By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Otis-Bison junior back Michael Hlavaty is quick to offer the No. 1 reason why the Cougars have paced Kansas high school football in scoring offense with 602 points.

"I would say our line," Hlavaty said. "They are big, they are physical, they are fast, they are strong and they like to hit people. They like to move people off the ball. It helps when you get hit three yards, four yards down the line and you can make some moves and make some guys miss and then you can get some big plays."

All season, Otis-Bison, led by junior center Robert Kolas, junior guard Josh Krom, senior guard Matt Suppes and junior ends Dominic Trapp and Jackie Cornwell, has continually rolled up points and yards against the state's best teams and continued Kansas' biggest turnaround.

The Cougars, 2-7 in 2008, are 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in Eight-Man, Division II in the statewide media poll.

On Tuesday, Otis-Bison defeated Sharon Springs 60-30 in the first round of the state playoffs. The Cougars will travel to Bushton-Quivira Heights on Saturday. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

"You have got an offensive line, they need more credit, their center, two guards and ends are physical, get off the ball, do things right," Sharon Springs coach Kevin Ayers said.

"Coach (Travis) Starr has really done a tremendous job with this team."

On the defensive side, the 235-pound Krom and 240-pound Kolas, who both have come back from serious injuries, have led a defensive front that has permitted just 180 points, seventh-best in Eight-Man II.

Krom, at defensive end, has 33 1/2 tackles, 25 assisted tackles and a team-best 14 tackles for loss, including 3 1/2 against Sharon Springs. Kolas, the nose guard, has collected 25 1/2 tackles, 14 assists and eight tackles for loss, second-best on the squad.

"That is something as a coach, you see those weights and that's not the scary thing," Ayers said.

"Then you put the film in and you see how they move and then it gets scary. When you have guys that size that are that athletic and can make plays all over the field, that is what makes a great football team."

The Cougars have rolled up at least 44 points in every contest and had one opponent get within 30 points. Their resume includes wins over state powers Macksville, Victoria and Sharon Springs, all teams that have won a state title in the last four seasons.

"I think their offensive line is really, really good," Victoria coach Doug Oberle said.

Hlavaty has picked up 968 yards rushing, 21 rushing touchdowns, 77 total tackles and four tackles for loss. Senior quarterback Kevin Wissman has 2,050 total yards and is responsible for 44 touchdowns. Several coaches have called Wissman among the state's best players.

"It's great that people think of me like that, but I couldn't do it without my team," Wissman said. "It's coaching, it's the whole team together. It's all about the wins."

The foundation for the victories is the much-improved front. The linemen all have experience and have gained weight and strength.

"We are actually going up against guys that are around the same age as us now," Suppes said earlier this fall. "They don't weigh 50 more pounds than us. We put on a lot of weight. We start lifting weights and we are just as big as what they are."

Kolas, a Hoisington native, has played fullback and offensive line in a career plagued with knee pain.

"They popped out and I was always down and I couldn't play worth (anything)," he said.

Kolas had surgery before the season on both knees and is able to move better. Against Sharon Springs, he helped open holes for Hlavaty (106 rushing yards) up the middle and contained the Wildcats' running game. On one possession, he had back-to-back tackles for no gain and a tackle for loss.

"I improved by going out and giving it my all and getting the right angles, that's the most important part," he said. "If they are going outside, you are going to have to go outside."

Krom has fought back pain for years and needs daily stretching and medication. He played little last season, but has been a force in every contest this fall. On Tuesday, Sharon Springs ran a reverse with senior wide receiver Tate Andrews on fourth down. Krom read the play and tackled Andrews for a 10-yard loss.

"He moves," Ayers said of Krom. "That is one of our faster kids. Their (235)-pound defensive end runs it down. That tells you what kind of athletes they have."

Offensively, the line also adjusted to the new stack defense from Sharon Springs. On film, Otis-Bison had only seen a 3-2, but the Wildcats changed their formation to try to contain Wissman.

"We didn't freak out and go, 'Oh, what are they doing.' We just ran the play," Wissman said. "... They are smart and they can react to anything."

The Cougars didn't score in the first quarter before the line helped deliver another win -- and impressive performance.

"They have done it all year long and we have come to expect it now," Starr said.