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No. 6-ranked Washburn Rural volleyball rolls to Centennial League championship
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Perennial Class 6A state volleyball power Washburn Rural got off to a bit of a slow start this season both in terms of a so-so 5-4 record and the number of matches played.
Washburn Rural volleyball celebrates a point during Saturday's 5-0 run to the Centennial League championship. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
But a busy stretch has paid big dividends for the Junior Blues, with No. 6-ranked Washburn Rural running off 11 straight victories over the past week, seven in the past three days and five on Saturday as host Rural dominated the Centennial League tournament en route to the league championship.
"We haven't played near as many matches as some of those other teams have,'' Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "We've got this kind of weird schedule where we don't play very much and then we play a lot.
"But the fact is we've got to get out and play and we had some good matches today that tested us pretty good.''
Washburn Rural freshman Brynn Anderson (20) celebrates a kill during Saturday's 5-0 run to the Centennial League championship. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Now 16-4 on the season, Rural dropped a 25-20 decision to Manhattan in its first set of the day, but the Junior Blues proceeded to win 10 straight sets over the remainder of the league meet.
After its first-set loss to the Indians, Rural bounced back to top Manhattan with 25-18, 25-17 wins and then followed that performance with a 25-16, 25-14 victory over No. 3 (4A) Hayden, a 25-14, 25-13 win over Junction City, a 25-13, 25-17 win over Emporia and a 25-9, 25-8 romp past Topeka High.
Washburn Rural senior Taylor Guffey sets the ball during Saturday's 5-0 run to the Centennial League championship. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Bordewick said he feels like his team is making progress.
"I do, and we still have a pretty high ceiling,'' Bordewick said. "Manhattan and Hayden are really good teams and I thought we clicked in the second and third set against Manhattan pretty well and against Hayden I thought both sets we played pretty well, but I think we've got more in us.''
Washburn Rural senior Dayne Shriver spikes the ball during Saturday's Centennial League championships. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural senior Dayne Shriver said she agrees with Bordewick that the Junior Blues are starting to gain momentum.
"In the beginning of the season we hadn't played as many games, so I feel like now we're starting to get into the flow of it playing more games and connecting better,'' Shriver said. "I just really think that as the season goes we're flowing better.
"It's nice sometimes to have it be go, go, go.''
Friday Prep FB roundup: Kruger, Johnson power Silver Lake to 47-7 non-league win
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake football took control in the second half to extend its win streak to three games Friday night with a 47-7 non-league home win over Baldwin.
Kipton Kruger, Silver Lake
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
The 3-2 Eagles trailed 7-6 midway through the second quarter before ending the game with 41 unanswered points to turn the game into a rout.
Senior Bryson Burgos scored on a 7-yard run to give Silver Lake a slim 13-7 halftime advantage before the Eagles outscored the 3-2 Bulldogs 20-0 in the third quarter and 14-0 in the fourth.
Junior Owen Rottinghaus began Silver Lake's big second half with an 80-yard kickoff return before freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger and senior receiver Dayne Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 78, 17 and 4 yards.
Sophomore Jake Workman scored Silver Lake's final TD on a 27-yard run.
Now 3-2 overall, the Eagles will return to Class 2A District 4 play next Friday, traveling to Riley County.
Silver Lake is 1-0 in the district while Riley County is 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the district.
Rossville improves to 2-0 in 1A district play with 55-6 romp
Rossville improved to 2-0 in the Class 1A District 2 race Friday night with a 55-6 home romp past Mission Valley.
The Bulldawgs, now 4-1 overall, took control with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, from Landen Lewis on an 8-yard run and from Andre Johnson on a 38-yard run, and scored 29 points in the second quarter to build a huge 43-6 halftime advantage over the Vikings (3-2, 1-1).
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Conner Bush scored a pair of second-quarter TDs on runs of 52 and 25 yards while quarterback Canann Mitchell completed a 25-yard TD pass to Cameron Miller and a 35-yard scoring strike to Cale Horak.
Mitchell added a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Ryder Foster finished the Bulldawgs' scoring with a 29-yard pick six.
Mitchell completed 7 of 8 passes for 125 yards and the twoTDs and carried the ball three times for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Bush scored on both of his carries while Johnson carried the ball four times for 55 yards and a TD and Miller had four catcthes for 80 yards and a score.
Rossville will face Cair Paravel Latin Friday night at Washburn's Yager Stadium.
Unbeaten Hayden routs Hiawatha, 51-0
Hayden opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 51-0 road romp past Hiawatha Friday night, improving to 5-0 on the season.
The Wildcats took control with a 22-point opening quarter and led 29-0 at halftime.
Hayden finished off the rout with a 22-point third quarter to build its final margin.
The Wildcats will be at home next Friday to host Holton in a district game. Holton is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the district after a 27-17 Friday night loss to Jefferson West.
Seaman stretches win streak to three games with 48-8 romp past Lansing
Seaman won its third straight United Kansas Conference game Friday night, rolling to a 48-8 road win at Lansing.
The Vikings are now 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the UKC.
Seaman will be at home Friday to face UKC and city rival Shawnee Heights.
Kipton Kruger, Emma Sweeney the Dan Key Farmers Agency Rising Stars of the Week
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake freshman football quarterback Kipton Kruger and Seaman junior tennis star Emma Sweeney have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the accomplishments of Kruger and Sweeney over the past week.
Kipton Kruger, Silver Lake
KIPTON KRUGER, Silver Lake
The only starting freshman quarterback at any of the 10 Shawnee County high schools, Kruger has helped lead Silver Lake to back-to-back victories, including a 21-6 Big East League win over St. Marys last Friday.
On the season Kruger has completed 73 of 107 pass attempts (68.2 percent completions) for 753 yards and five touchdowns over the 2-2 Eagles' first four games.
Kruger has also carried the ball 15 times for 81 yards entering Friday's home game against Baldwin.
Emma Sweeney, Seaman
EMMA SWEENEY, Seaman
Sweeney captured the No. 1 singles title in last Thursday's city championships at Kossover Tennis Center while leading Seaman to the team championship.
Sweeney went 3-0 in the city meet without dropping a game, posting three straight 8-0 wins to help the Vikings win the team title by a 32-28 margin over Washburn Rural.
Sweeney, fourth in Class 5A last season, followed up her city title with a championship in Tuesday's 11-school Topeka West Invitational, helping Seaman win the team crown.
