When the Hays High Indians looked toward the scoreboard at Salina Stadium and saw the 21-14 victory they had just posted over Salina Central at the end of the 2010 season a sinking reality came crashing down. It wasn't enough. The simplest way to put it…if Hays High beat Salina Central by 13 or more points, the Indians broke a 15 plus year drought of missing the playoffs.

The first two seasons under head coach Ryan Cornelsen have yielded a flashy 14-4 record. Some teams may rejoice after back-to-back 7-2 seasons, whether making the playoffs or not. That, however, is not good enough in the eyes of the young head coach that is considered among one of the top up and coming coaches in the state of Kansas.

"To me, I think you have to make a run at the state championship game. Half the teams are going to make the playoffs, so that shows you with us not making it, we are in the bottom half," Cornelsen said. "You can sugar coat it all you want with your record, reality of it is you got to make the top half of the teams in 5A. Our goal is to be one of the top six or eight teams year in and year out."

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When concussions are in the news during football season, it generally means that an athlete has sustained a concussion and will be watching the next game from the sidelines. Until recently, team trainers and coaches have not had a data-based method to decide if an athlete is ready to return to action, but this year, teams across the state are encouraging players to have a baseline evaluation so that doctors will have a standard to use in evaluating a player's post-concussion brain function.

DeSoto players were some of the state's first to undergo baseline testing, as the school's athletic trainer, Steve Hawkins, found a way to offer ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) testing before the 2010 season. The ImPACT test is a computerized test utilizing word sequences, shapes and colors to put the brain through a simple but effective stress test.

Tom Byers, now in his second year as head coach at DeSoto, said Hawkins, who is working at Olathe Northwest this year, really promoted the test to DeSoto players and their parents. "I encouraged it, but Steve had access to it and the logins, so we utilized it," he said. "It was definitely a gift for our program and Steve is who did it for us."

About 90 percent of DeSoto's football players volunteered for the baseline testing, and the testing was offered to athletes in other sports as well.

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High school coaches all over the state yearn for that All-State caliber player with the right mix of speed, strength, athleticism and intelligence. St. Mary's-Colgan coach Chuck Smith has that type of player...twice!

In twin brothers Zach and Christian Smith, the Colgan Panthers boast an All-State running back and linebacker times two.

"They got the whole package," said Coach Smith, who isn't related to the twins. "They're good looking kids. They're fast, strong, good students and good gentlemen. They're just good all-around people." Both listed at 5-11 and 185 pounds, Zach and Christian both were named All-State for Class 2-1A and led the Panthers to the state championship game, which ended with a 20-14 loss to Meade. Christian was picked as a first-team All-State running back, and Zach was selected as a first-team All-State linebacker.

On offense, Zach is the fullback and Christian is the tailback. However, they have the ability to swap spots when needed. "Without being asked, they'll switch positions to give one another a break after a long run," Coach Smith said. "They encourage each other. They try not to make it a competitive thing. I really appreciate how they handle it."

To read the remainder of this article pick up a free copy of Kansas Pregame at any of the locations here, or send a check or money order for $15 to Kansas Pregame, PO Box 186, Lincoln, KS 67455.