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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
PERRY – In the 2022 Class 3A state tournament, the Silver Lake girls' basketball team left the arena feeling empty, sad and hungry for the gold.
A year later, Silver Lake is heading back to Hutchinson and will look to avenge its state tournament loss after a 46-26 3A sub-state championship victory over its deepest rival, Rossville.
Silver Lake is presented its Class 3A sub-state championship trophy Saturday night at Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Silver Lake celebrates Saturday's 46-26 Class 3A sub-state championship game win over Rossville at Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
With Silver Lake's win, the Eagles have won their sub-state bracket three times in a row. For the second straight year, the same starting lineup will try and win the Eagles' first state championship since 2016.
"This feeling never gets old," Silver Lake junior McKinley Kruger said. "For this being our third time in a row doing this, it still feels as great as the last two. There are a lot of great teams in 3A, and everyone is out to get us based on our success last year and this year. We need to keep staying together and playing as a team. We are unstoppable if we play at our best, and nobody can beat us."
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Washburn Rural girls will have a chance to defend their Class 6A state title next week, thanks to a sub-state title-game win over rival Topeka High, 45-29, on Saturday night at Topeka High.
Washburn Rural senior MaRyah Lutz and her Junior Blue teammates celebrate Saturday night's Class 6A sub-state championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick gives senior MaRyah Lutz a hug after being presented with the Class 6A sub-state championship trophy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning a Class 6A sub-state title with a 45-29 win Saturday night at Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seeded fifth in the 6A West bracket, the Junior Blues had their work cut out for them to reach the state tournament. They would be required to defeat, for the third time this season, Centennial League foes Manhattan and fourth-seeded Topeka High.
The phrase, 'It’s hard to beat a team three times,' was uttered frequently, but the Junior Blues did it.
Washburn Rural jumped on the Trojans out of the gate and didn’t let up.
Topeka High was held to just four points in each of the first three periods, finding themselves in an insurmountable deficit of 32-12. The Trojans were limited to just three field goals prior to the fourth period.
“It’s a big testament to what these kids are like,” Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. “The toughness, the resiliency facing adversity. This might have been our toughest game, having to come to their place, after what we’ve been through.”
Foremost in the challenges the Junior Blues have overcome was the mid-season loss of senior point guard Zoe Canfield. An injury to the Kansas University-commit deprived Washburn Rural of a ball handler and consistent outside shooter. Canfield wouldn’t be replaced by any one individual and Bordewick pointed to the play of sophomores Kate Hinck and Tenly Bunck and junior Destiny Ochs as instrumental.
“They had some big shoes to fill,” Bordewick said. “They had to pick up a lot of slack. If they hadn’t, we aren’t here.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, undefeated and top-ranked Highland Park's goals are set higher than winning a Class 5A sub-state championship.
But the Scots couldn't even think about mounting a state title run until they took care of business in Saturday's sub-state final against St. James Academy, and Highland Park checked that off its to-do list with an impressive 80-52 romp past the Thunder at Hi Park.
Highland Park senior standouts Tre Richardson (0) and Bo Aldridge cut down the nets after Saturday's 80-52 home win over St. James Academy in a Class 5A sub-state championship game. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park poses for a team picture after earning a second straight trip to state with an 80-52 win over St. James Academy Saturday night at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"That's paramount because there's no tomorrow, there's no state tournament without tonight,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said about the importance of sub-state. "A lot of times in these games you run the risk of getting caught up in the moment or getting away from a game plan or get out of whack just because there's no much at stake.
"I thought our guys did a good job of staying even keel, staying poised and figuring out the game along the way.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys basketball team fell short of a second straight Class 4A state tournament berth Friday night, with Atchison scoring the final three points of the game to take a 46-43 win on its home floor.
The game was tied at 43 with 1:20 remaining before the Phoenix scored the last three points, including two Trey Carter free throws with 20 seconds remaining to account for the final margin.
Senior Joe Otting scored a game-high 18 points in Hayden's 46-43 Class 4A sub-state championship game loss at Atchison Friday. [File photo/TSN]
Atchison, which improved to 19-3, hit two of three field goal attempts and nine of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter.
The game was close throughout, with Hayden leading 9-5 at the end of the opening quarter before the game was tied 22-22 at the half and Hayden held a 35-33 advantage at the start of the fourth.
Xiomar Hernandez led the Phoenix in scoring with 14 points, while Simon Rowley had 12 points off the bench and Carter eight points.
Senior Joe Otting led Hayden (11-11) with a game-high 18 points while senior Jake Muller added eight points, including two fourth-quarter 3-pointers.
Atchison will compete in next week's 4A state tournament at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
PERRY-LECOMPTON BOYS 38, SILVER LAKE 28 -- Silver Lake put itself in position for an upset with a 19-17 lead at the half Friday night at Perry-Lecompton, but the Kaws turned the tide with a 21-9 second half to take the 38-28 Class 3A sub-state semifinal decision.
Silver Lake, which finished its season 8-14, led 11-9 at the end of the opening quarter and still led by a bucket at the break, but the Kaws turned the tide with a 9-0 shutout in the third period to take a 26-19 advantage.
Perry-Lecompton (18-4) then closed out the win with a 12-9 scoring edge over the final eight minutes.
Silver Lake had five players crack the scoring column, but none with more than six points.
Spencer Johnson and Ian Stithem led the Eagles with six points each.
Perry-Lecompton will play Olathe Heritage Christian in Saturday's sub-state final. Heritage Christian took a 54-52 sub-state semifinal win over Kansas City-Bishop Ward.
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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
No. 4-seeded Washburn Rural boys basketball quite literally experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows in Friday night's sub-state finals matchup against Derby, believing that they would be heading to state for moments at a time that were quickly whisked away.
Senior Jack Bachelor ended his Washburn Rural career with 31 points in Friday's 74-72 four-overtime loss to Derby. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Kaden Ballard looks for operating room in Friday's four-overtime 74-72 sub-state loss to Derby. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
The game was ultimately decided in the fourth overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Derby sophomore Jack Ulwelling to give the Panthers a trip to state with the 74-72 win, and ending Rural’s season in heartbreaking fashion.
“I’m proud of the way we battled, there were times when we weren’t as tough as we needed to be, but we fought through a lot with Jacob (Hirchi) fouling out and Jack (Bachelor) fouling out and with his injury … I’m proud of these guys,” said Washburn Rural coach Alex Hutchins.
With .3 of a second remaining in the second overtime, Washburn Rural was charged with a technical foul for leaving the bench in celebration after a last-second heave by Derby had gone out of bounds. If not called the game would have ended 59-57 in favor of the home team.
“It’s a tough play because there was .3 seconds on the clock, the ball goes out of bounds, the referee throws his arm up and the buzzer goes off, “ said Washburn Rural assistant coach Kyle Fowler. “They called it the way they had to call it but it’s tough for these kids.”
