Extended Rusher

Class 6A West
Unlikely? In a way. But it was always possible.

Retrace the steps which got us here going into Class 6A sub-state.

Wichita Heights hosted Wichita South in the first round. Yes, Heights lost to South 20-19 in Week 5. But after Heights won their district, shutting out Derby 27-0 in Week 9, we all knew that debacle wasn't going to repeat itself. Heights handled South 46-14, like we all expected.

Derby's first-round game, coming off that Heights spanking, was at Northwest. So many had the Grizzlies pencilled in for the state quarterfinals. I had Derby beat Northwest from the start. The Panthers know their way around the Grizzlies. Here's what I wrote in the Rusher leading up to that game:

"Northwest has to be favored in this game, no matter the fact that Derby crushed them in last year's quarterfinals. Still, I'm going with Derby. Heights has Derby's number; they whipped them last year, too, then Derby went on a playoff run. I'm going to disregard that game and pick Derby. Speaking of teams having numbers, I think Derby will show they have Northwest's number."

Then Derby hosted Dodge City, continuing on their path through one of the greatest draws in the history of the Class 6A playoffs since... well, since Lawrence Free State just last season, which made the state title game out of the East with three losses.

So it's going to happen again, right, another three-loss team in the 6A finals? Not likely, obviously, looking at the match-up they now face at sub-state. Heights, which has put together two demolitions of Derby the last two seasons, went up to Manhattan and did what they just haven't done in the past -- win in the northeastern part of the state. After trailing 10-0 at half, Heights, then at 6-4, got the only two remaining scores in the game and won 14-10 at Manhattan on two Steven Strand touchdown receptions.

Heights has beaten Derby the last two seasons by a combined score of 60-14. On top of that, Derby lost at sub-state last season badly, 22-3 to Junction City.

So, as I said about Heights last week, Derby will have to turn over its own new leaf this Friday night in order to earn their first state title game berth since 2002.

Class 4A West
The Jorden Oden Watch is officially over. In the most saddening turn of events last Friday in the state quarterfinals, Oden, senior Buhler running back and cover subject of Vype's November issue, broke his collar bone late in the game.

Oden ends his senior season by nearly doubling the previous school record for rushing yards in a single season. He rushed for 2,559 yards in 12 games. The hallowed 3,000-yard mark was in reasonable reach.

In the Week 2 Rusher, I asked the question of whether Oden could get 3,000 yards. After Week 3, at which point he already had 832 rushing yards, I started the Jorden Oden Watch. Alas, the run is over. What a season for Oden.

And what a season for Buhler, still going on. It's not like Oden's injury is the end of the road. This team is stacked, going into their sub-state game at Topeka Hayden, which knocked off the culprit of Buhler's lone loss this season, Andale.

Can Buhler beat a team, Hayden, which won 23-10 over Andale, which beat Buhler 41-28? Of course they can. This is high school football. Sometimes kids just don't play up to their potential. Lining up score comparisons like I just did follows the old-as-dirt "apples and oranges" fallacy. It's a poor manner of argument, but so tempting for sports writers with nothing else to go on.

Except this sports writer has something else to go on. I don't think Buhler misses a beat after the loss of Oden. The entire offensive system at Buhler has been dominant this season, not just one player. Seriously, I think Buhler will be as good as they have been in past weeks this Friday at Hayden.

Sophomore Tanner Fisher will step in for Oden at tailback. He came in for Oden late against Rose Hill in the state quarterfinal and rushed for 50 yards on 6 attempts. He broke for a 32-yard run and a touchdown.

Against Colby in the first round, Fisher rushed for 94 yards on 3 attempts, including a 73-yard score.

Plus, he has been in the game all season, playing in the defensive secondary. He's not inexperienced.

In addition, fullback Roman Davidson has held his own this season, usually clearing a path for Oden but also taking the ball for 50 to 60 yards each game. He scored four touchdowns against Rose Hill.

Buhler gets to its first state title game since 1990.


Class 3A West
The Collegiate football team let out a collective sigh this week when senior wide receiver Brett LeMaster was cleared to play in their sub-state match-up at 9-3 Norton.

LeMaster was ejected from the state quarterfinal game against Scott City for taking a swipe at an opposing player.

Turns out, it was a case of the officials catching the second guy.

"The game was very physical," Collegiate coach Bill Messamore told me on Monday. "The officials wanted to let the kids decide the game. I think that let it get just a little out of hand. (Brett) was retaliating, and as always it's the second guy that gets caught. He understands it was a mistake."

No doubt, Collegiate will go up against more intimidation tactics this Saturday at Norton. Norton, which played Scott City very tough in district play, losing 14-6, will be another physical football team. It will be very different playing at Norton than playing at home. They're basically driving to Nebraska.

Just as Scott City travelled to Newton Friday night before last Saturday's game at Collegiate, the Spartans will drive up to Hays Friday night before making their way into Norton on Saturday morning. Good thing for Collegiate it's an afternoon game rather than a night game. Northwestern Kansas on a Friday night in late November never bodes well for the passing game.