Sunflower Slate

Pittsburg State, anybody?

Colleague Gary Karr and I talk state/juco stuff incessantly and can’t figure them out. They looked terrible in a loss to Northwest Missouri, their only loss. But against anybody else … they’re money. And it looks like they’re back on track. Be nice to see their defense actually shut somebody down some week, but it’s a little late for all that, right?

Lots of familiar faces in this week’s roll call, with another Schrag pulling another KCAC volleyball award and the Gorillas taking offensive and defensive MIAA honors.

Let’s roll:

MIAA
Football

What will the Gorillas do without Mark Smith next season? Not to mention Caleb Farabi?

SMITH, TOP, AND KUHLMAN (PSU PHOTO)

Smith was the offensive player of the week in the MIAA this year after another standout performance, this one in a 35-28 win over No. 22 Nebraska-Omaha in Pittsburg. Smith threw for two touchdowns and 200

yards and rushed for another touchdown and 75 yards. He had the game-winning score, too, after the Mavs erased a 21-0 lead and tied the score at 21-21. It’s the second time he’s won the award this year and the Pittsburg native improved to 20-5 as as starter.

Pittsburg State strong safety Alex Kuhlman, a sophomore out of Ness City, won the defensive player of the week award. Kuhlman intercepted a pass early, then forced a fumble and recovered it late. He also had seven tackles and recovered an onside kick. Here’s an interesting fact: No MIAA player has repeated as defensive player of the week this year. Not one.

KCAC
Football

Who will be the first-team all-KCAC quarterback? It’s a two-horse race now, in my eyes, between Saint Mary’s Daniel Robles and Bethel’s Brett Clow. This week, Robles is the KCAC offensive player of the week after throwing for 357 yards and four TDs in a win over Tabor. We’ll see how this one plays out.

Ottawa, which jumped to No. 22 in the NAIA poll, had the defensive player of the week in DB Earl Moorning, and Bethel’s Braden Dragomir was the special teams player of the week for the third straight time after kicking two field goals and booming the ball on kickoffs. Dragomir’s a stud, no doubt.

Volleyball

SIEVERS

Another week, another Schrag from Bethel wins another player of the week award in the KCAC. Kristen Schrag

picked up her third libero/specialist honor from the conference this week after leading the Threshers to wins over Friends in a must-win to stay in the KCAC title race, Tabor and Sterling. Schrag averaged 5.82 digs per game. Bethany’s Lisa Runnebaum was the hitter of the week and McPherson’s Destri Sievers was the setter of the week.

SOCCER

COFFMAN

A couple of area kids got big-time props from the KCAC this week: Ottawa’s Amanda Just and Bethel

goalkeeper Brady Coffman. And they’re both underclassmen. Coffman, a sophomore out of Newton, pitched shutouts in wins over McPherson and Southwestern as the Threshers not only picked up their first two wins

of the year, but went on their first winning streak. Just continues to dominate the KCAC in her first year. The freshman from Andover scored two goals in a win against Sterling and one goal in a win over Tabor. The Braves are now 11-2-1 on the year, in first place in the KCAC and are getting votes in the NAIA poll … imagine what she’ll be like in three years. I think that goes to show, if you’re a coach, recruiting kids that have had success in their high school programs is a good way to improve your program in a hurry. Recruit a winner to make a winner.

CROSS COUNTRY

McPherson’s Oliver Williams won the award on the men’s side. Southwestern’s Ericka Joiner won the women’s award — she has beent he recipient for the award three of the four times it has been handed out this season. That’s big time.

Talk to you soon.

-TA