September - Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: September 2010
FOOTBALL
FEVER
Chiefs Report
page 4
Will Cassel be a blue-chip QB or a bust? . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
7 Questions with Priest Holmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Lilja returns home to play with Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Chiefs will be improved, but not a playoff team . . . . . . . . . .7
Big 12 Report
page 9
Just how valid are college football predictions? . . . . . . . . . .9
KSU won’t depend on QB to win and go bowling . . . . . . .10
Gill-era begins by picking Pick as KU QB . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
MU has awful August before first kickoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
High School Report
+ Sports Extra
page 14
Three to See on high school level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Rockhurst, Blue Springs top high school poll . . . . . . . . . .15
U.S. Army High School Football Coach of the Week . . . . .15
McNeeley: St. Pius X to Army Airborne Ranger . . . . . . . . .16
Lee’s Summit North, SM Northwest pace XC squads . . . .17
Steve Fisch
Publisher
11730 W. 135th St., Suite 18
Overland Park, KS 66221
Phone/Fax: (913) 764-2050
Email: sfisch@kcsportspaper.com
www.kcsportspaper.com
Editor
Alan Eskew
Contributing Photographers
Scott Thomas, Ed Graunke, Alan Hoskins, Jim Gill
Scott Weaver, Warren Ingram
Some images from sxc.hu
4 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Shotgunners’
Report
page 22
Mavericks Hockey
Report
page 24
KC Baseball
Report
page 19
Sports
Entertainment
Report
page 20
Event Calendar page 17
Golf page 29 | Bill Grigsby page 30
Wizards page 18 | Fitness page 26
Running & Cycling page 17
Contributing Writers
Charles Redfield, Brad Ziegler, Alan Eskew,
David Garfield, Bill Grigsby, Alan Hoskins, Rob Haworth,
John Landsberg, Jim Potoski, David Smale, Art Still,
Steve Wilson, James Peuster, Marc Bowman,
Dr. Karan Baucom, Dave Borchardt, Dr. Lynn McIntosh
On the Cover
Photo by Scott Thomas
Published Monthly
Entire Contents © Kansas City Sports & Fitness 2010.
The views and opinions of the contributing writers contained
in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views and
opinions of the editor and/or publisher.
Will Cassel be a blue-chip
quarterback or a bust?
n Matt Cassel’s first year as the Kansas
City Chiefs quarterback, he threw for I 2,924 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16
interceptions. He was also sacked 42 times
in the 15 games he started.
In 2008, Cassel put up better numbers
with a better team, the New England
Patriots, throwing for 3,693 yards, 21
touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but was
still sacked 47 times.
The Chiefs gave Cassel a lucrative sixyear
$63 million contract, with $28 guaranteed
and worth $40.5 his first three seasons.
The Chiefs are obviously banking that
Cassel can deliver victories and move the
offense.
Is Cassel a bluechip
NFL quarterback
capable of leading the
Kansas City to a division
title and deep into
the playoffs, or is he
an average at best quarterback, overpaid
and will end up being a bust? We asked our
expert panel at SportsRadioKC.com.
Duke Frye, host of “The
Chiefs Show,” Mondays
at 9 a.m.: I find him somewhere
between the two
right now. He’s capable of
leading them to the playoffs,
but is capable of leading them deep
into the playoffs? I don’t think we have
any indication yet whether he can or not.
He hasn’t played enough and he hasn’t
shown me enough in terms of self-confidence
and reliability on the field, consistency
on the field.
He had a nice, consistent year with New
England in 2008, but he has to back that
up year after year. He hasn’t shown the
ability to do that yet. Is he a Super Bowl
quarterback? At this point I don’t think he
is. But, surrounded with the right group of
people he could be. Look at some of the
Super Bowl quarterbacks in the past 20
years. The other side of that is that I think
he’s a quarterback who will take the
Chiefs to the next step. What that step is
remains to be seen. A deep run has a lot
to do with what kind of talent he’s
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

EXPERTS| FROM PAGE 4
surrounded by over the long haul.
I don’t think he’ll be a bust. The Chiefs
may have spent more money on him than
he was worth, but it’s an NFL contract
because if he is, in their minds, becoming a
bust, they can renegotiate the contract and
pay him only a lot of up front money. So, I
don’t think he’s going to be a bust when
it’s all said and done, but I don’t think he’ll
be the best quarterback in Chiefs history,
either.
Bob Gretz, writer for
SportsRadioKC.com and
BobGretz.com: I think
we’ll start to find that out
in 2010. I don’t think
anybody really knows at
this point. If they say they do, they’re just
puffing smoke and talking to hear their
voice. We didn’t get enough evidence last
year, largely because of problems around
him. Changing the offense 10 days before
the season opener didn’t help. Let’s not
forget, he’s started only 30 games in the
NFL, so he’s still a pup when it comes to
professional football. So, this is a huge,
huge year for him because he has to show
he can take the next step.
The next step is to jack up that completion
percentage. The next step is to throw
fewer interceptions. The next step is to get
rid of the ball quicker and not take as many
sacks. The next step is to get the averageper-attempt
up to at least six yards. There
are a lot of steps that he has to take. I think
we’ll have a much better understanding of
whether he’s capable of that at the end of
this year, if he stays healthy.
Steve Renko, co-host
of “Behind the Stats,”
weekdays, 10 a.m.-noon:
Matt Cassel, in my opin-
ion, hasn’t proven anything yet. I’ll also
say he isn’t my favorite, but when you look
at this Chiefs roster as it stands right now, I
don’t know that they have a favorite. That
was my question when they went into the
NFL Draft in April. I felt they should’ve
drafted someone to work as his backup to
be there in the next couple of years,
depending on how Cassel does. Looking at
Cassel’s body of work with the Chiefs, I’m
not convinced he’s the guy to lead this
team to the playoffs at all, let alone on a
deep run.
He’s going to have to prove that to me
and to the Chiefs fans. In 2009 he threw
too much into double coverage, and he
threw too quickly — which are somewhat
tied together. So, people might point to the
offensive line we had here last season.
It wasn’t too good, but they got better
toward the end of the year. I didn’t see
improvement from Cassel as the line got
better. You can wonder about the receivers
he had to work with. I don’t know they are
the playmaker types that you’d like to have
for a playoff run, but they’re definitely
guys who can catch the ball. When it
comes down to it, though, I don’t think
Matt Cassel is a franchise quarterback.
He has to earn that status in 2010.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 5

7 QUESTIONS
with PRIEST HOLMES
“Behind the Stats” on SportsRadioKC.com,
with Matt Fulks and co-hosts Dave Stewart and
Steve Renko will often pose “Seven Questions”
to their guests.
The following is with former Chiefs running back
Priest Holmes. The Chiefs picked up Holmes as a
free agent in 2001. During his seven years in Kansas
City, Holmes became one of the best backs during
that span in the NFL
Holmes led the NFL in rushing in 2001. He was
selected as the 2002 NFL Offensive Player of the
Year, running for 1,615 yards, catching 70 passes
and scoring 24 touchdowns. In 2003, Holmes scored
a then NFL record 27 touchdowns.
Although he can be spotted in Kansas City from
time to time, Holmes, who is a Texas alum, makes
his home in the San Antonio area.
1. Who was your hero growing up...?
Priest Holmes: Tony Dorsett.
2. If not for football, I would’ve been in...?
PH: American Idol [Laughs.]
3. My greatest day in football was...?
PH: The 1996 Big 12 championship versus Nebraska
in St. Louis when we defeated my good friend Will
Shields’ alma mater.
4. The thing I miss most about being in Kansas City
regularly is...?
PH: The barbecue, especially Jack Stack.
5. My favorite vacation spot is...?
PH: Puerto Rico. That’s the farthest I’ve gone
because you didn’t need any type of passport to go
there.
6. My message to parents of young athletes is...?
PH: Every kid needs to have an ace of spades in his
or her back pocket. What I mean by that is someone
in your life who tells you that you are somebody, you
can be someone, you’re special, you’re excellent at
this or that, and we love you. You need to take those
words and keep it as an ace of spades so when the
doubters come and tell you that you can’t do something,
you’ll
have that ace
to lean on
when people
say you’re
too small, not
fast enough,
not smart
enough,
whatever.
7. The one
person in history
I’d love
to meet is...?
PH: Jesus
Christ. The
reason I say
that is
because of the testimony to how a person can go
through so much pain for so many other people.
For more information about “Behind the Stats,”
please go to www.SportsRadioKC.com. “Seven
Questions” appears most months in Kansas City
Sports & Fitness. You can contact the show at
BtS@SportsRadioKC.com.
Photo by Ed Graunke
6 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
I
Lilja returns home to play with Chiefs
t’s not often one gets a chance to come
home in professional sports. Offensive
lineman Ryan Lilja, one of the Kansas
City Chiefs newcomers, will have a chance
to do just that.
Lilja, who signed as a free agent
after a Super Bowl-winning stint with
the Indianapolis Colts, went to high
school at Shawnee Mission
Northwest, played two years at
Coffeyville (Kansas) Junior College
and then at Kansas State.
This is actually his second time to
be with the Chiefs, but his initial
phase ended quickly.
Lilja joined hosts Jason Spalitto
and J.D. Higgason on the K-State
Power Hour on SportsRadioKC.com.
SRKC: What does it mean to you
to come back home and play for the
Chiefs?
Ryan Lilja: It’s good to be back
home. I didn’t think I’d ever be in this position
to come back and play for the Chiefs.
But, things worked out that way and the
opportunity came up. There were a few
teams interested, but this was a no-brainer
for me. I’ve been a Chiefs fan my entire
life, and my family is still here, so signing
with the Chiefs was a no-brainer for me.
SRKC: Coming from Kansas City, going
to K-State, and then winning the Super
Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, you’ve
traveled to some great cities from New
York to Coffeyville.
RL: [Laughs] I don’t want to offend
anyone who’s from there so I’ll just say I
went there to play football for a couple of
years. They have a really good junior-college
program there with great facilities. We
won some games and had fun. Ultimately, it
got me to where I wanted to go in K-State.
So it worked out well for me.
SRKC: There have been some great athletes
come out of Johnson County, like
Darren Sproles and Rodney Peete, but you
have the Super Bowl ring. It’s pretty incredible
what you’ve accomplished in your
NFL career.
RL: I was fortunate to come out and got
hooked with a good team (Indianapolis)
with a pretty darn good quarterback (Peyton
Manning), and we had a good run. I was
thrilled to play for the Colts at that time for
six years. That was great. But I’m moving
on. The only thing that can top winning a
Super Bowl in Indianapolis would be winning
one here or getting close. I’m looking
forward to helping the Chiefs right the ship
and get back to winning ways. That would
be something pretty special.
SRKC: Before we talk much about the
Chiefs, let’s go back to your incredible
story because you went undrafted out of K-
State, played on the Chiefs’ practice squad
before the Colts picked you up. What
clicked for you when you got to the NFL?
What did the Chiefs miss about you the first
time around?
RL: I would’ve done the same thing that
they did. I was undrafted, started one year
at K-State and was coming out, untouted. I
had a good preseason, but I was under the
radar. I guess they wanted to see if I could
keep going unnoticed on the practice squad.
It’s what I would’ve done. This league is
about managing the roster and developing.
Since I didn’t go to the Combine or any
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

T
Chiefs will be improved, but not a playoff team
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
he Kansas City Chiefs are a trendy
pick to have a breakout season and
be a playoff contender after three
horrible seasons.
The past three years the Chiefs have lost
38 of 48 games, so it appears implausible
they are ready to make a gigantic leap forward.
They do play in a weak division, the
AFC West, so anything is possible.
“The bottom line goal is to play better
than the other team – better means smarter,
tackle, don’t turn the ball over, don’t take
bad penalties, all those things,” Chiefs
coach Todd Haley said. “When it comes to
September 13th (the season opener against
San Diego), if we play better we have a
great chance of winning the game. We’re
trying to do everything we can do to be
ready to play that game. It’s going to
matter September 13th.”
This is the second year for the regime
of general manager Scott Pioli and Haley.
After firing offensive coordinator Chan
Gailey two weeks before the season started,
Haley called the plays last year as a
rookie head coach. Haley has turned those
duties over to offensive coordinator
Charlie Weis, who was fired at Notre
Dame. Two other significant additions to
the coaching staff are defensive coordinator
Romeo Crennel and Emmitt Thomas,
a Hall of Fame defensive back, to tutor a
young secondary.
The offense and defense must vastly
improve if the Chiefs, who have not won
a playoff game since 1993, are to be 8-8 or
better. The offense ranked 23rd in pints and
25th in yards in 2009, while the defense
ranked 30th in yards allowed and 29th in
points surrendered.
Matt Cassel did not play last year like
the third highest paid quarterback in the
NFL He was sacked 45 times – blame the
offensive line on some of those and
Cassel’s proclivity to hold onto the ball a
second too long. Plus, Cassel is not good at
selling play-action passes or scrambling.
Haley wants to run more and with
Jamaal Charles and free agent signee
Thomas Jones,
who rushed for
a career-best
1,402 yards
last year, that
should be a
strength. Jones
can get the
inside yards,
while Charles,
a 2008 thirdround
pick
from Texas,
has sprinter
speed and
averaged 5.9
yards per tote
while running
for 968 yards
in 2009. Jones
and Steven
Jackson of the
St. Louis Rams
are the only
NFL backs to
rush for 1,000
yards each of
the past five seasons.
Protecting Cassel and opening gaps for
Jones and Charles, will be some recycled
Chiefs. Casey Wiegmann, 37, could
replace undersized Rudy Niswanger at center.
Ryan Lilja, who is from Kansas City
and went to Kansas State, was cut six years
ago by the Chiefs and picked up a Super
Bowl ring with the Indianapolis Colts, will
start at right guard.
The jury is still out on former first-round
pick Branden Albert as a dominating left
tackle. Ryan O’Callaghan will start at right
tackle. Left guard Brian Waters, 33, is a
Pro Bowl competent blocker and is a veteran
presence in the locker room. Expect
third-round pick Joe Asamoah to play quite
a bit as a rookie backup.
The Chiefs spent $5.9 million guaranteed
to resign Chris Chambers, their
Photo by Scott Thomas
leading receiver last year. The Chiefs are
optimistic this will be the year Dwayne
Bowe will mature into the receiver they
thought he was going to be after drafting
him in the first-round out of LSU in 2007.
“I think he falls into the category of
developing players, players that were on
the roster that must develop – young, two,
three, four-year players that have to develop,”
Haley said. “I know Dwayne’s had
some statistical success in the past here.
Being a receiver coach for as long as
I have I’ve always had a rule that if you’re
above .500 then receiver stats count, if
you’re not then they don’t.
“I’ve made that clear to Dwayne and
he understands it that we’re trying to be
a good team and for him to be a good
receiver on a good team, you’ve got to be
winning games and then have some numbers
to back it up. We’re on the same page
there but the important thing is he’s developing.
He had a very good off-season, very
good. The message was clear to him what
he had to do and he came into the offseason
exactly the way he was asked, he
worked through the off-season the way that
good receivers trying to become real good
receivers have to and now he’s continued
through training camp to be a dependable
player for us because receivers do not only
catch the ball, they have to block.
“That’s going to be part of our M.O.
If you’re going to play receiver here that’s
going to be something you have to do. He
understands that and looks like he’s working
real hard at it. He’s got a big body,
strong, should be a real good blocker that
can help us in the run game.”
If the defense is to make huge strides,
defensive ends Glenn Dorsey, picked fifth
overall in the 2008 draft, and Tyson
Jackson, the third overall pick in 2009
(and both out of LSU, like Bowe), must
make significant advancements.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali is a
former first-round pick (2006) that is
progressing into a force. Veteran Mike
Vrabel is backed up by fan favorite Andy
Studebaker. Demorrio Williams and
Derrick Johnson, yet another first-round
pick from Texas, are vying for playing time
at inside linebacker.
Eric Berry, a 2010 first-round pick, will
immediately start at strong safety and be
tested early and often.
The Chiefs in the playoffs this year
appears doubtful, but 7-9 or 8-8 is not farfetched.
If it is five or less victories, there
could be some changes on the coaching
staff next year and it likely won’t be
restricted to assistants.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 7

T
Just how valid are college football predictions?
his is a wonderful time of the year.
The hot, hot summer is closing
and it is time for college football.
Unfortunately, in Kansas City
this is the time of the year where
the Royals start to unload talent,
bring up the next batch of potential
superstars and begin their annual
rebuilding process. It’s like clockwork.
To tell the truth, I sometimes get
irritated with the Royals at this point
of the season when they knock off
other teams that have a chance to
make the playoffs. The Royals season
was over sometime in June. Why ruin
someone else’s season? Just roll over
and play dead until next season and
start the process over again.
Maybe that’s why college football is so
exciting. The media starts highlighting the
top teams, players to watch, injuries,
suspensions, transfers, etc., and most
come out with their annual predictions.
No publication does more research or
has more clout when picking the top teams
than Sports Illustrated. When SI makes
predictions about the season they aren’t
just suggestions, they are etched on stone
tablets somewhere. You can take them to
the bank.
Or, can you? I really don’t know. So this
year I have decided that for the first time in
my life I am going to actually check how
well SI does on its predictions. SI’s
“College Preview” issue (with “40 pages
of scouting reports”) came out in August
and here are its Top 10 Teams:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Texas
5. TCU
6. Iowa
7. Florida
8. Oregon
9. Nebraska
10. Virginia Tech
The Associated Press has Alabama
first, my Buckeyes second (Did I ever
tell you Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
and I graduated in the same year from
Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio?
It’s a great trivia question), and Boise,
which has by far the easiest schedule of
any of the contenders or pretenders, third.
The rest includes (in order) Florida, Texas,
TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and
Virginia Tech.
When the dust clears on the college bowl
season I will compare
the final SI rankings and
its fearless predictions
with the actual results.
At that point we all can
learn how well the
“experts” are on their
predictions.
I have a gut feeling
their fearless predictions
will not hold up well
over the entire season.
Maybe they will. As they
say in radio, “stay tuned.”
John
Landsberg
Contributing
Writer
John Landsberg can be reached at
jlandsberg@bottomlinecom.com.
LILJA| FROM PAGE 6
type of senior bowl games, the Chiefs
probably thought I’d continue under the
radar. Fortunately for me, the Colts were
watching. It worked out great. Again,
I think the Chiefs made the right decision
at the time, but it backfired on them.
SRKC: What was your attraction to
coming back to the Chiefs outside of home?
RL: Three other teams were interested.
My criteria came down to a good fit and the
money had to be right. As I was talking to
people I trusted who were advising me,
they kept pointing out that it’s rare for guys
to have an opportunity to play for their
hometown team. It’s rare. I can’t name any
of my buddies with the Colts who did that.
As I thought about that possibility, I got
really excited. Everything worked well here
so I signed.
SRKC: You’re coming from a great
organization that was incredibly successful,
especially under coach Tony Dungy with
Manning as the quarterback. Talk about
playing there, and being in the huddle with
Manning.
RL: Manning is one of those dudes
who’s a perfectionist and he tries nonstop,
day in and day out, to perfect his craft in
every aspect. He’s really in tune to his
training and computing defenses. Nobody
out-works him. It was cool to be in the
huddle with him. They treated me just like
anybody else and held me accountable just
like anybody else. Tony Dungy is one of
the finest individuals I’ve ever been around.
It was an honor to play for him.
You can catch the K-State Power Hour
with Jason Spalitto and J.D. Higgason each
Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. with a replay
at p.m. on SportsRadioKC.com.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 9

Q
uarterback? What quarterback?
No, you’re not hallucinating. We
meant to write this. It really is
insignificant who ends up as the starting
quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats.
Wildcats coach, Bill Snyder is famous
for building his offense around his quarterback.
But whether he chooses Carson
Coffman (who was officially selected as
the starter at the end of August), Collin
Klein or Sammuel Lamur, the offense will
be constructed around everything, but the
signal-caller.
The key to the offense will be the running
game, with 2009 Big 12 Offensive
Newcomer of the Year Daniel Thomas
carrying the load. Thomas led the conference
in rushing and rushed for more yards
in a season in Kansas State history that
anyone not named Darren Sproles. He’s
bigger and stronger, and he says faster this
season. He’s also coming off his first
off-season in which he knew he’d be the
starting running back.
The offensive line will be one of the
Wildcats strongest units this season, with
lots of size and experience. Eight of the
10 linemen on the projected two-deep are
juniors or seniors. They’ll open holes for
Thomas and whoever else carries the ball.
But to make sure the defense doesn’t
stack the box and focus only on the run.
The Cats will feature a big, talented receiver
corps. Three of the four are 5-11 or taller
and 200 pounds or bigger. The fourth, in
each case, is freshman Tramaine
Thompson, who, at 5-7, 165, will remind
some of a thicker Brandon Banks. With
single coverage likely, the receivers will
find openings and move the chains.
Then, think about this. Thomas played
quarterback in high school and at junior
college. Chris Harper, who transferred
from Oregon after one season, played
quarterback in high school before switching
to receiver during his freshman year
at Oregon.
If Snyder chooses, he could line up
10 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Kansas State won’t depend on quarterback
to win and go bowling
Thomas and Harper in the backfield with
the quarterback du jour. Guess which one
is going to get the ball and what he’s going
to do with it.
You’ve heard of
the Wildcat formation?
The
Wildcats may
have a tripleoption
Wildcat
formation. Let
the confusion
begin for Dcoordinators
around the
Big 12.
Coffman
started the first
four games of
last season
before being
replaced by
Grant Gregory.
He’s a fifthyear
senior and
an intelligent
quarterback.
He probably
won’t win a
game with his
arm or his legs,
but with anoth-
er year of experience, he probably won’t
lose one either.
Klein looks like a quarterback at 6-5,
233, but he struggled in the preseason.
He’ll likely be switched back to receiver,
where he played all 12 games last year,
thereby strengthening that unit even more.
Lamur is the X-factor. He’s a very athletic
quarterback, and at 6-2, 221, is big
enough to carry the ball when necessary.
He hasn’t grasped the offense as well as
Coffman, but don’t be surprised to see him
sub on a few plays per game to throw
another wrinkle into the offense if he doesn’t
get the starting nod.
More questions lie on the defensive side.
Brandon Harold, who was a freshman all-
American defensive end in 2008 before
missing all but one series last year, returns.
If he’s healthy,
he solidifies an
otherwise
questionable
unit.
Like the
receivers, the
linebackers
have depth but
not a lot of
experience.
Alex Hrebec is
the lone returning
starter. But
he is one of
eight vying for
one of three
starting spots
this year.
Snyder said
Hrebec, Kevin
Rohleder,
Jarell Childs,
Troy Butler
and Blake
Slaughter are
part of the
solution. But
don’t count out
Kadero Terrell, Jarett Wright or even freshman
Tre Walker.
“We’ve got a plethora of guys,” Snyder
said. “It’s not that we don’t have depth. I’m
not going to say that it’s not (high-) quality
depth. These are good young performers.
These are young guys who do what you
ask them to do. They play well within the
system. There’s a lot to choose from. It will
be very competitive.”
The secondary probably will be the
strength of the defense. Safeties Tysyn
The key to the offense for KSU will be the running game
lead by Daniel Thomas.
Hartman and Emmanuel
Lamur return and will be
surrounded by a strong
group of cornerbacks
who have seen a lot of
playing time if not in the
starting lineup.
So where does this
leave the Wildcats at the
end of the season? I
believe they’ll be back in
a bowl game, and probably
a pretty good one.
David
Smale
Contributing
Writer
History tells us there will be surprises.
The Cats will beat somebody they’re not
supposed to beat, and probably struggle
against someone they should dominate.
A year with Snyder certainly has taught the
team how to win.
If the Wildcats start the season with a
win against a mediocre UCLA team,
they’re likely headed for a 4-0 start before
hosting Nebraska on ESPN on Thursday,
Oct. 7. They probably should have beaten
the Bruins last year in Los Angeles, and
with this one in Manhattan, the Cats will
be favored. Follow that with wins over
Missouri State, Iowa State at Arrowhead
Stadium and Central Florida and the
Huskers will face a motivated and confident
team.
I still think Nebraska will win the game,
but the Wildcats should get back on the
winning track the next week at Kansas.
The following week’s game at Baylor
might determine how good K-State’s bowl
game will be. A winnable game at home
against a depleted Oklahoma State squad
precedes the games against Texas and then
at Missouri. But the road games at
Colorado and North Texas ought to help
K-State break a three-year bowl-less
drought. An 8-4 record is certainly within
reach and possibly 9-3.

Gill-era begins by picking Pick as Kansas quarterback
urner Gill ushers in a new era for
Kansas football this season after taking T over as head coach last December after
the Mark Mangino era came to a not-soglorious
ending.
Gill, a former Nebraska quarterback, has
been busy building relationships with his
players, coaches, and
the community while
gearing up for the season
and implementing
his philosophy on
the Kansas football
program.
“Our guys have done
a great job coming
together as a team and
I see a great bond
forming,” Gill said
“We are moving ahead
in the right direction.”
While there are
many questions regarding this 2010 team,
one matter is certain: the Jayhawks love
playing for the optimistic Gill after the
gruff and dictatorial Mangino.
“Coach Gill is a great guy,” senior
defensive end Jake Laptad said.
“Everybody looks up to him. Everybody
loves him. He brings a lot of energy both to
the meetings and to the field.”
Gill and the Jayhawks hope to be a surprise
team this year after ending 2009 with
seven consecutive defeats. The coaches
and media picked Kansas to finish fourth
in the Big 12 North. The schedule is favorable.
The non-conference schedule
includes Kansas hosting Georgia Tech,
ranked No. 16 in the preseason, on Sept.
11 and six days later playing at Southern
Mississippi. The conference schedule,
however, does not include South powers
Texas and Oklahoma, so a 6-6 or 7-5
season and being bowl eligible are possibilities
in Gill’s inaugural season.
And possibly even better if the ‘Hawks
can successfully replace some valuable
weapons from last season.
Gone is record-setting quarterback Todd
Reesing, the two most productive wide
receivers in KU annals in Dezmon Briscoe
and Kerry Meier, the team’s leading tackler
last season in safety Darrell Stuckey, and
the 10th all-time leading rusher at KU in
Jake Sharp.
Sophomore Kale Pick, who won the
starting quarterback job this fall over redshirt
freshman Jordan Webb, will spearhead
KU’s offense in the post-Reesing era.
Pick played in seven games last season,
showcasing his running skills with 167
yards on 14 carries while also completing
four of five passing attempts for 22 yards.
12 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
While he is fast, Pick, a Dodge City
native, can also throw the ball as well. He
passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns
on 14 of 22 in the spring game. He
impressed Gill in practices with his “ball
security” and “demeanor in (and) outside
the huddle.”
“It’s definitely exciting,”
Pick said. “I’m
glad they made that
decision, and I’m definitely
looking forward
to our season. I think we
can do some pretty big
things if we stay on the
grind and keep working
hard every day.”
At receiver, KU will
rely by committee to
replace stars Briscoe
and Meier. This position
has arguably the deepest
depth of any on the team.
“All of the wide receivers have had
some great opportunities to show some
great speed,” Gill said. “John Wilson has
done some great things. He isn’t the fastest
guy, but he has run some great routes. He
has done an excellent job at catching the
football. We have a solid receiving core.
Daymond Patterson has done an outstanding
job, moving over from defensive back
to receiver. Brad McDougald is a steady
guy. Chris Omigie, Erick McGriff, Chris
Mathews, D.J. Beshears have all done a
great job as well. We have six or seven
different guys we feel very good about.
We have some guys that can make
some plays.”
Wilson, a senior, is the team’s most
experienced receiver, but had a disappointing
junior season, catching 35 passes for
449 yards with no touchdowns, down from
his 43 receptions for 573 yards and three
touchdowns his sophomore year. McDougald
(six starts and 33 receptions last
season) and Patterson will start alongside
Wilson. Patterson is a speedy big-play
threat. He caught 14 passes for 154 yards
and two touchdowns his freshman season
before moving to cornerback midway
through the year, the position he played
all last season.
While the Jayhawks will still throw the
ball, Gill said he would like to run the ball
more. Kansas ranked just 101st in the
NCAA last season in rushing offense at
112.08 yards per game. Senior Angus
Quigley entered the season atop the depth
chart at running back, although Gill said
“we’re going to probably rotate some
guys” as he figures “out the best fit for our
running game.” Quigley rushed for 309
yards in 2008 before being moved to linebacker
last season.
Gill’s other options at running back
include redshirt freshman Deshaun Sands
(son of former KU running back Tony
Sands), and true freshmen James Sims and
Brandon Bourbon. Sophomore Toben
Opurum has been switched to linebacker,
while junior Rell Lewis suffered a seasonending
knee injury two weeks before the
season opener against North Dakota State.
Lewis had been No. 2 on the depth chart.
On defense, KU will have to improve
from last year, where the Jayhawks ranked
ninth in the Big 12 in total defense (383.25
yards per game) and 10th in scoring
defense (28.42 ppg). KU, which returns six
starters, suffered a blow in camp when
returning starting linebacker Huldon
Tharp went down with a season-ending
foot injury.
While depth remains a big issue, KU has
some talented players on the defensive
side, led by Laptad (team leader in 2009
with 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss), senior
linebacker Drew Dudley, senior cornerback
Chris Harris and sophomore safety
Lubbock Smith.
Gill promises to be an attack-oriented
defensive squad with a 4-3 base, but will
play multiple schemes.
The players have adjusted
well to new defensive
coordinator Carl
Torbush.
“Coach Torbush likes
us to be aggressive and
gives us the opportunity
to make more plays and
just to be more confident
in ourselves,” said senior
safety Phillip Strozier, a
Rockhurst graduate. “He
David
Garfield
Contributing
Writer
preaches confidence to us, too; the more
confident we are, the more aggressive
we’re going to be.”
After winning their first games and
ranked in the top 25, the Jayhawks had a
disastrous ending to their 2009 season.
This is a fresh start, a new season, a new
coaching staff.
“The atmosphere is having fun and
being confident,” Strozier said. “There’s a
big difference between being confident and
being arrogant. The most important thing is
to have fun and that’s why we’re here, to
have fun and to win. As long as we’re having
fun and winning, then everything else
will fall into place.”

M
Missouri had awful August before first kickoff
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
issouri was given the only chance to knock off
defending Big 12 North champion Nebraska in the
preseason pools.
While the Cornhuskers were a near unanimous choice to
win the North in their final year in the conference before
defecting for the Big 12, Missouri was the consensus pick
to finish second in the division.
Those preseason polls, however,
came out before the Tigers
had a horrible, horrible August.
One may ask how could one
have a putrid August before one
game is played?
Here’s a bad Missouri August:
● Senior tailback and captain
Derrick Washington, who led the
Tigers in rushing the past two
years, was suspended indefinitely
and has been charged with deviate sexual assault, a Class C
felony, according to a Boone County prosecutor.
Washington, who went to Raymore-Peculiar High,
rushed for 865 yards in a junior injury-riddled season after
rushing for 1,078 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore.
If he remains on the suspended list, sophomore
Kendial Lawrence is second on the depth chart. Another
possible replacement is De’Vion Moore has been setback
by a foot injury. Replacing Washington won’t be easy.
● Just days before Washington’s suspension by Missouri
coach Gary Pinkel, junior linebacker Will Ebner was arrested
in Columbia for on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
An arrest report said Ebner had incoherent speech and
bloodshot eyes. He was released after posting a $500 bond.
He was Missouri’s third-leading tackler in 2009.
Before the arrest, Ebner had been bothered by a hamstring
injury. Deep snapper Beau Brinkley was also
charged with a DWI.
● In early August, Missouri co-offensive line coach
Bruce Walker was arrested while sitting in his parked truck
with the engine running outside the team facility. He was
issued a field sobriety test. According to Missouri’s DWI
laws, a vehicle does not have to be in motion, only that that
the drivers turns on the vehicle.
● Outside linebacker Donovan Bonner suffered a seasonending
knee injury.
● Wide receiver Jerrell Jackson, the leading receiver
returning, broke a wrist on Aug. 11 and had to have surgery
to insert a screw into the scaphoid bone. Jackson, however,
returned to practice and was No. 1 on the depth chart to
begin the season.
“Honestly, one thing I have never, ever done is get
caught up in injuries,” Pinkel said. “I just don’t do it.
Nobody cares. Bottom line, they’re not going to asterisk a
game or season.”
The good news is quarterback Blaine Gabbert returns
after throwing for 3,593 yards and 24 touchdowns last year,
his first season starting after replacing Chase Daniel.
The bad news is he no longer has All-American receiver
Danario Alexander to catch his passes. Alexander set team
records with 113 catches and 1,781 yards last year, which
composed of 41 and 48 percent of the Tigers’ totals. He
hauled in 14 of Gabberth’s 24 touchdowns throws.
More bad news, Gabbert by one publication was considered
the most overrated player in the Big 12 because he
played poorly against better teams, putting up most of his
big numbers against sad-sack teams. Gabbert averaged
208.5 yards and completed only 46.3 percent of his passes
against Navy, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Texas. And
Gabbert could not engineer a victory against Baylor, which
was playing with its third-team quarterback, at Columbia.
After back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2007-08 and two
Big 12 North titles, the Tigers dropped to 8-5 last season.
They started 4-0 and then went 4-5.
“Our team definitely had its highs and lows,” Gabbert
said.
The Tigers will have preseason All-Big 12 center Tim
Barnes snapping to Gabbert, who will come out throwing
even sans Alexander.
“I want the team on my shoulders,” Gabbert said.
“I want to win games. I’m not here to hand the ball off 40
times and try not to lose a game. I’m here to throw the ball
and put up points and try to win games.”
Pinkel believes in Gabbert.
“I expect him to have a really good year,” Pinkel said.
“He has a chance to be a great player and we’re excited
about him getting going.”
The defense must find a replacement for linebacker Sean
Weatherspoon, a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons.
Sophomore defensive end Aldon Smith was named the
Big 12 newcomer of the year in 2009 after logging a
school-record 11.5 sacks.
The Tigers have made it to bowls the past five years
under Pinkel and should make it six. But last year’s ending
– a 35-13 loss to Navy in the Texas Bowl – left a sour taste.
If the Tigers are to play in more than a minor bowl game,
Gabbert must play better against better competition and the
defense must improve.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 13

T
here is a lot to see on local high school
football fields this fall, but following
are three teams, games, and players
you will definitely want to check out.
Three Must See Teams
Lee’s Summit – New head coaches usually
infuse a fresh level of excitement into
a program that results in increased numbers
and often more success on the field.
However, new coaches do not usually have
the luxury of a three-year starting quarterback
who has committed to play at
Missouri. That’s the situation Eric Thomas
inherits at Lee’s Summit.
Thomas comes from Columbia
Hickman, where he was offensive coordinator,
but prior to that he won a state title
in 2005 as the Cameron head coach. He’s
bringing a no-huddle spread offense to
Lee’s Summit. The triggerman will be
Corbin Berkstresser who has pledged to
run a similar offense at Missouri.
The Tigers already had momentum from
their first playoff appearance since 1987
last year. Add in a drop to Class 5 and
Lee’s Summit just might be on the cusp of
a special season.
14 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
“Three To See” on high school level
Liberty North/Blue Valley Southwest
– Yes, that’s two teams in one, but they are
the two brand new programs in the metro
and it’s always
fascinating to
see how those
squads progress.
The Liberty
North Eagles got
an experienced
head coach from
Winnetonka’s
Ken Clemens.
He led the
Griffins to
arguably the best
two seasons in
school history the past two years. Now he’s
building a program literally from scratch
without any seniors and virtually no experience.
However, numbers are good with
more than 100 kids out, an exceptional
total in the 500-student school.
Blue Valley Southwest also got an experienced
head coach in Emporia’s Bill
Lowe, a Blue Valley grad. The
Timberwolves have a handful of seniors
and a bit more experience than Liberty
North, but just like the Eagles have to
establish a unique identity.
On KCXL 1140 AM & KCTO 1160 AM
Monday thru Friday 6:00-9:00pm
Anatomy of Sport
with Dr. Jim Krause and Steve Nash
Forward Progress
with Dr. Don Oyao and Mark Graves
Good Sports
the KC Sports & Fitness Show
with Steve Fisch and Jim Potoski
Pettit Said It
with Rusty Pettit and Steve Nash
Both teams will be interesting to watch
because recent history has seen new
schools in the area establish a winning culture
very quickly.
Staley,
which was the
newest school
in the area,
went 9-3 and
11-1 in their
first two years.
Blue Valley
West won a
state title in the
school’s seventh
season.
Can these two
schools match that level of success? It will
be fun to find out.
Olathe South – The Falcons stood at
4-3 seven games into last season, but their
three defeats were by a total of 10 points.
Their final two games were lopsided losses
to the two state semi-finalists from the east
half of Kansas 6-A and Olathe South finished
4-5, but optimism abounds for Jeff
Gourley’s third Falcons squad.
South returns 15 starters from last year,
including what looks to be on paper the
Sunflower League’s best offensive line.
Running back Nick Sands may be poised
for a big year as the Falcons complete the
transition from Mark Littrell’s pass-happy
spread to Gourley’s run-first offense.
Olathe North is king of the Sunflower
until dethroned, and SM West, Olathe East,
and Lawrence Free State have been consistently
good the past five years. But watch
for Olathe South, a team that has a good
tradition of their own, to once again challenge
for a conference title.
Three Must-See Games
Staley at Kearney – September 24
This has exploded into perhaps the
northland’s best rivalry. The teams split
two games last year, but Kearney won in
the playoffs when it mattered most and
went on to a Class 4 state title. The teams
are in different classes now with Staley
moving up to 5. Even though they definitely
will not have a playoff rematch, expect
both teams to pour everything into this
bragging rights contest.
Fort Osage at Raytown South –
September 24
Two ought to see games, unfortunately,
fall on the same dates. These two have
squared off four times in the last two years,
once in the regular season and once in the
playoffs. The rivalry has become like the
Rockhurst vs. Blue
Springs of Class 5 with
nothing but great games
in that span. Last year
Fort Osage won both
meetings by seven
points. In 2008 they
split, with Fort Osage
winning by seven in the
regular season and Ray
South winning by six in
the playoffs. This season,
both teams replace
Nick
McCabe
Contributing
Writer
numerous players from those games but
the rivalry should be as intense as ever.
St. Thomas Aquinas at Gardner-
Edgerton – October 22
This game is so big it will be nationally
telecast on ESPNU. Aquinas was GE’s
nemesis the past several years until the
Trailblazers turned it around last season
with a two-point regular season win and a
49-7 blowout in the playoffs. The bad
blood boiled over in the playoff game as
the score got out of hand. The two EKL
rivals went 22-1 against outside competition,
with the lone loss by Gardner-
Edgerton to the Hutchinson machine in the
Kansas 5-A state title game and both are
once again pre-season favorites to challenge
for 5-A supremacy.
Three Must-See Players
Bubba Starling, Quarterback
Gardner-Edgerton
Starling is one of the top dual threat
quarterbacks in the country. Last year he
ran and threw for about 1,400 yards each
and totaled 38 touchdowns. This may be
the last year we get to see him play football.
He’s committed to Nebraska for next
season, but he is a highly regarded baseball
prospect as well, both as a hitter and
pitcher. There is more and more chatter
that Starling could be a first-round pick
next summer and opt to sign a lucrative
pro baseball contract instead of going
to Lincoln.
Darrian Miller, Running Back
Blue Springs
Miller is one of the most exciting running
backs ever in the metro. He ran for
almost 2,800 yards last year and has a
chance to become the leading big-class
rusher in Missouri history. He is expected
to duel with Starling for the Simone Award
this season, which goes to the top player in
the city. A rebuilt offensive line and a new
quarterback could slow his incredible production
from last year, but he’s still the
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

No. 1 Rockhurst – The Hawklets have
five returning starters on each side of the
ball, a huge number for a program that
annually has to find ways to reload.
Quarterback Frank Arbanas threw for 12
touchdowns and more than 1,200 yards as
a junior. RB Noah Pearl returns after leading
the Hawklets rushing attack with 1,400
yards and 11 touchdowns. TE/DE Dan
Tapko is one of the top three recruits in the
city and has committed to Oklahoma . He
was the leading receiver for the 2009
Hawklets with just more than 500 yards.
Junior LB Michael Rose, who has committed
to Nebraska as part of the Class of
2012, but will be ineligible the first six
games of 2010.
No. 2 Blue Springs – The Wildcats
return just one player who started the 2009
Class 6 state title game on offense. That
player is Darrian Miller, rated by some as
the top college football prospect in
Missouri after rushing for an 2,800 yards
last year. Jordan Nubine has developed into
one of the top receiver prospects in the
state. At quarterback, three-year-starter
Jared Lanpher will be replaced by Kyle
Brown, a 6’2 junior with a strong arm who
is also an All-American wrestler at Blue
Springs. The leading returning tacklers are
linebackers Jon Trocosso and Lewis Foutz,
but perhaps their most talented defensive
returner is cornerback Bernard Thomas, a
three-star recruit who holds offers from
Arkansas, KU, and K-State.
No. 3 Gardner-Edgerton – It is not a
coincidence the top three recruits in the
metro play for the top three teams, and
Trailblazers quarterback Bubba Starling
might be the best of the bunch. Starling is
6-5 and 200 pounds, runs a 4.5 40, and is
the third-best dual threat quarterback in the
country according to Rivals.com. He is
committed to play football and baseball at
Nebraska, but is such a highly regarded
pitcher he could be an early pick in the
Major League Baseball draft next summer
and forego college. Starling is the backbone
of a Trailblazers team that finished
runner-up to Hutchinson last year in Class
5-A and will try to stop the Salthawks run
of state titles this year. He threw and ran
for about 1,400 yards each with 38 total
touchdowns. Running back Brett Jensen
also returns after piling up 700 yards and
THREE TO SEE| FROM PAGE 14
most talented back in the area with offers
from Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State,
Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Dan Tapko, Tight End/Defensive End
Rockhurst
Already committed to play at Oklahoma
Rockhurst, Blue Springs top High School Poll
11 touchdowns. Overall GE has six starters
back on each side of the ball from last
year’s 12-1 team.
No. 4 Olathe North – The Eagles have
perhaps the biggest hole to plug in the
entire city with the graduation of RB James
Franklin, who departed as the leading rusher
in the school’s illustrious history with
5,900 career yards, including 2,800 and the
Simone Award as the city’s top player last
year. But the cupboard is not bare.
Quarterback Victor Simmons rushed for
1,000 yards last year, while splitting time
at the position. He’s also projected to start
at safety, the position he recently committed
to play at KU. Adonis Saunders and
Dominick Wilson should capably step in at
running back. Both have tremendous
speed. Saunders won the Class 6-A 100
and 200 meter sprints as a sophomore in
2008 (a pulled hamstring prevented him
from defending his titles last spring).
Saunders, Wilson and Simmons form
perhaps the best secondary in the city.
No. 5 Staley – The Falcons went 11-1 in
the school’s second year of existence, losing
in the playoffs to eventual champ
Kearney. The offensive backfield returns
intact. Evan Campbell is one of the top
running backs in the city after amassing
almost 3,000 yards in two seasons.
Quarterback Michael Rich threw for 1,852
yards and 20 touchdowns in year two at the
helm. Staley moves up to Class 5 this year
and will compete in a rugged district. The
regular season has a couple of interesting
measuring-stick match ups with Blue
Springs Week 2 and Kearney Week 4.
No. 6 Kearney – The Bulldogs rode a
10-game winning streak to the Class 4 state
title last year. Kearney must replace five
first-team All State performers, but they do
return about half their 2009 starters,
including quarterback Shane Hartzler, who
next year, Tapko has been a difference
maker on the field for Rockhurst the past
two seasons. Last year he was the team’s
leading receiver and led the defense in
sacks. He was recruited to play tight
end for OU, but projects as an elite defensive
end as well and could end up in
either position.
threw for more than 1,700 yards and 17
touchdowns. Kearney graduated their top
four rushers from 2009, so running back is
a question mark
entering the season,
but offensive line
should be a strength
creating holes for
whoever carries the
ball. Defensively,
senior linebacker
Colton Michael is
the leading returning
tackler.
No. 7 Bishop Miege – The Stags graduated
a bunch of stars from their 2009 Class
4-A state title team, but they also have as
many D1 recruits coming back as about
any team in the city. Max Shortell is rated
by Rivals as one of the top 20 pro-style
quarterbacks in the country. Standing 6-6
and weighing 215 pounds, he committed to
Minnesota in June after throwing for nearly
2,200 yards as a junior. The offensive
line will rebuild around 6-6, 340-pound
KU-commit Phil Ford. The defensive line
will feature a game-changer with Missouricommit
Shane Ray. Like Staley, Miege will
have the extra challenge of moving up in
class, competing in 5-A this year.
No. 8 Lee’s Summit West – The Titans
return seven starters on each side of the
ball. Undoubtedly their most talented
returner is junior offensive lineman Evan
Boehm, a 6-3 290-pound tackle who holds
offers from MU, KU, Iowa, Nebraska, and
Oklahoma. Luke Knott
will be the quarterback
as a junior after splitting
time with senior Zach
Harris a year ago. Safety
Ryan Hiller anchors the
defense.
Nick
McCabe
Contributing
Writer
No. 9 St. Thomas
Aquinas – The Saints
went 10-2 in 2009 with
both losses to Gardner-
Edgerton. Richard
Davila returns at quarterback after a
U.S. Army and KC Sports & Fitness team up
to honor High School Football Coaches
Beginning in the October issue, Kansas City Sports and
Fitness Magazine, will announce the winners of the U.S.
Army High School Football Coach of the Week.
Each week during the football season an Army
representative will present a trophy to a coach
deserving of recognition for his team’s accomplishments
in their previous game.
To submit a nomination for the
U.S. Army High School Football
Coach of the Week, e-mail
feedback@kcsportspaper.com
Nominations must be
received by Monday at noon
for the previous week’s
games. Look for our first
set of honorees in next
month’s issue!
very solid junior season that included two
300-yard passing games. One of the top
recruits in the city, Dagan Reed, returns for
a third season as the starting Saints running
back. Defensively there will be a lot of
new faces for the second straight season as
nine All-EKL performers for the Saints
were graduated.
No. 10 Shawnee Mission West – RBs
Will Livingston and Cordi Pascal were a
nice 1-2 punch at running back for SM
West last year with almost 1,400 combined
yards. Add returning FB Danny Dowling
and SM West has perhaps the most experienced
backfield in the Sunflower League.
SMW returns eight offensive starters, but
not QB D.J. Balazs. Senior Drew
Humphreys is expected to get the quarterback
job. He’s started in the secondary
since his sophomore season, so he does
have varsity experience.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 15

McNeely - St. Pious X linebacker to Army Airborne Ranger
J
onathan McNeely has chosen the hardest
path. Again. To those who know
McNeely, a senior St. Pius X football
standout, it was no surprise his choice for
his Army position was Airborne Ranger,
one of the most demanding of all combat
positions.
St. Pius X athletic director and head
football coach Rick Byers has seen
McNeely’s dedication first hand.
“It’s the direction he always seems to
go,” Byers said of McNeely taking on the
hardest job. “That goes hand in hand with
who he is. That’s what I expected, that he’d
go his own way, so I wasn’t surprised.
“When he came in and said he wanted to
play middle linebacker I told him ‘you
picked the hardest spot.’ That’s my position.
Your head coach is your position
coach. I knew he was going to be one of
our leaders. I’ve seen him striving for
excellence in football. He is a very dedicated
young man who wears a lot of different
hats. He’s a self starter and he has a lot
of things going on. He’s an excellent
young man.”
In addition to school and football,
McNeely works for Byers in the summer
via a work study program to help offset the
costs of his St. Pius education.
“He’s a role model of mine,” McNeely
said of Byers. “Growing up, one of my
closest friend’s brother played at Pius and
we went to the games. It was awesome to
me to see the smaller school and smaller
players going up against the bigger schools
and bigger players and dominating them.
Coach Byers is the main reason I went
16 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
to St. Pius.”
McNeely has been playing organized
football since he was five and has been a
part of the St.
Pius football
program since
he was a freshman,
starting
at linebacker
as a sophomore
and junior,
although
he missed
some time last
year with a
torn labrum.
“To be a
starting middle
linebacker on
our team,
that’s high
praise,” Byers
said. “We’ve
based our
whole defense around our middle linebacker.
It says a lot about him for him to be
a starter in that spot for two years.”
The transition from high school football
player to Airborne Ranger will take place
next summer when McNeely graduates
St. Pius and goes to basic training.
“I ran the idea by my mother last
December,” McNeely said. “She didn’t
think I was serious. I started talking with a
recruiter in April. I had to wait to enlist
because I had shoulder surgery (for the
torn labrum suffered during his junior year)
and I needed six months of recovery before
I could enlist.
“When I talked with the recruiter,
Sergeant Rainville, he told me, basically,
‘it’s your
future, do
you what
you want to
do.’ I’ve
always been
interested in
the military.
I was open
to many different
career
paths in the
Army. I took
the aptitude
tests and
I got my
first choice,
which was
Airborne
Ranger.”
McNeely
will leave May 31 for Fort Benning, GA,
where he’ll complete 14 weeks of One
Station Unit Training (OSUT),which combines
traditional basic training with
infantry training. He will then go for three
more weeks each of specialist training for
the Airborne and Ranger programs.
“My mom is the only parent I’ve got and
she was apprehensive at first, but I sweet
talked her,” said McNeely, whose father
died when he was six. “We had a face-toface
meeting with the recruiter. She said
she had to meet the recruiter. After we
talked with him she said ‘I can see now
this is what you were meant to do’.
She realized it was the career that was best
for me.
“She still didn’t really like the job I
picked, though, but if I’m going to serve
my country I’m going to go all the way.
She’s come to terms with it. This is what
I want to do and she supports me one
hundred percent.”
McNeely’s teammates also support him.
“They think it’s pretty cool,” McNeely
said. “When I was going through the
process they were saying ‘we can say we
have a solder as a middle linebacker.’ They
think it’s cool. They say ‘I’m glad you’re
brave enough to do this and protect people
like me.’ “
“They show him a lot more respect,”
Byers said. “They know what he’s already
done. It isn’t lost on our kids what it means
to be in the service. It means a lot to these
kids.”
St. Pius instructor of senior theology
Deacon Mike Elsey, who served in the
Army in the 1970s, also believes McNeely
Background photo by Spc. Jennifer J. Eidson, USASOC PAO
has what it takes to succeed.
“I know he can do it,”
Elsey said. “I know he
can handle it physically
now that he’s a young
man. I’ve known him
since he was pre-school
age. I’ve known him his
whole life. He was kind
of wild as a boy but he
has calmed down and he
has made great progress.
Marc
Bowman
Contributing
Writer
He shows his leadership here in the school.
I’m proud of him.”
McNeely is looking forward to his Army
service and is also hoping to gain experience
and earn college tuition towards a
post-service career.
“I’m leaning towards law enforcement,”
McNeely said. “When I decide to get out
of the military and go to college I’ll probably
go for a criminal justice degree. When
my enlistment is up I can take a step back
and see if I want to re-up or finish in the
reserves. I’ll spend eight years on active
duty and then see what career paths are
open. In any case, the Army experience
will be invaluable to me.”
KU vs. MU
Hockey Border
Battle highlights
College Hockey
Tournament
in October
From October 1 through 3 the Centerpoint Medical Center
Community Ice will host the Men’s College Kickoff Tournament.
Participants in the tournament include Colorado’s MetroState,
Texas’s Southern Methodist University and border rivals Mizzou
and KU.
During the tournament weekend, fans can see eight intense
battles between the hockey clubs from these schools with the
Championship Game played at the Independence Events Center on
Sunday, October 3 at 1:05 p.m.
Schedule:
Friday, 10/1 at Centerpoint Medical Center Community Ice:
Game 1: SMU vs. CO – 5:05 p.m.
Game 2: KU vs. MU – 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, 10/2 at Centerpoint Medical Center Community Ice:
Game 3: KU vs. SMU – 10:05 a.m.
Game 4: MU vs. CO – 1:05 p.m.
Jerry’s Bait Shop Bar & Grill Party and Live Entertainment
in the Centerpoint Medical Center Community Ice Parking Lot
3:05 – 5 p.m.
Game 5: KU vs. CO – 5:05 p.m.
Game 6: MU vs. SMU – 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, 10/3 at Centerpoint Medical Center Community Ice:
Consolation Game: 10 a.m.
Championship Game: 1:05 p.m. - Main Arena
Tickets: $5.00 for Games at the Centerpoint Medical Center
Community Ice. $20 for the Championship Game. $15 if you
present a ticket from one of the qualifying games.

T
Lee’s Summit North, Shawnee Mission Northwest
pace cross country squads
By BRAD ZIEGLER, Contributing Writer
he area high school cross country elite
have been waiting about ten months to
get back together and have had
September circled on their calendar for
some time, the beginning of the season.
These young men and women are eager
to test themselves again to set a tone for
the fall cross country season that will culminate
at the state championship this fall.
On the Missouri side, the best of the
boys teams will be Lee’s Summit North,
last year’s runner up at the 4A state meet.
It returns six of their top seven from 2009,
led by seniors Kolton Sheldon and Colin
Hubert, who both finished in the top 11 at
the 2009 state meet.
The top team from the Kansas side of
the metropolitan area is perennial powerhouse
Shawnee Mission Northwest, who
finished third in the 2009 Kansas 6A state
meet. The Cougars will be led by Aaron
Thornberg and Sterling Spencer, two
seniors who also finished in the top 11 at
the Kansas state meet last year.Rockhurst
High School,
the defending
Greg Wilson
Classic boys team
champion, will once
again compete state
honors, led by junior
Zach Herriott
who finished 17th
at state as a sophomore,
and who convincingly
won the
Course of Dreams
Cross Country Race at
Shawnee Mission Park in late
July over Sheldon and
Hubert.Raymore Peculiar is paced by
senior Devon Young, who ran a 4:00:30
1,500-meter for a first place at the AAU
national meet this summer, and who finished
fourth at the 2009 state cross country
meet.Jonah Heng, a junior from Shawnee
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/4 KC Royals 5K Autism Awareness Walk, Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
9/4 i-ROK Foundation 5K Run/Walk, Excelsior Springs High School, Excelsior Springs, MO
9/6 Bike for the Brain, Johnson County Mental Health Center, Mission, KS
9/6 Leawood Labor Day Run 5K, Leawood City Park, Leawood, KS
9/6-11/13 Girls on the Run Johnson County Fall Program
9/10 First Annual Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Buffalo Golf Tournament, Drumm Farms, Independence, MO
9/11 Patriot’s Run, Great Mall, Olathe, KS
9/11 Parkinson’s Association Helen Gold 5K/10K, Fountains Shopping Center, Overland Park, KS
9/11 Sounds in Kansas City 5K Run/Walk, Shawnee Mission Park, Shawnee, KS
9/11 Race to the Rescue 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, Excelsior Springs, MO
9/11 Olathe Medical Center Women’s Triathlon, Kill Creek, Olathe, KS
9/11 Wizards vs. Dynamo, Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, KS
9/12 AIDS Bicycle Challenge, Riverfront Park, Downtown Kansas City, MO
9/12 Suicide Awareness Survival Support 5K Walk, Loose Park, Kansas City, MO
9/18 KC Zoo Run for the Polar Bears 4 Mile Run/1 Mile Run-Walk, Swope Park, Kansas City, MO
9/18 Paulina Cooper Dot-To-Dot 10K Run & 5K Run/Walk, Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS
9/18 RiverFest Levee Run 10K, 5K, 2 Mile Walk, E.H. Young Park, Riverside, MO
9/18 Jesse James 5K Walk/Run & 10K Run, Kearney, MO
9/18 Fitness Quest 5K, Leawood, KS
9/18 Raymore Howl at the Moon 5K Run/Walk, Raymore, MO
9/18 Raymond Caffrey Memorial 5K Run/Walk, Shawnee Mission Park, KS
9/18 Run for Refuge 5K, Kansas City, MO
9/18 Staley Falcon 5K, Staley High School, Kansas City, MO
9/18 SS Hope 5K, City Hall Plaza, Lee’s Summit, MO
9/19 Run 4 Help 5K Run/Walk, Spring Hill Park, Spring Hill, KS
9/22 Wizards vs. Dynamo, Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, KS
9/25 Bike MS, Kansas City, MO
9/25 small town, BIG CAUSE 5K Run/Walk, Eudora, KS
9/25 7th Street Casino Stride for Life 5K, Kansas City, KS
9/25 Run for the Kids 5/10K Run/Walk, Liberty Community Center, Liberty, MO
9/25 Wizards vs. FC Dallas, Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, KS
9/26 Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk, Zepi’s Pizza, Leawood, KS
9/26 Smithville Darn Run 5/10K Run 5K Walk, Smithville Lake, MO
9/26 Shuffle on the Square 5K Run/Walk, Graceland University, Independence, MO
10/1-3 College Hockey Tournament, Centerpoint Medical Center Community Ice, Independence, MO
10/2 Lance Armstrong Foundation Charity 5K, Wyandotte County Park, KS
If you have a sports event you’d like included in our calendar, send it to sfisch@kcsportspaper.com
Mission West, will be looking to make a
good first impression after finishing 18th at
the Kansas 6A state meet last year.
Olathe North, led by juniors
Ben Anstaett and Kidus
Bekele, hopes to get their
entire team back to the
2010 state meet, while
Liberty, Smithville and
St. Pius X are also projected
to have good
seasons and to build on
their 2009 successes.
On the girl’s side, St.
Thomas Aquinas is led by
sophomores Libby Reazin
and Jennifer Angles, both top 17
finishers at state as freshmen. They will
face an early test from sophomore Alli
Cash and her Shawnee Mission West teammates.
Cash, who finished third at the state
meet as a freshman, will have a bulls-eye
on her back as the top returning runner in
Kansas and will lead a very young but talented
Shawnee Mission West team.
Olathe East, the class of the Kansas side
in 2009 and defending 6A girls state
champs, returns sophomore Brenna
McDannold, who placed seventh at 6A
state in 2009, and junior Brooklyn Ellis,
12th at state last year. Blue Valley West
returns most of their second place team
from 2009 and will feature a young but
balanced lineup.
On the Missouri side, the Lee’s Summit
West girls are seeking a fourth consecutive
state championship. Lee’s Summit West,
which returns six of their top seven from
last year, is led by seniors Chelsey
Phoebus, Alex Moase and Johanna
Kleinsasser, who finished in the top 12 at
the 4A state meet in 2009,Lee’s Summit
North, third at state in 2009 and led by
Taylor Hanes Tessa Riley, and St. Teresa’s
Academy, which finished fourth and return
nearly their entire top seven from last season,
also figure to factor in the state meet
discussion in 2010.Blue Springs will be led
by junior Samantha Nightingale, a fourth
place finisher at state as a sophomore.
Kearney, led by junior Jasmine Edwards
who was fourth at state, is looking to
repeat as 3A state champs. Smithville,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 17

T
THE WIZARDS REPORT
Wizards signing of Bravo
another example of team’s commitment to winning
he Kansas City Wizards signed Omar
Bravo of Chivas Guadalajara for 2011
as their designated player.
A “designated
player” is an individual
who can make
more than Major
League Soccer’s
maximum salary. As
is the case with other
designated players,
only a portion of
Bravo’s $335,000
salary will count
against the Wizards
salary cap, while his
additional salary will
be paid by Kansas
City’s ownership
group OnGoal.
MLS teams are
not required to sign
designated players,
so Kansas City’s
decision to bring in a
big-name star at a
large salary is another
indication of the
organization’s commitment
to building
a winning team. As a
Omar Bravo will help boost Kansas City’s
offense in 2011.
consistent winner the Wizards would stand
out among Kansas City’s Major League
CROSS COUNTRY| FROM PAGE 17
which finished third in 2009, hopes to continue
to build their cross country tradition.
The mid-season barometer for many of
these top teams and runners will be the KC
Metro Championships at Raymore Peculiar
High School the first weekend of October,
18 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
teams.Bravo is one of the most decorated
and beloved players in Chivas history,
having scored more than 100 Primera
Division goals, the
second-most in team
history. The 30-yearold
striker has been
a mainstay on the
Mexico National
Team since his first
appearance in 2002.
He has scored 16
goals for Mexico in
65 appearances,
including two goals
in the 2006 FIFA
World Cup. He also
scored two goals
during the 2004
Olympics.
“Signing a player
of Omar Bravo’s
stature and ability is
important for us,”
OnGoal CEO/
Wizards President
Robb Heineman
said. “When we pur-
chased the Wizards,
we put an emphasis
on playing clubs like
Manchester United and Chivas Guadalajara.
We know that to compete at the high-
as this meet features some of the best competition
in the area each fall.
Phoebus will seek to defend her 2009
title and a new boys champion is guaranteed
since 2009 champ Maksim Korolev is
at Harvard.
est level we need to develop high-performance
players and sign world-class players
like Omar Bravo. We look forward to
Omar joining us next year as we open the
finest soccer stadium in the United States.”
After his signing, the Wizards loaned
Omar Bravo back to Chivas Guadalajara
for the remainder of their season. As part
of the loan deal, Kansas City and Chivas
will play games at each other’s stadiums
next year. This means that yet another
international soccer game will be coming
to Kansas City next summer, when the
most popular soccer team in Mexico,
Chivas Guadalajara, will be playing in the
Wizards new state-of-the-art stadium.
Bravo is expected to immediately help
the Wizards offense.
“We are very pleased to have signed
Omar Bravo, who is an exceptional player,”
Kansas City Wizards manager Peter
Vermes said. “Although he won’t join us
until 2011, we feel it will be very beneficial
for Omar to go through a whole season
with us, beginning with the preseason. The
2011 preseason will give Omar a great start
to the year and allow
us to indoctrinate him
into our system. Omar’s
high-pressure, attackoriented
mentality will
complement our style of
play extremely well.”It
looks like 2011 will be
a banner year for the Dave
Wizards. With a new Borchardt
stadium to open in June Contributing
and the addition of a pro- Writer
lific goal-scorer in
Bravo, the Wizards are poised for big
things in the very near future.
Dave Borchardt is the play-by-play voice
of the Kansas City Wizards. This month the
Wizards will be hosting the Houston
Dynamo on September 11th and FC Dallas
on September 25th at CommunityAmerica
Ballpark. Wizards single-game tickets, as
well as 2011 season tickets, can be purchased
by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or
online at www.kcwizards.com.

C
presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT
Strange season coming
to end for Royals
oming out of spring training, I was the
only one who saw this coming. Left-
hander Bruce Chen would be leading
the Kansas City Royals in victories (nine)
entering September and Wilson Betemit,
who had 29 RBIs and 10 home runs,
would be batting cleanup when August
came to an end.
Of course, that is pure fantasy. I did not
forecast that occurring.
No one did. In fact, Chen,
who was 1-13 from 2006-
09 with three different big
leagues clubs, and Betemit
both began the season in
the minors with Class
AAA Omaha. Neither was
on the 40-man Major
League roster when they
came to spring training.
When Chen was promoted
April 23, he was
placed in the bullpen. When Betemit was
summoned on May 25 from Omaha, it
was to be a utility player, not the starting
third baseman.
Alex Gordon, the third baseman of the
past and seemingly the present, was sent
back to Omaha to become a left fielder,
as well as improve his offense by making
better contact and cutting down on his
strikeouts.
On an August 30 night when the Royals
were shutout on three hits by the Texas
Rangers, Mike Moustakas, the third baseman
of the future – the very near future –
drove in 11 runs for Omaha in a 23-5 rout
at Round Rock. Moustakas, who was
named the Texas League Player of the
Year, went 4-for-6 with three home runs
and a double and scored four runs. He had
one more hit, scored four more runs and
drove in 11 more runs than the Major
League club did that same evening.
It has been that type of season for the
Royals, strange to say the least.
They fired manager Trey Hillman 35
games deep into the season with a 12-23
record. They replaced him with Ned Yost,
who was fired with 12 games left in the
2008 season by the Milwaukee Brewers
when they were in the process of blowing a
big lead to make the playoffs as a wildcard
team. Sans Yost, they made the playoffs.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore
traded away Scott Podsednik and Rick
Ankiel, their two big splashes signees in
the free agent market during the winter,
and Jose Guillen, who they paid $36 million
to a three-year deal after the 2007
season, plus right-handed setup Kyle
Farnsworth. David DeJesus was hitting
.318 in 91 games when he went down with
a thumb injury that would require surgery
in July.
Gil Meche, who has one year left of a
five-year $55 million contract, went on the
disabled list in June with a shoulder injury.
It was serious enough to require surgery
that in all likelihood would
have caused him to also sit
out the 2011 season.
Meche opted not to undergo
surgery, but to return
not as a starter, but as a
reliever. If he can successfully
reinvent himself, the
Royals will be paying him
$11 million next year to
set up closer Joakim Soria.
The alternative is that he
Photo by Scott Weaver
does pitch at all, but spend
next year on the disabled list. He was activated
from the 60-day disabled list Sept. 1.
Brian Bannister, rotator cuff tendonitis,
and Luke Hochevar, right elbow sprain,
ended August rehabbing in the minors.
That’s 60 percent of the opening week
rotation – Bannister, Hochevar and Meche
– spending time on the disabled list.
Zack Greinke went from arguably the
best pitcher in the American League in
2009, winning the Cy Young Award with a
16-8 record and a 2.16 earned run average,
to a nightmarish start in 2010, losing eight
of his first nine decisions by June 8. He
righted the ship, but often on days when he
did pitch well enough to win, the Kansas
City offense would disappear.
The Royals had used 25 pitchers and 18
different pitchers had claimed a win in
their first 132 games. Pitchers you may
have forgotten already – Josh Rupe, John
Parrish, Victor Marte, Anthony Lerew,
Kanekoa Texeira, Bryan Bullington and
Phil Humber – earned victories. Meche,
0-4 with a 6.66 ERA in nine starts, is not
among the 18.
Billy Butler had 21 home runs and 51
doubles last year while hitting .301. Butler,
however, has been bothered by inflammation
in his right hand the second half of the
season, which does not allow him to drive
the ball as consistently. He entered the final
month of the season hitting above .300, but
his productions numbers were down – 36
doubles and 11 home runs.
Butler’s time at first base could be limited.
Eric Hosmer, a 2008 first-round pick,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 19

I have
By MARK MERRELL, Contributing Writer
to admit I had never been to a Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) event before, so
when I got this assignment, I was really
excited to see something new. I had seen a
match or two on television, but was not sure
what to expect in person, but I have to say
that the event hosted by Harrah’s North
Kansas City in the Voodoo Lounge, which
is a perfect venue for MMA and boxing,
was amazing.
The room was sold out, with people
standing all night due to the incredible
action in the ring. The fighters entered
through a door of sorts to a circular ring
with a mat, surrounded by a 12-foot high
chain link fence. Once inside, the door is
locked behind the participants, and the
match is on.
The fighters start out sparing like boxers,
but that is the only similarity to a traditional
bout. Within a few minutes, an aggressive
opponent will usually make a move to tackle
and take down their adversary. Once a person
has that advantage, the next move is
either a choke hold, or to just beat them up
by continually hitting them in the head, face,
or sides until the fighter either gives up, gets
knocked out or the referee stops the match.
There are three rounds to a match, with
each lasting three minutes. If neither fighter
gives up or gets knocked out, the decision
goes to the judges. Several times throughout
the sixteen scheduled bouts I wondered if
some of the fighters thought three minutes
seemed more like three hours while they
were being pummeled.
Four bouts at the end of the card were for
the title of that specific weight class, not
unlike boxing. I watched a local favorite
20 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
presents THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT REPORT
MMA packs them in at Harrah’s
getting warmed up in the ring prior to his
fight, and had a chance to speak with Tony
Davis, who would be competing in the main
title bout in the 135-pound class against outof-town
participant Todd Brooker.
“I went to Olathe North high school, and
I was in choir, and never been in fight in
my life, until
I started this,”
Davis said.
“But I thought
fighting was
cool.”
Davis stated
that he has to
work out on a
daily basis,
leaving little to
no time for any
real life outside
of preparing for
the next match.
“Sometimes
after fights,
I think that
I never want to do that again,” Davis said.
“I am always beat up and stuff, but once it
all wears off, you get the itch and want to
do it again.”
Davis was wearing a pink shirt prior to
the fight, as was a large section of the
crowd.
“I really try and stay humble, and not let
people gas you up too much, and just know
that you can be beat at any time, just like
you can beat up on anyone else, so I stay
calm and patient, and focused, and just do
what I need to do.”
Some of those words would certainly
come to haunt Davis latter in his match.
The first title bout featured the mid-
“Sjaak the World” is an independent film about one man’s motorcycle
journey through 75 countries over five years
World Premiere Set for Friday, October 1 at Screenland Armour Road
One man. One motorcycle. One monster fiveyear
road trip!
On Friday, October 1, Kansas City film buffs and
motorcycle
enthusiasts are
set to welcome
Sjaak (pronounced
Shock)
Lucassen to
Screenland
Armour Road for
the 7:00 p.m.
world premiere of “Sjaak the World.” This one-hour
documentary is as story of horsepower and chutzpah
and one man’s dream journey through 75
countries on a Yamaha R1 Superbike.
The trek started on March 4, 2001 and ended on
August 6, 2006. He traveled 154,668 miles, used
an estimated 12,500 liters (3,302 gallons) of gasoline,
performed 20 oil changes and went through 11
front and 17 rear tires. Sjaak shot all his own
footage and traveled alone without chase cars or
emergency assistance. He encountered the muddy
waters of the Nile and Congo, the endless sands of
the Sahara desert and a snake slithering up his
engine block in Guyana. His favorite country to
explore was Russia. Favorite snacks were licorice,
Lay’s potato chips and Coca-Cola.
“This is no ordinary motorcycle tale,” said
Brandon Green, the Kansas City-based director
who produced the film locally. “It’s a story of
ambition, dreams and a guy living a fully engaged
life.” This is a journey no one will ever duplicate
and why it’s such a compelling piece of cinema.
Everyone who worked on the film, from production
to marketing to social media, volunteered
their time.”
Sjaak is a 48-year-old potato trader from
Maashees, Netherlands. He’s scheduled to appear
in studio on Good Sports – the Kansas City Sports
& Fitness magazine show on Saturday, September
25. Good Sports airs live on Saturday mornings
from 8-9 a.m. on KCTE Hot Talk 1510 AM.
His next challenge: attempting to ride his motorcycle
from the northernmost tip of the continental
United States (Barrow, Alaska) to the southernmost
tip (Key West, Florida). To connect with Sjaak:
www.facebook.com/SjaakTheWorld.
dleweights (185 pounds) Jet Jones and
Antonio Atkins. As soon as the fight began,
Jones started with several shots to Atkins
body and face, connecting over and over.
Not long after taking the advantage, Jones
took his opponent to the mat, and got an
incredibly tight hold on Atkins. Not wanting
to let up,
Atkins never
the less was
unable to get
out of the
clinch and at
2:36 into the
first round,
Jones, an
Orange
County,
California
native, stood
tall with a
gigantic title
belt held high
over his head.
The next
fight put the crowd in frenzy, as Billy Benz
took on Danny Mainus in the 125- pound
class. Mainus took down Benz quickly in
round one. Benz was able to get out of the
hold, but the aggressive Mainus again took
his opponent to the mat. Once again, Benz
made an escape, and took Mainus down.
The two went after each other, sparing until
the end of round one.
As the second round began the aggressive
nature of both fighters was on display once
more to the roar of the crowd. Mainus again
took down Benz, but a thumb to Mainus
right eye stopped the bout. Mainus appeared
unable to see very well, squinting his eyes.
The referee held up the pair for a brief time
to make sure Mainus would be able to continue.
Mainus was able to get his vision back
enough to carry on, and the two again went
after each other.
In the third and final round, Mainus took
Benz to the mat, and put a headlock on
Benz. Time ran out for the pair, so the decision
was left to the judges. Mainus was
declared the winner, and was ecstatic.
“He was so easy to take down, the plan
was ground game, so I knew once I got him
to the ground, it was a rap,” Mainus said.
“So the game plan was why stand there and
put on a show, and try to throw blows with
him when I could take him down that easy,
so I just put it on him, and made it an easier
fight for myself. It worked out in my favor.
Harrah’s North Kansas City begins its annual
First Down Frenzy on Sept. 5 and running each
week through the end of the National Football
League regular season.
There will be $135,00 in prize money - $50,000
at the end of the season and $5,000 each week.
There will be one free entry pre week, plus addi-
Mainus, a 25-year-old from Colby,
Kansas, said he heard the crowd cheering
him on, but it seemed to put more pressure
on him, and actually started to wear him out.
“I couldn’t see anything out of my right
eye,” Mainus said concerning the eye jab.
“When I looked at the lights, everything
would go blurry. I was afraid then I would
get caught with a big shot, so I didn’t want
to continue like that. It made me mad. In the
third round, I caught my second wind.
In the second of two fights featuring
women, Noe Perreria and Alex Stobbe went
toe-to-toe for the 155-pound title class.
Perreria got the advantage early, taking
Stobbe to the mat and keeping her there.
After putting a breathtaking choke hold on
her opponent, Stobbe seemed to be struggling
to breathe, and tapped out, giving
Perreria the title at 2:45 in the first round.
The 265-pound class match up was next,
featuring Robb Phillips from Hutson,
Florida (drawing boos from the crowd with
the mention of his home town), and local
favorite Shane “Bubba” Grant from Eudora,
Kansas. Grant had several fans cheering him
on, and as Grant’s name was announced, the
entire room was chanting, “Bubba-Bubba-
Bubba.” Grant looked strong, as the pair
clinched for a while early on. Grant was
able to connect several times to the face on
Phillips, causing a stream of blood from
above his left eye.
Grant took Phillips down, but his adversary
was able to get away. As the two faced
each other in the center of the ring, out of
nowhere, Phillips landed a left hook, sending
the 265-pound frame of Grant flat to the
mat face first, knocking him out in front of a
stunned crowd.
In the final title fight in the main event,
another local favorite, Davis took on Todd
Brooker in the 135 pound weight class.
Brooker was very aggressive from the
start, trying some roundhouse moves, and
connecting a couple blows to Davis,
who seemed to be letting Brooker wear
himself out.
While Davis was being conservative,
Brooker kept the pressure on. In the final
round, Brooker was able to get a take down
on Davis, but the Olathe native fought his
way out of the hold, getting to his feet.
Unfortunately for Davis, the fight went to
the hands of the judges after the close
match. Fans for Davis seemed to be everywhere,
porting the same style pink shirt he
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
First Down Frenzy kicks off in September at Harrah’s
tional entries can be acquired for 50 base rewards
points earned Sunday through Monday.
Just pick the winner for each NFL game played
on Sunday or Monday. Picks are made on Friday
and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Weekly winners
for this extremely popular promotion will be
posted by noon every Wednesday.

presents THE SHOTGUNNERS’ REPORT
he Academics, Integrity and
Marksmanship (AIM) program at T Powder Creek is an integral part of
teaching gun safety to children, and it’s
also a fun way for children to learn and to
participate in shotgun activities.
Fifty-eight, ranging in age from 9 to 18,
have been enrolled in the AIM program
since its inception two years ago, a figure
which represents more than 25 percent of
all Kansas youth shooters.
Besides developing several successful
and competitive youth shooters, the program
has taught safety and responsibility
to the youngsters.
“Our youth program is really important,”
Powder Creek co-manager Kevin Maloan
said. “We want mom and dad to know
they’re going to be safe.”
Safety is one of the first elements of the
program.
“They have to have some responsibility,”
Maloan said. “They learn to call the
rules on themselves. The Amateur
Trapshooting Association (ATA) has said
that Powder Creek is the best at getting the
kids to know how to act and to be safe. Our
kids are very mature for their age.”
Said Blue Valley North junior Matthew
Rogers, “The program is great because
22 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Kids take AIM at Powder Creek
they have all kinds of instructors and they
can help teach you fundamentals when you
first start out. It’s a great experience and
you can learn a
lot from it.”
After three
years of shooting,
Rogers has
become the
second best
youth shooter
in the country
after hitting 99
and 98 targets,
respectively, at
the Grand
Nationals in
Sparta, IL, this
summer.
“I learned
how to shoot a
lot better,” Rogers said. “I used to be really
bad. I was shooting 10 out of 25. Twentytwo
is bad for me now; missing one bird is
bad for me. The instructors have taught me
how to set my feet, how to lead the birds,
about wearing the correct glasses for different
conditions, and have taught me starting
positions and how to follow through on
the bird.”
In addition to the assistance with his
shooting skills, Baldwin sophomore
Forrest Ammenhauser enjoys the social
side of the
program.
“It’s a wonderfulprogram,”
Ammenhauser
said. “I get to
meet with my
team and
practice each
weekend. The
instructors are
great. We get
to meet new
people. It’s
helping me
with my social
skills. I think
the schools should start this program.”
Unfortunately few schools systems
do.”Most public schools don’t reinforce
firearm disciplines,” Shawnee Mission
Northwest freshman Anna Whitaker said.
“They ridicule it. They shy away from it
and tend to not talk about it much in
schools. They want to label guns as dangerous
and do a broad panning of guns
as violent.”
Whitaker, who will be
participating in IB
(International
Baccalaureate) and the
Naval ROTC (Reserve
Officer Training Corps)
high school programs,
believes it’s important
to learn proper respect
for firearms.
“You have to go out
and handle firearms
Marc
Bowman
Contributing
Writer
properly,” Whitaker said. “You have to
have a lot of respect and that’s what we’re
taught in AIM. I haven’t found any other
kids who are disrespectful. There’s no
yelling or arguing. We went over that when
we first started our meetings. They emphasize
positive behavior and sportsmanship.”
Shawnee Mission East sophomore Shane
Parcells learned about the program from a
friend at school.
“The willingness of the instructors to be
‘hands on’ is great,” Parcells said. “They
are really willing to help you. Academically,
that helps you to stay focused. They
stress how good grades are important.”
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

presents THE SHOTGUNNERS’ REPORT
Like Whitaker, Parcells is also involved
in ROTC.
“AIM has taught me to be cooperative
and has showed me teamwork skills and
how to be a good leader,” Parcells said.
St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore Taylor
Ruisch enjoys the unusual aspects of the
AIM program, the camaraderie and also the
instructors’ help.
“AIM is more of a mental sport,” Ruisch
said. “It helps me by keeping me focused,
but it’s also about geometry. I know that it
helps me with focus and that has translated
over to school.
“It’s not really a very usual activity.
I love it. Not only is everyone really, really
nice, but we’re all friends and there’s no
drama. We went to Sparta and we get to
travel around. The coaches are so helpful.
You can ask anyone for help. I think it’s so
much fun. I love it so much. The AIM
Powder Creek will feature exhibition
shooter Tim Bradley Oct. 9-10.
“We’re going to do some shooting
that most people have never seen,” Bradley
said. “We’ll do some overhead shots,
behind the back, from the hip. We’ll
shoot some golf balls and make them go
left or right.”
A martial artist who got his black belt at
age 17, Bradley got his start as a kid by
going out and shooting by himself on his
family farm in
northeast
Arkansas. Bradley
later became a
bounty hunter,
while he continued
to improve his handling of firearms.
“I went out and shot by myself a lot,”
Bradley said. “It became a kind of passion
of mine, and that’s what happens when you
want to do something you like and want to
do it better and better, you make things
more challenging. I started throwing up
golf balls and shooting them, then I started
trying to do trick shots like flipping a quarter
and putting a hole through a lead disk.”
Eventually he came to the attention of
world-renowned exhibition shooter Tom
Knapp, who invited Bradley to join Team
Benelli in representing Benelli shotguns.
“I never knew what an exhibition shooter
was,” Bradley said. “I did some shooting
on ESPN, did some trick shots and that got
me some attention. Tom needed a second
shooter and he asked me to join the team. It
was the luck of the draw. There are lots and
lots of people who shoot well who don’t
have that opportunity. I shoot well, but
there are lots of good shooters. I don’t
program is the best.”
After hitting 16 of 100 targets in her first
tournament five months ago, Ruisch broke
95 of 100 targets at “The Grand” in Sparta.
Whitaker also enjoyed similarly dramatic
improvements, having recently broken 195
of 200 targets at Sparta.
Ruisch and Whitaker are both interested
in college scholarships available through
AIM.
“I really want to keep going with it to
get a scholarship,” Whitaker said. “It’s
based on grades and also whether you win
one of the classes at Grand Nationals. The
organized practices (every Saturday at 10
a.m.) have been really helpful. Al and Phil
Ghert and Bruce Payne, they are really
encouraging. They always tell us ‘just keep
shooting, keep coming out here, keep practicing
and it’s going to get better.’ It keeps
you on board and keeps you practicing
and trying.”
Exhibition shooter to appear
at Powder Creek
think by any means that I’m the only one
who can do that.”
Bradley also has Carlson Choke Tubes
and Federal Cartridges as sponsors, but the
Benelli Shotgun representation is most dear
to him.
“I would say being hired by Benelli was
the highlight of my career,” Bradley said.
“Anytime someone wants you to represent
them, when they are saying you’re good
enough to put their name on it, that’s the
best you can do as
an exhibition
shooter.”
In a related
event, the Johnson
County chapter of
Pheasants Forever will be sponsoring a
Youth Hunt and Family Fun Day on
October 2 at Eckman’s Hunting Preserve in
Baldwin City.
“At our chapter we’ve really focused on
youth and youth activities,” Powder Creek
board member and Pheasants Forever supporter
Jerry Mortick said. “They are our
most important project. Kids today will
really dictate what happens to habitats as
landowners or as voters. We feel a strong
responsibility here in an urban market to
focus activities on youth and one of our
initiatives is ‘No Child Left Indoors.’ We
feel that kids need to get away from the
games and the Wii and the electronic
games, and see what goes on in the real
world.”
The event will include a pheasant hunt as
well as GPS geocaching, an archery range
and a casting competition. Visit this website
http://jocopheasantsforever.org for
more details.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 23

24 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
presents THE MAVERICKS HOCKEY REPORT
By BILL ALTHAUS, Contributing Writer
Mavericks set
for second season at
Independence Events Center
issouri Mavericks coach Scott
Hillman sat in his office at the M Independence Events Center sporting
a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.
The second-year Central Hockey League
team, which captivated Kansas City fans
by selling out 14 of its games last season in
a memorable run to the playoffs, is not
standing still.
Hillman and team
president and general
manager Brent
Thiessen had just
wrapped up four big
signings for the
upcoming season,
including CHL All-
Rookie Team member
Nick Sirota, returning
defender Jared
Lavender and newcomers
Dominic
D’Amour, a big
defender, and goaltender
Rob Nolan.
“We’re just
thrilled,” said
Thiessen, who has a
dry erase board in his
office that highlights all the new activities
the Mavericks have planned for their fans
this season. “Nick and Jared were core
players last year, who we are excited to
have back, and Dominic and Rob are going
to be real fan favorites.
“We added quite a bit of scoring up
front and solid defense, in addition to a
goalie that was sought by several other
CHL teams.”
D’Amour in goal should be significant in
stopping opponents.
“Dominic was a high draft pick and
brings solid AHL experience,” Hillman
said. “He adds more size, physicality and
composure to our blue line. We will look
for him and (returning defender) Blake
Forsyth to really anchor our blue line; he
has a very big shot and will be on the ice in
most key situations. And Rob Nolan was a
goaltender a lot of teams wanted - I mean,
a lot of teams!”
The Mavericks have signed 24 players,
including 11 off last year’s team that used a
strong finish to reach the playoffs. That’s
quite an accomplishment for a team that
played its first nine games on the road
(because of construction at the Events
Center) and opened the season with an
0-5 record. In contrast, this season the
Carlyle Lewis will return to the Mavericks
for the 2010-11 season
Mavericks will play eight of their first nine
games at home.
The Mavericks didn’t just make the playoffs,
they won their play-in round, downing
Mississippi 2-1 in a three-game series,
before being swept in four games by eventual
CHL champion Rapid City.
“Last year was a great year, a great front
office and coach, great fans,” said Sirota,
who finished second
in scoring for the
Mavericks with 45
points. “I can’t wait
to come back and
see what we can
accomplish this season.
Our goal is to
give the best fans in
the CHL a championship.”
That just happens
to be the goal of
everyone associated
with the team.
“I can’t imagine
what it would be
like to hoist the trophy
and salute the
fans in the Events
Center,” said Hillman, who won two championships
at Knoxville, before taking over
the coaching duties of the first-year team.
“You never know if you’re making the
right choice to move to a new city, until
you get there. And once my family and
I arrived in Independence, we knew we
were home.”
One of the biggest off-season signings
came when the team inked captain Carlyle
Lewis to a new contract.
Lewis reached iconic status both in
Independence and around the CHL with his
fighting exploits on the ice. Teammate
Jeff Christian nicknamed Lewis “The
Grim Sleeper.”
“There is no place on earth I’d rather be
than in Independence playing with the
Mavericks,” said Lewis, who quickly
became a fan favorite. “This is my last
stop. I’m playing here until they tear the
jersey off my back.”
Hillman joked, “Bringing Carlyle back
gives me some job security. Seriously, he
was the captain - the guy everyone looked
up to. He has a presence both on the ice
and in the locker room. It’s huge to have
Carlyle back with the team for another
season.”
Photo by Scott Thomas
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

HOCKEY| FROM PAGE 24
Another returnee from last season is
scoring sensation Bill Vandermeer, a forward
who is recovering from a serious
accident in which he fell more than 20
feet while pruning a tree for a friend
in Oklahoma.
Vandermeer suffered two broken heels,
and was confined to a wheelchair for 12
weeks. Doctors say he might be back on
the ice by February.
Vandermeer is gunning for Nov. 15, a
month after the team opens play at home
against Odessa in the season opener.
“I’m healing a lot quicker than anyone
expected,” said
Vandermeer, who was
sidelined last season by
a severe ankle sprain
and preseason thumb
injury. “I’m going to
be on the ice Nov. 15.
Mark it on your
calendar.”
Karl Sellan, a
forward who won the
CHL’s Most Annoying
Player - yes, they really
have an honor for the
most annoying player -
for the second year in a
row, will be back with
the Mavericks for a
second season.
“I was very disappointed
in my 2009-
2010 season,” said
Sellan, who had surgery
to repair discs in
his lower back. “I was
hurt and the fans didn’t
see the real Karl Sellan.
I want to come back
and show our fans and
our team what I can do
when I’m healthy.”
Popular goaltender
Gerry Festa, who
teamed with Charlie
Effinger to give the Mavericks one of the
best goaltending duos in the league, will be
back, but Effinger will play for New
Castle, England in the Elite European
League.
Other key returnees are forwards Brett
Hammond, who led the team in scoring in
the playoffs; veteran Simon Watson, one of
the most respected players on the team; and
Derek Pallardy, a Chesterfield, Mo., native
who loves playing in his home state.
“I have so much respect and admiration
for coach Hillman and I know he and Brent
Thiessen are going to build a championship
team - and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
I knew this was a special place to play
last year and I feel like it’s going to be the
best place in the CHL to play this upcoming
season.”
Mavericks signings to date:
Matthew Brenton, F
Jeff Broekema, F
Dominic D’Amour, D
Gerry Festa, G
Olivier Filion, F
Blake Forsyth, D
Marco Guercio, F
Brett Hammond, F
Bobby Jarosz, G
Derek Knowles, F
Jared Lavender, D
Toby Lafrance, F
Carlyle Lewis, F
Chris Mifflen, D
Rob Nolan, G
Derek Pallardy, F
Cole Ruwe, D
Karl Sellan, F
Nick Sirota, F
Ryan Sparling, F
Bill Vandermeer, F
Mike Wakita, D
Simon Watson F
Bolded players return from 2009-2010 season
presents THE MAVERICKS HOCKEY REPORT
Certainly the most touching and heartwarming
story of the Mavericks’ first season
came after team associate captain and
assistant head coach Jeff Christian’s eightyear-old
daughter Ryan was diagnosed
with cancer.
The family is living at The Target House
on the campus of St. Jude’s Hospital in
Memphis, Tenn. She is expected to make a
full recovery and the 40-year-old Christian
is expected to rejoin the team as an assistant
head coach. He was the Mavericks
leading scorer and all-star representative
last season.
The Mavericks hope to get it done on the
ice this season, and
they are light years
ahead of last year
when it comes to off
the ice activities.
The team has an
amazing 98 percent
return on its season
tickets and will offer
fans 26 Friday and
Saturday games this
season. A weekend
game at the Events
Center is a guaranteed
sell-out.
At a recent
Mavericks Fan Fest,
more than 1,500 fans
visited the Events
Center, far exceeding
the expectations of
anyone in the organization.
“We have the best
fans in the league,
without a doubt,”
Thiessen said, “and we
are going to do everything
possible to make
this season even more
special than last year.”
The Missouri
Mavericks will begin
their second season in
the Central Hockey League on Oct. 15,
hosting the Odessa Jackalopes at the
Independence Events Center. Individual
game tickets and season tickets are on sale
starting at $10 per game. Call (816) 252-
7825 for more information or visit
www.MissouriMavericks.com. Parking is
free at the Events Center.
Bill Althaus is an award-winning sports
writer/columnist for The Examiner
(www.examiner.net). He is the winner of
the Central Hockey League’s Media
Service Award for his coverage of the
first-year team. Althaus has been honored
by the Associated Press, United Press
International and the Missouri Press
Association. He can be reached at
bill.althaus@examiner.net.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 25

THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
By KARAN Y. BAUCOM, MD, Contributing Writer
Do I Have Andropause?
When it comes to hormone decline,
equal rights mean men suffer the same fate
as their female
counterparts. In fact,
by the time men
reach ages 45-55
they can experience
the same phenomenon
similar to
female menopause
called
ANDROPAUSE.
Unlike menopause,
which generally
occurs in women
during the mid-forties
to mid-fifties,
men’s transition is
more gradual and
can span several
decades. Andropause was first cited in
medical literature in the 40’s, so it is not
new. However, for a very long period of
time it was under diagnosed and under
treated.
Symptoms of Andropause
Andropause is often under diagnosed
because symptoms can be vague and vary
between men. Some men find it difficult to
accepting they have a problem. Symptoms
associated with andropause include:
• Decreased libido
• Abdominal weight gain
• Irritability
• Depression
• Erectile dysfunction
• Loss of body strength
• Lower energy
• Poor concentration
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Osteoporosis: Low testosterone associated
with andropause is thought to reduce
26 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Male Andropause: What is it? Do I have it?
the ability to regenerate bone tissue necessary
to help prevent osteoporosis.
• Cardiovascular Risk: It is accepted that
women’s risk of atherosclerosis (hardening
of the arteries) increases after menopause.
Estrogen replacement
therapy
seems to reverse
this trend. New
evidence suggests
that a similar phenomenon
occurs
with men as testosterone
diminishes
with age. A cause
and affect relationship
has not been
established in large
clinical trials and
more research is
needed. There is
great variability
of testosterone
levels among healthy men, so all men do
not experience the same symptoms to the
same degree.
Importance of Testosterone
Testosterone is an important hormone
produced in the testes and adrenal gland
that affects the whole body. Testosterone is
essential to normal sexual behavior to
include erectile quality, as it is the hormone
of sexual drive.
When it is low, so is sexual desire.
Testosterone affects many metabolic activities
such as: production of blood cells in
the bone marrow, bone formation, lipid
metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and
liver function. Testosterone helps build
protein. Maintaining normal levels of
bio-available testosterone is an important
part of age management medicine.
What Happens
The passage to middle age is a compli-
cated phase of life. Not all men going
through this phase of life will experience it
the same way. There are many changes and
challenges during this phase of life: personal,
family, work, economic, social, etc.
The following quiz may help. Answer each question
with a YES or NO. No need to cheat yourself, so be very
honest with your answers.
1. Do you have a lack of energy?
2. Do you have a decrease in your sex drive (libido)?
3. Are your erections less strong?
4. Do you have a decrease in strength and/or
endurance?
5. Do you find it harder to concentrate?
6. Do you fall asleep after dinner?
7. Are you more sad or grumpier than usual?
8. Have you lost height?
9. Have you noticed a recent deterioration in your
ability to play sports?
10. Have you noticed a decreased enjoyment in life?
If you answered YES to three or more questions to
include question number 2 or 3, you may be a candidate
for the treatment of andropause.
It can be difficult therefore to differentiate
the symptoms of andropause with symptoms
of changes in your life that are unrelated
to andropause.
The Baucom Institute for
Longevity and Life
Enhancement is devoted to
improving the quality of life
as we age. We cannot stop
aging or necessarily lengthen
life, but we can qualify
and alter the way our
patients’ age to enhance the
quality of life as they age.
This is our goal. Not all
patients qualify for our life
enhancing program.
Through the use of advanced
diagnostic criteria we
ascertain which clients qualify
to participate in the program
and which clients
may need referral to other
specialists to first address
areas of concern. For more
information contact the
Baucom Institute at
913-341-8605 or visit
www.BaucomInstitute.com.

T
THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
When in doubt, sit them out
he number of young football athletes
who have received concussions is stag-
gering.
According to a study done by Ohio State
University 140,000 concussions occur in
youth football every year. However, one
would believe this probably does not include
the concussions that are not reported or
believed to not be a concussion due to lack
of unconsciousness.
Fortunately, the 2010 high school football
season begins with rule changes from the
National Federation of State High School
Associations. Any player showing signs,
symptoms or behaviors associated with concussion
must be immediately removed from
the game and not allowed to return until
cleared by an appropriate health care professional.
Previously the rule only said to
remove players if “unconscious or apparently
unconscious”.
It is estimated four of every 10 players are
sent back into the game too early after a
head injury. Thus was the case of Zackery
Lystedt who suffered a debilitating brain
injury in 2006 after returning to a football
game too soon after being injured.
Lystedt was hit hard in a football game
and was put back in the game just 15 minutes
later and went into a coma for 30 days
from a second impact concussion. The
Lystedt family lobbied for better laws to protect
young athletes.
This law was passed in 2009 requiring
athletes be removed from participating in
sports immediately after suffering a concussion
or head injury and not allowed to return
until written permission is received from a
licensed health care provider. Twenty-nine
states are working on legislation covering
the safety of young athletes; ten states have
already passed legislation following the
Zackery Lystedt Brain Project coalition.
Concussions are commonly thought of as
losing consciousness, but many occur without
being knocked out. From the National
Federation of High Schools, common signs
of a concussion:
• headaches
• nausea
• fogginess
• lack of energy, tiredness
• difficulty concentrating
• dizziness, poor balance
• easily confused
• blurred vision
• slowed thought
process
• sensitive to light and
sounds
• difficulty with
memory
• mood changes;
irritable, anxious or
tearful
Dr. Lynn
McIntosh, DC
Contributing
Writer
Suggested concussion management:
1. No athlete should return to play on
same day of a concussion.
2. Any athlete suspected of having a concussion
should be evaluated by an appropriate
health care professional that day.
3. Any athlete with a concussion should
be medically cleared by an appropriate
health care professional before resuming
participation in
practice or competition.
4. After medical
clearance,
return to play
should follow a
protocol with
provisions for
delayed return to play based upon return of
any signs or symptoms.
Proper safety equipment is paramount to
preventing athletic injuries. Be sure the athlete
has a properly fitted helmet. Keep these
in mind when fitting the athlete with a football
helmet:
• The front rim of the helmet should
not be any higher or lower than one finger
width (approximately one inch) above the
eye brow.
• If the athlete can turn their head and
their nose moves to the left or right or
beyond the center of the faceguard, the
helmet is too large.
• Jaw pads should follow the contour
of the cheeks.
• The chin pad is to hold the helmet in
place. It should be centered on the point of
the chin and all slack taken out of the straps.
• Faceguard should be no closer and no
farther from the nose than three finger
widths.
• The rear of the helmet should cradle
the neck.
• The center of the ear openings on
the helmet should be centered to the
athlete’s ear.
Mouth guards may also help prevent concussions
in addition to preventing lacerations,
dislocations and broken teeth. Shock
Doctor mouth guards are made to custom fit
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 27

THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
In the April issue of Kansas City Sports
& Fitness, we first quoted Dr. Hiromi
Shinya’s statement , “Ignorance Is Making
Us Sick.” In that article we discussed the
importance of doing research for ourselves
on issues pertaining to our health and
wellness.
We recognize our food choices are critical
pertaining to our health, but how do we view
exercise not only for ourselves but more
importantly our families and friends? In my
research I came across a statement from Dr.
John J. Ratey that doesn’t take a graduate
from the University of Kentucky or a rocket
scientist to understand - “Think of Exercise
as Medication.” He is an associate clinical
professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School, research synthesizer, speaker and
author, as well a clinical psychiatrist maintaining
a private practice in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. He has lectured and published
60 peer reviewed articles on the topics
of aggression, autism, ADHD and other
issues in neuropsychiatry. Dr. Ratey was the
recipient of the 2006 Excellence in Advocacy
award from the non-profit group PE4Life,
for his work to promote the adoption of regular,
aerobic-based physical education.
Dr Ratey has penned, “Spark: The
Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and
the Brain.” In Spark, Dr. Ratey guides the
reader to an understanding of neurobiology
and inspires the reader to reach for their
potential and embrace exercise is crucial
for the brain and body to operate at peak
performance.
The first two chapters provide ample
evidence of the far reaching power of regular
exercise in improving the learning and emotional
and physical well-being of students.
Dr. Ratey begins by describing the innovative
approach in the Naperville, Illinois
School District 203. Some members of the
CONCUSSION| FROM PAGE 27
the athletes mouth and help absorb the shock
and impact in the blows received during the
game. The mouth guard should fit snugly in
the athlete’s mouth and stay in place while
not obstructing their breathing or ability to
communicate.
Overseeing proper safety equipment,
teaching safety principles and being sure the
athletes have proper physical conditioning
go a long way in preventing life changing
injuries to young athletes.
Dr .Lynn McIntosh is a board certified
Chiropractor, licensed in Kansas and
Missouri. In addition to being licensed to
provide general chiropractic care, Dr.
McIntosh is a Certified Chiropractic Sports
Physician, working with athletes from multiple
disciplines on specific sports-related
problems.
28 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Did you take your “Medication?”
freshman class take part in Zero Hour PE,
running each morning prior to classes. The
purpose of Zero Hour is to assess whether
working out before school “gives these kids
a boost in reading ability and in the rest of
their subjects.”
He notes that the hypothesis
that exercise enhances
school performance “is supported
by emerging research
showing that physical activity
sparks biological changes that
encourage brain cells to bind
to one another. For the brain
to learn, these connections
must be made; they reflect
the brain’s fundamental ability
to adapt to challenges. The
more neuroscientists discover
about this process, the clearer it becomes
exercise provides an unparalleled stimulus,
creating an environment in which the brain is
ready, willing, and able to learn. Aerobic
activity has a dramatic effect on adaptation,
regulating systems that might be out of balance
and optimizing those that are not-it’s an
indispensable too for anyone who wants to
reach his or her full potential.”
Throughout Spark Dr. Ratey outlines the
latest research findings about the brain to
explain why the PE program at Naperville
and other schools enhance learning and academic
performance. His book is not confined
to children and adolescents.
He also examines the positive impact of
physical activity in our adult lives, helping us
to manage such conditions as stress, anxiety
and depression. In conclusion, Dr. Ratey and
Jacob Sattelmair stated the growing evidence
that strenuous physical activity is not only
healthy for students, but improves their academic
performance.
Based on such research, they argue
schools in the United States need to stop
eliminating physical-education programs
under current political pressures to emphasize
academics. Modern physical education
should move away from its competitivesports
approach to one that employs a wide
ROYALS| FROM PAGE 19
should be knocking on the Major League
door sometime in 2011 and pushing the
defensively-challenged Butler into a fulltime
designated hitter role.
If Gordon can hit well enough and be
solid enough defensively to stick in left
field, the Royals could have a plethora of
first-round picks on the 2012 roster. With
Gordon, Moustakas, Butler and Hosmer in
the lineup, plus Greinke and Hochevar, the
first overall pick in 2006, in the rotation,
the Royals could have six first-round picks
contributing that year.
Beyond Moustakas and Hosmer, the
range of play involving strenuous physical
activity for every student.
Our brains love motion. Exercise boosts
brain power. Exercise improves cognition.
Statements made by Dr. John J. Medina, a
developmental molecular
biologist, focused on the
genes involved in human
brain development and the
genetics of psychiatric disorders.
He has spent most of
his professional life as a private
research consultant,
working primarily in the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries on
research related to mental
health. Dr. Medina holds
joint affiliate faculty appointments
at the University of Washington
School of Medicine, in its Department of
Bioengineering, and at Seattle Pacific
University, where he is the director of the
Brain Center for Applied Learning Research.
He writes about how brains are wired.
Journal Newspaper did an article on
Medina’s newest book, Brain Rules: 12
Principles for Surviving and Thriving at
Work, Home, and School. It explains how
things like exercise, sleep and stress have a
huge impact on how our brains operate.
He explains Brain Rule #1:
Exercise boosts brainpower. He thinks
school uniforms should be gym clothes and
every office should have a treadmill.
Research has shown cognitive function can
improve anywhere from 50 to 100 percent if
people are on a crash course of aerobic exercise
five days a week. He uses an example of
a researcher at a medical school in Tokyo
that studied sedentary video game addicts
who “sit around and eat nachos all day long.
He exercises them aerobically and watches
their executive function scores go up by
50 to 80 percent...he then extracts the exercise
and watches their scores shrink back
to nothing.”
Feeling hypocrisy in his life, Dr. Medina
installed a treadmill in his own office. Not
Royals are counting on left-handed pitchers
Mike Montgomery, John Lamb and Danny
Duffy to be big league ready by no later
than 2012. Some scouts consider Wil
Myers to be a better hitter than either
Moustakas or Hosmer, but without as much
power. Whether he comes up as a catcher
or moves to the outfield is the big question,
but he has a big league bat.
Moore has stated 2012 is the year the
organization is pointing to, when the stars
of the farm system began bearing fruit in
the Major Leagues. It can’t come soon
enough for the fans, but 2010 will quickly
be forgotten as another 90-plus loss season.
only is he thinking more
clearly, but he’s lost more
than 40 pounds reading
his email while treading
along. The ultimate result
of improved brain function
is higher productivity
in the workplace, he
explained. “With executive
function comes the
ability to corral the attention
state. You focus more
because you are in
motion. We were built to
Art Still
Chiefs Hall-of-Famer
Contributing
Writer
move, and I would argue, built to be productive
while we are moving.”
A recent article in The New York Times
entitled “Vigorous Exercise Linked With
Better Grades,” mentioned college students
who want to boost their grades can start by
boosting their level of exercise. A report presented
at the American College of Sports
Medicine’s 57th annual meeting in Baltimore
finds college students who regularly engage
in vigorous exercise get better grades.
Did you take your “medication” this morning
before you went to school or work?
I have a confession to make. I didn’t use my
degree from University of Kentucky or my
rocket science major to share this information.
I cheated. I exercised before researching
and writing this. I did three sets of squats, leg
extensions, leg curls, standing calf raises and
drank about a gallon of alkaline water. Half
way through my research and writing, I took
more medication and did three sets of chest,
shoulders, back, biceps and triceps with a
little more water. If it can work for me, it can
work anyone. So, make sure you and your
families take their “medication” daily with
exercise.

F
presents THE GOLF REPORT
all is here. Back to school, football
games, cooler weather and holidays on
the horizon. But, what about your
golf game?
Many golfers consider this the end.
Things get busy, and it’s time to hang up
the clubs for the year, right? Not so fast…
You’ve been battling heat, humidity and
an almost constant triple-digit heat index
for a couple of months, now, and you
deserve a break. Cooler weather is on the
horizon, and that means good things for
your golf game, if you find the time.
Autumn is my favorite time to get out,
when I can. Working in collegiate athletics,
this is a busy time, but for what I get
out of a fall round, I try to make time to
improve my game. And, there are a few
advantages to fall golf that you can’t get
in the summer.
There’s the range. That place that’s not
so fun when it’s blazing hot outside, but it
turns a little more relaxing when the
weather cooperates. It’s also usually more
open, especially on a weekday, and you
might even get lucky with finding an open
lesson time in your local pro’s datebook.
Junior golf has ended and many of the
people who took summer lessons have
moved on to other fall activities.
Fall is a good time to head to golf course
Take advantage of it. Pick the pro’s
brain. He or she probably learned a thing
or two over the summer about his or her
own teaching
style, and
might be
looking for an
outlet to give
it a try.
Golf courses
also tend to
cut their rates
in the fall,
especially as
the calendar
turns to
October. Now
that weekend
rate at your
favorite
course seems
a little less
painful on the
pocketbook a
few times a month.
The golf courses in this city are also
breathtaking when the leaves turn to fall
colors. Golf courses that are already picturesque
look even better this time of year.
Just watch your ball, since golf balls have a
way of hopping under big leaves, making
them harder to find, especially if you stray
from the short grass.
Late in the
season, it
might require a
jacket, but fall
golf in Kansas
City will not
disappoint.
Things to
Watch for in
the Fall
Dropping
rates – late in
the year, green
fees tend to fall
like autumn
leaves, and
many courses
will dig even
deeper into the
rate by email.
You can get those offers, most of the time,
by visiting the golf course’s website and
signing up for their email blasts.
Lessons – this is the best time of year to
grab some extra knowledge. The local pro
has had an entire summer of teaching to
fine-tune his or her
thoughts on the game’s
fundamentals. Take
advantage of it.
Frost delays – you
won’t be able to book tee
times as early in the fall,
because of later sun
rises, and, sometimes
those early start times
will be bumped back
because of frost on the
course. Give them a call
Steve
Wilson
Contributing
Writer
before you head out to the golf course, or
go and get a cup of coffee.Merchandise –
while you’re in your frost delay, check out
the deals in the pro shop. It’s your chance
to get a hold of this season’s fashions at a
discounted rate. They have to make room
for the new stuff coming in next spring.
Enjoy yourself – even if you have to
head out by yourself and pair up with others
who love this game, enjoy it. There are
plenty of ice-breaking topics this time of
year. Talk about the Chiefs, the Royals or
any of the local college teams. You might
just make a new friend to hit the links with
next year.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2010 29

presents THE GOLF REPORT
30 SEPTEMBER 2010 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Tiger vacates golfing throne
The Party is over. The Tiger Woods era
has come to the end. What at one time
looked to be the greatest the golf profession
has developed ended in a
Florida court room. The judge
awarded the trophies – the
children to both parties with a
high priced Nanny to watch
over them. Tiger walked out of
the room with memories of
what might have been.
Monday – both parties
ended up with a bundle, but
Tiger had only half a bundle
plus enough endorsements to
take him to the moon and
beyond. It brought to an end what looked
like a perfect blend – the great golfer and the
blond Swedish model. The bright, bright
lights and glamour of Las Vegas proved too
much for the great one to handle.
Part of the downfall can be blamed on
love notes, then phone calls, and then the
stupidity of trying to keep a quickie love
affair into the real thing. Other guys have
tried along the way, used more discretion
and survived, but this time you just have to
call it stupidity on the part of Tiger.
The girls had set their trap – and it was
much tougher than any sand trap Tiger had
ever found himself in on the golf course -and
the game of golf has lost the best ever
and is looking for a new leader.
There is no one like him in the current
HARRAHS MMA| FROM PAGE 20
had been warming up in. After a minute or
so, the judges scored 30-27, 29-28, and 29-
28, giving Brooker the win, again to a
shocked crowd of Davis supporters.
“I knew that he was saving up for that one
punch, and he got off a couple, but lucky for
me, I can take a punch pretty well,” Brooker
said. “I gave him a lot of trouble with the
jab, just working my combination. I was trying
to keep away for a while, because I
know he has a lot of power. I thought he was
going to be aggressive right out of the gate,
that’s why I came out being aggressive
because I wanted him to know this would be
my fight, and it worked out for me.”
Brooker said that he heard the entire room
cheering for Davis, but it was not a problem.
roster of players, none
coming close to his
accomplishments, but a
handful of
young
stars have
stepped
forward in
the past,
so the
game goes
on.
As they
Bill
Grigsby
Contributing
Writer
say in the barber shop – next
– and another great or near
great sits in the chair vacated
by Tiger. Frankly I think it will help the
game of golf. The money paid out in the
purses is getting out of hand. A half a million
dollars are far too much for a secondplace
finish.
Now we can turn to the regular season
fare with the NFL and college football taking
over. With the changes in the Big 10 and
Big 12 things will be different. Watch for
Missouri to take over the Big 12 North, with
Nebraska defecting to the Big 10 in 2011.
Kansas – under a new coach (Turner Gill)
and new players – will likely struggle this
season. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will
battle to get to the title game. Texas will be
in the mix at the top and don’t be surprised
if Iowa State, which went to a minor bowl
game last year, stages a couple of upsets.
“All my fights have been like that,”
Brooker continued. “I like it. There is not
as much pressure that way, and I’m motivated
more.”
Brooker, who is 23, is originally from
Overland Park, Kansas. Brooker said his
brother, who is an ex-marine, got him interested
in MMA to begin with.
“It feels great to accomplish something
with this,” Brooker said with a huge smile.
Be sure to check these guys out the next
time MMA comes to Harrah’s Voodoo
Lounge if you are ready for an incredible
night of fighting, but make sure you get your
tickets ahead of time, so you don’t face a
sold out sign the day of the bouts. My thanks
to the MMA staff, Harrah’s, the fighters, and
the many fans who gave me information on
the participants throughout the night.