tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76234888767336709802012-02-01T19:48:22.119-06:00Eli Underwood's musings on high school football in the Sunflower LeagueEli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.comBlogger3681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-64769064940004006182012-02-01T19:46:00.002-06:002012-02-01T19:48:22.131-06:00

Gene Wier It appears as though Olathe North's "delay" in naming a new head coach was strategic after all.  According to Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star, Gene Wier will be rehired as the head football coach at Olathe North, pending the approval of the Olathe School District Board of Education on Thursday night. His hiring will fill the void left by Pete Flood, who resigned from the head

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-71698721759093591402012-01-19T13:51:00.000-06:002012-01-19T13:51:44.910-06:00

Travis Tannahill's last catch as anOlathe East Hawk came above in a Sectional Round game at Olathe So- th.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. 1. Travis Tannahill, Olathe East, 2005-2007 Tannahill played quarterback up until his junior season, but his best year in the league came when he was the Hawks' starting tight end as a senior.  He's gone on to play at K-State where he's been a two-year

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-85022407777171697002012-01-11T15:05:00.001-06:002012-01-11T15:05:38.749-06:00

Josh Carroll.  Photo courtesy the Olathe News. 1. Josh Carroll, Olathe North, 1999-2001 Carroll joins Darren Sproles as one of only two players to have been named a Top 11 player in Kansas in both their junior and senior seasons.  Carroll was ruthless on the football field, using his skills developed on the wrestling mat to dominate defenders.  Olathe North compiled over 10,000 rushing yards

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-22931711125489775372012-01-05T18:21:00.000-06:002012-01-05T18:21:21.697-06:00

Mike Rivera.  Photo courtesy Rivals.com 1. Mike Rivera, SM Northwest, 2001-2003 I am considering changing my annual Defensive Player of the Year Award to the "Rivera Award," to honor Rivera, who is arguably one of the best defensive players to ever play in the league.  As a junior Rivera tallied 125 tackles and took home first team all-state honors.  He improved as a senior collecting 149

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-14435854605725300132012-01-03T12:24:00.001-06:002012-01-03T12:24:53.351-06:00

Lawrence High's Brad Strauss. Thus far, the Wichita-Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal have released their all-state teams in addition to their Top 11 units.  The Kansas City Star released their all-metro teams on Sunday.  Unfortunately it doesn't appear as though KC Metro Sports is going to continue to release an all-metro team.  They didn't release one last season and there is no new update for

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-10867813548622454972012-01-01T13:58:00.002-06:002012-01-01T14:01:20.772-06:00

Olathe Northwest's Willie Cauley.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Best Team: Top to bottom, beginning to end, Olathe South ruled the Sunflower League (and class 6A) in 2011.  The Falcons' only loss occurred in a fluky week seven loss against Blue Valley Northwest.  Besides that, Olathe South was nearly perfect at 12-1. Best Upset: Olathe Northwest's coaches, players and fans exercised

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-56545623112167340002011-12-28T11:12:00.008-06:002011-12-29T19:52:35.451-06:00

David Leonard.  Photo courtesy Nick Allen (2006). *Disclaimer: No current Sunflower League players were eligible in the selection process. 1. David Leonard, SM West, 2004-2006 Leonard was basically an ATM (automatic touchdown machine) for SM West whenever they reached the redzone territory.  His fades routes to the corners of the endzones became legendary, as did his talents across Kansas.  In

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-74032758974802335262011-12-19T21:54:00.005-06:002011-12-28T13:12:16.023-06:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-85718193161069191152011-12-15T21:18:00.001-06:002011-12-15T21:21:26.946-06:00

Derek Miller *Disclaimer: No current Sunflower League players were eligible in the selection process. 1. Derek Miller, Olathe East, 2003-2005 Miller is kind of like the Dan Marino of the Sunflower League of the past 11 seasons.  He was an absolutely phenomenal quarterback--in my opinion the best--yet his inability to ever win a title did, in some ways, tarnish his legacy just a bit.  He went 31

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-61300838597577527682011-12-06T17:23:00.001-06:002011-12-06T17:24:15.535-06:00

SM East Head Coach Chip Sherman. While no player in the Sunflower League took home an individual honor at the Simone Award ceremonies on Tuesday, two of its coaches did.  SM East head coach Chip Sherman was awarded the Nathan Stiles Inspiration Award after leading the Lancers to a 6-5 record and Sectional berth, despite battling cancer and enduring continuous chemo therapy sessions throughout

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-54141901554146098162011-12-02T18:56:00.003-06:002011-12-29T16:12:25.814-06:00

First Team Lawrence's Brad Strauss was named First Team All-Sunflower League as a quarterback and as a defensive back.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Quarterback Brad Strauss, Junior, Lawrence Running Backs Gabe Guild, Junior, SM South Connor Middleton, Senior, Olathe Northwest Teddy Colbert, Senior, Olathe South Wide Receivers Willie Cauley, Senior, Olathe Northwest Tanner

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-36552906193386675782011-12-01T20:53:00.001-06:002011-12-02T19:02:57.993-06:00

The Simone Award This past week the finalists for the Simone Awards was announced.  The only representitive from the Sunflower League for any of the awards was Olathe Northwest's Willie Cauley, who is a finalist for the Otis Taylor Award which is given annually to the top Wide Receiver  in the KC Metro.  Here are the candidates below with my commentary in italics. The Simone Award Evan Boehm,

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-4937449655697961012011-11-29T18:46:00.007-06:002011-12-02T19:04:39.699-06:00

Before you jump into my second addition of the Sunflower League Elite Eleven, there are a few things to take note of.  First off, I expanded the list to two teams this year.  The Elite Eleven is sort of my First Team, and the Second Eleven is like my Second Team.  It was hard narrowing it down to my top 22 players, let alone the top 11 the way I did last season. Secondly, I expanded to included

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-48157212178090981592011-11-27T17:19:00.000-06:002011-11-27T17:19:04.866-06:00

Olathe South's Jordan Ward scored a late go-ahead touchdown on a run of 41 yards.  Photo courtesy the Wichita-Eagle. Kansas Class 6A State Championship Olathe South 41, Wichita Heights 37 You would be hard pressed to ever witness a high school football game as exciting as what took place in the 6A State Championship between Olathe South and Wichita Heights on Saturday in Topeka.  It could go

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-25331567638048110442011-11-26T13:22:00.028-06:002011-11-26T16:22:23.116-06:00

Saturday, Nov. 26 Olathe South vs. Wichita Heights The game is being broadcast on Time Warner Cable channel 5. First Quarter Olathe South's Teddy Colbert scores on a 62-yard touchdown run. Olathe South 7, Wichita Heights 0. Wichita Height's Marquel Moore caps off an 80-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Olathe South 7, Wichita Heights 7. Wichita Heights recovers a fumble on a

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-59471487668720171572011-11-24T21:19:00.000-06:002011-11-24T21:19:41.093-06:00

Olathe South (11-1) vs. Wichita Heights (12-0) When: Saturday, 1 p.m. Where: Yager Stadium at Washburn University, Topeka Spread: Wichita Heights +30.7 What's at Stake With a win, Wichita Heights will collect their second consecutive 6A state championship, in addition to keeping their current 25-game winning streak alive.  For Olathe South, the program would finally claim a state title after

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-82571139648384461212011-11-22T22:39:00.002-06:002011-11-24T00:06:18.346-06:00

Wichita Heights' quarterback Matt Reed will certainly go down as one of the best players in Heights history.  He has a 29-1 record as a starter, and he's rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back season. Wichita Heights FalconsLocation: Wichita, KSEnrollment: 1,188Previous State Championship Appearances: '09, '10State Championships: '10 Falcon FootballOffense Type: Wing-T Points Per Game:

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-23070991230146389472011-11-21T10:02:00.001-06:002011-11-21T10:09:19.111-06:00

Olathe South 38, Olathe East 21 Olathe South running back Jordan Ward ran through the Olathe East defense for three touchdowns.  Photo courtesy the Wichita-Eagle. For the second time in four weeks Olathe South came at Olathe East with a ferocious attack that the Hawks weren't able to handle.  This time around Olathe South had scored 38 points by the end of the third quarter and it was more

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-14612557415497893772011-11-18T20:03:00.004-06:002011-11-18T21:41:00.207-06:00

Friday, Nov. 18 Olathe South 38, Olathe East 21 Olathe South advances to the 6A State Championship game next Saturday, November 26, where they will face Wichita Heights (12-0) who defeated Derby by a score of 34-14 tonight.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-77693743897893260252011-11-16T18:15:00.001-06:002011-11-17T09:11:36.833-06:00

Much of the Sub-State game will be riding on whether or not Olathe East's defense has what it takes to step up and stop Olathe South's vicious run game.  Photo courtesy the  Kansas City Star. Olathe East (9-2) at Olathe South (10-1) Where: ODAC When: 7 p.m. Friday Spread: Olathe East +5.6 Players to Watch Olathe East As has been the case all season, Olathe East will do about as well as their

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-66254276222651662072011-11-15T15:23:00.000-06:002011-11-15T15:23:02.585-06:00

Olathe East head coach Jeff Meyers, center, has led his team to another Sub-State round, the program's fourth in its last ten seasons. The Good **It looks as if the Sub-State matchup on this side of the state is truly a pairing of the top two teams.  While upsets along the way are always fun, there's no writing off either of these teams as "lucky." **The 6A East representitive in the title

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-49632846504784212752011-11-14T23:41:00.000-06:002011-11-14T23:41:44.347-06:00

Ex-Olathe North Head Coach Pete Flood. Olathe North head football coach Pete Flood filed his resignation papers on Monday, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Flood had spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Olathe North.  During that time, he compiled a 51-16 record, highlighted by a 6A state championship in 2009.  The Eagles also made it to the state title game in

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-13880200530264611802011-11-14T10:07:00.001-06:002011-11-14T10:07:28.665-06:00

Olathe East 46, SM West 16 Olathe East's Junior Williams set the tone early when he scored on a 51-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. At one point midway through the first half it looked like this game had a chance of being a pretty good one.  Olathe East had scored two touchdowns, one on a 51-yard run from Junior Williams and then another on a

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-83368385734253400042011-11-12T13:04:00.001-06:002011-11-12T13:13:01.172-06:00

Friday, Nov. 11 Olathe South 55, SM East 42 Olathe East 46, SM West 16

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-72605536258842678162011-11-11T10:45:00.008-06:002011-11-11T15:33:24.332-06:00

Olathe East's Hayden Frazier, center, is one of the Hawks' three top running backs.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. SM West (7-3) at Olathe East (8-2) Where: CBAC Spread: Olathe East +10 Last Meeting: Olathe East won 28-21 in week five Who to Watch For SM West The Vikings have found that the more Joel Spiller and Brett Sterbach carry the ball, the higher chances of success they have in

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-25606614161919976582011-11-07T15:15:00.002-06:002011-11-07T15:17:02.616-06:00

The Good Olathe East's Junior Williams intercepted three passes on Friday, not to mention shutting down Olathe North- west's top receiver, Willie Cauley (ground).  Photo courtesy John Sleezer, the Kansas City Star.  **SM West broke a three year streak of losing in the first round of the playoffs by soundly defeating Leavenworth 52-7.  The Vikings had been 0-4 in their previous four playoff

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-72202191180355940732011-11-06T17:22:00.000-06:002011-11-06T17:22:05.866-06:00

The Olathe South defense made life miserable for the LHS offense all Friday night.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Olathe South 37, Lawrence 14 It was going to take a stellar effort on the defensive side of the ball for Lawrence to win this game, but Olathe South didn't let that happen.  The Falcons came out on their first offensive possession of the game and capped off an

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-9616250418701535392011-11-04T20:02:00.001-05:002011-11-04T21:42:10.130-05:00

Friday, Nov. 4 Olathe South 37, Lawrence 14 SM West 52, Leavenworth 7 Olathe East 40, Olathe Northwest 23 SM East 38, SM Northwest 21

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-9878593866339300612011-11-03T15:36:00.000-05:002011-11-03T15:36:00.722-05:00

Jason Randall and Leavenworth will try to pull the upset this weekend against SM West.  Photo courtesy the Leavenworth Times. Leavenworth (2-7) at SM West  (6-3) Where: SM South District Stadium Spread: SM West +31.3 Last Meeting: SM West won 41-14 in week six Who to Watch For SM West SM West's success will be largely based on how well their two best skill position players, Brett Sterbach and

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-11340419772132442482011-11-02T19:50:00.002-05:002011-11-02T19:52:01.283-05:00

Olathe South's Jordan Ward found his way into the Top 5 Player Ratings after yet another outstanding performance.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Final Top 5 Player Ratings 1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence Week Nine Stats: Did Not Play Strauss was on the sideline with a boot around his ankle following his week eight injury.  The question remains, will he be able to play this

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-12893376211281036562011-10-31T22:00:00.005-05:002011-11-01T15:15:19.879-05:00

Olathe South's Drew Johnson collected a tackle against Olathe East's Chad Johnson on Friday. Both teams advanced to the playoffs.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Three Up Olathe South The Falcons claimed the Sunflower League title, qualified for the playoffs, and won the battle for Olathe with their win against Olathe East. Olathe Northwest By virtue of head-to-head contests, Olathe

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-24931321632352093902011-10-30T23:30:00.013-05:002011-10-30T23:30:02.097-05:00

Lawrence High's Tyrone Jenkins did an admirable job filling in at the quarterback spot for the Chesty Lions.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Lawrence 20, Lawrence Free State 0 Lawrence High's Tyrone Jenkins began the season as a second-string running back behind Charles Jackson.  After Jackson suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year, Jenkins was promoted to the number

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-24152231802618536732011-10-29T09:28:00.002-05:002011-10-29T09:34:50.356-05:00

6A East 1.) SM West (6-3) Leavenworth (2-7) 4.) Olathe Northwest (5-4) Olathe East (7-2) 3.) Olathe South (8-1) Lawrence (6-3) 2.) SM Northwest (4-5) SM East (5-4) 6A West 1.) Wichita Heights (9-0) Washburn Rural (6-3) 4.) Garden City (6-2) Wichita South (4-5) 3.) Wichita Northwest (7-2) Derby (6-3) 2.) Manhattan (9-0) Dodge City (5-4)

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-8947563141394918452011-10-28T20:08:00.006-05:002011-10-30T14:44:10.588-05:00

Friday, Oct. 28 Lawrence 20, Lawrence Free State 0 Olathe South 36, Olathe East 18 Olathe Northwest 56, Olathe North 28 SM East 27, SM South 0 SM West 34, BV North 31 SM Northwest 54, Wyandotte 20 Leavenworth 35, SM North 14

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-15495847290102785872011-10-26T21:00:00.002-05:002011-10-26T21:00:03.509-05:00

Lawrence Free State, with the help of players like Ryan Patterson, center, has won six of their last seven games. Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Lawrence (5-3) at Lawrence Free State (6-2) at Lawrence Free State This game could come down to the durability of an ankle--Brad Strauss' ankle that is. According to the Lawrence Journal World, Strauss' status is pending but he will be

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-23734102586656595752011-10-25T22:23:00.002-05:002011-10-25T22:24:20.974-05:00

Lawrence's Brad Strauss went down with an ankle injury on Friday and his team wasn't quite able to make the proper adjustments to overcome his loss.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Top 5 Player Ratings 1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence Week Eight Stats: 4-of-6 passing, 53 yards Strauss was forced to leave the game midway through the first half after he suffered what appeared

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-29536527560671744242011-10-24T23:26:00.001-05:002011-10-24T23:28:32.610-05:00

Olathe East's Kendall Kelly scored four touchdowns on Friday,  helping Olathe East to their seventh straight  victory.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Three Up SM West The Vikings are finally showing some semblance of a being a good football team.  Their victory over SM East was their third straight, and in doing so SM West clinched a playoff berth and a district championship.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-74857686544348282042011-10-23T19:45:00.001-05:002011-10-24T09:55:13.909-05:00

Lawrence Free State's Shawn Knighton was key in the Firebird's 19-14 win over Olathe North on Friday.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Lawrence Free State 19, Olathe North 14 Two losses in a row from Olathe North was shocking, but three seems inexplicable.  Free State struck first in the second quarter when Kyle McFarland finished off a drive with a one-yard touchdown run after

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-13234486091700394652011-10-20T20:57:00.003-05:002011-10-22T11:11:53.603-05:00

Thursday, Oct. 20 SM South 35, Blue Valley North 18 SM Northwest 24, Leavenworth 22 Friday, Oct. 21 Olathe East 48, Blue Valley Northwest 27 Lawrence Free State 19, Olathe North 14 Olathe Northwest 21, Lawrence 3 Olathe South 46, Blue Valley West 29 SM West 30, SM East 25 SM North 69, Wyandotte 6

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-50773637797803011182011-10-19T20:48:00.002-05:002011-10-19T22:26:55.411-05:00

SM North's Mason Perez (#2 above in black) has outrun defenders to the endzone all season long.  Photo courtesy the Shawnee Dispatch. Wyandotte at SM North at SM North District Stadium By all means SM North should be able to end their six-game losing streak this week when they host Wyandotte. Last week Leavenworth destroyed the Bulldogs 42-0... SM North should be able to do at least that

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-36069546704353525092011-10-18T22:23:00.000-05:002011-10-18T22:23:32.465-05:00

Free State's Kyle McFarland (right) was able to come down with the game sealing interception over Olathe Northwest's Willie Cauley (behind) in helping Free State to a 20-14 win. Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Top 5 Player Ratings 1. Brad Strauss, Quarterback, Lawrence Week Seven Stats: 15-of-23 passing, 194 yards, 3 TDs; 10 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD No one player means more to his

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-10403648223455382262011-10-17T21:21:00.000-05:002011-10-17T21:21:45.578-05:00

Kansas Class 6A East District 1 1. Leavenworth (1-0) +13 2. SM Northwest (1-0) + 7 3. SM North (0-1) -7 4. Wyandotte (0-1) -13 District 2 1t. SM East (1-0) +13 1t. SM West (1-0) +13 3t. BV North (0-1) -13 3t. SM South (0-1) -13 District 3 1t. BV Northwest (1-0) +13 1t. Olathe East (1-0) +13 3t. BV West (0-1) -13 3t. Olathe South (0-1) -13 District 4 1. Lawrence (1-0) +9 2. Free State (1-0) +6

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-199258303735121422011-10-17T21:11:00.000-05:002011-10-17T21:11:34.130-05:00

Three Up Lawrence High's Tyrone Jenkins.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Leavenworth The Pioneers captured their first win of the season in a 42-0 route of Wyandotte.  With the win, Leavenworth kept their playoff hopes alive. Lawrence Free State The Firebirds won't be favored in their next two games, so it was important that they were able to claim a victory against Olathe

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-81169238665812848052011-10-16T16:35:00.002-05:002011-10-16T21:59:00.694-05:00

Lawrence 28, Olathe North 19 Lawrence High's Anthony Buffalomeat.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. For the first time since 2006 Olathe North has suffered consecutive losses.  This week their loss came at the hands of a red-hot Lawrence High.  In the first quarter Olathe North looked to be in control.  They shut out LHS and scored a touchdown on a 36-yard pass from Jordan Bruce to

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-18842471324815227252011-10-14T11:42:00.002-05:002011-10-15T08:25:34.654-05:00

Thursday, Oct. 13 Blue Valley Northwest 49, Olathe South 34 Lawrence Free State 20, Olathe Northwest 14 Friday, Oct. 14 Lawrence 28, Olathe North 19 Olathe East 34, Blue Valley West 14 Leavenworth 49, Wyandotte 0 SM East 21, Blue Valley North 3 SM Northwest 41, SM North 34 SM West 33, SM South 17

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-12538314185673859272011-10-13T00:00:00.005-05:002011-10-14T11:44:57.060-05:00

Olathe South (6-0) at Blue Valley Northwest (3-3) (Thursday Night Game) Olathe South quarterback Frankie Seurer will play a key role in how well Olathe South is able to control the ball and keep the Blue Valley Northwest offense off the field.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star.  Their record doesn't indicate it, but Blue Valley Northwest is not a team to be taken lightly, and I can

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-815641019707389822011-10-11T19:11:00.000-05:002011-10-11T19:11:24.375-05:00

 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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-23968107869712641932011-10-10T14:53:00.003-05:002011-10-10T18:59:35.987-05:00

Lawrence Free State's Kyle McFarland was bottled up for much of the game against SM East.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Three Up Olathe South The results say it all for the Falcons.  At 6-0 they're off to their best start since 2005, when they finished the season 9-2.  The only downside for the Falcons is that they won't be able to claim the league title or gain bragging rights

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-37859818491344871432011-10-09T12:06:00.003-05:002011-10-10T11:48:19.769-05:00

Olathe South's Fritz Wilbur capped off his teams' victory with a 48-yard touchdown scamper late in the fourth quarter.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Olathe South 29, Olathe North 10 An uncommon mistake from Olathe North turned out to be the momentum changer of the game, as Olathe South was able to come away with a 19-point victory and advance to 6-0.  The Falcons scored first early on

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-4865741229791599272011-10-06T21:54:00.008-05:002011-10-07T21:59:26.635-05:00

Thursday, Oct. 6 SM East 14, Lawrence Free State 12 Olathe Northwest 49, SM North 40 Friday, Oct. 7 Olathe South 29, Olathe North 10 SM West 41, Leavenworth 14 Lawrence 42, SM South 17 Olathe East 37, SM Northwest 20

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-13601825215409676172011-10-06T17:53:00.001-05:002011-10-06T17:53:48.416-05:00

SM East's Jake Libeer and the rest of the Lancers will look to get back on track this week against Free State.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Lawrence Free State (4-1) at SM East (2-3) (Thursday Night Game) at SM South District Stadium These two teams are on the opposite end of the momentum spectrum at this point in the season.  Free State, who came into 2011 with little

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-14060109531802474862011-10-05T14:29:00.004-05:002011-10-05T19:56:17.222-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-1397505546296431042011-10-03T22:00:00.004-05:002011-10-03T22:00:00.258-05:00

Three Up Brad Strauss and Lawrence left SM East in the dust with their 31-0 effort on Friday. Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Olathe South By going undefeated through the first five games the Falcons have helped to set up a big time game with Olathe North this week.  Their late comeback against Olathe Northwest gave them the victory and all the confidence in the world. Lawrence It

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-69329758348589694692011-10-02T15:47:00.003-05:002011-10-02T23:10:20.830-05:00

Olathe South's Taylor Sheffield.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Olathe South 44, Olathe Northwest 41 Playing an inspired game after losing starting cornerback Zach Sheffield to major kidney injury last week, Olathe South managed to make a late push and ultimately claim a victory on their homecoming.  Early on it was all Olathe Northwest.  The Ravens scored three consecutiveve touchdowns

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-79174977239395321132011-10-01T09:07:00.000-05:002011-10-01T09:07:06.812-05:00

Thursday, Sept. 29 Olathe North 44, Leavenworth 0 Friday, Sept. 30 Lawrence 30, SM East 0 Olathe South 44, Olathe Northwest 41 Lawrence Free State 35, SM North 0 Olathe East 28, SM West 21 SM South 42, SM Northwest 35

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-46465353296692423602011-09-29T00:00:00.000-05:002011-09-28T23:21:52.816-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-56921956651550439372011-09-28T10:14:00.001-05:002011-09-28T10:17:21.621-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-7020344102471474092011-09-26T21:50:00.003-05:002011-10-01T09:53:33.613-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-59699861319242120662011-09-25T21:48:00.004-05:002011-09-25T21:50:28.759-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-10931892955211925692011-09-23T21:18:00.005-05:002011-09-24T16:02:43.846-05:00

Friday, Sept. 23 Lawrence 35, Leavenworth 13 Olathe East 44, Olathe Northwest 20 Olathe North 56, SM South 21 Lawrence Free State 42, SM Northwest 7SM West 20, SM North 13 Saturday, Sept. 24 Olathe South 29, SM East 21 

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-18559000057268408502011-09-22T17:06:00.003-05:002011-09-22T20:56:25.593-05:00

Lawrence High's Erick Mayo will try to help the Chesty Lions get back on track when they visit Leavenworth Friday night.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Lawrence (1-2) at Leavenworth (0-3) at Leavenworth Lawrence is better than their 1-2 record shows, but they've played a tough schedule so far and they finally get what should be a "gimme" win against Leavenworth.  Leavenworth as an

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-74353384878423725062011-09-20T15:41:00.002-05:002011-09-20T15:42:03.788-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-17037274794915478252011-09-19T20:47:00.002-05:002011-09-19T20:49:32.973-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-32932410807688417942011-09-18T18:38:00.001-05:002011-09-18T18:39:04.043-05:00

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)

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-5235640174178230662011-09-15T22:14:00.000-05:002011-09-15T22:14:57.185-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-3346177998894385312011-09-15T00:39:00.000-05:002011-09-15T00:39:03.761-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-43783247652250604382011-09-13T19:25:00.002-05:002011-09-13T21:46:42.611-05:00

Lawrence High's Brad Strauss.  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, Quarterback, Lawrence Week Two Stats: 25-of-38 passing, 314 yards; 17 carries, 39 yards Strauss struggled a bit in week two throwing two interceptions and recording zero touchdowns, but he still accounted for  over

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-79751629096061660422011-09-12T20:03:00.001-05:002011-09-13T08:47:13.762-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-90772756873049145692011-09-11T13:43:00.001-05:002011-09-11T23:16:52.719-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-7210933411517335142011-09-09T19:56:00.005-05:002011-09-10T08:28:28.521-05:00

Thursday, Sept. 9 Olathe Northwest 48, SM South 47, 2 OT Friday, Sept. 10 Olathe North 45, SM North 7 Olathe South 33, Lawrence 22 Olathe East 35, SM East 27 SM West 38, SM Northwest 31, OT Lawrence Free State 23, Leavenworth 12 Game recaps to be posted later in the weekend.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-52557452956972721842011-09-09T11:13:00.003-05:002011-09-09T11:24:36.581-05:00

Olathe Northwest's Dalton Rook completed 15 of 39 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the victory at SM South.  Photo courtesy Colleen Psihountas, of onwravens.net. After surviving a late comeback Olathe Northwest is 2-0 for the first time in school history.  SM South on the other hand lost for the second week in a row after failing to score on their last possession--this time a

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-23596562528301181132011-09-07T23:45:00.001-05:002011-09-08T15:09:46.122-05:00

Lawrence Free State's Kyle McFarland.  Photo courtesy the Lawrence Journal World. Week Two Matchups All game times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted Olathe Northwest (1-0) at SM South (0-1) (Thursday Night Game) at SM South District Stadium Olathe Northwest had one of their most impressive offensive performances in school history last week, highlighted by Willie Cauley's four touchdown receptions

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-37780293676348929102011-09-06T22:43:00.003-05:002011-09-07T07:28:35.330-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-67866961658758419832011-09-05T21:38:00.002-05:002011-09-05T23:32:56.785-05:00

Lawrence High's Charles Jackson. Ph- oto courtesy the Lawrence Journal W- orld. Three Up Lawrence LHS played one of their most impressive games of the past several years in a 23-point route of their traditionally high ranked Sunflower League foe, SM West.  The quarterback/running back combo of Brad Strauss and Charles Jackson looked lethal. Olathe Northwest A win is a win is a win is a win.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-11220529694316997132011-09-03T14:03:00.000-05:002011-09-03T14:03:45.448-05:00

Olathe North's Tanner Gentry.  Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star. Olathe North 29, Olathe East 14 Olathe North’s first scoring possession was a seven-play drive midway through the first quarter which ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Bruce (the cousin of former Olathe North Simone Award winner Arland Bruce) to wide receiver Tanner Gentry. Gentry caught the pass

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-86158954425212887972011-09-02T21:41:00.003-05:002011-09-03T09:18:26.210-05:00

Thursday, Sept. 1 SM East 28, SM Northwest 3 Friday, Sept. 2 Olathe North 29, Olathe East 14 Lawrence 35, SM West 12 Olathe South 35, Lawrence Free State 14 Olathe Northwest 40, Leavenworth 14 SM North 26, SM South 22 Game recaps to be posted later this weekend.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-17711761224624482062011-09-02T09:43:00.002-05:002011-09-02T13:31:20.601-05:00

SM East's Elliot Faerber. Things looked promising for SM Northwest early, as kick returner Jake Horner took the opening kickoff 65 yards deep into Lancer territory.  The Cougars weren't able to cash in a touchdown, instead settling for a 32-yard field goal from Jorn Winkelmolen.  That would be all the scoring SM Northwest would have on the night.  SM East's Troy Wilkins took the ensuing

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-35005495307306639962011-08-31T17:15:00.000-05:002011-08-31T17:20:10.743-05:00

SM East's Elliot Faerber. Week One Matchups All games times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted SM East at SM Northwest (Thursday Night Game) at SM North District Stadium The first game of the 2011 Sunflower League schedule has the potential to be a very competitive matchup. While SM Northwest doesn’t return any big names on paper, I can guarantee you their head coach, Aaron Barnett, has been

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-12184288891991267782011-08-27T13:52:00.004-05:002011-08-28T17:15:03.708-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-11843915271513441232011-08-22T14:45:00.000-05:002011-08-22T14:45:36.066-05:00

Olathe North once again tops the list in the prese- ason coaches poll. The Sunflower League coaches have weighed in, and for the third consecutive year Olathe North is the preseason favorite in the coaches poll.  The Eagles received 111 points overall, including five first place votes.  They finished 11 points ahead of the number two team, Olathe East, who received 100 points and two first

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-8760207290558969222011-08-19T16:43:00.005-05:002011-08-20T10:30:44.206-05:00

Free State's Camren Torneden, left, and Chucky Hunter, right. There have been some surprisingly good and bad Sunflower League teams since 2000, based on their preseason hype and rankings.  I examined both and ranked the teams below.  The "Good" were teams that far exceeded their preseason expectations.  The "Bad" did just the opposite. The Good 1. Lawrence Free State, 2008, 9-4 Early

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-4570439872108432011-08-15T21:03:00.001-05:002011-08-16T10:45:15.287-05:00

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

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-51145343899804339382011-08-09T10:50:00.001-05:002011-08-09T10:51:08.390-05:00

Baltimore will be one of the SL's elite defensive forces in the 2011 season. Olathe East's Matthew Baltimore made a verbal commitment to play at Northern Illinois this past week.  The talented 6-foot-4, 230 pound defensive end will play the same position for the Huskies when he arrives on campus in 2012. Baltimore was one of the top juniors in the Sunflower League last season, raking in

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-1661982968819168502011-08-08T16:57:00.001-05:002011-08-08T17:29:39.466-05:00

Armani WilliamsSM West Position: Quarterback Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 185 lbs. Year: Senior Stat to NoteLast season, in a week five matchup against Lawrence, Williams passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns in SM West's 55-21 win. Scouting ReportAs a first-time starter last season, Williams battled the inconsitencies that haunt most new quarterbacks.  One week he would look like an all-Sunflower

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-21808515338187812202011-08-01T12:44:00.002-05:002011-08-01T12:45:42.343-05:00

Ryan Torain had a quiet junior season in 2002 at SM Northwest, but he broke out in week one of the 2003 season and went on to rush for over 1,900 yards.  He then starred at Arizona State, and now he plays for the Washington Redskins. Sure the first week of the season doesn't hold playoff implications, but many times it is a tremendous gauge for the new star players and top teams of the

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-3646496210307506922011-07-29T12:30:00.002-05:002011-07-30T09:28:13.250-05:00

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 

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-43343922848888977722011-07-28T12:35:00.001-05:002011-07-28T12:36:37.228-05:00

Scott Gourley, number 76 above, will be key to how well Olathe South's rushing attack operates this season. Scott GourleyOlathe South Positions: Center, Defensive EndHeight: 6-foot-4Weight: 255 lbs.Year: Senior Stat to Note Gourley was named a First Team All-Sunflower League offensive lineman following his junior season. Scouting ReportScott is the son of Olathe South Head Coach Jeff Gourley.

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-49434608801809259032011-07-25T19:44:00.001-05:002011-07-26T11:30:46.285-05:00

Time Warner Cable's Kansas City Metro Sports recently released their Hy-Vee High School Game of the Week schedule through early October for the 2011 season.  Metro Sports broadcasts the games live to the entire Kansas City metropolitan area and it's great for team exposure.  Here is the schedule with Sunflower League contests in bold. Friday, August 26 Rockhurst at Blue Springs Thursday,

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-40977865455795212432011-07-18T16:56:00.003-05:002011-07-18T17:02:16.883-05:00

Matthew Baltimore Olathe East Position: Defensive End Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 230 lbs. Year: Senior Stat to Note As a junior, Baltimore was a Second Team All-Sunflower League selection as a defensive end. Scouting Report Baltimore is a pass rushing nightmare for opposing head coaches and coordinators.  Not only does he have great length for shedding blockers, but he's also a gifted athlete

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com53Olathe, KS, USA38.8813958 -94.8191284999999838.7902643 -94.92611599999998 38.9725273 -94.71214099999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-33524301144034815172011-07-15T22:30:00.002-05:002011-07-15T22:32:17.959-05:00

Aaron Barnett, Head Coach at SM Northwest, is fielding one of his more youthful squads at just the right time.  On paper the Coug- ars have the easiest SOS in the SL. Using a simple mathematical formula, I calculated the strength of schedule of each of the Sunflower League teams' upcoming 2011 slate.  The main flaw of the formula is that it is based on my Preseason Power Rankings, which will

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-62425479085662388482011-07-13T19:49:00.001-05:002011-07-13T19:50:43.888-05:00

Brad StraussLawrence Position: QuarterbackHeight: 6-foot-1Weight: 175 lbs.Year: Junior Stat to NoteStrauss completed 114 of his 189 passes as a sophomore, equating to a 60.3% completion rating.  That number was tops among Sunflower League quarterbacks in 2010. Scouting ReportNo school in the Sunflower League will have as much riding on a junior as Lawrence High will on Strauss this upcoming

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com9Lawrence, KS, USA38.9716689 -95.2352501000000338.911556399999995 -95.31961710000003 39.0317814 -95.15088310000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-63302094203011682042011-07-10T17:10:00.009-05:002011-07-11T19:07:52.117-05:00

1. Olathe North Head Coach: Pete Flood (Five years, 46-12) Last Season: 11-2, Class 6A Runner-Up For the third consecutive year the Olathe North will enter the season as at the top team in my power rankings. What will make the Eagles so special in 2011? Well, as usual the Eagle’s cupboard is stocked with athletes. The school had two big-time players transfer in during the offseason. Orange

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-11320227028502642672011-07-08T22:12:00.004-05:002011-07-09T22:21:30.948-05:00

Top Storylines Heading into the 2011 Season 1. Orange Mooney Mooney (right), Olathe North's new transfer running back from Arizona has created more hype without having set foot under the Friday night lights in the league than any player of the last decade.  Some say he's a cancer who will screw up Olathe North's team chemistry, while other's claim he's the second coming of every great Olathe

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-84450163240771405032011-07-05T22:07:00.002-05:002011-07-06T12:49:29.885-05:00

Elliot FaerberSM East Position: Wide Receiver Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 200 lbs. Year: Senior Stat to Note As a junior, Faerber led the Sunflower League in receiving yards with 650 in 10 games, including five touchdown catches. Scouting Report Most of the time the division one athletes at SM East are swimmers, tennis players, or golfers--not future B1G Ten receivers.  Faerber is another

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com20Prairie Village, KS, USA38.9916726 -94.633568438.9623536 -94.66027940000001 39.0209916 -94.6068574tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-89639453666568569392011-06-26T14:41:00.000-05:002011-06-26T14:41:36.097-05:00

Mason PerezSM North Positions: Cornerback/Wide ReceiverHeight: 6-foot-1Weight: 175 lbs. Year: Senior Stat to Note Last season Perez led the Sunflower League in interceptions, collecting six through the Indian's 10 games. Scouting ReportIt's rare to find arguably the league's top returning defensive back on a team coming off a two-win season, but that happens to be the case with Perez.  Despite

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-47744256109784241992011-06-20T23:26:00.000-05:002011-06-20T23:26:08.835-05:00

Frankie Seurer Olathe South Position: QuarterbackHeight: 6-foot-1Weight: 180 lbs. Year: Junior Stat to Note In 2010, in his first year as the starting quarterback, Seurer led Olathe South to 7-4 record which resulted in a berth in the Sectional Round of the playoffs. Scouting ReportSeurer has football genes--his father, Frank Sr., starred at Kansas and later spent time in the NFL including two

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com22Olathe, KS, USA38.8813958 -94.8191284999999838.7902643 -94.92611599999998 38.9725273 -94.71214099999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-10673604989560978602011-06-15T19:11:00.003-05:002011-06-15T19:23:01.919-05:00

Orange MooneyOlathe North Position: Running BackHeight: 5-foot-9Weight: 180 lbs.Year: Senior Stat to Note Mooney was a First-Team All-Desert Region selection last season as a running back at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Scouting Report The only thing more mysterious than the arrival of the ballyhooed Mooney is the lack of press-clippings and statistical coverage from what seemed to

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-85811556211502138192011-06-14T16:43:00.008-05:002011-06-14T17:08:41.556-05:00

SM South's head coaching search didn't take long.  On Thursday the school named SM West assistant Ryan Lonergan their new head coach.  Lonergan served various roles as an assistant to Tim Callaghan, but his most notable contribution was his work with the Viking's varsity offensive and defensive line units. Lonergan entered the coaching field in 2002 as an assistant alongside Callaghan at Olathe

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-12787046668759524732011-06-08T17:05:00.001-05:002011-06-08T17:06:49.316-05:00

Tre BurtSM West Position: Running BackHeight: 5-foot-7 Weight: 175 lbs.Year: Senior Stat to NoteBurt's breakout game (seen on the right) came in a week four contest against Olathe Northwest when he rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.  Scouting ReportIf Adam Lowe is known for his quickness, Burt is certainly noted for his shiftiness as a runner.  Using his smaller frame to his

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623488876733670980.post-18477156585858647962011-06-03T12:47:00.000-05:002011-06-03T12:47:45.128-05:00

Adam LoweSM East Position: Running BackHeight: 5-foot-8Weight: 170 lbs. Class: Senior Stat to NoteAs SM East's primary ballcarrier in 2010, Lowe racked up five rushing touchdowns and just over 600 rushing yards in the Lancer's pass-heavy offense. Scouting Report As a senior, Lowe will be expected to shoulder much more of the Lancer's offensive load than he did as a junior. Last season

Eli Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597021993788695780noreply@blogger.com15