Week 8 Football Preview

With a 3-game district schedule, starting out strong is imperative to making the postseason. For some teams, if the schedule shakes out properly, they could secure a playoff spot tonight, meaning the games next week are simply to decide seeding on the playoff bracket.

For other teams, Week 8 is about getting a win, and hoping to get some help with other teams losing. Either way, the playoff picture will be much clearer once the final buzzer sounds tonight.

For years, the battle of Salina has been one of the best games of the year, and this year did not disappoint as Salina South won on a last-second play. Last year it was a Field Goal to seal the win, while this year the Cougars beat Salina Central in overtime.

Last year, Salina South followed up that emotional last-second win with a defeat at the hands of the Hays Indians, who were coming off a victory over rival Great Bend. Once again, Hays beat Great Bend this year, so how these teams handle the let-down from last week could be the biggest key to victory between these two 5A-ranked teams.

The CatchItKansas office is beginning to sound a bit like a broken record, as we once again cover the Andale Indians. The problem is, how do you not cover a game that features two 6-1 teams. The Indians are coming off a big 36-31 win over Buhler, while Nickerson is riding high with their first-ever CKL league title. For the city of Nickerson, the football team is the talk of the town, and this just might be the biggest game in the Reno County community in the last 10 years, coincidentally, the last time the Panthers beat Andale. There is no question Andale is a battle-tested team, but will they be able to hit the road, and withstand the emotional high Nickerson will be riding?

U Pick 'Em will once again be the game to play this season. Everyone is invited to sign up and compete against the Eyewitness Sports team. Anyone who beats KWCH Sports Director Bruce Haertl in a given week will be eligible to win a prize, plus you can compete against your friends to see who is the king or queen of high school football.

A new addition to the line-up this season is the Catch It Kansas Tailgate Party. The Crew from KSCW and Bruce Haertl will be at a different game each week, and will be live in newscasts at 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00. If you're going to be at the game in Garden Plain this week, be sure to come early for the chance to win prizes and eat a brat to support the Salthawk booster club.

Click here for the weekly CatchItKansas.com Football Rankings

CatchItKansas.com and KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports will be across the state on Friday, bringing the most complete coverage of high school football in the state of Kansas. Below are all the game you can expect coverage from on KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports, and the Catch It Kansas Show on KSCW 33, Cable 5 at 11:00 pm on Friday night.

Grant Meech
Andale @ Nickerson

Jenn Bates
Hesston @ Maize South - CatchItKansas Tailgate Party

Heather Williams
#2 Salina South @ #4 Hays

Danilynn Welniak
Southwestern Heights @ Cimarron