The old coaching adage says the most improvement a team will make comes between weeks 1 and 2. That theory will be put to the test tonight, as half the teams in Kansas will look to avoid an 0-2 hole that could ruin their season just weeks after it began.
For the teams that won last week, the biggest key is staying level-headed and not getting too comfortable with your success.
The biggest game of the week may be in Wichita, where Buhler brings a hard-fought victory over Rose Hill to Wichita Collegiate. The Spartans had an equally hard-fought 'W' versus Andale. The name of this game will be speed. Buhler RB Riley Allen showed off his wheels last week with 277 yards and 4 touchdowns in his first game as the feature back for the Crusaders.
For Collegiate, the key will be containing Allen, and showing their own speed on offense. Markus Phox had a big game for the Spartans last week, and will be trying to duplicate his success this season.
Another interesting question each after week 1 is how will teams bounce back from a tough loss. The Hays Indians had just that, a tough loss. The Indians traveled east to Junction City, and had the perennial power on the ropes in the first quarter, as they jumped out to a 22-0 lead. Everything was clicking for Hays, but then Junction City turned it on, and tied the game to send it to overtime. In the end, the Bluejays won 44-43, sending Hays back down I-70 with a loss they'd like to forget.
Now Hays has to travel to McPherson, where the Bullpups will provide another stiff challenge. Tom Young saw his McPherson team receive a wake-up call last week, trailing El Dorado at the half 20-19, before turning it on in the second half, winning 41-20. Did trailing at half get the attention of the Bullpups? Will Hays be able to forget the loss to Junction City? Which team had the better week of practice between weeks 1 and 2 will most likely be the winning of this game.
U Pick 'Em will once again be the game to play this season. Everyone is invited to sign up and compete against the Eyewitness Sports team. Anyone who beats KWCH Sports Director Bruce Haertl in a given week will be eligible to win a prize, plus you can compete against your friends to see who is the king or queen of high school football.
A new addition to the line-up this season is the Catch It Kansas Tailgate Party. The Crew from KSCW and Bruce Haertl will be at a different game each week, and will be live in newscasts at 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00. If you're going to be at the game in Newton this week, be sure to come early for the chance to win prizes and eat a brat to support the Railer booster club.
CatchItKansas.com and KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports will be across the state on Friday, bringing the most complete coverage of high school football in the state of Kansas. Below are all the game you can expect coverage from on KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports, and the Catch It Kansas Show on KSCW 33, Cable 5 at 11:00 pm on Friday night.
Rose Hill @ Andale
Eisenhower @ Maize South
Salina Central @ Newton - Catch It Kansas Tailgate Party
Wichita Independent @ Cheney
