Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Week One Game Previews

Olathe North's Venus Triplett. LJWorld.
Game of the Week
Olathe East (0-0) at Olathe North (0-0) at ODAC

It wouldn't be the opening week of the Sunflower League slate without an enticing matchup of Olathe powerhouses. This year's game pits the teams ranked #3 and #4 in the Power Rankings in what should be a thriller. Both units have carried a proverbial chip on their shoulders this offseason and we'll finally get to see them put the gloves on and prove their worth. Year after year these opening Olathe battles are some of the best games we see all season.  This one should be no different.

Lawrence (0-0) at Olathe South (0-0) at ODAC (Thursday Game)

The two teams hit hardest by graduation will face off in the first game of the 2013 season in the Sunflower League.  We should have a good idea of a few things after this one.  First off, what names will be filling the voids left by players like Strauss, Mayo, Whitley and Seurer. Secondly, whether either team has the horses to be a a fixture in the Sunflower League this fall the way they've been in the previous years.

SM East (0-0) at Leavenworth (0-0) at Pioneer Stadium

With new head coaches on both sidelines this game will be a battle of which new hire can notch the first win at their respective school. SM East will debut a true flexbone offense, run by a coach who knows how to run a flexbone offense, which will be the first of its kind in the league. Veteran Mark Littrell will attempt to prove he hasn't lost a step in the league, despite his five-year absence.

SM North (0-0) at Lawrence Free State (0-0) at Free State Athletic Stadium

Last fall SM North went 0-9 while Free State went 10-2.  This game is being played at Free State's home stadium. SM North is debuting a new head coach. Free State looks to be among the league's most talented teams. On paper this matchup is completely lopsided and it would be the regular season upset of the decade if the game ended in SM North's favor.

SM Northwest (0-0) at Olathe Northwest (0-0) at CBAC

I'm not totally sure what to expect in this game, and I find that intriguing. Both programs have strong potential to be risers in the Power Rankings. Simply put, they seem to match up well on paper and notching a win in week one against a similarly skilled opponent can do wonders for a team's confidence moving forward. It may be a non-district game with no playoff implications, but it will set the tone for what to expect from each team down the road.

SM West (0-0) at SM South (0-0) at SM South District Stadium

This is an excellent measuring stick for where each of these teams stand. For SM South (a team with greater expectations than they've had in years), who better to test yourself against than the defending 6A champions and the team favored to win the league? For SM West, it's not as if they're playing some patsy to tune-up against. SM South will legitimately test their abilities, and don't forget, SM South head coach Ryan Lonergan was a long-time assistant under Tim Callaghan at SM West. Both teams are very familiar with the schemes of the other.

8 comments:

SMS watcher said...

Can't wait for the season to start.

SMEaster1214 said...

Lets get it on!

Seth Nation said...

Can't wait for the new faces at LHS to show the league what they have...there are some under the radar kids on this team who will make an impact!

Free State Fan said...

So excited to start another year of SFL football! Downer that LAW fell in their first game, but there's lots of kids with great ability across town and they'll have a good year. Article in the Lawrence paper this morning mentioned the audible possibilities for Dineen. Boo-yah! Smart move on Lisher's part in my book.
Good luck to everyone tonight! Stay injury free and Go 'Birds!

Seth Nation said...

Tough night for the Lions, held the lead or were tied for most of three quarters, but a couple key injuries and some key plays by OS sealed the deal. Off/Def lines looked fantastic, New QB showed some potential. Just need to shore up some Def. Positions. Kids played there hearts out, and showed they will be in the game with any team in the SFL. Like the paper said just need to polish a few spots, and put this all together. Should be a great hard fighting season to watch. Good luck to all the other SFL teams tonight.

Mr.Gridiron said...

I told ya so. RANDAL BYERS JR#56 is the real deal he was in beast modw from the first snap. Still no one can stop him. The best D lineman in the metro, and then. A offenses nightmare. His name is Mr. SHOWTIME.GO OLATHE NORTHWEST.

Who's Your Daddy said...

Mr. Gridiron AKA Randall Byers Dad or Mom or Brother. The best D Lineman in the Metro. The problem with JOCO football players is that they think they should have a name like Mr. Showtime after one game. Gimme a break. Wait till you play somebody Mr. Showtime promoter. LOL

Seth Nation said...

WYD......perfect comment...loved it.....By the way has anyone heard of this Randall Byers kid, I think there was a post or twenty about him.

We'll see how he does with the big tackles at OS and SMW, or the center from LHS. Go up against one of the three best lineman in the league, then start making up nicknames and stuff