Sunflower League Extra: Part IV

SM East's Wyatt Edmisten is tied for the league lead
in touchdowns with 12 through four games. Photo
courtesy Hailey Hughes, SME Harbinger.

Week Four Players of the Week

Juwann Potts, Leavenworth: Potts had a career night on Friday at Lawrence Free State. He first put the Pioneers on the scoreboard in the first quarter with 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He followed that up with a 30-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to put his team up seven, and he opened the third quarter with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Potts finished the game with over three hundred yards of total offense, in addition to the three touchdowns and an interception.

Wyatt Edmisten, SM East: Edmisten is a touchown machine, and he had one of the best games of any Lancer in a long time this past week. Against rival SM West, Edmisten carried the ball 22 times for 129 yards and five touchdowns. The five scores gave him 12 touchdowns for the year, which ties him with Olathe South's Jake Seurer for the most in the league. For the year, Edmisten has run the ball 70 times for 429 yards.

Week Four Coach of the Week

Mark Littrell, Leavenworth: Littrell and his staff get the top honors this week, and rightfully so. Coming off consecutive losses (where the Pioneers had only managed 19 points) Leavenworth came out of nowhere in week four. Traveling to Free State is never an easy task -- and not only did Leavenworth come away victorious, but they also hung 35 points on the Firebirds. The victory tells us the Pioneers are capable of make some noise in the playoffs this November.

Statistical Leaders

Passing Yards (QB Rating)
Will Schneider, SM North: 883, 9 TDs (80)
Gunnar Englund, SM East: 527, 5 TDs (115)
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 525, 4 TDs (116)
Chase Miller, Olathe East: 488, 5 TDs (95)
Landry Hodges, Leavenworth: 415, 3 TDs (38)
Matt Hollingsworth, SM South: 387, 2 TDs (27)
Jack Hatzfeld, Olathe Northwest: 313, 2 TDs (73)
Adam Rellihan, SM West: 295, 4 TDs (75)
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 266, 2 TDs (54)
Cole Murphy, Olathe North: 212, 3 TDs (80)
Clay Drouilliard, SM Northwest: 176 (38)

Rushing Yards
Venus Triplett, Olathe North: 535, 8 TDs
JD Woods, Lawrence: 511, 6 TDs
Collin Fischer, Olathe South: 448, 5 TDs
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 433, 4 TDs
Wyatt Edmisten, SM East: 429, 12 TDs
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 427, 5 TDs
Tarik Watson, SM West: 332, 2 TDs
Trey Moore, Lawrence: 312, 4 TDs
Gunnar Englund, SM East: 295, 3 TDs
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 280, 3 TDs
Calvin Jones, SM East: 269, 2 TDs

Receiving Yards
Nick Perez, SM North: 416, 3 TDs
Alec Dean, SM East: 327, 4 TDs
Jeighlon Cornell, Olathe North: 231, 3 TDs
Zach Cahill, Olathe East: 198, 4 TDs
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 166, 1 TD
Tyler Burnett, SM North: 163, 2 TDs
Israel Watson, SM West: 136, 2 TDs
Ryan Stearns, Olathe South: 103, 1 TD

Tackles
Anthony Hunt, Leavenworth: 56
David Burton, Olathe Northwest: 55
Price Morgan, Lawrence: 55
DJ Turner, SM West: 53
Zach Gerber, SM South: 46
Nick Perez, SM North: 43
Josh Compton, SM West: 41
Asher Goldston, SM West: 39
Alex Renfrew, SM South: 38
Kyle Ball, SM East: 36
Joe Fales, SM South: 36

Sacks
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 7
Kyle Ball, SM East: 4
Eli Pruss, Olathe Northwest: 4

Forced Fumbles
Nick Perez, SM North: 3
Joe Fales, SM South: 2
Shane Hofer, Free State: 2

Fumble Recoveries
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 2
Ivan Hollins, Lawrence: 2
Nate Howard, Olathe South: 2
Sean Young, Leavenworth: 2

Interceptions
Isaiah Macklin, SM West: 3
Derek Miller, Olathe East: 3
Chaz Burgess, Olathe North: 2
Max McClellen, Olathe East: 2
Zee Pinkerton, Olathe Northwest: 2
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 2
Charley White, SM East: 2

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Juwan Potts, Leavenworth: 2 KR TDs
Nyle Anderson, Lawrence: 1 KR TD
Venus Triplett, Olathe North: 1 PR TD

Field Goals
Chris Diddle, Olathe East: (4/5)
Devin Antcil, Olathe Northwest: (2/4)
Jonathan Killeen, SM Northwest: (2/2)
Jake Boyce, Leavenworth: (1/4)
Daniel Clarke, Free State: (1/1)
Cody Corbin, SM South: (1/1)
Ellis Springe, Lawrence: (1/2)
Logan Swartz, Olathe South: (1/2)

*Olathe North and Olathe South did not submit defensive stats. Lawrence and Free State did not submit complete defensive stats.

Sunflower League Power Rankings, News & Notes

Lawrence running back Trey Moore has
been one of the league's pleasant surprises
through four weeks. Photo LJWorld.

Eli's News & Notes

**Week four was kind of an anticlimactic week in the Sunflower League. Sure, Leavenworth had a nice showing in Lawrence, SM East captured consecutive Nut Cups, and Olathe North might have finally woken up, but it wasn't the wildest Friday we've ever had. We know district play will be exciting (it always is) but hopefully things pick up in the two weeks before then.

**Olathe North linebacker Marcel Spears had an eventful week. After an outstanding effort against SM South -- where he helped his team to a 49-0 victory, adding a touchdown on a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown -- the talented linebacker took an official visit to Nebraska on Saturday to watch the Huskers take on Illinois. Spears is an Iowa State commit, of course, but the visit would suggest he's evaluating his options.

**SM East has 20 rushing touchdowns through four weeks, which is really kind of absurd when you consider no other team in the league has scored more than 16 touchdowns total.

**Last week I noted how surprising it was that we hadn't seen a kick or punt return for a touchdown. There were four return touchdowns on Friday by three teams (Leavenworth's Juwann Potts (2), Olathe North's Venus Triplett and Lawrence's Nyle Anderson all had return scores). All three of their teams won. Special teams are the great equalizer, and it can win games just as easily as it can lose them.

**In Major League Baseball, a common gauge for a team's recent performance is how they've played in the previous 10 games. Now obviously in baseball they're playing about a game a day. In football, it's quite different, and a 10-game look back often encompasses more than one season. However, if you study the trends of the teams in the Sunflower League, you'll find that a 10-game snapshot can be pretty eye-opening, and brutally honest. Here's a snapshot of the record for each team in their last 10 games dating back to last season.

Best Records (last 10 games)

1. SM East (9-1)

2. Olathe North (8-2)

3t. Free State (7-3)

3t. Olathe East (7-3)

Worst Records (last 10 games)

1. SM North (0-10)

2. SM West (2-8)

3t. SM Northwest (3-7)

3t. SM South (3-7)

Trending Up

Leavenworth: The Pioneers had a huge breakthrough victory on Friday, taking down Free State comfortably, 35-21. These big wins for the Pioneers are becoming less and less of a surprise. Their next two opponents couldn't be more difficult (Olathe North and SM East), and those might also be the top teams in 6A. Win or lose, Leavenworth will be well-prepped for the 5A district and playoff tilt.

Olathe South: There was some talk the Falcons were primed to be upset as they journeyed to CBAC this past week, but they crushed that notion with a 21-point victory. I've said this before, but the real key for the Falcons will be preserving the health of running back Collin Fischer. If the Falcons can stay healthy there's no reason they can't finish 8-1 or 7-2, which seemed like a longshot (to me, at least) in the preseason. 

Olathe football: The top football town in Kansas has a combined record of 12-4. What's even more impressive is that only one of those losses has come against a non-Olathe opponent (Olathe Northwest lost to Hays, 12-10, in week one, and Hays has been impressive at 4-0). I'm expecting the domination to continue throughout the season and maybe, just maybe, we'll get one of those ballyhooed Olathe X vs. Olathe Z matchups in Sectionals or Sub-State.

Trending Down

Lawrence Free State: Losing a home game to Leavenworth stings (especially after the Firebirds look pretty solid through the better part of the first three weeks). But things will look even worse if SM East comes to Lawrence this Friday and does to the Firebirds what they've done to their last four opponents. The Firebirds could find themselves at 2-3 if they don't bring their best effort this week.

SM Northwest: The Cougars are fortunate their neighbor SM North has been so terrible through the past four years, or else SM Northwest would be catching more of the microscope. The Cougars are just 10-23 since the start of 2011 and they've looked lifeless this year -- especially when they don't have their star running back Duron Lowe who can't seem to get healthy.

SMSD football: The Sunflower League is cyclical, and right now, it's not treating the Shawnee Mission School District very well (aside from SM East who is on fire). The four non-SM East schools are a combined 3-13. But that doesn't tell the entire story. All three of those wins have come against SM North (0-4). Hopefully the SMSD can make some headway for the league in district play.

Week Five Power Rankings

1. SM East (4-0): The Lancers continue to roll, having outscored their opponents 171-35 through four games. They face what will probably be their most difficult matchup of the regular season this Friday, when they visit Lawrence Free State.

2. Olathe North (4-0): A (mostly) healthy Cole Murphy is making a world of difference for the Eagles. But that's the benefit of having a three-year starter at your most important position. As long as the defense continues to do its part, Olathe North isn't going to be stopped anytime soon.

3. Olathe South (3-1): The Falcons are in a good position here at the No. 3 slot. While SM East and Olathe North will field the pressure of being the league's top teams as it's only remaining undefeateds, Olathe South can quietly go about their business, gaining steam every week.

4. Olathe East (3-1): A strong running game and a steady defense. The formula doesn't sound incredibly robust, but it's always worked for the Hawks. This fall is no exception. Don't be surprised if Olathe East wins their next two games setting up a great week seven matchup with Olathe North.

5. Lawrence Free State (2-2): I felt like we had a good handle on the Firebirds a week ago, but their Homecoming loss to Leavenworth raised some questions. Can they score in crunch time? Will their special teams hold up? A win against SM East would pretty much eliminate those questions.

6. Olathe Northwest (2-2): At a certain point you have to take a step back and ask yourself, will Olathe Northwest ever be able to compete with their Olathe counterparts? Season No. 11 in this league and they still look like the Olathe ragdoll. Maybe that changes come district play.

7. Lawrence (2-2): JD Woods and Trey Moore might be the most entertaining offensive duo in the league. But entertaining doesn't always translate to wins like it did this past week. Lawrence has the potential, but the Chesties need to solidify things the next two weeks leading up to a tough district.

8. Leavenworth (2-2): Five years ago there would have been no way the Pioneers could have gone on the road and beat Free State. But hey, Mark Littrell knows how to coach. Their next two opponents (SM East and Olathe North) are tough, but Leavenworth isn't afraid of anyone.

9. SM South (1-3): Well, the Raiders are limping, and it's obvious they miss the strong senior class they graduated this past spring. SM South finished 0-3 in their tumultuous three-game stretch (against teams a combined 11-1) and it's safe to say they really need another victory before districts.

10. SM West (1-3): It's been a rough season for the Vikings and it doesn't get any easier with Olathe South and Olathe East on tap the next two weeks. SM West's district opponents are a combined 2-10, which offers hope, but they need to get some things together these next two weeks.

11. SM Northwest (1-3): Like SM West and SM South, district play offers new hope for the Cougars. But in the meantime, SM Northwest has an aggregate score deficit of 142-64, or 78 points, which is the worst in the league. They're lucky Jonathan Killeen saved them against SM North.

12. SM North (0-4): For what it's worth, SM North actually led Olathe East 14-13 in the third quarter of Friday's game. I know, morale victories don't count for much in this league, but they do show progress, and SM North will take any positive mojo they can find.

Sunflower League Week Four Game Recaps

Leavenworth's Jacob Bohneman scored a second
quarter touchdown on a five-yard pass from
Landry Hodges. Photo LJWorld.

Leavenworth 35, 
Lawrence Free State 21

The week after I wrote it was odd we hadn't seen any return touchdowns, Leavenworth's Juwan Potts had one of the better return games you'll ever see from a player. Free State scored first when they closed a drive with a four-yard touchdown run from Joe Lane in the first quarter. Potts answered on the ensuing kickoff with a 95-yard return for a touchdown to tie the game at 7. Later in the quarter, Free State closed another drive with a touchdown run on a five-yard play from Zion Bowlin to go up 14-7. But Leavenworth answered quickly when Landry Hodges found Jacob Bohneman on a five-yard touchdown pass to make things 14-13 after a missed PAT. Leavenworth recorded the only score of the second quarter when Hodges found Potts on a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Pioneers up 21-14 after a successful two-point conversion try.

Potts then opened the second half with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to make the lead 28-14. Free State didn't answer until late in the third quarter when they finished a drive with a four-yard touchdown run from Lane, to pull to within seven at 28-21. Leavenworth controlled the terms of the fourth quarter, however. A three-yard touchdown run from Sanchez Williams with 1:45 left in the game put the Pioneers up 35-21, and solidified the victory.

Olathe South 35, Olathe Northwest 14

No box score was reported. After trading first half touchdowns, Olathe South added a late second quarter touchdown to take a 14-7 lead to the half. The Falcons scored first in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Jake Seurer to go up 21-7, before Olathe Northwest answered with a Jack Hatzfeld touchdown just before the end of the quarter to make things 21-14. Olathe South went on to add two fourth quarter touchdowns to comfortably claim their third victory of the season.

Lawrence 40, SM Northwest 18

The Chesty Lions pretty much controlled this one throughout. Two touchdowns runs of 44 and 26 yards from JD Woods gave LHS a 14-0 lead early. SM Northwest's Jonathan Killeen clipped in a 47-yard field goal to make things 14-3 at the end of the first quarter. Trey Moore added LHS' third touchdown of the day on a one-yard touchdown run to put his team up 21-3, before they recorded a late first half safety to make things 23-3. Nyle Anderson opened the second half with a 97-yard touchdown run to give LHS a 30-3 lead on the front-end of the third quarter. An Ellis Springe field goal, followed by a 25-yard touchdown run from Moore made things 40-3. Touchdown runs from SM Northwest's Xavier Perry and Jake Honer drew things to a 40-18 conclusion.

Olathe East 31, SM North 14

No box score was reported. SM North went up 7-0 early on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Will Schneider. Olathe East answered when Chase Miller found Zach Cahill on a 15-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. The game was tied at the half. In the third quarter Jalen Branson scored on a three-yard touchdown run to give Olathe East a 13-7 advantage. Schneider connected on another touchdown pass later that quarter, giving SM North a 14-13 lead. Next, Miller found Cahill on a 45-yard touchdown pass, and a successful two-point conversion made things 21-14 in favor of the Hawks. Olathe East finished the game with a 24-yard field goal from Chris Diddle and a two-yard touchdown run from Branson.

Olathe North 49, SM South 0

This outcome was more along the lines of what we expected from Olathe North entering the season. The Eagles opened scoring on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Cole Murphy to Jeighlon Cornell. Next, Marcel Spears intercepted a SM South pass and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles went up 21-0 in the first quarter when Venus Triplett added a 50-yard punt return for a score. Triplett added another score on a one-yard run in the second quarter, before Murphy found Josh Moore 14-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles took a 35-0 lead to halftime. In the third quarter Murphy found Cornell on an 80-yard touchdown pass to make the game 42-0. The Eagles' final score came on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Matt Wright to Kaleb Brooks.

SM East 42, SM West 19

For the second year in a row, SM East controlled the tempo of the Nut Cup from start to finish. Wyatt Edmisten was really the star for the Lancers, scoring the first four touchdowns of the game on runs of one, three, 15, and one yards to put SM East up 28-0 late in the second quarter. SM West was able to remain in the game after they scored in the final seconds of the second quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Adam Rellihan to Israel Watson. At the half, SM East led 28-6. SM West recorded the only score of the third quarter on a four-yard touchdown run from Tarik Watson to make things 28-13. But SM East controlled the fourth quarter, adding touchdowns from Edmisten and Jackson Gossick on runs of two and three yards to go up 42-13. A late two-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Macklin made things 42-19.

Week Four Game Scores

Friday, Sept. 26

Olathe South 35, Olathe Northwest 14
Lawrence 40, SM Northwest 18
Leavenworth 35, Lawrence Free State 21
Olathe East 31, SM North 14
Olathe North 49, SM South 0
SM East 42, SM West 19

Sunflower League Week Four Game Previews

Olathe East defensive back Derek Miller
ranks first in the Sunflower League with
three interceptions. Photo OE Booster Club.

Game of the Week
Olathe South (2-1) at 
Olathe Northwest (2-1) at CBAC

Olathe Northwest is 0-11 all-time against Olathe South ... the Falcons have scored 63 of their 94 points in the first half ... they rank second in the league in points scored ... Olathe Northwest's defense ranks second in the league in total defense, only allowing 185 yards per game, and they've only given up 16 points through three games ... Falcon quarterback Jake Seurer has recorded 474 yards of total offense, including eight touchdowns, not to mention 29 tackles on defense.

SM Northwest (1-2) at Lawrence (1-2) 
at Lawrence High Stadium

The Cougars are just 3-16 since 2012 against teams not named SM North ... Lawrence's rushing attack ranks second in the league, averaging 261 yards per game ... Price Morgan, Lawrence's junior linebacker, ranks second in the league in tackles with 45, while defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe leads the league in sacks with four ... SM Northwest running back Duron Lowe is battling injuries and was held out of last week's game ... despite this, Lowe still ranks eighth in the league in rushing yards with 248.

Leavenworth (1-2) at Lawrence Free State (2-1) at Free State Athletic Stadium

A season ago, Leavenworth gave Free State all they could handle, but the Firebirds pulled out a 25-23 victory ... Pioneer running back Isaiah Ross has been the team's most consistent offensive threat, with 306 yards of total offense, but he only has one touchdown to show for his efforts ... in his first real game action last week, Free State running back Khaury El-Amin carried the ball 13 times for 103 yards and a touchdown ... Free State is tied with SM East for the most wins since 2012, with 21 ... Leavenworth linebacker Anthony Hunt leads the league in tackles with 46.

SM North (0-3) at Olathe East (2-1) at ODAC

SM North quarterback Will Schneider leads the league in passing yards with 598, and he's also thrown for seven touchdowns ... Olathe East's defense intercepted five passes last week against SM South ... the last time SM North defeated Olathe East was on Oct. 6, 2000 ... SM North receivers Nick Perez and Tyler Burnett rank second and fourth in the league, respectively, in receiving yards ... Olathe East running back Jalen Branson ranks third in the league in rushing yards with 328, while Hawk defensive back Derek Miller leads the league in interceptions with three.

Olathe North (3-0) at SM South (1-2) at SM South District Stadium

After scoring 48 points against SM North in week one, SM South has only produced 16 points the past two weeks ... Olathe North's three wins have come by a combined margin of just 13 points ... Eagle running back Venus Triplett leads the league in rushing yardage with 496 ... SM South's Dalton Lewallen ranks among the top ten in the league in rushing yards, receiving yards, and tackles ... SM South defeated Olathe North 10-3 a season ago ... nationally, Olathe North is ranked No. 10 in the Midlands Region by PrepNation.

SM West (1-2) at SM East (3-0) at SM North District Stadium

SM East has won 14 of their last 16 games ... SM West dominated this series in the 2000s, winning over 15 straight matchups in a row, but since 2010, the series has been evened at 2-2 ... the Lancers are averaging 514 yards per game on offense, tops in the league ... SM West cornerback Isaiah Macklin is expected to cover SM East's Alec Dean, which could be one of the more entertaining cornerback/wide receiver battles we'll see all year ... SM East has five players with over 100 rushing yards ... nationally, the Lancers are ranked No. 8 in the Midlands Region by PrepNation.

Sunflower League Extra: Part III

SM East's Gunnar Englund. Photo courtesy
Hailey Hughes, SME Harbinger. 

Week Three Players of the Week

Venus Triplett, Olathe North: Triplett carried the ball 35 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns in Olathe North's double-overtime victory against Olathe South. He now leads the league in rushing yards with 496 on 97 carries, and he's scored seven touchdowns. At his current pace, Triplett will be at roughly 300 carries by the end of the regular season. We've never seen anyone close to that before. Talk about a workhorse.

Gunnar Englund, SM East: In his third start of the season, and seventh start all-time, Englund completed seven of his 14 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He also added eight carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, helping lead SM East to a 41-6 victory against SM Northwest. With a career record of 6-1 as a starter, and a quarterback rating which sits comfortably atop the Sunflower League, it's safe to say Englund has a case for being the league's top quarterback. If he can continue with his current production the Lancers are going to be very difficult to stop.

Week Three Coach of the Week

Jeff Meyers, Olathe East: The Mayor and his coaching staff had a quite a bit to overcome leading up to last Friday. The James McGinnis injury, combined with the blowout loss to rival Olathe South could have resulted in a poor showing and another loss. But Meyers kept his team focused and ready to play, and the result was a 14-6 victory. The Hawks now stand at 2-1, and have a good shot at picking up a few more wins before districts kick off.

Statistical Leaders

Passing Yards (QB Rating)
Will Schneider, SM North: 598, 7 TDs (79)
Gunnar Englund, SM East: 523, 5 TDs (127)
Matt Hollingsworth, SM South: 373, 2 TDs (31)
Chase Miller, Olathe East: 338, 3 TDs (79)
Landry Hodges, Leavenworth: 319, 1 TD (25)
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 288, 2 TDs (87)
Jack Hatzfeld, Olathe Northwest: 215, 1 TD (66)
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 207, 2 TDs (68)
Clay Drouilliard, SM Northwest: 176 (38)
Adam Rellihan, SM West: 142, 3 TDs (74)
Chaz Burgess, Olathe North: 121, 1 TD (117)
Ron Kopp, SM Northwest: 99 (85)
Alan Clothier, Lawrence: 77 (17)

Rushing Yards
Venus Triplett, Olathe North: 496, 7 TDs
Collin Fischer, Olathe South: 384, 4 TDs
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 328, 3 TDs
Wyatt Edmisten, SM East: 300, 7 TDs
Tarik Watson, SM West: 280, 1 TD
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 268, 4 TDs
Duron Lowe, SM Northwest: 248, 2 TDs
Trey Moore, Lawrence: 242, 2 TDs
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 223, 3 TDs
Darius Henderson, Olathe Northwest: 201

Receiving Yards
Alec Dean, SM East: 327, 4 TDs
Nick Perez, SM North: 206, 1 TD
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 154, 1 TD
Tyler Burnett, SM North: 153, 2 TDs
Jeighlon Cornell, Olathe North: 118, 1 TD
Zach Cahill, Olathe East: 116, 2 TDs
Johnny Heath, Leavenworth: 115
Joel Spain, Free State: 111, 2 TDs
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 103, 2 TDs
Coleman Clanton, Olathe South: 102, 2 TDs
Derek Miller, Olathe East: 101

Tackles
Anthony Hunt, Leavenworth: 46
Price Morgan, Lawrence: 45
DJ Turner, SM West: 44
David Burton, Olathe Northwest: 43
Alex Renfrew, SM South: 31
Donte Colum, SM Northwest: 29
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 29
Joe Fales, SM South: 29
Zach Gerber, SM South: 28
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 28
Kyle Ball, SM East: 25
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 25
Josh Compton, SM West: 25
Anthony McCray, Olathe East: 25

Forced Fumbles
Nick Perez, SM North: 3
Joe Fales, SM South: 2
Shane Hofer, Free State: 2

Fumble Recoveries
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 2
Ivan Hollins, Lawrence: 2
Nate Howard, Olathe South: 2

Sacks
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 4
Kyle Ball, SM East: 3
Eli Pruss, Olathe Northwest: 3
Nate Amos, Leavenworth: 2
Ryan Donnelly, SM South: 2
Shane Hofer, Free State: 2
Kamau Kimaru, SM South: 2

Interceptions
Derek Miller, Olathe East: 3
Chaz Burgess, Olathe North: 2
Isaiah Macklin, SM West: 2
Max McClellan, Olathe East: 2
Zee Pinkerton, Olathe Northwest: 2
Charley White, SM East: 2

Field Goals
Chris Diddle, Olathe East: (3/4)
Decin Antcil, Olathe Northwest: (2/4)
Jonathan Killeen, SM Northwest: (2/2)
Jake Boyce, Leavenworth: (1/4)
Daniel Clarke, Free State: (1/1)
Cody Corbin, SM South: (1/1)
Logan Swartz, Olathe South: (1/2)

*Olathe North did not submit defensive statistics. Lawrence, Free State and Olathe South did not submit complete defensive statistics.

Week Four Power Rankings, News & Notes

Lawrence's Dearion Cooper, right, attempted to
tackle Free State's Joel Spain on Friday night in
Lawrence. Free State won 31-12. Photo LJWorld.

Eli's News & Notes

**Kudos to Olathe East for bouncing back from the traumatizing week two series of events to collect a sound 14-6 victory against SM South. For the record, James McGinnis continues to show improvement, albeit slowly. He's now breathing on his own and showing some dexterity. The most recent update on McGinnis is available here.

**Nine of the league's 12 teams sit at 2-1 or 1-2. Don't be surprised if we see most of the league hover around that .500 mark all year.

**Does the Sunflower League have a legitimate Simone Award candidate through three weeks of play? Right now the answer is no. Venus Triplett is on pace to hit 2,000 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns -- if he plays 12 games -- but that's a big if. And even then, he would have to out-dual big name talents like Bishop Miege's Ryan Willis (827 yards passing, nine total touchdowns) and Lee Summit's Drew Lock (1,039 yards passing, 18 total touchdowns through four games).

**SM East is currently averaging 43 points per game. The record for the most points averaged during the regular season, since 2000, is held by Free State's 2006 unit (refer to next bullet point), which averaged 45.2 points per game.

**How much of a bummer is it that Olathe North and SM East don't meet at any point this regular season? This reminds me of 2006, when Free State and SM West were pretty clearly the league's two best teams, but avoided one another in the regular season. Things (from a general interest perspective) worked out well that year, as they both went 11-0 before meeting in Sub-State. There hadn't been a matchup of undefeated teams in the Sub-State round before then -- at least on record -- and there hasn't been one since.

**Let me take a moment to point out the ridiculousness that is Olathe North's Chaz Burgess. I've been watching the Sunflower League for years and I can't recall a less assuming player who seems to be able to step up in every occasion, regardless of the circumstances. In 2013 he tied for the league lead in interceptions with five. His fifth pick of that season was on a Joe Dineen pass, in the endzone, effectively thwarting a Free State Sectional victory and also punching Olathe North's ticket to Sub-State. Last week he stepped in at quarterback (for the first time in his career) against Free State and merely orchestrated a second half comeback, completing six of his eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, in addition to rushing for 24 yards. Burgess' quarterback rating of 117 is second only to SM East's Gunnar Englund (127). On Friday he twice intercepted Olathe South's Jake Seurer on second half drives into Olathe North territory. The interceptions were probably the two most critical plays in the Eagles' second half shutout of the Falcons, which forced overtime and an eventual victory for Olathe North.

**SM North's 36-6 loss this Friday was the program's 22nd loss in a row, which broke the modern era Sunflower League record for consecutive losses, set at 21 by Leavenworth from 2008 to 2010. I mention this simply for the purposes of noting the historical relevance. I won't mention the Indians' losing streak again until they end it (hopefully and probably in October).

Trending Up

Olathe North: Well folks, they did it again. For the third week in a row the Eagles were tied or trailing in the fourth quarter, only to score on their final possession and claim a victory. This time around that final score came in double overtime, but the point's the same -- Olathe North has found a way to win three close games against tough competition. This might not be the 2004 or 2009 Eagles, but the group seems to find a way to win regardless of the circumstances.

Olathe Northwest: The Raven faithful should be proud of where the program stands through three weeks of play. We all kind of cringed when they dropped a home-opener to a 4A opponent by two points, but that 4A opponent (Hays) is now 3-0 and has slugged 5A opponents the past two weeks. And since the loss, Olathe Northwest has been steady, controlled, and 2-0. The Ravens will be attempting to claim their first ever victory against Olathe South this week.

Kick and punt coverage: Through three weeks of play we are yet to see a kick or punt return for a touchdown. This is odd, especially considering it's early in the season and the league's special teams often lag behind in the early weeks (see extra points below). Nevertheless, it's a trend to keep an eye on as the season goes along. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I would be willing to bet special teams touchdowns result in wins more often than not.

Trending Down

Leavenworth: The Pioneers have kept their last two games close, but lack of offensive punch has produced Ls in back-to-back weeks. While they have the advantage of not facing the Sunflower League come district play, their district might actually be more competitive (the three other teams are a combined 4-5) than anticipated early on. Whether or not Leavenworth puts together anything to write home about in their next three league games remains to be seen.

Lawrence: There's no way around it -- Lawrence has not played anywhere close to the level of a legitimate playoff contender. And it's not as if the Chesty Lions lack talent. They probably have the best running back combo in the league in JD Woods and Trey Moore (the two have combined for 505 yards and six touchdowns) and outstanding offensive and defensive lines. Their schedule offers chances for improvement the next few weeks and they had better grasp the opportunity.

Extra Points: In a season where we have pretty solid experience and talent returning at the kicker position, the league has been awful on extra points. The data I have reports the league's kickers are a combined 60-for-78 on PATs (which at 77% basically means we've been getting a missed extra point once every four touchdowns). I don't think games are necessarily won by converting PATs -- with the exception of situations like the Olathe North/Olathe South contes -- but I'm a firm believer games are commonly LOST when teams miss early PATs and have to play catch-up.

Week Four Power Rankings

1. SM East (3-0): The Lancers have steamrolled their first three opponents, and there's nothing to suggest they'll be slowing down any time soon. SM East's remaining foes have a combined record of 4-14, and the one thing about the Lancers is they rarely, if ever, play down to their competition.

2. Olathe North (3-0): Olathe North really showed their talent level in week three, beating one of the league's most on-fire teams, Olathe South, despite a performance that appeared fairly lackluster. We will see if the Eagles can pick things up a bit as their next three opponents are a combined 2-7.

3. Olathe South (2-1): The Falcons suffered a week three loss, but they have many positives going. Their offense is one of the league's best, and the defense is great at forcing turnovers. But you worry about what would happen to the team should Collin Fisher go down with a more serious injury.

4. Lawrence Free State (2-1): The Firebirds won for the eighth time in the last nine matchups against their rival Lawrence on Friday. While Free State is yet to really come across as one of the league's dominant teams, they are still very young, and they might have as high a ceiling as any team.

5. Olathe East (2-1): After the emotional roller coaster the Hawks had to go through following James McGinnis' injury, their 14-6 victory over SM South was really a gutty showing. Olathe East's schedule continues to cool off in the next few weeks before they face Olathe North in week seven.

6. Olathe Northwest (2-1): The Ravens are ranked among the top half of the Power Rankings for the first time since 2011, and with good reason. Looking at their remaining schedule, Olathe Northwest should be able to notch at a minimum two more victories, if not more depending on improvement.

7. Lawrence (1-2): I think it's safe to say I expected more from the Chesty Lions in 2014. There's still a long ways to go, but thus far they've been outscored 42-80, and have shown little to make anyone believe they're a playoff contender. They'll need to grow up in a hurry before a tough district.

8. SM South (1-2): Two weeks ago I said the Raiders should be happy if they could go 1-2 against their tumultuous three-game stretch of SM East, Olathe East and Olathe North, in that order. They still have a shot, but it will be tough. For what it's worth, they did defeat Olathe North, 10-7, last year.

9. SM West (1-2): Despite their youth, the Vikings do have plenty of speed at the skill positions, and they used them well in a 36-6 rout of SM North this past Friday. Going forward, the more they can get the ball to those speedy playmakers in open field the better they will compete in every game.

10. Leavenworth (1-2): District play can't get here soon enough for the Pioneers. Nobody is envious of their upcoming three games, which are scheduled against Free State, Olathe North and SM East. The good news is Leavenworth's defense has been steady and could keep them in any game.

11. SM Northwest (1-2): If SM Northwest plays to their strengths I think it's totally conceivable they could finish the next six games at 3-3. But that will require a healthy Duron Lowe (which we really haven't seen this fall) and some incredible luck which is even more of a wildcard.

12. SM North (0-3): I don't think anybody's expecting SM North to win a game before district play. However, considering Wyandotte and Harmon are a combined 0-6 (the two teams not named SM East in their district), the Indians have as good of a chance as anybody at making the playoffs this fall.

Sunflower League Week Three Game Recaps

Olathe North defenders Jesse Kendricks (35) and Marcel Spears chased down Olathe South
quarterback Jake Seurer during Friday's game. Photo courtesy 810 Varsity Sports.

Olathe North 27, Olathe South 26

The "week of missed extra points" held true to form in this game. Olathe South actually looked like they might be able to bust things open early, scoring first on a 32-yard touchdown run from Jake Seurer and then adding another touchdown on a four-yard run from Collin Fischer. But Olathe North answered emphatically in the second quarter. The Eagles scored on a 57-yard touchdown run from Venus Triplett and added an eight-yard touchdown run from Vinnie Shabbazz to tie the game at 13 heading into halftime. After a scoreless second half, the game went to overtime. In the first overtime, Triplett scored on a one-yard touchdown run to put Olathe North up 20-13. Seurer added a rushing touchdown on Olathe South's possession, from six yards out, to tie the game and send it to a second overtime. To start the second overtime, Olathe South was able to score on a two-yard touchdown run from Seurer to go up 26-20, but a missed PAT put their hopes in jeopardy. Olathe North quickly scored a touchdown to match on a one-yard run from Triplett, tying the game at 26. The Eagles were able to convert their PAT, and in doing so they claimed the victory.

Lawrence Free State 31, Lawrence 12

Playing the City Showdown in week three seemed to take away much of the luster the game typically carries. However, up until midway through the third quarter, the on-the-field results were highly entertaining, like always. The only score of the first quarter came when Bryce Torneden capped a Free State drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Joel Spain.  In the second quarter the Firebirds added a 23-yard field goal from Daniel Clark to go up 10-0. Fast forward to the third quarter, and things got interesting when LHS' JD Woods took a carry 71 yards to the house to make things 10-6, Free State. The Firebirds were able to answer on their next drive with a three-yard touchdown run from Joe Lane to make the lead 17-7. Torneden added a 24-yard touchdown run to put his team up 24-6. In the fourth quarter, Khaury El-Amin scored on a 42-yard touchdown run to give the Firebirds a 31-6 edge. LHS' Trey Moore added a touchdown a couple minutes later on a 53-yard touchdown run, which proved to be the final score of the game.

Olathe Northwest 15, Leavenworth 6

The lone score of the first half of this low-scoring affair came on a one-yard run from Olathe Northwest's Jack Hatzfeld. A missed PAT left the Ravens with a 6-0 advantage heading into the half. In the third quarter the Ravens recorded a safety to go up 8-0. Leavenworth finally answered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Landry Hodges to Isaiah Ross to make things 8-6. Olathe Northwest sealed the deal in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run from Brendan Watkins to go ahead 15-6.

SM East 41, SM Northwest 6

The Lancers have a unique ability to score bundles of first half points, effectively ending their games before halftime. They opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run from Wyatt Edmiston in the first quarter to go up 7-0. In the second quarter they produced 27 points on four touchdowns. The first score came on a seven-yard run from Gunnar Englund and the second on a two-yard blast from Calvin Jones. Englund hit receivers Alec Dean and Charley Jones on three and 20 yard touchdown passes, respectively, later in the quarter. SM Northwest's lone score came when Mitchell Hodson intercepted a Englund pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. SM East led 34-6 at halftime. The lone score of the second half came on a six-yard touchdown run from Edmisten.

Olathe East 14, SM South 6

These teams always seem to have tough battles, with the Hawks coming out on top -- and that was no exception this time around. SM South scored first when Matt Hollingsworth finished a drive with a six-yard touchdown run to put the Raiders up 6-0 in the first quarter. Olathe East answered back later in the quarter, scoring on a four-yard touchdown run from Jalen Branson. Branson would add a second touchdown run from one yard out in the second quarter to give the Hawks a 14-6 lead, which held for the rest of the game.

SM West 36, SM North 6

After poor showings through the first two weeks, SM West's offense finally exhibited some muscle. The Vikings broke a scoreless first quarter with touchdowns runs of eight and 19 yards from Asher Goldston and Tarik Watson, respectively. The Vikings led 15-0 at the half. In the fourth quarter Adam Rellihan found Goldston on a four-yard touchdown pass, before connecting with Israel Watson on a 26-yard touchdown pass. The scores gave SM West a 29-0 lead. Next, Isaiah Macklin was able to return an interception 63 yards for a touchdown to give the Vikings a 36-0 advantage. Late in the fourth SM North got on the board with a five-yard touchdown pass from Will Schneider to Parker Williamson.

Week Three Game Scores

Friday, Sept. 19

Olathe North 27, Olathe South 26 (2OT)
Lawrence Free State 31, Lawrence 12
Olathe Northwest 15, Leavenworth 6
SM East 41, SM Northwest 6
Olathe East 14, SM South 6
SM West 36, SM North 6

Sunflower League Week Three Game Previews

Olathe South quarterback Jake Seurer has been
as impressive as any player in the league through
two weeks of play. Photo Hutchnews.com

Game of the Week
Olathe South (2-0) at 
Olathe North (2-0) at ODAC

This will be the fourth time since 2000 in which these teams have met with undefeated records ('00, '01, '11, '14) ... in the previous three occasions, the winner won the 6A state title ... Olathe North beat Olathe South 28-0 last year, in the final week of the regular season ... this contest will feature the league's two top rushers ... Olathe North's Venus Triplett has 296 yards and four touchdowns on 64 carries ... Olathe South's Collin Fischer has 282 yards and three touchdowns on 45 carries ... Falcon quarterback Jake Suerer's 153.3 quarterback rating is the best in the league.

Free State (1-1) at Lawrence (1-1) 
at Lawrence High Stadium

This is the 18th matchup between these crosstown rivals since The Split in 1997 ... Free State holds the all-time series edge, 10-7, including victories in seven of the last eight games ... Lawrence's two primary running backs, JD Woods and Trey Moore, have combined for 405 rushing yards and four touchdowns ... Free State quarterback Bryce Torneden is the only player to rank in the top ten in the league in rushing (206) and passing (147) yardage ... Defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe of Lawrence and Shane Hofer of Free State are tied with others for the league lead in sacks with two.

Olathe Northwest (1-1) at Leavenworth (1-1) at Pioneer Athletic Stadium

The last time these teams met was in September of 2012, and Leavenworth came away with a 30-23 victory ... Raven linebacker David Burton leads the league in tackles with 33, and 25 of those have been solo tackles ... since joining the league five seasons ago, Chip Sherman has only faced Leavenworth once, in 2009, and his team was victorious by a score of 34-6 ... Leavenworth head coach Mark Littrell posted a 4-0 record against Olathe Northwest during his previous head coaching tenure at Olathe South.

SM East (2-0) at SM Northwest (1-1) at SM North District Stadium

The Lancers have scored more points (88) than any team in the league, and also given up fewer points (10) than any team in the league ... SM East's defense is holding its opponents to 3.1 yards per carry ... SM Northwest running back Duron Lowe has recorded the two longest plays in the league this year (80 and 92 yard runs) and he ranks third in the league in rushing yards ... SM East's Charley White leads the league in interceptions with two, and has seven over the past 14 games ... the Lancers have recorded 1,001 yards of total offense though two games.

SM South (1-1) at Olathe East (1-1) at CBAC

Olathe East has ended SM South's seasons the past two years, defeating the Raiders in the final district qualifying game ... Olathe East kicker, Chris Diddle, regarded by many as the best in the state, and has so far made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder ... SM South running back Dalton Lewallen has recorded 240 yards of total offense and five touchdowns on just 24 touches ... since 2000, Olathe East is 11-0 against SM South ... the Hawks' new motto for the season is "Play for #9 (James McGinnis) and play like a champion."

SM North (0-2) at SM West (0-2) at SM South District Stadium

These are the lone remaining teams in the league without a victory through two weeks ... SM West and SM North have played nine times the last decade, and the Vikings hold a 9-0 advantage in those matchups ... SM North quarterback Will Schneider leads the league in total offense with 585 yards, and he has seven touchdowns to boot ... the Indians haven't won a game since October 21st, 2011 ... SM West's core trio of linebackers (DJ Turner, Jordan McKinney and Montell Madlock) have combined for 76 tackles.

Sunflower League Extra: Part II

Olathe Northwest head coach Chip Sherman. Photo
KC Star.

Week Two Players of the Week

Collin Fischer, Olathe South: It's safe to say the Falcon senior has come out of nowhere to most outside of the Falcons' camp. On Friday he toted the ball 27 times for 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Fischer is generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, but he's lightning quick and very difficult to bring to the ground. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Fischer: he's committed to Rockhurst University to play lacrosse.

Duron Lowe, SM Northwest: Lowe is a yards-per-carry machine. As a sophomore he averaged 8.2 yards per carry on 66 carries, and so far this season he's averaging 11.2 yards per carry on 22 carries (it helped than on Friday his first two carries went for 80 and 92-yard touchdowns). He's battling some nagging injuries, so he didn't play the second half of Friday's game, but he still managed 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries against SM North.

Week Two Coach of the Week

Chip Sherman, Olathe Northwest: The Ravens' complete effort against SM West (three touchdowns, one field goal, three takeaways, a blocked punt and a shutout) was impressive and another little glimmer of Sherman's impact on the grounds at K-7 and College Boulevard. Olathe Northwest didn't play their best football in the season-opener -- a loss to 4A opponent Hays. But Sherman kept the team focused, and this bounce-back victory was important for the team's psyche. It also sets them up well for a trip to Leavenworth on Friday.

Sunflower League Week Two Tweets of the Week

"everyone please pray for our brother, James McGinnis." - @AceBoogie_001

"Free State had its chances couldn't stop the pass ... Josh Moore is a very big athletic kid I can see why Urban wanted him!" - @jaymar1210

"What you doing there Jake (Seurer, below)?" - @parkersoukup




Statistical Leaders

Passing Yards
Will Schneider, SM North: 468, 6 TDs
Gunnar Englund, SM East: 358, 3 TDs
Matt Hollingsworth, SM South: 249, 2 TDs
Chase Miller, Olathe East: 235, 3 TDs
Landry Hodges, Leavenworth: 188
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 186, 2 TDs
Clay Drouilliard, SM Northwest: 176
Jack Hatzfeld, Olathe Northwest: 159, 1 TD
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 157, 1 TD

Rushing Yards
Venus Triplett, Olathe North: 296, 4 TDs
Collin Fischer, Olathe South: 282, 3 TDs
Duron Lowe, SM Northwest:248, 2 TDs
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 238, 1 TDs
JD Woods, Lawrence: 225, 3 TDs
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 206, 3 TDs
Wyatt Edmisten, SM East: 186, 5 TDs
Trey Moore, Lawrence: 180, 1 TD
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 160, 3 TDs
Darius Henderson, Olathe Northwest: 147
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 144
Sam Huffman, SM East: 132, 1 TD
Terrick Bell, SM North: 122

Receiving Yards
Alex Dean, SM East: 192, 3 TDs
Nick Perez, SM North: 176, 1 TD
Tyler Burnett, SM North: 153, 2 TDs
Zach Cahill, Olathe East: 105, 2 TDs
Coleman Clanton, Olathe South: 95, 2 TDs
Jeighlon Cornell, Olathe North: 82, 1 TD
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 80, 2 TDs
Joel Spain, Free State: 77, 1 TD

Tackles
David Burton, Olathe Northwest: 33
DJ Turner, SM West: 31
Jordan McKinney, SM West: 23
Montell Madlock, SM West: 22
Price Morgan, Lawrence: 22
Alex Renfrew, SM South: 21
Josh Compton, SM West: 19
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 18
Joe Fales, SM South: 18
Kyle Ball, SM East: 17
Zach Gerber, SM South: 17
Asher Goldston, SM West: 17
Shane Hofer, Free State: 17
Mitch Holsinger, Olathe Northwest: 15
Anthony McCray, Olathe East: 15
Jack Murphy, Olathe South: 15
Caesar Salgado, SM North: 15

Sacks
Nate Amos, Leavenworth: 2
Kyle Ball, SM East: 2
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 2
Shane Hofer, Free State: 2
Kamau Kimaru, SM South: 2
Eli Pruss, Olathe Northwest: 2

Forced Fumbles
Shane Hofer, Free State: 2
Nick Perez, SM North: 2

Fumble Recoveries
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 2
Ivan Hollins, Lawrence: 2
(15 tied with 1)

Interceptions
Charley White, SM East: 2
(eight tied with 1)

Field Goals
Chris Diddle, Olathe East: (3/3)
Devin Antcil, Olathe Northwest: (2/3)
Jonathan Killeen, SM Northwest: (2/2)
Jake Boyce, Leavenworth: (1/3)
Cody Corbin, SM South: (1/1)
Logan Swartz, Olathe South: (1/1)

*Lawrence, Olathe North and Shawnee Mission Northwest did not submit defensive statistics.

Sunflower League Week Two Review, News & Notes

SM West's Isaiah Macklin (right) had coverage
on Olathe Northwest's Manny Psihountas Friday
night at CBAC. Olathe Northwest won the game,
22-0. Photo Mark Witters.

Eli's News and Notes

**The only thing worse than seeing a player go down with a severe injury is seeing that same player being carted into an ambulance. Olathe East's James McGinnis' head injury on Friday was stark reminder of how little importance the game of football has when you evaluate the big picture. Let's all be thankful McGinnis had a successful surgery and has now moved to a recovery stage. I'm a firm believer the benefits of football (hard work, developing camaraderie, being part of a team, etc.) far outweigh the negatives, but that's not to say the negatives don't unveil themselves from time to time.

**SM North has now lost 21 games in a row, which matches the Sunflower League's modern record for consecutive losses, set by Leavenworth from 2008-2010. Their sophomore quarterback Will Schneider isn't to blame, however. He leads the Sunflower League in passing yards with 468 and passing touchdowns with six.

**If you're not familiar with Brian Libeer's work, get yourself acquainted. A champion of the Sunflower League, Libeer is SM East's unofficial videographer. You may hate the Lancers, but it's hard not to enjoy Libeer's work. Libeer's Vimeo page can be linked here.

Trending Up

Olathe South: This offseason the Falcons modified their blocking schemes, and made some slight variations to their offense, and the results have been incredible -- so far. Olathe South is also playing lights out defensively and forcing turnovers at a great clip. You really couldn't script a better start to the season through two games, however, a win against Olathe North this Friday would be the cherry on top.

SM Northwest: There was preseason chatter that SM North was going to end their losing streak at the Cougars' expense in week two -- and that almost happened. But SM Northwest made a resilient comeback late in the fourth quarter and won on a field goal. Another nice little takeaway from the game was the explosiveness of SM Northwest's offense. Sure, SM North isn't a world-beater, but the Cougars showed they have some playmakers.

#PrayforJames: Olathe East defensive back James McGinnis' injury on Friday (documented here) put a clouded cover on the weekend, but the support the Sunflower League and surrounding communities have shown has been wonderful. We ask that you please continue to keep McGinnis and his family in your thoughts and prayers as he continues to battle through the recovery process.

Trending Down

SM South: After a promising performance in week one, the Raiders seemed to take a step back against their hated rival, losing by 38 points. That's now nine losses in the last 10 matchups between the schools. Granted, SM East has looked close to flawless this year, but the point remains SM South come out flat. The Raiders need to find a way to be more competitive in big games like this.

SM West: There's no doubt the Vikings have experienced talent in players like Isaiah Macklin, Asher Goldston, Tarik Watson and Carter Pembridge -- but they just don't seem to have the pieces put together to do anything at this point in the season. The outcome of their game against SM North on Friday could completely define where they go from here.

Game managing quarterbacks: While I still think having dominant running backs is essential to winning a state title, I don't think you can make it out of the Sunflower League alive without a dynamic quarterback, or at least a compensatory plan (i.e., a Wildcat formation, rotating in a true dual-threat quarterback, etc.). Olathe North has been pretty lousy on offense without their starting dual-threat quarterback, Cole Murphy. Meanwhile, the two teams playing the best right now -- Olathe South and SM East -- have dual-threat quarterbacks in Jake Seurer and Gunnar Englund who have played incredible.

Week Three Power Rankings

1. SM East (2-0): The Lancers have outscored their opponents 88-10 through two games, and their starting defense has only given up a field goal. SM East hasn't played the world's most challenging schedule (their opponents are a combined 1-3) but that won't change any time soon -- their schedule is loaded with cream puffs through the rest of the regular season.

2. Olathe North (2-0): For the second week in a row the Eagles came away with a victory after overcoming a halftime deficit, and that was without first-string quarterback Cole Murphy who was nursing a leg injury. With a matchup this Friday against Olathe South, we're going to find out whether the Eagles' close calls have been early-season cobwebs, or a sign of who they truly are.

3. Olathe South (2-0): At one point in the fourth quarter against Olathe East, Olathe South led 46-3. That's insane! I didn't foresee this kind of mojo from the Falcons, especially this early in the year. They completely controlled Friday's game from start to finish. Now, it's time to face the big fish -- Olathe North. ODAC will be rocking again on Friday.

4. Lawrence Free State (1-1): The Firebirds are kind of who we thought they were. The zone-read spread offense will keep them in any game, and they compete hard on defense. The question is, do they have the horses to get over the hump and become a legitimate title threat this season? Or will their youth delay that for a year? We'll find out in the coming weeks.

5. Olathe East (1-1): Olathe East's week two performance was a complete dichotomy from where they were at in week one. It's as if they forgot how to pass the ball, stop the run, and play coverage on a tight end, all in a week. The especially concerning thing was the Hawks' complete lack of energy. However, I tend to think Olathe East just had a bad day and Olathe South came out on fire.

6. Lawrence (1-1): Lawrence looked quite a bit better in week two, but then again, Leavenworth hasn't quite proven to be Blue Valley West either. The Chesty Lions have one of the league's most talented running back duos in JD Woods and Trey Moore, and I expect LHS to ride those two as far as they can this fall. The spread seems to be dead -- the Chesty Lions are back to power football.

7. Olathe Northwest (1-1): Friday's win against SM West was probably the most complete game of the Chip Sherman era at Olathe Northwest. Offensively they aren't gangbusters, but they managed three touchdowns and a field goal, which was solid. Their defense played great forcing four turnovers and blocking a punt. Questions still remain, but I like the direction the Ravens are headed.

8. SM South (1-1): To cite a relevant analogy, the Raiders played SM East the same way the Royals have played the Tigers all season. After a solid week one performance, the Raiders looked to be back in their sub-.500 form of the past few seasons. SM South is a better club than what they showed on Friday and they'll get chance to prove that against Olathe East this week.

9. SM West (0-2): This is sort of uncharted territory for the Vikings. They sit at 0-2 for the first time since 2003, and their offense has been terrible (through two games they've committed six turnovers and scored just two touchdowns). SM North looked like an easy week three game, but with the way the Indians closed things out Friday, the Vikings had better beware.

10. Leavenworth (1-1): The Pioneers need to treat every game as preparation for districts, because as a I stated in the preseason, having dropped to 5A they won't face any of these teams again. Part of that logic means includes focusing on the effort as much as the outcome. Leavenworth nearly came back to tie this game in the fourth quarter after being down by 13 early. That tells you something.

11. SM Northwest (1-1): The Cougars jumped out to a 24-0 lead against SM North, took their foot off the pedal, and nearly lost the game. Fortunately for SM Northwest, I think they gained some much needed confidence by winning late, and they have a W to show for it. Running back Duron Lowe needs 20 touches a game, minimum, as he appears to be the team's best offensive hope.

12. SM North (0-2): SM North was seconds away from completing a 24-point comeback and ending their hideous losing streak against their rival. So close. But, if you're the Indians, you've got to be excited. The program hasn't shown that kind of fight in years, and their next opponent -- SM West -- is reeling at 0-2 and provides another chance for the Indians to shed the losing streak.

Sunflower League Week Two Game Recaps

Olathe North's Jadon McGaha tackled Free State's Carson Bowen during Olathe North's
14-7 victory on Friday night. It's the second time in two weeks the Eagles have had to make
second half comebacks to win. Photo by John Young, Lawrence Journal World.

Lawrence 21, Leavenworth 14
The Chesty Lions got on the board first when JD Woods scored a touchdown on a five-yard run with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Lawrence got on the board a second time when Alan Clothier scored on a seven-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to put LHS up 13-0. Leavenworth kept the game close, as Landry Hodges scored on a one-yard keeper just before the half to make things 13-7. Hodges added the Pioneers' next score on a 26-yard touchdown run at the midway point of the third quarter. The score gave Leavenworth a 14-13 lead. Before the end of the quarter, Woods added his second touchdown of the game, scoring on a six-yard run, which put LHS up 21-14.  Leavenworth had their chances late, including a final drive into LHS territory, but they weren't able to turn it into points.

Olathe South 46, Olathe East 17

What looked to be a wonderful matchup between two of the league's biggest rivals turned out to be a an anticlimactic blowout, dampened completely by an injury to Olathe East's James McGinnis. Things look bad for Olathe East and great for Olathe South when on Olathe East's first play of the game, quarterback Chase Miller fumble an apparent pass -- and the fumble was scooped up and returned for a touchdown by Jack Murphy. Next, Olathe South forced an Olathe East punt, then drove 52 yards and scored on a two-yard run from Collin Fischer. Olathe South rinsed, repeated, and scored again on another two-yard from Fischer to go up 21-0. Olathe East slowed the onslaught with a 27-yard field goal from Chris Diddle midway through the second quarter, but couldn't muster much else. Olathe South's Jake Seurer hit Coleman Clanton on a 27-yard drag route to go up 27-3, before Seurer hit Clanton again, just before the half, on a wide-open walk in touchdown reception from 40 yards out. The Falcons led 33-3 at the half. Four minutes into the third quarter, Seurer added a 23-yard touchdown run to make the lead 40-3. It was around that time Olathe East's McGinnis went down with a head injury. He was removed from the field on a stretcher before play resumed (read more on McKinnis' situation here). Not long after, Brady Noernberg scored a touchdown to put Olathe South up 46-3. Olathe East was able to add two touchdowns in the waning minutes of the game.

Olathe North 14, Lawrence Free State 7

The state of Kansas' top ranked team in the preseason needed another late effort to top a tough road opponent, but once again they did what they needed to get things done. Free State broke the game open when Bryce Torneden scored on a seven-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to go up 7-0. The score held through halftime. The visitor's locker room was closed due to repairs, which prohibited the Eagles from entering the locker room at halftime -- instead they had to stay out in unseasonably cold weather. And it must have pissed them off. In the second half Olathe North's defense allowed a mere 17 yards of total offense, and their offense finally came alive. Chaz Burgess was thrown in at the quarterback position, and responded with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jeighlon Cornell to tie the game in the third quarter. Midway through the fourth, Burgess orchestrated a drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run from Venus Triplett to put the Eagles up for good.

SM Northwest 34, SM North 32

Early on it looked like SM Northwest was going to run away with things. Duron Lowe scored touchdowns on runs of 80 and 92 yards on the Cougars' first two possession to put SM Northwest up 14-0. Things tightened, but the Cougars were able to add a 29-yard field goal from Johnathan Killeen before the half to go up 17-0. SM Northwest made the lead 24-0 early in the third quarter when they capped a drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Clay Drouillard. SM North finally scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Will Schneider to Isaiah Shields, to make things 24-6. SM Northwest came back and finished a drive with a 17-yard touchdown run from Sam Sullivan to make the game 31-6, but then SM North came alive. The Indians scored on four straight passing touchdowns from Schneider; a 12-yard pass to Tyler Burnett, then a 54 yard pass to Burnett, followed by a two-yard pass to Parker Williamson, and finally, with time winding down in the fourth quarter, a three-yard pass to Williamson. The final score put the Indians up 32-31. But SM Northwest answered emphatically. The Cougars managed to drive into SM North territory as the clocked ticked under a minute. As the game entered its last half-minute, Killeen booted a 22-yard field goal attempt through the uprights to give SM Northwest a 34-32 victory.

SM East 48, SM South 10

For the second week in a row SM East wasted no time setting the tone. The Lancers capped two early drives with touchdown runs of three and four yards from Wyatt Edmiston to go up 14-0. On their next offensive possession, quarterback Gunnar Englund took a keeper 56 yards for a third touchdown. Sam Huffman added a rushing touchdown before the half to put SM East up 27-0. Midway through the third quarter the Lancers added to their lead with an 11-yard touchdown run from Edmiston, making things 34-0. SM South finally got on the board with a field goal, but two more Lancer touchdown runs from Mike Bamford and Calvin Jones put SM East up 48-3. A late SM South touchdown made things 48-10.

Olathe Northwest 22, SM West 0

Olathe Northwest was able to put some of their offensive concerns to rest in this game, scoring early and leading comfortably throughout. They also forced four turnovers and blocked a punt in forcing a shutout defensively. The scoring started when Eli Pruss took a first quarter run in for a touchdown to put Olathe Northwest up 6-0. The Ravens added another touchdown before the half when they capped a drive with a two-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jack Hatzfeld. In the third quarter the Ravens added a field goal from Devin Antcil to go up 15-0. Later in the second half, Pruss added a three-yard touchdown run to put Olathe Northwest ahead 22-0.

Week Two Game Scores

Friday, Sept. 12

Lawrence 21, Leavenworth 14
Olathe South 46, Olathe East 17
Olathe North 14, Lawrence Free State 7
SM Northwest 34, SM North 32
SM East 48, SM South 10
Olathe Northwest 22, SM West 0

Sunflower League Week Two Game Previews

Olathe East's Jalen Branson. Photo KC Star.

Game of the Week
Olathe East (1-0) at Olathe South (1-0) at ODAC

In the last 10 seasons, these teams have faced off 13 times, with Olathe East holding an 8-5 advantage in that time frame ... Olathe East won last year's matchup, 21-12 ... both teams claimed victories against out-of-conference foes last week ... Olathe South defensive tackle Scott Preston is out for the season after breaking his fibula against Hutchinson ... Olathe East's defense forced five turnovers against Garden City last Friday.

Leavenworth (1-0) at Lawrence (0-1) at Lawrence High Stadium

Leavenworth defeated Lawrence 18-6 last season ... the Pioneers are 1-0 for just the second time in seven years ... Lawrence has gone 3-8 in their last 11 games ... the Chesty Lions forced six turnovers last week (four fumbles and two interceptions) but also committed four turnovers ... Leavenworth's shutout victory last week was their second in 11 games under Mark Littrell ... these teams infamously battled it out in the "Toilet Bowl" in the final week of the 2009 regular season ... both teams were 0-8 entering the Toilet Bowl, and Lawrence won the game 13-6 in overtime.

Olathe North (1-0) at Lawrence Free State (1-0) at Free State Athletic Stadium

Free State has gone 20-4 since the beginning of the 2012 season, tops in the league ... Olathe North is 2-2 versus Free State during that stretch ... Eagle quarterback Cole Murphy left Friday's game with an injury but is expected to play this week ... Free State lost starting linebacker and backup running back Sam Skwarlo to a season ending Lisfranc tear in his foot on Friday ... Free State quarterback Bryce Torneden leads the league in all-purpose yardage with 280 ... Olathe North running back Venus Triplett leads the league in rushing yards with 196.

SM West (0-1) at Olathe Northwest (0-1) at CBAC

Olathe Northwest beat SM West 18-10 a season ago ... Olathe Northwest was held to just 194 yards of total offense in their loss to Hays last week ... SM West has lost six of their last seven games, following a stretch where they won 20 of 22 ... Viking linebackers Jordan McKinney, DJ Turner and Montell Madlock combined for 46 tackles in week one ... Chip Sherman is 2-2 against SM West ... Tim Callaghan is 5-1 against Olathe Northwest.

SM South (1-0) at SM East (1-0) at SM South District Stadium

SM East beat SM South 27-21, in overtime, last season ... Lancer quarterback Gunnar Englund leads the league in passing yards (208) and passing touchdowns (3) ... SM East has won eight of the last nine games in this series, dating back to 2005 ... SM South running back Dalton Lewallen leads the league in touchdowns with four ... the Lancers have gone 19-5 since the start of the 2012 season ... SM South is 1-0 for the first time since 1998 ... eight different Raider receivers caught passes last week.

SM Northwest (0-1) at SM North (0-1) at SM North District Stadium

This rivalry game is traditionally known as the 'Hula Bowl" ... The two programs have combined to go 5-34 since 2012 ... SM North is carrying a 20-game losing streak ... the longest losing streak on record in the Sunflower League was a 21-game losing steak set by Leavenworth from 2008 to 2010 ... SM Northwest has won the past 11 games between the two schools, including a 56-28 victory last season.

Sunflower League Extra: Part I

Free State junior quarterback Bryce Torneden had
an impressive first game for the Firebirds Thursday,
combining for 280 yards of total offense and three
touchdowns. Photo LJWorld.

Week One Players of the Week

Bryce Torneden, Free State: In his first career start at quarterback, Torneden completed nine of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. More importantly, his team collected the victory.

Dalton Lewallen, SM South: Talk about an impressive showing to begin the season. Lewallen carried the ball nine times for 106 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to catching two passes for 39 yards and another touchdown. Defensively, Lewallen recorded five tackles and an interception.

Week One Coach of the Week

Jeff Gourley, Olathe South: Olathe South followed up their incredible 12-1 run to the 2011 state title with mostly disappointing back-to-back 5-4 seasons. Seeking improvement, the coaching staff consulted with Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn this past offseason, while Malzahn was recruiting Braden Smith. The result was a revamped offense, courtesy of one of the nation's most brilliant offensive minds. On Friday, Gourley and his team ransacked Hutchinson, 24-2, and set the tone for what they hope will be another incredible run in 2014.

Sunflower League Week One Tweets of the Week

"Better see @eliunderwood at the (Olathe) East and (Olathe) South game next week, no better place to be." - @falcon259

"any late night articles tonight? 4 hour bus ride from Hutch need my updates on the rest of the league." - @b_winsk

Statistical Leaders

Passing
Gunnar Englund, SM East: 208, 3 TDs
Matt Hollingsworth, SM South: 146, 1 TD
Chase Miller, Olathe East: 142, 2 TDs
Will Schneider, SM North: 130, 1 TD
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 128, 1 TD
Landry Hodges, Leavenworth: 112
Jack Hatzfeld, Olathe Northwest: 79, 1 TD
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 59
Alan Clothier, Lawrence: 52
Matt Wright, Olathe North: 47, 1 TD

Rushing
Venus Triplett, Olathe North: 196, 1 TD
Bryce Torneden, Free State: 152, 2 TDs
JD Woods, Lawrence: 134, 1 TD
Matt Hollingsworth, SM South: 107, 1 TD
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 107
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 106, 3 TDs
Tarik Waton, SM West: 105
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 103
Collin Fischer, Olathe South: 98, 1 TD
Matt Wright, Olathe North: 94, 1 TD
Terrick Bell, SM North: 90

Receiving
Alex Dean, SM East: 148, 3 TDs
Nick Perez, SM North: 98, 1 TD
Zach Cahill, Olathe East: 78, 1 TD
Johnny Heath, Leavenworth: 75
Joel Spain, Free State: 61, 1 TD
Matt Burton, Olathe South: 54
Price Morgan, Lawrence: 52
Josh Moore, Olathe North: 44
Manny Psihountas: 43

Tackles
Jordan McKinney, SM West: 19
DJ Turner, SM West: 15
Steven Miller, Olathe South: 13
Jake Seurer, Olathe South: 13
David Burton, Olathe Northwest: 12
Montell Madlock, SM West: 12
Price Morgan, Lawrence: 12
Jack Murphy, Olathe South: 10
Bremen Scholz, SM South: 10
Kyle Ball, SM East: 9
Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence: 9
Joe Fales, SM South: 9
Sam Skwarlo, Free State: 9
Nic Stebar, Olathe South: 9

Sacks
Nate Amos, Leavenworth: 2
Kyle Ball, SM East: 2
Eli Pruss, Olathe Northwest: 2

Forced Fumbles
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 1
Dearion Cooper, Lawrence: 1
Joe Fales, SM South: 1
Shane Hofer, Free State: 1
Patrick Kirby, Olathe East: 1
Anthony McCray, Olathe East: 1
Nick Perez, SM North: 1

Fumbles Recovered
Jalen Branson, Olathe East: 2
Ivan Hollins, Lawrence: 2

Interceptions
Dearion Cooper, Lawrence: 1
Ivan Hollins, Lawrence: 1
Dalton Lewallen, SM South: 1
Derek Miller, Olathe East: 1
Isaiah Simmons, Olathe North: 1
Tyler Stoetaert, Olathe Northwest: 1
Joel Spain, Free State: 1
Nick Starnes, Leavenworth: 1
Charley White, SM East: 1

Field Goals
Chris Diddle, Olathe East: (2/2)
Devin Antcil, Olathe Northwest: (1/2)
Jake Boyce, Leavenworth: (1/2)
Logan Swartz, Olathe South: (1/1)

**Lawrence, Olathe North and SM Northwest did not submit defensive statistics.