Suburban Teams at a Glance: Lee Summit North Broncos

Lee's Summit North Broncos
2015 Record: 5-5
Best Win: Week 6: 21-14 2OT vs. Raymore-Peculiar (6-5)
Worst Loss(es): Week 8: 7-39 vs. Blue Springs South (14-0), Week 4: 27-32 vs. Lee's Summit (3-7)
Points/Game: 19.1ppg
Points Allowed/Game: 19.5ppg


Sunflower League Opponent:

Olathe Northwest Ravens

Summary:

Second verse, same as the first. Much like its Western counterpart, Lee's Summit North excelled early against lesser competition before bowing out to tougher competition in the second half of the season. A case could be made that they were just unlucky enough to play the Class 5 State Runner-Up and the Class 6 State Champs in consecutive weeks. Nobody could blame a team for getting down after two blowout losses regardless of the teams played.

To make matters worse, the Broncos now have the task of finding a new leader at QB. The top candidate for the job is future SR QB Caleb Anston who saw time in 7 games where he managed 360 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions along with a 46% completion rate. Those numbers won't impress anybody but the foundation is there for a big offseason that also includes the return of RB Tori Hicks and his team-leading 907 yards rushing. If these two can find a spark before the 2016 opener, the Broncos should be a viable threat to the Ravens in Week 3.

2015 Schedule/Results

@ Park Hill South (2-8)            21-7
    Winnetonka (1-9)                  14-0
@ North KC (2-8)                     42-6
    Lee's Summit (3-7)                 27-32
@ Lee's Summit West (6-5)     13-9
    Raymore-Peculiar (6-5)       20-14 2OT
    Columbia Battle (11-3)          18-31
    Blue Springs South (14-0)       7-39
@ Blue Springs (6-6)                 15-23
@ Lee's Summit West (6-5)       14-34

Suburban Teams at a Glance: Lee Summit West Titans

Just like the Sunflower League, not all Suburban teams found huge success last season. Here is a team that found late success, but struggles against better competition and failed to establish itself as a real threat.
Lee Summit West Titans
2015 Record: 6-5
Best Win: Week 10: 34-14 vs. Lee Summit North (5-5)
Worst Loss: Week 5: 9-13 vs. Lee Summit North (5-5)
Points/Game: 26.5ppg
Points Allowed/Game: 11.5ppg


Sunflower League Opponent:

Lawrence High Chesty Lions

Summary:

The Titans got off to a fast start against bad teams by winning their first four games against teams that went a combined 8-34 before losing a close game to Lee Summit North who was 3-1 at the time. The wheels started to come off as the Titans stumbled through the remainder of their schedule but managed to reach the second round of the playoffs where they fell to Springfield Kickapoo. While there wasn't really a player on offense that clearly stuck out, Lee Summit West does return three runners that gained at least 300 yards. This leaves an open race for snaps next season as track and spring conditioning start up.

2015 Schedule/Results

@ Liberty (3-7)                           35-9
Park Hill South (2-8)                 34-21
Winnetonka (1-9)                       35-7
@ Columbia RB (2-10)              27-19
Lee Summit North (5-5)              9-13
Lees Summit (3-7)                     34-14
@ Blue Springs South (14-0)      21-27
@ Blue Springs (6-6)                  24-31
Raymore-Peculiar (6-5)              31-34
Lees Summit North (5-5)          34-14
@ Springfield Kickapoo (13-1)  7-26

Suburban Teams of Note: Park Hill Trojans

With the scheduling between the Sunflower League and Suburban League finalized, here is a look at some of the more notable teams on the schedule and we'll cover the others incrementally very soon!



Park Hill Trojans
2015 Record: 11-2
Best Win: Week 3: 45-7 vs. Belton (8-4)
Worst Loss: Week 13: 10-42 vs. Fort Osage (13-1)
Points/Game: 30.9ppg
Points Allowed/Game: 14.3ppg


Sunflower League Opponent:

Lawrence Free State Firebirds

Summary:

Much like the SFL, there is a stark difference in success among the teams scheduled. A couple teams excelled while others struggled among themselves for wins. Park Hill is one of the upper-tier teams. The Trojans had the misfortune of opening the season against Blue Springs South (14-0) who went on to win the Missouri Class 6 State Championship. Despite the loss, Park Hill did manage to be one of only three teams to lose by less than 7 points against Blue Springs South last season.

Things heated up as the Trojans blasted their way through the rest of the their schedule and the playoffs until bowing out to eventual Class 5 champions Fort Osage (13-1) in the quarterfinals. Park Hill returns a ton of talent which is led on the offensive side by future JR QB Billy Maples who threw for a wild 2231 yards with a 19-4 TD:INT ratio and a QBR of 111.2. The defensive side won't be hurting much either, as it returns both its top tackler (Seven Wilson with 185 Total Tackles; 86 Solo) and a pair of DE's that combined for 18 of the team's 61* sacks.

Key Players Returning:*

SR QB Billy Maples: Passing - 2231 yds., 19 TD's, 4 INT's, 111.2 QBR

SR LB Seven Wilson: Defensive - 185 Tackles (86 Solo)

* - Stats gathered from Maxpreps.com and PrepsKC.com

Pass & Review: Olathe #233 Football

                                                Changing of the Guard in Olathe #233

Entering the 2016 Sunflower Football season, a near 180 has been done within the Head Coaching ranks.

Outgoing since 2014 
Olathe North’s Gene Weir, Olathe East’ Jeff Meyers (Olathe Eagles alumni) and Jeff Gourley (resigned from Olathe South after 2015) have all exited after the conclusion of the last two Football seasons. Olathe Northwest only Coach in its first nine (9) Varsity years Todd Dain left after the 2012 season and is now Dr. Todd Dain and Principal of SM South.

Incoming since 2013 
Chip Sherman from SM East to Olathe Northwest, is now the Senior Head Coach of the four High Schools. Both Jesse Owen (ON Eagles alumnae) took over for long time Olathe East Head Coach Jeff Meyers after 23 seasons, and Chris McCartney taking over for Gene Weir after 25 seasons (1981-2002, 2012-2014).

Beginning in 2016 new to the lineup is Craig Lewis. Coach Lewis comes from Staley High School of the Suburban League where he was an Assistant Coach for Fred Bouchard, and prior to that the Head Coach for the Truman Patriots from 2001 to 2009.

With those positions at capacity, the future Olathe West Owls will begin a search after a Principal has been hired after July 1^st of 2016.

HS – Head Coach (Out) --- Head Coach (In) 
OE       Jeff Meyers-23           Jesse Owen-2

ON       Gene Weir-22/3/25    Chris McCartney-2

ONW   Todd Dain-9              Chip Sherman-4
OS       Jeff Gourley-8            Craig Lewis-0 - Fall 2016

OW      x                                 x   

Totals: 65 years experience     8 years experience

Where are they now? 
Jeff Meyers - Assistant Coach @ William Chrisman Bears
Gene Weir - Kansas Jayhawks Football High School Recruiter
Dr. Todd Dain - SM South Raiders Principal
Jeff Gourley - Resigned from Olathe #233 Football at conclusion of 2015 season

Breaking: New Olathe South Head Coach in 2016

Truman Patriots to Olathe South Falcons  

The Olathe South Falcons have announced the hiring of Craig Lewis as their new Head Coach, and fifth in Falcon's history replacing Jeff Gourley who served from 2008 to 2015. 

Craig Lewis comes to Olathe South from Truman High School as Head Coach from 2001 to 2009.

During Craig's time at Truman, he led the Patriots to a 29-63 record and two playoff births in 2004 and 2008. Since 2010, Coach Lewis has been an Assistant Coach for the Staley Falcons led by Fred Bouchard who is retiring at the end of this current school year. During the Spring season, Coach Lewis is the Head Coach of the Patriots Track & Field team. 

Prior to becoming a Head Coach, the Suburban League is where Coach Lewis cut his teeth, with the Oak Park Northmen (under legend Keith Ross), Park Hill Trojans, and currently the Staley Falcons. Phil Lite has since been appointed the new Head Coach replacing Fred Bouchard. 

Trenton and North Shelbyville, MO are also stops along the Coaching tree as well prior to returning to the Kansas City metro area. 

Craig Lewis and the Falcons open the season on the road against the SM East Lancers in 2016. 

The last time these two met, was in 2012 (32 games ago) in which the Lancers won on a single field goal by Will Humphreys. 

Pass & Review: 2016 Season and Playoffs

KSHSAA	6A - EAST STANDINGS		2016 - Future
School		Overall	Sunflower
Gardner-Edgerton		0-0	0-0	0	0
KC-Wyandotte		0-0	0-0	0	0
Lawrence		0-0	0-0	0	0
OE		0-0	0-0	0	0
ON		0-0	0-0	0	0
ONW		0-0	0-0	0	0
OS		0-0	0-0	0	0
BV		0-0	0-0	0	0
BVN		0-0	0-0	0	0
BVNW		0-0	0-0	0	0
BVW		0-0	0-0	0	0
SME		0-0	0-0	0	0
SMN		0-0	0-0	0	0
SMNW		0-0	0-0	0	0
SMS		0-0	0-0	0	0
SMW		0-0	0-0	0	0

Once the 2016 Fall Football season begins, a new look to the 6A Playoffs will take place.

Although you do not see the Leavenworth Pioneers (5A-East), and Free State Firebirds (6A-West), they will be in similar standings due to their respective enrollment placements from the KSHSAA.

This is quite different than what many of us are all used to seeing, but the Sunflower League itself will still maintain a standings or "table" for all of it's games during the season.

At the conclusion of the game #8, all 16 schools will be reseeded #1 to #16 as the District Football Titles are no longer in existence to move on to the playoffs. Regardless of how the Sunflower League standings play out with each school playing as many as seven (7) league games, while some will play six (6) this official bracketing will determine where your school will fall in to place. This will all be due to Point Differential and all tie-breakers mentioned.

Since 2010, many of these schools have all crossed paths at one time or another during regular season or district play. Of course it is different, but change can be good. This has nothing to do with Sunflower League or Eastern Kansas (EKL) competing against each other, while they have all met in District play or regular season. All four (4) Blue Valley schools at one time or another have met all five (5) SMSD Football teams.

The five SMSD #512 schools will not face any of the four (4) Blue Valley's until week #9 or later to move further on to the playoffs. 10 of the 16 Sunflower schools still have a great chance again come 2016 to represent the 6A East in the 6A State Final game. For all current 10 Sunflower League schools in this table, Gardner-Edgerton if they are to meet will continue to be a non-conference game until they make a permanent move out of the EKL.

If you are wondering why this change has happened, many of the High School Representatives (Athletic Director's and Administrator's) across the State felt that it was time for a change within the playoff system. Week #9 of the Football playoffs, is similar to that of post-season Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, or Softball in all team sports is game #21 for that High School student-athlete. The two schools that will meet in the 6A State Final will play in the 13th game, and meet two days after the Thanksgiving holiday.

KSHSAA Playoff Format for Classes 6 & 5A - 2016

Below are the Rules that the KSHSAA has approved for the future of all 6 & 5A Football Playoffs.

District Championships are now by the wayside for the larger enrollment class schools. However, they will still be in play for all 4A1 & II to 1A enrollments unless circumstances change in the future.

A. The KSHSAA will establish the sixteen (16) schools located on the eastern and western sections of the state in each of these two classifications. They will be released with the classification and football assignments.

B Each School will schedule their own games from week #1 - week #8

C. The KSHSAA will seed all class 6A and 5A football playing schools from #1 - #16 in both the eastern and western sections of the state. Once seeding is completed, the teams will be places on the playoff bracket for games to be played in week #9 and beyond. 

D. PLAYOFF BRACKET SEEDING CRITERIA:
1. Win-Loss percentage (%) in all games played from week #1 - week #8. 

2. Head to Head games if all teams tied for a seed played each other during the current 8 game schedule. 

3. Twenty-One Point (21) Tie-Breaker Procedure: 
A) A 21 pt. tie-breaker procedure will be used to determine seeds when there are two or more teams still tied after the criteria's #1 and #2 are not able to break the tie.

B) The total margin of points each team had in all games prior to week #9 (8 regular season games is the maximum). Marginal points are the point differences in the final game score. No team will add or subtract more than twenty-one (21) points in any game. No team will add or subtract more than one (1) point any game which was tied at the end of regulation time and the winning team was eventually determined in overtime.

C) If more than two teams are tied in win loss percentage and there was no common winner between those teams, then marginal points will be used to establish the first seed from those tied. The tie breaker process will begin again with the remaining teams. This process will continue until all teams tied have been seeded in to the bracket.

4. Total number of wins against the teams within their classification or higher. 

5. Win-Loss Percentage against teams within their classification or higher. 

6. Drawn by lot (The KSHSAA will draw with at least one witness from the KSHSAA) 

E. All schools hosting a week #9 game are responsible for contracting game officials (5 registered game officials) for this game.

F. All hosting a week #9 games are required to split the game receipt revenue (50 %/50%) (After officials are paid by the home team. Other costs of game administration will be paid by the home team from their share of the revenue) with the visiting team.

G. The higher seeded team will always serve as the host playoff schoo. The exception is the State Championship game. The KSHSAA will rotate the host school between the east and the west. 

H. Playoff round designations: Week #9 = 1st bracketed game, Week #10 = Regional, Week #11 = Sectional, Week #12 = Substate and Week #13 = State (No awares provided week #9)

Bracket: 1v16 - 8v9 - 4v13 - 5v12 - 2v15 - 7v10 - 3v14 - 6v11

All information provided to www.sunflowerfootballnews.com by www.kshsaa.org Administrator  Mark Lentz.