Two unbeaten AVCTL-I powers meet Friday, Sept. 25, when Derby travels to Maize for a 7 p.m. kickoff that could reshape the conference title race.

Both teams enter at 3-0. Derby has outscored opponents 141-40 through three weeks. Maize has outscored its opponents 118-33. The Wichita Eagle projected Derby first and Maize second in the AVCTL Division I preseason standings, and neither team has given much reason to doubt those picks.

KWCH designated the game its Catch It Kansas game of the week.

Derby's offense has been relentless

The Panthers opened with a 45-21 win over Eisenhower on Sept. 4, then hammered Hutchinson 55-13 on Sept. 11 before rolling Campus 41-6 on Sept. 18. Derby's defense forced four turnovers in the Campus win, according to the Derby Informer.

Senior quarterback Blade Clark has been the engine. In the Hutchinson game alone, Clark went 6-of-11 for 102 yards and two touchdowns, according to the Derby Informer.

Senior Davon Morrison shifted from wide receiver to running back while starter Arieus Finley nursed a hamstring injury through the first two weeks. Morrison piled up 275 rushing yards and six touchdowns in those games. Finley, a South Dakota commit who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025, was expected to return for the Campus game on Sept. 18, though his game status has not been confirmed.

"In the summer, we saw a new level for him that we haven't seen before. … We are excited for him to come back," head coach Brandon Clark said of Finley on Sept. 15, ahead of the Campus game.

Maize has answered every early test

The Eagles opened with a 28-13 win over Andover Central on Sept. 4, crushed Salina South 48-6 on Sept. 11 and beat crosstown rival Maize South 42-14 on Sept. 18.

Maize's biggest preseason question was replacing graduated quarterback Brayden Myovela. Senior Colt Curry has answered it. In the Salina South blowout, Curry threw touchdown passes to Demarye Smith, Malachi Leichner and Ryder Zimmerman and added a 13-yard rushing score, according to the Wichita Eagle. Maize led 36-0 at halftime.

Senior receiver Pearce George, a second-team all-state pick in 2025 with 46 catches for over 700 yards and eight touchdowns, opened the Maize South game with a near-80-yard touchdown on the first play, Catch It Kansas reported.

On defense, senior linebacker Drake Blasi anchors the unit after earning first-team Class 6A all-state honors as a junior. Defensive linemen Josiah Cole and Isaac Lerma combined for seven sacks in 2025, and Cole helped force a turnover in the Salina South win.

Head coach Gary Guzman, in his 16th season leading the Eagles, told the Maize student publication on Sept. 2 that he expects his senior class to carry the program deep into the season.

The series has been a slugfest

The last five meetings have been split 3-2 in Derby's favor, but the margins tell the story. Maize won 52-51 in 2022. Derby won 42-41 in 2021. Last year, Maize shut out Derby in the second half for a 42-21 victory, according to the Derby Informer's fall sports guide. That was Derby's worst loss since 2021.

Both teams reached the Class 6A playoffs in 2025. Maize went 10-1 and won the AVCTL-I title before falling to eventual state champion Manhattan 55-31 in the sectional round. Derby went 8-4 and lost to Manhattan 38-7 in the sub-state round.

What's next

Friday's winner takes the early lead in the AVCTL-I race. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Maize. Derby's next game after the matchup is at Maize South on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.