News and Notes

**On Wednesday, The Olathe News released their list of the Top 10 Teams on the Kansas side of the KC Metro. Here is what they had with the bylines of the Sunflower League teams below:

10. Blue Valley Northwest

9. Mill Valley

8. St. Thomas Aquinas

7. Bishop Miege

6. Olathe East

"It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from the Hawks, who graduated a ton of talent and return only two starters on each side of the football. Aaron Johnson is coach Jeff Meyers’ top returning player and East shared the Sunflower League crown a year ago but lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks will be driven by last year’s early exit." - The Olathe News

5. SM West

"The other Sunflower League co-champion along with Olathe East, the Vikings also have a truckload of talent to replace. Adam LeBlanc will be counted on to lead coach Tim Callaghan’s squad on both sides of the ball at running back and linebacker. And we know Callaghan will always have his teams well-prepared." - The Olathe News

4. Free State

"The Kansas 6A runner-up last year, these Douglas Countians can’t simply replace Chucky Hunter, who averaged more than 7 yards per carry last year. But with quarterback Camren Torneden back, Michael Lisher anchoring the lines and Keene Niemack heading up the defense, expectations remain high for coach Bob Lisher’s Fire-birds, which open a shiny and expensive on-campus facility." - The Olathe News

3. Gardner-Edgerton

2. Blue Valley

1. Olathe North

"Was it even a question who’d be No. 1? The Eagles are loaded and I mean absolutely, positively stacked at virtually every position. Start with James Franklin, who many have as the preseason favorite to win the Simone Award. He rushed for nearly 2,000 yards last season and may obliterate those numbers in 2009. Tre Walker and QB David Blazevic also return in the backfield, but the line might be North’s real strength with Missouri-bound Lucas Vincent, Oliver Venegas, Jake Carroll and Zach Maggard returning. Walker, a ferocious linebacker, headlines the defense along with Kyle Swartz, who led the Eagles in tackles last year and Jason Peete, who had five interceptions. And that list doesn’t even include Adonis Saunders, who won the 100- and 200-meter dashes last spring in track. He’ll emerge as a playmaker too." - The Olathe News