Game-by-game analysis of 2023 Newton schedule
Discover more from Railer Report
Game-by-game analysis of 2023 Newton schedule
Facts/figures about — and breakdowns of — all eight regular-season matchups for the Railers.
As summer hits its stride, schedules for the upcoming high school football season are being announced by programs across Kansas, including the second campaign for the Newton Railers under head coach Greg Slade.
Fresh off a 3-6 mark in 2022, Newton will have another go at the same slate of opponents this fall, opening the season with visits to Valley Center and Hutchinson. The Railers then open their home slate with back-to-back dates with Maize and Maize South at Fischer Field Stadium, while weeks five and six see them back on the road to Arkansas City and Salina South.
Newton will host Haysville-Campus for Senior Night before capping the regular season with a showdown at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita against Derby. Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of everything Railer fans should know about every Friday night from Sep. 1 through Oct. 20:
Week 1 | Newton at Valley Center
Kickoff: Sep. 1 at 7 p.m.
Location: Valley Center Middle School (20 miles/23 minutes)
Facts and figures
Newton is 2-4 overall and 0-2 on the road against Valley Center since 2013, and in that pair of road games, the Railers were defeated 35-14 (2015) and 21-0 (2016). … This contest will mark the 34th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1985. … In 2022, the Hornets defeated Newton, 21-17.
Analysis
Last season, Newton and Valley Center saw their respective fortunes go in opposite directions. The Railers went 3-6 with a first-round playoff loss and the Hornets survived until the second round to tally a 7-3 record. However, that wasn’t immediately easy to foresee given how tightly contested this matchup was a year ago.
Valley Center won by just four at Fischer Field Stadium. This time around, it feels like so much more — a season’s worth of success, potentially — is at stake for Newton. The weight being placed on this game is warranted as it isn’t too often a team gets a formidable litmus test to open its head coach’s second season with the program.
Week 2 | Newton at Hutchinson
Kickoff: Sep. 8 at 7 p.m.
Location: Gowans Stadium at Hutch Comm. College (35 miles/39 minutes)
Facts and figures
Newton is 2-8 overall and 1-4 on the road against Hutch since 2013, with that lone road win for the Railers coming in 2019 (24-21). … This contest will mark the 76th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1944. … In 2022, the Salthawks defeated Newton, 32-27.
Analysis
Two consecutive road games in the first two weeks of action is a tough draw for any team. Here, Newton will get a crack at seeing a different outcome against a historic rival they lost to by single digits last season. Hutch escaped with a narrow five-point victory on the road and sank the Railers into an 0-2 hole they were never able to climb out of.
Newton quarterback Colby Gomez had an outing to remember in that loss, throwing for 287 yards and a touchdown on 20 completions in 34 attempts. The Railers will be far more run-heavy this time around — that much is certain given Newton’s offensive resurgence in the second half of 2022 — but could feature a more diverse gamplan that found success before. Plus… Gowans Stadium is no stranger to Newton-Hutch classics. 2019, anyone?
Photo by Sandra J. Milburn/HutchNews; Video via @doctorkoontz/Twitter
Week 3 | Maize at Newton
Kickoff: Sep. 15 at 7 p.m.
Location: Fischer Field Stadium in Newton (Little Railer Cheer/Jr. Railer Night)
Facts and figures
Newton is 0-10 overall and 0-4 at home against Maize since 2013, with the closest matchup being a 42-41 overtime thriller in 2014. … This contest will mark the 19th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1992. … In 2022, the Eagles defeated the Railers, 49-0.
Analysis
Speaking of Newton’s run-heavy attack, it’s safe to assume the output from the Railers on offense will outdo what it was a year ago. Slade’s group amassed just 33 yards (excluding penalties) in a blowout road loss to Maize. Perhaps opening the home slate against the Eagles will give them a jumpstart.
Defensively, Avery Johnson is in Manhattan and preparing for his first Big 12 campaign, so Newton won’t have to deal with him again. Still, slowing the extremely athletic Eagles down will be a tall task. Putting together a strong outing before a far more winnable matchup the following week is the best (realistic) scenario.
Week 4 | Maize South at Newton
Kickoff: Sep. 22 at 7 p.m.
Location: Fischer Field Stadium in Newton (Homecoming)
Facts and figures
Newton is 0-3 overall and 0-1 at home against Maize South since 2020, when the two schools met on the gridiron for the first time. … The Mavericks have never beaten the Railers by less than 20 points. … In 2022, Maize South defeated Newton, 34-14.
Analysis
Sure, the numbers might seem doom-and-gloom for Newton in its homecoming showdown at Athletic Park. However, there are ample reasons for optimism that this season’s edition of a young series will be more competitive than its predecessors. The Railers will — finally — get to play Maize South at home after a two-year hiatus.
Mirroring 2022, this matchup kicks off a massive four-game stretch for Newton. An upset over the Mavericks and wins over the same teams as a year ago guarantees a .500 season, which the Railers haven’t had since 2013. Assuming they beat Valley Center in the opener? Newton hasn’t had a winning campaign since 2009. This could be a big one.
Week 5 | Newton at Arkansas City
Kickoff: Sep. 29 at 7 p.m.
Location: Arkansas City High School (81 miles/1 hour, 26 minutes)
Facts and figures
Newton is 3-2 overall and 0-2 on the road against Arkansas City since 2013, with the average margin of defeat in those losses being 18.5 points. … This contest will mark the 72nd meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1944. … In 2022, the Railers defeated the Bulldogs, 26-13.
Analysis
The recent scores between these two programs would deem Newton the favorite in this one — the Railers have won the past two matchups with Ark City. This includes last year’s come-from-behind victory at Fischer Field Stadium, which saw the Bulldogs get outscored 26-6 in the second half. This should open the most comfortable on-field portion of Newton’s schedule.
Where Ark City can hang its hat is on the fact the Railers have historically struggled on this road trip. Newton is 0-2 in its last pair of tries down south. Overall, the Railers will do considerably more traveling than they did a season ago, with an hour-and-a-half venture here followed by an hour-long trip in the opposite direction the following week.
Week 6 | Newton at Salina South
Kickoff: Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
Location: Salina Central High School (61 miles/58 minutes)
Facts and figures
Newton is 3-5 overall and 1-3 on the road against Salina South since 2013, with the Railers winning the three most recent matchups. … This contest will mark the 21st meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1998. … In 2022, Newton defeated the Cougars, 45-14.
Analysis
Momentum is certainly on Newton’s side when it comes to Salina South as the Railers are riding a three-game winning streak over the Cougars that stretches back to 2020. As mentioned previously, this is the second leg of relatively far away games for Newton. Wins in both would be a testament to the group’s focus under Slade.
Salina South, just like Ark City, will be looking to change its fortunes against its AVCTL-I foe by banking on a 3-1 record at home against the Railers since 2013. The margin of defeat for the Cougars, though, has grown every season for the past three. Newton is expected take care of business before returning home for Senior Night.
Week 7 | Haysville-Campus at Newton
Kickoff: Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.
Location: Fischer Field Stadium in Newton (Senior Night/Middle School Band Night)
Facts and figures
Newton is 5-3 overall and 1-3 at home against Campus since 2013, with that lone win being a 48-7 blowout 10 years ago. … This contest will mark the 55th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1963. … In 2022, the Railers defeated the Colts, 42-6.
Analysis
If Newton hosting Campus for its Senior Night sounds familiar, that’s because the Railers welcomed the Colts to Athletic Park in 2021 and were promptly blown out, 31-10, against a team that all indicators said they were better than. Why mention this painstaking memory? Because it shows just how unpredictable this matchup has been in the past.
Newton returned the favor in Haysville the following season with a 36-point rout of Campus that was never competitive. Per their record at Fischer Field Stadium over the past 10 years, the Colts have made themselves at home against Newton on the road. However, this is the first time they’ll visit the Railers under the ex-Campus head coach.
Week 8 | Derby at Newton
Kickoff: Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
Location: Riverfront Stadium in Wichita (32 miles/33 minutes) (HOF Inductions)
Facts and figures
Newton is 0-7 against Derby since 2013, with the closest result being a 43-31 defeat in 2020. … This contest will mark the 55th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron since 1957. … In 2022, the Panthers defeated Newton, 49-20.
Analysis
For the first time ever, Newton and Derby will take the field at Riverfront Stadium, home of the Wichita Wind Surge minor league baseball team. It’s an incredible opportunity for players on both teams to play in a unique venue and for seniors to cap off their high school careers.
Now, the nitpicking: it could (for good reason) be irksome that Newton gave up a home game for this, especially given Riverfront Stadium’s proximity to Derby. In total, the Railers will play just three true home games in the regular season, which is a significant development for an eight-game schedule.
Regardless, it’s safe to assume the Newton and Derby faithful alike have Oct. 20 circled on their calendars. And while it’s shaping up to be a boom-or-bust season for the Railers, there aren’t many better ways to put a bow on it than this.
Brett is a Communication Arts major at Bethel College, Editor-in-Chief of The Bethel Collegian, and Newton (KS) High School football beat writer. You can reach him via email and follow him on Twitter.