Top Sunflower League All-Purpose Athletes since 2000

Torneden alluding a defender.

1. Camren Torneden, Lawrence Free State, 2007-2009

Torneden started at quarterback, cornerback and acted as Free State's primary return man in his junior and senior seasons.  During that time he combined for over 5,000 yards of total offense, and just over 50 total touchdowns.

2. Brooks Faddis, SM North, 2001-2003

In his sophomore and junior seasons Faddis mixed in playing time at the quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback positions, in addition to returning punts.  He was an all-state selection in 2002 as a quarterback after combining for 25 touchdowns, then he followed that up with an all-state selection as a senior in 2003 at the wide receiver position.

3. Jason Santifer, Olathe South, 1999-2001

Santifer literally did it all for Olathe South.  Combining his junior and senior seasons, he totaled 60 catches for 754 yards and four touchdowns, 71 carries for 711 yards and six touchdowns, 84 tackles, eight interceptions and four kickoff returns for touchdowns. 

4. David Leonard, SM West, 2004-2006

Leonard's outstanding senior season really bumped him up this list.  During that year he played wide receiver, cornerback and returned kicks and punts.  He totaled 1,296 yards of total offense, 16 touchdowns (13 receiving, two on punt returns and one on an interception), 49 tackles and five interceptions.  He caught 25 touchdown passes in his junior and senior seasons combined.

5. Dustin Moomau, Olathe North, 2002-2004

With his placement on this list, Moomau found his way onto three different lists (Quarterback, Defensive Back and All-Purpose), but it's fitting.  In three years on Olathe North's varsity he totaled over 3,000 yards of total offense in addition to 19 interceptions.

6. Maurice Mack, Olathe North, 1999-2001

Mo Mack won the Simone Award because of his prowess on offense as a running back, but it's no coincidence he played linebacker at the next level.  In addition to his combined 3,068 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons, he also tallied nine career interceptions as a defensive back.
 
7. Brandon Willingham, Olathe East, 2008-2010

Willingham was primarily known for his role as a running back, but he also made huge contributions on the defensive side of the ball.  In his junior and senior seasons he combined to rush for 2,623 yards, in addition to recording 104 tackles and two interceptions.

8. Byce Atagi, SM Northwest, 2006-2008

SM Northwest head coach Aaron Barnett called Atagi the best player in the Sunflower League in 2008 and from a versatility standpoint he was dead on.  Atagi totaled 3,070 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns in his career with the Cougars, despite missing several games towards the end of his senior season.  He was also a dominant figure on the defensive side of the ball.

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

Murphy played quarterback and cornerback during his time with the Firebirds.  In his junior and senior seasons he combined to pass for 3,518 yards, rush for 1,710 yards and score 50 touchdowns.  He also had six takeaways on defense as a senior.

10. Mark Fancher, SM Northwest, 2006-2008

Fancher was a track star who translated well onto the football field... or maybe it was the other way around?  Either way, his speed was second to none during his time in the league.  He played wide receiver, defensive back and returned kicks and punts for the Cougars in his junior and senior seasons, accumulating touchdowns at will.

Decade Statistical Analysis

The 2009 football season will mark the last season of football in the decade of the 2000s. Alot has taken place in the Sunflower League the past 9 years (and alot will probably happen in this final season of the decade). So, why not take a look at some statistical analysis of each program over the decade, with a little bit of my own analysis mixed in?

Let's first begin by analyzing each program's win-loss record and winning percentage during the decade. One interesting thing to note is that great desparity between the top teams in the league, and then the 5 or so teams that have hovered around .500 for the past nine seasons. Starting with the top three teams...

1. Olathe North, 87-19 (.820)

2. Olathe East, 75-22 (.773)

3. Olathe South, 57-35 (.619)

Not surprisingly, the top three teams so far (in terms of winning) come from Olathe during the decade. Gene Wier (above) coached Olathe North to a 37-0 record during the 2000s before he departed to be the head coach at Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas in 2003.

4. Lawrence, 54-39 (.580)

5. SM West, 53-38 (.582)

6. Lawrence Free State, 52-42 (.553)

SM West wedges themselves between LHS and Free State in the grouping of 4-6. SM West had only won 7 games from 2000-2002. Since the arrival of head coach Tim Callaghan, the Vikings have won 46 games in six years, by far the biggest turn around of any team during the decade.

7. SM Northwest, 44-43 (.505)

8. SM North, 37-48 (.435)

9. SM East, 35-53 (.398)

Three Shawnee Mission schools round out the 7, 8, and 9 spots. Player like Bryce Atagi (ballcarrier, right) have helped the Cougars keep a record just about .500 for the decade.

10. SM South, 25-61 (.291)

11. Olathe Northwest*, 13-33 (.283)

12. Leavenworth, 11-70 (.135)

The bottom three inlcude three teams that have been perennially poor in football over the past decade. * Olathe Northwest has only been around since 2004, so their win and loss total are skewed, however, their win percentage shows that they have still been second to the last in the league since their inception.

Now to playoff and league results:

State Championships:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)

State Championship Runner-Ups:
Olathe North (2004), Olathe South (2004, 2007), Olathe East (2005), SM West (2006), Lawrence Free State (2008)

State Semifinal Appearences:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), Olathe East (2002, 2005), Olathe South (2004, 2007), SM West (2004, 2006), Lawrence Free State (2006, 2008), Lawrence (2005), SM North (2000), SM East (2001)

Sunflower League Championships*:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), Olathe East (2003, 2005, 2008), SM West (2005, 2006, 2008), Olathe South (2001), Lawrence Free State (2006), SM North (2000), SM Northwest (2007)

*There were ties for the Sunflower League Championships in '00, '01, '05, '06, and '08.

After totalling the statistics, and accolades, it is clear that Olathe North (despite rough patches since the departure of Gene Weir) will be the team of the decade when the dust clears after the 2009 season. The Eagles four state championships from '00-'03 (Maurice Mack, left #24, sheds tears with his teammates following the Eagle's state championship victory in 2001) are four more than any other team the past decade (no Sunflower League team has won a title since 2003). The program's 87 wins are also 12 more than the second place team, Olathe East...

Olathe East will hold the #2 spot overall for the decade, as they have 18 more wins that third place Olathe South. The Hawks have won three Sunflower League Championships, made two state semifinal appearences, and one title game appearence in 2005.

Places #3 through #6 could make for some interesting outcomes. Olathe South has 57 wins, Lawrence has 54, SM West 53, and Lawrence Free State 52. With those four teams as close as they are in the race, the team that finished 2009 with the most wins will more than likely take the #3 overall wins spot for the decade.