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Rural soccer rallies from early deficit, claims 6A regional title with 3-1 win over Wichita East
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been a rare occasion that Washburn Rural soccer has had to come from behind this fall.
Washburn Rural soccer poses for a team picture after winning a Class 6A regional title Thursday at McElroy Field. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Thursday was one of those occasions, with Wichita East drawing first blood eight minutes into the Class 6A regional final.
But the Junior Blues responded just like Rural coach Brian Hensyel hoped they would, scoring three unanswered goals to advance to next Monday's 6A state quarterfinal with a 3-1 win over the Blue Aces at McElroy Field.
"We haven't been behind much all year,'' Hensyel said. "In fact, until last Thursday at Blue Valley North when we went down 1-0, we'd probably been behind less than 20 minutes all year, so maybe that was a good experience for us, falling behind and having to come back and play a really good game to win that one.
"Wichita East is a good team, we knew that. They'd been on a run and most of their losses were early, so they were hot and we knew it was going to be a tough game.''
No. 7 West seed Wichita East, which finished its season 12-6-0, jumped on top 1-0 at the 32:01 mark of the opening half on a goal from senior David Rodriguez, but Washburn Rural (16-1-1) pulled even less than three minutes later when senior Dylan Willingham found the back of the net off an assist from senior Drew Moore.
Washburn Rural junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (9) celebrates his go-ahead goal with teammate Drew Moore in Thursday's 3-1 Class 6A regional win over Wichita East. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (19) scored a pair of goals in Thursday's 3-1 Class 6A regional win over Wichita East. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The game was still knotted 1-1 at the half, but junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz put Washburn Rural ahead to stay just 5:01 into the second half and Willingham, Rural's single-season and career scoring leader, added his second goal with 6:15 remaining to account for the final margin.
"They got a nice early goal, I loved our quick response, and then at halftime we said we've just got to get back to the things we do well,'' Hensyel said. "And then two of the guys that have been big for us all year obviously, Dylan and Brodye Kocher-Munoz, were both great with two goals.''
Kocher-Munoz also had an assist on the night as Washburn Rural extended its unbeaten streak to 15 games (14 wins, one tie) while snapping Wichita East's nine-game winning streak.
Shawnee Heights, Washburn Rural, Cair Paravel advance to regional soccer finals
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Top Class 5A East seed Shawnee Heights opened its postseason bid with a 6-1 regional semifinal win over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Shawnee Heights senior Camden Granado (left) scored three goals in Tuesday's 6-1 regional win over Basehor-Linwood, becoming Heights' career-leading scorer. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Camden Granado scored a three-goal hat trick for the T-Birds to become Shawnee Heights' all-time career leading scorer while senior Juan Garcia added two goals and senior Wyatt Lindecrantz one.
Garcia also had an assist in the win while junior Mason Haas, senior Sheldon Pokphanh and senior Chase Tofflemire also had assists.
The T-Birds improved to 15-2-0 on the season, with their only losses coming against 6A power Washburn Rural and fellow 5A power Blue Valley Southwest.
Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6 p.m. Thursday semifinal at Bettis to face No. 9 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (8-8-1), a 3-2 winner over Kansas City-Turner.
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (middle), Rural's single-season and career scoring leader, scored three goals in Tuesday's 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
Rural rolls to 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest
Washburn Rural improved to 15-1-1 with a 9-1 Class 6A regional semifinal win over 4-12-1 Wichita Northwest Tuesday night at McElroy Field.
Senior Dylan Willingham, Rural's single-season and career-leading scorer, led the Junior Blues with a three-goal hat trick while junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz and senior Brandon Hamilton scored two goals apiece and senior Brody Grogan and junior Myles Didde had one goal each.
Senior Draden Chooncharoen and Didde both had two assists apiece while Willingham, senior Everett Un and senior Drew Moore had one assist each.
Rural, the No. 2 6A West seed, advanced to a 6 p.m. home game Thursday to host No. 7 seed Wichita East (12-5-0), which moved on with a 5-0 win over Junction City.
Cair Paravel advances with 6-2 4A-1A regional romp
Cair Paravel Latin, the No. 5 West seed in Class 4A-1A, advanced to a Thursday regional final with a 6-2 Monday win over No. 12 seed Circle (5-11-1).
The Lions, now 10-6-0, advanced to a 4 p.m. Thursday game at Berean Academy (12-5-1), with Berean advancing with a 3-1 wins over El Dorado.
Topeka West soccer avenges 2024 playoff loss with 6-2 regional romp past Hays
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was a cold, rainy and windy night at Hummer Sports Park Tuesday night.
But nothing could rain on Topeka West soccer's parade to a Class 5A regional final as the Chargers rolled to a 6-2 win over Hays, avenging a season-ending loss to the Indians in the 2024 playoffs.
Junior JP Ayella (right) scored a pair of goals Tuesday in Topeka West's 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Tuesday was a much different story for West, now 13-2-2 on the season, with senior JP Ayella finding the back of the net just 1 minute, 45 seconds into the game, the beginning of a 3-0 start for the Chargers, who will host Salina South at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hummer.
The Chargers' early offensive explosion -- three goals in the first 6:13 -- was a welcome sight for Topeka West coach Josh Kutter, whose team had been blanked 2-0 in last season's playoff contest and managed just one goal in a 1-0 tournament victory over the Indians early this season.
"That was really big,'' Kutter said. "We know that we're capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and we always know that we want to get off quick, but that confidence, it carries you through a game, so having that confidence and that energy that they had for the entire game was really important.''
"Starting fast helps us advance and gets our hopes up and all, so I was really glad I was able to get that first goal quick,'' Ayella said. "Overnight I was thinking, 'Man, we have to win,' because you're going to feel so bad if you don't win and the season's done like that, so my emotions were high and I was like, 'We've got to win.' ''
Topeka West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (9) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first of two goals in the Chargers' 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera made it a 2-0 game at the 36:16 mark of the opening half and just 2:31 later junior D'Ante Smith Dilone scored to put the Chargers in command at 3-0.
