The 2010 high school football season is about to come to a close. With just two games remaining on both the Kansas and Missouri sides, it has been an incredible season for great games and talent in the area. The only problem? Where did the season go?
I'm always so amazed at how quickly the 10 weeks go by. It seems like it was just summer when players were reporting to camp and early season practice. The weather was warm, the nights were still long, but you knew that a chill in the air was coming.
Now, here we are in mid-November and the season will come to an end Thanksgiving weekend. I have had a ball covering games for www.prepskc.com this season. We are covering high school football unlike anyone in Kansas City ever has.
I had the pleasure to cover some of the most exciting games of the year, starting with the very first one when Rockhurst defeated Blue Springs 7-6 in a defensive grudge match.
In week three I had Gardner-Edgerton and Bishop Miege, and this game was everything it was billed to be. Although Gardner-Edgerton came out on top 43-29, the game was in doubt in the fourth quarter.
Jump all the way to district play. Center and Grandview went at it in a triple overtime thriller with Center winning the district with a 22-21 victory. Both teams had chances to salt this one away with field goals in overtime, but both came up short. It wasn't until Center scored the tying touchdown in the third overtime and then went for two to win the game. A gutsy call that proved to be successful.
Then, there was Shawnee Mission Northwest upsetting Shawnee Mission North in the first round of the Kansas Class 6A playoffs. Trailing at halftime 10-0, the Cougars coaching staff and players never panicked, scoring 14 second-half points to advance.
Finally, it what could easily win the game-of-the-year title, Lee's Summit West beat cross-town rival Lee's Summit 42-39 in an intense, see-saw battle to advance to the Missouri Class 5 semifinals. This game had it all: good defense, great offense, controversial calls and star players.
What I will remember most about this season though is the quality of talent in the area. We are loaded with NCAA Division I prospects, led by Bubba Starling at Gardner-Edgerton, Corbin Berkstresser at Lee's Summit and Darrian Miller at Blue Springs. All of these kids will be playing Saturday football at a big college.
But there are so many more players that are out there. There's Cameron Coffman at Raymore-Peculiar, Max Shortell from Bishop Miege, Adonis Saunders at Olathe North, Richard Davila from St. Thomas Aquinas.
What this tells me from all the players that will be moving on the next level is that the Kansas City metro area is a hotbed for Division I recruiting. And, I can tell you that the future of high school football looks really bright with many up-and-coming players that have at least another year of high school ahead of them.
The cream of the 2012 crop is led by offensive lineman Evan Boehm from Lee's Summit West High School. Although he plays left tackle for the Titans, he is projected as a guard when he gets to the college level. There's also a speed-demon wide receiver, Marquise Cushon, from Raytown South that will make some noise next year.
As fun and exciting as this season has been, and it isn't quite over yet, I'm already looking forward to what next season will have in store.
If it's half as good as this season, it will be great.
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