Basehor-Linwood rolled through the Kaw Valley League last year on their way to the title, losing only to Mill Valley by three points, but the Bobcats won’t be content resting on their laurels in 2010.
The Bobcats’ motivation stares them right in the face in week seven of their schedule when they start district play at Jefferson West, the same team that came to Basehor in the bi-district round of last year’s 4A playoffs and beat them 41-27. Just a month beforehand, sixth-year BLHS head coach Steve Hopkins found out they’d be playing Jeff West the following year, and as fate would have it, they were matched up with them in the playoffs.
“When I came out of that meeting in October, I knew nothing about Jeff West. ... Then we faced them in week 10 and lost to them. (Now) our kids have been looking forward to going to their home field,” Hopkins said. “If you can’t get excited about playing the team that knocked you out of the playoffs when you thought you had a really good team, then you’re not breathing.”
Ask any Bobcat player, though, and they won’t be looking ahead. BLHS has to play the four largest KVL schools right in a row the four weeks prior to districts, and they’ll have to do it after losing four of last year’s starting linemen on offense and three on defense. Caleb Johnson will be the only returner on the line, and Hopkins said Johnson has become like a coach on the field as he’s been joined by youngsters like Austin Mecum, Trevor Hickman, Ben Kamm, and Alex Shewman.
“I have full confidence that they’re going to be able to step right in and do the job,” Johnson said.
Those four will have big shoes to fill, as each of last year’s lineman had started for at least two years. For that matter, the Bobcats hardly had a huddle called in the last four years without center Zach Ross, and they hardly had a play called in that time without quarterback Brandon Leppke, who broke nearly every passing and rushing record at BLHS. Last season alone, Leppke totaled 3,044 yards and 36 TDs throwing the ball and running it.
Returning, however, are twin sensations Colin and Ryan Murphy, who combined to catch 66 passes for 1,175 yards in ’09, and it will be Colin to make the switch and fill Leppke’s spot under center this year. The junior does have some experience there; he completed 12 of 17 passes in ’09 for 227 yards, three TDs, and one interception.
“Colin is looking great,” senior running back Steyr Stubenrauch said. “At summer camp this summer, he stepped right in there, full confidence, and (was) just firing up passes left and right.”
The Bobcats will continue running their multiple schemes but will again base out of a pro set offensively and a 5-3 defensively. They return five starters on each side of the ball, including their two leading tacklers in ’09, Chandler King and Jesse Hiss. King has had over 100 tackles each of the last two years and also led BLHS in forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, and picks last year.
They’ll need all that help to get through a schedule filled not only with larger schools but also with heated rivalries. Hopkins said the tough schedule will get them ready for what he hopes is a deep playoff run.
“We’ll be battle tested,” said Hopkins.
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Basehor-Linwood rolled through the Kaw Valley League last year on their way to the title, losing only to Mill Valley by three points, but the Bobcats won’t be content resting on their laurels in 2010.
The Bobcats’ motivation stares them right in the face in week seven of their schedule when they start district play at Jefferson West, the same team that came to Basehor in the bi-district round of last year’s 4A playoffs and beat them 41-27. Just a month beforehand, sixth-year BLHS head coach Steve Hopkins found out they’d be playing Jeff West the following year, and as fate would have it, they were matched up with them in the playoffs.
“When I came out of that meeting in October, I knew nothing about Jeff West. ... Then we faced them in week 10 and lost to them. (Now) our kids have been looking forward to going to their home field,” Hopkins said. “If you can’t get excited about playing the team that knocked you out of the playoffs when you thought you had a really good team, then you’re not breathing.”
Ask any Bobcat player, though, and they won’t be looking ahead. BLHS has to play the four largest KVL schools right in a row the four weeks prior to districts, and they’ll have to do it after losing four of last year’s starting linemen on offense and three on defense. Caleb Johnson will be the only returner on the line, and Hopkins said Johnson has become like a coach on the field as he’s been joined by youngsters like Austin Mecum, Trevor Hickman, Ben Kamm, and Alex Shewman.
“I have full confidence that they’re going to be able to step right in and do the job,” Johnson said.
Those four will have big shoes to fill, as each of last year’s lineman had started for at least two years. For that matter, the Bobcats hardly had a huddle called in the last four years without center Zach Ross, and they hardly had a play called in that time without quarterback Brandon Leppke, who broke nearly every passing and rushing record at BLHS. Last season alone, Leppke totaled 3,044 yards and 36 TDs throwing the ball and running it.
Returning, however, are twin sensations Colin and Ryan Murphy, who combined to catch 66 passes for 1,175 yards in ’09, and it will be Colin to make the switch and fill Leppke’s spot under center this year. The junior does have some experience there; he completed 12 of 17 passes in ’09 for 227 yards, three TDs, and one interception.
“Colin is looking great,” senior running back Steyr Stubenrauch said. “At summer camp this summer, he stepped right in there, full confidence, and (was) just firing up passes left and right.”
The Bobcats will continue running their multiple schemes but will again base out of a pro set offensively and a 5-3 defensively. They return five starters on each side of the ball, including their two leading tacklers in ’09, Chandler King and Jesse Hiss. King has had over 100 tackles each of the last two years and also led BLHS in forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, and picks last year.
They’ll need all that help to get through a schedule filled not only with larger schools but also with heated rivalries. Hopkins said the tough schedule will get them ready for what he hopes is a deep playoff run.
“We’ll be battle tested,” said Hopkins.
