Welcome to Top Sports News

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2026 season on Sept. 3 and 4.

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Shawnee Heights graduated some very talented football players off last fall's 4-5 team, including Kansas signee Tyren Parker, Washburn University's Aiden Scott, Emporia State's Blake Coffman and Baker's AJ Gallegos.

Jason Swift is starting his 24th season at Shawnee Heights, with the T-Birds coming off a 4-5 season last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But while the loss of those standouts, and 15 starters overall, leaves the T-Birds with holes to fill, veteran T-Bird coach Jason Swift is counting on a host of newcomers to take advantage of their opportunity to crack the Shawnee Heights lineup this fall. 

"This year, with all those seniors that we lost, this is a great opportunity for some kids to win a spot and perform well on Friday nights,'' said Swift, who is beginning his 24th season at Shawnee Heights. "I'm excited for them and it's going to be a good competition.''

Swift knows that he and his staff will need to show some patience, particularly early in the season, as the newcomers are getting acclimated to varsity football.

"The game's a lot faster on a Friday than it is on a Monday and in high school you're always going to have some kids leave and new guys fill in, but I also see that as exciting as you prepare in the summer and you've been working hard in the weight room,'' Swift said. "Hopefully you understand your role as a player and you understand the schemes of the game and if you do then it's a chance for you to shine.''

"I think our schedule is going to be tough all the way around, but if we get better week by week -- and with a young team that's what you're hoping for -- then you'll be in a good position by Week 8, Week 9.''

Senior Will Skaggs, a three-year starter on the offensive line and a two-time second-team All-United Kansas Conference pick, will be counted on to be a leader for the T-Birds.

"I just try to use my experience that I've had of playing two years so far and just use it to help out the young guys and work with them to step up this season,'' Skaggs said.

The T-Birds also return senior wide receivers Dallas Owens and Javon Williams and senior lineman Evan Jones on offense while defensive backs Williams and senior Brody Daniels and senior outside linebacker Christian Labrador are top returners on defense.

Owens caught 48 passes for 619 yards and four touchdowns a year ago while Williams had 29 catches for 332 yards and five TDs.

Defensively Labrador was in on 76 tackles and earned All-UKC honorable mention while Daniels was in on 35 tackles and Williams was in on 30 stops and picked off four passes.

Senior Kolby Kutscher is expected to take over as Shawnee Heights' starting quarterback this fall while senior running back Trone Purvis carried the ball 95 times for 376 yards and five TDs last season, including a 138-yard effort against Seaman.

"I thought a lot of kids embraced the summer and they really dedicated themselves and we saw some good things out of it,'' Swift said.

Shawnee Heights will open its season Sept. 4 at home against Turner and the T-Birds will also be home in Week 2, facing city rival Topeka West.

All eight of the T-Birds' eight regular-season games will be against United Kansas Conference opponents, with the UKC developing into one of the state's premier leagues. 

"That's what's special about this league is that night-in, night-out you're going to have not just practice well all week but you're going to have to play well to have an opportunity to win,'' Swift said.

"And that makes it fun. That's high school football, when every time you get on the bus you know that the game may be determined by three to five plays.''    

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 

2026 football schedule

September -- 4 Turner, 11 Leavenworth, 18 at Seaman, 25 at Topeka West.

October -- 2 Spring Hill, 9 at Piper, 16 De Soto, 23 at Basehor-Linwood, 30 Class 5A playoffs.

Next up: Silver Lake.

 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 4-ranked Washburn University women's soccer opened its 2026 season in impressive fashion Thursday night in Yager Stadium, rolling to a 4-0 shutout over No. 19 ranked Maryville.

Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn scored a pair of goals Tuesday night as No. 4-ranked Washburn soccer rolled to a 4-0 season-opening win over No. 19 Maryville. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Senior Mackinly Rohn and sophomore Leah Henke scored two goals apiece for the Ichabods, a NCAA semifinalist last fall, while Henke and sophomore Bricelyn Betts picked up assists and sophomore Lili Everley and freshman Ize Tidball combined for the shutout in goal.

"I told the girls I thought we were better than (Maryville) on the ball,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It was just doing the work to earn those really good moments where we can let special players go and be special.''

"I thought it was a really comprehensive effort from the team tonight. Almost all phases of the game were good. We could be a little more disciplined in some of the fouls we gave up and we've got to get better at some positional things, but for first game, I'll take it.''   

Rohn, a former Washburn Rural standout, scored the only goal the Ichabods would need just two minutes into the contest when she converted a penalty kick after Maryville was whistled for a handball in the box.

"It gave us some momentum, so that's good,'' Rohn said. "I think we were like, 'Don't let down now, keep going strong and keep them on their heels.'

"We didn't want to let down at all because we knew they would want to come back strong as well.''

The score remained 1-0 through the remainder of the opening half as Washburn was unable to convert numerous scoring opportunities, but the Ichabods pulled away with three second-half goals to take the 4-0 win.

Henke's night didn't get off to a great start when she airmailed a penalty kick attempt over the goal in the 10th minute, but the All-MIAA first-team pick and conference freshman of the year in 2025 scored an unassisted goal with 37:44 remaining in the second half and added a second goal just a little over five minutes later off an assist from Betts before assisting on Rohn's second goal of the game with 28:05 left to play.

"I don't want to talk abut the PK,'' Henke said with a big smile. "I usually don't take PKs, but (the team) was like, 'Leah take it, Leah take it,' and I was going to go right and then I just went over, but it's OK.

"I felt like we really competed well as a team and we were really competing within our identity. It was really fun tonight. I feel like every single time we're on the field together we're growing closer together and developing our game model.''

Read more …

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2026 season on Sept. 3 and 4.

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Seaman had some very talented football players on its 2025 roster.

The most challenging part of the season was keeping that talent on the field, with Jared Swafford's fighting a rash of injuries throughout a 3-6 campaign.

Jared Swafford's Seaman Vikings will be looking to bounce back from a injury-riddled 2025 season this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"It was tough, it was strange,'' Swafford said. "I think it was new for a lot of us, and you look at the things we were still able to accomplish, I was proud of the group we had last year.

"We look Basehor down to the wire and we had a lead with seven minutes to go in that ballgame and they ended up going and playing for a state title. So you weren't that far away even though the record was not what we had worked for.''

The good news is that the Vikings return a nucleus of players that picked up valuable varsity experience and are ready to hit the ground running this fall after a productive summer.

"This was our highest attended summer and I feel like we've said that over the last handful of years and it's not just blowing smoke, it's real,'' said Swafford, who is starting his sixth year at Seaman.

"This group as far as consistency and having 100-plus guys here, it's probably the best we've ever had. It was really good and it also helps when you have 20-plus seniors.''

Seaman graduated All-Shawnee County Top 22 linebacker Cameron Brian, Top 22 tight end Noah Kobuszewski and standout running back Kaden McKinney, who missed most of the season with an injury.

But the Vikings also have several frontline returners, including All-Shawnee County Second 22 senior receivers Coy Barta and Josh Brown and senior quarterback Cale Ketter, senior honorable mention linebacker Alex Huston, junior running back Quentin Moravec and standout offensive lineman Henry Reichert, a Washburn University commit.

Senior quarterback Cale Ketter (2) and junior running back Quentin Moravec (5) are top returners for Seaman this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Ketter completed 136 of 231 pass attempts for 2,013 yards and 23 touchdowns in eight games, missing the Vikings' playoff game with an emergency appendectomy.

Barta caught 38 passes for 642 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior while Brown caught 40 passes for 627 yards and eight touchdowns.

Read more …