MHS boys to have new look

Five straight years, the McPherson High boys have played in the Class 4A Division I state championship basketball game.

They won the first two years, then finished as runner-up the last three — all to Bishop Miege.

But after 7 years as a 4A school, MHS returns to Class 5A — where in its last year was the state champion.

No more Miege to contend with, which is too bad because the Stags suffered some key graduation losses and, of course, superstar Jeremiah Robinson-Earl bolted for IMG Academy in Florida for better competition.

So it’s a year of transition for coach Kurt Kinnamon’s team in more ways than one.

I can’t ever remember a year where I really don’t know how things are going to play out. I know the consensus is the Bullpups should be in a full-blown rebuild, with only one starter back and just three seniors on the team.

But this should be a challenge that will entice Kinnamon. Last year’s five-man senior class was so experienced and so skilled, it was more of a polishing of the system in practice, unless he added a new wrinkle here or there.

At least he has 6-4 senior Jake Alexander at the epicenter. He’s been like the “little brother,” as the seniors played the majority of the important minutes. It’s now his time to assume the leadership mantel, though given his personality he’ll lead more by example rather than vocality.

I’ll be surprised if Alexander doesn’t average at least 20 points, but he won’t have the luxury of standing out on the perimeter and waiting for the kickout 3-pointer. He’s gong to have to score some inside, especially when Cody Stufflebean, a rugged 6-4 junior, is on the bench for a rest or foul trouble.

The rest of the starting lineup gets the chance it’s been waiting for. I really don’t know how Kyler Hoppes, Jace Kinnamon and Max Alexander will perform with extensive minutes. They were used in short bursts last year, mostly in a supporting role. They’re now “the guys.”

Juniors Sam Pyle and Cooper Courtney need to develop quickly since there’s not a lot of physicality. They are in the 6-3, 6-4 range, but slight of build. They’ll need to rely more on fundamentals of blocking out and beating their defender to the spot.

Also off the bench, Hayes Schmid could provide instant offense. He’s grown a few inches and filled out some. When he gets his feet set, he’s probably the team’s best shooter.

Also, Kinnamon has been excited by the play of freshman Seth Madron. For such a young player he has the ability to slash to the basket and has tremendous explosion. He’s not a polished shooter yet, but that will come with time.

Jayton Alexander was the top scorer for the freshmen and figures to only get better and better.

Given the schedule, and the fact this team has a much smaller margin of error, the Bullpups could have a hard time approaching the glittering records of the recent years. But you can bet this team will play hard and Kinnamon will get the most out of its ability.

MHS hopes to carry on in Strathman's absence

Our thoughts and prayers today are with McPherson High girls basketball coach Chris Strathman as he undergoes a medical procedure.

Strathman will not be on the sidelines on Friday when the Bullpup girls, who are coming off a state championship season, open play at Andover.

Strathman is expected to miss all of December, but if all goes well he should be back for the first game in January.

In the interim, Mike Reith will take over as head coach, with Shelly Prescott assuming the JV head coaching duties. Tim Ellet will continue to coach the freshmen.

The fact this coaching staff has been together for 8 years should make this a smooth transition. Reith has led the junior varsity team to incredible success, having won its last 77 games in a row. He’s coached all these players from the time they entered high school and they should be comfortable with him.

Prescott, it should be noted, was the one-time head coach for the McPherson College women’s basketball team and her knowledge will be invaluable. Ellet is known for his meticulous scouting reports as he breaks down every opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. He also is the head coach for the ninth-graders.

If all goes as hoped, Strathman will be missing six games as the Bullpups play a busy schedule before Christmas.

The first four games could set the tone for the season. Friday’s game at Andover is no bargain, as the Trojans took MHS down to the wire last year in the Roundhouse before the Bullpups escaped with a 48-45 victory. It should be pointed out that MHS played that game without All-Stater Mandi Cooks, who was still sidelined from surgery.

The Bullpups have two big tests at home next week. Andover Central is back on the schedule and is always competitive. It has a quality point guard in Bailey Wilborn, whose father Brady is an MHS grad. 

On Friday, it’s a matchup of defending state champions. MHS, of course, won the now-defunct Class 4A Division I (no longer is the class broken down into two divisions), while Derby was the Class 6A champion, never losing a game after an early season loss to the Bullpups.

The Panthers, who also lost to MHS two years ago, are led by 6-6 Oregon State commit Kennedy Brown. 

Following that impactful week, MHS goes on the road to take on arch-rival Buhler and while the Crusaders have been down the last couple of years, it had a young team that showed a lot of promise by the end of the season. Plus, it's a rivalry game, which heightens the intensity.

The Bullpups’ final two games before Christmas are at home against Winfield and on the road to Dodge City, never an easy place to play.

It’s going to seem strange without Strathman on the sidelines for the first part of the season. But he needs this time to heal and rest. I know I join with everybody in sending him prayers for a healthy recovery.

Ready or not, winter sports begin this week

Maybe it was the extra-long emotional investment of the high school football season or the Winter Preview not being held on Monday.

Or maybe it’s because events are starting in November.

Whatever the reason, I feel like I’m just not ready for the winter sports season to begin. I feel like I just closed the door on the football season and opened it right back up to begin basketball, wrestling, swimming and bowling.

McPherson High’s basketball teams certainly have be ready from the get-go. The first three games will certainly shape both teams' seasons.

The Bullpups play Friday at Andover, then come back for a couple of home games against top-flight competition as Andover Central comes to town on Tuesday and then Derby will be here on Friday.

For the girls, who will not get a chance to defend their Class 4A Division I state title since they have moved up to 5A, it’s going to seem strange without Chris Strathman on the sidelines at least at the start of the season. Strathman is having surgery on Thursday and probably won’t rejoin the team until after the Christmas break.

But Strathman has always said he has the best coaching staff around, and Mike Reith, Shelly Prescott and Tim Ellet will capably fill in during his absence.

Even though the Bullpups must replace All-Staters Taylor Robertson and Mandi Cooks, shed no tears. Everybody else is back and there are some players who are ready to step into leading roles after serving as complementary players.

The Bullpups have at least seven players who could start for any team in the state. While there won’t be a dominant scorer like Robertson and a fearful inside presence like Cooks, it will be a team that’s the sum of its parts. My concern is a lack of size, though Cassie Cooks plays taller than she is, and players like Hannah Hageman, Andrea Sweat, Maggie Leaf and Megan Eisenbarth are going to have to rebound more.

The Bullpups may not light up the scoreboard as well as last year, but they’ll certainly score their fair share.

Their perimeter players are talented. Lakyn Schieferecke should run the show with Riley Hett, Emma Ruddle, Grace Pyle and Jaycee Burghart all capable. 

As for the Bullpup boys, this is as close to a rebuilding year as Kurt Kinnamon has ever had in his 24 years. It’s also one of his youngest teams, as half of his Top 12 are sophomores and younger and there are only three seniors and one returning starter.

But does anybody really want to bet against the Bullpups having a down year? I don’t think so as Kinnamon will get the most out of his talent. He’ll have one of the state’s best players in Jake Alexander, while Cody Stufflebean should be a handful inside. Jace Kinnamon and Kyler Hoppes are the only other seniors and this will be their first time to play lengthy starting minutes, but we know from football what kind of competitors they are.

The Bullpups should still be able to rule Division III, but play a super-challenging non-conference schedule. 

All I know is it’s going to seem strange to look on the floor and not see those five seniors who were such an integral part of the program for four years.

The wrestling and boys swimming seasons should be excellent. The wrestlers will be led by two potential state champions in Rhett Edmonson and Scott Radke, and coach Doug Kretzer has a cadre of other potential state qualifiers. We'll get a good read on them Thursday against El Dorado, which has emerged as a Top 10 team in recent years. Jumping up to Class 5A, though, doesn't help as the class is loaded.

The swimmers open on Saturday at Wichita and have a number of top returnees, led by William Powers, Justus Hampton and Dawson VanGoethem. The Bullpups were fifth in the state last year and Matt Morrow has become one of the state's most respected coaches.

The bowlers don't start their schedule until January, but Herb Halinksi — the only coach in program history — always has some individuals who are state-worthy.

Now that I've talked about the winter sports, all of a sudden I feel like I'm getting pumped up for my 40th go-around.

Miles breathes new life into KU football program

New Kansas football coach Les Miles, who is no stranger to winning after bountiful stops at Oklahoma State and LSU (where he won a national championship) said on Monday he expects the Jayhawks to be successful in his first year.

“I think it’s a challenge, but I think it’s something we can do,” Miles said. “I think we will win in the first year.”

Coach-speak, for sure. But is it too far-fetched to dream?

Say what you will about the fired David Beaty, he didn’t leave Miles with the total dumpster fire Beaty inherited from the inept tag-team of Turner Gill and Charlie Weis, which bankrupted the program to the point it couldn’t have even been successful at the Division II level. Beaty, in essence, was set up to fail.

Miles inherits some good players, but probably not enough of them to do much better than Beaty’s three wins of this year. It’s going to be all about coaching them up, which is something I do believe he and his new staff can do.

Four wins? A decent chance. Five? Unlikely. Six and bowl eligible? I can hear Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in the background screaching “Dream On.”

When you look at this year’s 3-9 KU team, had Pooka Williams been cleared to play (eligibility issue) in the opener there’s no way the Jayhawks don’t beat Nicholls State. Then late in the year, the Jayhawks certainly played well enough to beat Kansas State as two flags wiping out 134 yards worth of gains saved the Wildcats, who had to win it late.

Even with Beaty’s mismanagement of timeouts, firing his offensive coordinator midway through the season and changing his scheme on the fly — and a secondary that couldn’t have covered my dear departed grandmother — the Jayhawks weren’t that far away from 5-7, they really weren’t.

Also I still believe had Beaty stuck with Carter Stanley at quarterback, they would have won another game, maybe those two. Beaty doggedly held out hope for senior Payton Bender, who had his moments but his decision-making was much like Beaty’s timeout gaffes.

Miles will welcome back much of the offensive line that keyed a 40-point, 500-yard-plus effort against possible Final Four qualifier Oklahoma. Pooka will be as exciting as any back in the conference, and Khalil Herbert and Dom Williams are serviceable. Steven Sims will be missed as a receiver, but Quan Hampton and Evan Fairs come back from injuries and neither were that much behind Sims, who even though he put up good numbers, struggled against bigger secondaries. Stephon Robinson, who made some tough catches but dropped some easy ones, will be the top receiver returning

You have to believe Miles will dig up a quarterback from somewhere, though that was the knock on him at LSU. His offenses there were considered somewhat vanilla because he didn’t have that dynamic element at QB. Yet, anybody he brings in should be a step above Bender and remember, Stanley is still around and I liked what I saw from Miles Kendrick in his snapshots of playing time.

Defensively is where Miles will have to work his magic. If Joe Dineen and Daniel Wise had just one more year, Miles wouldn’t be far off his prediction. But those are such huge losses that they’ll be almost impossible to overcome. The D-line will still have some talent, but the back seven is going to struggle. There will be mostly new linebackers and while the secondary has good numbers returning, they’re guys who couldn’t cover the type of athlete at receiver that populates the Big 12. Everybody seems to have that burner and home-run hitter the Jayhawks didn’t possess in Beaty’s tenure.

Can Miles work miracles? His track record certainly indicates he can at least make KU relevant again and as an alum, that’s all I’m asking for. A .500 season and lower-level bowl game is fine by me, though I’ll still dare to dream of 7-5 or 8-4. Mark Mangino and Glen Mason did have success briefly and I don’t think Miles would have taken the job if he didn’t think he could do better than the past train wrecks.

Of course, Miles is, well, miles behind in recruiting. He has one current commit while the other schools in the Big 12 have at least 15. He keeps saying if he can bring in 15 new players he’ll be satisfied. That’s a woefully low number, but if they’re the right 15 it eases the pain.

When looking at the 2019 schedule, though, I just don’t see a lot of wins. The Jayhawks have to beat Indiana State and Coastal Carolina because they’ll lose their other non-con game at Boston College.

They do get 5 of the 9 Big 12 games at home, including Kansas State, Baylor and Texas Tech. The other home games are almost sure-fire losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma. A key is for the crowd to return to antiquated Memorial Stadium and be an advantage and not an eyesore.

Road games are at TCU, Texas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Probably an O-fer there, though it should be able to play with all four of those teams, though I think Tom Herman has Texas going in the right direction.

My early prediction unless he signs a couple of spectacular, Pooka-impact recruits? 

4-8, but progress will be evident.

Will Snyder return for 2019 season?

For three quarters on Saturday, I thought Bill Snyder was going to have the last laugh.

Snyder, the beloved Kansas State football coach who has been under rare fire this year for a disappointing campaign, saw his team play its best offensive football of the season against Iowa State as its veteran line dominated arguably the best defense in the Big 12. The Wildcats took a 38-21 lead into the fourth quarter and as many believe, give Snyder a 17-point lead with a quarter to play and it’s a lock.

But Iowa State, which had not beaten Snyder since his return after his first retirement, roared back with 21 uninterrupted points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 42-38 victory.

That left Kansas State on the outside looking in for a bowl game as it finished 5-7. Snyder had led the Wildcats to a bowl game every season during his second stint.

Before the season I said it was “laughable” that Kansas State was picked sixth in the preseason poll, considering how it ended so strongly last season and had so much talent returning, especially offensively with the best line in the Big 12, two capable quarterbacks and a stable of sleek running backs, including the best in Alex Barnes.

Kansas State, however, was 3-6 with three games left. It actually was outplayed in the Sunflower Showdown by Kansas, but pulled out a late victory. Then it was strong defensively in a 21-6 triumph over Texas Tech (which fired its coach Kliff Kingsbury on Sunday) and the usual victory over Iowa State would have saved the season.

But these Cyclones are a different animal under third-year coach Matt Campbell, who has transformed them into what should be a perennial contender even though it may be the toughest place to recruit to in the conference considering that Ames is not exactly a hot spot for high-profile players.

For Snyder, it was obviously a devastating loss. Judging from his postgame press conference, he was visibly shaken that a team of his could blow a 17-point lead considering the magnitude of the game.

It’s been a stunning fall in terms of fans' perception for the 79-year-old coach that’s been so revered in Manhattan. He signed a new deal before the season that would keep him at K-State until he was 83, but fervent Wildcat supporters are showing their angst on talk shows and social media. They feel like the game is passing him by because unlike most Big 12 teams, he hasn’t turned to the spread offense and is running many of the same schemes that were so successful for so many years.

It will be interesting the effect Saturday’s loss has since so many K-State fans plan their vacations around the annual bowl trip. Snyder has been so good for so long that this is difficult for Wildcat fans to swallow. They also know his desire for his son, Sean, to be the next head coach, but the younger Snyder has never been more than a special teams coach. To go from special teams coach to being in charge of the entire program is quite a stretch, one that Wildcat fans are leery of.

I really don’t wish to see an ugly ending, but all signs are pointing toward that. Of course, Snyder come could back next year and prove his detractors wrong. But the program is trending downward while Iowa State and Baylor — programs thought to be of KSU’s ilk — are on the uptick. And Kansas made a splash by hiring proven winner Les Miles, though it’s going to take him a few years to craft a winner from the rubble he inherits and you can forget next year since he’ll be lucky to sign 15 new players since there’s only one known commitment.

Snyder has meant everything to Kansas State, and not just in terms of the football program. He’s an ambassador for the school and has pulled the program from the ashes after being decried as the nation’s worst in the 1960s and 1970s. Having talked with him personally when he was in McPherson several years ago for a Catbackers event, he’s as high quality of a human being as there is on this earth and is the epitome of humility.

I’m sure Snyder won’t leave the school and its fans in the dark for long. I would look for an announcement even later today or Tuesday at the latest. Personally — and I may be in the minority here —  I’d like to see him give it one more year because he’s certainly earned the right and if things don’t improve, then turn the program over to somebody else. Ron Prince certainly wasn’t the answer the first time, so you just wonder who will be his second successor. Brent Venables, a former K-State star who is now the defensive coordinator at No. 2-ranked Clemson, is mentioned often, though I know many who are turned off by his demeanor, which is polar opposite of Snyder’s. I’m sure if the job does open up, there will be no shortage of worthy candidates.

Fiscus excited to coach at alma mater

Jeremiah Fiscus is happy to be back home.

The 2008 McPherson College graduate has spent the last 10 years apprenticing for his first head collegiate coaching job.

And it’s at none other than his alma mater.

Fiscus, an offensive lineman for the Bulldogs in 2006 for coach David Cunningham and 2007 for then first-year coach Brian Ward, was introduced on Tuesday as the replacement for Paul Mierkiewicz, who recently resigned after four seasons.

The 33-year-old Fiscus has accumulated a wealth of experience in a short time. He got his start with two years at Northwestern State in Louisiana, then spent two more years under the tutelage of TCU coach Gary Patterson, serving on staffs that won the Rose Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl.

It was then on to Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Ark., where he spent 6 years in a variety of capacities, most notably as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. The Reddies annually had teams with more than 140 players. They qualified for the national playoffs on three occasions and twice rose to the No. 1 spot in scoring offense in NCAA Division II.

This past season he got a taste of being a head coach at Bluestem High School in Leon and now is taking the next step with his first college head job.

“It’s good to be back home,” said Fiscus, a Stafford native. “This was a special place for me. It gave me my opportunity to get an education and play football... being a head coach at McPherson College is always something I wanted to do as I was working my way up. It just feels really good to come back... in football you can’t make a long-range plan for your opportunities. You just have to work hard and do the rights things and take the steps in the process right.”

Fiscus already has talked with the team in individual meetings and is in the process of forming a staff as it’s prime recruiting time. He said he's had a number of individuals interested in joining him, so it shouldn't be long until he's up to full capacity.

He believes he’s ready for the opportunity after working under outstanding coaches at his various stops. Also, he said he learned a lot while playing first for Cunningham and then Ward. He said he learned about developing relationships with players from Cunningham, while Ward was a master at details and never left any stone unturned.

“I think the biggest thing is being able to relate to people,” he said. “You have to build relationships with kids and build relationships with coaches throughout the state.”

Fiscus, who played two years of junior college football at Dodge City before transferring for his final two years at Mac, has had good luck in a number of different areas as a recruiter, but first and foremost, “we’re going to try and put the ‘K’ back in the KCAC,” he said as he wants to recruit well in state, which has been made a little easier by the fact the junior colleges no longer have restrictive recruiting and they now tend to go mainly after out-of-state players.

“Every job has its own niche as far as recruiting and every place is a little unique,” Fiscus said. 

Fiscus said his recruiting philosophy starts at the northern Kansas border and drops down through Oklahoma and Texas. He said the goal is to find players who fit the school and fit what the program is trying to accomplish.

"A player that’s a good player and wants to get a college degree and wants to come and be a part of this, I don’t really care where they’re from," Fiscus said. "If they’re a good person and wants to put out effort and be a part of something special, we’ll take them from anywhere.”

Fiscus says he wants to “pump those numbers up,” when talking about a squad size. Mac started this year with close to 90 players, of course losing some to injury and others to attrition as the year went on. 

“At Henderson we carried larger squads, it created more competition,” said Fiscus, who has been part of five conference championship programs since 2010. “When we won championships at Henderson, we were strong on both sides of the line," noting it all starts up front both offensively and defensively.

Fiscus said he watched Mac's game with Southwestern on ESPN III and was here for homecoming when the Bulldogs hosted nationally ranked Kansas Wesleyan and sees some potential. Now it’s a matter of building up the depth, which is so hard to do at this level.

"You have to look at a player for what he is and what he can do and what he can become," Fiscus said.

He said he learned at TCU you can recruit a player as an athlete and coach them up to play a different position. Quarterbacks there were sometimes recruited to play safety or defensive back. It's just a matter of getting the most talented athletes somewhere on the field.

Fiscus will hit the ground running. He hopes to bring in a group of recruits at semester so they can take part in spring ball and get acclimated academically.

Chiefs-Rams played historic game

It’s already being called “an instant classic” and the “best NFL regular-season game in history.”

Those don’t even do it justice.

Anybody who watched Monday night’s track meet between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs were treated to new-age football, where the team with the best offense wins. It was the third highest-scoring game in NFL history.

"Defense wins championships" is now so passe'

But, even with 105 points being scored by the two teams, there was some spectacular defense as well.

No, I’m not talking about Orlando Scandrick and Steven Nelson, Chiefs corners who were turned into toast. I’m talking about LA’s Samson Ebukam, who had a pick-6 and fumble return for a touchdown as well as Allen Bailey, whose sleight of hand on a fumble return gave the Chiefs a defensive score. The KC defense also came up with 5 sacks as it had entered the weekend tied for the NFL lead.

Let the numbers sink in. The Chiefs LOST despite 546 yards of offense and six Patrick Mahomes TD passes. The Rams totaled 455 yards, and that’s with putting Todd Gurley in the Witness Protection Program in terms of running the football as he carried only 12 times for 55 yards against a defense that has been generous.

This game had it all. Both normally reliable kickers missed a PAT, the Chiefs’ coming right at the end of the first half when it appeared they were going to take a 24-23 lead, but Harrison Butker continued his recent slump with a miss, his third in four games after never having missed a kick in his career. It just continued a trend around the NFL we where no longer expect a kicker to routinely drill the PAT as it has become a hold-your-breath moment.

Kansas City showed its resiliency as it fell down 13 points before the first trip to the refrigerator. It later trailed by 10 points, 40-30, only to score 14 points in less than a minute.

Just when it appeared the Chiefs might win the game, Marcus Peters — of all people — stepped in to pick off Mahomes, which seemingly clinched it. But LA coach Sean McVay, for whatever reason, tried to kill the clock with the passing game and all the Rams did was go 3-and-out and burned little time. KC got one more crack, but the Rams’ pass rush — as it did all night — harassed Mahomes into his third interception, to go along with his two lost fumbles. It was the best of times and the worst of times for the former Red Raider gunslinger, but nobody could ever question his brilliance as his offensive line didn’t do him a lot of favors.

Mahomes finished with 478 yards, with Tyreek Hill coming up with 10 catches for 215 yards and solidifying his monicker of being the NFL’s most exciting player. Travis Kelce had 10 catches for 127 yards, but had a couple of drops that had him kicking himself.

The Chiefs hardly left town feeling downtrodden. They went on the road and went toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in the NFC not named New Orleans. They overcame adversity time and again, even though they got in their own way with an outbreak of penalties.

The Chiefs arrive at the bye week —at the perfect time — with a 9-2 record against one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. Their only other loss came in the final minute to New England, while they have wins over quality teams like Pittsburgh (which is red hot), the other Los Angeles team (Chargers, which have only three losses), and two wins over arch-rival Denver.

There’s five games left in December, two against the woeful Oakland Raiders. They also have two road games at difficult venues, playoff contenders Baltimore and Seattle. In the middle of the five is the potential AFC West-clinching game with the Chargers, who still have to play at Pittsburgh and Denver and some of their other games are no gimmes.

Another memorable year for MHS football

It was eerie how similar McPherson High’s playoff loss to Goddard on Friday was to last year’s season-ending loss to Andale.

Both defeats came at McPherson Stadium and both denied the Bullpups their first-ever trip to the state championship game to play mighty Bishop Miege.

Just as a year ago when Andale hit on a long TD pass to open the game, Goddard also scored right out of the gates to put the Bullpups in a hole. Ben Bannister rocketed 67 yards on the game’s second play to silence the 2,000-plus in attendance wearing the red and white.

But the Bullpups immediately answered and then took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

The third quarter started on a downer when MHS was pinned deep in its own territory after a nice punt and the Lions wound up recording a safety.

The Lions basically put together just a single offensive drive in the second half, as they traversed 98 yards after stopping MHS on a fourth-down play as Bullpup coach Jace Pavlovich was signaling for a timeout, but the referees did not see it.

The rest of the game was awash with missed MHS scoring opportunities. In the last 4 minutes the Bullpups drove to the Goddard 2 only to fumble, and then after the defense came up with a 3-and-out, the ‘Pups again went down the field, but the drive ended with an interception in the end zone.

In last year’s game against Andale, the Bullpups also had a fumble and interception in the fourth quarter as they were going in for the potential game-tying score.

This loss, to me, was more painful. I thought the Bullpups had the better personnel and won the game statistically, but for the second straight year critical turnovers did them in. They also had a chip-shot field goal blocked in the second half that would have made it a 17-9 game at the time.

I really hope people remember the season more for the Bullpups’ domination in their 11 wins in a row to start the season rather than the loss to Goddard. It was the first time all year the Bullpups had been tested and the first time in 11 games they were forced to play the distance. 

Goddard had tremendous speed on the defensive side, which is just what Pavlovich said going into the game. It hung its hat on its defense, which was pushed to the limit. The Lions’ offense, other than three plays, really didn’t do a whole lot against a McPherson defense that played lights-out. 

I felt like MHS defensive end Cody Stufflebean, who is just a junior, was the best player on the field. Goddard simply couldn’t block him and then when you throw in Khalil Lisbon, Dawson VanGoethem, Tanner Pacey and Noah Avila, the MHS front line of defense was sensational.

This MHS team rewrote the record book from an offensive standpoint, as Jace Kinnamon, Kyler Hoppes and Gabe Hoover now have their names littered throughout. I know the regular-season competition was on the light side, but you still have to execute and they did their damage mostly playing a half.

When it comes time for the Class 4A All-State team to come out, the Bullpups should be represented like never before. The beforementioned trio of Kinnamon, Hoppes and Hoover should be first or second team, and I don’t know how Lisbon, VanGoethem and Stufflebean can be kept off. There are other Bullpups who certainly could figure as second-team or honorable mention as the longtime unspoken rule is no more than three players on the first team, but this year there might be an exception considering the Bullpups’ dominance as well as Miege’s.

MHS showed its ownership of AVCTL Division III with today’s All-League selections, which basically was the Bullpups’ starting lineup. It just showed the depth of this team and how it had talent at every position. And the MHS coaching staff did a tremendous job of putting their talent in the right spots and coaching them up.

Hats off to this year’s seniors. I can remember watching them as seventh-graders and shuddering, as they were just 1-6 before improving to 4-3 as eighth-graders.

Once they got into high school, they blended well with the class in front of them and over the last three years the Bullpups were 29-6.

Next year might be considered a rebuilding year. The offense will be chockfull of question marks, while the defense may be the strength of the team early on. The regular-season schedule is the same, except the sites are flipped. Don’t be surprised, with the way this coaching staff develops talent, that MHS will be right back in the hunt next season. Remember, MHS stays in Class 4A only for football as 2019 is the second year of the two-year cycle.

Bullpups have the complete package

History can be made tonight at McPherson Stadium.

When you consider the myriad of accomplishments McPherson High has achieved  athletically in its history, there’s still one noticeable omission — the Bullpups have never played in a state championship football game.

Ever since the playoff format changed some 30 years ago, the Bullpups certainly have won their fair share of postseason games. They lost to Kapaun in the 1987 semifinals, were again in the Final Four in 2008 before losing to Hutchinson and then last year, with a team I thought could make it to the finals, suffered a home loss to Andale.

The 2018 season, though, is unlike any I’ve ever covered. Other than the first-half scare against Salina South, leading only 6-0 before going on to win 21-0, the Bullpups truly haven’t had to break a sweat as their last 10 games have gone into running clock. There were a few skips of the heartbeat early last week when Arkansas City thundered right down the field to take a 7-0 lead on the game’s first series, but it took the Bullpups all of two plays to tie the game. MHS of course went on to roll to a 62-28 victory, but at least a seed was planted for the defense that it has to be ready from the get-go.

That will certainly have to be the case tonight. Goddard will have no fear of McPherson, having been in the Class 5A semifinals last year and was a 5A state finalist two years ago when it lost to Mill Valley.

I’m sure Goddard will look at MHS’ schedule and merely sniff. This just happened to be one of those years where the Bullpups were matched against team after team that had enjoyed some past success, but the rebuilding process is under way. Salina South, Augusta, Abilene and Buhler all have been capable in recent years, but those schools were all down.

What has lifted the Bullpups a cut above the rest is their balance. At the start of the year there were fears they would have to win shootouts to be successful, but all the retooled defense did in its opener was pitch a shutout against 5A Salina South. The offense struggled in that game, which set off alarms, but the very next week the Bullpups went on a point-scoring  rampage as it found its stride.

The creativity on offense is a joy to watch. Quarterback Kyler Hoppes has been pinpoint and the Bullpups bring receivers in waves. Aaron Powell, MHS’ fourth receiver after the unmatched three-receiver set of Gabe Hoover, Tayln Huff and Chandler Wiard, would be a lot teams’ go-to guy. Then when Cody Stufflebean and Mason Thrash come over from defense, they are targets. Jonah Clarke has caught some passes out of the backfield.

Jace Kinnamon has been a virtual one-man wrecking ball at running back, busing his way to 1,722 yards and 36 touchdowns. When you watch him run, it’s nothing flashy. He simply doesn’t go down after one hit and seldom has he been stopped. He’s been over 100 yards in all but one game.

Jakob Feil could certainly provide excitement with more carries, but he’s too valuable on defense. He’s carried 4 times and scored 3 touchdowns.

At the start of the year, there was the usual concern about the starting line as Dawson VanGoethem was the only returning starter. But Noah Avila, Shane Starkel, Kourtney Craig and Jonah Scott (a sophomore) seemingly get better every week and they’ve been called by their coach as perhaps the most intelligent group he’s ever had as they make adjustments on the fly.

The defense has been overwhelming at times. Nobody but those close to the MHS program probably believed Khalil Lisbon would become such a force as he provides a physical presence the likes never seen for an MHS team. Stufflebean and VanGoethem join him upfront and they are both terrific. Avila and Tanner Pacey complete an outstanding five-man rotation.

At linebacker, it’s been a kiddie corps as leading tackler Mason Thrash is just a junior and Brycen Labertew is a sophomore beyond his years. Keaten Stockham, who plays a lot of snaps, also is a junior.

Honestee Whittker and Kaleb Hoppes lead the secondary as both are hard hitters. Corners Jakob Feil and Zach Brewer have been tested periodically and both have been up to the challenge. Wiard cleans it up at safety and he's only had to make a couple of tackles all year, which is truly remarkable

Amazingly, Kinnamon is supposed to be MHS’ punter, but has booted it only 6 times, while Kyler Hoppes has kicked 3. Dylan Rinker has punted when he comes in to run the team in the second half. Jayton Alexander handles the PATs and Avila expertly directs his kickoffs, with Powell a real special teams maven.

This Bullpup team has the complete package. Hopefully it will be the one MHS team that can venture where no team has ventured before.

Fearless picks MHS by a touchdown

Fearless Forecaster isn’t going to reach his coveted 80-percent goal as he heads into his final week of picks.

Fearless endured another slacker week by going 10-3. He takes a 162-53 record into his final round for a measly 75 percent and it could very well signal the end of his career.

Fearless missed on two KCAC games. He had an inkling that Tabor would upset Avila, but couldn’t pull the trigger. And Bethel’s win over KCAC preseason favorite Sterling raised a few eyebrows.

FF’s other miss was Texas beating Texas Tech. Had he known Alex Bowman wasn’t going to play for Texas Tech, he would never have picked the Red Raiders. Obviously our picker didn’t do his homework.

• AVCTL DIVISION III •

• McPherson 28, Goddard 21 — The Bullpups will receive a mighty push, but make their way to the championship game.

• Last week — 1-0. Season — 36-5.

• AREA •

• Canton-Galva 46, Solomon 32 — Who would have thunk it? Most likely it's the Eagles against mighty Central Plains in the finals.

• Last week — 2-0. Season — 46-9.

• KCAC •

• Kansas Wesleyan 42, Langston 35 — The Coyotes will be at home and it will be too much Demarco Prewitt.

• Last week — 3-2. Season — 37-19.

• BIG 12 •

• Kansas State 31, Texas Tech 28 — Upset special. Bill Moses Snyder’s career at Kansas State may end after this season if the Wildcats lose this game.

• Oklahoma 77, Kansas 7 — The Sooners could score 120 if they wanted to.

• Baylor 34, TCU 24 — TCU has crashed and burned.

• West Virginia 47, Oklahoma State 38 — One of those Big 12 shootouts where defense is optional.

• Texas 35, Iowa State 31 — David Montgomery has to sit out the first half for Iowa State because of fighting. That will give the 'Horns the edge.

• Last week — 4-1. Season — 43-20.