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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twelve city players earned first-team spots on the 2023 All-Centennial League football team, led by Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese, who was named the offense player of the year.
Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese has been named the Centennial League offensive player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to the league title and an 11-1 record overall. [File photo/TSN]
Steve Buhler has been named the Centennial League coach of the year after leading Washburn Rural to the league title and an 11-1 record on the year. [File photo/TSN]
DeWeese, who was also a first-team pick on offense, is one of 11 players to receive first-team recognition from Washburn Rural, which won the Centennial League championship on the way to an 11-1 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs.
Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler was selected as the Centennial League coach of the year.
Senior wide receiver Titan Osburn, junior offensive linemen Caden Estrada and Jacob Hawks and sophomore running back TJ Minikwu also earned first-team honors for Washburn Rural on offense along with DeWeese while senior linemen Packson Bettis and Jamond Lane, senior linebackers Jaren Heim and JC Heim and junior defensive back Kingston Leonard first-team picks on defense and Rural sophomore Trevon Creager was named the first-team punter.
Topeka High junior Jayden Norman earned a first-team berth on the all-league offense at wide receiver.
Junction City senior Michael Boganowski was named the Centennial defensive player of the year.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin's boys basketball team opened the Chip Kueffer era with a come-from-behind 46-42 win over Burlingame in the opening round of the Waverly tournament.
Kueffer was making his debut as the Lions' coach and picked up the win as CPLS closed with a strong fourth-quarter rally.
Cair Paravel senior Evan Will scored 14 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in the Lions' 46-42 win over Burlingame on Thursday. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Evan Will led the Lions with 14 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer from the left wing off a pass from Ian Brian.
Brian also came up with an offensive rebound off a missed Lion free throw with 10 seconds remaining to clinch the win.
CPLS senior Simon Everhart scored 10 points in Thursday's 46-42 season-opening win over Burlingame in the Waverly tournament. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Ty Gossard goes to the hoop in Thursday's 46-42 Cair Paravel win over Burlingame. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN\
Ty Gossard and Simon Everhart added 10 points apiece for the Lions.
Cair Paravel will face tournament host Waverly at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 53, NEWTON 13
Maddie Vickery, a 6-foot-1 freshman, scored 18 points in her high school debut, helping lead Washburn Rural to a 53-13 win over Newton in the first round of the Hays Shootout.
In addition to Vickery's game-high performance, the Junior Blues got 13 points from junior Kate Hinck.
Washburn Rural played without senior standout Zoe Canfield.
The Junior Blues, who won the Class 6A state title in 2022 and finished second in 2023, advanced to a 6:30 p.m. Friday semifinal game to face tournament host Hays.
Rural will close out its tournament appearance on Saturday.
BURLINGAME GIRLS 57, CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 30
Burlingame topped Cair Paravel Latin 57-30 in the opening round of the Waverly tournament.
The Lions will play Waverly at 6 p.m. Friday.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High girls basketball team started a new era with a young lineup and, despite some growing pains, were encouraged by what they saw in a 44-40 loss to Wamego at Topeka High Thursday.
Topeka High coach Britney Redmond gives instructions to her team during Thursday's 44-40 loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High senior Ladaysha Baird fights for a loose ball in Thursday's 44-40 loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans played just one player – Ladaysha Baird – who was older than a sophomore. Baird is one of two holdovers from last year’s team that went 16-6 and came just short of a trip to the 6A state tournament.
The young Trojans fell behind by 12 in the second period, but they didn’t wilt. They struck back after halftime, outscoring the Lady Raiders 12-2 in the third period. Topeka High claimed the lead 29-28 early in the fourth and kept it close the rest of the way.
“I think we have the youngest team in the state of Kansas. We didn’t play our best and still only lost by four,” said Topeka High coach Brittney Redmond. “I know the identity of this team and I told them ‘Hey, second half, things are going to go our way.’ ”
The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Ahsieryrhajh Rayton with 16. In all, Topeka High played three freshmen and three sophomores in addition to Baird.
“There were a lot of nerves. I don’t think they knew what to expect today,” Redmond said. “I think they exceeded my expectations. I’m extremely proud of this group. I know this is only just the beginning.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys basketball team used a balanced attack to open its season with a 58-38 victory over Wamego at Topeka High Thursday night.
Da'Mykel Hales led a balanced Topeka High attack with 14 points in Thursday's 58-38 season-opening win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Isaiah Lyons scored 10 points as Topeka High opened the season with a 58-38 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Against a team that handed them a season-opening 62-47 defeat a year ago, Topeka High got off to a hot start. The Trojans jumped out to a 17-12 advantage, which they stretched to 28-21 at halftime.
After leading 38-28 after three quarters, the Trojans slammed the door on the Raiders, outscoring the visitors 20-10 in the final period.
The Trojans return several players from a team that won just three games a year ago.
“Getting this first win really boosts our confidence a lot,” said senior guard Isaiah Lyons. “We’re ready to turn this program around. Coming in, we had a lot of talk about us being the underdog. But we’re here to prove that we’re going to win.”
Four players recorded at least eight points for Topeka High, and all seven who played tallied at least four points. The Trojans were paced by Da’Mykel Hales with 14, Miguel Villegas with 12 and Lyons with 10.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's defense kept the Vikings in Thursday night's season-opener against Lansing until the offense heated up.
And when that happened in a 20-point third quarter, Seaman took control on the way to a 58-49 United Kansas Conference win at Seaman.
Seaman sophomore KaeVon Bonner (13), who scored a game-high 28 points, is congratulated by his teammates after a dunk early in the fourth quarter gave the Vikings an 18-point lead. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman (1-0, 1-0) had trouble getting untracked on the offensive end early on, with Lansing (0-1, 0-1) leading by as many as eight points early in the second quarter.
But Seaman never lost contact and was within two points, 26-24, at the half and ended the third quarter with a 16-6 run to take a 44-36 lead into the fourth.
"We were fortunate that we were pretty darn good defensively, even though they did hit five 3-pointers, to be in a two-point ballgame as sluggish as we were offensively,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "I felt good about that and then we put it all together and really looked how we'd hoped we'd look in that third quarter.''
The Vikings then opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points, including the final eight by sophomore KaeVon Bonner, to open up a commanding 54-36 advantage with 5:19 left.
