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Highland Park girls basketball ready for another successful season despite new faces
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Fifth-year Highland Park girls basketball coach Rob Brown said nobody should sleep on his team this season despite the Scots losing quite a few players from last year's 17-5 squad.
Highland Park girls basketball coach Rob Brown has high hopes for this season's Scots team. [File photo/TSN]
Brown said losing Permella Carter, who transferred to Shawnee Heights, will be hard to replace, but with a lot of new faces, he said the players have taken that ownership of it and they’re ready to attack the season.
“Some of these girls have been waiting their turn,'' Brown said. "Our JV has been undefeated the last couple years and will surprise some people.''
Brown said Koralee Jones, Zayah Kincade, Majesty Grace, Miluv Cosey and a transfer from Oregon will all be factors on this year's squad, whether its with defense, shooting or energy.
“They love to play defense,'' Brown said. "They want to get up in you, they talk, they’re real vocal, they have each other's backs. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my most disciplined groups, so that’s going to be big for us because in the past we beat ourselves and we always talk about not beating ourselves.
"And, the numbers in the gym are a lot better than years past, which is great. I’m excited.''
When he first arrived at Highland Park, Brown always told the girls, 'Don’t bring bad habits from last season into the new season.' He said those losses last year were collapses in the second half and the Scots have to learn to keep a lead and keep fighting back if they do get down.
“I’m learning to be more patient, I pride myself in that, but being patient with this group will be good. We’re working on the small detail stuff, too, because that wins games,” Brown said.
“We take a lot of pride in our defense,” Jones said. “Defense wins games. If we’re able to play lockdown defense, that will be the key for us winning games.
“I just try to reflect how our coaches are to our younger classmen because they look up to our coaches just as much as they do to us, so if we can mirror their type of coaching style, mirror their personality, I think it’s good for everyone overall.''
“I think we’re going to be even better than we were last year. We have better communication and better teamwork,” Kincade said.
Highland Park will open the 2025-2026 season at home next Wednesday against Topeka West.
Highland Park boys basketball enters new era with Nate Wallace
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
When you look at the dominance of the Running Scots over the last seven years under former head coach Mike Williams, there's no question that’s the standard this program wants to uphold.
Nate Wallace (right), cheering during the 2025 Class 5A state tournament, takes over as Highland Park's new boys basketball coach this season. [File photo/TSN]
Names like Bo Aldridge, Ja'Corey Robinson, Mikey Williams, Tre Richardson, Tamir Anderson, the list goes on of the overall talent this program develops.
All those names and more are no longer there and first-year head coach Nate Wallance is excited to be rooted to this program and continue that winning culture.
“Me and coach Mike come from the same era and we’re both grinders,'' Wallace said. "Iron sharpens iron, just bouncing stuff off each other. I think the best thing to happen was the state runs. We had just to be around other great coaches to see how they prepared for games.''
Now, how do the Scots plan to keep the DNA where they have those dominant players?
“I think it starts early,'' Wallace said. "It’s trust, it’s family. There’s a lot of great young talent in the city and giving the kids the opportunity to want to bleed the red and green. The good thing about the East side of Topeka, they know the history and want to be a part of it.''
G’Honi Montgomery, Kasioun Drew, Davian Anderson and JoJo Kingcannon are the names that will be the leaders of this year's group according to Wallace.
“Coach Nate, his IQ is through the roof and he definitely knows what he’s doing,'' Kingcannon said. "He’s definitely going to put us all in the right position to make great choices.
“The one thing about HP, we’re always going to have dawgs on this team. No matter if we lose or win, we’re still going to be dawg and go compete.”
TopSports.news’ girls wrestlers to watch in 2025-2026
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BROOKLYN BINKLEY, Shawnee Heights
A junior, Binkley was a second-team All-Shawnee County pick last season after placing sixth in the Class 5A state tournament and helping Shawnee Heights earn the third-place team trophy in 5A. Binkley is currently ranked No. 4 in 5A at 170 pounds by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings.
Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural
EMME BLANCO, Washburn Rural
Blanco, a senior, earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors last season after posting a 35-10 record and finishing fourth in the Class 6A state tournament at 140 pounds. Blanco is ranked No. 6 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings at 145 and is ranked third in 6A.
MADI BLANCO, Washburn Rural
A senior, Blanco earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition for the second straight season after posting a 30-8 record and finishing fourth in the Class 6A state tournament at 135 pounds. Blanco is ranked eighth in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings at 140 pounds and is ranked No. 3 in 6A.
CONNIE BURNS, Highland Park
Burns, a senior, posted a 22-7 record and was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season at 115 pounds after finishing sixth in the Class 5A state tournament in her first season at Highland Park. Burns in ranked No. 5 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 5A preseason rankings at 115.
Makayla Cadet, Highland Park
MAKAYLA CADET, Highland Park
Cadet, a senior, captured the Class 5A state championship at 190 pounds last season, capping a 23-4 season for the Scots with the school's first girls state championship. Cadet was named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year for the 2024-2025 season and is ranked No. 2 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings and is also ranked second in 5A.
Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
A senior 155-pounder, Graves is a three-time Class 5A state placer, including a third-place finish last season as Shawnee Heights earned the third-place team trophy in 5A. Graves, who went 39-3 on the season, was an All-Shawnee County first-season repeater. Graves is currently ranked No. 7 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and is No. 3 in 5A.
AVA GUTIERREZ, Shawnee Heights
Gutierrez, a sophomore 100-pounder, earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after qualifying for the Class 5A state tournament for Shawnee Heights, which posted a third-place team finish in 5A. Gutierrez posted a 19-13 record as a freshman.
AUDREY HINKLY, Shawnee Heights
Hinkly, a junior 120-pounder, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after placing fourth in the Class 5A state tournament and helping Shawnee Heights earn the third-place team trophy in 5A. Hinkly is currently ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
OLIVE JONES, Shawnee Heights
A sophomore, Jones was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season after qualifying for the Class 5A state tournament at 135 pounds. Jones, who was named to the all-county second team, is expected to wrestle at 140 pounds for the T-Birds this winter and is ranked fifth at that weight by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
JANIAH MATTHIE-JOHNSON, Washburn Rural
Matthie-Johnson was a Class 6A state qualifier last season as a freshman at 190 pounds, earning All-Shawnee County second-tean recognition, but is expected to wrestle at 155 pounds this season. Matthie-Johnson is currently ranked sixth at 155 in 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
