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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After making an equipment change a game into Wednesday's Washburn Rural bowling triangular at West Ridge Lanes, Rural junior Geo Peoples went on to bowl the best series of his high school career, leading the Junior Blues to the boys team championship.
Peoples, a returning state placer, bowled a 719 three-game series while the Junior Blues took the team title by a 2,852-2,586 margin over runner-up Seaman while Topeka West was third (2,343).
"I made a ball switch after the first game, and it just really worked for me,'' said Peoples, who placed 14th in the Class 6A state tournament last season. "I was thinking I'd would try (my other ball) and I still shot a good game with it the first game, but I improved after that.''
Washburn Rural junior Geo Peoples, who placed 14th in last season's Class 6A state tournament, won the individual title in Wednesday's Washburn Rural triangular with a 719 series. [File photo/TSN]
Peoples and senior teammate Matthew Hartter, who bowled a 690 series, went one-two in the individual standings and Rural placed four bowlers in the boys top five, with Josh Hammons fourth with a 677 and Logan Glinka fifth with a 669 as Washburn Rural posted a season-best high score.
With the Centennial League tournament coming up next Wednesday at West Ridge, followed by regional and state competition, Peoples said he feels like the Junior Blues are ready to be a contender.
"I think we're ready,'' Peoples said. "We just need to practice with spares and I think that will get us ready to crush league and regionals.''
Washburn Rural bowling coach Jo Ricard talks to her teams after Wednesday's triangular at West Ridge Lanes. Rural's boys won the team title and Geo Peoples won the individual crown with a 719 series. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"For the most part they've been pretty solid,'' Rural coach Jo Ricard said of the boys team. "What we said to the guys though is we did very well today, but we have to turn around, stay relaxed, and we have to do this for the next three weeks.''
Runner-up Seaman got a third-place finish from Zander White, who rolled a 685 series.
Seaman senior Makenzie Millard, a two-time top-five state placer, won the individual title in Wednesday's Washburn Rural triangular with a 679 series as the Vikings won the team championship. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman rolled to the girls individual and team championships, with senior Makenzie Millard taking individual honors while the Vikings took the team crown by a 2,333-2,060 margin over Topeka West. Rural was third with a 1,972 score.
Millard, a two-time state medalist, won the individual title with a 679 series while the Vikings also got a third-place individual finish from Katie Price, who bowled a 564 series.
Millard placed fourth last season after a a fifth-place showing as a sophomore and said she is healthy and excited for what's ahead in the biggest meets of the year after fighting through a thumb injury at this point in the season a year ago.
"I sure am,'' Millard said. "We're working really hard at practice and it seems to be paying off, so I'm pretty happy about it.''
Seaman's girls won league and regional titles a year ago before finishing fourth at state and Viking coach Bob Benoit said his team still needs to keep improving to be at its best for its late-season run.
"I think they're getting closer, but the spare game is not anywhere near where it needs to be,'' Benoit said. "We have too many highs, we have too many lows and we've got to get that ironed out where things are more consistent.''
Runner-up Topeka West got a second-place finish from Megan Wood, who bowled a 647 series, and a fifth from Brenna Rutschmann (531), while Washburn Rural got a fourth-place finish from Claire Ireland (547).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's boys basketball team maintained its share of the Centennial League lead with a 71-45 home romp past Topeka High Tuesday night.
The Scots, who improved to 14-2 overall and 11-1 in the league, steadily built their lead over the Trojans, including a 34-21 advantage at the half and a 48-32 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Highland Park singed the net at a 59 percent clip (30 of 51) and hit six of nine 3-point attempts while committing just seven turnovers.
Junior Jahmir Kingcannon had 21 points with five 3-pointers in Highland Park's 71-45 win over Topeka High Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Jahmir Kingcannon scored 21 points with five 3-pointers while junior Ketraleus Aldridge added 18 points with five dunks and senior Juan'Tario Roberts 10 points.
Sophomore BJ Canady led Topeka High (4-12, 3-8) with 15 points, 11 in the fourth quarter, while Germane Mays added 12 points.
Senior Tae Thomas (15) led Topeka High with a game-high 22 points and five 3-pointers in Tuesday's 61-38 road win at Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH GIRLS 61, HIGHLAND PARK 38 -- Undefeated and second-ranked Topeka High took control with a 21-5 first quarter and led 37-20 at the half and 47-28 after three quarters.
The Trojans (15-0, 12-0) rolled to the win despite shooting just 37 percent from the field and 44 percent from the tree throw line while hitting seven of 32 3-point attempts.
Senior Tae Thomas paced Topeka High with a game-high 22 points and five 3-pointers while junior Kiki Smith added 16 points (two 3-pointers) and junior Adisyn Caryl eight points.
Freshman Amelia Ramsey led Highland Park (2-14, 0-12) with 15 points while Aisya Taylor added nine points and Atiya Gonzales eight.
Topeka High will host No. 3-ranked Washburn Rural in a Centennial League showdown Friday night.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
A turnover-ridden night haunted Topeka West's girls basketball team in the Charger' 53-34 home Centennial League loss to Manhattan Tuesday night.
The youthful Lady Chargers had a difficult time making shots and handling the basketball for the entire course of the game.
Topeka West turned the ball over 24 times and made just 12 field goals on the night.
Manhattan keyed in on forcing as many turnovers as possible against Topeka West according to Manhattan coach Scott Mall.
“In the full court, we did what we really wanted to,” said Mall. “We kept pressure on (Topeka West) and forced turnovers. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”
Topeka West kept the game within reach for the first two quarters.
The Lady Chargers only trailed by three points by the end of the first quarter and faced a nine-point deficit going into the halftime break.
Topeka West had a difficult time making shots in the second half. The Lady Chargers were outscored 17-7 in the third quarter, and 12 of those 17 points from Manhattan came off West turnovers.
Topeka West girls basketball coach Jeff Skar saw some positive signs in Tuesday's 53-34 loss to Manhattan. [File photo/TSN]
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
All eyes were on the slick performances of Topeka West’s Sincere Austin and Elijah Brooks on Tuesday night at West.
Brooks and Austin accounted for 69 percent of the Chargers' 77 points in a 77-48 Centennial League win against Manhattan. The tandem hit a combined six 3-point shots, went five of seven from the free throw line and converted 15 of West's 21 made field goals.
Elijah Brooks
Sincere Austin
Sensational scoring nights from Brooks are something that Topeka West is quite used to and despite sitting out some of the third and fourth quarters, Brooks was able to put up 28 points on the night.
“Things were good for three quarters,” Brooks said. “We started picking up the pace in the second quarter. From there, we started running the court well. I thought we played pretty good tonight.”
That second quarter, as Brooks mentioned, was what separated Topeka West from Manhattan as the Chargers outscored the Indians, 22-11.
All 22 of those points were provided by Brooks and Austin.
Austin’s 25 points looked effortless. The junior hit a team-high five three-point shots against Manhattan.
“Tonight felt (good),” Austin said. “We are finally pulling together. The coaches are letting me be myself and play my game. I’ve noticed myself and the team passing and shooting the ball more. We are looking better.”
Despite Manhattan’s 4-11, 3-8 record, the Indians have played quality basketball at times this season.
Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist was worried about what kind of matchup problems the Indians presented coming into Tuesday night’s contest.
“Manhattan is a high-quality basketball team,” said Bloomquist. “I think (Manhattan) showed you how good they are when they beat one of the most athletic teams in the Centennial League (Junction City). Personally, it was a scary game for me. I know how well Manhattan plays, how they’re coached, and how good (Manhattan) is in the 3-2 zone.
“I thought we read and reacted well to Manhattan’s zone defense. I thought we moved the ball well. I thought that we had Manhattan moving a lot faster than they probably wanted to. I think tonight worked to our benefit.”
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
A pair of ranked teams on the Centennial League girls side faced off on Tuesday evening, with Washburn Rural, No. 3 in 6A, playing host to Seaman, No. 8 in 5A.
It was the Junior Blues who came out on top as defense powered them to a second win in as many nights, a 42-20 victory over the Vikings.
“Defensively, there were very few times that we didn’t understand where their players were … I thought we were pretty zeroed in probably from about the two-minute point of the first quarter on especially,” Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said.
Jada Ingram
Emma Krueger
Washburn Rural suffered its lone loss back on Jan. 4 to Topeka High, who the Junior Blues will take on in their next game.
“That’s one thing we try to preach is that we got to take care of the here and now. That will be there, we got to do this right here. And I thought we did a really good job of walking into that,” Bordewick said.
The win moved the Junior Blues to 15-1 on the year while Seaman fell to 10-5 after winning its previous three.
