Top Sunflower League All-Purpose Athletes since 2000

Torneden alluding a defender.

1. Camren Torneden, Lawrence Free State, 2007-2009

Torneden started at quarterback, cornerback and acted as Free State's primary return man in his junior and senior seasons.  During that time he combined for over 5,000 yards of total offense, and just over 50 total touchdowns.

2. Brooks Faddis, SM North, 2001-2003

In his sophomore and junior seasons Faddis mixed in playing time at the quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback positions, in addition to returning punts.  He was an all-state selection in 2002 as a quarterback after combining for 25 touchdowns, then he followed that up with an all-state selection as a senior in 2003 at the wide receiver position.

3. Jason Santifer, Olathe South, 1999-2001

Santifer literally did it all for Olathe South.  Combining his junior and senior seasons, he totaled 60 catches for 754 yards and four touchdowns, 71 carries for 711 yards and six touchdowns, 84 tackles, eight interceptions and four kickoff returns for touchdowns. 

4. David Leonard, SM West, 2004-2006

Leonard's outstanding senior season really bumped him up this list.  During that year he played wide receiver, cornerback and returned kicks and punts.  He totaled 1,296 yards of total offense, 16 touchdowns (13 receiving, two on punt returns and one on an interception), 49 tackles and five interceptions.  He caught 25 touchdown passes in his junior and senior seasons combined.

5. Dustin Moomau, Olathe North, 2002-2004

With his placement on this list, Moomau found his way onto three different lists (Quarterback, Defensive Back and All-Purpose), but it's fitting.  In three years on Olathe North's varsity he totaled over 3,000 yards of total offense in addition to 19 interceptions.

6. Maurice Mack, Olathe North, 1999-2001

Mo Mack won the Simone Award because of his prowess on offense as a running back, but it's no coincidence he played linebacker at the next level.  In addition to his combined 3,068 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons, he also tallied nine career interceptions as a defensive back.
 
7. Brandon Willingham, Olathe East, 2008-2010

Willingham was primarily known for his role as a running back, but he also made huge contributions on the defensive side of the ball.  In his junior and senior seasons he combined to rush for 2,623 yards, in addition to recording 104 tackles and two interceptions.

8. Byce Atagi, SM Northwest, 2006-2008

SM Northwest head coach Aaron Barnett called Atagi the best player in the Sunflower League in 2008 and from a versatility standpoint he was dead on.  Atagi totaled 3,070 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns in his career with the Cougars, despite missing several games towards the end of his senior season.  He was also a dominant figure on the defensive side of the ball.

9. Ryan Murphy, Lawrence Free State, 2004-2006

Murphy played quarterback and cornerback during his time with the Firebirds.  In his junior and senior seasons he combined to pass for 3,518 yards, rush for 1,710 yards and score 50 touchdowns.  He also had six takeaways on defense as a senior.

10. Mark Fancher, SM Northwest, 2006-2008

Fancher was a track star who translated well onto the football field... or maybe it was the other way around?  Either way, his speed was second to none during his time in the league.  He played wide receiver, defensive back and returned kicks and punts for the Cougars in his junior and senior seasons, accumulating touchdowns at will.

Top Sunflower League Running Backs since 2000

Darren Sproles.  Photo courtesy the Kansas
City Star.

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

1. Darren Sproles, Olathe North, 1998-2000

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

2. James Franklin, Olathe North, 2007-2009

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

3. Maurice Mack, Olathe North, 1999-2001

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

Dee Bell.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence
Journal World.

4. Dee Bell, Olathe East, 2004-2006

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

5. Ryan Torain, SM Northwest, 2001-2003

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

6. Justin Gore, Olathe North, 2002-2004

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

7. Jim Bouknight, Olathe North, 2000-2002

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

8. Joseph Harris, Olathe South, 1999-2001

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

Chucky Hunter.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence
Journal World.

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

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

10. DJ Barnett, SM West, 2002-2004

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

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Maurice Mack

Name: Maurice Mack
School: Olathe North
Graduated: 2002
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 195lbs.
Position: Athlete

The legacy of great running backs at Olathe North did not stop with the graduation of Darren Sproles--by any means. Instead the torch was passed on to Maurice Mack. Mack could have been on the list at a variety of positions. Defensive back or running back would have been suitable, but given the combined statistics, Mack fits nicely at the athlete position.

As a junior in 2000, Mack was a starting defensive back, returner, and backed up Sproles at the running back position. That team, perhaps the best Sunflower Conference team of the decade, was led in part by Mack’s numerous contributions. The junior added 979 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, in addition to recording several interceptions. The Eagles went on to win the 6A State championship in 2000.

In 2001 Mack took over as the starting running back while continuing to start as a defensive back. His efforts were well documented. Olathe North rolled through the season and the playoffs going 11-0. The state title game was set against Manhattan, a team Olathe North had crushed 42-7 the previous year.

Early in the game Mack fumbled a punt which was recovered by Manhattan and quickly converted into a touchdown. Trailing 7-0, Mack and the Eagles stepped up to take control of the game. Mack went on to rush for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. He also threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter to put Olathe North up 21-7, which ended up being the final score.

With the win Mack and his fellow seniors collected their second state championship ring. Mack went on to be Mr. Everything accolades wise in Kansas City thereafter. For the season he rushed for 2,089 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also threw three touchdown passes and collected four interceptions on defense, giving him nine interceptions for his career. Mack was named All-State Class 6A, Kansas Top 11, KC Metro Sports Offensive Player of the Year, and was awarded the prestigious Simone Award as the top player in Kansas City. Following his time at Olathe North Mack went to play at Kansas State. He was converted to the linebacker position where he was a two year starter for the Wildcats.

Sunflower League All-Decade Team: Royal Whitaker

Name: Royal Whitaker
School: Olathe North
Graduated: 2002
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 220lbs.
Position: Linebacker

Royal Whitaker may easily be the most overlooked player of the Olathe North dynasty of the late 90s and early 2000s. Most people seem to forget that it was Whitaker who opened holes from the fullback position for Simone Award winners Darren Sproles and Maurice Mack. Or the fact that Whitaker was a two way starter who helped his team win two state titles.

Following a somewhat under appreciated junior season, Whitaker rose to become one of the best players in Kansas as a senior. Offensively as a fullback, he cleared the way for Mack’s 2,089 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. Whitaker himself added 422 rushing yards along with five rushing touchdowns. He also caught eight passes, four of which resulted in touchdowns.

Defensively Whitaker also dominated as a senior. He made 125 tackles during the 2001 season, 63 of which were solo tackles, including a team leading 6 solo tackles for loss. For his efforts, Whitaker was named First Team All-State Class 6A in 2001, in addition to earning a spot on the Kansas Top 11 team. He was also named a First-Team linebacker by KC Metro Sports. Whitaker went on to play at D-1AA Southern Illinois, where he was an All-Conference performer at the linebacker position.

James Franklin takes Simone Award

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

Q and A Session

Q: Which stadium is the best in the Sunflower League?

A: The new stadiums being built in Lawrence appear to be state of the art, and the new SM North stadium is as nice of a facility as you can find in Kansas. However, I would still maintain that the charm of the Olathe District Activities Center (ODAC) is undeniable. The drive through the cornfields to the stadium adds to the mystique, and the stadium itself has housed countless All-State players and championship teams. Also, ODAC still fields a grass playing surface, something that is becoming more and more uncommon in Johnson County, and around the state of Kansas. Given all of the history, and the certain "field of dreams" aura the stadium holds, I would have to give ODAC the nod for the top stadium.

Q: Which football team is the best of the decade?

A: This isn't too tough of a question, because most all signs point to the 2000 Olathe North team as the most dominant. I could go on all day about how talented the team was, but I can sum it up much quicker with a few statistical measures:

• Olathe North's top two running backs in 2000--senior Darren Sproles (right) and junior Maurice Mack--combined to total 3,464 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns that season.
  
• Olathe North scored 35 or more points in 11 of their 12 games.


• Olathe North's defense gave up, on average, 8.2 points per game.

Forget top team in the conference for the decade, that Olathe North team was the best team in the state of Kansas the past 10 years. They ended the 2000 season on a high note, beating Manhattan in the 6A title game by a score of 42-7. Sproles has five touchdown runs in that title game.

Q: What is the best rivalry?

A: I have stated this before, and I will state it again--the Lawrence vs. Lawrence Free State game is truly the biggest rivalry game in the Sunflower League. I didn't realize the magnitude of the contest until I spent my freshman year of college at KU in Lawrence, and was able to experience first hand the competitiveness between the two schools. Just in case you're interested, the two teams square off October 23.

Q: When will the 6A State crown return the Sunflower League?

A: Presumable this upcoming season. Olathe North won the title from 2000 through 2003, and since then, the league is 0-5 in the 6A title game. The good news is that there doesn't appear to be a dominate 6A team on the Central or Western part of the state in 2009. If the East side of the state (and more specifically the Sunflower League) is going to regain the title it needs to be this year. With Hutch likely returning to 6A in 2010, the title will only become more competitive next year.

Q: What game has had the biggest impact on the Sunflower League the past 10 years?

A: The game I would point to would be the 2003 match up between Olathe North and SM North. Gene Wier had departed Olathe North to become the head coach at Richland High School in Texas, and meanwhile John McCall was in his first game as the head coach of Olathe North. On the other side of the coin, SM North was coached by chiseled veteran Sam Brown. Brown was returning one of his best Indian teams in his tenure, and on that night they had Olathe North's number. The game was a rather boring contest, filled with sloppy play and uncontrolled nerves. In the end, SM North won the game 7-6, snapping Olathe North's win streak at 38 games.

What came of the game? Olathe North went 10-3 and won the 6A state championship that year, but things just didn't seem the same without Weir at the helm. The following year Olathe North looked like the best team in the state of Kansas for 12 weeks before falling the state championship game. John McCall left to join Wier's staff in Texas following the 2004 season. SM North finished 2003 with a record of 6-3, and then went 5-4 in Brown's last season at SM North in 2004. Brown returned to coach his Alma mater, Excelsior Springs High School, where he has remained the head man since 2005.

Q: What game has been the biggest upset of the decade?

A: This one is difficulty to figure for sure, but I would go with SM West's defeat of Olathe East in the 2004 Sectional Round of the playoffs. SM West had gone 2-7 in 2003, before changing things around in 2004 and completing the regular season 7-2. Olathe East on the other hand was as loaded as ever. They had gone 8-1 during the regular season, and looked primed to take the 6A title. In fact, nearly every media pundit in the area was choosing Olathe East to win the game.

What happened? Olathe East came out cold, and SM West came out on fire. SM West's Andrew Patch caught a deep touchdown pass early in the first quarter to give SM West a 7-0 lead, a lead which they would hold throughout. A couple DJ Barnett touchdowns gave the Vikings a 21-0 lead when the final whistle blew. Perhaps the craziest thing about that game was that Olathe East's do-it-all freak, Andre Jones, was held to a mere 18 yards rushing. SM West lost to Olathe South the next week in the State Semi-finals, but their shutout upset over the Hawks still ranks as my top upset of the decade.

Decade Statistical Analysis

The 2009 football season will mark the last season of football in the decade of the 2000s. Alot has taken place in the Sunflower League the past 9 years (and alot will probably happen in this final season of the decade). So, why not take a look at some statistical analysis of each program over the decade, with a little bit of my own analysis mixed in?

Let's first begin by analyzing each program's win-loss record and winning percentage during the decade. One interesting thing to note is that great desparity between the top teams in the league, and then the 5 or so teams that have hovered around .500 for the past nine seasons. Starting with the top three teams...

1. Olathe North, 87-19 (.820)

2. Olathe East, 75-22 (.773)

3. Olathe South, 57-35 (.619)

Not surprisingly, the top three teams so far (in terms of winning) come from Olathe during the decade. Gene Wier (above) coached Olathe North to a 37-0 record during the 2000s before he departed to be the head coach at Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas in 2003.

4. Lawrence, 54-39 (.580)

5. SM West, 53-38 (.582)

6. Lawrence Free State, 52-42 (.553)

SM West wedges themselves between LHS and Free State in the grouping of 4-6. SM West had only won 7 games from 2000-2002. Since the arrival of head coach Tim Callaghan, the Vikings have won 46 games in six years, by far the biggest turn around of any team during the decade.

7. SM Northwest, 44-43 (.505)

8. SM North, 37-48 (.435)

9. SM East, 35-53 (.398)

Three Shawnee Mission schools round out the 7, 8, and 9 spots. Player like Bryce Atagi (ballcarrier, right) have helped the Cougars keep a record just about .500 for the decade.

10. SM South, 25-61 (.291)

11. Olathe Northwest*, 13-33 (.283)

12. Leavenworth, 11-70 (.135)

The bottom three inlcude three teams that have been perennially poor in football over the past decade. * Olathe Northwest has only been around since 2004, so their win and loss total are skewed, however, their win percentage shows that they have still been second to the last in the league since their inception.

Now to playoff and league results:

State Championships:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)

State Championship Runner-Ups:
Olathe North (2004), Olathe South (2004, 2007), Olathe East (2005), SM West (2006), Lawrence Free State (2008)

State Semifinal Appearences:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), Olathe East (2002, 2005), Olathe South (2004, 2007), SM West (2004, 2006), Lawrence Free State (2006, 2008), Lawrence (2005), SM North (2000), SM East (2001)

Sunflower League Championships*:
Olathe North (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), Olathe East (2003, 2005, 2008), SM West (2005, 2006, 2008), Olathe South (2001), Lawrence Free State (2006), SM North (2000), SM Northwest (2007)

*There were ties for the Sunflower League Championships in '00, '01, '05, '06, and '08.

After totalling the statistics, and accolades, it is clear that Olathe North (despite rough patches since the departure of Gene Weir) will be the team of the decade when the dust clears after the 2009 season. The Eagles four state championships from '00-'03 (Maurice Mack, left #24, sheds tears with his teammates following the Eagle's state championship victory in 2001) are four more than any other team the past decade (no Sunflower League team has won a title since 2003). The program's 87 wins are also 12 more than the second place team, Olathe East...

Olathe East will hold the #2 spot overall for the decade, as they have 18 more wins that third place Olathe South. The Hawks have won three Sunflower League Championships, made two state semifinal appearences, and one title game appearence in 2005.

Places #3 through #6 could make for some interesting outcomes. Olathe South has 57 wins, Lawrence has 54, SM West 53, and Lawrence Free State 52. With those four teams as close as they are in the race, the team that finished 2009 with the most wins will more than likely take the #3 overall wins spot for the decade.

Players to Watch in 2009: James Franklin

Name: James Franklin
School: Olathe North
Year: Senior
Position(s): Running Back, Defensive Back
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Notes: Franklin may very well be the class of the Sunflower League in 2009, assuming he lives up to the hype he has built up over the past two seasons. As a sophomore, Franklin quietly entered the league's running back scene, and finished the season with 1,142 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
In 2008, Franklin was Olathe North and arguably the league's top talent, finishing the season with 1,971 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 268 carries. Perhaps the most impressive thing about his rushing totals as a junior was that he rushed for over 200 yards in each of the Eagles' last five games. Following the season Franklin was named to various All-State Class 6A teams and was a runner-up to winning the prestigious Simone Award annually given to the top high school football player in the Kansas City Metropolitan.
All eyes will be on Franklin to repeat his success in 2009, and with the loaded roster that Olathe North has returning, Franklin has a very good chance to be as lethal as he has been in previous years. Perhaps a bigger question for 2009 is how will Franklin compare to previous Olathe North running backs when all is said and done? He is following a lineage of Eagle running backs that includes Beno Gore, Darren Sproles (Simone winner), Maurice Mack (Simone winner), Jim Bouknight (Simone winner), Justin Gore and Josh Gore...

Photo Courtesy KC Star