Decade Statistical Analysis

The 2009 football season will mark the last season of football in the decade of the 2000s. Alot has taken place in the Sunflower League the past 9 years (and alot will probably happen in this final season of the decade). So, why not take a look at some statistical analysis of each program over the decade, with a little bit of my own analysis mixed in?

Let's first begin by analyzing each program's win-loss record and winning percentage during the decade. One interesting thing to note is that great desparity between the top teams in the league, and then the 5 or so teams that have hovered around .500 for the past nine seasons. Starting with the top three teams...

1. Olathe North, 87-19 (.820)

2. Olathe East, 75-22 (.773)

3. Olathe South, 57-35 (.619)

Not surprisingly, the top three teams so far (in terms of winning) come from Olathe during the decade. Gene Wier (above) coached Olathe North to a 37-0 record during the 2000s before he departed to be the head coach at Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas in 2003.

4. Lawrence, 54-39 (.580)

5. SM West, 53-38 (.582)

6. Lawrence Free State, 52-42 (.553)

SM West wedges themselves between LHS and Free State in the grouping of 4-6. SM West had only won 7 games from 2000-2002. Since the arrival of head coach Tim Callaghan, the Vikings have won 46 games in six years, by far the biggest turn around of any team during the decade.

7. SM Northwest, 44-43 (.505)

8. SM North, 37-48 (.435)

9. SM East, 35-53 (.398)

Three Shawnee Mission schools round out the 7, 8, and 9 spots. Player like Bryce Atagi (ballcarrier, right) have helped the Cougars keep a record just about .500 for the decade.

10. SM South, 25-61 (.291)

11. Olathe Northwest*, 13-33 (.283)

12. Leavenworth, 11-70 (.135)

The bottom three inlcude three teams that have been perennially poor in football over the past decade. * Olathe Northwest has only been around since 2004, so their win and loss total are skewed, however, their win percentage shows that they have still been second to the last in the league since their inception.

Now to playoff and league results:

State Championships:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)

State Championship Runner-Ups:
Olathe North (2004), Olathe South (2004, 2007), Olathe East (2005), SM West (2006), Lawrence Free State (2008)

State Semifinal Appearences:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), Olathe East (2002, 2005), Olathe South (2004, 2007), SM West (2004, 2006), Lawrence Free State (2006, 2008), Lawrence (2005), SM North (2000), SM East (2001)

Sunflower League Championships*:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), Olathe East (2003, 2005, 2008), SM West (2005, 2006, 2008), Olathe South (2001), Lawrence Free State (2006), SM North (2000), SM Northwest (2007)

*There were ties for the Sunflower League Championships in '00, '01, '05, '06, and '08.

After totalling the statistics, and accolades, it is clear that Olathe North (despite rough patches since the departure of Gene Weir) will be the team of the decade when the dust clears after the 2009 season. The Eagles four state championships from '00-'03 (Maurice Mack, left #24, sheds tears with his teammates following the Eagle's state championship victory in 2001) are four more than any other team the past decade (no Sunflower League team has won a title since 2003). The program's 87 wins are also 12 more than the second place team, Olathe East...

Olathe East will hold the #2 spot overall for the decade, as they have 18 more wins that third place Olathe South. The Hawks have won three Sunflower League Championships, made two state semifinal appearences, and one title game appearence in 2005.

Places #3 through #6 could make for some interesting outcomes. Olathe South has 57 wins, Lawrence has 54, SM West 53, and Lawrence Free State 52. With those four teams as close as they are in the race, the team that finished 2009 with the most wins will more than likely take the #3 overall wins spot for the decade.

Early Simone Award Favorites

The football season is slowly creeping up, with a mere 10 weeks remaining until opening kickoffs around the nation. And while 10 weeks is still a good chunk of time, it is never too early to start talking about the potential Simone Award winners. Let my start be giving a little information on the the Simone Award...

The History

Originally, the award for the best high school football player in the Kansas City metropolitan area was the D.M. Nigro Award. The award was given annually from 1931 until 1975 (the year of D.M. Nigro's death). Following Nigro's death, no top player award was handed out from the years of 1975 to 1982.

In April of 1983, Tommy Simone, a 12 year old from the Northland was stuck and killed by a police car that was responding to a distress call. Tommy was known an ultimate competitor, and his death left the community in shock. To honor Tommy, his parents came up with the idea of reinstating the annual award for the best high school football player in Kansas City, hence the arrival of the Simone Award.

The Simone Award has been given annually since 1983. The final verdict on the winner of the award is made up of votes casted by members of the Greater Kansas City Coaches Football Association and select members of the local media. By maintaing the elite prestigous of the Simone Award on a yearly basis, the memory of Tommy Simone has been enshrined in Kansas City history.

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Past Winners

Perhaps the more recent and most intriguing of the winners include NFL players the likes of Ladell Betts (1996), Darren Sproles (2000), Chase Coffman (2004), and Josh Freeman (2006). But the most interesting thing about many of the winners that haven't gone on to the NFL is the lives they lead after their Simone days, that don't necessarily involve the stardom they received in high school.

Josh Brewer (1997) and Michael Keenan (2003) went on to join the Armed Forces after deciding that serving their country was of the very high importance in their lives. Some, like Jason Thoren (1993) have decided the coaching route is the best option (Thoren serves as the defensive coordinator at Baker University). Others, like Arland Bruce (1995) have even headed North of the border to reach their peak (Bruce stars in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Arganauts).

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Early Favorites for the 2009 Simone Award

Anthony Abenoja, Quarterback, Blue Valley:

Can Abenoja joins the likes of past past Blue Valley Simone winners Andy Murray (1991) and Zach Rampy (2006)? That is the one of the bigger questions facing Abenoja as he enters his third year as the starting quarterback for the Blue Valley Tigers, one of the more prestigious football programs in the state.

Abenoja led Blue Valley to the 6A Sub-State game last season, where they fell to Lawrence Free State 14-7. Abenoja played his worst game of the season against Free State, and likely that failure will drive him to have an excellent senior season with few let downs. With good size (6'2" 190) and a great offense to run, Abenoja will have an explosive senior season.

Sal Belfonte, Running Back/Linebacker, Rockhurst:

The last Belfonte that was in position to win a Simone was Sal's older brother, DJ, who graduated in 2006. DJ was Mr. Everything on the football field for Rockhurst and looked primed to win the Simone until a devastating season ending injury took him out of play during the 2005 season. It is now Sal's turn at the award.

After losing leaders Nathan Scheelhaase and Keith Langtry to graduation, the eyes of everyone on the Rockhurst roster will be on Belftonte. I'm guessing he will be up for the challenge. Belfonte is an explosive player (4.5 forty) with a physicallity that you usually don't see in anyone weighing under 300 pounds. Belfonte will receive as much exposure as any of the players on this short list, due to that fact that he plays for Rockhurst, arguably the most prestigious high school football school in KC.














Camren Torneden, Quarterback, Lawrence Free State:

Camren Torneden is the most explosive football player I have seen in the Sunflower Conference since Darren Sproles. There, I said it. Not buying it? Check out Torneden's highlights here. Might I add, if Torneden was 6 foot tall (as opposed to 5'7") he would be getting as much D1 attention as anyone in the state. He is just that explosive...but his height is what seems to be scaring the D1 colleges away from giving him offers.

I fully expect Torneden to be as elusive and dominant as he was last season (1,362 rushing yards and 1,042 passing yards in 11 starts). Torneden will put up the numbers, its just a matter of whether or not Lawrence Free State does well enough for him to receive alot of attention locally in the KC Metro. Keep in mind, only one player from the city has even won the Simone Award, and that was Jason Thoren of Lawrence High School in 1994.














Justin McCay, Wide Receiver, Bishop Miege:

Justin McCay has gained ALOT of attention in just this past off-season. Offers from big time schools the likes of Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Florida State, Georgia, among others, will do that. McCay is currently ranked by Rivals.com as the 31st best player in the nation for the Class of 2010. The KC Metro has not had a player ranked as highly as McCay in years.

For those very reasons, McCay will have a microscope on him the size of Johnson County. Every game of his will be analyzed by critics, scouts, and the media. If he performs well, everything will be gravy for the 6'3" 200 pound stud. If he doesn't put up the biggest numbers, the critcs will be out in droves...but, I tend to think McCay will have a pretty dominant senior season--and I feel he will outperform his numbers of last year.













Keeston Terry, Wide Receiver, Blue Springs:

Terry may by the Darkhorse in the running for the Simone, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the credentials to potentially take the award. First off, he plays at Missouri Class 6A powerhouse, Blue Springs High School. Secondly, his coach, Kelly Donahue, is as good as any in the metro at putting the ball in his playmakers hands (Kevin Zey, Darius Hill, and Carlos Anderson come to mind). And finally, Terry has committed to play at the University of Nebraska. This pledge of his will draw even more attention from locals, and his label as a "D1" player will attract quite a bit of attention on its own.

Terry will definately have his opportunities to show his skills this season. With games against Rockhurst and Blue Springs South, it is almost a guarantee that he and Blue Springs will have many appearences on the Metro Sports, HyVee High School Game of the Week. Terry will get the pub he needs, it will just be a matter of him coming through and establishing himself as the most dominant receiver and defensive back in the city.














James Franklin, Running Back, Olathe North:

Franklin is the next big back in the storied history of Olathe North football. Will he live up to the levels of his predecessors who won the Simone (Arland Bruce '95, Darren Sproles '00, Maurice Mack '01, Jim Bouknight '02)? That seems to be one of the bigger questions flowing around the preseason talk of the Sunflower League.

One thing that is intersting to note: Franklin was the only player on this list that was invited to the Simone ceremonies as a junior, meaning as a junior Franklin was in the top four of the Simone voting. What this tells me is that as long as Franklin produces like he did last season, he won't be losing any votes on the Simone campaign. He only has votes to gain in his senior season. After ending the 2008 season on a tear of 200 yard rushing games, it looks like Franklin will be back for blood again in 2009, as hungry as ever.

Players to Watch in 2009: Lucas Vincent

Name: Lucas Vincent
School: Olathe North
Year: Senior
Position(s): Defensive line
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 270 lbs.
Notes: Vincent(far right) will go into the 2009 season with perhaps bigger expectations than any other player in the Sunflower League. Lucas committed to Missouri in April, but not before he had received offers from Nebraska, Kansas State, Kansas, Wisconsin, and San Diego State.
As a junior in 2008, Vincent teamed up with fellow defensive lineman Kevin Young on one of the most stifling defensive fronts in the state. Vincent totalled nine sacks and collected over 40 tackles and was named First Team All-Sunflower League.
What makes Vincent so special as a defensive lineman? Perhaps it has do with his oustanding abilities on the wrestling mat. As a sophomore in 2008, Vincent took second place in 6A at state in the 285+ pound weight division. This past year, Vincent took the 6A title in the 285+ pound weight division.


Photo Courtesy Scout.com

Missouri defeats Kansas 10-7 in GCKFCA Game

**The Missouri All-Stars got the better of those from Kansas in what turned out to be a defensive slugfest Thursday night at Blue Springs South High School. The Missouri squad won the game, 10-7, with the help of a few timely turnovers.

The Kansas team fumbled the ball away in the first quarter on a promising drive, to which the Missouri squad responded with a few big plays, before Missouri All-State Dalton Krysa scored on a one yard touchdown run. The score put the Missouri squad up 7-0.

Late in the third quarter the Missouri squad generated a 21 yard field goal from Matt Slenker to push the score to 10-0. The Kansas squad was never able to overcome that lead, despite adding a touchdown on a 76 yard Jeremy Walker run late in the fourth quarter to draw the game to what would be the final score, 10-7.

With the victory, the Missouri notched their seventh victory in the series. Kansas still leads 10-7 all time in the game.

**The Dave Bassore Man of the Year Award, honoring the late Olathe North head football coach, was awarded to Kevin Kopecky of St. Thomas Aquinas from Kansas, and Dan Stanley from Wesport High in Missouri.

2009 GKCFCA Metro Classic

**The annual matchup pitting Kansas City's top graduated seniors from Kansas against those from Missouri will be held tomorrow--June 18th--at 7 p.m. at Blue Springs South High School. The game has been played since 1992, with Kansas holding the series lead 10-6.

**SM West's head coach, Tim Callaghan, will be the head coach of the Kansas team. The Missouri team will be coached by Hogan Prep's head man, Phil Lascuola.

**The Kansas team boasts star players such as Javon Williams, Derahn Williams, Jake Woten, Doug Peete, Justin Scott, Luke Rampy, Marcus Webb (top right), and Darion Hillman.

**Past GKCFCA Metro Classic Game winners:

2008: Kansas, 20-9
2007: Kansas, 6-3
2006: Missouri, 21-7
2005: Missouri, 38-15
2004: Missouri, 20-0
2003: Missouri, 3-0 (Game cancelled due to lightning)
2002: Missouri, 28-14
2001: Kansas, 24-7
2000: Kansas, 19-14
1999: Kansas, 21-20 (2OT)
1998: Kansas, 19-10
1997: Kansas, 20-0
1996: Missouri, 13-10
1995: Kansas, 31-17
1994: Missouri, 10-2
1993: Kansas, 17-2
1992: Kansas, 41-12


Photo Courtesy KC Star

Players to Watch in 2009: Arthur Rucker

Name: Arthur Rucker

School: SM North

Year: Senior

Position(s): Quarterback

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 190 lbs.

Notes: Rucker has been one of the few bright spots for the SM North football program over the past few seasons. In fact, the Indians progression from a record of 1-8 in 2007, to 3-6 in 2008 can be heavily attributed to Rucker.

A a sophomore in 2007 Rucker was thrown into the fire as the starting quarterback. Rucker and SM North did little to impress during the season, winning just one game--only their fourth victory in three seasons. The 2008 campaign, however, had a slightly different tone to it.

After dropping a nail biter to Lawrence 10-3 in the opening game of the season, SM North shutout Olathe Northwest 14-0 in the second game of the season with the help of two touchdown passes of 10, and 32 yards from Rucker. Rucker helped SM North to win two of the team's following four games, before the team hit a rough patch and lost its final three games. Regardless, the 2008 season was definately a plus in terms of Rucker's development as the team leader.

With good size, a decent forty (4.7) and two years of experience under his belt, Rucker has the potential to raise some eyebrows this upcoming season. If anything he can help return SM North to a sub .500 record, something the program hasn't enjoyed since the 2004 season.

Photo Courtesy Shawnee-Dispatch

Players to Watch in 2009: Tre Walker

Name: Tre Walker

School: Olathe North
Year: Senior

Position(s): Linebacker

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 205 lbs.

Notes: Walker's commitment to Kansas State in April came as quite a surprise on the recruiting scene. Not because Walker lacked ability (4.6 forty) or accolades (honorable mention All-Sunflower Conference in 2008), but because Walker had been a relative unknown on the metro football scene to that point in time. As a junior in 2008, Walker was an overshawdowed member of an Olathe North defense that featured players such as Doug Peete, Kevin Young, and Lucas Vincent.

Walker got his break in early Spring when Kansas State head coach and legend Bill Snyder offered Walker a scholarship, to which Walker promptly accepted, making Walker the second member of Kansas State's 2010 recruiting class. Soon after the commitment interest in the linebacker began to grow even more and he started receiving heavy attention from schools the likes of Nebraska, Alabama, UCLA, Kansas and Oklahoma. Walker is currently listed as a "soft verbal" to Kansas State, meaning he is shopping around his choices for college, but still plans to attend Kansas State in the end.

Walker has the potential to have a break-out season in 2009 now that the Olathe North defense will essentially be he and Lucas Vincent's to guide. One interesting thing to keep an eye on is how Walker handles the added pressure of being a Kansas State commit in an area with a very strong Kansas State alumni base.

Players to Watch in 2009: Aaron Johnson

Name: Aaron Johnson
School: Olathe East
Year: Senior
Position(s): Defensive End, Tight End
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Notes: After losing a strong senior class that included players such as Rick Settle, JaVon Williams, Derahn Williams and Jake Woten, Olathe East will be looking to replace quite a bit of talent on the field. Fortunately for the Hawks they do return Aaron Johnson, who should be a focal point for the team on both sides of the ball in 2009.
Johnson spent the 2008 season disrupting opposing offenses out of his rush defensive end position. His raw combination of speed, size, and athleticism made him a headache for opposing coaches, and he ended up taking home First Team All-Sunflower League honors in 2008. Johnson should have repeat results in 2009, but he will also have the task of leading what appears to a young and unproven Olathe East squad. The Hawks have been extremely dominant since the 2002 season, and for that to continue in 2009 it is a must that Johnson steps up to lead the team.

Photo Courtesy Smith, OEhawksfootball.com

Players to Watch in 2009: Oliver Venegas

Name: Oliver Venegas

School: Olathe North

Year: Senior

Position(s): Offensive Line

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 260 lbs.

Notes: Venegas (bottom right) is arguably the Sunflower League's top returning hog-molly for the 2009 campaign. As a junior, Venegas was the anchor of an Olathe North offensive line that helped the Eagles rush for 3,107 yards, and total 3,927 yards of offense on the season. For his efforts he was named First Team All-Sunflower League in addition to being the only junior offensive lineman on the KC Star's All-Metro team.

Venegas, along with fellow senior Zach Maggard, will be anchoring what could be the league's top offensive line unit in 2009. Combine that unit with the Eagle's running back James Franklin, and it should make for a pretty explosive run game for Olathe North in 2009.

Photo Courtesy KC Star

Book Review: When the Game Stands Tall by Neil Hayes

I spent the past few weeks reading the book When the Game Stands Tall by Neil Hayes, and I have to say it ranks up there with the top sports books I have ever read. Unfamiliar with the book? No worries, I was too. Fortunately I ran across the book on Amazon.com, and read some reviews that really raved about it. I decided to order the book and I couldn't have been more impressed.

When the Game Stands Tall covers the 2002 De La Salle football season. De La Salle is a private, all-boys Catholic high school located in Concord, California. As many of you may be aware, De La Salle holds the all-time record for consecutive wins in high school football. From 1992 through 2003 the team won 151 straight games, including 12 CIF Titles.

The book interlaces the journey of the 2002 season with the history of Bay Area high school football. If you are a fan of the book Friday Night Lights (another book I highly recommend), you will be sure to love When the Game Stands Tall--both books do a great job of relating the history and culture of the region to the acutal high school football teams themselves.

The De La Salle football program boasts alumni such as DJ Williams (Denver Broncos), Maurice Jones-Drew (book cover, Jacksonville Jaguars), Amani Toomer (New York Giants) and many others. Yet, its the work of the supporting cast of players, the players who aren't superstars, which truly defines the prestigious program.

The 2002 De La Salle team lacked starpower, size, speed, and just about every other intangible skill that previous De La Salle team's had taken for granted. Despite the challenges, mythical head coach Bob Ladouceur kept the team as close-knit as ever, and helped the group to battle through the challenging 2002 season, continuing The Streak.

When the Game Stands Tall goes in depth about the methods used by Ladouceur in keeping The Streak alive, and his methods for building up a team greater than the sum of its parts. One of the things I found most interesting was that Ladouceur (a 5-time USA Today high school Football Coach of the Year) never gives a pre-game speech to his team. Its his belief that his teams get mentally prepared and ready to go the night before the game, and need no further prodding come gametime.

Another interesting tid-bit is that Ladouceur requires his players to make a commitment card each week, with each player listing something they will do during the week in the weight room, on the practice field, and during the game. Each player works towards the goals on the card during the week, and the night before the game the players all dedicate the card and their effort to another player on the team. The player who receives the card is to make sure the player whose card they received actually completes the goals on the card.

Ladouceur credits the majority of his success on this system. He believes it creates a system in which his players have enormous camaraderie with eachother, and also work harder so as to not let each other down. With a career 343-22-1 record, its hard to argue his system of success.

If you're looking for a book on sports, life lessons, goals, or just an intriguing novel, you can't go wrong with When the Game Stands Tall. I would recommend it to anybody, especially if you are a fan of high school football.

Players to Watch in 2009: Camren Torneden

Name: Camren Torneden

School: Lawrence Free State
Year: Senior

Position(s): Quarterback, Defensive Back

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 165 lbs.

Notes: In my opinion, Torneden was the obvious choice as the MVP of the Sunflower League in 2008, his junior season at Lawrence Free State. After starting the season playing cornerback and getting spot duties on offense as a receiver, Torneden was shifted to the quarterback position to make up for injuries to the Firebirds top two quarterbacks. The position shift may go down as the the best shift Free State head coach Bob Lisher has made during his tenure at the school.

Torneden exploded in Free State's zone-read offense after taking the reigns at quarterback. He made up for his lack of size with his speed (4.47 forty) and agility. Teaming with All-Conference running back Chucky Hunter, Torneden rushed for 1,362 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the passing game, Torneden's numbers were just as oustanding, as he passed for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns (so much for not being able to see over the line). Torneden was also one of the league's top threats in the return game.

As the chief signal caller Torneden led Free State to arguably the school's best season ever, helping advance the team to the Class 6A State Championship. The Firebirds fell short in the title game to Junction City, but the 9-4 State Runner-Up season was much better than what most had predicted in the preseason. Torneden's emergence at the quarterback position added a new dimension to Free State in 2008, a dimension most teams were unable to keep up with. Assuming he stays healthy, Torneden should lead what looks to be a very talented Lawrence Free State team, compete for the title of the top player in the league, and potentially win the Simone Award in 2009.

Photo Courtesy LJworld.com