2025 Week 5 (Kansas)

My plans were to see two games in Kansas. Centered around a single game on Saturday night in Johnson City. A place I had wanted to see a game at for quite some time. Located in southwest Kansas, it was on my list and that meant my Friday night game was just somewhere within driving distance.

So, I kept looking around. I could’ve seen a game in far Eastern Kansas and just had a really long drive before kickoff at 7pm. Or, head west. But there was limits. As I couldn’t get too far west by kickoff of most games. And I settled on a small school game about 45 minutes west of Great Bend.

In the small town of Rozel. Home of the six-man Pawnee Heights Tigers. They were hosting the Otis-Bison Cougars, about 40 miles north of Rozel. I got into town just before 6:30pm. And with homecoming situated. It was interesting see the game had free attendance and had a lively crowd.

I asked around if anyone knew the name of the field. Yet, as is common when I can’t find a name elsewhere online, no one at the field knew it either. So, with my general convention, it’s the town and field. As it literally is just a field in the town.

On the sideline, I had an official notice my camera and it appears they never deal with cameramen. Not just because he was explaining the rules for being on the sideline, but also that they were very wrong for the usual sideline schematics. Though at a six-man game with a single painted line, it’s more a judgement where to stand. But asking to be nearly five yards off the sideline is a bit much.

#29 – Pawnee Heights v. Otis-Bison

This game played out at a much slower pace than most six-man games. Though the hosts scored on a 23 yard pass under four minutes into the game. And a 7-0 lead. But then it was tied late in the first, on a 20-yard pass by Otis-Bison.

Foreshadowing as it may be, there’s a reason I’m marking the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, things started unraveling for Pawnee Heights. Aiden Ochs-Lohrey scored two touchdowns. First, on an 11-yard run to make it 13-7. And that seemed like the game would stagnate at a very close score.

Until it wasn’t.. Ochs-Lohrey’s second score was on a 10 yard reception with 1:11 left. Extending the lead to 20-7. Still in range, but definitely starting to feel the disparity between the two teams becoming apparent. A quick turnover, and a few plays gave Otis-Bison’s Travis Ross a chance for his second touchdown of the game, a 23 yard reception on the final play of the first half. Extending the lead to 26-7. And now the game felt out of hand.

At first, the Otis-Bison team congregated in the east endzone, before their coach instructed them to head to the school. A thunderstorm was passing by the town to the north. And just as the team started making their way across the field to the school, the lightning announcement was made.

Looking at the forecast, it was going to eventually hit Rozel. But until then, the lightning strikes were still too close to the town for the game to proceed. And they were not letting up. Without any rain, I too, made my way to the school and into the gymnasium. I had my two cameras and did not bring my rain protection. Thinking that these storms which were projected to stay north, would stay north. They did not.

As a group of a few dozen stayed in the school while many others had returned to their cars or just left. You could hear the one bus make its way around toward the school entrance. And word that the game was called final spread quickly. Despite the short drive and relatively close score, there was a less than optimal chance that there would ever be thirty minutes of lightning free skies to bring the teams back onto the field. So, one half of the game was all we would get. An official score. But half a game regardless. 26-7 to the visitors.

Kansas 6-man Spotlight: Otis-Bison 27, Pawnee Heights 6 (PHOTO GALLERY)

I left the very stuffy gymnasium and through the corridor and outside. Cool, breezy, and sporadic lightning flashes in the darkened skies to the north. And a quick walk to my truck before any rain could fall on my cameras. Stopping in town for a phot of the City Hall building as well. Even with the long lightning delay, the game was official well under two hours.

So, I headed west to my stopping point in Garden City. First stopping at the Walmart, as I needed some sweet tea, and to also pick up some other snacks.

I slept in, and had lunch. Before heading out in the mid-afternoon toward Johnson City. Johnson City is on US160, which runs through the towns of Springfield and Walsh in Colorado. It’s where I had first seen Johnson City. Taking KS27 south one time to gather the western fringe counties of the state once. And then twice more recently taking US160 into Colorado. Stopping at games in Walsh and then in Springfield the next day. Seeing the field along the northside of town making me want to stop by again one day in the future.

And that would be Saturday.

Though Stanton County is a 1A school, and should be playing 11-man, they are transitioning to 8-man and playing a piecemeal schedule. Only their second game of the season after the previous week’s game was cancelled due to lack of officials. And only one more home game on the 2025 slate. This was both the home opener and homecoming. And like Pawnee Heights, a bank had covered the admission cost for fans.

Kansas, notably, has a strange timezone border. The far western counties of the state, the ones bordering Colorado, are in Mountain Time. While the rest of the state is Central. Except for the farthest northwest county (Cheyenne) and the two farthest southwest counties (Stanton County and Morton County). Which the three are in Central Time. Meaning if you drive north from Johnson City you would run into Mountain Time. And keep going north you’d run into Central time. And then one county later into Nebraska and be Mountain time once again. It makes for an interesting area.

This would be my first time seeing both teams. And first time finally seeing a game in Johnson City. Leaving Garden City, it was a short drive west along US400’s bypass of the city, and then, passed Deerfield, and turning south in Lakin on KS25 to Ulysses. From there, taking US160 west through a much more noticeably sparse traffic compared to US160 elsewhere in Kansas. There isn’t much pull for people to take US160 into southeast Colorado. As it runs along the border toward Trinidad. Where it travels north on I-25 to Walsenburg and then across the Rockies and two noteworthy passes and the Central Valley. Passing over North La Veta Pass, and west of the Central Valley, going over Wolf Creek Pass. One of the more treacherous passes in the country on a major two-lane US route.

#30 – Stanton County v. Deerfield

So, standing sideline, on the west sideline with the 10 Deerfield players, I was looking east at the Stanton County fans bathed in sun. Before the game, I had meandered around the floats that were parked in the southeast corner of the stadium grounds. And got something to drink, a gatorade, from the concessions. And asked around for the name of the field. The best name I was given was just “Stanton County Stadium”. Be that official or unofficial, it’s the only name I was given. As I did with Rozel, the city name and field, is my usual nomenclature when the field is unknown. At least here, someone–correct or not–gave me a name. And I decided it’s as good as any. Unlike Rozel’s field, this was a stadium.

Having finished the rest of the homecoming announcements and proclamations, including naming the queen, the game was finally ready to start just after 7 local. And it started with a bang. Stanton County easily ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

And almost returned the next kick to them except that was called back for a penalty. A second touchdown extended the lead to 16-0 due to the two two-point conversions.

But that’s when the injuries started. A rough hit on a tackle in the backfield send the ball carrier to the ground awkwardly where his head hit the side of his teammate’s leg. Making it very difficult for him to stand and to most armchair medical professionals, a concussion at the very least seemed obvious. After medical help arrived and assisted him off the field, the game continued. With just nine-players for Deerfield.

With 1:28 left in the first quarter, Stanton County scored their third, and what would be their last, touchdown of the game. And another Deerfield player laid injured by the endzone. With the ambulance gone, and waiting for another, the ending became obvious. With no additional substitute players, the Deerfield coaches made the decision to end the game prematurely. Quickly lining up for a handshake. With the player still on the field, both teams went to the endzone and formed a circle for a post-game prayer. And then parted ways. Getting the injured player off the field, while the home fans were announced that the planned halftime performance and homecoming events would still continue. Though, that was enough for me. Without the prospect of more game, I took some final photos, and headed for the exit.

Stanton County won an abbreviated finish, 22-0 just 10 minutes and 32 seconds into the game.

Kansas 8-Man Spotlight – Stanton County 22, Deerfield 0 in Injury Shortened Homecoming Game (PHOTO GALLERY)

I wasn’t expecting the game to be over so quickly. And I had planned to make it to Lamar by midnight. Now I was there well before, and stopped at Walmart once again. One of the few cheap places open. And bought food for dinner. As well as more sweet tea.

Overall, it was a fun, but confusing weekend. I had only seen just 30 minutes and 32 seconds of football. Between the two games. As 6-man games play 10-minute quarters. They were both official games. No cancellations or forfeits. Both teams mutually agreed to call them final.

My only disappointment being that I really wanted to see the sunset in Johnson City. As I could tell the sky was going to light up and yet the game was already over and nothing else left to photograph.

I also didn’t have a ton of photos from either game. But had made due with Pawnee Height having a whole half. While Stanton County and Deerfield had such few plays, I used a lot of the raw material to make a decent gallery of the three scores and not even full quarter of play.

ECONOMICS

For the weekend, I drove 318 miles overall between games. And spent just $46 for food. $14 at Casey’s, and $14 at Walmart on Friday night and $15 at Walmart on Saturday night. And $3 for gatorade at Stanton County.

I added four new teams and two new stadiums. Even if they were the briefest of games.