Top Sunflower League Running Backs since 2000

Darren Sproles.  Photo courtesy the Kansas
City Star.

*Disclaimer: No current Sunflower League players were eligible in the selection process.

1. Darren Sproles, Olathe North, 1998-2000

Easy pick here.  Sproles combined to rush for 5,230 yards (a then Olathe North record) and 79 rushing touchdowns (a then Kansas record) during his time with Olathe North.  His efforts helped lead the Eagles to state championships in 1998 and 2000, and he was given the Simone Award in 2000.  After an All-American career at Kansas State he's gone on to have major success in the NFL with the Chargers and the now with the Saints.

2. James Franklin, Olathe North, 2007-2009

Franklin was a rushing yardage machine for Olathe North, despite the fact that his running style was less than orthadox.  As a sophomore he rushed for 1,142 yards and 16 touchdowns.  He followed that up by rushing for 1,971 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior, then he hit the pinnacle rushing for 2,803 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior in leading Olathe North to a state title while also claiming the Simone Award.  He broke Sproles' rushing record at Olathe North and he now holds the title with 5,916 career rushing yards.

3. Maurice Mack, Olathe North, 1999-2001

"Mo Mack" as he was known by the K-State faithful went on to enjoy success as a linebacker at the next level, but he was an absolutely dominant running back at Olathe North.  He didn't start at running back until his senior season because he was playing behind Sproles, but he no trouble taking the torch when he was called on to do so.  As a senior he rushed for 2,089 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading Olathe North to a state title and winning the Simone Award in the process.

Dee Bell.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence
Journal World.

4. Dee Bell, Olathe East, 2004-2006

Bell spent one season as Andre Jones' understudy in 2004, before taking over as Olathe East's primary ballcarier in 2005.  The transition went extremely well for the 5-foot-7 speed demon, as he rushed for 25 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards as Olathe East made it all the way to the 6A title game.  Olathe East lost a bunch of talent to graduation after the 2005 season, so naturally Bell became the focal point of defenses in 2006.  He still did quite well as a senior, rushing for 1,717 yards and 16 touchdowns.

5. Ryan Torain, SM Northwest, 2001-2003

Torain, like Sproles, is currently playing in the NFL where he is a member of the Washington Redskins.  His time in the NFL has come after a successful collegiate career in which he spent time at Butler C.C. as well as Arizona State.  Torain wasn't always a well-known commodity, however.  In fact, he didn't really blow up on the Kansas City high school scene until his senior year when he came out of nowhere to rush for over 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns.  His efforts helped SM Northwest to a 9-2 record and a Sectional Round berth.

6. Justin Gore, Olathe North, 2002-2004

Gore doesn't carry the cloute of many of Olathe North's other famous running backs and that's probably because he didn't win a Simone Award, but he was one of the best running backs of the past 11 years in the league. His hallmark moment came in the 6A state title game against Hutchinson when he was a junior. He carried the ball 32 times for 175 yards and a touchdown, and it was enough to give the Eagles the victory. As a senior he led Olathe North to another title appearance, rushing for 1,845 yards and 31 touchdowns.

7. Jim Bouknight, Olathe North, 2000-2002

When you watched Bouknight run the football there wasn't anything that really jumped out about him.  He didn't have the speed of his precessors (Sproles and Mack) and he wasn't exactly physically imposing.  His will to succeed, however, was his greatest strength.  Opposing Sunflower League coaches probably felt they had finally caught a break once Mack graduated, but Bouknight turned out to be just as much of a headache, rushing for 2,793 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior in 2002.  He led Olathe North to the 6A title, and he was awarded the Simone Award at season's end.

8. Joseph Harris, Olathe South, 1999-2001

Harris has never received his due because he was playing at the same time as guys like Sproles and Mack. Also, his team was knocked out of playoff contention in both his junior and senior seasons because they had to play Olathe North in districts and at the time only one team qualified from each district.  In nine games as a junior Harris totaled 1,018 yards and 21 touchdowns.  In a nine-game season as a senior he rushed for 1,484 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Chucky Hunter.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence
Journal World.

9. Chucky Hunter, Lawrence Free State, 2006-2008

If Hunter had run been two inches taller, 20 pounds heavier, and .2 seconds faster, he would have been on the rader of every major college football program in the country.  He ranks up their with Sproles as the shiftiest running back I've seen in the Sunflower League, and he just had the "knack" that all of the great running backs have with the ball in their hands.  His numbers were solid--he rushed for just under 2,800 yards in two years as the Free State starting tailback--but quarterback Camren Torneden carried the ball quite a bit, and in a more pro-style offense Hunter could have easily been a 2,000 yard back.

10. DJ Barnett, SM West, 2002-2004

Barnett has gone down in SM West lore as one of the best players in Vikings history and still to this day he is the benchmark for what their running backs strive for. Barnett struggled as a junior, rushing for just over 500 yards in a tumultuous 2-7 campaign. Fast forward to 2004 and Barnett matured into one of the best running backs in the city. He rushed for just over 1,900 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season, helping SM West to a 9-3 record. To this day I haven't seen a running back carry as much of a team's offensive workload as what Barnett handled in 2004.

Olathe South vs. Wichita Heights

Wichita Heights' quarterback Matt Reed will certainly go
down as one of the best players in Heights history.  He has
a 29-1 record as a starter, and he's rushed for over 1,000
yards in back-to-back season.

Wichita Heights Falcons

Location: Wichita, KS

Enrollment: 1,188

Previous State Championship Appearances: '09, '10

State Championships: '10

Falcon Football

Offense Type: Wing-T
Points Per Game: 50.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 8.9

Key Stats

**Wichita Heights has a 25-game winning streak going, not to mention victories in 31 of their last 32 games.  Their last loss came against the James Franklin led Olathe North squad in the 2009 6A state title game.

**Heights lives and dies by the run.  They average 372.6 rushing yards per game and only 68.5 passing yards.  On the season they've totalled 4,471 rushing yards and 822 passing yards. 

**Defensively, Heights gives up 167.6 yards per game--76.2 yards rushing and 91.4 yards passing.  They've accumulated 18 interceptions.

Olathe South Falcons
Location: Olathe, KS
Enrollment: 1,499
Previous State Championship Appearances: '99, '04, '07
State Championships: None

Falcon Football
Offense Type: Wing-T
Points Per Game: 37.8
Points Allowed Per Game: 23.2

Key Stats

**Olathe South is averaging 310 rushing yards per game and they've scored 47 rushing touchdowns. Through the air Olathe South is averaging 118 passing yards per game, including 11 touchdown passes.

**The Olathe South defense has forced 24 turnovers, on 18 interceptions and six fumble recoveries. The Falcons have managed to return three of those interceptions for touchdowns.

**The Falcons have three defensive players with over 100 tackles. Linebackers Remington Whitley and Chase Hanson have recorded 154 and 107, respectively, and safety Dylan DeVries has added 118 tackles.

2011 Player Spotlights: Orange Mooney

Orange Mooney

Olathe North

Position: Running Back

Height: 5-foot-9

Weight: 180 lbs.

Year: Senior

Stat to Note

Mooney was a First-Team All-Desert Region selection last season as a running back at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona.

Scouting Report
The only thing more mysterious than the arrival of the ballyhooed Mooney is the lack of press-clippings and statistical coverage from what seemed to be an impressive junior season at St. Mary's.  What we do know is that Mooney has generated quite the buzz around the league since his arrival, and he could be the next big name in a great line of Olathe North running backs.

On Mooney's gamefilm he possesses tremendous speed, vision, and fluidity with the ball in his hands.  On quite a few occasions he took snaps out of the Wildcat formation, which would make him perfectly suited for Olathe North's offense.  Two years ago James Franklin was unstoppable out of the Wildcat formation for the Eagles, and he ended up rushing for 2,500+ yards and winning the Simone, on top of leading the school to state title.  Not to say Mooney will even make half the impact that Franklin did, but the fact that he is familiar with the Wildcat formation should only help with his transition.

The last big name transfer into the league was Brett Ginn, who transferred to SM West in 2006 to play running back and linebacker.  Ginn had been an All-District performer at Timberview High School, in Mansfield, Texas, prior to his arrival at SM West.  We never saw his full contributions in the league as he tore his ACL in the third game of the Viking's season and didn't play again.

What kind of impact will Mooney have?  It's hard to say, but he is going to a school that has had quite the successful history of running backs, and if he can perform in the Sunflower League anything like the way he does on his gamefilm, watch out.

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.

2010 Player Spotlights: Kyle Swartz

Kyle Swartz
Olathe North

Position: Linebacker/Tight End
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 215lbs.
Class: Senior

Stat to Note
Last season Swartz led Olathe North with 80 tackles, and was named First Team All-Sunflower League as a linebacker, and received Second Team honors as a Tight End.

Scouting Report
Swartz is a big kid who plays a physical brand of football perfectly suited for his positions. The thing that really separates Swartz on both sides of the ball is his closing speed on plays, whether it be running down a ballcarrier, or reaching a defender to block.

On defense Swartz is tremendous in run support. He made quite a few tackles for loss last season and he is great at filling gaps. His size makes it difficult for fullbacks and offensive lineman alike to move him, and when you add in his quickness, it makes it even more difficult for offenses.

As a tight end, the majority of Swartz' efforts are spent blocking, although Olathe North did slip Swartz out from time to time to catch passes. He made quite a few downfield blocks for James Franklin and Tre Walker last season, and the same should be expected in 2010.

Another big thing that Swartz brings to the table is enthusiasm and excitement--he doesn't going about his work quietly. Swartz seems to have an innate ability to make big plays defensively to fire up his teammates. Quite a few times last season it was a Swartz hit or tackle that really got the Olathe North defense going.

Kansas All-Stars win KC Metro Classic

The Kansas all-stars topped those from Missouri in a 26-23 victory that included its fair share of ups and downs.

The Good: The Kansas squad won for the 11th time in the 19 year history of the game.

The Bad: It was the last high school competition for players like James Franklin and Camren Torneden who have made Friday nights in the Sunflower League especially exciting the past few years.

The Ugly: Franklin dislocated his left shoulder on a second quarter two point conversion, and wasn't able to play for the rest of the game. No report on the severity of the injury.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: James Franklin

Name: James Franklin
School: Olathe North
Graduated: 2010
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 175lbs.
Position: Running Back

The 2009 season was the measuring stick for the legacy James Franklin would leave behind. The Olathe North football program easily boasts the most prestigious list of alumni, especially at the running back position, and it was Franklin who was on the verge of being remembered as one of the greats. He only needed a state championship ring and a Simone Award to do so.

Franklin competed for and initially gained the starting running back position for Olathe North as a sophomore in 2007. Despite not being the primary ballcarrier for the entire season Franklin put up 1,142 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in a 12 game season. The season ended on a sour note however, when Franklin and the rest of the Eagles performed poorly on the door step of a state championship appearance in the Sub-State game against district rival Olathe South.

Franklin returned as a junior in 2008 and really blew up on the Kansas City high school football scene. He led a talented, but inconsistent Olathe North team to a 7-2 regular season and a Regional Round upset of an undefeated Olathe East team. Perhaps the Eagles were too confident heading into their Sectional Round game against Lawrence Free State, a team they had clobbered by 28 points earlier in the season. The game was ugly and Olathe North lost 10-6, marking the second year in a row the program had bowed out of the playoffs with a low point output. Franklin finished the year with 1,971 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 268 carries including five straight 200 plus rushing yard games to end the season. He was named First Team KC Metro Sports as a running back for his efforts.

Now fast forward to the beginning of the 2009 season. Franklin’s career rushing yardage sat at 3,113 yards, an achievable 2,117 yards behind the legendary Darren Sproles. Olathe North was being hailed in the preseason rankings as the top high school team in the Kansas City Metro, and Franklin was being recognized as the star of the team and a Simone Award hopeful. Fortunately for Franklin’s legacy, he lived up to the expectations.

Olathe North finished the 2009 regular season undefeated before running through the playoffs to face Blue Valley in 6A East Sub-State game. The Eagles played uncharacteristically, and Franklin didn’t score for the first time all season, but they survived and advanced to the state championship game against Wichita Heights. Franklin closed out his high school career with a rushing for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant victory over Wichita Heights for the Kansas 6A crown.

During the season Franklin had broke the Olathe North single game rushing record (340 rushing yards in week four) and Darren Sproles’ all-time Olathe North rushing total (Franklin surpassed 5,230 rushing yards in week 11). Franklin finished his senior season with 2,803 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. For his career he rushed for 5,916 yards and 69 touchdowns. Franklin was named First Team KC Metro Sports, All-State Class 6A, Kansas Top 11, and he was awarded the Simone Award, becoming the sixth Olathe North football player to receive the prestigious award. Franklin signed to play football at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

James Franklin takes Simone Award

**Olathe North running back James Franklin was award the Simone Trophy today, given annually to the top high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Franklin is the sixth Olathe North player to win the award, joining Arland Bruce (1995), Josh Brewer (1997), Darren Sproles (2000), Maurice Mack (2001) and Jim Bouknight (2002). Congratulations to James.

Eli's Sunflower League Awards

Most Valuable Player

James Franklin, Olathe North: There was really no question about this award. Franklin's efforts in 2009 were, quite frankly, Simone worthy--and maybe better. If he is not awarded the Simone Trophy for 2009, then the validity of the award should be questioned. Olathe North was the best team in the Kansas City Metro and Kansas Class 6A this season, and Franklin was the star of the team. Just in case you're not convinced here is a rundown of Franklin's game by game production.

Week 1: 132 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns

Week 2: 156 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns

Week 3: 340 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns

Week 4: 218 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns

Week 5: 200 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns

Week 6: 284 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns

Week 7: 214 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns

Week 8: 159 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns

Week 9: 168 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns

Week 10: 203 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns

Week 11: 247 rushing yards, 1 touchdown

Week 12: 213 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns

Week 13: 269 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns

Season Totals: 2,803 rushing yards, 31 touchdowns

Of those games there are some interesting records to note:

**Franklin's 340 rushing yards in week three broke the Olathe North school record for rushing yards in a game.

**The 247 yards Franklin put up in week 11 broke Darren Sproles school record of 5,230 career rushing yards. Franklin finished his own career with 5,916 rushing yards.

**In his 36 game career (I know this is a season award, but his career stats were too impressive to pass on) Franklin averaged 7.8 yards per carry, 164 yards per game, and 1.8 touchdowns per game.

Franklin's career numbers at Olathe North will be hard to match (granted we were saying the same thing about Sproles' high school career a decade ago) and in my opinion he is the obvious choice as the Sunflower League's Most Valuable Player for 2009. Also, I won't fail to mention that Franklin was running behind one of the biggest and most talented offensive lines the league has seen in years (Oliver Venegas, Zach Maggard, Jake Carroll, Josh Finley, Lucas Vincent)--and ultimately the holes they opened up fed Franklin's monster season.

Offensive Player of the Year

Camren Torneden, Lawrence Free State: Last season I felt Torneden was worthy of being the Sunflower League MVP after he took the reigns at quarterback in week three and led Free State to a State Runner-Up trophy. Although Free State didn't advance as far in 2009, I still feel that Torneden had as good of a season--its just that James Franklin had arguably the best individual season of the decade. Since Franklin took home the MVP (and was therefore not eligible for the other awards) Torneden get the honorary Offensive Player of the Year Award. His stats were once again insane--1,362 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, in addition to 935 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Torneden also had three punt returns for touchdowns. In his two year career as a starter the 5'7" quarterback passed for 2,318 yards and rushed for 2,302.

Defensive Player of the Year
Lucas Vincent, Olathe North: The Missouri bound Vincent did not fail to impress in 2009. After coming off of an amazing junior campaign it was obvious Vincent was going to be facing double teams on a weekly basis, but the senior responded well. Vincent tallied 40 tackles (17 for loss), four sacks, and six forced fumbles on the season. The numbers pushed his career totals to 110 tackles (35 for loss) and 18 sacks. Vincent's presence in the center of the Olathe North defense created issues for opposing rushing attacks all season long. In fact, no team was really ever able to successfully run through the middle of the Olathe North front. The 6'3", 280 pound Vincent was an immovable force in 2009, good enough for defensive player of the year.

Coach of the Year

Pete Flood, Olathe North: Early in the season I felt this award could go to a variety of coaches. Olathe East's Jeff Meyers was leading a very young and inexperienced team to a solid season, and Olathe South's Jeff Gourley was making huge strides with his team in year two. However, as the season progressed it became more obvious that the dominance and consistency Olathe North was displaying was hard to ignore. In the end I felt Flood was the most deserving candidate as Coach of the Year. Granted, he was likely working with as much talent as any coach in the league, but it takes more than just talent to guide a team to a 13-0 record and 6A State Championship. Since taking the helm at Olathe North in 2006 Flood's record as a head coach is 35-10, and he is now the only active head coach in the Sunflower League who has won a Kansas state championship as a head coach.

Game of the Year

Week Six - SM South 20, SM North 17 (OT)

This game didn't necessarily have major playoff or state title implications, but looking back on the season it may have been the most competitive back and forth battle of the year in the Sunflower League. Both teams were 2-3 heading into game, and a win the week before the start of district play was huge for both teams.

SM North got the scoring started when Joe Haas punched in a short touchdown run after a long SM North drive, to give the Indians a 7-0 advantage. In the second quarter SM South was able to tie things up when Grant Hilton completed a 30 yard touchdown pass to an outstretched Antonio McFadden in the corner of the endzone.

In the third quarter SM South was able to compile a solid drive (mostly thanks to the running of Johannes Swanepoel) that ended with a one yard touchdown plunge by Hilton. The score gave SM South a touchdown advantage.

The trickery came out in the fourth quarter. Sitting on their own 11 yard line, SM North's head coach Ryan Majors made a gutsy reverse pass call. Quarterback Kyle Goodburn ran left, and pitched the ball to receiver (and former quarterback) Athur Rucker who reversed to the other side of the field and hit receiver Ryan Finazzo on a deep route. Finazzo was able to take it to the house, which tied the game up at 14 all. SM North botched a field goal later in the quarter, and the game went into overtime.

In overtime, SM North got the scoring started on a 27 yard field goal by Goodburn. Up 17-14, the SM North defense was unable to hold back the SM South rushing attack. Three straight carries by Swanepoel resulted in a SM South touchdown, and victory, 20-17. The game wasn't the highest of stakes, but it was a classic example of the heated inner-school district rivalries that exist in the Sunflower League.

State Championship Results

Olathe North 37, Wichita Heights 3

A collective sigh of relief could be heard from the Olathe North faithful as the final whistle blew during Saturday's 6A title game. Olathe North, who won seven 6A state championships from 1996 to 2003, was finally back on top.

Olathe North came out focused on established their running game early, and often. Simone favorite James Franklin (below) carried the ball three times on the opening drive for 72 yards, with the last carry going for 25 yards and a touchdown to put Olathe North up 7-0. Wichita Heights kicker Chris Farley booted a 28 yard field goal, before Olathe North's Victor Simmons (bottom) scored on a 15 yard touchdown run.

On paper Olathe North controlled the first half (outgaining Wichita Heights in yards 228-61), but only came away with a 14-3 advantage at halftime.

In the third quarter the Eagles dominant run game began to take its toll on the Wichita Heights defense. Franklin added touchdowns on runs of 5, and 68 yards to push the Olathe North lead to 25 points. In the fourth quarter, Olathe North linebacker Kyle Swartz forced a safety, before quarterback David Blazevic added a rushing touchdown later in the quarter to seal the deal, 37-3.

Olathe North is now 8-1 in state championship games, with this title being the school's first since John McCall led the 2003 squad to a 10-3 record and 6A title.

Game Stats

Rushing—Wichita Heights, Smith 13-70, Ross 10-12, Deshazer 3-6, Jones 3-4, Reed 9-(-6), Moreland 4-(-23). Olathe North, Franklin 32-269, Simmons 11-62, Saunders 1-9, Walker 2-2, Blazevic 1-1.
Passing—Wichita Heights, Moreland 2-4-26-0, Reed 2-7-18-0. Olathe North, Blazevic 4-6-86-1, Simmons 0-1-0-0.
Receiving—Wichita Heights, Smith 2-16, Strand 1-15, Taylor 1-13. Olathe North, Peete 2-45, Swartz 2-41.

Oathe North takes Class 6A Title

The Olathe North Eagles claimed their first state championship since 2003 by defeating Wichita Heights 37-3. Olathe North was led by James Franklin's 269 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Game review and details to be posted soon.

State Championship Preview

Saturday's 6A state title game between Olathe North (12-0) and Wichita Heights (8-4) will be a clash of old and new. Olathe North, a traditional Kansas powerhouse, will be making its ninth state championship appearance (eight in class 6A, one in 5A). Wichita Heights on the other hand will be making its first ever championship game appearance. Wichita Heights is the first team from the Wichita City League to make the 6A title game since Wichita West lost to Olathe North in 1997. The last time a City League team won the 6A title was in 1983.

Olathe North

Location: Olathe, Kansas

School Enrollment: 1,467

League: Sunflower League

State Championship Appearances (inlcuding this season): 9

State Championships: 1996, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03

Notable Football Alumni: Darren Sproles, Arland Bruce, Maurice Mack

2009 Olathe North Football

Offense Type: Wildcat/Read-Option

Key Player Stats: James Franklin, 2,538 rushing yards; Victor Simmons, 1,034 rushing yards

Points Scored Per Game: 42

Points Allowed Per Game: 14

Fast Facts: Olathe North is making its first title game appearance since losing the 5A title 21-14 against Salina South in 2004...two Olathe North players have made Division-One commitments (Lucas Vincent to Missouri, Tre Walker to K-State)...running back James Franklin (above) is the all-time leading rusher in Olathe North school history with 5,647 yards...he broke Darren Sproles all-time record two weeks ago against Lawrence Free State.

Wichita Heights

Location: Wichita, Kansas

School Enrollment: 1,522

League: Wichita City League

State Championship Appearances (including this season): 1

Notable Football Alumni: Xzavie Jackson

2009 Wichita Heights Football

Offense Type: Triple-Option

Key Player Stats: Dreamius Smith, 1,303 rushing yards

Points Scored Per Game: 27

Points Allowed Per Game: 17

Fast Facts: Wichita Heights has won six straight games since starting the season 2-4...sophomore quarterback Matt Reed (above) has been an essential part of the Falcons success this season, most notably completing two second half touchdown passes to sink unbeaten Manhattan two weeks ago.

Sub-State Review

Olathe North 16, Blue Valley 14

Friday night turned out to be one of the more epic Sub-State contests the East side of the 6A bracket has seen in years. The action got interesting in the first quarter when Olathe North's James Franklin uncharacteristically fumbled the ball just inside the Blue Valley 10 yard line. Later on in the quarter Tre Walker botched a punt that Blue Valley was able to recover. The Tigers took advantage of the second fumble when Anthony Abenoja completed a pass Jacob McDermott for a 28 yard score. Olathe North was able to tie the score in the second quarter when Walker completed a touchdown drive with a two yard plunge.

The third quarter played out with neither team scoring. Early in the fourth quarter Abenoja once again led the Tigers down the field after yet another Olathe North fumble. This time Abenoja hit PJ DeBey (bottom) on a 13 yard pass to help Blue Valley gain a 14-7 lead.

With time quickly winding down in the fourth quarter Olathe North compiled a nice drive to set up a one yard touchdown run by quarterback David Blazevic. However, in a all too familiar scene for the Eagles, kicker Jared Morss botched the extra point, and kept Olathe North from evening the score (Morss' missed extra point ultimately prevented Olathe North from defeating Blue Valley in 2008).

Olathe North was able to regain possession and drive all the way to the Blue Valley 16 yard-line with a mere 14 seconds remaining in the half. This time, Morss delivered on the 33 yard field goal attempt (below). The score put Olathe North up for good, 16-14.

For the second year in a row Blue Valley fell just short of advancing to the 6A title game, despite a valiant effort and one of the biggest last season turnarounds in Johnson County high school football history. Olathe North advances to their first state championship game since 2004.

Game Stats (courtesy TheOlatheNews.com):

Rushing
Olathe North: James Franklin 30-213, Victor Simmons 18-132, David Blazevic 1-1, Tre Walker 4-5, Dominick Wilson 2-14, Team 0-6. Blue Valley: Anthony Abenoja 16-63, Justin Fulks 10-38.

Passing
Olathe North: Blazevic 1-3-0 9. Blue Valley: Abenoja 11-28-0 168.

Receiving
Olathe North (1-9): Jason Peete 1-9. Blue Valley (11-168): PJ DeBey 5-67, Matt Hamblin 3-34, Jacob McDermott 1-28, Connor Rusnak 2-39.

Sub-State Preview

Olathe North (11-0) at Blue Valley (5-6)

Where: Blue Valley High School

Time: 7 pm, Friday

CJ Online Computer Spread: Olathe North by 13.8

Who to Watch For: It might be a good idea to keep an eye on #30 in white--Olathe North's running back otherwise known as James Franklin (below in the 2008 matchup). Olathe North's all-time leading rusher has rushed for 508 yards and six touchdowns in his two previous games against the Blue Valley. Franklin's 2,321 rushing yards are also tops among any Kansas player still active in the playoffs. For Blue Valley their success will be riding on the arm of senior Anthony Abenoja. In last year's Sub-State matchup against Lawrence Free State, Abenoja went cold completing only seven of 21 passes for 78 yards and two interceptions. It will take a big game from Abenoja for the Tigers to pull the upset--but based on his play in recent weeks one can imagine he will play better in this year's Sub-State game than last.

What to Watch For: Olathe North has had one relatively close game all season--their week seven 49-35 win against Blue Valley. The Tigers came out with a high flying offensive attack that Olathe North wasn't prepared for, and it took a good two and half quarters before Olathe North was able to establish a solid lead. In 2008, these two played one of the most thrilling games in the metro with Blue Valley claiming a 42-41 victory. If the past two games are anything like this one you can expect offensive fireworks in mass quantities. Olathe North likely possesses the most team speed of any team left in 6A, while Blue Valley has the most playoff experience and was one score from reaching the 6A title game last year.

6A West Game

Derby (8-3) at Wichita Heights (7-4)

Sectional Recap

Olathe North 41, Lawrence Free State 28

Last season Olathe North met Lawrence Free State in the Sectional Round of the playoffs only to go on to play one of their most lackluster games of the season, resulting in a 10-6 loss. The Eagles were apparently dead set on returning the favor this season. Olathe North quarterback Victor Simmons (below) scored the first of his two touchdowns in the opening quarter to put the Eagles up 7-0. Free State's Camren Torneden connected with Keene Niemack on an 11 yard touchdown pass to tie things up, before Simmons added another touchdown run before the half to give Olathe North a 14-7 edge.

Free State's Matt Cole scored on a one yard touchdown run to even the score at 14 early in the third quarter, but the Firebirds were never able to gain the lead. Touchdown runs by James Franklin and Tre Walker gave the Eagles a 14 point lead, which provided ample cushion for the win.

The most telling stat of the game was Olathe North's run production. The Eagles ran the ball 63 times for 414 yards--and threw zero passes. James Franklin's accounted for 247 of those yards, and in doing so broke Darren Sproles career rushing record at Olathe North. Franklin now sits at 5,434 career rushing yards (Sproles' record was 5,230).

Blue Valley 17, Blue Valley Northwest 14 (All Star Video Sports Highlights)
For the second consecutive year Blue Valley will be advancing to the Sub-State round of the playoffs by way of defeating Blue Valley Northwest. This year's game nearly provided as much drama as last year's matchup. The scoring started when Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick threw a perfectly timed pass to receiver Blake Heenan who took the catch 67 yards for a touchdown. Blue Valley responded with a 13 yard pass from Anthony Abenoja (below) to Jacob McDermott, and then later on a 42 yard field goal by Austin Johnson.

Before halftime Chadick reminded people why he is a Simone-Award candidate running seemingly untouched 52 yards for a touchdown, giving Blue Valley Northwest a 14-10 edge. The game reached a stalemate for the better part of the second half before Blue Valley broke into Blue Valley Northwest territory in the fourth quarter. Abenoja connected on a flare route to McDermott, who somehow found his way into the endzone to push Blue Valley to a three point lead, which would turn out to be the game winner.

Blue Valley has now won four straight games after starting the season 1-6. For Blue Valley Northwest, a fourth quarter score from Blue Valley once again keeps them from advancing to the Sub-State round of the playoffs.

News and Notes

**The Simone Award candidates were announced this past weekend. The four players up for the illustrious Simone Award are Olathe North's James Franklin, Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick, Winnetonka's Darryl Jobe, and Blue Springs Darrian Miller.

**Olathe North's Lucas Vincent is among the four finalists for the Buch Buchanan Award, given annually to the most outstanding lineman/linebacker playing class 5A or 6A football in the KC Metro.

Playoff Buzz

Statistical Breakdown
Here is a look at some statistical measures of the four teams remaining in 6A East bracket. Individuals listed lead the respective statistical category for each team.

Olathe North

Rushing Yards: James Franklin, 2,074; Victor Simmons 739

Passing Yards: David Blazevic, 605

Receiving Yards: Jason Peete, 365

Average Points Scored per Game: 44.8

Average Points Allowed per Game: 12.9

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Lost to Lawrence Free State, 10-6

State Championships: 7

Lawrence Free State

Rushing Yards: Kirk Resseguie, 1,099; Camren Torneden, 839

Passing Yards: Camren Torneden, 1,096

Receiving Yards: Keene Niemack, 305

Average Points Scored per Game: 37.3

Average Points Allowed per Game: 13.4

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Beat Olathe North, 10-6

State Championships: 0

Blue Valley Northwest

Rushing Yards: Koby Chadick, 1,085

Passing Yards: Koby Chadick, 1,812

Receiving Yards: Matt Ornduff, 962; Casey Strohl 633

Average Points Scored per Game: 33

Average Points Allowed per Game: 17.5

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Lost to Blue Valley, 24-20

State Championships: 0

Blue Valley

Rushing Yards: Justin Fulks, 717

Passing Yards: Anthony Abenoja, 2,095

Receiving Yards: PJ DeBey, 772; Jacob McDermott, 403

Average Points Scored per Game: 30.6

Average Points Allowed per Game: 20.5

Sectional Round Result in 2008: Beat Blue Valley Northwest, 24-20

State Championships: 4

Other Notes

**The 6A East Sectional grouping is the same as 2008. If this year's game are anything like they were last season, we're in for some great football on Friday.

**Olathe North's James Franklin (above) needs 59 rushing yards to break Olathe North's school record for rushing yards set by Darren Sproles in 2000.

**Each of the four team's has a legit Simone candidate playing. Olathe North's James Franklin is being mentioned as the current favorite in the KC Metro, but a big game from Free State's Camren Torneden, Blue Valley's Anthony Abenoja or Blue Valley Northwest's Koby Chadick could sway some key votes in their favor.

Sunflower League Extra

Top Five Player Ratings
*Player ratings subject to change on a week-to-week basis.

1. James Franklin, running back, Olathe North: Franklin finished off his last ever regular season game at Olathe North by rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He now needs a mere 192 rushing yards to break the school record for career rushing yards set by Darren Sproles.

2. DJ Balazs, quarterback, SM West: In collecting his 21st victory as a starting quarterback, Balazs pushed his season passing total to 1,067 yards. It marks the second year in a row Balazs has passes for over 1,000 yards.

3. Camren Torneden, quarterback, Lawrence Free State: Torneden (below) had a seven yard rushing score, and a nine yard touchdown pass, and record an intereption on defense in his team's 35-14 victory over Lawrence Free State. Torneden has totalled 778 rushing yards on 120 carries thus far.

4. Hayden Groves, running back, Olathe East: Groves finished off the season rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Groves fourth quarter touchdown--a 10 yard run--pushed Olathe East ahead by two scores, and ultimately sealed the deal on the victory. The rushing yardage bumped his season total to 1,064 yards on 174 carries.

5. Brandon Willingham, running back/linebacker, Olathe East: Willingham was forced to leave the Olathe East game in the third quarter, but he won't be bumped off the list for a one game injury. His 909 rushing yards on 128 carries are big numbers, but his 64 tackles on defense have made him even more valuable to the Hawks.

Honorable Mention: Kirk Resseguie, Lawrence Free State; Victor Simmons, Olathe North; John Hauk, SM Northwest

Final Power Rankings

*See previous post for commentary on rankings

1. Olathe North (9-0)

2. Lawrence Free State (7-2)

3. SM West (8-1)

4. Olathe East (6-3)

5. SM East (4-5)

6. SM Northwest (5-4)

7. Olathe South (4-5)

8. Olathe Northwest (4-5)

9. SM South (3-6)

10. SM North (2-7)

11. Lawrence (1-8)

12. Leavenworth (0-9)

Sunflower League Extra

Three Up

Olathe North

The Eagles (below) won the Sunflower League title and closed out an undefeated regular season for the first time since 2004. After five years of ups and downs Olathe North is once again a heavy favorite to win a state championship.

Lawrence

The Chesty Lions had one of their worst seasons in school history, but were able to aviod a winless season with an overtime victory against Leavenworth. For that reason alone the Chesty Lions get a thumbs up for the week.

Sunflower League teams in the playoffs

Overall the Sunflower League did well, qualifying for six of a potential eight playoff positions in the Class 6A playoff bracket, including the top three seeds.

Three Down

Olathe South

At one point in the season the Falcons stood at an impressive 4-2, but the team took a nosedive in district play. Olathe South's three losses to end the season will leave the program with a nasty taste in it's mouth during the offseason.

SM North

Olathe South's three losses seem bad, but pale in comparison to the Indian's seven straight. The problem with all the losses was that SM North never appeared to be that bad of a team. They just never seemed to get any lucky breaks when it really mattered.

Olathe Northwest

For now it looks like the two game explosion was more a product of the opponents than the Olathe Northwest talent. The team received a reality check at the hands of Free State this past weekend, and it will take alot for the team to bounce back against Blue Valley Northwest.

Individual Highlights

**Olathe North's James Franklin eclipsed 5,000 career rushing yards with a 20 carry 168 yard game on Friday. He also added two touchdowns and now has 1,927 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the season.

**Lawrence Free State's Kirk Resseguie rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown in his team's victory. Resseguie has gone from relative obscurity being one of the league's top backs in the course of one season--quite an impressive feat.

**In his last high school game SM Northwest's John Hauk battered SM North for 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.

**SM West running back Will Livingston score three rushing touchdowns for SM West, and ultimately broke SM East's upset chances on a 90 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

**Lawrence Free State's Keene Niemack (below) scored three touchdowns via three different methods. He had an 86 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a 16 yard touchdown run, and caught an eight yard touchdown pass.

Final Regular Season Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (9-0): The Eagles took the outright Sunflower League crown and look primed for a title run.

2. Lawrence Free State (7-2): Last year's playoff run is still fresh on the Firebird's minds.

3. SM West (8-1): The Viking's defense has been tops in the league and will be key in the teams's matchup with the high powered Blue Valley offense this Friday.

4. Olathe East (6-3): The Hawks have now qualified for the 6A state playoffs eight straight years.

5. SM East (4-5): SM East is quickly losing their "Smurf" image and this year's playoff berth is promising for the program.

6. SM Northwest (5-4): The Cougars inconsistancies got the best of them in the end, but they were still one of the better teams in the Sunflower League.

7. Olathe South (4-5): The Cardiac Kids couldn't put it all together this season; the one thing we do know is that Jeff Gourley's aerial attack is steadily improving within the program.

8. Olathe Northwest (4-5): The Raven's still can't manage to win big games; they have a chance to change that image this week against the one-loss Blue Valley Northwest Huskies.

9. SM South (3-6): The Raiders of 2009 were definitely the best team Brandon Claypool has put together thus far as the head coach at SM South.

10. SM North (2-7): How good, or bad were the Indians in 2009? It's hard to say, but at least they took care of business against the two opponents they should have beat.

11. Lawrence (1-8): A collective sigh from LHS alumni could be heard around Lawrence, KS after the Chesty Lions punched in their game winning touchdown in overtime.

12. Leavenworth (0-9): Leavenworth finished without a win, but their last loss to Lawrence could have gone either way.

Game Scores and Notes

Week Nine Game Results

Olathe North 48, Olathe South 7

No, Olathe South didn't exactly "lay down and die" in their final game of the season. Rather, Olathe North took their own game to another level in their final tune-up before the start of the playoffs. Simone Award favorite James Franklin ran the ball 20 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the all out domination. The 168 yards pushed Franklin's career total for rushing yards to 5,038--the 5,000 yard plateau has only been accomplished by one other Olathe North play, Darren Sproles. Franklin will need 192 yards to break Sproles all-time rushing mark of 5,230 yards.

Olathe East 20, SM South 13

It wasn't necessarily the flashiest way to qualify for the playoffs, but the Hawks from Olathe East got the job done. SM South's Johannes Swanepoel put the Raiders up 3-0 in the first quarter with a 31 yard field goal, but Olathe East would respond. Touchdowns by Carter McEntee and Hayden Groves (below) helped Olathe East gain a 14-6 halftime advantage. They held the lead throughout the rest of the game.

Lawrence Free State 35, Olathe Northwest 14

Down 21-0, with little time remaining the first half Olathe Northwest's Cullen Phillips returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to move the Ravens within 14. On the ensuing kickoff Free State's Keene Niemack returned a kick of his own 82 yards to the house to push the lead back to 21. It was that kind of a night as the two teams battled for the district crown. Ultimately, Olathe Northwest never appeared to have an answer for Free State who was led by Kirk Resseguie's 182 rushing yards and touchdown.

Lawrence 13, Leavenworth 6 (OT)

For awhile it looked like neither team was going to collect a win for the season. A 26 yard touchdown pass from Chris Gaston to Taylor Coleman tied the game at 6 all in the fourth quarter, before Lawrence botched the extra point attempt. With the teams deadlocked at the end of the fourth quarter the game went into overtime. Lawrence's Tyrae Jenkins--one of the lone bright spots the team has had all season--punched in a touchdown to give Lawrence a touchdown advantage. Leavenworth failed to score giving LHS it's first victory of 2009.

SM Northwest 28, SM North 12

Neither team could qualify for the playoffs, but that didn't stop the game from being an all out battle. SM Northwest's John Hauk was the top dog for the Cougars rushing the ball 36 times for 221 yards and two touchdowns. For SM North, quarterback Ryan Goodburn completed 20 of 37 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown. In the end the battering attack of Hauk and the Cougars was enough to claim the Hula Bowl title for 2009.

SM West 28, SM East 12 (Thursday Night Game) (All Star Video Sports Highlights)

SM East had several big surges throughout the game, but ultimately the Vikings were able to hold their composure and collect the W. SM West's Will Livingston had touchdown runs of 6, 47, and 90 yards, the last of which crushed any hopes the Lancers had at mounting a fourth quarter comeback. SM West, now 8-1, was eight points from an undefeated regular season, while SM East made a huge turnaround after starting 0-3. Both teams will be making appearances in the 6A state playoffs starting next week.

Playoff Notes

Regional playoff matchups for Class 6A are as follows:

East

Olathe North (9-0) vs. SM East (4-5)

Lawrence Free State (7-2) vs. Olathe East (6-3)

Blue Valley Northwest (8-1) vs. Olathe Northwest (4-5)

SM West (8-1) vs. Blue Valley (3-6)

West

Manhattan (9-0) vs. Maize (3-6)

Wichita Heights (5-4) vs. Wichita South (5-4)

Wichita Northwest (7-2) vs. Derby (6-3)

Dodge City (7-2) vs. Topeka (6-3)

Sunfower League Extra

Top Five Player Ratings

1. James Franklin, running back, Olathe North: Despite only receiving one carry in the second half of his team's win over Blue Valley West, Franklin managed 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. That brings his season total to 1,759 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns.

2. DJ Balazs, quarterback, SM West: Balazs rushed for a touchdown and threw for another in helping SM West to collect their seventh win of the season. With the victory Balazs reached 20 career victories as the starting quarterback at SM West.

3. Camren Torneden, quarterback, Lawrence Free State: Torneden (below) had another stupefying game on Friday. He first carry of the game--a 71 yard touchdown run--set the tone for the contest. He totalled 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns on runs of 27, 52, and 71 yards. Through the air he completed three of four passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.

4. Brandon Willingham, running back/defensive back, Olathe East: Willingham continued his dominant play rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. The 159 rushing yards brings his season total to 901.

5. Hayden Groves, running back, Olathe East: Groves makes his first appearance on the list after quietly becoming the top rusher not named James Franklin in the Sunflower League. On Friday he ran the ball 22 times for 166 yards and three touchdowns. His season total now sits at 946 rushing yards.

Honorable Mention: Kirk Resseguie, Lawrence Free State; Tanner Dutton, Olathe South; Tre Walker, Olathe North; Matt Nowak, SM Northwest; Josh Lemke, Olathe Northwest

Week Seven Power Rankings

*Power Rankings are subject to change on a week-to-week basis

**See previous post for commentary on Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (8-0)

2. Lawrence Free State (6-2)

3. SM West (7-1)

4. Olathe East (5-3)

5. Olathe South (4-4)

6. Olathe Northwest (4-4)

7. SM East (4-4)

8. SM Northwest (4-4)

9. SM South (3-5)

10. SM North (2-6)

11. Lawrence (0-8)

12. Leavenworth (0-8)

*Stats will be posted as soon as they come in.