Carder ready to lead team in playoffs

Shawnee (Kan.) Shawnee Mission Northwest quarterback Alex Carder and his teammates are in a position to do something special here this Friday night against Olathe North. That something special is winning a playoff game.

"It's big for us," Carder, who is 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, said.

"As a group of kids, we always used to have a chip on our shoulders. But we're not just playing for ourselves anymore. Now we're playing for the Northwest logo, the Northwest community and for all those teams that have not been strong in years past. By beating Olathe North in the playoffs it would be a chance for us to win back respect."

Carder said he doesn't think his team hasn't played its best football yet, which is a good thing heading into the playoffs.

"We're improving still, even though we're 9-1," Carder said . "Our work ethic in practices is excellent, and we're playing really fluid and loose. We look at it this way, how we practice is how we play. We're having great practices, and I know that's only going to help us play great in the game."

Carder made a commitment to Western Michigan little over a month ago and despite interest from Iowa and Kansas it looks like that pledge is now very solid.

"It's really all been Western Michigan lately, and I'm very strong on them," Carder said.

"It's tough to talk too much about recruiting, because I'm still focused on my season. Western is where I'm going, and I don't see that changing."