Lacy wears No. 2

Hays High School senior Tyler Lacy has worn No. 2 "all my life."

"I worn it since I was little," Lacy said. "My older brother (Tanner) always used to wear that."

The number helped Lacy earn all-Western Athletic Conference honorable mention honors at defensive back last season. Lacy collected 20 total tackles, deflected three passes, forced a fumble and picked off two passes.

This season, Lacy wanted to wear No. 2 again, a number that takes on added significance under first-year head coach Ryan Cornelsen. No. 2 was Cornelsen's number in high school at Liberal and Marshall Musil, now at NCAA Division I University of Oklahoma, wore No. 2 for four years under Cornelsen at La Crosse. Lacy read about the importance of No. 2 to Cornelsen in a spring HDN story.

"That would be nice to wear No. 2 for him again," Lacy said. "Show pride in that number."

Pfeifer proves people wrong

In 2007, Dylan Pfeifer had under 200 yards rushing for the Ellis Railroaders. Last fall, Pfeifer became the feature back for Ellis and picked up 1,505 rushing yards, averaged more than seven yards a carry, scored 12 rushing TDs and helped the Railers to a school-record 10-2 mark. Pfeifer picked up second team Mid-Continent League honors at running back, a league that includes Smith Center senior Colt Rogers and Norton junior Terrell Lane, both HDN Super 11 selections.

"A lot of people going into last year didn't think I would be a good running back," Pfeifer said. "I just got in there and I worked hard and I proved them wrong. That is what I like to do. I just like to take what the defense gives me. If they give me a spin move, then I will take a spin move."

Tuxhorn healthy

In 2008, Logan Tuxhorn replaced two great players at Smith Center. Tuxhorn stepped in at center for Kirk Palmer, a Butler County Community College signee, and played middle linebacker after Brayton Gillen, a Sterling College pickup, graduated.

Tuxhorn, playing hurt, helped Smith Center win its fifth straight state championship and lead 11-man football in scoring offense (646 points). He finished with a team-high 115 tackles, earned second team MCL at linebacker and first team at center.

"What a lot of people don't know, he had a bad shoulder last year and he played the entire season and then he had surgery after the season to correct that," Smith Center head coach Roger Barta said. "He was really tough to do that and get through that. He is a good player."

"It was just painful," Barta added. "He just put up with the pain because he loves the game and wants to play it so bad."

Tuxhorn had hurt the shoulder in summer baseball before the 2008 football season. After football ended, Tuxhorn missed basketball and track but is back for the fall.

"He knew that he was going to have to have an operation but he choice to go ahead and play football and as soon as football was over," Tuxhorn said. "He had surgery. He missed basketball, wasn't ready for track, He was really looking to starting football and getting after it."

Reed takes over as Quinter QB

Brady Reed delivered a strong junior year for Quinter with 82 tackles and three interceptions for the 10-1 Bulldogs.

"I just wanted to play last year," Reed said. "Got a chance to play at safety. I thought I had an all right year. We do need to be better on defense this year, but I had a lot of fun last year."

This season, Reed will take over as signal caller in the Bulldogs' high-scoring offense. Quinter returns its top lineman (senior Zach Nemechek), top running back (senior Jordon Hargitt) and top wideout (senior Matt Bird). Last season, quarterback Edward Machen finished with 1,468 total yards. Now, Reed will play both ways and replace Machen.

"I had been backing up Edward pretty much all high school," Reed said. "I knew I was going to be to the quarterback and he was getting me ready. Edward was really good at scrambling around, making people miss and when he had to throw the ball he was good throwing the ball and getting it down field. He was a great guy and he learned a lot from him."

Reed and Quinter are ranked in several preseason polls and are one of the Eight-Man, Division I teams that are favored to win a state title. Quinter opens with Golden Plains on Friday.

"Our one goal here is to win state," Reed said. "That's it. Coach says, 'whatever it takes' and we just want to get that state title."

Extra Points

The focus in Smith Center hasn't changed now that the Redmen own the nation's longest winning streak at 67 games and Joe Drape's "Our Boys: A Perfect Season On the Plains with Smith Center Redmen," has been released: "All I think about is the next game. That's what the most important thing is. The streak, I actually don't even know what it is right now," running back Dereck McNary said. ... One reason why Ellis is 18-5 in the last two seasons in because of a sterling home record. They went 7-0 at home last season and have won 10 straight home games. The last home loss is 62-0 against Smith Center in Week 4 of 2007. ... Thomas More Prep-Marian will open the season at home against Kinsley. The Monarchs, 3-6 in 2008, have not started 1-0 since 2003.