Both the Hays High Indian and TMP-Marian Monarch football teams as well as other fall sports will hold scrimmages Friday night. The Monarchs host the annual Blue and White Scrimmage at the TMP Field while the Indians will go at Lewis Field. Both get underway at six o’clock.
Both football teams open their seasons next Friday. You can again catch all of the Monarchs games on KAYS (1400-AM) and all of the Indians games on KFIX (96.9-FM).
One of the biggest issues that has risen in not only in high school football, but in all of football, is concussions. More and more evidence has been compiled showing how many players maybe and are suffering concussions during practice and games. Technology, in regards to the helmets, has become increasingly better and more coaches are realizing the need to teach better tackling fundamentals, all in an effort to reduce the number of concussions. But one thing that remains unchanged is the attitude towards concussions. Too many people regard any weakness during football as unmanly. While during the game of football you will have to play hurt, concussions are nothing to mess with. How many players have suffered even a mild concussion, but continued to play in fear of being removed from games?
I am one of those numbers. I suffered my first concussion right before second grade. Falling off a wheat truck, my head struck a tailgate and then a concrete floor. I spent several days in the hospital with a severe concussion under close observation. This concussion took away any possible way that any doctor would clear me to play the game of football that I so desperately wanted to try. That is until my senior year. Finally the same doctor that had refused to clear me relented and allowed me to play. Never could there have been a season come so slow. Summer drug on forever. On the first practice following our first game, I ran through a couple of tacklers landing forehead first on the ground. I noticed a few stars and it took me a while to get back to normal, but in no way was I going to tell anybody, let alone a coach, because nobody was going to pull me from this game I had begged for so long to play. Just a few days later in the second game of the season while attempting a tackle, the opponent dropped his head crashing his helment into mine. I don’t remember the following five to ten minutes. The first thing I remember is looking up at the sky and my jersey being cut off. Watching the video later, I had come off the field talked to coaches, half time started and as I made my way back to the locker room, I went to a knee, then to my back. It was another concussion and I was rushed off in the ambulance. Had I told a coach about my incident earlier in the week would it had changed anything? Well nobody can answer that question. Here is what I know.
Symptoms still linger to this day. Usually not noticeable, but still there.
The reason I share this story?
At some point people have to change their attitude towards head injuries in football. Not all the baseline tests and technology in the world will result in the changes that everybody wants to see.
Kids tell your coaches. Coaches take the time to listen. What is missing one day of practice or just missing one day of contact drills really mean in the big picture? I’ve been there. It doesn’t mean much.
Both the Hays High and TMP-Marian football teams took to the first for the first time yesterday. Hays High checked out equipment for 82 kids. Ryan Cornelsen begins his third year as the Indians coach after guiding the Indians to 7-2 records in each of his first two seasons. The Indians return six offensive and six defensive players and have four of five starters back on the offensive line. Also back is quarterback Austin Unrein who missed the last three games last year due to a knee injury.
TMP-Marian begins their second season under head coach Jon Borer who guided the Monarchs to a 2-7 record last year. The Monarchs return eight starters on both offense and defense from that team. Quarterback Nick Hammeke returns for his senior year after passing for a school record 1,599 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Hammeke broke his collerbone and missed the final game of the season.
Both teams start their season September 2nd.
Listen to Dustin Armbruster’s interview with HHS coach Ryan Cornelsen
Ryan Cornelson Preseason
Listen to Cole Reif’s visit with TMP-Marian coach Jon Borer
Jon Borer SOUND
Football equipment check out will soon start across the state of Kansas and time for coaches and media alike to start taking stock in their teams. Let us take a look around the Western Athletic Conference.
League Quickies: Only Hays High returns a starting quarterback but he was hurt for the final three games of the season. However, nearly every team returns a running back that either started or saw a considerable amount of playing time. The last two WAC crowns went to first year head coaches…Liberal has a first year head coach. Dodge City, Garden City and Great Bend made the playoffs last year.
Dodge City – The defending league champs have holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jared Helfrich graduated and signed with Fort Hays State University for both football and baseball. While there is little experience at whoever takes over the signal calling duties, Helfrich and the quarterback before him were each first year starters and turned into All-Conference caliber players. All-League football and basketball star Rico Hogan has reportedly transferred to Norman, OK. Dodge City went deep into the 6A playoffs and the experience has left them hungry under their second year head coach Dave Foster. Defensively the Red Demons should be strong once again, with most of the returning starters coming from this side of the ball.
Non-Conference Schedule: @ Wichita SE, Wichita NW, @ Wichita North
District: @ Goddard, Maize, @ Garden City
Garden City – Brian Hill settles in on his second year and has the unenviable task of replacing a three year starting quarterback. While several kids will likely have a shot at the starting role, the thing to remember is that Garden City was a very balanced attack last year, meaning that the new quarterback won’t be required to sling the ball all over the yard, allowing some time to get acquainted to the new position. Garden City starts with four of their five games on the road. None of those directly relate to making the playoffs, but with a good start on the road you would think a long stretch of home games towards the end of the season should set this team up well.
Non-Conference Schedule: @ Scott City, Woodward, OK, Wichita East
District: @ Maize, Goddard, Dodge City
Great Bend – Just like in Garden City, the Panther’s head coach has a tall task of finding a replacement for an all-star quarterback. Greg Hildebrand led the team in passing and rushing and took nearly every if not every snap last year. Hildebrand had a great career and does Great Bend have another gunslinger in the waiting? Bo Black in his 11th year is far and away the longest tenured coach in the conference and has found much success on his watch. That being said it is tough to assume that Great Bend wouldn’t be anything but on the cusp of another playoff berth or league title. In a league that seems to have many returning starting offensive lineman, Great Bend does have four of five back on the line. Great Bend has an open date in the second week of the season.
Non-Conference Schedule: @ St. Thomas Aquinas, @ Wichita Heights
District: @ Hays, Salina Central, @ Salina South
Hays – The Indians were left out of the playoffs last year due to the point tie breaker and haven’t made the playoffs since the mid 90’s. They are the only team with a quarterback that returns with starting experience but Austin Unrein was hurt for the final three games. Hays High also returns four of five on the offensive line. The defense for Hays will be mostly inexperienced when it comes to starting games however many of the kids played under the Friday Night lights late in blow out games and because of injuries.
Non-Conference Schedule: @ Chapman, Goddard, @ Wichita South
District: Great Bend, @ Salina South, Salina Central
Liberal – Cliff Abbott is the first year head coach for the Redskins. If history of the league repeats itself from the past two years, Liberal will win the WAC title. In 2009, Indian’s first year head coach Ryan Cornelson won the title then in 2010 Red Demon’s first year head coach Dave Foster did the same. The first thing to do in Liberal is find a new person to take snaps after multi-year starter Slader McVey graduated and somebody to catch that ball after Jade Cathey graduated and headed off for K-State. Liberal has plenty of returners to work with eight on each side of the ball.
Non-Conference Schedule: @ Ulysses, Guymon, OK
Bishop Carroll, @ Hutchinson, @ Wichita West
TMP-Marian head track coach Matt Dumler has been named the 3A Girls’ Coach of the Year for the 2011 Track and Field season by the Kansas Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association.
Dumler helped guide the Monarch girls to a runner-up finish at this spring’s 3A State Track and Field Championships in Wichita.
Dumler will be presented his award at the group’s annual clinic January 8th in Junction City.
Hays High’s Katelyn Schumacher and Makenzie Flaska have both been named to the first-team of the 5A All-State softball team. Flaska as an infielder and Schumacher as a utility player.
Schumacher, a sophomore, hit .486 and as a pitcher, led the Indians with 15 wins including one at the state tournament. Flaska, a junior, hit .432 and led the squad in home runs and RBI’s.
24 of the best 8-Man football players from Kansas will be taking on 24 of the best from Nebraska in the fourth annual Kansas/Nebraska 8-Man All-Star Challenge Saturday night at Lewis Field.
Seven area players will participate including two from Hill City’s state runner-up team. Reggie Jordan and Tyler Bess are joined by Ringneck coach Chris Shank will be an assistant on the Kansas squad.
Other area players include Dylan Kuhn from Victoria, Sam Leighton from Quinter, Jakob DeMars & Ben Webb from Osborne and Mike Hlavaty from Otis-Bison.
Nebraska has won the last two games and leads the series 2-1.
Saturday night’s game kicks off at 7pm. You can hear it on KKQY (101.9-FM). A live video stream will also be available here on www.hayspost.com.
N-F-L Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, nicknamed the “Kansas Comet,” was best known for his breakaway speed as a running back for the Chicago Bears. The 1965 NFL Rookie of the Year was in Hays Wednesday night to spread his “open field” message to the high school football players of the Kansas-Nebraska 8- man All-Star squads.
The fourth annual Kansas-Nebraska 8-man All-Star game is Saturday night at 7 in Hays’ Lewis Field Stadium. One member of the Kansas all-star squad is Victoria High School’s Dillon Kuhn.
Sayers is back at his alma mater. The former Kansas University football standout was named KU’s director of fundraising for special projects in late 2009. Sayers was a two-time All-America running back selection at KU in 1963 and ’64.
Watch his message tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.
The Kansas Shrine Bowl returns to Hays July 30th , the third time in its 38 year history, according to Executive Director Dave Mize. The state’s premier high school football all-star game will be played at FHSU Lewis Field. Hays High’s Casey Sedbrook will play for the West Team. The two previous Shrine Bowl games in Hays were 10 years apart, in 1997 and 2007.
Other activities will include band and cheerleading camps conducted the week before the game. On game day, a pro-style high school combine will be conducted. The day also features the traditional Shrine Bowl Parade through downtown Hays. Just before the game kickoff, two road races will be held as an additional fundraiser.
The 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children provide pediatric specialty care, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
TMP-Marian’s Nathan Zimmerman will play in today’s Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-Star game at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan. Zimmerman was a first-team All-Class 3A selection as a pitcher this season, going 8-2 for the Monarchs.
Trey Herman’s classroom days are over at Hays High, but the senior returned to the cafeteria on Friday to sign his letter of intent to golf at Fort Hays State University. Though contacted by a few different schools, Herman always knew he wanted to attend Fort Hays State and golf gave him an opportunity to have part of his education paid for. After considering other options, Herman decided that the Tigers would still be the best fit for him.
Heading into the state golf tournament at Newton on Monday, Herman is on pace to break the Senior Year Stroke Average Record of 75 set by Doug Lowen. Herman has shot an average of 74.2 this season including three consecutive tournaments under par. Herman also is also on pace, along with teammate Nick VonLintel, to break the Career Stroke Average set by Wes Simoneau at 77.41. Currently VonLintel is at 76.8 and Herman sits at 77.2. Three times Herman has won the regional tournament heading into state, including a 69 at Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays on Monday. That 69 tied his career low that was set at the Valley Center Invitation held in Newton, on the same course Hays High will compete on for state on Monday.
