- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's soccer team certainly didn't plan on or want to be playing in Saturdays Class 6A third-place game.
But once the Junior Blues were forced into that situation they made the most of it, taking a dramatic last-minute 2-1 win over Dodge City at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural senior Griffin Heinen (right) celebrates his game-winning goal in Saturday's Class 6A third-place game with teammates Pierce Cannon (11) and and Hayden Shriver (15). [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural's soccer team hoists its Class 6A third-place trophy after Saturday's 2-1 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who finished off a 19-2 season, began and ended things with a flourish, scoring just 1:26 into the contest and then breaking a 1-1 tie on a goal from senior Griffin Heinen off a corner kick from fellow upperclassman Devon Rutschmann with 56 seconds remaining.
"Third feels a lot better than fourth, I'll say that,'' Heinen said. "The three years I've been on varsity, sophomore year we took second and that was heartbreaking. Last year we took fourth and lost to these guys in the consolation game. I'll take third over fourth any day.
"I think this group of guys just loves the environment, loves Washburn, and we have 11 seniors on this team and they're not ready to leave it, especially the younger guys behind, so I think we were just excited for one more game with everybody.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman led just one time in Friday night's Class 5A regional playoff game at De Soto, but it was the only time that counted.
Seaman celebrates its 31-28 Class 5A second-round playoff win over top 5A east seed De Soto Friday night in De Soto. [Seaman Athletics]
The No. 9-seeded Vikings came back from 7-0, 21-7 and 28-14 deficits to shock the top-seeded Wildcats 31-28 on a 25-yard Ethan Geiger field goal with 7:08 remaining.
Seaman, which improved to 6-4, advanced to a 5A state quarterfinal road contest against defending state champion Mill Valley, a 56-7 winner over Spring Hill, while De Soto ended its season 8-2.
DeSoto jumped out to a 7-0 lead at the 7:11 mark of the opening quarter, but Seaman answered at the 5:20 mark on a 53-yard run from junior quarterback Max Huston (Geiger kick).
The game was tied 7-all at the end of the first before De Soto boosted its lead to 21-7 with a pair of TDs over the first 4:11 of the second period.
But Seaman cut its halftime deficit to 21-14 at the half, getting a 73-yard bomb from Huston to senior Callen Barta with just 51 seconds left before the break.
De Soto opened up a two-touchdown advantage for the second time on the night at 28-14 with 4:11 left in the third quarter, but that would be the Wildcats' last points of the night as Seaman outscored the hosts 17-0 the rest of the way.
Huston hit Barta for a 1-yard score with 40 seconds left in the third and then Huston knotted the game just 47 seconds into the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run (Geiger kick).
That set the stage for Geiger to be the hero with his clutch field goal and the Viking defense held on the rest of the way as Seaman poste its second straight road win over a higher-seeded opponent.
Washburn Rural senior JC Heim (25) starred on both sides of the ball Friday night as the Junior Blues improved to 10-0 with a 27-20 Class 6A playoff win over Junction City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL 27, JUNCTION CITY 20 -- Washburn Rural improved to 10-0 with its second win of the season over Centennial League rival Junction City, with the Junior Blues scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 69-yard touchdown strike from senior quarterback Branton DeWeese to senior Calvin Hayes with 6:15 remaining.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's boys soccer team saw its Class 6A title hopes come to an end Friday night, with Shawnee Mission West handing Rural a 2-0 semifinal defeat at Hummer Sports Park.
Shawnee Mission West coaches and players console Washburn Rural after the Vikings' 2-0 win over the Junior Blues in a Class 6A semifinal Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Vikings scored a goal in both halves en route to handing Rural only its second loss of the season and first against a Kansas opponent as the Junior Blues endured a frustrating offensive night. .
Shawnee Mission West advanced to Saturday's 3 p.m. championship game against Olathe East, a 3-2 overtime winner over Dodge City, while Washburn Rural will play Dodge City in the third-place game at 12 o'clock.
Shawnee Mission West, which improved to 15-3-2, got on the scoreboard at the 21:39 mark of the opening half when senior Phillip Mutantika found the back of the net and that goal held up for a 1-0 halftime advantage.
"That's the sport of soccer,'' veteran Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "You've got to finish your chances. We had some in the first half where maybe we could have grabbed the lead and then one of their kids made a special play. That's a top level goal to give them the lead.
"At this level teams are tight and one person has to go finish a play off.''
Washburn Rural players react after having a potential game-tying goal disallowed by an offsides call. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The biggest play of the night for Rural came early in the second half when an apparent game-tying goal by the Junior Blues was wiped out by an offsides call.
Although the call was a heartbreaker for the 18-2-0 Junior Blues, Hensyel did not question the official's decision.
"The ref down here is one of the best we've got and he's looking right at it,'' Hensyel said. "We'll see it tomorrow (on video tape) but at the end of the day I just have to trust his judgement.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University senior star David Kibet ran the race of his life in the recent MIAA cross country championships, leading from start to finish en route to the individual title while leading the Ichabods to a program-best second-place team finish at Gans Creek Country Club in Columbia, Mo.
Coming off an individual MIAA championship Washburn senior standout David Kibet will compete in Saturday's NCAA regional championships at Joplin, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Now Kibet and the Ichabods will try to follow that up with another strong performance in Saturday's NCAA Central Regional Championships at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Mo.
A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Kibet ran the second-fastest eight-kilometer time in WU program history at the MIAA meet, clocking a time of 24 minutes, 00.92 seconds, and he topped his previous time at the Gans Creek Course by 36 seconds from 2022. Kibet became Washburn's first individual champion at the MIAA meet since former Hayden star Jacob Klemz won the title in 2017.
"The last four years I've been trying and I've come up short sometimes but this time was my time,'' Kibet said.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Star senior goalkeeper Raegan Wells will end her soccer career as one of the greatest players in Washburn University history, dotting the Ichabod record book in multiple categories.
Washburn senior Raegan Wells, the MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year, helped lead WU to a 15-2-1 record and the MIAA regular-season title. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Raegan Wells and Washburn University soccer will open postseason at 6 p.m. Friday against Missouri Western at Yager Stadium. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But now Wells, who made an immediate impact after arriving on campus in 2019, just wants to make her days as an Ichabod last as long as possible.
"Honestly, it feels like it's flown by,'' said Wells, the 2023 MIAA goalkeeper of the year for conference champion WU. "I was just telling Riley Painter, who's also a senior, "Oh my gosh, this has gone by in the blink of an eye, it's crazy.
"I already cried on Senior NIght and I'm going to be sad that soccer's over, but also just all the relationships with my teammates. I'm going to miss that day to day.''
But Wells, who has received All-MIAA recognition all four seasons at Washburn, isn't done just yet.
After helping lead Washburn to a 15-2-1 regular-season record and the second MIAA regular-season championship in program history, Wells and the Ichabods will open postseason at 6 p.m. Friday, hosting Missouri Western in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
