Kansas High School Football Power Rankings Explained 6A to 8-Man

I’ve spent more Friday nights on Kansas sidelines than most folks spend on the couch in a year. So when people start arguing about kansas high school football rankings, I get the front-row seat and the extra-large popcorn. In my experience, the fights aren’t really about numbers. They’re about pride. About 6A vs. 5A vs. 4A, about whether KSHSAA classifications help or hurt, about strength of schedule and “my cousin’s team from Topeka would crush your cousin’s team from Wichita.” You know the drill. I’ll try to keep this simple and a little fun. We’ll touch on district standings, state playoffs, sub-state, rivalries, and yes—those power rankings everyone loves to love and hate. Buckle up.

What I’m Actually Ranking (and Why My DMs Are a Mess)

First, quick baseline. There are official things and then there are the lists people like me make. KSHSAA runs the show on classifications, playoff brackets, eligibility, all the boring and important stuff, but they do not publish salty, weekly “who’s better than who” lists. That’s us nerds. Writers, coaches, parents with spreadsheets, your barber—this is the land of power ratings, poll votes, and “my eye test.”

When I publish my weekly list, here’s the stuff I weigh the heaviest:

• Strength of schedule (who you played, when, and where)
• Context (injuries, weather, those 300-mile bus rides past three cow pastures)
• Efficiency (points per drive, yards per play, red zone trips, special teams)
• Film study (yes, I watch huddle clips and sideline angles until my eyes go square)
• Recent form (what you look like in Week 7 matters more than Week 1)

And no, a 70-0 win over a brand-new program doesn’t mean you’re the ’85 Bears. It means your manager got everybody clean jerseys on Saturday and your kicker’s leg hurts.

How Kansas Classifications Work, But With Less Yawning

We’ve got 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, and then 8-Man Divisions I and II. Enrollment is the big divider. Some programs bounce around the line year to year. That’s normal. What matters most for rankings is that the styles change by class. 6A and 5A often have depth, size, and speed. 4A and 3A? Crafty and mean in the trenches. 2A and 1A? They’ll run that counter until your linebackers forget their names.

What I Use Under the Hood

Strength of Schedule, Simplified

I keep a simple weight system to start. It’s not perfect. It’s a foundation. Then I tweak after film and notes.

Then I pair that with margin context. A 14-point road win in a crosswind is often better than a 35-point home blowout on a perfect night. Take the points, trust your eyes.

Film > Box Score

I’ve always found that the best teams look boring when they’re good. They get six yards on inside zone. Again. And again. QB doesn’t force throws. Punt team flips the field. If your linemen take perfect steps and your safety tackles in space, I’m going to bump you whether you won by 7 or 27.

Quick Tour by Class (No, I Won’t Settle All Your Arguments)

6A: Big Schools, Big Lines, Big Noise

6A on a cold Friday is a mood. Manhattan rolling out a defense that refuses to miss tackles. Derby mixing tempo and power like it’s a buffet. Blue Valley and the rest of the Eastern Kansas League powers dealing with week-to-week minefields—Olathe North, Olathe East, Lawrence, Free State—zero easy weeks. Gardner-Edgerton’s ground game when it’s humming? Misery for linebackers.

People love to claim “West vs. East” is a thing. Some years it is. Some years it isn’t. The bracket doesn’t care about your group chat.

5A: The Middleweight Murderers

5A might be the most consistent weekly grind. Mill Valley has been a factory. Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel bring that Wichita energy plus history. Maize and Maize South can drop 40 in a blink when the skill talent pops. Hutchinson is always more physical than you think. De Soto’s been a problem for folks sleeping on them. And when St. Thomas Aquinas gets the line churning—good luck tackling for four quarters.

4A: The Chess Match Class

4A is where you see smart tweaks win games. Bishop Miege—no further comment or the comments will find me. Eudora, Basehor-Linwood, Wamego, Louisburg, Tonganoxie—you get coaching staffs that punish your mistakes. The gap between a #3 seed and a #10 seed can be paper-thin, which makes poll work a headache and also kind of fun.

3A: Blue-Collar and Proud

3A feels like classic Kansas football. Andale bullied the state for years. Cheney came roaring, and suddenly it’s a dogfight. Holton, Hayden, Wichita Collegiate, Clay Center, Frontenac—line play everywhere. Watch a 3A semifinal in bad weather and tell me you don’t believe in the fullback trap again.

2A and 1A: Don’t Call It “Small,” Call It Efficient

Nemaha Central, Sabetha, Kingman, Hoisington, Silver Lake, Rossville. In 1A you’ll hear names like Smith Center and Inman. The details matter more here. One special teams mistake swings a season. I love watching these staffs steal a possession or hide a weakness with formation smarts.

Myth-Busting From the Press Box

• “Private schools break the system.” Sometimes. Mostly they’re well-coached and organized. That’s beatable.
• “KC media hates Wichita.” I split my time on both ends of I-35. Everyone thinks the other side has bias. Usually, it’s just who we’ve seen live more.
• “Blowouts prove greatness.” They prove you scheduled light or someone’s rebuilding. Context. Always.
• “Recruiting offers equal wins.” Offers don’t block defensive ends. Depth and coaching win in November.

Stuff I Actually Track Each Week

• Injuries to QBs and linemen (skill guys get headlines, guards win games)
• Weather and wind (Kansas, you beautiful chaos gremlin)
• Travel miles (Garden City and Liberal road trips test focus)
• Special teams (hidden yards, I’m a broken record)
• Red zone trips vs. TDs (field goals tell me you got squeezed)

Simple Efficiency Cheat Sheet

This isn’t fancy. But it keeps me honest when emotion tries to take the wheel.

A Very Honest, Very Human Example List

Before you yell at me: this is a mock, illustrative snapshot of how a midseason board might look. Not a live ballot, not gospel. It’s just how I’d line up tiers after film and stats in a typical year when these programs are rolling.

You’ll notice I listed programs that have had real staying power. That’s not an accident. Culture travels. And November remembers.

The Eye Test Story I Can’t Let Go

Years ago in Salina, I watched a team win 21-14 with maybe 260 yards of offense. Nothing flashy. But they pinned the opponent inside the 10 three times. Forced fair catches. Ran power on third-and-3 with zero fear. I went home and bumped them in my list. Got roasted in comments for a week. Two months later, they were in a sub-state game and everyone went “oh.” That was the night I wrote “special teams are momentum cheat codes” at the top of my notes and underlined it three times.

Wichita vs. KC vs. Everywhere Else

I’ll say it straight: the biggest trap is seeing only one side of the state live. Wichita’s GWAL games—Carroll, Kapaun, East, Northwest—are a different vibe than a Blue Valley gauntlet. Western Kansas trips like Dodge City and Garden City change how teams manage a week. And when Lawrence and Free State throw hands, the city shuts down. If you haven’t stood on a sideline for each region, you’re missing parts of the story.

Timing Matters More Than People Admit

I’ve always found that who you are in late October means more than anything. Early in the season, lines aren’t in sync. DBs get beat on double moves. By Week 8, the good teams look like machines. That’s why I let recent form sway me a little more as we get close to brackets.

Weekly Rhythm I Use

• Monday: Injury check, film from the weekend, quick SoS updates
• Wednesday: Weather peek, travel notes, referee crew tendencies (yes, I care)
• Friday night: Live notes, drive charts
• Saturday morning: Coffee, cut-ups, revise tiers

Helpful Resources I Actually Use

For official rules, classifications, and bracket formats, I check the KSHSAA website. And for metro coverage, game recaps, and those little nuggets you won’t find on a box score, I peek at the Kansas City Star high school sports page. If you’re new here and wonder who the heck I am, my about us page gives the longer version, including how I grade film and why I care about field position like a maniac.

What Doesn’t Move My Needle (Much)

• Seven-on-seven dominance in June. Great tan. Doesn’t mean you can pick up A-gap pressure in November.
• One huge stat game vs. a thin roster. I’ll write it down, sure. But it’s a pencil note, not a pen one.
• Message board chest-thumping. Fun read. Zero ranking value.

How I Compare Teams Across Classes Without Losing My Mind

I don’t do the whole “who would win, 3A champ or 5A runner-up” debate. Apples and anvils. What I do is a loose composite: efficiency, trench strength, special teams edge, and coaching adjustments. If a smaller-class team is elite in all three, I’ll say they’re “statewide top-tier good”—and then everyone fights in the comments, which is half the fun.

Travel and Weather: The Equalizers

There’s a reason I nudge road warriors. Play a Thursday road game in wind, get home at 1 a.m., and then tell me your kids weren’t gassed on Tuesday practice. Kansas wind doesn’t care about your slant game. Learn to love inside zone and punt coverage.

Coaching Changes and Why They Matter More Than You Think

New staff? New OC? I’m patient for a month. After that, I want to see identity. Are you a wide zone team? Gap? RPO? If I don’t know after Week 5, your ranking ceiling is capped. Stability wins. That’s why programs like Mill Valley, Derby, Miege, Andale—cohesion sticks to them like mud on cleats.

Common Questions I Get From Parents (And I Still Answer Politely)

• “Why isn’t my son’s 200-yard game moving us up more?” Because it was against a team with 18 healthy varsity players. And your line was a foot taller across the board. Nice game, though. Truly.
• “Do private schools get favoritism?” Only if you consider watching clean guard play a bias. I reward execution. Anyone can earn it.
• “Why did we drop after a win?” Because you squeaked by a rebuilding team and the film showed leaks. Someone else earned a bump with a better win.
• “Can weather make you move a team up?” Yes. Win ugly in wind and rain on the road? I will absolutely move you up.
• “You ever change your mind?” All the time. That’s the job. New info beats old takes.

The “Numbers vs. Nuance” Balance

Look, I love data. I also know when to throw it in the back seat and drive with my eyes. A team that wins three straight one-score games against playoff teams has something you can’t spreadsheet—resolve, detail, belief. That shows up in November. That shows up in rankings too, when I’m being honest with myself.

How Brackets Sneak Into My Head

Yes, I know we say rankings are independent of the bracket. They’re not. If your path to the sub-state looks like a war zone while someone else is lined up with first-year starters, I’m going to adjust tiers after Week 7. Not because I’m picking favorites, but because depth and cumulative bruises are real.

Random Notes From the Sideline Notebook

• If your punt coverage gives up the edge once, I’m watching you the rest of the night.
• DBs who take smart angles get my soft spot. One broken angle = six points.
• QBs who throw the ball away on 2nd and 10 instead of forcing it? Chef’s kiss. Rankings bump.
• Teams that win the middle eight (last 4 minutes of first half, first 4 minutes of second) scare me—in a good way.

What I Think About the Big-Name Programs

Every year, certain names anchor the conversation. Manhattan looks like a clinic when the defense is humming. Derby’s offense, when balanced, makes DCs wake up at 3 a.m. Mill Valley’s program build is a case study in sustained excellence. Bishop Miege is… well, Bishop Miege. Andale’s streak years were no accident; the standard is the standard. You don’t have to love any of them. But you have to respect the way they keep winning the small things.

Why Your Team Moved (or Didn’t) Last Week

People ask me for the postmortem every Saturday. Here’s my short list of movers and stallers:

• Moved up: Road win vs. a top-tier opponent with a positive turnover margin
• Moved sideways: Beat an average team but looked leaky on special teams
• Moved down: Barely beat a rebuilding roster or played sloppy football (penalties, blown assignments)

Do I Care About Offers? A Little. Not a Lot.

I watch recruiting because talent matters, and it’s cool when a Kansas kid signs with K-State or KU. But offers don’t change a team’s red zone package. One superstar without line help just gets hit more. The teams I bump late have depth. A second guard who can pull. A backup safety who actually tackles.

Quick “Before You Yell” Checklist

• Did your team play anyone good yet?
• Did you win on the road?
• Did you protect the ball?
• Is your kickoff team giving me heartburn?
• Did your coaching staff adjust after halftime?

A Word About The Official Stuff

If you want the hard rules, enrollment lines, and playoff formats, go straight to the source at KSHSAA. If you want a history refresher on what the association is and does, the KSHSAA overview page is a solid explainer. Then come back here and we’ll argue about bubble screens like reasonable people.

Why I Keep Doing This (Besides the Stadium Nachos)

Because it’s fun. Because I’ve got old notebooks full of drive charts and dumb drawings of counter trey. Because a crisp Friday with a decent wind and a crowd that won’t sit down is still the best show in the state. And because, whether you like my list or not, we’re all talking about the same thing: who’s ready when the lights get bright.

A Gentle Reminder About the Word Everyone Stresses Over

I’m not pretending my lists are the only truth. They’re my view. With film. With a little math. With a little sarcasm, sure. If you trust them, cool. If you don’t, also cool. I’ll still be at the next game with a pen and a hoodie.

FAQs

• Do blowouts always mean a team is elite? No. Sometimes it means the other side is rebuilding. I look at who you beat and how you did it.
• How much does weather matter in rankings? A lot. Wind and rain change everything. Road wins in bad weather are gold stars.
• Can a team move up after a loss? Yep. If you go toe-to-toe with a top-tier squad on the road and play clean, I’ll give credit.
• Why is special teams such a big deal for you? Hidden yards decide playoff games. Field position is free points if you handle it.
• Do you ever post your full method? Pieces of it, yes. Check my about us for how I grade film and chart drives.

Anyway, I’ve got three cut-ups to watch and a note to remind me to re-check the left guard from Hutch. I’ll circle back after Friday. If you’re still mad about kansas high school football rankings, bring your notes and a donut. I’ll bring the pen.

Daniel Moore

I’m Daniel Moore, and I live for the thrill of the game. Get energetic live commentary, detailed match analysis, data-backed betting predictions, and official team rankings right here.