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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Games at 7 p.m., unless noted)
CLASS 6A
Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese (right) ran for two touchdowns and threw for two TDs in Rural's 55-8 win over Topeka West last Thursday. [File photo/TSN]
WICHITA NORTH (0-8) at WASHBURN RURAL (8-0)
Washburn Rural, the No. 1 West seed, wrapped up a perfect regular season with a 55-8 non-league romp past Topeka West last Thursday at Hummer Sports Park and the Junior Blues will be a big favorite again Friday against winless Wichita North. Senior quarterback Branton DeWeese threw for two touchdowns and ran for two TDs in Rural's win over Topeka West while junior Lafayette Thompson scored a pair of TDs, including a 90-yard kickoff return. The winner of Friday's game will advance in the 6A playoffs to face the winner of Friday's game between Junction City (5-3) and Wichita Heights (5-3). As long as they keep winning, the Junior Blues will be at Bowen-Glaze Stadium through the first four rounds of the playoffs. Wichita North is coming off a 52-0 loss ot Pittsburg.
TOPEKA HIGH (1-7) at DERBY (7-1)
Topeka High is the No. 14 West seed and will be on the road for the second straight season to face perennial Class 6A power Derby, the No. 3 West seed and the winner of five state titles since 2015. Topeka High dropped a 62-33 road non-league decision against Hays last Friday while Derby took a 55-7 win over Newton. The Panthers' lone loss was a 33-19 decision to reigning 6A state champion Manhattan in the season-opener. The Topeka High-Derby winner advances to face the winner of the first-round game between Lawrence (6-2) and Dodge City (3-5).
CLASS 5A
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The 2023 All Shawnee County girls golf team -- From left: Klara Kleinig, Silver Lake; Taylor Zordel, Silver Lake; Avery Samuelson, Seaman; Avery Zimmerman, Topeka High; Olivia Smith, Washburn Rural; Raegan Petersen, Washburn Rural; Hannah Reynoldson, Hayden; Lauren Borjon, Hayden; Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five state placers who helped their schools win state team championships headline the 2023 All-Shawnee County girls golf team.
Hayden senior Hannah Reynoldson and sophomores Lauren Borjon and Izzy Glotzbach all earned all-county first-team recognition after helping lead the Wildcats to a 37-stroke victory in the Class 4A state tournament while Silver Lake senior Klara Kleinig and junior Taylor Zordel are first-team picks after leading Silver Lake to a 22-stroke team championship in 3A-1A.
Glotzbach tied for ninth, Reynoldson 14th and Borjon 15th in 4A while Kleinig tied for second and Zordel took fourth in 3A-1A.
Also earning all-county first-team honors were Washburn Rural seniors Raegan Petersen and Olivia Smith, Topeka High senior Avery Zimmerman and Seaman senior Avery Samuelson.
Petersen and Samuelson earned state medals while Smith finished 22nd in 6A and city champion Zimmerman was a three-time state qualifier.
Petersen, Zimmerman and Zordel are All-Shawnee County first-team repeaters while Glotzbach, Reynoldson and Samuelson all move up to the first team after being second-team picks in 2022.
Named to this year's second team were Washburn Rural juniors Natalie Peterson, Reece Randall and Colbey Stead along with Hayden senior Avery Grunert and Seaman sophomore Makenna Stuke and junior Jaycee Zimmerman.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Even though it may result in a few losses along the way, Silver Lake volleyball coach Sarah Johnson has never shied away from a tough schedule, banking on the tough tests to make the Eagles a better team in the long run.
Sarah Johnson's Silver Lake volleyball team will take a 28-11 record into this weekend's Class 3A state tournament at Hutchinson. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake, 28-11 on the season, suffered four of its 11 losses on the year in the big-school Seaman Invitational, but three of those four losses came against teams that are in the state tournament (Seaman and Spring HIll in 5A, Bishop MIege in 4A) and the fourth defeat came against 5A Bishop Carroll, which went 26-11 and lost to the top seed in 5A.
The Eagles also beat 6A state qualifier Manhattan in a quad while losing to Seaman and 5A Shawnee Heights.
And, as has been the case in the past, the earlier tests have paid off for the perennial state contender in crunch time, with nine-time state champion Silver Lake back in the Class 3A state field Friday and Saturday at Hutchinson after a three-year absence.
"I feel that losing to great teams during the season only puts us at an advantage when we get to postseason,'' Johnson said. "My girls know how to be in tough/tight situations and make adjustments accordingly. For as long as I've been here, these Silver Lake female athletes crave that tough competition.
"Because we see that caliber of teams, we're not in shock come postseason. One amazing kill from a stud athlete on the other side of the net won't get us rattled, but it will push us to learn and adapt.''
Silver Lake's volleyball team poses for a team picture after winning the Class 3A sub-state tournament last Saturday at St. Marys. [Silver Lake volleyball]
Silver Lake garnered its latest state berth by wading through a tough St. Marys sub-state with a senior-led team that includes a group of athletes who have been successful in multi-sports for the Eagles.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
An outstanding regular season gave Washburn Rural soccer a favorable homefield advantage for the Junior Blues' Class 6A playoff opener Tuesday night.
Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel talks to his team after Tuesday's 10-0 regional romp past Campus in the rain at McElroy Field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And Rural, the No. 2 West seed, took took full advantage, rolling to 10-0 regional win on a rainy, windy night at McElroy Field in a game that was stopped at halftime due to the 10-goal spread rule.
"We got exactly what we wanted, which was homefield advantage and the best seed possible to give yourself the best road, and then you've got to take advantage of it,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "Our guys came out focused, even with the weather, and we were able to play everybody and rest some guys and we'll be ready to go Thursday night.''
It took Washburn Rural, now 16-1, just 2 minutes, 31 seconds to score the only goal it would need, with sophomore Draden Chooncharoen scoring off an assist from sophomore Drew Moore.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights cross country star Jackson Esquibel knows there's several runners capable of challenging for the Class 5A individual title in Saturday's state meet at Rim Rock Farm, north of Lawrence.
Shawnee Heights senior Jackson Esquibel is one of the top contenders for the Class 5A state cross country title after posting a 53-second win in last Saturday's Class 5A regional. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But there's really only one runner that Esquibel is concerned about heading into his final race of an ultra-successfull high school cross country career.
"I think I worry about me more than I worry about other people,'' Esquibel said. "In this sport you can't really fear anyone or else they're going to get the best of you. They're going to get in your head a little bit, so you just have to believe in your game plan and commit to your game plan.
"And then once you're out there, it's just about competing. I feel like each week you keep finding something you can improve on, whether it's your first mile, whether it's how you use the hills, how you explode after the hills. Kind of through experience you learn through failures, you keep improving and you keep getting confidence in yourself.''
Esquibel, a state champ in track, is already a two-time state medalist in cross country, including an eighth-place finish a year ago, and he enters Saturday's meet on top of his game after sweeping city, United Kansas Conference and 5A regional individual titles. Esquibel was one of five underclassmen that posted top-10 finishes in 5A a year ago and one of 11 that finished in the top 20.
"I know that once I'm on a state start line you push until you have nothing left, so the goal is go out that first mile strong and then attack those hills and don't be afraid to push it when you are in the most pain,'' Esquibel said. "I think that is the most important part of that course.
"That course has a lot of hills, so it's all about believing that you're strong enough to persevere.''
The 5A boys race is scheduled for 12:20 p.m. Saturday.
Here's a class-by-class look at Saturday's state meets involving Shawnee County teams and individual qualifiers:
