It’s going to be hard to top last week’s Rockhurst-Bishop Miege game, but there are some important games in Week 7 of Kansas City high school football that will go along way toward determining league championships and playoff positioning.

Here’s a look at the top nine games in Kansas City.

Shawnee Mission East at Olathe North
Two powerhouse Kansas programs battle in game that will play a big role in who wins the Sunflower League. Free State and Gardner Edgerton are both undefeated but the Lancers and Firebirds tangle in a couple of weeks, so the winner of thing game has a major leg up in that race. The game will also help sort out who will get one of the top seeds in the Kansas Class 6A playoffs.

After dropping to Gardner-Edgerton in Week 1, the Lancers have outscored opponents 156-38 and Justin Hoover’s offense has been unstoppable. They’ll need another big effort, because Olathe North’s offense is just as explosive.

The Eagles’ are 4-1 with their lone loss coming to Littleton (Colorado) Columbine, and against Kansas teams they average 47.5 points a game. If the Olathe North gets past the Lancers, the schedule sets up nicely for it to cruise into the playoffs, so this game is big for several different reasons.

Liberty at Lee’s Summit West
This should be a fun one. Liberty is 4-2 and the Blue Jays are playing good football, including back-to-back quality wins over Lee’s Summit North and Park Hill South. Chad Frigon must be proud of the way his squad responded after dropping a heartbreaker to rival Liberty North in Week 4. Lee’s Summit West was dreaming of a state championship after an impressive comeback victory over Staley and a 5-0 start. Those aspirations are still there, but they took a dent after a 35-14 loss to Lee’s Summit North last week. This will be a huge test for Vinny Careswell’s squad, especially with surging Blue Springs on the schedule next week.

Bishop Miege at Blue Valley
Any other year, this is the game of the week, but the Tigers are 3-2 and Miege is coming off a hard-fought 14-13 loss last week to Rockhurst.

People are still talking about Miege coach Jon Holmes’ decision to go for the 2-point conversion against Rockhurst that ended falling short. It was a gutsy call that didn’t work out, and now the Stags must find a way to get emotionally up for a Tiger squad that dropped games to Rockhurst and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Miege has the better talent, but it’ll be interesting to see if star running back Brison Cobbins is better after nursing an injury and getting limited action last week. If he’s out or still limited, Miege will need others on offense to step up.

The Tigers rebounded after their loss to Rockhurst in Week 5 with a nice win over Blue Valley Northwest. They’re going to need the same time of offensive output and solid special teams if they’re going to pull off the upset. The Tigers’ defense is good enough to keep them in this game, though.

Lee’s Summit North at Lee’s Summit
Will the real Lee’s Summit North please stand up? After beating Blue Springs in Week 3, the Broncos were the KMBC 9 Team of the Week, but then they went out and lost to Park Hill and Liberty. However, LSN then went out and dominated top-five ranked Lee’s Summit West last week. It was the type of effort Jamar Mozee knows his squad can produce, and they’ll need it again to get past a quality 4-2 Lee’s Summit squad. In this rivalry game, anything can happen, but expect it to be a good one.

Fort Osage at Raytown
Fort Osage has played arguably the toughest schedule in the city with games already against Lee’s Summit West, North Kansas City and Park Hill. But it doesn’t get any easier this week for the 3-3 Indians. Fort Osage has to go on the road to 5-1 Raytown. The Bluejays have offensive weapons all over the field, including do-it-all quarterback Joe Campbell, but this will be a stiff test for Raytown. Fort Osage plays outstanding defense and has the talent to slow down Raytown’s high-octane offense.

St. Thomas Aquinas at St. James
The Saints (5-0) have been rolling this season, but this could be a trap game with rival Bishop Miege on the schedule next week. St. James has played the toughest schedule in the city and are 1-4, but the Thunder is much better than what its record indicates. The Saints are easily the more talented team and should win big, but it’ll be an emotional test to get up for this game.

Columbia Hickman at North Kansas City
Another chance for the 6-0 Hornets to prove doubters wrong. North Kansas City’s running back C.J. Price is on track to rush for 3,000 yards, and he should have another monster game against 1-5 Hickman.

Basehor-Linwood at De Soto
One of the best small-school games we’re going to see this season on the Kansas side takes place Friday when 4-1 Basehor-Linwood travels to 5-0 De Soto. The winner of the game will have a big leg up in the United Kansas Conference. The Wildcats have outscored opponents 217-34 and are always tough to beat at home, so they are the favorites in this one.

Blue Valley Southwest at Blue Valley North
After missing two weeks with an injury, four-star Wisconsin quarterback recruit Graham Mertz is back, and with that, so are the Mustangs’ chances to make a run at defending their Kansas Class 6A state championship. BVN is 2-3 but with Mertz back last week, it blasted Mill Valley 41-15. The Mustangs will need a big effort to beat a surging 3-2 Blue Valley Southwest squad. But if the Mustangs get past the Timberwolves, the schedule sets up nicely for them to make a run in the playoffs.