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Rural soccer rolls to Class 6A state title game with 4-1 semifinal win
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
From the very first day of practice this spring Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel believed that this was a Junior Blue team that could make a Class 6A title run.
And on Saturday's final day of the 2025 season, the Junior Blues will have that opportunty, facing Mill Valley in the 4:30 title game at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex.
Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel celebrates with his Junior Blues after Wednesday's 4-1 Class 6A semifinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which will be shooting for the first girls state soccer championship in school history, advanced to the championship game with a 4-1 win over Blue Valley Wednesday night at McElroy Field, with the Junior Blues pulling away with three second-half goals.
"The goal was to play a semifinal here because we felt like the girls would perform at their best and it took us awhile but in the second half you saw it on full display,'' Hensyel said.
"To get to the final, that was our goal all year. We've been to the final before. We're not satisfied, we want to win Saturday.''
Rural improved to 18-2-0 with its 11th straight victory as senior stars Kate Hinck and Zahra Friess scored two goals apiece.
"I feel like at the beginning of the season our chemistry just took off and from then to where we are right now I think we're better than any team in Kansas right now,'' Hinck said.
Friess transferred to Washburn Rural this season after helping lead Cair Paravel Latin to a runnerup finish in 4A-1A last spring and is thrilled to get an opportunity to play in her second straight state final.
"I'm super thankful and this is my first time playing with this team so it's been a bit of an adaptation, but it's a great group of girls and they are all wanting to work together and wanting to win so that's what's really helped the drive for us,'' Friess said.
State softball preview: Five Shawnee County teams set to launch state title bids
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After coming up just short of a Class 3A state championship in a runnerup finish last season Silver Lake softball will take another shot at the title in Thursday and Friday's state tournament at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.
Senior pitcher Kendra Cook and Silver Lake softball are back in the Class 3A state tournament after a runnerup finish a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
The Eagles punched their ticket to this year's state tournament with a hard-earned 4-3 win over Southeast Saline in its regional final at Osage City and 23-6 Silver Lake is the No. 7 seed in a loaded 3A field.
Silver Lake will begin its title bid with Thursday's 3 p.m. first-round game against No. 2 seed Wichita Trinity (24-3).
With a win Thursday Silver Lake will advance to an 1 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between No. 3 seed Burlington (25-4) and No. 6 Jefferson West (22-5).
On the other side of the bracket No. 1 Frontenac (27-1) will face No. 8 Colby (17-6) in the first round and No. 4 Riverside (21-4) will take on No. 5 Minneapolis (21-4).
The 3A title game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, following the 3 p.m. third-place game.
Washburn Rural softball celebrates its 8-6 win over Campus in last Thursday's Class 6A regional final. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural, Topeka High earn 6A state tournament bids
Washburn Rural will be making its seventh straight trip to the Class 6A state tournament this week while Topeka High is back in the 6A field after winning back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Topeka High, 19-9 on the season, is the No. 8 seed and will open its state bid at 11 a.m. Thursday at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence against top seed Olathe West (25-1).
The Trojans advanced to state with a 15-9 win over Maize in a regional final at Hummer Sports Park.
With a first-round win, Topeka High will move on to an 11 a.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between No. 4 Blue Valley North (21-6) and No. 5 Derby (21-7).
Rural (20-7) is the No. 6 state seed and will face off with No. 3 Garden City (19-5) at 5 p.m. Thursday in the final first-round game.
Hayden soccer advances to Class 4A-1A championship tilt with 2-0 road win at Louisburg
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls soccer posted a 2-0 road win at Louisburg in Wednesday's Class 4A-1A semifinal, earning a spot in the state championship game.
Now 13-7-0 on the season, Hayden will play at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex against eight-time defending state champion Bishop Miege (15-5-0), which advanced to the state final with a 2-1 win at Rose Hill.
Hayden junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) scored a goal on a penalty kick in Wednesday's 2-0 Class 4A-1A semifinal win at Louisburg. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden is the last school other than Miege to win the 4A-1A title, with the Wildcats capturing the 2015 crown. The Wildcats took a 1-0 double-overtime semifinal win over the Stags in 2015 en route to the title.
Bishop Miege and Hayden played earlier this season, with Miege taking a 4-0 victory at Hayden.
Katie Uhl scored the only goal the Wildcats would need against Louisburg off an assist from Reese Huscher before Hayden added an insurance goal on a penalty kick from Carsyn Broxterman.
