CPL Football Predictions

1. Garden Plain
The Owls have fallen to the eventual state champions each of the past two years in the playoffs. Garden Plain captured the state title in 2007 and is gearing up for another strong showing in Class 3A this season. The program is a combined 34-3 in the past three seasons under veteran head coach Todd Puetz. The team lost several talents from last season but that doesn’t seem to matter for the Owls who will again rely on their potent running game and a high powered offense that averaged over 45 points per game last year. The team returns five starters on offense and six on defense along with 40 returning lettermen.

2. Conway Springs
Much like Garden Plain, the Cardinals have been highly successful the past few seasons which includes a 3A state championship in 2008. Conway returns eight offensive starters including three senior offensive linemen and seniors Kayl Barkley (TE) and Austin Pauly (RB). The squad also brings in three other running backs with starting experience to run the single-wing offense. The Cardinals will look to replace all-state quarterback Caleb Brill with sophomore Tanner Wood this season to lead an offense that scored 47 points per game a year ago. Couple that with a defense returning several starters to a unit that held opponents to just 14 points per game last year and you have another well-rounded team. Conway should have little standing in their way as far as district play goes. Their three opponents went a combined 7-20 last season.

3. Cheney
Cheney returns four players to the offensive side of the ball and five on defense along with 12 lettermen. Dustin McEwen enters his sixth season as head coach of the Cardinals and is expecting his team to make a splash this season. Brian Dewey returns to the quarterback position for his senior year and will have a pair of senior receivers to look to this season. Cheney has a rough regular-season schedule with heavyweights Garden Plain, Conway Springs and Hutchinson Trinity and an intriguing district schedule that includes Maize South, Andale, and league foe Wichita Trinity. The Cardinals match up with the Knights in the final week of district play in a game that could ultimately determine who goes to the playoffs and who goes home.

4. Wichita Trinity
The Knights, in just their third season of football, are already making adjustments as they enter this season under new head coach Tyler Ryan. The team returns five starters on each side of the ball which includes a veteran backfield composed of Morgan Burns and fullback Austin Kessinger. The two will also look to be major contributors on the defensive side of the ball, with Kessinger at linebacker and Burns at the safety position. Trinity will also be chasing their first playoff appearance this year, but as stated above, that may all come down to the final week of district play when the Knights host Cheney.

5. Medicine Lodge
After a 5-4 finish in head coach Peter Jelovic’s first season, the Indians are looking to stay on the fast track. The squad ran a multiple-formation offense that showed very positive results as the team averaged over 30 points per game last year. The team has to replace their quarterback following the departure of Josh Rogers and will look to their returning veterans to step up and fill in the holes this year. Medicine Lodge’s chances of reaching the playoffs got significantly better with their district realignment. They will still have to square off against juggernaut Conway Springs, but then face off against Kingman and Chaparral in their final two games. The Eagles and Roadrunners were a combined 2-16 last year.

6. Chaparral
The Roadrunners open the 2010 season under new leadership as Justin Burke, who was previously at Dodge City, takes the reins. The school hasn’t had a winning season since 2002 but the program is looking to turn it around this season. The offense returns the school’s all-time passing leader, Justin Wilcox, to the lineup for his senior season. He will have an offensive line that returns three starters to protect him along with his favorite target from a year ago, Matt Struble, returning to make an impact. According to Burke, the team has several holes and lacks depth at nearly every position on the field. Chaparral will be better than the 2-7 record they posted last year, but how much better is yet to be determined.

7. Independent
The Panthers have finished 2-7 in each of the past two seasons and are still in search of their first-ever playoff appearance. The team’s spread offense will be run by senior Sam Dunne who will have fellow classmate Brett Soucie returning as his main target. Independent has a rough three-game stretch in the middle of the season facing off against Conway, Wichita Trinity and Garden Plain in consecutive weeks. The Panthers chances get significantly better in district play though. With the exception of Wichita Collegiate, this is one of the weaker districts in the state with Douglass and Belle Plaine joining the mix. Excluding the Spartans, the remaining teams were a combined 7-21 last year and 23-60 in the past three seasons.

8. Douglass
Douglass has improved each of the last three seasons and will look to continue their upward trend under new head coach Jeffrey Ast. The Bulldogs went 4-6 last season, defeating Independent and Bluestem to reach the bi-district round before getting blasted by Conway. The team will be young this year returning just four players on offense, three on defense and only 10 lettermen. Douglass opens the season with three home games. The catch, they are against a majority of the league’s top teams: Trinity, Conway and Garden Plain. The Bulldogs host Independent and travel to Belle Plaine in their first two district games before closing the season at Collegiate.

9. Belle Plaine
After posting a 5-4 record in 2007, the Dragons have stumbled the past two seasons combining to win just one game. Head coach Brian Seba is in his second year at the helm and is looking to add depth and accountability to the program this season. Belle Plaine doesn’t get any breaks this year as they will face off against the past three defending state champions in Class 3A. The Dragons face Bluestem, the only team they beat during the 2009 season, in Week 3.

10. Bluestem
According to coach George Stewart, the Lions are in year three of a five year rebuilding program. Bluestem snapped a 69-game losing streak during the 2008 season after defeating Belle Plaine, but fell back to the bottom last year finishing 0-9. The squad opens with games against Garden Plain and Wichita Trinity before facing Belle Plaine on Sept. 17. The Lions district looks much different this season as they take on Eureka (1-8 in 2009), Fredonia (5-4) and Neodesha (4-5).

Must see games:
Garden Plain at Cheney, Sept. 10
Conway Springs at Garden Plain, Sept. 24
Cheney at Conway Springs, Oct. 1
Conway Springs vs. Wichita Trinity (at Circle), Oct. 8
Hutchinson Trinity at Garden Plain, Oct. 15
Cheney at Wichita Trinity (at Circle), Oct. 28

How do you think the league will play out? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment below.