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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

With the eight Topeka high schools now spread out over four different leagues, traditional city rivals don't get as many opportunities to play each other.

Robbie Sanders' Topeka High team got that chance Friday night at Highland Park and the Trojans took full advantage, riding a hot start to a 74-55 non-league win over the Scots.

Topeka High senior Bryson McComas had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Trojans' 74-55 win at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN] 

Topeka High senior Elisha Guest scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Friday's 74-55 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"I'm proud of these guys,'' said Sanders, a former Topeka High star. "This game means a lot to them and it means a lot to the community and it means a lot to the alumni of both schools and it means a lot to me and it means a lot to Nate (Wallace, Highland Park coach).

"I'm just really, really happy to get a win.''

Topeka High, now 3-3 on the season, blasted out of the gate for a 23-10 first-quarter advantage and never looked back.

The Trojans built a 42-23 halftime advantate and led 64-35 after three quarters before Highland Park (1-4) cut into its deficit with a 20-10 fourth quarter.

Senior Bryson McComas registered a double-double for the Trojans with 22 points and 10 rebounds while senior Elisha Guest added 15 points with three 3-pointers and freshman Jaxon Luarks chipped in with 10 points.

"I think we're making progress every day,'' Sanders said. "As long as we just keep chopping wood and we keep believing in each other and trusting each other, the sky's the limit for this team.

"We've got some talent, we've got some hungry guys and we're shooting the ball a lot better than I thought we would at this point. People had their eyes on this game and they wanted to see what we could do and they wanted to see what Highland Park could do. I'm just glad we played well.''

Junior JoJo Kingcannon paced Highland Park with 17 points while sophomore Davion Anderson added 10 points with three 3-pointers.

TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 74, HIGHLAND PARK 55

Topeka High    23 19 22 10  -- 74

Highland Park 10  13 12 20  -- 55

Topeka High (3-3) – Aldridge 3-11 0-1 8, Guest 4-8 4-4 15, McComas 9-14 4-4 22, McFadden 3 0-1 7, Ross 1-4 0-0 2, Arnold 0-1 0-0 0, Luarks 4-6 1-1 10, Villegas 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 4-6 0-0 8, Redmond 0-3 2-2 2, Ramirez 0-1 0-0 0, Humphrey 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-64 11-13 74.

Highland Park (1-4) – Montgomery 1-6 0-0 3, Drew 3-8 1-2 8, Kingcannon 6-8 5-9 17, Anderson 3-12 1-4 10, Mitchell 1-3 0-0 2, L. McMillon 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Z. McMillon 6-6 1-2 13. Totals 21-47 8-17 55.

3-point goals – Topeka High 7 (Guest 3, Aldridge 2, McFadden, Luarks), Highland Park 5 (Anderson 3, Montgomery, Drew). Total fouls – Topeka High 18, Highland Park 16. Fouled out – Villegas.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After ending 2025 with three straight double-digit victories, Washburn University women's basketball will tip off 2026 on Saturday with a 1 p.m. home Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association contest against longtime rival Emporia State in the season's first edition of the Turnpike Tussle.

Washburn will ride a three-game win streak into Saturday's Turnpike Tussle matchup with Emporia State in Lee Arena. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 9-3 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAA while Emporia State enters the game 7-5 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA after a 70-61 road loss to Central Missouri on Thursday.

The Ichabods got a holiday break after a 78-49 win over Cameron on Dec. 20 before returning to practice on Monday.

"I've been very pleased,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "This group has some goals in mind and they came back ready to go and we've had really good practices. They've been excited to be here and that makes it fun.''

Westling got her first taste of the Washburn-Emporia State rivalry as a standout for the Ichabods from 2001-05 and said the Turnpike Tussle continues to be very important. 

"We're getting some of our new kids aware of what this game means to everybody in this community,'' Westling said. "We love this rivalry game. It's mattered since when the two schools started and it certainly mattered when I played here and it matters a lot as a coach.

"It's fun to have rivalries in college sports and it's one thing Division II still has and does really well.''

Senior Payton Sterk leads the Ichabods with a 12.6 scoring average with 22 3-pointers while also registering 1.8 steals. Sterk ranks seventh in the MIAA in steals and eighth in total 3-pointers made.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti is scoring 12.3 points per game on 43.3 percent shooting and a team-high 40.7% from deep with 22 3-pointers. Giovannetti also leads the team with 1.9 steals per game to go with 3.9 rebounds per game. The former Bishop Miege star is fourth in the MIAA in steals and ranks ninth in 3-pointers per game.

Senior Yiibari Nwidadah is averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds despite missing one game and playing limited minutes the past two games after suffering an injury (concussion protocol) against Central Missouri. Nwidadah is shooting 56.7% from the floor. 

Newcomer Britany Kogbara, a junior, has given Washburn a big lift, averaging 8.9 points in just 16.9 minutes per game while shooting 57.1% from the floor and averaging 3.8 rebounds. 

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Created: 01 January 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

FRIDAY'S GIRLS GAMES

Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton leads the city in scoring with a 22-point average [File photo/TSN]

Senior Koralee Jones averages team-highs of 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]

TOPEKA HIGH (1-4) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)

Topeka High closed out its 2025 schedule with a 65-35 home win over Highland Park and will play its second straight game against the Scots to open 2026. Junior Sasha Gotru scored a game-high 22 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the field in the Trojans' earlier win over the Scots while recording a double-double with 12 rebounds. Senior Keimara Marshall added 19 points, including a 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line, while sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points against the Scots. Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, who did not play in the Trojans' first game against the Scots, leads the city with a 22-point average. Highland Park ended its pre-holiday slate with a 68-52 Meadowlark Conference against Kansas City-Wyandotte. Senior Koralee Jones leads Highland Park with a 10.8 scoring average and 7.5 rebounds per game. Game time: 5:30 p.m.

Junior KK Emmot leads Shawnee Heights, 3-3 on the season, with an 18-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]  

 Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein averages 18.6 points. 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 2.6 assists for the 6-1 Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]

HAYDEN (6-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3)

Hayden suffered its first loss of the season in its final game before the holiday break, with Hesston taking a 55-47 decision over the Wildcats, while Shawnee Heights closed out 2025 with a 67-30 United Kansas Conference romp past Topeka West. Junior KK Emmot scored a game-high 17 points for Shawnee Heights against West, while juniors Sami Baum and Pearmella Carter added 11 points apiece and seniors Reianna Vega and Imani McGlory scored nine and eight points, respectively. Emmot ranks third in the city with an 18-point scoring average. Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein is No. 2 in the city with an 18.6 scoring average and also leads the city with 4.6 steals per game while also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game. Game time: 5 p.m.

FRIDAY'S BOYS GAMES

Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with averages of 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. [File photo/TSN]

TOPEKA HIGH (2-3) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)

Highland Park gave Nate Wallace his first victory as a head coach in the Scots' final game of 2025, a 78-35 Meadowlark Conference romp past Kansas City-Wyandotte, while Topeka High ended '25 with a 63-50 loss to Olathe East. Junior JoJo Kingcannon leads Highland Park with a 19-point average, ranking third in the city in scoring, while Kingcannon and junior G'Honi Montgomery grab 5.0 rebounds a game and are averaging .3.7 and 3.0 steals. Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with a 13.2 scoring average with 7.6 rebounds a game. Senior Jalen Aldridge averages 13 points for the Trojans. Both Topeka High first-year coach Robbie Sanders and Wallace are Topeka High graduates. Game time: 7 p.m.

Junior Carter Compton (12) averages a team-high 17.3 points for Hayden. [File photo/TSN]

Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]

HAYDEN (3-4) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-3)

Hayden snapped a three-game losing streak with a 64-57 win over Silver Lake in its final game of 2025 while Shawnee Heights ended its pre-holiday slate with a 63-58 United Kansas Conference loss to Topeka West. Junior Carter Compton leads Hayden with a 17.3 scoring average while senior Connor Hanika averages 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average while freshman Quincy Dixon averages 12.2 points and a team-high 4.8 rebounds. Game time: 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY'S BOYS GAME

Senior Simon Rowley is averaging a team-high 16.2 points for 4-2 Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]

WASHBURN RURAL (4-2) at OLATHE WEST (3-3)

Washburn Rural ended its pre-Christmas slate with its third straight victory, a 60-25 road romp over Kansas City-Barstow, Mo., while Olathe West is coming off a 65-43 loss to Mill Valley. Senior Simon Rowley leads Washburn Rural with a 16.2 scoring average while senior John Hoytal averages 9.5 points and sophomore Brooks Ballard 9.2 points. Game time: 1 p.m.