Lady Sabres in full rebuilding mode after losing great senior class, Kendall

The three-time defending Kansas City Kansas - Atchison League women's basketball champions from Sumner Academy will look different this year.

A lot different.

Losing seniors Kathleen Brisbane, Alexandria Blaurock and Shanice Palmer was tough enough.

However, it was later in the school year when head coach Torrence Allen learned that he was losing junior Sameia Kendall. Kendall and her family moved across state lines and she will be playing basketball at Raytown this year.

Despite the loss of those four players, expectations of a league title remain at Sumner Academy.

"The KCKAL will have a lot of parity this season, but Sumner Academy is still the defending champions," Allen said. "Everyone is feeling pretty good about their chances to be league champs."

Still, Allen has been in this position before.

At Washington High School where Allen previously coached, he lost a strong core of seniors.

For Sumner to win a fourth straight league title, the Lady Sabres will generate their offense around returning point guard Ashleigh Byers and talented junior Jamie Redic.

Byers scored 3.2 points a game last year and dished out one assist a game.

Redic, as a sophomore, stepped up in games - some of which came off the bench. Redic averaged 6.1 points a game and 4.5 rebounds.

In terms of newcomers, Allen points to Angela Franklin, Taj Brimmer, Carlotta Lewis Janicka Burgess.

Experience is indeed lacking, but an advantage Sumner Academy has over other schools is the fact some players enter the school at the eighth grade level together.

Playing together and building experience together is key, Allen said.

"The players know the system and the expectations," Allen said. "We do have some varsity experience and these ladies have been together since 8th grade so they know each other."

Expect Redic to do damage both inside and outside, as Allen plans to use her in both areas.

Defense is again a priority for Allen's squad. This year, a faster tempo and more full-court pressure is expected. 

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Expect the Kaw Valley League to take a big step this year in boys basketball

Going into the season last year, many suspected the Kaw Valley League race was about one team.

The Basehor-Linwood Bobcats.

Basehor was very heavily favored to take home the league title last year.

A funny thing happened on the way to that league title, however.

Lansing won it.

The Lansing Lions swept Basehor last year and Mill Valley pulled off a big upset on the Bobcats, proving the Kaw Valley League had a little more depth to it than initially suspected.

On top of that, Bonner Springs played impressive at times on its way to a 15-6 record.

This year, there are four legitimate programs that could win the Kaw Valley League race - and it's not because teams are coming back to the pack.

Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs, Lansing and Mill Valley are all very credible challengers to the league crown. All four teams are also capable of making the state tournament, though Basehor and Bonner being in the same sub-state will kill that possibility.

A look at those four teams:

Basehor-Linwood: On paper, Basehor should probably be the favorite again. But again - that's on paper. Ryan and Colin Murphy are good on the hard-court, but the story of the Bobcats season should focus on junior Ben Johnson. Johnson's size and athleticism will give 4A teams fits this year. Basehor's guard play will have to prove itself this year - something that I think cost them against Sumner Academy last year. Basehor, like many KVL teams, is a well-coached program with Mike McBride at the helm. Basehor also has the experience to win their second 4A state title in four years.

Bonner Springs: Let me be the first member of the media to say this - don't underestimate Bonner Springs' chances at getting to the state tournament. Yes, they are in the same sub-state bracket as Sumner Academy and Basehor. But do not overlook these guys. They have a ton of experience on this roster and it's a team that has great athleticism. B.J. Watson is hungry to prove a point this year. Watson's defense improved a lot during the year last year. I also like fellow seniors Steve Williams, Brett Steuart and Johnathan Jackson. Williams and Watson are the leaders of the team. And if you followed our football coverage this year, you know Johnathan and Jordan Jackson are athletes. Bonner has the athleticism to cause turmoil on the defensive end. They get deflections. They get steals. They improved so much under Andy Price in his first year back at Bonner Springs. Year two could be a special one.

Lansing: From an outsider's point of view, Lions head coach Rod Briggs turned in the best coaching performance in the Kansas City metro area last year. I thought Lansing was a little too young and did not match up with Basehor too well. I was wrong. They swept Lansing and came within one quarter of getting to the 5A state title game. An 18-6 record on a team dominated by juniors and sophomores is really good. I was very impressed with how well-coached Lansing was when I saw them against Washington and Highland Park during their postseason run. With Izaiah Grace returning, Lansing has a great chance at returning to the big dance in Topeka. Grace was a fun player to watch at the 5A state tournament I covered. Other guys to watch at Lansing this year are Mike Miller and Chris Jones, two big guys inside who could help neutralize Basehor's Johnson. Joe Schneider should have a breakout season a swell.

Mill Valley: If you're looking at junior classes in the Kaw Valley League, no team may have a better one than Mill Valley. Nathan Stacy, a sophomore last year, played well down  the stretch and can do the business with his mid-range game and glass game. Stacy will only get better as a junior this year. Another junior returning is Kendall Short. Short, who was injured last year and missed his entire sophomore season, led the team in both rebounding and points as a freshman. Don't overlook his return. With how weak Mill Valley's 5A regional is (it's not of the Washington-Schlagle-Highland Park-Lansing quality), the Jaguars could sneak into the state tournament.

One thing's for sure - the KVL is full of good coaches.

Add in Bishop Ward's Todd Magwire and you could easily make an argument that the Kaw Valley League has the best collection of coaches in Kansas City boys high school basketball.

While it may lack the overall God-given talent of surrounding leagues in Kansas City, Mo., Wyandotte and Johnson County (especially the Olathe schools), the KVL makes up for it with coaching.

The league will be better this year and I cannot wait to cover it.

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Should the Chiefs draft a QB?

I have been a Chiefs fan for a long time.  I am not the die hard I once was but I do shell out a decent chunk of change each year to buy season tickets.  So in Carl Peterson's estimation I am a real Chiefs fan.  I saw Nick Sloan's post about the Chiefs drafting RGIII and it got me thinking if that is where the Chiefs will be forced to go in next years draft.  Is Matt Cassel that bad that we have to start thinking about the future of the QB position?

I am of the firm opinion that your QB is only as good as your offensive line.  So lets examine what the Chiefs have up front.

Brandon Albert is our LT.  He was a guard in college and is the result of our trade of Jared Allen.  He is a young offensive lineman with good skill.  However it is believed that he is playing out of position and would be a lot better guard.  So ask Trent Green, Priest Holmes or Larry Johnson what they think about a stud LT and they will tell you all about Willie Roaf. 

Ryan Lilja is our LG.  EMAW!  I however have to say that his prime is past him.  He was at KState when I was there for crying out loud so his best years are behind him.

Casey Wiegmann is our center.  His second stint with the team after playing in Denver for a year.  He has played well for the Chiefs and was apart of some of the best offensive lines in the history of the Chiefs.  He however is very old and undersized.

Jon Asamoah is our RG.  Who is Jon Asamoah?  If you find out let me know as well.

Then there is Barry Richardson who plays RT and has been an experiment for the last few years.  In other words he is trying hard.  Experiment failed.

I will say that this line is not striking fear in any opposing defenses. 

Speaking of defense, the Chiefs have 9 sacks which is worst in the league.  The only thing cleaner than an opposing QB after playing the Chiefs is .. well nothing.  There are 5 players in the league that have the same amount or more sacks than the Chiefs.  6 of those sacks are from one person (Tamba Hali).  This is not historically bad.  The Dolphins can pop open the champaign as their 7 sacks in 1988 is in no danger. 

What is the point of drafting a QB when you are horrible up front on both sides of the ball?  The blunders of drafting and failing to develop Dorsey and Jackson are almost unforgivable. Fixing your offensive and defensive line is a tough chore in free agency because the rest of the league is smart enough to keep their studs on the line.  The good teams also know when to let go once they are past their prime case in point Wiegmann and Lilja.

10 years ago I would have been right behind Nick and RGIII or the Suck for Luck stuff.  You can however put the next coming of Peyton Manning behind a bad line and still lose.  Don't be shocked to hear a OL's name called when the draft time comes along or a stud (at least until the Chiefs get a hold of them) pass rusher.

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