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Author Archives: mcgonagl@pld.com
The best team in college football and they barely practice
The best team in college football and they barely practice click here
Who is next up for Hutchinson Salthawk Football?
Brad Hallier on potentially the next Hutch High Head Football coach and on the past 20 years of Hutch High Football. Click here
How Andale built a Dynasty
How Andale does what they do, win Championships. Click here
Final Rankings December 2, 2025
The 2025 Kansas High School Football season is over and our overall Grand Champion is the Manhattan High School Indians. Let me tell you, this was the most difficult, final Super 10 rankings, we have ever done, in 20 years of doing this.
Our final rankings, of the Super 10, after the regular season was over, had St Thomas Aquinas as the number one team in the state and Manhattan at number 14.
Of course, this final 10 is pure speculation and I imagine if we actually invited the top 12 teams in this final rankings into a bracket and let them play it out on the football field, we would have plenty of upsets, just like we did during the playoffs, that have just completed.
Every year, we have some team that surprises everyone, during the playoffs. Most of the time, that surprise team, has not been ranked all season long and usually has a loss or two or three, but during the playoffs, everything comes together just right and that never ranked team, ends up winning the championship or taking second place. That team this year was the Salina Central Mustangs.
Also, it has been 20 years, I think, since Kapaun has won a championship in football, good for them!
And you have to feel deeply for teams like Sabetha, who loses a game by one point to the Champions Nemaha Valley, several games before the championship game. Oh the what ifs, are played over and over in their heads.
Sabetha was not the only team that lost like that, Rossville, Great Bend, Mill Valley, St Thomas Aquinas, Osage City, Hutch Trinity, Jackson Heights and most likely I have missed some teams.
Well the season is over and the seniors that just completed their final season, let me tell you that next fall, you will miss playing the game of football and the Friday night lights. You may not think that right now, but you will next fall.
If you can, try to stay involved in the game. Become a football official, or on a chain gang, or an assistant coach, or a coach of some little kids flag football team. Give of your time, knowledge, and love of the game, back to the game of football.
When you are serving others, you will find a since of well being, deep within your soul.
Super Top 10 All-Classes
1. Manhattan
2. Kapaun
3. Salina Central
4. Great Bend
5. Maize
6. Olathe NW
7. Hays
8. Gardner-Edgerton
9. Basehor-Linwood
10. Bishop Miege
11. Derby
12. Andale
13. Mill Valley
14. St Thomas Aquinas
15. Nemaha Central
6A
1. Manhattan
2. Olathe NW
3. Maize
4. Derby
5. Gardner-Edgerton
Others: Olathe West
5A
1. Salina Central
2. Great Bend
3. Basehor-Linwood
4. Hays
5. St James
Others: Mill Valley, St Thomas Aquinas
4A
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Wamego
4. Labette Co.
5. Eudora
Others: Tonganoxie, Augusta
3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Rock Creek
4. Cheney
5. Jefferson West
Others: Pratt, Santa Fe Trail
2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Sabetha
3. SE of Saline
4. Osage City
5. Hoisington
Others: Silver Lake, Garden Plain
1A
1. Sterling
2. Rossville
3. Jackson Heights
4. Smith Center
5. Hutchinson Trinity
Others: Riverside, St Marys Colgan
8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Hill City
3. Lincoln
4. Leoti-Wichita Co.
5. Oberlin-Decatur Co.
Others: Trego Co., Sylvan-Lucas
8-man D-II
1. Hanover
2. Victoria
3. Axtell
4. Hutchinson Central Christian
5. Hodgeman Co.
Others: none
6-man
1. Cunningham
2. Weskan
3. South Barber
4. Tescott
5. Ingalls
Others: none
Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines Ad Astra Radio Hutchinson/McPherson
Conor Nichol Sunflower Sports SolutionsHays
Jim Misunas Great Bend Tribune Great Bend
Adam Kadavy KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Brock Kappelmann KSCB Liberal
Tim McGonagle KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Rocky Downing KFRM 550 AM
Pat Strathman ESPN Wichita
Rankings October 28,2025
This is the final ranking for the season, let the playoffs begin and the real rankings begin, on the field of play. There will be upsets. There will be teams, that were never ranked, all season long, that will win playoff games, and several of those teams, may end up in the championship game.
At the end of the season, there is only one winner in each classification. So does that mean that only one team feels good about themselves at the end? I say no. We all want to win every game we play in, but that is not the way it works.
Yes, we can be disappointed, that we didn’t win the championship ring or trophy, but if we don’t play the game, to the best of our ability, we will never forget that, going into the future.
My wish, is for every team, to play to the best of their ability. Twenty or forty years from now, you will remember, if you played to the best of your ability or not. Make that memory, be as positive as you can.
Super Top 10 All-Classes
1. St Thomas Aquinas
2. Great Bend
3. Maize
4. Mill Valley
5. Hays
6. St James
7. Kapaun
8. Andale
9. Junction City
10. Wichita NW
11. Hayden
12. Olathe West
13. Bishop Miege
14. Manhattan
6A
1. Maize
2. Wichita NW
3. Olathe West
4. Junction City
5. Manhattan
Others: Washburn Rural, SM NW, Gardner-Edgerton
5A
1. Aquinas
2. Great Bend
3. St James
4. Mill Valley
5. Hays
Others: Basehor-Linwood
4A
1. Kapaun
2. Eudora
3. Bishop Miege
4. Mulvane
5. Wamego
Others: Wellington, Ottawa, Labette Co.
3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Rock Creek
4. Holcomb
5. Santa Fe Trail
Others: Frontenac, Hugoton, Pratt, Prairie View
2A
1. SE of Saline
2. Nemaha Central
3. Hoisington
4. Sabetha
5. Silver Lake
Others: Garden Plain, Osage City, Caney Valley
1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. St Marys Colgan
3. Sterling
4. Rossville
5. Centralia
Others: Smith Center, Inman, Olpe, Riverside
8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Trego Co.
3. Ell-Saline
4. Lyndon
5. Little River
Others: Leoti, Hill City, Madison
8-man D-II
1. Hanover
2. Axtell
3. Victoria
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: Frankfort, Wallace Co., Marmaton Valley
6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. South Barber
4. Ingalls
5. Tescott
Others: none
Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines Ad Astra Radio Hutchinson/McPherson
Conor Nichol Sunflower Sports SolutionsHays
Jim Misunas Great Bend Tribune Great Bend
Adam Kadavy KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Brock Kappelmann KSCB Liberal
Tim McGonagle KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Rocky Downing KFRM 550 AM
Pat Strathman ESPN Wichita
Rankings October 21, 2025
A prayer that is said in pregame or postgame, is the Lords Prayer or the ‘Our Father’.
‘Our Father’ is the first two words of that prayer, and it means, he is the father of us all;
Black-White-Brown-Red-Yellow
Rich or Poor
Republican or Democrat
Catholic or Protestant.
That sets the tone, for this is ‘Our Team’ you see one guy, can’t do it all by himself, in the game of football.
The past several weeks, we have had several injuries. We have replacements, playing in several new spots. The guys standing on the sideline, need to be ready to play, at a given notice.
No excuses – just team work, is key to winning.
Super Top 10 All-Classes
1. St Thomas Aquinas
2. Great Bend
3. Maize
4. St James
5. Hays
6. Mill Valley
7. Wichita NW
8. Kapaun
9. Andale
10. Junction City
11. Hayden
12. Olathe West
13. Manhattan
6A
1. Maize
2. Wichita NW
3. Junction City
4. Olathe West
5. SM East
Others: Manhattan, Washburn Rural
5A
1. Aquinas
2. Great Bend
3. St James
4. Mill Valley
5. Hays
Others: none
4A
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Eudora
4. Mulvane
5. Wamego
Others: Spring Hill
3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Rock Creek
4. Holcomb
5. Santa Fe Trail
Others: Frontenac, Hugoton
2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. SE of Saline
3. Hoisington
4. Sabetha
5. Silver Lake
Others: Garden Plain
1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. St Marys Colgan
3. Sterling
4. Rossville
5. Centralia
Others: Smith Center, Inman
8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Trego Co.
3. Ell-Saline
4. Little River
5. Lyndon
Others: Lincoln
8-man D-II
1. Hanover
2. Axtell
3. Victoria
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: none
6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. South Barber
4. Ingalls
5. Tescott
Others: none
Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines Ad Astra Radio Hutchinson/McPherson
Conor Nichol Sunflower Sports SolutionsHays
Jim Misunas Great Bend Tribune Great Bend
Adam Kadavy KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Brock Kappelmann KSCB Liberal
Tim McGonagle KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Rocky Downing KFRM 550 AM
Pat Strathman ESPN Wichita
Rankings October 14, 2025
With Blue Valley North coach resigning last week, we have our first job opening for head coach in high school football. We keep track of these openings on our website, on our New Coaches page.
If you know of a new opening please let us know and hopefully send confirmation of the opening with a link to something announcing the opening.
Super Top 10 All-Classes
1. St Thomas Aquinas
2. Maize
3. Great Bend
4. Wichita NW
5. Hays
6. Kapaun
7. Andale
8. St James
9. Mill Valley
10. Hayden
11. Junction City
12. Washburn Rural
6A
1. Maize
2. Wichita NW
3. SM East
4. Junction City
5. Olathe West
Others: Washburn Rural, Olathe NW,
5A
1. Aquinas
2. Great Bend
3. Hays
4. St James
5. Mill Valley
Others: Blue Valley
4A
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Eudora
4. Mulvane
5. Wellington
Others: Buhler
3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Holcomb
4. Rock Creek
5. Hugoton
Others: Frontenac
2A
1. SE of Saline
2. Nemaha Central
3. Hoisington
4. Osage City
5. Sabetha
Others: Garden Plain
1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. Sterling
3. St Marys Colgan
4. Rossville
5. Centralia
Others: Smith Center, Inman
8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Trego Co.
3. Central Plains
4. Lyndon
5. Ell-Saline
Others: Lincoln, Little River
8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Hanover
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: none
6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. South Barber
4. Ingalls
5. Tescott
Others: none
Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines Ad Astra Radio Hutchinson/McPherson
Conor Nichol Sunflower Sports SolutionsHays
Jim Misunas Great Bend Tribune Great Bend
Adam Kadavy KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Brock Kappelmann KSCB Liberal
Tim McGonagle KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Rocky Downing KFRM 550 AM
Pat Strathman ESPN Wichita
Pennsylvania High School Proposes New Competitive Balance
Could this come to Kansas, in some form?
Some comments from below the video:
Each year, Maryland tries to schedule opponents that match up well on paper. It does require some travel, but achieves better results.
If you are a team that routinely score 50+ points a game you need tougher competition.
Part of it is resources. 100%, but 20 years ago the conversation was, as the game grows, as more high schools build their programs, how will the incline in teachers becoming coaches be a problem. In other words let’s see how far school districts go to find a coach that can keep up with the rich schools. We knew this day would come where big schools with big miente were going to pull away, but America never figured out a way to improve coaching. Hiring a teacher is the laziest option and I see teams running schemes that you can tell they don’t understand. Some coaches play chess other coaches use Lamar Jackson and madden and think that madden playbook will work Friday nights. Most high school seniors in America are better offensive coordinators than their own HCs
Rankings October 7, 2025
Last Friday night we were at a game where there were so many bulbs out in the scoreboard that you could not tell how much time was left in the game. If we couldn’t tell how much time was left, neither could the players or the coaches. In my opinion it was effecting the play of the game.
Also, you could not tell what the visitors score was. If you had showed up late to the game, you would have had to ask someone the score, because you couldn’t tell from the scoreboard.
My question is, could the state take away your home field advantage in the playoffs, because of the lack of a proper readable scoreboard?
Who is accountable and responsible for this? The superintendent, the principal, the athletic director, the head football coach, the school board?
Super Top 10 All-Classes
1. St Thomas Aquinas
2. Mill Valley
3. Hays
4. Great Bend
5. Maize
6. St James
7. Kapaun
8. Manhattan
9. Wichita NW
10. Andale
11. Junction City
12. Topeka-Hayden
6A
1. Maize
2. Wichita NW
3. SM East
4. Manhattan
5. Olathe NW
Others: Washburn Rural, Junction City
5A
1. Aquinas
2. Hays
3. Mill Valley
4. Great Bend
5. St James
Others: Blue Valley
4A
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Eudora
4. McPherson
5. Tonganoxie
Others: Mulvane
3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Holcomb
4. Rock Creek
5. Hugoton
Others: none
2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. SE of Saline
3. Hoisington
4. Osage City
5. Sabetha
Others: Garden Plain
1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. St Marys Colgan
3. Rossville
4. Sterling
5. Centralia
Others: Smith Center, Inman
8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Little River
3. Central Plains
4. Trego Co.
5. Madison
Others: Lyndon, Lincoln
8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Hanover
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: none
6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. Ingalls
4. Tescott
5. South Barber
Others: none
Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines Ad Astra Radio Hutchinson/McPherson
Conor Nichol Sunflower Sports SolutionsHays
Jim Misunas Great Bend Tribune Great Bend
Adam Kadavy KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Brock Kappelmann KSCB Liberal
Tim McGonagle KSKL Scott City/Garden City
Rocky Downing KFRM 550 AM
Pat Strathman ESPN Wichita