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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Atiya Gonzales scored 13 points for Highland Park in last Friday's 45-37 win over Junction City, the Scots' first Centennial League win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST (2-16, 2-11) at HIGHLAND PARK (3-15, 1-13)
Highland Park notched its first Centennial League victory of the season last Friday, taking a 45-37 home win over Junction City. Topeka West will be coming off a 60-19 league loss to state-ranked Emporia. Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 16 points against Junction City while senior Atiya Gonzales added 13 points and freshman Amelia Ramsey 10. Junior Azaryah Duncan scored a team-high eight points for Topeka West against Emporia.
HAYDEN (10-8, 7-7) at EMPORIA (14-4, 10-4)
State-ranked Emporia rolled to a 60-19 Centennial League win at Topeka West last Friday, while Hayden dropped a 63-54 decision to state-ranked Topeka High. Senior Carly Stuke scored a game-high 21 points for Hayden in its loss to Topeka High while senior Macy Smith added 15 points. Hayden won two of three games last week, including a non-league win over Tonganoxie and a league win over Topeka West.
Seaman sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer scored 19 points in both games last week as the Vikings knocked off state-ranked teams Topeka High and Lansing. [File photo/TSN]
SEAMAN (13-5, 11-4) at MANHATTAN (7-11, 6-8)
Seaman is coming off a huge week, knocking off No. 2 (Class 6A) Topeka High 50-42 last Tuesday in a Centennial League game and taking a 56-46 non-league win over No. 4 (Class 5A) Lansing on Friday. Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer scored 19 points in both Seaman wins last week while Carstyn Anderson added 13 points and Anna Becker 12 in the Vikings' win over Lansing. Manhattan dropped a 54-17 league decision to Washburn Rural last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (16-2, 12-2) at JUNCTION CITY (2-16, 2-13)
Washburn Rural rolled to a 54-17 home Centennial League win over Manhattan last Friday while Junction City is coming offf a 45-37 league loss at Highland Park. Junior Brooklyn DeLeye paced Washburn Rural, ranked No. 3 in last week's Class 6A state rankings by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, against Manhattan with a game-high 17 points.
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith (right) and Washburn Rural senior Emma Krueger have helped their teams combine for a 33-3 record this season. [File photo/TSN]
BISHOP MIEGE (16-2) at TOPEKA HIGH (17-1)
Two of the state's best teams meet for the second straight year in a non-league contest. Topeka High beat Hayden 63-54 last Friday night at Hayden while Bishop Miege is coming off a 52-39 win over defending Class 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. Junior Kiki Smith paced Topeka High with 20 points against Hayden while senior Tae Thomas added 15 points and Faith Shields 11.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ethan Burns
ETHAN BURNS, Seaman
A junior, Burns bowled a 728 three-game series last Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes to win the Centennial League boys individual title by two pins over Washburn Rural's Josh Hammons and help the Vikings finish second as a team, just four pins behind Rural. Burns finished 13th in the 2021 Class 5A-1A state tournament with a 631 series as the Vikings placed third as a team.
Kaitlyn Doyal
KAITLYN DOYAL, Washburn Rural
Doyal, a senior, won the Centennial League girls individual bowling championship last Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes by a 32-pin margin with a three-game series of 668, leading the Junior Blues to a second-place team finish. Doyal finished seventh in the Class 6A state tournament as a junior, bowling a 631 series as Washburn Rural finished third as a team.
Trent Duffey
TRENT DUFFEY, Hayden
Duffey, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 60 points in three games on the week as the Wildcats won two off the three. Duffey scored 19 points in Hayden's 58-35 non-league win over Tonganoxie last Monday, had nine points in Tuesday's 51-48 overtime Centennial League loss to No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West and scored a career-high 32 points in Friday's 66-57 league win over Topeka High on Senior Night at Hayden.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Rylee Murray received the outstanding wrestler award in the 2021 Centennial League girls wrestling tournament, probably the biggest highlight of her first season in the sport.
But even then Murray was in nearly constant pain from a condition that doctors still haven't been able to pinpoint more than a year later.
"I was very injured at that point and until I ended (the season) at sub-state, and then this year they still haven't figured it out,'' Murray said.
'"It's something with my muscles and ribs. I'm still taking all my medicine for pain and stuff and they're just trying to maintain it right now. I'm just going doctor to doctor trying to figure it out.''
Murray, who also plays softball for the Vikings, was left with a very important decision to make -- walk away or put up with the pain.
Murray chose to stay and fight.
"If I was younger I probably wouldn't because I don't think I would be able to make it two more years, but since it's my senior year I had to,'' she said. "My doctors told me, 'Not a good idea.' My parents told me, 'Not a good idea,' but they know me and they knew if I wanted to do it I was going to do it.''
Seaman senior 126-pounder Rylee Murray is congratulated by Viking coach Jordan Best after winning her Class 6A-5A regional wrestling title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman senior 126-pounder Rylee Murray (right) is coming off a Class 6A-5A regional championship and will take a 19-5 record into the state tournament Wednesday and Thursday in Park City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Murray's persevance has paid off, with the Vikings' 126-pounder making it back to the Centennial League finals, finishing second, before winning a championship in the Class 6A-5A regional tournament to earn a spot in Wednesday and Thursday's state tournament at Hartman Arena in Park City.
Murray, 19-5 on the season, said she her condition has improved ... slightly ... this season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Highland Park's athletic director, Boshner Whitaker is never at a loss for something to do.
But Whitaker spends any spare time he can find to devote to something else he has a great passion for -- officiating.
"I did that a little bit when I was in high school, just to help out at the rec centers, and then I realized it was a nice money-maker in college and I could pick and choose when I wanted to work and where,'' Whitaker said.
In addition to his duties as athletic director for Highland Park, Boshner Whitaker also works as a high school official whenever possible. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park athletic director Boshner Whitaker officiates in multiple sports when he can while also trying to spread the word about the need for officials. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Whitaker eventually caught the officiating bug and has officiating experience in basketball, football, baseball and softball.
Obviously, Whitaker's major priority is overseeing the Scots' athletic programs and he cut back his officiating schedules accordingly.
"My No. 1 commitment is to Highland Park, so I did have to give up my fulltime status as an official,'' Whitaker said.
But whenever he can, you'll find Whitaker working a game somewhere.
"I stay away from the varsity games in the Centennial League, but I do work varsity games in other leagues outside of Topeka and away from people who might know me on a personal level,'' Whitaker said.
With Kansas and many other states facing a shortage of officials, Whitaker believes it's his responsibility to do what he can.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County will send a total of 44 wrestlers to Friday and Saturday's boys state tournaments after wrapping up a strong performance in regional competition on Saturday.
Defending state team champ Washburn Rural claimed a Class 6A regional team championship and qualified 11 wrestlers for the state meet at Hartman Arena in Park City while Shawnee Heights finished second in 5A regional competition and will take 12 competitors to the state meet.
Seaman will be well-represented in 5A with seven qualifiers while Topeka High in 6A and Highland Park in 5A both qualiified one wrestler apiece.
Silver Lake finished second in its 3A-1A regional tournament while Rossville finished fourth as the Eagles and Bulldawgs combined for 12 state qualifiers for the 3A-1A state tournament at Hays.
Here's a school by school look at the state qualifiers:
Class 6A
WASHBURN RURAL -- The defending state champs emerged from an extremely tight team race at Wichita Southeast with the team title by a 205-203 margin over Dodge City, with Derby third with 196 points and Manhattan fourth with 193.
Washburn Rural senior Aidan Boline won a Class 6A regional title on Saturday, improving to 30-6 on the season. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Austin Fager, a state finalist a year ago, won an 182-pound regional title Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior regional champions Aidan Boline (160 pounds) and Austin Fager (182) led the Junior Blues, with Boline improving to 30-6 and Fager, a state finalist a year ago, improving to 39-2.
The Junior Blues got second-place finishes from freshman 106-pounder Easton Broxterman (36-5) and senior 126-pounder Jacob Tangpricha (31-6) and thirds from sophomore 113-pounder Jonathan Morrison (35-6), senior 120-pounder Henri McGivern (18-7) and senior 145-pounder Nick Vincent (5-1).
Tangpricha is a two-time state champion while Morrison was a state champ last season as a freshman.
Also qualifying for state were sophomore 132-pounder Brody Byrne (fourth), freshman 195-pounder Ford Brandt (fifth), freshman 152-pounder Kristjan Marshall (seventh) and sophomore 170-pounder Chase Calhoon (eighth).
TOPEKA HIGH -- After not getting the opportunity to wrestle as a junior, Trojan 285-pounder Jahmari Pleasant will wrestle at state this weekend after punching his ticket to the state meet with a fifth-place regional finish in the Wichita Southeast West regional.
Pleasant will take a 22-10 record into state competition.
Class 5A
