High school football: Sunflower League Week 4 rankings

Here are the Sunflower League football rankings after Week 4, including league record, overall record, last week’s result, this week’s opponent and a comment.

1. Lawrence (3-0, 3-1)

Beat Shawnee Mission West, 49-19; Friday at Olathe North

A dismantling of Shawnee Mission West helps Lawrence jump to the top spot. Three different players scored a rushing touchdown, and two different players had a touchdown reception for Lawrence.

2. Shawnee Mission East (3-0, 3-1)

Beat Olathe North, 48-13; Friday vs. Shawnee Mission North

In East’s three wins this season, the average margin of victory has been 44 points.

3. Shawnee Mission West (2-1, 2-2)

Lost to Lawrence, 49-19; Thursday vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest

A week after giving Blue Springs a tough battle, West had a surprisingly lackluster performance against Lawrence.

4. Lawrence Free State (2-1, 2-2)

Beat Shawnee Mission Northwest, 41-7; Friday vs. Olathe South

In a top-heavy year for the Sunflower League, Free State is one of only five teams to have at least two wins this season.

5. Shawnee Mission North (1-2, 2-2)

Lost to Olathe Northwest, 25-22; Friday at Shawnee Mission East

Quarterback Will Schneider led a 97-yard game-tying touchdown drive with seconds to spare last week, but watched as North lost on a last-second field goal.

6. Olathe Northwest (1-1, 1-3)

Beat Shawnee Mission North, 25-22; Friday vs. Leavenworth

Northwest has had a ridiculous beginning to the season: losses in overtime, double-overtime and on a goal-line stand. But last week was the Ravens’ turn to inflict the heartbreak, with David Boschma kicking a game-winning 27-yard field goal as time expired.

7. Olathe North (1-1, 1-3)

Lost to Shawnee Mission East, 48-13; Friday vs. Lawrence

The good news: North is the only Sunflower League team to put up more than seven points against Shawnee Mission East. The bad news: They still lost to the Lancers handily.

8. Olathe East (1-1, 1-3)

Lost to Olathe South, 28-21; Friday at Shawnee Mission South

With the exception of an opening week lost to Hutchinson, all of Olathe East’s games the past three weeks have been decided by a touchdown or less.

9. Olathe South (1-2, 1-3)

Beat Olathe East, 28-21; Friday at Lawrence Free State

Against a district rival, Olathe South got its first win of the season last week, after being tied 14-14 at the half.

10. Leavenworth (1-2, 1-3)

Beat Shawnee Mission South, 38-17; Friday at Olathe Northwest

Leavenworth recorded its first win of the season last week against a depleted Shawnee Mission South team, highlighted by a 99-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

11. Shawnee Mission Northwest (0-3, 0-4)

Lost to Lawrence Free State, 41-7; Thursday at Shawnee Mission West

Still winless, Northwest is losing by an average of 35.5 points per game.

12. Shawnee Mission South (0-3, 0-4)

Lost to Leavenworth, 38-17; Friday vs. Olathe East

After losing eight starters last week, South still couldn’t get its first win on the road at Leavenworth.

Other teams

1. De Soto (2-1, 3-1)

Beat Paola, 28-7; Friday vs. Nevada

De Soto held Paola to 158 total yards and forced a couple of turnovers to roll to a win last week.

2. Spring Hill (2-0, 2-2)

Beat Baldwin, 42-6; Friday vs. Ottawa

Tyshaun Straw scored five straight rushing touchdowns to boost Spring Hill to a huge league win.

3. Maranatha/Immaculata (0-4, 0-4)

Lost to Horton, 64-12; Friday at Oskaloosa

Maranatha/Immaculata is still winless on the season; the young team is losing by an average of 45 points after four weeks.

This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 1:29 PM with the headline "High school football: Sunflower League Week 4 rankings."