- Details
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights boys basketball was in danger of letting a 25-point lead get away Tuesday night, but the T-Birds were able to hold off No. 7-ranked Piper in the final seconds for a 72-70 home United Kansas Conference victory.
JaiMarion Cook led Shawnee Heights with 25 points in Tuesday's 72-70 UKC win over Piper. [File photo/TSN]
The two programs have had their battles with one another over the last couple of years, especially in the state tournament, and Heights was able to snap a five-game losing streak to Piper.
“The first half was great and we were beating a great team by over 20 points,'' Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting said. "We played great, but these guys get tired, missing free throws, turning the ball over, the shot comes up short. We can’t work any harder, I promise you, we just got to get more guys playing.''
Darting said the T-Birds currently have a small rotation and when they play a game like Tuesday's, players get gassed. Ja'Veon Alston started cramping and while freshman Quincy Dixon left the game after falling hard on his back drawing a foul early in the game.
“First half I thought we played great, we played as a team,'' Heights senior JaiMarion Cook said. "The whole season we’ve had a problem with closing games. Every game we’ve lost has come by single digits. We just got to learn how to stay poised as a team and I trusted in my teammates tonight and that’s why we got the win.''
Senior Aiden Scott scored the first seven points for SHHS after hitting a triple, putting them up 7-2. Piper would draw within one at 11-10 but that’s the closest they got for the remainder of the half.
Cook hit a 3-pointer with four seconds left in the first quarter off an assist from junior Cam Ross to put the T-Birds up 21-13.
Cook then took off, scoring 11 of the 13 points in the second quarter, while hitting two 3s, putting Heights up 27-17. About a minute later, off an offensive rebound, Alston put one off the window, forcing the Pirates into a timeout with 3:21 left in the half after Heights claimed its biggest lead, 29-17.
Cook went on to score five points down the stretch of the quarter, hitting three 3s in the right corner pocket, helping SHHS to an eight point lead at halftime, 34-26.
In the second half, Cook picked up where he left off, hitting another shot from distance to put the T-Birds in front 39-28 and Heights kept increasing its lead. Alston scored in transition off a turnover that caused Piper to call a timeout with 5:19 left in the third quarter.
The T-Birds got their lead up to 25, 57-32, after another Cook 3 and headed into the fourth quarter up 58-42.
But then the Pirates pressed, trapped and doubled teamed anytime they could to cut the deficit and they accomplished that goal, getting it down to a 60-52 game until Ross hit two free throws to put it back up to 10.
“For me it was how I can keep this team together?” Cook said. “How can I keep us all calm because we’ve been in these situations so many times and this game was the first time we got one of these done. I was trying to get my teammates all on the same page. During free throws, I was talking to each one of them on how we have to communicate.”
Piper brought it down to just two with 1:39 left in the game after converting a three-point play, 66-64, but then Ross and Alston put up four straight for the T-Birds as they led 70-66. But then Piper would score again, making it a two-point game.
It was getting loud and the tension was growing knowing the stakes of this game and recent history. Cooper Crawford for Piper drove in for a two-hand flush as SHHS led 71-70. Ross was then fouled off the inbounds play, made one of two free throws with about 10 seconds left and Piper couldn’t get a shot off as time expired.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's no doubt that Seaman's earlier boys basketball game against Topeka West was a low point of the Vikings' 2025-2026 season, really the only low point in what has been an outstanding start.
Playing in front of their home fans on Dec. 12, the Vikings gave up 30 points to West in the opening eight minutes and trailed by 31 points after three quarters en route to a 71-57 loss to the Chargers.
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner (33) scored a game-high 28 points in Tuesday's 57-52 UKC road win at Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
No. 3-ranked Seaman evened the score in Tuesday's rematch at No. 2 West, leading for most of the opening three quarters before rallying from a four-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to take a 57-52 United Kansas Conference victory.
"We gutted it out,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "I told our players that was probably the thing that stuck out to me the most was getting behind in that fourth quarter and being able to regroup, maintain some composure and find a way to get it done.''
Seaman, now 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the UKC, fell behind 6-0 early in the game, but the Vikings fought back behind senior star KaeVon Bonner to take a 13-12 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
The Vikings led by as many as eight points in the second stanza and took a 29-24 lead to the locker room at halftime, but Topeka West (7-2, 6-1) doubled up Seaman 14-7 in the third quarter to take a 38-36 advantage and scored the first bucket of the fourth quarter to go up by four points at 40-36.
Seaman answered with four straight points to knot things at 40-all and the game was close the rest of the way
West went up 52-50 on a hoop from junior Jasper Phillips with 1:52 remaining, but Seaman ended the game with the final seven points.
After Bonner tied the game at 52, senior Griffin Zuniga put the Vikings ahead to stay with 1:08 left and Bonner, senior Landon Wiltz and senior Matthew McConnaughey hit one of two free throws (Seaman was 11 of 22 on the night) down the the stretch.
Seaman senior Landon Wiltz reacts to a big play in Tuesday's 57-52 UKC win at Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Several players came up big down the stretch on both end of the floor, including Wiltz, who had 6 points, 8 rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers on the night.
"That's what we're going to need,'' Cox said. "As great as KaeVon is, we know those other guys are going to have to take advantage of their opportunities when those opportunites arise and they can help us. I think their confidence is growing and they're feeling real good about their team.''
Bonner, who was coming off a 42-point game at Lansing, scored 28 points Tuesday night while Zuniga added 15.
Bonner said Tuesday's win was huge for the Vikings, especially considering how the earlier game with West went.
"We definitely just wanted it a lot more this game,'' Bonner said. "We knew they beat us that first game and it was pretty embarrassing that first quarter. We just knew we had to get out on them because they shot really well against us, so we got out on them and we just wanted it a lot more (this game).
"We knew they were ranked higher than us and we just wanted this one really bad. I know I made a couple of dumb turnovers and I was getting a little exhausted, but we had people on our team that stepped up and really helped us out toward the end.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior standout Maddie Gragg reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone early in Tuesday night's United Kansas Conference game at Topeka West and the Vikings took control in the second half en route to a 49-26 win.
Seaman senior Maddie Gragg (32) eclipsed the 1,000-point milestone for her career in Tuesday's 49-26 UKC road win at Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Gragg entered Tuesday's game needing just three points to reach 1,000 points and scored the first four points of the game to reach the milestone a minute into the contest on the way to a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
"She's so unselfish and her role this year is a lot different than it was the last few years,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "She's taken on that leadership role well and I like that she's bringing the young kids along with her.
"She really doesn't like the attention, but this was a good accomplishment for Maddie and the girls are happy for her, too.''
It took Seaman a lot longer to reach its top form as a team, with the No. 10-ranked (Class 5A) Vikings leading by just four points at the end of the opening quarter (16-12) and by just three points (19-16) at halftime before pulling away after halftime with a dominating performance.
The Vikings, now 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the UKC, scored the first eight points of the second half, building a 27-16 advantage with 6:18 left in the third stanza on a 3-pointer from junior Brynn Spencer.
Seaman led 38-26 at the start of the fourth quarter and pitched a shutout over the final eight minutes, outscoring the Chargers 11-0 to stretch its final advantage to 23 points.
"I had to get into them a little bit at halftime,'' Tinsley said. "And that's just kind of been our thing this year, teams being a little tougher than we are and someone gets in our face and we don't take it right back to them, so I challenged them at halftime pretty good and I'm so proud of how they came back and responded.
"I told them, 'There's no secred to this game. You just have to be stronger than they are and when someone gets in your face you need to accept the challenge because that's what being a competitor is.' ''
Seaman junior Brynn Spencer (top), battling for a loose ball, scored 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers in Tuesday's 49-26 UKC win at Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman freshman Baylee Ayres (23) scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Tuesday's 49-26 UKC win at Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In addition to Gragg's double-double, Spencer and freshman Baylee Ayres also scored 10 points apiece while junior Jaydin Frickey added 9 points. Ayres also grabbed nine rebounds and sophomore Lydia Dreher had eight boards.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TREY DONATH, Shawnee Heights -- A junior two-time first-team All-City pick, Donath helped Shawnee Heights win its first-ever boys Class 5A team bowling championship in 2024 and helped the T-Birds return to state last season. Donath rolled a 614 series at the 2025 state meet to finish 28th as Heights finished fifth as a team. Donath shot a 542 series in regional competition as Heights advanced to state with a third-place team finish. Donath shot a 603 series in the city tournament as Shawnee Heights finished second as a team.
ANDREW FAUROT, Washburn Rural -- Faurot, a junior, was a second-team All-City selection in 2025 after helping Washburn Rural post a fifth-place team finish in Class 6A and capture city and regional team championships. Faurot shot a 587 in the state tournament after finishing third in 6A regional competition with a 679 series.
Dylan Hunt, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
DYLAN HUNT, Seaman -- A junior, Hunt was a second-team All-City pick last season. Hunt finished fifth in the United Kansas Conference tournament with a 663 three-game series and he posted a sixth-place finish in the city championships with a 649 series before rolling a 618 series in Class 5A regional competition.
Kelton Meier, Hayden [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
KELTON MEIER, Hayden -- Meier, a junior, helped Hayden capture its first-ever state bowling championship, rolling a 604 three-game series to finish 21st as the Wildcats won the title by 95 pins. Meier shot a 633 series in 4A-1A regional competition to finish sixth as Hayden won the regional title by 213 pins. Meier captured the Centennial League individual title with a 675 series as the Wildcats finished second as a team. A first-team All-City pick, Meier finished ninth in the city meet with a 632 series. Meier averaged 213 with a high series of 706 last season and opened the 2026 season on Tuesday in Hayden's quadrangular with a 785 series, capped by a perfect 300 game in his third game.
Henry Schattilly, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
HENRY SCHATTILLY, Shawnee Heights -- After helping Shawnee Heights win its first-ever boys Class 5A team bowling championship in 2024, Schattilly, a senior, helped the T-Birds return to state this past season. Schattilly shot a 579 series at state as Heights finished fifth in the team race. Schattilly rolled a 672 series at regionals to place sixth and lead the T-Birds to a third-place team finish. Schattilly posted an 11th-place finish in the United Kansas Conference tournament with a 625 series as the T-Birds finished second as a team. Schattilly placed third individually in the city tournament with a 658 series for runnerup Shawnee Heights. A first-team All-City selection, Schattilly averaged 212 last season with a high series of 693 and a perfect 300 game.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
CAMRYNN AHRENS, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Ahrens earned second-team All-City recognition for the second straight season in 2025 after helping the Junior Blues post a third-place team finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Ahrens shot a 536 three-game series at state after finishing third in 6A regional competition with a 616 series as the Junior Blues won the regional team crown by 341 pins. Ahrens finished fourth in the Centennial League meet for the team-champion Junior Blues with a 534 series.
Leah Crowford, Seaman [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
LEAH CRAWFORD, Seaman -- Crawford, a sophomore, placed 22nd individually in her first Class 5A state tournament with a 532 series last season, helping Seaman finish third in the team standings. Crawford, who averaged 182 on the season, won a 5A regional individual championship with a 630 series as Seaman captured the team crown by 514 pins, finished eighth in the United Kansas Conference with a 568 series as the Vikings won the team title by 334 pins and shot a 522 series in the city tournament to finish 12th individually for the team-champion Vikings.
Megan Glinka, Washburn Rural [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
MEGAN GLINKA, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Glinka earned first-team All-City honors for the second straight season after placing 26th at state with a 554 series to help Washburn Rural finish third as a team in the 2025 Class 6A state tournament. Glinka recorded a 561 series to place 12th in regional competition for team-champion Rural. Glinka garnered the Centennial League individual championship with a 597 series as the Junior Blues won the team title and shot a 525 in the city tournament to place 11th as Rural finished second as a team. Glinka averaged 191 on the season with a high game of 276 and a high series of 713.
Claire LaDuke, Seaman [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
CLAIRE LADUKE, Seaman -- LaDuke, a senior, placed eighth in the 2025 Class 5A state tournament with a 582 three-game series, helping lead the Vikings to the third-place team trophy. LaDuke was third at regionals with a 581 series as Seaman won the championship by 514 pins. LaDuke finished ninth in the United Kansas Conference with a 558 series as the Vikings won the team title by 334 pins and rolled a 569 series in the city tournament to place fourth as Seaman won the city team title. LaDuke earned first-team All-State honors in Class 5A from the Kansas Bowling Coaches Association, averaging 201 on the season with a high series of 673 and a high game of 257.
Kenzie Lawson, Washburn Rural [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
KENZIE LAWSON, Washburn Rural -- Lawson, a senior, earned first-team All-City honors for the first time in 2025 after helping the Junior Blues post a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Lawson posted a 10th-place individual finish in the state meet with a 621 three-game series. Lawson rolled a 597 series to place sixth at regionals for team-champion Rural and finished eighth with a 503 series in the Centennial League for team-champion Rural. Lawson shot a 545 series in the city tournament to place ninth as Rural finished second as a team. Lawson averaged 180 on the season.
