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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural put together an outstanding 8-2 football season last fall while earning a share of the Centennial League championship.
But the way the year ended -- a 42-10 second-round Class 6A playoff loss -- has stoked the Junior Blues' fires to take that next step this fall.
Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler returns a wealth of experience from last season's 8-2 team that earned a share of the Centennial League title. [File photo/TSN]
"I think we thought about the 8-2 after awhile in the springtime, but this group was really disappointed with how we played against Free State,'' said Rural coach Steve Buhler, who is starting his 10th season at the school. "They were a really good team so we noticed there were some things we're going to have to do to get better and get past this round that we've been at for the last couple of years.
"This group's really hungry and they're still young and we're ready to go. It's been fun.''
Returning 30 lettermen, including six starters on offense and eight on defense, Rural would appear to have the firepower to make a deeper 6A run in 2022, but Buhler said the Junior Blue have to take care of business every single week, beginning with Friday night's season-opener at Wichita East.
"The first thing it taking that next step is is you've got to put yourself in a good position to take that next step, which means being in those top four seeds, so all the games that lead up to it are really important,'' said Buhler, who has a 165-93 career coaching record. "If you still break it down by those goals that everybody likes to, about being a league champion and things like that, those things lead you to the position to move on.
"We've talked a lot with the kids about you can't sit there and wait for the playoffs, you've got to focus on the weeks leading up to it and take care of the playoffs when they get here.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 2 ranked Washburn University volleyball wrapped up its season-opening weekend with a perfect 4-0 record as the Ichabods added a 3-0 win over Midwestern State and a 3-1 victory over Sioux Falls on Saturday's final day at the University Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic. Washburn will play one last non-conference tournament next weekend in Cleveland, Tenn. hosted by Lee University, Sept. 2-3.
The Ichabods swept Midwestern State, 25-14, 25-13, 25-22, and took a 19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-11 victory over Sioux Falls.
Jalyn Stevenson
Kealy Kiviniemi
Midwestern State (0-3) scored the opening point of the match, but that would be its only lead of the first set as Washburn quickly jumped in front, 11-5. The Ichabods claimed six of the final seven points in the 25-14 win and Kealy Kiviniemi had three kills during that stretch.
Similar to the first set, the Mustangs got the first point and led 3-2 in the second set when the Ichabods benefited from four consecutive errors to go in front, 6-3. Midwestern State pulled within a point after a pair of Washburn errors, but the Ichabods got back on track and created some space with a 7-2 run that included two blocks, three kills, all from different players, and two service aces.
With the Ichabods holding an 18-12 advantage, Halle Meister landed a kill to start a 7-1 run to secure the second-set victory.
MSU also got the first point of the third set and jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
Bella Limback recorded a kill and the Ichabods scored five unanswered points to take their first lead of the game, 6-4.
The Mustangs continued to fight back and took the lead at 8-7, 10-9 and 13-11 before Washburn reclaimed the lead with a 5-1 run and never trailed again.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three Shawnee County teams earned spots in the Kansas Volleyball Association rankings released on Friday.
Leading the way is Washburn Rural, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 6A.
Reigning Class 6A player of the year Brooklyn DeLeye and the Washburn Rural volleyball team begin the 2022 season ranked No. 3 in the KVA preseason rankings. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who opened the 2022 season Saturday, are coming off a 41-2 season and a fourth-place state finish.
Seaman also begins the year with a top-five state ranking, with the Vikings No. 5 in 5A.
The Vikings finished fourth in the 5A state tournament last season, posting a 27-13 record.
Perennial state power Silver Lake is No. 7 in Class 3A after posting a 28-9 record in 2021.
KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION
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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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Russell Norton was a late hire as Topeka West's football coach, coming on board in early June.
But Norton, who has made several coaching stops at the high school and collegiate level, including Oskaloosa in 2021, hit the ground running and hasn't slowed down as the Chargers get ready to open their first season in the United Kansas Conference.
New Topeka West coach Russell Norton talks to his Chargers during Friday's Prep Football Jamboree at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West senior Malachi Berg begins his fourth season as the Chargers' starting quarterback. [File photo/TSN]
"If you stay ready you ain't got to get ready,'' the 42-year-old Norton said. "I was always prepared for this after coaching college football, and this not being my first rodeo, you always are ready if you've got to move.
"I was happy where we were, but some things just changed and when this job came open it looked good.''
Norton gives Topeka West, which is coming off a 3-6 season, credit for giving him complete support as he has transitioned into his new position.
"The staff is what helped us get here,'' Norton said. "Being able to hire good people at a rapid rate, having the administration support us, that's what got us to be able to get where we are today.''
And Norton said he couldn't be happier with how the Charger players have bought in to the new staff.
"They've bought in 100 percent,'' Norton said. "From Day 1, when we walked into the building, you could see it in their faces. Coach (Ryan) Kelly built a great foundation that we're going to reap benefits from, but (the players) could see that I was a little bit different, the staff we hired is just a little bit different.
"Everybody jumps on a change right away whether it's good or bad, but once they saw how it was going they've stayed on it like a starving man on a Christmas ham, so we're good.''
Malachi Berg, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, headlines Topeka West's returning cast, starting his fourth season as the Chargers' starting quarterback.
Other top returners include senior running back/linebacker Xavier Alexander (6-0, 215) and junior offensive/defensive lineman Kyrece Robinson (6-2, 245).
Berg, Alexander and Robinson all received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season.
Norton is also looking for key contributions from senior receiver Kamen Jones, sophomore receiver Mason Jones and junior offensive/defensive lineman Kris Thomas.
Topeka West will play its first-ever United Kansas Conference game on Sept. 1 at Hummer Sports Park against a very familar opponent, Seaman. The Vikings are also moving to the UKC this fall.
"Our outlook is to be the best we can be,'' Norton said. "We will focus on the little things and the process of being a winner. We are looking to have a clear identity in all three phases of the game.
"We want to compete for all four quarters and not look at the scoreboard.''
TOPEKA WEST
2022 football schedule
(Home games at Hummer Sports Park)
September -- 1 Seaman, 9 Leavenworth, 16 at De Soto, 24 Piper, 30 at Lansing.
October -- 7 at Turner, 14 Shawnee Heights, 21 at Washburn Rural, 28 Playoffs.
Next up: Washburn Rural.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 2-ranked Washburn University volleyball opened the 2022 season with a pair of shutout victories at the Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic on Friday, with the Ichabods sweeping Central Washington and Minot State.
The Ichabods opened the day with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-15 win over Central Washington before taking a 25-9, 25-12, 25-17 win over Minot State
Jalyn Stevenson
Iyannah Jackson
Washburn will close out its opening weekend of competition on Saturday with matches against Midwestern State and Sioux Falls.
The WU-Central Washington match started out tightly contested with seven lead changes and 12 tied scores in the opening set.
Trailing 15-11, a kill from Halle Meister started a 7-1 run to push the Ichabods in front, 18-16. The Wildcats clawed back and took a one-point advantage at 19-18 and 20-19 when back-to-back kills from Iyannah Jackson and Meister gave Washburn a 21-20 lead.
Central Washington scored only one more point in the set to knot up the score at 21 before the Ichabods rattled off the next four in a row to win, 25-21.
Samatha Moburg was involved in each of the final four points as she recorded three kills and was a part of a block.
The second set got going with more back-and-forth scoring until Washburn broke the 5-5 tie with seven unanswered points and capitalized on four Wildcat errors during that stint.
Although Central Washington trimmed the deficit to two at 14-12, the Ichabods never trailed in the set and captured another 25-21 win.
