By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend High School football team continues to push its way toward the record books. With a 42-6 win at Garden City Friday, the Panthers clinched the No. 1 seed in the 5A West playoff bracket. Great Bend will host all rounds of the playoffs. The 8-0 start is also the best GBHS start since 1978.
As the No. 1 seed in 5A West, Great Bend will host Newton (0-8) Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The winner will get either Andover (4-4) or Hays (4-4) in round two. Hays led Liberal 19-14 with 2:41 to play Friday at Fort Hays State University before a 60-yard strip sack went the other way to give the Redskins a 20-19 win. Hutchinson (6-2) or Liberal (6-2) likely await the Panthers in round three. Goddard-Eisenhower (6-2) is the No. 2 seed in the 5A West bracket. St. Thomas Aquinas (8-0) is the No. 1 seed overall in Class 5A.
With a 52-19 win over Cimarron Friday, Hoisington secured another district title and improved to 4-4 on the season. The Cardinals enter the 2A West bracket as the No. 4 seed opposite No. 13 Ellsworth (5-3) Friday at Elton Brown Field. The winner draws either Haven (7-1) or Cimarron (2-6) in round two. Round three would likely mean either No. 2 Garden Plain (6-2), No. 3 Beloit (6-2), or No. 7 Phillipsburg (5-3). Spending much of the season at No. 1, Norton takes a 7-1 record to Hillsboro (4-4) as the No. 9 seed. Humboldt and Osage City each have 8-0 records on the east side, and reigning champion Nemaha Central enters 3A East as the No. 3 seed at 7-1. Southeast of Saline enters the 2A West bracket at 8-0 against Larned (2-6) on Friday.
In 6-man, Otis-Bison (5-3) will see Marais Des Cygnes (6-2) in round two after both teams receive a bye in week one. Pawnee Heights (4-4) will host Western Plains (1-7) in round one with the winner drawing Golden Plains (6-2) in round two.
With a 42-22 loss to Medicine Lodge on Friday, Ellinwood falls to the No. 5 spot in Class 1A, District 7. The Eagles will miss the playoffs.