Monday, April 11, 2011

Top Teams Since 2000

Generally speaking, mid-April isn't exactly a prime time for high school football coverage.  In fact, it might be considered the polar opposite of the heart of the football season.  Most teams won't start their offseason workouts until late May or early June, and it's rare to have much go on in the Sunflower League high school football world in the meantime.

So as is custom on my blog, I've created another list to fill the time in between.  The list is my opinion of the top teams in the Sunflower League since 2000.  Feel free to comment and post your own lists in the comments section. 

1. Olathe North, 2000
(12-0, 6A State Champions)
Head Coach Gene Wier

The 2000 Eagles dismantled their opponents by an average score of 44-8. They were led by running backs Darren Sproles and Maurice Mack, who combined to rush for 3,464 yards and 60 touchdowns on the season. In their three playoff games Olathe North outscored their opponents 145-7, including a 42-7 victory over Manhattan in the state championship game.

2. Olathe North, 2001
(12-0, 6A State Champions)
Head Coach Gene Wier

The Eagles won their second straight title in 2001 behind the firepower of their three star players, Maurice Mack, Royal Whitaker, and Josh Carroll--all of whom took home Kansas Top 11 honors following the season. This team was known for their defensive prowess, giving up a mere 65 points in 12 games, an average of 5.4 points per game, including five shutout victories.

3. Olathe North, 2004 (right)
(12-1, 5A State Runner-Up)
Head Coach John McCall

Undoubtedly the most talented team not to win a state championship. The combination of Dustin Moomau, the Gore twins, Justin and Jason, and Randy Shephard, among others, made this one of the most athletic teams of the last 12 seasons. A Moomau injury in the title game derailed their chances at a fifth straight state title.

4. Olathe North, 2002
(13-0, 6A State Champions)
Head Coach Gene Wier

The playoff expansion in 2002 didn't make much of a difference for this Olathe North squad, led by Jim Bouknight's 2,793 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns. The team rolled to an undefeated season capped off by a 41-12 beatdown of Derby in the state championship game, keeping alive a 38-game winning streak.

5. Olathe North, 2009
(13-0, 6A State Champions)
Head Coach Pete Flood

The 2009 edition of Olathe North featured four players who went on to play football at Big 12 schools, not to mention running back James Franklin, who rushed for 2,803 yards and 31 touchdowns. They brought the title back to Olathe North for the first time since 2003.

6. Shawnee Mission West, 2006
(12-1, 6A State Runner-Up)
Head Coach Tim Callghan

This was another great team that came up just short of a title. Led by Division One bound Blake Lawrence and David Leonard, the Vikings' closest margin of victory in their first 12 games was a 16 point win over Lawrence in Sectionals. The Vikings came up a touchdown short in the state title game against Hutchinson.

7. Olathe East, 2005
(12-1, 6A State Runner-Up)
Head Coach Jeff Meyers

Olathe East's quarterback Derek Miller was everybody's All-American during 2005, passing for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns and anchoring the team's stellar defense. He looked like a lock for the Simone until he threw four interceptions in the title game, a microcosm of the Hawks' loss that day.

8. Olathe North, 2003
(10-3, 6A State Champions)
Head Coach John McCall

The hangover of losing former head coach Gene Wier to the Texas high school football ranks took some time to get over (the Eagles started 4-3) but the team got rolling come playoff time. Leaning heavily on Mike McCall and Justin Gore offensively, the Eagles won their last six games, including their fourth straight title.

9. Olathe East, 2003
(10-1, 6A Quarterfinalist)
Head Coach Jeff Meyers

Anthony Parks and Andre Jones were highlight reel staples across the metro in 2003, helping the team to a blazing 10-0 start. After a 73-yard touchdown run from Jones gave the Hawks a 7-0 lead against Blue Valley North in Sectionals, things fell apart, and the team ended the season with a 21-16 loss.

10. Lawrence Free State, 2006
(11-1, 6A Semifinalist)
Head Coach Bob Lisher

With twins Ryan and Brian Murphy at the quarterback and running back positions, this Free State team was simply electric. Three times during the season they scored over 60 points, and their defense was also solid as teams struggled against their 3-5-3 format. They came up short in the Sub-State game against SM West.

Honorable Mention: Lawrence '05; Lawrence Free State '08; Olathe East '02, 04, '05; Olathe North '07, '10; Olathe South '00, '01, '04, '07; SM Northwest '03, '07; SM North '00; SM West '04.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice list! I really think that the SMW team from 2006 should be up to #3. They were pretty studly. If not #3 then I would put them at #4.

Govannon Grey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

John McCall is now coaching at BV North. I'm interested in seeing how well he does without the constant talent flow (and size) Olathe North has. Plus BV North and Olathe North are very different in student, and esp. parent culture. I'm sure if he wins, there'll be no problem.

Anonymous said...

I would have to put the 00 and 01 olathe south teams at 3 and 4 on the list. The 2000 team was beating people at the same pace North was untill they played in week 9. The 01 team was doing it also during the season. If it wasnt for North they would have won state both those yrs.

Eagle1 said...

McCall will struggle, he may be good as a coordinator but not as a head coach. eagle fans are still in disbelief that McCall choked away the 2004 state championship game with perhaps as much talent from top to bottom as ever. The Championship he won the year before should have been awarded to Weir. BVN has little to no expectations of winning football games, that will provide the security McCall needs until retirement.

Anonymous said...

Well Eagle1 I really dont think McCall choked away the title game in 04 i was at that game and the all everything QB and safety got burned and came up limping after that. The bottom line is the 04 team was a very good High School Football team that had no heart they were up 14-0 in total control and when Salina South hit them back in the chin the team folded up McCall cant do anything about that the kids had to respond. I believe that he will have success at BVN how much thats tough to tell but they have had some good teams before.

Anonymous said...

The list of teams is in a very good order however I dont think a team that was a runner-up should be ahead of teams that won state for they got it done on the biggest stage. If I had to make the list every team that won state would be 1-5 and then the runner-ups would be after that. Does anybody talk about New England the yr they went unbeaten in the regular season the lost in the super bowl

Anonymous said...

who is gonna be the team to beat this year?

Anonymous said...

The teams to beat will be Olathe North and Shawnee Mission East, maybe SM West too. IMO. Other than those teams, I'm not too sure.

Anonymous said...

Olathe South will be solid again this year....

Eaglelover said...

To anonymous on McCall. It was McCall's job to have those players motivated and prepared, he failed, plain and simple. A Salina South Team beating Olathe North, that is once in a lifetime event, give me a break! Salina South has been to the play offs 2-3 times since 2004 and has only made it out of the first round once....give me a break, salina football is in the toilet, good regular season teams, can't do anything in the play offs.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Olathe South lose all of their running backs and most of their lineman? They can't be much better.

Anonymous said...

This is the year of the RAVENS! Olathe northwest is coming out this year and will dominate the sunflower league and especially Olathe. No longer will ONW be the "little brother" school of Olathe!

Olathe North who?

Anonymous said...

To Eaglelover. You can say what you want but plain and simple the boys didnt perform. Mccall and that entire coaching staff im sure put in a ton of time into a great gameplan like they did for every North team. If you rem they gave up 35 points to a average BV West team in the semis that yr so they should have known how to respond but didnt. If your really trying to say Salina Football in trash maybe u should know a bit about that town they won a total 7 state titles in a 9 yr span central with 5 and south with 2 so they are a good town. McCall couldnt play for the kids they just folded up when adversity hit them.

Anonymous said...

Not trying to be a jerk, but ONW lost their best players on a mediocre team, who do they have coming up for you to support that claim?

Anonymous said...

South did lose 3 senior offensive lineman and 3 senior running backs. They have extremely adequate replacements at running backs and Oline... They also have the Monster Freshmen lineman that will be a solid D1 candidate.

Mark my words, Olathe South will be a solid team this year...

Anonymous said...

They (Olathe South) also lost 3 defensive lineman, two of who are playing in the MO-Kan game, and their two leading tacklers on defense, both receivers and TE. So, I will still have to disagree with you. But I have a feeling you have vested interest in the program.

Anonymous said...

Who are the running backs that are adequate enough to replace Sands,Harland and Crist?
and putting all three together was nothing really special but did a good job of leading them to where they deserved to go

EagleFreshman said...

I believe this schedule was well thought out. Does anyone know the freshman records? I only know that ON has a 5-3-1 record

Eaglelover said...

To the Salina lover, go home and get off this board. Salina programs are has beens. There is a reason Deinert left salina and came to the KC area, he knew the programs were no longer competitive. Please take your comments and dreams back out west, face it, Salina can not and doesn't compete with the KC schools!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Eaglelover, Salina football???....what a joke!! They need to stay focused on aviation and pizzas, isn't that all that is in Salina???

Anonymous said...

The SM West freshman destroyed everone they played. They were NEVER behind in any game. Watch out for the Vikes.

Anonymous said...

Did SM West Freshman play BVNW Freshman? Because Olathe East's Freshman team was unbeatable too, and got piss pounded by BVNW.

Anonymous said...

who cares...its freshmen freakin football

Anonymous said...

There is zero correlation between undefeated freshman teams and state championships. Let's not talk freshman on this board it is irrelevant. That is like KU saying they have a great JV. IT JUST DOESN"T MATTER!

EagleFreshman said...

Actually, if a freshman team is better than every one else, then that is like a preview of what will happen in 3 years, it also gives all teams a chance to look at what to improve on. If SMW has the best freshman team, than their varsity has a promising future coming up. I mean seriously, we'll be playing the same people for the next 3 years, we may have changed as a team, but most players will be te same.

EagleFreshman said...

P.S.- I'm sorry for bringing the freshman thing up, you're right about how it's irrelevant, but my curiousity go the best of me.

Anonymous said...

There are always a solid amount of players who drop off between freshman and senior year. Freshman football is completely irrelevant, it's a completely different game. Eagle Freshman, just stop posting your dumb comments.

Thanks,

The rest of the readers.

EagleFreshman said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Being an olathe north football player this year wat south neds to be good is better coaching you can't cut block every other play u do that when u have no talent and no size. That's why olathe north is so sucessful we block till they are on ther back we get to the next level and block linebackers. Can't make ur running back do all the work

Anonymous said...

Yeah, that blocking till you're on you're back worked really well against Wichita Heights. Or how about even against OS in the Playoffs who held your D1 backfield to 53 yards on 33 carries? Wanna blame the rain? Their RB in that very game went over 100 yards. You wanna talk about poor coaching, your coach doesn't even have the confidence in himself to win without having superior talent, which is why he called -yes personally called- Tyshawn Root at Olathe East and got him to transfer, after, from what I hear, failing to get an OS back to do the same. Yeah, that's real good coaching. I guess if you ain't cheatin' you ain't trying. All you Olathe Guys, South, East and ESP North, are full of it.

Anonymous said...

^ Sounds like a sore loser...

Anonymous said...

haha mmmm im guessin your a shawnee mission person:) just all talk, no results and if you really wanna bring up heights theres only two teams at state and whatever team you support wasn't there, when it gets down to it olathe north has 10 state championship apperence in the last 15 years and yeaa that OS game wasn't about numbers it was about who had more sac and who wanted to win the game, north was tougher and had what it took...but your right and when you win you bring in kids and the upper talented kids are intrested in comming flood didn't have to call him up he has family ties with north he has a eight grade cousin goin to north along with being related to Tanner Gentry get stuff right before you start callin out programs

Anonymous said...

Freshman football records are irrelevant, but the talent on the freshman teams are not. I saw SM West freshman play most of their games and they have some talent. As does Lawrence Free State. I didn't see BVNW or OE to know how good they were, but SM West had the most talent of the teams I saw. Andre Maloney being the most talented and Austin Chambers being big and talented too.

Anonymous said...

SO, anyway, It's not a big deal because Tyshawn isn't even going to start, Orange Mooney is, He moved in to North because he knows that's where they win. Who is going to play QB at north? That's what I want to know.

Anonymous said...

its treshon....not tyshawn you got tyshawn from the guy who started the rumor that he got recruited

Anonymous said...

Treshawn, Tyshawn, whatever, he should have stayed at East where he would have started. I heard that Mooney kid is FOR REAL. Who's playing QB? Jordan Bruce (if I remember that name correctly)?

Anonymous said...

Maybe O-South's coach realized that North had a more talented and/or bigger line than theirs, which is why they "cut every other play." To me that would be a sign of Good coaching, to adjust to your talent and your opponent's on the field. Plus if you don't like getting cut, then don't bother trying to play College ball where everyone on the field can cut block anyone on the field, and they do (trust me, it sucks).