Football notebook: Bluestem rides win streak
There is talk about a Class 3A football playoff berth at Bluestem.
Shocked?
That goal is realistic after the Lions won their second consecutive game — their first in district play — over Eureka last week.
Tonight they play host to Fredonia (1-6) and then Neodesha (6-1) on Oct. 27.
So, yes, a playoff berth is possible. Not bad for a team that ended a 29-game losing streak with a 29-0 win over Independent on Oct. 7.
"Making the playoffs is a point that we have mentioned," first-year coach Kyle Wallis said. "We have goal boards, and we're specific on the goals that we want to reach. We talk a lot about the process. We can't reach Nos. 2 or 3 until we reach (No.) 1."
The thought of possibly making the playoffs is amazing considering Bluestem's history.
The Lions ended a 69-game losing streak, the state's second-longest, in 2008. In 1998, it ended a 43-game losing streak.
After the win over Independent, "Everyone was pretty excited," Wallis said. "That was a big deal for the community and the kids and for us."
But after winning at Eureka (3-4) last week, well, that was different.
"Going on the road and beating a pretty decent Eureka team was good for us," Wallis said. "The atmosphere is pumped up for us."
But the Lions are still focused.
"They've had a good workman mentality," Wallis said. "After we won the second game, they were excited. It was a good win, but we didn't make it any bigger than it needed to be."
Ridiculous numbers — Sunrise Christian junior quarterback Zach Howell's passing numbers are gaudy.
He has completed 264 of 398 passes (66.3 percent) for 3,401 yards for Sunrise (5-3). He has 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions.
In a 78-58 loss to St. Mary's last week, Howell was 28 of 54 for 627 yards.
Sunrise plays at Lighthouse Christian tonight and is at Regent Prep on Oct. 28.
Howell (6-foot-1, 165 pounds) refuses to get caught up in his stats, though.
"I've been wanting to go to college to play football for a long time, so if the numbers that I put up are helping me get there, then that's great," he said.
Even when pressed about the numbers, when asked if he was having fun putting up such stats, he didn't bite.
"It's fun going out there to play quarterback, but I'm not concerned about the statistics," he said. As for the 627 passing yards, "Honestly, that never entered my mind that I'd be throwing for this many. The (spread) offense we've been running is an excellent system."
Full circle — It seems strange to Derby coach Brandon Clark that it's happening already, but time and age wait for no man.
"Coaching a friend's son, that's a first," Clark said. "Just makes me feel real old, that's all."
Clark is hardly old, but it's understandable he might feel that way when he looks at sophomore DeAndre Goolsby, the Panthers' leading wide receiver.
Goolsby is the son of former Kansas State running back and Dodge City native Brian Goolsby — Clark's teammate on the Wildcats in the late 1990s.
"I actually played my freshman year at fullback, so I was Brian's backup that season and we spent a lot of time together," Clark said. "I saw him quite a bit over the years at (K-State) reunions and stuff like that, so we've always stayed in touch.
"DeAndre's freshman year, they moved into the Derby district and Brian came and talked to me and told me that (DeAndre) was going to come play for me."
DeAndre (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) leads Derby with 20 catches for 321 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers (5-2) play East tonight at Northwest and are trying to improve to 2-0 in Class 6A-District 6 play.
"He is pretty athletic, there's a lot of potential there," Clark said. "He's got a great upside."