Sub-State Review

Olathe North 13, Olathe East 6

While this season wasn't as smooth of sailing as last year for Olathe North, the Eagles avenged their week three loss and are headed back to the 6A championship game. We knew both sides played good defense and in this game it really showed. After a scoreless first quarter, Olathe North was able to get on the board when Adonis Saunders (right) scored on a 59-yard run. Olathe East answered on their next possession with a 19-yard touchdown run from Brandon Willingham. The Hawks, however, showed one of their achilles heels of the season when they let Olathe North get through and block the extra point, keeping the Eagles up 7-6. Later in the quarter Olathe North kicker Daniel Gutierrez made a 27-yard field goal to put Olathe North up 10-6 at haltime.

The third quarter, much like the first, was a defensive struggle in which neither team scored. In the fourth quarter Olathe North added another Gutierrez field goal to push the lead to 13-6. Olathe East, faced with one last possession, didn't go away quietly. The Hawks were able to drive to the Olathe North 14-yard line and looked to be in position to score. Olathe East quarterback Trent Kuhl fired a pass to the endzone, but Olathe North once again made a big defense play when Dominick Wilson jumped in front of the pass and intercepted it at the Olathe North one-yard line.

Wichita Heights 42, Dodge City 38

Wichita Heights (12-0) didn't let a 28-0 first quarter defecit get them down. The Falcons, led by Kansas commit Dreamius Smith, were able to mount a comeback that was completed in the fourth quarter when Height's quarterback, Matt Reed, found receiver Evan Wessel in the back of the endzone for a late touchdown. The victory sets up another Olathe North vs. Wichita Heights battle in the 6A championship game. Last season Olathe North beat Wichita Heights 37-3 for the 6A title.

Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star

Game Scores and Notes

Sectional Round Playoff Review

Olathe East 14, SM Northwest 7

For the second week in a row Olathe East failed to score any first half points. Fortunately for the Hawks, SM Northwest's offense was equally as unproductive and the teams went into the half tied at 0. In the third quarter the stalemate finally broke. SM Northwest quarterback Stephen Mangelsdorf was intercepted by Olathe East's Junior Williams who returned the interception to the SM Northwest 12-yard line. Several plays later Brandon Willingham was able to punch in a score from a yard out. The touchdown put Olathe East up 7-0. SM Northwest responded with a touchdown of their own. Mangelsdorf found James Gregory on a 15-yard touchdown pass to even the score. In the fourth quarter Olathe East's Austin Fulson made perhaps the biggest play of his career, breaking lose on a run and going 89 yards for a touchdown. The score came with just over nine minutes remaining in the fourth, but Olathe East was able to ride the 14-7 lead to the finish.

Olathe North 17, Olathe South 0

Had we known Olathe North would be held to a mere 72 yards of total offense before this game began it seems logical that Olathe South would have come out victorious. Olathe South's costly turnovers and poor field position, however, proved to be their downfall in the end. Olathe North struck first when they started their third drive on the Olathe South 27-yard line. Following a few run plays and a fortunate bounce on a fumble by Adonis Saunders, Dominick Wilson (above) gave Olathe North the lead on a one-yard touchdown run. The 7-0 lead held through halftime. Midway through the third quarter Olathe South botched a shotgun snap, and Olathe North recovered the ball at the Olathe South seven-yard line. Olathe South's defense held, but Olathe North's Daniel Gutierrez connected on a 21-yard field goal to put Olathe North up 10-0. The Eagle's final score came in the fourth quarter when Kyle Swartz intercepted an Olathe South pass, and then several plays later punched the ball in on a one-yard touchdown run.

Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star

Thursday Report

Sectional Round Playoff Matchups

All game times 7 p.m. on Friday

SM Northwest (6-4) at Olathe East (9-1)

Where: CBAC

Last Meeting: Olathe East defeated SM Northwest 28-0 on September 12, 2008.

Who to Watch For

SM Northwest

I named dropped Kenny Mings in yesterday's post, and I will do so again here. Mings is SM Northwest's best all-around weapon and perhaps the biggest reason why they upset SM West in last week. Stephen Mangelsdorf (right) has developed into one of, if not the best signal callers in the league over the past six weeks and he's the cog that usually gets the Cougars offense going. Also, you can't mention SM Northwest without bringing up Drew Goodger. The 6-foot-5 Goodger is among the top defensive lineman and tight ends in the league.

Olathe East

Without Brandon Willingham Olathe East probably wouldn't have come back to win against Free State last week. Willingham, the league's leading rusher, is a highlight reel waiting to happen and you can almost mark him down for 100+ rushing yards and two or more touchdowns per game. Willingham's running mate is Austin Fulson who might make more contributions on both sides of the ball than any player in the league. Quarterback Trent Kuhl hasn't thrown for many yards this season (because he hasn't had to) and Olathe East would probably prefer it stays that way. If Kuhl doesn't do alot of passing, it probably means Olathe East is doing well, and likely winning.

What to Expect

On one side you have a team (SM Northwest) with no inhibition. The Cougs started the season 0-3, won two games, got beat by Olathe North, and then swept an easy district and pulled an upset in Regionals. SM Northwest has no pressure in this game and they will likely play a pretty free spirited game, with Mangelsdorf getting his fair share of passes in. Olathe East could be described as the opposite. The Hawks narrowly escaped with a win last week and the last thing the Hawks want is another close game--because there are no guarantees that Willingham will go off for three second half touchdowns again.

Historical Stat

The Sectional Round game hasn't treated Olathe East well. Since 2002, the Hawks have advanced to an 11th game six times, losing in four of those games, including twice (2003 and 2004) when they were heavy state title favorites.

Olathe South (7-3) at Olathe North (9-1)

Where: ODAC

Last Meeting: Olathe North defeated Olathe South 30-7 in week two.

Who to Watch For

Olathe South

Nick Sands is second in the league in rushing yards at 1,470, while Jake Crist has added 676 yards on the ground to compliment Sands. Make no mistake, the Falcons are going to run the football, and run it alot. The Falcons are led defensively by Tanner Ginavan who now leads the league in tackles with 112. Dylan Hanson and Dylan DeVries are also great at stopping the run.

Olathe North

Olathe North will be leaning on its two biggest playmakers, Adonis Saunders and Victor Simmons, to get the offense going much the way they have throughout the entire season. But the Eagles are also loaded with speed and skill at other positions. Dominick Wilson is always capable of making a big play, and Tanner Gentry has been the go to receiver for Olathe North this season. Kyle Swartz and Sam Todd make the majority of the tackles for the Eagles on defense and they will both have to play well to curtail Olathe South's run game which is much improved since the team's week two matchup.

What to Expect

Olathe North had no problem dispatching Olathe South earlier in the season, but it seems unlikely that that Falcons will go down without much of a fight again. Olathe South seems to have found an new wind of confidence and it was evident in their victory last week versus SM East. Of course the same could be said for Olathe North. The Eagles' tandem of Saunders and Simmons is nearly impossible to stop when the two are clicking, and they have the speed to run free if Olathe South's linebackers can't keep them contained within the hashes. Only once in Olathe North's history has a team failed to make the state championship game the year after claiming a state title (the Eagles have won eight titles)--this year's Eagles know that and they will be doing all in their power to advance to the Sub-State game.

Historical Stat
Since the 1996, Olathe North and Olathe South have combined to make the 6A state championship game in 11 of the the 14 seasons.

Photo courtesy the Shawnee-Disptach

Game Scores and Notes

Regional Round Playoff Review

Olathe East 20, Lawrence Free State 16

Olathe East looked bound for their third straight opening-round playoff loss trailing Lawrence Free State 16-0 at halftime. Free State's offense played a stellar opening half . In the first quarter they jumped to a 3-0 lead on a 30-yard field goal from Antonio Schoneich. Their offense really started clicking in the second quarter starting with a four-yard touchdown run by Dylan Perry that gave them a 10-0 lead. Later in the quarter Perry added another four-yard touchdown run. The Firbirds' conversion attempt failed, but they still had a 16-0 lead. Just before the half things almost got more lopsided when Olathe East fumbled the ball away to Free State at the Hawks' own eight yard line. Fortunately for Olathe East, cornerback Junior Williams intercepted a Perry pass in the endzone to hault the onslaught.

Something clicked at halftime for Olathe East. On the Hawks' first offensive play of the second half Brandon Willingham (above) took a carry 59 yards for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion pulled the Hawks within eight points of Free State. Both sides turned the ball over on their next possessions before Willingham scored a big one in the third quarter, busting lose on a "Simone-esque" 53-yard touchdown run. Olathe East failed on the two-point try, but had closed the game to a 16-14 score. Free State fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Olathe East made quick work of a scoring drive with Willingham punching in his third touchdown of the day, this time from three yards out to give the Hawks a 20-16 lead. The score proved to be the decisive one.

Olathe North 48, SM North 21

Olathe North made some big plays early, as usual, but credit SM North for not backing down at the challenge. Olathe North's first score came on a two-yard run from Dominick Wilson. The Eagles added another touchdown when Victor Simmons scored on a 35-yard touchdown run. Things looked like they were headed for ugly, but SM North was able to respond with a nice drive that was capped off with a four-yard touchdown run from Kyle Goodburn. Olathe North scored their third touchdown on their next possession on a four-yard run from Adonis Saunders to go ahead 20-7. SM North was able to answer with several big plays on a drive that was closed out by Mitch Padden from one yard out, pulling SM North within seven. Simmons took a carry 54 yards into the endzone on the Eagles next possession. That score was matched by two-yard touchdown pass from Goodburn to Mason Perez seconds before the half. Olathe North led 27-21.

SM North wasn't able to hang with Olathe North in second half, however. The defending Class 6A champs scored first on a 67-yard run from Saunders. They followed that up with a 54-yard touchdown run from Simmons, and finally a 50-yard toss pass from Kyle Swartz to Brandon Davis to go ahead 48-21.

Olathe South 28, SM East 24

This game proved to be the biggest seesaw battle of the night. SM East looked right on course with their aerial success in the first quarter when Robby Moriarty connected with Elliot Faerber on a 63-yard touchdown pass. Olathe South responded in the second quarter with a drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run from Nick Sands (below) to pull ahead, 7-6. SM East got the last punch in during the half when their kicker Chase Woofter connected on a 24-yard field goal to give the Lancers a 9-7 haltime edge.

Olathe South established the second half attitude on their first possession of the third quarter, going 47 yards on an eight play drive that was capped off by a two-yard touchdown run from Sands. The touchdown put Olathe South ahead 14-9. SM East answered the score with a one-yard touchdown run from Jeff Cole, and a successful two-point conversion to jump ahead 17-14. It looked like the Lancers may have been able to hold that lead but Olathe South scored another touchdown on a two-yard run from Sands on their next possession. That score gave Olathe South a 21-17 lead, but SM East struck quickly yet again.

Moriarty led the Lancers down the field and Cole was able to punch in another touchdown from two yards out. Olathe South, keeping up with the flow of the game, drove down and scored a touchdown on a one-yard run from Frankie Seurer. With just over four minutes remaining it looked like "now-or-never" time for SM East. Moriarty was able to lead the team in Falcon territory, but a failed fourth down conversion turned the ball over. Olathe South's Jake Crist then busted loose on a 47-yard run into SM East territory that effectively ended the game.

SM Northwest 14, SM West 10

At halftime it looked like SM West was finally going to be able to shed the playoff victory drought that has plagued the program since 2007. The Vikings had established a comfortable 10-0 lead despite the absence of their top two running backs Tre Burt and Will Livingston due to injures. Defensively the Vikings had looked amazing, holding SM Northwest to a mere 14 yards of total offense in the first half. Armani Williams had scored from one yard out in the first quarter, and kicker Mark Whitrock stayed perfect on field goals with a 32-yarder in the second quarter. The second half was, however, a complete dichotomy for the Vikings.

Holding the 10-0 lead, SM West took a drive into SM Northwest territory early in the third quarter. The drive stalled, but they appeared to be in range for a Whitrock field goal. The ensuing field goal try was blocked by SM Northwest's Drew Goodger, who also managed to recover the fumble and begin advancing the ball. He then lateralled the ball to the speedy Kenny Mings who took it 65 yards to the house. SM Northwest was trailing by three, but they had all the momentum in the world. SM West fumbled on a drive early in the fourth quarter which resulted in a SM Northwest drive that started at the Vikings' 43-yard line. Seven plays later SM Northwest quarterback Stephen Mangelsdorf found Goodger on a six-yard touchdown pass. The score gave the Cougars a 14-10 lead with six minutes left. SM West managed to get as close as the SM Northwest 30-yard line but failed to score when Mings picked off a Williams pass at the one-yard line.

Photos courtesy the Kansas City Star

Game Scores and Notes

Week Nine Review

Lawerence Free State 42, Lawrence 20

This matchup definitely lived up to the hype in the first half--but the second belonged to the Firebirds from Free State. Lawrence was able to match Free State's two first half touchdowns with two of their own from running back Charles Jackson. The game was tied 14 all at halftime. The Firebirds were able to blow the game open with 28 straight points in the second half. The scores included a 5-yard touchown run from Dylan Perry, which was set up by a 76-yard run from Preston Schenck (right), as well as a fumble return for a touchdown by Henry Vaeono. Schenck also ran a fumble back for a touchdown, this time in the fourth quarter, ultimately finishing the game off. Lawrence Free State has now won five straight games in the series.

Olathe East 35, Olathe South 14

Early on this game had the makings of a good one. Brandon Willingham put Olathe East on the board in first quarter with a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Hawks a 7-0 advantage. Olathe South matched that when Nick Sands put the final touches on a drive with a five-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Olathe East was able to drive and score another touchdown on a one-yard run from Willingham, and the Hawks took a 14-7 lead to halftime. The real game changer proved to be Olathe East's Austin Fulson. Early in the third quarter Fulson scooped up an Olathe South fumble and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. On Olathe East's next possession Fulson took a handoff 55 yards for another touchdown, to give Olathe East a 28-7 lead. Olathe South quarterback Frankie Seurer took a keeper 13 yards for a touchdown later in the third quarter to pull the Falcons within 14, but they weren't able to get any closer. Willingham added a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

Olathe North 35, Olathe Northwest 6

Olathe North used a swarming defensive effort to manhandle Olathe Northwest in the final game of the season. The Eagles got on the board first when Victor Simmons scored on a 17-yard touchdown run. They added another touchdown in the second quarter when Adonis Saunders completed a long drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Saunders, along with Dominick Wilson and Trey Geiger recorded interceptions during the game, and Connor Mashek blocked an Olathe Northwest punt in the fourth quarter which led to an easy one-yard touchdown run from Wilson.

SM Northwest 41, Wyandotte 14

A big first quarter was all it took for SM Northwest to ensure a victory. Antoine Smith first scored on a thee-yard touchdown run. Next, James Gregory added a 42-yard score. Smith chipped in a nine-yard touchdown run, and AJ Spencer returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to give SM Northwest a 28-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. SM Northwest's starters played sparingly throughout the rest of the game, with Gregory adding a one-yard touchdown run, and senior KC Waterman scoring on a two-yard run in the third quarter.

SM North 28, Leavenworth 24

Despite these teams only having a combined two wins on the season, the game turned out to be a thriller. Leavenworth opened the game with two touchdowns in the first quarter. The first came on a 14-yard from Anthony Powell, and the second on a eight-yard pass from Judson Cole to Alec Zeck. SM North then responded with three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter. Kendall Kelly scored on a 10-yard run, Mitch Paden added a one-yard touchdown run, and Kelly added another 18-yard running score before the half. In the third quarter Leavenworth tied the game, 21 all, on a 25-yard touchdown run from Powell. The Pioneers reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard field goal from Cole. Trailing 24-21, Kelly broke loose on perhaps the biggest play of the season for the Indians. Kelly took a carry 69-yards for a touchdown to put SM North up 28-24, which turned out being the final score.

SM West 34, Blue Valley North 10

It was a scary start for the Vikings. Blue Valley North successfully pulled off a flee-flicker on their opening possession that resulted in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Danny Dolen to Michael Widgrig to give the Mustangs a 7-0 advantage. SM West answered the score with a 51-yard touchdown run from Will Livingston on their next possession. The Vikings added two Mark Whitrock field goals as well as a five-yard touchdown run from Cordi Pascal to head to halftime up 20-10. In the third quarter Armani Williams found DeAndre Graves on a 24-yard touchdown pass to basically ice the game. A one-yard touchdown run from Danny Dowling in the fourth quarter gave the Vikings the 34-10 edge. With the victory, SM West qualified for the 6A state playoffs and closed out the regular season with a record of 7-2. It's the seventh year in a row that SM West has had a winning regular season record.

SM East 28, SM South 12

Since no official box score was reported for this game there is no official script of the scoring that took place in the game. What we do know--SM East claimed a share of the Sunflower League title, won their district, and set the record for wins in school history with eight. The Lancers play Olathe South next week in the Regional Round of the playoffs. For SM South, the team would have liked to at least match last season's three game win total, but overall the Raiders did have their bright spots on the season.

Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal-World

Top Returning Units

Here's a look at the top preseason units that will be roaming the Sunflower League this season.

Quaterback

SM East - John Schrock, Robby Moriarty

The Lancers two returning quarterbacks split time last season and combined to pass for over 1,300 yards. Schrock received the nod as starter, but Moriarty will be the best backup quarterback in the league and the Lancers won't miss a beat if Moriarty is put in the game.

Offensive Backfield

SM West - Drew Humphreys, Will Livingston, Cordi Pascal, Jordan Chapman, Danny Dowling

Livingston and Pascal (right) combined to rush for over 1,300 yards last season, and the duo looks primed for another big year. Dowling is back as the lead blocker, and Humphreys should be featured running the option quite a bit this year.

Receivers

Olathe South - Kendal Harland, Stephen King

While no team has an outstanding returning core of receivers, Olathe South has the most experience. Harland caught 39 passes for 401 yards last season, and King returns after some decent playing time last year.

Offensive Line

Olathe South - Joe Brown, Matt Kleinsorge, Scott Gourley, Alex Howard, Kameron Bickford

Brown (right) and Kleinsorge have received a good deal of hype this offseason and they should help greatly in Olathe South's transition to a run-based offense. The group has great experience, phenomenal size, and a solid backfield to open holes for.

Defensive Line

Olathe North - Josh Finley, Kyle Swartz

This is perhaps the most depleted area in all of the Sunflower League. None of the first or second team All-Sunflower League members from last season return, with the exception of SM Northwest's Drew Goodger. Josh Finley should be a big time performer for the Eagles on defense, and a walked-up Kyle Swartz will have as big of effect as any defensive lineman in the league.

Linebackers

Olathe East - Adam Fulson, Will Hammer, Vince Gerstner

Fulson returns after a 125-tackle junior campaign, and Hammer and Gerstner should also be among the top linebackers in the league. Olathe East's defensive schemes are set up for the linebackers to produce big numbers (last year three Hawks had over 70 tackles), and this unit should do the same.

Secondary

Olathe North - Adonis Saunders, Victor Simmons, Dominick Wilson (right)

All three of these players have sub-4.5 speed, and Division One talent. None of the three, however, ranked among the top of the league in interceptions last season. With a year of experience playing together the unit should be tops in the league in 2010 and their interception totals could go up quite a bit.

Special Teams

Olathe Northwest - Nick Bandy, Nick Prologo

Bandy is arguable the league's best return man, and he also handles punting duties for the Ravens. Prologo, the kicker, is a kid that returns with a good deal of experience and has the ability to impact close games.

2010 Player Spotlights: Victor Simmons

Victor Simmons
Olathe North

Position: Quarterback/Safety
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180lbs.
Class: Senior

Stat to Note
Last season Simmons split time at the quarterback position with David Blazevic, but Simmons was really just a glorified running back rushing for 1,034 yards on 128 carries.

Scouting Report
With his commitment to play football at Kansas now official, Simmons will have the "Division One" tag to live up to during the season. He projects as Olathe North's starting quarterback and safety and will play a vital role in the Eagles attempt at their second state championship in as many years.

Simmons' speed is what sets him apart from the majority of the Sunflower League (a common theme among the Olathe North skill position players). While it's hard to imagine Olathe North putting any more of an emphasis on the running game, it may be the reality with Simmons as the full time quarterback. Last season Blazevic would be subbed in to throw the passes, but with his graduation, that task may now be left to Simmons who isn't quite a polished passer.

Regardless, Olathe North's emphasis is going to continue to be running the football for success. Simmons could very easily eclipse 1,500 rushing yards in 2010, filling some of the void that will be left with James Franklin's graduation.

Defensively Simmons will be the center point of what should be the top secondary in the Sunflower League. He, along with Dominick Wilson and Adonis Saunders should have no problem shutting down opposing passing attacks.

Sunflower League Buzz

The high school football season will kick off in the Sunflower League approximately three months from today, and while three months seems like a long time I can assure you the season will be here in the blink of an eye. In the meantime summer weights programs, camps, and 7 on 7 tournaments will be the big talk. Here is an early look at some of the biggest news topics surrounding the Sunflower League football scene some three months prior to opening kickoff.

Kopecky hired at Leavenworth

Perhaps the biggest offseason story was former St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Kevin Kopecky's sudden departure from the Aquinas and arrival thereafter at Leavenworth High School. The Pioneers, who haven't won a Sunflower League title during their 29 years in the league, welcome their fifth coach in the last 11 years.

Kopecky's exit from St. Thomas Aquinas remains a mystery despite early reports of health concerns. What is known is that Kopecky can coach evident by his impressive coaching resume. As a head coach Kopecky has put together a 150-99 record, including eight district championships in his 11 years at Aquinas and an appearance in the 2008 5A state championship game.

Regardless of why Kopecky left his established power of a program at Aquinas it appears that Leavenworth has three big reasons for optimism within its football program.

1.) Coaching
They're getting a local head coach with a superb coaching history on the field. His Aquinas teams never won a 5A title but it seemed like the Saints made the Sub-State round of the playoffs nearly every year he was with the school. Aquinas also won at least nine games in five of the last seven years Kopecky (left) coached there. Could you imagine what the folks at Leavenworth would do for a nine win season, let alone a playoff berth? Playoffs and Leavenworth are two words that seem like antonyms, but make no mistake they may be meeting soon.

2.) Playoffs
The new district alignments have been kind to the Pioneers for the first time in years. One of the opponents is SM North who will be under the direction of new and first time head coach Dennis Grayless. SM North is coming off a 2-7 record. Wyandotte is in the district as well. The Bulldogs have harbored in 5A for years but were bumped up to 6A with the new district alignments. Wyandotte ended a 44 game losing streak in 2002, and has since sported a 9-55 record (but they did make the playoffs in 2004). The fourth team in the district is SM Northwest, who has enjoyed their fair share of success in recent years. While SM Northwest may be a tall test in year one the other two teams loom as possible victories for Leavenworth. Remember, in most cases two wins means you make the playoffs in Kansas district play.

3.) Confidence
Kopecky knows he can turn the Leavenworth football program around or else he wouldn't have taken the gig. Back in 2007 Southlake Carroll High School of Southlake, Texas--who at the time was arguably the nation's top high school football program--was trying to fill the vacancy left by their departed head coach Todd Dodge. I remember reading that one of the many applicants for the job was Kopecky. He had yet to claim a title at Aquinas and yet he had enough confidence in his coaching abilities to apply for the head job at a program that was coming off a mythical national championship.

And why not? Back in 1991 Kopecky took over at Ralston High School in Nebraska and within three years had the team in the playoffs. St. Thomas Aquinas was nothing more than a road bump on the KC high school football scene until Kopecky took over. The next challenge for Kopecky is Leavenworth. If he felt confident enough in his abilities to apply at Southlake Carroll, I have a suspicion he has the confidence necessary to change the culture of the Leavenworth football program.


Olathe North looking to repeat

Speed thrills and speed kills as evidence by the last ten years in the Sunflower League. While Olathe North has produced their fair share of mammoths on the offensive and defensive lines through the years, their superior speed at the skill positions has been their greatest ally. The Eagles lost alot to graduation but they do return two speed demons (that we know of) in 2010--and those two players happen to player quarterback and running back.

Option style quarterback Victor Simmons (who just received an offer from Kansas) and running back Adonis "A.J." Saunders will be the main speed cogs behind the Eagles push for their second consecutive 6A title, and ninth in 15 years. The Eagles also return Dominick Wilson who saw a decent amount of playing time in the Eagles backfield last year and has a decent set of wheels himself.


Can SM East finally break through?

The Lancers last wore a Sunflower League football crown in 1966 when they shared it with SM North. In the 44 years since the school has posted major success in nearly every sport but football. The football program even developed the dubious nickname of the "Smurfs" playing on the schools light blue colors and lack of success.

The combination of Todd Dain and John Stonner--the school's previous two coaches--drastically improved the quality of football being played at SM East but the school has yet to field a dominant team. After a strong finish to 2009 it appears the "Smurfs" might be shedding the nickname soon.

The Lancers head coach, Chip Sherman (left), has three state titles under his belt from his time at Platte County High School in Missouri, the latest of which came in 2002. His pedigree and track record is as good as that of any coach in the Sunflower League. Sherman also added veteran coach Sam Brown (who turned around the SM North program during the 2000s) to his staff during the offseason. The Lancers obvious improvement in Sherman's system combined with the fact that they return a good deal of experience could result in a scary group of Smurfs.