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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Local high schools open regional boys soccer competition this week, beginning with three Monday contests.
Hayden, 7-8-1 on the season, will host Mulvane (7-9-0) in a 4 p.m. Class 4A-1A regional semifinal Monday while Cair Paravel Latin (0-10-0) will host Circle (0-15-0) in a 4:30 p.m. 4A-1A play-in game at the Sunflower Soccer Complex. The Cair Paravel-Circle winner will advance to a 6 p.m. game Tuesday at Buhler (15-1-0).
In 5A, Seaman (3-11-2) will travel to Leavenworth (5-10-1) for a 6 p.m. play-in game on Monday, with the winner playing Kansas City-Sumner (13-2-1) at Kansas City-Schlagle at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Seaman dropped a 1-0 overtime United Kansas Conference decision to the Pioneers in the regular season.
Washburn Rural senior Easton Bradstreet (13) has scored 25 goals this season entering Tuesday's Class 6A regional soccer opener at McElroy Field. [File photo/TSN]
Centennial League champion Washburn Rural (13-3-0) will open 6A postseason at 6 p.m. Tuesday at McElroy Field against the winner of Monday's play-in game between Lawrence (5-10-1) and Wichita South (0-16). The Junior Blues have asssured themselves of homefield advantage through the state quarterfinal round.6A.
Junior Chris Gomez (18) and the Topeka High soccer team will host Free State in a Class 6A regional game Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High will also open 6A postseason Tuesday, with the 11-5-0 Trojans hosting Free State (6-7-2) in a 6 p.m. regional game at Hummer Sports Park.
Nic Simons and his 10-5-1 Shawnee Heights soccer team will open Class 5A postseason Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex against KC-Washinton. [File photo/TSN]
UKC champion Shawnee Heights (10-5-1) will be at the Bettis Family Sports Complex at 6 p.m. Tuesday to host KC-Washington (7-7-2) in a 5A regional opener.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's volleyball team earned its third straight Class 5A state tournament berth with a dominating performance in Saturday's sub-state tourney at Seaman.
Seaman's volleyball team displays its Class 5A sub-state trophy for fans after winning Saturday's title at Seaman. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Seaman volleyball posed with its Class 5A sub-state championship trophy Saturday at Seaman. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
The Vikings, now 30-8 on the season, posted a pair of lopsided sub-state victories, taking a 25-8, 25-16 semifinal win over United Kansas Conference rival De Soto before dispatching Kansas City-Schlagle 25-9, 25-6 in the championship match.
Schlagle made it to the final with a 25-21, 15-25, 25-21 win over KC-Turner in the semis.
Seaman senior Maegan Mills spikes the ball in Saturday's sub-state tournament at Seaman. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Laynee Brown sets the ball during Saturday's Class 5A sub-state volleyball tournament at Seaman. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Seaman advanced to the 5A quarterfinals in 2020 before placing fourth last season.
The UKC-champion Vikings will compete in the 5A state event Friday and Saturday at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
Seaman will begin pool play at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, following the conclusion of 6A pool play.
The top two finishers in both 5A pools will advance to the state semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches at about 2:30 p.m.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The Washburn Rural volleyball team is returning to the Class 6A state tournament again after a clean sweep at sub-state.
Washburn Rural rolled over its sub-state competitors Saturday afternoon at Washburn Rural, improving to 40-1 on the season.
Washburn Rural volleyball poses with its championship trophy after winning Saturday's Class 6A sub-state tournament while improving to 40-1 on the season. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
With a 25-6, 25-6 semifinal win over Dodge City and a 25-12, 25-11 over Centennial League rival Manhattan, the Junior Blues punched their ticket to the 6A state tournament next Friday and Saturday at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
"Every year is different, but the feeling never gets old," Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "We know we have a lot of things to do to get better, but we have four days of practice to work on it.
"We can't think about a championship yet because we need to take it one day at a time."
Washburn Rural senior Brooklyn DeLeye, regarded as one of the best volleyball players in the nation, was a difference maker on Saturday.
The Kentucky commit's serves, shiftiness and kills in the sub-state matches gave the Lady Blues the boost they needed.
"I don't know if I would be the player I am today without all of the support that I have been given," DeLeye said. "Being in this gym for the last four years has been life-changing. It's going to be sad not to play volleyball in this gym again. I've come so far since I got here.
"I couldn't have done any of this without my teammates. They have always had my back. My teammates have made me better on and off the court. I wouldn't be anywhere without my teammates."
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's cross country team came up short in its bid for regional team championships Saturday at Manhattan, but both Junior Blue teams earned runner-up team finishes at Warner Park to earn berths for next Saturday's Class 6A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, north of Lawrence.
Rural's girls finished just two points behind Free State (45-47) while the Firebirds also claimed the boys title, by a 35-61 margin over the Junior Blues.
Washburn Rural's girls cross country team finished second in Saturday's Class 6A regional at Manhattan, just two points behind Free State. [Twitter photo/Washurn Rural cross country]
Washburn Rural's boys cross country team finished second in Saturday's Class 6A regional at Manhattan to earn a berth in the 6A state meet. [Twitter photo/Washurn Rural cross country]
Sophomore Payton Fink made it a sweep of individual city, Centennial League and regional titles with a win in a five-kilometer time of 18:49.90 while her Rural teammate, senior Madeline Carter, was second in 19:08.40.
Rural also got a 12th-place finish from sophomore Rylee Ismert (20:46.20) while freshman Vilde Tronstad (21:08.30) was 14th and sophomore Brooklyn Nolte (21:34.10) 21st to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
Senior Christine Gutierrez (21:54.50) and junior Sydney Laster (22:07.70) added 26th and 27th-place finishes.
Senior Easton Dial paced Rural's boys, finishing second in 16:49.20.
Seniors Davin Johnson (17:18.60) and Grayson Fink (17:21.10) also posted top-10 finishes, with Johnson seventh and Fink ninth, while junior Hayden Keller (17:51.70), sophomore Conner Olsen (17:54.30) and senior Trevor Cain (18:04.30) finished 21st, 22nd and 23rd.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's football team found the best way to get over heartbreaking loss -- a runaway win.
After taking a 32-30 last-second loss the previous week at nationally-ranked Northwest Misouri, the Ichabods rolled to a 37-9 Homecoming win over Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Yager Stadium, improving to 5-3 on the season.
Washburn senior star James Letcher Jr. scores his third touchdown of the day on a 78-yard punt return in Saturday's 37-9 Homecoming win over Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
James Letcher Jr. (left) celebrates his third touchdown of Saturday's 37-9 win over Central Oklahoma with teammate Andrew Pujado. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"This was huge, huge,'' Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. "The kids were good all week but you just tell that type of loss we had last week still stung and it was still on everyone's mind.
"This helps a lot and we played real well. We didn't wallow in it and the leadership of our seniors really took over.''
Washburn senior defensive back Channon Ross, who had one of the Ichabods' three interceptions against Central Oklahoma, said that after being burned on Northwest's game-winning drive, it was important for the Ichabod defense to show out Saturday.
"All week in practice the defense felt like it was on us last week,'' Ross said. "The offense played great, so we felt like this game was us. Everybody was looking at us thinking they could throw the ball and we had to make them pay for it.
"I think we responded very well and did what we had to do.''
After a scoreless first quarter, Kameron Lake got the Ichabods on the scoreboard with a 26-yard field goal with 6:47 to play in the second quarter, capping a 16-play, 66-yard drive to take a 3-0 lead.
After the Ichabods forced a punt, Washburn then wrapped up the opening half with a 15-play, 87-yard drive, capped by Kellen Simoncic's 1-yard run on a quarterback keeper.
Washburn the proceeded to dominate the second half, opening up a commanding 37-3 advantage midway through the fourth quarter.
"We just wanted to continue to keep playing hard,'' said Washburn senior James Letcher Jr., who had three touchdowns on the day. "We knew what we were trying to do. A lot of stuff we tried in the first half wasn't really working so we fixed that in the second half.''
UCO took the opening kickoff of the second half and went backwards one yard in its three plays. Ater a 33-yard punt Washburn needed five plays to march 57 yards in 87 seconds, with Ichabod record-holder Letcher taking a direct snap and scoring from 12 yards out to put Washburn up 16-0 with 12:31 to play in the third quarter.
The Ichabods; Brendan Harden picked off a pass on a Broncho third-down play and returned it to the UCO 20, setting up Simoncic's to 11-yard TD pass to Letcher that stretched Washburn's lead to 23-0.
