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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which captured its 28th straight Centennial League boys championship (outright or shared) and finished fourth in the Class 6A state tournament, leads the 2022 Topeka All-City boys soccer team with four first-team picks.
The Junior Blues are represented on the 15-member first team by senior forward Easton Bradstreet, senior defender Rishi Sandir, senior midfielder Ty Stead and junior forward Devon Rutschmann while veteran Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year after leading Rural to a 16-5 record and a third straight trip to the 6A final four.
Bradstreet ended his high school career with a share of Rural's career scoring record with 57 goals, including 29 goals his senior season.
Topeka High, which went 11-6 on the season, put three players on the All-City team -- sophomore forward CJ Brown, senior forward Aidan Morrison and senior defender Alexis Salas-Garcia.
United Kansas Conference champion Shawnee Heights (11-6-1) is represented by on the first team by senior forward Jordan Garvin, the UKC player of the year, and senior midfielder Isaac Wilson while Hayden (8-9-1) put senior midfielder Chris Hayes and senior forward Jake Muller on the first team and Seaman (3-12-2) is represented by senior defender Joseph Budge and senior goalkeeper Ayden Thompson.
Senior forward Vellamy Diaz, the Meadowlark Conference co-player of the year, made the All-City team for Highland Park (10-7-1) while Topeka West is represented by junior defender Isaac Gonzalez-Talavera.
Diaz, Muller and Wilson are all first-team All-City repeat picks while Hayes, Thompson, Garvin, Brown, Morrison, Salas-Garcia, Bradstreet and Rutschmann all received honorable mention in 2021.
The All-City team was determined by a vote of city coaches.
TOPEKA ALL-CITY SOCCER
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twenty-five city players have earned All-United Kansas Conference football recognition, led by seven first-team picks.
Shawnee Heights put a city-high four players on the All-UKC first team, with junior running back Allen Baughman, senior offensive lineman Gavin Zuperku, junior all-purpose pick Jayden Moore and junior defensive lineman Christian Gonzales all earning first-team berths.
Seaman is represented on the first team by senior running back Bryson Vawter and senior offensive lineman Sean Miller while Topeka West senior Xavier Alexander was named the All-UKC first-team punter.
Earning second-team all-conference honors on offense were Topeka West senior quarterback Malachi Berg, Seaman junior receiver Callen Barta, Shawnee Heights junior tight end Jayden Holly and Shawnee Heights junior lineman Rykan Carver.
Eight city players earned second-team spots on defense -- Seaman senior lineman Kasen Hasenkamp, Topeka West junior lineman Kyrece Robinson, Seaman senior linebacker Jaxson Thomas, Shawnee Heights junior linebacker Alex Dittman, Shawnee Heights senior linebacker Sean Wunder, Seaman junior back Jack Bloom, Shawnee Heights senior back Jayden Berry and Heights senior back Jaye Jones.
In addition to earning first-team honors at punter, West's Alexander received All-UKC honorable mention on offense while Seaman's Vawter, a first-team running back, received honorable mention on defense. Six other city players received honorable mention.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park senior Vellamy Diaz has been named the Meadowlark Conference soccer co-player of the year after helping lead the Scots to a 10-7-1 record in the 2022 season.
Diaz is joined on the all-conference first team by Scot teammates Ismael Salinas, a senior, and sophomore Antonio Aguirre.
Highland Park senior Manny Hernandez received honorable mention.
ALL-MEADOWLARK CONFERENCE SOCCER
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's football team, which ended a 65-game losing streak in its season-opener and went on to a breakout 6-3 season, swept the offensive, defensive and coach of the year honors in its first season in the Meadowlark Conference.
Scot senior Tre Richardson was named the offensive player of the year while senior teammate Mackey James was named the defensive player of the year and Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe was named the conference coach of the year.
Richardson was also named the Meadowlark returner of the year and was a first-team pick at receiver while James was named the utility player on the first-team defense and senior A'Ydren Drew-Gregory was a first-team selection at defensive back.
Highland Park sophomore linemen Adrian Burney and freshman Andres Ochoa-Perez were second-team all-conference selections on offense while lineman Burney and junior linebacker Isaac Shafer were second-team picks on defense.
Scot senior quarterback Kei'Juan Johnson received All-Meadowland honorable mention.
ALL-MEADOWLARK CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: Additional pictures will be added at TopSports.news when they are received.
QUENTIN ADAMS, Highland Park
A senior point guard, Adams was a floor leader for a Highland Park team that posted a 18-5 record and advanced to the Class 5A tournament last season, averaging 6 points, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals for the Scots, who begin their first season in the Meadowlark Conference this winter. Adams earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season.
BO ALDRIDGE, Highland Park
A 6-foot-4 senior, Aldridge helped lead the 18-5 Scots to a Class 5A state tournament berth last season, earning TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League first-team recognition last season. Aldridge, who received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 18.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals as a junior.
XAVIER ALEXANDER, Topeka West
Alexander, a senior guard, helped Topeka West post a 21-2 record in 2021-2022 en route to a second straight Centennial League championship and a second straight 5A state tournament berth. Alexander received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals while hitting 47 3-pointers and shooting 66 percent from 2-point range.
SINCERE AUSTIN, Topeka West
A 6-foot-1 senior, Austin helped Topeka West post a 21-2 record last season with the Chargers claiming a second straight Class 5A state tournament berth and a second straight Centennial League championship. Austin earned TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League second-team recognition as a junior after averaging 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals and hitting 32 3-pointers.
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural
Bachelor, a 6-2 senior, earned TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League second-team honors as a junior for the 9-13 Junior Blues, averaging 13.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals while connecting on 44 3-pointers and shooting 43 percent from outside the arc.
MALACHI BERG, Topeka West
A 6-2 senior, Berg was a workhorse inside for the 21-2 Chargers, who claimed a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight 5A state tournament berth. Berg earned All-Centennial League and TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention, averaging 6.0 rebounds and shooting 60 percent from 2-point field goal range.