- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Linebacker Grant Bruner didn't get a whole lot of recruiting attention as a senior out of Gretna, Neb. and ended up accepting a walk-on offer from Washburn University.
Washburn senior linebacker Grant Bruner (43), bringing down a Lincoln ball-carrier in the Ichabods' season-opener, leads the nation in tackles after recording 23 stops last week at Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Fast forward to his senior season with the Ichabods and there's probably quite a few college football programs that wish they had that decision to do over again, with the 6-foot, 200-pounder currently leading the nation in tackles and coming off his best performance in a banner career at WU heading into Saturday's 1 p.m. matchup with 1-1 Nebraska-Kearney at Yager Stadium.
Bruner was in on 23 tackles with two pass interceptions last week in a 40-32 MIAA road win at Central Missouri and is averaging a whopping 16.5 tackles through two games for the 2-0 Ichabods.
And Bruner can't help but be proud of what he's been able to accomplish since the humble beginnings to his college career.
"it's a surreal feeling,'' Bruner said. "There's been a lot of work and a lot of betting on myself. I always thought I could play at this level. I think I only had a couple of scholarship offers, Kearney was one of them, but I came down here and loved this place and I knew I could play here.
"Just being able to be where I'm at now, it's a good feeling and I couldn't have been here without family, teammates, coaches, everything. It's all helped me get to where I'm at.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Belle Kennedy began her college soccer career for Washburn University with high potential and high hopes, but the former Washburn Rural star knew she couldn't take anything for granted.
Through the opening six games of the 2022 season things couldn't have worked out much better for either Kennedy or WU, with Kennedy starting all six games and tying for the team lead with four goals while Davy Phillips' Ichabods have posted a 5-0-1 record entering Friday's 6 p.m. road contest at Fort Hays State.
Former Washburn Rural soccer star Belle Kennedy is off to a quick start as a true freshman for Washburn University, tying for the team lead with four goals as the Ichabods have gone 5-0-1 to open the 2022 season. [File photo/TSN]
"I thought there was a chance that I could play (early),'' said Kennedy, the two-time Class 6A midfielder of the year for Rural. "But I think the chances of me playing were dependent on how hard I would play or how much I would push through compared to other people.
"It's always a case of he's (Phillips) going to play his best players to start off and you want to be out there, so in order to be out there you have to be the best. You can't lay off of anything.''
Through preseason camp Kennedy had an inkling she might be in position to earn a starting spot but didn't know for sure until she got the word just before Washburn's Aug. 25 season-opener against Oklahoma Baptist.
"I had a major hope and through practices I think I could kind of figure out how (Phillips) was putting teams together and all of that, but still, on the day of the game, I had no clue whether I was going to start or not,'' Kennedy said. "Eventually, when I found out I was happy and worked as hard as I could.''
The fact that her first college start came at Yager Stadium with a lot of friends and family members watching was an added bonus.
"It was amazing, the most amazing part of my start,'' Kennedy said.
- Details
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The scoring didn’t come as early as Shawnee Heights wanted, but the T-Birds’ second-half offensive surge boosted them past Seaman, 3-2.
![Shawnee Heights' Levi Longstaff (right) tries to find a lane against Seaman's defense Thursday night in the T-Birds' 3-2 win. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]](/images/2024/08/LeviLongstaff_2.jpg)
Shawnee Heights' Levi Longstaff (right) tries to find a lane against Seaman's defense Thursday night in the T-Birds' 3-2 win. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
The rivalry was renewed on Thursday night as the new member of the United Kansas Conference, Seaman, hit the road to take on Shawnee Heights at Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Class 5A Shawnee Heights opened its season against four straight 6A schools with winning records and wasn't able to pick up any wins.
After Thursday night’s victory, the T-Birds have won two in a row against UKC programs (Turner and Seaman).
“We’ve truly been battle-tested,” Shawnee Heights coach Nic Simons said. “I think the lessons that we’ve learned from playing those high-quality 6A teams have been valuable to us. We’ve learned not to give up a single inch. I think the mentality that we’ve gained helped us pull one out tonight against a great Seaman team.”
The T-Birds put together a responsive and gutsy performance.
When Seaman gained momentum late in the second half, Shawnee Heights didn’t fold under the pressure from a fired-up Vikings squad.
“I thought we were threatening tonight,” Simons said. “I’d give our performance a great grade against a tough Seaman team. I thought at times we looked slow, but other then that, I was happy with the way we played tonight.”
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior Devon Rutschmann has had a lot of memorable soccer games in his career, but none that rivaled Thursday's performance at Hayden.
Rutschmann scored a career-high five goals and also threw in an assist as the Junior Blues rolled to an 8-0 Centennial League win over the Wildcats.
Washburn Rural junior Devon Rutschmann (10) splits Hayden defenders Tagen Rodriguez (left) and Noah Haverkamp (right) in the Junior Blues' 8-0 win at Hayden Thursday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Devon Rutschmann, who had five goals and an assist, delivers a corner kick in Rural's 8-0 win over Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior star Easton Bradstreet, who had scored 13 goals over the first five games of the year, was held without goal for the first time this season, but Rutschmann took up the slack and a lot more as the Junior Blues improved to 6-0-0
"They double-teamed him, maybe even triple-teamed him at times,'' Rutschmann said. "We would get him the ball and he'd get it right back to me and there was no one really there at times, so it worked.
"I had way more opportunities than the last couple of games.''
- Details
By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• Just 14 games into his time at KU, and standing 4-10, Lance Leipold is linked to the Nebraska opening.
• Look, I am fast becoming an ardent admirer. And I actually told a few friends to tap the brakes after the opening win over an FCS program from the Ohio Valley.
• But Leipold seems to be building something special.
• Dang, though. Nebraska looking at a KU coach? With a few rumors also swirling about Chris Klieman as a darkhorse?
• That signals a revolutionary reversal of fortune, though this revolution for Nebraska football has been going on for about a quarter-century.
• For quite a while now, the N on the helmet has stood for nothing.
• Big Ten allocations can be invested more effectively without coaching terminations.
• Scott Frost could do worse than find a position as an NFL assistant.
• Bill Callahan has earned praise there as an offensive line coach. Gary Gibbs spent eight seasons with the Chiefs.
• And then there’s Ron Prince, who … never mind.
• How far can Jalon Daniels, his deep backfield and an improving receiving corps take KU?
• Yeah, it’s early. But the September game I thought would be pivotal is over and KU won at West Virginia.
• By 13 points. In overtime. After digging a 14-0 deficit after one quarter.
• Made me quit grumbling about the white top-red pant uniform scheme.
• Actually, I don’t go ape poop gaga over alternative uniforms. I realize it thrills players and fans, so that’s cool.
• As far as KU, I am more excited to see stadium reconstruction.
• Thing about Leipold is he could be the coach who finally drives demand for suites, a decent component for measuring the appeal of a college football program.
• Still think Leipold must coach the Jayhawks to a winning season before he fields other offers, but maybe not in this day of rapid perception.
• KU just might post a winning record. The Big 12 is wide open.
• K-State is actually going to show off a helmet makeover Saturday.
• Pennant-waving Willie will adorn the white lids.
• Between that wardrobe change and four newcomers added to the Ring of Honor, I’m a bit startled.
• I had thought Bill Snyder had a clause in his retirement papers giving him perpetual control of some football matters.
• The K-State defense is one stubborn crew. Playmakers on every level and lots of interchangeable parts.
• That helps with Adrian Martinez’s transition, which warrants an incomplete grade so far.
• In fairness to Martinez, his receivers need to play better, an all too familiar refrain at K-State.
• None of them are better than Washburn’s James Letcher.
• Gene Taylor has probably noticed. The K-State AD is following the Ichabods and his son Jared, a transfer quarterback from Northern State.
• Big trap game coming up before K-State begins Big 12 play in prime time on Fox.
• No. 6 Oklahoma better not take Nebraska too lightly in Lincoln after the Huskers’ coaching move.
• What’s that? Sure, K-State better not take Tulane for granted, either.
• Nebraska, Missouri, Texas A&M … do you want more proof the money isn’t always greener?
• I expect Texas and Oklahoma will provide it.
• Told my wife I wanted to start over.
• We deserve a honeymoon as sweet as Jerome Tang’s.
• Haven’t seen him coach yet but planting himself into K-State’s student section and ending the F-KU chant is regal stuff.
• So is his purple campus couch.
• I was itching to use regal in honor of the queen. Or is it honour?
• Enough on nobility, which is something the N on Nebraska’s helmet no longer represents.
• Back to Tang. It sure seems he can pack all his magnetism into delivering better results for the Cats.
• Recruiting better talent is a nice start.
• Not making any bold predictions just yet on K-State hoops. Reluctant to even do that with KU football.
• However, it’s fascinating what can happen when coaches introduce and commit to disciplined structure.
• Not all of them do, including a string of four straight KU football failures.
• Too much was made about Russell Wilson’s arrival in Denver and not enough about the son of Paul Hackett.
• I’d like to think I looked as good at 50 as Arrowhead Stadium, but I’ve never had a manicure, so no.
• Conference realignment does not apply only to major colleges.
• We also see the effects with high school football, including the end of an interminable losing streak for Highland Park.
• Argue the merits of changing leagues all you want, but I find some joy in the Scots being 2-0.
