2012 Player Spotlights: Connor Rellihan

Connor Rellihan. Shawnee Dispatch.

Connor Rellihan
SM East

Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175 lbs.
Year: Senior 

Stat to Note
As a junior Rellihan caught 48 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in SM East's 11-game season.

Scouting Report
Things are setting up nicely for Rellihan to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in his senior season.  In May, quarterback Jordan Darling transferred to SM East, all but ensuring another successful year for the Lancer's passing attack.  What's more, Rellihan will be the team's go-to receiver after playing second option to Elliot Faerber the majority of last year.

There's quite a bit to like about Rellihan's game.  For one, he has the speed to take any catch the distance, evidenced by his 80-yard touchdown reception against SM Northwest in Regionals last year.  More than anything though Rellihan is a player who goes out and give you a consistent effort week in and week out--he ranked among the league's top ten in all receiving categories throughout the 2011 season.

A great year of experience under his belt combined with a tremendous quarterback should make Rellihan one of, if not the top wide receiver in the Sunflower League in 2012.  His staying healthy and continued high-level performances will be essential to SM East on the offensive side of ball.

#SunflowerLeagueFootball #2K12

Olathe North's Gene Wier.

Believe it or not, the "quiet season" for high school football is actually nearing its completion.  The middle and end of May typically mark the beginning of the 7-on-7 season, which leads us through the summertime and into the start of practice in August.

Has it been a quiet offseason in the Sunflower League?  That would depend on who you ask.  We've had a highly touted transfer in Jordan Darling and the return of a coaching legend in Gene Wier to the school where he made his mark.  Besides that?  Yeah, it's been a quiet one.  While there are several seniors who are fringe FBS players in the league, only one senior (SM East's  Darling), to my knowledge, has confirmed an official offer from an FBS school.  I'll get to Olathe South's Braden Smith later...

But, not to worry.  Things will start heating up later this month and within a few short months we'll be looking at the start of the 2012 high school football season.  The forecast for the Sunflower League this year is an epic one.  In the meantime, feast your eyes on the Sunflower League Football Blog including player profiles, preseason rankings, recruiting news, prognostications and everything in between over the course of the next several months.  Here is a look at some of the early trends in the league.

2012 Big Men on Campus

Brad Strauss, QB, Lawrence, senior: The hype has been building for two seasons for Strauss and we'll see if the offensive, defensive and special teams threat can put together the final pieces of the puzzle as a senior.  Last season he ranked as my Offensive Player of the Year in the SL, but this season he's the early favorite for Most Valuable Player.

Remington Whitley, LB, Olathe South, senior: You'd be hard-pressed to find a linebacker anywhere in the Midwest who put up as solid of numbers as Whitley did as a junior.  He combined for 162 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks, not to mention helping Olathe South to win the 6A crown.

SM East's Jordan Darling.

Jordan Darling, QB, SM East, senior: I'm sure some of you cringed at the thought of SM East having one of the league's most hyped players to start the season--a transfer quarterback no less--but Darling is getting a lot of love from the media and the hype meter is booming in Prairie Village.

 Kyle McFarland, QB, Free State, senior: If you're keeping score at home you might want to note that McFarland put up numbers that were as good, if not better than Strauss last season.  The problem was he didn't gain the starting position until week three and his team didn't qualify for the playoffs.  In Free State's offense there's no telling how much damage he'll do this year--and oh yeah, he's also a stellar defensive back.

Braden Smith, DL, Olathe South, junior: Gigantor.  The Human-Man-Child.  Smith's early offer list includes Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, South Carolina, Stanford, Kansas State, Missouri and TCU.  His 425-pound bench press and 500-pound squat max are impressing the top college football programs in America and his offer list should only grow more impressive as he completes his junior season.

Gabe Guild, RB, SM South, senior: Coming off a season in which he combined for just under 2,000 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns Guild is primed for a huge year in 2012.  He's going to be a workhorse for the Raiders as they work towards their first winning record in over 14 seasons.

Frank Seurer, QB, Olathe South, senior: Let's make sure we don't forget about Mr. Seurer.  Last season he came out of nowhere to pass for over 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading Olathe South to the 6A title.  He could be the best quarterback in the league this year.

Top Stories in 2012

Chip Sherman Cleared of Cancer: SM East's legendary head coach underwent a vicious battle with stage-3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma starting last summer, and in February his cells were finally clear of the cancer after endless rounds of chemotherapy.  Sherman will undergo scans every 60 days for the rest of his life, but for now he has come out on top and we look forward to seeing what he does with the Lancers in 2012 and beyond.

Olathe South Seeks Second Straight Title: The Falcons return an absolutely loaded roster with the hopes of bringing home their second banner in as many years.  The league appears as though it will be more competitive on paper with at least seven teams looking like legitimate playoff contenders, but the Falcons are the prohibitive favorite for now.

Jordan Darling Transfers to SM East: Darling made headlines with his transfer to SM East after spending last season at Waco-Midway High School, in Waco, Texas.  He's a big kid with a great arm and he'll fit right in with SM East's pass-happy offense  In the meantime he'll be mulling a commitment to Kansas, his only FBS offer thus far.

Gene Wier Returns to Olathe North: The timing couldn't have been better for one of the state's most legendary coaches to return to the place where it all began.  Olathe North is coming off a 5-4 season in which, quite frankly, they underachieved as much as any team I've ever season. Wier won six state championships at Olathe North and he's likely just what the program needed.

Lawrence's Erick Mayo.

Semi-Early Top Three

1. Olathe South: The Falcons, coming off a 12-1 season in which they absolutely steamrolled the rest of the league, return over half of their starters including the aforementioned Seurer, Smith and Whitley.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

2. Lawrence: Last year's offensive coordinator, Mack Brown, left to take a Graduate Assistant job at Mizzou.  He had a great deal of influence in Lawrence's offensive dynamics last year, so we'll see if guys like Strauss, Erick Mayo and Tyrone Jenkins can keep it going in 2012 without Brown.

3. Olathe East: The Hawks under Jeff Meyers are kind of like the Kansas basketball program under Bill Self.  It doesn't matter who they lose to graduation, they're going to dominate the league and compete for a title.  I fully expect Olathe East to win another nine or 10 games in 2012, the way they always do.

Poised to Rise

SM South: The Raiders went 2-7 in their first season under head coach Ryan Lonergan, but they had several losses that went down to the wire and they did show positive signs with regard to coming together as a program.  This will be the first season in which Lonergan has actually had control of the program for an entire year.

Lawrence Free State: Free State was one of the few teams in a long time to go 6-3 and not qualify for the playoffs but they played in a loaded district and things didn't work out their way down the stretch.  With a solid roster returning in 2012 they could make a run in the playoffs.

Leavenworth: Yes, I know, Leavenworth.  But let's be honest, they did look better last season in year two under Kevin Kopecky, winning two games.  With one of the league's most athletic returning players in junior Jason Randall, the Pioneers could push for a .500 record this time around.

SM East's Connor Rellihan. KC Star.

Don't Forget About Us

SM West: The Vikings would be the kings of consistency if it weren't for Olathe East.  The program has had a winning record for eight straight seasons and finally overcame a pesky playoff hurdle, beating Leavenworth in Regionals last season. 

Olathe North: Gene Wier.  That's really all I need to say.  The ingredients on the Olathe North football program are fairly simple: The Best Combination of Athleticism and Size in Johnson County - just add water.  Or in this case, just add Wier.

SM East: I fully expect "Jordan Darling to Connor Rellihan" to be the proverbial saying anytime the Lancers face an opponent.  We'll see quite a few touchdowns through the air from SM East this season and if they can play a little defense you never know how far they'll go.

 Question Marks

SM Northwest: With most programs the talent meter rises and falls about every five years.  After a plethora of talented players went through SM Northwest in the late 2000s (Alex Carder, Mark Fancher, Bryce Atagi, etc.) the program hit a bit of a lull, and has only combined for 15 wins the past three years.  Can the Cougars turn it around in 2012? 

SM North: Losing Mason Perez to graduation is not going to be easy.  He was the heart and soul of the Indians in 2011 contributing big plays and touchdowns left and right.  It's been seven years since SM North had a winning record, but that won't stop this year's team from competing with effort and intensity the way they always do.

Olathe Northwest: The whole Dalton Rook, Connor Middleton and Willie Cauley trio was fun last season, but all three will be lost to graduation.  Coming off a 5-5 season this really could be a make or break point for the Ravens.  They're teetering on the middle of the see-saw--on one side is continued success, and on the other is the two and three wins seasons they were accustomed to in the past.  It'll be interesting to see which side they fall on.

6A East Sectional Game Previews

Olathe East's Hayden Frazier, center, is one of the Hawks'
three top running backs.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City
Star.

SM West (7-3) at Olathe East (8-2)
Where: CBAC
Spread: Olathe East +10
Last Meeting: Olathe East won 28-21 in week five

Who to Watch For

SM West
The Vikings have found that the more Joel Spiller and Brett Sterbach carry the ball, the higher chances of success they have in winning football games.  Both players have come on exceptionally strong as the season has progressed and it will take a big effort from both to pull the upset tonight.  A wildcard? While Ricco Hopkins hasn't had his numbered called in too many big situations this season, he does have as good of breakaway speed as any player in the league once he gets into open field.

Olathe East
Playing Olathe East should come with the disclaimer "DO NOT throw the football at their cornerbacks."  Their two primary corners, Junior Williams and Marcus Banks, have feasted on quarterbacks to the tune of 11 interceptions this year.  On the offensive side of the ball, the Hawks will run the football until they literally no longer can.  The only game we've seen Olathe East truly struggle with running the football was in their week one loss at Olathe North.  Without a run game, the Hawks had to rely on an average passing game and they looked lost throughout the night.  However, shutting down the Olathe East run game is easier said than done.

Historical Stat
Since Tim Callaghan took over as head coach at SM West in 2003 this has become a sort of pseudo out-of-district rivalry.  The teams have met seven times since the 2003 season, with Olathe East holding a slight 4-3 edge with wins coming in 2003, '05, '07 and this season.  SM West's wins in the rivalry have come in 2004, '06 and '09.

What to Expect
Let's see, since Olathe East beat SM West 28-21 in week five, the two teams have combined to go 9-1 overall.  For SM West it was that loss that sparked their current five-game winning streak.  Meanwhile Olathe East has only fallen once, against Olathe South.  Both teams are performing at a high level at this juncture in the season and it has the makings of a very high quality football game.  Also, an important thing to keep in mind is that SM West's fanbase travels as well as any team in the Sunflower League.  They will pack their side of CBAC and the homefield advantage will be limited for Olathe East.

Olathe South (9-1) at SM East (6-4)
Where: SM North District Stadium
Spread: Olathe South +1.7
Last Meeting: Olathe South won 29-21 in week four
Live Video Feed and Broadcast: SM East Harbinger

Who to Watch For

Olathe South
When the going gets tough Olathe South tends to focus more and more on their stable of running backs.  Their primary ballcarrier is Jordan Ward, who has gone over the century mark in rushing yards this season.  Fritz Wilbur, Teddy Colbert, and Russell White also carry the ball and all have shown the ability to be a top running back if their number is called on,.

SM East
SM East quarterback Dakota Collins is going to be looking to pass to his two primary wide receiver targets, Elliot Faerber and Connor Rellihan, all night.  Combined, those two have over 1,400 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches.  They make up the most dynamic quarterback to receiver combo in the league and now that Faerber is healthy the trio has really taken off. 

Historical Stat
I find it interesting that these two teams have once again found a way to face off in the playoffs.  In 2005 SM East was a major underdog against the Falcons but they actually gave Olathe South a pretty game, before coming up short 16-7.  Last season SM East was the favorite over Olathe South when the teams matched up in Regionals, but Olathe South pulled a 28-24 upset.  Needless to say, SM East is probably tired of bowing out in the playoffs in close games to Olathe South.

What to Expect
Olathe South has struggled at times this season against the spread offense.  SM East primarily runs the spread offense.  While the Falcons are still favored because of their strong rushing attack (that has seemingly befuddled every opponent this season) they certainly will have their hands full trying to shut down the Lancers.  The game is being broadcast live by SM East's Harbinger staff and the video to that broadcast is linked here.  It was a close game earlier in the year when these two met up and the same should be expected tonight in this game.

Sunflower League Extra

SM South's Gabe Guild, ranked fourth in this week's
Top 5 Player Ratings, dives for extra yardage in his
team's loss to Lawrence Free State.  Photo courtesy the
Lawrence Journal World.

Top 5 Player Ratings
Player ratings are subject to change on a week-to-week basis

1. Brad Strauss, Lawrence, Quarterback
Week Three Stats: 17-of-32 passing, 199 yards, 1 TD; 14 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs

Strauss had another stellar game, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in both passing and rushing totals, in addition to three combined touchdowns.  Among the league leaders, he ranks second in passing with 710 yards, seventh in rushing with 275 yards, and first in total offense with a combined 985 yards.

2. Treshawn Root, Olathe North, Running Back
Week Three Stats: 11 carries, 195 yards, 3 TDs

Root replaced his running mate Orange Mooney in the two slot after spending the week two rankings on the honorable mention list.  Root boasts a per carry average of 10.65 yards and he's ranked second in the league in rushing with 426 yards.

3. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Three Stats: 5 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

Cauley came within five yards of claiming his third-consecutive 100-yard receiving game in a row.  He leads the league in receiving yards and touchdown receptions with 339 and 7, respectively. 

4. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Three Stats: 21 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 18 yards

Guild continues to be a workhorse back for the Raiders, churning out another 100+ yard rushing performance, his third in as many games, against Lawrence Free State.  He leads all league rushers with 461 rushing yards on 64 carries.

5. Elliot Faerber, Wide Receiver, SM East
Week Three Stats: 3 receptions, 47 yards

Faerber is in danger of slipping out of the top five.  After an outstanding performance in week one, his last two games have been average, at best.  Teams are focusing their top defensive back tandems on him, which has made passing to fellow SM East receiver Connor Rellihan the more conventional choice to pass to for the Lancers in their past two games.

Honorable Mention: Orange Mooney, Olathe North; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Charles Jackson, Lawrence; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Alex Forslund, SM South; Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Mason Perez, SM North; Kyle McFarland, Lawrence Free State; Ryan Patterson, Lawrence Free State

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 715, 9 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 710, 3 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 485, 6 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 420, 6 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 418, 3 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 370, 3 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 325, 4 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 313, 2 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 257, 1 TD
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 254, 2 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 461, 4 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 426, 4 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 390, 4 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 366, 5 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 315, 3 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 292, 3 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 275, 4 TDs
Charles Jackson, Lawrence: 266, 3 TDs
Russell White, Olathe South: 252, 6 TDs
Alex Forslund, SM South: 245, 6 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 339, 7 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 269, 2 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 231, 5 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 221, 2 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 214, 1 TD
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 200, 1 TD
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 200, 2 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 196, 3 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 192, 2 TDs
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 176, 1 TD

Tackles
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 41
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 39
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 38
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 34
Colin McCarty, SM North: 34
Gage Smoots, Olathe North: 33
Alex Forslund, SM South: 31
Justin Barlett, Olathe North: 29
Joe Dineen, Free State: 29
Rob Rice, SM West: 29

Interceptions
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 3
Joe Dineen, Free State: 2
Alex Forslund, SM South: 2
Greg Fry, Olathe South: 2
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 2 (1 TD)
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 2
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 2
Rob Rice, SM West: 2
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 2
Sean Wilkes, SM North: 2

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 1 PR TD
Andy Hiett, SM East: 1 PR TD
Jake Horner, SM Northwest: 1 KR TD
Mason Perez, SM North: 1 KR TD
Troy Wilkins, SM East: 1 KR TD

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com