By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
After steamrolling their way through an undefeated regular season, Wamego started their playoff push right in week nine, dispatching Ulysses in a 56-11 rout.
With first-round formalities out of the way, the Raiders now turn their attention to a round of 16 battle with Rose Hill (4-5), who eliminated Abilene 23-6 last Friday.
In their week nine win, Wamego gave the Tigers very little in the way of yardage, continuing to assert their dominance as the #1 defense in Class 4A.
“We knew that Ulysses was big up front, and they play a tough schedule for a 4A team,” Raiders head coach Weston Moody said. “We were upset about giving up a few first downs early, but our defense got us the ball and we scored and went up big right away.”
While the team’s expectations remain high, Wamego doesn’t discount the impact of postseason momentum, something the Raiders will come into their game with Rose Hill holding plenty of.
“Winning that first playoff game helps a bunch,” Moody said. “We talk about it all week that it’s win or go home and the stakes are higher regardless of who you’re playing. You have to come out and handle your business and you can’t take steps backward if you want to peak now, at the right time.”
To advance to the 4A state quarterfinals for a third consecutive season, Wamego will need to go through a Rockets team that presents similar strengths and weaknesses to Ulysses before them.
“Rose Hill is big up front and they like to go at teams with some double tight sets,” he said. “They have some big skill guys that are athletes and defensively it looks like they’re going to pack the box and try to stop the run again so we’ll have to throw it a little more. I feel like we’re as balanced as we’ve ever been and we’re ready.”
While Rose Hill may prompt the Raiders to air the ball out more than usual this week, Wamego remains committed to their focus on the ground game on both sides of the line.
“We have to run the ball effectively and our defense has to play lights out and stop the run,” Moody said. “In Kansas high school football you have to be able to do those two things and that’s still our main focus.”
Wamego holds a massive edge over the Rockets in one of the most lopsided statistical anomalies of the remaining 4A matchups.
The Raider defense held opponents to the fewest points (5.1) and yards (103) per game this season, while Rose Hill scored the fewest (12.5), and was the only 4A offense in the state to average less than 200 yards per contest.
Despite such a glaring mismatch, Wamego expects nothing less than Rose Hill’s best shot on Friday as they prepare to move one step closer to history in Boomtown.
“You know at this point in the season that everybody is going to leave everything on the table,” Moody said. “We don’t want to leave any bullets in the barrel, we’re coming out to shoot all our shots and we know they’ll be ready to do the same.”
Kickoff between the Raiders and Rockets is set for 7 pm at Wamego High School with the winner advancing to play 2-7 Winfield or 6-3 Andover Central in the 4A quarterfinal.