Week One Power Rankings

Olathe South's Russell White.  KC Star.

1. Olathe South (0-0): The Falcons are pumped to kick their season off with rival Olathe East.  Nothing would set the standard for 2012 like a great performance in week one from what could be the league's best team in the defending 6A state champ Falcons.

2. Lawrence (0-0): The Chesty Lions handled SM West pretty easily in week one last year.  Do the same this year and it will validate LHS, because we know SM West is going to be much improved from 2011.  More than anything LHS will be praying that the injury bug that has plagued them in recent years is gone.

3. Olathe East (0-0): Olathe East has won 12 of their last 13 season-opening games.  The Hawks will come prepared to win--the fact that the first game is against rival Olathe South just provides more incentive for the team.

4. Lawrence Free State (0-0): The Firebirds have spent the majority of their offseason practicing on turf but their first game will be on the grass at CBAC against Olathe Northwest.  I'm not expecting a change in the potency of the Kyle McFarland led offense, however.

5. SM West (0-0): The Vikings were embarrassed in week one at Lawrence last season, yet they still managed a solid seven-win season and Sectional berth.  You know they're chomping at the bit for a chance to dim LHS' preseason expectations, just a bit, early on.

6. Olathe North (0-0): Game One of the Gene Wier Era Part II is at a stadium (the new SM North District Stadium) that didn't exist the last time Wier was coaching at Olathe North.  It will be the first of many nuances around the league for the coaching legend.

7. SM East (0-0): There's nothing like taking on your rival in week one.  The Lancers will be dressed in all black and SM South in all white.  This will be Jordan Darling's first chance to make an impression on the league.

8. SM South (0-0):  See SM East.  The Raiders' schedule is manageable this year and nothing would get things started on the right foot like a victory against their rival.  That 95th Street border gets more and more intense with each student who transfers or is denied transfer, between the two schools.

9. Leavenworth (0-0): Leavenworth has preseason expectations for the first time in over a decade.  How the Pioneers do in the early part of their schedule (at SM North, SM South, SM Northwest) will be key.

10. Olathe Northwest (0-0): The Ravens will have to play to their strength, the offensive line, early on in 2012.  How effectively they can establish a run game to keep possessions away from Free State's offense could be essential in week one.

11. SM Northwest (0-0): The Cougars may be sitting very low in terms of expectations but the program is in good hands under new head coach Linn Hibbs and there's really no telling how soon they could possibly click and surprise us all.

12. SM North (0-0): The good thing about starting the season at the bottom of the Power Rankings is that there's only one way to go--up.  That's cliché but the Indians have a week one opponent in Leavenworth who they're familiar with and you know Dennis Grayless' team will come prepared for a dogfight.

Thursday Report

Week Seven Matchups
All game times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

SM West (5-1) at SM South (2-4) (Thursday night game)
SM West begins its quest for a third consecutive district championship with a Thursday matchup against SM South. The Viking's offense has been rolling this season and its hard to imagine SM South being able to contain the attack. SM South is coming off a 36-20 victory last week, but the Raiders two wins have come against teams that are a combined 0-12.

Olathe Northwest (2-4) at Lawrence Free State (3-3)
Both of these teams started the season on high notes, and both have struggled of late. Olathe Northwest has lost three straight games, two of which were be a touchdown or less. Meanwhile Free State has probably played the toughest Sunflower League schedule thus far, and lost two straight games. Free State's head coach Bob Lisher (right) couldn't have been happy with his team's mere 111 yards of total offense last week, and you can bet they'll come out firing.

Olathe North (5-1) at Lawrence (3-3)
Will Lawrence High once again show off their home field magic? The Chesty Lions are 3-0 at home this season, include their week five upset of top ranked Olathe East. This game marks the third straight week in which Olathe North has had to go on the road. The Eagles narrowly escaped SM Northwest last week and the team could use a solid victory to get totally back on track.

SM Northwest (2-4) at SM North (0-6)
This year's Hula Bowl probably won't be as close as the two team's records would indicate. SM Northwest is likely the best 2-4 team in the state of Kansas, and this game marks the first of any easy district slate. SM North, who is still searching for a win under new head coach Dennis Grayless, could almost guarantee themselves a playoff berth if they could pull the big upset here.

Olathe East (5-1) at Blue Valley West (1-5)
Olathe East's first district game comes against a surprisingly bad Blue Valley West team. The Jaguars were well thought of in some preseason rankings, but have cleary not lived up to the hype, which is shocking considering their talent. Blue Valley West is led by its top two playmakers, Darion Lindsey and DeSean Warren, as well as Kansas offensive line commit Dylan Admire. But, Olathe East has more talent overall, and should win this game.

Wyandotte (2-4) at Leavenworth (0-6)
While Wyandotte has the better record, Leavenworth has as much talent and has played a much more difficult schedule. It would be great to see the Pioneers snag a victory, given the fact that they haven't had one in over two years. And who knows, if Leavenworth does win they could beat SM North and make the playoffs.

Blue Valley North (2-4) at SM East (5-1)
This matchup is always good when it involves country club sports, but for once it has decent football implications. Blue Valley North has struggled offensively all season but they finally had a good showing last week when they beat Blue Valley Southwest 38-21. SM East has had no offense problems all season, but this is the first game that truly has pressure implications for the team. We'll see how they perform.

Blue Valley Northwest (1-5) at Olathe South (4-2)
Olathe South is the heavy favorite to win its fifth straight game, which is pretty impressive given the fact they began the season 0-2. Blue Valley Northwest has been in a rebuilding mode this season but they always tend to turn it up a notch late in the season. The Falcon's can't get caught sleeping or their winning streak will end.

Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World

Wednesday Report

Week One Matchups

All game times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

Leavenworth (0-0) at Lawrence (0-0)

Many remember these two teams playing in the final week of the regular season in 2009 to determine who would collect a win, and who would go winless. Lawrence (seen below practicing at their new stadium, which remains under construction) claimed that battle 13-6 in overtime. Much has changed since that game, most notably former St. Thomas Aquinas coach Kevin Kopecky taking the reigns at Leavenworth. The winner of this game won't have to worry about the "winless" tag for 2010, and alleviating that pressure should make for a more productive season.

SM South (0-0) at Olathe Northwest (0-0)
With respect to their school's history, both of these teams had solid campaigns last season--and both lost quite a bit of talent to graduation. It will say alot if either program can improve on, or at least sustain their win totals from last year given the exit of talent and experience. Based on the fact that both teams have quite a few question marks heading into the 2010 season an early win would do wonders for starting the season off on the right track.

Olathe South (0-0) at Lawrence Free State (0-0)

Olathe South overhauled their offense during the offseason and this game will be the first showing of their new run-based style of play. Lawrence Free State on the other hand will be getting their first real taste of life without All-Decade performer Camren Torneden, and how the Firebirds handle it will speak volumes about the potential they have for 2010. Remember, they came up with a 7-3 season the year after Ryan Murphy graduated.

SM Northwest (0-0) at SM East (0-0)

This should be a heated one. SM East pulled out an upset against SM Northwest in district play last season and eliminated the Cougars from playoff contention. That win, perhaps more than anything, has fueled a sense of optimism that hasn't been seen around the SM East football program in years. Stacking up against SM Northwest in week one will be a good measuring stick for just how far SM East has come since Chip Sherman's arrival.

Olathe East (0-0) at SM North (0-0)

These two teams have played four times since 2004 and Olathe East has won all four games by a combined score of 172-32. If new SM North head coach Dennis Grayless can will his team to a victory, or even a close effort, it would be a huge boost for the SM North program and for Grayless' tenure. Olathe East will be working to win their opening game of the season for the 11th consecutive year.

Game of the Week

SM West (0-0) at Olathe North (0-0)

Rarely do we find two of the league's best teams matched up against each other in week one, but that is in fact how the schedule played out for 2010. The hype meter for both teams (especially Olathe North) has been steadily rising during the offseason and this game couldn't have come soon enough. Olathe North will get their first test in defending their state championship from last season, and SM West will work to capitalize on an Eagle team that will be playing without the services of Simone Award winner James Franklin for the first time in 37 games.

Part 1: Sunflower League Schedules

I will be doing a four part series breaking down each Sunflower League team's regular season schedule. The teams in each part of the series will be as follows:

Part 1: Olathe East, SM Northwest, SM North

Part 2: SM West, Lawrence Free State, SM South

Part 3: Olathe North, Olathe Northwest, Lawrence

Part 4: Olathe South, SM East, Leavenworth


Part 1

Olathe East
2010 Regular Season Schedule

9/3 @ SM North
9/10 Olathe Northwest
9/17 @ Olathe North
9/23 Leavenworth
10/1 @ Lawrence
10/8 Lawrence Free State
10/15 @ Blue Valley West
10/21 @ Blue Valley Northwest
10/29 Olathe South

Projected Over/Under wins: 7

Notes: The Hawks play two thursday night games (9/23 and 10/21) and also have more away games than home games, including back-to-back games at unfamiliar Blue Valley stadiums.

Potential Trouble: Olathe East will travel to play at Blue Valley stadiums in consecutive weeks during district play. Not only were the Hawks unlucky in drawing two road games in a row, but the games are also both on Blue Valley turf. By late October every team has their fair share of injuries, and two tough road tests in a row during district play is probably the last thing Jeff Meyers wanted to see on his team's schedule. The tough district draw also poses a threat to Olathe East's string of eight consecutive playoff appearances.

Biggest Game: Many Olathe residents will circle September 27th on their calendars soon, if they haven't already. The animosity between Olathe East and Olathe North is pretty livid and this season won't be an exception. If you need a refresher on this rivalry, check out some of the games played between these two teams from the years 2002, 2003 and 2009. Both teams have a good deal of hype heading into 2010 and they will be anxious to play eachother in this week three matchup

SM Northwest
2010 Regular Season Schedule

9/3 @ SM East
9/10 @ SM West
9/17 Olathe South
9/24 Lawrence
10/1 SM South
10/8 Olathe North
10/15 @ SM North
10/22 @ Leavenworth
10/29 Wyandotte

Projected Over/Under wins: 6

Notes: The Cougars lucked out and will not be playing any Thursday or Saturday games ... the only away game SM Northwest plays out of their school district is an October 22 visit to Leavenworth.

Potential Trouble: Shawnee Mission School District supremacy will be on the line in the first two weeks for the Cougars. In the past several seasons SM Northwest and SM West have held the title of the dominant Shawnee Mission football programs, but SM East may be challenging for one of those spots this season. SM Northwest has a chance to establish where they belong in the first two games versus the Lancers and Vikings, but failure to win at least one of the games would be a big blow early.

Biggest Game: SM Northwest's Hula Bowl rivalry against SM North on October 15 also happens to be the district opener. Win and the Cougars all but seal a playoff berth.

SM North
2010 Regular Season Schedule

9/3 Olathe East
9/19 @ SM South
9/16 @ SM East
9/24 Lawrence Free State
10/1 @ SM West
10/8 @ Olathe South
10/15 SM Northwest
10/22 @ Wyandotte
10/29 Leavenworth

Projected Over/Under wins: 2.5

Notes: SM North plays two games on Thursday nights (9/9 and 9/16) ... the Indians also have more away games (5) than home games (4).

Potential Trouble: The Indians' first game under new head coach Dennis Grayless is a home matchup against Olathe East. The last time the two teams met in 2008, Olathe East drubbed SM North 45-0. A big loss is about the worst way SM North can start the 2010 season, and for the Indians to gain any momentum they at least need to be competitive with the perennial power Olathe East. Remember, SM North is riding a seven game losing streak into the season.

Biggest Game: SM North shouldn't have trouble handling the lowly Wyandotte Bulldogs in week eight. Likely, their playoff chances will come down to their season finale against Leavenworth.

2010 Sunflower League Preseason Power Rankings

1. Olathe North
Head Coach: Pete Flood (Four years, 35-10)
Last season: 13-0

Only at Olathe North could the football program lose four all-state players, not to mention the Simone Award winner, and still be favored to capture yet another league championship—and that’s exactly what is expected of Olathe North in 2010. The Eagles appear to have their next group of big time players ready for another state title run this upcoming season.
Last year’s Simone winner James Franklin won’t be easy to replace, but the Eagles will make their best attempt using Adonis Saunders (right) and Dominick Wilson as running backs. Both players run the forty in the sub 4.5 range and look to factor in big time on offense, as well as in the defensive secondary. Following a stellar junior season in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards, Victor Simmons will once again man the quarterback position for the Eagles, adding yet another player with speed in the 4.5 range. Simmons will also be a starting safety.

Aside from the skill positions Olathe North will look to senior Kyle Swartz to head up the interior of their offensive and defensive fronts. Swartz, on paper, might be the top returning linebacker in the Sunflower League and he should also be making his presence felt as a tight end.

It appears that Olathe North once again has a phenomenal core of athletes to lead their football team. The true question is whether or not they can replace the senior leadership lost to graduation. It will also be interesting to see how head coach Pete Flood handles the success from last season and the increased pressure the team will be receiving as defending state champs. The first big test for Olathe North comes week one, when they host SM West.

2. Shawnee Mission West
Head Coach: Tim Callaghan (Seven years, 54-20)
Last season: 8-2

It’s fair to say that SM West has become a power in the Sunflower League and 2010 should be another successful year for program. The Vikings return more proven talent than any team in the league, including the running back tandem of Will Livingston and Cordi Pascal, who combined to rush for 1,384 yards last season. Fullback Danny Dowling also returns, and by going 3 for 3 at those positions it looks like SM West will be able employ their power running game to the fullest extent. Replacing 20 game winner DJ Balazs at quarterback will be senior Drew Humphreys. Humphreys will also return in the secondary for the Vikings where he has started since his sophomore season.

The offensive line—the other key element to the Vikings run game—will be led by proven seniors Dillon Shupe and Connor Askren. They will be the key to just how well the SM West offense functions in 2010.

It’s clear the Vikings have the talent to compete with anybody in 2010, but perhaps the biggest mystery surrounding the program is the school’s lack of playoff success in recent years. The school hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2006 season, and that lack of post-season success has cast a shadow on the school’s otherwise domination.

Put it this way: since 2007 SM West has gone 16-2 in Sunflower League play (the first six games of the season against SL opponents in odd years, the last six in even years) and 22-7 overall—not too shabby. But failing to make the playoffs in 2007, and losses to Blue Valley schools in the first rounds of the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 have taken away from the program’s perceived success. SM West is hungry for another dominant season, and dying for a big playoff run. Year eight under Tim Callaghan may provide that.

3. Olathe East
Jeff Meyers (18 years, 128-54)
Last season: 6-4

There are two certainties in the Sunflower League. As previously stated, Olathe North will also have the talent to win a state championship. The other is that Olathe East will always have a winning record. The Hawks have been above .500 every season since 2000. But Olathe East doesn’t plan on settling for a winning record. The school has much higher goals after a “down” season in 2009.

The big time name for Olathe East is Brandon Willingham (right). Expect to be seeing quite a few highlights from the gifted senior on KC Metro Sport’s High School Roundup every Friday night. Willingham will start again at the running back and cornerback positions. He will also be returning kicks and punts for the Hawks.

Joining Willingham on the defensive side of the ball is senior Austin Fulson. Last season Fulson led the Sunflower League in tackles with 125 in 10 games. It’s fair to say Fulson is probably licking his chops for the arrival of the season, when he can once again return to his habit of feasting on opposing running backs.

Olathe East won’t be returning a great amount of experience in 2010, but that shouldn’t handicap the team. The Hawks lost four all-state players to graduation after 2008, and still found a way to fill in the voids to the tune of a 6-4 record last year. Jeff Meyers is one of the best coaches in the league at utilizing all of his team’s talent and the Hawks should have a solid season in store.

4. Olathe South
Head Coach: Jeff Gourley (Two years, 7-11)
Last season: 4-5

Olathe South may be the surprise team of the league in 2010 and could very easily finish above fourth overall. For the Falcons it’s the amount of players with great experience they will be returning that should make them a pretty solid team

It looked as if Olathe South was one of the league’s better teams in 2009, but they just didn’t seem capable of putting everything together for an entire game. If the offense was clicking the defense was playing terrible, and vice-versa. Heading into week eight of the season the Falcons were 4-3, with their three losses coming by a combined 10 points. It looked like the team lost any mojo it had after the one point loss to Blue Valley in week seven, as they were beat in the final two weeks of the season by a combined score of 21-90.

2010 will be head coach Jeff Gourley’s third year at the helm for the Falcons and it looks like they may be on the verge of putting it all together for an entire season. The team returns seven starters on offense, and eight on defense. Replacing 2,000+ yard passer Tanner Dutton at quarterback won’t be easy, but the team’s other returning talent should make up for the loss.

5. Shawnee Mission East
Head Coach: Chip Sherman (One year, 4-6)
Last season: 4-6

The folks in Prairie Village have quite a bit to be optimistic about this upcoming season. This excitement has a lot to do with the high note the Lancers ended the 2010 season on. Year one under head coach Chip Sherman started out rocky with the team going 0-3 and only scoring 23 points. But from then on SM East looked like a completely different team, finishing the year winning four of seven, including an upset of SM Northwest and a competitive first half against a far superior Olathe North team in the Regional round of the playoffs.

A 4-6 record doesn’t generally forecast a ton of future success, but with this group of Lancers it just may. SM East played a much tougher and aggressive style of football later in the 2009 season (as evidence by their success). This style of football was much the design of Sherman. With three Missouri Class 3A state titles under his belt, it’s safe to say that Sherman has the tools to mold the team into an even more quality product in 2010, and the school should easily produce its first winning record since 2005.

A few other things to note about the Lancers—they added one of the top coaches in the area as an assistant during the offseason, and they have a quarterback battle brewing. Sam Brown, who enjoyed great success as a head coach at SM North and Excelsior Springs, was added by Sherman as an assistant and his veteran knowledge should make a big impact on the Lancers program. The quarterback battle is between seniors Robby Moriarty and John Schrock, who passed for 765 and 545 yards respectively, in 2009. Any position battle is a positive sign, because it raises the level of competitiveness. And who knows, Sherman might just rotate the two players at the position like he did in 2009. The one thing that is for sure: SM East has big expectations in 2010.

6. Shawnee Mission Northwest
Head Coach: Aaron Barnett (Four years, 25-14)
Last season: 5-4

SM Northwest’s battle with inconsistency got the best of them in 2009, as they went a disappointing 5-4 and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years—and that was with experienced players the likes of Matt Nowak and John Hauk leading the team. The Cougars will be working to erase the doubt from last season and start a new run of playoff appearances and success.

The backbone of the team will undoubtedly be senior defensive end and tight end, Drew Goodger. The 6-foot-5 athlete received First Team All-Sunflower League honors on both sides of the ball last year and has been receiving Division One interest ever since. Goodger will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders but if he thrives on it and leads the team well, the success should take care of itself. SM Northwest has a solid offseason program and new playmakers for the Cougars will inevitably emerge in 2010.

The Cougars also have a very easy district alignment, where they will be facing Wyandotte, Leavenworth, and SM North. Win two of three and they make the playoffs. SM Northwest should be returning to the playoffs and a more successful 2010, even if the team picture is a little blurry right now.

7. Lawrence Free State
Head Coach: Bob Lisher (13 years, 73-60)
Last season: 8-3

There are quite a few unknowns surrounding the Lawrence Free State football team heading towards the 2010 football season. The biggest question in everyone’s mind is pertains to who will be replacing Camren Torneden’s production. The ballyhooed 2010 graduate put up over 4,500 yards of total offense in his junior and senior seasons, and a player with his abilities will not be easy to replace. The Firebirds also lost top players all-state player Michael Lisher, as well as all-league running back Kirk Resseguie.

Despite all the uncertainty, it’s still difficult to imagine the Firebirds taking too big of a tumble in the rankings next season. Most people thought the Firebirds would tail off after the graduation of the Murphy twins in 2007, but the school bounced back with a 7-3 campaign, and a state championship appearance the season after that. The bottom line is that Bob Lisher’s zone-read option offense works, it’s just a matter of finding a suitable athlete to play quarterback in it, which hasn’t been an issue the past five seasons. The player who looks slated to take over at QB is senior-to-be Dylan Perry. While he is unproven at the varsity level at the position, Perry possesses decent track speed which always bodes well for option quarterbacks. Seniors Matt Cole and Justin McCandless will also be key figures in leading the team. The Firebirds don’t appear to have the firepower of the past half-decade, but they should be competitive as always.

8. Olathe Northwest
Head Coach: Todd Dain (6 years, 17-39)
Last season: 4-6

Olathe Northwest, much like Lawrence Free State, was hit hard by graduation. The Raven’s lost a core group of senior including Josh Lemke, Devon Boyce and Brandon Bouvilom who completed arguably the best year in Olathe Northwest’s football history this past fall.

The departure of the strong senior class leaves quite a few positions up for grabs. The one position that seems to be firmly under control however is the top receiver spot, courtesy of senior-to-be Nick Bandy (right). Bandy has good length and tremendous speed, and will be one of the Raven’s top threats to score assuming they get the ball in his hands enough. The Ravens also return a top special team’s threat in Nick Prologo. The senior may be the top kicker in the Sunflower League in 2010.

Olathe Northwest showed flashes of the program they want to become last season, but the team is going to have to complete a winning season before anyone in the league treats the Raven’s as a true threat within the Sunflower League.

9. Lawrence
Head Coach: Dirk Wedd (10 years, 58-50)
Last season: 1-8

Things couldn’t get much worse than the 1-8 season Lawrence High fielded last year. For a school that has won 10 state championships, a one win season is considered rock bottom. Lawrence can really only improve in 2010 (assuming they don’t do the unthinkable and go winless).

Head coach Dirk Wedd is a seasoned veteran in the Sunflower League and he undoubtedly instilled the changes necessary to turning around the program during the offseason. The Chesty Lions also have a solid group of returning talent.

Senior-to-be Darrin Sorem could raise some eyebrows. He earned Second Team All-Sunflower honors as a linebacker as a sophomore, and followed it up with a bit of disappointing 2010 where he only received honorable mention honors. Sorem is a talented athlete on both sides of the ball and should make a big impact for the team. Another player of note is senior Jamal Brown. He stands 6-foot-2, weighs 350lbs. and is the son of former Green Bay Packer Gilbert Brown. Jamal is a nearly immoveable force and if he improves his stamina during the offseason he has quite a bit of potential for the Chesty Lions.

Will Lawrence return to the playoffs in 2010? With a district of Olathe North, Olathe Northwest, and Lawrence Free State it’s hard to say. But it’s almost a given the team shows some steady improvement from 2009.

10. Shawnee Mission South
Head Coach: Brandon Claypool (Four years, 8-29)
Last season: 3-6

In 2009 SM South showed signs of improvement and at the midway point of the season it looked as if the Raiders may produce a winning record. The team ended its season on a three game losing streak, however. Playmakers Johannes Swanepoel and Antonio McFadden are gone with graduation, but the team has a good numbers of seniors returning that should at least keep the program stabilized.

The most notable returning player for the Raiders is senior lineman Devean Jensen. Besides Jensen, the majority of the SM South depth chart will be filled with first time starters.

The Raiders will be playing six of their nine regular season games on the road, but their list of opponents doesn’t include Olathe North or Olathe East, two teams that project among the top position in the league for 2010.

11. Shawnee Mission North
Head Coach: Dennis Grayless (First year)
Last season: 2-7

Former head coach Ryan Majors quietly exited SM North during the offseason, and Dennis Grayless was named his replacement. Wait a minute, Dennis who?

While Grayless doesn’t have any previous head coaching experience, he does have a good familiarity with the team having been an assistant coach for the Indians for the past four seasons. Grayless true accolades come from his NJROTC success. Following a 25 year career as a United State Marine, Grayless took the reigns as the head ROTC instructor at SM North. According the Shawnee Dispatch, SM North’s NJROTC drill team is now widely regarded as the top squad in the country.

While that success in no way translates to football, it does say something about the Grayless hire. First off, Grayless clearly has a history of discipline and that can only help out the SM North program, whose lack of discipline has been the principle reason for the program's demise since the departure of Sam Brown. Secondly, it’s such an unorthodox hire that maybe it will just work. At the very least Grayless’ team should be one of the top conditioned units in the Sunflower League.

Aside from the talk about Grayless is the talent SM North has returning. Quarterback Kyle Goodburn won the starting quarterback position last summer and did a decent job as a junior. He returns with a good deal of experience. Junior-to-be running back Kendall Kelly (right) could also raise some eyebrows. He rushed for 609 yards last season and he has good enough speed and balance to be a very productive player for the Indians again in 2010.

12. Leavenworth
Head Coach: Kevin Kopecky (First year)
Last season: 0-9

The glimmer of optimism within the Leavenworth football program is leaning heavily on the hope that new head coach Kevin Kopecky can come in and turn around the Sunflower League’s worst football team. Many have tried at Leavenworth, and nearly all have failed. Even Kansas coaching legend Tom Young couldn’t get the Pioneers to succeed. He led the team to a 4-5 record in 2004—the best record Leavenworth fielded during the 2000s—before a disastrous 2005 when Young and company failed to win a game. Young left following the season.

Kopecky’s new team certainly presents him with a great challenge. Leavenworth scored a total of 21 points in their nine games last season, and didn’t even score an extra point. Going deeper than just the football team is the culture at Leavenworth High School. The high school is located in the same town as the most notorious federal penitentiary in the United States, much the contrary to the culture that exists at Overland Park’s St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Kopecky’s last coaching gig. Kopecky is coaching a much different group of teenage athletes.

Kopecky’s greatest chances for success rely on utilizing Leavenworth’s athleticism. The school’s dominant basketball and track programs are not by accident. The school is loaded with athletic talent, but that talent has never been funneled properly into the football program. With Kopecky at the helm maybe a change is in store. In the meantime his presence and experience could be enough to lift the team out of the cellar in year one.

2010 Player Spotlights: Kendall Kelly

Kendall Kelly
SM North

Position: Running Back
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170lbs.
Class: Junior

State to Note
Kelly was one of the few bright spots during SM North's 2-7 season in 2009. The sophomore rushed for 609 yards on 148 carries.

Scouting Report
New SM North head coach Dennis Grayless has quite a task at hand trying to rejuvenate the Indians football program. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2003, but it's players like Kelly that Grayless will be relying on.

Kelly was one of the few sophomores in the Sunflower League who had a feature role with their team last season, and he did pretty well rushing for over 600 yards. Assuming the junior receives enough carries, he should rush for over 1,000 yards this upcoming season. Kelly's excellent balance and decent speed makes him a threat in the return game as well.

SM North lost some playmaker like Arthur Rucker to graduation, but overall the program's talent pool didn't lose too much. Kelly will be teaming up with senior-to-be Kyle Goodburn to try and make big strides in year one for Grayless.