I meant to do this at the halfway point, but work got in the way. Better late than never I suppose. The NFL season is 10 weeks in and we are starting to get a clearer picture of the contenders and, in some cases, the pretenders. So with that being said, I'm going to hand out some awards.
Most Disappointing Team: Many people will say the Browns, but that's because we (including myself) were stupid enough to believe the Browns were going to quit being the Browns when in reality, they still had flaws and have played the league's toughest schedule. I'm giving this honor to the Chicago Bears. Their defense has still been really good, but their offense has been putrid and the result has been a current 4-5 record. I know they beat Detroit yesterday, but what about that game makes you think they got their problems fixed?
Most Surprising Team: The popular pick would be the 49ers, but I've been on high them, not 8-0 high, but still high. In my opinion, the most surprising team to me has been their Bay Area rival. Jon Gruden is not a great coach, but Mike Mayock has shown he can build a team and Josh Jacobs is a grown man. They've compiled a 5-4 record with the league's second-toughest schedule and have a legit shot of making the playoffs and perhaps winning the AFC West.
Most Disappointing Player: This honor does go to the Browns. I was high on Baker Mayfield to begin this season and I still think it would be silly to pull the plug on him or consider him a bust. But he's struggled this season with 9 touchdowns and 12 picks. It's not uncommon for QB's to come out of sophomore slumps. Cam Newton was not good his second year, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees also weren't putting up MVP numbers in year two. But, the hype around Mayfield coming into this season has not been lived up to.
Most Surprising Player: Aaron Jones was the 19th running back selected in a talented 2017 draft class that includes Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffery, Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt and James Conner. Jones has been the complementary back that I can't recall Aaron Rodgers has ever had. He's rumbled to the tune of 11 touchdowns and has a pair of 3+ rushing touchdown performances to his name. A Packer team with one of the league's best QB's and a homerun hitting runner is terrifying come postseason.
The Coach Most Likely to Be Fired Next: It's been completely downhill for Dan Quinn and the Falcons since they butchered a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51. I know they beat the Saints yesterday, but let's not pretend one game will save Quinn's job. The Falcons have a former MVP QB and one of the league's top receivers, 2-7 is not ideal.
The Best Game: This one is tough because I have not watched nearly the amount of football that I usually watch. It could come tonight when Seattle plays San Francisco. I really don't want to get caught up in the "it just happened" syndrome, so I will bypass saying Panthers/Packers or Chiefs/Titans even though they might be the top two. I'm going to say Packers/Chiefs from two weeks ago because everyone thought they were getting Patrick Mahomes vs. Aaron Rodgers, but instead got Aaron Rodgers vs. Matt Moore. Moore went toe-to-toe with Rodgers, but Green Bay grinded out the 31-24 victory in a game that felt like a heavyweight fight.
The Most Exciting Upcoming Game: Whether you like it or not, it's got to be Chiefs/Patriots on December 8th. The two teams played TWO instant classics last season. The Chiefs are 6-4 behind a laundry-list amount of injuries and finding new ways to lose. Meanwhile, the Patriots have rode the 3rd easiest schedule to a 8-1 record, but got exposed by Baltimore last week. Let's not get carried away though, this is New England's conference until it isn't and this game could be a statement or a changing of the guard. Not sure which, but it will likely be one.
MVP: I think there's three obvious candidates and would be four if Patrick Mahomes hadn't missed two games. I'm going with Russell Wilson over Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson and Christian McCaffery. I'll eat my crow and admit I've been wrong on Jackson, but Wilson has been lights out this season, too. Wilson only sits ninth in passing yards, but that's the most overrated QB statistic there is. What is not overrated from Wilson is his 22-to-1 touchdown-interception ratio. That's absurd. He also has the league's best QB rating. Wilson has also led the Seahawks to a record of 7-2 despite having the 27th most efficient defense.
Defensive Player of The Year: At first, I was a bit skeptical of the Steelers surrendering a first round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick when it looked they could be in the market for a QB next year. They still could be, but Fitzpatrick has been worth the trade and then some so far. Fitzpatrick has five interceptions, two forced fumbles and to touchdowns since coming to Pittsburgh. He's guided a Steelers defense that is making up for it's beat up and inefficient offense with one of the league's most efficient defenses. I also think Nick Bosa, TJ Watt and Chandler Jones should be considered in play for DPOY.
Coach of The Year: It's Kyle Shanahan hands down. The offensive guru has quietly taken the 49ers to 8-0. The 49ers are currently the most efficient team in the NFL and it's really not that close. Their offense has been Alex Smith-esque, but productive, while their defense has been salty. I think you also have to consider Mike Tomlin because he's been without two of his superstars. Ron Rivera has hardly missed a beat with Kyle Allen, Matt LaFleur already appears more competent than Mike McCarthy ever was and Jon Gruden has the Raiders above .500, but this honor is Shanahan's to lose.
Offensive Rookie of The Year: Josh Jacobs is a grown man. He has been exactly what the Raiders and Derek Carr needed. The rookie from Alabama has pounded the pumpkin to 811 yards and seven scores. He's done so behind the league's most expensive offensive line, but still, it's great numbers, especially for a rookie. Redskins WR Terry McLaurin has also been really good, but he's on a bad team.
Defensive Rookie of The Year: Remember when people were actually dumb enough to think Nick Bosa sitting out at Ohio State last season would impact his NFL career? Well, it didn't. The second overall pick has been a monster for the 8-0 49ers, tallying 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble. Devin Bush also has a case for DROY, but I'm giving it to the better Bosa.
Predicted AFC Playoff Teams: Patriots, Chiefs, Ravens, Texans, Bills, Steelers
I think the Patriots, Chiefs, Ravens and Texans are essential locks to make the playoffs. The battle for the last two spots goes between the Bills, Steelers, Titans, Chargers, Raiders, Colts and perhaps even the Browns, whose schedule gets easier. Pittsburgh is improving and has a generous schedule. I also trust the Bills to grind out wins in ugly fashion more than I trust Ryan Tannehill, Phillip Rivers, Jon Gruden, Brian Hoyer and Baker Mayfield.
Predicted NFC Playoff Teams: Packers, 49ers, Saints, Cowboys, Vikings, Seahawks.
The NFC is way more competitive. I think the Rams, Panthers and Eagles could be playoff teams, but they've struggled to stay consistent and that will keep them out the playoffs.
AFC Championship Game: Patriots over Chiefs
This might not be the popular pick, but hear me out. The Chiefs are 6-4, but have lost those four games by a combined 23 points and have been ravaged by injuries. I firmly believe the Chiefs at their peak, along with the Texans, Colts, Ravens and maybe the Steelers are better than New England. Now I know somebody is going to ignorantly say "But Trevor, the Ravens handled the Patriots a few weeks ago,". Which, they did, but we've seen this before. The Patriots are my pick to win the AFC until they don't.
NFC Championship Game: Packers over Saints
Now I've been bragging on the 49ers, but I think they're still a year away. Instead, we finally get the Aaron Rodgers vs. Drew Brees NFC Title Game we all deserve. Don't let the Saints loss to the Falcons force you to take a trip to Ignoranceville. Losses like that happen in the NFL. The Saints are fine. I yearn for this matchup and hope it happens. Give me the Packers to win fair and square and give the Saints fan nothing to complain about. Although, it would be funny if they lost the NFC Championship Game on a pass interference call against them. Maybe I am just a bad person.
Super Bowl 54: Packers over Patriots
The NFL's 100th season concludes with two of the greatest QB's to ever play the game. Aaron Rodgers has yet to capture his second ring, but this could be his best chance. I'll also take whatever the over would be on ridiculously soft roughing-the-passer calls in this game.
Monday, November 11, 2019
A ranking of which tracks should host the NASCAR Championship race.
Thanks to a massive, and for the most part, awesome overhaul of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the championship race will be at ISM Raceway in Phoenix rather than Homestead, which has hosted the championship race since 2002. I am all for NASCAR rotating where the championship race is held. Personally, I am in favor of NASCAR having tracks bid on hosting the championship race much like the NFL does with the Super Bowl. This would bring a newfound energy to some tracks and could produce some exciting racing, which is the goal, after-all.
After watching yesterday's race at Phoenix, it's completely understandable to be skeptical about how entertaining the 2020 championship race will be. A lot of the entertainment could fall on if NASCAR does anything to the current rule changes, such as perhaps taking off the spoiler or lowering the downforce on short tracks, but that's an argument for another day.
There are 23 tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit and none of them are identical to each other. Sure, there are some similarities to each other, but each track is unique in its' own way. Remember my proposal for NASCAR to rotate the championship race yearly? Unfortunately, I don't think every track would put on a great show for the fans and that's what it's about. So, I thought it would be neat to rank the tracks 1 through 23 in terms of which tracks I would find the most intriguing as a championship race and which tracks I would find the least. For the sake of this, I am conducting this ranking under the 2019 aero package and am paying no attention to the potential weather problems that could arise in November. Let's begin.
#24 Sonoma: I enjoy road course racing as much as anybody, but this year, the top three finishers at Sonoma were separated by 30 seconds. The course is too technical and typically does not yield great racing.
#23 Indy: This is one of my least favorite races on the circuit. It has failed to garner much excitement in year's past and should have never been the regular season finale. I'm not sure how you make this race exciting.
#22 Pocono: I enjoy Pocono more than others, but aside from the thought of running Pocono in November in a potential snowstorm, nothing about Pocono screams exciting championship race.
#21 Michigan: The aero package was designed to make tracks like Michigan more exciting, the June race was a snoozer and the August race was OK thanks to fuel mileage playing a factor.
#20 Fontana: See Michigan, the restarts might be crazy, but that could be the only exciting part.
#19 Phoenix: This is what we have to look forward to next year.
#18 Dover: I didn't think the October race was as bad as many people, but the June race was not good. A softer tire could make this race intriguing.
#17 Las Vegas: This track has two races for some reason. It's a stereotypical cookie cutter track. Not great, but not terrible, so not championship worthy.
#16 Texas: Texas is not a good track. We saw this last week when Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin crashed. It's probably time to repave Texas, but seeing championship contenders battle a terrible track could be intriguing, too.
#15 Richmond: I love short track racing, but Richmond always has the possibility of a driver flat-out dominating.
#14 Martinsville: Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex. Jr combined to lead 910 of 1000 possible laps in two races this season. Part of this could be because of the giant spoilers and high downforce, but that's not changing and Martinsville might not be entertaining until it does.
#13 Watkins Glen: I like Watkins Glen more than most. It usually shapes up to be an entertaining race where strategies play a factor. Might not be a great title race, but would anything below it be either?
#12 Atlanta: The championship track until 2002, Atlanta has really been the only track this year where tires have played a factor. That could be exciting.
#11 New Hampshire: Completely throwing out the fact that it's New Hampshire in November, I like this track and it's kind of a short track, or at least sometimes races like one.
#10 Charlotte: If the All-Star Race is any indication, a championship race at Charlotte could dish out some exciting racing.
#9 Kentucky: The July race was extremely exciting. The 2019 package has benefited tracks like Kentucky.
#8 Chicago: See Kentucky, this track put on a great race. Although, it could have been because it was hot, rained and then cooled down.
#7 Homestead: For some reason, Homestead has been darn near perfect for a championship race. I would be fine if stayed there, but there's six other tracks I'd like to see more.
#6 Charlotte Roval: We've seen two races from the Roval and both have been exciting. It's served high drama as a cutoff race, so could it do the same as a championship race?
#5 Darlington: How about a throwback and championship weekend? That would be awesome.
#4 Talladega: Please save me the garbage take about how the big one could affect a championship. It already does, so your point is moot. It would be exciting to watch the championship contenders try to avoid the big ones.
#3 Kansas: This is undoubtedly the most exciting 1.5 mile track. It put on good shows in both 2019 races and the restarts were ridiculous. Not to mention, a championship in Kansas City would be awesome for once.
#2 Bristol: If you wouldn't be cool with seeing some hard racing and maybe a bump-and-run for the championship, then maybe you shouldn't watch NASCAR. Just the thought of tempers flaring in a championship race has me excited.
#1 Daytona: The season starts at Daytona, so why not finish it there? It would be a perfect way to bookend the season and would put on an exciting race. Again, the big one could happen, but you can't argue that it wouldn't be exciting, because it would be.
After watching yesterday's race at Phoenix, it's completely understandable to be skeptical about how entertaining the 2020 championship race will be. A lot of the entertainment could fall on if NASCAR does anything to the current rule changes, such as perhaps taking off the spoiler or lowering the downforce on short tracks, but that's an argument for another day.
There are 23 tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit and none of them are identical to each other. Sure, there are some similarities to each other, but each track is unique in its' own way. Remember my proposal for NASCAR to rotate the championship race yearly? Unfortunately, I don't think every track would put on a great show for the fans and that's what it's about. So, I thought it would be neat to rank the tracks 1 through 23 in terms of which tracks I would find the most intriguing as a championship race and which tracks I would find the least. For the sake of this, I am conducting this ranking under the 2019 aero package and am paying no attention to the potential weather problems that could arise in November. Let's begin.
#24 Sonoma: I enjoy road course racing as much as anybody, but this year, the top three finishers at Sonoma were separated by 30 seconds. The course is too technical and typically does not yield great racing.
#23 Indy: This is one of my least favorite races on the circuit. It has failed to garner much excitement in year's past and should have never been the regular season finale. I'm not sure how you make this race exciting.
#22 Pocono: I enjoy Pocono more than others, but aside from the thought of running Pocono in November in a potential snowstorm, nothing about Pocono screams exciting championship race.
#21 Michigan: The aero package was designed to make tracks like Michigan more exciting, the June race was a snoozer and the August race was OK thanks to fuel mileage playing a factor.
#20 Fontana: See Michigan, the restarts might be crazy, but that could be the only exciting part.
#19 Phoenix: This is what we have to look forward to next year.
#18 Dover: I didn't think the October race was as bad as many people, but the June race was not good. A softer tire could make this race intriguing.
#17 Las Vegas: This track has two races for some reason. It's a stereotypical cookie cutter track. Not great, but not terrible, so not championship worthy.
#16 Texas: Texas is not a good track. We saw this last week when Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin crashed. It's probably time to repave Texas, but seeing championship contenders battle a terrible track could be intriguing, too.
#15 Richmond: I love short track racing, but Richmond always has the possibility of a driver flat-out dominating.
#14 Martinsville: Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex. Jr combined to lead 910 of 1000 possible laps in two races this season. Part of this could be because of the giant spoilers and high downforce, but that's not changing and Martinsville might not be entertaining until it does.
#13 Watkins Glen: I like Watkins Glen more than most. It usually shapes up to be an entertaining race where strategies play a factor. Might not be a great title race, but would anything below it be either?
#12 Atlanta: The championship track until 2002, Atlanta has really been the only track this year where tires have played a factor. That could be exciting.
#11 New Hampshire: Completely throwing out the fact that it's New Hampshire in November, I like this track and it's kind of a short track, or at least sometimes races like one.
#10 Charlotte: If the All-Star Race is any indication, a championship race at Charlotte could dish out some exciting racing.
#9 Kentucky: The July race was extremely exciting. The 2019 package has benefited tracks like Kentucky.
#8 Chicago: See Kentucky, this track put on a great race. Although, it could have been because it was hot, rained and then cooled down.
#7 Homestead: For some reason, Homestead has been darn near perfect for a championship race. I would be fine if stayed there, but there's six other tracks I'd like to see more.
#6 Charlotte Roval: We've seen two races from the Roval and both have been exciting. It's served high drama as a cutoff race, so could it do the same as a championship race?
#5 Darlington: How about a throwback and championship weekend? That would be awesome.
#4 Talladega: Please save me the garbage take about how the big one could affect a championship. It already does, so your point is moot. It would be exciting to watch the championship contenders try to avoid the big ones.
#3 Kansas: This is undoubtedly the most exciting 1.5 mile track. It put on good shows in both 2019 races and the restarts were ridiculous. Not to mention, a championship in Kansas City would be awesome for once.
#2 Bristol: If you wouldn't be cool with seeing some hard racing and maybe a bump-and-run for the championship, then maybe you shouldn't watch NASCAR. Just the thought of tempers flaring in a championship race has me excited.
#1 Daytona: The season starts at Daytona, so why not finish it there? It would be a perfect way to bookend the season and would put on an exciting race. Again, the big one could happen, but you can't argue that it wouldn't be exciting, because it would be.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
My Professional Portfolio
Email: trevmaeder@gmail.com
I have had the opportunity to cover multiple events over the past few years on different platforms. My experience in the industry include working for KZLX Radio, the Northwest Missouri State University's student station from 2016-2019, where I served as sports director for a year. I have also been employed by KMA since 2016 and have covered a variety of high school sports. My experiences have required me to do multiple things such as game tweets, live play-by-play, post-game stories, game previews, coach interviews and player interviews. My portfolio consists of portions of my audio work, links to many of my game stories and a view of some of my work on social media.
Links to my written work
Audio Work
1. The fourth quarter of a wild basketball contest between Atlantic and Treynor2. A game preview with Glenwood Football Coach Cory Faust
3. The first two quarters of my call of a Class 3A Iowa high school football playoff contest between Glenwood and Norwalk
4. Jacob Blair and I covered this year's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway as part of NASCAR's College Media Program. Here is a link to one of the podcasts we recorded, that includes interviews with many drivers
5. A highlight package from my 2018 call of the Northwest Missouri State/University of Nebraska-Kearney football contest
6. A highlight package from my call of the 2018 football contest between Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Southern.
7. This is one of my favorite interviews I've ever conducted, a state cross country preview with Doug Muehlig, the long time coach at Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson High School.
Social Media
I believe in having a strong presence in social media and promoting my employer's brand in the best way possible, so here is a look at some of my social media work from events I've covered.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Craziness in Kansas: Brandon Jones survives craziness for his first career Xfinity win
(KANSAS CITY, KS) -- It took him 134 races, but Brandon Jones made sure that his first career Xfinity win came in a fashion that fans will remember for a long time. The 22-year old Atlanta native survived the craziness and snagged the victory in Saturday's frantic Hollywood Casino 300 at Kansas Speedway, becoming the races' third consecutive first time winner.
"I've been a winner in a lot of different series, but this is the biggest one I've ever had. This is huge," Jones said of his victory.
This race had everything.
A surprise first-time winner, championship contenders plagued by misfortune, an unfortunate wreck involving the leaders and a lapped car, and a pit-road fight.
Jones took the lead from Cole Custer with 10 laps remaining, then had to hold off the field on a restart with five laps remaining. Jones stayed poised despite having never been in that situation
"I had confidence that if he got in clean air, he was going to be really solid at the end," said Jones' crew chief, Jeff Meendering. "We had really good speed most of that race even when we were back in traffic," Meendering added.
Jones' car definitely showed speed, more-so on shorter runs. However, the majority of the race belonged to Jones' teammate, Christopher Bell and Cole Custer. Bell, the pole sitter dominated stage one, leading all 45 laps and picking up another playoff point. Custer took the lead from Bell in stage two and won the second stage.
A long run ensued during stage three, allowing Custer to show the speed that he's had on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
Then things got weird.
Michael Annett ended the long-run when he got into the wall with 50 to go. Briscoe took advantage of Custer's miscues on the restart and grabbed the lead. John Hunter Nemechek spun out with 37 to go, bringing out another caution. Annett stayed out and assumed the lead, but was quickly overtaken by Briscoe. Bell methodically reeled Briscoe in as the laps wound down.
While battling for the lead, Bell and Briscoe both attempted to clear the lapped car of Garrett Smithley. However, Smithley made contact with Briscoe and collected Bell as well. The accident effectively ended Bells' chances of winning, ended Smithley's day and caused severe damage to Briscoes' machine.
Smithley's accident comes weeks after a highly criticized incident in the Cup Series, where Smithley made contact with Kyle Busch at Las Vegas.
"We were on like 70 lap tires, just riding," Smithley said, "I hate it. It was a big mistake, but we'll move on from it. He (his spotter) said he said something, but I didn't get the memo," Smithley added.
"It's frustrating," Briscoe said, "We're literally racing for our lives trying to win a championship."
Tyler Reddick capped off his entertaining day with second place, but a cut on his forehead due to a post-race altercation with Custer due to an on-track disagreement. The altercation also consisted of multiple crew members.
"I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed in his crew members not letting us handle it ourselves. It's just between me and him and that's the way it should have been," Reddick said.
Custer's topsy-turvy day concluded with an 11th place finish despite leading a race-high 85 laps.
Briscoe and Annett rebounded to finish third and fourth respectively, Justin Allgaier, the only playoff driver who did not have troubles, finished fifth. Jeremy Clements, Justin Haley, Nemechek, Ryan Seig and Ross Chastain rounded out the top ten.
Playoff driver Noah Gragson finished 13th. Bell led 69 laps, but finished the day in 14th following his accident with Smithley.
Austin Cindric, who came in fourth in points, found himself in an early race incident with Harrison Burton that caused significant damage. Cindric also battled tire problems throughout the day and finished 25th.
The Round of 8 will resume in two weeks at Texas Motor Speedway. Bell comes into the race as the points leader, 49 points above the cutline. Custer is second, 38 above the cut. Reddick still has a 37-point buffer and Allgaier holds a two-point margin over Briscoe for the final transfer spot. Annett, Gragson and Cindric are currently on the outside-looking-in by 12, 17 and 30 points respectively.
Results: 1. Brandon Jones, 2. Tyler Reddick, 3. Chase Briscoe, 4. Michael Annett, 5. Justin Allgaier, 6. Jeremy Clements, 7. Justin Haley, 8. John Hunter Nemechek, 9. Ryan Seig, 10. Ross Chastain, 11. Cole Custer, 12. Chrsitopher Bell, 13. Noah Gragson, 14. Ray Black II, 15. Alex Labbe, 16. Dillon Bassett, 17. Gray Gaulding, 18. Brandon Brown, 19. BJ McLeod, 20. Matt Mills, 21. Josh Williams, 22. Kyle Weatherman, 23. David Starr, 24. CJ McLaughlin, 25. Austin Cindric, 26. Chad Finchum, 27. Stephen Leicht, 28. Tyler Matthews, 29. Josh Bilicki, 30. Vinnie Miller, 31. Bobby Earnhardt, 32. Joey Gase, 33. Garrett Smithley, 34. Harrison Burton, 35. Bayley Curry, 36. Landon Cassill, 37. JJ Yeley, 38. Ryan Truex.
Kansas Lottery 300: Playing the playoff lottery
(Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia)
It's fitting that this race is named the Kansas Lottery 300. The lottery benefits those who gamble. Gamble too much and it will hurt you. Gamble just right and the payoff could be huge. Will that happen in Saturday's Xfinity race, which will serve as the first of three races in the Round of 8? Time will tell. Win today and you're racing championship while also having two weeks to prepare your car for the grand finale at Homestead. Struggle today and you're playing catchup. I cannot overstate how important today's race is and perhaps most importantly, the start of today's race.Lap 1 of last year's race was crazy and saw championship contenders Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell and Austin Cindric get caught up in an accident that ruined their days while John Hunter Nemechek went onto claim his first Xfinity Series victory. So what will the first lap look like?
"I think early in the race you want to try to make sure you can make it to the end," Custer said.
Last year, both Custer and Bell were put behind the eight-ball after Kansas and had to peel off respective wins at Texas and Phoenix. This year, two-thirds of the Xfinity Series "Big Three" come into today with near-full race worth cushions, but as they learned last year, that can change in a hurry.
"We have a really good buffer," said Custer, who comes in with a 36-point buffer, "At the same time, anything can happen."
So how aggressive will these playoff drivers be? That could depend on the situation. Custer sits +36, so he might not be overly aggressive and he might not need to thanks his recent speed on 1.5 mile tracks.
But how aggressive will Tyler Reddick be? The defending Xfinity champion comes in to Saturday with a 30 point cushion, but anybody who has watched Reddick knows that being conservative is not his forte.
"Instead of being 130 percent aggressive, I think I'll just be 100 percent aggressive," Reddick said.
While Reddick, Bell and Custer come into Kansas with the mindset of just not letting anything bad happen, five other drivers will be scratching and clawing for every single position. Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Chase Briscoe, Michael Annett and Noah Gragson will begin this round with just 12 points separating them. If the "Big Three" do what they've done all year, that leaves room for just one of the aforementioned six.
So which one of those five drivers could be the one to watch to at Kansas?
Keep an eye on Chase Briscoe, who begins the Round of 8 four points below the cutline. The Stewart-Haas driver claimed a victory earlier this season at Iowa, a track, like Kansas, grip and tire wear usually plays a large factor. Briscoe, a dirt racer at heart, is keen to drive the cushion and attempt to make the topside work and Kansas tends to reward those who make the top side work.
"It's one of the places that moves around a lot, which is kind of my style. It's always a good racetrack because you have options and you can throw slidejobs here," Briscoe said.
Don't discount some of the non-championship contenders either such as Nemechek, Harrison Burton or Ross Chastain. Nemechek won last year's race and Chastain won the truck race at Kansas in May, so both know how to win in the Sunflower State.
Who will learn how to win here today?
The green flag for the Kansas Lottery will drop shortly after 2 p.m on NBC.
Xfinity Round of 8 Playoff Standings
1. 20 Christopher Bell 3062 (+48)
2. 00 Cole Custer 3050 (+36)
3. 2 Tyler Reddick 3044 (+30)
4. 22 Austin Cindric 3017 (+3)
5. 7 Justin Allgaier (-3)
6. 98 Chase Briscoe (-4)
7. 1 Michael Annett (-8)
8. 9 Noah Gragson (-12)
Friday, October 18, 2019
Worst to First: Eckes overcome woes, claims ARCA title
(KANSAS CITY, KS) -- When Christian Eckes finally emerged from the confetti showered upon him, he emerged an ARCA champion. Eckes, the youngest series champion at just 18 years, 11 months and 8 days overcame a veterans' heap of adversity to claimehe 2019 ARCA Menards Series title with a second half surge in Friday night's ARCA Kansas 150 to win the race and edge teammate Michael Self by 25 points.
Missing a race earlier due to an illness? No problem for Eckes. Moving to the back of the field because of a post-qualifying engine change? That didn't phase him either.
"It's been a dream year," Eckes said, "We've been through some highs and some lows, but today has definitely been a high.
While Eckes wasted little time cracking the top ten, Self dominated the first portion of the race, collecting five bonus points. A Drew Dollar caution on lap 40 erased Self's lead, but a stellar pit stop put Self in front of Eckes' on the restart. Self once again checked out, only to have his lead erased, again, when Tim Richmond spun on lap 52.
Eckes' learned from his mistake on the previous restart and took the lead from Self with under 40 to go and never looked back en route to the title.
"I tried something different there at the first restart and it did not work at all. The second restart, I got through the gears really good, took the lead and never looked back," Eckes said.
Self settled for second, Ty Majeski finished third. Brett Holmes and Travis Braden also notched top five finishes. Tanner Gray, Drew Dollar, Hailie Deegan, Joe Graf. Jr and Gus Dean rounded out the top ten.
Self finishes his 2019 season just shy of his ultimate goal, but did compile four wins, 14 top fives and 15 top tens. Self hinted during his Friday afternoon media availability that his 2020 plans were up in the air.
"I have a ton of respect for him and I really he races next year. He's a great driver," Eckes said of Self.
Eckes' finishes his championship campaign with four wins, 13 top-fives and 17 top tens. He also finished the season on a stretch of seven consecutive top-two finishes. Eckes' looks to be on the shorthand of candidates to replace Harrison Burton in Kyle Busch Motorsports' #18 Gander Outdoor Truck Series entry.
"I've got a couple things in the works, but nothing solidified yet. Hopefully this kind of helps that out a little bit, but you never know," Eckes said.
Results: 1. Christian Eckes, 2. Michael Self. 3. Ty Majeski, 4. Bret Holmes, 5. Travis Braden, 6. Tanner Gray, 7. Drew Dollar, 8. Hailie Deegan, 9. Joe Graf. Jr, 10. Gus Dean, 11. Sheldon Creed, 12. Harrison Burton, 13. Carson Ware, 14. Scott Melton, 15. Ed Pompa, 16. Riley Herbst, 17. Tim Richmond, 18. Eric Caudell, 19. Tommy Vigh. Jr. 20. Brad Smith, 21. Dick Doheny, 22 Wayne Peterson
Previewing the ARCA Championship Race at Kansas
The final race of the ARCA Menards' Series as we know it will happen tonight. No, the series is not folding, but the combination/consolidation of the ARCA and K&N Series' will change the layout of the ARCA Series. The series will focus more on tracks such as Bristol, Phoenix and Mid-Ohio. But let's not worry about what will happen in 2020. 2019 has to finish first and things are lining up for it to be an epic finish.
The 2019 ARCA season has been interesting one to say the least. Only five drivers have competed in all 19 races leading into Kansas and those five drivers have combined for just four wins. Granted, Christian Eckes, who has three wins, would have also been in that group had he not missed the race at Salem with an illness. The 2019 ARCA campaign also featured a youth movement of sorts. Seven ARCA races have been won this season by drivers under the age of 18. 17-year rising star Chandler Smith claimed five of those and the other two came from a then 16-year old Ty Gibbs, grandson of Joe. Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland and Ty Majeski also found spurts of success during their sporadic ARCA attempts. But, for the most the part, the 2019 season has belonged to two full-time drivers; Eckes and Michael Self.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP DUEL
(Photo Courtesy of arcaracing.com)
Eckes, the points leader made up for lost time after missing Salem and peeled off three wins and five second-place finishes. Perhaps the most impressive part of Eckes' season is recent his recent spurt of six consecutive top-two finishes. Eckes trailed Self in points the entire year, but overtook the points lead with a runner-up finish two weeks ago at Lucas Oil, taking a 15-point lead over Self heading into the championship race at Kansas. Eckes, 18, is a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) driver who has six starts in the Kyle Busch Motorsports' #51 truck with moderate success should be on a short list of drivers to move into the open KBM truck left by Harrison Burton's move to the Xfinity Series.
(Photo Courtesy of arcaracing.com)
While Eckes is the up-and-coming 18 year old hot-shoe, His teammate, Self, has had a substantial amount of success during his career but has not received quite the push or hype that Eckes, Smith or many other drivers have. During his career, Self has made seven Xfinity starts, 71 K&N starts and 39 ARCA starts. In his 109 combined ARCA and K&N starts, Self has 15 wins, 53 top fives and 72 top tens. Self has four wins, 13 top fives and 14 top tens in 2019. While Eckes has showed his worth on the short tracks, Self has been super consistent on the circuit's larger tracks, with a win at Michigan, a fourth-place finish at Chicago and fifth-place finishes at Charlotte and Talladega. Oh, and one of Self's first career ARCA win came at Kansas in 2017.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS
ARCA's point system is unique. A driver who wins a race receives 235 points, second place receives 220, third receives 215, fourth receives 210 and continues in five point increments. Five bonus points also awarded to the polesitter and any driver that leads a lap. The driver who leads the most laps also receives five more points. Do the math and that leaves the potential for 250 points at stake for either Eckes or Self. With a 15 point margin, Self could at worst, tie Eckes for the points lead and Self holds the tiebreaker via wins. If neither driver is to win or receive bonus points, Eckes must finish within two positions of Self to become the 2019 championship. I think it's safe to say that this points battle is going to be crazy.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS
There are a handful of non-championship contenders that I could see contending for the win. Ty Majeski has been near flawless in his five ARCA starts with three wins, a second and a fourth. All those victories have come on the bigger tracks and Kansas qualifies as one of ARCA's bigger tracks. Harrison Burton has also shown promise on the 1.5 mile circuits throughout his truck series campaign and is likely using this race to prepare himself for tomorrow's Xfinity Race. Gus Dean has been quietly competitive in his two most recent starts, including a third place finish at Charlotte. Defending ARCA champion, Sheldon Creed won this race a year ago, so expect him to be a factor. The wildcard tonight is Hailee Deegan. The 18-year prospect will be making her sixth career ARCA start and is likely using Kansas to comfort herself with larger tracks. Deegan has the potential to steal the show tonight. She also has the potential for her first race at Kansas to be a disaster. I guess we will find out.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Why you should root for each driver still remaining in the NASCAR Playoffs
The NASCAR playoffs are the most intense playoffs in all of sports. There, I said it. It is the only sport where playoff participants still have to compete against non-playoff participants come crunch time. Just because you are not in the playoffs does not mean you do not race. It creates a whole new level of concern for the playoff drivers and another level of excitement for the fans.
I could go on and on about some other things that make the NASCAR playoffs the most exciting, the pressure that continues to build, the variety of different tracks on the playoff schedule, the awesome format that emphasizes winning, but also emphasizes taking chances. It's great. Anybody who does not like this system is a grump.
Yesterday, the field of playoff drivers was whittled from 16 down to 12. The next three races at Dover, Talladega and Kansas will separate the men from the boys and determine the "elite" eight.
The 12 drivers; Martin Truex. Jr, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are all unique in their own ways. This field of 12 consists of many different backgrounds, personalities, racing styles and fan reactions.
The majority of NASCAR fans already know who they're rooting for to claim the gold at Homestead. But, if you are still undecided, I have you covered.
I could go on and on about some other things that make the NASCAR playoffs the most exciting, the pressure that continues to build, the variety of different tracks on the playoff schedule, the awesome format that emphasizes winning, but also emphasizes taking chances. It's great. Anybody who does not like this system is a grump.
Yesterday, the field of playoff drivers was whittled from 16 down to 12. The next three races at Dover, Talladega and Kansas will separate the men from the boys and determine the "elite" eight.
The 12 drivers; Martin Truex. Jr, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are all unique in their own ways. This field of 12 consists of many different backgrounds, personalities, racing styles and fan reactions.
The majority of NASCAR fans already know who they're rooting for to claim the gold at Homestead. But, if you are still undecided, I have you covered.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney has quietly become one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR. His approachable personality and willingness to promote the sport by doing virtually and PR event presented to him has led to that. But, don't underestimate his abilities to wheel a car either. Blaney is the only Penske driver to not have a win this season, but it's not for lack of good showings. Blaney has had a consistent top 10 car, but just hasn't caught the right breaks at the right time. He's out Ryan Newman'd Ryan Newman this season and has found his way into the Round of 12. Can he find a way to finally get a win is the big question.
Alex Bowman
Everyone loves Matt DiBenedetto and his rise to a top-ride. Well, Alex Bowman did it first. The Tucson, Arizona native began his career with middle-of-the-pack in 2013 with RAB Racing in the Xfinity Series. Bowman then toiled with backmarker Cup teams, BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing before being fired after 2015. Bowman's big break came in 2016 when he was tabbed to replace an injured Dale Earnhardt. Jr in the 88 car. Bowman showed enough during his stint at Hendrick Motorsports to earn the ride full-time when Dale. Jr retired after 2017. Bowman has broke through in 2019, with four runner-up finishes and one win. His championship would be a remarkable rise given that you would not have pegged him as a championship contender four years ago.
Clint Bowyer
There are lots of reasons to root for Clint Bowyer. The Kansan is a fun-loving, energetic personality that is throwback to some of the personalities that originally made this sport so awesome. The vision of Bowyer celebrating a championship is all you need to root for him. But there's other reasons, too. Bowyer has had a solid career, but nothing spectacular. His 10 career wins have come at races that you tend to forget about (New Hampshire, Michigan, the fall Charlotte race) and he had a five-year drought. But Bowyer has shown spurts of contending for a championship throughout his career (2007, 2012, 2017). You could even make a point that he would already have a championship if Jeff Gordon did not intentionally wreck him at Phoenix. Bowyer's future for 2020 remains in peril, so a championship run should guarantee that his awesome personality stays in NASCAR for the years to come.
Kyle Busch
This is undoubtedly the toughest driver to lobby for. Kyle Busch is the most polarizing driver in NASCAR, and perhaps the most polarizing athlete (they are athletes) in professional sports. Fans of Busch will root for him and people that aren't fans of him will root against him and there's very few people, other than myself, that are neutral on Busch. While many people might dislike him, nobody can devalue his raw talent and ability to wheel a race-car. However championships Busch finishes his career with will not be as many as it should have been. He currently has just one championship (2015) and that one has an asterisk by it because he missed the first 11 races of the season with a broken leg. If Busch were to claim a second title, it would detract the haters from the stupid narrative that he didn't earn his first championship.
William Byron
William Byron was just six years when NASCAR developed "The Chase" in 2004. He is also the only driver in the playoff field that is younger than me. That's a first. Byron has been touted for the past few years as the next big thing. He should have won a Truck title in 2016 and did win an Xfinity Title in 2017 before moving up to the legendary 24 car. Byron struggled last season but shown signs of improvement this season. He's shown short-run speed and has qualified well, winning five poles. I don't think he's too far away from his first career win. Byron would also become the youngest champion in NASCAR history at just 21 years old. A championship for Byron would also mean an eighth championship for his crew chief, Chad Knaus, which would undoubtedly cement Knaus as the greatest crew-chief of all-time, if there was any debate to begin with. Which there shouldn't be.
Chase Elliott
This is the easiest driver to make a case for. Elliott has been the most popular driver in NASCAR since Dale Jr retired. It took Elliott a long time to pick up his first career win, but they've piling up since he finally got the first win at Watkins Glen in 2018. Elliott could be the favorite in this upcoming round because three of his six wins in the past two years have come at Dover, Talladega and Kansas. The three tracks in the Round of 12. A championship for Elliott would mean that the two dominant teams this season, Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske Racing, did not win it. Elliott's title would match his father, Bill's 1988 championship and would make the Elliotts the third set of father-son to claim titles. Wouldn't that be cool?
Denny Hamlin
Many people, like myself, wrote Denny Hamlin off after a winless 2018 campaign. He has proved the doubters wrong in 2019 with four wins, including the Daytona 500, his second victory in the Great American Race. If Hamlin's career ended today he would go down as one of the greatest drivers to never win a title. His 35 career wins is the second most among drivers without a championship. Hamlin has won essentially everything else there is to win except a championship. His candidacy for the NASCAR Hall of Fame is ignorantly debated by many. His statistics show that he should be a first ballot inductee, but not all see it that way. A championship for Hamlin should quiet the stupid argument of whether or not he's hall of fame worthy and cement his spot in Charlotte.
Kevin Harvick already has won championship under his belt thanks to a magnificent run in 2014, the first year of the playoffs. Moving to Stewart-Haas Racing saved Harvick's career. His stint at RCR showed promise, but also lacked consistency. Harvick has been the most consistent driver over the course of the past five seasons. Harvick won eight races in 2018 and was the championship favorite coming into 2019. He struggled to find victory lane early, but has found some stride and has won three races this season. Harvick is a lock for the Hall of Fame, but many guys have won just one title (18 to be exact). A second title for Harvick would elevate him to a driver that should be regarded as one of the all-time greats. He's top 10-15 in my book.
Brad Keselowski
Like his rival, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski is a polarizing NASCAR driver. Many people don't like him, but he's honestly one of my favorites. If you listen to Keselowski talk, he is actually an incredibly articulate and intellectual human-being. But on the track, he has a no-damn's given attitude and will do whatever it takes to win regardless of who he upsets in the process. Kyle Busch might be the closest thing to Dale Earnhardt in terms of talent, but Keselowski, in my opinion, more resembles Dale Sr's attitude and you have to appreciate that. Keselowski is also a former champion, but I feel like his 2012 championship is the most forgotten about title in the history of the playoffs. It was nothing flashy or dominant, just consistent. Keselowski's 2019 title would not be that. He dominated the early part of the season, but struggled from June until the playoffs began. He's since shown strong performances in the three playoff races and is putting himself in line for a clutch-like run through the playoffs.
Joey Logano
"Sliced Bread" Joey Logano is another polarizing driver that I enjoy. Last year, Logano showed the world why the NASCAR Playoffs are so intense. He also showed them that he was willing to do whatever it takes. Which meant bumping Martin Truex. Jr out of the way in the final lap at Martinsville to win the race and secure his spot in the championship race at Homestead. Many people ignorantly didn't like Logano's tactics, but you cannot argue that it ultimately won him the championship. Logano shined in the early stage of 2019, but has struggled to stay consistent in the latter half of the season. However, Logano's 2019 season to this point extremely resembles his 2018 season, so you can't count him out. Plus, he's shown that he'll do whatever it takes to win and you have to appreciate that. A second title for Logano would also make him the first repeat champion since the inception of the knockout-style playoffs and would make him the first to repeat since Jimmie Johnson won five straight from 2006-2010.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson is sadly trending towards becoming one of the biggest busts in NASCAR history. Expectations were high for Larson when he made his cup debut in 2014. Larson does have five career wins, but he has not won in two seasons. We keep waiting for Larson to break through and show the world the raw talent that he has. Larson is extremely entertaining to watch, but unfortunately, he keeps getting derailed by untimely wrecks and costly pit road miscues. A championship for Larson would mean that he finally broke through and met the expectations that were put upon him when he made his cup debut.
Martin Truex. Jr
Martin Truex Jr's 2017 championship campaign was one of the most unlikely championships in recent memory. If somebody would have said in 2009 that Truex was a future Cup champion, they might have been institutionalized. Truex has been the most dominant driver in NASCAR the past four seasons. Which is impressive when you consider that he spent the majority of it with underfunded Furniture Row Racing before they closed doors and he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing this season. Truex also has a reputation for racing guys clean, in a Mark Martin-like way. He is well-liked by the majority of his peers and is a driver that many fans have grown to like because of his unlikely rise from journeyman to championship contender.
These next seven races should be a ton of fun, who will you be rooting for?
Thursday, September 5, 2019
NFL Preview: 5 bold predictions, my hopefully wrong playoff prediction and my picks for league awards.
(Photo Courtesy of NFL.com)
1. Ezekiel Elliott will rush for 2,000 yards: The man just got paid and he's going to want to show that he's worth of every penny. Elliott has ran for 1,434 and 1,631 yards in his two full seasons. He also ran for 983 in a 2017 season that was shortened six games due to a suspension. He was on pace to rush for 1,572 yards if he played 16 games. Elliott will have the advantage of running behind a hopefully healthy behemoth offensive line and is primed to have a career year.
2. Patrick Mahomes will not lead the league in passing touchdowns or yards: Now before my fellow Chiefs fans get mad at me, this does not mean doom for Chiefs Kingdom. Mahomes was historic last season with 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. But some of his numbers were bloated because of an atrocious defense. The Chiefs defense figures to be better this year (it can't be worse), which means Mahomes won't have to rely on scoring as many points. The Chiefs also have a solid trio of running backs with Damien Williams, LeSean McCoy and Darwin Thompson to lean on. Mahomes can still be great and not put up the numbers he did last year. Both are possible, Chiefs fans.
3. The Rams suffer a Super Bowl hangover: The Super Bowl hangover is real. Just ask the 2016 Panthers, who were coming off a 15-1 2015 season, but struggled in 2016. I think the Rams, who might have played the Super Bowl drunk given their performance, will suffer the same fate. Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald will be their usual dominant selves if they can stay healthy, but I don't trust Jared Goff, who stunk it up in the Super Bowl. I don't think the Rams setbacks will be massive, they have a talented team, but they are coming off an embarrassing Super Bowl defeat and will stumble early with tough matchups against Carolina, New Orleans, Cleveland and Seattle. I have the Rams going 10-6 and narrowly missing the playoffs.
4. The Bengals unintentionally Tank for Tua/Justin Herbert: Man, I think there's going to be some really bad teams this year. I have five teams; the Raiders, Bengals, Dolphins, Giants and Cardinals, winning three games or less. The Bengals are probably the least likely of those five, but it's not like they lit it up the past few years under Marvin Lewis. Zac Taylor is now in charge and this team could see a complete rebuild. Andy Dalton continues to regress and their best player, AJ Green will start the year injured and it's unknown when or if he will play this season. All these elements toppled together will put the Bengals in prime position to replace Dalton with the franchise QB of their choice. Likely either Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon's Justin Herbert.
5. Kirk Cousins will have an MVP-worthy season: Don't ask why, but I have a feeling that Cousins is going to have a career year. Cousins received a lot of undeserved flak for his performance last season. Cousins threw for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 picks last season. He set a career high for touchdowns and a career low for interceptions. Cousins put up better stats than Case Keenum did but won five less games than Keenum. Part of that should be attributed to a regression from the Vikings' defense, an offensive line that struggled to stay healthy. Cousins' has, in my opinion, the best receiving duo in the league with Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, so the sky is the limit. I expect a big year for Cousins this season
Now, onto some awards
MVP: Ezekiel Elliott: I said Cousins will have an MVP-worthy season, not that he will be MVP. I also boldly predicted that Elliott would rush for 2,000 yards. He's the MVP if he does that, or at least he should be.I am going to save some space and also project Elliott to be the Offensive Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, Rams: The Rams will suffer a hangover, but Donald will not. He is the best player in the league and a generational talent, who I believe will win this honor for the third consecutive season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: David Montgomery, Bears: The favorite will be Kyler Murray, but I think he'll suffer some growing pains while putting up serviceable numbers in his rookie campaign. I am super high on David Montgomery this season and I expect big things from the former Iowa State standout. The Bears traded Jordan Howard to Philadelphia this offseason and that will allow Montgomery to be the bell-cow alongside Tarik Cohen.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Devin Bush. Steelers: Bush could end up being the steal of the draft. The Steelers will look to use Bush in a similar role to how they used Ryan Shazier, who was also pretty good. However, I think Bush has the potential to be better and he will show so this season
Now, the playoff predictions.
AFC Playoff Teams: Chiefs, Browns, Patriots, Texans, Steelers and Chargers.
AFC Championship Game: Patriots over Steelers
Honestly, I would have selected the Colts to win the AFC had Andrew Luck not retired, but he did. The Chiefs are the favorite to win the AFC, but I just cannot draw myself to pick them, so I won't. My predictions are usually wrong anyway. The Patriots will bore us with another trip to the AFC Championship Game, and ultimately the Super Bowl for what will seem like the 307th time.. Meanwhile, the Steelers will rely on James Conner and a top ten defense to make the conference title game despite a regressing, but still talented Ben Roethlisberger.
NFC Playoff Teams: Vikings, Seahawks, Eagles, Saints, Cowboys and Packers
NFC Championship Game: Saints over Eagles
Anyone of tHese six teams, along with the Bears or the Rams are smart picks to win the NFC, but I'm marching with the Saints. Alvin Kamara will be one of the best running backs in the league and Drew Brees will cement his legacy. I'm rolling with the Eagles to join them in the NFC Championship Game with a healthy Carson Wentz and one of the league's best defense, but in the end, give me the Saints to avenge last year's crushing conference title loss to the Rams.
Super Bowl LIV: Saints over Patriots
Drew Brees wins his second career Super Bowl nearly 10 years after and in the same stadium he won the first one in and retires a champion in the NFL's centennial season. Wouldn't that be neat? Other than the Patriots playing in another Super Bowl.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Composite Preseason Football Rankings: Class 3A & 4A.
Preseason football rankings are the best. OK--not really, but it gives us something to look at, so that's cool. Three major media publications; The Des Moines Register, The Cedar Rapids Gazette and Radio Iowa compile weekly rankings throughout the high school football season. Last year I compiled a composite preseason football ranking by combining the three sets of rankings. I then continued to do that throughout the season. So why don't we do it again?
The scoring system behind this pretty easy. A first place ranking receives 10 points, nine points for second, eight for third and so on all the way down to 10th. The Cedar Rapids Gazette uses a six-voter points system for their rankings, so their rankings occasionally include ties. If there is a tie I divide the points between the spots. For example, if there is a tie for 1st, each team gets 9.5 points rather than 10.
For the preseason, I will break the rankings up into classes per blog Lets start with Class 3A & 4A
The points received by each team is in parentheses.
CLASS 4A
1. Dowling Catholic (30)--The Maroons were the unanimous top pick in Class 4A and will certainly be the favorite to capture the state title, which would be a record-setting seventh consecutive. They lost their quarterback Zach Watters and 2,000-yard rusher Jayson Murray, but they conveniently replaced Murray with former Southeast Polk standout and Iowa commit Gavin Williams.
2. Ankeny Centennial (22)- Three different teams received a runner-up vote, but The Jaguars had the most overall points. Ankeny Centennial defeated Dowling in the regular season, but never got a chance to end Dowling's streak because they were stunned by Southeast Polk in the first round. Could that be motivation for them this year?
3. Valley, WDM (21)-Valley also received a second-place vote. The Tigers got the rematch with Dowling that Centennial never did. Dowling took care of Valley, ending their season with a 31-9 quarterfinal defeat. The Tigers graduated quarterback Beau Lombardi and 1,200 yard rusher Creighton Mitchell, but it's Valley, they will be fine.
4. Waukee (19)-Waukee received a second place vote from Radio Iowa, but an eighth place vote from The Register. The Warriors return 2,000 yard passer and 1,000 yard rusher Mitch Randall, so they should be fun to watch this year.
5. Iowa City West (17)-The highest ranked non-Des Moines area team received votes of third, sixth and seventh. They had a pretty senior-heavy lineup last season, but they return standout junior quarterback Marcus Morgan, who already has an offer from Iowa State.
6. Cedar Falls (15.5)- Last year's state runner-up was pegged at a tie for third, sixth and eighth in the preseason rankings. They went toe-to-toe with Dowling last season in the 'ship before losing 22-16. They will have to replace a 1,000 yard rusher (Sam Gary) and a 1,000 yard receiver (Logan Wolf), but they return 2,000 yard passer Cael Loecher.
7. Bettendorf (15)- The Bulldogs were ranked third by The Register, but received rankings of seventh and eighth by Radio Iowa and The Gazette respectively. Bettendorf's lost just two games last year--to the state finalists, Dowling & Cedar Falls, by a combined 12 points including a heartbreaking 41-34 state semifinal loss to Dowling.
8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (14)- Kennedy finished 6-4 last season with losses to Valley, Prairie, Bettendorf and Iowa City West by a combined 151-42, but they were ranked ahead of Valley in the Radio Iowa poll and Iowa City West in The Des Moines Register poll. The Register also put them ahead of Cedar Falls.
9. Ankeny (8)- The Hawks started the season 1-4, finished the regular season with four straight wins, then fell to Valley 24-21 in the first round of the playoffs. They return quarterback Jase Bauer (1,231 yards, 13 TD's, 9 INTS), leading rusher Cael Boyd (979 yards, 13 touchdowns) and leading receiver Brody Brecht (30 rec, 513 yards, 6 TD's). I think is a team that will be much improved, I probably would have ranked them ahead of Kennedy like The Gazette did.
10. Pleasant Valley (1)- Three different schools received a vote for the final spot. Pleasant Valley, like Ankeny, started the season 1-4, won four in and a row and then lost their postseason game, a 31-14 defeat to Bettendorf
Dubuque Senior (1)- The Rams went 3-6 and their six losses came by an average of 21 points-per-game, but that didn't stop Radio Iowa from giving them a 10th place vote.
Fort Dodge (1)-The Dodgers offense was a touchdown waiting to happen last year. They averaged 43 points a contest during the regular season. Their defense was pretty salty, too, allowing just 16.5 points per game until a 41-0 first round defeat to Dowling.
CLASS 3A
1. Western Dubuque (30)- The unanimous number one pick suffered three losses last season. Two of which came to eventual runner up Cedar Rapids Xavier. The return of their starting quarterback and their top three rushers make them the early favorite to dethrone Xavier in Class 3A.
2. Solon (26)- Solon's lone blemish in 2018 was a 48-13 shellacking to Western Dubuque in the first round of the playoffs. The Spartans have an FCS committed quarterback (Cam Miller, North Dakota State) to complement a pair of FCS committed wide receivers (Jace Andregg, UNI and A.J. Coons, South Dakota State). This team should be able to score points, lots of them.
3. CR Xavier (24)-The defending 3A champs graduated dual threat signal-caller Quinn Schulte and 1,300-yard rusher Braden Stovie, but still received a second, third and fourth place ranking. Teams that know how to win, typically win and Xavier probably won't be an exception to that.
4. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (20)-The Warrior played a tough schedule last season and earned the number one seed in the state semifinalist despite a 28-point loss to an undefeated state semifinalist Lewis Central. Outside of the LC loss, the Warriors scored an average of 32.4 points a game. The offense should continue to march along under the guidance of signal-caller Daniel Wright.
5. North Scott (19)-North Scott's season was book-ended by two losses. A 28-7 opening night defeat to Iowa City West and a 45-21 defeat to Western Dubuque in a state quarterfinal. The defense was stingy in between, allowing just 79 points in that nine-game span and never allowed more than 15 points. Can the defense carry them again?
6. Pella (15)-The Dutch lost two games by a combined nine points. They chucked the pigskin a lot last season, including 52-times in their postseason loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier. They graduated 1,000-yard passer Ryan Gustafson, but the Dutch always plug in play, which is a large reasoning for their fifth, sixth and seventh place rankings
7. Lewis Central (9)-The Titans were not ranked by Radio Iowa for some reason. I understand that they lost star quarterback Max Duggan and his father/head coach Jim Duggan, but the Titans are still loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The Register pegged them at sixth and The Gazette at seventh. I think that's probably an accurate rating, but definitely not putting them in the top ten seems a bit silly.
8. Spencer (4)-The Tigers suffered three losses last season, two of which came at the hands of Sergeant Bluff-Luton. They return stud running back Isaiah Spencer, but they reside in the daunting District 1 that also contains Sergeant Bluff, Bishop Heelan and Denison-Schleswig.
Decorah (4)-Decorah also suffered just three losses, two of which were blowouts to eventual champion Xavier. They graduated their quarterback (Jace Johnson) and leading rusher (Drake Shelton) so there's questions for the Vikings. They'll get the chance to answer them against Xavier on September 6th.
Dallas Center-Grimes (4)-This is an interesting vote. The Mustangs went 1-8 last season and their lone victory was a 14-13 win over a Perry squad that finished 0-9 but Radio Iowa ranked them seventh. They return a quarterback who threw twice as many picks as he did touchdowns and the three running backs that scored all five of their rushing touchdowns. Yes, this team was ranked ahead of Lewis Central.
11. West Delaware (3)-West Delaware began the season 3-0, lost four in a row, then won two in a row, but missed the playoffs. They showed enough promise at times in 2019 to earn an eighth place ranking by The Des Moines Register, but they will have a new quarterback in 2019.
Bishop Heelan (3)-Bishop Heelan came into the final week of the regular season at 7-1. They then lost the regular season finale to Spencer and was shutout by Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the playoffs. The Crusaders have not won a playoff game since their victory over Creston in a 2014 state semifinal. Will they snap that skid this year?
13. Harlan (2)-We don't know much about Harlan this season, except that they will most likely be their usual, stellar self. There are lots of questions for the Cyclones this year with many key pieces to replace, but The Cedar Rapids Gazette trusts Curt Bladt enough to rank the Cyclones ninth. Smart choice.
14. Carroll (1): The Tigers had a weird season last year. They started the season with a 1-3 record, but peeled off five straight wins to win their wild district. They won their district despite a 13-16 touchdown-interception ratio and just nine rushing touchdowns. Good news for them is they return many pieces and should be much better. They might have been a year away last year.
Clear Creek-Amana (1): The Clippers were spearheaded by their defense last season in their 8-2 campaign. They allowed just over 12 points a contest and shut their opponents out three times. They return their top tackler, J.J Denny and Division I prospect T.J. Bollers, so their defense will likely carry them again.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
My preseason area power rankings
There was football last night. Quite a bit of it actually, so I am not sure if it can still be considered preseason, but last night was week zero, so I still consider it preseason. For the last few years, I've been a member of the KMA Sports power rankings every week during football season. Us voters are tasked every week with selecting 10 schools from Class 8-Man, eight schools from Class A, 1A and 2A as well as five from Class 3A & 4A for the rankings. Eligible teams include schools from the Bluegrass, Corner, Hawkeye Ten, Missouri River, Pride of Iowa, Rolling Valley and Western Iowa Conferences.
The first poll will come out Monday morning. I cannot speak for Derek, Ryan or Brent, but here is how I voted.
CLASS 8-Man
1. Fremont-Mills: The Knights lost some key pieces from a UNI Dome team, but the cupboard isn't close to bare and they have a tradition of excellence. The expectations are high for the Knights this year, as they are every year.
2. Audubon: I watched the Wheelers play last night and they are going to be really, really good this season. I debated putting them ahead of Fremont-Mills and they certainly have a case for number one. I guess we will truly find out when the two teams meet on September 6th.
3. Lenox: I was really high on Lenox coming into this season. They grinded out a 48-32 win over Taylor County foe Bedford last night to win the Back Forty Battle (awesome name) and appear to be primed to contend for the district title.
4. East Mills: The Wolverines' 61-26 loss to Audubon last night is sort of deceiving. The Wolverines went blow-for-blow with Audubon in the first half before the Wheelers contained Nic Duysen to an extent. Audubon Coach Sean Birks feels that East Mills is going to be really good this year and I agree with him.
5. Stanton-Essex: The first game for the combination of Stanton and Essex went about as well as they could have asked for, a 40-6 road win over Murray. They lost Drake Johnson, but Colton Thornburg is a high quality replacement if last night is any indication.
6. Glidden-Ralston: I think this is the team that has the best opportunity to dethrone Audubon in 8-Man District 8, but that district was wild last year and it might be even tougher this season.
7. Woodbine: This is the sleeper team in 8-Man District 8. They finished the season strong and return two of the most electric players in the district, Wyatt and Lane Pryor. Audubon is the safest pick for the district, Glidden-Ralston is probably the safest pick to dethrone Audubon, but don't sleep on Woodbine.
8. Ar-We-Va: The Rockets won their 10th consecutive regular season game last night courtesy of a thrilling, 56-50 overtime thriller over what I think will be a much improved Griswold squad. They lost a lot of pieces from last year, including Keegan Simons and Drew Schurke, but this team knows how to win.
9. Bedford: They gave Lenox all they could handle last night, but in the end, Lenox made just a few more big plays. This is another team that should be much improved this season. They will get a great opportunity to measure themselves with games against CAM and Worth County before beginning district play.
10. Exira-EHK: The Spartans lost Josh Pettepier and Cole Burmeister, so there are some questions about the names and faces that will shine for them, but I never doubt Coach Tom Petersen and you shouldn't either.
CLASS A/1A/2A
1. Treynor: Coach Jeff Casey has built an admirable culture at Treynor and it's shown by the improvements they've made every year. The Cardinals went 8-1 last season before running into the buzzsaw that was West Sioux. The Cardinals will have to replace their leading rusher, Kyle Christensen, but most the pieces are still there and they've had a taste of success. I am really high on the Cardinals this year.
2. St. Albert: The Falcons are my preseason pick to win Class A District 9. They nearly won it last year and I don't expect them to take any step backs. The question is, who will emerge victorious when St. Albert and Treynor meet on September 6th.
3. Mount Ayr: The Raiders had and still have the misfortune of being in the same district of perennial power Van Meter, but they appear to be pretty powerful themselves. This is a sneaky good team.
4. Kuemper Catholic: Good luck blocking Blaise Gunnerson. The Des Moines Register ranked the Nebraska commit as the top senior prospect in the entire state. Gunnerson, along with quarterback Cole Collison and the tradition Kuemper has, makes the Knights a stealthy threat in Class 2A
5. Underwood: The Eagles had three losses last season: a 28-26 loss to Treynor, a 39-34 week nine loss to Missouri Valley and an opening week loss to eventual Class A runner-up AHSTW. They were in the thick of a district title battle last season, but fell just short. They should be in the hunt again. Circle Underwood/Treynor on October 4th as a game to watch.
6. AHSTW: I have no idea what to think of the Class A runner-ups. They lost virtually all their offensive production and their head coach, but programs that know how to win a lot, typically win a lot. Plus their dominance last year allowed them to give some reps to younger guys. I don't think anything would surprise me from AHSTW this season.
7. Tri-Center: The Trojans reside in what of the most competitive area districts, A-10. They lost some valuable skill players, but Bryson Freeberg put up great numbers through the air this past season and he's back.
8. Nodaway Valley: I probably would have put Central Decatur in this spot if I voted prior to Friday. Well, guess what? Nodaway Valley beat Central Decatur for their first win in 686 days. Not many people probably expected the Wolverines to win last night, so there's no telling what this team is capable of this season after beginning the season 1-0.
Class 3A/4A
1. Lewis Central-No Duggan, no problem for LC, or at least I think so. I expect the Titans to keep a similar offensive philosophy under new coach, Justin Kammrad. Having Division I prospects Logan Jones and Thomas Fidone in their arsenal certainly helps, too.
2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton: Another Class 3A UNI Dome team from a year ago. Lewis Central and Sergeant Bluff will battle in six days. I'm not sure who will win, but I can tell you one thing. Whoever wins that game will be ranked ahead of the other one in my rankings, I'm not the RPI.
3. Harlan: Death, taxes and Harlan replacing star players without missing a beat. The Cyclones have been doing since DMart was born, so I don't expect them to stop now.
4. Denison-Schleswig: I am really high on Harlan's opening week opponent. The Monarchs return their quarterback, Charlie Wiebers and leading rusher Terrance Weah along with some stout pieces on defense. Keep your eyes on Denison this season.
5. Bishop Heelan: I really don't have any logic for picking Denison ahead of Heelan other than that Denison returns more production, but Heelan is going to do Heelan things and be competitive in every game, so I could be slighting the Crusaders. I guess we will find out.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
The 10 biggest questions I have going into the 2019 football season
The countdown is down to single digits now. I get to call a football game in eight days and that's exciting. I've been trying to bottle the excitement and kill time with an ample amount of blogs previewing the upcoming season with breakdowns of returning offensive production and previews of the most intriguing matchups.
Now it's time to ask some important questions. They're at least important questions to me. I did a piece on the 10 biggest questions coming into the 2018 season last year. I think it's an appropriate time to do it again. I have more than 10 questions about this season, but these are the most pressing. So here they are, in no particular order.
#1. Will the result of East Mills/Audubon in Week 0 played a significant role in the playoffs?
This is the game I have the luxury of broadcasting in just eight days. Audubon and East Mills both narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season and are more than capable of qualifying this season. However, the RPI system emphasizes winning, particularly against really good teams. Both those teams are really good. The winner of this game will have a quality win under their belt in the RPI rankings throughout the season. The loser? They could have a potentially tougher road, particularly if it is East Mills, who missed the playoffs despite a 7-2 record. Not to mention, they will have to dethrone Fremont-Mills to win the district and assume an automatic berth. I'm still not sure what to think of the RPI, but it has placed potential postseason implications on a Week 0 game, so I guess that's cool.
#2. What will a Duggan-less Lewis Central look like?
2018 was record-breaking for Lewis Central. The Titans posted an undefeated regular-season and made the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Standout quarterback Max Duggan is now competing for the starting job at TCU while his father, Jim, who was the head coach, retired. Assistant coach Justin Kammrad has taken the reigns in Council Bluffs and he still has some nice pieces to work with including wide receiver Thomas Fidone, who is garnering Division I interest, and lineman/Iowa commit Logan Jones. All signs point to Bret Kobes filling in the shoes of the younger Duggan. They are big shoes to fill, but Kobes held his own when Duggan was injured in 2017.
#3 Who comes out of Class A District 9?
This was also a question last year. Last year I predicted the champion would be either AHSTW or Earlham. I think the question is a lot more open this year than it was last year. I think St. Albert is the favorite because they return basically all offensive production and finished the season strong, but Earlham returns some hosses and should be considered a threat, too. AHSTW's dream 2018 season was led by a dominant senior class and the offense will be almost entirely new. Southwest Valley was really young last year and plagued by injuries. Riverside lost the majority of their offensive production, but their defense might be the best in the district and I expect Nodaway Valley to be much more of a threat week in and week out this season. Buckle up, this district will be crazy.
#4 Who is the team to beat in Missouri 8-Man?
I asked a friend of mine from Missouri who he thought the team to beat was. The vibe is that Pattonsburg is the team to beat this season. The Panthers return prolific signal-caller Steven Wilhite as well as the bulk of their skill players. However, I've heard there was a coaching change at Pattonsburg this year. That doesn't really mean much, but it's something to think about. It would be silly to not at least consider the defending champion Mound City, who returns their quarterback and leading rusher. East Atchison also returns virtually everything and is primed to post the best season in team history.
5. Who fills the void of Maryville's two-headed monster rushing attack?
Maryville's backfield of Eli Dowis and Tyler Houchin was one of the most productive and entertaining in all the land, but both are now at Northwest Missouri State. The beauty of programs successful as Maryville is they always have a terrific "next man" up mentality. Replacing players the caliber of Houchin and Dowis is nothing new to Maryville and their offense almost always starts upfront with the trenches, so I fully expect the Spoofhounds to continue their ways, I am just curious to see who they do it with.
#6. How will a Collin Bevins led Clarinda team look?
This will be Clarinda's third head coach in four seasons, but that doesn't mean the hire shouldn't excite Cardinal fans. The Cardinals appointed Creston alum and former Northwest Missouri star Collin Bevins to guide their program. Bevins spent one season as a grad assistant at his alma mater, but this is his first head coaching gig. Bevins played for some pretty darn good coaches, so the odds are he learned a lot from them. I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals' physical, run-oriented offense to stay intact and I've heard that former head coach Roger Williams is staying on-board as an assistant. Coach Williams has always been known as a guru on the defensive side, so I expect the defense to once again flourish. They lost some nice pieces from last year, but there's still a lot to be excited for in Clarinda.
#7. How does Stanton/Essex utilize Colton Thornburg?
As you might have heard, Essex is not fielding a team this year, but rather sharing a team with Stanton. Essex was slated to return 18 players this season according to QuikStats. It's unknown how many of them will transition to Stanton, but it may be in the double digits. This dilemma gives the Trikings (I'm all for calling them that, DMart) the potential for a lot of depth. This will force the coaching staff to utilize them, particularly Colton Thornburg. Thornburg, who played quarterback for Essex last year, threw for 722 yards and 10 scores while also adding 1,022 yards and 14 scores on the ground. Stanton already has a pair of quarterbacks returning in Keygan Day and Colby Royal, so I'm curious as to how they will use Thornburg. I personally expect him to be used in a running back/wide receiver role, much like the Vikings used Drake Johnson. If they do use him like that, it will be fun to watch.
#8. Who replaces Cole Fossenbarger?
Johnson-Brock's offense was a dang treat to watch last season. The Eagles scored at least 50 points in all 13 games en route to a Nebraska Class D2 state title. Last year Johnson-Brock threw for 3,000 yards, ran for 2,000 and scored 119 touchdowns. They were an absolute machine. Quarterback Cole Fossenbarger guided the offense with the help of Kaden Glynn, Ty Hahn, and many others. Fossenbarger has since graduated and Glynn has transferred to Beatrice. All signs point to Cole's younger brother Caleb, being the signal-caller. The younger Fossenbarger received some reps sparingly last season and will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill (assuming he's the guy), but having a player of Hahn's caliber will help, too.
#9 How many yards will Nick Haynes rush for?
Missouri Valley's Nick Haynes was an absolute beast in his junior campaign. Haynes' stepped in last year and filled the void left by his older brother Nathan with a 1,666 yard, 12 touchdown season. Oddly enough, the two brothers' junior seasons were strikingly similar. Take a look.
Nathan (2016)-221 rushes, 1,622 yards, 18 touchdowns, 7.3 yards-per-carry
Nick (2018)- 241 rushes, 1,666 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6.9 yards-per-carry
Nathan's numbers (1,257 yards, 8 touchdowns, 5.4 yards/carry) actually dipped in his senior year due to enhanced production from his little brother and Skeeter Bostwick, but I don't see that happening with Nick. The Big Reds offense last year was guided by the legs of Nick, Duke Kyle, and Connor Lange. Lange and Kyle are both gone, so that opens the door up for more of a workload for Nick. Can he get to 2,000 yards? I wouldn't put it past him.
#10 What winless or one-win team from 2018 makes the biggest improvement?
Eight area teams; AL, Boyer Valley, Logan-Magnolia, Martensdale-St. Mary's, Nodaway Valley, Seymour, Shenandoah, and West Harrison all went either 0-9 or 1-8 last season. There were six teams on this list last season and two of them, Red Oak and Murray made the largest improvements by going 5-4 and 3-6 respectively. Who will be the team to make the largest improvement this year? AL was incredibly young last season, so they should have some excitement about a new year. I am high on Nodaway Valley this season but they play in the crazy Class A District 9, so I'm not sure how many wins their improvement will translate to. I am also high on Shenandoah this year, but their schedule will not be easy. Logan-Magnolia's 1-8 campaign was a surprise to many and it would be a surprise if they do it again. They would be my choice to improve the most if I had to pick, but I'm not ruling out Shenandoah either.
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