Football: Kansas vs. Texas
July 2, 2008 @ 10:33 a.m. by Joannaby joanna
Football coaches have commented to me often over the years about the differences between high school football in Kansas and Texas (Oklahoma would probably fit here, too).
I started thinking about this because I read the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s story on how this team received a state berth in a 7-on-7 tournament for later this month. I couldn’t believe it. I know about 7-on-7 tournaments, 7-on-7 practices, etc., but a state tournament? Fascinating.
Texas is definitely a state that most coaches would love to coach in. Most of those coaches are coaches only, meaning they don’t have to teach in addition to coaching. Now some coaches here have their schedules worked out so they have their planning period at the end of the day, which is a help. Other coaches teach weights or are physical education teachers, which allow some freedom. But I know they’d be thrilled to have all day every day to prepare for games.
Kansas also has fairly stringent rules, such as not allowing football coaches to coach their kids at camps, etc., that other states do not have. I know this is a protection for kids, but you wonder why other states think it’s OK.
I know there’s other differences between the states when it comes to football, do they and the ones I mentioned hinder Kansas football? Or is Texas way too concerned about high school football?
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Not Texas, but Kansas certainly showed Nebraska how to play 8-man football last week, and the KC area All-Stars Kansas team defeated the Missouri KC Area All-Stars handily this year.
I know in basketball, Kansas teams in the SW part of the state play Texas teams on a regular basis since its closer to play them than Kansas teams, and more than hold their own. Hugoton tournament would be a big example from last year.
But for football, it is a whole other world down there.
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July 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
NO BRAINER YES Kansas is behind period ! Kansas has rules that limit several sports but the ones concerning football are a very sore subject with me. How do you explain to a 14yr old that wants a chance to be a great football player that the state we live in you can run an 8th grade team like a college program but when you get in High School they tie your hands at every turn? I could easily fill the page with the stupid limits they put on High School football in this state.Im jumping off my soapbox now before my head explodes!!
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July 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Fballfan — fill me in, here, at what upsets you. That’s why I wrote this post, to get this conversation going.
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July 2nd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I will keep it short No or not near enough Spring Practice time and only 2 weeks of pracitce before 1st game. I have also been told there is a “temp” rule for no practice if its to hot (would like clarifacation on that from someone) Requiring the coachs to teach is on my list as well. They need at least 2 weeks in the spring, a Summer program and 4 weeks of practice to prepare for the season.
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July 2nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The temperature rule affects the City League more than any others — it’s much more stringent with its public schools than most are. It dates back to when a Southeast player died after suffering heat stroke. If there’s a specific temperature coupled with a certain amount of humidity, practice has to be postponed. Many CL public schools practice either early in the morning or after 6 p.m. — which means not everyone does twoadays anymore because they can’t.
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July 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Kansas is behind, but aren’t we always the last to adopt or do something? There is talent in Kansas that never gets seen because of the KSHSAA Rules. We need a change.
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July 2nd, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Prob dosnt get very hot in the south? this rule is just another thing that is weak in my mind. If you prepare the kids correctly you can go in hot weather without a problem. When a kid from Kansas goes to Miami,Texas,LSU does he just tell the coach,im from kansas i cant practice today “its to hot”. Under that mindset,maybe we should play “flag football” as well someone “might” get an owwie .
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July 2nd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
There are about 26 colleges in Kansas that play football. Name one player that doesn’t get seen? Well over 400 Kansas players every year go on to play in college.
At least three JUCO’s are in the top 10 every year.
Either PSU, Emporia, or Washburn is in the top five each season nationally using a lot of Kansas players.
Our NAIA’s send two or three to the sweet 16 each season.
It isn’t as bad as you say it is people.
As for spring practice, heck, play football all spring. We don’t need track, baseball, golf and tennis anyway. Sissy sports.
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July 3rd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
texas football is where it is at thats were they ball out florida is the same when i played in college the florida boys use to tell me about havin kickoff classics in the summer and on top of that have spring ball. its why they are so well prepared and alot of guys from the city leauge are not schools like west high know nothing about the real game of football
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July 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Truth couldnt not agree with you more ! However i want to make sure we dont throw “ALL” kansas PLAYERS under the bus on this issue. There are some who are even BETTER prepaired than those boys in Texas,OKL,etc. The High Schools dont prepare them for sure,but there are kids that are out working all year to be ready. I have personal knowledge of players from Kansas completely outplaying 5,4 “star” Texas recruits so it does and can happen IF you work the right way and prepare to play.
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July 7th, 2008 at 5:23 am
I’ve coached in Texas and Kansas. Kids work hard and play hard in both states but the quality of play in Texas is a lot better. Just a little comparison..my dad, who coaches in a 4a school in Texas, has 3-4 teams in his district (7 team district) that would probably beat Hutch pretty bad. I know, I know blasphemy somebody beating Hutch but they have two weeks of spring ball, organized summer workouts (weights and conditioning), 7 on 7, and an athletic period during school to practice year round. It’s just a different world when it comes to football.
A lot of people get mad at me for saying this but the best team in the state of Kansas..which I think we can all agree is Hutch High would have trouble going deep in the 3A playoffs down in Texas. Just my opinion of course.
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July 7th, 2008 at 5:25 am
And I couldn’t agree more fballn that there are players from kansas that outplay texas, oklahoma players at the college level and there are texas players who outplay kansas players at that level also. But when it comes to the quality of high school TEAMS, Texas is way ahead.
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July 7th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Several of the KS JUCO’s will play TX JUCO’s the 1st game of the season again this year. The KS JUCO’s faired pretty well last season & their rosters are made up of 43 Kansas kids. We’ll see how they do this season.
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July 7th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I wouldn’t get too caught up in who wins the JUCO battle. There are good Juco teams down in Texas but they aren’t nearly as big of a deal as they are in Kansas. There are multiple NCAA Div 1, 1AA, 2, and 3 teams in Texas.
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July 7th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
“TEAM” wise this is not even a contest. Texas or OKL in a landslide.
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July 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Kansas also has it’s fair share of Div I, II & NAIA schools as well as JUCO when you compare the size/population of the state of KS to TX. So it’s really not to fair to say we should discount these JUCO match ups. I will agree that TX does alot of things that I would like to see implemented in KS high school football.
We always hear about how far behind the KS kids are & then when KS kids beat the TX kids it’s discounted for one reason or another. I attended a KS/TX JUCO match up last year where the KS team came out on top. I looked @ the roster of the TX team & it was made up almost completely of TX kids. Out of the 55 man KS roster 43 of them MUST be Kansas kids.
I know were talking high school here & I DO think that KS best team (Hutch) could not compete with the upper end of TX teams. They just put much more emphasis into football down there, plain & simple.
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