The message boards were abuzz with talks of the Washburn Ichabods getting lost in a deep prairie dog hole en route to Hays for last Saturday’s game. In some ways, that probably is true. Jake Iverson seemed to be off his game a little bit and never really could get the Washburn offense rolling. Of course, about 80 percent of it was the Tiger defense. This defense is no doubt legit, and has been for two seasons. Example? The Tigers won with mere 190 yards of offense and beat one of the best offensives teams in the MIAA.

Boy, would that just shake things up among the elite in the MIAA if the Tigers were somehow able to keep together a contender this season. But, the only way, still, the Tigers are going to prove themselves as a legit competitor is to, of course, win a road game. This weekend presents the perfect opportunity to get that done.

It’s been 14 tries since the Tigers have accomplished this feat and the road woes are starting to take their toll in the heads of everyone involved. Two things will have to happen in order for the Tigers to get out of Emporia with a win this weekend. No. 1, Fort Hays will have to cut down on brainless penalties and keep their heads in the game for the full 60 minutes — 93 yards in penalties at Mines was the ultimate deciding factor. No. 2, the Tigers have to get Anthony Smith involved in the passing game (on the receiving end). Smith is the most athletic receiver in the unit and has the best hands. In 10-yard patterns, Smith can grab the ball and he has the footwork to make something happen. Opponents have figured out that Bryan Haynes is the Tigers’ favorite target. Get Smith involved and some other guys, like tight end Adam Jones and Haynes will be open a time or two.

That being said, the Tigers have the capability to be one of the conference’s best running teams, if they can sneak a 10 to 15 yard pass play in here or there. Jacobb Irvin has come on strong and it will only be a matter of time before Anthony Dickson gets himself a solid 100-yard game. The offensive line will also continue to improve.

Many neigh-sayers are expecting a fall after last week’s big win, but don’t look for that to happen. This group has worked too hard to get to where they are to go lay an egg in Emporia. Though, the Hornets are surprising with a 2-1 record, they are still a young squad and will undoubtedly make a few mistakes.

Here are my picks for this week around the MIAA. Last week, I went 4-1, nearly pulling off the 5-0 with an upset by Truman State.

Fort Hays at Emporia
Andre Sloan El is the most athletic quarterback in the MIAA and has the ability to make big plays. He also has a quality backup who proved he can get in the mix with the big boys and make plays, as in last week’s 41-20 loss to Nebraska-Omaha. The Hornets, however, are still young and costly mistakes (such as penalties) will get the better of them as the season goes on and it could start early. The same can be said for Fort Hays. The TIgers have to keep a cool head as the Hornets’ first three opponents have averaged more penalty yards than opponents of any other MIAA team in the first three weeks. Still, the Tigers get the upper hand this week in Emporia, and the offense finally has a decent game with some points this time. PICK — FORT HAYS 32, EMPORIA 12

Game of the week
Washburn at Central Missouri
One team I am glad I don’t have to be on the sidelines for this week is Central Missouri. I called the upset last week, but it didn’t quite happen. As much as the Mules have improved from a few somewhat overrated past seasons, it seems as though the Mules are for real. Washburn, though, is a better team, and is coming off a disappointing loss in Hays. Iverson will get things going early and the Ichabods will be too much for the Mules to overcome. The Mules gave up 405 passing yards to Matt Ticich last week in Kirksville, and Iverson can put up similar numbers in a bounce back game. PICK — WASHBURN 35, CENTRAL MISSOURI 21

Pitt State at Missouri Western
The Griffons did bounce back with a solid game against Northwest Missouri and are looking for a solid win to get them back on track. Pitt State, though, seems to have the complete package right now, and the Griffons won’t be able to tackle it this week. Missouri Western is tough at home, but the Gorillas are on the warpath and will climb in the rankings with a convincing win. PICK — PITTSBURG STATE 40, MISSOURI WESTERN 25

Nebraska-Omaha at Missouri Southern
The weather kept the Lions and Gorillas from putting up any big numbers last week, but look for this one to climb the ladder well into the 70s, possible 80s. Omaha, right now, seems almost unbeatable, though, and will find a way to win a close one in Joplin against a stubborn Lions team. PICK — UNO 45, SOUTHERN 38

Northwest at Truman State
The Bulldogs are a scary team, but last week would have been the week to pull out an upset and break in the new turf with a victory. That will have to wait a while. The Bearcats, while somewhat porous on defense, won’t allow Ticich another game like he had last week. PICK — NORTHWEST MISSOURI 32, TRUMAN 10

Rankings as I see them after one week.
1. Nebraska-Omaha — They will be here until someone either challenges or knocks them off.
2. Pittsburg State — The complete package right now.
3. Northwest Missouri — They are the Bearcats, and won’t be denied by anyone other than Washburn, Pitt, or UNO.
4. Washburn — The Ichabods tripped in Hays, and Iverson was off his target. Look for the Bods to bounce back.
5. Central Missouri — The Mules might actually back up some of the hype with a couple of big wins, just not this week.
6. Missouri Western — Close games, tough losses, but the Griffons are a resilient team.
7. Missouri Southern — Pesky, hang around, and have one of the best quarterbacks around.
8. Fort Hays — Defense can win ball games, but the offense needs to come around, especially on the road.
9. Truman State — Great offense, great QB.
10. Emporia State — Predicting a downhill slide coming the Hornets’ way.

So, without further ado, let’s kick this thing off. First off, we’ll start with the game here in town as Washburn visits the Tigers, coming off a 35-28 win over I-AA Missouri State. Impressive as that victory was, the same cliche holds as true as it ever has. Every week in the MIAA presents a new challenge, and Washburn won’t just come in to 1-1 Fort Hays and roll away with a victory. Key to the game for the Tigers? Keep the game close early, and don’t let Washburn high-potency passing game break anything big too early. Sophomore gunslinger Jake Iverson will kill you deep if you let him and the Tigers can’t afford too big of a hole early on. The way the Tiger defense is set up, Iverson might have the opportunity to do this, but for a Tiger win, they’ll have to force Iverson to chip away if he wants to score. Still, if it’s close in the first half, and it will be, expect a Tiger victory in front of a home crown. They were embarrassed on the road last week and are hungry to get back on track. Fort Hays 27, Washburn 24.

Missouri Western at Northwest Missouri
Western has to be hurting after their loss last week, while Northwest had a cake walk over Southwest Baptist to move to 1-1. The advantage, again, has to go back to the home team. The loss to Abilene Christian was the first in 17 tries for the opposing team in Maryville, and after the loss, I don’t think Missouri Western has what it takes to get it done. Northwest 35, Missouri Western 15

Emporia at UNO
Surprising as the Hornets have been early on, UNO is just too good, especially at home, and will make short work of the much younger Hornets. UNO 45, Emporia 10

Missouri Southern at Pittsburg State
The Pitt will be rocking with the unveiling of the “jungle-tron” the largest video screen in Div. II football for this rivalry game. Pittsburg State is rolling after the toughest non-conference schedule of any MIAA team. Southern quarterback Adam Hinspeter will give a valiant effort but the Gorillas won’t be denied in their home opener after two gritty road wins. Pitt State 35, Missouri Southern 21

Central Missouri at Truman State
Time to break in the new rug. Truman State will do it in impressive fashion with a win over the MIAA’s largest school. Still, I think Central Missouri is the weakest of the 2-0 teams thus far in the conference, and Truman State is itching to get things going on their new turf at Stokes Stadium. Last week, the defense got it done for the Bulldogs, so let’s again see what this offense can do. Matt Tichich has a big game. Truman State 30, Central Missouri 20.

That’s all for now and have a great college football weekend. For those Tiger fans thinking of staying home watching Ohio State-USC — don’t bother. Get your butt out to TailGreat 2008. Your game at home in front of the television? BLOWOUT CITY. USC 50, Ohio State 10

Saturday’s game saw so many no-calls and bad calls on both ends of the field, but the worst of these was in the third quarter when Tiger freshman punt returner Ethan Ungles made his first appearance in a Tiger uniform, and quite honestly, could have been his last for the season. In headhunting fashion, a Colo. Mines defender was at a dead sprint and clocked Ungles immediately following his catch of a punt.The result was a fumble that eventually set up another Mines score, which is all part of the game.

Fans would take a look at that play and use it as an excuse the Tigers lost the game, but utlimately it was their own mistakes that handed them their first loss of the season. But, the NCAA makes rules for a reason, and Ungles has to consider himself fortunate at this point. He later came back and made a 20-yard reception, trying to wash the taste out of his mouth of fumbling the football — but there was little he could do.

Completely defenseless with his head still pointed up to watch the ball into his arms, Ungles was hammered, which by rule, should result in a penalty. In his weekly news conference Monday, Verdugo briefly addressed the issue, but only when asked. Verdugo’s anger during Saturday’s contest was more about his concern for the safety of those on the field.“I still will differ, until they stop playing football about that punt catch,” Verdugo said.

“The punt returner is defenseless and he is supposed to have the opportunity to catch it and make a move. Our young man was given neither.”

The following was taken from the NCAA 2008 rulebook online. Pay attention to the very end, because the play Saturday could have just as easily resulted in an ejection.

Fr-9PROTECTION OF DEFENSELESS PLAYERS—The 2008 committeeintroduced a separate rule prohibiting initiating contact with and targeting adefenseless opponent (Rule 9-1-3).The following are situations in which defenseless players are susceptible toserious injury:
• The quarterback moving down the line of scrimmage who has handed orpitched the ball to a teammate, and then makes no attempt to participatefurther in the play;
• The kicker who is in the act of kicking the ball, or who has not had areasonable length of time to regain his balance after the kick;• The passer who is in the act of throwing the ball, or who has not had areasonable length of time to participate in the play again after releasing theball;
• The pass receiver whose concentration is on the ball;
• The pass receiver who has clearly relaxed when the pass is no longercatchable;
• The kick receiver whose attention is on the downward flight of the ball;
• The kick receiver who has just touched the ball;
• The player who has relaxed once the ball has become dead; and
• The player who is obviously out of the play.These players are protected by rules that have been in place for many years. Itis of the utmost importance that participants, coaches and game officials carefullyand diligently observe safety rules.
Fr-10 POINTS OF EMPHASISIntentional helmet-to-helmet contact is never legal, nor is any other blowdirected toward an opponent’s head. Flagrant offenders shall be disqualified. 

Aside from that, it was great to see Verdugo not coming out and making excuses. The Tigers were embarrassed by what they thought was a winnable game in Golden, and quite frankly, the Tiger defense was beaten by about three plays — repeated several times over the course of the game by a mistake-free Mines offense. It resulted in a 1-1 record heading into this Saturday’s MIAA opener with Washburn, one of the two hottest MIAA teams coming out of the non-conference season.Here’s a look at my own power rankings as far as the MIAA is concerned as the best conference in Div. II football begins play.

1. Nebraska-Omaha — It’s not very hard to put this MIAA newcomer at the top of the list, even with just one game under their belt. Until someone beats them or comes close, the No. seventh-ranked Mavericks will remain at the top of my list.

2. Pittsburg State — The Gorillas played the toughest non-conference schedule and did it on the road, capping it with an impressive win at Chadron State. Though the Eagles were Woodhead-less, it’s still an impressive win.

3. Washburn — Defeating Missouri State was just the tip of the iceberg. With a sophomore gunslinger in Jake Iverson, the Ichabods pose a difficult offensive scheme for any team to defend. Watch out for the Washburn-Truman game later on in the season.

4. Northwest Missouri — Sure, the Bearcats are 1-1, but in the MIAA, don’t count them out. Don’t expect them to lose again at home this season. Abilene Christian is no slouch, and the experience against one of the best should prove an advantage in the grind of the MIAA.

5. Missouri Southern — Quarterback Adam Hinspeter is on pace for several MIAA records and the Lions won over one decent non-con opponent and were dominant in their other.

6. Central Missouri — Of the 2-0 teams, the Mules might have had the weaker schedule. Minnesota-Mankato is, of course, no slouch, but a win over Ark. Tech did little to impress.

7. Missouri Western — Getting blown out at home didn’t help the Griffons much as far as making the Griffons a feared opponent, but don’t come anywhere close to counting them out. They could just as easily be No. 2 on this list behind UNO. Any of these teams can have one bad week.

8. Emporia State — Maybe the newbies and young guys on the Hornets are too young to realize how good they can be and that has helped. A Week 2 victory over Augustana might have surprised a few people, and certainly has MIAA opponents of their matchup.

9. Truman State — It’s hard to get a feel for the Bulldogs after only one game, but they beat a quality opponent and did it while dealing with everything that has been going on at their home facility. Truman State’s offense should put up some good numbers this season.

10. Fort Hays — The Tigers were the only team in the first two weeks of the season to lose a non-conference game against an un-ranked opponent. I thank my partner in crime, reporter Conor Nicholl (a Truman State grad) for pointing this out, but it rings true, and helped me choose between 9 and 10. The Tigers, more than in recent years, have the ability to be explosive (405 yards this week) and quite honestly, can play with anyone in the conference — as long as they are at home. Until they prove they can get over the hump and win a road game over teams of equal caliber (5 through 9 on this list), they will be facing an uphill battle. They also have to travel this season to both Northwest Missouri and Nebraska-Omaha.

Check back Friday for some last-minute observations and my picks for the weekend’s games as the Tigers set to host Washburn in their conference opener, part of TailGreat 2008 at Lewis Field Stadium.

The extensively long trips in Fort Hays’ former conference were highlighted by some nice scenery, but making a couple trips through mountain passes during basketball season was not a fun chore.

Now, on to today’s game. It’s been said that last week, Colorado Mines didn’t feel they played well early against Washburn in the Orediggers’ 27-3 loss in Topeka. The game was shortened by lightning in the area, but I don’t think it would have mattered. I think Washburn is just that good. They made the ticker on ESPN on THursday for defeating Missouri State University, something not normally seen for the MIAA until Pitt State plays Northwest at Arrowhead Stadium.

Granted the Orediggers offer up a different game when playing in Golden. The grass turf could give the Tigers some problems. It will be the only game the Tigers will play on grass all season. The elevation could create an interesting obstacle as well, as Colorado Mines is used to the conditions in Golden. Still, I like the Tigers in this matchup. Judging by what happened last week, the Tigers aren’t going to go lightly to anyone this season. Their ability to adjust was the most impressive and I think they’ll do well with the conditions here in Golden.

The forecast is calling for the lower 70s, but just like every day in the Denver area, you never know what the mid-afternoon is going to bring.

i think you see a big game this week from junior running back Anthony Dickson. Provided better play early on Fort Hays’ offensive line, Dickson should have an opportunity against Mines’ defensive scheme to break some good yardage early and sail his way to a good game. We also see junior quarterback Mike Garrison take the air out of the ball a little bit today. As a good buddy (a non-Broncos fan) said about playing at Mile High. “The ball flies farther in Denver”. Fort Hays wins 35-15.

Here’s a look at today’s other games in the MIAA.

Pittsburg State at Chadron State
I mentioned Pittsburg State earlier, and the Gorillas today, have the marquee matchup for MIAA teams, traveling to Chadron, Neb. to take on No. 8 ranked Chadron State. Without Danny Woodhead, are the Eagles really that good. And, the fact that the 14th-ranked Gorillas had a little trouble on the road last week going — is it going to be a problem? Probably not. Pitt State has the toughest non-conference schedule of any team in the MIAA, playing both games on the road against solid opponents. I still think the Gorillas overcome — and claim a 24-17 win in Chadron.

Augustana at Emporia
Emporia State showed last week they are a defensive team to be reckoned with in a shellacking of Western State (Colo.) College. This doesn’t mean the Hornets are going to hold everyone back, but it could mean they will be in tight ball games this year and be able to make some plays. Still, Emporia might struggle with Augustana. The Vikings are riding some momentum coming off an overtime win over St. Cloud in Week 1, and will likely keep it going at Emporia. Pick — Augustana 13, Emporia State 10

Minnesota-Duluth at Missouri Western
This should be an interesting matchup. UMD is the preseason favorite to win the Northern Sun Conference, and Missouri Western ranks near the middle of the MIAA in terms of preseason. This game, provided a Missouri Western win, should provide everyone with a little more proof that the MIAA is dominant when it comes to Div. II football — top to bottom. It will be a close in in St. Joe — Western 30, Duluth 27

Nebraska-Kearney at Nebraska-Omaha
What will the Lopers muster after a loss to Wayne State last week? Probably not much. The Mavericks have to be itching to go and will likely pull out a blowout win at home. Kearney has traditionally played UNO close, but they will likely be down after the debacle last week. Pick — UNO 40, Kearney 10

Southern Arkansas at Truman State (not in Kirksville)
The Bulldogs are still waiting to break in their new turf — and the 2008 season. Truman State not only couldn’t play their season opener last week at their own stadium, but they flat out couldn’t play it because of the weather. The Bulldogs are raring to get out of the gate, and it will show with some big offensive numbers in a 35-21 win.

Southwest Baptist at Northwest Missouri
SBU got out of the MIAA because it couldn’t play with teams like Northwest Missouri. Sorry, not much has changed. Now, throw in the fact that Northwest Missouri is coming off its first home loss in three years in Maryville, and it makes for one angry Bearcat team — and not SBU’s. Baptist, though, should put up some points as they always have, but still get pounded — NWMS 63, SBU 14

Once the offense got rolling in the second half, the Tigers showed a few signs of things possible to come this season. With the combination of receiver Bryan Haynes, running backs Jacobb Irvin and Anthony Dickson, the Tigers could be looking at some big plays this season.

In Thursday’s game, the Tigers had just about every aspect of the game covered, a defensive touchdown, a special teams touchdown, and a multitude of big plays in the second half.

The most impressive thing, still, though has to be the Tiger defense and the ability to adjust on the fly. Coming into Thurdsay’s opener, the Tigers really had no idea what Highlands, a new offense under a new coach, and several junior college transfers were going to bring to the table. In the early going, Highlands quarterback Vince Seeno had the Tiger defensive backs on the ropes, connecting on long pass after long pass. C.J. Lovett put an end to that as the former freshman of the year in the MIAA picked him off and took it 77 yards screaming for a 14-0 Tiger lead.

“it’s a big thing because those are things you don’t expect to happen every game, so when it does happen, it’s huge,” Lovett said. “It really gets your blood pumping. It makes you think you can do so much more.”

The Tiger defense, though, has come to expect itself to perform well. One of the better groups in the MIAA last season, the Tiger defense looks eager to prove 2007’s presence wasn’t a fluke. After giving up just the few big pass plays Thursday, the Tigers gave up virtually nothing to the Cowboys’ spread-style offense.

“Guys were kind of feeling their way. I want these guys to expect to make these big plays all the time,” Tiger coach Kevin Verdugo said.

The defense buckled down in a big way, so much so the interior gave up just three total rushing yards all night, and the Cowboys were held to just 172 yards off offense on 66 plays. To go along with that domination ,the Tigers collected five sacks against Highlands’ quarterback duo, two from sophomore Garrett Nikkel.

Keep in mind, all this domination comes against an RMAC opponent that could finish near the bottom of an inferior conference, but given a little experience, Highlands has the capability to be a contender in the RMAC. Nonetheless, the Tigers were impressive in their opener, just as last season, but didn’t show any signs of a weak link.

We’ll get back to the team speed, but let’s look at the offensive line. This was the only facet of the game that seemed to be a bit shallow in the opener, but only for about a quarter and a half. Junior transfer quarterback Mike Garrison talked about the offensive line, stating they were a little baffled by what Highlands offered up front, but once they figured it out — it was smooth sailing.

“Coach got on their but a little bit and lit a fire under them,” Garrison said. “They came out in the second half and started to do a little work, and we took off from there.”

The result was Garrison having time to work the TIger offense, which ended the night with 349 yards, a good sign for an offense that was at the bottom of the MIAA last season. Garrison connected on big plays to the speedster Bryan Haynes, including a 71-yard scoring play, the longest from scrimmage since Reed Gottula’s 72-yard scoring run in 2004 against Nebraska-Kearney.

“We knew we could go down the field,” Garrison said. “There wasn’t a corner that could keep up with him.”

The passing game opened up after the TIgers got the run game going, just like good teams do. Let’s talk about Anthony Dickson for a minute. This guy is probably he most exciting thing about Tiger football in 2008. The offensive line wasn’t working well early, so Dickson’s threat as a back probably wasn’t on full display. Due to the blowout, he didn’t see much action in the second half, but take a look at his speed in the special teams and that should give you some idea.

Now, the MVPs of the night, the TIger special teams. Bryan Haynes’ kick return for a score of 97 yards (tied for fourth longest in program history) was the play of the night. When Haynes broke the Tigers’ 40, you knew the 200-meter dash national champion was gone. With Haynes, Dickson and newcomer Ethan Ungles, the return game for the Tigers will no doubt be among the elite this season in the MIAA. Garrison had the best way possible of describing the multiple specialty threats.

““We have two returners that are insanely, amazingly, crazy fast,” Garrison said. “Get the ball in their hands and they’re going to make something happen.”

The same can be said for Haynes in the offense. He had trouble with dropped passes last season, but the speedster seems to have a handle on things at least in the early going. It’s going to be exciting to see next week’s game at Colorado Mines. The Orediggers return quite a bit on defense, but still play in the RMAC. Golden is a tough venue to play in and one of the more scenic stadiums in the RMAC, plus the Tigers will play their only game of the season on grass turf, hoping to cure their road woes. Fort Hays hasn’t won a road contest in the last 13 tries, since a 21-14 win at New Mexico Highalnds in Verdugo’s first season. Should be a fun one at 5,280 feet.

Thursday New Mexico Highlands at Fort Hays
Let it be known that Fort Hays ran over its RMAC competition as an improved team last season. If the Tigers are as improved as they say they are, there should be no doubt Thursday’s game will yield the same result. At least with their impressive wins last season, the Tigers did what MIAA teams should do to the near-the-bottom or middle-of-the-road teams in the RMAC. This year should be no different, as Fort Hays will run by Highlands. Pick — Fort Hays 40-7.

Minnesota-Mankato at Central Missouri
Central Missouri will be introducing a new offensive scheme that features eight starters back from a 7-4 run last season. That included a 6-3 mark in the MIAA. Look for the Mules to struggle early, but find their rhythm. Minnesota-Mankato will introduce a new coach as part of a new conference, the NSIC. Pick — Central Missouri 30-10.

Missouri Western at Northern State
This will be the first meeting between the two programs. The Griffons are coming off a 9-3 season (6-3 MIAA) and had a successful trip to the Mineral Water Bowl, representing the MIAA against NSIC member Wayne State (Neb.) College. The Wolves went 5-4 in the NSIC last season. Pick — Missouri Western 35-15.

Missouri S&T at Truman State
Though home-field advantage is not a true home-field advantage for Truman State, it shouldn’t slow down quarterback Matt Ticich and Truman’s high-flying offense. The game will be played at Central Methodist (Mo.) University due to a delay in installation of Truman State’s new field turf at Stokes Stadium. Missouri S&T (formerly MIssouri-Rolla) hasn’t defeated Truman in the last 22 tries. Pick — Truman 40-28.

Colorado Mines at Washburn
The Orediggers were no match last season on their own turf, so don’t look for much more against Washburn in Topeka. Last time out, Washburn forced four turnovers en route to a 27-7 victory. On their home field in a season opener, Washburn rolls again. Pick — Washburn 21-0.

Saturday
Western State at Emporia State
Just like at Fort Hays last year, a win over Western State could build some confidence for a program that has struggled in recent seasons — Emporia State. The Hornets are picked to finish last in the MIAA, but that’s still better than sixth in the RMAC. Emporia State has limited returning players, but some youngsters will shine. Pick — Emporia State 24-21.

Harding (Ark.) at Missouri Southern
This game had the makings of a close one, but only if it was played at Harding. Missouri Southern quarterback Adam Hinspeter is chasing several records and climbing the charts in the MIAA. He will be solid in the opener at home. Pick — Missouri Southern 40-20.

Abilene Christian at Northwest Missouri State
This is the the first top 10 college clash at any level in 2008. It would be tempting to give Abilene Christian an upset edge over a Bearcat squad without the services of Xavier Omon, but it’s not going to happen — not in Maryville. The Bearcats are riding an impressive 17-game home winning streak. Pick — Northwest Missouri 35-21.

Pittsburg State at Central Oklahoma
This is a matchup of two of the winningest teams in Div. II. Pittsburg State leads Div. II with 621 wins all time, while the Bronchos are fourth on the list with 578. Both recently celebrated the century mark as college football programs, as the Gorillas enter their 101st season and the Bronchos enter their 103rd. Pittsburg State will play two road non-conference games, but return two of the best offensive threats in the MIAA — Mark Smith and Caleb Farabi. Pick — Pittsburg State 40-10.

After all, in the MIAA, it’s anyone’s game. Unless you’re Northwest Missouri State or conference newcomer University of Nebraska-Omaha. After 1 and 2, it truly is anyone’s game this season.It will be awhile before Northwest Missouri falls from grace, and UNO brings a whole other level of superiority to an already dominate Div. II conference. 

But, the Tiger faithful can and should expect big things from the Tiger program this season. Spending the last two weeks inside Tiger camp, one thing is evident: The Tigers are a much more confident program than they have been in the last two seasons. With some speed out of the backfield, a proven winner at quarterback and a talented group of wide receivers, the Tigers will no doubt be better on offense, and a defense that proved MIAA-worthy last season, has not seemed to lose any of its ability.  As far as the MIAA is concerned, it’s still too early too tell.

Fort Hays was picked to finish ninth in the conference, but could just as easily finish in third place, given the right wins. From 3 to 10, it’s anyone’s game, just as every season.That’s what makes the MIAA such a dominate force in Div. II — its depth.Especially with the addition of UNO this season. If the MIAA doesn’t see at least three in the playoffs, then the rest of the country has finally caught up.  Pittsburg State, picked third in the conference after getting, for lack of a better term, snubbed by Div. II last season — along with Missouri Western, should again be a force to be reckoned with. The Griffons will be good again, and of course Washburn has proven itself to be a title contender. After that, there could be a couple sleepers in the bottom five. 

If Truman State actually gets a chance to play at home this season, you can’t count out the Bulldogs and quarterback Matt Ticich, who given the right season, could be a Harlon Hill candidate. The Bulldogs will play their first home game on the road because of a dispute between the university and contractors on the installation of new turf at Stokes Stadium.

That mixed with a ton of rain has hindered the production. The most recent picture of the field portrayed large dirt-moving equipment parked in a puddle of mud. So, if the Bulldogs don’t find this too distracting and actually get to play a true home game this season — look out.  Truman State was scheduled to play seven games at home this season, but will lose a true home game, plus the revenue from concession stand sales for their first game, which will be played at Central Methodist — about 85 miles away from Kirksville.

 Then, there is Missouri Southern, which has the best schedule in all the MIAA this season — or the worst depending on how you look at it. The Lions get all the MIAA’s top dogs at home, hosting newcomer UNO in the MIAA opener, then hosting Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western, Washburn and Central Missouri all in Joplin. The Lions’ dream schedule includes just four road games — at Truman (maybe), at Fort Hays, at  No. 17 Pittsburg State (their toughest road game), and at Emporia (only picked No. 10 this season because some team had to be). 

So, with just over a week before the season begins, it’s time to get your game faces on.T

he MIAA campaign looks to be a week-in, week-out grind where the bottom eight spots are up for grabs and there for the taking for any of last year’s bottom feeders. That includes Fort Hays, which looks to make another jump since joining the ranks three seasons ago.    

During post-game interviews following the 35th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl over the weekend, a Smith Center elementary student, perhaps a future all-star for the Redmen, had just one comment for those gathering around Braden Wilson.

“It’s really cool to be this guy’s neighbor,” the youngster said, donning his youth-size Redmen jersey, and lugging a plethora of autograph-worthy memorabilia.

Wilson proved himself star-worthy in the West’s 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the East, as did the rest of both teams, creating one of the best games in Shrine Bowl history, and the closest game since a tie at Kansas State University in 2001 — coincidentally Wilson’s future home for football.

“This is just a great thing to be a part of,” Wilson said. “It was an honor to be selected.”

Wilson and the West All-Stars, despite a near-one-hour lightning delay (56 minutes to be exact), delivered one of most exciting games in the 35-year history of the event, and while the weather took a minimal toll on the crowd, those on hand were treated to a thrilling gridiron showdown.

To me, the Shrine Bowl always kicks off the football season, and what a way to get things started.

From last-minute heroics to some bone-jarring hits, the 2008 version of the charity event had it all on a wild, weather-filled night. It left nothing to be desired for an all-star game in July.

“It was a roller coaster pretty much the whole game,” said West coach Gary Guzman, the head coach at Wichita Southeast High School. “The emotions were up and down because it was pretty much back and forth.”

Of course, the real winners are the beneficiaries of the event, the patients at the Shriners’ Hospital for Children, but this year’s action on the field did nothing but up the value of the star-studded week, that started with a trip to the St. Louis branch of the hospital.

“That was a big experience,” said Oakley’s Aaron Racette, starting defensive end for Saturday’s game. “I’ve never really seen anything like that.

“Just to see what you’re playing for makes the whole trip worthwhile.”

The two teams responded by making a trip to Emporia worthwhile — plus the cost of a ticket.

Whether it was incredible athletic catches by Dodge City’s Mykael Thompson for the West, or thundering jawbreaking hits from Derek Rempe of Centralia or Rossville’s Duane Zlatnik (a future Jayhawk) for the East, the Shrine Bowl certainly delivered, probably making people forget the long delay in the second quarter.

It was the West’s aggressiveness, though, that made the night — as they went for two and the win with just 20 ticks left on the clock.

“I wanted to go out with a bang,” Thompson said of his final football game. He will play basketball next season at Dodge City Community College.

He finished with four four catches for 67 yards, two touchdowns, and caught the game-winning two-point conversion on a fade route in the end zone from West quarterback Cole Cherryholmes.

“That’s kind of how we were all week,” said Sharon Springs-Wallace County’s Taylor Elder. “We weren’t going to hold back — no surprise at all.”

It was also no surprise to see Elder, a Broncbuster next season at Garden City Community College, do well in his first 11-man contest. Elder did something that not many –¬ if any — have been able to say in the history of the Shrine Bowl — and prep football in Kansas. Elder finished his final campaign as a Wildcat, going 16-0. Sharon Springs capped an undefeated season with an Eight-Man Division II state championship, and Elder competed in two eight-man all-star games (both wins) this summer.

Elder nabbed an interception from the East as the West’s starting safety, and it was no surprise that he took to the 11-man game so well.

He was humble in talking about his pick, saying it fell right into his arms.

“One of our interior guys got in there and got a hand on it,” Elder said. “That helped a lot, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Modest as he was, Elder made several plays on the night, and was the third-best tackler for the West with five total.

“Practice this week helped me a lot,” Elder said. “I still made a few mistakes, but we were good enough to get out of here with a win.”

Only Andale’s Matt Fairchild (9) and Wilson were better on defense. In the third quarter, Wilson recovered a fumble that was caused by a smack by Fairchild. Racette held East runningback Edd Noonan’s legs to give Fairchild time to make the play.

“He smoked him,” Wilson said of Fairchild’s hit. “He can bring the noise.”

He wasn’t the only one, though, that brought the heat.

“Everyone made big plays for us tonight,” Guzman said.

Racette capped a standout Plainsmen career with another win. As a senior representative for Oakley, Racette finished 12-1 with just a loss to Smith Center in the Class 2-1A postseason.

Racette, a two-sport standout for three years with the Plainsmen, will hang up the wrestling singlet and play football at Garden City Community College.

“I probably just need to grow a little bit more,” Racette said. “I want to play Division I football, that’s the goal.”

Racette had four tackles and one for loss of seven yards in Saturday’s game.

Wilsons’ Smith Center teammate, Kirk Palmer, also got in on the action at linebacker. Palmer, a future Grizzly at Butler County Community College, finished with three tackles in the middle. Palmer and Wilson, members of the now nationally known Redmen, finished their high school careers with a perfect mark and have not lost a game since the seventh grade in Redmen country.

“You can’t take off in the offseason,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to keep working hard, and you got to stay dedicated to it.”

Out of the five area players who played in Saturday’s game, all will be trying their hand at the college ranks.

La Crosse’s Mike Powell, who was one of several offensive lineman to help pave the way for 349 total offensive yards for the West, will head to Hutchinson Community College next season to round out the list. Powell has spent the last two seasons blocking for possible the best running back in the area — or even the state — in Marshall Musil for the Leopards. The West finished with 87 rushing yards and 262 through the air.

“It’s great just to be back out on the field again,” Powell said.

It was great to be watching the guys on the field again, and for such a great cause. The Kansas Shrine Bowl is the highlight of the summer for prep football fans, and puts those fans in the right state of mind for the upcoming season. With that being said, what a year it will be in the prep football ranks this fall — if the 2008 Shrine Bowl is any indication.

Enter Tony Hobson, with a perfect opportunity to advance his career, and prove he has what it takes to succeed at the next level. Though he didn’t say so, the draw of coaching in the MIAA was probably a big reason for making the switch at this juncture in his career. Let’s face it — the MIAA is a powerhouse when it comes to women’s basketball — seen in the success of programs such as Washburn, Emporia State, and Missouri Western in recent seasons. What an opportunity for a coach with three NAIA Division II women’s titles to his resume and more than his fair share of honors at both the junior college and NAIA level. While briefly meeting with a handful of Tiger boosters and media Monday afternoon at Gross Coliseum, I was impressed with Hobson’s ability to field the questions posed at hime without dodging the issue. The Tiger diehards, those closest to the women’s programs can often be an intimidating force, but Hobson handled them with poise upon introduction.

He made clear it was going to take a while, and it probably will. But, what was more impressive was his idea about recruiting. Hobson seems determined to recruit the best players, and not necessarily the best team – not overlooking a great player because the position is already filled. That idea has seemed to work wonders in the MIAA. Successful teams have taken players that are great at one position and made them all-conference worthy in another, thus building a great team around great players, and not visa versa.

Adaptation has seemed to be key for Hobson in his success and a change in attitude is probably needed for the Tiger women. There was nothing wrong with the former game plan, it just wasn’t working. Only time will truly tell though, if Hobson has what it takes.

No doubt, he is excited for the coaching opportunity, but Tiger faithful should also be excited about giving the opportunity to see what he can do.

A two-day long event, the Track & Field Championships highlight the best all-around athletes the state has to offer all in one place, competing for the right to be called a state champion.

Aside form soaring temperatures and a seemingly inevitable thunderstorm delay or two, the weekend is a much-anticipated workloaded for myself and like-minded reporters. We get a chance to see up close and personal the triumph and heartbreak of winning a prestiguous state title as an individual competitor. Once in a while, we get the opportunity to share in the glory of an area school claiming a team title as well, like we did last season with both the boys and girls from Atwood.

This year, there are several stories on the agenda to be told. Both reporter Conor Nicholl and I are hard at work this week, compiling a list and filtering through all of our area’s qualifiers to find the best stories to be told for this Thursday’s preview edition of the HDN.

That being said, I had the opportunity to watch the Class 1A regional competition in Hays over the weekend and was more than impressed with what I saw heading into the finale. There were also a few surprises thrown in that I didn’t expect.

No. 1 — I haven’t seen a runner in a while like Ness City sophomore Colton McNinch. While his times aren’t the greatest in the area in both the 1,600 and the 3,200, they are best or among the best in Class 1A heading in. His win in the 1,600-meter run (the worst of his two events) was nothing short of awesome as he made a charge at the end that not many runners would have left in the tank. On top of that, I made the comparison to Fort Hays All-American and current track & field/cross country coach Jason McCullough. To me, he looked an awful-lot like the former Tiger runner. While McCullough didn’t agree in the phsyical similarity, he didn’t argue McNinch’s running ability, and was equally as impressed.

No. 2 — The Ness City boys’ team win was a bit of a shocker as they earned some points from some non-qualifiers to earn the regional title. Congrats to the Eagles, though a team trophy in Wichita is a little out of reach without a couple more. Still, expect McNinch to claim at least one crown.

No 3 — Victoria freshman Taylor Kisner got her prep career started off on the right foot by qualifying for state in three events, three of which were among some solid competition in Class 1A. Probably the most impressive was Kisner’s run in the 100m dash, right up there with Triplains senior Kara Gfeller, last year’s fifth-place finisher in Class 1A.

No. 4 — Expect another state javelin championship for Palco senior Rachel Belisle. Belisle made it look easy by tossing her season best throw of 134 feet, 1 inch on her first attempt on a gorgeous day outside Lewis Field Stadium.

No. 5 — St. Francis senior Ted Crabtree has the best vault out of all the 1A regionals heading into the finale, and the second best ouf of all the regionals, regardless of class. His attempt at 14-6 in Hays just missed, but look for Crabtree to be right back up there in Wichita, provided a good weather day.

Other thoughts on the upcoming meet
It never fails. For all the reporters and workers heading to the meet, remember this. The elevator at Cessna Stadium will no doubt fail about two hours into the first day, and we will be braving the long stair climb for a couple days. It’s the only time of year when you’ll see old, out-of-shape reporters looking a little more tired than the athletes on the track.
Thunderstorms are of course in the forecast for this weekend, so don’t forget your umbrellas and possible a change of a shirt or two, and expect some delays. Last year’s 2-hour delay or so probably is the worst, but is no match for the weather taking a title away from Hays High School (assumption) a few years back.
See you all in Wichita.