Football notebook: Title game so close, yet so far away

Source: The Star

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Chris Cummins | Special to the Star

Shawnee Mission South’s Marquel Nickens and Olathe East’s Austin Fulson scramble for a fumble in East’s 20-13 victory on Friday.

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The Kansas 6A and 5A state football playoffs begin Friday (while the small-class teams began postseason play Tuesday). The following Johnson County teams are now just three wins away from reaching the state championship game. Here’s a look at the first-round matchups.

Shawnee Mission East (4-5) at Olathe North (9-0): Chip Sherman has the Lancers in the playoffs in his first season at the helm, but SM East faces the toughest first-round challenge of all: trying to slow the mighty Eagles. Olathe North — led by standout running back James Franklin, who reached the 5,000-yard milestone for his varsity career last week — has won all of its game by at least 14 points. And most by a lot more.

Olathe East (6-3) at Lawrence Free State (7-2): The Hawks were one of only two teams to clip the Firebirds this season, winning 29-20 in the season-opener. But that was a while ago. Free State, seeking a return to the 6A state finals after placing second last year, has been impressive since that initial setback.

Olathe Northwest (4-5) at Blue Valley Northwest (8-1): The roles reverse for BV Northwest. Last year, the Huskies sneaked into the state tournament as a two-win team hunting for upsets. They succeeded in knocking off unbeaten Shawnee Mission West. Now, the favored Huskies — led by dual-threat quarterback Koby Chadick and a productive passing game — will hope not to be part of another first-round surprise.

Blue Valley (3-6) at Shawnee Mission West (8-1): The most intriguing game on the schedule Friday. No 3-6 team carries more potential than Blue Valley, which was 10-2 and reached the 6A state semifinals just last season. The Tigers struggled through a brutally tough schedule, but they won their final two district games by margins of 28 and 21 points. Now, their season begins anew. Meanwhile, SM West has used a productive rushing game and strong defense to roll through the regular season. After being upset in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Vikings should be ready for a challenge from another surging underdog.

Schlagle (6-3) at Gardner Edgerton (9-0): Enjoying their best season yet, the Trailblazers are strong 5A state championship contenders and will be heavily favored in this one. Gardner Edgerton, led by running back Brett Jensen and dual-threat quarterback Bubba Starling, has rushed for 3,227 yards and outscored its opponents 403 to 80 this season. Schlagle will have its hands full.

St. Thomas Aquinas (8-1) at Mill Valley (6-3): After reaching the 5A state championship game last year, the Saints are again top contenders under first-year head coach Mike Thomas. Quarterback Richard Davila and running back Dagan Reed have proven to be effective playmakers throughout the season, but above all else, the Saints play stout defense. They’ll try to slow down Mill Valley, which enters the postseason with momentum. After a slow start, the Jaguars have won four straight entering this matchup.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-11-03 13:58:01