The final rankings are in for the football season of 2023 and the overall grand champions of Kansas High School football is the Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers!

The Trailblazers only loss of the season was to Olathe East 21-7. Olathe North gave the Trailblazers a good game, but North trailed at the end of the game 21-14. Derby gave the the Trailblazers a great game in the state championship game with the final score 22-19. Other than those three close games G-E ran over the opposition.

We visited family a few weeks ago in Gardner and my little nephew had on his G-E t-shirt and was telling us how he wanted to go to the next playoff game, but wasn’t sure they would make the game because of other family obligations.

His mom told us how the school had just sent out a flyer encouraging parents not to just drop off their kids at the game and not come themselves. My home town used to tell the parents that also and most parents just ignored it and dropped the kids off anyway.

How about that Andale vs Cheney rematch? Estimated crowd at 6,000. At one point the video had just under 3,600 people watching the game online. Today, that website says 17,000 people have viewed that game. Here is the link.

KCMC Sports did a great job broadcasting that game. I think KSHSAA should stay out of the business of doing video on games and let the market take care of it. KCMC sports

It was another fantastic finish to a great football season. Thank you for visiting our website and thank my ranking team if you see them around the state at other sporting events. We do it for the players and their moment in time, when they get to play the best sport ever, the game of high school football.

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Gardner-Edgerton
2.   Derby
3.   Manhatttan
4.   Washburn Rural
5.   Mill Valley
6.   St Thomas Aquinas
7.   Blue Valley SW
8.   Bishop Miege
9.   Kapaun
10. Junction City
11. Blue Valley
12. St James

6A
1. Gardner-Edgerton
2. Derby
3. Washburn Rural
4. Manhattan
5. Junction City
Others: Blue Valley

5A
1. Mill Valley
2. Blue Valley SW
3. Kapaun
4. Goddard Eisenhower
5. Topeka Seaman
Others: Maize South

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. St Thomas Aquinas
2. Bishop Miege
3. Andover Central
4. St James
5. Tonganoxie
Others: Wamego

3A
1. Cheney
2. Andale
3. Clay Center
4. Hayden
5. Collegiate
Others: Scott City, Wellsville

2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Hoisington
3. SE of Saline
4. Sabetha
5. Norton
Others: Silver Lake, Ellsworth, Garden Plain

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. Conway Springs
2. Marion
3. Jeff Co North
4. Medicine Lodge
5. St Marys Colgan
Others: Olpe, St Mary’s, Jackson Hts

8-man D-I
1. Lyndon
2. Wichita Co-Leoti
3. South Sumner
4. West Elk
5. Cair Paravel
Others: Hoxie, Atwood, Ell Saline, Chase Co

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Frankfort
3. South Central
4. Victoria
5. Osborne
Others: South Barber, Canton-Galva, Minneola

6-man
1. Cheylin
2. Ashland
3. Cunningham
4. N. Valley
5. Tescott
Others: Waverly

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 

Today is our final rankings for the football season. We will have a final ranking after all the playoff games are finished and the new champions have been crowned. Then we can see how close the games were during the playoffs and get a better picture of who should be number two through five in each classification.

Also, it gives us a better idea of was the East or the West side of the bracket the best football in the state in that particular classification?

The high school football season is not over yet, but I am dreading the eventually Friday night when there will be no more football games until next year. Professional football is rigged in my opinion. The choose who they want to win and who they want in the playoffs and Super Bowl. College football with the new NIL, will soon be the team with the most money, that can buy the best players, will be the top dogs. To be honest, I think that has been going on for years anyway. No, give me high school football, where our guys in our town, against your guys in your town and lets see who wins.

Thank you to the school boards, the superintendents, the principals, athletic directors, football coaches, officials, band members, cheerleaders, drill teams, ticket takers, concession stand workers, PA guys and gals, clock and score keepers, camera crews, equipment staff and trainers, chain gang crews, water guys and gals, EMT’s, and finally the players for making high school football the greatest sport that it is and ever will be.

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Washburn Rural
2.   Manhattan
3.   Gardner-Edgerton
4.   Olathe North
5.   Bishop Miege
6.   Kapaun
7.   Mill Valley
8.   Derby
9.   Olathe East
10. Blue Valley SW
11. St Thomas Aquinas
12. Wichita NW
13. Goddard-Eisenhower
14. Cheney
15. Liberal

6A
1. Washburn Rural
2. Gardner-Edgerton
3. Olathe North
4. Manhattan
5. Derby
Others: Wichita NW, Olathe East

5A
1. Kapaun
2. Mill Valley
3. Blue Valley SW
4. DeSoto
5. Goddard Eisenhower
Others: Goddard, Liberal, Maize South, Hutchinson

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Bishop Miege
2. Aquinas
3. Louisburg
4. Tonganoxie
5. Chanute
Others: Wamego, Buhler, Atchison

3A
1. Cheney
2. Andale
3. Hayden
4. Collegiate
5. Clay Center
Others: Scott City, Wellsville

2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Hoisington
3. SE of Saline
4. Sabetha
5. Norton
Others: Silver Lake, Ellsworth, Garden Plain

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. St Marys Colgan
2. Smith Center
3. Centralia
4. Sedgwick
5. Marion
Others: Olpe, St Mary’s, Conway Springs, Jeff Co North, Jackson Hts

8-man D-I
1. Wichita Co-Leoti
2. Lyndon
3. Moundridge
4. Central-Burden
5. Meade
Others: Hoxie, Atwood, Ell Saline

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Minneola
3. Victoria
4. Canton-Galva
5. Osborne
Others: South Barber

6-man
1. Cheylin
2. Ashland
3. Cunningham
4. Waverly
5. N. Valley
Others: none

Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines KDNS Beloit
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 

Hard to believe, but there is only one more vote by the ranking team. Next weekend is the final time for rankings and then the real rankings begin…..the playoffs. Then we get to see who the best teams in the state really are.

There was some movement this week with several of the ranked teams losing a game last weekend. Doesn’t mean that those teams won’t make a lot of noise in the playoffs, just means they lost a game in regular season. And sometimes, the loss of a game in regular season is one of the things that motivates a team to play with more emotion, with more discipline and with a sense of urgency.

Yes, the sense of urgency, because the high school game of football, for 2023, is quickly coming to an end.

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Washburn Rural
2.  Gardner-Edgerton
3.   Manhattan
4.   Bishop Miege
5.   Olathe North
6.   Mill Valley
7.   Kapaun
8.   St Thomas Aquinas
9.   Wichita NW
10. Olathe East
11. Goddard-Eisenhower
12. Derby
13. Blue Valley SW
14. Cheney

6A
1. Washburn Rural
2. Olathe North
3. Gardner-Edgerton
4. Manhattan
5. Olathe East
Others: Wichita NW, Derby

5A
1. Kapaun
2. Mill Valley
3. Blue Valley SW
4. Goddard Eisenhower
5. DeSoto
Others: Liberal

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Bishop Miege
2. Aquinas
3. Louisburg
4. Buhler
5. Tonganoxie
Others: Chanute, Wamego

3A
1. Cheney
2. Andale
3. Collegiate
4. Hayden
5. Scott City
Others: Clay Center

2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Sabetha
3. Hoisington
4. SE of Saline
5. Ellsworth
Others: Norton

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. St Marys Colgan
2. Smith Center
3. Marion
4. Centralia
5. Sedgwick
Others: none

8-man D-I
1. Wichita Co-Leoti
2. Lyndon
3. Moundridge
4. Meade
5. Atwood
Others: Central Burden, South Sumner Co., Hoxie

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Minneola
4. Canton-Galva
5. Osborne
Others: South Barber

6-man
1. Cheylin
2. Ashland
3. Cunningham
4. Waverly
5. N. Valley
Others: none

Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines KDNS Beloit
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 

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Gardner-Edgerton
2.   Washburn Rural
3.   Bishop Miege
4.   Olathe North
5.   Mill Valley
6.   Manhattan
7.   Free State
8.   Kapaun
9.   Andale
10. St Thomas Aquinas
11. Wichita NW

6A
1. Gardner-Edgerton
2. Washburn Rural
3. Olathe North
4. Manhattan
5. Free State
Others: Wichita NW

5A
1. Mill Valley
2. Kapaun
3. Blue Valley SW
4. Goddard Eisenhower
5. Liberal
Others: DeSoto

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Bishop Miege
2. Aquinas
3. Louisburg
4. Tonganoxie
5. Buhler
Others: Atchison, Wamego

3A
1. Andale
2. Cheney
3. Collegiate
4. Hayden
5. Scott City
Others: Clay Center, Wellsville

2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Sabetha
3. Hoisington
4. SE of Saline
5. Ellsworth
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. St Marys Colgan
2. Marion
3. Centralia
4. Smith Center
5. Sedgwick
Others: St Mary’s, Valley Hts

8-man D-I
1. Wichita Co-Leoti
2. Lyndon
3. Moundridge
4. Meade
5. Atwood
Others: Central Burden, South Sumner Co.

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Minneola
4. Canton-Galva
5. Sylvan/Lucas
Others: Osborne

6-man
1. Cheylin
2. Ashland
3. Waverly
4. Cunningham
5. N. Valley
Others: none

Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines KDNS Beloit
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 

October 2, 2023

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Gardner-Edgerton
2.   Washburn Rural
3.   Bishop Miege
4.   Olathe North
5.   Mill Valley
6.   St Thomas Aquinas
7.   Manhattan
8.   Free State
9.   Andale
10. Kapaun
11. Wichita NW
12. Goddard Eisenhower

6A
1. Gardner-Edgerton
2. Washburn Rural
3. Olathe North
4. Free State
5. Manhattan
Others: Derby, Wichita NW

5A
1. Mill Valley
2. Kapaun
3. Blue Valley SW
4. Goddard Eisenhower
5. Liberal
Others: DeSoto

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Bishop Miege
2. Aquinas
3. Louisburg
4. Buhler
5. Tonganoxie
Others: Atchison, Wamego

3A
1. Andale
2. Cheney
3. Collegiate
4. Hayden
5. Scott City
Others: Clay Center, Wellsville

2A
1. Nemaha Central
2. Sabetha
3. Hoisington
4. SE of Saline
5. Ellsworth
Others: Norton

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. St Marys Colgan
2. Centralia
3. Marion
4. Smith Center
5. Jefferson Co North
Others: none

8-man D-I
1. Wichita Co-Leoti
2. Lyndon
3. Meade
4. Moundridge
5. Atwood
Others: Central Burden

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Kinsley
3. Minneola
4. Victoria
5. Sylvan/Lucas
Others: Canton-Galva, Osborne

6-man
1. Cheylin
2. Ashland
3. Cunningham
4. Waverly
5. N. Valley
Others: none

Long time Ranking team members
Rich Epp OpenSpacesSports Colby
Dusty Deines KDNS Beloit
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