Week Three Game Recaps

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

Lawrence Free State 26, SM South 21

Eventually SM South is going to come out on the winning side of a close game, but that wasn't the case this past Friday when they hosted Free State.  Kyle McFarland (who may have established himself once and for all as the Firebird's full-time quarterback with his performance) connected with Sam Hearnen on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give Free State a 6-0 lead.  SM South came back with a seven-yard touchdown run from Alex Forslund, and a PAT conversion, to go up 7-6.

McFarland hit Ty Hughes on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give Free State a 12-7 edge.  SM South came back with a one-yard touchdown run from Forslund to regain the lead, 14-12.  The Raiders also started the second half off with a score on a 79-yard touchdown run from Gabe Guild to push the lead to 21-12.  From there it was all Free State.

McFarland found wide receiver Ryan Patterson on a 67-yard touchdown pass later in the quarter.  The Firebirds converted the two-point conversion and pulled to within one, at 21-20.  Late in the fourth quarter with just over a minute left, McFarland connected with Calloway Schmidt on a 28-yard touchdown pass to gain the lead, 26-21.  SM South had one last drive for an attempt at a score, but their chances were thwarted when Free State's McFarland picked off a Forslund pass with 25 seconds remaining.

Olathe East 21, Lawrence 20

Lawrence made a bold decision trying for a late two-point conversion, which would have put them up one point with just over a minute left, but the attempt failed and the Chesty Lions fell to 1-2 on the season.  Olathe East used their usual smash-mouth style of play to jump out to a 21-7 lead at halftime.  Lawrence came back in the second with a touchdown pass from Brad Strauss to Anthony Buffalomeat, which made the score 21-14 late in the third quarter.

The Chesty Lions failed on several close scoring attempts before they compiled their last touchdown drive, which went for 82 yards and concluded with a 15-yard touchdown from Strauss.  Down 21-20, Lawrence had the option to try for two, or attempt the PAT and hope for an overtime victory.  They chose the former and came up short.  As for Olathe East, the Hawks are now 2-1 after completing the most challenging three-game stretch to start the season of any team in the league. 

Olathe South 37, Leavenworth 6
 
It didn't take long for Olathe South to establish their run game, opening the scoring in the first quarter with a 45-yard touchdown run from Teddy Colbert.  Later in the quarter the Falcons finished off a drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Russell White to go up 15-0.  The game hit a stalemate until the third quarter when White added another touchdown run, this time from four yards out to put Olathe South up 23-0 after a successful two-point conversion attempt. 

Olathe South's final two touchdown scores came on a 41-yard pass from Frankie Seurer to Drew Johnson, and a 20-yard pass from Seurer to Matt Elliot, to go up 37-0.  Leavenworth broke the goose egg late with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Mark Dabeck to Michael Coleman.

SM Northwest 23, Olathe Northwest 20

This time around SM Northwest's late comeback worked well enough to garner a victory.  For Olathe Northwest, the loss prevented what would have undoubtedly been the best start in school history.

Olathe Northwest firmly established themselves in the first half, scoring three touchdowns to SM Northwest's one, to go up 20-6 at halftime.  The Ravens' three scores came on a six-yard pass from Dalton Rook to Connor Middleton, a one-yard run from Middleton, and finally a 40-yard pass from Rook to Willie Cauley.  SM Northwest was able to keep things honest with a five-yard touchdown run from Colton Dirks midway through the second quarter.

SM Northwest did all of the scoring in the second half.  Their first touchdown came on a five-yard run from Danny Manning in the third quarter, and their second on a five-yard run from Dirks in the fourth.  The second touchdown pulled the score to a 20-20 tie.  SM Northwest regained possession late in the fourth quarter and made their way to the Olathe Northwest 14-yard line.  With two seconds remaining in the game, Jorn Winklemolen booted a 31-yard field goal through the uprights to give SM Northwest a 23-20 victory--their first of the season.

 SM East 42, SM North 7

In contrast with what we're normally accustomed to seeing from SM East, the Lancers used their run game to fuel an early lead and solid victory over their neighbors from the north.  The Lancers got on the board with two early touchdowns from Jake Libeer on runs of 17 and 39 yards to go up 14-0.  SM North's top playmaker, Mason Perez, answered with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to make things 14-7.  That, however, was as close as the Indians would get to evening the score.  SM East added touchdowns from Jeff Cole and Tyler Nelson to pull ahead 28-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter Adam Lowe scored on an 11-yard run, to give the Lancers a 35-7 advantage.  Their final score came in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Nick Pirotte to Connor Rellihan.

Week Three Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game of the Week

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

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

Week Two Review

Olathe South is one of thee undefeated teams
remaining the Sunflower League.  Photo courtesy
the Kansas City Star.

Three Up

Olathe South
Besides Olathe North, no team is playing better than the Falcons.  Olathe South has averaged 323 rushing yards in each of their first two games and they're looking like one of the league's elite.

Olathe East
After a poor performance in week one the Hawks bounced back with an impressive eight point victory over SM East.  Not only did their run game produce (five rushing touchdowns) but they also did a good job slowing the SM East passing attack.

Olathe Northwest
The Ravens two wins have come against teams ranked eleventh and twelfth in the Power Rankings, but they've looked good so far, especially on the offensive side of the ball.  They rank second in the Sunflower League on offense at 448.5 yards per game.

Three Down

SM East
The Lancer's offense played a decent game, despite that fact that they lost their starting quarterback Dakota Collins in the first half.  The problem was their defense.  Olathe East ran the ball at will and the Lancers must improve defensively or it will continue to be a major liability.

Lawrence
The Lawrence offense looked great--in the first half.  Their inability to muster any points in the second half prevented them from putting pressure on Olathe South and potentially pulling out a victory, and they also lost their starting center Brady Murrish in the process.  Lawrence's defense also needs work, as they've allowed a touchdown run of 60 or more yards in consecutive weeks.

SM Northwest
It looked like the Cougars were going to complete a major comeback victory when Jake Horner ran back a SM West fumble 45 yards for a touchdown.  But a defensive letdown by the Cougars allowed SM West to score a long touchdown and force overtime, where the Cougars came up short. 

Week Two Players of the Week

Russell White, Olathe South: An injury to starting running back Jordan Ward threw White into the mix early and he responded beautifully rushing for three touchdowns and killing the will of the Lawrence defense.  It remains to be seen how serious Ward's injury was, but what we do know is that the Falcon's have a another top notch running back in their stable.

Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: Rook has benefited from not playing against any of the top ranked defenses in the league, but it's hard to argue his success.  On Thursday he completed 15 of 39 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns, and he also added a rushing touchdown in overtime.  Rook and the Ravens play SM Northwest next week, a team with a susceptible pass defense, and Rook could be in for another big game.

Jake Horner, SM Northwest: Despite his team's 0-2 record, Horner is quickly establishing himself as one of the top playmakers in the Sunflower League.  On Friday he totaled 146 return yards including a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter which brought his average yards per kickoff return to 54.33.  He also returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter which gave the Cougars a temporary lead.

Week Three Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (2-0): The Eagles' last road win against SM West was in 2003, but they are a heavy favorite to change that come this Thursday, in a game which will be televised on KC Metro Sports.

2. Olathe South (2-0): The Falcons leapfrog Olathe East and should have no problem pushing their record to 3-0 against Leavenworth.

3. Olathe East (1-1): The Hawks will have played the league's most difficult three-game slate to begin the season following their game against Lawrence this Friday.

4. SM East (1-1): No word is out on the severity of Dakota Collins injury, but backup quarterback Nick Pirotte looked solid in relief effort.  The Lancers must also get Elliot Faerber more touches next week.

5. Lawrence (1-1): Quarterback Brad Strauss played okay, but his two interception tosses hurt the Chesty Lions.  He's going to need to cut down on his turnovers as the season progresses.

6. SM West (1-1): After a tremendous first half in which they led 24-7, the Vikings more or less faded in the second, and at one point trailed SM Northwest.  They must develop some consistency.

7. Olathe Northwest (2-0): With a home game against SM Northwest on tap the Ravens have a decent shot at starting the season 3-0 which would be huge for their confidence.

8. Lawrence Free State (1-1): Free State has a very manageable schedule over the course of the next five weeks but they'll have to mature quickly, because Olathe North and Lawrence complete their schedule in October.

9. SM Northwest (0-2): The Cougar's would love to avoid another 0-3 start to the season but unless they get their defense into gear it's going to be a hard thing to do.

10. SM North (1-1): The Indians 38-point loss to Olathe North in week two was ugly and they will be looking to bounce back against SM East in one of the Shawnee Mission School District's "Nut Cup" games.

11. SM South (0-2): Late game heartbreak has struck twice in as many weeks for the Raiders, but despite the losses the team is looking like a unit that has the potential for some upsets down the line.

12. Leavenworth (0-2): Judson Cole and Jason Randall are the building blocks for this Leavenworth program and they have the speed to eventually sneak up on a team or two this season.

Week Two Game Recaps

Olathe South's Russell White scored
touchdowns on runs of six, 60, and five
yards on Friday night.  Photo courtesy
the Kansas City Star.

Olathe South 33, Lawrence 22

Olathe South had no problem running effectively in this game, as they scored first when Russell White took a handoff 32-yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons an early advantage.  Lawrence was able to match the score on their next possession on a drive that was capped off with a six-yard run from Charles Jackson, then added a two-point conversion on a run from Brad Strauss.

Trailing by one, White broke free again for Olathe South, scoring on a 60-yard touchdown run.  The Falcons missed the PAT and led 13-8.  Jackson added another touchdown run for Lawrence in the first quarter from three yards out, and the Chesty Lions once again converted a two-point conversion to go up 16-13. 

In the second quarter Olathe South regained the lead on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Frankie Seurer to Justin Maggot, but once again missed the PAT.  They led by three until Lawrence's Anthony Rosen booted a 32-yard field goal to tie things at 19.  Olathe South then responded with another rushing touchdown--a four-yard run from Teddy Colbert--to go up 26-19.  Rosen added a field goal before the half to bring things to 26-22, with Olathe South ahead as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

The back-and-forth scoring did not continue in the second half.  In fact, the only score was a five-yard touchdown run for White, his third of the day, to push Olathe South's advantage to 33-22.  Olathe South churned out 321 rushing yards on the day.

Olathe North 45, SM North 7

Olathe North's Tanner Gentry took a punt 80-yards to the house midway through the first quarter and the route was on for the Eagles.  Gentry later caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Bruce, and that's not to mention the combined 185 combined rushing yards put up by Orange Mooney and Treshawn Root.  SM North's lone score came, as expected, on a touchdown pass from Ryan Theis to Mason Perez--the third touchdown pass and catch between the combo.

Olathe East 35, SM East 27

Olathe East's method for covering SM East star receiver Elliot Faerber?  Double and sometimes triple team coverage on the talented wideout.  The plan worked, as the Hawks rolled to a comfortable eight-point victory after a less than impressive performance in week one against Olathe North.

Olathe East scored first when running back Kendall Kelly ran in a score from five yards out.  SM East scored next when Dakota Collins connected with the Lancers other top receiver, Connor Rellihan, on a 44-yard touchdown pass.  From there Olathe East separated themselves and didn't look back.  They scored three-straight rushing touchdowns, all from John Kelsh, to go up 28-7 early in the third quarter.  SM East finally countered with a five-yard touchdown run from Jake Libeer, but Olathe East punched right back with a 52-yard touchdown run from Kelly on a fourth and one play. 

Down 35-14, and without their starting quarterback Collins (who left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury), the Lancers made a late comeback attempt.  Backup quarterback Nick Pirotte led the Lancers on an 11-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run from Jeff Cole.  The Lancers forced an Olathe East punt, and Andy Hiett returned the punt 74 yards for a touchdown to pull to within eight points.  SM East wasn't able to get any closer, as Olathe East closed out the game for the victory.

SM West 38, SM Northwest 31, OT

After a shoddy performance in week one, SM West stepped it up early in week two, scoring 24 first-half points and holding SM Northwest to seven.  The SM West scores came on a nine-yard touchdown run from Armani Williams, a 32-yard field goal from Mark Whitrock, a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Joel Spiller, and a 30-yard run from Ricco Hopkins.  SM Northwest got on the board with a 23-yard touchdown run from Danny Manning. 

SM Northwest didn't stay down for long, however, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half.  Jake Horner returned the second half kickoff 90 yards for a score, which was followed by another Manning touchdown run, a 24-yard field goal by Jorn Winkelmolen, and a 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Horner.  SM West, trailing 31-24, narrowly tied the game late in the fourth quarter on a 54-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Tre Burt.  The score forced overtime, where the Vikings scored first on a one-yard touchdown run from Burt, then held the Cougars short of a score, to claim the win.

Lawrence Free State 23, Leavenworth 12

It wasn't a pretty win for Free State, but the team managed to come away with their first of the season after securing a late score.  The Firebirds jumped to a 16-0 lead in the second quarter on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Joe Dineen to Tye Hughes, and a one-yard touchdown run from Demarko Bobo.
Leavenworth was able to score two touchdowns to pull within four points at 16-12, but never closed the gap.  Calloway Schmidt intercepted a late Leavenworth pass, which led to an 81-yard touchdown score on a pass from Kyle McFarland to Ryan Patterson, ultimately putting the Firebirds up for good, 23-12.