Weekend Rusher (Week 4)

Question and Verdict
I spoke with Hutchinson athletic director Eric Armstrong late last week about the future of the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, formed as a merger of the two league leagues in 2004. The 24-team league made up of four 6-team divisions is about to experience flux in a major way for the first time next year.

Wichita Collegiate, a Class 3A school, was left without a league for the 2010-11 school year when the MCAA decided last spring to disband. Collegiate originally petitioned to join the AVCTL but was denied by its member schools. Collegiate then requested that the state activities association place them in a league. KSHSAA obliged, though it didn't have to.

So after AVCTL athletic directors met with the KSHSAA Wednesday and were notified Collegiate would be joining the league, the ball went to their corner. What division will Collegiate be in?

A league meeting Monday will determine that. But that's not all that will be up for debate. While the divisions of the AVCTL are for the most part based on student population, exceptions have been made in the past. Armstrong told me that there could be significant changes in division assignment.

For instance, Campus resides in Division II, despite the fact that it had more students than Division I schools Hutchinson, Salina South and Salina Central.

So, will Collegiate end up in Division IV, as it should based on student population? Or will member schools of the league determine Collegiate should be in Division III because of the high level at which they compete in most sports? Be assured that there will be a debate Monday over that very issue.

Also, student populations have changed so much over the past couple years. Populations at Ark City and Winfield continue to dwindle slightly, though last school year they were still larger than fellow Division II members Valley Center and McPherson. There is an outside chance that Andover Central, which just moved up to Class 5A last year, and Andover High could move up to Division II. Ark City and Winfield, which have struggled in football and basketball, could move to Division III.

But, hey, both teams beat Valley Center in football the last two weeks, Winfield in dominant fashion. I see Valley moving down to Division III at the end of the day.

Also, be ready for Campus moving back up to Division I. By the 2007 KSHSAA population numbers, Salina Central should have been in Division II instead. That would break up the Salina Central-Salina South rivalry, but don't count this move out. It may not make sense for Central to move down in football, but it does in many other sports.

It will be interesting to see how things shake out from this meeting Monday and future ones. The KSHSAA releases new numbers on school populations on October 7.

One thing is for sure: Do not count on Division I having seven teams. This would happen only over the dead bodies of the football programs in that division. Given a 7-team league, many would have no leeway to schedule a game outside of league and district play, which many coaches enjoy in order to gauge themselves in terms of the state perspective.

"If we go to seven in Division I, we have no options," said Armstrong. "Seven still enables them to crown a league champion in (division) three and four," due to the fact that league and district align in those divisions for the most part.

As for Collegiate, again, as I alluded to on Sports Daily Friday, the AVCTL didn't voluntarily take them into their league because they didn't want to face their dominant basketball programs. I don't blame them. But what's done is done. The KSHSAA laid down the gavel. So, I'll be interested to hear how this turns out Monday.

I'll add a self-glossing side note from my conversation with Armstrong. He is also in favor of 8-team football districts. I am maniacally in favor of this, as it would eliminate this ridiculous, frustrating league-district rub and finally make the entire season matter in football, instead of just three games. (See last week's Rusher to see my plan for the new Class 5A).

And I'll add this little tidbit from some research I dug up this week on the state's district system, instituted in 1981. I reiterate: We need fewer classifications, not more, as the KSHSAA decided to do this past summer with the addition of a Class 1A Division II for basketball and volleyball.

In an October 1998 issue of the Wichita Eagle, a feature story highlighted a first in Kansas football history: Andale, Cheney, Conway Springs and Medicine Lodge, all of the same Class 3A District 10, entered district play at 6-0. "My defensive coordinator, Fred Cottrell, said he has never seen a district with every team at 6-0," said former Conway Springs coach Mark Bliss in the article. "He's been coach for 37 years, so he should know."

Nice quote, but not the point. Andale won against an entirely 4A schedule that year on its way to 6-0, despite the fact that they were 3A. There's really not a big difference, folks, between 3A and 4A, nor between 5A and 6A, as we see every season in this area. By the way, Andale, after running the table against a 4A schedule, were throttled by 3A Conway Springs 44-7 in district play. The best team they played all year by far was a 3A team. I submit that Garden Plain and Conway Springs still could compete in Class 4A tomorrow.

Fewer classifications, larger districts -- we need this!

Xs&Os
Tired of the Wildcat. Really, really tired of it. Every talking head on television, whether its the college or pro game, has to squeeze in a comment about some team that day which will be running some plays out of the Wildcat. They couldn't stop talking about it during the Notre Dame-Purdue game Saturday night (I thank the football gods for that win), nor on the Sunday morning football shows today, with Michael Vick coming back and all... and running in the Wildcat! Woohoo, Wildcat! Former New England safety Rodney Harrison said it best Sunday night on NBC when he called it a "gimmick" and a "joke".

Pundits oftentimes portray sports as rocket science, so when an unusual innovation takes place, even if it is inane, they talk it over as if the atom's just been split for the first time.

Lou Holtz, my king of football, put all this nonsense into perspective for me on Thursday when I heard him break this phenomenon down. He basically said offense has come full circle; some teams are going to back to basically running a single wing with this Wildcat business, with redirections and snap confusion and all that. He very quickly went through the evolution of football offense over the past eight decades (which he can do because he's been alive for all of it) and pushed it aside as not really that important. His basic point, which he always somehow manages to convey simply though he either never seems to complete a sentence or just runs them all together, was that good coaches and good players are still winning and always have and always will.

So true.

So enough Wildcat already, unless we're talking Kentucky hoops, zoo visits or your neighbor's terribly misbehaved kitty.

6A/5A Power Rankings
1. (1) Hutchinson (4-0, Derby 49-14)
2. (2) McPherson (4-0, Newton 30-7)
3. (7) Junction City (4-0, Shawnee Heights, 49-20)
4. (4) Olathe North (4-0, Olathe East 28-14)
5. (3) Manhattan (4-0, Topeka West 13-0)
6. (5) Gardner-Edgerton (4-0, Louisburg 40-0)
7. (6) Blue Valley Northwest (4-0, Bishop Miege 35-27)
8. (8) Bishop Carroll (4-0, Wichita North 47-20)
9. (9) Salina Central (4-0, Goddard 48-13)
10. (NR) Dodge City (4-0, Liberal 55-17)

4A Rankings
1. (1) Buhler (4-0, El Dorado 57-0)
2. (2) Andale (4-0, Wellington 21-0)
3. (NR) Eudora (4-0, Paola 35-27)
4. (3) Bishop Miege (2-2, Blue Valley Northwest 27-35)
5. (NR) Rose Hill (4-0, Clearwater 42-14)

3A Rankings
1. (1) Marysville (4-0, Clay Center 55-6)
2. (2) Conway Springs (4-0, Bluestem 30-0)
3. (3) Garden Plain (4-0, Cheney 40-0)
4. (4) Silver Lake (4-0, Wabaunsee 40-6)
5. (NR) Scott City (4-0, Holcomb 43-14)

State championship game predictions
6A: My Week 4 shot in the dark, and I might actually stick with this one. I was wrong all along. Yet another 6A dynasty is in the making: Junction City (3) over Olathe North (4) 21-14.
5A: Hutch (1) over Gardner-Edgerton (5) 42-21.
4A: I am anxious to see how Eudora fares against Gardner-Edgerton in Week 6. Miege certainly has a challenger here in the East. Buhler-Andale at sub-state continues to be the potential state championship game in my eyes, though. Buhler (1) over Andale (2) 28-27.
3A: I'm sticking with Scott City. I'm just nervous about Garden Plain and Conway Springs' chances this season. Each would benefit from a game outside league play. The Central Plains League just doesn't have any challengers this season. Scott City over Marysville in a rare 3A championship game not involving Garden, Conway or Silver Lake.

Winners and Those Who Could Become Winners
Andale continues to drive toward another sub-state berth. They shut out Wellington 21-0 with timely defense and offense. Sure, Wellington gave the ball away deep in Andale's territory, but Andale has a history of doing this to other teams. This little Tipton kid at running back looks like he's very fun to watch. This a team getting it done by committee. Whenever you ask coach Gary O'Hair how Andale remains so good every year when everyone else in Class 4A has ups and downs, he always brings up the fact that Andale has so many numbers out for football. And, well, he's right. It's impossible to pick out one kid from this team that's by far the best player, and yet they're demolishing people. Big game at Rose Hill coming up.

Southeast evens up their record at 2-2, following an impressive victory over Kapaun on Saturday 14-7. Joseph Randle finally rushed for well past 100 yards. Southeast was so up and down last season; looks like it could be that way again. I wouldn't want to play them in districts (talking to you, Derby).

Andover's 39-19 win over previously 3-0 Mulvane certainly caught my eye. Mike Lee will have this team ready for the playoffs. They'll enter them at 8-1 with another district title. If I'm Buhler, I'd hate to have to play these guys again in the playoffs after taking them to the woodshed in Week 1. Andover will adjust and be ready.

Collegiate is rolling through its final season in the MCAA -- without their running back, linebacker, kicker and return man Tyler Coughenour. He's that good at the major positions, and he could kick field goals in college if he wanted to. When he comes back, look out. They're going to go 9-0 again this season. We'll see who they get in the first round this time.

Salina South played its first game under Sam Sellers and rolled, 31-7 over Maize. South is now 2-2, with Derby coming up. They will want to exact revenge for last season, when they gave up a four-touchdown lead to the Panthers in a shocking loss. Derby better not be back on their heels for that game.

Winfield beat Valley Center 64-0, finally getting off the schnide. Their opening three games was brutal: Salina Central, Andale, McPherson. They snuck in a win over Andale last year, but got beat badly in the second half by the Indians this year. Win No. 1 was by a wide margin. I think this district made up of Winfield, Newton and Kapaun (with Ark City, which has won three games) will be fun.

Trinity Catholic has yet to play a competitive quarter, as they rolled again Friday, 69-0 over Peabody-Burns. I worry about this team not getting any stiff competition before the Class 3A playoffs, where they will eventually get some very stiff competition (Garden, Conway, Collegiate). Remington, one of their district opponents, moved to 4-0 Friday. That'll be an interesting game.

What's up with Hays? They're 4-0 for the first time since going 6-0 in 2001. Ryan Cornelsen is coaching the boys up. I'll be very interested to see if they can compete with Great Bend and McPherson in district play. I think Mac will probably whip them, but good things are in store for Hays.

Quote of the Week
"This game is all that anybody in our community talks about," Derby receiver Dustin Noe said. "There's so much hype about it."
-From the Wichita Eagle in 2003, preceding the Derby at Hutch match-up. Hutch defeated Derby 45-21 in coach Tom Young's final season. It was the first time in Young's tenure that Derby wasn't even competitive with Hutch. Hutch scored in the game on its first 5 possessions and led 31-10 at halftime. Derby wasn't competitive with Hutch again until 2008. History, however, began repeating itself again on Saturday as Derby was out-classed 49-14. Hutch took its foot off the pedal halfway through the third quarter at 42-7.

Stat of the Week
Teammates Josh Smith, Hutch fullback now lining up at quarterback for the injured Cooper Bell, and Deveon Dinwiddie each have rushed for over 100 yards all four weeks this season. Bell could return from a cracked sternum by playoffs.

Player of the Week
In cross country, not football. Carroll freshman runner Kaelyn Balch got another win this weekend at Lawrence Rim Rock Farm, beating defending 5A champ Mackenzie Mike by well over 30 seconds again. Balch has defeated Maki in all three meetings this season and is the heavy favorite now to win Class 5A.

Team of the Week
After pumping Southeast in preseason, I wrote the Buffs off after an 0-2 start. With a 14-7 win over Kapaun, they're now 2-2.

Coach of the Week
McPherson steadily built a 30-7 win over Newton, earning coach Tom Young his 300th career victory. Young won state titles at his first three coaching stops: Hanover, Wellington, Derby. More importantly, Mac is now playing a waiting game until Hutch on October 16, when Young will meet back up with a coach who knew his program had arrived when he put Young's number in his back pocket. Hutch coach Randy Dreiling has not given Young's teams an inch since handily beating Derby in 2003.

Not So Quick Hits
Sporting News Today, a daily national sports page delivered for free by email, listed its top 25 national recruits this week: Among them were Bishop Miege wideout and backer Justin McCay at No. 5 and Carroll quarterback Blake Bell at No. 25. It's an easy time of year to forget about Blake Bell, because of the Carroll schedule. Don't forget about him. I have hopes that come playoff time, this kid's going to come out gaming and want a piece of all comers.

In this week's poll, readers voted the AVCTL Division I as the best football league in Kansas, 66 percent in fact. It was voted better than the Sunflower, Centennial, EKL and GWAL.

Derby has always been a football town. Hutch was never a football town, but it certainly is now. There was a ton of trash talk this week leading up to the game. The result on Saturday quieted all that down. Hutch put Derby in their place. I can't put it any more simply. It's Hutch and everyone else. It's shocking how high a level they play at. Hutch High radio play by play man Rusty Hilst made a great point Saturday morning before play resumed: "With how efficient our offense is, if we get two or three stops we're going to win," Hilst told me, unwrapping his Payday candy bar next to his 20-ounce bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. Hilst offers very enjoyable company -- very classy man. He's been calling Salthawk football games since the late 1960s.

I recognized another mark of a great program on Friday and Saturday watching Hutch: They are gradually working in next year's starters. With Smith having moved to quarterback, junior Deshawn Dinwiddie is the bruising starting fullback. He does not hit holes like Smith (Smith, I recently discovered, is himself actually one of his blockers -- the way he absorbs tacklers and readjusts his path coming off them, it's like he's a blocker while being a runner), but he's very strong. Also, Hutch's big-hitting safety Ben Heeney had one carry Friday night, a 28-yard touchdown run. He's a junior. He could very well be the future star slot back next season, replacing Deveon Dinwiddie, although that would be a huge loss for the defense. I wonder if Hutch will play a few guys both ways next season. I think they should.

In soccer, Maize remained undefeated this week, beating a defensive-minded Newton team 1-0. Maize had two goals called back -- one very respectable on-looker seriously questioned both calls, and Johnson Shaad had a fabulous knuckleball shot that the goalkeeper was fortunate to stop. Still, Brendon Moore scored a late header goal for the win.  "At state," said Maize coach Mike Darrah, "I don't think anyone's going to pack it in on us. It'll be wide open," which will benefit Maize's chances at winning it all.

Ted Woodward and I spoke with Tom Young on Mel Hambelton Ford Preps Weekly radio Saturday morning after his 300th win. I enjoyed it. Here it is.

Smith Center pulled out another close game against Phillipsburg 14-12. Very clutch. Is this team going to have a challenger at state this year?

Did you see that?
Winfield's Jacob Cole lost his hat but scored the touchdown. Nice job on the camera, KAKE 10!

Something I never want to see again...
Prep football on Saturday, for the second year in a row. It's just weird. It throws off everyone's schedule, the stands aren't full and certain weeks I'd miss a Notre Dame game. Thank goodness it was a night game at Purdue this week.

Maglight
Believe this: This week I will begin preparations for our basketball preview issue coming out in mid-November. I know hoops; I can't wait for hoops. However, players this season must stop driving at the hoop as if it's a goal line. Finesse, people. Finesse.

If I were coach
I would do everything in my power to stop a football game from being delayed till the next day. So many preparations go into getting ready for a football game. I can't imagine doing that twice in two days.

Jorden Oden Watch
Buhler's star running back rushed for under 200 yards for the first time this season on Friday at El Dorado. He rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before the game was called at halftime due to lightning. That's almost a better headline than actually getting 300 yards, like he did in Week 1. Seriously, though, this hurts his drive to 3,000. How can Oden be stopped? Cancel the second half.

Multimedia Gamut
Listen in this week: KAKE 10 Friday morning at 6 a.m.; Sports Daily Friday morning at 9:20 a.m. on KFH 1240AM/98.7FM; KNSS score updates and broadcast Friday at 6:30 p.m.; and wrap up your preps Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with Preps Weekly on KFH.