Jags' defense to test high-flying Chiefs

For the Kansas City Chiefs’ eclectic offense, Sunday’s home game with Jacksonville will be its biggest challenge yet.

The Jaguars, who had been doormats for years until making some serious upgrades before the 2017 season, rode their aggressive, sacking defense to the AFC championship game last year, where it had New England on the ropes before the Pats scored 14 fourth-quarter points for a 24-20 victory.

Many thought the Jags would be a one-hit wonder and return to the depths of mediocrity, much of the reasoning being that quarterback Blake Bortles has been maddeningly inconsistent.

In his four games this year, Bortles has thrown for 176, 376, 155 and 388 yards as he has lived up to his roller-coaster monicker.

But he’s facing a Chiefs defense that has been generous. So don’t be surprised if we see yet another shootout because that’s about all Kansas City is going to play this year.

It doesn’t hurt the Chiefs that bruising Jags running back and potential All-Pro Leonard Fournette is out with an injury. Given KC’s slipshod tackling, Fournette was probably licking his chops at a potential 150- or 200-yard day.

But it really doesn’t matter who’s back there. Against Denver, unheralded rookies Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman gashed the Chiefs time and again for chunks of big plays.

I think that’s the way it’s going to be for the Chiefs this year. The defense is what it is. It’s a unit that will get shredded and just hope the offense scores more than it allows.

It makes for wildly entertaining games. In their 4-0 start, the Chiefs are winning by just 7.5 points a game, scoring 36.3 points and giving up 28.8. Yet when the defense needed the big stop last week, it came up with it, thanks to Denver’s Case Keenum missing a wide-open receiver on the Broncos’ last drive that would have won the game.

The Chiefs, though, are the most must-see team in the NFL right now along with the Los Angeles Rams. Forget the boring Dallas Cowboys, who some still call “America’s Team.” And except for Aaron Rodgers, there’s nothing really to watch when it comes to Green Bay. Pittsburgh is team turmoil and the New England Patriots are Tom Brady and a bunch of spare parts, with apologies to Rob Gronkowski.

Kansas City, though, captures our fancy. Andy Reid has designed exotic plays to take advantage of the wondrous creativity of Patrick Mahomes. Tyreek Hill the most exciting receiver in football. Travis Kelce is among the best three tight ends in the NFL. Sammy Watkins and Chris Conley are big, physical receivers and Kareem Hunt provides the balance the offense needs and probably should be featured more.

Some believe this is an AFC championship game preview, though I still don’t buy into the Jags unless Fournette returns. Bortles is still too shaky for my liking, but they’ll be in every game because of their defense.

And for the Chiefs, they’ll be in every game because of their offense.

Fearless looking for hot streak

Fearless Forecaster just can’t seem to come up with that one big week to get over the hump.

Another slumbering effort — 14-5 — leaves our picker at 87-26 on the season (77 percent) as he just can’t mount that hot streak to move toward his coveted 80 percent goal.

Two losses in area games, where our picker had been very good, didn’t help. He picked Moundridge to win and Hesston to lose and misfired on both. In the KCAC, normally sure-fire pick Tabor lost while another surprise came when Southwestern hit on a 50-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to knock off previously undefeated Avila.

And FF gave Kansas State coach Bill Moses Snyder another chance and had he started Skylar Thompson at quarterback, the Wildcats probably would have knocked off Texas.

• AVCTL D-III •

• McPherson 55, Augusta 6 — The only questions are how early does coach Pav call off the dogs and when does the game get into running clock. Fearless is banking on the Bullpups being able to deal with the weather conditions.

• Buhler 35, Circle 6 — When’s the last time the Crusaders lost three in a row? Not going to happen Friday.

• Winfield 21, El Dorado 14 — This should be a really good game. Winfield gets back to .500 with a win.

• Last week — 3-0. Season — 17-4.

• McPHERSON AREA •

• Moundridge 52, St. John 6 — The Wildcats even their record at 3-3.

• Little River 38, Macksville 26 — All signs point toward Little River finishing at 7-1 for the regular season.

• Inman 40, Sublette 14 — Matt Ramey has turned into one of the best backs in this part of the state and he should go for big yards as the Teutons climb to 4-2.

• Canton-Galva 52, Goessel 26 — Five straight wins for the rampaging Eagles.

• Smoky Valley 21, Chapman 8 — Battle of the unbeatens goes Smoky’s way.

• Hesston 44, Rock Creek 22 — The Swathers unlocked the key last week as the offense returned to its old form.

• Last week — 4-2. Season — 23-5.

• KCAC •

• McPherson College 44, Bethel 35 — Bethel’s flexbone offense will take some getting used to and don’t be surprised if the Threshers run for 300 yards. This is a game the Bulldogs can’t afford to lose as they have to beat the teams below them for a winning season.

• Bethany 42, Friends 31 — If the Swedes only had a defense to go with their high-scoring offense.

• Kansas Wesleyan 66, Saint Mary 21 — The Coyotes continue their march toward a perfect regular season.

• Tabor 28, Southwestern 24 — Tabor was blown out last week by Ottawa, which stunned everybody, but Fearless just can’t pull the trigger on the Bluejays losing back-to-back games.

• Sterling 42, Ottawa 38 — Maybe a letdown for Ottawa after beating Tabor. Also, Sterling is in desperation mode.

Avila is open.

• Last week — 3-2. Season — 19-7.

• BIG 12 •

• Oklahoma 42, Texas 27 — The Sooners are still the class of the Big 12.

• West Virginia 69, Kansas 21 — Will Grier could throw for 700 yards against the defenseless KU secondary. No need to even run the ball when you can get 10 or 20 on every pass play.

• Kansas State 31, Baylor 28 — If the Wildcats lose this one, chances of a bowl game start to become slim.

• Oklahoma State 34, Iowa State 31 — Iowa State is playing everybody close, but not winning many games.

Texas Tech and TCU are open.

• Last week — 3-2. Season — 28-10.

Royals hoping youth movement pays off

The Kansas City Royals knew 2018 could be a long season, but they never imagined it would bottom out with 104 losses.

The Royals had been on a long run of success, falling one game short of winning it all in 2014 before finally breaking through to win the World Championship in 2015.

They were competitive in 2016 and then tried to keep the gang together for one last run in 2017, knowing they were going to lose their core to free agency. But that flamed out and they had to say goodbye to Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Jason Vargas and Melky Cabrera, though they did retain Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar. They also dealt away Scott Alexander and Joakim Soria as there was a major turnover.

General Manager Dayton Moore went for a stopgap with the signings of players like Jon Jay and Lucas Duda, but they were long gone before the season was over. Since he was going to lose Moustakas at the end of the year, he made a deal with Milwaukee for prospects, and did the same with Washington for longtime reliever Kelvin Herrera as he needed to replenish the farm system.

KC was 27-68 at the All-Star break, and Moore and manager Ned Yost decided to go with a full-blown youth movement during the second half, the record be damned. The result was a solid second half, including a winning September that has rekindled the interest of Yost, who is coming back in 2019.

The 2019 Royals are going to look a lot like the 2018 Royals. Moore and Yost are committed to the young talent they have developed and acquired, not to mention they have to get a handle on the payroll, which ballooned during the World Championship season, and then the Royals paid a lot to players that didn't perform well during 2016 and 2017.

Here's how the 2019 Royals should line up:

1B — Ryan O'Hearn. After struggling early, O'Hearn finished with a .262 average with 12 homers in just 149 at-bats. Project him out a full season and he could hit more than 30 homers, an anomaly in Kansas City. He has to figure out how to be at least average against lefties.

2B — Whit Merrifield. My only worry is that we've seen the best he can do and it’s downhill from here. An amazing season in which he led the league in hits and stolen bases. Just keep doing more of the same.

SS — Aldaberto Mondesi. He's the guy who has Royals fans most excited. He hit 14 homers and stole 32 bases in less than half a season. My concern for him is he might get caught up in hitting homers instead of using his speed.

3B — Hunter Dozier. Still not sold on him as he has a lot of holes in his swing and oddly, doesn't hit lefties as well as righties. Does have some pop though.

LF — Alex Gordon. A really nice finish to the season and the Royals are still on the hook for one last year of his albatross contract. Finished with 54 RBIs after a horrible start and even stole 12 bases.

CF — Brian Goodwin. I like him more than Brett Phillips, who doesn't make enough contact but is a better fielder. Phillips will make a good backup though.

RF — Jorge Bonifacio — Make-or-break year for him. Power numbers were way down, but missed the first 80 games to suspension. Phillips could take the job away from him next year.

C — Salvador Perez. Just think what he'd do if he had any semblance of the strike zone as he gets himself out more than the pitchers do. Yet, he still had 27 homers and 80 RBIs despite playing 129 games, several as a DH. If he would take the ball to right field, he'd probably hit .270.

DH — Jorge Soler. Can this guy ever stay healthy? DH is the best spot for him because he always gets hurt. Teased Royals fans with a couple of real hot streaks before going down for the year. Drove in 28 runs in 61 games, not too bad.

Starting pitchers — Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jakob Junis, Brad Keller and Heath Fillmyer. There's a chance the Royals could pick up a veteran starter to challenge for a spot, but these guys all showed at times they're more than capable. Keller probably won't be as good next year as the league will start to figure him out, but Duffy could bounce back if he gets his head on straight. Junis and Kennedy have to keep the ball in the park and there's been talk Fillmyer might go to the bullpen with Erik Skoglund maybe getting a chance to start.

Bullpen — The No. 1 weakness. This area was a disaster and a decent bullpen would have probably been good for 10 more wins. I think Jorge Lopez moves from the rotation to the pen while Willy Peralta will be given a chance to close as even though he made Yost nervous at times, he always found a way to get it done. Kevin McCarthy probably will be back, but you have to wonder about pedestrian guys like Brandon Maurer, Ben Lively, Jerry Vasto, Brian Flynn, Glenn Sparkman, Tim Hill, Burch Smith and Jake Newberry. Hill and Flynn will probably return, but the rest will have to prove they belong during sprint training. Injured pitchers like Trevor Oaks and Jesse Hahn, acquired last year in trades but never really a factor, might get a look.

Mahomes makes a believer of me

I have been cautioning people that they need to tamp down their expectations of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He had only four career starts going into Monday, though he was 4-0. Four games doesn’t, however, make a career or punch your ticket directly to the Hall of Fame.

Mahomes had not encountered adversity this season, other than Pittsburgh erasing an early 21-0 lead to tie the Chiefs, only to see Kansas City quickly reassume the lead and grab control of the game.

I thought the Denver game would be the acid test. Even though Mahomes won his first career start last year at Mile High, Denver was just mailing it in at that point and played mostly its second-line personnel. 

This was a Monday night game with the entire country watching, not to mention the rock-star hype surrounding Mahomes has been Bieber-like.

Denver blitzed Mahomes from the outset and it kept blitzing from all angles to confuse the swashbuckling young gunslinger. The Broncos piled up a 23-13 lead after three quarters and it appeared they were taking a pin to the balloon that is “Mahomes Mania.”

Instead, it was more of “Mahomes Magic.”

The former Texas Tech Red Raider kept his cool and directed the Chiefs on two touchdown drives in the final period against one of the best defenses in the NFL and in one of the most hostile environments. The play of the night was when he rolled to his left with the ball in his right hand, switched it to his left, and shot-putted it to Tyreek Hill for a key first down. That literally gobsmacked me that he had the wherewithal to improvise like that.

After being merely mortal in the first half, Mahomes wound up with 304 yards passing and again, no interceptions. Before the season I proclaimed he’d probably lead the NFL in picks because of his college penchant to make throws into the tightest of windows.

But Andy Reid has schooled his young thoroughbred on valuing the football. He has yet to turn the ball over and every time he has an inclination for the miracle play, he tucks the ball and runs or throws it away.

Mahomes was hardly helped by his offensive line as it struggled mightily with Denver’s quickness and the crowd noise. Eric Fisher especially struggled as he had two false starts and the offense was hit with numerous flags. Seldom did Mahomes have time to set his feet as most of his attempts came on the run and his arm strength allowed him to complete many throws that most quarterbacks simply can’t make.

Mahomes had a lot of help from Kareem Hunt, whose strong runs slowed down the pass rush. Hunt looked like the Hunt of last year, constantly breaking tackles and running straight ahead instead of going side-to-side. Kansas City needs that balance or teams are going to copy Denver’s template of bringing constant pressure from all angles.

This win was huge for numerous reasons. Not only did it give the Chiefs a two-game divisional lead, but they are 2-0 in the division (both on the road) and 3-0 on the road overall, where victories are so precious. All the talk before the season was if they could get through the first six games 3-3 or better, they would be a playoff lock since the schedule lessens.

There are two games left in the gauntlet, at home against Jacksonville and then at New England — maybe the two biggest challengers to the Chiefs since it appears Pittsburgh is in self-destruction mode. Jacksonville is regarded as the top defensive team in the AFC while New England is still New England, despite what anybody says.

The Chiefs’ defense probably still keeps them from being the team to beat in the AFC, but maybe they are revolutionizing the way we look at the game. It used to be “defense wins championships,” but given the scoring explosion this year in the NFL where 300-yard passing games are the norm and not the exception, the team with the best offense may be the favorite.

MHS in driver's seat for No. 1 West seed

McPherson High’s 46-7 dismantling of arch-rival Buhler on Friday basically assured the Bullpups of having the No. 1 seed throughout postseason play on the West side of the state.

I know there are 3 weeks left in the regular season, but the numbers don’t lie. The Bullpups have destroyed every team in their path the last 4 weeks and the remaining games are against teams with a combined record of 2-13, and two of those games are at home where MHS has played just twice so far.

I have to admit I didn’t see such a one-sided game coming. I knew the Bullpups were the better team going in, but given Buhler’s pedigree and the fact this is a rivalry game, I thought the Crusaders would keep it close for the most part.

The Crusaders’ first four running plays set the tone — minus yardage on each play. And the Bullpups’ front four, plus their linebackers, had Buhler quarterback Colton Goans repeatedly ducking for the nearest foxhole.

Buhler had seven straight 3-and-outs to start the game and managed just a couple of first downs in the first half.

I’m sure the Buhler faithful in attendance were in shock. They’ve never seen their team dominated at home like that, but this was a one-sided as a game could get.

I’m convinced the Bullpup offense is difficult to stop because you just don’t see many prolific passing teams at this level. It’s hard for teams to prepare to stop the passing game, especially one as dynamic as McPherson’s, without having a passing game of their own to simulate it in practice.

The Bullpups are the only undefeated team left in the West and have played four straight running-clock games. I can’t see that trend changing anytime soon as Augusta comes here on Friday and all it did last week was get more than doubled by a Winfield that the Bullpups overwhelmed. Then Rose Hill is next up and the Rockets are winless. Finally, Circle comes to town and has won only two games out of its last 60 or so.

If you’re looking at a possible first-round opponent in Week 9, the leader in the clubhouse is Independence, but the Bulldogs do have potential games to win as they go up against Rose Hill and Circle. MHS coach Jace Pavlovich is probably hoping for Indy as the opponent because I’m sure he doesn’t want to play Rose Hill or Circle after playing them in the regular season. The real bummer would be if Circle somehow ends up in the bottom spot, then the Bullpups and T-Birds would match up in back-to-back weeks.

When looking at the rest of the West, only Wellington, Goddard and Mulvane have winning records. Goddard is probably the best of the bunch, but I’m looking at the current No. 5 team Andover Central, which is 2-3, as a potential sleeper because of its strength of schedule and the fact it has good athletes.

The Bullpups have the good fortune of having a tremendous team, plus the fact their opponents are experiencing down years. You can only play the teams on the schedule and can’t control how their seasons are playing out.

I’m thinking the Bullpups will get their first real test in the quarterfinals and then the semifinals. I’m sure if it comes down to MHS and Goddard, that will be a game that could go down to the wire.

The great hope, of course, is that MHS makes it to the state finals for the first time in school history where it would match up against Miege, the schools' last competition this year since MHS has moved up to 5A and Miege is still 4A.

Buhler to provide the challenge MHS needs

McPherson High’s football team needs tonight’s game more than arch-rival Buhler.

Sounds strange considering the Bullpups are flying high with a 4-0 record while the Crusaders are still trying to find their identity after a 2-2 start.

But when I say the Bullpups need this game, they really need it.

No, not from a win-loss standpoint, though it’s certainly huge. A Bullpup victory and they’re set up for a run of postseason home games provided they keep winning every week. 

But they need a game that has a playoff feel, which is what tonight’s game will feel like. It’s one thing to win when you step on the field before the game and just wonder by how much. It’s another thing to win a game where you feel like you’ve had to work hard to earn it.

But yes, they need this game in terms of being pushed. This team needs to face some adversity. The only adversity it has faced this year is scoring just 6 points in the first half in the season opener against Salina South, which basically decided the game because the way the Bullpup defense was playing that night, 6 points was plenty.

The last three weeks, the Bullpups have played teams that were far inferior. It didn’t help El Dorado that its starting quarterback and top running back didn’t play. And against Abilene, its top offensive threat James Mayden didn’t play.

In either game, it didn’t decide the outcome. In fact, these were going to be point-rule games even had they played.

MHS has not been behind all season. It hasn’t had any flukey plays go against it, no bounces that went the opponents’ way. This has been easy.

Almost too easy.

Maybe the weather will play a factor tonight. The Bullpups have not had any adverse conditions to play in. Should it rain, that would hamper a passing game that seemingly gets better every week.

I’m looking for a lot of things tonight. I want to see if the Bullpups can run the ball effectively against a quality team. In the first game last year against the Crusaders, the Bullpups ran for a paltry 19 yards on 19 attempts. The numbers were better in the rematch, but Buhler has done a good job against MHS’ standout running back Jace Kinnamon, holding him to 81 yards in the last two games.

I have a feeling the Bullpups will be able to pass the ball. Buhler’s defense has given up a lot of big passing plays to MHS, including last year’s stunning 94-yarder from Kyler Hoppes to Chandler Wiard that was last year’s Game 1 big play. 

I also want to see how the Bullpups’ pass defense holds up. It hasn’t seen any semblance of a good thrower this year and Buhler’s Colton Goans lit it up for 281 yards last week against Mulvane. The question is, will the Bullpups give him time to throw as their front six have applied tremendous heat so far.

What I think I won’t see is a blowout, running-clock game. Buhler is a good football team, the best MHS will face all season. This is a rivalry game and Buhler has a proud tradition.  It won’t have the defense of Salina South, but offensively it’s far and away the biggest challenge. And that’s what this defense needs.

It should be a lot of fun at Buhler tonight. Let’s hope the Bullpups can pass what will probably be their final challenge before the playoffs begin.

Fearless sees Bullpups staying perfect

There have been a lot of locks for Fearless Forecaster in the last few years, games he can count on to pad his record.

He can always count on a Buhler win (except when they were playing the Bullpups) and a Circle loss.

So Fearless was chagrined last week when the Crusaders were defeated by Mulvane, while Circle won only its second game out of the last 60 or so when it stunned Rose Hill.

Toss in El Dorado losing when FF picked it to win and he was just 3-3 in AVCTL Division III games after being 11-1 through 3 weeks.

Our picker finished 17-5 and is now 73-21 on the year for 78 percent, but he needs one of those one- or two-loss weeks to get back to a comfortable percentage.

• AVCTL D-III •

• McPherson 35, Buhler 14 — Crusader emotion will keep the game close for a while, but the Bullpups’ big-play offense will be too much.

• Winfield 20, Augusta 14 — The Vikings pick up their second win of the year.

• El Dorado 14, Circle 7 — Circle winning two in a row? Now that would really be an upset.

• Last week — 3-3. Season — 14-4.

• McPHERSON AREA •

• Little River 38, Pratt-Skyline 12 — The Redskins bounce back in a big way.

• Moundridge 32, Macksville 26 — The Wildcats get past the .500 mark at 3-2.

• Ell-Saline 42, Inman 21 — The Teutons are riding a 3-1 start, but Ell-Saline is a handful.

• Halstead 28, Hesston 21 — The Swathers’ defense needs to step up for them to pull off the win.

• Canton-Galva 64, Peabody 28 — Four in a row for the high-scoring Eagles.

• Smoky Valley 42, Clay Center  0 — Running clock will come into play.

• Last week — 4-1. Season — 19-3.

• KCAC •

• McPherson College 42, Friends 35 — The Bulldogs simply have more offensive weapons to fire.

• Kansas Wesleyan 72, Bethany 24 — Given how bitter this rivalry is, I’d be surprised if Wesleyan doesn’t keep its foot on the gas the entire game.

• Avila 52, Southwestern 42 — Gotta' keep riding Avila until it loses.

• Tabor 31, Ottawa 21— Still not sure what to make of Tabor yet. It barely squeaked by Bethel last week, but the Threshers are going to give everybody trouble despite their record.

• Sterling 40, Saint Mary 37 — Sterling apparently isn’t what it’s been the last few years. Saint Mary is another tough team to figure.

• Last week —5-0. Season — 16-5.

Bethel is open.

• BIG 12 •

• Oklahoma State 61, Kansas 31 — The warm, fuzzy feeling of a two-game winning streak is over for the Jayhawks.

• Kansas State 31, Texas 30 — This is the game that turns around the Wildcats’ season.

• West Virginia 49, Texas Tech 42 — If the Red Raiders win this one, they’re legit.

• Oklahoma 43, Baylor 21 — Time for Oklahoma to revert to its dominant ways after two weeks of hum-drum games.

• TCU 27, Iowa State 24— Huge game for both teams.

• Last week — 5-1. Season — 24-9.

KU, KSU conference openers didn't instill confidence

Kansas and Kansas State are being picked to finish 1-2 in the Big 12 basketball race by some respected publications.

Not surprising. Kansas is Kansas after all, and it is coming off a Final Four season. With three quality redshirt transfers and a talented freshman class, anything less than a Final Four is a disappointment in the eyes of Jayhawk fans.

Kansas State returns most of its stars from a team that was one victory away from joining KU in the Final Four. Dean Wade and Barry Brown headline a Wildcat team that will give KU a run for its money.

Such is not the case, though, in Big 12 football. The Jayhawks and Wildcats have some work to do if last week's conference-opening performances are an indication. Honestly, they looked like the bottom two teams.

Expectations rose for the Jayhawks after they ended their 46-game road losing streak to Central Michigan and then pummeled Big 10 doormat Rutgers. They went into Baylor with some semblance of hope.

But then David Beaty, he of the perplexing coaching decisions including strange uses of timeouts, went with Peyton Bender as his starting quarterback after Miles Kendrick smoothly operated the controls the entire second half against Rutgers. I'm sure the decision caused many to scratch their heads (including KU players).

KU spun its wheels with the immobile Bender at quarterback. By the time Beaty realized the error of his ways, the Jayhawks were well out of it. And when Kendrick was inserted, he was injured shortly after and is now listed day-to-day. The short passing game returned and the offense flamed out.

The KU offensive line, which muscled folks around the previous 2 weeks, collapsed against a strong-and-fast Bears defense. Take away a 72-yard run by Pooka Williams and it was reminiscent of the TCU game last year where KU barely was positive yards in offense.

In other words, two steps forward, one step back.

The KU defense was porous against the pass, but better against the run. The Jayhawks actually won the second half 7-3, but moral victories mean little. At least Beaty had the bravery  after the game to say the Bears were the better-coached and more-prepared team.

At this point, I don't see anybody the Jayhawks can beat in conference play.

As for Kansas State, I'm totally flummoxed.

Nobody trumpeted the Wildcats during the preseason more than me. I looked at how this team finished last year and what it had coming back and I thought a Top 3 finish was inevitable.

But Bill Moses Snyder, for one of the rare times I can ever remember, was critical of his team after the West Virginia loss, noting its failure to make a half-yard at one point in turning the ball over on downs.

I'm not about to give up on Kansas State given its pedigree and Snyder's wizardry, but when you look at how the other Big 12 teams have performed and how the Wildcats have started the season (they scraped by South Dakota, and were manhandled by Mississippi State and West Virginia), third place could be a reach. I do know, however, that Snyder has an uncanny knack of being able to rally the troops.

I didn't expect the defense to be world-beaters. I figured it would be a unit that would give up 21 to 28 points to the good teams.

But the offense, I thought and still believe, should be punishing. The heralded offensive line returned intact, Alex Barnes headlines a fleet of sleek running backs, and quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton finished strong last year.

But neither has distinguished himself so far. Saturday's offensive performance is among the poorest I can remember since the start of Snyder 2.0. If the passing game doesn't get untracked, then teams will load up against the run.

Saturday's home game with Texas is immense. The Longhorns have shown improvement while the Wildcats have taken a step back. A loss to the 'Horns and it's no lock KSU will win on the road next week at Baylor before starting a three-game gauntlet against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and TCU.

I said before the season a sixth-place standing, as was predicted in the polls, was laughable. If the Wildcats don't get it going, I'm the one who will be laughed at.

High marks for MHS, area football teams

I don’t think I would have made a good teacher because I would have been too tough of a grader.

I wouldn’t hand out “A’s” like they were candy. In my classroom, you would have to earn it. There would be no teacher's pets on my watch.

But in grading the midterms of McPherson High and the area football teams I cover, it would be hard to give out any low grades so far.

It wasn’t that long ago when it was a struggle for our areas teams. But turnarounds abound, with this year Canton-Galva and Inman certainly engineering a winning culture. Winning breeds winning and hopefully these schools continue on their current path.

In fact, no prep football team I cover has a losing record. McPherson High and Smoky Valley have blazed to 4-0 starts, Canton-Galva, Inman and Little River are 3-1, while Moundridge and Hesston are 2-2.

• McPherson High — A 4-0 start was not unexpected. I knew if the Bullpups survived defensive-minded Salina South in the opener, they would be perfect at what is now the midway point of the eight-game regular season.

The Bullpups seemingly get better every week, the mark of a good team. I had no doubt they would flourish offensively and other than the first half against Salina South they have moved the ball at will.

But the defense has been beyond ferocious in what was supposed to be a rebuild. The front four, especially, is causing nightmares for opponents and the young lions at linebacker, all underclassmen, have exceeded expectations. I’m still waiting for the secondary to be tested as it hasn't faced a quality passer, but so far it has held up nicely.

If MHS can survive against arch-rival Buhler on the road Friday, it will finish 8-0 because Augusta, Rose Hill and Circle have a combined two wins.

• Grade — A.

• Smoky Valley — I worried going into the season about the Vikings replacing the likes of Shrine Bowler Kyle Anderson, as well as players like Riley Odell and Brett Heitschmidt.

But coach Tim Lambert’s team has been overwhelming, except for a narrow escape against Nickerson. It plays very physical, with the offensive and defensive lines ruling up front.

The Viking defense has been nails, giving up just two touchdowns on the year. It held high-scoring Hesston off the board and All-Stater Parker Roth to just 14 yards rushing. Haven didn't even have positive yards for the game, finishing at minus-13.

The Vikes shouldn’t have much trouble this week with Clay Center, but back-to-back slugfests with Chapman and Halstead loom. Rock Creek should be an easier game in Week 8, but it has played Smoky tough in the past.

• Grade — A.

• Canton-Galva — Things didn’t start well for the Eagles with a lopsided loss to Little River, but it’s been smooth sailing ever since. And remember, there's nary a senior on the team, so what you see this year will be the same team next year.

C-G’s offense has caught fire since starting the year down 20-0 in Week 1. Landon Everett is putting up insane numbers as triggerman of the no-huddle attack. The defense is still a work in progress, but it just has to hold the fort while the offense scores unabated.

The schedule sets up favorably. The potential stumbling block is Week 7 at home against Solomon, but C-G rates a good chance to finish the regular season 7-1.

Grade — A.

• Inman — Coming off an 0-9 season, I thought the 2018 opener could set the tone for the Teutons.

Down 30-10 to Belle Plaine in the third quarter, they came back to win in overtime.

An expected loss to powerful Trinity followed, but the Teutons have put it in an extra gear the last two weeks and Matt Ramey was All-World last week with a 350-yard, 7-touchdown performance.

The next 4 weeks will certainly test the Teutons. I think they’ll probably go 2-2 as Ell-Saline and Sedgwick will be difficult.

Still, from where they came from, it’s certainly been a turnaround season.

• Grade — A.

• Little River — The Redskins raced to three decisive wins, then saw where the bar is set in 8-Man football.

They hung tough early, but Central Plains methodically dominated the rest of the way.

Still, 3-1 at the halfway point is what I saw they would be. Pratt-Skyline, Macksville and Moundridge should all be competitive games coming up with St. John a probable walkover.

I’m really curious about the Week 8 game with Moundridge. Should be a dandy.

Grade — B +.

• Moundridge — The Wildcats are 2-2, with the losses to respected programs Bennington and Solomon. 

The second half looks competitive, with St. John the sure thing, while Macksville and Little River are toss-ups, with Central Plains lurking in Week 7.

The Wildcats have adjusted nicely to the 8-Man game and have shown a penchant for playing better in the second half of games. It would be interesting if they could put two halves together.

Grade — B.

• Hesston — I had to grade the Swathers on a bit of a curve since so much of their season was predicated on Cameron Cox and Parker Roth.

Cox finally played his first game last week against Smoky Valley, so he was understandably rusty, not to mention he was operating against a Viking defense that has been tough as a frozen steak. Roth missed Game 3 with a concussion and was obviously not still in top form last week.

Hesston is 2-2, but it's been its wont in recent years to start slow and come on strong. When it made the state title game in 2016, it started the year 2-3, so I won't give up on them.

When looking at the second half, it's a tough stretch with Halstead, Rock Creek and Chapman, with Week 8 perhaps a breather with Clay Center.

Hesston won't be in the playoff talk when talking about the loaded Class 3A, but it will still be a tough out.

Grade — B-minus.

It's Buhler Week for the Bullpups

It’s Buhler Week.

Everywhere McPherson High’s sports teams look this week, it will be Buhler, Buhler, Buhler.

Last year, the Bullpups essentially got the upper hand on their rivals that reside 20 minutes to the south, except in regional baseball. 

Most notable was football, where the Bullpups defeated the Crusaders not once, but twice — including the memorable playoff game where MHS ran the “Jade” play in overtime that will forever go down in the annals of Bullpup sports as perhaps the most exciting finish ever.

Also in boys basketball, the Bullpups had to defeat a talented Crusader team three times, the highlight coming in the sub-state finals that punched MHS’ ticket to state, where it finished second for the third year in a row to another nemesis Miege.

This week, MHS teams and Buhler will get very familiar with each other. Both schools enjoy the competition and I believe while being somewhat antagonists, there's a mutual respect on both sides.

It starts on Tuesday when the Crusaders come to town as part of a volleyball triangular at the Roundhouse that also includes Circle, which traditionally has been strong. It represents another broadcast of volleyball on 96.7 KBBE-FM as we try to bring Bullpup sports fans as much MHS action as we can and we appreciated all the positive comments after last week's match.

On Thursday, expect a raucous atmosphere at McPherson Stadium when the AVCTL boys soccer title could be up for grabs when the Bullpups host a Buhler team that has tied with Andover Central, the Jaguars’ only blemish on what otherwise is a perfect season. Central came into McPherson Stadium last week and edged the Bullpups, 2-1.

This event, too, will be aired on 96.7 KBBE-FM at 6:30.

Also on Thursday, MHS' JVs go up against Buhler in the AVCTL Tennis Tournament.

On Friday, it’s the football rematch that everybody has been clamoring for as the Bullpups and their massive entourage of fans make the short trip in what will be MHS’ first real test since Week 1 against Salina South. For those who don't make it, pre-game coverage on 96.7 KBBE-FM starts at 6.

The undefeated Bullpups have had three straight running-clock games and desperately need to be pushed. Winfield, El Dorado and Abilene offered no pushback at all, but even with Buhler an almost unfathomable 2-2 so far this season with losses to Newton and Mulvane, I’m sure the Crusaders are going to ramp it up and give the Bullpups a supreme test.

I worry that these no-stress games will lull the Bullpups into a false sense of security. After Friday’s game, MHS closes the regular season with games against Augusta, Rose Hill and Circle, none of which are expected to put up a challenge as they are all struggling.

And in Week 9, should the Bullpups win against Buhler on Friday, they would probably be the No. 1 seed in 4A West and host a team like Independence, my alma mater that is winless and has racked up numerous injuries that has depleted its numbers and talent.

For good measure, the MHS cross country team goes up against Buhler in Saturday’s Newton Invitational. And looking ahead to a week from today, the MHS and Buhler ninth-grade and JV football teams square off at McPherson Stadium. And that same day, it’s the AVCTL Division III-IV Tennis Tournament where MHS and Buhler will somehow try to catch probable state champion Wichita Collegiate.

So MHS and Buhler fans are going to become quite acquainted this week. Should be a fun time for all.