CIK Football Rankings: Postseason

In a season that encountered all sorts of twists and turns from COVID-19, Catch It Kansas has its final football rankings – and looks back to compare from the preseason. Of the 80 teams ranked in the final poll (ten per class), 26 were not ranked in the preseason rankings. That most impacted the bottom three spots in the poll. Five final No. 8 and No. 9 ranked teams were not in the preseason rankings. Six No. 10 teams were not in the preseason poll.

COVID-19 did knock several potentially promising seasons off course as Frontenac, Norton, Lawrence Free State, K.C. Washington, K.C. Piper, Meade and Ness City were among those ranked in the preseason who were not ranked at year’s end. K.C. Washington never even had a season, while Free State and Piper each lost at least one first team all-state player to transfer.

The state’s biggest surprises? Four of the five came from the Wichita area: Olathe North, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Arkansas City, Wichita Collegiate and Inman.

In 6A, Olathe North, went had several key players transfer, went from unranked in the preseason and finished fourth.

In 5A, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, with coach Weston Schartz, enjoyed a plus-six-win improvement and went from unranked to fourth.

In 4A, Arkansas City was unranked in the preseason and finished fifth as the surprising state runner-up. AC went 6-7 and had the most losses of any team to make a state title in state history.

In 3A, Wichita Collegiate, led by quarterback Wesley Fair and twin senior linemen Nick and Jack Herrman, was unranked in the preseason and finished fifth.

In 1A, Inman went from unranked to fifth. Oakley finished 10-3, a plus-seven win improvement and the first state title qualifying team in school annals. Oakley was ranked No. 10 in the preseason.

Class 6A

1. Derby (9-2) [Preseason rank: 1]

2. Blue Valley North (7-3) [5]

3. Lawrence (9-1) [3]

4. Olathe North (8-2) [NR]

5. Shawnee Mission Northwest (6-2) [NR]

6. Junction City (9-2) [6]

7. Blue Valley (6-2) [2]

8. Blue Valley Northwest (5-2) [NR]

9. Wichita East (7-2) [9]

10. Gardner-Edgerton (5-3) [10]

Notes: At one point in the season, Derby was 3-2 and had two games cancelled. Then, the Panthers rolled to their third straight 6A state title. Derby had six titles and a runner-up since 2013. Derby beat three of 6A’s top-six teams in the playoffs. Wichita East enjoyed its best season in 37 years. Shawnee Mission Northwest delivered a huge season from Ty Black and his dad, coach Bo Black. They were named Player and Coach of the Year respectively in the Sunflower League.

Class 5A

1. Mill Valley (9-2) [1]

2. Wichita Northwest (10-1) [3]

3. Bishop Carroll (8-3) [4]

4. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (8-2) [NR]

5. De Soto (8-2) [8]

6. Hutchinson (8-2) [NR]

7. Maize (9-2) [6]

8. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-4) [2]

9. Goddard (7-3) [NR]

10. Topeka Seaman (7-2) [NR]

Notes: In addition to KMC, Hutchinson was a combined 4-17 in its last 21 games before the huge turnaround. Hutchinson beat Maize for the AVCTL Division I crown. KMC, Hutchinson, Goddard and Topeka Seaman all finished with losing records in ’19.

Class 4A

1. St. James Academy (8-4) [3]

2. Bishop Miege (5-5) [1]

3. Paola (9-1) [6]

4. Tonganoxie (9-2) [5]

5. Arkansas City (6-7) [NR]

6. McPherson (10-2) [2]

7. Basehor-Linwood (7-4) [8]

8. Lansing (5-4) [10]

9. Andover Central (7-2) [NR]

10. Rose Hill (6-4) [NR]

Notes: St. James ended Bishop Miege’s run of six straight state titles and won its first crown in school history. McPherson has reached four straight state semifinals. Rose Hill, which opened 0-3, had its first winning record in nine years.

Class 3A

1. Andale (12-0) [2]

2. Perry-Lecompton (11-2) [1]

3. Topeka Hayden (7-2) [6]

4. Holton (9-2) [5]

5. Wichita Collegiate (10-2) [NR]

6. Southeast of Saline (9-1) [4]

7. Cheney (9-1) [NR]

8. Clearwater (7-3) [NR]

9. Riley County (8-2) [10]

10. Prairie View (8-2) [NR]

Notes: CIK noted 3A was the deepest class again in the preseason, and Collegiate, Cheney and Clearwater were just outside the preseason top-10.

Class 2A

1. Rossville (13-0) [1]

2. Hoisington (12-1) [2]

3. Nemaha Central (8-3) [4]

4. Silver Lake (6-2) [3]

5. Osage City (9-2) [10]

6. Beloit (5-7) [NR]

7. Garden Plain (9-2) [9]

8. Haven (8-3) [NR]

9. Maur Hill (8-1) [NR]

10. Hutchinson Trinity (8-2) [NR]

Notes: As expected, Rossville was the overwhelming preseason favorite and went No. 1 wire to wire. Hoisington was the slight West favorite and coach Zach Baird paced the Cardinals to their first ever championship game. Haven won two playoff games in one season for the first time in school history and enjoyed its furthest advancement in 44 years behind QB/FS Darby Roper and OL/DL Hunter Barlow. Osage City, led by four-year starting lineman Dane Whalen, made a huge offensive jump and had a surprise season.

Class 1A

1. Olpe (12-0) [4]

2. Lyndon (9-3) [7]

3. Centralia (8-2) [2]

4. Oakley (10-3) [10]

5. Inman (9-3) [NR]

6. Smith Center (8-2) [3]

7. Conway Springs (8-2) [6]

8. Valley Heights (7-2) [1]

9. Sedgwick (8-2) [5]

10. Jefferson County North (7-3) [NR]

Notes: Oakley and Inman each had historically great seasons for its schools, and Olpe allowed just 35 points all year. Valley Heights was the state’s best team of any class that had to forfeit a playoff game because of COVID-19. Lyndon finished 1-3 against Olpe and Centralia.

Eight-Man, Division I

1. Little River (11-2) [4]

2. Leoti-Wichita County (12-1) [3]

3. Madison (11-1) [2]

4. Canton-Galva (10-1) [1]

5. Clifton-Clyde (7-2) [5]

6. Hoxie (9-2) [8]

7. Argonia-Attica (9-2) [NR]

8. Montezuma-South Gray (8-2) [NR]

9. Chase County (8-3) [NR]

10. Sedan (9-1) [NR]

Notes: There was a sizable gap between the top-6 and the rest of the classification. None of the teams ranked 7-10 came within 45 points of a team in the top-6. Little River, which lost to Clifton-Clyde and Canton-Galva in the regular season, and then defeated C-C in the playoffs, became the fourth all-time eight-man team to win a state title with multiple losses, according to KSHSAA archives. Wichita County went to its first-ever state finale. Chase County finished with its best season in 30 years, Hoxie had a plus-five win improvement from ’19, and SG had its best season in nine falls. Sedan was plus-four from ’19 and enjoyed its most wins since ’04.

Eight-Man, Division II

1. Hanover (11-0) [2]

2. St. Francis (11-1) [1]

3. Victoria (11-1) [4]

4. Frankfort (7-2) [8]

5. Lebo (10-1) [10]

6. Axtell (7-3) [3]

7. Wheatland-Grinnell (8-3) [6]

8. Colony-Crest (10-1) [NR]

9. Caldwell (8-3) [NR]

10. Beloit/St. John’s-Tipton (7-3) [9]

Notes: Hanover captured its sixth title with coach Matt Heuer, who tied former Hanston coach Jerry Slaton for the most all-time eight-man crowns. Colony-Crest was winless just two years ago. Victoria enjoyed a five-win increase. W-G posted the best season in school history.

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