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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

 From the first day of practice after Dwayne Anthony was hired as Hayden's boys basketball coach prior to last season, the enthusiasm and attention to detail was stressed immediately.

In year two, that’s no different. The intensity is higher and giving less than 100 percent is not acceptable.

Dwayne Anthony won't have his complete Hayden team together until after next Friday's state championship football game, but he has high hopes for the 2025-2026 campaign. [File photo/TSN]

“I live by a thing called push -- praying for some good success to happen,'' Anthony said. "That’s my own personal message but I try to live out that every day. We just need to show up as the best version of ourselves.

"If we’re not winning, then we’re improving and that’s the standard. We’re not coming in here being defeated, giving lackluster effort, but always winning and improving hopefully.” 

Coming off a 13-9 record last season, Anthony knows he’ll have to retool his roster a little bit, but it’s simple in trying to replicate last year's success.

“Fundmentals, making sure we’re in shape and then the mentality in some of the things I believe that young men need to be taught at this age, helping them go about certain challenges, the ways to deal with ups and downs, being prepared mentality as much as being ready physically and sound fundamentals,” Anthony said.

He said building those relationships and trust right away is so key in the early going because that will empower the players to do more.

“The buy-in from my guys last year was tremendous and the buy-in that I seem to have so far and some of the energy already. I appreciate the trust that they’ve shown me so far,” Anthony said.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Washburn Ichabod soccer will square off with tournament host and No. 1 Central Region seed Minnesota State at 1 p.m. Sunday in Mankato, Minn.

Leah Henke, Washburn University
Kate Hinck, Washburn University

The Ichabods are 12-3-5 while Minnesota State is 18-1-3.

No. 4 seed Washburn is coming off a 2-0 first-round win over No. 5-seed Missouri Western while Minnesota State advanced with a 2-0 win over No. 8 Harding.

Freshman Leah Henke had a goal, her 10th of the season, and an assist in Friday's win while freshman Kate Hinck had Washburn's first goal of the game, her sixth of the season.

Sophomore Sam Searcey had the assist on Henke's goal against the Griffons and has five goals and four assists on the season.

The Ichabod defense recorded its 12th clean sheet of the year while freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley made a career-high eight saves in the match.

Defenders Rilyn Snyder and Shaye Taylor played all 90 minutes against Missouri Western and are one-two in minutes played for the Ichabods this season.

Minnesota State enters Sunday's match on a five-match unbeaten strea.

The Mavericks won the NSIC regular-season and conference tournament titles. They have three players tied for the team lead in goals with five apiece.

Sunday will be the first meeting between Minnesota State and Washburn.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-rankded Washburn Ichabods rolled past William Jewell 90-54 Saturday in a dominant performance, improving to 6-0 on the season.

 

Freshman Amalachi Wilkins came off the bench to lead a balanced Washburn attack with 13 points in the Ichabods' 90-54 road win at William Jewell. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn returns to action on Tuesday in Lee Arena, hosting Friends in a 7 p.m. contest.

 

Washburn's defense set the tone early Saturday, turning turnovers into transition points in an 11–2 start, highlighted by fast-break finishes from Bryson Smith and Dillon Claussen.

 

After Jewell briefly closed within eight, the Ichabods countered with a decisive 9-0 run midway through the first half, fueled by 3-pointers from Smith and Jack Bachelor and a tip-in from Amalachi Wilkins.

 

Washburn outscored Jewell 30-6 in the paint in the opening frame and carried a 40-25 lead into halftime.

 

The Ichabods blew the game wide open early in the second half, using an 18-0 surge to push the margin past 30.

 

Claussen threw down a dunk, Smith converted at the rim, and reserve guard Sam Ungashick added back-to-back transition buckets during the stretch.

 

Washburn's bench outscored Jewell's 38-25 overall, and the lead eventually swelled to 40 with just over a minute remaining.

 

Wilkins led the Ichabods off the bench with 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting with four boards and two steals in 16 minutes of play.

 

Wilkins led a balanced scoring attack with Claussen adding 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, Smith scoring 12 points with four assists and three steals and Bachelor contributing 12 points and a team-high five assists.

 

Brady Christiansen scoring 10 points with eight rebounds while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and Marcus Glock chipped in seven points and three assists off the bench.

 

Washburn dominated every major statistical category, winning points off turnovers, 35–6, points in the paint, 52–16, second-chance points, 15–3, and fastbreak points, 22–5.

 

The Ichabods also controlled the glass with a 44-19 rebounding advantage.