Gourley, Sherman Win Awards

SM East Head Coach
Chip Sherman.

While no player in the Sunflower League took home an individual honor at the Simone Award ceremonies on Tuesday, two of its coaches did. 

SM East head coach Chip Sherman was awarded the Nathan Stiles Inspiration Award after leading the Lancers to a 6-5 record and Sectional berth, despite battling cancer and enduring continuous chemo therapy sessions throughout the season.

Olathe South head coach Jeff Gourley was named the Kansas Coach of the Year after leading the Falcons to a 12-1 record and their first state title in school history.

The other awards were given out as follows:

The Simone Award - Evan Boehm, Lee's Summit West

Buck Buchanan Award- Evan Boehm, Lee's Summit West
Bobby Bell Award- Travis Britz, Harrisonville
Otis Taylor Award - Tre' Parmalee, Bishop Miege
Kimble Anders Unsung Hero Award - Julius Foster, Lincoln Prep; Carlos Reams, Lincoln Prep
Missouri Coach of the Year - Fred Bouchard, Staley
Gordon Docking Media Award - Dion Clisso, Prepskc.com

Sunflower League Elite Eleven Teams - 2011

Before you jump into my second addition of the Sunflower League Elite Eleven, there are a few things to take note of.  First off, I expanded the list to two teams this year.  The Elite Eleven is sort of my First Team, and the Second Eleven is like my Second Team.  It was hard narrowing it down to my top 22 players, let alone the top 11 the way I did last season.

Secondly, I expanded to included defensive lineman on this list, however, I once again did not include offensive lineman.  The reason?  Quite honestly there's too much effort that would have to go into evaluating offensive lineman to come up with a fair and objective group that would fit into these two teams. 

Like I've always said, the best way to evaluate the top offensive lineman in the league is to look at the Coaches All-Sunflower League Team.  The coaches are the ones who evaluate the lineman on a weekly basis and their knowledge of who's best is going to be more accurate that anything you could pick up from going to the games on Friday nights or watching reruns on Metro Sports. 

And lastly, the players are not listed in any particular order, so throw that out if you thought you were on to something.  The Coach of the Year is also listed at the bottom of the Elite Eleven team.

The Elite Eleven

Sunflower League Most Valuable Player

Jordan Ward, Senior – Olathe South

Rushing Stats: 201 carries, 1,740 yards, 23 TDs

Talk about coming out of nowhere and going out with a bang. Ward’s final carry as a high school football player was a 41-yard touchdown run on a dive play that gave Olathe South the lead in the 6A state championship game with just under a minute left. Olathe South held on for the victory, and Ward will forever be remembered for that play.  His offensive line opened up a running lane for the first ten yards, but the next 31 were all on Ward, as he cut back across the middle of the field before dragging a defender for five yards in to the endzone.

Ward’s final five game this season could go down as some of the best numbers we’ve seen in league history. His rushing totals, from week nine through the state championship in week 13 were as follows: 232, 107, 290, 233 and 263 yards, respectively, and his touchdown totals in each of those games were 3, 1, 5, 3 and 4, respectively. That means in the final five games of the year Ward combined to rush for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns—against the best competition Class 6A had to offer.

He would have been a shoe-in to break the 2,000 yard rushing barrier had an early season injury not kept him out of several games, as he averaged 9.5 yards per carry for crying out loud. Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 180 pounds, Ward didn’t necessarily stand out walking off the bus, but he proved his worth with his late explosion—and his game-winning play late against Wichita Heights will go down forever in Olathe South lore.

Offensive Player of the Year

Brad Strauss, Junior – Lawrence

Passing Stats: 117-of-178, 1,554 yards, 11 TDs
Rushing Stats: 85 carries, 707 yards, 11 TDs
Return Stats: 1 Kick Return TD

In his seven and half games of action, Strauss accomplished more statistically than most players do in a career. Not only did he lead the Sunflower League in combined offense with 2,261 yards, but the fact that he accomplished it in so few games is incredible. Just in case you don’t know the story, Strauss started on offense, defense and special teams throughout the season, and push finally came to shove in week eight when he suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter against Olathe Northwest. He didn’t play in week nine, and he only played for a quarter against Olathe South in the Regional Round of the playoffs.

Nevertheless, he had an outstanding season—one of the best we’ve ever season from one player. In each of the seven games in which he was healthy he put up at least 254 yards of total offense. While he didn’t finish out the season the way he would have wanted to, he’ll be back at the helm for the Chesty Lions in 2012, and with a loaded roster returning it could be another brilliant season for Strauss.

Defensive Player of the Year

Remington Whitley, Junior – Olathe South

Defensive Stats: 162 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Nearly every state championship team has a player that you can point to as the heart and soul of the defense. For Olathe South that was Whitley. He converted to the middle linebacker position this past offseason after having played outside linebacker previously.

The move inside worked well, as he led the Sunflower League in tackles from start to finish, not to mention helping Olathe South claim the state title. Whitley was excellent in run support, and his pass defense skills weren’t far behind. His four interceptions tied him for fourth place among league leaders in the category. The scary thing is that Whitley (like Strauss) is only a junior and he’ll be back as an even more improved player in 2012.

Willie Cauley, Senior – Olathe Northwest

Receiving Stats: 64 catches, 1,265 yards, 15 TDs

I had heard rumors in the off-season that Cauley was going out for football but I was a bit skeptical of how well a skinny 6-foot-10 basketball player turned wide receiver would do. Was he fast enough? Did he have good hands? How would he handle getting jarred by defenders? Well, Cauley answered all of those questions by putting up arguably the best season we’ve seen out of a Sunflower League receiver in the last decade.

It all started in week one when he recorded 122 receiving yards and four touchdowns against Leavenworth. From there on out the kid was a machine putting up big receiving totals week in and week out. In a year in which we saw a general shift from league teams to the pass, it was Cauley who stood out as the league’s most consistent receiving threat. Cauley committed to play basketball at Kentucky in week eight, so his dominant senior season on the gridiron won’t be the last we see of the rare 6-foot-10 athlete.

Kendall Kelly, Senior – Olathe East

Rushing Stats: 212 carries, 1,222 yards, 22 TDs
Defensive Stats: 53 tackles, 1 fumble recovery

Kelly really experienced a resurgence in his senior year of football. We had high hopes for the talented running back/defensive back after he capped off a tremendous sophomore season at SM North. However, as a junior, he had a forgettable season for the Indians and more or less fell off the map.

Kelly transferred to Olathe East and it was probably the best thing for him. After a relatively slow start to the season, he picked up steam and became the Hawks go to back in redzone situations, evidence by his 22 rushing touchdowns. He was also a valuable piece of the Hawks’ talented secondary. For Kelly, we always knew he had the talent to be among the league’s best, but it just took the right setting for that to happen.

Junior Williams, Senior – Olathe East

Defensive Stats: 66 tackles, 7 interceptions, 1 forced fumble
Return Stats: 1 Kick Return TD

It’s fair to say that Junior Williams lived up to the standards laid before him by his two older brothers, former Olathe East greats Dorian and Derahn. Junior was arguably the league’s top cornerback this year, and his best game came against Olathe Northwest in the Regional Round of the playoffs. Junior had the challenging task of covering Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest’s 6-foot-10 behemoth wide receiver who led the league in receiving. Junior picked off three passes and held Cauley to one of his least productive games of the season.

Kyle McFarland, Junior – Lawrence Free State

Passing Stats: 88-of-162, 1,265 yards, 12 TDs

Rushing Stats: 135 carries, 783 yards, 7 TDs

Defensive Stats: 20 tackles, 3 interceptions

Most people didn’t know about McFarland heading into this season—and rightfully so. He hadn’t done much on varsity as a sophomore, and he hadn’t even won the starting quarterback job. It would take a few weeks, but the talented junior finally took the reins of the Free State offense full-time in week three.

He lived up to the standards of the past four Free State quarterbacks admirably, combining for over 2,000 yards of total offense, 19 touchdowns and even gaining a reputation as one of the top defensive backs in the league. We’ll get to see and hear about McFarland all of next season since he is just a junior, but the kid has one heck of a season to reflect back on in his first year as the starting quarterback.

Tanner Gentry, Senior – Olathe North

Receiving Stats: 35 catches, 677 yards, 12 TDs
Return Stats: 1 Punt Return TD
Defensive Stats: 36 tackles, 4 sacks

The one thing Olathe North seemed to lack this season was consistency. They began the season 5-0 and ended it 0-4. If you watched them statistically, it was literally a roller coaster ride on a week-to-week basis. However, the one thing that did stay consistent at Olathe North was the talented Gentry. Before the season Gentry’s name was being thrown around quite a bit due to the stellar junior season he had as a defensive end. While he had another impressive year on the defensive side of the ball, it was his receiving efforts that really gained everyone’s attention.

He started things off with a three-touchdown night against Olathe East in week one and those types of efforts continued as the season went along. While things didn’t shake out the way Gentry and his teammates would have wanted regarding making the playoffs, it certainly wasn’t because of a lack of production from Gentry.

Connor Middleton, Senior - Olathe Northwest

Rushing Stats: 204 carries, 1,275 yards, 21 TDs

Receiving Stats: 23 catches, 200 yards, 2 TDs
Defensive Stats: 99 tackles

Elite wrestlers translate well on the football field. Just take a look at how past Sunflower League greats Justin Dyer of Olathe South, and Josh Carroll and Lucas Vincent of Olathe North did on the gridiron after dominating the mats. You can add Middleton to the list.

While short in stature, Middleton was anything but short in ability. He scored more touchdowns than any player in the league during the regular season and he had an uncanny ability to fill a stat sheet. Middleton’s highlight moment came in week nine when he carried the ball 29 times for 332 yards and six touchdowns, in addition to passing for one score. He scored four consecutive touchdowns in the second half and his efforts helped Olathe Northwest to beat the highly favored Olathe North in the game.

Mason Perez, Senior – SM North

Receiving Stats: 24 catches, 607 yards, 12 TDs
Return Stats: 3 Kick Return TDs, 1 Punt Return TD
Defensive Statistics: 54 tackles, 1 interception

If you were looking for a game breaker you had to look no further than SM North’s Perez. After leading the Sunflower League in interceptions as a junior with six, Perez came back as one of the league’s top returning defensive players, but it was actually his offensive game that earned him the most attention as a senior.

Not only did Perez combine for 16 touchdowns, but seven of those touchdowns came on plays of 40 yards or longer. His defensive game wasn’t anything to look past either. Teams rarely threw the ball his way, and he was excellent in run support recording over 50 tackles.

Gabe Guild, Junior– SM South

Rushing Stats: 199 carries, 1,641 yards, 12 TDs

Receiving Stats: 18 catches, 216 yards, 2 TDs
Defensive Stats: 22 tackles, 1 interception

Guild was a workhorse back for SM South in his junior season. Not only did he lead the Sunflower League in rushing yards during the regular season, but he also made contributions as a receiver out of the backfield and on defense.

Guild’s highlight of the season was in week five when he toted the rock 30 times for 342 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most rushing yards a running back had put up in the league in years and it embodied Guild’s work effort and determination as much as anything.  SM South didn't win many games, but Guild seemed to produce no matter the circumstances.

Coach of the Year

Jeff Gourley, Olathe South

This was one of the easiest choices of any of the picks I had to make.  Gourley coached Olathe South to a 12-1 record and the 6A state championship, the first state title in the program's history.  The Falcons also won the Sunflower League outright for the first time in school history. 

In his first year at the helm at Olathe South in 2008, Gourley won just three games.  The following year the team won four games.  Last season Olathe South made a late run and finished with seven wins.  This year, Gourley's fourth at the helm, the program reached heights that had not yet been seen in its history (no pun intended).  What's more, Olathe South returns a loaded roster in 2012, and Gourley and Co. will be the favorites in Class 6A to repeat as champions. 

The Second Eleven

Elliot Faerber, Senior – SM East

Faerber would have made a much larger impact for SM East had he not been forced to juggle catching passes from different starting quarterbacks or had to deal with several nagging injuries. He still had a solid year catching 60 passes for 764 yards and six touchdowns.

Connor Rellihan, Junior – SM East

Rellihan had an outstanding year catching 48 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’ll be one one of the top returning Sunflower League wide receivers in 2012, and the SM East offense will certainly cater to his abilities.

Dalton Rook, Senior – Olathe Northwest

Sure, it helped he had Willie Cauley to throw to, but Rook did outstanding in his one year as the starting quarterback. In the nine games he started he completed 157 of 253 passes for 1,968 yards and 19 touchdowns—leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns.

John Kelsh, Senior – Olathe East

After a decent junior season, Kelsh came back as a stud senior for Olathe East, rushing 170 times for 1,269 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 7.5 yards per carry average wasn’t too shabby either. He was key in Olathe East’s second consecutive Sub-State appearance.

Orange Mooney, Senior – Olathe North

Say what you want, but Mooney was one of the top running backs in the league this season. He carried the ball 162 times for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 18 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. Mooney could have benefited from another year in Olathe North’s system but he put up great numbers in his one year as an Eagle.

Teddy Colbert, Senior – Olathe South

In open field Colbert may have been the fastest play in the Sunflower League.  He carried the ball 97 times for 1,126 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he also caught six passes for 114 yards.  Colbert's rushing average of 11.6 yards per carry meant he averaged a first down, and then some, every time he took a handoff.

Matt Elliott, Junior – Olathe South

Elliot was a multi-purpose nightmare and he’ll be returning to wreak havoc next year. He carried the ball 66 times for 389 yards and three touchdowns, caught 24 passes for 561 yards and three touchdowns, and defensively he recorded 33 tackles and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Frankie Seurer, Junior – Olathe South

I took some crap for doing a Player Spotlight on Seurer in the preseason, but he sure made me look good. Seuerer passed for 1,634 yards and 12 touchdowns, not to mention going 4-of-5 for 183 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown pass to Drew Johnson in the 6A state title game, which Olathe South won.

Matthew Baltimore, Senior – Olathe East

Baltimore earned much more attention from offenses following his impressive junior year and commitment to play at Northern Illinois, but he still did very well. He totaled 63 tackles, 10 quarterback hurries, four sacks and four fumble recoveries and he was a defensive stalwart for the Hawks.

Jason Randall, Sophomore– Leavenworth

Randall was Leavenworth’s top player, toting the ball 145 times for 833 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. Randall will return in 2012 as Leavenworth’s top player.

Alex Forslund, Senior – SM South

Forslund was an outstanding player for SM South on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he completed 36 of 96 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns, and he carried the ball 137 times for 548 yards and 12 touchdowns. On defense he made 89 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and forced two fumbles.

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Olathe South vs. Wichita Heights - State Championship Preview

Olathe South (11-1) vs. Wichita Heights (12-0)
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Yager Stadium at Washburn University, Topeka
Spread: Wichita Heights +30.7

What's at Stake
With a win, Wichita Heights will collect their second consecutive 6A state championship, in addition to keeping their current 25-game winning streak alive.  For Olathe South, the program would finally claim a state title after losing in their past three state championship appearances.  A win by Olathe South would also mark the first time since 1995 that a Sunflower League team besides Olathe North won a state championship.

Championship History
As was mentioned, neither one of these programs is new to the state championship game.  Wichita Heights made their first appearance in the 6A title in 2009, where they were manhandled by Olathe North 37-3.  They returned the favor to the Eagles in 2010, dispatching Olathe North 48-14 to claim their first ever state championship in football. 

Olathe South's first state championship appearance
came in 1999 against Garden City.  Olathe South lost
the game, 14-7.

This is the fourth time in the past 13 years that Olathe South has found its way into the 6A title game, but the first time they've done so under head coach Jeff Gourley.  The Falcons are looking to make this the first time they finish the game with the win.  In 1999, hotshot junior quarterback Travis Jackson (who passed for 2,700 yards and 17 touchdowns that season) led Olathe South to a big defeat of Olathe North--the proverbial favorite and three-time defending state champions--in district play, and all the way to the title game.  They faced a Garden City team that had played in and lost the title game the previous year, and Garden City had just enough to slow down the Falcon attack as Olathe South lost 14-7. 

Olathe South put together a wild run to the title in 2004.  Coming off a 2-7 season in 2003, they reeled off a 10-2 record on their march to the state title game in 2004.  They faced Hutchinson in that game--a team that had lost in the 6A title game the previous year--and lost, 30-13.  Hutchinson went on to win four straight 6A titles, including beating Olathe South in the 2007 championship.  Morale of the story?  Olathe South has never faced a "newbie" in the title game, and that doesn't change this year.

What to Expect
It's debatable whether or not Wichita Heights is as talented this year as the they were last season, when they ran all over Olathe North in the title game, thanks much in part to Dreamius Smith.  This year they have benefited from an easy Wichita City League schedule and their performance last week against Derby was hardly a thing of beauty.  However, two things are for sure--they keep finding a way to win every game, and they'll have more speed on their roster than any team Olathe South has faced all year.  How Olathe South handles that speed remains to be seen, but it will be key in determining whether Olathe South is able to win or even keep up in this one.

Is Olathe South a team of destiny?  In some ways they seem to be.  They've overcome two major hurdles this season.  The first was in week four when starting defensive back Zach Sheffield suffered a ruptured kidney during the game against SM East.  Sheffield was hospitalized in the days of the injury, and those that followed.  Obviously his season and career were over.  Meanwhile his twin brother, Taylor, has gone on to play exceptionally well along with the rest of the team.  Certainly Zach has been a point of inspiration for the all of the Olathe South program.

It would also be dumb to overlook the Falcon's one and only loss of the season, which they suffered in week seven at the hands of Blue Valley Northwest.  The Huskies quarterback, Garrett Fugate exposed the Olathe South defense and put up seven touchdowns.  At 0-1 in district play there were doubts as to whether Olathe South would be able to overcome to bad start, but they did!  The rolled Blue Valley West and Olathe East in consecutive weeks to finish the season with the Sunflower League title, in addition to their first eight-win regular season since 2005.

It doesn't seem to matter what falls in the path of Olathe South, they just continue to answer the call.  They've certainly had their way with the Sunflower League this season going 10-0 against league foes, and they appear to be the best representative 6A East has to offer this time around.  Olathe South keeps knocking on the door of a state championship--is this the year they finally break through?  We'll find out on Saturday at a place where legends aren't generally born, but typically solidified.

Stat Comparison

Olathe South

Passing Yards
Frankie Seurer: 1,451, 11 TDs

Rushing Yards
Jordan Ward: 1,477, 19 TDs
Teddy Colbert: 958, 9 TDs
Fritz Wilbur: 408, 4 TDs
Matt Elliott: 391, 3 TDs
Russell White: 329, 7 TDs
Frankie Seurer: 160, 4 TDs

Receiving Yards
Drew Johnson: 585, 6 TDs
Matt Elliott: 537, 3 TDs
Teddy Colbert: 114

Tackles
Remington Whitley: 154
Dylan DeVries: 118
Chase Hanson: 107
Chris Wright: 96
Greg Fry: 89

Interceptions
Matt Elliott: 4
Remington Whitley: 4
Greg Fry: 3
Drew Johnson: 3
Taylor Sheffield: 2
Scott Gourley: 1
Chris Wright: 1

Wichita Heights

Passing Yards
Matt Reed: 490, 7 TDs

Rushing Yards
Marquel Moore: 1,310, 19 TDs
Matt Reed: 1,151, 19 TDs
Kenneth Iheme: 1,144, 18 TDs
Jon Wilcoxson: 400, 8 TDs
Toma King: 243, 2 TDs

Receiving Yards
Chris Reed: 245, 8 TDs
Kenneth Iheme: 233
Jon Wilcoxson: 127

Tackles
Chris Turner: 116
Skylar Gatson: 112
James Blackburn: 107
Trevor Wessel: 106
Aderio Ammonds: 84

Interceptions
Justis Moreland: 5
Skylar Gatson: 5
Jimmy Washington: 2
Chris Turner: 2
Chris Walker: 1
Charles Henderson: 1
Trevor Wessel: 1
James Blackburn: 1

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Olathe East vs. Olathe South Sub-State Recap

Olathe South 38, Olathe East 21

Olathe South running back Jordan Ward ran through the
Olathe East defense for three touchdowns.  Photo courtesy
the Wichita-Eagle.

For the second time in four weeks Olathe South came at Olathe East with a ferocious attack that the Hawks weren't able to handle.  This time around Olathe South had scored 38 points by the end of the third quarter and it was more than enough to earn the Falcons their fourth 6A state championship appearance since 1999.

Olathe South's Jared Douglas put up the first points for of the game when he hit a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.  Olathe South came back again early in the second quarter when they closed out a drive with a 12-yard touchdown run from Fritz Wilbur.  Trailing 10-0, Olathe East was able to get back into things when Hayden Frazier took a carry 26 yards for a touchdown.  Olathe South managed one more score on a 16-yard run from Teddy Colbert which gave the Falcons a 17-7 halftime lead.

The third quarter was when Olathe South separated themselves, much to the credit of running back Jordan Ward and some tremendous efforts on the offensive line.  Ward scored three consecutive rushing touchdowns on runs of 33, 39 and 45 yards.  The last of which gave Olathe South a 38-7 lead and the victory, by all means.  Olathe East didn't go out completely quietly.  Running back Kendall Kelly added two touchdowns on runs of 46 and two yards.  In the end, however, Olathe South sat comfortably with a 17-point lead as time expired.

With the win, Olathe South pushed their record to 11-1 on the season.  Olathe South will face the Falcons of Wichita Heights this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Yager Stadium, on the campus of Washburn University in Topeka.  Olathe East closed out their season with nine or more wins for the seventh time in nine years.

Notes and Comments

**Olathe South began the 2010 season 0-2 under Jeff Gourley.  Something must have clicked in week three that year, because since then the Falcons have won 18 of their 21 games, including four playoff victories.

**Is this finally the year that Olathe South gets that breakthrough win and claims their first 6A state title?  The Falcons have made it to the final round three times previously, in 1999, 2004 and 2007.  They lost a close one to Garden City, 14-7, in the 1999 title game.  In 2004 and 2007 they lost to Hutchinson. 

**I can't remember the last time a player has come on as strongly this late in the season as what we've seen from Olathe South running back Jordan Ward.  Talk about running with a reckless abandon.  His three touchdowns on Friday gave him a combined 10 touchdowns in the last four games, not to mention 862 rushing yards in that time span.

2011 Player Spotlights: Scott Gourley

Scott Gourley, number 76 above, will be key to how well
Olathe South's rushing attack operates this season.

Scott Gourley

Olathe South

Positions: Center, Defensive End

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 255 lbs.

Year: Senior

Stat to Note
Gourley was named a First Team All-Sunflower League offensive lineman following his junior season.

Scouting Report

Scott is the son of Olathe South Head Coach Jeff Gourley.  While it may seem like playing under your father would be a dubious role, Sunflower League players of past have actually done quite well.  Some notable coaches son's of the past 15 years or so include Olathe North's Brandon Wier and Mike McCall, Lawrence Free State's Michael and Brett Lisher, and Olathe South's Kyson Ginavan and Brad Gourley (Scott's older brother).

The fact of the matter is that coaches son's have done well in the SL and Scott has already added his name to that list.  As a junior he helped pave the way for Olathe South's rushing attack which averaged just under 285 yards a game and churned out over 3,000 rushing yards on the season.

With the loss of their top three running backs to graduation, Scott and company will be blocking for a completely new cast of backs in 2011.  While no team wants to break in all new ballcarriers, Olathe South can rest a little easier knowing they have number 76 in the middle of all the blocking assignments.

Aside from his duties on the offensive side of the ball, keep an eye on Scottt at the defensive end position.  Many colleges are recruiting him for defensive purposes, despite the fact that his most impressive work has come as a center.

Sunflower League Extra: Sectional Round Edition

Eli's First and Ten

1. The smack talk between the Olathe South and Olathe North folks has been pretty intense ... it would be interesting to see what level it would be at if Olathe North plays Olathe East (right) in the Sub-State round.

2. You can call SM Northwest this year's darkhorse. Who would of thought the Cougs would make Sectionals after their disappointing 0-3 start to the season?

3. The Sunflower League's top three rushing offenses still remain in the playoffs--this doesn't seem like a coincidence to me.

4. Adonis Saunders and Victor Simmons combined to rush for 339 yards and five touchdowns on 27 carries. Those totals equate to 12.5 yards per carry. Sickening numbers, regardless of the defense.

5. If this year's Sectional matchups look familiar there's a reason for it. In 2007 the Sectionals featured the exact same four teams. Olathe East, Olathe North, and SM Northwest all sat at 9-1, while Olathe South was 7-3. Who came out on top? The team with the worst record--the Olathe South Falcons who went on to lose to Hutchinson in the state championship game.

6. With their Regional victory Olathe East claimed their ninth win of the season. The nine wins marks the sixth time the Hawks have reached that win total in the past eight years, which is more than any other Sunflower League team during that stretch.

7. We're nearing the announcement of the 2010 Simone Award candidates. While Gardner-Edgerton's Bubba Starling seems to be the clear favorite at this point in time, watch out for a Sunflower League invite or two. Brandon Willingham (1,617 rushing yards and 21 TDs) will most certainly be in the discussion.

8. The player with the ability to impact a game the most? Perhaps that title belongs to SM Northwest's Kenny Mings. His prowess on offense, defense, and special teams made him a nightmare for SM West last week, and he could cause similar headaches for Olathe East.

9. During the summer Olathe South head coach Jeff Gourley predicted that Nick Sands would rush for 2,000 yards. Sands currently sits at 1,470 yards rushing (147 ypg), 530 yards short of that plateau. It's highly unlikely Sands will reach those numbers unless Olathe South makes it to the state title game--but we'll keep it in mind just in case.

10. The team with the most pressure to perform? It's either Olathe East or Olathe North. The Hawks hold the top seed and are playing a four-loss SM Northwest team, while Olathe North is working on defending a state title.

Stat Leaders (among those still playing)

Passing Yards

Stephen Mangelsdorf, SM Northwest: 1,345

Frankie Suerer, Olathe South: 424

Trent Kuhl, Olathe East: 376

Victor Simmons, Olathe North: 299

Rushing Yards

Brandon Willingham, Olathe East: 1,617

Nick Sands, Olathe South: 1,470

Adonis Saunders, Olathe North: 1,413

Victor Simmons, Olathe North: 1,268

Austin Fulson, Olathe East: 749

Jake Crist, Olathe South: 676

Receiving Yards

Kenny Mings, SM Northwest: 413

AJ Spencer, SM Northwest: 296

Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 276

Tackles

Tanner Ginavan, Olathe South: 112

Kyle Swartz, Olathe North: 96

Dylan Hanson, Olathe South: 93

Sam Todd, Olathe North: 79

Dylan DeVries, Olathe South: 77

Vince Gerstner, Olathe East: 76

Austin Fulson, Olathe East: 74

Greg Fry, Olathe South: 68

Interceptions

Kenny Mings, SM Northwest: 4

Taylor Sheffield, Olathe South: 3

Derec Olson, SM Northwest: 2

*SM Northwest player statistics do not include last week's game

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star

2010 Player Spotlights: Nick Sands

Nick Sands
Olathe South

Position: Running Back
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 180lbs.
Class: Senior

Stat to Note
Olathe South's spread offense restricted Sands' rushing totals as a junior, but his biggest game of the season came against SM East when he scored touchdowns in three different ways. A three yard run in the first quarter, and 82 yard kickoff return in the second quarter, and a 57 yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Scouting Report
While Sands isn't exactly a household name among returning Sunflower League running backs, he may be on track for a breakout season in 2010. Olathe South has been making the transition to more of a run based offense during the offseason, to better utilize the depth and talent the Falcons have returning on the offensive line.

What's more, Olathe South head coach Jeff Gourley was quoted by the Olathe News' Tod Palmer as saying "I’m going to boldly predict that he [Sands] rushes for 2,000 yards next year [2010]." The statement was very bold, especially considering the fact that Sands only received honorable mention honors last season for his efforts as a running back. On top of that, only four Sunflower League running backs have rushed for over 2,000 yards in the past 10 seasons (Sproles, Mack, Bouknight, and Franklin, all Simone Award winners).

But, confidence is huge in high school football, especially when it's coming from the head coach. Sands will get his fair share of carries, and running behind arguably the league's top returning offensive line will certainly help.

2010 Sunflower League Preseason Power Rankings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.