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| Olathe South quarterback Frankie Seurer will play a key role in how well Olathe South is able to control the ball and keep the Blue Valley Northwest offense off the field. Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. |
Their record doesn't indicate it, but Blue Valley Northwest is not a team to be taken lightly, and I can assure you Olathe South is putting in as much preparation and work into this game as they did last week against Olathe North. The Huskies from BV Northwest came within a blocked PAT of tying and possibly upending undefeated Blue Valley last week. Add in the fact that they have a talented quarterback in Garrett Fugate operating a spread system that Olathe South has probably only seen once, against Lawrence, and you have yourself what could be a pretty close ballgame.
Leavenworth (0-6) at Wyandotte (2-4) at Wyandotte
Leavenworth should finally be able to garner their first victory of the season here against Wyandotte. Last season it was their only win of the year, however, it gave them momentum and they nearly beat SM North in the final week of the season to make the playoffs. We'll see if a victory here can propel the Pioneers in a similar direction this time around.
Lawrence (4-2) at Olathe North (5-1) at ODAC
This game might feature as many top athletes as we've seen in a SL contest all season long. Olathe North is coming off their low-point in the season thus far, a 29-10 loss at the hands of Olathe South. Lawrence may be coming off their high-point, after handling SM South 42-17 with relative ease. Regardless, it's district time and a win here will be key, because the other two district members (Olathe Northwest and Free State) will certainly not be easy wins.
Blue Valley West (3-3) at Olathe East (5-1) at CBAC
SM East (3-3) at Blue Valley North (0-6) at BVDAC
By all means SM East has the personnel to handle Blue Valley North and push their own record to 4-3. The coaching familiarity is the main question mark at this point in time. Blue Valley North's head coach, John McCall, was head coach at Olathe North from 2003-2004, winning a 6A championship in 2003. He knows the Sunflower League's style well, and his son, Bryan McCall, is a coordinator at Olathe North and may have a few tips for his pops on how to contain the Lancers.
SM North (1-5) at SM Northwest (1-5) at SM North District Stadium
The Hula Bowl, for the first time in awhile, looks like it could be a pretty evenly matched game. SM North has lost four straight games after a week on victory, while SM Northwest has been just as bad, having only won one game, which came on a last-second field goal. Both units would love a victory over their arch-rival, and a 1-0 start to district play. And just for the record, SM North hasn't beat SM Northwest since 2001, accumulating seven straight losses in the nine seasons since then.
SM South (1-5) at SM West (3-3) at SM South District Stadium
Technically, this is a matchup between two members of former Olathe North head coach Gene Wier's coaching tree. SM West head coach Tim Callaghan was an assistant under Wier from the mid-90s through the early part of the 2000s, and SM South head coach Ryan Lonergan was an assistant at Olathe North under Weir in 2002. While neither team has had a tremendous season, both will be employing similar styles of play and it should be fun to watch.
Game of the Week
Lawrence Free State (4-2) at Olathe Northwest (3-3) (Thursday Night Game) at CBAC
I like what both teams bring to the table in this game, and for that reason I've chosen it as the Game of the Week. A win here is absolutely crucial. The other two teams in the district include Lawrence and Olathe North, two of the Sunflower League's best. The loser of this game will have to defeat both of those teams to make the playoffs, which will be a tall order. The winner on the other hand will only have to win one of their remaining two games.
