State football roundup
Nov. 28, 2009 @ 6:05 p.m. by Joannaby joanna
What a day of football across the state. If you were at a game, feel free to fill us in with your thoughts. Here are just a few quick thoughts of mine from all the games.
Class 6A champ: Olathe North
The Eagles beating Heights probably didn’t surprise many. Olathe North was the preseason favorite to take 6A. It had an experienced team (18 returning starters), it had James Franklin (who ended his career with nearly 6,000 yards), it had big, strong players.
Heights’ defense played pretty well against that offense, but the Falcons’ offense had problems, managing just 27 yards. A tough loss, but what a season for a team that started 2-4 and made a heck of a run into the finals, the schools’ first.
Class 5A: Hutchinson
That Hutchinson won big, doesn’t surprise me. Gardner-Edgerton played with the Salthawks for the first half, but then Deveon Dinwiddie took over. Gardner just couldn’t stop the run around the end. What a powerful one-two punch with Dinwiddie and Smith.
Gardner-Edgerton will be a favorite next season, though, with Bubba Starling coming back at quarterback. That’s a good team that ran into the state’s best team. (Wouldn’t you love to see an Olathe North-Hutchinson game? That would be one for the ages.)
Class 4A: Bishop Miege
Not really a surprise here. Topeka Hayden didn’t have the same team it did last season with TJ McGreevy, but it had been playing well in the playoffs. Miege was just too much, though. Not a bad turnaround for coach Grunhard.
Class 3A: Wichita Collegiate
While I’m not surprised that Collegiate won this game — Marysville put up a great fight, though — I’m surprised that it’s Collegiate as the champ. In the preseason, I thought it would be either Garden Plain or Conway Springs playing for the title.
But a wonderful one-two punch of QB Blake Jablonski and WR-returner Brett LeMaster was too much today. LeMaster scored three touchdowns in three different ways (punt return, kick return, reception). Sounded like it was a fun game.
Class 2-1A: Centralia
The chatter was that Centralia was going to end Smith Center’s streak. Of course we’ve heard that chatter all through the season, right? Well, Centralia did it. What a streak Smith Center had, and what a game this was. It went into overtime, and Centralia wins 20-12.
Congrats to all the champs. What a great season by all who played in the title games.
Your thoughts?
Michael J. Maher says:
November 28th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Good stuff Joanna. I was at the Hutch-GEHS game. I’d love to see a Hutch vs. ON game. Hutch is dominant on both sides of the ball. Would love to see a repeat next year in the 5A final, but GEHS has to get through a district of Blue Valley, Aquinas, and Pittsburgh!
Michael
P.S. This may seem a weird question and off-topic, but do they do steroid checks on high school players or championship teams? What is the policy on steroids?
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
hawkdad says:
November 28th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Heartbreaker for Smith Center….. you knew it had to end sometime, but you just don’t believe it until it happens. Reality is still sinking in. It took Centralia OT to get the win…. awesome job to both. Much respect to both teams…… great job men!
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Attitude Adjustment says:
November 28th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Smith Center played some close games this year so it looked like it would end at any time. But, what an achievement by Roger Barta’s crew over the years.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
pop says:
November 29th, 2009 at 4:47 am
somebody needs to look into what heights has been doing ive heard from a lot of people that they’re doing the same stuff the patriots did with film and if they are thats not right. but someone needs to look into it soon before they do it more
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Randy says:
November 29th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Even though Marysville lost, one of their kids had the hit of the year, with about 7 minutes to go.On an interception at around the 15 he clocked a Spartan out of his shoes.Made me go see BLINDSIDE again!
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
randy is right says:
November 29th, 2009 at 10:56 am
55 from marysville did have the hit of the year hah hardest hit ive ever witnessed on a football field… but the collegiate player was tough he got up walked off under his own power and was back in the game after one play
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
KS FOOTBALL says:
November 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
POP from the sources i have thats not anything new for them. good luck getting any attention on it however or proving it for that matter.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
OlatheNorth-8th Championship on Saturday says:
November 29th, 2009 at 11:56 am
KS Football and POP – what a classless and horrible way to end the seasons blogs. Heights is a good program and great coaching staff- they just happened to get beat by our team this weekend and ON is very good. Seems to me like you are a couple of jealous folks from other teams who didn’t make it to a state game. Please stop spreading lies about teams with out any proof at all. Way to go Franklin on taking us to a title !
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
OlatheNorth-8th Championship on Saturday says:
November 29th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Joanna- I think you should respond to KS Football and POP about the heights team and coaches – reading their lies makes me not want to come to this website and just stick to the KC Star.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
joanna says:
November 29th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
pop and KSFootball — Feel free to contact me at jchadwick@wichitaeagle.com or 316-268-6270, and I’ll be more than happy to listen to you on such a topic.
I know there is a segment of the population that prefers the discussion boards to the blog because I can be heavy-handed at not allowing straight out accusations without proof, complete dogging of teenage athletes and their coaches and their parents.
This is a situation of making a serious allegation that if you know something about it, then you need to let the correct people know. If you want it to be me, great. But there’s also the KSHSAA, the school’s principal, the league’s athletic director.
Again, I’m at 316-268-6270.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
hahahaa says:
November 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
yaahhh coligigate….good job winning state. Go back out there and recrut some more!! YES very fair in winning this one….ha pathetic
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Attitude Adjustment says:
November 29th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
No wonder kids don’t learn how to lose with dignity. Their parents are sore losers. You got beat by the better team the last three times you played Heights, Derby fans.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Voice of Reason says:
November 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I’ve heard the name Derby mentioned more often in regards to unethical practices to be fair (actually I have never heard anything relating to Heights- and my sources are far, wide and entrenched- ha ha ha)
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
'Tis the Season says:
November 29th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Derby is classless in winning (remember the Campus game accusations) and losing (now Heights accusations). Same old, same old for these guys. That comes from my potentially well-placed player sources.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Kansas Flyer says:
November 30th, 2009 at 12:39 am
I was at the 4A game. Hayden had a tough task as Miege started 2 on OL weighing more than 300 pounds, plus some great players at the skill positions. Then to make it tougher, Hayden’s #1 and #2 QB went down (although #3 QB lead them to their only score) in the second half. In though, Hayden fought hard, but could not stop the big play (two of the receiving big plays were on awesome catches).
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
just wondering says:
November 30th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
who did collegiate recruit? please tell me, i want to know….
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
shin wang says:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
when does the all state teams come out?
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Gussy says:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Tyler Coughenour, Trace Clark, Sadie Clark, Ashia Woods, Raymond Taylor, etc etc…
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
DaBears says:
November 30th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Enough with the recruiting accusations. To my knowledge if such does occur, kids that transfer must sit out 18 weeks from varsity sport participation following a transfer unless extenuating circumstances exist.
Do you know of someone that transferred to Collegiate from whom you believe was recruited? I doubt many at all. If kids want to go to Collegiate they should be free to do so in my opinion. Collegiate has a quality academic program so maybe the kids that go there versus a public school make the choice based on more than just the athletic program. Some of you can be so shallow minded.
If you believe recruiting is the key, then maybe you should do it for the school program that you support. What are your selling points going to be? Is the sports program enough? I don’t think so….
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
mirulz says:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Well said DaBears! Collegiate needs more parents like you!!
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
wow says:
December 1st, 2009 at 12:21 am
gussy u are retarded, all of those players aren’t recruited, i know they are very good and athletic but there also there for academics and are very smart kids, by the way do u think blake jablonski is recruited? wat about myles copyeland? tre bailey? brett lemaster? jace schultz? are all of those other players that start recruited, and hahahah ur also retarded to, i know ur just pissed that collegiate won state and the poor bulldogs didn’t, just think about all the rest of the other players are they recruited, its not just about those players its the whole team that works together, how bout u think before u state a stupid opinion
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
mirulz says:
December 1st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Well said wow! Collegiate needs more athletes like you!!
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
mirulz says:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:28 pm
mirulz, you are pathetic.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
wow says:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
yeah u are pathetic thats all u can say
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
Armando says:
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I believe that is a first ever Jace Schultz refence in this blog.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]