SUNFLOWER LEAGUE Football: 1951 to Present HOME Return to Area FB Leagues Update: November 12, 2011
This league was started in 1951 by charter members TOPEKA HIGH, WYANDOTTE-K.C. and EMPORIA. The hope at that time was to recruit some members from the NEKL and other leagues. They tried to get OTTAWA, LAWRENCE or SHAWNEE MISSION to enter the league in 1951 - but were unable to get them to switch. Then EMPORIA dropped in 1953 to join the CKL (Central Kansas League). So, the league was dormant in 1953 - TOPEKA did defeat WYANDOTTE in football that year.
Slowly, the league gathered members. SHAWNEE MISSION joined in 1954 and WASHINGTON-K.C. came on board in 1955. New school SHAWNEE MISSION EAST was admitted in 1958. The original SHAWNEE MISSION would be known from that year on as SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH. Another new school, TOPEKA WEST, was added in 1961.
The Shawnee Mission school district was booming during this period. SHAWNEE MISSION WEST (1963), SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH (1966) and SHAWNEE MISSION NW (1969) were all brought into the league. LAWRENCE finally entered the fold in 1969. That was also the first year of divisional play in the SUNFLOWER with the East & West champs playing each other for the overall league championship and the right to move on in the newly established KSHSAA Football play-offs. The divisional system was abandoned after the 1972 season.
In 1973 Washington-K.C. and Wyandotte-K.C. exited the league and joined the KCKL (Kansas City Kansas League). Topeka West never was able to compete very well in football and they dropped out in 1974 and played as an Independent until TOPEKA HIGH came to the same decision after the 1978 season. The Topeka teams joined the I-70 League - that marked the end of the charter members participation.
Lawrence and the Shawnee Mission schools played on until Leavenworth came on board as the 7th team in 1981. The next population boom in the area occurred in Olathe. OLATHE NORTH and OLATHE SOUTH left the Eastern Kansas League (EKL) after 1988 and were accepted into the SUNFLOWER. More Olathe schools were added - OLATHE EAST (1992) and the most recent league addition OLATHE NORTHWEST (2004). LAWRENCE FREE STATE had previously joined the group in 1997. This school took in the rapidly expanding west portion of the old LAWRENCE district.
Please see the following for current information about this league: Eli Underwood's Sunflower Blog
See Below for Championship History
| YEAR | League Champion | League | ALL | COACH | ||||
| 1951 | Wyandotte-K.C. | (2-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Ed Ellis |
| 1952 | Topeka High | (2-0-0) | (4-3-1) | Bob Briggs |
| 1953 ** | Topeka High | (1-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Bob Briggs |
| 1954 | Shawnee Mission | (2-0-0) | (7-1-1) | Harold Reade |
| 1955 | Topeka High | (3-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Otto Bodenhausen |
| 1956 | Topeka High | (3-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Otto Bodenhausen |
| 1957 | Wyandotte-K.C. | (3-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Ed Ellis |
| 1958 | Wyandotte-K.C. | (3-0-1) | (5-3-1) | Ed Ellis |
| 1959 | Wyandotte-K.C. | (4-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Ed Ellis |
| 1960 | Topeka High | (3-1-0) | (7-2-0) | Larry Reid |
| Wyandotte-K.C. | (3-1-0) | (6-2-0) | Ed Ellis | |
| 1961 | Shawnee Mission East | (5-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Arch Unruh |
| 1962 | Wyandotte-K.C. | (4-0-1) | (7-1-1) | Ed Ellis |
| 1963 | Topeka High | (5-1-0) | (6-2-0) | Larry Reid |
| 1964 | Shawnee Mission East | (4-2-0) | (6-3-0) | Arch Unruh |
| Topeka High | (4-2-0) | (5-4-0) | Larry Reid | |
| Washington-K.C. | (4-2-0) | (7-2-0) | John Lavra | |
| Wyandotte-K.C. | (4-2-0) | (4-5-0) | Ed Ellis | |
| 1965 | Shawnee Mission North | (6-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Larry Taylor |
| 1966 | Shawnee Mission East | (6-0-1) | (7-1-1) | Arch Unruh |
| Shawnee Mission North | (6-0-1) | (7-1-1) | Larry Taylor | |
| 1967 | Shawnee Mission North | (7-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Larry Taylor |
| 1968 | Shawnee Mission North | (6-0-1) | (7-1-1) | Larry Taylor |
| 1969 | Shawnee Mission North | (5-0-0) * | (8-1-1) | Larry Taylor |
| 1970 | Shawnee Mission North | (5-0-0) * | (10-0) | Larry Taylor |
| 1971 | Shawnee Mission South | (5-0) * | (6-4) | John Davis |
| 1972 | Shawnee Mission South | (5-0) * | (8-2) | John Davis |
| 1973 | Shawnee Mission South | (7-0) | (11-0) | John Davis |
| 1974 | Shawnee Mission North | (7-0) | (10-1) | Larry Taylor |
| 1975 | Shawnee Mission South | (6-0) | (11-0) | John Davis |
| 1976 | Shawnee Mission West | (6-0) | (10-1) | Dick Purdy |
| 1977 | Lawrence | (5-1) | (9-2) | Bill Freeman |
| Shawnee Mission West | (5-1) | (6-3) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1978 | Shawnee Mission South | (6-0) | (10-1) | John Davis |
| 1979 | Lawrence | (4-1) | (10-1) | Bill Freeman |
| Shawnee Mission Northwest | (4-1) | (7-3) | Tony Severino | |
| Shawnee Mission West | (4-1) | (8-2) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1980 | Shawnee Mission West | (5-0) | (9-2) | Dick Purdy |
| 1981 | Lawrence | (6-0) | (9-1) | Bill Freeman |
| 1982 | Shawnee Mission South | (5-1) | (9-2) | John Davis |
| 1983 | Shawnee Mission West | (5-1) | (10-2) | Harold Wambsgans |
| Shawnee Mission Northwest | (5-1) | (7-2) | Bill Leonard | |
| 1984 | Shawnee Mission West | (6-0) | (9-2) | Harold Wambsgans |
| 1985 | Lawrence | (6-0) | (10-1) | Bill Freeman |
| 1986 | Lawrence | (6-0) | (12-0) | Bill Freeman |
| 1987 | Lawrence | (5-1) | (11-1) | Bill Freeman |
| Shawnee Mission West | (5-1) | (6-3) | Harold Wambsgans | |
| 1988 | Shawnee Mission West | (6-0) | (6-3) | Harold Wambsgans |
| 1989 | Shawnee Mission South | (6-0) | (10-1) | Fred Merrell |
| 1990 | Lawrence | (6-1) | (11-1) | Dick Purdy |
| 1991 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (9-1) | Gene Wier |
| 1992 | Lawrence | (7-0) | (12-0) | Dick Purdy |
| 1993 | Lawrence | (7-0) | (12-0) | Dick Purdy |
| 1994 | Olathe East | (7-0) | (10-1) | Jeff Meyers |
| 1995 | Olathe North | (7-0) | (10-1) | Gene Wier |
| 1996 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (12-0) | Gene Wier |
| 1997 | Olathe East | (6-0) | (8-1) | Jeff Meyers |
| Olathe North | (6-0) | (12-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 1998 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (10-2) | Gene Wier |
| 1999 | Olathe North | (5-1) | (7-2) | Gene Wier |
| Olathe South | (5-1) | (10-2) | Mark Littrell | |
| Shawnee Mission West | (5-1) | (7-2) | Jon Krug | |
| 2000 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (12-0) | Gene Wier |
| Shawnee Mission North | (6-0) | (9-2) | Sam Brown | |
| 2001 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (12-0) | Gene Wier |
| Olathe South | (6-0) | (8-1) | Mark Littrell | |
| 2002 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (13-0) | Gene Wier |
| 2003 | Olathe East | (6-0) | (10-1) | Jeff Meyers |
| 2004 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (12-1) | John McCall |
| 2005 | Olathe East | (6-0) | (12-1) | Jeff Meyers |
| Shawnee Mission West | (6-0) | (9-2) | Tim Callaghan | |
| Olathe South | (6-0) | (9-2) | Mark Littrell | |
| 2006 | Lawrence Free State | (6-0) | (11-1) | Bob Lisher |
| Shawnee Mission West | (6-0) | (12-1) | Tim Callaghan | |
| 2007 | Shawnee Mission Northwest | (6-0) | (9-2) | Aaron Barnett |
| 2008 | Olathe East | (7-0) | (9-1) | Jeff Meyers |
| Shawnee Mission West | (7-0) | (9-1) | Tim Callaghan | |
| 2009 | Olathe North | (7-0) | (13-0) | Pete Flood |
| 2010 | Shawnee Mission East | (6-1) | (8-2) | Chip Sherman |
| Olathe North | (6-1) | (11-2) | Pete Flood | |
| Olathe East | (6-1) | (10-2) | Jeff Meyers | |
| Shawnee Mission West | (6-1) | (7-3) | Tim Callaghan | |
| 2011 | Olathe South | (7-0) | Jeff Gourley | |
* Won divisional play-off for league championship
** Only two teams in the league - Topeka defeated Wyandotte - but championship not awarded.
KSHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS CLASS 6A
| 1969 | Shawnee Mission North | (8-1-1) | Larry Taylor | |
| 1970 | Shawnee Mission North | (10-0) | Larry Taylor | |
| 1971 | Shawnee Mission North | (10-1) | Larry Taylor | |
| 1972 | Shawnee Mission West | (8-3) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1973 | Shawnee Mission South | (11-0) | John Davis | |
| 1974 | Shawnee Mission North | (10-1) | Larry Taylor | |
| 1975 | Shawnee Mission South | (11-0) | John Davis | |
| 1979 | Lawrence | (11-1) | Bill Freeman | |
| 1981 | Shawnee Mission Northwest | (10-2) | Tony Severino | |
| 1984 | Lawrence | (11-0) | Bill Freeman | |
| 1985 | Shawnee Mission West | (11-1) | Harold Wambsgans | |
| 1986 | Lawrence | (12-0) | Bill Freeman | |
| 1987 | Lawrence | (10-2) | Bill Freeman | |
| 1989 | Lawrence | (11-1) | Bill Freeman | |
| 1990 | Lawrence | (11-1) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1991 | Lawrence | (11-1) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1992 | Lawrence | (12-0) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1993 | Lawrence | (12-0) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1995 | Lawrence | (11-1) | Dick Purdy | |
| 1996 | Olathe North | (12-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 1997 | Olathe North | (12-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 1998 | Olathe North | (10-2) | Gene Wier | |
| 2000 | Olathe North | (12-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 2001 | Olathe North | (12-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 2002 | Olathe North | (13-0) | Gene Wier | |
| 2003 | Olathe North | (10-3) | John McCall | |
| 2009 | Olathe North | (13-0) | Pete Flood | |
TDC Mythical State Champion - CLASS AA
| 1951 | Wyandotte | (9-0-0) | Sunflower | Ed Ellis | ||||
| 1955 | Topeka High | (8-0-0) | Sunflower | Otto Bodenhausen | ||||
| 1967 | Shawnee Mission North | (9-0-0) | Sunflower | Larry Taylor | ||||
Yrs in League Team Firsts Outright Shared
| 48 | Shawnee Mission West | 12 | 5 | 7 |
| 22 | Olathe North | 12 | 7 | 4 |
| 42 | Lawrence | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 57 | Shawnee Mission North | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 44 | Shawnee Mission South | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Olathe East | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 53 | Shawnee Mission East | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 | Olathe South | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 42 | Shawnee Mission Northwest | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Lawrence Free State | 1 | 0 | 1 |