Ryan Wood’s Weekly Football Report
Area Top Five
Dropped out: Mill Valley (4-5)
School | Record | Previous | Last Week | This Week | Comment |
1. Tonganoxie | 8-1 | 2 | beat Lansing 41-0 | at Atchison | Best regular-season finish of area teams |
2. Eudora | 7-2 | 4 | beat Mill Valley 20-13 | vs. Baldwin | One of two area teams with home playoff game |
3. Baldwin | 7-2 | 3 | beat Perry-Lecompton 42-14 | at Eudora | Hoping history repeats; beat Eudora Oct. 10 |
4. Ottawa | 7-2 | 1 | lost to Osawatomie 36-24 | at Paola | Still dangerous, but going to Paola is no fun |
5. Wellsville | 4-5 | NR | beat Central Heights 31-13 | vs. Humboldt | Four-game win streak is timed perfectly |
Players of the Week
City
Tyler Morgan
Free State
Height: 6-0. Weight: 220
Class: Senior
The game: Morgan was by far the brightest of the stars in Free State’s 19-3 victory Friday over Washburn Rural. The senior, in his first game at tight end, caught three passes for 71 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown pass. He also intercepted a Junior Blue pass and returned it 73 yards for another touchdown. Thanks to Morgan’s heroics, Free State clinched a berth in the Class 6A state playoffs and will play Olathe East Friday.
Comment: “Tyler’s a threat because he has such great hands,” FSHS coach Bob Lisher said. “We finally came down to the fact after we lost Tyree (Payne) that we needed guys that could catch the football and run with the football.”
Honorable mention: Jeff Colter, junior, Lawrence; Caleb Harvey, senior, Free State.
Area
Gary Van Horn
Wellsville
Height: 5-8. Weight: 145
Class: Senior
The game: Van Horn once again was Wellsville’s much-needed spark. In the Eagles’ 31-13 victory over Central Heights, Van Horn accounted for all of the scoring. He had touchdown runs of six, one, three and three yards, kicked a 35-yard field goal and was 4-of-4 on extra-point attempts. With the victory, Wellsville won the district crown and will host a stay playoff game against Humboldt tonight.
Comment: “He did a real nice job,” Wellsville coach Bill Oshel said.
“He was in the right position whenever we needed him. Our offensive front did a nice job all the way across, and Gary was very opportunistic.”
Honorable mention: Justin Walker, senior, Tonganoxie; Micah Mason, senior, Baldwin.