Last week’s Central Plains (0-1)-Victoria (1-0) opener was as intense as advertised. When the dust settled it was the Knights standing as the victors of a 16-12 decision in a dog fight between defending 8-man state champions.

Victoria led throughout the contest but never by a wide margin. Central Plains responded quickly to the Knights’ opening score midway through the first period as Jacob Warnken reached pay dirt on a two yard scamper. The Oilers missed their extra point attempt and trailed 8-6 heading to the second quarter. Victoria would score again with just over five minutes remaining before the break. The converted PAT sent both teams to the half with the Knights up, 16-6.

Central Plains would score one more time late in the third but another failed point after attempt kept the Knights up 16-12 for the eventual victory.

Warnken posted 13 carries for 33 yards and his first quarter touchdown. Braeden Crites completed 11 of 27 passes for 92 yards including his scoring strike to Bryce Miller in the third period.

Warnken paced the defense with 16 tackles.

The Knights will pay a visit tonight to Ellinwood without their starting quarterback Brady Dinkel. Details are available under the Ellinwood-Victoria preview.

Victoria avenged last year’s 42-24 loss to the Oilers as CPHS will carry the ache of last week’s setback to 0-1 Kinsley tonight.

The Coyotes started their 2015 run last week at Ness City and fell on the short end of a 50-0 shutout.

The Eagles pounded away scoring 22 points in both the first and second quarter to take a 44-0 lead to the half.

Other area competition:

LaCrosse (1-0) @ Larned (0-1)

Larned bounced back from a 30-0 deficit but was unable to produce a rally spark as the Indians dropped a 53-21 season opening contest at defending Western Division Central Kansas League co-champion Hoisington.

All of the Indians’ 21 points were scored in the second quarter as Larned went to the half down 41-21.

The Cardinals added insurance with a pair of touchdowns scattered through the third and fourth period for the 53-21 victory.

The Indians host LaCrosse this evening. The Leopards are 1-0 entering their first road match following last week’s 22-12 home win against Olpe.

LaCrosse posted 16 unanswered points in the first period of that game and led 16-6 at halftime.
----------

Hoisington (1-0) @ Nickerson (0-1)

Quarterback Tyler Specht passed for a score and rushed for two touchdowns and Hunter Hanzlick and Steffan Dolechek each added two touchdowns as the Cardinals defeated Larned, 53-21, in last week’s opener.
Hanzlick rushed for 136 yards and Dolechek had 91 yards rushing and 68 yards receiving in the win.

Last week’s victory over the Indians avenged an overtime loss to Larned that cost the Cardinals an outright CKL title in 2014.

As a team Hoisington gained 485 yards, 417 on the ground.

The Cardinals will battle a Nickerson team who was edged out in a 26-20 loss last week at Kingman.

Trailing 7-0 after the opening quarter, the Panthers rallied with a 14-0 drive in the second period and led 14-7 at intermission. Nickerson extended their lead to 13 in the third quarter but could not stop a huge 19-0 run by Kingman in the fourth.
-----------

Victoria (1-0) @ Ellinwood (1-0)

The big story in this game for the Knights will be the absence of senior all-state quarterback/safety Brady Dinkel.

Victoria head coach Doug Oberle and his team knew something was wrong with Dinkel in the locker room after  last Friday’s opening win against the Oilers.

Dinkel’s parents took him to the emergency room at Hays Medical Center. Dinkel eventually went home and then headed back to the ER early Saturday morning. More tests followed and then Dinkel was life-watched to Wichita.

The doctors found a very small laceration in Dinkel’s liver and some pancreas problems. Oberle said the doctors are uncertain of “the whys and hows” of Dinkel’s health and are more focused on Dinkel getting better.

The Eagles will have their first big test of the season against the defending Division II 8-man champion Knights in Ellinwood’s homer opener.

The Eagles rolled past St. John last week for a 50-0 shutout. Ellinwood scored all 50 of their points in the first half as the game was called at intermission.

Meanwhile the Knights are fresh off a thrilling 16-12 victory over defending Division I 8-man title holder Central Plains.

Victoria never trailed in that contest and returned the favor to CPHS after 2014’s 42-24 loss to the Oilers. It would be the final loss of a 12-1 campaign.

-----------

St. John (0-1) @ Otis-Bison (1-0)

Things won’t get any easier for the Tigers following last week’s 50-0 loss to visiting Ellinwood.

Otis-Bison is hot off a 54-0 win against Macksville in the season opener for both schools.

The Cougars’ Brad Lightfoot scored two touchdowns and carried the ball seven times for 52 yards in the win over the Mustangs.

Lightfoot’s 43-yard touchdown run began the scoring fest for the Cougars before Kade Urban posted three consecutive scores on the rush.

Another Lightfoot touchdown run, this time from 10 yards out, gave Otis-Bison a 38-0 lead just four seconds into the second period.

Nick Higgason then scored from 42 yards away before a five-yard scamper by Anton Foust put the Cougars up, 52-0 with 4:12 left before the break.

OBHS scored their final two points in the third quarter on a safety.
-------------

Ness City (1-0) @ Macksville (0-1)

Macksville never got the offensive plug they needed mustering just 38 yards as the Mustangs took a 54-0 pounding by Otis-Bison last Friday.

Austin McCauley recorded six carries for 28 yards in the effort.

Defensively McCauley and Lane Sebes led the team five tackles each.

Ness City will visit the Mustangs following their 50-0 shutout victory over Kinsley a week ago.
-------------

Burrton (1-0) @ Stafford (0-1)

A 42-0 halftime deficit was just too much for the Trojans to recover from as Stafford suffered a 48-0 shutout loss at Pretty Prairie last Friday.

The Bulldogs would score once more in the third quarter to end the game early.

The Trojans will try to rebound as they host Burrton tonight.

Following a 6-6 stalemate at the break the Chargers bursted into the second half on a 35-6 run to defeat Fairfield-Cunningham, 41-12 last week.