A look back at a magical season

The Derby Informer • www.derbyinformer.com Wednesday, November 21, 2012 • Page 5

A look backat a magical season

Panther Football2012

InformerTHE DERBY

A special

Sports SectionPages 5-10

• Wednesday, November 21, 2012 The Derby Informer • www.derbyinformer.com

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Congratulationson a great season!

By Scott [email protected]

Desp i t e end ing t he season one game shy of an opportunity to play for the Class 6A state championship, Derby’s football team had another year ful l of dominant victories. Here is a recap of the Panthers’ 2012 season.

Derby 27, Salina South 14 (Aug. 30)

Derby’s defense secured the Panthers’ first victory of the year in the season-opener against a team that eventually made it to the Class 5A sub-state game.

Second half interceptions by Travis Young and Marcus Hicks thwarted Salina South’s chance at a comeback, while the offense turned a one-point lead into a 13-point victory.

Derby 48, Andover Central 0 (Sept. 7)

Any kinks Derby had early in the season were quickly worked out by Week 2. The Panthers outgained Andover Central by 265 total offense yards. Newcomer Chandler Shantz had a breakout game at quarterback, throwing for 107 yards with touchdowns to DeAndre Goolsby, Shane Fowler and Jeremy

Dunham. Derby 41, Maize 0 (Sept.

14)Kellen Sims, who stepped

in at quarterback after Shantz sat out in the second half with an ankle injury, had more total yards (256) than Maize’s entire offense (190). Sims rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on three carries, and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Shantz.

Derby 47, Salina Central 13 (Sept. 21)

S i m s c o n t i n u e d t o singlehandedly topple the competition in Derby’s v i c t o r y o v e r S a l i n a

JEFF COTT/Informer photo Derby head coach Brandon Clark led the Panthers to the Class 6A sub-state game and a 10-2 record in his seventh season as coach.

Derby ends season with 10-2 recordCentral . Sims racked up five touchdowns and 330 total offensive yards against the Mustangs. He rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns, threw for 88 yards and two more touchdowns and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass.

Derby 49, Campus 0 (Sept. 28)

Derby’s stingy defense notched its third shutout in four games, holding Campus to less than 100 offensive yards. Derby did not give up a first down, until Campus’ fifth offensive drive, which was on a Panther penalty. After two games with little playing time, Shantz returned at quarterback, scoring the game’s first five touchdowns. Backup running back Devin Peter passed the century mark with 104 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. He also found the end zone on a 60-yard punt return early in the third quarter.

Hutchinson 31, Derby 28 (Oct. 5)

Several miscues gave Derby its first loss of the season in a back-and-forth game at Hutchinson. With a four-point lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Derby gave up a 52-yard run on fourth down to keep Hutch’s shot at a win alive. Derby’s defense once again forced fourth down on the drive, but Hutch came away with a 13-yard touchdown run and a 31-28 lead. The Panthers’ last opportunity at a comeback slipped away when the ensuing kickoff bounced in between several players and was recovered by the Salthawks.

Derby 55 , Wichi ta Southeast 3 (Oct. 11)

Derby scored easily and often, with touchdowns on its first six possessions, to secure its first of three district wins. The Buffaloes drummed up little offensive production while rarely making i t in to Derby territory. Sims started at quarterback for the Panthers,

Class 6A State Football Playoffs

#1 Lawrence Free State (8-1)

Olathe North (3-6)

#4 Olathe East (5-4)

Shawnee Mission East (7-2)

#3 Gardner-Edgerton (6-3)

Lawrence (7-2)

#2 Shawnee Mission West (8-1)

Blue Valley Northwest (5-4)

#1 Derby (8-1)

Wichita North (1-8)

#4 Manhattan (7-2)

Dodge City (4-5)

#3 Wichita Northwest (6-3)

Topeka (8-1)

Championship Yager Stadium, Topeka • 1 p.m.

#2 Hutchinson (7-2)

Wichita Heights (7-2)

Friday, Nov. 2Top team on bracket hosts Round 1

Friday, Nov. 9

Friday, Nov. 16

Saturday, Nov. 24

Lawrence Free State

Olathe East

Lawrence

Shawnee Mission West

Derby

Dodge City

Topeka

Hutchinson

38-22

17-7

34-32

34-14

70-7

42-13

42-7

38-6

Lawrence Free State


Derby

Hutchinson

42-33

42-19

21-14

28-17


48-21

Hutchinson

29-28

connecting on touchdown passes to Luke Palmer (31 yards) and Goolsby (41 yards). Tyler West rushed for two touchdowns and 119 yards on seven carries.

Derby 48, Wichita East 6 (Oct. 19)

The Panthers locked a spot in the Class 6A playoffs in their win over Wichita East. The Aces’ only trips into Derby territory in the first half ended in turnovers. Special teams did its part, with punt returns to East’s 22, 38 and 32-yard lines. Devin Peter also ran back a kickoff for 89 yards after East scored its only

touchdown late in the gameDerby 21 , Wichi ta

Heights 15 (Oct. 26)Derby clinched the Class

6A District 6 title with an overtime win at Heights. The Panthers generated six Heights’ turnovers, including a fumble on third-and-goal in overtime off a hard hit from linebacker Ben Becker near the four-yard line. Tied at 15-15, Derby turned the fumble into a three-play drive that ended in a Shantz one-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers the win over a

please see SEASON, page 7

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Teams that scouted Derby looking to find a weakness before the two teams played quickly realized how much damage Derby’s offense could do this season.

With so many talented players at skilled positions, Derby made opposing defenses honor every aspect of the offense.

“Teams have to defend sideline to sideline, which is tough as a defensive coordinator,” said Derby head coach Brandon Clark.

The offense was built around mobile quarterback Chandler Shantz. At 6-foot, 4-inches and 215 pounds, Shantz had the size to run up the middle, which is how he scored a majority of his 18 rushing touchdowns.

Defenses looking to attack the run gave Shantz the opportunity to air out the football, which he did with 15 passing touchdowns. In all, Shantz led the team with 1,810 total yards and 33 touchdowns.

Shantz was not the only threat in Derby’s deep arsenal.

Wide receiver Kellen Sims took over at quarterback when Shantz was sidelined

with an injury, and put up serious offensive numbers despite not practicing at the position in nearly a year.

Sims became a triple threat, netting more than 1,000 yards in passing, rushing and receiving combined. Most of his offensive production came in a four-game stint when Shantz was out with an injury. During that time, Sims had 888 total yards and 15 touchdowns.

With Shantz running up the middle, Derby also had running back Tyler West to run on the outside. Despite a nagging leg injury, West still had some of the best statistics in the AVCTL-I, with 888 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“There are so many things we can do offensively,” Clark said. “Kellen can throw and run the ball. Chandler can run and throw the ball. Tyler can run the ball up the middle, and he has the speed to get around the edge. We have a bunch of receivers that can catch the ball.”

Derby’s group of receivers included tight end DeAndre Goolsby, who had 27 catches for 362 yards and nine touchdowns. Wide receivers Jeremy Dunham, Shane Fowler and Luke Palmer also caught touchdown passes this season.

Multiple weapons make offense lethal

Informer file photos DeAndre Goolsby led all Derby receivers with 27 catches for 362 yards and nine touchdowns.

Rushing Carries Yards TouchdownsChandler Shantz 166 876 18Tyler West 136 888 11Kellen Sims 59 636 9Devin Peter 47 469 4Brady Rust 27 77 0David Tullis 7 38 0Luke Palmer 1 19 0Jeremy Dunham 1 12 0DeAndre Goolsby 1 11 0Shane Fowler 1 5 0Nate Crossman 1 4 0Jace Snodgrass 1 4 0

Passing Comp/Att Yards Touchdowns Chandler Shantz 67-117 931 15Kellen Sims 10-22 227 4Davis Tullis 1-1 10 0Brady Rust 2-11 9 0Jeremy Dunham 1-1 4 0Jace Snodgrass 2-2 0 0Tyler West 0-1 0 0

Receiving Catches Yards TouchdownsKellen Sims 22 421 7 DeAndre Goolsby 27 362 9Luke Palmer 4 96 1Jeremy Dunham 5 76 1Tyler West 9 45 0Ben Rogers 4 31 0Devin Peter 2 9 0 Shane Fowler 2 0 1

OFFENSE SEASON STATS

Quarterback Chandler Shantz had a team-best 33 touchdowns and 1,810 total offensive yards for the Panthers.

SEASONFrom page 6

Heights team that defeated them twice the previous season.

Derby 70, Wichita North 7 (Regional, Nov. 2)

D e r b y r e m a i n e d undefeated against City League teams with a 63-point victory over Wichita North. The Redskins snuck into the playoffs with a 1-8 record, but quickly found themselves outgunned against the Panthers. After North found the end zone early in the first quarter, Jose Delgado recovered a short kickoff and returned it for a touchdown, which led to 63 unanswered points by Derby. West had three touchdowns and 118 yards in the victory.

Derby 42, Dodge City 19 (Sectional, Nov. 9)

Derby ousted Dodge City from the Class 6A playoffs by outscoring the Red Demons 21-6 in the second half. Dodge City’s high-octane offense scored first on the second play of the game, but did not have the stamina to hang with Derby for four quarters of football. Shantz scored four times with 276 total yards.

Hutchinson 29, Derby 28 (Sub-state, Nov. 16)

Derby’s march toward a Class 6A state championship came to an abrupt halt when Hutchinson converted a two-point conversion in the final minutes of the sub-state game to take a one-point lead over the Panthers. Shantz threw a late inception that allowed the Salthawks to run out the clock, but he scored all four of Derby’s touchdowns in the game. Derby’s only losses of the season came to Hutchinson by four combine dpoints.

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Derby’s defense has steadily improved during defensive coordinator Caleb Smith’s tenure with the team.

“Between our speed and the size that they’ve put on in the weight room in the last few years, that’s a pretty lethal combination,” Smith said. “It’s the best it’s been in the five years I’ve been here. When we watch film, there are usually eight or nine guys around the ball on every play.”

Most of that success has been anchored to Derby’s linebackers, who played consistently well throughout the Panthers’ 10-2 season.

“We’ll have games where our defensive line plays great, but our secondary doesn’t, and we’ve had games where our secondary plays great but our line doesn’t,” Smith said. “Our linebackers are always very steady.”

Leading the linebacking corps was junior Jose Delgado, who led the team in total tackles and tackles for a loss.

“He flies around and makes plays,” Smith said. “A lot of times they say if one person breaks down on defense you give up a big play, but Jose makes up for that one person. He’s definitely the key point of our defense.”

Delgado is one of several

[email protected] Derby’s defense produced three shutouts this season and held opponents to single-digit scoring in six of the Panthers’ 12 games.

Linebackers add consistency to Panther defenselinebackers with impressive numbers for the Panthers.

Senior Ben Becker forced two fumbles this season, including one near the goal line in overtime against Wichita Heights in the district championship. He also had two interceptions; one of them he ran back for a touchdown.

Linebacker Braxton Jones had an inception, forced a fumble and had more than 50 total tackles this season.

“They fly around,” Smith said. “They are not afraid to hit.”

Smith credits most of that success to assistant coach Cade Armstrong, who works with the linebackers every practice. The rest relies on the players, who have dedicated themselves to the workload that comes with being a successful defensive unit.

“We have great players that have bought into the coaches’ game plan,” Smith said. “These guys are smart players, and that makes a big difference.”

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Members of the varsity football team include (front row, from left): Managers Lindsay Webb, Jenna Smith, Courtney Standrich, Samantha Culver, Alex Chase, Tara Greiving, Hayley Bischler and Bailey Hansen. Second row: Blake Bradford, Jordan Hamed, Jon Schoeppel, Clint Gordon, Alex Knoblock, Christian Cathey, Deven Peter, Trevor Tracy, Adam Mark, Soren Larson, Ben Becker and Chandler Ayer. Third row: Caleb Gash, Kyle Haugh, Brice Merz, Dell Crosby, Kalen Grant, Luke Palmer, Alec Martin, Tim Williamson, Jace Snodgrass, Brock Sexton, Kellen Sims and Braden Norris. Fourth row: Malik Brown, David Tullis, Miles Vincent, Dustin McNickle, Mat Kissinger, Chris Zalewski, Chris Malcolm, Jordan Voss, Fred Scott, Jordan Hill, Jose Delgado, Braxton Jones and C.J. Davis. Fifth row: Quentin Cox, Nathan Emrich, Zack Peters, Nate Crossman, Zach Cady, Jeremy Dunham, Marcus Hicks, Reed Trease, Cade Cotten, Ben Rogers, Travis Young, Riley Oldham, Tyler West and Miguel Flores. Sixth row: Noah Packard, Markus Steinocher, Conor Griebling, Kohl Yoder, Chase Branstetter, Damian Avery, Sam Matlock, Kavan Mark, Chandler Shantz, Shane Fowler, DeAndre Goolsby, Conner Littleton, Cole Hansen, Tanner Anderson and Charles Kammiller. Seventh row: Alexis Zelayandia, Shane Richards, Dominic DeFalco, Austin Sublett, Alec McCartney, Tyler Shook, Dalton Denton, Jacob Matlock, Steven Marlatt, Riley Baker, Ernesto Ortiz, Jeremiah Gates, Armond Coppins, Nick Watson, Mason McCarty and Sam Fasig. Eighth row: Coaches Caleb Smith, Kevin Davis, Cade Armstrong, Justin Williams, Todd Olmstead, Chris Pinaire, Brandon Clark, Devin Tarrant, Eric Hendrick, Chris Devore, Shelby Wehrman, sports medicine specialist Bill Baum, athletic trainer Rex Schott, athletic trainer Charlie Minshull-Ford, and student athletic trainers Makinzie Alamo and Sami Harmon.

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‘Win the Day’becomes way of life


W h e n D e r b y h e a d football coach Brandon Clark stumbled upon the “Win the Day” motto used by the University of Oregon football team last year, he only expected to use it for one season.

“It was a saying that overtook our program,” Clark said. “It just stuck. It’s going to be our team saying for the rest of my career here.”

“Win the Day” has been cemented into every aspect

Devin Peter,running back

“You have to get better each and every day. You can’t let up. It’s every day, one day at a time. If you don’t win it during the week, then you won’t win on Friday.”

Kellen Sims,wide receiver

“It’s not only winning on the field, but in all aspects of life. It’s winning in the classroom, winning outside of football and in your family. It’s coming out here and having a great practice everyday, and playing your heart out everyday.”

Braxton Jones, linebacker

“You are doing everything you can possible to make sure that day is worth while, whether it’s impacting someone else’s life, or doing that extra sprint on the field. You are making sure you are doing your best each and every day, anyway you can.”

Conner Littleton, defensive end

“It means all the little things that make us a good team. If we don’t win the day each and every day, we won’t be successful when Friday night rolls around, and even beyond that.”

of the football program, and beyond. It is prominently displayed on green sweat shirts, signs and in social media posts by teammates and coaches.

“It’s the most valuable thing I can ever tell the kids,” Clark said. “We talk about winning the day in the weight room. We talk about winning the day in the classroom. We talk about winning the day at home with their parents.”

“Each and every second of your life, you have to win the day,” he said. “If we can get that message across to these kids, not just during football, but doing it their whole life, no matter what happens during the season, it’ll be a good outcome because we instilled something for the kids’ entire lives.”

Here is what “Win the Day” means to a handful of Derby’s senior football players.

15 – Touchdowns scored by Kellen Sims during a four-game stretch when he filled in at quarterback for an injured Chandler Shantz.

888 – Offensive yards Sims had during that same stretch.

4 – Combined number of points Derby trailed by in its two losses this season, both to Hutchinson.

371 – Combined number of points Derby won by in its other 10 games.

65 – Combined number of touchdowns by Shantz, Sims and Tyler West, Derby’s three offensive leaders.

6 – Number of games Derby held its opponents to single-digit scoring.

19.8 – Percentage of Derby’s total tackles that were made by linebacker Jose Delgado.

63 – Points Derby won by in its playoff-opener against Wichita North.

658 – Net yardage Shantz accumulated in Derby’s three playoff games.

By the numbers

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It would be difficult to find a backup running back with the statistics Devin Peter accumulated over the season.

Peter, one of the fastest players on the team, had a majority of his playing time on special teams as a kick and punt returner. He also filled in for Tyler West during the middle of the season while he recovered from a leg injury, or when Derby was winning a game by a significant margin.

Being a senior and a backup to West, who is a junior, has been a role Peter embraced.

“I have a good starter in front of me that’s been a starter since he was a freshman,” Peter said. “That’s the role that I take on, and that’s where the coaches put me. I just do what I have got to do when the coaches put me in.”

Peter has made the most of the situation, rushing for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns this season. He also returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns.

“I do what I have to do,” he said. “When my opportunity comes, I just make the most of it.”

Derby’s depth, with backups like Peter, helped t h e P a n t h e r s r e m a i n

competitive even when starters sat out with injuries.

“ W e h a v e d e p t h everywhere,” Peter said. “It really is something special that we have here.”

“It’s kids like Devin Peter that give us that depth,” head coach Brandon Clark said. “He gets touches off kick returns and punt returns, and he’s a great backup to have. He’s a guy we know we can put in the game.”

Having such a deep roster makes players constantly compete at a high level, which has made the team better, Clark said.

Senior lineman Miguel Flores entered the season as a starter, but lost his spot to Jordan Hill. It did not stop him from continually pushing himself in practice.

“Miguel has not stopped working hard in the weight room or on the practice field,” Clark said. “He’s just the type of player that all of our kids can learn from. He’ll be ready when his name gets called.”

“You never know when your number might get called. If you don’t prepare yourself when you are a backup, then that’s pretty selfish because this team is going to depend on you,” Clark added. “Those kids understand that. They don’t want to let their family down.”

[email protected] Senior Devin Peter rushed for nearly 500 yards this season as a backup running back. He also returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns for the Panthers.

Peter embraces backup role


There was a time when Derby sen io r Conne r Littleton did not think he would ever play high school football again.

After lying on the field for more than 20 minutes after being knocked unconscious near the end of Derby’s loss to Hutchinson on Oct. 5, Littleton thought his career as a defensive end was over.

He spent the night in a nearby hospital, had his No. 45 jersey cut off him as doctors took precautionary measures in case of spinal and back injuries.

“I didn’t think I was going to be back at all. I thought I was out for the season,” Littleton said. “I had everyone praying for me, and a lot of people wishing me good luck.”

Littleton was diagnosed with a concussion and was given a cane and neck brace to help with back pain, but returned to the field just a few games later after being cleared to play again.

D e s p i t e t h e i n j u r y, Littleton did not show

signs of slowing down. He remained one of the top tacklers on the team.

Littleton was one of several injured starting players forced to sit on the sideline throughout the season for the Panthers.

Having significant players sitting out hampered Derby’s chance at a state title the previous year, said Derby head coach Brandon Clark.

“It’s huge. Last year we were out six starters from Week 9 to Week 12,” Clark said. “It’s football, and someone is going to get injured. I think our kids believe in each other to where someone else will step up if that happens.”

Injuries struck early for the Panthers.

Junior Jeremy Dunham sat out most of the season with a back injury after catching four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in the first two games.

Star t ing quarterback Chandler Shantz aggravated a nagging ankle injury in Derby’s blowout against Maize on Sept. 14. He was used sparingly during the heart of the season

Derby remained healthy during most important part of season

JEFF COTT/Informer photo Quarterback Chandler Shantz injured his ankle during Derby’s first game against Hutchinson. He still led the team in touchdowns and total offensive yards, despite missing a handful of games.

when Derby was playing some weaker opponents. He reinjured the ankle in the same game against Hutchinson that Littleton was knocked out of, and missed the next two games.

During that same period, starting running back Tyler West was also in-and-out of the lineup with a leg injury. Kellen Sims, who filled in for Shantz when he was injured, rarely took practice snaps at quarterback because of a shoulder injury.

The injuries did not concern Clark much in the beginning, even though starters were sitting out of games more frequently.

“You are always going to have injuries,” he said. “If you think you are going to be completely healthy by the end of the season, then something is wrong.”

Unl ike the previous s e a s o n , t h e P a n t h e r s overcame their injuries when the season was on the line in the playoffs. Shantz, West and Dunham all returned to the lineup and were effective in the Panthers’ success toward the end of the season.

Shantz netted more than

700 offensive yards and 12 touchdowns in his final four games coming off the ankle injury. Dunham was used as a receiver toward the end of the season, and West rushed for 291 yards and three touchdowns during Derby’s three-game playoff run.

Even starting safety Travis Young, who was told he

would likely miss the rest of the season with a back injury early on, returned to the lineup in Derby’s sectional playoff game at Dodge City on Nov. 9.

Young, who Clark said was one of the most athletic and fastest players on the roster, also returned punts for the Panthers.

“He’s a leader on our defense, vocally and by example ,” sa id Derby defensive coordinator Caleb Smith. “Having him back in the secondary is huge for us.”

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