The numbers don't explain everything. But they explain a lot.

Logan Dold ran for more than 2,300 yards and 49 touchdowns. Garden Plain averaged 53.2 points in an undefeated run to the Class 3A state title.

"We got something accomplished that had never been accomplished at Garden Plain," Puetz said. "Now we can say we're a football town."

But the numbers are only the beginning of why Dold and Garden Plain coach Todd Puetz are The News' 11-man offensive player and coach of the year. The rest started back at the end of last season - the last time Garden Plain lost a game.

"It felt like a kick in the gut," Puetz said about the loss.

Following that state championship loss to Silver Lake, Puetz decided to set aside his entire offense. With a running back like Dold, Puetz had to figure out how to best utilize him.

"It's tough to change what we did," Puetz said. "There are some coaches that are like, this is what you run, and that's it. It worked, it paid off, but we had great kids too."

Puetz implemented the spread offense, and put in a package that used Dold as a quarterback.

"Going to quarterback was different," Dold said. "But I knew the offense so well, so I was able to concentrate on the shotgun more."

For Dold and the rest of the Owls, the taste of that Silver Lake loss lingered throughout the offseason.

"Knowing how it felt like to lose that game, it just gave us motivation to win this year," Dold said.

The offense wasn't an issue as Garden Plain destroyed each playoff opponent. Puetz said he wasn't sure how his team was playing, but that changed in the second round of the playoffs, when Garden Plain ran into undefeated Hesston.

The Swathers had been difficult to dispatch a year ago as Garden Plain needed two long passes to edge Hesston. The 2007 Hesston team was expected to be even better.

"I was nervous, too," Puetz said. "But I also thought we hadn't played very well that game."

Garden Plain won 42-0.

"I don't think any of us thought it would be like that," Dold said. "But once we put some points on the board, we just kept going."

And at that point, Puetz started believing it might be a special team.

"It's been a pretty special class since their freshman year," Puetz said. "Before that game, I didn't know how good we were playing. But that Hesston game was pretty special."

Garden Plain blew through Hoisington and Conway Springs, setting up a rematch with Silver Lake at state.

"We didn't concentrate all year on beating Silver Lake," Puetz said. "After Hesston, we started focusing more on Silver Lake. But it's different."

Garden Plain built a 21-7 lead at halftime. Still, Silver Lake felt they had the momentum into halftime. And, as happened once every 3.93 carries, Dold took the next play to the end zone. The 72-yard run gave Garden Plain a 28-7 lead.

Garden Plain expanded the lead, eventually winning 48-7.

"We went up 42-7, and that's when I felt good," Puetz said. "With seven minutes left, I was like, I can savor this a little and enjoy it. That was the funnest part of the game for me. When we won the game at the end, there's no better feeling. That's probably what heaven's like, all the time."

"It was pretty exciting," Dold added. "They had to make an announcement to hold the fans off the field. It was pretty cool."

Now, looking back at the season the team had, Puetz simply wishes he had a chance to do it again.

"It was pretty special," Puetz said. "It was one of those seasons where you wish you had it over again once you've finish. You want to redo it again once you know how it turns out."

l Defensive player of the year - Hutchinson's Forrest Stucky had no idea what kind of season was in store for him when he started. The junior had tasted varsity experience as a sophomore and wanted a little more success.

"I thought I did pretty well as a sophomore," Stucky said. "I just wanted to do better. I didn't expect all of this, though."

He couldn't have guessed what those results would be. Stucky became the anchor of a defense that was simply dominant. Hutchinson allowed 1,619 rushing yards, forced the other team into three-and-outs 45 percent of the time and forced 28 turnovers in 13 games.

"Everyone knew we could count on each other," Stucky said. "Everyone knew that if we got our job done, we didn't have to worry about anyone else."

For Stucky, all that started just after the end of his sophomore season. Stucky dedicated himself to offseason training.

"Getting to start as a sophomore was a privilege," Stucky said. "I wanted to make sure that I could be a big part of the team this year and win a fourth straight title."

Every weight session, every preseason training session took on new importance.

"I hadn't taken them as seriously (before his sophomore season)," Stucky said. "After I started a year, I knew how much they meant, and how much they mean now."

That extra prep work paid off. Stucky became an unstoppable force on the defensive line, racking up 21 tackles for loss and 51/2 sacks.

"He has a real high motor," Hutchinson coach Randy Dreiling said. "We moved him inside, where he was a little undersized, but he made up for it with his quickness."

Stucky got stronger as the season progressed. He picked up 10 tackles, including three for loss, against Wichita Southeast. His sack of Goddard quarterback Logan Watkins ended Goddard's offensive threat the first game, and his four pressures kept the mobile quarterback corralled in the second.

"Because teams were forced to pass against us, quarterbacks started worrying about the pressure coming," Dreiling said. "They had to throw early to keep from getting sacked."

And the team formed a near-impenetrable wall in the end zone. The first team gave up, unofficially, seven, 10, zero, zero, zero, zero, seven, zero, seven, zero, six, 14, and 14 points. That's an unofficial average of five points allowed per game.

"We don't score points," Stucky said. "So the little things we do, we want them to stay with us. We didn't like getting scored on, so if we did, we just stepped it up the next time."

And that team desire bound the team in the championship game. Olathe South made one final scoring push on Hutchinson's goal line in the final minute, burning two timeouts in an effort to score, despite the game being out of reach. Hutchinson denied them four straight times, ending the game.

"It felt really good," Stucky said. "They got down there, and couldn't score. It was really fun."

And Stucky wants to make sure Hutchinson can repeat that success in his senior year.