that was recovered by Jayden Ford in the end zone for a special teams touchdown to give Maize a 28-9 lead early in the third quarter.

Maize will match up once again with Mill Valley, the three-time defending 5A state champions who knocked off the Eagles 28-14 in the finals last season.

Wamego tops McPherson to advance to first state title game

It was a familiar kind of heartbreak for McPherson at the end of its 33-16 loss at Wamego in the Class 4A semifinals.

The Bullpups lost four straight years in the game to go to state from 2017-20, then added a fifth heartbreaking defeat in the last six seasons on Friday. Meanwhile, Wamego (12-0) advanced to its first state championship game in school history and will face Bishop Miege (10-2) for the 4A title at Topeka Hummer Park next Saturday.

McPherson actually led 16-13 in the third quarter after Jaytin Gumm scored on a three-yard rushing touchdown to put the Bullpups in front. But Wamego answered back with a score of its own late in the third quarter and McPherson’s offense couldn’t convert in the fourth quarter.

The Bullpups (10-2) wrapped up their fifth 10-win season in the last six years, as Wamego secured the win with two more touchdowns in the final three minutes of the game.

Andale extends nation’s second-longest winning streak to reach 3A title game

A recap of Andale’s 36-0 win over Clay Center to advance to its fourth straight Class 3A state championship game can be found here.

Kingman wins in dramatic fashion to punch first ticket to state since 1972

Down to potentially its final play of the season, Kingman delivered a fourth-down touchdown and then a two-point conversion to stay alive and ultimately win 28-22 in double overtime over Southeast of Saline in the Class 2A semifinals on Friday.

In a battle of undefeated teams, Kingman led 14-6 entering the fourth quarter, but Southeast of Saline notched the tying touchdown and two-point conversion to force overtime.

The Trojans were on the verge of victory after they scored first and tacked on another two-pointer, then forced Kingman into a fourth-down play from the 6-yard line. Kingman kept its season alive on a clever play call from head coach Tanner Hageman, as quarterback Nolan Freund rolled out to the right and then threw back to his left across the field to Tristan Davidson for the touchdown. Needing a two-point conversion to stay alive, Kingman again delivered when Avrey Albright took a jet sweep into the end zone.

Kingman’s defense delivered a stand, keeping Southeast of Saline empty on its second possession of overtime by swatting away a fourth-down pass in the back of the end zone. The Eagles then scored the walk-off, game-winner on the second play of their second possession, as Freund danced his way into the end zone to send Kingman to its first state championship game since 1972.

Kingman (12-0) will take on another undefeated opponent, Nemaha Central (12-0), for the 2A title next Saturday at Salina District Stadium.

Inman tops Conway Springs in rematch to head back to 1A title game

Inman avenged its lone regular-season loss with a 23-6 win at Conway Springs on Friday in the Class 1A semifinals.

The game was a rematch of the Week 7 regular-season game in which Conway Springs stunned the No. 1-ranked and previously-unbeaten Teutons in a 35-14 win during the midst of its eight-game winning streak following an 0-3 start to the season.

Inman took a 16-0 lead in the first quarter on back-to-back scoring runs by Tanner Heckel and Kellen Schrag. Conway Springs managed to trim the deficit to 16-6 by halftime following a touchdown run by Brayden Kunz, but Inman’s defense pitched a second-half shutout and Heckel tacked on another score in the third quarter to secure the victory.

Inman (11-1) will make its second straight appearance in the 1A title game when it faces St. Mary’s (10-2) next Saturday at Fort Hays State.