The case for football over basketball

Following high school sports in Kansas City, Kan., you certainly know this city is more of a basketball city than a football city.

See 27 state titles in this city's history to back that up.

Still, there are reasons why it might be a good idea for an athlete to choose football over basketball when it comes to his career.

• More coverage. While I try to pound the hell out of high school basketball, football is still the king for other media outlets. There are high school football games broadcast on 610, 810 and a handful of Websites around these parts are dedicated solely to high school football. There's certainly less coverage for high school basketball.

• It's easier to be recruited. More kids can be diamond in the rough types in football than basketball. Sumner Academy Sabres head coach Todd Wassmann was telling me that Kansas State Wildcats commit Vernon Vaughn only decided to play football a few years ago. Former Wyandotte Bulldogs offensive lineman Denzel Dickerson is now with Butler Community College, one of the top JUCO programs in the nation. He played just one season and his commitment to a top JUCO was one of the better feel good stories in KCK last year. Very, very rarely have I seen a kid pick up a basketball and do the same thing. For example, my pal Tra'Vaughn had been playing for years before starting varsity at Washington.

• To ducktail that point – there's more of an opportunity. It's simple math, my athletic friends. On the football field, there are 11 guys. On the basketball court, there are five guys. One seems larger to me. You don't need a degree from an Ivy League School to figure that out.

• It's kind of cheaper. There's equipment, sure. But there's no cross country AAU trips like you see in basketball. There's no summer traveling. AAU and summer leagues are a factor in football, but not nearly as much as it is in basketball. Overtime, it's cheaper for a family to invest in football than basketball.

Though KCK will never be a football town, there's no reason for athletes to not play the sport.

There are A LOT more opportunities to get discovered by coaches and scouting services in football.

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Nunnally looks to lead Bulldogs to the next step

Talking to those around the Wyandotte Bulldogs football program, one name immediately jumps out to fans and coaches alike as the season edges closer and closer.

"Jamie Nunnally," responded head coach Eddie Brown, after being asked a question about the team's leaders entering the 2011 season.

Brown listed other players and playmakers he hopes to see lead Wyandotte to another season filled with improvement.

However, Nunnally was the first name.

After making the Kansas City Kansas – Atchison League's defensive team last year, Nunnally will be moving to the other side of the ball. He's expected to play quarterback for the Bulldogs.

And if this summer and early practices are any indication, Bulldogs fans should expect to see an athletic force at the position and to see the long bomb.

Nunnally was very accurate in a drill earlier this week, putting the ball right where it needed to be. He hit receivers on the run and his arm resembles a Howlitzer.

"We want to lead this program to a better season than last year," Nunnally said. "We did not have as much success through the air last year and this year we're trying to change that."

Nunnally is chiseled and it's clear that the weight room is a frequent stop. According to an assistant coach at another KCK program, Nunnally performed very well at college summer events and stood above many of the high school quarterbacks featured.

Though Wyandotte only won two games last year, those two wins were a significant improvement from previous seasons.

Before last year, the Bulldogs program had won one game in the past three-and-a-half seasons.

Nunnally hopes to leave even more improvement for the Bulldogs.

"This year we want to play all four quarters with 100 percent effort," he said.

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