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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After back-to-back losses to Centennial League and Class 6A powers Manhattan and Junction City, Washburn Rural's football team was needing something good to happen Friday night against Topeka High.
The Junior Blue turnaround started on the very first play from scrimmage when High fumbled the ball away at its 20-yard-line and set the tone for the rest of the night, with Washburn Rural rolling to a 66-6 Centennial League romp at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural senior Lukas Hanks is mobbed by his teammates after scoring a first-half touchdown in the Junior Blues' 66-6 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior defensive lineman Jamond Lane (61) scored the Junior Blues' final touchdown on a 44-yard interception return in a 66-6 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural opened up a commanding 52-0 halftime advantage and a running clock was used throughout the second half as the Junior Blues improved to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Centennial League.
"We needed to get back to feeling good about ourselves and that we can play football and we're a good football team,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "To be honest, this week in practice we were a little sluggish. I was a little worried about coming into tonight but our kids had fun tonight.
"They were flying around and that was kind of part of the game plan for both sides of the ball. We just needed to get back in a rhythm and back to having fun playing together.''
Topeka High's early turnover led to a 32-yard Dayten Smoot field goal at the 10:58 mark of the first quarter and the game had turned into a 31-0 rout by the end of the quarter, with the Junior Blues adding an 8-yard Ma'kenttis Adams touchdown run, a Lukas Hanks 5-yard TD, a 33-yard scoring pass from Branton DeWeese to Titan Osburn and a 1-yard DeWeese plunge.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brad Johnston's first Class 6A girls regional tennis tournament as Washburn Rural's head coach was a great one, with the Junior Blues qualifying their entire team for next week's state tournament while taking home the regional team championship.
Washburn Rural seniors Meredith Kucera (left) and Kate Fritz won a Class 6A regional doubles title Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, leading the Junior Blues to the regional team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural seniors Kate Fritz and Meredith Kucera led the way with the regional doubles title while senior Hailey Beck and junior Claire Ireland added a third-place doubles finish and junior Mena Di Marzio and senior Kayla Peter added third and fourth-place finishes in singles.
"I've got to love first year and we come in and we get all four (entries) in the semifinals and it's the girls, it's not me,'' Johnston said. "It's all what they put the work in doing and it's the time they spend on the court outside of what I do.''
Fritz and Kucera followed up Monday's Centennial League doubles title with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Topeka High seniors Haley Carpenter and Adisyn Caryl in Friday's regional final as the Junior Blues avenged their one-point loss to Manhattan in the league meet with a one-point regional team win over the Indians (21-20).
Beck and Ireland dropped a 6-3, 6-2 semifinal decision to Fritz and Kucera in the semifinals but bounced back to take third with a 6-1, 6-3 decision over Manhattan while DiMarzio and Peter finished third and fourth place in singles after both players dropped semifinal matches to Manhattan.
"Our (No. 2) doubles team, this is the first matches they got to play and No. 1 doubles is rolling right now and everybody feels like they're kind of hitting their peak,'' Johnston said.
Topeka High also had plenty to celebrate Friday, with freshman Madeline Deters and junior McCall Beall finishing fifth and sixth in singles to join Caryl and Carpenter as state qualifiers.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University sophomore quarterback Kellen Simoncic made it into the Ichabod record book in last Saturday' 42-35 MIAA loss to Emporia State, setting a single-game record with 35 pass completions while going 35 of 48 on the day for 334 yards and four touchdown passes.
Washburn sophomore quarterback Kellen Simoncic set a single-game school record with 35 pass completions in the Ichabods' 42-35 MIAA loss to Emporia State last Saturday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But while the record is something the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder may appreciate at some point, right now his only focus is on getting the Ichabods back in the victory column, beginning with Saturday night's 7 o'clock road contest at Fort Hays State.
"I'm just worried about wins and losses and that's what's most important,'' Simoncic said. "You worry about wins and losses and the team. The other stuff will come along with that. I just want to win games.''
Washburn is a respectable 3-2 entering Saturday's game, with 7 and 8-point losses, and Simoncic said the Ichabod offense is getting closer to being the unit it needs to be.
"Starting fast and getting that first first down is our biggest thing right now.,'' he said. "Usually when we get that first first down and get things going, then it usually leads to pretty good things and I think we've shown that in previous games.''
In his first season as Washburn's full-time starter, Simoncic said he's becoming more and more comfortable in that role and being a leader for the Ichabods.
Through five games the Smithville, Mo. native has completed 112 of 186 pass attempts for 1,438 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
With Thursday night’s 3-0 win over Topeka West, Shawnee Heights claimed the United Kansas Conference soccer title on its home turf at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 7-4-1 overall, went wire to wire for the UKC crown, winning all seven of its matches in the conference.
Shawnee Heights senior Jordan Garvin scored the game's first goal in Thursday's 3-0 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Jovany Retana scored a goal in Thursday's 3-0 win over Topeka West that clinched the UKC title for the T-Birds. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Jesus Carrillo Cardona (7) battles Topeka West freshman Giancarlo Valenzuela (2) for the ball in the T-Birds' 3-0 UKC win Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Offensively the Thunderbirds have outscored United Kansas Conference opponents by a 20-3 margin. Jordan Garvin, Jovany Retana, Jesus Carrillo-Cardona and company are making it a complex task for the opposition to defend them.
“Sometimes I think I give too much credit to our possession and not enough to what our offense can do,” Shawnee Heights coach Nic Simons said. “There are times where it looks like we can never miss. We do a lot of great things through the midfield which has helped us win some games this year.”
The Shawnee Heights offense has been complimented by its high-flying defense. In its seven-game undefeated conference streak, the Thunderbirds have shutout five of their opponents, including Topeka West.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's volleyball team honored its lone senior, Jenessa Broxterman, in grand style on Senior Night Thursday at the Bueltel Activities Complex.
Broxterman played a key role as the Wildcats outlasted Topeka West in a back-and-forth five-set match, posting a 25-17, 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12 dual victory.
Hayden senior volleyball player Jenessa Broxterman, flanked by her parents Stacy and Justin Broxterman, is honored on Senior Night Thursday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Jenessa Broxterman (right), Hayden volleyball's lone senior, is hugged by Wildcat teammates while her younger sister, Carsyn (left), looks on. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"This was huge,'' Broxterman said. "This gives an undefeated record at home, 2-0, so it feels great and getting another win on the board makes it better for sub-state,'' Broxterman said.
Broxterman said that being able to win on Senior Night was icing on the cake.
"It makes it so much better,'' she said.
Hayden coach Jim Davis also made sure that the Broxterman sisters got the opportunity to play together for the only time this season, which was an added bonus.
Jenessa's freshman sister, Carsyn, suffered a season-ending ACL injury before the season started, but Davis inserted Caryn in the Hayden lineup for the first two points of the fifth set.
"(Davis) really wanted to see us play together and I think that's what he decided to do,'' Broxterman said. "It was awesome. I didn't think I was going to be able to play with her this year because she's a freshman and I'm a senior but it was really nice.''
