Weekend Rusher (Week 3)

Stay tuned for a feature story tomorrow...

Question and Verdict
Six of nine games played by Kansas high school football teams each season have no bearing on whether or not they make the playoffs. The final three games of the season, a district schedule aligned by the state activities association, determine every team's playoffs standing. Does the current scheduling format for Kansas high school football create the most effective and fair playoffs system?

I answer resoundingly, "No."

In Oklahoma, schools in the large classifications play 10 games each season, 7 of which are district games determining their standing for the postseason. In Texas, districts for large schools range from 6 to 10 teams, taking up at least half of every team's schedule and all but one game for others. This makes sense. The bulk of a team's schedule should have a bearing on whether they make the postseason. The state playoffs is what everyone is working toward; thus, the regular season schedule should bear witness to that motiviation.

One of my other crusades is the dissolution of Class 6A as we know it. Thirty-two teams is not enough for one classification. There's just not enough competition. For goodness' sakes, half of the teams make the football playoffs.

I would add the 16 largest schools in Class 5A to Class 6A, increasing the largest classification's membership to 48. The other 16 in Class 5A would drop to Class 4A, which would be best for them anyhow. The lower half of Class 5A population-wise is rarely competitive in any of the state tournaments of the current Class 5A.

Under my plan, here's how the new top classification would have aligned this season for football, abiding by 8 districts, each made up of 8 teams:

District 1 -- KC Wyandotte, KC Turner, KC Harmon, SM East, SM North, SM Northwest, SM West, SM South

District 2 -- Olathe East, BV North, BV Northwest, Olathe North, Olathe South, BV West, BV Stilwell, St. Thomas Aquinas

District 3 -- Leavenworth, Lawrence, Lawrence Free State, Olathe Northwest, Topeka, Washburn Rural, Topeka Seaman, Gardner-Edgerton

District 4 -- Junction City, Manhattan, Topeka West, Shawnee Heights, Emporia, Salina Central, Salina South, Newton

District 5 -- Derby, East, Heights, Southeast, North, Northwest, South, West

District 6 -- Dodge City, Garden City, Goddard, Maize, Campus, Liberal, Hutchinson, Bishop Carroll

A nice by-product of this new alignment would be the promotion of highly successful athletic programs at parochial schools St. Thomas Aquinas and Bishop Carroll. These two teams' prolific success is oftentimes a point of griping for many public school programs in Class 5A. By the way, based on the student populations from ninth through eleventh grades which I got from the KSHSAA, which is how they classify football districts every two years, every team in the new Class 5A would have had over 800 students in those grades. It worked out perfectly. There are currently 16 teams in Class 5A which had 800 or more students in those three grades when the KSHSAA got those numbers in 2007.

Two teams from each district would make the playoffs, based on their records playing a 7-game district schedule. It's perfect. Teams would be able to schedule two non-conference games, giving coaches flexibility to be creative or make sure their team gets at least one win that season. Top four teams by record would get a first-round bye.

Let me know what you think.

Xs&Os
I love the flex bone (Hutch, Heights) and the spread option (Derby) because it forces/allows kids to make choices on the fly. When a team's offense depends on kids making good choices according to how well they have been taught, the team has the potential to improve drastically as the season progresses. It also allows kids to makes tons of mistakes, though. Derby at Hutch last season involved many turnovers, as Derby won 30-27. Both offenses have the potential to be explosive, both in good and bad ways. I can't wait for the rematch this Friday at Derby.

6A/5A Power Rankings
1. (1) Hutchinson (3-0, Maize 55-0)
2. (2) McPherson (3-0, Winfield 54-3)
3. (3) Manhattan (3-0, Topeka Seaman 41-10)
4. (4) Olathe North (3-0, Olathe NW 40-13)
5. (5) Gardner-Edgerton (3-0, Paola 42-14)
6. (6) Blue Valley Northwest (3-0, Salina South 27-9)
7. (7) Junction City (3-0, Emporia 35-21)
8. (8) Bishop Carroll (3-0, Wichita South 35-12)
9. (9) Salina Central (3-0, Blue Valley Stilwell 31-28)
10. (NR) Derby (2-1, Goddard, 28-0)

4A Rankings
1. (1) Buhler (3-0, Augusta 50-13)
2. (2) Andale (3-0, Circle 48-0)
3. (5) Bishop Miege (2-1, Blue Valley West 37-15)
4. (3) Louisburg (3-0, DeSoto 28-6)
5. (NR) Rose Hill (3-0, Kingman 73-0)

3A Rankings
1. (1) Marysville (3-0, Wamego 52-0)
2. (2) Conway Springs (3-0, Trinity Academy 42-20)
3. (3) Garden Plain (3-0, Douglass 68-14)
4. (4) Silver Lake (3-0, Rossville 35-3)
5. (NR) Scott City (3-0, Ulysses 27-0)

State championship game predictions

6A: This is me throwing my hands up in the air and ignoring my own rankings. This is the perfect year for two teams to unexpectedly meet in the 6A title game, just like last season really, except I don't think there's a team even like Junction City from last season. Derby (10) over Blue Valley Northwest (6), 27-24. Completely ridiculous, I know.

5A: I won't budge from this one all year, unless Aquinas continues to have Gardner's number and beats them in district play. I don't expect that, though. Hutch (1) over Gardner-Edgerton (5) 42-21.

4A: Miege is obviously much better than last season, when they lost in the first round of the playoffs. They followed an 8-point loss to Aquinas last week with a drubbing of Blue Valley West, a quality 6A team. Still, Buhler (1), which may not even beat Andale, over Miege (3) 34-28.

3A: I don't know, I'm starting to think Scott City is going to win its first state title since winning 4A in 1991 for the third time in four seasons. The state quarterfinals and sub-state on the West half of the bracket are going to be classics this year, possibly offering matchups between Scott City, Garden Plain, Conway Springs and Collegiate. Scott City (5) over Marysville (1) 28-21.

Winners and Those Who Could Become Winners
Heights scores 1 touchdown in the first two weeks of the season, then puts up 55 on Friday against Northwest. Will Heights gain steam this coming week against Great Bend?

Derby looked bad in the first half at Goddard this week, following up their disappointing home loss to Salina Central, but turned it on in the third quarter. Quarterback Tyler Harrison and the offensive line continue to get more comfortable.

Rose Hill has not allowed a point in three games. Expect another blowout shutout win over Clearwater next week. Then... Andale!

Andover High may factor in to the Class 4A picture by season's end. Buhler pounded them in Week 1, but they've come back with two wins. At Mulvane this week will tell us how good they can be.

BV Northwest beat Salina South 27-9 to move to 3-0. This team was 2-7 regular season last year, then upset undefeated SM West in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Stilwell by 4 in the state quarters. They're on the rise.

Caldwell is 3-0 after several years of losing seasons. Coach Kevin Schmidt has a bunch of young guns putting up serious points just like last season. The difference this season? They're defending a little better.

Trinity Catholic is putting up just as absurd offensive numbers as its neighbors, Hutch High and Buhler. They have won their first three games by combined score 144-12.

This district is 11-1: Remington, Sedgwick, Halstead and Trinity Catholic.

Hays is 3-0 under first-year coach Ryan Cornelsen after winning 21-17 at Liberal. Cornelsen is the son of former Liberal coach and legend Gary Cornelsen. Gary Cornelsen is an assistant at Hays now.

Junction City clearly isn't done winning games. The defending 6A state champs are 3-0. The big game on the schedule every year, though, is Manhattan. The Centennial League just doesn't really challenge this program anymore.

I wrote off St. Thomas Aquinas from the start. Shouldn't have. The defending 5A state runner-up is 3-0.

Bishop Miege is clearly very good. I'll be very interested to see how they come out in the next three games playing in the very good Eastern Kansas League.

Kansas Runaround
Dodge City Daily Globe's Susie Van Heule remembers the nationally ranked 1966 Dodge City Demons. The town clearly is ready to matter in the state playoffs picture once again. They've got a heck of a team this fall.

Garden City Telegram's Brett Marshall reports Scott City has not allowed a touchdown. Watch out GP and Conway.

Hays Daily News' Klint Spiller writes that Hays' upset victory at Liberal to move to 3-0 was not about first-year coach Ryan Cornelsen.

Hays Daily News' Conor Nicholl had the game story on what was likely Smith Center's only competitive regular season game.

Kansas City Star reports Miege's Releford commits to Alabama basketball.

For those interested in Maize High's chances at winning 6A state soccer, here are some notes on Olathe area soccer in the KC Star. Olathe frequently has the top boys teams in the state.

Mullen (Colo.) won at Rockhurst (Mo.) 17-7 Friday, shutting out the Hawklets in the second half after being down 7-0 at half. There was no game story in the KC Star.

Following a 1-2 start, Salina Journal's Bob Davidson reports Salina South head football coach Dave Dunham stepped down on Friday after Thursday's loss to Blue Valley Northwest.

Quote of the Week
"The kids are already talking about Hutch. They're getting excited. They're getting all wild. I think our kids, we're over that mental state where, 'Oh, we're playing Hutch.' I think they're excited, in fact, I know they're excited about playing Hutch. We haven't focused on them that much all summer. We've just been focusing on what we do well...
"There's always a feeling when you're playing Hutch. They're the top team in the state year in and year out. Sometimes I think teams can get a little worried, and coaching staffs, but you know what, our kids are tough and our kids are excited and they know what happened last year, and they know we didn't even play a perfect game last year. Shoot, we fumbled the ball two times inside their 20. So, our kids are excited, our defense is excited. They're going to have a huge challenge. They're getting ready to play the best offense in the state right now."
-Derby football coach Brandon Clark on Mel Hambelton Ford Preps Weekly radio show on Saturday morning, looking forward to their match-up at home against Hutchinson this Friday.

Jorden Oden Watch
Yes, the Jorden Oden Watch has begun. With 291 yards against Augusta on Friday, Oden now has 827 rushing yards this season in three games. The race to 3,000 is on.

Stat of the Week
Heights started the season 0-2, scoring just 7 points. In Week 1 against Carroll, they gained just 100 yards of offense. In Week 2 against Kapaun, Heights gained 217 yards of offense and scored its first TD of the season. Then, in Week 3, Heights gained over 500 yards of offense and scored 55 points, absolutely blowing Northwest out of the water, 55-21.

Player of the Week
Conway Springs quarterback Caleb Brill, just 5'9" and 160 pounds, is averaging over 11 yards per carry this season. He gained 201 yards on the ground Friday night at Cessna Stadium against Trinity Academy.

Team of the Week
Granted, they have played Circle, Augusta and Kingman, teams which are a combined 1-8 this season, but Rose Hill has not allowed a point through the first three weeks of the season.

Coach of the Week
Andover High's Mike Lee, who after a blowout loss in the season opener at Buhler, has convinced his team to win big over Clearwater and Andover Central two weeks in a row.

Not So Quick Hits

Sam Sellers takes over at Salina South, following coach Dave Dunham's resignation on Friday. Dunham, the defensive coordinator at South last season, replaced Chip Sherman after one season. Dunham did not comment in the Salina Journal Friday about his reasons for stepping down.

In volleyball this week, Rose Hill beat Clearwater, Andale and Mulvane.

In soccer, one of the state's top 100-meter sprinters last spring, Oliver Bradwell, is scoring goals for East High in his first season with the team.

In volleyball last weekend, Kapaun shook up the area with a tournament win at Valley Center, a field that included Carroll, as well.

Conversation on Sports Daily radio earlier this week raised the question of whether the City League is still a good thing for Carroll athletics. I asked the poll question on our website if Carroll football, specifically that sport, was too good for the City League. Visitors to the site overwhelming voted No, that Carroll is not too good for the City League, 72 percent in fact.

Intermat, a national wrestling site offering news, rankings and interviews from across the country, ranked three area wrestlers in their top 10 seniors to watch from the state of Kansas this year. They were Northwest's Kyle Caylor, a two-time state champ, and Valley Center's Chase Nitcher and Cade Blair, who have three state titles between them.

The Ark Valley Chisholm Trail Division I may still be the best league in Kansas, but I'm not so sure anymore. The bottom three in the league, Salina South, Goddard and Maize, each were beaten soundly by teams from the Eastern Kansas League. Salina Central saved the league some face on Friday by holding on against Blue Valley Stilwell, 31-28.

Following last season's narrow win over Norton, 22-20, Class 2-1A Smith Center defeated Class 3A Norton 20-14 on Friday to extend their win streak to 70. Class 3A Norton lost in the playoffs last season to Beloit, which lost to Conway Springs in the state quarterfinals by a wide margin. Norton is Smith Center's most difficult regular season opponent.

Something I never want to see (or hear) again
At the Derby-Goddard game Friday, I heard tons of profanity coming from the Derby student section. They also performed a rendition of that that two-syllable word that's not bullspit in unison when they disagreed with a call. I will say this: on Saturday afternoon I accidentally sent a text message intended for a friend from college instead to all of the people at area schools who send me score updates on Friday nights. In that message I used a very foul vulgarity. I certainly checked myself after that. The vulgarity was in reaction to a poor play by Notre Dame football, of which I am a fan. As a fan, I can get out of control, be immature and use foul language in reaction to plays I don't like. I need to be a better fan. After all, it's all about the players and coaches on the field being satisfied with their play, not the fans. I want to do better, and I hope the Derby students do better. I've been there Derby kids; I've said worse; and I'm telling you, it's better to get over it now rather than later. You'll be better for it -- better than I was.

Maglight
Check out all of the volleyball info in the September issue of Vype which just hit stands. Andover Central's Kelsey Banwart is one of the volleyball players on the cover. She just signed with Wichita State -- yet another area player moving on to the nationally ranked Shockers.

Bold Prediction
Derby will play Hutchinson tough this Friday. Yes, Derby won last season. But Hutch has allowed 6 points the last two weeks, and their offense has remained unstoppable following their season opener against Rockhurst. Still, Derby will play Hutch tough. Hutch 42, Derby 28.