Eastern Kansas Football League: 1938-Present Return to Area FB HOME Update: February 2, 2012
This league was formed by PAOLA, KC-WASHINGTON, K.C.-TURNER and BONNER SPRINGS. PAOLA was an Independent and the other teams came from the orginal KAW VALLEY organization that ended after the 1937- 1938 season. In 1938, the league was officially named the EAST CENTRAL KANSAS League - the name was formally changed to EASTERN KANSAS LEAGUE (EKL) in 1939. This change may have been due to the fact that a league already existed in the Shawnee County area known as the ECL (East Central League).
In 1940 OSAWATOMIE entered the league. After the 1944-45 school year, PAOLA and OSAWATOMIE dropped out and competed as Independents - WW II financial strain was cited as part of the reason. NEKL refugee KC-ROSEDALE joined in 1945 after playing as an Independent in 1944. Another former NEKL member, OLATHE, entered the club in 1947. PAOLA and OSAWATOMIE returned to the fold in 1950 and 1951 respectively. The SUNFLOWER League succeeded in luring away KC-WASHINGTON in 1954.
Ancient rivals PAOLA & OSAWATOMIE left the EKL for good in 1960 and played as Independents for many years. Two more NEKL teams joined the organization - K.C.-ARGENTINE (1960) and OTTAWA (1962). The closing of K.C.-ARGENTINE and K.C.-ROSEDALE in 1972 left the league with 5 members in 1973: BONNER SPRINGS, K.C.-TURNER, OTTAWA, OLATHE and new member S.M.-MIEGE. The league would move towards an Overland Park center in the years to follow. BLUE VALLEY (aka STILLWELL-BLUE VALLEY) was a consolidated school that was rapidly gaining population - they were admitted in 1979. The Olathe population had increased to the point that a new school was needed - OLATHE SOUTH was added in 1981. The old school would continue in the league as OLATHE NORTH.
OTTAWA left the group after the 1986-87 school year. Another new school, O.P.-BLUE VALLEY NORTH replaced that loss for the 1987 season. A major shift took place in 1989 when the Olathe schools bolted for the larger SUNFLOWER League. At the same time, charter members BONNER SPRINGS & K.C.-TURNER joined HURON League. Catholic school O.P.-ST. THOMAS AQUINAS was recruited in 1989 to keep the league afloat. Current members are S.M.-MIEGE, STILWELL-BLUE VALLEY, O.P.-ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, O.P.-BLUE VALLEY NORTH and two more recently established schools -O.P.-BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST (1994) and O.P.-BLUE VALLEY WEST (2001).
UPDATE: GARDNER-EDGERTON and new Overland Park school O.P.-BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST gained league membership in 2010.
| 1938 | Paola | (2-0-1) | (7-0-2) | Carnie Smith |
| 1939 | Paola | (3-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Carnie Smith |
| 1940 | Paola | (4-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Carnie Smith |
| 1941 | Paola | (4-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Carnie Smith |
| 1942 | K.C.-Turner | (4-0-0) | (5-2-0) | Merten Pettey |
| 1943 | Paola | (4-0-0) | (5-2-1) | Elwin Shinkle |
| 1944 | K.C.-Turner | (4-0-0) | (5-2-0) | E.B. Ertz |
| 1945 | K.C.-Rosedale | (3-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Art Lawrence |
| 1946 | K.C.-Washington | (3-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Ed Eickerman |
| 1947 | K.C.-Rosedale | (4-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Art Lawrence |
| 1948 | K.C.-Washington | (4-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Ed Eickerman |
| 1949 | K.C.-Washington | (3-1-0) | (7-1-0) ? | Ed Eickerman |
| K.C.-Rosedale | (3-1-0) | (6-3-0) | Art Lawrence | |
| 1950 | Paola | (3-1-1) | (6-1-2) | Hoyt Baker |
| 1951 | Paola | (6-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Hoyt Baker |
| 1952 | Paola | (5-1-0) | (7-2-0) | Hoyt Baker |
| 1953 | Olathe | (6-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Bill Mace |
| 1954 | K.C.-Rosedale | (5-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Art Lawrence |
| 1955 | K.C.-Turner | (5-0-0) | (5-2-0) | Joe Baker |
| 1956 | K.C.-Rosedale | (5-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Walter Davies |
| 1957 | K.C.-Rosedale | (4-1-0) | (4-4-1) | Walter Davies |
| Bonner Springs | (4-1-0) | (6-2-0) | Vaughn Kimbrough | |
| 1958 | K.C.-Rosedale. | (5-0-0) | (6-2-1) | Walter Davies |
| 1959 | K.C.-Rosedale | (5-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Walter Davies |
| 1960 | Bonner Springs | (3-1-0) | (7-2-0) | Gene Cox |
| 1961 | K.C.-Argentine | (3-1-0) | (5-3-0) | Bob Allison |
| 1962 | K.C.-Argentine | (4-1-0) | (4-3-1) | Bob Allison |
| K.C.-Turner | (4-1-0) | (5-3-0) | Harold Elliott | |
| 1963 | Ottawa | (4-1-0) | (6-3-0) | J.W. Emerson |
| 1964 | Ottawa | (4-1-0) | (6-3-0) | J.W. Emerson |
| 1965 | K.C.-Rosedale | (4-1-0) | (5-4-0) | Glen Hoy |
| K.C.-Turner | (4-1-0) | (5-4-0) | Sherm Price | |
| 1966 | K.C.-Turner | (5-0-0) | (7-1-1) | Sherm Price |
| 1967 | Ottawa | (5-0-0) | (8-1-0) | J.W. Emerson |
| 1968 | Bonner Springs | (4-1-0) | (6-2-0) | Philip Young |
| K.C.-Turner | (4-1-0) | (6-2-1) | Bruce Bowman | |
| 1969 | Bonner Springs | (5-0-0) | (9-2-0) | Philip Young |
| 1970 | Ottawa | (5-0-0) | (10-1-0) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1971 | Ottawa | (5-0) | (7-2) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1972 | Ottawa | (5-0) | (8-1) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1973 | Ottawa | (4-0) | (7-2) | Leroy Drier |
| 1974 | Bonner Springs | (3-1) | (9-3) | Ken Rickard |
| S.M.-Miege | (3-1) | (9-2-1) | Len Mohlman | |
| 1975 | S.M.-Miege. | (4-0) | (11-1) | Len Mohlman |
| 1976 | Olathe | (4-0) | (9-1) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1977 | S.M.-Miege. | (4-0) | (11-1) | Len Mohlman |
| 1978 | Olathe | (4-0) | (9-1) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1979 | Olathe | (5-0) | (9-2) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1980 | Olathe | (5-0) | (8-2) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1981 | Olathe South | (5-1) | (8-3) | Bud Wheeler |
| S.M.-Miege. | (5-1) | (5-4) | Bob Tavernaro | |
| 1982 | S.M.-Miege. | (5-1) | (8-4) | Bob Tavernaro |
| Olathe North | (5-1) | (7-2) | Gene Wier | |
| 1983 | S.M.-Miege | (6-0) | (9-2) | Bob Tavernaro |
| 1984 | Olathe North | (5-1) | (7-2) | Gene Wier |
| Olathe South | (5-1) | (8-3) | Bud Wheeler | |
| Bonner Springs | (5-1) | (6-3) | Joe Mintner | |
| 1985 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (8-1) | Gene Wier |
| 1986 | Olathe North | (5-1) | (8-2) | Gene Wier |
| Stilwell-Blue Valley | (5-1) | (8-2) | Steve Rampy | |
| Olathe South | (5-1) | (6-3) | Bud Wheeler | |
| 1987 | Olathe North | (6-0) | (9-1) | Gene Wier |
| 1988 | Olathe South | (6-0) | (9-1) | Bud Wheeler |
| 1989 | S.M.-Miege | (2-1) | (6-4) | Paul Brown |
| Stilwell-Blue Valley | (2-1) | (4-5) | Steve Rampy | |
| 1990 | S.M.-Miege. | (3-0) | (6-3) | Paul Brown |
| 1991 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (3-0) | (12-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 1992 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (3-0) | (10-2) | Steve Rampy |
| 1993 | S.M.-Miege | (4-0) | (9-2) | Paul Brown |
| 1994 | S.M.-Miege | (4-0) | (10-1) | Paul Brown |
| 1995 | O.P.-Blue Valley NW | (4-0) | (9-1) | Steve Harms |
| 1996 | O.P.-Blue Valley NW | (4-0) | (10-1) | Steve Harms |
| 1997 | O.P.-Blue Valley North | (3-1) | (8-1) | Don Simmons |
| Stilwell-Blue Valley | (3-1) | (10-2) | Steve Rampy | |
| 1998 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (5-0) | (12-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 1999 | O.P.-Blue Valley NW | (4-0) | (9-2) | Steve Harms |
| 2000 | O.P.-Blue Valley North | (4-0) | (8-1) | Don Simmons |
| 2001 | O.P.-Blue Valley North | (5-0) | (9-1) | Don Simmons |
| 2002 | O.P.-Blue Valley North | (5-0) | (6-4) | Troy Morris |
| 2003 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (5-0) | (12-1) | Steve Rampy |
| 2004 | O.P.-St Thomas Aquinas | (4-1) | (8-2) | Kevin Kopecky |
| O.P.-Blue Valley NW | (4-1) | (7-3) | Tenny Dewey | |
| 2005 | O.P.-Blue Valley NW | (5-0) | (7-3) | Mike Zegunis |
| 2006 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (5-0) | (13-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 2007 | O.P.-Blue Valley West | (5-0) | (13-0) | Scott Wright |
| 2008 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (5-0) | (10-2) | Steve Rampy |
| 2009 | O.P.-St Thomas Aquinas | (5-0) | (10-2) | Mike Thomas |
| 2010 | Gardner-Edgerton | (5-0) | (11-1) | Marvin Diener |
| 2011 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | (7-0) | (11-2) | Eric Driskell |
Yrs in League Team Firsts Outright Shared
| Current | ||||
| 35 | S.M.-Miege | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| 28 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 14 | O.P.-Blue Valley NW | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 21 | O.P.-Blue Valley North | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 19 | O.P.-St Thomas Aquinas | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Blue Valley West | 1 | 1 | |
| 1 | Gardner-Edgerton | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Others | ||||
| 42 | Olathe North | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| 8 | Olathe South | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 25 | Ottawa | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 51 | Bonner Springs | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 51 | K.C.-Turner | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 28 | K.C.-Rosedale | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| 13 | K.C.-Argentine | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Paola | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 16 | K.C.-Washington | 3 | 2 | 1 |
KSHSAA State Championships
| 1975 | S.M.-Miege | CLASS 5A | (11-1) | Len Mohlman |
| 1977 | S.M.-Miege | CLASS 5A | (11-1) | Len Mohlman |
| 1991 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | CLASS 5A | (12-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 1998 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | CLASS 5A | (12-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 2003 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | CLASS 5A | (12-1) | Steve Rampy |
| 2006 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | CLASS 5A | (13-0) | Steve Rampy |
| 2007 | OP-Blue Valley West | CLASS 5A | (13-0) | Scott Wright |
| 2009 | SM-Miege | CLASS 4A | (12-2) | Tim Grunhardt |
| 2010 | Stilwell-Blue Valley | CLASS 5A | (12-1) | Steve Rampy |