By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Games at 7 p.m.)
CLASS 6A
WASHBURN RURAL (8-2) at DERBY (8-2)
Washburn Rural is coming off an 34-7 second-round playoff win at Garden City while Derby rolled to a 76-28 win over Lawrence.
Washburn Rural's defense set the tone for the night when it scored the game's first touchdown on a JC Heim recovey in the end zone with five minutes left in the opening quarter and the Junior Blues went on to open up a commanding 34-0 lead.
Washburn Rural junior JC Heim (25) scored the game's first touchdown on a defensive TD as the Junior Blues rolled to a 34-7 Class 6A playoff win last Friday at Garden City. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Ma'kenttis Adams led the way as Rural finished with 41 carries for 192 rushing yards against Garden City while junior quarterback Branton DeWeese was 14 of 21 passing for 157 yards.
Washburn Rural enters Friday night's 6A state quarterfinal on a five-game winning streak while perennial state title contender Derby has won four straight games.
The Panthers two losses have been by a total of four points, to undefeated Manhattan (in overtime) and Maize.
Notre Dame commit Dylan Edwards has rushed for 1,590 yards and 27 touchdowns on 144 attempts for Derby while senior quarterback Brock Zerger is also in the midst of a big senior season.
Zerger has rushed for 997 yards and 14 TDs on 101 attempts and completed 61 of 103 pass attempts for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Derby senior Miles Wash has been in on 120 tackles.
The Washburn Rural-Derby winner will advance to the state semifinals to face the winner of Friday's game between Centennial League champion Manhattan (10-0) and Wichita Northwest (8-2).
CLASS 3A
HAYDEN (9-1) at COLUMBUS (5-5)
Hayden rallied from a 13-0 deficit to hand previously-unbeaten Wellsville a 22-19 defeat last Friday while Columbus took a 21-14 second-round playoff victory over Galena last Thursday.
Hayden senior JC Cummings (38) has had a big 2022 season on both offense and defense for the 9-1 Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Finn Dunshee rushed for 123 yards on 18 attempts against Wellsville and scored two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, including an 80-yard-plus kickoff return for a TD, while senior JC Cummings had 64 rushing yards and a TD on 14 attempts. Cummings scored the game-winning touchdown and a 2-point conversion.
Dunshee has rushed for 832 yards on 64 carries and has scored 14 total touchdowns while Cummings has 634 yards on 71 attempts and has scored nine total touchdowns.
Hayden sophomore quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 71 of 102 pass attempts for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs while sophomore Jensen Schrickel has caught 27 passes for 577 and scored 14 TDs and kicked 25 extra points.
Columbus senior quarterback Brett Hamilton has completed 97 of 205 passes for 1,441 yards and 13 touchdowns and has 651 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 133 carries.
Senior Landon Midgett has caught 29 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns and has been in on 98 tackles, sharing the team lead with senior Jaydn Hale.
The Hayden-Columbus winner will advance to a 3A state semifinal to face the winner between Holton (9-1) and Girard (10-0).
