Rematch time in Kansas playoffs

   It’ll be a rematch weekend for many of the football teams still alive in the Kansas high school playoffs.
   Of the 12 games played next weekend – 10 semifinal matchups in Class 6A through 2A, and two championships in the Eight-Man division – eight of them are rematches from earlier in the season.
   And, of those eight rematch games, five of them will feature teams who come from the same district and played each other in an October district game.
   In Class 6A, defending championship Wichita Heights is still alive and one of only six unbeaten teams still remaining.  The Falcons (11-0) have clobbered their first two playoff opponents by a combined 75 points, but now must travel to Derby (8-3) for the semifinals and play the Panthers for the second time in 21 days.
   Heights defeated Derby, 49-35, on Oct. 28, but trailed by 14 points midway through the third quarter before roaring from behind.  Derby knocked off unbeaten Manhattan 39-28 in a second-round game.
   The other 6A semifinal game matches Olathe East and Olathe South.  East and South squeezed into the playoffs despite a three-way tie in the District 3 standings with Blue Valley West, which also had all three teams with a plus-13 differential.  South defeated East, 36-18, in the first game between the two teams this season.
   In Class 5A, there are rematches with district rivals – Bishop Carroll and Hutchinson in the west and Blue Valley and Gardner-Edgerton in the east.
   Carroll (10-1) and Hutchinson (9-2) square off at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.  Carroll defeated Hutchinson, 32-24, in Wichita on Oct. 28 in a District 8 game.
   Blue Valley (10-1) will play Gardner-Edgerton (8-3) at home for the second time this season after whipping the Trail Blazers, 40-6, a couple weeks ago.
   In Class 4A, Eudora and Paola will meet for the second time, this time in the semifinals Eudora won an 18-10 decision earlier in the year.
   In the west half of the bracket, the Rose Hill Rockets keep rolling along with their 11^th straight win – a 56-14 romp over Ulysses.  The Rockets will travel to Topeka to face Hayden (11-1) in the semifinals. Hayden ended Buhler’s dream season, 21-14, in the quarterfinals.  Both Rose Hill and Hayden have won 11 straight after losing their respective openers.
   There are two rematches in Class 3A and none is bigger than Garden Plain and Conway Springs matching up for the second time this season.  Garden Plain (11-1) edged Conway Springs, 19-13, in overtime on Sept. 23 and will get to play the Cardinals on their home field this time around.
   Conway Springs (11-1) was impressive in whipping previously unbeaten  Scott City, 39-21, to reach the semifinals.  Garden Plain rolled past Beloit, 50-34.
   Silver Lake (11-1) and Rock Creek (8-3) will have a rematch on the east side of the bracket.  Silver Lake won a 13-3 decision earlier in the year.
   In Class 2-1A, LaCrosse and Plainville will match up once again, this time in Plainville.  LaCrosse won a 14-8 decision at home in a district game last month.
   Two championships will be played in Eight-Man, with Madison (Division I) and Baileyville (Division II) looking to win back-to-back titles.