State Playoffs: Andale at Rock Creek

It's not Topeka Hayden, but Andale's state quarterfinal opponent from the northeast in 2008 should offer just as much resistance as the one in 2007. Rock Creek in their first season of Class 4A football is a relative unknown to south central Kansas football fans, but after their 39-12 trouncing of Andover High last week, it's time to get to know them. Coach Mike Beam in his 17th season at Rock Creek, which is only 18 years old as a school. In 1991, Rock Creek came to be, as Class 1A schools St. George and Westmoreland combined. Since then, they've gradually gained steam. Annually the victim of Silver Lake in Class 3A district play, they began making the playoffs on a more consistent basis when the state decided to take two teams from each district for the playoffs. Beam has led Rock Creek to the state playoffs every season but one since 2000, usually bowing out to Rossville or Silver Lake. Ironically, the move up to Class 4A could afford them their most successful run in the playoffs in school history. Rock Creek's run-first double-wing formation completely befuddled Andover last week, exacerbated by the fact that the Trojans had only three days to prepare for the unorthodox attack. Rock Creek lines up two wing backs behind the tight ends and a fullback right behind the quarterback - close enough to touch him. "Our goal is to hide the ball on offense. It's based on misdirection. We're always smaller than other teams in our league." The Rock Creek offense is similar to the Air Force triple option flex bone. Beam says he got much of his material for the offense from Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, formerly at Navy and Georgia Southern. Beam, whose team played in the early afternoon against Andover, headed west afterward to watch Andale play Wellington. Andale won big 33-17. "I know they're very fast, and they're the two-time state champion." Coach Gary O'Hair and Andale are no strangers to playing football this time of year. After the first two games of the season, however, it didn't look like they'd make it as far as they have. A 6-0 win over Clearwater and and a 14-13 loss at Winfield weren't impressive. They appeared vulnerable. Since, three-year starting linebacker Corey Harp has exploded out of the backfield. His 242 yards rushing against Wellington was his latest great performance. Michael Eck, the third of three brothers to play quarterback for O'Hair and the fifth of five to play at Andale, has drastically improved from the season's beginning. Handing it off to Harp hasn't been too confusing. The defense has never not been solid, so it was really just a matter of a nearly completely new offensive line gelling. Lineman B.J. Finney was the only returning starter from last year's dominant offense. "Replacing that many players, it takes time to get the running game clicking," said O'Hair. "The defense out of the gun played well - we just didn't put enough points on the board the first couple weeks." A team with great history versus a school with very little history - Andale has been playing football since 1930 while Rock Creek has existed only since 1991 - should be interesting.