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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West senior cross country star Lenny Njoroge notched his second individual victory of the 2022 season on Saturday in the Baldwin Invitational, winning by just under 38 seconds at the Baldwin City Golf Course.
Njoroge, who has finished first or second in all three of his starts this fall, clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 52.87 seconds while Shawnee Mission East senior Blair Ptacek was second in 16:30.31.
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge posted a 38-second win in Saturday's Baldwin Invitational, his second individual win on the season. [Submitted photo]
Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel and senior Kory Sutton finished 10th and 11th individually, with Esquibel clocking a time of 16:56.51 and Sutton 16:56.73.
Washburn Rural seniors Davin Johnson (17:07.14), Easton Dial (17:08.04) and Grayson Fink (17:11.81) finished 15th, 16th and 17th for the Junior Blues.
Senior Zach Jowers led Seaman with a 30th-place finish in 17:32.40.
Fink paces city girls at Baldwin
Payton Fink
Washburn Rural sophomore Payton Fink placed fourth individually to lead the city girls contingent in Saturday's Baldwin Invitational, clocking a five-kilometer time of 19:09.57.
Ryin Miller, a Seaman freshman, posted a ninth-place individual finish in 20:01.06 while Washburn Rural sophomore Rylee Ismert (20:05.75) and Seaman senior Bethany Druse (20:07.31) finished 11th and 12th.
Washburn Rural freshman Vilde Tronstad also posted a top-20 finish, taking 17th in 20:19.07.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A solid defensive performance, particularly in the second half, gave Washburn University football a chance Saturday against Nebraska-Kearney, but the Ichabods were unable to take advantage of their opportunities in a 21-13 MIAA loss at Yager Stadium.
Washburn running back Taylon Peters (21) led the Ichabods with 70 rushing yards on 18 carries in Saturday's 21-13 loss to Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo courtesy of Phil Anderson/WIBW]
Washburn, which suffered its first loss of the season, held Nebraska-Kearney scoreless in the second half after falling behind 21-3, but the Ichabods never led on the afternoon, falling to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA.
"I thought we played pretty well defensively,'' Washburn standout senior linebacker Grant Bruner said. "I'm disappointed, but it just wasn't our day today.
"But I like how we fought. We fought to the end.''
An early interception from Peyton Lane gave Washburn a scoring chance, but the Ichabods failed to convert on a fourth-down play and the Lopers took advantage, taking a 7-0 lead on a 27-yard touchdown pass from TJ Davis to AJ McPhee at the 8:54 mark of the opening quarter.
Washburn cut into Nebraka-Kearney's lead with a 38-yard field goal from Kameron Lake (6:40), but the Lopers scored the next two touchdowns -- an 18-yard TD pass from Davis to Zorian Stanton and a 9-yard Davis run -- to go up by 18 points with 5:04 left in the first half.
The Ichabods cut their halftime deficit to 21-6 with a 22-yard Lake field goal and scored their lone touchdown of the day early in the third quater on a 1-yard Hunter Browning run, but that would end the scoring for both teamss.
The teams traded punts ending the third quarter and on the third play of the fourth quarter, UNK fumbled heading into the end zone on a forced fumble by Jordan Finnesy returning the ball to the Ichabods with 13:31 to go in the game after a review confirmed the call.
However, the ichabods were forced to punt and then again the teams went back and forth with punts before the Lopers kept the ball for the final 7:00 of the game as UNK converted three third downs and a fourth-down conversion to run out the clock ending the game, snapping the Ichabods eight-game winning streak in Yager Stadium.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Locked in a three-point game at halftime Friday night, Washburn Rural dominated the second half on the way to a 37-10 non-league win over Piper at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Rural, which improved to 3-0 on the season, led by just a 13-10 count at the half but broke the game open with 21 third-quarter points while the Junior Blue defense pitched a second-half shutout.
Washburn Rural senior Ma'kenttis Adams rushed for 179 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Junior Blues' 37-10 non-league win over Piper Friday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural quarterback Branton DeWeese (5) celebrates a touchdown with Ma'kenttis Adams (2) in Friday's 37-10 Junior Blue win over Piper. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural's defense, gang-tackling a Piper ball-carrier, pitched a second-half shutout in the Junior Blues' 37-10 win Friday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Piper jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 77-yard fumble return but Rural pulled even on a 1-yard plunge by freshman TJ Minikwu.
Rural went in front to stay on an 11-yard touchdown pass from junior Branton DeWeese to junior Titan Osborn (extra point blocked) before Piper cut its deficit to 13-10 with a 20-yard field goal.
Senior Ma'kenttis Adams opened the second-half scoring with a 19-yard TD run and and DeWeese connected with senior Lukas Hanks for a 2-point conversion to give Rural a 21-10 advantage.
DeWeese then connnected with Osburn for a 46-yard TD strike (conversion failed) and Adams capped a big night with a 58-yard touchdown run.
Adams finished the night with 179 rushing yards and two TDs on 16 carries as Rural topped the 300-yard rushing mark as a team.
DeWeese completed 13 of 20 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns and added 79 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Osburn caught three passess for 66 yards and two touchdowns while junior Calvin Hayes had four catches for 34 yards and senior Amr Sabarrini two catches for 31 yards.
Washburn Rural travels to Manhattan next Friday for a key Centennial League game.
HIGHLAND PARK 63, KANSAS CITY-SUMNER ACADEMY 36 -- Tre Richardson had a hand in six touchdowns -- now 20 on the season -- and also scored a pair of 2-point conversions and picked off a pass as Highland Park improved to 3-0 overall and in the league with a 63-36 Meadowlark Conference victory over Kansas City-Sumner Academy at Hummer Sports Park.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
As the saying goes, defense wins you games and that saying was relevant in Friday night’s defensive slugfest between Shawnee Heights and Seaman.
A deeply rooted rivalry since 1962 came back to the gridiron on Friday night with Shawnee Heights taking a 14-7 victory at Seaman Stadium in the first meeting between the two schools as United Kansas Conference members.
Shawnee Heights celebrates Friday night's UKC win at Seaman. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Shawnee Heights and Seaman hadn’t played each other before Friday night since 2017.
“Tonight was the epitome of what Friday night lights are about,” Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said. “Tonight had two teams that were pretty equal in talent, coaching and heart. Some mistakes were made, but we were able to come up with the win.”
The defensive clinic put on by Shawnee Heights was outstanding while another stellar part of its game plan was giving junior running back Allen Baughman the football as much as possible.
Baughman carried the ball 29 times for 178 yards and both T-Bird touchdowns on Friday night.
If you combine Baughman’s first three games of the season you’ll see that he has carried the ball 68 times for 492 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I have to give it to my line, I’m nothing without them,” Baughman said. “Honestly, I’m not that tired. The adrenaline is still with me and I had a great time tonight. It was a perfect statement win for us.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In late May Jensen Schrickel's legs powered him to three state track and field medals, including a state championship.
On Friday night Schrickel's legs carried the Hayden sophomore to two long touchdown returns over the first 1:22 and four TDs on the night as the Wildcats improved to a 3-0 with a 55-34 win over Rossville at Hayden.
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel busts through the Rosville defense for a 67-yard punt return, one of his four touchdowns in the Wildcats' 55-34 win over Rossville Friday night. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Schrickel, a 5-foot-9, 145-pounder, set the tone for the night when he took the opening kickoff and sped 74 yards for a touchdown. Schrickel also tacked on the extra point to put Hayden in front 7-0 over the two-time defending Class 2A state champs just 10 seconds into the game.
Hayden forced Rossville to punt on its opening possession and Schrickel was off and running again, taking the punt 67 yard to the end zone. Schrickel's extra point gave the Wildcats a 14-0 advantage at the10:38 mark of the opening quarter.
"It was really good blocking and they just opened up really well,'' Schrickel said of the twin returns.
Schrickel scored a third touchdown on a 48-yard pass play from sophomore Jett Wahlmeier and added a fourth TD on a 12-yard reverse. He was seven of eight on extra point kicks, finishing the night with 31 points, while also playing defense for the Wildcats.
"I think offense is my favorite but they're all really fun though,'' Schrickel said. "I think we're playing really well. There's still a lot of room to improve but I think we're doing really well.''
Hayden coach Bill Arnold said Schrickel is a standout for the Wildcats in everything he does.
"He's a great competitor and obviously God's given him some talent along with it,'' Arnold said. "His emotions never change. He's never too high or too low. He's just Steady Eddie out there and I'm happy for any success he has out here because he's great individual to coach.''
Hayden senior JC Cummings rambles for a 98-yard touchdown in the first quarter of Hayden's 55-34 win over Rossville Friday night. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
