[Not So] Bold Sunflower League Predictions for 2012

Kyle McFarland.  Lawrence Journal World.

1. Lawrence and Free State quarterbacks Brad Strauss and Kyle McFarland, respectively, become the fifth and sixth quarterbacks of the last 10 years to accumulate over 1,000 yards passing and rushing in the same season.  They will join Free State quarterbacks Ryan Murphy, Camren Torneden, Dylan Perry and Olathe North great Dustin Moomau on the list of quarterbacks from the Sunflower League to do so over that time period.

2. There will be movement out of the Sunflower League cellar.  As in, this won't be your older brother's SM South and Leavenworth.

3. Gene Wier's Olathe North ballclub won't win a league title for the first time in his last nine seasons as head coach of the program (Olathe North won SL titles from '95 through '02, the last eight seasons Wier spent at the school before heading to Texas).

4. This will be the proverbial "Year of the Quarterback" in the Sunflower League, with headliners such as Jordan Darling, Frank Seurer, John Blazevic, Strauss and McFarland leading the charges of their respective offenses.  At least one of those players will find themselves among the Simone finalists in December.

5. Lawrence will win 10 or more games for the first time since 2005 and Olathe East will add their 13th consecutive winning season and 11th consecutive playoff berth.

6. The winner of the colossal week five Olathe South vs. Lawrence matchup will finish the regular season undefeated and claim the Sunflower League crown outright.

7. Olathe South's Braden Smith will garner scholarship offers from the rest of the "Who's Who" of college football powers within the next six months, including Alabama who is close to offering but hasn't yet pulled the trigger. SM West's Austin Chambers will also see his offer list grow and at least one other player in the league who does not currently have an FBS will receive one.

8. There will be at least four players on my post-season Elite Eleven team that I did not do a Player Spotlight on and that may or may not have been mentioned, in an capacity, to this point in time on the Sunflower League Football Blog.

9. Some time around week six I will get slightly tired of blogging five or six times a week and struggle to get all of my posts up on time and people will get to work and see I haven't posted and email me with innocuous comments like "Are we getting stats this week?" or "I haven't seen the new Power Rankings, when should I expect those?"  And I will receive at least ONE not so innocuous email from at least ONE not so innocuous parent/patron/"kid who goes to his high school football team's games to 'be seen' and hit on girls and make resoundingly shallow masculine statements common of male high school students of that age who go to games to 'be seen'"/grandparent/creepy uncle about how I am not writing enough about their team, our about how deeply, personally unfair it is that I spelled so-and-so's name wrong or about how I "really have no idea what I'm doing or writing about, do I?"

10. I will enjoy writing about the Sunflower League in 2012.  Thoroughly.

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.

Top Sunflower League Defensive Backs since 2000

Dustin Moomau

1. Dustin Moomau, Olathe North, 2002-2004

Moomau holds the Olathe North record for career interceptions with 19, and that very well could be the top number among any Sunflower League school.  He helped Olathe North to three state championship appearances as the starting safety, and he was your prototypical ballhawking defensive back.

2. Kyson Ginavan, Olathe South, 2005-2007

Ginavan, also a safety, was tremendous in run support which is part of the reason he ranks so high on the list.  He combined for 200 tackles and five interceptions in his junior and senior seasons, helping Olathe South to a state championship appearance in 2007.

 3. Anthony Parks, Olathe East, 2001-2003

Parks was a great all-around athlete on the football field, but he might have had the best individual season of any defensive back as a junior in 2002.  During that season he snagged 11 interceptions, four of which came in a week five game against SM North.

4. Junior Williams, Olathe East, 2009-2011

In his junior and senior seasons, Williams combined to collect 10 interceptions.  It wasn't just the quantity of interceptions that made him special, but rather when he made big plays.  Three of his seven interceptions as a senior came while covering the 6-foot-10 Willie Cauley of Olathe Northwest in an all-important Regional Round playoff game.

5. Derahn Williams, Olathe East, 2006-2008

Despite being a bit undersized (he was generously listed at 5-foot-9) Williams proved to be yet another lockdown corner for Olathe East.  In 21 games as a junior and a senior he combined to intercept 14 passes, becoming the top shutdown corner in the league in the late 2000s.

Adam Parks

6. Adam Parks, Olathe East, 2003-2005

Much the way he did on the offensive side of the ball, Parks' shiftiness allowed him to be one of the top players in the league.  He used his agility on defense to shut down some of the league's top receivers as a senior and with Derek Miller playing behind him at safety, Parks was able to take more risks.

7. Andre Jones, Olathe East, 2002-2004

Technique wise Jones wasn't exactly the greatest cornerback in the history of the league but his freakish athletic ability made up for the lack of fundamentals.  As a senior in 2004 he intercepted eight passes including three in one game against SM East.

8. Sean Hammons, Olathe South, 1999-2001

Hammons recorded 12 career interceptions, including seven in his senior season.  His efforts as a senior earned him all-metro and all-state honors.  He was among the group of top-flight talent from Olathe South that failed to make the playoffs in 2000 and 2001 because they were in the same district as the mighty teams from Olathe North.

9. Jonathan Lamb, Olathe North, 1999-2001

Lamb is one of the more unheralded players of the Olathe North dynasty of the early 2000s, and some of that may have to do with the fact that he missed all of the 2001 playoffs with a broken hand.  Regardless, he was a stellar defensive back who on two separate occasions intercepted three passes in a single game.

10. Codi Willard, Olathe North, 2001-2003

Willard wasn't the most athletic defensive back we've ever seen but he was a solid corner and he helped Olathe North to three consecutive state championships during his time on the varsity level.  As a senior in 2003 he snagged seven interceptions, including the game sealing interception in the state championship against Hutchinson.

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.

The 2010 Season in Review

Best Team: Olathe North. The Eagles proved it beating every other formidable foe in the Sunflower League and advancing to the state championship game.

Best Upset: Lawrence High's week five triumph over Olathe East, 27-21, not only shocked the red hot Hawks, but it was also a huge morale boost for the Lawrence football program following a not-so-fun 2009 season.

Biggest Surprise Player: Lawrence Free State's Dylan Perry (left) was really an unknown to most heading into the season, but, as we've come to expect, the quarterbacks at Free State tend to do pretty well in their zone-read option offense. During the off-season Camren Torneden tipped me off that Perry was going to be a special player for the Firebirds, but there wasn't much information out there to read into on Perry. During the 2010 season, Perry became the fourth quarterback to surpass 1,000 yards passing and rushing in the same season since 2004, joining Olathe North's Dustin Moomau (2004), and Free State's Ryan Murphy (2006) and Camren Torneden (2008).

Biggest Surprise Team: We knew in the pre-season talks that the Lancers from SM East had something brewing, but their four-game win improvement over last season was a big deal.

Highest Scoring Output: Olathe North scored 76 points in their week five triumph over Leavenworth.

Best Individual Performances: Many players in the league had great games during the season, but statistically, these three stuck out the most in my mind:

**Brandon Willingham's performance against Free State in Regionals was impressive as he rushed for 190 yards on 33 carries, including three second half touchdowns which pulled Olathe East ahead for the victory.

**In his team's week three loss to SM West, Dylan Perry completed 10 of 17 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown, and he also ran the ball 22 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

**In week two, Free State's Preston Schenck filled the box score, carrying the ball 13 times for 84 yards, returning a punt 44 yards for a touchdown, returning a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, running an interception back 40 yards for a touchdown, and blocking a kick that was returned 91 yards for a touchdown by Perry.

**Honorable mention would include Drew Goodger's first half against Olathe North in week six when he recorded four sacks, and John Schrock's five touchdown outburst against Blue Valley North in week seven.

Best Three Storylines from 2010:

**SM East's best season in decades under second-year head coach Chip Sherman.

**Olathe North's talented duo of Adonis Saunders and Victor Simmons--both Kansas commits--working to defend Olathe North's 6A crown.

**Olathe North squaring off against rivals Olathe South and Olathe East in the playoffs.

Best Three Early Storylines for 2011:

**With only nine returning First or Second Team All-Sunflower League selections in 2011, it looks like the league will be in for an uprising of new talent.

**Just how far can Lawrence High's quarterback, junior-to-be Brad Strauss (left), lead the Chesty Lions in 2011? Strauss might be capable of leading Lawrence High back to the upper echelon of the league. As a sophomore he completed 60% of his passes for 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

**Who will be Olathe North's next big, strong, fast, athletic running back to dominate the Sunflower League? Since the 1995 season Olathe North has basically featured 10 big-time running backs. Of those 10, two have played or are playing the NFL, five have won the Simone Award, and five have gone the Division One route.

Way-too-early Top Three for 2011:

1.) Olathe East: The Hawks have a solid core returning and under Jeff Meyers the team is always in contention for the top spot in the league.

2.) Olathe North: Tanner Gentry will be the Eagles' only real prominent returning starter, but the program will undoubtedly find athletes to fill the voids left from 2010.

3.) SM East: Adam Lowe and Elliot Faerber will give the Lancers a great base at the skill positions to build off of.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Dustin Moomau

Name: Dustin Moomau
School: Olathe North
Graduated: 2005
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185lbs.
Position: Defensive Back

Dustin Moomau, who may have been the best multipurpose athlete of the decade, was the face of the John McCall era at Olathe North. Moomau began his career as the starting safety for Olathe North in 2002 as a sophomore. Moomau came up with seven interceptions that season and helped Olathe North go 12-0 in capturing their sixth state title, and third in a row. As a junior, Moomau started at the safety position again, and also received reps at receiver. He finished the 2003 season with seven interceptions, and helped Olathe North to a 10-3 season and another state championship. His second half interception in the state title game helped Olathe North put the seal on their seventh state championship.

As a senior Moomau started at quarterback and safety for Olathe North. He made 72 tackles and collected five interceptions on defense, but made his biggest mark as a quarterback where he rushed for 1,273 yards and 21 touchdowns, and passed for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns. Moomau led Olathe North to the state title game in 2004 against Salina South.

Up 14-0, Moomau suffered a knee sprain that sent him to the sidelines. Salina South capitalized on Moomau’s injury by scoring two touchdowns to tie the game at 14 all. The game went to overtime, and Salina South scored a touchdown on their first possession. Without Moomau in the game, Olathe North had little variety offensively. Four straight run plays by Olathe North were all stopped by the Salina South defense, and Olathe North lost the title game 21-14. The 21 point swing would likely not have happened had Moomau not been injured.

Moomau finished his career as Olathe North’s all-time leader in interceptions with 19, gained over 3,000 all-purpose yards, and collected two state championship rings. He was named 5A All-State in 2004 in addition to claiming a spot on the Kansas Top 11 team. In addition to those accolades, Moomau was named the KC Metro Sports Player of the Year and finished second to Chase Coffman for the Simone Award.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Travis Greer

Name: Travis Greer
School: Olathe North
Graduated: 2005
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 300lbs.
Position: Offensive Line

Travis Greer was one of Olathe North’s mammoth lineman who seemed to wreak havoc on both sides of the ball during the decade. Greer helped Olathe North to a 10-3 record and a 6A state championship in 2003. The title was Olathe North’s fourth straight, but it was also one their shakiest. Many wondered if the title was just a product of the talent and system Gene Wier had left following his departure to Texas.

Greer and the rest of the Eagles sought to rid that idea from people’s minds, and claim a fifth straight state championship in 2004. Olathe North had dropped to Class 5A for the season, but regardless of class, Olathe North was the most dominant team for the duration of the 2004 season.

Greer was the best offensive lineman on the vaunted Olathe North team that year that rushed for over 4,500 yards and 65 touchdowns, and passed for some 1,100 more. From his defensive tackle position Greer recorded 70 tackles, and clogged up the middle of the line. Olathe North’s defense allowed a mere 170 yards per game throughout the season. The Eagles rolled easily to a 12-0 record and 5A state championship berth against Salina South.

Early on the game went well, with Olathe North up 14-0 and in control of the second half. An untimely injury to Dustin Moomau threw the Eagles off balance, and the upset minded Salina South came back to win 21-14 in overtime. Greer and his fellow seniors had been part of two state championships, but a third didn’t happen. Nonetheless Greer did close out the season in style in terms of honors. He was named First Team All-State Class 5A, Kansas Top 11 and First Team All-Metro Sports. Greer went on to play at Division 2 Pittsburg State where he was a four year letterman at the offensive tackle position.