By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TOPEKA WEST (0-1, 0-1) at SEAMAN (1-0, 1-0)
Senior Kaeden Bonner scored a game-high 15 points as Seaman took a 56-35 win over Lansing in the Vikings' UKC debut last Friday at Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Tuesday's game pits a pair of 2022 Class 5A state qualifiers against each other in Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. contest, with Seaman winning the state title a year ago while West lost a quarterfinal game to St. James Academy. Seaman ran its winning streak to 12 games with a 56-35 home United Kansas Conference victory over Lansing last Friday while Topeka West dropped a tight 58-52 UKC decision to Basehor-Linwood. Senior Kaeden Bonner scored a game-high 15 points to lead Seaman against Lansing while junior Holden Finley added nine points and senior Trey Parsel and sophomore Bryer Finley seven apiece. Topeka West put up a fight on the road against perennial 5A power Basehor-Linwood, including a 34-34 tie at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats took control down the stretch.
BONNER SPRINGS (1-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (0-0)
Senior Ketraleus Aldridge is a top returner for Highland Park, which is coming off an 18-5 season and a Class 5A state tournament berth. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park, a Class 5A state qualifier last season, opens its 2022-2023 season against Bonner Springs. The Scots, ranked No. 3 in 5A in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association preseason rankings, are loaded with experience, led by senior Bo Aldridge, who averaged 18.7 points and 8.1 rebounds a year ago for 18-5 Hi Park. Also back are seniors Tre Richardson (10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals), Jahmir Kingcannon (10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 38 3-pointers) and Quentin Adams (6 points, 2.8 assists, 1.9 steals). The Scots will play two straight non-league games before beginning their first seaon in the Meadowlark Conference. Bonner Springs opened its season with a 79-45 non-league win over Labette County.
PIPER (1-0, 1-0) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (0-1, 0-1)
Shawnee Heights opened its season with a 59-46 United Kansas Conference loss to De Soto, which played for the Class 5A state championship last season, while Piper opened with a 79-56 UKC win over Leavenworth. Sophomore Jaret Sanchez scored 14 points to lead the T-Birds against De Soto but was the lone Heights player to score more than seven points. The Pirates are coached by former Shawnee Heights coach Steve Wallace, who led the T-Birds to the 5A state title in 2017.
ST. MARY'S ACADEMY (2-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (0-2)
Topeka High will play its home-opener against first-year Trojan coach Geo Lyons, a High graduate. Topeka High is coming off a tough 75-73 overtime non-league loss at Valley Center on Saturday while St. Mary's Academy improved to 2-0 with a 62-51 victory at Bihop Seabury last Thursday. Topeka High, which opened its season last Thursday with a loss at Wamego, had four players crack double figures at Valley Center, led by senior Mason Gomez with 19 points and junior Isaiah Lyons with 18 points and four 3-pointers. Senior Ty Votaw added 14 points and sophomore Da'mykel Hales 13.
COUNCIL GROVE (0-1) at SILVER LAKE (0-1)
Silver Lake will be shooting for its first win after a heartbreaking 49-47 loss to Jefferson West in the Eagles' season-opener last Friday. The Tigers hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining and Silver Lake missed a 3-point attempt as time ran out. Senior Troy Heiman led Silver Lake with 13 points against Jefferson West while junior Spencer Johnson added 12 points for the Eagles. Council Grove also lost its season-opener, falling 60-47 to West Franklin.
BISHOP WARD (1-0) at ROSSVILLE (0-1)
The Bulldawgs opened their season with a 76-37 loss at Atchison last Friday in Brandon McDonnell's debut as Rossville's head coach while Kansas City-Bishop Ward rolled to an 83-34 win over Kansas City-Turner. Atchison rode a 30-point second quarter to a 34-point halftime lead on the way to win over the Bulldawgs. Freshman Jack Donovan led Rossville with 12 points on four 3-pointers.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (1-2) at CENTRALIA (0-1)
The Lions went 1-2 in last week's Burlingame tournament. Trey Brown's Cair Paravel team took a 52-47 overtime win over Waverly in its season-opener before losing to Burlingame and Northeast Kansas Homeschool in its final two tournament contests. Northeast Kansas Homeschool took a 63-58 win over Cair Paravel on Saturday. Sophomore Jase Pavlik led the Lions with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, on Saturday against NEK while Ben Roeder added 15 points and Ty Gossard 12. Centralia opened its season with a 42-39 win over Nemaha Central.
WASHBURN RURAL (0-1) vs. ST. JAMES ACADEMY (1-0)
At Shawnee Mission East Championship Showdown
Senior Jack Bachelor returns for Washburn Rural after averaging 13.8 points with 44 3-pointers last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural will open its season in the Shawnee Mission East Championship Showdown, facing a St. James Academy team that finished third in the Class 5A state tournament last season in a 5:30. The Junior Blues will be making their debut under new head coach Alex Hutchins, who had an ultra successful run at Hays. Wasburn Rural, 9-13 last season, will be led by senior Jack Bachelor, who averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals while connecting on 44 3-pointers and shooting 43 percent from outside the arc as a junior. St. James opened its season with a 72-40 win over Kansas City-Wyandotte.
