Top Sunflower League Games in 2011

Week 1

Last season Olathe East manhand-
led Olathe North, 25-0, in the regu-
lar season game between the two
teams.  Olathe North avenged the
loss with a 13-6 Sub-State victory.

Olathe North at Olathe East

The first week of the season starts off with a bang as the top two teams in my Power Rankings face off at CBAC.  This is a heated rivalry and Treshawn Root's transfer to North from East just adds more fuel to the fire.  More importantly, I think we'll get a good handle on how much talent both of these squads have compared to their team's of 2010.

Week 2
Lawrence at Olathe South

Will Olathe South’s returning defensive starters make up for their losses on the offensive side of the ball? Can Brad Strauss take his game and Lawrence High’s to the next level?

Week 3
Olathe North at SM West

Last season Olathe North embarrassed SM West in week one scoring the first 29 points of the game. From then on SM West was good, but they never seemed to have the confidence of a team that was going to do anything in the playoffs. This time around SM West would love nothing more than to sneak up on the Eagles and claim a victory.

Week 4
SM Northwest at Lawrence Free State

I put this game on here because both these teams employ exciting offenses and this game could feature offensive fireworks if both teams’ new starters at the skill positions are comfortable by this point in the season.  It would have been fun seeing a game between these two with Stephen Mangelsdorf and Dylan Perry battling it out at their respective quarterback positions.  Maybe the new starters will be just as exciting?

Week 5
SM East at Lawrence

I have a feeling this could be a fun game to watch.  Both teams feature great talent at the skill positions (Strauss, Anthony Buffalomeat, Elliot Faerber, Adam Lowe, etc.), and Lawrence offensive coordinator Mack Brown will be facing his dad Sam Brown’s (SM East’s athletic director) ballclub.

Week 6
Olathe South at Olathe North

This will be the final tune-up week before district play begins.  Olathe North has won the last four games in the rivalry including a 17-0 shutout of Olathe South in Sectional play in 2010.  Neither team will want to start districts coming off a loss.

Week 7
SM North at SM Northwest

The “Hula Bowl” is conveniently placed at the start of district play for both of these teams. I say that because the other two teams in the district are Leavenworth and Wyandotte, and both SM North and SM Northwest will probably be favorites to win both of those games. This early matchup could be for the district title.

Week 8
SM West at SM East

Last year SM East beat SM West for the first time in over a decade. You think the Vikings want their beloved Nut Cup Trophy back?  This game will also probably feature the top two teams from the Shawnee Mission School District and so there are also bragging rights associated with that.



Lawrence High and Lawrence Free State
have battled it out for bragging rights
since their initial meeting in the fall of
1997 (shown above).



Week 9

Lawrence at Lawrence Free State



This annual Lawrence High vs. Free State game is probably the league’s most heated rivalry. Had Free State not been built in the late 1990s, Lawrence High would probably still be one of, if not the league’s top dog—and this idea has resonated with the LHS faithful since the split.

Also, since this is the last game of district play a shot at the playoffs could also be on the line for one or both of the teams.

Photos courtesy the Kansas City Star and the Lawrence Journal World.

2011 Player Spotlights: Scott Gourley

Scott Gourley, number 76 above, will be key to how well
Olathe South's rushing attack operates this season.

Scott Gourley

Olathe South

Positions: Center, Defensive End

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 255 lbs.

Year: Senior

Stat to Note
Gourley was named a First Team All-Sunflower League offensive lineman following his junior season.

Scouting Report

Scott is the son of Olathe South Head Coach Jeff Gourley.  While it may seem like playing under your father would be a dubious role, Sunflower League players of past have actually done quite well.  Some notable coaches son's of the past 15 years or so include Olathe North's Brandon Wier and Mike McCall, Lawrence Free State's Michael and Brett Lisher, and Olathe South's Kyson Ginavan and Brad Gourley (Scott's older brother).

The fact of the matter is that coaches son's have done well in the SL and Scott has already added his name to that list.  As a junior he helped pave the way for Olathe South's rushing attack which averaged just under 285 yards a game and churned out over 3,000 rushing yards on the season.

With the loss of their top three running backs to graduation, Scott and company will be blocking for a completely new cast of backs in 2011.  While no team wants to break in all new ballcarriers, Olathe South can rest a little easier knowing they have number 76 in the middle of all the blocking assignments.

Aside from his duties on the offensive side of the ball, keep an eye on Scottt at the defensive end position.  Many colleges are recruiting him for defensive purposes, despite the fact that his most impressive work has come as a center.

KC Metro Sports High School Games of the Week

Time Warner Cable's Kansas City Metro Sports recently released their Hy-Vee High School Game of the Week schedule through early October for the 2011 season.  Metro Sports broadcasts the games live to the entire Kansas City metropolitan area and it's great for team exposure.  Here is the schedule with Sunflower League contests in bold.

Friday, August 26
Rockhurst at Blue Springs

Thursday, September 1
SM East at SM Northwest

Friday, September 2
Olathe North at Olathe East

Thursday, September 8
St. Thomas Aquinas at Blue Valley West

Friday, September 9
Park Hill South at Park Hill

Thursday, September 15
Olathe North at SM West

Friday, September 16
Blue Springs South at Lee's Summit West

Thursday, September 22
Grandview at Liberty North

Friday, September 23
Kearney at Staley

Thursday, September 29
Carrollton at Hogan Prep

Friday, September 30
Blue Valley West at Blue Valley Southwest

Thursday, October 6
Blue Valley at Blue Valley Northwest

Friday, October 7
Oak Park at Winnetonka

Thursday, October 13
Lawrence Free State at Olathe Northwest

All Games of the Week after October 13th TBD

2011 Player Spotlights: Matthew Baltimore

Matthew Baltimore
Olathe East

Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 230 lbs.
Year: Senior

Stat to Note
As a junior, Baltimore was a Second Team All-Sunflower League selection as a defensive end.

Scouting Report
Baltimore is a pass rushing nightmare for opposing head coaches and coordinators.  Not only does he have great length for shedding blockers, but he's also a gifted athlete with speed to burn around the end.  There won't be many, if any defensive ends as athletic as Baltimore in the Sunflower League in the upcoming season.

Last season Baltimore recorded 17.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections.  His nine sacks were two less than that of Olathe North's Tanner Gentry--which further fuels the question as to which of the two players will be the more dominant defensive end in 2011? 

For now, let the debate rage on.  Much of that discussion will be played out as the season goes along and the one thing that is for sure is that Baltimore's motor won't stop going, so long as he's on the field for Olathe East.  Baltimore has had concussion issues in the past and hopefully those won't be an issue for the talented senior this season.

Photo courtesy oehawksfootball.com

Strength of Schedule Calculation

Aaron Barnett, Head Coach at
SM Northwest, is fielding one
of his more youthful squads at just
the right time.  On paper the Coug-
ars have the easiest SOS in the SL.

Using a simple mathematical formula, I calculated the strength of schedule of each of the Sunflower League teams' upcoming 2011 slate.  The main flaw of the formula is that it is based on my Preseason Power Rankings, which will never be 100% accurate. 

Here's how the formula worked:  I allocated points to each team based on their preseason ranking.  Olathe North, the first place team, received 12 points, Olathe East 11, SM East 10, and so on until I reached Leavenworth who received one point.  If a team played a home game against Olathe North, for instance, I would add 12 points to that team's strength of schedule.  If they played a home game against Leavenworth I added one point.

To factor in games in which a team played an away game, I took the team's base points and multiplied it by 1.5.  So if a school played at Olathe North their strength of schedule would have 18 points added to it, and if they played at Leavenworth 1.5 points would be added.  This basis for away game was only factored in if it was an actual "away" game. So SM West's away game against SM East, at SM South District Stadium (the home stadium for both teams) did not count as an away game.

Also, SL teams play four out-of-conference schools during the season--Blue Valley North, who I slotted Olathe Northwest's point scale, Blue Valley West, who I slotted Olathe South's point scale, Wyandotte, who I slotted Leavenworth's point scale, and Blue Valley Northwest, who I slotted Free State's point scale.  Those figures we're all estimations based on my rough guess of how well those squads will perform in 2011.

Overall the formula seemed to work pretty well.  The more points a team has equates to the harder the strength of schedule, based on my preseason rankings and estimates of out-of-conference teams.  Here was how the strength of schedules ranked.

Strength of Schedule Totals

1. Lawrence: 81.5
2. Olathe East: 79
3. Olathe South: 74
4. Leavenworth: 70
5. SM West: 69
6. Olathe North: 67.5
7. SM East: 66
t8. Olathe Northwest: 65.5
t8. SM North: 65.5
10. SM South: 65
11. Lawrence Free State: 64
12. SM Northwest: 54

*As a side note, the most away games I've seen a team play in the SL was six.  If a team played six away games against the top six teams in the league, then played their three home games against the next three best teams, their strength of schedule would equate to a 100.5, which would essentially be the maximum score any team could achieve.

Anthony Buffalomeat, above, and his Lawrence
High teammates will face one of the toughest
SL schedules in 2011.

As you can see, based on my figures Lawrence has the strongest preseason strength of schedule, and they sit some 27.5 points higher than SM Northwest who has the easiest strength of schedule.

The Chesty Lions begin the season at home against SM West (Tim Callaghan and SM West have won six of their last seven season openers) before spending three consecutive weeks on the road at Olathe South, Olathe East and Leavenworth.  They then return home to face SM East and SM South.  Their district play begins the following week when they travel to Olathe North, followed by a home game against Olathe Northwest, then an away game at their crosstown rival Lawrence Free State. 

Based on my preseason rankings they face the league's top six teams, excluding themselves. 

SM Northwest on the other hand may have found a good season to have very few returning starters.  Their depletion of talent should only affect them in the first few weeks of the season when they play homes games against SM East and SM West.

Of SM Northwest's remaining seven games, only one against Olathe East seems like an uphill challenge at this point.  The other six games include Olathe Northwest, Free State, SM South, SM North, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte.  The Cougars could easily go 6-3 if their new starters improve like they should as the season goes along.

2011 Player Spotlights: Brad Strauss

Brad Strauss

Lawrence

Position: Quarterback

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 175 lbs.

Year: Junior

Stat to Note

Strauss completed 114 of his 189 passes as a sophomore, equating to a 60.3% completion rating.  That number was tops among Sunflower League quarterbacks in 2010.

Scouting Report

No school in the Sunflower League will have as much riding on a junior as Lawrence High will on Strauss this upcoming season.  In his first year at the helm he passed for 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 603 yards and five touchdowns through nine games, good enough for honorable mention all-SL honors. 

The most underrated part of Strauss' game is his athletic ability.  At times last season he was nearly unstoppable running the zone-read option out of Lawrence's standard shotgun formation.  He even played defensive back and returned kicks from time to time.  With another year in the weight room under his belt he should be better equipped for an even more versatile role, and from an offensive perspective we should see his rushing stats increase substantially.

Strauss' top target from last season, wide receiver Anthony Buffalomeat, returns and will be Strauss' go-to receiver throughout the season assuming both stay healthy.  Strauss has a chance to be a dynamite performer if he continues to progress and mature as a quarterback the way he did last season.  A big year from the junior will almost certainly mean big things for Lawrence.

2011 Sunflower League Preseason Power Rankings

1. Olathe North
Head Coach: Pete Flood (Five years, 46-12)
Last Season: 11-2, Class 6A Runner-Up

For the third consecutive year the Olathe North will enter the season as at the top team in my power rankings. What will make the Eagles so special in 2011? Well, as usual the Eagle’s cupboard is stocked with athletes.

The school had two big-time players transfer in during the offseason. Orange Mooney comes to the program from Phoenix, Arizona, where last season he was an All-Region performer at St. Mary’s High School. His addition immediately upgraded the Eagles’ overall speed (as if they weren’t fast enough already) and added yet another skill position threat. Then, as if one big name running back transfer wasn’t enough, Treshawn Root transferred across the district from Olathe East. Root was projected by many to be Olathe East’s starting tailback this season, but his transfer to Olathe North will make him an Eagle for his senior season.

In addition to those two, Olathe North should see big contributions from senior defensive end Tanner Gentry (above) who was second in the Sunflower League in sacks as a junior. Gentry can also stretch a defense with his receiving skills on offense. Terence Brown will be another Eagle who should contribute heavily on both sides of the ball, from the linebacker and running back positions.

The Eagles have gone 32-5 over the past three seasons, and their high rate of success should continue in 2011.

2. Olathe East
Head Coach: Jeff Meyers (19 years, 138-56)
Last Season: 10-2, Sub-State

Olathe East always finds a way to be good. In fact, the last time the Hawks didn’t have a winning record was in 1999. Their string of 11-consecutive winning seasons is four more than the next longest string (SM West has seven in a row), so putting Olathe East anywhere but near the top of the list would just be unpractical.

The Hawks most notable returning players are Junior Williams, Matt Baltimore, and Ethan Goss—the latter two were First Team All-Sunflower League selections as juniors. Williams is the younger brother of Olathe East greats, Derahn (’09) and Dorain (’07) Williams, and he has as much ability as both. Last season he intercepted four passes and he’s one of the top returning defensive backs in the league. Baltimore is a pass-rushing nightmare and Goss will be the focal point in Olathe East’s offensive line.

Olathe East’s hardest task will be replacing running backs Brandon Willingham and Austin Fulson who combined to rush for over 2,600 yards and 36 touchdowns last season. But don’t forget, head coach Jeff Meyers found Dee Bell to replace Andre Jones, JaVon Williams to replace Bell, and Willingham and Fulson to replace Williams. Olathe East reloads as well as any team, and I’m sure we’ll see another big time running back emerge in 2011.

3. SM East

Head Coach: Chip Sherman (Two years, 12-8)

Last Season: 8-2, Regionals

SM East’s Elliot Faerber will have the eyes of his school and the league on him in 2011 as he works to lead his Lancers back to another playoff berth. Faerber topped the league in receiving yards with 650 as a junior, and that helped in him in earning his offer and eventual commitment to Illinois. With his recruitment complete Faerber can focus all of his attention on the upcoming season.

Running back Adam Lowe had spurts of dominance in 2010 and he’ll need to get close to or surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark so that the Lancers can keep a good pass to run balance going.

John Schrock was the cog that kept SM East in check last season, and now that he’s headed to Colorado to play ball someone is going to have to fill his shoes at the quarterback position. With Faerber to throw to, and Lowe to hand it off to, whoever is named the new quarterback will be stepping into a pretty good situation. Head coach Chip Sherman has done a tremendous job in his two seasons at SM East and the Lancers will be a fun team to watch in 2011.

4. SM West
Head Coach: Tim Callaghan (Eight years, 61-23)
Last Season: 7-3, Regionals

The Vikings are one of the few teams in the league who have the luxury of returning their starting quarterback, Armani Williams (right), and starting running back, Tre Burt. Those two were highly instrumental in the team’s 7-3 record last year, and you can’t put a price on experience especially at those two skill positions. However, if SM West is going to win some playoff games this season both those players are going to have to step their games up.

Last season Williams had moments where he played like an all-league performer (his two touchdown 182-yard passing performance against Lawrence comes to mind) but as a whole it was his inconsistencies and crucial interceptions that really hurt SM West in two of their three losses. We should see significant strides from the senior signal caller in year two. Burt will get his fair share of carries as the team’s top running back and he could have a shot at breaking the 1,500 yard rushing mark if he stays healthy.

Beyond that the team will be featuring a heap of new talent. Last year SM West went undefeated at all levels below varsity, and while that’s hardly a foolproof method for projecting success it does mean the Vikings have a strong crop up and coming, many of whom will earn their stripes this season.

5. Lawrence
Head Coach: Dirk Wedd (11 years, 61-56)
Last Season: 3-6, no playoffs

Ranking Lawrence fifth is based hugely on the assumption that junior quarterback Brad Strauss has developed into the league’s premier passing quarterback during the offseason (he wasn’t too far off in 2010). Strauss passed for an impressive 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games last season. His 5:2 touchdown to interception ratio was outstanding, especially for a sophomore.

Strauss’ primary target will be big play wide receiver Anthony Buffalomeat, who earned Second Team All-Sunflower League honors as a junior. Buffalomeat is a tall and wiry receiver who would have made an even bigger impact for Lawrence last season had he not suffered an injury midway through the year.  Out of the backfield, senior running back Charles Jackson will be a nice compliment to Strauss and the aerial attack.

On paper Lawrence has the makings of a much improved unit in 2011. Their one win in 2009 was an all-time low for the program, but they improved their win total to three games last season including a huge upset of Olathe East, and now the program could be on track for their first winning season since 2006.

6. Olathe South
Head Coach: Jeff Gourley (Three years, 14-15)

Last Season: 7-4, Sectionals

Losing running backs Nick Sands, Kendal Harland and Jake Crist to graduation was a significant blow to the Falcon football program, but fortunately they have the quarterback who orchestrated everything, junior Frankie Seurer, back again at the helm.

Seurer only threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, but he averaged 19.4 yards per completion and Olathe South’s run heavy offense negated the need for much passing. Seurer’s most valuable contributions in 2011 will be managing the Falcon’s offense and cashing in a big play every once in awhile. He had an impressive season in his first year starting as a sophomore and he’ll be a big time player for Olathe South again this season. He’ll lead the offensive skill positions, with the coach’s son, Scott Gourley leading the offensive line from his center position.

On the defensive side of the ball the Falcons’ three most notable returning performers are defensive tackle Jared Douglas, cornerback Taylor Sheffield and safety Dylan DeVries, all of whom were honorable mention performers last season.

Olathe South will have a lot of rushing yardage to make up for but they have a solid core of returning players on both sides of the ball and the transition to 2011 shouldn’t be too difficult.

7. Lawrence Free State
Head Coach: Bob Lisher (14 years, 78-65)
Last Season: 5-5, Regionals

For the second year in a row Bob Lisher and company will be ushering in a new starting quarterback following the graduation of Dylan Perry. The quarterback position is a huge deal for all schools, but especially at Free State where quarterback reads are the centerpiece of the offense.

Free State’s top returning talent comes at the wide receiver position. Desmond Wyatt was a Second Team All-Sunflower League selection as a junior after catching five touchdown passes and recording just under 400 yards receiving. He returns alongside fellow receiver Shawn Knighton (right), who was also a consistent threat for the Firebirds last season.

One area Free State won’t need to spend much time focusing on is the punt game. Punter Kale Joyce is rated by several scouting services as top ten punter nationally, and he’s drawing interest from some of the nation’s top college football programs.

Free State doesn’t have a loaded roster returning the way they have in past years, but they didn’t have that luxury last season and they still managed to go 5-5. The Firebirds are going to have to find replacements at the quarterback and running back positions, not to mention patching up holes on their offensive and defensive lines. Early on it could be rough-going, but Free State has shown time and again that they are one of the league’s best when it comes to improving as the season goes along.

8. SM Northwest

Head Coach: Aaron Barnett (Five years, 31-19)

Last Season: 6-5, Sectionals

SM Northwest, like many of the teams on the lower half of the list, was hit hard by graduation. The Cougars lost all-everything defensive end and tight end Drew Goodger, in addition to quarterback Stephen Mangelsdorf and running back James Gregory, among others.

The Cougar’s only returning starters who earned Sunflower League honors last season are seniors-to-be Caulin Pendleton and Will Smith, both of whom were honorable mention performers. Pendleton will be expected to step up and lead the Cougar’s defense, while Smith is, on paper, the team’s top returning lineman.

Head coach Aaron Barnett has had some pretty impressive seasons since taking over in 2006, but 2011 will be the biggest challenge he has faced thus far. The Cougars returning depth is paper thin and a whole new batch of players will be expected to step up and lead the team.

9. Olathe Northwest
Head Coach: Todd Dain (Seven years, 20-45)
Last Season: 3-6, no playoffs

Olathe Northwest has hovered just below the .500 mark since their inception in 2004, and early on in 2011 there’s nothing pointing to a major change in that trend. The Ravens top returning player will be running back Connor Middleton. Middleton received honorable mention all-league honors last season and he won the Class 6A state wrestling state championship in the 152-pound weight division. Middleton has good speed and burst, but so did Nick Bandy last season and it didn’t make a huge difference.

Until Olathe Northwest starts beating the other Olathe schools they will continue to be viewed as the “little brother” in the Olathe School District. On paper they don’t have a bevy of returning talent, but neither does any other team in the league (with the exception of Olathe North). Olathe Northwest has little to no pressure heading into 2011 and it would be the perfect time for the program to sneak up on the other Olathe schools.

10. SM South
Head Coach: Ryan Lonergan (First year)
Last Season: 2-7, no playoffs

Up until about a month ago SM South had little going for them, but the naming of Ryan Lonergan as the new head coach has given the program and its fans a renewed sense of optimism for 2011—it’s just that Lonergan and his staff will have very little time to shore things up before the start of the season.

The Raiders’ top returning players are quarterback Alex Forslund and wide receiver Shawn Laurent. Both players received honorable mention all-league honors as juniors, and Forslund has a great arm and skill set when used properly.  Also watch out for junior running back Gabe Guild, who was also an honorable mention performer in 2010. He’ll be getting a good deal of carries in Lonergan’s offense.

The adjustment to Lonergan’s system—both offensively and defensively—could take some time for the Raiders to get used to. On top of that SM South hasn’t been a strong program in years and so it’ll be as much of a culture change as anything, but the Raiders have the right coach in place for future success.

11. SM North
Head Coach: Dennis Grayless (Second year, 2-8)

Last Season: 2-8, Regionals

The Indians benefited from an easy district last year (SM Northwest, Wyandotte and Leavenworth) and they’ll contend with the same four teams again in 2011 for a shot at the playoffs. Realistically it will probably come down to their week nine game against Leavenworth to see if they make the playoffs again.

SM North will be led by cornerback Mason Perez, who earned second team all-league honors and hauled in six interceptions last season.  Perez will also be a big contributor on the offense side of the ball and he gives the Indians a decent scoring threat when he has the ball in his hands.  Also returning is running back/linebacker Brock Burrows (right) who was an honorable mention performer as a junior. 

12. Leavenworth
Head Coach: Kevin Kopecky (Second year, 1-8)
Last Season: 1-8, no playoffs

In 2004 Kansas coaching legend Tom Young came to Leavenworth and led the team to a 4-5 record. That was the last time the Pioneer football program fielded anything resembling a competitive football team. In the six seasons since then Leavenworth has gone a hideous 4-50 under four different head coaches, the latest being Kevin Kopecky.

Kopecky and company went 1-8 last season with their one win coming against the Wyandotte Bulldogs in district play. Kopecky had his fair share of success at St. Thomas Aquinas but winning at Leavenworth is another animal. The school has the talent (see the men’s basketball program) but we’ve yet to see a coach do much with the program. Could year two under Kopecky be the season Leavenworth regains some inkling of respectability in the Sunflower League? We’ll find out in the first few weeks of the season.

2011 Preseason Banter Section

Top Storylines Heading into the 2011 Season

1. Orange Mooney

Mooney (right), Olathe North's new transfer running back from Arizona has created more hype without having set foot under the Friday night lights in the league than any player of the last decade.  Some say he's a cancer who will screw up Olathe North's team chemistry, while other's claim he's the second coming of every great Olathe North running back from the past that shred your team to pieces.  Either way, he's created a hype machine the size of Olathe and he'll have all eyes on him come September.

2.  SM East -- Fight or Flight?

Chip Sherman has turned SM East into a respectable program and the big expectation machine has caught up to the Lancers.  The team returns arguably the league's top offensive threat in Illinois wide receiver commit Elliot Faerber, and they have a solid core of experienced talent returning around him--enough to make a good run this season. 

The true question will be how SM East handles their week two, four, and eight home contests against Olathe East, Olathe South and SM West, respectively.  Win two of the three and the Lancers could be sitting pretty at 8-1 heading into the playoffs with a chance to do some damage.  On the flip side, a down season would really hurt the momentum machine that the football program has now generated in Prairie Village.

3.  Complete the Sentence, "Olathe North will __________ in 2011."

Olathe North will have new starters at the quarterback and running back positions, among other spots.  They lost playmakers Adonis Saunders and Victor Simmons to the division one ranks, not to mention defensive stalwart Kyle Swartz, and yet they still look like the preseason favorite to carry the torch in the Sunflower League.

The Eagles have won 42 games the past four seasons, including three Sub-State appearances, two state championship games, and one state title.  The true question is whether their new crop of starters will be able to handle the pressure that comes with being the top dogs in the league, and getting everyone's best effort week in and week out.

Preseason Perceptions

Most Hated Program - Olathe East

Maybe it's the visors and armbands, the flashy players like the Parks brothers Anthony and Adam (right), or the seemingly endless string of good teams, but for whatever reason the Hawks seem to get under people's skin, and stay there.  The program hasn't had a losing season since 1999, and they rank second behind Olathe North in wins since then.

Most Respected Program - Olathe North

After a brief hiatus, the most notable program in Kansas has come back with a vengeance going a combined 24-2 the past two seasons including two state title appearances and one title victory. Olathe North seems to have an endless plethora of talent especially at the running back position.

Best Fanbase - SM West

You have to give up up to the Black and Gold--their fan section brings it, home or away.  They have one of the most enthusiastic student sections in the league and they travel better than any program.  It's just too bad the school doesn't have their own true "home stadium."

2011 Dark Horse - Lawrence

Lawrence head coach Dirk Wedd is a seasoned veteran and it looks like he may have his program on the rise. Year two in their new on-campus stadium could be a breakthrough for the Chesty Lions, who will look to improve on their 3-6 record under second year starting quarterback Brad Strauss.

Most Impressive Streak - Olathe East's 11-straight winning seasons

As alluded to earlier, Olathe East has had a winning record every year since 2000, including nine or more wins in six of those seasons.

Least Impressive Streak(s) - SM South and Leavenworth

The Raiders and Pioneers are the only two teams in the SL that haven’t produced a winning record in the last 10 years. Olathe Northwest has also failed achieve a winning record, but the school has only fielded a varsity team since 2004.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

SM East Quarterback: Last year’s quarterback John Schrock is heading to walk-on at Colorado. If you knew nothing about what he did for the Lancers last season, his walk-on status at a division one program should help you out. Whoever does take over will have one of the best receivers in the league to throw to in Faerber.

Lawrence Free State Backfield: The Firebirds have a way of finding quarterbacks with sub-4.5 speed to fill in on a yearly basis, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see another one emerge out of the woodwork come September. The running back position is also in question with Preston Schenck’s graduation.

Olathe South Backfield: Jeff Gourley’s winged-T offense requires the efforts of several running backs—unfortunately for the Falcons, their three primary ball carriers from last season (Nick Sands, Jake Crist and Kendal Harland) all graduated. That leaves a lot of carries to be distributed to a new set of running backs with limited varsity experience.

Photos courtesy Facebook, ljworld.com

2011 Player Spotlights: Elliot Faerber

Elliot Faerber

SM East

Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 200 lbs.
Year: Senior

Stat to Note
As a junior, Faerber led the Sunflower League in receiving yards with 650 in 10 games, including five touchdown catches.

Scouting Report
Most of the time the division one athletes at SM East are swimmers, tennis players, or golfers--not future B1G Ten receivers.  Faerber is another big-time football player in a new wave of talent at SM East working to buck the school's image of being one of the softer teams in the league.  So far he's done a great job of that and he's already committed to play football at the Illinois.

Last season Faerber was the primary target of Colorado bound quarterback John Schrock.  It seemed like Faerber always found a way to make a the big catch when his team needed it most.  Perhaps his biggest moment was his 21-yard touchdown catch in the second half against SM West that more or less gave his Lancers a comfortable lead en route to their eventual win against the Vikings (it was SM East's first win against their rival SM West in over a decade).

Faerber returns in 2011 as the Sunflower League's top receiver and arguably its most highly touted player.  He won't have Schrock throwing to him, but with his size and ability to catch anything thrown his direction he'll make any quarterback look good.  His efforts this year will go a long way in determining how well SM East is able to build off their 8-2 season from a year ago.