The Dog Days

We've now officially reached the point of summer in which there is not a whole lot happening. For most teams, weights and conditioning are winding down and players are getting a few weeks off before the start of the grueling season. Things will heat up again around mid-August. In the meantime I will try to post everything I can find or come up with (but I can't make any promises on how much there will be to post in the next few weeks).

**Just to review, I released my Pre-Season Sunflower League Power Rankings several weeks ago. They are as follows:

1. Olathe North
2. Lawrence Free State
3. SM West
4. Olathe East
5. Lawrence
6. SM Northwest
7. Olathe South
8. SM East
9. Olathe Northwest
10. SM North
11. SM South
12. Leavenworth

Keep in mind, these power rankings are subject to change on a week to week basis.

Other News and Notes

**The early outlook is that the Sunflower League has two viable Simone Award candidates in 2009--running back James Franklin of Olathe North, and quarterback Camren Torneden of Lawrence Free State. No player in the Sunflower League has won the award since Jim Bouknight of Olathe North claimed it in 2002.

**Lawrence Free State and Lawrence will both be playing at their own new stadiums starting this season. Construction of both stadiums is well underway, and both projects are supposed to be completed by middle August. Both stadiums feature personalized turf fields, full locker rooms, meeting rooms, and potentially coaches offices. The stadiums are both located on the campus of their respective school as well. An anonymous gift of $400,000 last week substantially helped out the renovations.