2012 Player Spotlights: Jason Randall

Jason Randall. Lawrence Journal
World.

Jason Randall
Leavenworth

Position: Running Back
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 175 lbs.
Year: Junior

Stat to Note
Randall earned Second Team All-Sunflower League honors at the running back position as a sophomore.

Scouting Report
Watching Randall's highlights I can't help but draw a comparison between his game and that of former Free State great Chucky Hunter.  Hunter was known as an extremely shifty back who didn't have incredible speed but could burn you if you let him into open field.  A player who was tough enough to lower his shoulder and pick up a few tough yards if the situation called for it.  In Randall I see virtually the same type of player.  Low to the ground, shifty, with a great ability to find the holes in a defense.

As a sophomore, in his second full season at the varsity level, Randall carried the ball 145 times for 822 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Solid numbers from any running back, especially given the fact that Leavenworth wasn't exactly a dominant team last year.  The real stat that jumps out to me is that he also caught 26 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns.  His ability to make big plays catching passes on flares and slip screens makes him as dangerous as any running back in the league.

Randall is becoming the early face of the Kevin Kopecky era at Leavenworth. The talented running back is going to have to continue to produce the way he did as a sophomore for the Pioneers to take the next step in becoming a .500 team in the Sunflower League.  Randall is the type of weapon that not every team in league possesses, and his impact should be felt greatly again this year.

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: Michael Lisher

Name: Michael Lisher
School: Lawrence Free State
Graduated: 2010
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 270lbs.
Position: Offensive Line

The head coach’s son is always going to have added pressure to perform and often times that can hurt a player’s performance. If Michael Lisher felt pressure as the head coach’s son, he sure didn’t show it. The surprisingly agile Lisher was the key foundation block for the Lawrence Free State Firebirds’ offensive line in his junior and senior seasons.

Free State’s surprising 9-4 record and state championship appearance in 2008 was hardly the act of skill position players alone. Lisher led the Firebird offensive line in opening holes for Chucky Hunter and Camren Torneden to run for some 2,500 rushing yards. Lisher was named First Team All-Sunflower League following that season.

During the offseason many questions arose about the Free State program. The pundits wondered whether the miracle run to the title in the previous year had been more an act of luck than anything. The program had lost arguably its best running back in school history (Hunter) to graduation and there didn’t appear to be a clear replacement.

Despite all this, Lisher and the rest of the team looked hardly any different in 2009. In fact, from a run game standpoint the team was much improved, a credit to Lisher and the rest of the offensive line. Free State rushed for 2,542 yards in 11 games during the season. That averaged out to 231 rushing yards per contest, much of which could be credited to Lisher’s efforts. Lisher also developed quite a name on the defensive line, becoming a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. Free State went 8-3 in 2009, advancing as far as the Sectional round of the playoffs.

Following the season Lisher was named First Team All-Sunflower League as an offensive and defensive lineman. Lisher was also named First Team KC Metro Sports as an offensive lineman, and First Team All-State Class 6A. Lisher signed to play football at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Week Five Review

Three Up

1. Lawrence Free State

The Firebirds roasted SM Northwest 42-0 on Friday and their running back Kirk Resseguie is making people forget about Chucky Hunter. Camren Torneden has hit his mid-season stride and is playing at a Simone level once again. All in all, it looks like Free State is about as prepared as they can be for their showdown with Olathe North Friday.

2. SM West

The hangover from the Vikings loss last week carried throughout the first half, as they were tied at six all with SM South. In the second half the Vikings finally put it all together and outscored SM South 31-8. Also, it looks like the running back combination of Cordi Pascal and Will Livingston is getting stronger ever week.

3. Olathe North

The Eagles are in control of their own destiny when it comes to winning the Sunflower League crown. Their showdown at Lawrence Free State this Friday may be the game of the year in the conference, and with a victory it looks like Olathe North will have a fairly simple route to an undefeated regular season.

Three Down

1. SM Northwest

Just when it looked like the Cougars were hitting on all cylinders they go and lose by 42 points to Lawrence Free State. SM Northwest's efforts against their two toughest opponents have been unimpressive to say the least (they lost to Olathe North 41-12 in week two).

2. Olathe Northwest

For another season, Olathe Northwest (below) will be the lowest on the Olathe school totem pole. Although their defensive effort against Olathe East was impressive on Friday their offense left quite a bit to be desired. The Ravens 0-3 mark against fellow Olathe schools is a sour note on what was looking to be a decent season.

3. SM North

Early on it looked like SM North might be primed for their best season in years. But the last three weeks have exposed the Indians. The Indians two wins have come against teams that are a combined 0-10, and the 42 point loss to Olathe North on Friday was not a great sign.

Individual Highlights

**Lawrence Free State's Camren Torneden rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, in addition to a 52 yard punt return for a touchdown.

**In addition to Torneden's totals, Free State running back Kirk Resseguie totalled 201 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. In his last three games he has rushed for 503 yards and nine touchdowns.

**Olathe North's James Franklin ran the ball 23 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a mere three quarters of work.

**SM West's DJ Balazs completed 12 of 20 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown, and collected his 17th career victory as a starter--tops among active quarterbacks in the Sunflower League.

Lawrence Free State's new stadium (above) will be the site of the big clash this Friday.

Week Six Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (5-0): The Eagles face their biggest test of the regular season this Friday.

2. Lawrence Free State (4-1): See Olathe North

3. SM West (4-1): The Vikings still haven't peaked, but did look impressive following their week four stumble.

4. Olathe East (3-2): The Hawks may be primed to run the table on the rest of the regular season.

5. Olathe South (3-2): This time around it was Olathe South who made a big comeback to win the game.

6. SM Northwest (3-2): Cougars latest performance leaves much to be desired; especially with SM West coming up in two weeks.

7. Olathe Northwest (2-3): The Ravens once again sit as the low-team on the Olathe school totem pole but amendments can always be made come playoff time.

8. SM North (2-3): The Indians have a good chance of getting back on track with school district rivals SM East and SM South coming up the next two weeks.

9. SM South (2-3): The Raiders fell apart after a solid first half against SM West.

10. SM East (2-3): The Lancers two victories have come against winless Lawrence and Leavenworth, but perhaps the momentum will carry.

11. Lawrence (0-5): Lawrence came close to beating Olathe South Friday but they still weren't able to get it all together.

12. Leavenworth (0-5): The Pioneers held SM East scoreless in the first quarter of their game Friday before the Lancers took off.

Week One Review

Three Up

1. Olathe North
Any questions as to whether or not Olathe North was worthy of the hype they had received over the summer were answered in their 71-6 trouncing of Leavenworth. Granted, Leavenworth has been a perennial cellar-dweller in the Sunflower Conference, but dropping 71 points on any team is impressive. James Franklin and Tre Walker combined for five rushing touchdowns--the combo of those two is probably going to be a common thread throughout the season.

2. SM North
For the first time in head coach Ryan Majors five years at the helm, the Indians won the opening game of the season. A nice victory on the road at Lawrence should instill quite a bit of confidence in the group, and with Leavenworth on the schedule for Week Two, the Indians could be looking at their first 2-0 start in years.

3. Olathe East (below)
No Derahn Williams, Rick Settle, or Jake Woten? No problem. The Hawks made a big statement in Week One by taking down last season's 6A State-Runner Up in Lawrence Free State. It doesn't seem to matter who graduates from Olathe East, the program continues to reload. Now the true question is whether or not the Hawks can maintain the success throughout the season.

Three Down

1. Lawrence Free State
Maybe the Firebirds are just slow starters. With the exception of the 2006 season, Lawrence Free State has never been a team that starts the season real hot. Regardless, the Firebird's loss to Olathe East on Friday was a flat out let down. Their five turnovers certainly didn't help, and it makes you wonder how much the loss of Chucky Hunter is going to hurt the team.

2. Lawrence
The Chesty Lions had a great chance to break in their new stadium with a victory against the Indians of SM North--but an anemic effort on the offensive side of the ball made their first game at their new stadium a snooze fest. The Chesty Lions lost 17-14.

3. SM East
Obviously the Lancer's new head coach Chip Sherman has a proven track record and a great coach, and his influence on the program should take hold soon--but just not yet. The Lancers came out flat and were beat down by Olathe Northwest in a 29-7 loss.

Individual Highlights

**Olathe South quarterback Tanner Dutton passed for 315 yards and one touchdown against SM West, but despite the lofty number the Falcons lost, 29-23.

**Olathe North's Jason Peete returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, while also helping the Eagles to a defensive domination of Leavenworth. After a dominate junior season, Peete looks on track to being one of the Sunflower League's top defenders again in 2009.

**SM West's Alex Snook returned a late interception for a touchdown to put SM West up on Olathe South for good. Snook's efforts were the bright spot on an otherwise unimpressive effort from the Viking's defensive coverage on Friday.

**The combined effort of Josh Lemke and Brandon Bouvilom helped Olathe Northwest to a very impressive defeat of SM East. The Ravens showed off an intensity they had lacked in years past.

**Despite his team's loss, Lawrence running back Tyrae Jenkins (below) rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries.

Week Two Power Rankings

1. Olathe North (1-0): Eagles out to prove they belong with North teams of the late 90s and early 2000s.

2. SM West (1-0): Vikings grit out a tough win with their typical dosage of hard nosed running and big plays defensively.

3. Olathe East (1-0): I've said it before--2009 could potentially be Jeff Meyers best body of coaching work ever. His inexperienced squad defeated a seasoned Lawrence Free State team in impressive fashion in Week One.

4. Lawrence Free State (0-1): We'll assume the Firebirds are off to another slow start.

5. SM Northwest (1-0): Although an eight point win against SM South isn't real impressive, the fact that they did it without two of their best athletes is.

6. Olathe South (0-1): It appears that head coach Jeff Gourley will be implementing alot of passing in 2009.

7. Olathe Northwest (1-0): Olathe Northwest is above .500 for the first time ever in school history.

8. SM North (1-0): Impressive Week One win by the Indians. A 2-0 start is also achievable.

9. Lawrence (0-1): The Chesty Lions ran the ball 41 times Friday, and appeared hesitant to throw the football.

10. SM East (0-1): Chip Sherman is denied is 200th career win in a disappointing start to the season for the Lancers.

11. SM South (0-1): On a positive note, the Raiders were within eight points of beating SM Northwest.

12. Leavenworth (0-1): Not a good start to the season. The Pioneers may not buck their poor tradition anytime soon.

Players to Watch in 2009: Camren Torneden

Name: Camren Torneden

School: Lawrence Free State
Year: Senior

Position(s): Quarterback, Defensive Back

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 165 lbs.

Notes: In my opinion, Torneden was the obvious choice as the MVP of the Sunflower League in 2008, his junior season at Lawrence Free State. After starting the season playing cornerback and getting spot duties on offense as a receiver, Torneden was shifted to the quarterback position to make up for injuries to the Firebirds top two quarterbacks. The position shift may go down as the the best shift Free State head coach Bob Lisher has made during his tenure at the school.

Torneden exploded in Free State's zone-read offense after taking the reigns at quarterback. He made up for his lack of size with his speed (4.47 forty) and agility. Teaming with All-Conference running back Chucky Hunter, Torneden rushed for 1,362 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the passing game, Torneden's numbers were just as oustanding, as he passed for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns (so much for not being able to see over the line). Torneden was also one of the league's top threats in the return game.

As the chief signal caller Torneden led Free State to arguably the school's best season ever, helping advance the team to the Class 6A State Championship. The Firebirds fell short in the title game to Junction City, but the 9-4 State Runner-Up season was much better than what most had predicted in the preseason. Torneden's emergence at the quarterback position added a new dimension to Free State in 2008, a dimension most teams were unable to keep up with. Assuming he stays healthy, Torneden should lead what looks to be a very talented Lawrence Free State team, compete for the title of the top player in the league, and potentially win the Simone Award in 2009.

Photo Courtesy LJworld.com