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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's 14-15 men's basketball record a year ago wasn't necessarily a bad season, particularly considering who the Ichabods lost off their NCAA Tournament team from 2021-2022.
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard and his Ichabods will be looking to return to MIAA and NCAA prominence this season after slipping to 14-15 a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
But seven-year Ichabod coach Brett Ballard makes no bones about the fact that a repeat of that won't be acceptable at Washburn moving forward.
"It humbles you,'' said Ballard, 118-64 at Washburn with four NCAA Tournament appearances. "As a coach you've got to learn from it and we've got to be better. It's just not our standard here and not the expectations that I have or anybody has for this program.''
"Our players understand that and there's no question in my mind that we'll take a big step this year.''
Fortunately for WU, the Ichabods seemingly have the talent in place to make that happen.
"We return about 70 percent of our scoring and about 80 percent of our rebounding and return a lot of guys that played big minutes last year,'' Ballard said. "I thought we showed some flashes of being really good at times last year, especially at home. We were good at home, not as good on the road.
"Part of that was just the youth we were playing and the league is really, really good. But this year, with those guys coming back, we're looking for much more consistency and being tough enough to be able to win at home but also be able to go on the road and get big wins, too. Our schedule's going to be brutal again, but that's not an excuse. We've got good players. I really like the pieces that we've got.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All games at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAME
WASHBURN RURAL (7-0) vs. TOPEKA WEST (1-6)
At Hummer Sports Park
Washburn Rural clinched the Centennial League championship with last Friday's 46-0 win at Emporia and can clinch the No. 1 seed in the Class 6A West for the playoffs with a Thursday night non-league win over city rival Topeka West. Washburn Rural is the only remaining undefeated team in 6A. Rural quarterback Branton DeWeese threw for three touchdowns against Emporia as the Junior Blues opened up a 39-0 halftime lead before forcing a running clock early in the second half. Topeka West is coming off a 62-12 United Kansas Conference loss to Shawnee Heights and is currently the No. 13 seed in the 5A East.
FRIDAY GAMES
Junior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has passed for 852 yards and six touchdowns for 7-0 Hayden, which will host Hiawatha in a non-league contest Friday. [File photo/TSN]
HIAWATHA (1-6) at HAYDEN (7-0)
Hayden clinched the Class 3A District 4 championship last Friday night with a 24-7 win over Holton and will host Hiawatha in a non-league contest. Hiawatha is coming off a 28-0 loss to Marysville. Hayden will be at home next Friday for the first round of the 3A playoffs. Wildcat junior Jett Wahlmeier has completed 50 of 94 passes for 852 yards and six touchdowns while junior Jensen Schrickel has caught 20 passes for 393 yards and four TDs and has carried the ball 10 times for 100 yards. Junior Broderick Desch has rushed for 286 yards and eight touchdowns on 57 attempts and sophomore Kade Mitchell has 235 yards and four TDs on 36 carries.
Seaman junior quarterback Max Huston has passed for 1,905 yards and 25 touchdowns this fall. [File photo/TSN]
PIPER (1-5, 1-5 United Kansas Conference) at SEAMAN (3-4, 3-3 United Kansas Conference)
Seaman will be looking to bounce back from last Friday's heartbreaking 27-24 United Kansas Conference road loss at Basehor-Linwood, the Vikings' third loss this fall by 7 or fewer points and their second 3-point loss. Seaman is currently the No. 10 East seed for the Class 5A playoffs. Seaman junior quarterback Max Huston has completed 128 of 205 passes for 1,905 yards and 25 touchdowns while only throwing one interception. Senior Callen Barta has 44 receptions for 891 yards and 12 TDs. Senior Jack Bloom has rushed for 416 yards and six scores on107 attempts. Junior Hayden Cummings has been in on 69 tackles for the Vikings. Piper is coming off a 10-0 UKC win over Leavenworth.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Centennial League has undergone major changes over the past several years, going from 10 to nine and now six members.
But one thing that hasn't changed is the school that wins the boys soccer league championship.
Sophomore Dylan Willingham (19) scored the game's first goal in Washburn Rural's 5-0 Centennial League soccer win over Topeka High Tuesday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
With Tuesday night's 5-0 win over Topeka HIgh at Hummer Sports Park, Washburn Rural won its 29th straight Centennial League title (outright or shared), completing a 5-0 league run this fall.
"Part of our soccer tradition, our soccer pedigree is winning the Centennial League,'' Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "The league used to have 10 teams and now it has six. It used to be double the work to try to win the league but every year that still means we have to beat some rival schools.
"The five games we had to win this year we played great in those five games to do it and the streak keeps going. Every year that I've been here we've won it and every year our senior class doesn't want to be the one to lose it, so we're excited to win it again.''
Washburn Rural senior Devon Rutschmann (10) registered a three-goal hat trick Tuesday night as Rural clinched its 29th straight Centennial League boys soccer title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior star Devon Rutschmann, who had a hat trick against the Trojans, agreed with Hensyel that winning the league title is a source of pride.
"It started before every single player was even alive and coach said after the game that we have players that were born after Rural's last loss to a league team (in 2008), so there's obviously a little bit of pride to keep it going,'' Rutschmann said.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A goal late in the second overtime period gave the Cair Paravel Latin boys soccer team a 1-0 win over Maranatha Christian Academy Tuesday at the Sunflower Soccer Association.
Cair Paravel Latin soccer honored its lone senior, Justus Scott, Thursday at Sunflower Soccer Complex. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
With the second overtime period about to elapse, Cair Paravel’s Alfredo Cartes lofted a corner kick into the opposing box, where teammate Nathan Keys rose above the crowd to head the ball past the visiting goalkeeper.
Though Cair Paravel finished the regular season with a record of just 4-7, there was plenty at stake for the Lions.
In addition to improving their standing in the Class 4-1A seeding and potentially setting up a more favorable post-season matchup, the Lions felt they had some unfinished business to attend to.
In its previous meeting with Maranatha, Cair Paravel trailed 3-2 when the game was ended prematurely due to weather. The Lions didn’t forget, believing they stood a good chance of tying, and ultimately winning, that contest.
“We were cut off short the last time we played them. So, it felt really good to get this win,” said Justus Scott, the Lions’ lone senior and team captain. “The defense really shut down their offense, and our offense did really well, so I’m proud.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake's girls golf team completed its dominant 2023 season in grand style Tuesday, winning its first Class 3A-1A state championship by a whopping 22 strokes at Hesston Golf Course.
Silver Lake's girls golf team poses for a picture after winning the Class 3A-1A state title by 22 strokes Tuesday at Hesston. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Silver Lake got second and fourth-place individual finishes from Klara Kleinig and Taylor Zordel on the way to a 701-723 margin over Colby.
"This is our first-ever state title as a program. The program started in 2001,'' Silver Lake coach Kelby Brown told KSHSAA Covered. "We've consistently competed at the state level, but we just haven't gotten to that next level. The last couple years we've been close.
"They have put themselves on the map. This means the world for us and for the school."
Silver Lake's Klara Kleinig finished in a tie for second in the Class 3A-1A state girls golf tournament, finishing with a 36-hole total of 160. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Kleinig, a foreign exchange student from Germany, shot back to back 80s to finish tied for the runnerup spot behind Wichita Collegiate's Margaret Ulrich, who won by six strokes at 154 (73-81).
"I've never played (a tournament) like this,'' Kleinig said. "It was just a great experience. I loved seeing the crowd watching on 18 and I love the team spirit and that so many people came to support us."
