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 41, Wichita Heights 37

Olathe South's Jordan Ward scored a late go-ahead
touchdown on a run of 41 yards.  Photo courtesy
the Wichita-Eagle.

Kansas Class 6A State Championship

Olathe South 41,
Wichita Heights 37

You would be hard pressed to ever witness a high school football game as exciting as what took place in the 6A State Championship between Olathe South and Wichita Heights on Saturday in Topeka.  It could go down in Kansas high school football history as one of the greatest games of all time.

With just minutes remaining the fourth quarter Olathe South was faced with a 4th down and 10 in their own territory.  If they didn't convert the first down the game was virtually over. 

Olathe South snuck Matt Elliott out of the backfield on a wheel route towards the sideline and quarterback Frankie Seurer found him with a perfectly timed pass.  Elliott caught the ball and raced 24 yards, converting the first down and putting Olathe South in great position to score. 

Two plays later Jordan Ward took a handoff up the middle, broke through the Wichita Heights line of defense and dashed 41 yards for a touchdown.  He was hit at the five yard line but he managed to drag the defender to the goal line where he made a staggering reach for the endzone, resulting in a touchdown and an Olathe South lead.

Wichita Heights received the ensuing kickoff with just over 40 second remaining in the game, but they were unable to drive down the field and score.  The loss broke their 25-game winning streak.

The scoring explosion began when Olathe South's Teddy Colbert took a handoff and raced untouched 63 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter.  Wichita Heights wasn't able to corral the ensuing kickoff, and Olathe South recovered the ball near the Wichita Heights 10-yard line.  However, Wichita Heights' defense stood tall and forced an Olathe South field goal, which went wide left.

The miss gave Wichita Heights the ball at their own 20-yard line.  They responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive which was capped off with a two-yard touchdown run from Marquel Moore.

On the ensuing kickoff Olathe South did just as Wichita Heights had done previously, fumbling the kickoff and turning the ball over to Wichita Heights deep in their own territory.  A few plays later Jon Wilcoxson took a toss 15 yards for a touchdown to give Wichita Heights a 14-7 lead.

Unfazed, Olathe South drove down the field on their next possession and capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run from Ward.  Olathe South missed the PAT, however, and trailed 14-13.

Wichita Heights looked unstoppable on their next drive, completing several long passes and dominating with their run game.  They scored when Moore took a pitch and went 25 yards untouched for a touchdown.  The score gave Wichita Heights a 21-13 lead.

Before halftime Olathe South compiled another long drive which ended with a one-yard touchdown run from Ward.  A toss play to Colbert on the two-point conversion attempt looked like a sure thing, but he was stuck at the one-yard line by Wichita Height's Chris Martin, resulting in no points.  At halftime Wichita Heights led 21-19.

Wichita Heights came back early in the second half with a vengeance, driving the length of the field in no time on their first possession.  A toss to Moore looked like a sure touchdown, but an Olathe South defender jarred the ball loose just before he was able to cross the goal line.  The ball squeaked through the back of  the endzone resulting in a touchback, and Olathe South ball.

Two plays later Ward scored his third touchdown of the game when he took a dive carry straight through the heart of the Wichita Heights defense and raced 83 yards for a touchdown.  A toss play to Elliott on the two-

point conversion was successful, and Olathe South led again, 27-21.

It was at this point in the game that Wichita Heights nearly made their kill-strike.  Quarterback Matt Reed completed a 42-yard pass to Moore which put Wichita Heights in the redzone.  Several plays later Reed punched in a touchdown from a yard out.  Wichita Heights botched the extra point, which left the game tied at 27.

Olathe South's Taylor Sheffield stripped Wichita Height's
Marquel Moore of the ball just before Moore was able to
cross the goal line early in the fourth quarter.  Photo cour-
tesy the Wichita-Eagle.

Olathe South regained possession, but then gave it right back when Ward fumbled the ball in Olathe South territory.  Two plays later Kenneth Iheme took a pitch six yards for a touchdown.  The successful PAT gave Wichita Heights a 34-27 lead.  At this point Wichita Heights was looking unstoppable.

Olathe South was forced to punt on their next possession.  Wichita Heights drove down the field in no time and came within one yard of a touchdown.  Moore took a toss and as he was about the cross the goal line when Olathe South's Taylor Sheffield laid a hit that caused him to fumble.  Olathe South recovered the loose ball at their own one-yard line.

Right on cue with the scoring in this game, Seurer dropped back and found a wide open Drew Johnson on a fade route on the first play of the drive.  Johnson caught the ball in stride and raced 99-yards for a touchdown.  The score tied the game at 34.

Wichita Heights started their next drive with poor field position at their own eight-yard line, but they still managed to drive 88 yards to the Olathe South four-yard line before being stopped on third down.  Wichita Heights converted a 25-yard field goal from David Hoyer, gaining a 37-34 lead with just minutes remaining in the game.

Several plays later Seurer found Elliot on the wheel route, as Olathe South went on to win their first state championship in the program's history. 

Box Score

Wichita Heights (12-1) 14 7 13 3 — 37

Olathe South (12-1) 7 12 8 14 — 41

OS—Colbert 63 run (Douglas kick)
WH—Moore 2 run (Hoyer kick)
WH—Wilcoxson 15 run (Hoyer kick)
OS—Ward 2 run (miss kick)
WH—Moore 25 run (Hoyer kick)
OS—Ward 1 run (run failed)
OS—Ward 83 run (Elliott run)
WH—Reed 1 run (miss kick)
WH—Iheme 7 run (Hoyer kick)
OS—Johnson 99 pass from Seurer (Douglas kick)
WH—Hoyer 25 FG
OS—Ward 41 run (Douglas kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing—Heights, Moore 21-196, Iheme 11-96, Wilcoxson 7-96, M. Reed 18-89, C. Reed 2-3, Byrd 1-9. Olathe South, Ward 27-263, Colbert 6-84, Wilbur 4-12, Seurer 6-10, White 1-4, Elliott 5-(-2).

Passing—Heights, M. Reed 3-4-86. Olathe South, Seurer 4-5-183-0.

Receiving—Heights, Moore 1-42, C. Reed 1-24, Iheme 1-20. Olathe South, Johnson 2-129, Magott 1-30, Elliott 1-24.

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.

Sub-State Preview: Olathe East at Olathe South

Much of the Sub-State game will be riding on whether or
not Olathe East's defense has what it takes to step up and
stop Olathe South's vicious run game.  Photo courtesy the
 Kansas City Star.

Olathe East (9-2) at Olathe South (10-1)
Where: ODAC
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Spread: Olathe East +5.6

Players to Watch

Olathe East
As has been the case all season, Olathe East will do about as well as their running backs perform.  Running backs John Kelsh and Kendall Kelly have both topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark, while Hayden Frazier is a reliable third back to add to the attack.  Junior Williams is mostly known for his defensive prowess where he leads the SL in interceptions with seven, but he also has the ability to make a big play on offense evidence by his 51-yard touchdown run last week against SM West.

Olathe South
Running back Jordan Ward has been a dominant figure all season but he's taken his game to another level in the last three weeks (one of those games came against Olathe East).  He has the confidence to run against Olathe East's defense and he'll get his fair share of carries.  Fellow running back Teddy Colbert will also get his touches, as it was his 60-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Olathe East defense in week nine which set the tone for the Olathe South victory.  You also can't discount junior quarterback Frankie Suerer.  He's passed for over 1,300 yards this season and he has a knack for completing big passes after defenses get lulled to sleep stopping the run.

Historical Stat
Generally speaking, the best Olathe games in the past ten years or so have come when these teams were each facing Olathe North, not one and other.  The last time these two schools met up in the playoffs was in the Sectional Round of the 2007 playoffs.  Olathe East had won the regular season contest, 35-14, but Olathe South took home the victory in the playoffs winning 21-17.  The victory helped propel the Falcons to a 6A state championship game appearance that year. 

I also remember the 2005 regular season finale between these two being a pretty hyped game.  Both squads were undefeated.  Olathe East was led by quarterback Derek Miller while Olathe South relied heavily on the leadership of their quarterback, Brady Croucher.  Olathe East just had too much speed to burn in that game, as they came away with a 28-14 victory, and eventually made it to the 6A state championship game.

What to Expect
When these two teams met up in week nine it was certainly more of a "do-or-die" situation for Olathe South.  Not only did they need to win to make the playoffs, but they also had to win by 13 points.  Olathe South led 7-6 at halftime, and then they put together a big second half, scoring 29 more points and holding Olathe East to just two more touchdowns, winning 36-18.  Needless to say, the scenario has changed in this game and it's do-or-die for both teams.  Not to say Olathe East didn't play their hardest in week nine, but I think we'll see a game that's much closer throughout.

If Olathe East is going to come out on top this time, it's going to start with the core of their defense.  The Hawks' have been weak up the middle all season long.  Olathe South was able to take full advantage of this deficiency last time around.  As you move outside the Olathe East defense gets stronger, led by and outstanding secondary of Williams, Kelly, and Marcus Banks.  But Olathe South isn't going to live by the pass.  They're going to run straight at Olathe East, and if the Hawks can't contain the rushing attack it's going to be a long night.

When Olathe East has the ball they're going to be running out of their modified three back formation, a sort of Power-I + 1 look.  The Hawks have had success with it throughout the season, but it's been shut down against team's that load the box and have outstanding linebacker personnel--see Olathe South.  The Falcons' linebacking corps, led by Remington Whitley and Chase Hanson, showed the ability to stuff the Olathe East running game in week nine, and they will be relied on to do the same again.

I feel this game is matching up the two best 6A teams on this side of the state and I'm excited to see the outcome.  It's incredibly challenging to beat a top team twice, but it just seems that Olathe South has that extra moxy they may need to carry them the distance.  Moreoever, the winner of this game won't be able to celebrate for long, as Wichita Heights (a 28.4 point favorite over Derby) very likely awaits in the 6A state championship.

Head to Head Stat Comparison

Olathe East

Passing Yards
John Blazevic: 794 yards, 7 TDs

Rushing Yards
John Kelsh: 1,154, 12 TDs
Kendall Kelly: 1,077 20 TDs
Hayden Frazier: 423, 6 TDs

Receiving Yards
Chad Johnson: 638, 6 TDs
DJ McCray: 100

Tackles
Junior Williams: 63
Nathan Guthrie: 55
Matthew Baltimore: 52

Interceptions
Junior Williams: 7
Marcus Banks: 4
Sam McReynolds: 2

Olathe South

Passing
Frankie Seurer: 1,355, 11 TDs

Rushing
Jordan Ward: 1,244, 16 TDs
Teddy Colbert: 885, 8 TDs
Matt Elliott: 356, 3 TDs

Receiving
Drew Johnson: 581, 6 TDs
Matt Elliott: 483, 3 TDs
Teddy Colbert: 114

Tackles
Remington Whitley: 144
Dylan DeVries: 108
Chase Hanson: 99

Interceptions
Matt Elliott: 4
Greg Fry: 3
Drew Johnson: 3
Remington Whitley: 3

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

6A East Sectional Round Review

Olathe East head coach Jeff Meyers, center, has led his
team to another Sub-State round, the program's fourth in
its last ten seasons.

The Good

**It looks as if the Sub-State matchup on this side of the state is truly a pairing of the top two teams.  While upsets along the way are always fun, there's no writing off either of these teams as "lucky."

**The 6A East representitive in the title game will be from the Sunflower League for the... well it's been this way for as long as we can remember. 

The Bad

**For the non-Olathe schools, that is: there hasn't been a non-Olathe representitive in the Sub-State game since 2008, and only three of the 10 6A East Sub-State reps since 2006 from the SL have been of the non-Olathe distinction.

The Ugly

**Neither of the Sectional Round games were very competitive, and that really points to an overall lack of strength in the league this season.

Sectional Round Player of the Week

Jordan Ward, Olathe South: SM East had virtually no answer for Ward, as he carried the ball 26 times for 290 yards and five touchdowns.  Ward has scored nine touchdowns in the Falcon's last three games and he's making a run at being the league's lead rusher when all is said and done.

The 6A Remaining Four

1. Wichita Heights (11-0): These Falcons boast a 24-game winning streak and have three players with over 1,000 yards rushing to boot.  They've scored over 40 points in 10 of their 11 games, and they've pitched five shutouts.

2. Olathe South (10-1): Olathe South has just seemed like a team destined to make it to the title game all season long.  This Friday will be the toughest test yet as they attempt to beat Olathe East for the second time in four weeks.

3. Olathe East (9-2): Olathe East really had no problem taking down SM West once the Hawk offense got rolling.  They were handled pretty badly in week nine against Olathe South when they had little motivation for a victory, but this time around it's all on the line.

4. Derby (7-3): The Panthers pulled a major upset taking down an undefeated team from Manhattan last weekend.  It's going to take that type of effort, times about 10 for Derby to pull the upset of Wichita Heights this Friday.

6A East Sectional Recaps

Olathe East 46, SM West 16

Olathe East's Junior Williams set the tone early when he
scored on a 51-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star.

At one point midway through the first half it looked like this game had a chance of being a pretty good one.  Olathe East had scored two touchdowns, one on a 51-yard run from Junior Williams and then another on a one-yard run from quarterback John Blazevic.  SM West had chipped in a 31-yard field goal from Mark Whitrock and a eight-yard touchdown run from Brett Sterbach.  The game sat at 13-10 in the second quarter when Olathe East decided to blow the doors off.

First, Kendall Kelly broke loose and took a carry 41-yards for a touchdown.  That was followed up by a 22-yard touchdown run from John Kelsh which gave Olathe East a 27-10 lead.  Seconds before halftime, fullback Ryan Woodson broke loose on what looked like yet another touchdown score, but he fumbled on his way to the endzone.  Olathe East offensive lineman Matt Gorby was in the right place at the right time, collecting the fumble and racing four yards for the touchdown.  It was that kind of day for Olathe East, as they led 34-10 at the half.

The Hawks added a five-yard touchdown run from Kelly in the third quarter, and a one-yard touchdown run from Hayden Frazier in the fourth to go up 46-10.  SM West's final score came late when Sterbach added a three-yard touchdown run.

Olathe South 55, SM East 42

Talk about an offensive showcase--you know it's bad when a team scores 42 points and still loses by double digits.  But that's what we had on Friday night, as Olathe South once again beat SM East in the playoffs, this time earning themselves a Sub-State appearance.  The most telling statistic of the game was Olathe South's 51 rushes for 534 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

The Falcons set the tone early scoring three rushing touchdowns to start the game to jump to a 21-0 lead.  The rushing scores came on runs of 74, six, and 38 yards, the first and last courtesy of Jordan Ward, and the middle the product of Frankie Suerer.  SM East answered with a drive and a three-yard touchdown run from Adam Lowe, to make things 21-7.  However, Olathe South came right back in the first quarter adding another Ward touchdown run from four yards out. 

In the second quarter SM East actually outscored Olathe South 14-7, with their two touchdowns coming on a four-yard pass from Dakota Collins to Elliot Faerber, and a 26-yard pass from Collins to Connor Rellihan.  Olathe South's touchdown came from--who else--Ward again, this time from 24 yards out.  Olathe South had a comfortable 35-21 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter Olathe South scored two touchdowns, the first when Drew Johnson picked off a Collins pass and took it 58-yards to the house, and the second on a three-yard scamper from Seurer.  Collins found Faerber later in the quarter on a 23-yard touchdown strike to make things 48-28.  SM East would add two more touchdowns on short runs from Lowe, but they weren't able to get an closer, as Olathe South tacked on one more fourth quarter score to keep a comfortable lead.

6A East Sectional Game Previews

Olathe East's Hayden Frazier, center, is one of the Hawks'
three top running backs.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City
Star.

SM West (7-3) at Olathe East (8-2)
Where: CBAC
Spread: Olathe East +10
Last Meeting: Olathe East won 28-21 in week five

Who to Watch For

SM West
The Vikings have found that the more Joel Spiller and Brett Sterbach carry the ball, the higher chances of success they have in winning football games.  Both players have come on exceptionally strong as the season has progressed and it will take a big effort from both to pull the upset tonight.  A wildcard? While Ricco Hopkins hasn't had his numbered called in too many big situations this season, he does have as good of breakaway speed as any player in the league once he gets into open field.

Olathe East
Playing Olathe East should come with the disclaimer "DO NOT throw the football at their cornerbacks."  Their two primary corners, Junior Williams and Marcus Banks, have feasted on quarterbacks to the tune of 11 interceptions this year.  On the offensive side of the ball, the Hawks will run the football until they literally no longer can.  The only game we've seen Olathe East truly struggle with running the football was in their week one loss at Olathe North.  Without a run game, the Hawks had to rely on an average passing game and they looked lost throughout the night.  However, shutting down the Olathe East run game is easier said than done.

Historical Stat
Since Tim Callaghan took over as head coach at SM West in 2003 this has become a sort of pseudo out-of-district rivalry.  The teams have met seven times since the 2003 season, with Olathe East holding a slight 4-3 edge with wins coming in 2003, '05, '07 and this season.  SM West's wins in the rivalry have come in 2004, '06 and '09.

What to Expect
Let's see, since Olathe East beat SM West 28-21 in week five, the two teams have combined to go 9-1 overall.  For SM West it was that loss that sparked their current five-game winning streak.  Meanwhile Olathe East has only fallen once, against Olathe South.  Both teams are performing at a high level at this juncture in the season and it has the makings of a very high quality football game.  Also, an important thing to keep in mind is that SM West's fanbase travels as well as any team in the Sunflower League.  They will pack their side of CBAC and the homefield advantage will be limited for Olathe East.

Olathe South (9-1) at SM East (6-4)
Where: SM North District Stadium
Spread: Olathe South +1.7
Last Meeting: Olathe South won 29-21 in week four
Live Video Feed and Broadcast: SM East Harbinger

Who to Watch For

Olathe South
When the going gets tough Olathe South tends to focus more and more on their stable of running backs.  Their primary ballcarrier is Jordan Ward, who has gone over the century mark in rushing yards this season.  Fritz Wilbur, Teddy Colbert, and Russell White also carry the ball and all have shown the ability to be a top running back if their number is called on,.

SM East
SM East quarterback Dakota Collins is going to be looking to pass to his two primary wide receiver targets, Elliot Faerber and Connor Rellihan, all night.  Combined, those two have over 1,400 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches.  They make up the most dynamic quarterback to receiver combo in the league and now that Faerber is healthy the trio has really taken off. 

Historical Stat
I find it interesting that these two teams have once again found a way to face off in the playoffs.  In 2005 SM East was a major underdog against the Falcons but they actually gave Olathe South a pretty game, before coming up short 16-7.  Last season SM East was the favorite over Olathe South when the teams matched up in Regionals, but Olathe South pulled a 28-24 upset.  Needless to say, SM East is probably tired of bowing out in the playoffs in close games to Olathe South.

What to Expect
Olathe South has struggled at times this season against the spread offense.  SM East primarily runs the spread offense.  While the Falcons are still favored because of their strong rushing attack (that has seemingly befuddled every opponent this season) they certainly will have their hands full trying to shut down the Lancers.  The game is being broadcast live by SM East's Harbinger staff and the video to that broadcast is linked here.  It was a close game earlier in the year when these two met up and the same should be expected tonight in this game.

Kansas 6A East Regional Recaps

The Olathe South defense made life miserable for the LHS
offense all Friday night.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence
Journal World.

Olathe South 37, Lawrence 14

It was going to take a stellar effort on the defensive side of the ball for Lawrence to win this game, but Olathe South didn't let that happen.  The Falcons came out on their first offensive possession of the game and capped off an eight-play drive with a four-yard touchdown run from Fritz Wilbur.  Lawrence sent out Tyrone Jenkins to man the quarterback position, but after they had little success with that they gave the reins to Brad Strauss.  On his first drive at quarterback, early in the second quarter, Strauss marched Lawrence 80 yards down the field capping things off with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Cleavinger.  The touchdown tied the game at 7 early in the second quarter.

Olathe South made some in game adjustments, including increased pressure on the injured Strauss, and the results were dynamite.  The Falcons reeled off three straight touchdowns on a 33-yard run from Wilbur, a 36-yard pass from quarterback Frankie Suerer to Matt Elliott and a 31-yard run from Elliott with just over a minute remaining in the first half.  Olathe South led 25-7 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter Strauss aggravated his ankle when he was tackled, effectively removing him from the game for good.  Olathe South capitalized with a 22-yard touchdown pass on their next drive from Seurer to Drew Johnson, to gain a 32-7 lead.  Early in the fourth quarter Olathe South tacked on another touchdown on a 24-yard run from Jordan Ward.  Lawrence's final touchdown of the season came on a four-yard run from Isaiah Ross in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. 

SM West 52, Leavenworth 7

SM West was clearly ready to get their playoff win drought out of the way.  Taking advantage of playing Leavenworth in the first round of the playoffs, the Vikings led 31-0 at halftime, and rolled to a 45-point victory.  The Vikings scored first when Armani Williams capped off a drive with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.  Joel Spiller added a 43-yard touchdown run, which was followed up with a four-yard touchdown run from Brett Sterbach.  Before the half was over Williams found Andre Maloney on a 51-yard touchdown pass to make things 28-0.  Kicker Mark Whitrock added a 33-yard field goal before halftime to make things 31-0.

In the third quarter SM West scored touchdown on runs of 42 and 54 yards from Sterbach and Ricco Hopkins, respectively.  Leavenworth's lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Judson Cole was able to sneak in a touchdown run from 15 yards out.  SM West closed things out with a six-yard touchdown run from Juanaye Stallings.

Olathe East 40, Olathe Northwest 23

Olathe Northwest's late-season run ended when they dug themselves into a first half hole that they weren't able to climb out of.  Olathe East struck early on a 30-yard touchdown run from John Kelsh in the first quarter to go up 6-0.  Olathe Northwest countered early in the second quarter on a 27-yard field goal from Riley Adam to make things 6-3.  That was as close as the Ravens would come in this one.  Olathe East broke open the game with three consecutive touchdowns from Kendall Kelly, Kelsh and quarterback John Blazevic, all on touchdown runs of less than 10 yards.  Cornerback Junior Williams added two first half interceptions that helped to shut down Olathe Northwest, and at halftime Olathe East led 27-3. 

Olathe Northwest played a good second quarter, scoring a touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Dalton Rook to Willie Cauley and holding Olathe East scoreless.  The Hawks still led by 17 at 27-10 entering the fourth quarter, however.  Olathe East began the fourth quarter scoring on a three-yard run from Kelly to go up 34-10, and basically put things out of reach.  Olathe Northwest's Connor Middleton scored on a five-yard touchdown run to pull the Ravens back within 17, but Olathe East's Hayden Frazier returned the ensuing onside kick 56-yards for a touchdown.  Middleton scored once more for the Ravens late in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard touchdown run, but it wasn't nearly enough.

SM East 38, SM Northwest 21

Like the other three winners, a strong first half from SM East set the tone en route to their sixth victory of the season.  A Jeff Cole touchdown run from two yards out gave SM East an early 7-0 lead.  Later on in the first quarter Dakota Collins found Logan Rose on a 35-yard touchdown pass which extended the lead to 14-0.  SM Northwest answered with an eight-yard touchdown run from Austin Vanderpool to make things 14-7, midway through the second quarter.  SM East was able to get on the board one more time before the half when Collins found receiver Connor Rellihan on an 80-yard touchdown pass.  The Lancers led 21-7 at the half.

SM East extended their lead to 28-7 in the third quarter when Cole scored on another short touchdown run.
SM Northwest made things a bit more interesting, scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run from Danny Manning which made things 28-14, but they were never able to get closer than 14.  SM East's Jake Libeer scored next on a 35-yard touchdown run to make the score 35-14.  SM Northwest's final answer came when Colton Dirks found Manning on a 21-yard touchdown pass.  SM East closed things out with a 32-yard field goal from Sean Luenz.

Regional Round Playoff Preview

Jason Randall and Leavenworth will try to pull the
upset this weekend against SM West.  Photo courtesy
the Leavenworth Times.

Leavenworth (2-7) at SM West  (6-3)
Where: SM South District Stadium
Spread: SM West +31.3
Last Meeting: SM West won 41-14 in week six

Who to Watch For

SM West
SM West's success will be largely based on how well their two best skill position players, Brett Sterbach and Joel Spiller, perform against the Pioneers.  Both players have been key to the Vikings recent four game winning streak.  At quarterback, Armani Williams has 18 starts under his belt, including 13 victories.  The more composed he is this time around in the playoffs the better the Vikings should do.

Leavenworth
The Pioneers get the majority of their offensive production from the trio of running back Jason Randall, quarterback Mark Dabeck and Judson Cole.  The Pioneers are led by second-year head coach Kevin Kopecky who experienced a good deal of success in the playoffs while he was head coach at St. Thomas Aquinas throughout the 2000s.

Historical Stat
SM West's last playoff victory came against Lawrence Free State in November of 2006, despite the fact that they've made the playoffs three times (not including this year) since 2006.  For Leavenworth, this is the first time the program has qualified for the playoffs in over 15 years.

What to Expect
A monkey off SM West's back.  No really.  SM West's early exit playoff losses the past three seasons have hampered the perception of the football program, despite the fact they they averaged eight wins during the regular season in that time frame.  With six wins this season, the Vikings should by all means be in line for win number seven against an undermatched Leavenworth unit.  A loss here by the Vikings would be an upset.

Olathe East (7-2) at Olathe Northwest (5-4)
Where: CBAC
Spread: Olathe East +17
Last Meeting: Olathe East won 44-20 in week four

Who to Watch For

Olathe Northwest
The Ravens are an offensive juggernaut, with a plethora of weapons at their disposal.  The most notable of those weapons is the 6-foot-10 wide receiver, Willie Cauley.  With over 1,100 yards receiving, Cauley leads the state of Kansas is receiving yardage.  He also has 14 touchdown receptions to boot.  Throwing the passes is quarterback Dalton Rook, who leads the league in passing yardage and touchdowns.  Running back  Connor Middleton has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season and gives the Ravens a big threat out of the backfield.

Olathe East
The Hawks have a strong enough offensive and defensive prowess to carry them to the title game, if things work in their favor.  On the offensive side of the ball the three-headed rushing attack of John Kelsh, Kendall Kelly and Hayden Frazier exists as the primary force in the Hawks offensive attack.  Defensively, bookend corners Junior Williams and Marcus Banks have combined for eight inteceptions on the season and make passing at Olathe East a nightmare.

Historical Stat
Olathe Northwest has never won a playoff game, but they have previously qualified for the playoffs twice, in 2006 and 2009.  Olathe East on the other hand has qualified for the playoffs in every season since 2002.

What to Expect
Olathe Northwest is as hot as any team in the Sunflower League right now, while Olathe East is coming off an 18-point loss at the hands of Olathe South.  This has the makings of a great game, but for Olathe Northwest to hang with the Hawks they must step it up on the defensive side of the ball.  If not, Olathe East will simply use their power rushing attack to notch win number eight on the season.

Lawrence (6-3) at Olathe South (8-1)
Where: ODAC
Spread: Olathe South +5.7
Last Meeting: Olathe South won 33-22 in week two

Who to Watch For

Olathe South
The Falcons are a hard team to place a finger on because they have so many players who contribute to the cause.  You could start with running back Jordan Ward, who's big game last week propelled Olathe South to a playoff berth.  He's joined in the backfield by fellow running backs Teddy Colbert and Fritz Wilbur who have all made big contributions.  Frankie Seurer, Matt Elliot and Drew Johnson round out the offensive playmakers.  Defensively, linebacker Remington Whitley may be the top defensive player in the league.

Lawrence
The Chesty Lions' quarterback Brad Strauss was injured last week and did not play.  If Strauss is still unable to go this Friday, the quarterback duties may rest in the hands of running back Tyrone Jenkins, who filled in at the positon last week.  Lawrence also features top-flight receivers Anthony Buffalomeat and Erick Mayo, both of whom have been known to cause opposing defenses headaches.

Historical Stat
The last time these two teams met with any real significance was in the Sectional Round of the 2005 playoffs.  Both teams were 9-1 at the time.  Olathe South had won the regular season matchup, but Lawrence took the cake in the playoffs, winning by a score of 21-10.

What to Expect
It's going to be tough for Lawrence to claim another victory running the pseudo-Wildcat formation that they installed last week.  If Strauss doesn't play, you can bet that Olathe South will load the box with eight or nine defenders on every play to shut down the one dimensional Chesty Lions.  Lawrence's defense played great last week at Free State, but Olathe South is a whole different animal when it comes to their offensive sets and how they attack you on the ground. 

SM East (5-4) at SM Northwest (4-5)
Where: SM North District Stadium
Spread: SM East +10.8
Last Meeting: SM East won 28-3 in week one

Who to Watch For

SM Northwest
The Cougars haven't showed a whole lot on the season, but they do have some decent playmakers capable of making this is a good game.  Danny Manning leads the team from the running back position and he'll be leaned on heavily in this contest.  Jake Horner is the Cougars best big-play threat, and he'll need to play a big game for SM Northwest to have a shot at the win.

SM East
A healthy SM East team has as many weapons as any team in the league.  Quarterback Dakota Collins will be passing the ball to his top two receivers, Elliot Faerber and Connor Rellihan, and handing off to the team's top two running backs, Jeff Cole and Adam Lowe.  Assuming there aren't any unreported injuries, this could be just the second week of the season in which the core of the SM East roster is healthy (by week 10 standards that is).

Historical Stat
SM East's emergence as a competitive unit in the Sunflower League is, in many ways, tied to their successes over SM Northwest.  In 2009 SM East captured a breakthrough win when they defeated a favored SM Northwest team 13-12 in district play.  The win propelled the Lancers to the playoffs.  In 2010 SM East started off their magical 8-2 run with a 24-0 shutout of the Cougars, and they began this season with a 28-3 victory over SM Northwest.  Needless to say, SM Northwest would love nothing more than to pull another first round upset the way they did last season.

What to Expect
SM East is favored to win this game, but you can't count out the Cougs.  Last year SM Northwest rounded out the regular season with three straight wins--it seemed that was simply attributable to their easy district... that was until they upset SM West in Regional play, then took Olathe East down to wire before losing in Sectionals.  SM East certainly cannot afford to overlook SM Northwest.

Sunflower League Extra

Olathe South's Jordan Ward found his way
into the Top 5 Player Ratings after yet
another outstanding performance.  Photo
courtesy the Kansas City Star.

Final Top 5 Player Ratings

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Nine Stats: Did Not Play

Strauss was on the sideline with a boot around his ankle following his week eight injury.  The question remains, will he be able to play this Friday against Olathe South?  The Chesty Lions can run without Strauss, but they'll need his passing ability against the Falcons.

2. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Nine Stats: 3 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD

Cauley closed out the regular season by not only helping his team to make the playoffs (by beating a rival), but also committing to play basketball at Kentucky.  It's been a good season for the top statistical receiver in the state of Kansas and we'll see if that carries over into the playoffs.

3. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Nine Stats: 22 carries, 106 yards

Guild went out rather quietly, putting up his "typical" 100+ yards rushing effort.  He wasn't able to score in his final game, but it doesn't taint that fact that he had a tremendous season which saw him lead the Sunflower League in rushing yards with 1,641 yards on 199 carries.

4. Connor Middleton, Running Back, Olathe Northwest
Week Nine Stats: 29 carries, 332 yards, 6 TDs; 1 passing TD; 8 tackles

Middlton makes his first appearance in the Top 5 Player Ratings after a phenomenal week in which he combined to score seven touchdowns.  He's been a playmaker all season long, and his 21 touchdowns lead the league.  He also ranks among the top ten in total tackles in the league.

5. Jordan Ward, Running Back, Olathe South
Week Nine Stats: 19 carries, 232 yards, 2 TDs

With Ward's effort on Friday he went from not being ranked among the league's top ten rushers (statistically), to ranking sixth overall.  Expect his rushing totals to continue to increase as Olathe South isn't looking like an easy out in the playoffs for any team.

Honorable Mention: Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Treshawn Root, Olathe North; Kyle McFarland, Free State; Tyrone Jenkins, Lawrence; Kendall Kelly, Olathe East; John Kelsh, Olathe East; Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Connor Rellihan, SM East; Mason Perez, SM North.

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 1,667, 18 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1,554, 11 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 1,265, 12 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 1,234, 17 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 1,159, 9 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 1,032, 6 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 921, 8 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 850, 5 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 805, 13 TDs
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 756, 7 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 1,641, 12 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 1,209, 19 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 1,034, 5 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 978, 11 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 971, 9 TDs
Jordan Ward, Olathe South: 847, 10 TDs
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 826, 17 TDs
Jason Randall, Leavenworth: 822, 11 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 783, 7 TDs
Brett Sterbach, SM West: 767, 4 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 1,140, 14 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 692, 9 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 677, 12 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 626, 5 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 636, 4 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 607, 12 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 600, 6 TDs
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 553, 5 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 519, 4 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 512, 5 TDs

Tackles
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 116
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 114
Alex Forslund, SM South: 89
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 89
Dylan DeVries, Olathe South: 87
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 87
Chase Hanson, Olathe South: 83
Colin McCarty, SM North: 83
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 82
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 81

Interceptions (Based on return yardage)
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 5
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 5 (1 TD)
Marcus Banks, Olathe East: 4
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 4
Junior Williams, Olathe East: 4

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Teddy Colbert, Olathe South: 1 KR TD
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 1 PR TD
Matt Elliott, Olathe South: 1 KR TD, 1 PR TD
Andy Hiett, SM East: 1 PR TD
Jake Horner, SM Northwest: 2 KR TD
Quint Kelby, SM Northwest: 1 PR TD
Avery Parker, Olathe Northwest: 1 KR TD
Mason Perez, SM North: 3 KR TD, 1 PR TD
Taylor Sheffield, Olathe South: 1 KR TD
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1 KR TD
Troy Wilkins, SM East: 1 KR TD
Junior Williams, Olathe East: 1 KR TD

Field Goals
Mark Whitrock, SM West: (8/11)
Anthony Rosen, Lawrence: (6/7)
Jorge Rivero, Olathe North: (3/7)
Dainan Swoope, SM South: (2/2)
Jared Douglas, Olathe South: (2/3)

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Week Three Preview

SM West's defense must play well for the Vikings
to have a decent shot at upending Olathe North. 
Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World.

Olathe North (2-0) at SM West (1-1) (Thursday Night Game) at SM South District Stadium

Tim Callaghan spent years as an assistant at Olathe North before taking the head job at SM West and that always adds a little flavor to this matchup. Callaghan is 2-3 in games against his former school, the most recent of which was a 29-22 loss in week one of last season. While Olathe North looks loaded once again, SM West is off to one of their roughest starts in years. The Vikings' youth is proving to be quite a hurdle thus far, and the only way to really overcome that is by playing more games. This contest will be televised on KC Metro Sports.

Olathe South (2-0) at Leavenworth (0-2) at Leavenworth

Olathe South is on a roll and they will be looking to continue their hot-streak against winless Leavenworth. There’s no official word on the status of Falcon running back Jordan Ward, but his replacement Russell White performed well last week and Ward’s absence shouldn’t be a major cause for concern.  Leavenworth will be looking to feed off the energy of their hometown crowd in attempt to finally collect a victory.

Lawrence Free State (1-1) at SM South (0-2) at SM South District Stadium

This game looks like a pairing of two fairly even teams in terms of talent and experience. Free State captured a win last week against Leavenworth, while SM South lost in two overtimes to Olathe Northwest. Obviously a win is more highly regarded, but you could make a case that both teams performed about equal last week. With Olathe North on the horizon in week four, it would be huge for SM South to snag a win here because an potential 0-4 start would be a poor reflection of how the Raiders have performed this season.

SM Northwest (0-2) at Olathe Northwest (2-0) at CBAC

Which Northwest is best? Thus far the Olathe version has been playing some pretty good football. SM Northwest’s defense will be in for a tough test as they try to slow down Olathe Northwest’s offense which is averaging 448.5 yards per game, good for second overall in the league. The Ravens’ Willie Cauley, at 6-foot-10, will be, literally, the biggest challenge for the Cougar defense. SM Northwest played better overall against SM West but they’ll need to put together a complete game effort this time around if they want to stop the losing.

SM East (1-1) at SM North (1-1) at SM North District Stadium

SM East quarterback Dakota Collins is out with a broken ankle and will likely miss around six weeks of action. His backup, Nick Pirotte, played very well in the second half against Olathe East last week and will be taking the reins while Collins is injured. The question that comes to mind is this: if Pirotte plays well in Collins’ long absence, does Pirotte stay on as the starter when Collins returns from his injury late in the season? That question won’t be answered for weeks, but it’s something to keep in mind. Both teams have strong passing games and it could be a good aerial showcase.

Game of the Week

Lawrence (1-1) at Olathe East (1-1) at ODAC

Neither one of these teams is as bad as a 1-2 record, but one of them will have that distinction following their game on Friday. Lawrence started hot against SM West, but then made some costly mistakes against Olathe South that handed them their first loss of the year. For Olathe East game one against Olathe North wasn’t pretty, but they made a huge jump last week taking out SM East. Last season Lawrence pulled one of the biggest upsets of the year in this matchup, knocking off Olathe East at home by a score of 27-21.

Thursday Report

Lawrence Free State's Kyle McFarland.  Photo courtesy
the Lawrence Journal World.

Week Two Matchups
All game times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

Olathe Northwest (1-0) at SM South (0-1) (Thursday Night Game) at SM South District Stadium

Olathe Northwest had one of their most impressive offensive performances in school history last week, highlighted by Willie Cauley's four touchdown receptions and Connor Middleton's 187 rushing yards (good for tops in the league in rushing).  The Ravens will try to keep their offensive prowess going against SM South who is coming off of a six-point loss that went down to the wire.

Leavenworth (0-1) at Lawrence Free State (0-1) at Lawrence Free State

Neither of these teams could have been happy with their week one performances as both were handily defeated.  Free State juggled quarterbacks in week one, trading off between Joe Dineen and Kyle McFarland.  The two combined for 142 passing yards and two touchdowns, but neither one necessarily outperformed the other, which means we'll probably see another quarterback rotation in week two.  As for Leavenworth, the team really has nothing to lose.  Judson Cole performed well in week one but it's going to take a team effort for the Pioneers to start winning. 

SM North (1-0) at Olathe North (1-0) at ODAC

Olathe North, once again, looks like the proverbial top dog in the Sunflower League.  In week one the Eagles rushed for 357 yards on 53 carries, and totalled 462 yards of total offense in a 29-14 victory over Olathe East.  The Eagles did give up 198 yards passing on defense, however, and if SM North has a shot in this game it's going to be through the air.  Last week SM North's quarterback, Ryan Theis, passed for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

Lawrence (1-0) at Olathe South (1-0) at CBAC

This game should be a fun one to watch.  Both team's confidence levels are sky high as both played very well in week one.  All eyes will be focused on Lawrence's quarterback Brad Strauss to see if he can continue the dominance he displayed in last week against SM West when he combined for 311 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.  Meanwhile, Olathe South's offensive combo of Jordan Ward and Teddy Colbert will be working to make a name for themselves as one of the Sunflower League's top one-two punches.

SM West (0-1) at SM Northwest (0-1) at SM North District Stadium

You could probably say these two clubs, based on their program's history and expectations, had the two most forgettable week one performances.  SM West was wiped out by Lawrence, 35-12, while SM Northwest displayed one of their most anemic performances in the last few years in a 28-3 loss to SM East.  SM West will especially be hungry for a victory, as they head to play at Olathe North in week three, and a potential 0-3 start to the season in nearly unheard of in Viking country.

Game of the Week
Olathe East (0-1) at SM East (1-0) at SM South District Stadium

After looking fairly pedestrian in week one, Olathe East will be looking to bounce back against the team that took their slot in the Power Rankings.  The Hawks cringe at the thought of an 0-2 start, but due to the most challenging two-game strech of any team in the Sunflower League, it remains a possibility.  SM East has loads of confidence heading into this game after they dominated SM Northwest 28-3 last Thursday.  Dakota Collins' transition into the Lancer's starting quarterback position went smoothly as he passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns--but this will be Collins first big test as the starter.

Week One Review

Lawrence High's Charles Jackson. Ph-
oto courtesy the Lawrence Journal W-
orld.

Three Up

Lawrence
LHS played one of their most impressive games of the past several years in a 23-point route of their traditionally high ranked Sunflower League foe, SM West.  The quarterback/running back combo of Brad Strauss and Charles Jackson looked lethal.

Olathe Northwest
A win is a win is a win is a win.  Olathe Northwest is undefeated, for now, with a chance to push their record to 2-0 against a SM South team who is undergoing a transition period.

Olathe South
The Falcons blew by Lawrence Free State with ease, and in the process they seem to have found a solid replacement to Nick Sands in running back Jordan Ward.

Three Down

SM West
The Vikings usually fair well in their season openers, but not this time around.  The team's inexperience was clear as day in their loss to Lawrence and they looked lost throughout much of the second half.

Olathe East
Aside from two long-bomb touchdowns from John Blazevic to Chad Johnson, the Hawks offense looked fairly inept, especially in the run game where they only managed 16 yards on the ground in the first half.

SM Northwest
The Cougars, like SM West, broke in quite a few new starters Thursday--and it showed.  After one week of play the team doesn't appear to have the playmaking talents of the past few seasons.

Week One Players of the Week

Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: Cauley has scholarship offers from Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, and Kansas State--in basketball that is.  Rivals.com has Cauley ranked as the the 39th best high school basketball prospect in the class of 2012.  For now however, Cauley's efforts will be spent helping Olathe Northwest on the gridiron.  In week one he had eight catches for 122 yards and four touchdown in his team's victory over Leavenworth.  At 6-foot-10, he will be a nightmare for opposing defenses in redzone situations all season long.

Chad Johnson, Olathe East: Johnson emerged on the scene big time in week one for the Hawks, catching eight passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.  Olathe East fell short in the game, 29-14, but had it not been for Johnson's heroics the final score would have been much more lopsided.  Johnson will be a player to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Brad Strauss, Lawrence: In his first game as a junior, the talented quarterback completed 22 of 27 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to running the ball 14 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns.  His 311 yards of total offense and four touchdowns were as good of numbers as we've seen from a quarterback in this league since a fellow named Camren Torneden.  Strauss' efforts led Lawrence to a 35-12 victory against SM West. 

Week Two Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (1-0): The running back combination of Orange Mooney and Treshawn Root is going to be tough for any team to handle.

2. SM East (1-0): The Lancers no-huddle offense will confuse defenses and make stopping SM East through the air extremely challenging.

3. Lawrence (1-0): The Chesty Lions have a plethora of speed and talent on their roster and if they continue to play the way they did in week one they'll be tough to stop.

4. Olathe East (0-1): The Hawks will need more production from their running backs if they want to repeat last year's success, and it doesn't get any easier in a week two trip to play SM East.

5. Olathe South (1-0): The Falcons have the benefit of starting the season off with two home games and a 2-0 start to the season would be huge.

6. SM West (0-1): The Vikings have quite a few things to work on, but their game this week against SM Northwest will be a good opportunity to get things flowing in the right direction.

7. Olathe Northwest (1-0): A win against Leavenworth doesn't necessarily warrant a two spot jump up the rankings, but the Ravens played much better than the next two teams on the list.

8. Lawrence Free State (0-1): The Firebirds haven't settled on a quarterback yet and it will be hard for the team to settle in on many wins until that decision is made.

9. SM Northwest (0-1): The Cougars showed little in their 25-point loss to SM East and the offense is going to have to step up or it could be a long season.

10. SM North (1-0): The passing combination of Ryan Theis to Mason Perez was exciting in week one and the Indians looked solid in their victory.

11. SM South (0-1): The Raiders had a good showing in week one, despite the loss, but they'll face far tougher competition than SM North from here on out.

12. Leavenworth (0-1): The Pioneers will rely heavily on quarterback Judson Cole for production, however, they need more players to step up to be competitive.