Generally the top two or three teams in any classification will find the names of their head coach thrown around for coach of the year consideration, and in nearly all cases, rightfully so, but sometimes, coaches whose teams finish with a less than spectacular record don't get the credit they deserve for exceptional coaching across the course of a complete season.
Last week we looked at several coaches in the large classes whose team's tallied impressive performances in 2011. This week let's take a look at some of the small classes most noteworthy coaching performances.
3A
Sedgwick
One of our readers sent us an e-mail applauding the efforts of Sedgwick coach Jeff Werner, and it really shed some light on one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent Kansas high school football history. According to the reader submission, prior to Werner taking over six years ago, Sedgwick had never won an 11-man playoff game and finished with 15 losing seasons in a row. After a 3-7 start to his Sedgwick career in 2006 the Cardinals have since posted five consecutive winning seasons including a 10-1 finish in 2011 highlighted by a district championship in arguably the state's toughest district. Sedgwick, Garden Plain, Halstead and Hutch-Trinity entered district play a combined 23-1 and the Cardinals, led by senior dual-threat QB Trent Stucky, emerged undefeated in district play and on the regular season. The Cardinals 10-1 season ended in the second round of the playoffs with a loss to eventual champion Conway Springs.
Silver Lake
While Silver Lake coach CJ Hamilton broke the state record for career coaching wins this season, it's even more impressive that he did it with this team. Yes, Silver Lake is one of those teams that expects to win annually - they've played in seven of the last eight 3A state championships - but graduation decimated the Eagles who returned only one starter on offense and two on defense from their impressive 2010 state championship squad. The Eagles went 12-2 in 2011, losing by one-point to defending 4A champ Louisburg in week four and struggling in a 49-7 state championship loss to Conway Springs, who avenged their loss to Silver Lake from last year's championship. Along the way Silver Lake showed impressive resiliency winning consecutive games against tough Mid-East League rivals Rock Creek, Riley County and Rossville, winning each game by 10 points or less, including the 20-18 win over arch-rival Rossville in the district opener.
2A
Doniphan West
Nick Fuemmeler erased the memory of a 4-23 record in three seasons (2007-09) as the head coach at Herington when he led the Doniphan West Mustangs to a 9-2 finish in 2011 in just his first year as the head coach. Add the fact West opened fall practice with only 17 players, and the performance could be considered one of the best in recent history. The Mustangs posted an impressive mid-season win over eventual district two champion Riverside and a thrilling last second victory over perennial 2A power St. Marys in the playoff opener. St. Marys had the ball with less than a minute in the game with the score tied at 26 but Doniphan West forced a turnover and scored three plays later to win the game. Fuemmeler's freshman quarterback Tristan Speer was 20 of 33 passing for 291 yards and four touchdowns in the win over the Bears including a 40-yard Hail Mary to senior Marc Ellis to win the game as time expired. Fuemmeler served one season as an assistant under veteran coach Mark Martin, a legendary eight-man coach at Midway-Denton who later inherited the Doniphan West program when M-D and Highland consolidated.
LaCrosse
Bill Keeley and Ryan Cornelsen built the LaCrosse football program into one of class 2A's elite over the last decade, but it was third year head coach Jon Webster who finally propelled the Leopards into a 2A championship game last fall, and while LaCrosse fell just short of a title in a heartbreaking overtime loss to Centralia, Webster's coaching job deserves praise. On our weekly Kansas Pregame Radio Show I questioned LaCrosse's ability to make a deep playoff run after playing a weak regular season schedule, but the experience and leadership of a quality senior class and Webster's guidance helped the Leopards navigate a brutal postseason schedule that included upending the top-ranked defending state champion Meade Buffaloes and winning a rematch with district runner-up Plainville in which the Leopards again beat the Cardinals by a single touchdown handing them their only two losses of the season. Along the way the Leopards broke the state record for interceptions with 34 and had three players rush for over 825 yards. And the Leopards don't appear headed toward mediocrity anytime soon with several key players back for 2012 including two of 2A's top players - Kip Keeley and Levi Morss.
Next week will take a look at some noteworthy 8-Man performances of 2011.
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