Wednesday, September 2, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Kansas teams ranked
Champs Liberal Olathe North take top honors
The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — Olathe North and Liberal completed perfect 12-0 seasons in 1997 and won the Class 6A and 5A state championships. Now, they start the 1998 season atop the Associated Press preseason consensus high school football rankings.
They are joined as class favorites to Topeka Hayden in 4A, Smith Center in 3A, Claflin in 2-1A and Little River in Eight-Man I. Sylvan Grove and Haviland launch the '98 campaign tied for No. 1 in Eight-Man II.
* High school teams open their seasons this week.
Olathe North, which defeated Wichita West 27-26 in the championship game a year ago and is going for its third straight 6A title, was not an unanimous choice as No. 1. Garden City got one first-place vote. Given the best chance of derailing North in the preseason ratings are Garden City and Olathe East
ranked second and third.
Liberal, Hayden, Smith Center. Claflin and Little River were unanimous top picks this season.
Liberal beat蓝 Valley 37-26 in the Class 5A title game last year. Claflin and Sylvan Grove also are coming off championship seasons. Claflin defeated Centriaal 22-12 in the 2-1A title game last year, while Sylvan defeated Hope 56-32 for the Eight-Man II crown.
Other defending state champions are Sabetha, which beat Louisburg 14-13 in 4A; Silver Lake, which edged Smith Center 34-34 in 4A and Centre, a 44-18 winner over Little River in Eight-Man I.
The AP consensus rankings are an average of ratings by the Hutchinson Neus, Salina Journal, Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle.
Here are the 1988 AP preseason rankings, with 1997 records:
Class 6A
1. Olathe North, 12-0. 2. Garden City,
7-4. 3. Olathe East, 8-1. 4. tie. Derby, 6-
3. and Wichita Northwest, 4-5.
Others rated: Wichita West, 10-2;
Manhattan, 8-2.
Class 5A
1. Liberal, 12-0. 2. Salita Central,
10-1. 3. Wichita Carroll, 8-1. 4.
Salita South, 8-3. 5. Wichita Carroll,
8-1.
Others rated: Fort Scott, 8-3; Pittsburg, 7-3.
Class 4A
1. Topeka Hayden, 10-2. 2. Louis-
burg, 12-1. 3. Sabetha, 12-1. 4.
Ulysses, 8-1. 5. Pratt, 8-3.
Class 3A
Others rated: Augusta, 6-3; Marysville, 7.2.
Class 2-1A
1. Smith Center, 12-1. 2. Silver Lake, 12-1. 3. Andale, 10-2. 4. Hoisington, 8-2. 5. Conway Springs, 11-1.
Others rated: Nemaha Valley, 6-3; Riley County, 7-3; Southeast-Saline, 6-3; Fredonia, 9-2; Hillsboro, 10-2.
1. Claflin, 13-0.2. Atwood, 7-2.3.
tie. Centralia, 12-1, and St. Francis,
10-2.5, tie. Dighton, 9-1, and Hill
City, 8-2.
Others rated: Ell-Saline, 9-2; Frankfort, 8-2; Ness City, 8-1; Onaga, 6-3; Stanton County, 6-3.
Eight-Man I
1. Little River, 11-1, 2. Ashland, 8, 2. Centre, 12-1, 4. Quivira Heights, 6-3, 5. tie. Colony Crest, 10, 1. Spearville, 10-2.
Others rated; Axell, 10-2;
Chetopa, 9.1; Mankato, 9.1.
Eight-Man II
1, t. syllan Grove, 13-0, and Haviland,
9-1, 3-3, t.望, Hanston, 10-1, and Midway-Denton, 9-2.5, Coldwater, 7-2.
Others rated: Triplans, 9-2.5.
Browns' buyer options narrow
The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — The field of candidates to buy the expansion Cleveland Brown's harrowed when three of seven bidders dropped out.
Thomas Murdough Jr., founder and president of the Step2 Co. in Streetsboro, confirmed yesterday that he is out of the running for the new Browns, which will begin play in 1999.
The Plain Dealer, citing sources familiar with the bidding process, reported yesterday that Cleveland Indians owner Richard Jacobs and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs — no relation to the Indians owner — also have ended their pursuit of the Browns.
Messages were left for both men and at the NFL office in New York.
Murdough said he was forced out by the steep price. He would not
guess at the final cost of the Brown's, but some estimates have topped $500 million.
"I think it was a realization that with the price heading up where it was heading, there was not going to be a return of any sort," he said. "There was going to be a negative return."
The old Cleveland franchise moved to Baltimore after the 1995 season. The NFL owners expect to pick an owner for the new team at a meeting Sept. 8.
Murdough, 59, said he and Richard Jacobs, 73, discussed merging their bids. They had even agreed on a succession plan in which Murdough would take control of the team after several years.
But Murdough said he and Jacobs realized the Browns would be a financial loss.
"I'm very disappointed," Mur-
dough said. "We wanted to do this."
The remaining bidders are banker and suburban Cleveland resident Alfred Lerner, partnered with Carmen Policy, former San Francisco 49ers president; New York real estate and banking magnate Howard Milstein; Cleveland-area lawyer Lawrence Dolan with his brother, Charles, founder of New York-based Cablevision Systems Corp., and suburban Cleveland real estate developer Bart Wolstein.
Goldman, Sachs & Co., the firm advising the NFL through the bidding process, was expected to receive a second round of offers from the remaining candidates yesterday.
The NFL's seven-member expansion committee will meet Thursday in New York to discuss the bids. At least two applicants will be considered by the 30 NL owners as finalists.
Fall Semester Student Special
You can join "Lawrence's Premier Health Club" The Lawrence Athletic Club for as little as
$99.00 a semester.
Expires September 30th 1998
(some restrictions apply)
Unlimited Tanning $19.99 a Month No Gym Membership Required
LAC has just purchased 6 Brand New Super Series Suntan Beds with "Very Hot" bulbs and is offering a Sunning Special.
Unlimited tanning package for $19.99 a Month No Gym membership Required - Some Restrictions Apply
Single Tan $4.00 - 10 Tans $30.00
NOJIFSAINHGVNW
What's the coolest way to waste $1,000?
TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT.
The dream of becoming an engineer is far from a universal one. Engineers are a special breed. At the Cessna Aircraft Company, our special breed of engineers have designed the world's fastest, most versatile and most popular business jets.
How would you like to do this for a living? Stop by the Cessna booth during the September 16th Career Fair and find out a few things that will help you answer that question.
VISIT OUR BOOTH AT THE CAREER FAIR ON SEPTEMBER 16. 1998