Wier Approved as Olathe North Head Coach

Gene Wier returns as head coach
to the school where he won six
Class 6A state championships.

After spending nine seasons away from Olathe North Gene Wier is returning to the program that he molded into one of the state's elite in the mid-1990s.

The Olathe School District Education Board approved Olathe North's plans to hire Wier as the new head football coach in place of former head coach Pete Flood, who resigned in November to spend more time with his family.

When Wier left Olathe North following the 2002 season, the Eagles were on a 38-game winning streak and had won three-straight 6A state championships, not to mention six of the past seven dating back to 1996.

The Olathe North team Wier inherits in 2012 is high in talent--and question marks.  This past season the Eagles began 5-0 before losing four straight games to close out the season, missing the playoffs.

The program also graduated the majority of their star power including players like Tanner Gentry, Orange Mooney, Treshawn Root and Jordan Bruce. 

Save the hiccup in 2011, Olathe North has had more success than any Sunflower League team in recent years.  They went 13-0 winning the 6A title in 2009, and finished as the 6A Runner-Up in 2010 going 11-2.

Sunflower League Extra



Remington Whitley, #31, on the right making the tackle,
was instrumental in shutting down Olathe North's offensive
attack on Friday.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star.

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Six Stats: 8-of-14 passing, 134 yards, 1 TD; 14 carries, 115 yards, 4 TDs; 1 KR TD

Lawrence Head Coach Dirk Wedd was quoted this week in the Lawrence Journal World decribing Strauss as "the type of player that comes along once or twice in your coaching career."  It was a pretty strong statement considering Wedd's long history at LHS, and definitely something to keep in mind.  Don't forget--Strauss is only a junior.

2. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Six Stats: 5 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TDs

Cauley receives a one-spot jump in the rankings based on his strong performance against SM North.  The consistency he's displayed throughout the season is perhaps what has been most impressive about his body of work.  He's on pace for one of the best statistical seasons from a wide receiver in league history.

3. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Six Stats: 22 carries, 186 yards

With his efforts on Friday Guild eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season.  He is the only running back in the league to have topped that mark thus far, and he's averaging a hair under 182 yards per game.  While his team has only collected one win, it certainly hasn't been due to a lack of effort on Guild's behalf.

4. Treshawn Root, Running Back, Olathe North
Week Six Stats: 16 carries, 86 yards

Root was bottled up pretty well by the Olathe South defense, but one average performance (by Root's standards) won't bump him down four spots off the list.  The talented senior is still averaging 9.5 yards per carry and how he performs down the stretch will be a big indication of how well Olathe North does.

5. Remington Whitley, Linebacker, Olathe South
Week Six Stats: 16 tackles (1 tackle for loss)

This could be a cup of coffee for Whitley, or he could become a mainstay in the Top 5 Player Ratings.  Whitley's efforts were critical in shutting down Olathe North's aforementioned Root and Orange Mooney last Friday.  His 16 tackles were as many as we've seen out of a defensive player in a big game all season, and he ranks in the top five in the league in interceptions with three.

Honorable Mention: Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Orange Mooney, Olathe North; John Kelsh, Olathe East; Kendall Kelly, Olathe East; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Kyle McFarland, Free State.

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 1,364, 15 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1,303, 8 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 833, 11 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 831, 9 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 734, 5 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 714, 5 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 711, 4 TDs
Mark Dabeck, Leavenworth: 586, 4 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 461, 5 TDs
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 429, 4 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 1,090, 9 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 819, 9 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 807, 5 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 709, 12 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 700, 6 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 647, 10 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 640, 6 TDs
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 606, 10 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 601, 5 TDs
Tre Burt, SM West: 490, 5 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 831, 11 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North:  501, 9 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 468, 3 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 435, 5 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 398, 4 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 383, 2 TDs
Drake Hofer, Lawrence: 336, 2 TDs
Joel Spiller, SM West: 321, 2 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 318, 2 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 316, 5 TDs

Tackles
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 92
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 81
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 67
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 66
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 64
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 61
Colin McCarty, SM North: 61
Gage Smoots, Olathe North: 58
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 57
Joe Dineen, Free State: 55

Interceptions (Based on return yardage)
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 4 (1 TD)
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 4
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 4
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 3
Sean Wilkes, SM North: 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
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

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Sunflower League Extra

Olathe Northwest's Willie Cauley, ranked
third in the Top 5 Player Ratings, goes up
for a catch against an Olathe South defend-
er (check out the size of his paws).  Photo
courtesy the Kansas City Star.

Top 5 Player Ratings

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Five Stats: 9-of-17 passing, 186 yards, 1 TD; 9 carries, 192 yards, 1 TD

The loss of running back Charles Jackson will certainly put an increased emphasis on Strauss running the football, but in week five against SM East Strauss handled it quite well.  Perhaps more importantly, for the first time all season Strauss didn't throw an interception in a game.

2. Treshawn Root, Running Back, Olathe North
Week Five Stats: 18 carries, 108 yards

Root didn't need to do much for Olathe North to beat Leavenworth, so he saw limited action against the Pioneers.  He played tremendously in week one against rival Olathe East, and we'll see if he can have a repeat of that effort this Friday against another rival in Olathe South.

3. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Five Stats: 11 receptions, 223 yards, 1 TD

Say all you want about Cauley's height advantage, but the kid continues to produce week in and week out.  It's no wonder he tenders as many elite college basketball scholarship offers as he does and it makes you wonder if playing two sports at the next level would be out of the question for him?

4. Orange Mooney, Running Back, Olathe North
Week Five Stats: 12 carries, 129 yards, 2 TDs

Mooney's services, like Root's, were not in high demand in the Eagles 44-0 victory last Thursday.  Despite this, Mooney still had a nice game averaging 10.75 yards per carry and tallying two touchdowns.

5. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Five Stats: 30 carries, 342 yards, 3 TDs

Guild has been a solid force for the Raiders all season long and he truly had a breakout performance against SM Northwest.  His 342 rushing yards is believed to have been the top single-game rushing performance, in terms of yardage, in the Sunflower League in the last decade.

Honorable Mention: Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Remington Whitley, Olathe South; John Kelsh, Olathe East; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Kyle McFarland, Free State; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 1,158, 7 TDs
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 1,146, 12 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 756, 11 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 713, 8 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 656, 5 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 593, 2 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 550, 2 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 461, 5 TDs
Mark Dabeck, Leavenworth: 432, 3 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 418, 3 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 903, 9 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 743, 5 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 721, 9 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 620, 10 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 561, 5 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 526, 5 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 523, 6 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 515, 4 TDs
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 426, 8 TDs
Jordan Ward, Olathe South: 405, 4 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 695, 9 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North:  431, 9 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 429, 3 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 383, 2 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 373, 3 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 316, 3 TDs
Drake Hofer, Lawrence: 316, 2 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 305, 2 TDs
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 278, 2 TDs
Joel Spiller, SM West: 262, 1 TD

Tackles
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 76
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 69
Colin McCarty, SM North: 56
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 54
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 54
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 46
Joe Dineen, Free State: 45
Corbin Schmidt, Free State: 44
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 43
David Stewart, SM East: 43

Interceptions (Based on return yardage)
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 3 (1 TD)
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 3
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 3
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 3
Sean Wilkes, SM North: 3
Greg Fry, Olathe South: 2
Sam McReynolds, Olathe East: 2

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Teddy Colbert, Olathe South: 1 KR TD
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 1 PR TD
Andy Hiett, SM East: 1 PR TD
Jake Horner, SM Northwest: 2 KR TD
Mason Perez, SM North: 1 KR TD
Taylor Sheffield, Olathe South: 1 KR TD
Troy Wilkins, SM East: 1 KR TD

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Week Five Game Previews

Leavenworth will have to face
Olathe North's Treshawn Root
and his 12.45 yards per carry
average on Thursday night.

Leavenworth (0-4) at Olathe North (4-0) (Thursday Night Game)

The Sunflower League's best team against its worst.  Right now Olathe North is on a wrecking pace, churning out 358 yards rushing and 128 yards passing per game, not to mention the fact that they're scoring 45 points a game and only giving up 16 (both scoring averages rank tops in the SL).  A Leavenworth victory here would truly be a miracle.

SM North (1-3) at Lawrence Free State (3-1)

On paper Free State is a heavy favorite, but then again, the Firebird's three wins have come against teams with a combined record of 1-11.  SM North shot themselves in the foot last week against SM West, giving away the ball twice in the first quarter which resulted in two quick SM West touchdowns.  Expect an increased focus on ball protection this week from the Indians. 

SM West (2-2) at Olathe East (3-1)

SM West has had quite the up-and-down schedule this season.  One week they're the favorite, and the next week they're the underdog (Olathe East is an 8.7-point favorite in this game according the the Topeka Capitol-Journal computer spread), and it's been alternating that way throughout the season.  Olathe East is playing as well as any team at this juncture in the season and it's going to take a great defensive effort from SM West to have a chance at halting the Hawk's three-game winning streak.

Olathe Northwest (2-2) at Olathe South (4-0)

This sounds like a familiar story.  An upstart Olathe Northwest team with solid offensive weapons but little defensive punch takes on a favored Olathe foe... and everytime but once, Olathe Northwest has lost.  Maybe this is the week the Ravens turn things around?  The upset recipe would have to include a heavy dose of Willie Cauley, as SM East had some success through the air last week against Olathe South, and it's never easy covering a 6-foot-10 guy.  For the Falcons, one can assume they'll stick to their usually ground-and-pound tactics in an effort to claim win number five on the season.

SM Northwest (1-3) at SM South (0-4)

These look like two pretty evenly matched teams and this should be a very competitive game.  Looking ahead to district play, neither of these teams have an impossible path to the playoffs (SM South will probably have to pull an upset against SM East or SM West to reach the playoffs, while SM Northwest has a cakewalk).  In the meantime, a win here would be a great confidence booster at the midway point in the season that would carry to districts.

Game of the Week
SM East (2-2) at Lawrence (2-2)

It's time for these teams to put up or shut up.  While both have shown flashes of brilliance, neither has displayed the consistency necessary to do much damage come playoff time.  Combined, the two schools have played four of what I would call "big games," and together they've gone 0-4 in those games.  So basically both teams are putting up outstanding numbers and results against lesser opponents, but when push has come to shove neither has passed the test.  Someone has to pass this test.

Sunflower League Extra

Top 5 Player Ratings

Lawrence's Brad Strauss.  Photo courtesy
 the Lawrence Journal World.

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week Four Stats: 17-of-23 passing, 239 yards, 2 TDs; 5 carries, 37 yards

Strauss continues to be the cog that keeps LHS in motion, and with the potential loss of running back Charles Jackson, Strauss will have to play an even more important role.  He leads the league in total offense with 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns.

2. Treshawn Root, Running Back, Olathe North
Week Four Stats: 11 carries, 209 yards, 1 TD

Root's yards per carry average looks like a typo at 12.45, but it's not--he's just performed that well this season.  In the last two weeks alone he's rushed for 404 yards on a mere 22 carries (that average sits at 18.36 yards per carry).  Root now leads the league in rushing with 635 yards.

3. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Four Stats: 7 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD

His team has suffered two straight losses, but Cauley hasn't been the reason for it.  In fact, his continued top production has been more impressive because it has come against better teams.  Cauley ranks first among league receivers in receptions with 27, receiving yards with 472, and touchdowns with eight.

4. Orange Mooney, Running Back, Olathe North
Week Four Stats: 17 carries, 202 yards, 2 TDs

Mooney climbs into the rankings after another stellar performance running the ball.  He ranks second in the league in rushing behind Root, and he is tied with Connor Middleton for the most rushing touchdowns with seven.

5. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Four Stats: 15 carries, 100 yards, 2 TDs; 3 catches, 28 yards

Guild hangs on in the Top 5 Player Ratings after a week where he was, quite frankly, one of the few bright-spots in SM South's 35-point loss to Olathe North.  Guild is tops among league running backs in terms of total offense, as his pass catching ability has added another dimension to his game.

Honorable Mention: Elliot Faerber, SM East; John Kelsh, Olathe East; Kyle McFarland, Lawrence Free State; Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Jordan Bruce, Olathe North; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 961, 6 TDs
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 814, 9 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 556, 6 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 512, 8 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 510, 2 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 495, 4 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 438, 5 TDs
Mark Dabeck, Leavenworth: 432, 3 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 418, 3 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 380, 2 TDs

Rushing Yards
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 635, 5 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 592, 7 TDs
Gabe Guild, SM South: 561, 6TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 490, 7 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 465, 4 TDs
Charles Jackson, Lawrence: 394, 5  TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 380, 3 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 326, 4 TDs
Russell White, Olathe South: 300, 6 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 292, 3 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 472, 8 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 338, 3 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 312, 2 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 305, 2 TDs
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 298, 3 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 274, 6 TDs
Drake Hofer, Lawrence: 265, 2 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 255, 1 TD
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 244,  2 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 230, 2 TDs

Tackles
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 54
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 54
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 53
Colin McCarty, SM North: 45
Gage Smoots, Olathe North: 41
Austin Jackson, Leavenworth: 40
Alex Waugh, Leavenworth: 40
Jimmie Swain, Olathe North: 39
Justin Barlett, Olathe North: 37
Joe Dineen, Free State: 37

Interceptions (Based on return yardage)
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 3
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 3
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 2 (1 TD)
Alex Forslund, SM South: 2
Greg Fry, Olathe South: 2
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 2
Rob Rice, SM West: 2

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 1 PR TD
Andy Hiett, SM East: 1 PR TD
Jake Horner, SM Northwest: 1 KR TD
Mason Perez, SM North: 1 KR TD
Troy Wilkins, SM East: 1 KR TD

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

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).

Week Four Game Recaps

Lawrence 35, Leavenworth 13

Leavenworth's Judson Cole battling for yardage.  Photo
courtesy the Lawrence Journal World.

Lawrence High played a sloppy game fumbling the ball four times (losing two) and throwing two interceptions, but in the end they were able to hold on for a three-touchdown victory.  The Chesty Lions capped off their first two drives with two-yard touchdown runs from Charles Jackson to claim a 14-0 lead (Jackson suffered what appeared to be a pretty severe injury later in the game and was carted off the field).  Late in the first quarter Brad Strauss connected with Anthony Buffalomeat on a 35-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 21-0.

In the second quarter an LHS fumble set up Leavenworth to score on a 49-yard touchdown run from Jason Randall.  LHS responded before the half with another touchdown pass, this time a 13-yarder from Strauss to Drake Hofer.  The Chesty Lions led 28-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter Leavenworth narrowed the LHS lead to 15 points when Anthony Truelove recovered a fumble and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown, making the score 28-13.  Lawrence was able to hold off the late surge, and closed out the game with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Strauss to Buffalomeat late in the fourth quarter. 

Olathe East 44, Olathe Northwest 20

Running back Kendall Kelly's decision to transfer from SM North to Olathe East this year is looking like a pretty solid decision.  Not only have he and the Hawks reeled off three-straight victories, but Kelly is starting to put up the big numbers he's capable of.  Olathe East left no doubts early, scoring three rushing touchdowns in the first half to gain a 21-0 lead at halftime.  The scores came on a two-yard run from John Kelsh, then runs of 10 and 15 yards from Kelly. 

In the second half Olathe Northwest got creative on a running back pass from Connor Middleton to Williey Cauley which resulted in a 31-yard touchdown score.  Olathe Northwest trailed 21-7, but that was about as close as they came throughout the night.  Olathe East's John Blazevic found Junior Williams on a 22-yard touchdown pass to make things 28-7.  Olathe Northwest came back with a drive and a one-yard touchdown run from Middleton to pull to within 14 again, but then Olathe East poured it on to close things out.  The Hawks scored first on a two-yard run from Kelly, then recorded a safety, then running back Hayden Frazier took a carry 40-yards for another score.  Olathe Northwest's final points came late in the fourth quarter on a four-yard run from Middleton, his third touchdown of the night.

Olathe North 56, SM South 21

Another week, another blowout victory for Olathe North.  The Eagles are cruising through their schedule with ease as they put on yet another route Friday night.  Olathe North opened up with three straight touchdowns on runs of three and 38 yards from Orange Mooney, and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Bruce to Tanner Gentry.  SM South finally answered with a five-yard run from Gabe Guild to make things 21-7. 

Olathe North hit the accelerator again, scoring three more touchdowns in a row.  The first on a four-yard run from Treshawn Root, the second on a 17-yard pass from Bruce to Willie Helig, and the third on a 71-yard run from Mooney.  Olathe North led 42-7 at that point in the third quarter.  From there, the scoring was back and forth.  SM South added touchdowns on a 61-yard run from Guild and a 21-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Adolph Matthew.  Olathe North's scores came on two touchdown runs from Elbert Johnson, his second going for 72 yards.

Olathe South 29, SM East 21

Olathe South continues to come up victorious, this time claiming a Saturday afternoon contest on their homecoming.  SM East scored first in the game on a four-yard run from Jeff Cole to go up 7-0.  Olathe South responded that quarter with 75-yard touchdown run from Matt Elliott to even the score.  SM East scored once more in the first quarter on a 27-yard pass from Nick Pirotte to receiver Connor Rellihan.  Olathe South came back with a drive and a one-yard touchdown run from Chris Wright to tie things again.  Perhaps the play of the game came just before the half when Olathe South's Elliott intercepted a Pirotte pass and took it back 79-yards for a touchdown.  The Falcons missed the PAT, but went into halftime up 20-14. 

SM East put together a 12-play drive that ended with a three-yard run from Cole to begin the third quarter.  The score put the Lancers up 21-20, but it was the last lead they would hold in the game.  Olathe South came back in the fourth quarter with a 68-yard touchdown strike from Frankie Seurer to Drew Johnson.  Later in the fourth the Falcons' Jared Douglas booted a 27-yard field goal to go up 29-21.

Lawrence Free State 42, SM Northwest 7

Free State appears to have found their offensive mojo.  The Firebirds torched the SM Northwest defense for 516 yards, with 445 coming on the ground.  Free State added three rushing touchdowns in the first half--a 14-yard run from T.J. Cobbs, a 15-yard from from Kyle McFarland, then a 10-yarder from McFarland.  SM Northwest kept the game honest with a touchdown run of four yards late in the second quarter by Danny Manning.  Free State led 21-7 at the half.

In the third quarter McFarland added his third touchdown of the night on a 50-yard run to give Free State a 28-7 edge.  Shawn Knighton added a four-yard touchdown run, then followed that up with a 51-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to give the Firebirds 42 points.

SM West 20, SM North 14

It wasn't pretty, but SM West managed to capitalize on a few first-half turnovers from SM North to gain a lead and ultimately claim the victory.  SM West scored first when Brett Sterbach took a carry 32-yards for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.  SM North fumbled the ball on their next offensive possession, and SM West's Sean Dilley scooped up the ball and took it 26 yards for a touchdown, giving SM West a 13-0 lead.  SM North fumbled yet again on another possession in the first quarter, and that was recovered by SM West's Lee Spight who took the ball back 22 yards for a second defensive touchdown.  The score gave SM West a 20-0 lead. 

SM North was able to cut into the lead with a six-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter from Brock Burrows.  The Indians added another touchdown in the second quarter on a 22-yard pass from Ryan Theis to Mason Perez, which pulled SM North within seven, at 20-13.  That, however, proved to be the last score of the game for either team as SM West came away with the win.

Sunflower League Extra

SM South's Gabe Guild, ranked fourth in this week's
Top 5 Player Ratings, dives for extra yardage in his
team's loss to Lawrence Free State.  Photo courtesy the
Lawrence Journal World.

Top 5 Player Ratings
Player ratings are subject to change on a week-to-week basis

1. Brad Strauss, Lawrence, Quarterback
Week Three Stats: 17-of-32 passing, 199 yards, 1 TD; 14 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs

Strauss had another stellar game, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in both passing and rushing totals, in addition to three combined touchdowns.  Among the league leaders, he ranks second in passing with 710 yards, seventh in rushing with 275 yards, and first in total offense with a combined 985 yards.

2. Treshawn Root, Olathe North, Running Back
Week Three Stats: 11 carries, 195 yards, 3 TDs

Root replaced his running mate Orange Mooney in the two slot after spending the week two rankings on the honorable mention list.  Root boasts a per carry average of 10.65 yards and he's ranked second in the league in rushing with 426 yards.

3. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week Three Stats: 5 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

Cauley came within five yards of claiming his third-consecutive 100-yard receiving game in a row.  He leads the league in receiving yards and touchdown receptions with 339 and 7, respectively. 

4. Gabe Guild, Running Back, SM South
Week Three Stats: 21 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 18 yards

Guild continues to be a workhorse back for the Raiders, churning out another 100+ yard rushing performance, his third in as many games, against Lawrence Free State.  He leads all league rushers with 461 rushing yards on 64 carries.

5. Elliot Faerber, Wide Receiver, SM East
Week Three Stats: 3 receptions, 47 yards

Faerber is in danger of slipping out of the top five.  After an outstanding performance in week one, his last two games have been average, at best.  Teams are focusing their top defensive back tandems on him, which has made passing to fellow SM East receiver Connor Rellihan the more conventional choice to pass to for the Lancers in their past two games.

Honorable Mention: Orange Mooney, Olathe North; Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest; Charles Jackson, Lawrence; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Alex Forslund, SM South; Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Mason Perez, SM North; Kyle McFarland, Lawrence Free State; Ryan Patterson, Lawrence Free State

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 715, 9 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 710, 3 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 485, 6 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 420, 6 TDs
Dakota Collins, SM East: 418, 3 TDs
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 370, 3 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 325, 4 TDs
Armani Williams, SM West: 313, 2 TDs
Nick Pirotte, SM East: 257, 1 TD
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 254, 2 TDs

Rushing Yards
Gabe Guild, SM South: 461, 4 TDs
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 426, 4 TDs
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 390, 4 TDs
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 366, 5 TDs
John Kelsh, Olathe East: 315, 3 TDs
Danny Manning, SM Northwest: 292, 3 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 275, 4 TDs
Charles Jackson, Lawrence: 266, 3 TDs
Russell White, Olathe South: 252, 6 TDs
Alex Forslund, SM South: 245, 6 TDs

Receiving Yards
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 339, 7 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 269, 2 TDs
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 231, 5 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 221, 2 TDs
Erick Mayo, Lawrence: 214, 1 TD
Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence: 200, 1 TD
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 200, 2 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 196, 3 TDs
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 192, 2 TDs
Drew Johnson, Olathe South: 176, 1 TD

Tackles
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 41
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 39
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 38
Jeramie Fischer, SM South: 34
Colin McCarty, SM North: 34
Gage Smoots, Olathe North: 33
Alex Forslund, SM South: 31
Justin Barlett, Olathe North: 29
Joe Dineen, Free State: 29
Rob Rice, SM West: 29

Interceptions
Isaiah Ross, Leavenworth: 3
Joe Dineen, Free State: 2
Alex Forslund, SM South: 2
Greg Fry, Olathe South: 2
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 2 (1 TD)
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 2
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 2
Rob Rice, SM West: 2
Calloway Schmidt, Free State: 2
Sean Wilkes, SM North: 2

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 1 PR TD
Andy Hiett, SM East: 1 PR TD
Jake Horner, SM Northwest: 1 KR TD
Mason Perez, SM North: 1 KR TD
Troy Wilkins, SM East: 1 KR TD

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Week Three Review

Three Up

Olathe East's John Kelsh.  Photo courtesy
the Lawrence Journal World.

Olathe East
The Hawks began the season against three of the best teams in the league--Olathe North, SM East, and Lawrence--and came away with a 2-1 record.  Two out of three isn't bad in that stretch as they strive for a second 10-win season in a row.

SM Northwest
The Cougars avoided starting the season 0-3 for the second time in a row with some late-game heroics.  They also did a good job of curtailing Willie Cauley's overall impact on the game.

Olathe North
It probably gets lonely at the top, but the Eagles don't seem to mind.  Sometimes we take for granted the way Olathe North consistently dominates their opponents (see their 48-21 win over SM West on Thursday) but all-in-all the Eagles are 3-0, dominating, and worthy of some recognition.

Three Down

Olathe Northwest
Whenever it seems like the Ravens are over the hump they go and lose a game like they did on Friday.  After jumping out to a comfortable 20-6 lead, they let SM Northwest back into the game and lost when the Cougars made a last-second field goal.

Lawrence
Unfortunately for the 1-2 Chesty Lions, the bulk of their schedule is not yet over.  They still have SM East, Olathe North, and their crosstown rival Free State remaining--all of which will be challenging games.  That's not to mention contests against SM South and Olathe Northwest, both of whom have played well through week three.

SM North
The Indians have been outscored 87-14 in their last two games after starting the season with a victory over SM South.  The team's lone bright spot has been Mason Perez who continues to put up touchdowns despite SM North's poor performances overall.

Week Three Players of the Week

Kyle McFarland, Lawrence Free State: McFarland completed 10 of 18 passes for 206 yards and four touchdowns, carried the ball 13 times for 84 yards, and made the game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter to help Free State to their second win of the year.  With his efforts, McFarland likely established himself as the heir-apparent to last season's quarterback, Dylan Perry.

Treshawn Root, Olathe North: Root sliced through the SM West defense en route to 195 rushing yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries.  His average of 17.7 yards per carry was ridiculous and he looked like the league's top running back with the efforts.

Week Four Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (3-0): The Eagles have outscored their opponents 122-42 and are sitting pretty with their 3-0 record.

2. Olathe South (3-0): Olathe South has taken care of business as well as anyone, and now they face their second true test of the season in a road trip to SM East.

3. Olathe East (2-1): Watch out, the Hawks are gaining momentum.  After a dismal week one performance they've strung together two wins in a row against good teams.

4. SM East (2-1): After laying an egg against Olathe East in week two the Lancers have a chance to redeem themselves versus a quality opponent in Olathe South this Saturday.

5. Lawrence (1-2): The Chesty Lions' schedule hasn't treated them well thus far and their 1-2 record is not an accurate reflection of the talent the team possesses.

6. Lawrence Free State (2-1): The Firebirds pulled out a nice victory late against SM South, and in a season with as much parody as this one experience like that will be huge come district and playoff time.

7. SM West (1-2): The Vikings are playing hard but it's not making much of a difference in the win column.  They can gain some confidence this week against SM North before facing Olathe East in week five.

8. SM Northwest (1-2): The Cougars' win on Friday was huge for their confidence, and five of their next six games could very likely result in Ws.

9. Olathe Northwest (2-1): The Ravens failed to close down SM Northwest and their two wins against Leavenworth and SM South (who are a combined 0-6) is looking not-so-impressive. 

10. SM North (1-2): The Indians don't play a team ranked in the top five of this week's Power Rankings the rest of the season and an easy district should result in at least a three-win regular season.

11. SM South (0-3): I can't remember the last time a team not only had three straight games decided on the final possession, but also came up short in all three instances.

12. Leavenworth (0-3): Hopefully the Pioneers' 31-point loss doesn't stop the team from competing hard the way early blowouts have in the past with the program.

Olathe North 48, SM West 21

Olathe North's "Big Three," consisting of Orange Mooney, Tanner Gentry and Treshawn Root, all found their way into the scoring column early against SM West, fueling the Eagle's 27-point victory.

Root put Olathe North up 7-0 in the first quarter when he took a carry 47-yards to the house.  In the second quarter Jordan Bruce connected with Gentry on a 17-yard touchdown pass, which was followed up by an eight-yard touchdown run from Mooney.  The Eagles added their fourth touchdown on another run from Root, this time from 26 yards out, to go up 28-0.  SM West snuck in late touchdown on a one-yard run from Armani Williams to pull the game to 28-7 as the teams broke for halftime.

In the third quarter Olathe North had one touchdown score--a 30-yard pass from Bruce to Gentry--to go up 34-7.  SM West added a touchdown on a three-yard run from Tre Burt to make things 34-14.

Olathe North closed out the game with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.  One on a seven-yard run from Bruce, and then a 57-yard run from Root, to go up 48-21.  SM West's lone fourth quarter score came on a 68-yard touchdown run from Burt.

With the win, Olathe North improved to 3-0 on the season.  SM West fell to 1-2, marking the first time since 2003 that the Vikings have had a losing record past the first game of the season.

Sunflower League Extra

Olathe North's Treshawn Root. 
Photo courtesy the Kansas
City Star.

Top 5 Player Ratings
Player ratings are subject to change on a week-to-week basis

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence
Week One Stats: 20-of-27 passing, 197 yards, 2 TDs; 14 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs

The only negative that can be drawn from Strauss' week one performance is the two interceptions he tossed, one of which came at the SM West two-yard line.  Besides that Strauss performed as well as any player in the Sunflower League.  One thing to keep an eye on--Strauss is also starting at safety and returning kicks for Lawrence.  We'll see if those roster trends continue as the season wears on.

2. Elliot Faerber, Wide Receiver, SM East
Week One Stats: 9 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TDs

Faerber has a big target on his back with the "division one" card and all, but if anything it seemed to fuel him in week one.  SM East's first offensive play of the season was a 10-yard quick pass to Faerber out of the slot, which was good for a first down.  From then on Faerber was on a roll, catching everything is his vicinity, including an incredible one-handed grab in the endzone on one of his touchdown scores.

3. Orange Mooney, Running Back, Olathe North
Week One Stats: 30 carries, 177 yards, 2 TDs; 1 punt return for 57 yards

As has been alluded to in the comments section, we all knew Mooney was fast and shifty, but I'm not sure anyone knew of his power running ability.  Olathe East defenders had trouble bringing down Mooney all night and arm tackles did nothing to slow him.  Perhaps Mooney's most defining play of the game was his 57-yard punt return in which he delivered a head-on collision to Olathe East's Junior Williams that could have been heard in the parking lot at CBAC.

4. Treshawn Root, Running Back, Olathe North
Week One Stats: 20 carries, 165 yards

Root was a great speed compliment to Mooney's power in the Eagles victory Friday night.  Root fumbled twice and didn't score any touchdowns, but he's playing a valuable role for Olathe North on both sides of the ball.  If he continues to match Mooney in carries it will be fun to see if the Eagles will have two 1,000+ rushers in 2011.

5. Willie Cauley, Wide Receiver, Olathe Northwest
Week One Stats: 8 receptions, 123 yards, 4 TDs

Will this simply be a "cup of coffee" for for Cauley in the five slot, or will the tallest receiver in Sunflower League history become a mainstay in the Top 5 Player Ratings?  It remains to be seen, but clearly Olathe Northwest's head coach Todd Dain plans to use Cauley's freakish height and athleticism to the Ravens' advantage, and why not?

Honorable Mention: Charles Jackson, Lawrence; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Dakota Collins, SM East; Chad Johnson, Olathe East; Jordan Ward, Olathe South; Tanner Gentry, Olathe North; Mason Perez, SM North

Stat Check

Passing Yards
Dakota Collins, SM East: 261, 2 TDs
Dalton Rook, Olathe Northwest: 215, 4 TDs
John Blazevic, Olathe East: 198, 2 TDs
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 197, 2 TDs
Ryan Theis, SM North: 169, 3 TDs
Jordan Bruce, Olathe North: 105, 2 TDs
Alex Forslund, SM South: 89, 2 TDs
Kyle McFarland, Free State: 82, 1 TD
Frank Seurer, Olathe South: 73
Armani Williams, SM West: 65, 1 TD

Rushing Yards
Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest: 187, 1 TD
Orange Mooney, Olathe North: 177, 2 TDs
Charles Jackson, Lawrence: 171, 1 TD
Treshawn Root, Olathe North: 165
Jordan Ward, Olathe South: 155, 2 TD
Gabe Guild, SM South: 128, 1 TD
Brad Strauss, Lawrence: 119, 2 TDs
Teddy Colbert, Olathe South: 92, 1 TD
Ricco Hopkins, SM West: 85, 1 TD
Alex Forslund, SM South: 81

Receiving Yards
Chad Johnson, Olathe East: 144, 2 TDs
Willie Cauley, Olathe Northwest: 123, 4 TDs
Mason Perez, SM North: 122, 2 TDs
Elliot Faerber, SM East: 120, 2 TDs
Connor Rellihan, SM East: 102
Tanner Gentry, Olathe North: 77, 2 TDs
Drake Hofer, Lawrence: 67, 1 TD
Teddy Colbert, Olathe South: 55
Tye Hughes, Free State: 55, 2 TDs
Ryan Patterson, Free State: 51

Tackles
Colin McCarty, SM North: 16
Alex Anthony, Olathe Northwest: 15
Kendall Kelly, Olathe East: 13
Chris Miller, Olathe North: 12
Tony Wagner, Olathe North: 12
Michael Wurts, Olathe North: 12
Justin Barlett, Olathe North: 11
Terence Brown, Olathe North: 11
Remington Whitley, Olathe South: 11
Junior Williams, Olathe East: 11

Interceptions
Tim Mayes, Olathe Northwest: 2 (1 TD)
Jack Currie, SM North: 1
Scott Gourley, Olathe South: 1 (1 TD)

Kick Return/Punt Return Touchdowns
Troy Wilkins, SM East, 1 PR TD

Stats courtesy Mid-Statesports.com

Sunflower League Extra: Week One

Lawrence High's Brad Strauss.

Top 5 Player Ratings

Player Ratings are subject to change on a week-to-week basis

1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence

Strauss is coming off a tremendous sophomore season in which he passed for over 1,000 yards, rushed for over 600, and combined to score 15 touchdowns. The junior signal-caller will be looking to lead the Chesty Lions to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

2. Tre Burt, Running Back, SM West

Last season Burt rushed for 782 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting the running back duties with Will Livingston. This season (at least early on) it looks like Burt will be carrying the majority of the load himself. The Vikings have had four 1,000 yard rushers since 2004, and we’ll most likely see Burt added to that list if he can stay healthy.

3. Elliot Faerber, Wide Receiver, SM East

With Faerber it’s not a question of his abilities, but rather how well SM East’s new quarterback Dakota Collins can distribute the ball to the talented playmaker. SM East was one of the more impressive teams in the metro in 7-on-7 competition this summer, with Faerber as their top receiver. The SM East faithful hope it will translate onto the gridiron.

4. Treshawn Root, Running Back, Olathe North

Root's transfer to Olathe North during the offseason headlined a plethora of talented running backs that made the transfer attempt to Olathe North, including Orange Mooney (successfully) and Teddy Colbert (unsuccessfully).  To this point in his career Root has been alot of talk, and besides the occassional touchdown here and there, not alot of walk.  But, bigger things are expected of Root in his senior season at Olathe North.

5. Adam Lowe, Running Back, SM East

This fifth slot is always high in liquidity and Lowe could easily climb the list or fall to the honorable mention ranks depending on how he plays at SM Northwest in week one. New faces will inevitably emerge on the scene as well, and they could slip into this slot. What we do know about Lowe is that he was close to 1,000 yards rushing last season, and he’ll probably play an increased role for the Lancers as a senior.

Honorable Mention: Orange Mooney, Olathe North; Connor Middleton, Olathe Northwest; Anthony Buffalomeat, Lawrence; Junior Williams, Olathe East; Teddy Colbert, Olathe South.

Week One Notes

Teams with the Most Pressure to Perform

Olathe North
The Eagles are coming off consecutive state championship appearances and they are seen as the preseason favorite in the SL and in Class 6A by many.  Replacing Victor Simmons and Adonis Saunders certainly won't be easy, and the Eagles don't have much preparation time.  They face Olathe East in week one.

SM East
It won't be easy for SM East to repeat the 8-1 regular season record from last year, but the Lancers will be more focused on the playoffs this time around.  Last year they lost in the first round to Olathe South.  This season the pressure will be on to at least win one playoff game and advance to the Sectional Round.

Lawrence
Lawrence High has become a darkhorse candidate for the league title over the last few months and they have a highly experienced roster returning to match it.  Their biggest hurdle will be their daunting schedule.  The Chesty Lions have road trips to Olathe North, Olathe East and Olathe South, not to mention home contests versus SM West and SM East.

Teams Flying Under-the-Rader

Olathe South
The Falcons return a solid core of talent on both sides of the ball, including their quarterback Frankie Seurer and center Scott Gourley, a First Team All-Sunflower League selection from last year.

SM West

SM West's Tre Burt.

The Vikings, like the Falcons, have the luxury of returning their starting quarterback in Armani Williams.  They also return running back Tre Burt who was a Second Team All-Sunflower League selection in 2010.  If their new starters can step up quickly the Vikings have a chance to make a big push towards the end of the season.

Olathe Northwest
The Ravens have virtually no expectations from the media heading into 2011.  Their only returning starter of note is running back Connor Middleton, and some are even calling into question his ability to carry the load through the nine game schedule.  This would be the perfect time for Olathe Northwest to sneak up on their opponents.

Week One Team Power Rankings
Full preseason analysis of each team available here.

1. Olathe North (0-0)
2. Olathe East (0-0)
3. SM East (0-0)
4. SM West (0-0)
5. Lawrence (0-0)
6. Olathe South (0-0)
7. Lawrence Free State (0-0)
8. SM Northwest (0-0)
9. Olathe Northwest (0-0)
10. SM South (0-0)
11. SM North (0-0)
12. Leavenworth (0-0)

Poll Watching

KC Metro Sports Super 25 Poll

5. Olathe North
9. Olathe South
11. Olathe East
15. SM West

Hovpensports.com Kansas Class 6A Top 10

1. Olathe North

3. Olathe East

7. SM East

9. SM West

10. Olathe South



 Photos courtesy the Lawrence Journal World

August First and Ten

Elliot Faerber is the first SL
wide receiver to receive a D1
offer since SM West's David
Leonard headed to Wyoming
in 2007.

With practices in the state of Kansas and the Sunflower League kicking off today, it means that in just three short weeks, on September 2, the high school football season will begin (September 1 if you want to split hairs).  In the meantime here are 10 of the top storylines heading into what appears to be a another great year of football in the Sunflower League.

1. Is this a great season for top-flight talent in the SL?  Hardly, at least on paper.  Aside from the two division one commits (Elliot Faerber of SM East to Illinois and Matthew Baltimore of Olathe East to Northern Illinois) there isn't a bundle of returning players that we know will tear the league up.  This does mean we should see an influx of new talent as the season matures, however.

2. The league's only new head coach is Ryan Lonergan, who took over the play calling duties at SM South this past summer after eight years as an assistant at SM West.  The longest tenured coach in the league is Olathe East's Jeff Meyers, who will be entering his 20th season as head coach of the Hawks in 2011.

3. Biggest riser?  Lawrence High is the preseason favorite to make a big jump in the SL rankings.  If junior quarterback Brad Strauss can continue to make big strides the Chesty Lions could be in for their first playoff victory(s) since 2006. 

4. We'll be hard-pressed to see a Simone Award winner come out of the league this season.  Generally the award goes exclusively to quarterbacks or running backs, and throughout the SL there is no returning starter at either of those positions who's developed a big name in the metro.  Olathe North's Treshawn Root and SM West's Tre Burt could be battling it out for top running back in the league, however.

5. One of the top games on the fall schedule takes place in week one, when Olathe North travels to CBAC to battle it out with Olathe East.  It's the Hy-Vee High School Game of the Week on KC Metro Sports, and it will be broadcast to the metropolitan area.  It will also be a great chance to see which of Olathe's top two programs has more swagger early on (particularly the battle between defensive ends Tanner Gentry of Olathe North and Baltimore of Olathe East).



Free State's Ryan Murphy set off a string of
dynamic quarterbacks for the Firebirds that
has continued for the better part of the last
five seasons.  We'll see if that trend contin-
ues in 2011.

6. Possible sleepers?  Lawrence Free State and SM Northwest.  Neither of those teams is generating a great deal of preseason hype but these two programs generally get stronger as the season goes along.  The reason for this may lay in their offensive systems.  It doesn't matter who either team puts at quarterback--they continue to put up gaudy numbers and perform like the league's elite. 

Free State's quarterback spot has gone from Ryan Murphy, to Craig Rosenstangle, to Camren Torneden to Dylan Perry without dropoff.  SM Northwest's past three quarterbacks, Alex Carder, Matt Nowak and Stephen Mangelsdorf all developed into top notch talents.  If these trends continue, it wouldn't be surprising to see either team exceed their preseason hype, or lack thereof.

7. Two players who will go into 2011 with chips on their shoulders are Lawrence High's Anthony Buffalomeat and SM West's Armani Williams.  Buffalomeat's 2010 season was cut short by an ankle injury, which prevented him from helping LHS in district play.  Williams received much of the blame for SM West's poor ending to last season, despite the fact that he wasn't even the week one starter for the Vikings. 

 8. Perhaps the lack of a truly dominant team will be equalled in the bottom half of the league, where there might not be a complete cellar dweller.  Leavenworth enters season two under Kevin Kopecky, and it would be hard to imagine the Pioneers having not made substantial improvements during the offseason.  SM North will be in year two under Kevin Grayless, and SM South's coaching change looks like a step in the right direction.


9. An Olathe school has represented the East side of the bracket in 13 of the past 15 6A state championship games (the two exceptions were SM West in 2006 and Free State in 2008).  Olathe North and Olathe East both look like they have the potential to continue that dominance, and Olathe South may be in the race too if their new running backs develop well.

10. The defining feeling heading into the 2011 season is that I can't recall a year in the past where there was fewer returning stars or less dominant teams.  Generally speaking, in August there are usually two, three, or sometimes even four teams in the SL that you could legitimately see winning a state title.  This year I'm not sure there's even one!  There is also a lack of big name talent returning, as mentioned earlier.  The league is up for the taking--we'll see who wants it most.

Top Sunflower League Games in 2011

Week 1

Last season Olathe East manhand-
led Olathe North, 25-0, in the regu-
lar season game between the two
teams.  Olathe North avenged the
loss with a 13-6 Sub-State victory.

Olathe North at Olathe East

The first week of the season starts off with a bang as the top two teams in my Power Rankings face off at CBAC.  This is a heated rivalry and Treshawn Root's transfer to North from East just adds more fuel to the fire.  More importantly, I think we'll get a good handle on how much talent both of these squads have compared to their team's of 2010.

Week 2
Lawrence at Olathe South

Will Olathe South’s returning defensive starters make up for their losses on the offensive side of the ball? Can Brad Strauss take his game and Lawrence High’s to the next level?

Week 3
Olathe North at SM West

Last season Olathe North embarrassed SM West in week one scoring the first 29 points of the game. From then on SM West was good, but they never seemed to have the confidence of a team that was going to do anything in the playoffs. This time around SM West would love nothing more than to sneak up on the Eagles and claim a victory.

Week 4
SM Northwest at Lawrence Free State

I put this game on here because both these teams employ exciting offenses and this game could feature offensive fireworks if both teams’ new starters at the skill positions are comfortable by this point in the season.  It would have been fun seeing a game between these two with Stephen Mangelsdorf and Dylan Perry battling it out at their respective quarterback positions.  Maybe the new starters will be just as exciting?

Week 5
SM East at Lawrence

I have a feeling this could be a fun game to watch.  Both teams feature great talent at the skill positions (Strauss, Anthony Buffalomeat, Elliot Faerber, Adam Lowe, etc.), and Lawrence offensive coordinator Mack Brown will be facing his dad Sam Brown’s (SM East’s athletic director) ballclub.

Week 6
Olathe South at Olathe North

This will be the final tune-up week before district play begins.  Olathe North has won the last four games in the rivalry including a 17-0 shutout of Olathe South in Sectional play in 2010.  Neither team will want to start districts coming off a loss.

Week 7
SM North at SM Northwest

The “Hula Bowl” is conveniently placed at the start of district play for both of these teams. I say that because the other two teams in the district are Leavenworth and Wyandotte, and both SM North and SM Northwest will probably be favorites to win both of those games. This early matchup could be for the district title.

Week 8
SM West at SM East

Last year SM East beat SM West for the first time in over a decade. You think the Vikings want their beloved Nut Cup Trophy back?  This game will also probably feature the top two teams from the Shawnee Mission School District and so there are also bragging rights associated with that.



Lawrence High and Lawrence Free State
have battled it out for bragging rights
since their initial meeting in the fall of
1997 (shown above).



Week 9

Lawrence at Lawrence Free State



This annual Lawrence High vs. Free State game is probably the league’s most heated rivalry. Had Free State not been built in the late 1990s, Lawrence High would probably still be one of, if not the league’s top dog—and this idea has resonated with the LHS faithful since the split.

Also, since this is the last game of district play a shot at the playoffs could also be on the line for one or both of the teams.

Photos courtesy the Kansas City Star and the Lawrence Journal World.