By Ian Stafford The Leavenworth Times
Posted: September 29, 2012 - 7:23 AM

The scoreboard didn't show it, but the Pioneers had taken control against Olathe North.

It was the second quarter and the Pioneers were down 10-0, but now they were winning field position and forcing punts. They had left behind two early turnovers and a blocked punt, and were moving the ball offensively.

There wasn't anything to show for it yet, but it just felt like points were coming. This was where Leavenworth was supposed to shake off the early mistakes and play the type of football that has them sitting with their best start in decades. They did it last week, they could do it tonight.

But the game started going off script on North's last drive of the half — radically. After being stuffed all quarter, North's running backs started racing free.

"Schematically there were some things there with their counter play," said Coach Kopecky. "We had trouble stopping them. The middle linebacker play wasn't good. It was just a bad night for us."

The gut punch was a long touchdown run that wiped away their momentum and sent the Pioneers into the locker room facing a 17-point deficit.

"Some of the stuff [I told them in the locker room] probably can't be said in the paper, but I was pretty P.O.-ed at the time," said Kopecky.

Whatever fire Kopecky was able to light in the locker room, it was promptly put out on North's first third-quarter drive. Again, the Eagles ran wild and shredded the Pioneer defense and spirit. In the end, Olathe North won big 33-6.
 

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