- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OTTAWA -- Torrey Horak loved playing quarterback for Rossville, but the two-time Class 2A state champ knew there would probably come a day when he would have to change primary positions.
That day will come next month when the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder reports to Central Missouri, where he will play safety.
Former Rossville star Torrey Horak (6) will play a final high school game with former teammate Corey Catron (2) in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg. [File photo/TSN]
"A couple of schools looked at me for safety, one as a receiver and one as a running back, so I had a couple of different options but I really fell in love with Central Missouri and I feel like that's home to me now,'' Horak said.
But before he switches to the defensive side of the football, Horak, who played both ways for Rossville, will get one last chance to play quarterback for the East in Saturday night's 7 p.m. Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg.
"Offense is definitely something that I love, but I'm getting an opportunity to play at a high level with some really high-class athletes that not everybody gets that opportunity, so I'm going to take it and I'm going to run with it and we'll see where it goes,'' Horak said. "I'm really excited to get down there.''
Horak said he knew Central Missouri was the right place for him after visiting the Warrensburg campus.
"My mom (Wendi) was down on my official visit with me and she really enjoyed it and we both just kind of felt like it fit my personality really well,'' Horak said. "So far I've been there all summer and I feel like that still holds up.''
Horak also reached out to older brothers Tucker, a former running back at Pittsburg State, and Thatcher, who played baseball at Washburn, for their input.
"I talked to Thatcher and Tucker because both of them had had some experience in the recruiting process and really both of them just said to just enjoy it,'' Torrey Horak sai. "They said, 'Don't stress over it. The right school will come to you and when your decision's made you'll enjoy it.' And to this point I definitely have.''
Horak thinks this week's training camp at Ottawa University will help him get ready to begin his college career.
"Our fall camp, I've seen some leaks of the schedule and it's going to be intense, but this week with having two and three practices a day I feel like it will kind of build up my stamina a little bit and kind of give me an idea of what's coming when fall camp rolls around,'' he said.
Saturday night's game will also give Horak one last chance to play with former Rossville teammate and close friend Corey Catron, who will play slotback for the East, while Bulldawg coach Derick Hammes is an East assistant. Horak and Catron were named the Shawnee County co-offensive players of the year after leading the Bulldawgs to a second straight 13-0 season last fall.
"I think this is going to be an incredible week and I'm just blessed to be here, really,'' Horak said during an East practice session. "I'm excited for this.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OTTAWA -- Former Seaman standout Casen Stallbaumer is all set to join what is quickly becoming a Viking pipeline to Emporia State.
Rossville football coach Derick Hammes, an East assistant, works with former Seaman standout Casen Stallbaumer (left) during a Shrine Bowl practice at Ottawa University. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
A first-team All-Shawnee County pick last fall, Stallbaumer will compete for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg State before he reports to the Hornet football team early next month along with his former Viking teammate and cousin, Camden Barta, also an All-County pick in 2021.
"It's a great program and it just felt like home down there,'' the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Stallbaumer said during an East practice session at Ottawa University. "It's not too far away and then I've got my cousin going there, too, so that just makes it a lot better.''
Stallbaumer and Barta will join two other former Seaman standouts, Dalton and Reid Cowan, on the ESU football team while another Viking product, Riley Cowan, is a member of the Hornet women's soccer team.
"There's three Cowans down there -- Dalton, Reid and Riley -- and I know them all real well,'' Stallbaumer said.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Geoff Poston, who won a pair of state championships at Seaman after building a state contending program at Topeka West before moving to the college level, earned the No. 1 spot on TopSports.news' Top 10 Best of the Best Coaches list for bowling.
Geoff Poston coached Seaman to boys and girls state bowling titles and Topeka West to a runner-up state finish before starting the Ottawa University bowling program. [Photo/Ottawa University]
Former PBA star Bob Benoit has coached Seaman to three Class 5A-1A state bowling championships, including a sweep of the boys and girls titles in 2022. [Pininterest.com]
Poston, a star bowler himself, led Seaman's girls to the Class 5A-1A state championship in 2011 and coached the Viking boys to the 5A-1A title in 2017 while also recording three runner-up state finishes before launching the Ottawa University bowling program. Before going to Seaman, Poston coached Topeka West to runner-up and a pair of third-place state finishes.
Bob Benoit, No. 2 on the Best of the Best list, was a standout on the PBA Tour before taking over as Seaman's head coach and leading the Vikings to the 5A-1A boys team title in 2019 and a sweep of the boys and girls crowns this past season. Benoit's teams have also recorded three other top-three state finishes.
Former Topeka West coach Mike Thompson holds down the No. 3 spot on the Best of the Best list after leading the Chargers to a 5A-1A girls team title in 2015 and the boys championship in 2018.
Rounding out the top five are current Shawnee Heights coach Scott Mercer and former T-Bird coach Nick Harris, who led Heights to the 2010 girls state title.
Poston also earned the No. 1 spot in the Reader's Choice poll, winning by more than 350 votes, while Mercer and Benoit finished second and third in balloting by TSN readers.
A five-person panel of current and past sports media professionals with more than 150 years of combined experience met to help determine the final Best of the Best Top 10.
Current Washburn Rural coach Jolene Ricard is No. 6 on the Best of the Best list while former Rural coach Ed Lee checks in at No. 7.
Former Seaman coach Bob Calderwood is No. 8, followed by longtime Shawnee Heights assistant Laurie Crimmins and longtime Topeka West assistant Mark Gingrich, who have both been a part of state championship teams.
Here's a look at the Top 10 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST BOWLING COACHES
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Topeka Junior Golf Association wrapped up its 2022 tournament Tuesday at Cypress Ridge, crowning eight champions.
Avery Scott (left) won the 15-17-year-old girls title in the TJGA City Tournament while Mallory Nelson (middle) finished second and Raegan Petersen third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Peyton Wright (right) was the TJGA city champion in the 13-14 girls division while Kailyn Petersen finished second. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Addison Fechter (right) was the TJGA city champ in the 12 and under division by a stroke over Avenley Head. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Lane Workman (left) won the 15-17 boys title in the TJGA City Tournament while Bryce Badsky (middle) was second and Hayden Glynn third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ayden Valdivia (right) was the TJGA city champion in the boys 13-14 division, while Evan Jones (middle) was second and Peyton Goehring third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Brody Buessing (right) won the TJGA city title in the 11-12 boys division while Jaxon Leonardi (left) finished second and Easton Moulin third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Landon Lentz (middle) was the TJGA city champ in the 9-10 boys division while Callen Baldwin (left) and Jase Head third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Nikhil Rao (left) and Parker Borjon finished first and second in the TJGA boys 8 and under division. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On the girls side Washburn Rural senior Avery Scott won the 15-17-year-old title while Peyton Wright won the 13-14 division and Addison Fechter was the champ in the 12 and under division.
Santa Fe Trail junior standout Lane Workman was the champion in the boys 15-17 division while Ayden Valdivia was the 13-14 champ, Brody Buessing won the 11-12 division, Landon Lentz was the 9-10 champ and Nikhil Rao won the 8 and under title.
Scott recorded a 36-hole score of 159, while Wright had a winning 18-hole total of 101 and Fechter shot an 18-hole score of 114.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OTTAWA -- Linemen are used to laboring in anonymity.
But former Shawnee Heights offensive lineman Orrin Busenitz generated enough attention during his T-Bird career to earn a spot on the East team, which will face the West in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg State University.
Former Shawnee Heights standout lineman Orrin Busenitz (56) is playing center for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I was extremely excited because I knew it was a big opportunity to represent my team and do some good for the kids in the hospitals,'' said the 6-foot-2, 295-pound Busenitz. "All the good that the Shriners do here I wanted to be a part of that.''
Only 39 players get the opportunity to play for the East and Busenitz said he was somewhat surprised to get the call to play in Kansas' premier all-star football game.
"I was a little bit (surprised), but I knew I was definitely good enough to be considered one of these top guys out here,'' Busenitz said.
Busenitz will play offensive center for the East, a position he played as a junior for Shawnee Heights before playing guard as a senior.
Busenitz will use this week's training camp at Ottawa University and Saturday night's game to help him get ready for the next step in his career at hometown Washburn University.
"I just liked the environment and the campus,'' Busenitz said of his decision to sign with the Ichabods. "They've been one of the top programs in the country in recent years and they have great facilities and great coaches, great people and I just wanted to be part of that.''
Busenitz is one of four former Shawnee Country standouts who will play for the East in Saturday night's game, which will kick off at 7 p.m. at Carnie Smith Stadium.
Former Rossville stars Torrey Horak and Corey Catron will play quarterback and slotback for the East while Seaman grad Casen Stallbaumer is playing linebacker.
Horak will play his college football at Central Missouri while Catron will play at Bethel and Stallbaumer at Emporia State.
