By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAME
Jason Filbeck begins his second season at Topeka High Thursday night after leading the Trojans to a 4-5 mark last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
WICHITA WEST vs. TOPEKA HIGH
At Hummer Sports Park
Jason Filbeck begins his second season as Topeka High's head coach after leading the Trojans to a 4-5 record last fall, including four straight wins to open the season. High returns a solid group of returners to build around this season , returning four starters on offense and eight on defense. Senior defensive back Malachi Murph has received All-Centennial League first-team recognition the past two seasons and was an All-Shawnee County Second 22 honoree last fall while quarterback Zane Smith, linebacker Rock Williamson and defensive lineman Trey Lutz received All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2024. Wichita West posted a 2-7 record in 2024, including a 52-19 season-opening loss to Topeka High. The Trojans will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak Thursday night. Two of Topeka High's first three games are Thursday night contests, with the Trojans hosting Wichita Southeast on Sept. 18.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson (11) is a returning All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville senior Conner Bush helped the Bulldawgs advance to the Class 1A semifinals last season. [File photo/TSN]
SILVER LAKE at ROSSVILLE
For the second straight season the Bulldawgs and Eagles will open the 2025 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off an 8-4 record a year ago and advanced to the Class 1A state semifinals while Silver Lake went 7-3. The Eagles took a 33-26 overtime win over the Bulldawgs in last year's opener. Rossville returns TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Conner Bush (senior running back/defensive back) and All-Shawnee County Second 22 honorees Jack Donovan (senior wide receiver/defensive back) and Andre Johnson (senior running back/linebacker) to build around. Silver Lake senior wide receiver/safety Dayne Johnson received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors a year ago after catching 51 passes for 835 yards and nine touchdowns and picking off six passes on defense. Junior lineman Myles Fisher and sophomore lineman Kendrick Vande Velde received all-county honorable mention last season while senior safety Grady Bergmann received All-Big East honorable mention.
Washburn Rural senior running back TJ Minikwu earned All-Centennial League recognition last fall. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior quarterback Aiden Scott passed for more than 3,000 yards last fall. [File photo/TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights will both be looking to bounce back this fall after tough 2024 campaigns. Rural went 3-6 a year ago, including a 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights, while Heights went 2-7. Washburn Rural senior running back TJ Minikwu received first-team All-Centennial League recognition last season while senior quarterback John Hoytal, senior wide receiver Kellan Roth, senior defensive lineman Ayden Crosswhite and senior linebacker Jordy Heim were second-team all-league picks. Senior offensive lineman Jayden Cooper, junior running back Jadyn Baum, junior linebacker Brody Haas and senior linebacker Elijah Gaines received all-league honorable mention and Minikwu, Cooper, Baum, Hoytal, Roth, Crosswhite, Heim, Haas, Gaines, senior Sammy Brumley and senior Dylan Tajchman all received All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Leading the T-Bird returning cast are senior quarterback Aiden Scott and senior wide receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker, who both were TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 picks a year ago. Scott, who was named the county offensive newcomer of the year last fall, completed 190 of 317 passes for 3,102 yards and 32 touchdowns while Parker caught 50 passes for 946 yards with 11 touchdowns and was in on 48 tackles with a pair of interceptions. Scott has committed to Washburn and Parker to Kansas.
Senior linebacker Jude Krentz led Hayden with 132 tackles last fall, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors. [File photo/TSN]
EUDORA at HAYDEN
Hayden went 11-2 and finished second in Class 3A for the second straight season last fall while Eudora is coming off a 4-5 season, including a 35-7 season-opening loss to the Wildcats. Headlining the list of Hayden returners are senior running back/defensive back Kade Mitchell and senior fullback/linebacker Jude Krentz, who were both TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last season. Mitchell rushed for 808 yards on 104 carries last fall and scored 26 total touchdowns while Krentz led the Wildcats with 132 tackles (75 solo). Other top senior returners include quarterback Connor Hanika, center/defensive lineman Julian McGivern, running back/linebacker Jackson McGivern, tight end/linebacker Xander Blasing, offensive tackle Jackson Haas, offensive guard Andrew Rohr and linebacker Logan Saenz.
Topeka West junior Damon Webb is one of the area's top returning running backs. [File photo/TSN]
DE SOTO at TOPEKA WEST
At Hummer Sports Park
Trey Parker begins his third full season as head coach at Topeka West after taking over on an interim basis in 2022. The Chargers will be looking to take a step forward this fall after three straight 1-8 seasons. Topeka West faces a tough task Friday night, with De Soto coming off a 7-2 season last fall. De Soto took a 56-6 season-opening win over West last season. Top returners for Topeka West include senior lineman Logan Hunninghake, senior wide receiver Gad Munganga, junior lineman Dorian Rhoten Jr. and junior running back Damon Webb Jr. Webb carried the ball 17 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns in last fall's 32-20 United Kansas Conference win over Kansas City-Turner. The Chargers also return sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilke, who took over as West's starter the second half of the 2024 season.
Seaman senior linebacker Cameron Brian (6) was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year last fall. [File photo/TSN]
PIPER at SEAMAN
Seaman has advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals the past two seasons and finished the 2024 season with an 8-3 record. Seaman graduated All-Shawnee County Top 22 and Kansas Shrine Bowl picks Max Huston, Bryer Finley and Kaden Jordan, but returns senior linebacker Cameron Brian, an All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick and the defensive newcomer of the year last fall, along with senior tight end Noah Kobuszewski and senior running back Kaden McKinney, who were Second 22 all-county honorees. Brian was in on 112 tackles a year ago with 10 tackles for loss while McKinney rushed for 977 yards and scored 15 total touchdowns and Kobuszewski had 325 receiving yards. Senior guards Brogen Brown and Brayden Warren received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Piper posted a 3-6 record last fall, including a 35-18 loss to Seaman.
Doug Bonura's Cair Paravel Latin Lions will be looking to make big strides this fall in the Lions second season of 11-man football. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
WEST FRANKLIN vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN
At Yager Stadium, Washburn University
Cair Paravel begins its second season in the 11-man football ranks after posting a 2-7 record last season. West Franklin went 0-9 last fall, including a 44-0 season-opening loss to Cair Paravel. Top senior returners for the Lions include fullback/linebacker Tobias Bonura, wide receiver/defensive back Luke Budden, offensive lineman/linebacker Caleb Cleverdon, tight end/defensive end Oliver Ellis and wide receiver/defensive back Lucas Marichal. Bonura received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2024. Other key returners include juniors Cole Haubold, Cole Stafford and Jackson Kaberline and sophomore Chase Hastert. Hastert is in line to be the starting quarterback for Cair Paravel Latin this fall after backing up multi-year starter Jase Pavlik last season.
Junior running back G'Honi Montgomery is a top returner for Highland Park, which is looking for its fourth straight winning season this fall. [File photo/TSN]
HIGHLAND PARK at KC-WYANDOTTE
After snapping an eight-year losing streak early in 2022, Jermaine Monroe's Scots have posted three straight winning seasons, including a 6-3 mark last season. Highland Park begins the 2025 season with a wealth of experience, including eight players who received All-Meadowlark Conference recognition a year ago. Senior wide receiver/defensive back Tremaine Savage earned first-team All-Meadowlark Conference honors for the second straight season in 2024 while junior offensive/defensive lineman Tayseaun Rouser and senior offensive/defensive lineman Andres Ochoa-Perez were also first-team all-conference picks. Junior running back G'Honi Montgomery was a second-team All-Meadowlark pick a year ago while senior quarterback Dontrail Fox, junior wide receiver/defensive back JoJo Kingcannon, senior running back/defensive back Genesis Cooper and senior defensive end Philiciono Rice all received all-conference honorable mention. Wyandotte is coming off an 0-8 season, including a 52-0 loss to the Scots.
