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Predictions: Kansas Football Playoffs

By Chad Rader, 810 Varsity, 10/27/21, 4:45PM CDT

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Read predicted state finalists, chances

Below are the chances for teams to make the state championship, as well as a breakdown and predictions:

Class 6A East
BV Northwest 25%
Olathe North 25%
Blue Valley 15%
Olathe West 15%
SM Northwest 15%
BV North 5%

The top half of the Class 6A East bracket may be a bit easier path as Olathe North just handled No. 5 Olathe Northwest in the last regular season game. 
Blue Valley North, which traditionally makes a playoff run, is sitting at the No. 9 spot - which BV Northwest doesn't particularly like. But the Mustangs have really hit rough waters lately, losing five straight.
So the top appears to be Olathe North vs BV Northwest, with BV North as the sleeper. 

As for the bottom, Blue Valley did just slip past BV West, 23-17, two weeks ago. Olathe West and SM Northwest are evently matched, as evidenced in a 39-34 Owl win earlier in the year.
Blue Valley - if they get past BV West - has the defense to slow down the Cougars or Owls. So Olathe West / SM Northwest - while contenders, have an extra tough game than the others.

Prediction: Blue Valley over Olathe North


Class 6A West
Derby 92%
Lawrence 2%
Free State 2%
Junction City 2%
Manhattan 2%

It's Derby. It's the Class 6A playoffs. 
The strength of the eastern Kansas play should play a factor with Free State and Lawrence having success over a Junction City or Manhattan. However, longer road trips will be in store in those matchups, so will be a little more difficult for the two Lawrence schools. But they both have impressed with wins over Olathe North (Lawrence) and Mill Valley (Free State), so it wouldn't stun to see both the Firebirds and Chesty Lions out to the quarterfinals. However, with six straight trips to the title game (and five titles since 2015), Derby is a hard roadblock to get around.

Prediction: Derby over Lawrence

Class 5A East
Mill Valley 50%
St. Thomas Aquinas 45%
Others: 5%

Let's just cut to the chase. This is set up for yet another Mill Valley vs St. Thomas Aquinas faceoff for the state final. Aquinas looked in rough waters two weeks ago, but then mauled BV Northwest and BV North, and even at 4-4, does Spring Hill at 7-1 feel good, especially after just taking their first loss of the year to Eudora?

Yeah, there's Pittsburg, De Soto.. Seaman playing well and...

Prediction: Mill Valley over St. Thomas Aquinas


Class 4A East
St. James Academy: 35%
Bishop Miege: 35%
Basehor-Linwood: 10%
Eudora: 10%
Piper: 10%

The year that Miege looks like it maybe can be beat... the defending Class 4A champs have awaken as St. James has won four straight - including throttling Miege. If there's a year that a Basehor-Linwood can represent the dream for the public schools, this better be it. Because next year... St. Thomas Aquinas joins the 4A for a real joke.
All that said, St. James has the harder path than Miege with Louisburg/Basehor-Linwood and Piper or Paola, while Miege has maybe Eudora as a threat. Then again, Chanute did topple the Stags a few years ago in a basketball substate, and the Comets (7-1) lurk in the second round.

Prediction: St. James Academy over Bishop Miege

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