St. Francis

The Lady Indian basketball team began practicing on Monday, November 12. The girls will have two-a-day workouts for several days before setting into the normal routine of one practice per day. The Lady Indians will have their first competition on Friday, November 30, when they will play the Quinter Lady Bulldogs in Quinter.

The 2018 edition of the Lady Indians is comprised of 11 players. The team will be coached by Shaylinn Zweygardt and Matt Bandel. Players comprising the team are listed below.

Seniors:  Lauren Johnson and Lindsey Johnson

Juniors:  Karly Bandel, Alondra Gomez, and Hanna Zimbal 

Sophomore:  Emma Johnson

Freshmen:  Jordyn Faulkender, Lyden Lampe, Mia Morrow, McKenna Poling, and Bailey Workman

On Saturday, The Saint Francis Indians defeated the Hodgeman County Longhorns. By the end of the game, the Indians maintained their undefeated record with a score of 30-20. The win sealed the Division I Sectional championship title for the Indians. 

“It felt good winning the Division One Sectional Title in football,” said Senior Wyatt Hilt. “I was really excited.”

Sophomore Jasper Hunt said when Senior Tiernan Poling intercepted the ball in the second half was when he felt the win was secure for the Indians. 

“Tiernan really only plays defense and when he got the interception, the second interception of the year, it was a great thing to see because it was at that point we knew we were wearing them down and playing better than them,” Hunt said.

Sophomore Shadryon Blanka said he had a positive outlook of the potential outcome of the game against the Hodgeman County Longhorns.

“I felt confident in my team’s abilities,” said Blanka. 

Hunt said there was a ridiculous play in the fourth quarter that got the teams and fans riled up. 

“The Longhorns did a short onsite kick and our team had it covered but after the whistle blew and before the refs came over, their player pulled the ball out and had it in their hands so the ref called it a turnover,” Hunt said. 

The Indians will play for Sub-State title against Central Plains Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. at Claflin. 

“We know it will probably be our toughest game yet,” said Sophomore Colton Neitzel.

The St. Francis Indians defeated the Jetmore-Hodgeman County Longhorns 30-20 in the Sectional Championship contest on Saturday, November 10, on Greene Field in St. Francis. The win advanced the Indians (11-0) to the Sub-State Championship game to be held in Claflin on Saturday, November 17, at 2:30 p.m. The Indians will play Central Plains High School (11-0) with the winner moving on to compete in the State Championship game to be held on Saturday, November 24, at Fischer Field in Newton, Kansas. Central Plains defeated Hoxie 54-6 to advance. The Central Plains / St. Francis winner will play the winner of the Solomon / Canton-Galva contest also being played on November 17. Both Solomon and Canton-Galva have 10-1 records. To advance to the semi-final round, Canton-Galva defeated Coldwater-South Central 54-52 in overtime; Solomon defeated Attica/Argonia 14-6.

St. Francis won the coin toss and elected to receive. Connor Keller returned the kick-off to the Indian's 33 yard line. On the first scrimmage snap, Brady Dinkel tried the middle of the Hodgeman County (HC) defense earning 5 yards before being tackled by Delton Shelton (205 lb. Sr.). Dinkel's next run up the middle resulted in a 42 yard touchdown with only 47 seconds gone in the contest. Cody Baxter banged over the left side for the conversion points. St. Francis led 8-0.

The kick-off was returned by 201-pound junior running back Eli Salmans to the HC 29. Salmans would prove to be a workhorse for the visitors. On the Longhorn's first snap, sophomore quarterback Isaac Salmans (200 lbs.) carried over the right side earning 8 yards before being tackled by Brady Dinkel. On the next play, Cody Baxter stopped Eli Salmans for a short gain. On 3rd-&-1, E. Salmans banged over the right side for a first down at the SF 39. The next two plays ended in tackles by Hunter Helton; an E. Salmans carry over the right side, and run by Ethan Eckhoff (230 lb. Jr.) up the middle. On 3rd-&-6, E. Salmans powered around the right end and gained just enough for a measured 1st down before being stopped by Dinkel at the 29. Salmans' next run was stuffed by Helton and Cody Baxter. On the following play, Salmans earned two yards over the right side before another Helton tackle. On 3rd-&-8, I. Salmans ran the left side and was tackled by Baxter after a gain of three. Facing 4th-&-5, the Longhorns went to the air for the first time in the contest. Isaac Salmans passed to Spencer Bowman (164 lb. Sr.) in the flat. Again, Helton made the tackle, but not before the Longhorns had earned a first down at the 14. On the next play, Isaac Salmans rounded the right end and scored on a 14 yard touchdown run. The Longhorns mishandled the snap on the conversion attempt, and Richard Johnson tackled E. Salmans preventing the score. With 6:34 left in the first period. The Longhorns had narrowed the margin to 8-6.

Shadryon Blanka returned the kick-off for the Indians. With some indecision as whether the football might go out-of-bounds, the Indians were tackled deep in their own territory. Beginning on the 10 yard line, Brady Dinkel ran over the left side gaining five yards and a bit of breathing room. On the next snap, Jordan Raby earned just enough for a first down. Dinkel's next run was halted by Connor Ruff (174 lb. So.) after a gain of two. Runs by Raby and Dinkel earned a new series at the SF 31. A Raby carry around the left end, a Blanka run over the left side, and a Raby carry to the right earned another Indian first down. The ball was now just past mid-field at the HC 38. The Longhorns were tough defensively, but the Indians were mounting a sustained drive. After a Raby carry into the middle earned 4 yards, Blanka banged ahead for one before being stopped by Isaac Salmans. On 3rd-&-5, Dinkel passed to Cody Baxter on the left sideline earning a first-&-goal at the 8 yard line. On the next play, Dinkel attempted a pass to Richard Johnson that fell incomplete in the end zone. On the play, Hodgeman County was called for pass interference advancing the ball to the 4 yard line. On the next snap, Dinkel ran around the left end scoring a touchdown for St. Francis. The conversion run up the middle was short of the goal. St. Francis led 14-6 with 1:23 left in the first period.

Isaac Salmans returned Brady Dinkel's kick-off to the 32 yard line. On the first snap of the possession, Salmans powered for 9 yards over the left side. On the next play, Salmans earned a first down at the SF 37 yard line before being tackled by Hunter Helton. The carry by Salmans ended in a tackle by Richard Johnson ending the first quarter.Salmon's next carry was halted by and Jordan Raby and Shadryon Blanka. On 3rd-&-4, Isaac Salmans tried the left side and earned another 1st down at the 20 before the play ended with a tackle by Brady Dinkel. The next two plays were both carries by Eli Salmans. On the second-down play, HC was penalized for a cut-block backing the Longhorns up to the 30 and making the situation 2nd-&-20. The Longhorns then ran a hook-&-ladder play. Isaac Salmans passed to Spencer Bowman who lateraled to Connor Ruff. Dinkel made the tackle on the play at the 18 yard line. The following play was a pass from Isaac Salmans to Bowman along the right sideline. Again, Dinkel made the stop, but not before the Longhorns had earned a 1st-&-goal at the 5 yard line. On the 1st-down snap, Eli Salmans powered into the middle of the line were he was met by Hunter Helton and a host of other Indians for no gain. Isaac Salmans ran around the left end on the next play and was stopped at the 1. St. Francis took a time-out to discuss strategy. HC mishandled the ensuing snap, and Tiernan Poling made a tackle resulting in a five-yard loss. On 4th-&-goal from the 6, a pass intended for Ruff in the right flat fell incomplete. The Indians had kept a strong Longhorn offense from scoring.

The Indians took possession at the 6 yard line. Before the initial snap of the possession, a procedure penalty on the Indians backed them up inside the 3 yard line. A carry by Dinkel over the left side earned three. On 2nd-&-9, Raby ran over the right side advancing the football to the SF 23 before being forced out-of-bounds by Spencer Bowman. On the next play, Brady Dinkel rounded the left end and out-maneuvered the Longhorn defenders to score on a 57-yard touchdown run. Cody Baxter ran untouched up the middle for the conversion points. With 7:33 remaining in the first half, the Indians had earned a 22-6 advantage.

Jayce Nider stopped Eli Salmans' kick-off return at the HC 19. A four-yard run to the right side by Isaac Salmans preceded two carries by Eli Salmans. The 2nd-down play ended in a tackle by Hunter Helton and Nider; the third-down play was halted by Tiernan Poling and Shadryon Blanka. Though the Indian defense was tough, the Longhorn offense was also powerful, and HC earned a first down at their own 32. On the next play, Jesse Baxter tackled Isaac Salmans after a very short gain. Nider stopped Eli Salmans' carry to the left for a gain of 2. On 3rd-&-7, Isaac Salmans passed to Spencer Bowman in the left flat earning a first down before Jordan Raby made the stop. The Longhorns were now at the Indians' 35. On the next play, a holding penalty on the Longhorns nullified a successful run by Salmans. With the Longhorns facing 1st-&-20, the Indians took a time-out with 4:38 left in the half. On the next snap, Isaac Salmans ran around the left end earning 6 yards before he was tackled by Tiernan Poling. On 2nd down, a pass intended for Bowman fell incomplete deep along the right sideline. Raby had excellent coverage on the play. A third-down pass attempt, a screen to the left side to Eli Salmans, was well-defended by Nider and was also incomplete. Facing 4th-&-4, the Longhorns punted. The ball was downed on the SF 11 yard line.

Brady Dinkel gained two yards on a carry into the middle, and Shadryon Blanka gained three more over the left side before being stopped by Ethan Burns (168 lb. So.). On 3rd-&-5, Dinkel's pass to Connor Keller was a bit over-thrown. Before the 4th-down snap, HC was penalized for encroachment resulting in 4th-&-inches. Though the Indians were deep in their own territory, they did not punt. Dinkel followed strong blocking over the left side for a first down at the SF 21. Another Dinkel carry into the middle earned only one more yard, but Raby's second-down run around the right end set up 3rd-&-5. A quarterback draw by Dinkel advanced the football to the Indians' 32 with 32 seconds left in the half. Dinkel's next run moved the ball to the HC 36. Dinkel then passed to Raby in the left flat and Raby cruised to the HC 21 before being forced out-of-bounds by Efren Chavez (200 lb. So.). With only 20 seconds remaining and a new set of downs, the Indians attacked from the air. A first down pass to Cody Baxter was incomplete near the goal line. A pass intended for Baxter in the right corner of the end zone also fell incomplete on 2nd down stopping the clock at 14.9 seconds. Continuing to attack the end zone, a pass to Raby in the right corner was also unsuccessful. With 5.5 seconds left, a 4th down pass to Connor Keller in the end zone also fell incomplete ending the first half. St. Francis led 22-6 at halftime.

Dinkel's initial kick-off went out-of-bounds and the Indians re-kicked to open the second half. Eli Salmans had a strong return to the HC 32 yard line. Isaac Salmans earned four yards on the his first carry of the second half over the right side before being tackled by Tiernan Poling. Cody Baxter stopped Eli Salmans on the next play after a gain of two. On third down, Hunter Helton tackled quarterback Salmans for no gain as he attempted to round the left end. Facing 4th-&-4 and trailing on the scoreboard, the Longhorns elected to "go-for-it" rather than punt. Isaac Salmans rounded the left end and was forced out-of-bounds by Poling, but not before earning enough for a new set of downs at the SF 34. Eli Salmans banged for 5 yards over the left side and was tackled by Poling and Dinkel. Isaac Salmans then tried the right end and was nailed by Jesse Baxter for no gain. On 3rd-&-5, a slant pass to Bowman ended in a Helton tackle and a Longhorn first down at the 23. Richard Johnson stopped Eli Salmans after a gain of one on the following play. On 2nd-&-9, a pass to Bowman over the middle resulted in a Longhorn touchdown at 7:48. The Indians' advantage was narrowed to 22-14.

Shadryon Blanka returned the Longhorn's kick-off to the SF 17 where he was tackled by Bowman. Runs by Dinkel and Raby resulted in a first down at the 30. After a Dinkel gain of five on 1st down, a flag nullified a Raby gain and resulted in a 2nd-&-9 situation for the Indians. A strong run by Blanka over the right side earned the Indians another first down at the HC 36. Three more consecutive carries by Blanka earned another first down for the Indians. Two more crunching Blanka runs moved the situation to 3rd-&-1. A quarterback sneak by Dinkel resulted in a first down at the HC 13. The Indians were showing determined power; they just needed to complete the drive. A carry by Raby over the right side moved the ball to the 8. A carry by Dinkel to the left earned three more. On the next snap, Dinkel ran around the left end into the end zone. Cody Baxter was hit just before the goal line on the the conversion try, but stretched the ball over the goal as he dived forward to net the conversion points. St. Francis led 30-14 with 2:41 remaining. 

Again, the Indians' kick-off went out-of-bounds and resulted in a re-kick. On the re-kick, Eli Salmans returned the football to the HC 29 where a tackle by Cody Baxter stopped his progress. Eli ran around the left end earning four yards before being halted by Jayce Nider and Baxter. A 2nd-down pass intended for Bowman fell incomplete. On third down, a tackle by Jesse Baxter ended Salmans run after two yards. On 4th-&-4 and needing to score, the Longhorns "went-for-it' again. This time, Jayce Nider made a crunching hit on Eli Salmans ending the first down run attempt.

St. Francis took possession on downs at the HC 35. On the first play of the possession, Jordan Raby cruised over the left side all the way to the HC 12. After a two-yard carry over the left side by Brady Dinkel, Dinkel rounded the left end and sprinted for an apparent touchdown. A holding penalty on the Indians nullified the play. Before the next snap, the Indians committed a procedure penalty. Rather than scoring, the Indians were now facing 2nd-&-15. On the next play, Dinkel was forced out-of-bounds by Eli Salmans at the 13 yard line. A third-down pass from Dinkel to Richard Johnson fell incomplete in the right corner of the end zone. On 4th-down, a left end run by Dinkel was stopped just short of the line-to-gain.

Hodgeman County took possession on their own 3 yard line. A four-yard carry by Isaac Salmans ended the third period. Eli Salmans carried over the right side earning a first down at the 14 before being tackled by Shadryon Blanka. A host of Indian defenders stopped the HC quarterback on a dive up the middle on the ensuing snap. On 2nd-&-8, Jesse Baxter's pressure caused an incomplete pass by the Longhorn quarterback. Salmans' 3rd-down pass intended for Bowman on the left side was also incomplete. On 4th-&-8, the Longhorns punted. The punt was shanked out-of bounds at the HC 25 giving the Indians great field position to begin a drive. 

Encroachment on the Longhorns before the first snap aided the Indians' cause a bit more. Two carries by Shadryon Blanka advanced the ball near the 13 yard line resulting in a first down. Two carries into the middle of the Longhorn defense, one by Dinkel and one by Raby, moved the ball to the five yard line. Two plays later, Cody Baxter carried the football around the left end for an apparent touchdown. An illegal block by the Indians erased the play and created a 4th-&-8 situation. On the final play of the series, Raby was forced out-of-bounds by Eli Salmans between the 6 & 7 yard lines.

The Longhorns took possession on downs with 8:37 left in the contest. Hodgeman County called time-out to discuss strategy. On the first snap of the possession, Isaac Salmans completed a deep pass on the left sideline to Bowman. The play would have moved the Longhorns deep into Indian territory, but the catch was ruled out-of-bounds. A 2nd-down pass to Dalton Lee (140 lb. So.) in the left flat earned a first down at the 16 yard line. Another pass to Bowman on the opposite side netted 9 yards on the next play. After an incomplete pass, Eli Salmans earned a first down on a carry around the right end. He was tackled by Nider, Raby, and Dinkel at the HC 30. Cody Baxter sacked the Longhorn quarterback for a five-yard loss slowing the Longhorns momentum. On 2nd-&-15, Tiernan Poling intercepted Salmans' pass ending the Longhorn possession with 6:33 remaining.

The Indians set up offense at the HC 35. Cody Baxter carried the football for the Indians around the left end, but a flag for an illegal shift nullified the play. On 1st-&15, Dinkel gained four over the right side before being tackled by Drew Dansel (171 lb. Fr.). On the next play, Baxter was tackled for a 1-yard loss by Ethan Burns (168 lb. So.). A third-down run by Dinkel earned four yards setting up a 4th-&-8. The 4th-down pass from Dinkel to Richard Johnson was dropped resulting in a change of possession.

The Longhorns took possession with 3:58 left in the contest on their own 34. After a first-down pass attempt to Dansel fell incomplete, a Salmans to Salmons pass was successful. Dinkel forced Salmans out-of-bounds just inches short of the line-to-gain. Isaac Salmans ran up the middle for a first down at the Indians' 33 on the next play. Another pass from Salmans to Salmans in the left flat earned a first down at the 22. The same pass play was incomplete on the following snap. A 2nd-down pass from Salmans to Bowman ended with a force-out by Dinkel, but the Longhorns had earned another first down a the 10. A hard run by Eli Salmans into the middle netted a big gain and ended with a tackle by Dinkel 18 inches from the goal. On 2nd-&-goal, Isaac Salmons scored on a quarterback sneak. The Indians needed a stop on the conversion attempt to prevent the determined Longhorns from pulling within one score. The Longhorns failed to score on the conversion try due to a fumble. With 2:49 remaining, the Indians led 30-20.

As expected, the HC kick-off was an onside kick. The Longhorns recovered just short of mid-field with 2:47 remaining after first-touching by St. Francis. On the first snap, Jayce Nider sacked quarterback Salmans for a 7-yard loss. A screen pass to Eli Salmans in the right flat resulted in a 10-yard gain on the next play before Jordan Raby made the tackle. A third down pass fell incomplete stopping the clock at 1:46 due to pressure from Hunter Helton.  Using no-huddle offense, a 4th-down screen pass from Salmans to Salmans in the left flat resulted in a big gain to the Indians' 25 yard line. After another incomplete pass, Isaac Salmans was sacked by Nider and Cody Baxter. On 3rd-&-16, Isaac Salmans was again pressured by Baxter and Nider, and flipped the ball to Eli Salmans, but a holding penalty erased the play. With 56.6 seconds left, Hodgeman County called time-out. The final play of the possession, a pass from Salmans to Bowman was complete. A tackle by Blanka prevented the Longhorns from reaching the line-to-gain.

St. Francis took over at their own 21 with 49.6 seconds left. The Indians kneeled on the ball to expire the clock. St. Francis defeated a very good Hodgeman County team 30-20 to advance to the Sub-State Championship contest against Claflin-Central Plains.

Click the photos to see more photos!

More photos from the game can be viewed by clicking on the "Photos" tab.

The St. Francis junior high girls defeated Wallace County in three close contests in Sharon Springs on Thursday, November 8. St. Francis won the A-team contest 24-21 and the B-team game 20-18. The C-team girls won a one-quarter contest 4-2.

In the A-team game, St. Francis received baskets from Rian Zimbal and Jesslynn Houtman in the first period to lead 4-2. The Lady Indians only scored three points in the second period, all by Zimbal, and trailed 7-10 at halftime. St. Francis earned 11 points in the third period getting scores from Zimbal, Ellee Krien, and Houtman. The Lady Indians trailed 18-19 after three period of play. St. Francis out-scored the Lady Wildcats 6-2 in the final period to earn a 24-21 victory.

St. Francis was led in scoring by Rian Zimbal with 13 points. Jesslynn Houtman chipped in 6, Ellee Krien 4, and Molly Gilliland 1. The Lady Indians made 2 of 11 from the free throw line in the contest.

Wallace County was led by Jyma Stafford with 8 points. Joss Benisch added 7. The Lady Wildcats were 2 of 10 from the stripe.

St. Francis will play Dighton, in St. Francis, on Thursday, November 15. 

On Thursday, November 8, the junior high boys basketball teams picked up an A-team victory over Wallace County in Sharon Springs. The B and C teams lost their contests.

The B-team opened the competition with a 10-31 loss to the home-standing Wildcats. St. Francis did not score in the first period and trailed 0-5 after one period of play. Asher Robbins scored for the Indians in the second period, but the Indians trailed 2-17 at the halftime break. In the second half, St. Francis received scores from Robbins, Jordan Smull, Dawson Rose and Kike Yanez. The C-team contest, one quarter only, ended in a 0-4 score in favor of the Wildcats.

In A-team action, the teams were tied at 5-all after one quarter of action. St. Francis out-scored the Wildcats 13-2 in the second period to take an 18-7 lead into the locker room at halftime. St. Francis continued to to pull away in the second half outscoring the Wildcats 7-0 in the third period and 10-6 in the final stanza.

Scoring in the contest for St. Francis were Ben Busse 15, Preston Witzel 6, Colton Raile 6, Chris Espino 4, and Jordan Smull 4. St. Francis made 2 of 6 from the free throw line.

Wallace County was led in scoring by Tyler Korbe, Travis Korbe, and Cade Fink; each with 3 points. The Wildcats were 0 of 2 from the line.

St. Francis will play Dighton, in St. Francis, on Thursday, November 15.

USD297 will be hosting a Characteristic Forum to gather information from the public regarding the new school superintendent. Questions will focus on:  Current strengths of the district; challenges the district is facing; and skills, traits, and qualities for the new superintendent. The forum will be held on November 20, 2018, in the St. Francis High School Auditorium from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

For more information about the job opening, please click this link.

There are many questions that arise this time of year regarding high school playoffs. Who do we play? Where do we play? How are the opponents and sites determined? This article may be a bit lengthy, but hopefully will explain the football playoff procedure as it applies to St. Francis Community High School. Much of the information comes directly from the KSHSAA Football Manual.

District Assignment

First of all, the 48 teams participating in 1A Division I football are divided into districts by the Kansas High School Activities Association (KSHSAA). Teams are assigned geographically. St. Francis was assigned to District 8 which also contains Atwood-Rawlins County, Hoxie, Leoti-Wichita County, Oberlin-Decatur Community, and Wakeeney Trego. There is a formula for determining the date and location of district contests established by the KSHSAA, but it will not be discussed here.

Determining District Qualifiers

Once the district contests are completed, the district qualifiers must be determined. Here is the procedure for determining the qualifiers.

Four teams from each football district will advance into the playoff bracket. The four teams qualifying from each district shall be determined on the percentage of games won in district competition. The team(s) with the best district win-loss record will qualify for the playoffs.

• Should a school voluntarily forfeit a district contest, that school is considered removed from contention as a possible qualifier from the district for the remainder of the current season, even though it may play the other district games remaining on their schedule.

• A school that has been required to forfeit a district game as a sanction for a violation of KSHSAA rules is not automatically considered removed from contention as a possible qualifier from the district. Such sanction (i.e., removal from contention in district play) may be imposed upon the offending school but such sanction must be one imposed upon the school by the KSHSAA.

Twenty-One (21) Point Tiebreaker – Determining the Points

Total the margin of points each team had in all district contests. Marginal points will be the point difference in final game score. No team will add or subtract more than twenty-one (21) points in any district contests. No team will add or subtract more than one (1) point in any district contest which was tied at the end of regulation time and the winning team was eventually determined in overtime.

In overtimes, extra points (PAT) would not be attempted if the winner has been determined.

1. Tie(s) (in either win-loss percentage or in marginal points) involving two teams is first broken on the basis of district head-to-head game results between those two teams. In such a two-way tie, the team that won in district play the game between the two tied teams shall advance or be identified as the first qualifier. The other team that was tied in either district win-loss percentage or in marginal points with the first qualifying team will be the second qualifier from that district.

2. If more than two teams are tied in either district win-loss percentage or in total district marginal points, and one team won over the other teams it is tied with, that team shall be identified as the first qualifier. If the remaining teams are still tied in win-loss percentage or in total district marginal points for the second playoff spot, and one team won over other teams it is tied with, that team shall advance.

3. If there is no common winner (one team defeated all the others it is tied with) or there is no common loser (one team was defeated by all of the other teams it is tied with and thus eliminated as one of the tied teams) then the 21-point tiebreaker procedure is applied to determine the qualifying teams (subject to points 1 and 2).

4. After determining the points using the 21-point tiebreaker, the team with the greatest number of total district marginal points (as determined by the results of all games between the teams in that district) will be the first qualifier. If another qualifier is to be determined, the team with the second highest total of marginal points will be the qualifier. If two teams are tied in marginal points, the team that defeated the other in head-to-head district play will be the qualifier.

5. In the case of more than three teams tied in district win-loss record, and if two of those teams are also tied with the most marginal points, the head-to-head results of the game between those two tied teams will be used to break the two-way tie.

6. If teams are not tied in total district marginal points (one or more teams have thus been eliminated from the tie on the basis of total district marginal points), then the district head-to-head game results between those teams (in either win-loss percentage or in total district marginal points) is used to break that tie.

7. If after determining total district marginal points in all district games the tie involving more than two teams remains, then marginal points among only the tied teams when they played each other in district games will be calculated to break the tie.

8. In the event that ties involving three or more teams cannot be broken as outlined and through application of the 21-point tiebreaking procedure, the following criteria will be used to identify the first qualifying team:

e. If a tie remains after application of the above criteria, the qualifying teams will be determined by lot (the qualifying team will be drawn from a hat).

Example: Since D is not in contention as a tied team based on D’s district win-loss record, of the three teams tied in winloss record, the total of marginal points for all district games would be used to break the three-way tie between teams A, B and C. In this example, team B would be declared the winner of the district (based on the district game results and application of the 21-point tiebreaker procedure). With B now identified as the district winner, to determine the second qualifying team (between teams A and C) the marginal points would be used. Since A had more marginal points, A is the second qualifying team.

Playoff Brackets

Playoff brackets are set up to ensure two teams qualifying from the same district would not possibly meet each other until the sub-state round of the playoffs. Thirty-two of the 48 1A - Division I teams will be seeded on the bracket. The 2018 8-man Division 1 Playoff Bracket is viewable by clicking on this link.

Playoff Dates

In 2018 the games, unless otherwise specified or approved by the KSHSAA, will be played on the dates below. Friday games requiring the visiting school to travel 151 miles or more (one way) shall be played on Saturday at the request of the visiting school in order to reduce the loss of school time. If a Saturday game is to be played, and if the two schools cannot agree on a game time, the KSHSAA will set the time so as to best accommodate the school's travel demands. Tuesday and Friday games will be played at 7 p.m. unless otherwise announced by the KSHSAA. (KSHSAA must approve postponed games, as there shall be at least three days between playoff games.)

Thursday, October 25, 2018 or Friday, October 26, 2018---- Week #9 Bracket Game – All Classes

Friday, November 2, 2018--------------------------------------------- Regional – All Classes

Friday, November 9, 2018--------------------------------------------- Sectional – All Classes

Friday, November 16, 2018 ------------------------------------------- Sub-State – All Classes

Saturday, November 24, 2018---------------------------------------- State Championships – All Classes

Selection of Host Sites for Playoff Games

1. The host school in week #9 (October 26) is the school with the better seed.

2. The host school in the regional round will be the school with the better seed.

3. In all classifications other than 6A, 5A, and 4A in all subsequent rounds after the regional round, the host school will be the school hosting the least number of playoff games this year. If both teams have hosted an equal number of playoff games, then the East-West formula will be used to determine the host site.

East-West Formula

When questions arise as to which school is farthest east or west when applying the formula, the KSHSAA will make a determination. Final determination will be based on the location of the front door for the high school attendance center of the two schools involved.

FARTHEST EASTERN SCHOOL WILL SERVE AS HOST IN THESE ROUNDS/CLASSES

2018 Sectional Round ---- 3A, 2A and 1A 2018 Sub-State Round --- 8-Player DI and 8-Player DII

FARTHEST WESTERN SCHOOL WILL SERVE AS HOST IN THESE ROUNDS/CLASSES

2018 Sectional Round ---- 8-Player DI and 8-Player DII 2018 Sub-State Round --- 3A, 2A and 1A

If you've read to this point, you now know how the playoff system is designed. You must also be an Indian fan!

Go, Indians!

USD 297 has received a grant to implement the Kansas Reading Roadmap (KRR) after-school and summer reading program. The first step for implementation of the program is hiring a Program Coordinator, who will then be trained in the entire implementation of the program. The position begins as soon as possible. We are seeking a self-motivated, energetic individual to kick-off the new KRR program.

This link is a description of the KRR roles and responsibilities. 
 
Applicants should have business management experience. The position requires budget management, excellent communication skills, and strong organizational skills. Creativity and a desire to engage and encourage children is a huge benefit, as well. This position does not require a teaching license.

To apply for the position of Kansas Reading Roadmap Coordinator for USD 297, please send the following documents:

Cover letter
Resume
Three references  (contact information only, no letter of recommendation required)

To: 
Rob Schiltz
USD 297
PO Box 1110
St. Francis, KS 67756
or
Email to: 
rschiltz@usd297.org

The position will close as soon as the desired candidate is found. For additional information, please call the district office at 785-332-8182. Thank you for your consideration.