¢ A month ago Dave Bassore was head coach at William Jewell College. Then Olathe North's John McCall left for a job in Texas, and Bassore opted to leave the NAIA school to take over the Eagles, who won Class 6A titles in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 before bowing to Salina South in last fall's Class 5A title game.
Now, perhaps the well has run dry.
"We lost 27 seniors and we have zero returning starters on offense and zero on defense," Bassore quipped. "I guess that's how I got the job. I'm the only one who applied for it."
¢ Shawnee Mission Northwest won only one game last season, but coach Scott Diebold has 28 seniors, including 13 starters, and vows to be competitive. "I guarantee you we'll show," Diebold said. "We have buses ordered, and we know where the stadiums are."
¢ Olathe Northwest made its varsity football debut under coach Todd Dain last season with predictable results. "I felt like General Custer at times," Dain said. "But the difference between me and General Custer is, I had to watch the films on Saturday and see it all over again."
¢ SM East coach John Stonner, assessing Sunflower League football, said it. "Right now, the Olathe schools are dominant. The road to the state title goes through Olathe, but I look for the Lawrence schools, too."
¢ SM South coach Don Hanna said it. "I've got to talk to Dirk Wedd. I don't know what they feed those Lawrence kids. I thought we had some big kids, and they dwarfed us last year."
¢ Leavenworth coach Tom Young has only 22 upperclassmen (10 seniors and 12 juniors), but added, "We have 35 sophomores, and that's more than we've ever had."
¢ SM North's Ryan Majors, who took over just a couple of weeks ago, is 25 years old, making him easily the league's youngest head coach.
¢ SM North's ancient football stadium was torn down and a new facility erected in its place this summer. Construction carried over into the Indians' practice field during summer workout week. "After awhile, it seemed like Arena Football," Majors said. "I told them if they hit a bulldozer, it's out of bounds."
¢ SM West coach Tim Callaghan has 16 starters back from last year's 9-3 club, including quarterback Tyler Lawrence, who already has made a non-binding oral commitment to Kansas University. All four of SM West's receivers return, too, making the Vikings a legitimate title contender.
¢ Olathe South bowed to Hutchinson, 30-13, in last year's Class 6A championship game, but coach Mark Littrell has only four starters back on offense and just two on defense.
¢ Olathe East coach Jeff Meyers, talking about the first day of practice, said it. "Come Monday, I'll have kids puking, guys crying and guys who won't get off the ground. So it'll be pretty exciting."
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