By Dean Backes

MaxPreps.com

If Shawnee Mission Northwest wanted to finish its turnaround season with momentum, and in the playoffs, a strong start in opening-round district play last weekend was a necessity. The Cougars responded with a 21-7 win over defending state runner-up Shawnee Mission West and now hold the upper hand in the chase for a Class 6A District 2 championship going into the final two weeks of the regular season.

 Although Northwest did win by two touchdowns, the Cougars were in need of a big play in the second half to put some distance between themselves and the Vikings. Quarterback Alex Carder and Cougar leading receiver Josh Douglas hooked up on a crucial second down play in the fourth quarter.

Following West's 11-play 89-yard touchdown drive that cut the Cougar advantage to 14-7, Shawnee Mission Northwest found itself facing second and 22 deep in its own territory. Carder responded by finding Douglas over the middle for a 40-yard gain and a Cougar first down. Northwest then ran the ball on 10 straight plays, including the gamewinning 9-yard scoring run posted by Bryce Atagi to put the game away.

"That was the difference," Shawnee Mission Northwest head coach Aaron Barnett told the Kansas City Star. "That one play was a weight off our backs, and it kind of took the wind out of their sails."

So far this season, the Cougars (7-0) have avenged three of their five losses from a year ago. Shawnee Mission Northwest paid back Shawnee Mission South with a season opening 19-13 victory, after a 21-0 loss from a year ago. Then in week three the Cougars routed Olathe North 45-22 after falling to the Eagles 27-6 in 2006. Friday's win over the Vikings avenged a 42-8 loss from a year ago. If Northwest can sweep Blue Valley Northwest and Olathe East, the Cougars will have avenged all of 2006's losses.

Northwest's running game has played a huge role in the Cougars' resurgence. In fact, four SM Northwest backs have rushed for 183 yards or more this season. Alex Reed, who missed Friday's game with a sprained ankle, leads the team with 629 yards on 89 carries and six touchdowns. Atagi, filled in for Reed against West, and now has 540 yards rushing on 89 carries and 11 scores. Carder has added 223 yards and five rushing touchdowns on 58 carries so far this season. Elliot Kovach is credited with 183 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries.

Carder's skills don't stop at running the ball. The senior signal caller has been credited with 642 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air. Douglas has 16 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown on his resume this season. Mark Fancher has latched on to eight aerials for 196 yards and a team-leading three scores through the air.

Defensively, Bryce Murray leads the team with 59 tackles. Tyler McKee and Jared Pessetto have contributed 47 and 42 stops respectively. Murray leads Northwest with nine sacks, while Darion Hillman chipped in five sacks. Atagi leads the team with a pair of interceptions.

Backes' Kansas Rankings

Team (Record) Offensive Average - Defensive Scoring

Class 6A

1. Hutchinson (7-0) 310 - 86

Defeated Goddard, 21-7. Next: at Dodge City

2. Shawnee Mission Northwest (7-0) 237 - 88

Defeated Shawnee Mission West, 21-7. Next: at Blue Valley Northwest

3. Junction City (7-0) 294 - 83

Defeated Manhattan, 42-7. Next: Wichita Heights

4. Olathe North (6-1) 247 - 82

Defeated Olathe Northwest, 41-0. Next: Leavenworth

5. Olathe East (6-1) 209 - 111

Defeated Blue Valley Northwest, 17-7. Next: at Shawnee Mission West

6. Olathe South (5-2) 238 - 99

Defeated Leavenworth, 59-0. Next: Olathe Northwest

7. Lawrence Free State (5-2) 243 - 98

Defeated Topeka, 34-7. Next: Lawrence

8. Wichita East (5-2) 210 - 87

Lost to Derby, 27-21. Next: at Wichita Southeast

9. Shawnee Mission West (5-2) 114 - 94

Lost to Shawnee Mission Northwest, 21-7. Next: Olathe East

10. Goddard (5-2) 262 - 108

Lost to Hutchinson, 21-7. Next: Garden City

Class 5A

1. Blue Valley West (7-0) 245 - 73

Defeated Gardner-Edgerton, 42-14. Next: at Ottawa

2. Wichita Carroll (6-1) 237 - 61

Defeated Arkansas City, 56-7. Next: Winfield

3. McPherson (6-1) 268 - 68

Defeated Salina South, 27-22. Next: at Great Bend

4. Great Bend (6-1) 190 - 152

Defeated Hays, 21-0. Next: McPherson

5. Lansing (6-1) 210 - 133

Defeated Shawnee Heights, 14-11. Next: at Kansas City Washington

6. St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) 208 - 82

Defeated Harmon, 55-0. Next: Mill Valley

7. Bonner Springs (6-1) 238 - 94

Defeated Sumner Academy, 49-17. Next: Kansas City Wyandotte

8. Topeka Seaman (5-2) 168 - 105

Defeated Topeka West, 42-0. Next: Salina Central

9. KC Washington (6-1) 182 - 110

Defeated Kansas City Schlagle, 14-6. Next: Lansing

10. Salina Central (5-2) 281 - 193

Defeated Topeka Highland Park, 66-30. Next: at Topeka Seaman

Class 4A

1. Andale (7-0) 270 - 94

Defeated Clearwater, 49-8. Next: Pratt

2. Topeka-Hayden (6-1) 209 - 102

Defeated Wamego, 32-17. Next: Hoyt Royal Valley

3. Louisburg (7-0) 318 - 66

Defeated Prairie View, 19-0. Next: Osawatomie

4. Eudora (7-0) 305 - 104

Defeated Spring Hill, 49-14. Next: De Soto

5. Pittsburg (6-1) 172 - 47

Defeated Columbus, 21-0. Next: at Girard

6. Mulvane (7-0) 220 - 121

Defeated Wellington, 33-6. Next: Douglass

7. Columbus (6-1) 243 - 69

Lost to Pittsburg, 21-0. Next: Cherokee Southeast

8. Holton (6-1) 292 - 84

Defeated Hiawatha, 42-12. Next: at Marysville

9. Girard (6-1) 317 - 115

Defeated Cherokee Southeast, 30-0. Next: Pittsburg

10. Andover Central (6-1) 237 - 83

Defeated Rose Hill, 31-14. Next: at Augusta

Class 3A

1. Silver Lake (7-0) 307 - 33

Defeated Oskaloosa, 63-0. Next: McLouth

2. Garden Plain (7-0) 390 - 102

Defeated Wichita Independent, 71-28. Next: Wichita Collegiate

3. Salina Sacred Heart (7-0) 294 - 104

Defeated Lyons, 58-0. Next: at Southeast of Saline

4. Hesston (7-0) 236 - 43

Defeated Remington, 34-0. Next: at Hillsboro

5. Lakin (7-0) 215 - 75

Defeated Cimarron, 33-0. Next: Holcomb

6. Hoisington (6-1) 288 - 69

Defeated More Prep-Marian, 61-6. Next: at Scott City

7. Sabetha (6-1) 219 - 73

Lost to Rock Creek, 15-13. Next: at Riley County

8. Horton (6-1) 203 - 75

Defeated Pleasant Ridge, 13-7. Next: Maur Hill Prep

9. Pleasant Ridge (6-1) 235 - 71

Lost to Horton, 13-7. Next: Atchison County

10. Remington (6-1) 225 - 99

Lost to Hesston, 34-0. Next: Marion

Class 2-1A

1. Smith Center (7-0) 485 - 0

Defeated Lincoln, 78-0. Next: Osborne

2. Pittsburg-Colgan (7-0) 270 - 48

Defeated Humboldt, 40-0. Next: Pleasanton

3. LaCrosse (7-0) 343 -72

Defeated Ness City-Dighton, 53-7. Next: Kinsley-Lewis

4. Oakley (7-0) 283 - 26

Defeated Quinter, 45-0. Next: WaKeeney Trego

5. St. Francis (6-1) 262 - 93

Defeated Syracuse, 49-13. Next: at Wichita County

6. Meade (6-1) 284 - 82

Defeated Kinsley-Lewis, 42-7. Next: Ness City-Dighton

7. Wathena (6-1) 178 - 84

Defeated Immaculata, 24-21. Next: at Jackson Heights

8. Humboldt (6-1) 231 - 68

Lost to Pittsburg Colgan, 40-0. Next: at Uniontown

9. Centralia (5-2) 248 - 120

Defeated Troy, 58-18. Next: at Doniphan West

10. Hoxie (6-1) 169 - 69

Defeated WaKeeney Trego, 8-6. Next: at Quinter

8-Man 1

1. Waverly (7-0) 432 - 182

Defeated Crest, 68-20. Next: at Lebo

2. Jetmore (7-0) 284 - 106

Defeated South Gray, 24-20. Next: at Greeley County

3. Macksville (7-0) 354 - 84

Defeated Otis-Bison, 48-0, Next: at Stafford

4. Clifton-Clyde (7-0) 374 - 60

Defeated Kensington, 48-0. Next: at Pike Valley

5. Goessel (7-0) 355 - 94

Defeated Sunrise Christian Academy, 58-8. Next: at Claflin

6. Madison (6-1) 334 - 100

Defeated Southern Coffey County, 46-0. Next: Crest

7. Marmaton Valley (7-0) 416 - 38

Defeated Udall, 52-6. Next: Altoona-Midway

8. Pawnee Heights (6-1) 334 - 110

Defeated Stafford, 60-14. Next: Greensburg

9. Hanover (7-0) 380 - 116

Defeated Elwood, 66-26. Next: Wakefield

10. Kensington (6-1) 302 - 110

Lost to Clifton-Clyde, 48-0. Next: Beloit St. John's

8-Man 2

1. Sharon Springs (7-0) 376 - 82

Defeated Brewster-Triplains, 58-12. Next: Cheylin

2. Tescott (7-0) 396 - 126

Defeated Hope, 38-36. Next: Hutchinson Central Christian

3. Hope (6-1) 374 - 90

Lost to Tescott, 38-36. Next: Southern Cloud

4. South Haven (7-0) 406 - 120

Defeated South Central, 50-28. Next: at Attica

5. Victoria (6-1) 304 - 32

Defeated Natoma, 48-0. Next: Logan

6. Ashland (6-1) 316 - 106

Defeated Moscow, 41-32. Next: at Minneola

7. Logan (6-1) 354 - 146

Defeated Lucas-Luray, 46-0. Next: at Victoria

8. Wilson (5-2) 320 - 196

Defeated Chase, 38-28. Next: at Quivira Heights

9. Quivira Heights (5-2) 304 - 128

Defeated Bucklin, 36-20. Next: Wilson

10. Bucklin (6-1) 310 - 120

Lost to Quivira Heights, 36-20. Next: at Wilson