- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Nine Silver Lake and Rossville players have received mention on the All-Mid-East Volleyball team, led by four first-team selections.
McKinley Kruger
Kinsey Perine
Kinley Porter
Sarah Wehrli
Silver Lake, which posted a 32-12 record and placed third in the Class 3A state tournament is represented by seniors McKinley Kruger and Sarah Wehrli while Rossville, which went 31-8 on the year, put seniors Kinsey Perine and Kinley Porter on the first team.
Perine was an all-league first-team repeater while Perine, Kruger, Porter and Wehrli were all unanimous first-team selections.
Silver Lake junior Ella Bolan and Rossville freshman Nora Burdiek were second-team picks while Silver Lake seniors Kaibryn Kruger and Makenzie McDaniel and Rossville senior Ryan Leathers received honorable mention.
ALL-MID-EAST LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
First team
Ayla Klingenberg, Rock Creek; McKinley Kruger, Silver Lake; Kinsey Perine, Rossville; Kinley Porter, Rossville; Brenna Smith, St. Marys; Sarah Wehrli, Silver Lake.
Second team
Ella Bolan, Silver Lake; Nora Burdiek, Rossville; Hope Garland, St. Marys; Hayden Heim, St. Marys; Sam Killingsworth, Rock Creek; Ambree Portelli, Rock Creek.
Honorable mention
Maddie Belle Davis, Riley County; Kaibryn Kruger, Silver Lake; Ryan Leathers, Rossville; Sarah Lett, St. Marys; Makenzie McDaniel, Silver Lake; Brynna Zoeller, Rock Creek.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Even though both Shawnee Heights and Highland Park entered Thursday's second-round Class 5A playoff game with identical 7-2 records, the T-Birds were the favorite in the all-city battle, based on strength of schedule and a hot streak at the end of the season.
Shawnee Heights senior Allen Baughman scores one of his three first-half touchdowns in Thursday's 56-20 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Allen Baughman is hoisted in the air by teammate Rykan Carver after scoring a touchdown in Thursday's 56-20 Class 5A playoff win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And Jason Swift's T-Birds lived up to that role in a dominant first half, opening up a commanding 49-0 advantage on the way to a 56-20 win at Hummer Sports Park.
"We were very workmanlike and I like that because there's always a lot of distractions,'' Swift said. "It starts off with one, it being a Thursday night and two, it's playing a Highland Park team that's good and competitive and probably is your friends on the side.
"You put all that together and you're trying to stay focused on a short week and they did it. They came out and took care of business.''
Shawnee Heights, which has now won five straight games, reached the eight-win mark for the first time since 1994 and have advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The T-Birds will face the winner of Friday night's game between Blue Valley Southwest (8-1) and Lansing (5-4).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's boys soccer team stared elimination in the face Tuesday night and lived to play another day.
Now the Junior Blues want to take advantage of surviving that 2-1 overtime nailbiter with Garden City in a Class 6A quarterfinal and take aim on the fourth boys state title in Washburn Rural history Friday and Saturday at Hummer Sports Park.
Veteran Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel talks to his team after Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win over Garden City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural's soccer team dogpiles Draden Chooncharoen after his game-winning goal in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win over Garden City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
"We're glad to get past (that) one, we're glad to survive,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "We're going to have to be awesome this weekend. It's maybe going to be as loaded of a final four as we've ever had.''
The Junior Blues will take a sparkling 18-1-0 record into Friday's 6:30 p.m. semifinal against Shawnee Mission West (14-3-2) while Dodge City (18-1-0) will face Olathe East (15-4-0) in the opening semifinal at 4 p.m.
The semifinal winners will play for the state championship at 3 p.m. Saturday, following a 12 p.m. third-place game.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural sophomore soccer player Draden Chooncharoen and Seaman junior volleyball star Maegan Mills have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Chooncharoen and Mills over the past week:
Sophomore Draden Chooncharoen (23) scored the game-winning goal in Washburn Rural's 2-1 overtime win over Garden City in Tuesday's Class 6A state quarterfinal. [File photo/TSN]
DRADEN CHOONCHAROEN, Washburn Rural
A sophomore forward/midfielder, Chooncharoen scored the game-winning goal in overtime Tuesday night as Washburn Rural advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals with a 2-1 win over Garden City at McElroy Field.
Chooncharoen's goal, off an assist from senior Devon Rutschmann, came with 3:10 remaining in the first overtime period.
Chooncharoen helped Rural remain unbeaten against Kansas competition while improving to 18-1-0 on the season and earning the Junior Blues' fourth straight trip to the 6A final four.
Seaman junior Maegan Mills (13) earned All-State Tournament honors for the second time and was named the UKC offensive player of the year after helping the Vikings capture their first Class 5A state volleyball title. [File photo/TSN]
MAEGAN MILLS, Seaman
Mills, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter, helped lead Seaman to its first-ever Class 5A state volleyball championship last Saturday in Salina, with the Vikings capping a 38-6 season with a 25-19, 25-22 win over 2022 state champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the final at Tony's Pizza Events Center.
Mills was named to the All-State Tournament team for the second straight season was selected as the All-United Kansas Conference offensive player of the year.
Seaman won the state title after posting back-to-back fourth-place state finishes in 2021 and 2022.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Games at 7 p.m., unless noted)
THURSDAY'S GAME
Class 5A
Shawnee Heights senior Ryeki Tuley has passed for 1,861 yards and 19 touchdowns for the 7-2 T-Birds. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park junior Jamon Wilson (5) has rushed for 368 yards and three touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 474 yards and six TDs. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (7-2) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (7-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Highland Park won its first playoff game since 1991 and only its third in school history last Friday, rolling to a 55-7 win over Meadowlark Conference foe Kansas City-Harmon, while Shawnee Heights advanced with a 68-0 first-round playoff win over KC-Sumner Academy. The two city rivals will be meeting for the first time since the 2017 season. Highland Park senior Amari Taylor has rushed for 568 yards and seven touchdowns on 63 attempts while junior Jamon Wilson has rushed for 368 yards and three touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 474 yards and six TDs. Shawnee Heights senior Allen Baughman has carried the ball 141 times for 690 yards and 12 TDs while T-Bird senior quarterback Ryeki Tuley has passed for 1,861 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 343 yards and six scores on 79 attempts. Senior Jayden Moore has caught 50 passes for 620 yards and five TDs. Heights senior Alex Dawkins has been in on 60.5 tackles with 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The winner of Thursday night's game will advance to a state quarterfinal to take on the winner of Friday's game between Blue Valley Southwest (8-1) and Lansing (5-4).
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Class 6A
Washburn Rural senior Jaren Heim (27) scored a pair of touchdowns in the Junior Blues' 28-7 Centennial League win at Junction City earlier in the season. [File photo/TSN]
JUNCTION CITY (6-2) at WASHBURN RURAL (9-0)
Washburn Rural, the No. 1 West seed, opened its playoff quest with a 48-7 win over winless Wichita North last Friday while Junction City advanced with a 27-18 win over Wichita Heights. Rural and Junction City will be playing for the second time this season, with the Junior Blues taking a 28-7 Centennial League win over the Blue Jays earlier this fall. Washburn Rural has already won nine straight games for the first time since a perfect 12-0 season in 1989 and is within a win of winning 10 games for the first time since 1992. The winner of Friday's game will advance to the 6A quarterfinals to face the winner of Friday's game between Wichita Northwest (7-2) and Wichita East (7-2). With a win Friday Rural would also be at home for the quarterfinals.
Class 5A
