Best Team: Olathe North. The Eagles proved it beating every other formidable foe in the Sunflower League and advancing to the state championship game. Best Upset: Lawrence High's week five triumph over Olathe East, 27-21, not only shocked the red hot Hawks, but it was also a huge morale boost for the Lawrence football program following a not-so-fun 2009 season.
Biggest Surprise Player: Lawrence Free State's Dylan Perry (left) was really an unknown to most heading into the season, but, as we've come to expect, the quarterbacks at Free State tend to do pretty well in their zone-read option offense. During the off-season Camren Torneden tipped me off that Perry was going to be a special player for the Firebirds, but there wasn't much information out there to read into on Perry. During the 2010 season, Perry became the fourth quarterback to surpass 1,000 yards passing and rushing in the same season since 2004, joining Olathe North's Dustin Moomau (2004), and Free State's Ryan Murphy (2006) and Camren Torneden (2008).
Biggest Surprise Team: We knew in the pre-season talks that the Lancers from SM East had something brewing, but their four-game win improvement over last season was a big deal.
Highest Scoring Output: Olathe North scored 76 points in their week five triumph over Leavenworth.
Best Individual Performances: Many players in the league had great games during the season, but statistically, these three stuck out the most in my mind:
**Brandon Willingham's performance against Free State in Regionals was impressive as he rushed for 190 yards on 33 carries, including three second half touchdowns which pulled Olathe East ahead for the victory.
**In his team's week three loss to SM West, Dylan Perry completed 10 of 17 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown, and he also ran the ball 22 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
**In week two, Free State's Preston Schenck filled the box score, carrying the ball 13 times for 84 yards, returning a punt 44 yards for a touchdown, returning a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, running an interception back 40 yards for a touchdown, and blocking a kick that was returned 91 yards for a touchdown by Perry.
**Honorable mention would include Drew Goodger's first half against Olathe North in week six when he recorded four sacks, and John Schrock's five touchdown outburst against Blue Valley North in week seven.
Best Three Storylines from 2010:
**SM East's best season in decades under second-year head coach Chip Sherman.
**Olathe North's talented duo of Adonis Saunders and Victor Simmons--both Kansas commits--working to defend Olathe North's 6A crown.
**Olathe North squaring off against rivals Olathe South and Olathe East in the playoffs.
Best Three Early Storylines for 2011:
**With only nine returning First or Second Team All-Sunflower League selections in 2011, it looks like the league will be in for an uprising of new talent.
**Just how far can Lawrence High's quarterback, junior-to-be Brad Strauss (left), lead the Chesty Lions in 2011? Strauss might be capable of leading Lawrence High back to the upper echelon of the league. As a sophomore he completed 60% of his passes for 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
**Who will be Olathe North's next big, strong, fast, athletic running back to dominate the Sunflower League? Since the 1995 season Olathe North has basically featured 10 big-time running backs. Of those 10, two have played or are playing the NFL, five have won the Simone Award, and five have gone the Division One route.
**Who will be Olathe North's next big, strong, fast, athletic running back to dominate the Sunflower League? Since the 1995 season Olathe North has basically featured 10 big-time running backs. Of those 10, two have played or are playing the NFL, five have won the Simone Award, and five have gone the Division One route.
Way-too-early Top Three for 2011:
1.) Olathe East: The Hawks have a solid core returning and under Jeff Meyers the team is always in contention for the top spot in the league.
2.) Olathe North: Tanner Gentry will be the Eagles' only real prominent returning starter, but the program will undoubtedly find athletes to fill the voids left from 2010.
3.) SM East: Adam Lowe and Elliot Faerber will give the Lancers a great base at the skill positions to build off of.
