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Created: 17 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Senior Carson Rosen turned in arguably the best performance of his standout pitching career for Washburn Rural Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex, throwing a 3-hitter with 13 strikeouts as the Junior Blues advanced to the Class 6A state tournament with a 5-0 shutout over Campus.

But Rosen's performance was not without worry ... a lot of worry.

Washburn Rural dogpiles Junior Blues pitcher Carson Rosen (bottom left) after Rural closed out Tuesday's 5-0 win over Campus, earning a return trip to the Class 6A state tournament. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

"I felt really good coming into yesterday and and then yesterday at practice while I was putting away a bucket I stepped on a rake and it came up and smashed my middle finger on my right (pitching) hand,'' Rosen said. "I was pretty upset yesterday. It was the worst timing possible, definitely.

"I've been dealing with some arm issues this year and I finally felt like I was getting healthy completely and then right before regionals it happened, but I battled through it and we got the W. It was awesome.''

Rosen said his finger didn't really bother him when he was on the mound.

"Honestly, adrenalin makes it so you don't feel very much,'' Rosen said. "Tomorrow or tonight I might feel it a little bit but it felt good in the game.''

Washburn Rural scored single runs in the first and third against the Colts, added a pair of big insurance runs in the fifth on Rosen's two-run single and a final run in the sixth and Rosen did the rest, striking out six Campus batters over the final three innings.

"He was pretty locked in,'' Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin said. "He was in control and we got the lead early and capitalized on some stuff ofensively, enough to go into the seventh with a 5-0 lead and Rosen throwing like he was.''

Washburn Rural senior Robby Bolin tracks down a fly ball in Tuesday's Class 6A regional tournament at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

Senior center fielder Robby Bolin went 3 for 4 in the championship game with a pair of RBI.

"I think as a team we were pretty confident coming into this,'' Bolin said. "With the way the bracket is set up we thought we had a pretty good shot off the start and our team's been getting progressively better each day and we've been working on that as our goal, just to grow each day as a team and we just got red hot at the right time and it played out.''

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Created: 17 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Coming off a record-setting season for Topeka West's boys basketball team, Charger 6-foot-4 senior Elijah Brooks has been named Mr. Kansas Basketball by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

opeka West senior star Elijah Brooks has been named Mr. Kansas Basketball by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. [File photo/TSN] 

Brooks was earlier tapped as a All-Class 5A first-team selection after leading Topeka West to a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight state tournament berth while becoming West's single-season and career leading scorer during the 2021-2022 season.

Brooks put together a string of 30-point-plus games this past season with a high of 43 points while averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.

The Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year, Brooks will receive his Mr. Kansas Basketball award next month during the KBCA's All-Star Game festivities in Salina.

Brooks will play for the Blue team in the June 18 boys All-Star Game at Kansas Wesleyan University.

Aubrie Kierscht of Salina Central has been named Miss Kansas Basketball.

 

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Created: 17 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Ryan Kelly confirmed Monday night that he has stepped down as Topeka West's head football coach to accept a position on Craig Schurig's staff at Washburn University. 

"It happened really fast,'' Kelly told TopSport.news. "The past year or so it's been in my head and in my heart to look to possibly get back into college football. There's a lot about being a head high school coach that I do enjoy, but I just felt that this might be the right fit.''

Ryan Kelly

Kelly, a former Topeka West star, has served as the Chargers' head coach for five seasons after previously coaching at Benedictine, his college alma mater.

"I happened to talk to Craig Schurig and there was an opportunity to come on staff in a capacity that fit really well for me in accordance to my schedule and the fact that I'll still be teaching in (USD) 501,'' Kelly said. "This was a role that has some flexibility and it just seems to fit right now.

"If I'm going to get back into the college game, knowing how this profession works, I know that it's going to happen in this type of capacity.''

Kelly is hoping to continue teaching at Topeka West and help out any way he can with the Chargers' student-athletes and the West program.

"I plan to be at Topeka West, which I'm excited about,'' he said. "I remain very hopeful that I get to stay at Topeka West and I know that I can still be a crutch for the kids, I can still be a crutch for the program in the time that I am there during the day, especially in the early weeks of the fall semester when things really get going. I plan to be any help I can.''

Kelly said his role at WU initially will be to assist Ichabod assistant Dane Simoneau with the offensive line, but he said he's up for anything Washburn needs him to do.

"Whatever position coach Schurig needs me to fill, that will be my assignment,'' Kelly said.

Kelly said he regrets the timing of the move, but said it was something he felt he needed to take advantage of.

"Trust me, this was not an easy deal at all,'' Kelly said. "The timing is terrible, and I'm sorrowful for that. At the same time, there comes a time where you have to do what's best for you and your wife and your family and this just seems to be the right time and the right fit.''

Kelly, whose Chargers were 3-6 last fall, said he felt the Topeka West program has made progress over the past several seasons. 

"We did some good things at Topeka West,'' he said. "I think we've improved it. Is it where we want it to be? No, but in the last five years we've been able to improve the program in a lot of areas that might now show up on the scoreboard necessarily.''

Now Kelly is eager to get started in his new role with Washburn, which is coming off a 9-3 season and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

"One thing I've always respected about coach Schurig is he does tend to really keep it in the family,'' Kelly said. "And even though I'm not a Washburn alum I'm really appreciative of the opportunity because he knows me from being a Topeka kid, I was recruited by Washburn back in the day, I'm very familiar with their staff and it's an opportunity I'm really excited about.'' 

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Created: 17 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

When Topeka High's Adisyn Caryl and Washburn Rural's Emmerson Cope square off against each other on the softball diamond they are rivals for two of the state's premier Class 6A programs.

But even when the juniors are on opposite sides of the diamond, Caryl and Cope are still, first and foremost, family.

First cousins Adisyn Caryl of Topeka High (left) and Emmerson Cope of Washburn Rural, both returning first-team All-Staters, will try to lead their teams back to the Class 6A state softball tournament in regional tournaments on Wednesday. [Submitted]

Adisyn's mother, Emily, and Emmerson's mother, Laura, are sisters, making Caryl and Cope first cousins. Emily Caryl adds to the family dynamic, serving as an assistant coach for Topeka High.

"My aunt will cheer for me and then my mom will cheer for Emmerson, even when we're playing against each other, so it's fun,'' said Adisyn Caryl, the Trojans' star shortstop.

Cope, Washburn Rural's star pitcher and first baseman, agrees.

"I really look forward to it because they're probably one of the best competitions I'm going to get during the high school season,'' Cope said. "And also because they're related to me obviously I'm very competitive and I want to be the one that comes out on top so it's always fun to play them.''

Topeka High junior Adisyn Caryl helped lead the Trojans to a perfect 25-0 record and the Class 6A state softball championship last season. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural junior Emmerson Cope has helped lead the Junior Blues to a 19-1 record and the top seed in the Class 6A West this season. [File photo/TSN]

Zoe Caryl, now a freshman at Illinois, teamed with Adisyn to help lead Topeka High to a perfect 25-0 record and High's first-ever 6A state championship last spring while Cope helped Washburn Rural reach the 6A state tournament.

The Caryls earned temporary bragging rights when they took a pair of wins over the Junior Blues last season, but Cope and Rural evened the score when they swept a Centennial League twinbill from the Trojans earlier this season, 1-0 and 8-1.

Even though she obviously wants to win, Adisyn said she also wants to see cousin Emmerson do well.

"One hundred percent, I'm always a fan,'' she said.

Both Adisyn and Emmerson will be looking to make it back to state when they host 6A regional tournaments on Wednesday.

Washburn Rural is the top seed in the West at 19-1 and will begin its postseason bid against 4-16 Campus at approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Rural softball complex.

With a win the Junior Blues will advance to the regional final to take on the winner of the first semifinal (2 p.m.) between Liberal (10-10) and Free State (10-10) at approximately 6 o'clock.

Topeka High, 17-3 on the year, is the No. 2 seed in the West and will host a regional at Hummer Sports Park, facing Wichita East (5-15) in a semifinal at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday.

With a victory Topeka High will move on to the regional championship game to take on the winner of the 3 o'clock semifinal between Wichita Heights (10-8) and Dodge City (9-11).

Even though they're very busy with their own teams, Emmerson and Adisyn stay in touch during the season.

"I would say we're very close,'' Cope said.

"I don't have very many cousins, so since she's at my age and we play together (in club softball), we talk every day,'' Adisyn said.

Even during those rare times when Caryl and Cope play each other.

"I still talk to her,'' Adisyn said. "In the game I think it's different just because she's a pitcher and I'm going to have to face her but when she got a hit I was like, 'Good job.' ''

As soon as the high school season is completed Cope and Caryl will join forces for the nationally-ranked Aces.

"I do look forward to the summer,'' Cope said. "Ady and I play on the same team so it's always fun to have somebody that you're close with on the same team. She's always there for me when I'm going through a slump or if I need someone to pick up I know she's always going to be there because she's one of my best friends.''

"We grew up playing together, like T-Ball and everything up until like 10-(and under) and then (Emmerson) moved teams,'' Caryl said. "Then we've played together again since last year.''

And not surprisingly, any time the family gets together the topic of softball is sure to come up.

"Even during Easter we were watching softball on TV and we were talking about it and we were talking about club ball coming up,'' Caryl said.

"There's always something to talk about with softball, always gossiping, always asking about they are doing and what you did that week,'' Cope said. "Our whole family just kind of revolves around the topic of softball and that's fun.''