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

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

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

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

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

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

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 

Rankings September 30, 2025

We are half way through the regular season and it is hard to believe that. The season just goes so fast.

Remember, that the Super 10 and each different classification rankings are two separate polls. So in the Super 10 you have Great Bend ranked higher than Hays, but in the 5A classification you have Hays ranked higher than Great Bend.

These rankings are fun to look at, but they are only some guys thoughts on who should be ranked and where. When the playoffs begin, then we will find out who really should have been ranked and where.

Enjoy the high school football season while you can, because soon and very soon it will be all over with.

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   St Thomas Aquinas
2.   Maize
3.   Great Bend
4.   Mill Valley
5.   Junction City
6.   Hays
7.   Wichita NW
8.   Andale
9.   Kapaun
10. Manhattan
11. St James
12. Gardner-Edgerton
13. Topeka-Hayden

6A
1. Maize
2. Junction City
3. Wichita NW
4. Manhattan
5. Gardner-Edgerton
Others: Washburn Rural

5A
1. Aquinas
2. Mill Valley
3. Hays
4. Great Bend
5. St James
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Eudora
4. Buhler
5. Andover Central
Others: McPherson

3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Rock Creek
4. Holcomb
5. Scott City
Others: Frontenac

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

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. St Marys Colgan
3. Sterling
4. Centralia
5. Rossville
Others: Smith Center

8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Little River
3. Trego Co.
4. Central Plains
5. Lincoln
Others: Madison, Lyndon

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Hanover
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: none

6-man
1. Weskan
2. Ingalls
3. Cunningham
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 

Rankings September 23, 2025

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Manhattan
2.   St Thomas Aquinas
3.   Mill Valley
4.   Hays
5.   Great Bend
6.   Derby
7.   Kapaun
8.   St James
9.   Wichita NW
10. Andale
11. Maize

6A
1. Manhattan
2. Derby
3. Wichita NW
4. Blue Valley NW
5. Maize
Others: Olathe North

5A
1. Aquinas
2. Mill Valley
3. Hays
4. Great Bend
5. St James
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Ottawa
4. Buhler
5. Wamego
Others: Andover Central, Labette Co.

3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Holcomb
4. Rock Creek
5. Wellsville
Others: Cheney, Scott City

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

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. Jackson Heights
2. Centralia
3. St Marys Colgan
4. Rossville
5. Sterling
Others: Smith Center

8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Central Plains
3. Wichita Co-Leoti
4. Little River
5. Madison
Others: Lincoln

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Victoria
3. Hanover
4. Hodgeman Co
5. Hutchinson Central Christian
Others: Burlingame

6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. Tescott
4. Ingalls
5. South Barber
Others: Otis-Bison

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 September 16, 2025

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   Manhattan
2.  Blue Valley NW
3.   St Thomas Aquinas
4.   Great Bend
5.   Hays
6.   Wichita NW
7.   Derby
8.   Mill Valley
9.   Andale
10. Kapaun
11. Bishop Miege
12. St James

6A
1. Manhattan
2. Blue Valley NW
3. Wichita NW
4. Derby
5. Junction City
Others: Gardner-Edgerton, Maize

5A
1. Aquinas
2. Mill Valley
3. Great Bend
4. Hays
5. St James
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Buhler
4. Ottawa
5. Chanute
Others: Wamego

3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Wellsville
4. Holcomb
5. Rock Creek
Others: Collegiate

2A
1. SE of Saline
2. Nemaha Central
3. Osage City
4. Hoisington
5. Garden Plain
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. Rossville
2. Jackson Heights
3. St Marys Colgan
4. Centralia
5. Sterling
Others: Conway Springs

8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Central Plains
3. Wichita Co-Leoti
4. Little River
5. Atwood
Others: Lincoln, Lyndon

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Hanover
3. Victoria
4. Burlingame
5. Osborne
Others: Hodgeman Co, Hutchinson Central Christian

6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. Tescott
4. Ingalls
5. South Barber
Others: Golden Plains

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 September 9, 2025

Now that we have the first game of the season over with and hopefully all the mistakes and miscues that come with those season opening games. We can now focus on the final games of the regular season.

Enrollment numbers at each school district will be turned in to the state in a few weeks and look for a downward trend in numbers at many schools and with that many changes in classification for schools.

I am amazed at the number of schools playing 8-man football and I actually look for more schools to join the 8-man ranks, and for 6-man football to grow also.

Here in a few weeks the AD’s and football coaches will get together and have the next 2 years football schedules organized, and I am excited to see how that plays out also.

I keep wondering if more schools, who can’t get good numbers, to go out for football, will start playing 8-man or 6-man football, no matter what their classification is and just playing an independent schedule and then won’t be playing in the state playoffs.

Look for that to be a growing trend.

Super Top 10 All-Classes
1.   St Thomas Aquinas
2.   Manhattan
3.   Mill Valley
4.   Blue Valley NW
5.   Wichita NW
6.   Hays
7.   Derby
8.   Great Bend
9.   Free State
10. Gardner-Edgerton
11. Andale
12. Kapaun

6A
1. Manhattan
2. Blue Valley NW
3. Wichita NW
4. Free State
5. Derby
Others: Gardner-Edgerton

5A
1. Aquinas
2. Mill Valley
3. Great Bend
4. Hays
5. St James
Others: none

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

4A 
1. Kapaun
2. Bishop Miege
3. Buhler
4. Wamego
5. Wellington
Others: Chanute, Ottawa, Andover Central

3A
1. Andale
2. Hayden
3. Wellsville
4. Holcomb
5. Rock Creek
Others: Cheney, Collegiate, Scott City

2A
1. SE of Saline
2. Nemaha Central
3. Beloit
4. Osage City
5. Hoisington
Others: Council Grove, Garden Plain

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

1A
1. Conway Springs
2. Jackson Heights
3. Rossville
4. Centralia
5. Sterling
Others: Marion, St Marys Colgan

8-man D-I
1. South Central
2. Central Plains
3. Wichita Co-Leoti
4. Little River
5. Clifton-Clyde
Others: Atwood, Lincoln

www.kansasprepfootball.com/

8-man D-II
1. Axtell
2. Hanover
3. Victoria
4. Burlingame
5. Osborne
Others: Frankfort, Hodgeman Co

6-man
1. Weskan
2. Cunningham
3. Tescott
4. Golden Plains
5. Otis-Bison
Others: Marais des Cygnes, Ingalls, South Barber

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