By Jim Misunas
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Hoisington (8-0, 2-0) at Lyons (3-5, 2-0)
It’s impossible to imagine. On Friday night, Dylon Pavlus-Newill scored a game-tying touchdown in a playoff-clinching football victory for Lyons High School. Four days later, Pavlus-Newill, 16, died in a tragic home fire.
It’s the second time Lyons football coach James Johnston has endured the task of preparing a burial for a football player. In August, Lion Austin Hoffman died from injuries when he was struck by a vehicle.
It’s truly the worst of times for coach Johnston.
Hoisington coach Zach Baird said he can’t imagine how difficult a task Johnston has. He’ll talk about the situation with his own team Wednesday afternoon.
‘‘This will test your faith. You can’t really appreciate what they are going through,” Baird said. “We’ll keep Lyons in our thoughts and prayers, but it definitely puts football on the back burner. It’s a sad situation — every coach’s worst nightmare.”  
State-ranked Hoisington (8-0, 2-0) would be a challenge for the Lions, even in the best of times.  The Cardinals have steamrolled foes by an average score of 45-7.
Baird expects Lyons to play a tough-minded game.
‘‘They’ve got good athletes and I’m confident they will rally together,” he said.
The Cardinals feature stunning offensive statistics. Hunter Hanzlick has rushed for 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns with a 10-yard average. Steffan Dolechek has scored 10 touchdowns off 436 yards rushing and 193 yards receiving.
Cameron Davis has five touchdowns, including several kickoff and punt returns. Quarterback Tyler Specht has passed for nine touchdowns and 489 yards with a 20-yard average and rushed for 336 yards and six scores.
Linebacker Landon Urban averages six tackles per game. Chris Wright has five sacks. Dolechek and Davis each have four interceptions.      
Baird said the Cardinals have exhibited the ability to keep working to get better as a football team.
“Our goal is to be as good as possible,” he said. “They’ve worked hard to get better, and we’re proud of that. It’s been a heck of a year from coaches on down to the players.”

Goessel (2-5, 1-3) at Central Plains (7-1, 4-0)
The defending state champion Oilers have clinched a home playoff game Tuesday against Kiowa County (4-4). The Oilers beat Solomon 46-14 last week to clinch the district.
Quarterback Braedan Crites threw for 92 yards and two scores. Brady Rugan and Jacob Warnken caught touchdown passes. Clark Besthorn rushed for 82 yards and Rugan added 44 yards and three touchdowns.
Crites has completed 53 passes for 829 yards with 17 touchdowns. The Oilers have 23 takeaways. Warnken leads the team in tackles.

Ellinwood (5-3, 2-2) at Canton-Galva (1-6, 0-4)
Ellinwood clinched a winning record last week with a 40-24 victory over Little River. Quarterback Tyson Martinez completed 16 passes for 245 yards and three scores. Kaleb Schartz rushed for 131 yards and three scores. Alex Robl (3-80), Tate Fisher (4-36) and Conner Ewing (6-65) scored on pass receptions. Theron Sjogren and Chance Baker intercepted passes and Schaartz recovered a fumble.
Martinez has passed for 1,023 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jordan Duvall has rushed for 858 yards.

Larned (3-5, 0-2) at Pratt (4-4, 0-2)
Pratt will seek a winning record while Larned plays for pride in a second consecutive year with a playoff berth. Isiah Perez scored two touchdowns and quarterback Evan Skelton rushed for a touchdown and completed touchdown passes to Perez and Tanner Galliart in a 35-28 loss to Hugoton.
Logan Baird scored a touchdown and gained 58 yards and quarterback Travis Theis threw for 79 yards. Larned plays at Pratt Friday.

Victoria (7-0, 3-0) at Otis-Bison (8-0, 3-0)
No. 1 ranked and defending Eight-Man 2 state champion Victoria storms into Otis with a 19-game winning streak after an opening loss to Central Plains in 2014. The winner will play Triplains-Brewster (6-2) at home Tuesday in the playoffs. The loser plays at No. 2 Sharon- Springs-Wallace County (8-0).
Otis-Bison rolled past Northern Valley 52-6. Brad Lightfoot rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Higgason gained 70 yards with two scores. Kade Urban and Brandon Keller also scored touchdowns. Luke Higgason, Trenton Welsh and Kade Urban average five tackles per game.
Lightfoot has rushed for 1,098 yards and 21 scores. The Cougars average 276 yards rushing and Urban has 389 yards and 13 scores.
Backup Victoria quarterback Joe Dortland has accounted for 19 scores. Victoria quarterback-safety Brady Dinkel will return for limited action after being sidelined with an injury in the season opener against Central Plains. Victoria’s 5-foot-2 Parker Riedel has rushed for 488 yards. Cooper Pfanenstiel has 385 offensive yards.

Stafford (4-4, 2-1) at Minneola (5-2, 3-0)
Stafford is a decided underdog against Minneola with a playoff spot on the line. Stafford’s Logan Shocklee rushed for 224 yards and five touchdowns in a 66-18 victory over Bucklin. Shocklee scored on 30- and 70-yard runs. Quarterback Caleb Hildebrand rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown. Josh Harter gained 103 yards and scored a touchdown. Mikey Aguliar and Phillip Gift scored touchdowns. Erik Herrera and Gift recovered fumbles. Logan Shocklee intercepted a pass and Shocklee and Hildebrand each had nine tackles. Tanner Sipes had seven tackles.

St. John (0-8, 0-4) at Skyline (2-6, 2-2)
St. John’s Eddy Ibarra completed a touchdown pass to Troy Devine in a 58-6 loss to Kiowa County, which features three linemen over 270 pounds. The Tigers gained 53 yards.

Macksville (1-7, 1-3) at Kiowa County (4-4, 3-1)
Quarterback Alan Ibarra passed for 128 yards in a 52-6 loss to South Central. Jesus Saavedra had eight catches for 60 yards and a score. Taylor Rodriguez and Lane Sebes each had five tackles.