Category Archives: KCAC

All-KCAC Football

Monday4:40 p.m.
ETHAN HALLER

ETHAN HALLER

Very few surprises from the all-KCAC football team that came out today — I think the coaches who voted got this one right — and if you’ve read this blog you know that I’m not scared to disagree with the picks when all-Whatever teams come out, regardless of league or sport. But I like this one. A lot. Ottawa quarterback Ethan Haller was a no-brainer as the offensive player of the year and Bethel defensive lineman James McCartney repeated as defensive lineman of the year. McCartney was THE dominant d-lineman the last 2-3 years in the KCAC so big ups to him.

JAMES MCCARTNEY

JAMES MCCARTNEY

I also came away with these gems: A) Ottawa loses pretty much everybody for next year, but could very well win a game or two in the playoffs this year BECAUSE THEY’RE LOADED and …. B) It’s McPherson & Friends and then everybody else when it comes to the KCAC title next year. Check this out — the Bulldogs return 16 all-KCAC players from this year’s team that just got an at-large bid for the playoffs. That’s 5 first-teamers, 6 second-teamers and 5 honorable mention selections. And most importantly, they bring back their QB in Shane Mascarenas. Friends brings back 14 all-league picks (2 1st team, 7 2nd team, 5 HM). That’s gonna be … nuts. Full lists below, typed up by yours truly:

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By Tony Adame | Filed under KCAC, football | Comments (0)

FULL PLATE: Fort Scott wins Region VI/Mac, Ottawa in NAIA playoffs

Sunday6:58 p.m.
THE LAW FIRM OF HITEM, STICKEM & BEATEM AKA FORT SCOTT COACHING STAFF

THE LAW FIRM OF HITEM, STICKEM & BEATEM AKA THE FORT SCOTT COACHING STAFF

My plate is full this evening, with Fort Scott pulling out the 13-12 Region VI win over Butler and the KCAC getting two bids to the NAIA playoffs with undefeated, No. 5 Ottawa hosting Hastings (Neb.) andNo. 12 McPherson traveling to MidAmerica Nazarene for the first playoff appearance in school history. That’s 87 years, if you’re counting. Here’s the full NAIA playoff schedule, if you’re interested.

I covered the Ottawa-Friends game yesterday and I’ll tell you what … Ottawa looked really, really good. Like they got up 42-0 in the first 16 minutes good. And as far as finally getting to see Ethan Haller play? Dude could start for most of the teams in the MIAA, no doubt. He’s that good. Their defense? Not so much. And as far as Friends — if they would have finished that comeback, as one of our page designers told me — that’s the kind of thing you could go 40 years as a sportswriter and never see. Just nuts.

So … Fort Scott. Brooks Seeley covered that game today and yes, it was cold, and yes, he whined the whole time (LOL) but he got to see a great one. And because No. 3 Blinn beat No. 1 Navarro on Sunday in the SW Region title game, that means, no matter what, the Greyhounds are gonna be No. 1 in the next poll and get to play for the national title at the Citizens Bank Bowl in Pittsburg on Dec. 6 — let’s just hope they can get the No. 2 team to come play them, whoever that may be (Likely Blinn). Couldn’t have set itself up any better for Fort Scott.

I’m out. TA.

PS. I’VE BEEN SAYING ALL YEAR … HE’S NICE!!!

By Tony Adame | Filed under Fort Scott C.C., Jayhawk, KCAC, McPherson, NAIA, Ottawa, football | Comments (0)

Friends vs. Ottawa: Outlook & prediction

Nov. 13, 200911:49 p.m.
WHERE WE LAY OUR SCENE...

WHERE WE LAY OUR SCENE...

So the Big Game of the Year is tomorrow, right here in Wichita.

And I’ll be there, live and in living color. The last game I went to at Friends … wasn’t pretty. The Falcons got stomped by Northwestern Oklahoma State in the first round of the NAIA playoffs last season … although Friends won the game by forfeit later. But that’s another story.

So about tomorrow … forget about the tiebreakers for a moment, because if Friends wins, they’re in the playoffs. Which means Ottawa and McPherson sweat it out for an at-large bid. But don’t kid yourself, because there’s no way three teams from the KCAC make the playoffs. I think if Ottawa and McPherson both win, the Bulldogs are still going to be forced to sweat it out a little. Point blank: the KCAC doesn’t have much national respect when it comes to the postseason.

On the field, a lot of people think this game is gonna be won or lost through the air, with the key matchup being Ottawa wide receivers Clarence Anderson and Corey Schultz vs. Friends defensive backs Quinn Cunningham and Cole Perry. I think if Friends can find a way to put pressure on All-Everything QB Ethan Haller, then the Falcons can win. If not … they can’t get into a shootout with Ottawa.

I think that’s about enough from me.

My prediction: 42-28 Ottawa.

See you there.

TA

By Tony Adame | Filed under Friends, KCAC, Ottawa, football | Comments (0)

Saturday’s scores/Pitt State falls to Truman/Region VI previews

Nov. 7, 20094:50 p.m.


Here’s scores from today’s games. Can’t believe what happened with Pitt State. Getting some with texts and e-mails from angry PSU fans already.

And Friends-Ottawa next Saturday … yessir I will be there. Will you?

MIAA

Washburn 56, Emporia State 35 – Ichabods won when they were supposed to, now they’ve got to wait and see how the Super 4 rankings shake out. I think they deserve to be in the playoffs, but might be a win short. As far as ESU … time to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch, right? Simoneau hits for 354 and 3 Tds. Nice bounce back game for him, and while I may have cooled on my off. MVP talk … I definitely think the defensive MVP is Watkins and Simoneau is your first-team qb.

Truman 28, Pitt State 21 — Truman had not won a game in the MIAA this year before beating the Gorillas. Things are as bad as they’ve been at PSU since Broyles arrived. Ultimately, someone has to provide answers to the people that make the team go, aka the fans. Not unfathomable for PSU to get it turned around for next year but it’ll take some work. Gorillas’ 5-6 record is Broyles first losing season.

Fort Hays State 48, Missouri Southern 34 — Caps best season for Tigers since joining MIAA. Verdugo, on the hot seat before the year, gets some much-appreciated job security.

KCAC

No. 14 Friends 22, Kansas Wesleyan 10 — Falcons struggle a little … but still win and that’s all that matters at this point. KCAC title game is Saturday in Wichita vs. Ottawa.

No. 7 Ottawa 41, Bethany 14 – This wraps up a piece of KCAC title for Braves and could have clinched them a playoff berth. Knowing what I know, that matters zilch to this group. They want Friends.

No. 16 McPherson 34, Bethel 16

Sterling 26, Saint Mary 14

Southwestern 23, Tabor 20

By Tony Adame | Filed under Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, football | Comments (0)

Saturday’s games … and then some

Nov. 6, 200911:53 p.m.
HOW 'BOUT THEM DUCKS!

HOW 'BOUT THEM DUCKS!!!!

Thought I’d start this thing off with a little Pac 10 action via the Jayhawk Conference — that’s former Wichita North and Butler County star Zac Clark in the middle of the Oregon locker room, singing the fight song after his Ducks beat Oregon on Halloween in Eugene. I’ve always thought that things like this are the beauty of the Jayhawk — one fall you’re playing in front of a couple grand on some dingy field behind an elementary school in El Dorado and the next …

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: They are playing basketball now, BTW, including the Hutch men trouncing Barclay behind 18 points, 11 boards and 7 assists from Garrius Holloman on Thursday than waxing Fort Scott on Friday behind 16 from Joe Mitchell. I guess GH’s knee is gonna be okay …

If you haven’t checked out my Newman previews, you can go here and here.

Here’s my look at Saturday’s football games — I’ll do my Jayhawk stuff for Sunday when I’m posting scores, post-haste, manana:

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By Tony Adame | Filed under KCAC, MIAA, baseball, football | Comments (0)

Bucket/Zak Vanlooy/SOA

Nov. 2, 200911:33 p.m.
KRIS BAUMANN

KRIS BAUMANN

Don’t know if you caught my Jayhawk Conference previews, but in case you didn’t … here’s my men’s story on Garden City Community College coach Kris Baumann, and here’s my women’s story on Hutch shooting guard Heather Robben.

Impressions? Both came off well. Of course, if you’re ending up as our season preview story it usually means you’ve had some type of success. And with both subjects, they’re coming off Region VI titles … you get the point. And as for Baumann’s knickname, Bucket? He’s still not saying how he got it. Just the generic “my teammates and coaches gave it to me” line. Aside from that, I was happy with the story.

Friends redshirt freshman center Zak Vanlooy — a 7-footer from Michigan — is the subject of Tuesday’s KCAC men’s preview and UMKC transfer Jessica Halsig, who should be the man for Friends this year — is the women’s subject. Newman on Thursday.

Out.

PS — IF YOU’RE NOT WATCHING, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD.

By Tony Adame | Filed under Friends, GCCC, Hutchinson C.C., Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, basketball | Comments (0)

Saturday’s scores (10/31)

Oct. 31, 20092:20 p.m.

SCORES AS I GET ‘EM, PREVIEWS AND MGMT WHILE YOU WAIT -TA

No. 3 Fort Scott 14, No. 4 Butler 10 FINAL Butler fumble on FS 17 then Greyhounds go 15 plays ending with a Jasmin Hopkins 5-yard touchdown run. Butler turned it over twice in first half; Logan Ortiz kicks 36 yd field goal to make it 7-3; Butler fumbles going into end zone, Fort Scott recovers but Ryan Downing intercepts a pass two plays later and then …Marcus Kennard 14 pass from Ross Dausin 10-7 Butler 8:24 left to play in the game. Fort Scott scores a touchdown on a 93-yard drive with 1:37 left Jasmin Hopkins TD run 14-10 Fort Scott lead. FORT SCOTT’S WIN MEANS BUTLER’S EIGHT-YEAR REIGN ATOP JAYHAWK IS OVER AND GRIZZLIES WON’T WIN THIRD STRAIGHT NAT’L TITLE

MIAA

No. 3 Northwest Missouri 66, Fort Hays State 40

Washburn 37, Truman State 7

Missouri Western 29, Emporia State 6

Nebraska Omaha 31, Pittsburg State 28, OT

KCAC

No. 14 Friends 45, Saint Mary 21

Sterling 35, Bethany 2

Southwestern 21, Bethel 20 D’OH THRESHERS … THE JINX LIVES!!!

No. 16 McPherson 43, Tabor 10

No. 7 Ottawa 42, KWU 10/ Haller 391 yds 5 Tds

JAYHAWK

Hutchinson 55, Garden City 14/Hutch gets final playoff spot … and a trip to Fort Scott next Sunday!

No. 17 Coffeyville 24, Independence 0

Dodge City 29, Highland 22 … ugh

By Tony Adame | Filed under Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, football | Comments (0)

Saturday’s games

Oct. 30, 20098:08 p.m.

All you need to know, right here and right now:

MIAA

No. 3 Northwest Missouri (8-1 overall, 7-0 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (5-4, 3-4), 2 p.m. — The Tigers actually lead the all-time series 12-11-1, but that matters little to the Bearcats, who handed Fort Hays its worst loss of 2008, a 56-7 shellacking in Maryville, Mo. One thing going for the Tigers is that they’ve been tough at home this season, going 3-1 at Lewis Field.

Truman State (1-8, 0-7) at Washburn (6-3, 4-3), 1 p.m. — The Ichabods shouldn’t have any problem with Truman in a game notable only because senior linebacker Zach Watkins will likely become the career tackles leader for Washburn. Watkins currently has 452 career tackles, behind only Grant Gould (2002-05) with 459.

Missouri Western (7-2, 5-2) at Emporia State (2-7, 1-6), 1 p.m. – ESU finishes the year 2-9 after they lose this game and then lose to Washburn in the regular season finale. And that’s in a year when they brought back 9 starters on defense and 6 on offense, along with bringing in the Jayhawk Conference offensive POY. The damage? It’s the Hornets worst season since 1983.

Pittsburg State (5-4, 3-4) at Nebraska-Omaha (5-4, 4-3), 1 p.m. — Chance to save some face for the Gorillas, who can win here and then close out with a win over Truman … and then start to think about what they need to do for next year.

KCAC

Saint Mary (2-5, 2-4) at No. 14 Friends (6-1, 5-1), 1:30 p.m. — Don’t look now, but the Falcons are starting to roll, having defeated their last three opponents by a combined score of 104-13. If Friends can survive here – which it should – season-defining games at Kansas Wesleyan (Nov. 7) and back home for senior day against No. 7 Ottawa (Nov. 14) await, as does a shot at a fourth straight KCAC title.

Sterling (4-3, 3-3) at Bethany (4-3, 3-3), 1:30 p.m. – This game might be a couple of also-rans in the middle of the pack, but don’t think it’s not important. It’ll be a dogfight.

Bethel (2-5, 2-4) at Southwestern (1-6, 1-5), 1:30 p.m. –

No. 16 McPherson (6-1, 5-1) at Tabor (0-7, 0-6) , 1:30 p.m. — There might not be a 1,000 yard rusher in the KCAC this year, which blows my mind. But if there is, it’ll be McPherson’s Aaron Lafitte, who already has 677 yards.

Kansas Wesleyan (4-3, 3-3) at No. 7 Ottawa (7-0, 6-0), 2 p.m. – Don’t think that the Braves aren’t licking their chops at getting the Coyotes at home — this Ottawa team smells blood in the water, it goes in for the kill. No looking ahead for OU.

JAYHAWK

Garden City (4-4, 3-3) at Hutchinson (5-3, 3-3), 7 p.m. — It’s hard to imagine that Hutchinson was ranked as high as No. 3 this season, but now finds itself in a win-or-you’re-done situation in the final game of the regular season. However, if the Blue Dragons win, they’re still in the running for a bowl game, likely the Salt City Bowl on Dec. 5 in Hutchinson.

No. 4 Butler (7-1, 6-0) at No. 3 Fort Scott (8-0, 6-0), 1 p.m. – Winner gets top seed in Region VI playoffs, regular-season Jayhawk title and an inside track to playing in the national championship game. Other than that …

Independence (2-6, 2-4) at No. 17 Coffeyville (5-3, 4-2), 7 p.m. – In Montgomery County, this game is a big deal. In 1997, unranked Indy came in and upset No. 1 Coffeyville about halfway through the season. How do I know these obscure facts? Unfortunately, I played in that game. And not for Indy.

Dodge City (0-8, 0-6) at Highland (0-8, 0-6), 1 p.m. – The absolute Toilet Bowl of JuCo games.

By Tony Adame | Filed under Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, football | Comments (0)

Roll Call (Glory Days)

Oct. 30, 200912:27 a.m.

Stayed up a little late socializing at the unofficial NW High School hoops reunion last night — we had 1992 to 1999 pretty well represented — just a bunch of ex-athletes getting together, trying to recapture a little of the glory of … well, you get it.

Enough with that, time for Roll Call, in the wink of a young girl’s eye:

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By Tony Adame | Filed under Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, Roll Call | Comments (0)

Saturday’s scores (10/24)

Oct. 24, 20094:46 p.m.

POSTING AS I GO … PREVIEWS WHILE YOU WAIT

UPDATE: I GOT EVERYTHING BUT HUTCH-INDY AS OF 8:20 p.m. Saturday

MIAA

No. 4 Northwest Missouri 22, No. 16 Washburn 19 OVERTIME/FINAL Better to have loved and lost … whatever. That one hurts to your bones. Kind of game you think about for the rest of your life if you’re a player. So close. Washburn LB Zach Watkins finishes with 16 tackles.

Pittsburg State 59, Fort Hays State 41 (Old Gorillas die hard, I guess. And they run for 406 yards … YOwza )

Emporia State 30, Truman State 24 FINAL/2 OT (ONE AND DONE)

KCAC

No. 14 Friends 46, Bethany 0

Bethel 32, Tabor 29/3 OT

Sterling 28, Kansas Wesleyan 7

No. 17 McPherson 48, Southwestern 7 (No threat here)

No. 8 Ottawa 54, Saint Mary 13 (Ottawa improves to 7-0 and 6-0 in the KCAC as QB Ethan Haller breaks single-season passing record and 44-year old career passing record)

JAYHAWK

Hutchinson (4-3, 2-3) at Independence (2-5, 2-3), 7 p.m — As unbelievable as it might have sounded at the beginning of the season, this game has big-time playoff implications… as in the loser can kiss its postseason hopes goodbye. The teams are tied for fifth in the standings right now, one game behind Garden City for the final Region VI berth with two regular season games to go.

No. 4 Butler 54, Highland 3 (No. 3 Fort Scott awaits. Who you got? BTW, No. 1 Blinn vs. No. 2 Navarro is same day down in Texas. Establishes a direct route to the national title game for the two winners. Could that game be in Hutch or Pittsburg if it features a Kansas team?)

No. 20 Coffeyville 27, Dodge City 6 Another week amongst the living

By Tony Adame | Filed under Jayhawk, KCAC, MIAA, football | Comments (0)