Oathe North takes Class 6A Title

The Olathe North Eagles claimed their first state championship since 2003 by defeating Wichita Heights 37-3. Olathe North was led by James Franklin's 269 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Game review and details to be posted soon.

News and Notes

**The 6A State Championship info is as follows:
Olathe North (12-0) vs. Wichita Heights (8-4)
Saturday, Nov. 28, @ 1:00 p.m.
Yager Stadium, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas

**Believe it or not, tomorrow is the final day of the Kansas high school football season for 2009. It has been a lengthy season, filled with the excitement and exuberance that makes high school football such a wonderful game. Don't worry, tomorrow won't be the final post of the year. In addition to handing out my own 2009 Sunflower League Awards, I have compiled a Sunflower League All-Decade team that you won't want to miss. Player's on the All-Decade team will be released weekly during the off season. The research on the my All-Decade team was fairly extensive and challenging, a thourough combing through a decade's worth of players from all 12 of the league's teams. The finished product is a neat collection of the top players from the league during the 2000s, complete with their high school stats, photos, and what many were able to accomplish at the collegiate level of play. Be sure to check in on the blog during the off season to keep track of the illustrious team.

State Championship Preview

Saturday's 6A state title game between Olathe North (12-0) and Wichita Heights (8-4) will be a clash of old and new. Olathe North, a traditional Kansas powerhouse, will be making its ninth state championship appearance (eight in class 6A, one in 5A). Wichita Heights on the other hand will be making its first ever championship game appearance. Wichita Heights is the first team from the Wichita City League to make the 6A title game since Wichita West lost to Olathe North in 1997. The last time a City League team won the 6A title was in 1983.

Olathe North

Location: Olathe, Kansas

School Enrollment: 1,467

League: Sunflower League

State Championship Appearances (inlcuding this season): 9

State Championships: 1996, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03

Notable Football Alumni: Darren Sproles, Arland Bruce, Maurice Mack

2009 Olathe North Football

Offense Type: Wildcat/Read-Option

Key Player Stats: James Franklin, 2,538 rushing yards; Victor Simmons, 1,034 rushing yards

Points Scored Per Game: 42

Points Allowed Per Game: 14

Fast Facts: Olathe North is making its first title game appearance since losing the 5A title 21-14 against Salina South in 2004...two Olathe North players have made Division-One commitments (Lucas Vincent to Missouri, Tre Walker to K-State)...running back James Franklin (above) is the all-time leading rusher in Olathe North school history with 5,647 yards...he broke Darren Sproles all-time record two weeks ago against Lawrence Free State.

Wichita Heights

Location: Wichita, Kansas

School Enrollment: 1,522

League: Wichita City League

State Championship Appearances (including this season): 1

Notable Football Alumni: Xzavie Jackson

2009 Wichita Heights Football

Offense Type: Triple-Option

Key Player Stats: Dreamius Smith, 1,303 rushing yards

Points Scored Per Game: 27

Points Allowed Per Game: 17

Fast Facts: Wichita Heights has won six straight games since starting the season 2-4...sophomore quarterback Matt Reed (above) has been an essential part of the Falcons success this season, most notably completing two second half touchdown passes to sink unbeaten Manhattan two weeks ago.

Sub-State Review

Olathe North 16, Blue Valley 14

Friday night turned out to be one of the more epic Sub-State contests the East side of the 6A bracket has seen in years. The action got interesting in the first quarter when Olathe North's James Franklin uncharacteristically fumbled the ball just inside the Blue Valley 10 yard line. Later on in the quarter Tre Walker botched a punt that Blue Valley was able to recover. The Tigers took advantage of the second fumble when Anthony Abenoja completed a pass Jacob McDermott for a 28 yard score. Olathe North was able to tie the score in the second quarter when Walker completed a touchdown drive with a two yard plunge.

The third quarter played out with neither team scoring. Early in the fourth quarter Abenoja once again led the Tigers down the field after yet another Olathe North fumble. This time Abenoja hit PJ DeBey (bottom) on a 13 yard pass to help Blue Valley gain a 14-7 lead.

With time quickly winding down in the fourth quarter Olathe North compiled a nice drive to set up a one yard touchdown run by quarterback David Blazevic. However, in a all too familiar scene for the Eagles, kicker Jared Morss botched the extra point, and kept Olathe North from evening the score (Morss' missed extra point ultimately prevented Olathe North from defeating Blue Valley in 2008).

Olathe North was able to regain possession and drive all the way to the Blue Valley 16 yard-line with a mere 14 seconds remaining in the half. This time, Morss delivered on the 33 yard field goal attempt (below). The score put Olathe North up for good, 16-14.

For the second year in a row Blue Valley fell just short of advancing to the 6A title game, despite a valiant effort and one of the biggest last season turnarounds in Johnson County high school football history. Olathe North advances to their first state championship game since 2004.

Game Stats (courtesy TheOlatheNews.com):

Rushing
Olathe North: James Franklin 30-213, Victor Simmons 18-132, David Blazevic 1-1, Tre Walker 4-5, Dominick Wilson 2-14, Team 0-6. Blue Valley: Anthony Abenoja 16-63, Justin Fulks 10-38.

Passing
Olathe North: Blazevic 1-3-0 9. Blue Valley: Abenoja 11-28-0 168.

Receiving
Olathe North (1-9): Jason Peete 1-9. Blue Valley (11-168): PJ DeBey 5-67, Matt Hamblin 3-34, Jacob McDermott 1-28, Connor Rusnak 2-39.

Game Results

**Olathe North defeated Blue Valley 16-14 in a thriller. The Eagles will face Wichita Heights (8-4) next Saturday for the 6A title. I will post the official recap and update later in the weekend. All Star Video Sports Highlights here.

Sub-State Preview

Olathe North (11-0) at Blue Valley (5-6)

Where: Blue Valley High School

Time: 7 pm, Friday

CJ Online Computer Spread: Olathe North by 13.8

Who to Watch For: It might be a good idea to keep an eye on #30 in white--Olathe North's running back otherwise known as James Franklin (below in the 2008 matchup). Olathe North's all-time leading rusher has rushed for 508 yards and six touchdowns in his two previous games against the Blue Valley. Franklin's 2,321 rushing yards are also tops among any Kansas player still active in the playoffs. For Blue Valley their success will be riding on the arm of senior Anthony Abenoja. In last year's Sub-State matchup against Lawrence Free State, Abenoja went cold completing only seven of 21 passes for 78 yards and two interceptions. It will take a big game from Abenoja for the Tigers to pull the upset--but based on his play in recent weeks one can imagine he will play better in this year's Sub-State game than last.

What to Watch For: Olathe North has had one relatively close game all season--their week seven 49-35 win against Blue Valley. The Tigers came out with a high flying offensive attack that Olathe North wasn't prepared for, and it took a good two and half quarters before Olathe North was able to establish a solid lead. In 2008, these two played one of the most thrilling games in the metro with Blue Valley claiming a 42-41 victory. If the past two games are anything like this one you can expect offensive fireworks in mass quantities. Olathe North likely possesses the most team speed of any team left in 6A, while Blue Valley has the most playoff experience and was one score from reaching the 6A title game last year.

6A West Game

Derby (8-3) at Wichita Heights (7-4)

Sectional Recap

Olathe North 41, Lawrence Free State 28

Last season Olathe North met Lawrence Free State in the Sectional Round of the playoffs only to go on to play one of their most lackluster games of the season, resulting in a 10-6 loss. The Eagles were apparently dead set on returning the favor this season. Olathe North quarterback Victor Simmons (below) scored the first of his two touchdowns in the opening quarter to put the Eagles up 7-0. Free State's Camren Torneden connected with Keene Niemack on an 11 yard touchdown pass to tie things up, before Simmons added another touchdown run before the half to give Olathe North a 14-7 edge.

Free State's Matt Cole scored on a one yard touchdown run to even the score at 14 early in the third quarter, but the Firebirds were never able to gain the lead. Touchdown runs by James Franklin and Tre Walker gave the Eagles a 14 point lead, which provided ample cushion for the win.

The most telling stat of the game was Olathe North's run production. The Eagles ran the ball 63 times for 414 yards--and threw zero passes. James Franklin's accounted for 247 of those yards, and in doing so broke Darren Sproles career rushing record at Olathe North. Franklin now sits at 5,434 career rushing yards (Sproles' record was 5,230).

Blue Valley 17, Blue Valley Northwest 14 (All Star Video Sports Highlights)
For the second consecutive year Blue Valley will be advancing to the Sub-State round of the playoffs by way of defeating Blue Valley Northwest. This year's game nearly provided as much drama as last year's matchup. The scoring started when Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick threw a perfectly timed pass to receiver Blake Heenan who took the catch 67 yards for a touchdown. Blue Valley responded with a 13 yard pass from Anthony Abenoja (below) to Jacob McDermott, and then later on a 42 yard field goal by Austin Johnson.

Before halftime Chadick reminded people why he is a Simone-Award candidate running seemingly untouched 52 yards for a touchdown, giving Blue Valley Northwest a 14-10 edge. The game reached a stalemate for the better part of the second half before Blue Valley broke into Blue Valley Northwest territory in the fourth quarter. Abenoja connected on a flare route to McDermott, who somehow found his way into the endzone to push Blue Valley to a three point lead, which would turn out to be the game winner.

Blue Valley has now won four straight games after starting the season 1-6. For Blue Valley Northwest, a fourth quarter score from Blue Valley once again keeps them from advancing to the Sub-State round of the playoffs.

News and Notes

**The Simone Award candidates were announced this past weekend. The four players up for the illustrious Simone Award are Olathe North's James Franklin, Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick, Winnetonka's Darryl Jobe, and Blue Springs Darrian Miller.

**Olathe North's Lucas Vincent is among the four finalists for the Buch Buchanan Award, given annually to the most outstanding lineman/linebacker playing class 5A or 6A football in the KC Metro.

Sectional Results

6A Sectional Scores

East
Olathe North 41, Lawrence Free State 28
Blue Valley 17, Blue Valley Northwest 14

West
Wichita Heights 14, Manhattan 10
Derby 19, Dodge City 7

**Game recaps to be posted sometime during the weekend.

Sectional Previews

Lawrence Free State (8-2) at Olathe North (10-0)

Where: ODAC

Time: 7 pm

CJ-Online Computer Point Spread: Olathe North by 12

Who to watch for: This game may feature the best possible matchup in terms of talent in the Sunflower League for 2009. Olathe North's James Franklin leads class 6A with 2,074 yards rushing in addition to 27 rushing touchdowns. If Free State has any chance at winning, it will start with slowing down Franklin's production (a task no team has successfully completed this season). For Free State everything comes down to what quarterback Camren Torneden (below) is able to manifest. In the previous matchup of the two teams Torneden was held to 97 yards passing and 20 yards rushing--way below his season averages. The success of both teams will be heavily reliant on those two, but a wealth of talent exists at other positions for the two squads.

What to watch for: Quite honestly the biggest question is whether or not Free State can do anything to slow down Olathe North's run game. The speed of Olathe North is unparalleled and no team has been able to get around that all season. In the case of Free State, their best defense may be a great offense. If the Firebirds can hang around with Olathe North's scoring output they can stay in the game and potentially pull an upset. But, that will require several defensive stops and a big game offensively from Torneden and Kirk Resseguie.

Blue Valley Northwest (9-1) at Blue Valley (4-6)

Where: Blue Valley High School

Time: 7 pm

CJ-Online Computer Point Spread: Blue Valley Northwest by 7.5

Who to Watch For: Both teams are offensive juggernauts and inevitably the ball is going to be thrown around quite a bit on Friday night. The signal callers making those throws are Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick (1,812 passing yards) and Blue Valley's Anthony Abenoja (2,095 passing yards). Leading receivers for Blue Valley Northwest are Matt Ornduff and Casey Strohl, while PJ DeBey and Jacob McDermott lead Blue Valley in receiving yards. Chances are good that both teams come out firing.

What to Watch For: It's interesting that these two teams are playing one another after the dramatic ending to last year's game. Trailing 20-17 with minutes left, Blue Valley compiled a modest drive before Abenoja hit senior Luke Rampy with a long pass. It was questionable as to whether Rampy gained full control or not before losing the ball at the one yard line into the endzone. The alleged fumbled ball was recovered by another Blue Valley receiver to claim the touchdown and subsequent victory. But there was controversy as to whether the player was fully in bounds on the recovery. Regardless, both teams still have a very fond memory of how 2008 played out and this game should be a heated contest to say the least. Sticking with the theme of the Free State vs. Olathe North game, if you like offensive fireworks, you won't want to miss this game.

6A West Games

Wichita Heights (6-4) at Manhattan (10-0)

Dodge City (8-2) at Derby (7-3)

Playoff Buzz

Statistical Breakdown
Here is a look at some statistical measures of the four teams remaining in 6A East bracket. Individuals listed lead the respective statistical category for each team.

Olathe North

Rushing Yards: James Franklin, 2,074; Victor Simmons 739

Passing Yards: David Blazevic, 605

Receiving Yards: Jason Peete, 365

Average Points Scored per Game: 44.8

Average Points Allowed per Game: 12.9

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Lost to Lawrence Free State, 10-6

State Championships: 7

Lawrence Free State

Rushing Yards: Kirk Resseguie, 1,099; Camren Torneden, 839

Passing Yards: Camren Torneden, 1,096

Receiving Yards: Keene Niemack, 305

Average Points Scored per Game: 37.3

Average Points Allowed per Game: 13.4

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Beat Olathe North, 10-6

State Championships: 0

Blue Valley Northwest

Rushing Yards: Koby Chadick, 1,085

Passing Yards: Koby Chadick, 1,812

Receiving Yards: Matt Ornduff, 962; Casey Strohl 633

Average Points Scored per Game: 33

Average Points Allowed per Game: 17.5

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Lost to Blue Valley, 24-20

State Championships: 0

Blue Valley

Rushing Yards: Justin Fulks, 717

Passing Yards: Anthony Abenoja, 2,095

Receiving Yards: PJ DeBey, 772; Jacob McDermott, 403

Average Points Scored per Game: 30.6

Average Points Allowed per Game: 20.5

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Beat Blue Valley Northwest, 24-20

State Championships: 4

Other Notes

**The 6A East Sectional grouping is the same as 2008. If this year's game are anything like they were last season, we're in for some great football on Friday.

**Olathe North's James Franklin (above) needs 59 rushing yards to break Olathe North's school record for rushing yards set by Darren Sproles in 2000.

**Each of the four team's has a legit Simone candidate playing. Olathe North's James Franklin is being mentioned as the current favorite in the KC Metro, but a big game from Free State's Camren Torneden, Blue Valley's Anthony Abenoja or Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick could sway some key votes in their favor.

Regional Recap

Olathe North 42, SM East 14

Olathe North took home a 28 point victory Friday night using their quarterback rotation of David Blazevic and Victor Simmons to perfection. Blazevic hit Jason Peete on a 60 yard touchdown strike before Simmons scored on a 26 yard option keeper with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Eagles slowed in the second quarter, and SM East closed the margin to seven points before the half when John Schrock hit an outstretched Kevin Hertel with a 26 yard touchdown pass. The second half, however, was all Olathe North. Three touchdown runs and a 49 yard touchdown pass from Blazevic to Adonis Saunders (below) put the Eagles up comfortably in the victory.

Blue Valley Northwest 38, Olathe Northwest 25

Blue Valley Northwest quarterback Koby Chadick came out determined to get his Huskies to the next round of the playoffs--207 rushing yards and five touchdowns later his team came out on top. Olathe Northwest, who was making their second playoff appearance in school history, stayed competitive throughout the game on several big touchdowns from Devon Boyce but it wasn't enough. Chadick threw a touchdown pass to Matt Ornduff in the first quarter, and went on to add at least one touchdown run in each of the last three quarters. Blue Valley Northwest will face rival Blue Valley next week in a rematch of a Sectional round thriller from 2008.

Blue Valley 42, SM West 18

For the second year in a row SM West faced an upstart Blue Valley school district team in the first round of the playoffs, and came up short. Blue Valley was led by senior quarterback Anthony Abenoja (below) who scored a combined six touchdowns--three rushing and three passing. The 42 points were the most a SM West defense has given up since losing 42-0 to Olathe North on September 17, 2004. In his last game as the SM West quarterback DJ Balazs completed 10 of 23 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

Lawrence Free State 38, Olathe East 7

In a strong defensive effort, Lawrence Free State held Olathe East to a mere 132 yards of total offense, allowing the lone touchdown on a 73 yard pass from Carter McEntee to Chris Fields. In total five different Firebirds scored touchdowns in addition to a field goal by Gabe Ballard-Hanson. With the victory Free State avenged a week one loss to the Hawks. The Firebirds other blemish came against Olathe North, a team they will be facing Friday.

Regional Game Scores

6A Playoff Bracket

East

Olathe North 42, SM East 14
Lawrence Free State 38, Olathe East 7
Blue Valley Northwest 38, Olathe Northwest 25
Blue Valley 42, SM West 18

West

Manhattan 35, Maize 6
Wichita Heights 46, Wichita South 14
Derby 24, Wichita Northwest 14
Dodge City (7-2) vs. Topeka (6-3), Today, 6:00 pm

*Game recaps to be posted later.

Regional Preview

Regional Game Previews

All game times 7 pm unless otherwise noted

SM East (4-5) at Olathe North (9-0)

Who to Watch For

Olathe North
The Eagles possess as much speed and athleticism as any team in the state. James Franklin has rushed for 1,936 yards and 25 touchdowns, while option quarterback Victor Simmons has added 631 rushing yards of his own. Wide receiver Jason Peete has been one of the league's biggest deep threats all season. On the other side of the ball Tre Walker, Lucas Vincent, and Adonis Saunders anchor a swarming defense.

SM East
Robby Moriarty's 729 passing yards aren't exactly wowing, but his poise in recent weeks has helped place SM East in the playoffs. Receiver Kevin Hertel is the Lancers biggest threat offensively, and he has been making big plays all season long.

What to Expect
SM East has been playing solid football of late, but its hard to say whether or not that will equate to much against a powerhouse like Olathe North. The Eagles are stacked and look primed for a playoff run. Right now it looks like the road to a 6A state championship will go through Olathe North. If the Eagles establish their Wildcat formation early, they shouldn't have much trouble taking care of business.

Olathe East (6-3) at Lawrence Free State (7-2)

Who to Watch For

Olathe East
The running back duo of Brandon Willingham and Hayden Groves (both of whom I rank in my top five player ratings) are as solid as any duo the league has had in years. Combined, the two backs have rushed for 1,973 yards thus far. At quarterback the Hawks are led by Carter McEntee, a player who has shown flashes of dominance all season.

Lawrence Free State

Free State quarterback Camren Torneden is the most explosive player in the Sunflower League, bar none. To compliment Torneden, Free State employs Kirk Resseguie at the running back position. The first year starter has rushed for 1,038 yards on the season to add to the 778 rushing yards Torneden has put up.

What to Expect
Olathe East beat Free State in week one and its reasonable to believe the Firebirds are anxious for revenge. Free State has more playoff experience than any team in the 6A playoffs, and it should show come Friday night. This game is always full of fireworks and it should be a shootout. The offensive talent on display is as good as any Sunflower League matchup could produce.


Olathe Northwest (4-5) at Blue Valley Northwest (8-1)

Who to Watch For

Olathe Northwest
The Ravens have a pretty decent core of skill position players. Josh Lemke, a dual threat quarterback, acts as the focal point of the offense, having passed for 772 yards. Running backs Cullen Phillips (567 rushing yards) and Brandon Bouvilom (556 rushing yards) act as a strong one-two punch for the Ravens.

Blue Valley Northwest
Matt Ornduff, arguably the state's top receiver, has caught 53 passes for 911 yards and 12 touchdowns. Failure to properly address Ornduff's ability could spell doom for the Ravens. The quarterback getting Ornduff the ball is Koby Chadick who has passed for 1,726 yards this season.

What to Expect
Olathe Northwest probably hasn't as efficient of a passing offense as Blue Valley Northwest. The Huskies put up huge numbers and also have no trouble scoring (30+ points in seven of nine games). Olathe Northwest will have to control the tempo of the game to keep things close.


Blue Valley (3-6) at SM West (8-1)

Who to Watch For

Blue Valley
The center of the Blue Valley offense is three year starter Anthony Abenoja, who has passed for 1,932 yards this season. His primary targets are PJ DeBey (58 catches, 731 yards) and Jacob McDermott (28 catches, 395 yards). After a 1-6 star to the season the Tigers have collected two impressive wins in a row and appear to be clicking.

SM West
The Vikings are also led by a three year starter at quarterback, DJ Balazs. The senior has thrown for 1,067 yards (14 yards per completion) in SM West's run based offense. Running backs Will Livingston (666 rushing yards) and Cordi Pascal (617 rushing yards) will be splitting time in the backfield for the Vikes. All purpose player Adam LeBlanc has 302 yards receiving, and leads the Vikings defense with two interceptions.

What to Expect
Is this de-ja-vu all over again? Last season SM West rolled to a 9-0 record before losing to a red-hot 2-7 Blue Valley Northwest squad in the first round of the playoffs. Blue Valley, despite their 3-6 record, has been playing as good of football as anyone lately and nearly knocked off Olathe North in week seven. You can guess SM West won't be overlooking Blue Valley, and visa-versa.

Sunflower League Extra

Top Five Player Ratings
*Player ratings subject to change on a week-to-week basis.

1. James Franklin, running back, Olathe North: Franklin finished off his last ever regular season game at Olathe North by rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He now needs a mere 192 rushing yards to break the school record for career rushing yards set by Darren Sproles.

2. DJ Balazs, quarterback, SM West: In collecting his 21st victory as a starting quarterback, Balazs pushed his season passing total to 1,067 yards. It marks the second year in a row Balazs has passes for over 1,000 yards.

3. Camren Torneden, quarterback, Lawrence Free State: Torneden (below) had a seven yard rushing score, and a nine yard touchdown pass, and record an intereption on defense in his team's 35-14 victory over Lawrence Free State. Torneden has totalled 778 rushing yards on 120 carries thus far.

4. Hayden Groves, running back, Olathe East: Groves finished off the season rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Groves fourth quarter touchdown--a 10 yard run--pushed Olathe East ahead by two scores, and ultimately sealed the deal on the victory. The rushing yardage bumped his season total to 1,064 yards on 174 carries.

5. Brandon Willingham, running back/linebacker, Olathe East: Willingham was forced to leave the Olathe East game in the third quarter, but he won't be bumped off the list for a one game injury. His 909 rushing yards on 128 carries are big numbers, but his 64 tackles on defense have made him even more valuable to the Hawks.

Honorable Mention: Kirk Resseguie, Lawrence Free State; Victor Simmons, Olathe North; John Hauk, SM Northwest

Final Power Rankings

*See previous post for commentary on rankings

1. Olathe North (9-0)

2. Lawrence Free State (7-2)

3. SM West (8-1)

4. Olathe East (6-3)

5. SM East (4-5)

6. SM Northwest (5-4)

7. Olathe South (4-5)

8. Olathe Northwest (4-5)

9. SM South (3-6)

10. SM North (2-7)

11. Lawrence (1-8)

12. Leavenworth (0-9)

Sunflower League Extra

Three Up

Olathe North

The Eagles (below) won the Sunflower League title and closed out an undefeated regular season for the first time since 2004. After five years of ups and downs Olathe North is once again a heavy favorite to win a state championship.

Lawrence

The Chesty Lions had one of their worst seasons in school history, but were able to aviod a winless season with an overtime victory against Leavenworth. For that reason alone the Chesty Lions get a thumbs up for the week.

Sunflower League teams in the playoffs

Overall the Sunflower League did well, qualifying for six of a potential eight playoff positions in the Class 6A playoff bracket, including the top three seeds.

Three Down

Olathe South

At one point in the season the Falcons stood at an impressive 4-2, but the team took a nosedive in district play. Olathe South's three losses to end the season will leave the program with a nasty taste in it's mouth during the offseason.

SM North

Olathe South's three losses seem bad, but pale in comparison to the Indian's seven straight. The problem with all the losses was that SM North never appeared to be that bad of a team. They just never seemed to get any lucky breaks when it really mattered.

Olathe Northwest

For now it looks like the two game explosion was more a product of the opponents than the Olathe Northwest talent. The team received a reality check at the hands of Free State this past weekend, and it will take alot for the team to bounce back against Blue Valley Northwest.

Individual Highlights

**Olathe North's James Franklin eclipsed 5,000 career rushing yards with a 20 carry 168 yard game on Friday. He also added two touchdowns and now has 1,927 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the season.

**Lawrence Free State's Kirk Resseguie rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown in his team's victory. Resseguie has gone from relative obscurity being one of the league's top backs in the course of one season--quite an impressive feat.

**In his last high school game SM Northwest's John Hauk battered SM North for 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.

**SM West running back Will Livingston score three rushing touchdowns for SM West, and ultimately broke SM East's upset chances on a 90 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

**Lawrence Free State's Keene Niemack (below) scored three touchdowns via three different methods. He had an 86 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a 16 yard touchdown run, and caught an eight yard touchdown pass.

Final Regular Season Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (9-0): The Eagles took the outright Sunflower League crown and look primed for a title run.

2. Lawrence Free State (7-2): Last year's playoff run is still fresh on the Firebird's minds.

3. SM West (8-1): The Viking's defense has been tops in the league and will be key in the teams's matchup with the high powered Blue Valley offense this Friday.

4. Olathe East (6-3): The Hawks have now qualified for the 6A state playoffs eight straight years.

5. SM East (4-5): SM East is quickly losing their "Smurf" image and this year's playoff berth is promising for the program.

6. SM Northwest (5-4): The Cougars inconsistancies got the best of them in the end, but they were still one of the better teams in the Sunflower League.

7. Olathe South (4-5): The Cardiac Kids couldn't put it all together this season; the one thing we do know is that Jeff Gourley's aerial attack is steadily improving within the program.

8. Olathe Northwest (4-5): The Raven's still can't manage to win big games; they have a chance to change that image this week against the one-loss Blue Valley Northwest Huskies.

9. SM South (3-6): The Raiders of 2009 were definitely the best team Brandon Claypool has put together thus far as the head coach at SM South.

10. SM North (2-7): How good, or bad were the Indians in 2009? It's hard to say, but at least they took care of business against the two opponents they should have beat.

11. Lawrence (1-8): A collective sigh from LHS alumni could be heard around Lawrence, KS after the Chesty Lions punched in their game winning touchdown in overtime.

12. Leavenworth (0-9): Leavenworth finished without a win, but their last loss to Lawrence could have gone either way.

Game Scores and Notes

Week Nine Game Results

Olathe North 48, Olathe South 7

No, Olathe South didn't exactly "lay down and die" in their final game of the season. Rather, Olathe North took their own game to another level in their final tune-up before the start of the playoffs. Simone Award favorite James Franklin ran the ball 20 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the all out domination. The 168 yards pushed Franklin's career total for rushing yards to 5,038--the 5,000 yard plateau has only been accomplished by one other Olathe North play, Darren Sproles. Franklin will need 192 yards to break Sproles all-time rushing mark of 5,230 yards.

Olathe East 20, SM South 13

It wasn't necessarily the flashiest way to qualify for the playoffs, but the Hawks from Olathe East got the job done. SM South's Johannes Swanepoel put the Raiders up 3-0 in the first quarter with a 31 yard field goal, but Olathe East would respond. Touchdowns by Carter McEntee and Hayden Groves (below) helped Olathe East gain a 14-6 halftime advantage. They held the lead throughout the rest of the game.

Lawrence Free State 35, Olathe Northwest 14

Down 21-0, with little time remaining the first half Olathe Northwest's Cullen Phillips returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to move the Ravens within 14. On the ensuing kickoff Free State's Keene Niemack returned a kick of his own 82 yards to the house to push the lead back to 21. It was that kind of a night as the two teams battled for the district crown. Ultimately, Olathe Northwest never appeared to have an answer for Free State who was led by Kirk Resseguie's 182 rushing yards and touchdown.

Lawrence 13, Leavenworth 6 (OT)

For awhile it looked like neither team was going to collect a win for the season. A 26 yard touchdown pass from Chris Gaston to Taylor Coleman tied the game at 6 all in the fourth quarter, before Lawrence botched the extra point attempt. With the teams deadlocked at the end of the fourth quarter the game went into overtime. Lawrence's Tyrae Jenkins--one of the lone bright spots the team has had all season--punched in a touchdown to give Lawrence a touchdown advantage. Leavenworth failed to score giving LHS it's first victory of 2009.

SM Northwest 28, SM North 12

Neither team could qualify for the playoffs, but that didn't stop the game from being an all out battle. SM Northwest's John Hauk was the top dog for the Cougars rushing the ball 36 times for 221 yards and two touchdowns. For SM North, quarterback Ryan Goodburn completed 20 of 37 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown. In the end the battering attack of Hauk and the Cougars was enough to claim the Hula Bowl title for 2009.

SM West 28, SM East 12 (Thursday Night Game) (All Star Video Sports Highlights)

SM East had several big surges throughout the game, but ultimately the Vikings were able to hold their composure and collect the W. SM West's Will Livingston had touchdown runs of 6, 47, and 90 yards, the last of which crushed any hopes the Lancers had at mounting a fourth quarter comeback. SM West, now 8-1, was eight points from an undefeated regular season, while SM East made a huge turnaround after starting 0-3. Both teams will be making appearances in the 6A state playoffs starting next week.

Playoff Notes

Regional playoff matchups for Class 6A are as follows:

East

Olathe North (9-0) vs. SM East (4-5)

Lawrence Free State (7-2) vs. Olathe East (6-3)

Blue Valley Northwest (8-1) vs. Olathe Northwest (4-5)

SM West (8-1) vs. Blue Valley (3-6)

West

Manhattan (9-0) vs. Maize (3-6)

Wichita Heights (5-4) vs. Wichita South (5-4)

Wichita Northwest (7-2) vs. Derby (6-3)

Dodge City (7-2) vs. Topeka (6-3)