Today CatchItKansas, a product of KWCH, is the state’s leading source for high school sports information. The web site features videos, scores, stats, schedules, stories and photos of teams from more than 400 Kansas schools.

But just as with any big win on the field, the launch and growth of CatchItKansas was a result of months of preparation.

KWCH hired four new employees to create and manage the site, including former Wichita Eagle reporter Ken Stephens as Web editor. Stephens had also helped launch and manage the Dallas Morning News’ high school sports Web site.

In June of 2007, Stephens came to Howerton+White and Senior Programmer Alan Kennedy with a challenge. The Catch It Kansas site was designed, schools were on board and the marketing plan was in full swing. But there was a key element missing. They needed a way to collect and track the statistics and scores for all teams and all schools.

“Scores and stats are the guts of any sports Web site,” Stephens said. “First, people want to know when you play. Then they want the score. Then they want the game stats. Then they want to see how players rank against each other.”

Howerton+White was able to step in quickly and get the job done.

“We were up against a tight deadline. The first games were less than two months away. So we divided the project into three phases — fall, winter and spring sports. Howerton+White and Alan Kennedy came through against the odds.”

Originally the site was designed to focus on the 12 Wichita city league teams as an extension of local high school on-air sports coverage.

“Over the first year, we’ve had to adapt in several ways. One was adding more schools and more leagues. But the database was built with simple administrative tools that allowed non-programmers like me to do it. Second, we had to adapt to the different ways coaches sent in results. Some would e-mail them, some would call, some would send faxes or PDFs. We couldn’t retype it all, so H+W developed simple ways for us to upload HTML and PDF files or scan faxes and upload them as JPEGs.”

Stephens is confident that Howerton+White has built a statistical database that can handle anything he throws at it.

“We are growing rapidly, in terms of the number of schools, the number of events and the number of viewers who are visiting our site. The database delivers not only schedules and scores, but about 95 statistical reports, ranging from game stats, to league standings, district standings, team leaders and individual leaders in 21 boys and girls sports.”

Kennedy is pleased that the original programming of the database has held up so well through the site’s expansion. “We’ve gone from 100 games to 1600 games, city-wide to state-wide without any significant changes to the database.”

The project is unlike any other at H+W, says Kennedy.

“We’re a full-service advertising and marketing firm. We typically develop the marketing plan, design the site and complete the programming. This was a specific technical challenge, and we are pleased to have helped make it a success.”

Nicole Howerton, H+W principal and co-creative director, used a vintage woodblock style font and bright red lettering to create a promotional poster for the first ever Tree House Concert Series. The series, with the help of a grant from the Kansas Arts Commission, featured Darrell Scott, Adrienne Young and Jimmy Lafave.

The 2008 Tree House Concert Series started after grant writer Connie Bonfy approached Robin Macy, steward of the Arboretum, about the likelihood of creating a concert series. Connie wrote the grant, and in 2007 the Kansas Arts Commission awarded a small stipend to move forward on booking the music and building the stage.

“I’ve invited some of my favorite musical friends to kick off this first year of concerts,” said Robin Macy, steward of the Bartlett Arboretum. “The artists’ music is in consort with the mission of the historic property.”

“The mission of the Arb is to promote environmental awareness and be intentional about taking care of our earth and one another,” said Robin.

The stage was built from recycled, homegrown trees by carpenter David “CB” Prillman and a small crew of volunteers. KMUW is the media sponsor for the events, and it airs public service announcements prior to each concert to alert and invite the audience.

Bartlett Arboretum was at one time the only mature arboretum between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. For more information visit www.bartlettarboretum.com.

Long a supporter of all things Downtown (see our WDDC spots here), those crazy kids at Howerton+White are dipping their ladles into a new downtown project — makin’ chili.

“The chili cook off is held on our doorstep, so we think it’s high time we join the party,” says Nicole Howerton, principle, co-creative director and volunteer chili verde cook.

As with all major marketing projects, making chili is a team effort. “We’re carefully researching family recipes to determine the best chili for our key audiences,” Howerton says.

While the Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff is a serious competition for those with International Chili Society membership, Howerton and the team are strictly making chili for fun.

“It’s all about great food, great friends and supporting Downtown,” says Howerton. “Anyone who knows us knows how we like to spice things up!”