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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Trenton Barker
Trenton Barker, Rossville
Barker, a senior running back/ linebacker, is one of four returning starters on defense for Rossville, which is coming off a second straight 13-0 season and a second straight Class 2A state championship. Barker earned All-Mid-East League honorable mention on offense as a junior.
Eli Barnes
Eli Barnes, Silver Lake
A junior wide receiver/defensive back, Barnes is part of a strong returning nucleus for Silver Lake, which is coming off a 9-3 record and a Class 2A semifinal berth in the 2021 season.
Callen Barta
Callen Barta, Seaman
A 6-foot, 160 junior, Barta saw extensive action for Seaman as a sophomore, helping the Vikings post a 6-4 record. Barta earned TopSports.news honorable mention last fall as well as All-Centennial League honorable mention on defense.
Malachi Berg
Malachi Berg, Topeka West
Berg, a 6-2, 190 senior is starting his fourth season as Topeka West's starting quarterback. Berg received TSN All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season. Barg has also helped Topeka West to back-to-back Class 5A state tournament berths in basketball.
Packson Bettis
Packson Bettis, Washburn Rural
Bettis, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior defensive end, was named the TSN All-Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year last season and earned Second 22 all-county honors after helping lead the Junior Blues to an 8-2 record and a share of the Centennial League title. Bettis received All-Centennial League honorable mention.
Jachin Bonura
Jachin Bonura, Cair Paravel Latin
Bonura, a senior wide receiver/returner/defensive back, helped lead Cair Paravel to a perfect 11-0 record and the Kansas Christian Athletic Association state title last fall. Bonura earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition and KCAA first-team honors as a receiver and kick returner and a second-team spot as a defensive back.
Ian Brian
Ian Brian, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior, Brian was a first-team KCAA selection as an offensive lineman and linebacker last season after helping lead Cair Paravel to a perfect 11-0 season and the KCAA state championship. Brian earned TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
BJ Canady
BJ Canady, Topeka High
Canady, a 6-5, 240 junior, is a returning starter on both sides of the ball for Topeka High, which is coming off a 2-7 record last fall. Canady has seen action at tight end and quarterback on offense and defensive end on defense for the Trojans. Also a standout basketball player, Canady received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial Leaue honorable mention in 2021.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2022 season Sept. 1-3.
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For the first time since 1929 Hayden will not have a city school on its football schedule this fall.
But there's plenty of marquee matchups that are sure to pique fans' interest, including three straight to open the 2022 season.
Bill Arnold, who is beginning his 16th season at Hayden, is counting on a new-look schedule to get the Wildcats ready to make a deep run in the Class 3A playoffs this fall. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden, coming off an 8-2 campaign, will host two-time defending Class 1A champion Olpe in its season-opener on Sept. 2 before traveling to eight-time 3A champ Silver Lake on Sept. 9 and hosting two-time defending 2A champ Rossville on Sept. 16.
Hayden will be facing Olpe for the first time in school history and while the Wildcats have faced Rossville and Silver Lake on multiple occasions, Hayden hasn't played Rossville since 1937 and Silver Lake since 1944.
"Those are going to be very good games and very good competition and I think it's a great opportunity,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. "No. 1, it's a little bit closer to our classification and No. 2, those are storied programs in recent times.
"Those teams know how to win, they know how to compete and that's what you want.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news finished its tour of preseason football practice at all 10 Shawnee County high schools on Friday and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2022 season Sept. 1-3.
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Cair Paravel Latin football coach Doug Bonura knows his team faces a big challenge in its first season as a full member of the Kansas State High School Athletics Association.
But its a challenge that Bonura and his Lions are excited to face.
Cair Paravel Latin football coach Doug Bonura talks to his team, 11-0 last season, during Thursday's practice session. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cair Paravel, which is coming off a perfect 11-0 record and a Kansas Christian Athletic Association state championship, make the jump to KSHSAA this fall and will compete in the Eight-Man Division I ranks in District 2.
"We're going up against some really good programs and it's going to be a great test to see where we are, if we have been able to move in the direction we want to be able to compete,'' Bonura said. "In our district we have Madison-Hamilton, Burlingame, Chase County, and then Lyndon, which has come down out of 11-man, and all those teams have been deep in the playoffs over the years, so we're going against solid programs and we play (defending Eight-Man Division II state champion) Axtell out of the gate.
"We recognize that there's no gimme here and our boys are excited. We really don't know what to expect fully but we know it's going to be a lot of hard work and it's going to be competition.''
Cair Paravel graduated star quarterback Carter Brian and star tight end/defensive end Noah Hastert, who have moved on to play college football after earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last fall.
The Cair Paravel Lions go through a drill at Thursday's practice session. The Lions are coming off an 11-0 season entering their first season competing in KSHSAA Eight-Man Division I. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Lions' cupboard is far from bare.
"We lost a lot of athleticism and leadership from last year, but the nice thing was that it was a small (senior) class, so we're returning 11 starters,'' Bonura said. "Really, for all these guys it's just another year for them after playing last year.
"The big question for us this year is going to be quarterback -- who is going to step up and take that position -- but then as far as our backs I think we're just reloading this year.''
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• Just finished a trip to the D.C. area to visit our month-old grandaughter.
• Took in an Orioles victory, killed no one at Top Golf, walked the National Mall, saw the Eisenhower Memorial, marveled at the mountainous landscape of a Virginia winery, and didn’t seem to infuriate my in-laws.
• Quite the vacation.
• The highlight? Well, I did mention baby Gwyneth, right? Good. I didn’t bury the lead.
• Small world, though.
• As usual when visiting Baltimore, I ate the crab cakes at Faidley’s Seafood in Lexington Market, which will soon move across the street after being in the same downtown location since 1793.
• When I noticed a sign for raccoon (in season), I asked how many customers consumed that critter.
• Turns out that more patrons find muskrat appealing. “Tastes like beef; better than beef,” said a long-time employee. So there’s that.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lexis Berndt
Lexis Berndt, Silver Lake
A senior, Berndt earned second-team All-Shawnee County selection last fall, helping Silver Lake win the Mid-East League championship and posting a 28-9 overall record. Berndt will switch to libero this fall after being credited with 231 digs a year ago.
Laynee Brown
Laynee Brown, Seaman
A senior, Brown was an All-Centennial League first-team selection for the second straight season after the Vikings posted a 27-13 record and finished fourth in the 5A state tournament. Brown finished with 338 digs on the season to go with 109 assists. She also served 95 percent with 27 aces.
Zoe Canfield
Zoe Canfield, Washburn Rural
Canfield, a junior, was a second-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League pick as a junior after helping Rural post a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament, recording 439 assists and 53 service aces. Canfield earned All-City and all-league honors as a freshman and was named the city newcomer of the year. Canfield also helped lead Rural to the 6A state basketball title this past season.
Leah Cook
Leah Cook, Silver Lake
A senior, Cook earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season for the 28-9 Eagles, who won the Mid-East League championship. Cook was a unanimous All-Mid-East League first-team selection, registering 193 kills while being credited with 27 blocks a year ago.
Brooklyn DeLeye
Brooklyn DeLeye, Washburn Rural
DeLeye, a senior, was named the Shawnee County, Centennial League and Class 6A player of the year last season after helping lead the Junior Blues to a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament. A three-time all-league and All-6A State Tournament selection, DeLeye finished the season with 586 kills on .438 kill efficiency, while also contributing 26 block kills, 259 digs and a 2.56 serve receive grade. DeLeye, who has orally committed to Kentucky, had 133 serving aces. DeLeye was also a standout on Rural's 6A state championship basketball team last season.
