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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a string of tough tests, including back to back games against perennial Class 6A powers Manhattan and Junction City, Washburn Rural entered Friday's Senior Night game against Topeka High as a big favorite.
And the Junior Blues lived up to that billing, opening up a 41-0 lead on the way to a 48-15 Centennial League victory at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Washburn Rural junior King Leonard returns a pass interception 47 yards for a touchdown in the Junior Blues' 48-15 Centennial League win over Topeka High Friday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Titan Osburn (10) celebrates his touchdown catch with junior teammate Blake Recinos in Friday's 48-15 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
With Friday's victory Washburn Rural improved to a perfect 6-0 on the season while clinching at least a share of the Centennial title with its third straight league win.
"I was happy with the effort and the focus from the week coming into the game,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "I was a little nervous about a little hangover from the last two weeks but I thought our guys did a really nice job of preparing this week.
"The coaches gave them a good game plan and they came out and played well.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Punter is one of those rare positions on a football team where you hope you're not needed.
Jake Zeller
"I didn't punt at all against Lincoln and I'm OK with that,'' said Washburn University sophomore punter Jake Zeller, a Holton product, "There's games where I'm like, 'You know what, if I don't have to punt that's A-OK with me.'
"You've just got to be ready at all times.''
And when WU does need to punt, the Ichabods are confident Zeller's going to deliver.
Zeller won Washburn's punting job as a true freshman and averaged a respectable 41.9 yards on 41 attempts, with 10 punts of 50 or more yards and 14 inside the 20-yard-line.
Washburn punter Jake Zeller leads the MIAA with a 47.1-yard average and booted an 81-yard punt last Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But Zeller has taken a big step forward this fall, leading the MIAA with a 47.1-yard average after a monster game in last Saturday's 27-21 loss at Nebraska-Kearney.
Against the Lopers, Zeller averaged 52 yards on three punts, including an 81-yard effort that ranks third all-time at Washburn behind a pair of 87-yarders.
"When I hit it I was kind of like, 'It's not a good hit,' '' Zeller said. "I watched it and I counted it out and I think it was 42 yards where it landed. Then it rolled the rest of the way. When it landed I was like, 'It's not a bad hit, not a terrible hit,' but when it hit and started rolling I was like, 'Please, just keep going, just keep going, just keep going.'
"Granted, I had some wind at my back, but a punt's a punt and they don't put whether it rolled or was in the air.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' boys soccer team scored a pair of goals in both halves Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park, rolling to 4-0 United Kansas Conference shutout over Topeka West.
Shawnee Heights freshman Mason Haas (26), advancing the ball Thursday at Hummer Sports Park, scored a pair of goals in the T-Birds' 4-0 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Roscoe Poyner (1), who had a goal and an assist, battles Topeka West's Brendan Komma for the ball in Thursday's UKC soccer match at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The T-Birds, who improved to 6-6-0, scored the only goal they would need early in the match and were never seriously threatened.
Shawnee Heights got a pair of goals from freshman Mason Haas while the T-Birds also got goals from sophomore Jason Slay and senior Roscoe Poyner.
Poyner and senior Jack Phillips were credited with assists while junior Carter Freeman picked up the shutout in goal for the T-Birds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's football team was probably going to need to be at full strength to have a chance of knocking off undefeated Atchison Thursday night.
Unfortunately for the Scots, they weren't even close to that as the Phoenix took a big step towards a second straight Meadowlark Conference victory with a 64-8 romp at Hummer Sports Park.
Junior receiver Ja'Corey Robinson was forced into duty at quarterback for Highland Park and passed for 103 yards and a touchdown in the Scots' 64-8 loss to Atchison Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park junior Jamon Wilson (5) stiff-arms an Atchison defender as he tries to pick up extra yardage in Thursday's 64-8 loss to the Phoenix. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We had a total of almost 20 players out today, and 11 of them were varsity,'' said Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe, who only had 27 players in uniform.
Atchison, which improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the Meadowlark, scored all eight times it touched the ball in the first half, including a defensive touchdown, as the Phoenix opened up a commanding 57-0 halftime advantage.
With a running clock in use throughout the second half due to the 45-point spread rule, Atchison also scored on its first possession of the second half to take a 64-0 lead with 1:50 left in the third quarter.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Making the move from Pamplona, Spain to Lamoni, Iowa to Topeka represented a series of major transitions for Washburn University soccer midfielder Ana Muruzabal.
Junior Ana Muruzabal (10) leads the 9-1-0 Washburn soccer team with five goals. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But after a season to get used to a new home, both on and off the soccer pitch, the 5-foot-10 junior is in the midst of a breakout campaign for the 9-1-0 Ichabods, ranked 25th in the national rankings after winning a program-record eight straight games.
"I wasn't sure what I wanted to study when I was back home and then I was told I could come to the U.S. and play soccer and study so I was interested in that.'' Muruzabal said of her circuitous journey to WU. "I was in contact with different coaches and decided to go to Graceland.
"There were a lot of people leaving the soccer program at Graceland and the coach was leaving, too, so I didn't like how things were looking there so I decided to go for something new.''
It definitely took time for Muruzabal to adjust to a new team and a new level of soccer, with Muruzabal seeing action in just five games and playing just 53 minutes in 2022.
"It was a harder year and I had to transition a lot,'' she said. "I feel NAIA (at Graceland) was really different from D-II. The game was really different and I was used to playing as a defender and I was playing as a midfielder here so that was real different and it took me awhile.
"I worked really hard last year and during the summer. I knew what I had to do.''
Junior Ana Muruzabal (10) has had a breakout season for the 9-1-0 Washburn soccer team. [File photo/TSN]
The results have been dramatic, with Muruzabal leading the Ichabods with five goals while also adding three assists.
"I am surprised but I feel like the hard work is showing,'' Muruzabal said.
