Looking toward the schedules

Here’s an early look at some of the most interesting high school and college football matchups in late August and throughout September.

Pittsburg State at Northeastern State (Aug. 30)
The defending national champions open their season in Tahlequah, Okla., taking on the RiverHawks, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association newcomers. Pitt State opened its national championship season with a 34-7 win over Missouri Western in St. Joseph.

Pitt State returns All-American players Nate Dreiling, John Brown and Gus Toca and features several newcomers blending in with 12 returning players — six on each side of the ball — who started five or more games last season.

Northeastern State recently added a Oklahoma State transfer to its roster — senior left tackle Michael Bowie, measured at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds. Bowie was dismissed by Oklahoma State and becomes immediately eligible for Northeastern State. According to a Northeastern State press release, Bowie has been slated between the second and sixth rounds in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Pitt State owns a 13-12-2 series edge — first meeting Nov. 15, 1912 (Pitt State 69-7 win) and last meeting Nov. 28, 1987 (Pitt State 57-0). The Gorillas and the RiverHawks have only played once since 1970.

Southeast at Columbus, Frontenac at Riverton, Caney Valley at Girard (Aug. 30 / Aug. 31)
Columbus, a school with a long heritage in the Southeast Kansas League, makes its Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League football debut against Southeast, coached by second-year head man Clint Rider. Rider’s older brother, Aaron, works as an English teacher at Columbus Unified High School. Southeast and Columbus kick off a night before these other Week 1 games.

Former St. Mary’s Colgan and Pitt State standout Mark Smith makes his head coaching debut as Frontenac takes on Riverton at Wyatt P. Laughlin Field.

Both teams have 15 returning starters (8 offense, 7 defense Frontenac and 7 offense, 8 defense Riverton). The Raiders feature All-State all-purpose player Bryce Burdette and All-State offensive lineman Kylor McCartney and Riverton senior quarterback Greyson Spriggs guides head coach Derrick Rider’s spread offense. Frontenac defeated Riverton 21-6 last season, as the blitzing Raiders stifled the high-octane Rams.

The Bullpups of Caney Valley and the Trojans of Girard present two old-fashioned smash-mouth wishbone offense football teams — respectively coached by Criss Davis (son of legendary head coach Les Davis) and Leon Miller. This season opener at Frank Jameson Field could be the most physical high school football game of the year played in Crawford County.

Riverton at Girard (Sept. 7)
While Caney Valley and Girard pose a matchup between teams both favoring good old-fashioned smash-mouth hard-edged football, Riverton and Girard offer contrasting styles.

Once an injury to his throwing hand forced running quarterback Anthony Scholes to move to running back, Girard moved into a wishbone offense and worked it to perfection against the Rams during a 35-25 win last season for 382 rushing yards, a game-high 181 by Scholes.

Meanwhile, the Rams let senior quarterback Greyson Spriggs throw it around to receivers Dylan Weaver and Hunter Deckard, tight ends Nolan Wall and Jacob Qualls and running back Chandler Underhill.

Host Riverton and visitor Girard unofficially combined for 752 total yards and 545 rushing yards last year as Girard spoiled Riverton’s Homecoming.

Central Oklahoma at Pittsburg State (Sept. 8)
The new Mondoturf at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium makes its regular season debut, MIAA Network cameras broadcast the game on regional television and Pitt State enshrines its 25th anniversary Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame class — Ryan Keith, Wes Baker, B.J. McGivern, Maria (Guerrero) Murrison, Larry Garman, Homer Cole and Harry McDonald.

Pitt State and Central Oklahoma have met nine times with the Gorillas owning a 5-3-1 all-time edge and their 2008 meeting was the first one in 30 years. The Gorillas won three straight from 2008-2010 — 16-12 in 2008, 42-13 in 2009 and 31-20 in 2010. This will be the first meeting between the schools as both MIAA schools. Central Oklahoma won the first contest 13-0 in 1915.

Fort Scott at Pittsburg (Sept. 14)
Undoubtedly the central rivalry of the Southeast Kansas League, the Purple Dragons have won seven games in a row in the series, including a 27-14 win last year at Hutchinson Field that clinched an outright league title for Pittsburg, since both teams entered the game undefeated.

None of the players who scored a touchdown in the game last year return this year — Joe Wimmer, Jornell Fondren and Dillon O’Dell for Pittsburg and Jason Thorpe for Fort Scott.

The Purple Dragons have completed back-to-back undefeated runs through SEK League play and the Tigers have made back-to-back Class 4A state playoff appearances during the second reign of Bob Campbell as FSHS head coach. The SEK plays a full round-robin schedule for the first time since 1980 and expect Pittsburg and Fort Scott to be right in the middle of the dogfight.

Frontenac at St. Mary’s Colgan (Sept. 21)
Father (Colgan head coach Chuck Smith) and son (Frontenac head coach Mark Smith) coach against one another for the first time, lending even more dramatic interest to what has traditionally been one of the best rivalries in Kansas high school sports.

Frontenac last won against Colgan in football in 1997, making this gridiron rivalry onesided. However, Frontenac returns 15 starters (8 offense, 7 defense) and Colgan returns just one starter from its 11-1 team of last year.

The schools themselves have dramatically changed over time: the longtime small-school powers are now Class 4A (Frontenac) and Class 3A (Colgan) for the first time ever in football.

Kansas 22 will broadcast this Friday night game live from Hutchinson Field.

Colgan at Girard (Sept. 28)
Traditionally a season-opening game known as the Kickoff Classic, Girard and Colgan square off in Week 5 on Girard Homecoming. Girard last won a game against Colgan in 1999, 22-7.

CNC League coaches picked Colgan No. 1 in the preseason poll and Girard tied with Columbus for the No. 2 preseason selection.