Kansas and Kansas State grab a lot of the football attention in the Sunflower State, but more and more headlines in the state's newspapers are being grabbed by teams that play in the MIAA and KCAC.
When you think successful MIAA teams, Pittsburg State immediately comes to mind. However, these aren't your Grandpa's Gorillas, though. Pittsburg State, 3-time national champs, is picked sixth in the 10-team MIAA in 2010. In fact, four of the top five picks are schools outside of Kansas. Northwest Missouri State is the unanimous pick. The media have Washburn second and the coaches slot Nebraska-Omaha in the runnerup position. The media's top five is rounded out by Mo. Western, UNO and Central Missouri State. The coaches tabbed Washburn third followed by Western and CMS.
Behind Pitt State are Fort Hays State, Missouri Southern, Emporia State and Truman.
Northwest received nine first-place votes from the 10 coaches. Since he couldn't vote for his own team, Mel Tjeerdsma voted for Washburn, which still could only muster enough points for third in the coaches poll.
The Bearcats have won 37 straight conference games and won the national championship a year ago after losing in the title game four years in a row.
"We have 24 or 25 seniors, and their challenge is this year," Tjeerdsma said. "They've been a part of a lot of great things, but their identity is this year."
I hope the MIAA never changes its ways and keeps the annual Northwest-Pitt game at Arrowhead Stadium. This game has drawn close to 30,000 annually and is the perfect halfway point between Maryville and Pittsburg.
Washburn has 20 seniors returning from last year's 8-3 squad that finished in a four-way tie for second in the league. Encouraging for Ichabod faithful is the fact that 10 players with starting experience on offense return along with eight on defense along with the punter and kicker.
"We're pretty well set personnel-wise," Washburn coach Craig Schurig told The Topeka Capital-Journal. "The positions we do have to replace, we have guys who haven't started games but they do have some experience, and we expect them to make a huge impact."
Dane Simoneau, a second-team All-MIAA selection last year, will quarterback the Ichabods. He threw for a school-record 2,955 yards and 26 TDs. Simoneau also plays shortstop for the baseball Bods. I only know that because Brent Matile, a good friend of mine and a member of the Washburn baseball team, told me.
Pitt State no longer has Chuck Broyles roaming the sidelines. Now it's longtime assistant Tim Beck, who was an assistant for 22 years, the past 16 as offensive coordinator.
Emporia State was 2-9 last year. Fourth-year coach Garin Higgins is just 9-23 as the head Hornet. I hope for his sake some W's come his way this fall.
"From a standpoint of wins and losses, it doesn't look good," Higgins said. "But we feel good about where we're going. Our players are developing, and we have some good players coming back."
The Friends Falcons are the pick in the Kansas Conference and get this, their starting QB left the team before spring practice for personal reasons and their top defensive player was dismissed this past winter for a violation of team rules.
And yet they're picked to win their fourth conference championship in the last five years.
"We're unhappy because 8-2 is just not good enough," Friends coach Monty Lewis told The Wichita Eagle. "The expectation here is championships. Not to mention we've yet to ring that bell for a playoff win."
Sophomore Jayme Bristow will quarterback the Falcons and will likely be throwing to huge targets in 6-6 Doug Pierce and 6-5 Mike Hyde, a pair of all-KCAC selections.
The Ottawa Braves are the No. 2 pick and keep an eye on All-American wideout Clarence Anderson, whose 2,563 yards of total offense led the country in 2009.
"We're very talented, but we're inexperienced," OU coach Kent Kessinger noted. "How our guys step up is how we'll be."
Jake Johnson, Travis Toon and Bobby Adamson are in a three-way battle for the QB job which was manned by KCAC offensive player of the year Ethan Haller.
"This team has to be the hardest working team we've had," Kessinger told The Ottawa Herald. "We are not going to sneak up on anybody. We start off with a tough game (vs. Baker). It is going to be a challenge. We will get everybody's 'A' game."
Playing Baker is a great way to kick off the football season. Baker and Ottawa are separated by only a few miles. That game is Saturday, Aug. 28. Kudos to both schools for resuming this series. Nice!
Tabor was 0-10 last year so it re-hired Mike Gardner, who spent the last four years at Malone College. Before that, he coached Tabor to back-to-back KCAC titles in 2004 and '05.
"I have no regrets about leaving and I have no regrets about coming back," Gardner said. "It was a chance to come back to Kansas, which is home, and that's where I want to be."
Remember the name Jordan Mosier, whom I believe was recruited to play linebacker for the Bluejays. Jordan is in our student loan program I work for at the Kansas Masonic Foundation. So is Brent Matile, a name I noted earlier.
Ditto for Derek Bledsoe, who helped me write my blog last week on the AFC. Derek is a wide receiver at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina. Derek facebooked me Friday that he injured his back in practice but hoped to be back on the practice field Saturday.
I hope Derek sees some playing time this fall. The Coyotes, a running team in 2009, are going to the spread offense this fall.
"Their attitudes were tremendous," KWU coach Dave Dallas told The Salina Journal after their first fall workout. "It was just night and day from where we've been from last year at this time to where we are now."
KWU was 5-5 last year. The Coyotes don't open until Sept. 11 at Tabor.
One encouraging thing for Dallas' Coyotes was that 125 participated in the first workout. That included 70 who took part in spring practices.
One more thing I want to make note which is huge for teams in the KCAC. The KCAC Board of Presidents recently passed a Sports Regulation Initiative that will allow schools in all sports to add practice time, game competition and possibly financial aid to fall more closely in line with NAIA national guidelines.
Beginning in 2011, the 10 football teams will be able to have 15 spring practices with a full-contact intrasquad scrimmage and they can add a second nonconference game and play 11 games.
"It's about what's fair compared to the rest of the NAIA," KCAC commissioner Scott Crawford told The Topeka Capital-Journal.
KCAC teams this past spring were limited to 10 one-hour practices.
Next week, I go back to the bullpen and summon Jim Blaauw, a faithful Kansas Mason who helped me this summer with student loan interviews. During the school year he is a football official for small colleges and high schools. Jim will look at the rules changes that are in store for football this fall.
Finally my shout this week goes to someone who is very close to my heart. Me! Yea, you read correctly. I'm puffing out my chest today because I took the season series between Patterson and I 4 games to 1 thanks to Rory McIlroy's finish at the PGA Championship. Patterson and I each picked five guys to win. Neither had the winner but McIlroy had the highest finish of those selected. For those who haven't been following, yours truly correctly picked International players to win the U.S. and British Open and the purple-clad Lakers to win the NBA. Patterson won our golf tournament but only because we played the ball down. Play it up and I know things would have been different! So the VC/MP Trophy goes to the Elder Statesman. Can't wait to have the chance to repeat in 2011! Thanks for reading guys!
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