Most Valuable Player
Brandon
Willingham, Olathe EastOlathe East’s senior running back gets the nod as my Sunflower League Most Valuable Player for the 2010 season. He joins former Hawks Derek Miller and Anthony Parks on the list of MVPs. What separated Willingham for this distinction? Simply put, Willingham was the heart and soul of Olathe East’s 10-win season. The Hawks had enough confidence in Willingham to basically scrap their passing game this season. Opposing defenses knew they had to do one thing to beat Olathe East—shut down Willingham. Yet, this task was much more complicated when the defenses actually lined up across from him and the Olathe East offense. Willingham’s most impressive game came against Free State in the Regional round of the playoffs. Trailing 16-0 entering the third quarter, things weren’t looking good for the Hawks. Willingham took his game to another level in the second half, scoring three touchdowns on runs of 59, 53, and three yards to give the Hawks a 20-16 advantage and the win. While some may argue that other players were as talented or produced as good of stats, no player consistently did more for his team than Willingham.
Rushing stats: 1,714 yards, 23 TDs
Defensive stats: 40 tackles
Offensive Player of the Year
Adonis Saunders, Olathe North
While Saunders had a reputation around the Sunflower League of being, well, boisterous, he was usually pretty good at backing it up often in the form of long touchdown runs. Saunders took his first carry of the season 77 yards for a touchdown, and he rattled off four touchdowns runs of 60 or more yards through Olathe North's first four games. The former Kansas Class 6A 100-meter champ was probably the league's fastest player this season, and if you wanted further proof all you had to do was watch Olathe North for a quarter or so. Saunders was pretty much gone once he broke past the second level of a defense. His rushing efforts helped Olathe North to reach their second straight 6A title game, and while Olathe North did come up short, it was fitting that Saunders' last touchdown of the season came on a 79-yard pass reception.
Rushing stats: 1,554 yards, 20 TDs
While Saunders had a reputation around the Sunflower League of being, well, boisterous, he was usually pretty good at backing it up often in the form of long touchdown runs. Saunders took his first carry of the season 77 yards for a touchdown, and he rattled off four touchdowns runs of 60 or more yards through Olathe North's first four games. The former Kansas Class 6A 100-meter champ was probably the league's fastest player this season, and if you wanted further proof all you had to do was watch Olathe North for a quarter or so. Saunders was pretty much gone once he broke past the second level of a defense. His rushing efforts helped Olathe North to reach their second straight 6A title game, and while Olathe North did come up short, it was fitting that Saunders' last touchdown of the season came on a 79-yard pass reception.Rushing stats: 1,554 yards, 20 TDs
Defensive stats: 1 interception
Defensive Player of the Year
Kyle Swartz, Olathe North
Big, playmaking linebackers are hard to come by at the high school level, but Olathe North's Kyle Swartz fit the mold and earned my vote as the Sunflower League Defensive Player of the Year. Swartz' most impressive statistic was the 148 tackles he totalled in 13 games from his linebacker position. The 148 tackles were 30 more than any other player in the Sunflower League totalled during the season, and 60 of his tackles came during the Eagle's four playoff games. One of the better examples of Swartz' dominance was in Olathe North's Sectional round playoff game against Olathe South. Up 10-0, the Eagles were looking for a big play to kill any hopes Olathe South had of winning. Swartz jumped in front of an Olathe South pass and intercepted it, then a few plays later pounded in a one-yard run to effectively seal the victory.
Big, playmaking linebackers are hard to come by at the high school level, but Olathe North's Kyle Swartz fit the mold and earned my vote as the Sunflower League Defensive Player of the Year. Swartz' most impressive statistic was the 148 tackles he totalled in 13 games from his linebacker position. The 148 tackles were 30 more than any other player in the Sunflower League totalled during the season, and 60 of his tackles came during the Eagle's four playoff games. One of the better examples of Swartz' dominance was in Olathe North's Sectional round playoff game against Olathe South. Up 10-0, the Eagles were looking for a big play to kill any hopes Olathe South had of winning. Swartz jumped in front of an Olathe South pass and intercepted it, then a few plays later pounded in a one-yard run to effectively seal the victory.Defensive stats: 148 tackles, 1 interception
Nick Bandy, Olathe Northwest
In some ways it’s a head scratcher that Bandy didn’t get more touches. He was probably among the top five fastest players in the league and he seemed to have the “Midas touch” for the Ravens. Bandy was an excellent contributor for the Ravens on offense, defense, and special teams and he made big plays nearly every week. Of course, that was what everyone had come to expect of the talented senior. One thing I am confident of, had Bandy played for a more successful team he would have been one of the headliners of the league this season.Offensive stats: 33 catches, 494 yards, 3 TDs
Defensive stats: 44 tackles, 9 pass break ups, 3 interceptions
Special Teams stats: 1 kick return touchdown
Austin Fulson, Olathe East
It was Austin Fulson who led the Sunflower League in tackles last season with 125. We knew those abilities were going to transfer over to his senior year on the defensive side of the ball, but who knew he was going to have such a stellar season on the offensive side? Fulson’s efforts were often overshadowed by coverage of Brandon Willingham, but he was nonetheless a quiet force that kept Olathe East among the league’s best. Perhaps the game that epitomized Fulson’s efforts the most was Olathe East’s Sectional playoff game against SM Northwest. Olathe East was struggling to get anything going offensively, and Willingham was being shut down. Fulson’s number was called on a run play early in the fourth quarter and he ended up taking that carry 89 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. It was fitting that he was what put Olathe East over the top in that game. Fulson’s defensive efforts shouldn’t be looked past either, as he was one of the league’s leading tacklers for the second season in a row.
Rushing stats: 896 yards, 13 TDs
Defensive stats: 80 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 touchdown
Defensive stats: 80 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 touchdown
Kenny Mings, SM Northwest
Mings, like several other players on this list, really came into his own as a senior. His ability to impact a game from all three aspects—offense, defense, and special teams—was what made him such an asset to SM Northwest and their run to sectionals. Another thing you couldn’t discount about this kid was his ability to make plays on the ball in the air. Mings rarely lost battles with receivers or defensive backs for jump balls. Mings basically willed SM Northwest to their upset of SM West in the playoffs after he returned a blocked punt 65 yards for a touchdown, then sealed the game with an interception at his team’s own one-yard line in the waning seconds of the game.
Mings, like several other players on this list, really came into his own as a senior. His ability to impact a game from all three aspects—offense, defense, and special teams—was what made him such an asset to SM Northwest and their run to sectionals. Another thing you couldn’t discount about this kid was his ability to make plays on the ball in the air. Mings rarely lost battles with receivers or defensive backs for jump balls. Mings basically willed SM Northwest to their upset of SM West in the playoffs after he returned a blocked punt 65 yards for a touchdown, then sealed the game with an interception at his team’s own one-yard line in the waning seconds of the game.Receiving stats: 29 catches, 413 yards, 6 TDs
Defensive stats: 38 tackles, 12 pass break ups, 4 interceptions
Special Teams stats: 1 Punt Return TD, 1 blocked punt return for a touchdown
Dylan Perry, Lawrence Free State
There were questions as to whether Lawrence Free State would be able to carry on their stellar tradition of top notch quarterback play this year, following the graduation of Camren Torneden. Perry proved the doubters wrong and established his name among the best in Free State history. The only disappointment is that we we’re only able to see Perry play the starting quarterback role for one season. His numbers were spectacular—and despite playing with a bum ankle for half the season he still helped Free State to a 5-5 record and a berth in the playoffs. Perry’s explosiveness and speed made him one of the league’s biggest scoring threats in 2010.Passing stats: 1,124 yards, 7 TDs
Rushing stats: 1,022 yards, 9 TDs
Defensive stats: 1 interception, 1 blocked kick return for a touchdown
Nick Sands, Olathe South
Who was the top workhorse running back in the Sunflower League? You didn’t have to look any further than Nick Sands to find it. Sands was the feature back in Olathe South’s first year of transitioning to a wing based offense. Sands had a lot of carries, and he tallied a lot of yards. After a rough start to the season (for Sands and the Falcons) the team began to click and Sands rushing totals soared. While his hard-nosed running style wasn’t as fun to watch as backs like Willingham or Saunders, Sands got the job done and put up some of the best numbers in the league.Rushing stats: 1,578 yards, 17 TDs
John Schrock, SM East
John Schrock in some ways reminds me of another former stud from the Shawnee Mission School District. SM West’s breakout season came in 2004, when they went 9-3 and reached the Sub-State round. SM West’s “rebirth” that year had a lot to do with the play of running back DJ Barnett who rushed for over 1,900 yards and was truly the Vikings go-to player. Still to this day, SM West’s arrival in the 2000s is recognized by the name DJ Barnett. Schrock, much like Barnett, will carry that distinction if SM East can keep up the quality level of play in years to come. Schrock, who was easily the best pocket passer in the league, gave SM East that extra something they always needed and it was a shame he wasn’t able to help the Lancers in the playoffs following his collarbone injury. On the bright side, Schrock’s legacy could be tied pretty strongly to SM East football in the future.
John Schrock in some ways reminds me of another former stud from the Shawnee Mission School District. SM West’s breakout season came in 2004, when they went 9-3 and reached the Sub-State round. SM West’s “rebirth” that year had a lot to do with the play of running back DJ Barnett who rushed for over 1,900 yards and was truly the Vikings go-to player. Still to this day, SM West’s arrival in the 2000s is recognized by the name DJ Barnett. Schrock, much like Barnett, will carry that distinction if SM East can keep up the quality level of play in years to come. Schrock, who was easily the best pocket passer in the league, gave SM East that extra something they always needed and it was a shame he wasn’t able to help the Lancers in the playoffs following his collarbone injury. On the bright side, Schrock’s legacy could be tied pretty strongly to SM East football in the future.Passing stats: 1,634 yards, 9 TDs
Rushing stats: 9 rushing TDs
Victor Simmons, Olathe North
The one player who could have legitimately challenged Adonis Saunders in a foot race this season was Simmons, his explosive teammate. While Simmons was listed as a quarterback his role for Olathe North was hardly that. The senior rarely passed the ball, instead he was used predominately out of the shotgun/pistol offense on option and designed run plays. Simmons topped 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive year and also made key contributions on the defensive side of the ball. His 85 tackles were a good indicator of what the coaches at Kansas will be expecting of Simmons next season when he joins the Jayhawks.Rushing stats: 1,455 yards, 10 TDs
Defensive stats: 85 tackles
Denzell Simpson, SM West
Every Monday I would receive Mid-Statesports’ weekly league statistic updates, and the first thing I would do was check the tackles category to see if Simpson still led it. And he did for the final eight weeks of the regular season. The most impressive thing about his tackle totals was that he was doing it from the safety position. Rarely does a safety lead his team in tackles, let alone the entire Sunflower League. It was Simpson’s tenacity that really made him so good on the defensive side of the ball. I was fortunate enough to catch a few games in which Simpson really laid out an opposing player—and let me tell you, the kid truly defined “hard hitter.”Defensive stats: 102 tackles (38 solo), 4 tackles for loss
Coach of the Year
Chip Sherman, SM East
Of all the awards this was the easiest to choose. In just two seasons Sherman has transformed SM East from a team that was nicknamed the smurfs into a legitimate league and playoff contender. The Lancers went 8-2 this season, claiming a share of the Sunflower League championship (the school's first since 1966) and winning their district outright. Perhaps two of Sherman's most impressive underlying accomplishments were his helping of the development of John Schrock into the Sunflower League's best passer, and also the intensity and passion his Lancers have started to show on the field.
Of all the awards this was the easiest to choose. In just two seasons Sherman has transformed SM East from a team that was nicknamed the smurfs into a legitimate league and playoff contender. The Lancers went 8-2 this season, claiming a share of the Sunflower League championship (the school's first since 1966) and winning their district outright. Perhaps two of Sherman's most impressive underlying accomplishments were his helping of the development of John Schrock into the Sunflower League's best passer, and also the intensity and passion his Lancers have started to show on the field. Photos courtesy Facebook, Olathe North Eagle football, the Kansas City Star, Rivals.com, Mid-Statesports.com, OSfalconfootball.com
Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com
