Kansas Pregame Feature: Miege hopes to make magic in 4A
By: Robert Falkoff
For Kansas Pregame.com
Posted: November 18, 2009 - 11:21 AM

Tim Grunhard had an opportunity to become a graduate assistant coach on Charlie Weis' staff at Notre Dame this year, but turned it down to remain as head coach of the Bishop Miege Stags.

With each passing week and each Miege victory, that decision by Grunhard to say no to his alma mater looks better and better. The 4A Stags, who will be moving to 5A next year, have romped within two games of a state title as they await their Nov. 20 test against Paola in the state semifinals. Miege is coming off a dominating 35-7 victory over Louisburg and truly looks a team that is primed for bigger and better things.

For Grunhard, the former standout center for the Kansas City Chiefs through the 1990s, it has been a joy ride that is just now hitting second gear. The 10-2 Stags dropped a couple of early-season games to 5A contender St. Thomas Aquinas and 6A Blue Valley Northwest, which finished 10-2 and reached the state quarterfinals. The Stags have a victory on their resume over 6A Blue Valley, which plays Olathe North in the state semifinals this weekend.

By facing such tough competition against Kansas City area schools in higher classifications, the Stags were battle-hardened for the 4A playoffs. Two more wins would send Grunhard's team out of 4A with a bang.

“When you look at the Eastern Kansas League that we play in, I think it's right there with the best conferences in Kansas,” Grunhard said. “Blue Valley and St. Thomas Aquinas are still going. At times, we've struggled against some EKL teams because they are so much bigger than we are. But we've learned how to take advantage of certain things with our numbers. Facing that top competition all season certainly has a lot to do with where we are now.”

The Stags overwhelmed a Louisburg team that came into the Nov. 13 playoff game against Miege with a 10-1 record. Louisburg had outscored its opening two playoff opponents 66-0.

But Miege broke out of a 7-7 tie by ringing up three touchdowns in the second quarter and never looked back. The game was never in doubt after senior Justin McCay, who has committed to Oklahoma, picked up his own fumble and raced 34 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Max Shortell was efficient with bootleg passes and workhorse running back Bobby Germinder had two short scoring runs as Miege took a 28-7 halftime lead.

Along the offensive and defensive lines, the Stags did pretty much what they wanted.

“We came in with a little chip on our shoulder,” Grunhard said. “Everybody said what a great defense (Louisburg) had. We think we have a pretty good defense, too. Our guys did a heck of a job. They came off the ball pretty well on both sides of the line of scrimmage.”

When McCay added a 66-yard scoring run in the third quarter, the Stags were cruising. It was the kind of breakaway run that would make a Sooner fan smile at the thought of having McCay in an Oklahoma uniform next season.

Though he's a 6-foot-4 wideout on most plays, McCay is utilized in the running game as well. Bishop Miege finds creative ways to get the ball in the hands of their foremost playmaker and McCay is simply too fast, too elusive and too strong for most 4A defenders in the open field.

McCay's two-touchdown night came just hours after an announcement that he was not selected as one of the four finalists for the Simone award, which is given to the top Kansas City area high school player. McCay doesn't touch the ball as much as the quarterbacks and true running backs, but Grunhard can argue that McCay belongs in the conversation pertaining to Kansas City's version of the Heisman.

“Everybody looks at quarterbacks or running backs who throw or run for a lot of yards,” Grunhard said. “Well, Justin McCay scores every three or four times he touches the ball. If that's not the MVP, what is? On our team, we have a lot of people who touch the ball. To me, Justin is the best football player in the state of Kansas and maybe in the Midwest. I'd take him over any of those Simone guys.”

McCay won't get the Simone, but he could get something he'll cherish even more – a 4A state championship that he can reflect on next year from his dorm room in Norman.

Bishop Miege has held up well all season against top-notch 5A and 6A teams. Now the Stags are on a mission to prove they are definitely the best 4A team that Kansas has to offer.