Kansas City Star, The (MO)
June 9, 2001
Edition: METROPOLITAN
Section: LEE'S SUMMIT STAR
Page: 12

Reunited
Kansans thump Missouri team 34-7, but former Lee's
Summit Pop Warner teammates play together again in All-Star game
Author: STUART GOLDMAN; The Kansas City Star

Remember the story about Lee's Summit quarterback Mike Spiegel and Lee's Summit North quarterback Jesse Dziurawiec playing on the same Pop Warner football team when they were in fifth grade?

Spiegel and Dziurawiec held up the "No. 1" sign in a photo taken after their Truman Bowl victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
Among their Lee's Summit Redskins teammates in that photo was William Lanning, who went on to play football at O'Hara.

On Thursday, Spiegel and Lanning were reunited in the 10th annual Metro All-Star Pepsi Challenge football game at the Olathe District Activity Center. They were teammates on the Missouri team that lost to Kansas 34-7.

"It was awesome," Spiegel said after the game. "I haven't seen (Lanning) in four years. The past two weeks have been great. There's no better way to end a high school career than playing with this kid."

The roots go deeper than just football. Lanning's mother babysat Spiegel when he was just a baby.

"We've known each other since we were 6 weeks old," said Lanning, a Lee's Summit resident and the 10th of 11 children.

Spiegel played a role in Missouri's lone touchdown. With 3 minutes, 28 seconds left in the game, Spiegel hit Blue Springs' Joey Moore on a post corner route for a 28-yard touchdown. Moore avoided a tackle and scampered down the sidelines into the end zone.

"He did the work," Spiegel said. "All I did was throw it to him."

Spiegel, Liberty's Joel Sambursky and Platte County's Brandon Gutshall traded quarterback duties throughout the game. But that didn't seem to bother Spiegel, who will join Gutshall at Truman State in the fall.

"It was cool," Spiegel said. "It was all for fun."

Lanning, a linebacker, enjoyed his day, too. He stopped Eudora running back Brian Harris late in the second quarter as Kansas turned the ball over on downs. In the fourth quarter, Lanning stopped Harris for a 3-yard loss.

Lanning found a moment during the game to chat with Olathe North's Darren Sproles after Lanning shadowed the Eagles' star running back on a play-action pass. The two played against each other in little league football in Raytown.

"I had a conversation with him on the field," said Lanning, who will play collegiately at Central Missouri State. "He said, 'Yeah, I remember you.' I said, 'I remember you, too."'

It was probably the only time Lanning could get in a word with Sproles, who ran away from the Missouri defense for 160 yards and three touchdowns.
Knowles disappointed

While other Missouri All-Stars seemed happy after the game despite the 34-7 loss, that was not the case for Lee's Summit North offensive lineman Grant Knowles.

"Losing (stinks)," Knowles said, "no matter who it's against, especially against a cross-state rival. I thought we were prepared. We didn't play to our potential. We did get the goose egg out of the way."

Knowles was on the field during Missouri's lone touchdown. He'll play college football at Drake.

More reunions

It was a fun night for the Merrell family.

Campbell Junior High football coach Tom Merrell served as an assistant on the Missouri coaching staff under his father, Fred, the Missouri team's head coach who retired from St. Mary's after the season. Tom's brother, James, who coaches at Raymore-Peculiar, also was an assistant.

It was the first time all three Merrells coached on the same team. Tom and James played for their father at Blue Springs.

Tom Merrell also coached both Spiegel and Knowles at Campbell Junior High.

"It's kind of neat to see how they grew up," said Merrell, who completed his eighth year at Campbell. "The kids had fun. I know I did."

Two-sport star
Blue Springs South senior Mike Mendenhall had a busy week.

On Tuesday, Mendenhall played in the Kansas-Missouri Baseball All-Star Showcase at the Lee's Summit District Activity Complex. He grounded out to short in the third inning in his only at-bat.

On Thursday, Mendenhall played in the Metro All-Star football game. A pulled left hamstring slowed him down, but it was not going to keep him out of the game.
"I didn't know if I was going to play (Thursday night), but I just had to (play)," Mendenhall said. "I played with pain the whole night."

Mendenhall signed with Central Missouri State for football, but he is leaning toward playing baseball at Maple Woods Community College. A third baseman, he hit .483 with six home runs and 37 RBI for the Jaguars his senior season.

When Mendenhall tackled Blue Valley's Jeff Byers on the final play of of Thursday night's game, it was likely the last play of his football career.

"I ended it with a bang," Mendenhall said.

Copyright 2001 The Kansas City Star Co.