Week One Power Rankings

Olathe South's Russell White.  KC Star.

1. Olathe South (0-0): The Falcons are pumped to kick their season off with rival Olathe East.  Nothing would set the standard for 2012 like a great performance in week one from what could be the league's best team in the defending 6A state champ Falcons.

2. Lawrence (0-0): The Chesty Lions handled SM West pretty easily in week one last year.  Do the same this year and it will validate LHS, because we know SM West is going to be much improved from 2011.  More than anything LHS will be praying that the injury bug that has plagued them in recent years is gone.

3. Olathe East (0-0): Olathe East has won 12 of their last 13 season-opening games.  The Hawks will come prepared to win--the fact that the first game is against rival Olathe South just provides more incentive for the team.

4. Lawrence Free State (0-0): The Firebirds have spent the majority of their offseason practicing on turf but their first game will be on the grass at CBAC against Olathe Northwest.  I'm not expecting a change in the potency of the Kyle McFarland led offense, however.

5. SM West (0-0): The Vikings were embarrassed in week one at Lawrence last season, yet they still managed a solid seven-win season and Sectional berth.  You know they're chomping at the bit for a chance to dim LHS' preseason expectations, just a bit, early on.

6. Olathe North (0-0): Game One of the Gene Wier Era Part II is at a stadium (the new SM North District Stadium) that didn't exist the last time Wier was coaching at Olathe North.  It will be the first of many nuances around the league for the coaching legend.

7. SM East (0-0): There's nothing like taking on your rival in week one.  The Lancers will be dressed in all black and SM South in all white.  This will be Jordan Darling's first chance to make an impression on the league.

8. SM South (0-0):  See SM East.  The Raiders' schedule is manageable this year and nothing would get things started on the right foot like a victory against their rival.  That 95th Street border gets more and more intense with each student who transfers or is denied transfer, between the two schools.

9. Leavenworth (0-0): Leavenworth has preseason expectations for the first time in over a decade.  How the Pioneers do in the early part of their schedule (at SM North, SM South, SM Northwest) will be key.

10. Olathe Northwest (0-0): The Ravens will have to play to their strength, the offensive line, early on in 2012.  How effectively they can establish a run game to keep possessions away from Free State's offense could be essential in week one.

11. SM Northwest (0-0): The Cougars may be sitting very low in terms of expectations but the program is in good hands under new head coach Linn Hibbs and there's really no telling how soon they could possibly click and surprise us all.

12. SM North (0-0): The good thing about starting the season at the bottom of the Power Rankings is that there's only one way to go--up.  That's cliché but the Indians have a week one opponent in Leavenworth who they're familiar with and you know Dennis Grayless' team will come prepared for a dogfight.

Sunflower League 2012: Five Key Questions

Gene Wier has won six titles titles with ON.

How long will it take for Gene Wier to return Olathe North to dynasty form, if ever?

There's a few things to keep in mind with regard to Wier's return to the school that he established as one of the nation's top dynasties in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  First off, despite the rough 5-4 record this past season, Olathe North had all but returned to dominant form in the latter years of former head coach Pete Flood's tenure.

The Eagles went 10-2 in 2007, claimed a state title in 2009 going 13-0, and lost in the state title game in 2010 going 11-2.  For all intents and purposes, 2011 might have just been an enigma and you have to wonder about the kind of impact Flood's departure had on the Eagles' late-season collapse.  Were the players distracted by the rumors of Flood's possible exit?  Were there behind the scenes events taking place that detracted from success on the gridiron?  Ultimately, nobody knows the potential impact those events had.

While Olathe North doesn't return a ton of talent in 2012, the coaches could literally grab 11 kids from a gym class and find a way to go .500.  There's just too much talent at that school to not win big.  Really the only unknown is how long Wier plans on staying with the program before presumably retiring from coaching.  Remember, it took Wier 16 seasons before he finally captured his first state title with Olathe North in 1996. 

Even with an inexperienced offensive line, is Lawrence capable of winning a state title?

It's becoming cliche, but LHS will go as far as quarterback Brad Strauss is capable of taking them.  If he gets injured again the way he did late in 2011 then you can all but cash in LHS' title hopes.  And that's not a dig on their talent but rather a testament to the type of value Strauss adds to the team as a runner, passer and even defender.  LHS has plenty of talent at the skill positions surrounding Strauss and the offensive line will develop in time, but it's imperative that Strauss is consistently putting up 150-250 yards of total offense a game if the Chesty Lions plan on making it far into the playoffs. 

Will teams like SM South and Leavenworth actually be in contention for the league title?

I'm not sure either of these teams will be in position to compete for a league title, strictly speaking, but both should be vastly improved from 2011.  Leavenworth returns a ton of experience at seemingly every group on offense and defense.  SM South took some lumps last year by playing a ton of juniors and underclassman, but the move could pay tremendous dividends for the Raiders this season and into the future.  At the very least both teams each possess one of the league's top running backs.  Leavenworth's Jason Randall can basically be penciled in for 1,500 all-purpose yards and SM South's Gabe Guild will be aiming for that elusive 2,000-yard rushing mark.  At the high school level, especially in the Sunflower League having a big-time running back is going to win you a couple games.  But a couple isn't the number these teams are aiming for.

Who really is the best quarterback in the Sunflower League?

It's all about what you're looking for.  For dual-threat quarterbacks, you've got to go with Strauss or Free State's Kyle McFarland, both of whom have the potential for 1,000-yard passing and rushing seasons (in fact, barring injury, I'll be surprised if they don't both reach those marks).  The best pro-style quarterback in the league is SM East's Jordan Darling, hands down.  He displayed tremendous decision making and accuracy all summer in 7-on-7 events and those type of efforts generally translate well into the passing game.  For an all-around winner look no further than Olathe South's Frank Seurer.  He's won just under 80% of the games he's started during his time with the Falcons and he has an uncanny ability to make big plays and throw precision passes when the game is in its most crucial stages. 

Other thoughts as August 31st is now less than a week away?

I'm sensing a boom or bust type of season for Olathe East.  Either they win six or more games like they always do, or they really struggle to stay above .500.  Their lack of returning talent is a concern but I would still slot them as the #3 team in the preseason rankings.  You can't bet against Jeff Meyers when it comes to harvesting new talent during the offseason... SM West is flying under the radar but the Vikes have a chance to do some damage this year.  After a brutal four-game stretch to begin the season (at Lawrence, Free State, at Olathe North and at Olathe East) the Vikes should be favored to win their final five games and district.  Break even in the first four games and they're very likely looking at a solid 6-3 or 7-2 record heading into the playoffs... Olathe Northwest, SM North and SM Northwest all remain unknowns at this point in time. 

[Not So] Bold Sunflower League Predictions for 2012

Kyle McFarland.  Lawrence Journal World.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012 Player Spotlights: Frank Seurer

Frank Seurer.

Frank Seurer
Olathe South

Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs.
Year: Senior

Stat to Note
In last year's 6A state title game Seurer completed 4 of 5 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown, including a bomb that went for 99-yards burning the Wichita Heights secondary.

Scouting Report
Seurer seems to find a way to get the job done regardless of the circumstances.  When you watch him play there's not a whole lot that jumps out at you.  He's not physically imposing, he doesn't have an absolute cannon for an arm and he doesn't have Mike Vick's scrambling ability, but what he does have is a knack for winning.  And in his two years as the starting quarterback at Olathe South he's won as many big games as anybody.

Suerer put up what proved to be pretty gaudy numbers lat season compared to the rest of the league.  He completed 69 passes for a resounding 1,598 yards (an incredible 23.2 yards per competion average) and 12 touchdowns.  His passing yardage total ranked second in the league, while his passing touchdowns total tied for third most.

The competitive juices are going to be flowing for the right to the claim as the Sunflower League's best quarterback in 2012.  Brad Strauss and Kyle McFarland are roaming out in Lawrence at LHS and Free State, respectively, and meanwhile guys like SM East's Jordan Darling and Olathe East's John Blazevic look to be in for special years as well.  It's Seurer, however, that could quietly sneak up and grab the torch by the end of the season.  He's returning with two years of starting experience under his belt (including a 19-5 record as a starter) to quarterback the team with arguably the most returning talent in the league.  That's a pretty good recipe for success.

#SunflowerLeagueFootball #2K12

Olathe North's Gene Wier.

Believe it or not, the "quiet season" for high school football is actually nearing its completion.  The middle and end of May typically mark the beginning of the 7-on-7 season, which leads us through the summertime and into the start of practice in August.

Has it been a quiet offseason in the Sunflower League?  That would depend on who you ask.  We've had a highly touted transfer in Jordan Darling and the return of a coaching legend in Gene Wier to the school where he made his mark.  Besides that?  Yeah, it's been a quiet one.  While there are several seniors who are fringe FBS players in the league, only one senior (SM East's  Darling), to my knowledge, has confirmed an official offer from an FBS school.  I'll get to Olathe South's Braden Smith later...

But, not to worry.  Things will start heating up later this month and within a few short months we'll be looking at the start of the 2012 high school football season.  The forecast for the Sunflower League this year is an epic one.  In the meantime, feast your eyes on the Sunflower League Football Blog including player profiles, preseason rankings, recruiting news, prognostications and everything in between over the course of the next several months.  Here is a look at some of the early trends in the league.

2012 Big Men on Campus

Brad Strauss, QB, Lawrence, senior: The hype has been building for two seasons for Strauss and we'll see if the offensive, defensive and special teams threat can put together the final pieces of the puzzle as a senior.  Last season he ranked as my Offensive Player of the Year in the SL, but this season he's the early favorite for Most Valuable Player.

Remington Whitley, LB, Olathe South, senior: You'd be hard-pressed to find a linebacker anywhere in the Midwest who put up as solid of numbers as Whitley did as a junior.  He combined for 162 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks, not to mention helping Olathe South to win the 6A crown.

SM East's Jordan Darling.

Jordan Darling, QB, SM East, senior: I'm sure some of you cringed at the thought of SM East having one of the league's most hyped players to start the season--a transfer quarterback no less--but Darling is getting a lot of love from the media and the hype meter is booming in Prairie Village.

 Kyle McFarland, QB, Free State, senior: If you're keeping score at home you might want to note that McFarland put up numbers that were as good, if not better than Strauss last season.  The problem was he didn't gain the starting position until week three and his team didn't qualify for the playoffs.  In Free State's offense there's no telling how much damage he'll do this year--and oh yeah, he's also a stellar defensive back.

Braden Smith, DL, Olathe South, junior: Gigantor.  The Human-Man-Child.  Smith's early offer list includes Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, South Carolina, Stanford, Kansas State, Missouri and TCU.  His 425-pound bench press and 500-pound squat max are impressing the top college football programs in America and his offer list should only grow more impressive as he completes his junior season.

Gabe Guild, RB, SM South, senior: Coming off a season in which he combined for just under 2,000 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns Guild is primed for a huge year in 2012.  He's going to be a workhorse for the Raiders as they work towards their first winning record in over 14 seasons.

Frank Seurer, QB, Olathe South, senior: Let's make sure we don't forget about Mr. Seurer.  Last season he came out of nowhere to pass for over 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading Olathe South to the 6A title.  He could be the best quarterback in the league this year.

Top Stories in 2012

Chip Sherman Cleared of Cancer: SM East's legendary head coach underwent a vicious battle with stage-3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma starting last summer, and in February his cells were finally clear of the cancer after endless rounds of chemotherapy.  Sherman will undergo scans every 60 days for the rest of his life, but for now he has come out on top and we look forward to seeing what he does with the Lancers in 2012 and beyond.

Olathe South Seeks Second Straight Title: The Falcons return an absolutely loaded roster with the hopes of bringing home their second banner in as many years.  The league appears as though it will be more competitive on paper with at least seven teams looking like legitimate playoff contenders, but the Falcons are the prohibitive favorite for now.

Jordan Darling Transfers to SM East: Darling made headlines with his transfer to SM East after spending last season at Waco-Midway High School, in Waco, Texas.  He's a big kid with a great arm and he'll fit right in with SM East's pass-happy offense  In the meantime he'll be mulling a commitment to Kansas, his only FBS offer thus far.

Gene Wier Returns to Olathe North: The timing couldn't have been better for one of the state's most legendary coaches to return to the place where it all began.  Olathe North is coming off a 5-4 season in which, quite frankly, they underachieved as much as any team I've ever season. Wier won six state championships at Olathe North and he's likely just what the program needed.

Lawrence's Erick Mayo.

Semi-Early Top Three

1. Olathe South: The Falcons, coming off a 12-1 season in which they absolutely steamrolled the rest of the league, return over half of their starters including the aforementioned Seurer, Smith and Whitley.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

2. Lawrence: Last year's offensive coordinator, Mack Brown, left to take a Graduate Assistant job at Mizzou.  He had a great deal of influence in Lawrence's offensive dynamics last year, so we'll see if guys like Strauss, Erick Mayo and Tyrone Jenkins can keep it going in 2012 without Brown.

3. Olathe East: The Hawks under Jeff Meyers are kind of like the Kansas basketball program under Bill Self.  It doesn't matter who they lose to graduation, they're going to dominate the league and compete for a title.  I fully expect Olathe East to win another nine or 10 games in 2012, the way they always do.

Poised to Rise

SM South: The Raiders went 2-7 in their first season under head coach Ryan Lonergan, but they had several losses that went down to the wire and they did show positive signs with regard to coming together as a program.  This will be the first season in which Lonergan has actually had control of the program for an entire year.

Lawrence Free State: Free State was one of the few teams in a long time to go 6-3 and not qualify for the playoffs but they played in a loaded district and things didn't work out their way down the stretch.  With a solid roster returning in 2012 they could make a run in the playoffs.

Leavenworth: Yes, I know, Leavenworth.  But let's be honest, they did look better last season in year two under Kevin Kopecky, winning two games.  With one of the league's most athletic returning players in junior Jason Randall, the Pioneers could push for a .500 record this time around.

SM East's Connor Rellihan. KC Star.

Don't Forget About Us

SM West: The Vikings would be the kings of consistency if it weren't for Olathe East.  The program has had a winning record for eight straight seasons and finally overcame a pesky playoff hurdle, beating Leavenworth in Regionals last season. 

Olathe North: Gene Wier.  That's really all I need to say.  The ingredients on the Olathe North football program are fairly simple: The Best Combination of Athleticism and Size in Johnson County - just add water.  Or in this case, just add Wier.

SM East: I fully expect "Jordan Darling to Connor Rellihan" to be the proverbial saying anytime the Lancers face an opponent.  We'll see quite a few touchdowns through the air from SM East this season and if they can play a little defense you never know how far they'll go.

 Question Marks

SM Northwest: With most programs the talent meter rises and falls about every five years.  After a plethora of talented players went through SM Northwest in the late 2000s (Alex Carder, Mark Fancher, Bryce Atagi, etc.) the program hit a bit of a lull, and has only combined for 15 wins the past three years.  Can the Cougars turn it around in 2012? 

SM North: Losing Mason Perez to graduation is not going to be easy.  He was the heart and soul of the Indians in 2011 contributing big plays and touchdowns left and right.  It's been seven years since SM North had a winning record, but that won't stop this year's team from competing with effort and intensity the way they always do.

Olathe Northwest: The whole Dalton Rook, Connor Middleton and Willie Cauley trio was fun last season, but all three will be lost to graduation.  Coming off a 5-5 season this really could be a make or break point for the Ravens.  They're teetering on the middle of the see-saw--on one side is continued success, and on the other is the two and three wins seasons they were accustomed to in the past.  It'll be interesting to see which side they fall on.

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

Sunflower League Extra

Lawrence's Brad Strauss went down with an ankle injury
on Friday and his team wasn't quite able to make the
proper adjustments to overcome his loss.  Photo courtesy
the Lawrence Journal World.

Top 5 Player Ratings

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Eight Stats: 4-of-6 passing, 53 yards

Strauss was forced to leave the game midway through the first half after he suffered what appeared to be a fairly bad ankle injury.  His absence from the Chesty Lions' lineup was perhaps the most sincere way of showing his value to the team--they scored just three points without him in the game.

2. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Eight Stats: 7 receptions, 173 yards, 1 TD

Cauley broke the 1,000 yard receiving mark on the season with his latest performance.  It's my understanding that he also leads the state of Kansas in reception yardage.  He certainly has been a fun player to cover this season and if basketball doesn't work out he's not too shabby at football... just saying.

3. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Eight Stats: 24 carries, 284 yards, 2 TDs

Not only is Guild the only player in the league with over 1,000 yards rushing but he also paces the league's leaders in rushing yardage by 567 yards.  SM South is going to need another one of these performances from him against SM East this week.

4. Kyle McFarland, Quarterback, Lawrence Free State
Week Eight Stats: 21-of-38 passing, 277 yards, 2 TDs; 17 carries, 30 yards

McFarland put together another solid outing in leading his team to an upset over Olathe North.  When he's playing well Free State is a tough team to beat and it will be interesting to see how far he and the rest of the Firebirds will go this season, assuming they make the playoffs.

5. Mason Perez, SM North, Wide Receiver
Week Eight Stats: 6 receptions, 113 yards, 4 TDs; 1 punt return TD

Perez gets the proverbial "cup of coffee" after scoring five touchdowns and accumulating just under 150 yards of total offense in the first half against Wyandotte.  For the season, Perez has the highest yards-per-catch average in the league at 25 yards, and he also leads the league in kick and punt returns for touchdowns with a combined three.

Honorable Mention: Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Kendall Kelly, Olathe East; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Elliott Faerber, SM East; Jordan Ward, Olathe South; John Kelsh, Olathe East, Frankie Seurer, Olathe South.

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 1,602, 17 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1,554, 11 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 1,253, 12 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 1,189, 15 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 1,045, 8 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 926, 6 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 850, 5 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 804, 5 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 695, 12 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 1,535, 12 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 968, 10 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 883, 13 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 878, 5 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 859, 8 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 803, 7 TDs
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 799, 15 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 707, 11 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 706, 7 TDs
Jason Randall, Leavenworth: 612, 7 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 1,064, 13 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 677, 12 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 643, 8 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 590, 5 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 571, 2 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 545, 11 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 506, 6 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 503, 5 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 451, 3 TDs
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 439, 4 TDs

Tackles
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 101
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 100
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 82
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 81
Alex Forslund, SM South: 76
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 76
Dylan DeVries, Olathe South: 74
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 74
Joe Dineen, Free State: 73
Colin McCarty, SM North: 71

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: 2 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: (6/8)
Anthony Rosen, Lawrence: (4/5)
Jorge Rivero, Olathe North: (3/7)
Dainan Swoope, SM South: (2/2)
Jared Douglas, Olathe South: (2/3)

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Week Eight Game Recaps

Lawrence Free State's Shawn Knighton
was key in the Firebird's 19-14 win over
Olathe North on Friday.  Photo courtesy
the Lawrence Journal World.

Lawrence Free State 19, Olathe North 14

Two losses in a row from Olathe North was shocking, but three seems inexplicable.  Free State struck first in the second quarter when Kyle McFarland finished off a drive with a one-yard touchdown run after Shawn Knighton had taken a carry 97-yards to set up the score.  Later in the quarter, McFarland found Ryan Patterson on a 38-yard touchdown pass to make things 13-0, Free State at the half.  Orange Mooney added the next two scores of the game for Olathe North, scoring first on a four-yard run then on a 23-yard catch from Jordan Bruce, which gave the Eagles a 14-13 advantage.  Free State regained possession with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter and drove 80 yards, scoring on a seven-yard touchdown pass from McFarland to Patterson to win the game.

Olathe Northwest 21, Lawrence 3

Olathe Northwest's first momentum boost came on a seven-yard run from Avery Parker in the first quarter which put them up 7-0.  There second was when Lawrence quarterback Brad Strauss went down with an injury at the start of the second quarter--he did not return.  Lawrence's second-string quarterback had been injured during the week in practice, so receiver Drake Hofer was thrown into the quarterback position.  While he played well given the circumstances, it wasn't Strauss out there.  Lawrence managed one score on a field goal from Anthony Rosen, but they were shutout besides that.  Olathe Northwest's next two scores came on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Rook to Cody Sestrich and an 88-yard pass from Rook to Willie Cauley.

Olathe East 48, Blue Valley Northwest 27

It didn't matter what Blue Valley Northwest did, they weren't able to shut down Olathe East's dominant rushing attack.  The Hawks scored seven rushing touchdown in the game, en route to their 21-point statement victory over the Huskies.  Kendall Kelly scored four touchdowns on runs of three, two, three and nine yards.  John Kelsh added touchdowns on runs of 17 and 87 yards.  Austin Frazier completed the scoring trio of scoring with six-yard touchdown run.

SM South 35, Blue Valley North 18

SM South jumped to a comfortable 21-12 lead at halftime, and finished off the game with two second half touchdowns.  In the first half Gabe Guild scored on runs of 46 and 64 yards.  Alex Forslund added a 15-yard touchdown pass to Nick Oliver for the third touchdown.  SM South's two second half touchdowns came on a 25-yard run from Ra'Keim Abdul and an eight-yard run from Forslund.  With their victory the Raiders set up a win-or-go-home scenario with SM East to cap off the regular season.

SM Northwest 24, Leavenworth 22

This was a pretty evenly matched game after all.  SM Northwest scored twice in first half--once on a 41-yard field goal from Alex Allen and then again on a seven-yard run from Austin Vanderpool.  Leavenworth's first half score came on a 38-yard pass from Jason Randall to Judson Cole.  In the second half SM Northwest scored twice, first on a four-yard run from Vanderpool, and later on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Colton Dirks to Jake Horner.  Cole added a 32-yard touchdown run, and Randall scored on a 14-yarder late in the fourth quarter.

Olathe South 46, Blue Valley West 29

This game was hardly a defensive struggle, but Olathe South managed to win by more than 13 points, keeping their playoff hopes alive.  Olathe South's first half scores came on a 69-yard punt return by Matt Elliott, an eight-yard run from Teddy Colbert and a one-yard run from Frankie Seurer.  They led 21-13 at the half.  In the second half the Falcons added four touchdowns on a 14-yard run from Colbert, an 89-yard pass from Seurer to Drew Johnson, and runs of six and 13 yards from Jordan Ward.

SM West 30, SM East 25

A big second quarter combined with a turnover-ridden SM East club turned out to be enough from SM West to win a district championship, and regain the Nut Cup.  After surrendering a safety early on, SM West scored on a 31-yard field goal from Mark Whitrock, a 75-yard touchdown pass from Armani Williams to Ben Lake and a 20-yard touchdown run from Brett Sterbach.  The Vikings led 17-2 at the half. 

SM East had a big third quarter, scoring touchdowns on a run from Jeff Cole and a 53-yard pass from Dakota Collins to Connor Rellihan.  SM West's lone third quarter score came on a 37-yard Whitrock field goal.  The Vikings led 20-17 heading into the final quarter of play.  SM East started things off with another safety, before SM West's Whitrock added his third field goal of the day from 37 yards out.  On SM East's next possession Robert Rice picked off a Collins pass and took it 63-yards for a touchdown.  The two scrores gave SM West a 30-17 lead.  SM East 's final stab came on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Collins to Rellihan. 

SM North 69, Wyandotte 6

SM North's 69 points were the most scored in a single game from a Sunflower League team all season.  The player of the game, without a doubt was SM North's Mason Perez.  He scored the first five touchdowns of the game on receptions of 25, 25, 34 and 29 yards, then a 28-yard punt return.  With the win, the Indians boosted their record to 2-6, and with a win on Friday over Leavenworth they'll qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Week Eight Game Previews

SM North's Mason Perez (#2 above in black) has outrun
defenders to the endzone all season long.  Photo courtesy
the Shawnee Dispatch.

Wyandotte at SM North at SM North District Stadium

By all means SM North should be able to end their six-game losing streak this week when they host Wyandotte. Last week Leavenworth destroyed the Bulldogs 42-0... SM North should be able to do at least that much damage.  More importantly, a win here would prepare the Indians for their week nine game against Leavenworth which will likely decide their playoff fate.

Blue Valley North at SM South at SM South District Stadium

These two clubs have a combined record of 1-13 on the season so this game isn't exactly earning front cover press, but I could see it being a pretty good battle. BV North actually showed some life last week, when they only lost by 18 points against a strongly favored SM East team. SM South has been playing tough football all season long but they just haven't had many bounces go their way.

Leavenworth at SM Northwest at SM North District Stadium

The winner of this matchup will basically seal a playoff victory, which is crazy considering both teams went a combined 1-11 in pre-district play.  Nevertheless, it's a big game for both teams.  SM Northwest appears to have the horses to come away with the victory, but you never know what kind of fight Leavenworth is going to show especially considering the circumstances.

Olathe Northwest at Lawrence at Lawrence High School

Olathe Northwest's magical season (on the offensive side of the ball, that is) is quickly running short on time.  If the Ravens don't beat Lawrence in this game they will be eliminated from the playoffs.  Lawrence on the other hand is in good position to make the playoffs, and a win in this game virtually seals a playoff victory.  One element that will surely change the dimension of this game is whether or not Olathe Northwest's quarterback Dalton Rook is back in the starting lineup. Without him, the chances of a Raven victory are slim.

Olathe North at Lawrence Free State at Lawrence Free State High School

I'm sure Olathe North hasn't even let the idea of a loss enter their their minds all week, because we all know what that would mean... but realistically they're not in the position you want to be in with an 0-1 record in district play.  Free State has been playing good football and behind quarterback Kyle McFarland they've reeled off wins in five of their last six games.  On top of that, Olathe North has to travel to on the road to play under the dim and spooky lights of Free State.

Blue Valley Northwest at Olathe East at CBAC

Two teams playing some of the best football in East Kansas will be clashing in this one, and we should expect a dandy.  Olathe East has reeled off six straight wins while BV Northwest is sitting at a very respectable 4-3 coming off a near upset of Blue Valley and a sound defeat of Olathe South in consecutive weeks.  The BV Northwest passing attack versus the Olathe East secondary will be fun to watch.  Olathe East has two of the Sunflower League's premier defensive backs in Junior Williams and Marcus Banks, who have combined for six interceptions this year.  On the other side of the ball, BV Northwest quarterback Garrett Fugate has a knack for finding creases in defenses and scoring touchdowns through the air and on the ground.

Olathe South at Blue Valley West at Blue Valley High School

It's never fun to go through six weeks of play undefeated only to lose the first game that actually counts towards making the playoffs.  That is where Olathe South is at right now, and anything less than a 13-point win here against the Jaguars could basically eliminate Olathe South from playoff contention.  Olathe East handled BV West last week, and Olathe South should be able to follow suit, but they must control and dictate this game from the start.

Game of the Week
SM West at SM East at SM South District Stadium

Last year SM East was able to break a losing streak against the Vikings that had spanned over a decade.  This time around, both teams are sitting at 4-3 and they look fairly comparable on paper.  The alleged return of the formerly injured Lancer quarterback Dakota Collins could have significant importance in this game, especially considering how well SM East did with Collins at the helm in the early portion of the season. 

SM West hasn't been a real exciting team statistically, but they've gritted their teeth and managed to pull out four wins thus far.  Another point of added suspense--if SM West wins this games they'll likely make win out and make the playoffs at 6-3, guaranteeing an eighth straight winning season for the program.  A loss here and a 5-5 non-winning record may very well be the way the Vikings close out the 2011 season, breaking the streak of winning records.

Sunflower League Extra

Free State's Kyle McFarland (right) was able to come down
with the game sealing interception over Olathe Northwest's
Willie Cauley (behind) in helping Free State to a 20-14 win.
Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World.

Top 5 Player Ratings

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Seven Stats: 15-of-23 passing, 194 yards, 3 TDs; 10 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD

No one player means more to his team that Strauss.  He boosted Lawrence to one of their biggest victories in the last five years when they took down Olathe North on Friday.  More importantly, Strauss has returned Lawrence High football to respectability, and then some.  And how is this for a stat: the lowest offensive yardage total Strauss has put up this season was his 249 combined rushing and passing yards in week six against SM South.

2. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Seven Stats: 4 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

Cauley had his worst game of the season with several miscues, including three dropped passes, coming in the second half of Olathe Northwest's six-point loss against Free State.  We'll give him the benefit of the doubt, considering the Raven's normal starting quarterback, Dalton Rook, was injured and wasn't throwing the passes.

3. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Seven Stats: 22 carries, 160 yards, 1 TD

Guild continues to be the main bright-spot for SM South.  His yards per carry average is up to 8.18, and he's running away with the regular season rushing title, sitting 334 yards ahead of the number two rusher in the league.

4. Tanner Gentry, Wide Receiver, Olathe North
Week Seven Stats: 9 receptions, 163 yards, 3 TDs

Gentry is due for some love.  His efforts certainly haven't been the cause of Olathe North's struggles the past two weeks--in fact, Gentry has amassed 233 receiving yards and three reception touchdowns in that time span, perhaps his most productive two week stretch of the season thus far.

5. Kyle McFarland, Quarterback, Lawrence Free State
Week Seven Stats: 14-of-20 passing, 145 yards, 1 TD; 18 carries, 73 yards; 1 defensive interception

McFarland sealed the deal against Olathe Northwest with a four quarter interception against Cauley, a receiver who had seven inches on McFarland.  After winning the starting quarterback job following the second week of the season McFarland has produced impressive numbers for Free State (he ranks fourth in the league in passing and fifth in rushing), including helping the team to wins in five of their last six games.

Honorable Mention: Remington Whitley, Olathe South; Orange Mooney, Olathe North; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Treshawn Root, Olathe North; John Kelsh, Olathe East; Kendall Kelly, Olathe East; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Jordan Bruce, Olathe North

First and Ten

1. An honest rating of the talent level across the Sunflower League this season on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best?  I would go with a 5.  Players like Brad Strauss and Willie Cauley would have been dominant in any season the past 10 years, but overall I've found that it's hard finding the top five talents in the league every week because the consistency just hasn't been there--normally the hard part is deciding who doesn't get on the list each week, but not this season.

2. The most pleasantly surprising players this season have been, in no particular order, Cauley, Gabe Guild, Treshawn Root, Dalton Rook, Kyle McFarland, Remington Whitley, and Jordan Ward.  Most of these guys were hardly even on the radar in week one.

3. This could be the first time in, well, decades, that the 6A East representative is not from the Sunflower League.  BV Northwest handled Olathe South last week, and they're as hot as any team in Kansas right now.  The Huskies most highly touted teams of recent years (2004 and 2005) bowed out early in the playoffs, so we'll see if they buck that trend this time around.

4. Despite having lost two straight games, I still fully expect Olathe North to make a run through the playoffs to the state championship game.  Heck, they've made it to at least the Sub-State round in 12 of the last 16 years!

5. Speaking of the number 12, with their six wins, Olathe East has guaranteed themselves a 12th straight winning season.  Jeff Meyers reloads his talent as well as anyone, and that's a fact.

6. Two teams remain in the running for the Sunflower League crown.  In odd years league records are based on the first seven SL opponents for each team.  Right now, the standings for the two contenders are Olathe South at 6-0 and Olathe East at 5-1.  Olathe South has already clinched a share of the title, but Olathe East can get in on a share of the league title if they defeat Olathe South in week nine.  League championships don't mean a thing in Kansas, but players do earn a "Sunflower League Champions" patch on their letter jackets (and who's going to complain about that?).

7. The SL may be void of division one offensive lineman this season, but keep an eye out in the next two years.  Olathe South sophomore Braden "Gigantor" Smith stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at around 275 pounds.  He benches 380 pounds and he's only 15.  He's been a focal point of Olathe South's successes this season and I can only anticipate him getting bigger, stronger, and meaner in the seasons to come.  To the north, SM West sophomore Austin Chambers checks in at 6-foot-5 and weighs 290 pounds.  He too has been a focal point of his team's success.  Often times the main reason lineman don't go division one has to do with their lack of size.  Size isn't an issue with either of these kids--and clearly the talent is there or else they wouldn't be starting as sophomores.  It also helps that both play (and do very well) in other sports when they're not on the gridiron, which just goes to show their athletic versatility.

8. Two of the more underrated playmakers in the league include SM North's Mason Perez and SM Northwest's Jake Horner.  Perez has recorded nine touchdowns this season, and six of those have come on plays of 40 yards or longer.  Horner has returned two kicks for touchdowns, not to mention a 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown in week two against SM West that nearly propelled his team to victory.  He's also averaging 33.4 yards per return on kickoffs.  While neither player is on a stellar team, both are stellar athletes that have a knack for making big plays.

9.  Last year the three of the four teams from the Sunflower League who made the the Sectional round of the playoffs led the league in rushing yards per game during the course of the year.  This year's top four?  Olathe North, Olathe East and SM South at 313, 283, and 277 yards per game, respectively.

10. With McFarland finding his way into this week's Top Five Player Ratings, it poses the great question of whether Free State quarterbacks are simply a product of the system?  If you remember back to the glory days of Mike Leach at Texas Tech, literally every year he would have another quarterback who would pass for 4,000 or more yards and 40 or so touchdowns.  It didn't matter who the quarterback was, they just all seemed to produce.  None of those quarterbacks had success in the NFL and basically their great collegiate stats were attributable to Leach's pass happy system.  In the SL, Free State has produced three quarterbacks since 2006 who have passed and rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season, and McFarland could easily become the fourth in a couple weeks.  Are the Free State quarterbacks that talented, or has Bob Lisher created a fool-proof offensive system for quarterbacks to produce gaudy yardage in? 

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1,501, 11 TDs
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 1,364, 15 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 1,084, 14 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 976, 10 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 850, 5 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 839, 7 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 816, 5 TDs
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 612, 7 TDs
Mark Dabeck, Leavenworth: 586, 4 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 582, 8 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 1,251, 10 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 917, 9 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 834, 5 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 775, 13 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 773, 6 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 705, 11 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 689, 6 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 681, 7 TDs
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 652, 11 TDs
Shawn Knighton, Free State: 538, 5 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 891, 12 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 664, 12 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 548, 6 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 479, 5 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 468, 3 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 461, 6 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 439, 3 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 432, 7 TDs
Drake Hofer, Lawrence: 392, 3 TDs
Joel Spiller, SM West: 335, 2 TDs

Tackles
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 100
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 95
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 75
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 70
Gage Smoots, Olathe North: 70
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 70
Colin McCarty, SM North: 68
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 68
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 67
Alex Forslund, SM South: 66

Interceptions (Based on return yardage)
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 5
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 4 (1 TD)
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 4
Marcus Banks, Olathe East: 3
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 3
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 3
Sean Wilkes, SM North: 3
Junior Williams, Olathe East: 3

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
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: 2 KR 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
Anthony Rosen, Lawrence: (3/4)
Mark Whitrock, SM West: (3/4)
Jorge Rivero, Olathe North: (3/7)
Dainan Swoope, SM South: (2/2)

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Week Five Game Recaps

Olathe South's Taylor Sheffield.  Photo courtesy the
Kansas City Star.

Olathe South 44, Olathe Northwest 41

Playing an inspired game after losing starting cornerback Zach Sheffield to major kidney injury last week, Olathe South managed to make a late push and ultimately claim a victory on their homecoming.  Early on it was all Olathe Northwest.  The Ravens scored three consecutiveve touchdowns on a two touchdown passes from Dalton Rook, and a three-yard touchdown run by Connor Middleton.  Down 20-0, Olathe South first scored when Teddy Colbert took a kickoff back 87-yards for a touchdown.  Middleton added another touchdown run for Olathe Northwest to push things to 27-7, before Olathe South scored two touchdowns to end the half.  The first was a 64-yard run from Jordan Ward and the second a two-yard run from Russell White.  At the half Olathe Northwest led 27-21. 

Ward scored the only points of the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run to give Olathe South a 28-27 lead.  Olathe Northwest came back with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Rook to Corey Kipp to make things 33-28.  Frankie Suerer found Matt Elliott on a 34-yard touchdown pass for the Falcons, before Middleton scored his third touchdown of the day for Olathe Northwest.  At that point Olathe Northwest led 41-34.  Olathe South's Taylor Sheffield (the twin of the injured Zach) had the play of the day on the ensuing kickoff returning it 70 yards for a score and tying the game.  Olathe South was able to regain possession and in the waning seconds Jared Douglas connected on a 37-yard field goal to give his team a three-point win, and a 5-0 record.

Lawrence 31, SM East 0

Brad Strauss chose a good time to play the best game of his career, as it helped his Chesty Lions to a 30-0 trouncing of SM East, a team that on paper looked to be similar to Lawrence in terms of talent.  Lawrence scored once in the first quarter on a 54-yard touchdown run from Strauss.  In the second quarter Tyrone Jenkins added a one-yard touchdown run, and that was followed up by a 21-yard field goal from Anthony Rosen.  The Chesty Lions capped off the half with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Strauss to Erick Mayo, giving Lawrence a 24-0 halftime lead.  Their final score came on a 72-yard run from Strauss in the fourth quarter.  For the day, Strauss put up 378 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

Olathe East 28, SM West 21

SM West had a little surge in the second half, but it proved to be too little, too late.  Olathe East's first two scores came on touchdown runs of three and four yards from Kendall Kelly, to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.  In the second quarter John Kelsh broke free and took a carry 50-yards for a score to put Olathe East up 21-0.  SM West finally responded with a two-yard touchdown run from Brett Sterbach, to make things 21-7, Olathe East, at the half.

In the third quarter Olathe East added a touchdown run from 19 yards out by Kelly to jump to a 28-7 advantage.  SM West was able to score two more times--both on one-yard touchdown runs from Armani Williams--to make things 28-21 in the fourth quarter, but that was all she wrote.

SM South 42, SM Northwest 35

With a 28-14 edge at halftime it looked like SM Northwest was on their way to claiming win number two on the season.  Colton Dirks had led the way for the Cougars with four touchdowns on passes of 19 and 22 yards to Devin Shockley, and runs of one and 77 yards.  SM South's two touchdowns came on a 33-yard run from Alex Forslund and a 73-yard run from Gabe Guild.  Forslund and Guild added back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter to pull the game to a 28-28 tie.  Jake Horner returned the ensuing kickoff back 87-yards for a touchdown to give SM Northwest a 35-28 lead, but it would be their last.  SM South scored on touchdown runs from Forslund and Guild, again, to collect a 42-35 lead.

Lawrence Free State 35, SM North 0

While their competition hasn't been the greatest, the Firebirds from Free State continue to collect wins and did so again on Friday against SM North.  Free State set the tone early scoring three first quarter touchdowns.  Shawn Knighton scored on a 25-yard run, which was followed up by a 27-yard pass from Kyle McFarland to Tye Hughes, before McFarland added a 65-yard touchdown run to give his team a 21-0 lead.  The scoring held off until the third quarter when Knighton found Ryan Patterson on a 30-yard touchdown pass.  McFarland chipped in a 40-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close out the victory.

Olathe North 44, Leavenworth 0 (Thursday Night Game)

It was business as usual for the Sunflower League's top team.  The Eagles were led by Tanner Gentry, who caught three touchdown passes on scores of eight, 15 and 35 yards, all on passes from Jordan Bruce.  Orange Mooney scored touchdowns on runs of 15 and 22 yards, helping the Eagles to their fifth victory on the season.  They face an undefeated Olathe South team this Friday in one of the more highly anticipated matchups of the season.

Week Four Review

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

Three Up

Olathe South
The Falcons are off to their first 4-0 start since the 2005, and they've found a way to win in all of their games mostly thanks to the help of a smothering defense and a dominant rushing attack.  Olathe South's five forced turnovers proved to be the game-changing statistic in their win Saturday.

Lawrence Free State
The Firebirds have finally settled on a quarterback in Kyle McFarland and that could be a scary sign for Free State's upcoming opponents.  McFarland ran the zone-read option with ease on Friday, and with Shawn Knighton as the running back the Free State offensive attack is going to be tough to stop.

Olathe East
The Hawks have now won three games in a row and they flexed their muscles in a 44-20 route of Olathe Northwest this past Friday.  Olathe East is generally about as good as their rushing attack, and the three headed combo of John Kelsh, Hayden Frazier and Kendall Kelly is getting better by the week.

Three Down

SM East
The preseason hype has come crashing down, and the reality is that SM East has not perfomed well in either of their two biggest games against Olathe East and Olathe South.  Through four weeks the Lancers have already matched their loss total from last season.

Olathe Northwest
The Ravens have a better team with more offensive threats this season that they've had in past years, but the entire Olathe School District is playing better football as a whole, and it doesn't look like Olathe Northwest is going to leave the district cellar anytime soon.

SM North
Had the Indians not fumbled twice in the first quarter or had they been able to take advantage of SM West's array of turnovers, the Indians might be sitting at 2-2 right now.  Instead, they weren't able to claim the upset and they have just one win which came against SM South.

Week Four Players of the Week

Orange Mooney & Treshawn Root, Olathe North: Since these two backs seem to feed off the success of the other the two will be grouped together as Players of the Week for this week.  Mooney ran the ball 17 times for 202 yards and scored touchdowns on runs of three, 38, and 71 yards.  Root added 209 yards on 11 carries, and scored one touchdown.  Combined statistics: 28 carries for 411 yards and four touchdowns.

Kyle McFarland, Lawrence Free State: In leading Free State to a 42-7 victory, McFarland ran the ball 18 times for 202 yards and three touchdowns.  He also completed six of 11 passes for 71 yards.

Matt Elliott, Olathe South: Elliot's two touchdowns were the difference between a Falcon win or loss on Saturday.  In the first quarter he took a carry 75 yards for a touchdown which tied the game at 7.  Elliot then intercepted a pass and took it back 79 yards for a score with a few minutes remaining before halftime.  That touchdown gave Olathe South a 20-14 halftime lead.  Olathe South won 29-20.

Week Five Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (4-0): The Eagles are 4-0 for the sixth time since 2000.  On all five of their previous 4-0 starts Olathe North made it to a state championship game.

2. Olathe South (4-0): The Falcons are a scrappy bunch of players who are finding a way to win regardless of the circumstances--this is usually a good sign come playoff time.

3. Olathe East (3-1): Olathe East has developed a formidable rushing attack and the Hawks will be heavy favorites in their next four games.

4. SM East (2-2): The Lancers maintain a one-spot advantage over Lawrence for now... the winner of Friday's contest will take the pie.

5. Lawrence (2-2): The Chesty Lions were hoping they could avoid the injury bug this season, but running back Charles Jackson's leg injury could be season ending.

6. Lawrence Free State (3-1): The Firebirds quietly rank among the top four teams in the league in wins, but we'll have to see a big game victory before jumping them in the rankings.

7. SM West (2-2): The Vikings played poor overall on Friday and they were lucky to escape with a victory.  The team is still on pace for the program's eighth-straight winning season, however.

8. Olathe Northwest (2-2): This is the proverbial "rubber meets the road" week in the season for the Ravens.  Four of the teams remaining on their schedule include Olathe South, Free State, Lawrence and Olathe North.

9. SM Northwest (1-3): The Cougars are just not up to par with what we've seen from the program in recent years.  Fortunately for the SM Northwest faithful, four of the next five games look winnable.

10. SM North (1-3): The Indians are in the same district as the aforementioned Cougars, so a poor start to the season will mean little once they hit week seven.

11. SM South (0-4): Does Ryan Lonergan collect his first career win with the Raiders in a week five game against SM Northwest?  It's certainly a possibility with both teams looking close to equal on paper.

12. Leavenworth (0-4): It's that time of the season again--Leavenworth vs. Olathe North.  Olathe North has won the last four meetings by a combined score of 248-13 (average score of roughly 62-3).