Monumental Games: A Decade in the Sunflower League

The following data was comprised during the last decade, stretching from the 2002 season to the 2011 season.

Olathe North quarterback Dallas Browning led the Eagles to
a 10-8 victory over their bitter rivals Olathe East in this
matchup from 2002.

November 22, 2002
Olathe North 10, Olathe East 8

Olathe North was predicted to steamroll Olathe East in this Sub-State matchup, having previously crushed the Hawks 35-14 in a week seven game.  But it wouldn't be that easy.  Jeff Meyers' program was just coming into its own and this was the game where people kind of looked around and said, "yeah, Olathe East can play."  The game was a defensive struggle, with the 11-0 Olathe North doing all they could to keep their 36-game winning streak intact against the 8-3 Olathe East squad.  The game came down to a last second field goal attempt by Olathe East, which would have been the game-winner.  The kick was botched, however, and Olathe North won their third consecutive state championship the following weekend.  

September 4, 2003
SM North 7, Olathe North 6 

This loss, Olathe North's first in their previous 39 games, sent shockwaves through the league, Kansas and the Midwest.  Gene Wier had left for Texas following the 2002 season, and this game was John McCall's first as the head coach at Olathe North.  The game was as sloppy as they come, but SM North's wry head coach, Sam Brown, found a way to sneak a victory out from underneath Olathe North.  This marked the first time Olathe North had looked vulnerable in over three seasons, and set the tone for what proved to be one of the wildest seasons in Sunflower League history.

October 17, 2003
Olathe East 28, Olathe North 27 

Looking back it's still hard to tell whether or not Olathe East benefited from winning this game.  Sure, they snuck out a one-point victory over their crosstown rival and arguably the Midwest's most highly-touted program, but it may have gone to the Hawks' heads.  Olathe North dropped to 4-3 with the loss, while Olathe East pushed their record to 7-0.  The didn't meet again as many predicted they would in the Sub-State round of the playoffs.  No, Olathe East (who may have been licking their chops at the prospects of handing a Sub-State defeat to Olathe North) lost to an upstart Blue Valley North team in Sectionals.  Olathe North, left for dead at 4-3, reeled off six straight victories to end the season as the Class 6A state champions.

November 19, 2004
Olathe South 26, SM West 7

Moral victories are only for teams that lose more than they win, but I would make the case that this game was really a victory for both teams.  The previous year both squads had gone an ugly 2-7.  Neither team was predicted to do anything in 2004, despite the fact that both rosters returned great experience on both sides of the ball.  Low and behold the two teams nobody predicted to do anything both won nine games and found their way to this Sub-State matchup.  The game was closer than the final score indicated, but the really remarkable thing was the turnarounds both teams had made from the previous season.  Nowadays it's almost hard to fathom a team going from two wins in one season to nine or 10 the next the way both those units did.

November 18, 2005
Olathe East 22, Lawrence 18

This game had some unique storylines.  Both teams had over 10 victories and there was a ton of talent flying around at the skill positions (Derek Miller, Adam Parks, Dee Bell, Anthony Riley, Brandon Lassiter, Nathan Hickey and Nolan Kellerman to name a few).  There was also some junior high feud between the two clubs that apparently hadn't completely fizzled out by the time they were seniors in high school.  Lawrence jumped out to an early lead but Olathe East made a late comeback and won.  This was the kind of game you want to see in the Sub-State round--two truly dominant teams battling it out for supremacy.

November 17, 2006
SM West 31, Lawrence Free State 14 

A black and white photo memorializes the "Game of the
Century" in the Sunflower League as Free State quarterback
Ryan Murphy attempts to elude SM West linebacker
Andrew Kuhn.

If you didn't tune it to this game you really missed out, because you had every opportunity to.  It was the only time during the decade that two undefeated (11-0) teams from the league faced off in the Sub-State round.  The game featured six players who held FBS offers.  The Lawrence Journal World dedicated their entire week of sports coverage to the matchup, including several hour-long podcasts.  Metro Sports broadcast the game live.  Even the Kansas City Star used up nearly an entire page of the sports section previewing the game.  Billed as the "Game of the Century" in the Sunflower League, it lived up to the hype for the better part of three quarters.  The game was tied at 14 at halftime, but in the third quarter SM West broke things open.  A 47-yard touchdown run from Blake Lawrence pretty much ended Free State's comeback chances late.  Was it the "Game of the Century" in the league?  That's hard to say, but I've never seen that type of hype for any game since then.

November 7, 2008
Lawrence Free State 41, SM Northwest 21

It was truly a privilege being able to cover Free State's Camren Torneden as he was not only a great player but also one of the most friendly and humble athletes I've encountered since I've covered the league.  Torneden's huge day against SM Northwest set the tone for his team's run to the 6A state title that year.  Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, Torneden and running back Chucky Hunter took their games to another level.  Torneden carried the ball 14 times for 256 yards while Hunter added 191 yards on 29 carries.  Torneden combined for five touchdowns in the game, the first of several incredible games he put together that year in the playoffs, sparking one of the biggest late season runs we saw from any team over the decade (highlight video available midway down on the left side of the page).

November 18, 2011
Olathe South 38, Olathe East 21 

The old adage that it's hard to beat a good team twice especially rang true before Olathe South matched up with Olathe East this past year in the Sub-State round.  The Falcons had pounded the Hawks 36-18 just weeks earlier, but there were no guarantees that they'd be able to repeat the feat.  And it looked like Olathe East was really picking up steam for this game.  Low and behold, Olathe South had no problems, shutting down the Hawks in nearly identical fashion in a 38-21 victory.  The game was especially monumental because Olathe South won the 6A state championship the next week, their first in three attempts in school history.

Top Sunflower League Linebackers since 2000

Mike Rivera.  Photo courtesy
Rivals.com

1. Mike Rivera, SM Northwest, 2001-2003

I am considering changing my annual Defensive Player of the Year Award to the "Rivera Award," to honor Rivera, who is arguably one of the best defensive players to ever play in the league.  As a junior Rivera tallied 125 tackles and took home first team all-state honors.  He improved as a senior collecting 149 tackles and once again taking home first team all-state honors.  To this day I haven't seen as good of a linebacker in the league, or state for that matter, as what I witnessed from Rivera in 2003.  Check out his highlights from his days at SM Northwest if you aren't convinced.

2. Royal Whitaker, Olathe North, 1999-2001

Whitaker is sometimes overlooked when the legends from Olathe North are brought up, but that won't happen here.  The heart and soul of the Eagles defense in 2001, Whitaker totaled 125 tackles (63 solo) for a defensive unit that gave up a mere 5.4 points a game and recorded five shutouts en route to winning the 6A state championship.

3. Justin Dyer, Olathe South, 1999-2001

Dyer was a physical freak to say the least.  On the wrestling mat he was a three-time state champion and he went on to wrestle in college at Oklahoma.  On the football field he was one of the best linebackers in the league's history and he put up incredible numbers.  As a sophomore he racked up 173 tackles, then he followed that up by making 117 tackles as a junior.  He added 62 tackles as a senior, but much of the drop off was because he was promoted to quarterback midway through the season and it took away from his time on defense.

4. Blake Lawrence, SM West, 2004-2006

Lawrence made quite a name for himself with his torpedo-like hits that he dished out in his two primary seasons as a starter (2005-2006).  In those two years he accumulated 150 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions.  He was also a stellar quarterback and he was a Simone Award finalist in 2006.  Lawrence went on to play linebacker at Nebraska, but his collegiate career was cut short after a series of concussions.  In his senior year at SM West he was featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" with this accompanying highlight video.

5. Brandon McAnderson, Lawrence, 2000-2002

While McAnderson went on to be a solid running back at the University of Kansas, many figured he'd play linebacker at the collegiate level following an outstanding high school career as a middle linebacker.  McAnderson was a First Team All-Sunflower League performer as a linebacker and a running back in both his junior and senior seasons.  As a senior he also garnered first team all-state honors as a linebacker after posting 132 tackles and leading Lawrence to a 8-3 record.


Tony Ritzman.  Photo courtesy the
Shawnee Disptach.

6. Tony Ritzman, SM West, 2005-2007

Ritzman was one of the few players since 2000 to have accumulated over 300 tackles during his high school career.  He earned a starting spot as SM West's "Mike" linebacker in the early part of the 2005 season and he held the title for the rest of his career with the Vikings.  During that time period he helped SM West to a 26-7 record.  All told he racked up 324 tackles, caused four fumbles, made three sacks and snagged three interceptions in his three seasons as a starter.

7. Scott Penny, Lawrence, 2003-2005

Quite a few members of Lawrence High's class of 2006 football team are remembered following the team's 10-2 campaign, but it is Penny who is most remembered as the standout on the defensive side of the football.  During the Chesty Lions' 12-game 2005 season, Penny recorded 144 tackles to lead the league.  His efforts earned him first team all-state honors.

8. Kyle Swartz, Olathe North, 2008-2010

Swartz helped lead Olathe North to state title appearances in 2009 and 2010.  As a senior in 2010 he totaled 148 tackles with three fumble recoveries, two sacks and an interception from his middle linebacker position.  His interception came against Olathe South in the Sectional Round of the playoffs and it enabled Olathe North to score a quick touchdown and advance to the Sub-State game that year.  He was named first team all-state following the conclusion of the season.

Tre Walker.

9. Tre Walker, Olathe North, 2007-2009

Walker is developing into one of the best linebacker in the Big XII at Kansas State, but before his time as a Wildcat he was a great linebacker for Olathe North.  As a senior he teamed up with Kyle Swartz to create one of the most formidable linebacker units in the state.  Walker used his size and speed in coverage where he recorded five interceptions while also supporting the run from his outside linebacker position.  He was a first team all-state selection as a senior.

10. Justin Scott, SM West, 2006-2008

Scott was a three-year starter for SM West, spending his first two seasons at the "Will" position before moving over to the "Mike" slot as a senior to fill the void left by Ritzman.  In his final two seasons as a starter he posted 153 tackles, five sacks and one interception.  His efforts as a senior were good enough to earn him first team all-state honors and offers from several of the FBS service academies.

Top Sunflower League Quarterbacks since 2000

Derek Miller

*Disclaimer: No current Sunflower League players were eligible in the selection process.

1. Derek Miller, Olathe East, 2003-2005

Miller is kind of like the Dan Marino of the Sunflower League of the past 11 seasons.  He was an absolutely phenomenal quarterback--in my opinion the best--yet his inability to ever win a title did, in some ways, tarnish his legacy just a bit.  He went 31-4 in three years as a starter, with three of the losses coming in the playoffs.  No quarterback has won more than 21 games since 2000, and the only player currently in scope is Olathe South's Frankie Seurer who has 19.

2. Travis Jackson, Olathe South, 1998-2000

In 1999 Jackson threw for 2,685 yards and 17 touchdowns in leading Olathe South to their first ever state championship game.  Had it not been for mononucleosis he likely would have had an even better senior season, but the illness took its toll and he didn't complete the season.  He still passed for 1,220 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2000, however.

3. Camren Torneden, Lawrence Free State, 2006-2008

The "Tornedo" inherited the reins at the quarterback position as a junior and didn't let go, leading Free State to unprecedented levels.  He led the Firebirds to a 9-4 record and a state championship berth in 2008, and he followed it up by leading the team to an 8-3 Sectional Round berth in 2010.  In his two years as the starter he passed for 2,404 yards and 23 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,297 yards and 24 touchdowns.

4. Mack Brown, SM North, 2002-2004

SM North was running the spread back in early 2000s, but people just didn't know to call it that yet.  Brown, playing under his dad Sam Brown, passed for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior, then nearly matched those numbers as a senior, in the process earning offers from Colorado and Ole Miss.

Alex Carder

5. Alex Carder, SM Northwest, 2005-2007

We still haven't figured out if Carder was arrogant, cocky or just downright oblivious to all social cues, but on the field he was a heck of a quarterback for the Cougars--and there's a very solid chance he'll be selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.  In his career he completed a hair under 50% of his passes for 3,457 yards and 22 touchdowns.  He also added 524 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground in that time span.

6. John Martin, SM North, 1999-2001

I don't have the official stats, but Martin passed for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career at SM North.  The passing combination of Martin to his top two receiving targets, Nathan Winslow and Brooks Faddis, proved lethal.  As a senior in 2001 he led the Indians to a Sub-State appearance.

7. Blake Lawrence, SM West, 2004-2006

Lawrence only started at quarterback for one year at SM West, but he did well enough in the time period to earn an offer from Missouri to play quarterback.  During the 2006 season he passed for 1,346 yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 483 yards and 16 touchdowns.

8. Ryan Murphy, Lawrence Free State, 2004-2006

Murphy began the pipeline we now know as the Free State quarterback position, and for that he deserves at least some mention on this list.  He had a 15-7 record as a starter, accumulating 3,518 passing yards, 1,710 rushing yards, and 50 combined touchdowns in his two years as the starting quarterback.

9. John Schrock, SM East, 2008-2010

Schrock didn't earn the starter title until his senior year, but he took full advantage of the opportunity once it presented itself.  As a senior he helped lead the Lancers to their winningest season ever at eight wins by passing for 1,634 yards and combining for 25 touchdowns.  He was Colorado's third-string quarterback as a true freshman this past year.

10. Dustin Moomau, Olathe North, 2002-2004

September 2004: Moomau keeps the ball on a veer-option play and bolts through a hole in the middle of the opposing defense.  He trucks the safety, but gets tripped up when his cleat gets caught in the facemask of this safety as he attempts to literally run him over.  I've been told that Moomau stood up and asked the player "what's it like catching a cannon ball?"  Most of us will never know, but in his one season as a starter he was like a cannon ball for defenses, passing for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushing for 1,273 yards and 21 touchdowns in leading Olathe North to a 12-1 record.

Week Six Review

Lawrence Free State's Kyle McFarland was bottled
up for much of the game against SM East.  Photo
courtesy the Lawrence Journal World.

Three Up

Olathe South
The results say it all for the Falcons.  At 6-0 they're off to their best start since 2005, when they finished the season 9-2.  The only downside for the Falcons is that they won't be able to claim the league title or gain bragging rights over all of Olathe, until they face Olathe East in week nine.

SM East
The Lancers lost ugly last week, but won ugly this week.  Given the injuries suffered, SM East will take being 3-3 heading into districts.  On paper they'll be favored to go 3-0 to close out the season.

Olathe Northwest
After a decent victory on Friday the Ravens are sitting at .500 heading into district play.  If only they could develop something resembling a defense (they've given up 40 or more points four times in six games) they might be able to pull out a couple victories and make the playoffs.

Three Down

Olathe North
We saw this same sort of thing happen last year when Olathe East downed Olathe North 25-0 in late September--and it really didn't make a difference down the stretch.  The only thing is, outside of Olathe East, Olathe North really hasn't beat many good teams.

Lawrence Free State
Overshadowing Free State's last-minute 97-yard touchdown drive was the fact that the team wasn't able to convert a game tying two-point conversion late, or that they missed a PAT earlier which forced them to go for the two-point conversion.  It's little miscues like those that have haunted Free State for years.

SM South
After a solid first half effort the Raiders weren't able to come away with any points in the second half of their 42-17 loss at Lawrence.  If SM South has a shot at making the playoffs it's going to have to come with consistent scoring from their offense--because the defense hasn't bailed them out at all this year.

Week Six Players of the Week

Brad Strauss, Lawrence: In the mold of fomer Sunflower League greats like Derek Miller and Dustin Moomau, Strauss is playing offense, defense, and special teams, and dominating.  He scored six touchdowns on Friday.  One came on a kickoff return, four were on rushing scores, and one was on a pass.

Armani Williams, SM West: Williams has taken quite a few shots from the media and fans alike, and, to be honest, he came into a situation with pretty high standards for the Vikings.  His predecessors included Tyler Lawrence (a 20-game winner who played at KU), Blake Lawrence (a Simone finalist who was offered to play quarterback at Missouri) and DJ Balazs (a 21-game winner).  Williams finally played a great game, tossing three touchdowns passes and running for another in SM West's 28-point win Friday night. 

Week Seven Power Rankings

1. Olathe South (6-0): The Falcons' latest performance was easily their most impressive of the season.  The team's seemingly endless stable of running backs makes them a preparation headache for any school.

2. Olathe North (5-1): In some ways the Eagles may benefit from their loss to Olathe South.  They won't have as much pressure as the top dog, and you know what they say about how hard it is to beat a good team twice--assuming they meet up again with Olathe South in the playoffs.

3. Olathe East (5-1): With all the attention given to their neighbors to the North and South, Olathe East has quietly snuck up at 5-1, with an offensive attack that gets stronger every week.

4. Lawrence (4-2): Lawrence's district poses a good challenge, but regardless of how well they do, be sure to keep an eye on Brad Strauss.  You don't see kids putting up his type of numbers very often in the Sunflower League.

5. SM East (3-3): The Lancers can make up for some of their early season losses by sweeping their district and rolling into the playoffs at a very respectable 6-3... but we've seen what the expectation bug has done to the team in the past.

6. Lawrence Free State (4-2): As has been the case for the last six years, Bob Lisher found an athlete, stuck him at quarterback (Kyle McFarland being the athlete this year), and now has a team with one of the best offenses in the league.

7. SM West (3-3): We'll see if the Vikings can finally string together a two-game winning streak.  They'll be favored against SM South, but they also haven't faced an opponent whose head coach has as intricate of a knowledge of their own strengths and weaknesses as SM South's Ryan Lonergan.

8. Olathe Northwest (3-3): This is Todd Dain's eighth year at Olathe Northwest, and you could make the case that this is his best team yet.  Their district doesn't do them any favors, but to be among the best you have to beat the best.

9. SM Northwest (1-5): You can open your eyes now, Cougars.  The non-district stretch of your season is over.  Awaiting you in your district are three teams with a combined record of 3-15.

10. SM North (1-5): While they did lose to Olathe Northwest, the Indian's showed alot of fight and came within a touchdown of tying the game up in the fourth quarter.  Mason Perez is also a bigtime playmaker that would be getting mentioned among the league's best if he played for a better team.

11. SM South (1-5):  The Raiders should close out the season with at least one more win.  However, despite their poor record, I think things are boding well for the program now and into the future.

12. Leavenworth (0-6): It's do or die time for the Pioneers.  Hopefully they can beat Wyandotte this week and claim at least one victory on the season.  Heck, they may even pull an upset out in one of their next two games and make the playoffs.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Blake Lawrence

Name: Blake Lawrence
School: Shawnee Mission West
Graduated: 2007
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205lbs.
Position: Linebacker

Following a devastating broken leg as a sophomore in 2004, Blake Lawrence emerged in 2005 ready to make his presence known to the Sunflower League. He did just that. Starting at an outside linebacker position Lawrence totaled 90 tackles, 13 of which were for loss. He also added four sacks and forced four fumbles. His play helped lead SM West to a 9-2 record and Sectional Round berth in the playoffs. Following his junior campaign Lawrence received First Team All-Sunflower League honors, as well as quite a bit of Division One interest from schools across the country.

During the summer of 2006 Lawrence received offers from Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas State, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Arizona State. Lawrence was regarded as the top football recruit in the state of Kansas, and ultimately committed to play at Nebraska.

As a senior in 2006, Lawrence took on the role of quarterback, and switched from the outside linebacker position to safety. The moves worked out well for Lawrence. As a quarterback he passed for 1,346 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 483 yards on 71 carries, and scoring 16 rushing touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball Lawrence made 60 tackles, two sacks, and collected three interceptions. Following a perfect regular season, Lawrence helped lead SM West’s run through the playoffs to its first state championship game in over 20 years. SM West fell 21-14 to Hutchinson in the state championship game, and finished the season 12-1.

Following the season Lawrence was named All-State Class 6A, Kansas Top 11, and Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas. He was also First Team All-Metro Sports as a defensive back, and was named the KC Metro Sports Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to being a finalist for the Simone Award. Lawrence went on to play outside linebacker at Nebraska. After sustaining numerous concussions, Lawrence had to give up football for good in the Fall of 2009.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Jared Witter

Name: Jared Witter
School: Shawnee Mission West
Graduated: 2007
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180lbs.
Position: Kicker/Punter

When it came to selecting the top kicker/punter of the decade, Jared Witter was a fairly easy choice. His list of accolades was nearly as impressive as many of the top dogs on the All-Decade Team. It should also be noted that Witter played slot receiver and backed up Blake Lawrence at the quarterback position as a senior—so he wasn’t just featured on special teams.

Witter was a four year starter as a kicker and punter, but didn’t get a ton of notoriety until his junior season. During the year he helped SM West to a 9-2 record with his ability to pooch punt, and consistently kick touchbacks. He was named First Team All-Sunflower League as a Kicker and Punter, and he was also First Team All-State Class 6A.

As a senior Witter’s impact grew. During SM West’s 13 game season in 2006, Witter converted 65 of 67 PAT tries while also recording 65 touchbacks on 83 total kickoffs. Witter’s most memorable game came against Lawrence Free State in the Sub-State round of the playoffs.

SM West’s starting quarterback Blake Lawrence had suffered an injury which was preventing him from playing both offense and defense. Witter, who had started zero games at quarterback for SM West to that point in time, was slotted as the starter—much to the surprise of the Free State football team when SM West’s offense took the field for the first time in the game.

Witter played well in the first half completing three of six passes for 36 yards, and keeping SM West in the game at 14 all. Lawrence played the second half of the game at quarterback, but Witter’s contributions weren’t done yet. SM West led 21-14 in the fourth quarter (and if you saw Lawrence Free State’s offense in 2006, you would know that a seven point lead was not going to be hard for the Firebirds to overcome), when they were faced with a fourth down at the Free State 27. Witter’s number was called and he delivered on a 44 yard field goal that would have been good from 60. The score put SM West up 10 and virtually sealed their ticket to the state championship the next week (SM West lost 21-14 to Hutchinson in the title game).

Witter was named First Team All-Sunflower League at the Kicker and Punter positions, and First Team All-State Class 6A following the season, both for the second year in a row. He was also named First Team All-Metro Sports at the Kicker position. After graduating Witter went on to play at Pittsburg State, where he has been the Gorillas starting kicker since his freshman season.