Weeks 1 & 2 Under Review

Two weeks have passed and each team has had the opportunity to show off their work and we now have a better idea on where each team is heading going into a Week 3 clash against the Suburban League.

SMW transfer Nigel Houston has been a nice
fit in the Lancer scheme. Photo by SM Post 

Who's Up/Down

▴Shawnee Mission East (2-0) - Every fan wishes their team could reload like the Lancers have over the last half a decade. You don't destroy your first two opponents by a total score of 110-13. That's 110 points in just two weeks. Granted, the wins came against Olathe South (0-2) and SM Northwest (0-2), but great teams destroy lesser competition.

▾Olathe Northwest (0-2) - Granted, ONW has lost their first two games by a combined seven points in a double overtime loss to 5A Goddard (1-1) and a single overtime battle against  Olathe East (1-1). However, Goddard went on to get blown out by Derby (2-0) while East got stomped 41-13 by Hutchinson (1-0) the week before.

▴ Shawnee Mission West (2-0) - A shootout-victory over a strong Free State (1-1) squad and a blowout against the still flailing Cougars showed everybody that the Vikings are on a mission this year. Senior QB Zach Witters is putting up League MVP stats with 696 total yards and five touchdowns after two weeks. The biggest problem about that for opponents is the fact that he is putting up those numbers through the air and on the ground. if he maintains an average of 230 passing yards per game, SM West will be a mainstay in the state title race.

▾ Shawnee Mission South (0-2) - Not too much to say about this one, the Raiders showed a couple glimmers of hope in the first half against SM North (1-1), but the transmission fell out after half time as they lost 7-38. SM South followed that performance by laying an egg while giving up another 38 points to Free State.

Week 3 Power Rankings:

1. Shawnee Mission East (2-0)

Beating independent powerhouse Rockhurst should cement SM East's spot in the Top 3 for the rest of the season if the Lancers can pull off the win.

2. Shawnee Mission West (2-0)

Being the only team to beat an opponent that everybody can agree is good gets you put in the top portion of the rankings; even if your QB is summing up basically your entire offense.

3. Lawrence High (2-0)

The Lions quietly took care of business against both the Indians and Cougars. Their first true test will come against Lee Summit West (2-2) this coming Friday.

4. Lawrence Free State (1-1)

The Firebirds fought hard despite falling so painfully short against SM West in Week 1. They got back on their feet with a thrashing of SM South; a much needed confidence boost before hitting the rode to face Park Hill (2-2).

5. Olathe East (1-1)

Olathe North SO QB Mason Myers (right) managed
to settle in as the starter with 3 TD's during an early
game Friday. Photo by Austin Lockwood

Well, I guess I owe the Hawks an apology. I mentally gave them a 5% chance of heading into Week 3 with any wins and here they are with an overtime win over Olathe Northwest, the team widely picked to pull away from the other local schools.

6. Olathe North (1-1)

The Eagles may have won, but things are far from sunshine and daisies after seeing parts of their blowout loss to Wichita Heights and then getting to witness them barely scrape past a struggling Falcons squad. The team showed spurts of potential, but if they can't at least put a stopper on the fumbles (the team has fumbled 11 times and lost seven of them), Blue Springs South (2-2) will crush that pretty fast.

7. Olathe Northwest (0-2)

Maybe we're looking at the 2016 version of last year's Free State squad? It's not like the Ravens were blown out in either of their losses like the teams below them. Hopefully they can right the ship against a rebuilding Lee Summit North (0-4) team.

8. Shawnee Mission North (1-1)

The Indians can still claim to dominate rival SM South, but Lawrence destroyed pretty much all momentum in a 52-26 blowout. At least the Indians can still score, but QB Will Schneider will need to keep his cool if he wants to carry this team like he'll probably need to. He seemed jittery in the first half against the Raiders before settling in.

9. Olathe South (0-2)

I'll give the Falcons another week before making a final judgement, mainly due to the fact that I'm not sure how much value a one-point loss to Olathe North holds. At least putting up a fight against Lee's Summit (3-1) would be a good stepping stone while another blowout loss would

Olathe South HC Craig Lewis addresses the team after a
heartbreaking 20-21 loss to rival Olathe North.
Photo by Austin Lockwood

10. Leavenworth (0-2)

Just like how Lawrence quietly won its first two games, Leavenworth quietly dropped a nail-biter to Lansing and a 23-point loss to the Vikings. They have a chance to notch their first win against North KC (1-3), but they're right about where they're expected to be.

11. Shawnee Mission Northwest (0-2)

Just like the Pioneers, SM Northwest is right where they're expected to be. Near the bottom of the pile with some hints of an offense shrouded by defensive ineptitude.

12. Shawnee Mission South (0-2)

Well, the Raider's haven't given up a full 40 points yet, but a single touchdown against what should be a porous SM North defense leaves very little hope for a sudden turnaround even against a struggling program like Winnetonka (0-4).