Thursday Report

Week Nine Matchups

All games times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

Leavenworth (1-7) at SM North (1-7)

Last season the "Toilet Bowl" featured two 0-8 clubs, Leavenworth and Lawrence, squaring off in a week nine battle for supremacy of the cellar. It's ironic that this season the two teams with the worst records in the Sunflower League would be playing eachother in week nine once again. Fortunately both teams were able to collect wins against Wyandotte, so neither team will go out winless. The crazy thing it that due to the wacky district playoff qualifications, the winner of the game will make the playoffs. SM North head coach Dennis Grayless (above) could really make folks forget about the team's 0-7 start if he could will the team to a victory.

SM South (2-7) at SM East (7-1)

Senior Robby Moriarty will be making his first start at quarterback for SM East this season following the injury to starter John Schrock in last week's game. Don't expect much of a drop off though. Moriarty passed for 765 yards last season and was SM East's starter for much of the year. The Lancers need to watch out for a letdown as well. Last week's big win over SM West was huge for the program, but a loss to SM South would be equally disappointing.

Wyandotte (2-6) at SM Northwest (4-4)

SM Northwest had their way with SM North and Leavenworth, and this one should be no different at their home stadium. The Cougars can match last season's win total of five games with a win in this game, but more importantly the team is in the playoffs and this game will be a great opportunity for a tune-up before the playoffs begin.

Lawrence Free State (4-4) at Lawrence (3-5)

Despite the presumed disparity between these two programs we find them battling it out in week nine with similar records. Free State who is 1-1 in district play can seal a playoff berth with a win by any margin. Lawrence, 0-2 in district play, can claim a playoff spot if Olathe North beats Olathe Northwest, and they manage to beat Free State. This game is always a heated contest, but this year's playoff implications should add a whole new meaning.

SM West (6-2) at Blue Valley North (3-5)

The last thing SM West wants to become is a poster child for why the KSHSAA should reformat the way they determine playoff qualifiers, but with a loss the Vikings would become just that. SM West will be entering an unfamiliar venue against an unfamiliar team, and those elements have not treated the Vikings well in the past. The team has gone 0-3 since 2007 against Blue Valley opponents, with two of those losses coming in the playoffs. Right now, SM West is focused on just making the playoffs.

Olathe Northwest (3-5) at Olathe North (7-1)

Since Olathe Northwest's inception in 2004 they have a grand total of one win in 20 games against Olathe opponents. While the Ravens have shown flashed of brilliance in 2010, they haven't really ever been in consideration as one of the top six teams in the league. Olathe Northwest could shed quite a bit of frustration with a win against Olathe North, but it certainly won't be easy. The Eagles have been on a roll lately and looked primed for a long playoff run.

Game of the Week

Olathe South (6-2) at Olathe East (7-1)

These two programs have squared off in some pretty heated battles over the last decade. The game that first comes to mind was the 2005 regular season finale between these two. Both teams were 8-0 heading into the game, and there was a great cast of athletes in competition including Olathe South's Brady Croucher, Devin Cummings, and Tony Bryant and Olathe East's Derek Miller, Adam Parks, and Dee Bell. Olathe East jumped out to an early lead on a long Bell touchdown run an never looked back. Despite the Hawk's lead throughout the game it remained a heated contest and neither team let down. This year's game doesn't feature quite the stables of talent, but the matchup of running backs should be fun to watch. The Hawks' Brandon Willingham and Austin Fulson lead what may be the top duo in the Sunflower League, while the Falcons' Nick Sands and Jake Crist have been headliners all season in the running game as well. Both teams have qualified for the playoffs so the game will be for bragging rights more than anything.

Photo courtesy the Shawnee-Dispatch

Thursday Report

Week Four Matchups

All games times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

SM South (1-2) at Olathe South (1-2) (Thursday night game)

After a difficult two game stretch to begin the season Olathe South may finally be settling into their offense--which is a scary thought for the Raiders. SM South played poorly in their 28-7 loss at Lawrence last week, and while their offense should do better against the Falcons it's hard to say if they will be able to shut down Jake Crist (right), Nick Sands and the Olathe South running game. Olathe South's 396 rushing yards last week are a hint as to what the Falcon's approach may be in this game.

Leavenworth (0-3) at Olathe East (3-0)

Olathe East goes from playing a team with a 15-game winning streak in week three to playing Leavenworth, a team with an 18-game losing streak in week four. It's quite the change around in opponents. The only concern Olathe East could have going into this game is letting their guard down and not playing to their potential--regardless, this will be Olathe East's first game to prove themselves as the "top dog" in the Sunflower League.

SM West (2-1) at Olathe Northwest (2-1)

If I had to evaluate both of these school's performances this season I would say Olathe Northwest is playing at a consistently high level given their quality of talent, while SM West still hasn't put everything together for an entire four quarters. The Vikings appear to be the better team on paper, but another lackadaisical effort could prove costly this week against a motivated Olathe Northwest team.

Lawrence (2-1) at SM Northwest (0-3)

Will this be the week SM Northwest finally claims a victory? The Cougars are head and shoulders better than the two other winless teams in the league (Leavenworth and SM North) and they have a solid core of skill position seniors in Stephen Mangesldorf, Drew Goodger, and Kenny Mings. But, Lawrence is saying "not so fast my friend!" The Chesty Lions have looked impressive in their two wins and they are easily capable of sticking loss number four to the Cougars.

Lawrence Free State (2-1) at SM North (0-3)

This game could get ugly if the Indians don't come prepared to play some defense. Free State is operating the league's top ranked offensive at 397 yards and just under 40 points per game. SM North on other hand is giving up just under 34 points per game, and ranks second worst in the league in total defense. The past few seasons have shown us that it's hard to stop Free State's offense once it gets rolling, and it very well may on Friday. Kyle Goodburn and Kendall Kelly must step it up early for SM North if they have any chance in this one.

Game of the Week

SM East (3-0) at Olathe North (2-1)

Most didn't expect SM East to have more wins than Olathe North by the time of their week four meeting, but that's where we stand. SM East handled their first three opponents with ease, winning by a combined score of 99-37. Meanwhile, Olathe North is coming off their first loss in 16 games. Both teams have alot to play for, espcially SM East whose fanbase is amped at the prospects of knocking off the heavyweight Olathe North (a Facebook page has even been started to build up more hype for the game). A key matchup to watch? SM East leads the Sunflower League in passing at 239 yards per game, while Olathe North ranks second against the pass on defense and has only given up 10 completions. Whoever controls this aspect of the game could very well determine the winner.

Photo courtesy OSfootball.com