Hawks finish undefeated in league play, break six-year championship drought
For the first time since 2019, the Harmon Hawks are league champions. With an impressive 10-0-2 Meadowlark Conference record (13-2-3 overall), the Hawks have reclaimed a place atop the conference standings and are poised for a deep postseason run.
“We knew we had a really special team coming into this,” said head coach David Bean following his team’s league-clinching performance. “But we also knew the Sumner and Wyandotte were going to be good again.”
The championship marks a significant milestone for a program that has worked to build its competitive edge after finishing second for the title last year. “Harmon hasn’t won league since before COVID, and I’m just glad that I’m in the team that won league again and put us back on the track,” said senior defender and team captain Rene Martinez.
Dominant league performance
Led by last year’s Meadowlark Conference Player of the Year Ives Trochez, the Hawks’ path to the championship was marked by consistency and resilience. Trochez, a senior left wing, entered the season with 40 career goals and cemented his legacy by leading Harmon to the title. Last year’s all-state second-team selection has been the offensive catalyst for a Hawks team that found multiple ways to win.
Harmon recorded decisive victories through the season, including two 8-0 wins over Highland Park, a 7-2 beating of Washington, and a crucial 4-0 victory over title rival Wyandotte in their first meeting on Sep. 18.
The team’s only stumbles came in hard-fought overtime draws – a 1-1 tie against Sumner and another 1-1 deadlock in the Hawks’ rematch with Wyandotte. The second Wyandotte match proved to be a test of character.
“Our first game with Wyandotte was not what we expected from them after they had been whooping up on everybody else,” Bean explained. “We played Sumner. They gave us one tough game. [When] we played Wyandotte again, they gave us the game that they should have given us the first time.”
Senior leadership makes the difference
Coach Bean credits his senior class with leading the championship charge.
“I put it on the seniors to make this their night, their season,” Bean said. “None of these boys had won league before, whereas over there at Sumner, they’ve won league after league recently.”
The seniors responded to that challenge throughout the season. When faced with adversity, including mistakes and momentum swings, the veterans kept the team focused on the ultimate goal.
For senior defender Rene Martinez, the championship represented the culmination of years of effort to restore Harmon’s winning tradition. “It means everything. It means everything to us,” Martinez said. “And Harmon. Harmon hasn’t won league since before COVID, and I’m just glad that I’m in the team that won league again and put us back on the track.”
The road to the championship
Harmon’s season got off to a challenging start with losses to Bishop Miege (0-1) and Turner (1-2) in non-league play. However, those early setbacks seemed to galvanize the team.
The Hawks rattled off twelve matches without a loss, including the statement 4-0 win over Wyandotte and comprehensive victories over league opponents. Harmon closed the season with four straight wins, starting with a 10-0 blowout at Atchison on Oct. 16.
However, with Wyandotte also having a hugely successful season, the league title came down to the final week, with Harmon beating Sumner in double-overtime on Tuesday then winning a 1-0 defensive battle at Washington to clinch the title on Thursday.
Impressively, Harmon outscored league opponents 65-7 while recording eight shutouts. The Hawks’ combination of strong defense and ability to create offensive chances, made them the most complete team in the Meadowlark League.
Final league standings
- Harmon: 10-0-2 (League Champions)
- Wyandotte: 10-1-1
- Sumner: 8-3-1
- Washington: 5-6-1
- Highland Park: 3-8-1
- Schlagle: 1-10-1
- Atchison: 1-10-1
Looking ahead to the playoffs
With the regular season complete, Harmon enters the KSHSAA playoffs as a championship contender. The Hawks earned the number three seed in the Class 5A Regional 3 bracket with their impressive 12-2-2 overall record.
Harmon will host 14th-seeded Lansing (4-11-1) on Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at Art Lawrence Stadium in the first round. The Hawks defeated the Lions earlier in the non-conference season, so they’ll have confidence and the home-field advantage in their favor.
If Harmon advances, they will face the winner of number six Bonner Springs (8-6-2) and number 11 Piper (7-8-1) in the regional semifinals on Thursday, Oct. 30. A regional championship would send the Hawks to the state quarterfinals.
The bracket sets up favorably for Harmon, with top-seeded Shawnee Heights (14-2) and second-seeded Pittsburg (13-3) positioned in the other half of the regional draw.
Championship mentality
The team’s mentality heading into the postseason reflects their growth throughout the season, with Trochez, last year’s Meadowlark Conference Player of the Year, articulating the team’s approach.
“We are going to fight hard,” Trochez said. “We’re not going to go into regionals thinking it’s going to be easy. We are going to go in there and fight hard how we have fought the whole season, every game we have played, minute by minute, second by second.”
The Hawks’ star also emphasized the need for greater community support as the team enters the postseason. “We hope our Harmon community comes together and shows up to more games and supports the rest of the season.”
With the league championship in hand and a favorable playoff draw, Tuesday’s first-round matchup against Lansing represents the beginning of what Harmon hopes will be a lengthy postseason run.
Other Wyandotte County teams in the playoffs
Here’s a rundown on all the other Wyandotte County teams playing in the postseason. All first-round games are scheduled for Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. except Class 4-1A, which will be Oct. 27.
Class 6A
Fourth-seeded Wyandotte (12-2-2) will host 13th-seeded Blue Valley Northwest (7-8-1) on Tuesday at Wyandotte Stadium. The Bulldogs’ strong season earned them a favorable draw in the state’s largest classification.
Class 5A
Fifth-seeded Sumner Academy (9-6-1) will host 12th-seeded Spring Hill (6-8-2) on Tuesday at Schlagle Stadium. The Sabres finished third in the Meadowlark League and have enough talent to make noise in the postseason.
Bonner Springs finished with a record of 8-6-2, good enough for the sixth seed in the East Regional. Bonner Springs will host 11th-seeded Piper (7-8-1) in the first round of the playoffs.
Turner finished 5th in the United Kansas Conference with a league record of 3-3-2 and an overall record of 6-6-4. The eighth-seeded Golden Bears will host number nine Aquinas (7-8-1) on Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Turner DAC.
Washington (7-8-1) earned the number 10 seed and will travel to face seventh-seeded De Soto (8-7-1) on Tuesday. Despite their struggles in league play, the Wildcats showed improvement down the stretch.
Class 4-1A
The Bishop Ward Cyclones compiled a 10-6 season record to earn the fifth seed in the 4-1A East regional. The Cyclones will take on Lawrence’s Bishop Seabury Academy at Dorney Field on Oct. 27 at 6:00 p.m. Ward beat Seabury 4-1 in Lawrence on Sep. 23.
