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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

Whether it's spraying 25-year head coach Bob Wells with water after every win in the locker room or tossing pre-game jerseys in the air before every game, Shawnee Heights girls basketball could be an exciting team on the court in 2025-2026.

Junior KK Emmot returns for Shawnee Heights after earning All-Shawnee County Top 10 honors a year ago. [File photo/TSN]

Wells says even in 39 total years of coaching, you always wonder what the team chemistry will be like but this year, he said that’s coming along very well.

Two transfers Shawnee Heights adds to this group are Highland Park’s Pearmella Carter and Topeka West’s Imani McGlory. The T-Birds also added Sami Baum, who had previously been homes-chooled and played volleyball for the T-Birds this fall.

 

Funny enough, Wells said he coached Sami’s dad back in the day when he coached with the boys. Wells said he didn’t know anything about these girls coming to the school, but when he got word they were coming, he was thrilled to plug them into the game plan.

“It’s been a really smooth transition, she (Carter) played with all these kids up until eighth grade at Shawnee Heights. She fits in real well,” Wells said. “Everyone was saying she (McGlory) was coming here and I said, 'Yeah right.' Then when enrollment happened and they were here I just said, 'Oh wow,' and the great thing is the girls on roster already have been very accepting and hopefully it will stay like that.''

 

“I think having Pearmella is very beneficial because we don’t have very many bigs out here, we’re mainly shooters and watching her put in the work has been fun. And Imani, she’s a really good shooter, so she just adds to that strength," Senior Reianna Vega said.

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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights boys basketball coach Ken Darting is 76 years old and will be calling it quits after this season following his eighth season with the Thunderbirds and a legendary run with Highland Park.

 

Ken Darting, a member of multiple Halls of Fame, will close out his legendary coaching career this season at Shawnee Heights. [File photo/TSN]

Darting said he doesn’t want this to be a farewell tour for him because it’s not about him, it’s about the kids.

“Leave me out of it,'' he said. "When I left Highland Park, they wanted to win the state championship for me in my last year so bad and you get side-tracked with that. I want them to play as hard and as together as they can and we will be good.

 

"I never set a goal of winning a state championship . A bad referee call, an injury… if you can play as well as you can play, I’m going to be happy with you and we’ll have a chance when it matters and anything can happen,” Darting said.

Brennon Dodge, Jaret Sanchez, Deacon Pomeroy are just some of names that led the T-Bird program the last couple of years.

 

Darting said there’s not one specific player that will be that superstar or may standout per se this winter but he always preaches everybody has to do a part. While he believes there may not be an all-state player or all-conference player as the T-Birds have had in the past, he said that if they all contribute, they’ll be fine.

Continuing what he’s built over the years, Darting says it’s simple.

 

“Good assistants, great wife and good players,'' Darting said. "We always had the ‘We, not Me’ on our shirts and I believe in that. It’s two things, discipline and high expectations. Kids walk around cool and tough and scared to death inside. You want to get them where they’re confident,” Darting said.

 

Darting said the T-Birds have implemented a new offense that’s taking some time to figure in but it’s getting there. And the strength of Darting's teams will always be defense.

 

Darting told TopSports.news that he will enjoy this final ride.

“I feel like I’ve never worked a day in my life. Coaching is just a vacation, it’s just fun and I can't wait to get to it… but I can’t wait to get to the other part, too,'' he said. "I think it’s going to be a fantastic year.''

Senior Ontarius Emmot is a top returner for Shawnee Heights, which has advanced to the Class 5A state tournament the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]

Seniors Ja'Veon Austin, Jai'Marion Cook and Ontarius Emmot love their chemistry together and finally have the opportunity to share the court at the same time.

“Our main goal is to play as a team and win together,” Cook said. “We’re trying to build a family here, start a foundation for all the elementary and middle school kids and build them up until the high school level. We break down every practice with ‘family’ because that’s what we want to be is a family.”

“We have to sacrifice for each other, taking in the moment, realizing how big it is and seeing that down the road you won with the people you’ve played with your whole life,” Emmot said.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University soccer team will be back in the state of Minnesota to take on No. 3-seed St. Cloud State in a 1 p.m. NCAA Sweet Sixteen matchup on Sunday afternoon.

Lili Everley, Washburn University

Leah Henke, Washburn University

"I'm very thankful that our team has earned the chance to continue to grow and get better in a Sweet Sixteen matchup versus a well-coached SCSU team," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I am confident that the character in this group is going to keep us focused on our mentality and performance as we get the opportunity to compete in the elements that national tournament games in Minnesota provide."

Washburn is coming off a 4-2 penalty shootout win over No. 1-seed Minnesota State last Sunday, where the Ichabods scored first in the opening 15 minutes, and the Mavericks equalized in the 60th minute.

Washburn has 12 clean sheets this year, which is third most in program history.

Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley broke her season high in saves with eight in a 2-0 win over No. 5 seed Missouri Western in the Ichabods' NCAA opener, then broke it again with nine saves on Sunday, with four in overtime to keep the match all square and force PKs. Everley also recorded a save in PKs.

Leah Henke has scored 11 goals in her freshman season, which is tied for fourth in Washburn history for most goals in a single season, and second most by an Ichabod freshman.

Defenders Shaye Taylor and Rilyn Snyder played all 110 minutes against Minnesota State and are 17th and 18th in program history in minutes played in a single season.

Both players scored their first-ever collegiate goals this year, both were off free kicks.

St. Cloud State is 16-2-5 on the season, coming off a 3-0 win over No. 6-seed Pittsburg State 3-0 and a 2-1 victory in overtime over the No. 7 seed Central Missouri.

Sunday will be the first meeting between Washburn and St. Cloud State.