Friday night sights

Source: The Star

Ornduff

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Blue Valley Northwest senior receiver Matt Ornduff, with 53 receptions for 911 yards and 12 touchdowns, is a key reason the Huskies have improved from a 3-8 mark last season to 8-1 entering their Kansas 6A postseason opener tonight against Olathe Northwest.

1. BV Northwest had two wins in the regular season last year. You’re 8-1 right now. How is the team viewed differently around school this year?

“You can tell that people actually appreciate us around the school. Last year, it was kind of almost a joke around the school, like, ‘Oh, are you going to the football game?’ So it’s a little bit different attitude, definitely a lot more positive than it was last year.”

2. When you’re 2-7 (in the regular season) last year, can you realistically imagine being 8-1 a year later?

“Maybe not 8-1, but we knew that we could be one of the top teams in the area because we had a lot of people coming back, and we had a lot of experience last year towards the end of the year and people really coming into their own. So maybe not 8-1, but …”

3. What was your realistic prediction before the season?

“I don’t want to say undefeated, but definitely around the top of the EKL. Probably over .500. You never know.”

4. Is it easier going into the first round of the playoffs as an underdog (the Huskies upset undefeated Shawnee Mission West in the first round last year) or now as a favorite?

“Well, now we know that we’ve kind of got a target on our backs — 8-1, you’ve got to come and really bring it. There’s no surprising people this year like there was last year, so (it’s) probably a little bit more difficult. But I think we’re up for the challenge.”

0 That’s the number of all-time playoff victories owned by Olathe Northwest, which achieved the second postseason berth in the program’s six-year history. Getting the first tonight will be tough at one-loss Blue Valley Northwest, because the Huskies know better than anyone upsets happen in the playoffs.

2.8 Louisburg has held its last five opponents to an average of 2.8 points per game. The 9-1 Wildcats have three shutouts in that span and have allowed only two opponents all season to score more than eight points. They play host to 8-2 Columbus on Saturday in the second round of the Kansas 4A playoffs.

10 Orrick has a 40-game winning streak and has won the last two Missouri Class 1 titles. Did you know the Bearcats’ 10-game winning streak in the playoffs after their 44-12 win over Maysville Wednesday night is the longest current streak in Missouri?

13 This doesn’t have anything to do with tonight’s football games, but it’s the number of Kansas City area teams that advanced from Wednesday’s Missouri Class 1-5 regionals to Monday’s upcoming sectionals. Two of the more intriguing games Monday night are Kearney (9-2) at Staley (11-0) in Class 4 and the Class 5 matchup between Park Hill (10-1) and Fort Osage (11-0).

206 Blue Springs junior Darrian Miller’s rushing total when his Wildcats last met Lee’s Summit on Sept. 18. By himself, Miller outgained Lee’s Summit’s offense (183) and the Wildcats defeated the Tigers 54-17.

Blue Valley (3-6) at Shawnee Mission West (8-1)

Is there a more dangerous 3-6 team in the state? Blue Valley struggled through a daunting regular-season schedule, but the Tigers were 10-2 and in the Kansas 6A state semifinals just last season. SM West, meanwhile, was upset in the first round of the state playoffs last year and will try to avoid a similar fate this time as 6A postseason play begins.

Lee’s Summit (4-6) at Blue Springs (9-1)

Blue Springs smacked Lee’s Summit 54-17 when the two teams met earlier this season. The Wildcats were definitely fired up for that one, considering they were coming off a disappointing 17-3 loss to Rockhurst the week before. Liberty (8-2) at Rockhurst (8-2)

Last chance for Liberty? It’s been well documented that in the 2010 school year, Liberty North High will open and the new school should certainly affect the Blue Jays’ pool of student athletes. So if Liberty wants to make a serious run in the Class 6 playoffs, it better happen now. Olathe East (6-3) at Free State (7-2)

Both teams are making their eighth consecutive postseason appearance, which is the most in the Sunflower League. The Hawks beat the Firebirds 29-20 in September, but look for Free State to stick with the ground game, hoping to avoid the four interceptions that turned the tide in the first matchup.

- 2009-11-05 23:09:04