By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

ELLIS -- In the summer, Ellis head coach Butch Hayes and his players discussed opening the season 4-0 before a big Week 5 contest against Smith Center.

"It was a big goal," junior running back Dylan Pfeifer said. "We thought we would have a better chance at this game (Smith Center) if we were going into it 4-0."

Ellis achieved its goal, winning its opening four games against Atwood-Rawlins County, Oakley, Osborne and Hoxie by a combined score of 104-34. They are 4-0 for the first time since at least 1984.

The Railers are one of nine undefeated squads left in the 52-team Class 2-1A classifications. In the Mid-Continent League, only Ellis and Smith Center haven't lost.

"We couldn't be happier with the start," Hayes said. "We have played some good football to get to this point. We are excited about this Friday. It is going to be a good one."

The two teams will match up Friday in Smith Center with Kansas prep history on the line in one of the most highly anticipated Class 2-1A games all season.

Ellis junior running back Gideon Fuchs said he has been looking forward to playing Redmen "since the day after last season's" game in Week 4.

Since a 62-0 loss to Smith Center, Ellis has won nine straight regular season games and 10 of 11 overall. A win Friday would halt Smith Center's 58-game winning streak and provide the Redmen with their first loss since 2004.

Ellis has posted a newspaper story about the Redmen's winning streak and run of four straight titles inside its weight room as motivation.

"I think right now, there are a lot of teams out there that want to end that streak that Smith Center has," Hayes said. "We are no different. It would be an exciting thing to do."

This season, Smith Center has been tested far more than its record-breaking 2007 season where the Redmen featured nine college football signees, set several state records and outscored opponents 844-20.

Led by senior offensive tackle Justin Nixon and junior halfback Colt Rogers (641 rushing yards), the Redmen have outscored their opponents 163-51 this fall, including a 22-20 win over Norton in Week 3. Phillipsburg also played Smith Center close last Friday.

"A lot of us watched film (Tuesday) night and they are not near the same team as they were, so we are going into this game thinking we know we can beat them," Pfeifer said. "But we just know that it is going to be tough and we are going to work harder than we have ever worked before, and I think we are doing that right now."

Ellis, 12-3 in the Hayes era, is off to its undefeated start because of a strong 3-5 defense, big offensive line and running the football.

"You have to be physical because Smith Center is one of the most physical teams that you will see, and you will notice that both Phillipsburg and Norton are both physical teams," Hayes said.

"It is going to be another physical matchup."

Pfeifer, who played some on JV last season and rushed for 145 yards, has emerged as one of the state's leading rushers.

He has rushed for at least 143 yards in all four games and has carried the ball 84 times for 680 yards and four touchdowns. Fuchs has chipped in with 248 yards and 7.3 yards per carry.

Senior quarterback Chase King, a returning starter, has thrown for 447 yards. He could pass more against Smith Center, a team that's allowed 3.6 yards per carry this season.

"Right now, our running game is going about as good as I have seen it since I have been here," Hayes said. "A lot has to do with our Pfeifer and Fuchs is running the ball, but our offensive line is just playing outstanding right now. ... We're basically doing just about everything we can do right."

The line, which includes senior Clay Barton, junior Matt Erbert, junior Jacob Begler, and sophomore Scott Fuller, is called "beastly" by Fuchs.

The group, coached by Craig Amrein, has created holes that Fuchs labeled "gigantic" and Pfeifer said "were big enough to put a truck through them." Overall, Ellis ranks 13th in scoring offense in Class 2-1A.

"Last game, there was a huge hole, I got through there, but it started closing down," Pfeifer said. "The line kept working and kept working and made some more holes."

Pfeifer also has run well. Before the season opener against Atwood, he was uncertain what he could accomplish in his first season as a varsity running back.

"I was really nervous for that game and then about second half of that game, I was getting pumped and I was thinking this is my chance," he said. "We've got this."

Pfeifer finished with 200 yards rushing and eclipsed his 2007 total in one game. The next week, he helped provide Oakley with its first regular season loss since 2004 in a 21-14 Railers victory. Fuchs called it "a big win" and the most impressive game Ellis has played this season.

"We all went in there thinking that we were going to win, but we all knew that it was going to be tough," Pfeifer said of Oakley. "It was a tough game, but I would have to stay that it was a big turning point. It gave us a lot more confidence."