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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

As good as Highland Park boys basketball has been over the past several seasons, there's one goal that has eluded the Scots -- a Class 5A state championship.

Nate Wallace (right), cheering on Highland Park during the 2025 Class 5A state tournament, has been selected as the Scots' new boys basketball coach, pending approval of the USD 501 school board. [File photo/TSN]

And it's that one missing piece that was a major factor in Nate Wallace's decision to apply for the Highland Park head coaching job, which opened up on May 19 when Mike Williams stepped down after a highly-successful seven-year run.

Wallace, a Highland Park assistant the past three seasons, has been tapped to take over for Williams as the Scots' head coach, pending approval from the USD 501 school board.

"We kept saying, 'The job's not finished,' and that's just a mantra that I'm going to stick by,'' Wallace told TopSports.news. "I still have ties to kids who are growing up and coming through the community. My son's going to be coming up here in the next couple of years, several of the kids I currently coach in the youth leagues are coming up and the guys that are here are still invested, so I felt like it was the right time.''

Williams led Highland Park to five Class 5A state tournament appearances, including top-three finishes the past three seasons and a runnerup state finish this past season. 

"I had a long conversation with Mike,'' said Wallace, a former Topeka High standout who also served as an assistant at his alma mater. "He really inspired me and pushed me to come and feels like I could do a good job and keep pushing this job forward. Like we kept saying all year, and for the last couple of years, the job's not finished, so that's what we're hanging our hat on and we're going to keep trying to get that state championship.''

Highland Park, 24-1 last season and 71-4 over the past three years, graduated nine seniors off its 2024-2025 state team, but Wallace is confident that the Scots will continue to put a quality team on the floor.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Being a state-class athlete in three different sports has been a blessing for Seaman product Bryer Finley.

Seaman three-sport standout Bryer Finley will play wide receiver for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Dodge City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But that versatality has also presented challenges for the football, basketball and baseball standout as he's tried to decide which sport he'll pursue at the collegiate level.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Finley, who will play wide receiver for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game at Dodge City, is leaning towards playing baseball in college, but that decision is not set in stone.

"I'm still basically undecided to where I'm going to go to college,'' Finley said this week before an East practice at Ottawa University.

Complicating Finley's college decision is the fact that a big senior year afforded him college opportunities in all three sports.

Finley was named the United Kansas Conference offensive player of the year and TopSports.news Shawnee County co-offensive player of the year last fall in football after catching 82 passes for 1,556 yards and 21 touchdowns as Seaman posted an 8-3 record and advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals. 

Finley earned Second 10 all-county and second-team All-UKC honors in basketball and was a second-team all-county selection in baseball while receiving All-5A and All-UKC honorable mention. 

"It's still hard to make the (college) decision because I love all three and played all three growing up,'' Finley said. "It's hard to make a commitment to one when I've been playing them my whole life, but if it's the right one hopefully I'll do good at that one.''

And if Saturday proves to be his final football game, Finley can't think of a better way to go out than in the state's premier all-star game while playing with former Seaman teammates Max Finley and Kaden Jordan.  

"I get to play one more football game and it seems awesome to come out here with my two other teammates and get one more game with them,'' Finley said.

Huston (6-1, 185) is playng quarterback for the East while Jordan (6-2, 305) is a defensive lineman and Seaman coach Jared Swafford is an an East assistant coach.

Also playing for the East is former Washburn Rural standout offensive lineman Caden Estrada (6-2, 270).

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The college recruiting process can be hectic and a bit daunting for high school athletes.

But that wasn't the case for former Washburn Rural standout Caden Estrada, who basically needed just one visit to the Emporia State campus to know where he was headed.

Former Washburn Rural standout Caden Estrada (75) will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Dodge City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"I just love the culture there, so I had to do it,'' said Estrada, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound offensive lineman. "I went down there on my visit and really liked the coach (Garin Higgins), really liked the staff and it just felt like home.''

Estrada, who will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Dodge City, got a jump start on his college career with the other Hornet recruits last week.

"I went down there last week for freshman camp and it was great,'' said Estrada, an All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick last fall and a three-time All-Centennial League selection for Rural. "I did the workouts, did some conditioning and got to hang out with my teammates, so it was a good time.''

Estrada, who helped Rural advance to the Class 6A state semifinals as a junior, said the Shrine Bowl experience will also help prepare him for what's ahead.

"I think it totally will,'' he said. "Obviously we're getting better athletically, but also leadership-wise and playing for something bigger than ourselves, playing for the kids and all that, puts the game to the side and helps you mentally.''

Estrada expects to redshirt this fall, which he also thinks will benefit him in the future. 

"Most freshmen do redshirt and I think that will help in understanding the playbook and stuff like that,'' Estrada said. "I think that will help tremendously because college is a whole different game. I'm super excited.''

Estrada is one of four city players on the East roster, along with Seaman quarterback Max Huston, wide receiver Bryer Finley (6-5, 195) and defensive lineman Kaden Jordan (6-2, 305).

Seaman coach Jared Swafford is an an East assistant coach.