A Star is Born at Pittsburg State

By David Boyce

PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Midway through the first quarter in the season-opening game, sophomore Aaron Sawyer symbolically received his red and gold colors at Pittsburg State.

Sawyer, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound wide receiver, caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from John McCoy that gave the Gorillas a 14-3 lead in a game they won 42-13 over Central Oklahoma.

"I was just thinking he's my son," said Louise Sawyer, Aaron's mother. "He does a fine job, and I'm so pleased that he is my son."

It was a proud moment for the Sawyer family. They saw him excel in track and football at Shawnee Mission North.

And last season as a true freshman, Sawyer made the drive by his family down Highway 69 worthwhile. He saw action in 10 of Pittsburg State's 13 games.

But most of Sawyer's time on the field was on special teams. His most significant contributions for the entire 2008 season were two assisted tackles on special teams.

Because so many skill position players graduated from last year's team, Pittsburg State needed Sawyer to make plays quickly in the 2009 season, especially with the extremely tough schedule in the first month.

Pittsburg State, ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II, takes on No. 7 Chadron State noon Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium. The Gorillas opened the season by beating then-No. 16 Central Oklahoma.

And on Sept. 12, Pittsburg State faces nemesis Northwest Missouri, currently ranked eighth.

Sawyer welcomes the challenge.

"We are up there, too," he said. "It's not like we are at the bottom of the charts."

At times, Pittsburg State's new-look offense resembled a unit that has been playing together for two or three years.

They stumbled a few times in the second and third quarters against Central Oklahoma, but ultimately showed the capabilities of striking for touchdowns anywhere on the field.

"The excitement is we all know our abilities. We are just new faces ready to get unleashed. Nobody knew about us," Sawyer said.

Sawyer added a 61-yard touchdown reception from back-up quarterback Jeff Smith in the fourth quarter to conclude the scoring against Central Oklahoma.

"It was something I've been waiting for such a long time just to prove myself to coaches that they can trust me and put me in position to do these kinds of things," Sawyer said.

More than anything, the final touchdown by Pittsburg State planted a seed for future opponents on what Sawyer is capable of.

"I don't think he even knows what kind of player he can be," Pittsburg State coach Chuck Broyles said. "When you see him up close in his uniform, he's just a physical specimen. He's fast. He was a high school hurdles champion.

"We played him some last year. Even though he didn't play a lot it helped. He's not a rookie. We graduated the rest of our receivers so he needs to be a big-time receiver for us, someone who can beat somebody deep."

Mark Smith, a graduate assistant coach, recognized the abilities of Sawyer last year. Smith played quarterback last year for the Gorillas. He didn't throw to Sawyer in games, but he tossed passes to him in practice.

Now learning the trade of a coach, Smith can spot the areas where Sawyer has improved.

"He could be great," Smith said. "He has so much potential. You saw the speed (against Central Oklahoma). He's made such a big improvement from last year to this year with his hands and his work ethic. It showed (against Central Oklahoma). He had a big game."

Pittsburg State's football team is hoping there are many more for Sawyer like the one he had in his burst-on-the-scene game on Aug. 29, 2009

Fun facts: Chadron State's only regular-season loss last season came against Pittsburg State. Like Pittsburg State, the Eagles finished 11-2. Chadron State's season ended in the playoffs, losing 20-10 to eventual national champion Minnesota-Duluth. Pittsburg State's season ended to eventual national runner-up Northwest Missouri...Chadron State won its season opener 30-14 at home against University of Mary (N.D.)...It's about 760 miles from Chadron, Neb., to Pittsburg, Kan.

Offensive player to watch: Senior wide receiver Kendall Fisher caught six passes for 110 yards against Central Oklahoma and showed he can catch passes in traffic. Fisher is the type of possession receiver every winning team needs.

Defensive player to watch: Sophomore outside linebacker Spencer Worthington has already matched his sack total of last year with a sack in the season opener. Worthington also had five tackles. After redshirting in 2006 and receiving a medical redshirt in 2007 because of an injury, Worthington has started 14 straight games.

Keys to the game: It could come down to which quarterback has the best game. John McCoy played well in his first start for Pittsburg State, completing 11 of 21 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Junior Garrett Treffer did well in his first regular-season start for Chadron, completing 21 of 31 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

Last meeting: Pittsburg State won 38-31, Sept. 6, 2008 in Chadron, Neb.

David Boyce wrote for The Kansas City Star for 21 years, covering high schools, area colleges, the Royals, the Wizards and boxing. Boyce was also a contributing writer for the Royals Gameday Magazine this summer.