District games determine which teams advance into playoff spots in Kansas high school football.
For Iola High’s Mustangs and the Fort Scott High Tigers, Friday’s game signals the drive to playoffs. Plus it will be the Mustangs’ final Southeast Kansas League football game.
Also Friday’s game features the top scorer in the SEK after six games. And he doesn’t play for the 5-1 Tigers.
That’s right, Iola senior tailback Jerrik Sigg sits atop this week’s SEK scoring leader’s board. Sigg scored all 24 points in Iola’s 24-15 SEK win over Labette County High’s Grizzlies last week.
Sigg has scored 86 points – — 13 touchdowns and four two-point conversions — in Iola’s six games. Sam Son of Chanute had 80 points with 13 touchdowns and one two-point run. Pittsburg’s Marcus Striplin has 13 touchdowns for 78 points.
Iola is 1-5, winning last Friday at home to break a 16-game losing streak. The last win before the skid came against Friday’s opponent — an 18-12 win at home over Fort Scott on Oct. 16, 2009.
Iola and Fort Scott have the same district record (0-0) going into the game. They both have the same opportunity to make it to the state playoffs. The top two teams out of the Kansas Class 4A, District 6 advance.
Prairie View and Anderson County are the other two teams in the district. Both are 4-2 overall and are members of Iola’s new league — the Pioneer — which it joins next year.
“If the players we had in practice Wednesday come to the game, we’ll be in great shape,” said Rick Horton, Mustang head coach.
“I say that because after a ‘going-through-the-motions’ practice on Tuesday, we got after the kids hard. They came back Wednesday and were having fun out there. It proved to them that they can have fun but still learn and work hard.”
Fort Scott head coach Bob Campbell said the Tigers have played well all season even in a 28-14 loss to Pittsburg last week.
“The key is we’re running the ball very well offensively and defensively, we give up yardage but keep teams out of the end zone,” Campbell said.
Campbell pointed to solid offensive line play with three senior running backs. Jason Thorpe and Dane Cummings are the Tigers’ starting running backs and Cody McGehee rotates in for quality depth. Johnathan Stark, a junior, directs the Tiger offense.
“Johnathan makes sound game decisions in our option game and we throw the football effectively. We haven’t thrown it a lot because we’ve made so much success running the ball,” Campbell said.
On defense, the Tigers are powered by Cummings, Christian Tavernaro and Straton Hunziker at linebacker spots. Campbell said the trio is the core of the defense but Fort Scott has depth along the defensive line.
