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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One play may not have beaten Washburn Rural in Friday's Class 6A state playoff game against Free State, but it certainly put the Junior Blues in a hole they never recovered from in a 42-10 loss at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Down 14-7 early in the second quarter, Rural's defense came up with its first stop of the night, pinning the Firebirds at their 16-yard-line and forcing a punt.
But that punt, as bad as it was, proved to be the play of the night, turning what would given the Junior Blues a golden opportunity to tie the game into a 21-7 deficit.
Free State's punt didn't make it past the line of scrimmage and by rule that allowed Free State senior Brian Lane to scoop up the ball and ramble 85 yards for a touchdown, helping the Firebirds open up a 14-point lead with 11:02 remaining in the half on the way to Friday's decisive win.
Lane said he didn't initially realize he could advance the ball.
""I actually did not,'' he said. "I picked the ball up because it started to roll backwards. I just heard coach saying, 'Run! run!' So I just started running."
It was the first touchdown of his career.
"I'll remember that forever -- through college, through my whole life,'' Lane said.
Free State coach Kevin Stewart said he did know the rule.
"I just noticed the ball didn't ever cross the line,'' Stewart said. "Behind the line of scrimmage, you can advance it. I was just yelling at (Lane), 'Run it, run it, run it! He didn't really know what I was talking about it, but thankfully he listened. Thankfully the officially didn't blow the play dead, they just let it go.
"I've only seen that play twice in football. One time it was a Chiefs-Chargers game. I was a fan and I'm watching the game and I'm just going nuts. Then one other time in high school football. I felt really bad for Washburn Rural on that play. I really do, because that's a tough break. Unlucky. Just total luck on our part. Terrible play by us turned into luck. But that's just part of the game. Sometimes it happens like that."
The play had Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler and his staff trying to figure out exactly what transpired.
"You're trying to figure out what happened,'' Buhler said. "From the sideline you're sure the punt went past the line of scrimmage and to be honest with you I'd still have to go look that rule up because I've never seen it, as long as I've been around.
"We had to look at it on the sideline just to make sure and it was just a yard or two back. It was right up near the line of scrimmage. It was a good call. It never made it from what we saw. You teach the kids when it's a short punt to get away from it so they don't get hit so our kids just scattered and a couple of our guys assumed it was done and thought they heard a whistle and the next thing they knew (Free State) picks it up and runs it. So instead of being down 14-7 with the ball on their 13-yard-line, we're down 21-7.''
After getting a 3-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Jet Dineen to cap Free State's first possession of the game, Washburn Rural senior Robby Bolin answered with a 93-yard kickoff return (Giles Frederickson kick) to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:02 left in the opening quarter.
But Free State broke the tie with a long scoring drive, capped by a 6-yard run from senior Dash Cleveland with 3:05 left in the first and then added to its lead with Long's TD.
The score remained 21-7 into the second half before the Firebirds scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to put the 8-2 Junior Blues away.
Free State went up 42-7 with 4:38 left in the third on Dineen's third touchdown of the night before Washburn Rural got its final points of the night on a 46-yard field goal from Frederickson, a senior.
Dineen finished with 167 rushing yards on 23 carries while Cleveland had 109 yards on 21 attempts.
Washburn Rural had trouble moving the ball consistently against Free State's defense, with sophomore quarterback Branton DeWeese ending the night at Rural's leading rusher with 45 yards on seven carries and passing for 82 yards on an 11 of 26 night (one interception).
While Rural was obviously in pain after having its season ended, Buhler said he hopes the Junior Blues can someday soon appreciate what they accomplished this fall, including a share of the Centennial League title.
"I think they'll get to that point, especially the seniors when they get a chance to step away and look back,'' Buhler said. "I hope for the young guys it's two things. I hope they're motivated. We've gotten this far and we now have a gauge of where we need to take the next step.''
Free State, which improved to 8-2, will travel to Derby next week to face the defending state champs in a 6A quarterfinal.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
And then there were two!
Washburn Rural's soccer team came from behind to earn a berth in Saturday's Class 6A state championship game with a 2-1 semifinal win over Blue Valley Northwest Friday at Olathe's College Boulevard Activity Center.
Next up for the 19-0-0 Junior Blues is the 2 p.m. final against Olathe West (12-7-1), which took a 2-1 win over Wichita North (17-2-1) in Friday's second semifinal.
Blue Valley Northwest (8-11-1) drew first blood against Washburn Rural and took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Junior Blues pulled even on Easton Bradstreet's goal midway through the second half and scored the game-winning goal eight minutes later on a shot from senior Kaden Hill.
Olathe West also trailed 1-0 in its semifinal, but scored the final two goals to take the victory.
Blue Valley Northwest will face Wichita North in the 12 p.m. third-place game.
CLASS 6A STATE SOCCER
At College Boulevard Activity Center, Olathe
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Washburn Rural 2, Blue Valley Northwest 1
Olathe West 2, Wichita North 1
SATURDAY'S GAMES
12 p.m. -- Third place: Blue Valley Northwest (8-11-1) vs. Wichita North (17-2-1) .
2 -- Championship: Washburn Rural (19-0-0) vs. Olathe West (12-7-10.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Now in his 20th season as Washburn University's head football coach, it's probably hard for local fans to remember Craig Schurig being anywhere else.
But if not for a nine-year stint as an assistant at Pittsburg State, Washburn may have never happened.
"Probably nobody remember that any more because I've been here so long, but that's kind of where I got my football knowledge, under Chuck Broyles,'' said Schurig, whose 7-2 Ichabods will go on the road to face the 7-2 Gorillas in a 1 p.m. MIAA game Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium.
After serving as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, Colorado School of Mines, in 1992, Schurig went to Pitt State, where he coached tight ends, defensive backs and the punt team during a stint from 1993-2001 before landing the head coaching position at Washburn.
And although he wants to beat Pittsburg State as badly as any other team on the Ichabods' schedule, Schurig still has fond memories of his time in Pittsburg.
"You want your team to play well because you remember your time there,'' he said. "My three kids, Samantha, Mitchell and Michael, were all born there and that's where I really started my coaching career, so any time you go back you want to play well and show that you've kind of taken what you learned and done well.''
While on Chuck Broyles staff at Pitt State Schurig was part of Gorilla teams that played for the national championship in 1995, won four MIAA championships and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs eight times.
"I learned a lot from just how they ran the program,'' said Schurig, who is 9-8 against Pittsburg State. "Chuck did such a great job with just the total program, how your recruited, how you trained, putting a system in place on offense and defense and special teams.
"His philosophy was to have a physical team that was sound in what you did and to try to beat people and not try to trick people and that if you hit it that way you could be successful in this conference.''
Schurig was named Washburn's coach on Dec.. 28, 2001 and the rest, as they say, is history.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Topeka volleyball standouts have earned All-State Tournament honors for 2021.
Washburn Rural senior Katelynn Brogan and junior Brooklyn DeLeye were named to the All-Class 6A All-State Tournament team while Seaman senior Drew Baxter and sophomore Brooklyn Gormley were named to the 5A team.
Brogan, a 5-foot-10 setter/rightside hitter, and DeLeye, a 6-2 outside hitter, helped lead Washburn Rural to a 41-2 record on the season and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament.
DeLeye was named to the 6A All-State Tournament team for the third straight season.
Baxter, a 5-9 outside hitter/setter, and Gormley, a 5-11 middle blocker, helped lead Seaman to a 27-13 record and a fourth-place finish in the 5A state tournament.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Six Washburn University players have earned recognition on the All-MIAA women's soccer team, including second-team picks Emily Michaelis and Tera Lynch, while former Cair Paravel Latin standout Hannah Woolery earned first-team honors for Emporia State.
Woolery, a sophomore midfielder, moved up to the All-MIAA first team after earning honorable mention last season.
Woolery is tied for second in the MIAA with seven assists, fourth in points scored with 23 and sixth with eight goals scored this year.
She was the MIAA offensive player of the week on September 21 following her two-goal effort against Washburn.
Second-teamers Lynch, a senior midfielder, and Michaelis, a sophomore defender, lead Washburn's all-conference contingent while sophomore goalkeeper Raegan Wells and freshman forward Khloe Schuckman earned third-team honors and defender Mattie Miano and midfielder Charlie Taylor received honorable mention.
Central Missouri’s Kassie Newsom was selected as the MIAA’s offensive player of the year for the 2021 season. Newsom led the league with 43 points to help UCM win its second consecutive MIAA regular-season championship.
Her 13 assists led the MIAA while her 15 goals ranked second. Four of Newsom’s 15 goals were game-winning scores. The Jennies junior also ranked second in the league with 69 shots and 36 shots on goal. Newsom’s 13 assists are currently tied for first in Division II while her 43 total points rank second in the nation. This is Newsom’s second consecutive season earning All-MIAA honors.
Central Oklahoma’s Taryn Kedzior was tabbed the 2021 MIAA defensive player of the Year. Kedzior anchored the Bronchos' backline that finished regular-season competition with a league-high 10 shutouts.
Kedzior and the UCO defense allowed just 75 shots on goal and 17 goals, the second-fewest in the league. The Broncho junior accounted for a team-high 1,507 minutes on the field with 18 starts. This is Kedzior’s third consecutive All-MIAA honor
Voting for the MIAA goalkeeper of the year award ended in a tie between UCM’s Lindsey Johnson and UCO’s Kaitlyn Asher.
Asher started all 18 games in the net for the Bronchos for a total of 1,4030 minutes played. She ranked second in the league with just 15 goals allowed for a .944 goals against average. The Bronchos senior also ranked second in the MIAA with six shoutouts while her .805 save percentage ranked fourth. This is Asher’s second All-MIAA recognition.
Senior keeper Johnson helped the Jennies to their second consecutive regular-season championship with a total of 74 saves in 16 games for a .779 save percentage. In 1,458 minutes of action, Johnson allowed 21 goals and secured four shutouts. This is Johnson’s second consecutive season tabbing the association’ goalkeeper of the year honor.
The 2021 MIAA freshman of the year award went to Central Missouri’s Caroline Cole. Cole has started 17 games and totaled 1,324 minutes of play. She ranks third on the UCM squad with 15 points, six goals and three assists. She’s taken 49 shots this season with 23 falling on goal. Cole shares the team-high game-winning goals with Newsom at four.
Central Missouri's Lewis Theobald and Northwest Missouri’s Marc Gordon were selected as the MIAA’s co-coaches of the year by conference coaches.
The 2021 regular-season championship is the 12th of Theobald’s career as the Jennies have claimed 12 of the last 15 regular-season titles. This is Gordon’s first coach of the year honor since taking over the Northwest program in 2018. After being voted seventh in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, Gordon led the Bearcats to a third-place finish in the MIAA and set a program record with 12 wins on the season.
The MIAA tournament begins Sunday at campus sites with the semifinal and championship rounds to be played at the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals.
ALL-MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER