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By RICK PETERSON 
TopSports.news
The Dan Key Farmers Insurance agency is teaming up with TopSports.News to spotlight outstanding performances by male and female Shawnee County High School student-athletes.
Beginning Thursday, Feb. 3, The Dan Key Farmers Insurance “Athlete of the Week” will be featured on the TopsSports.News website.
Key, who opened the Dan Key Insurance Agency in 2013, has been involved in Shawnee County high school athletics for more than 35 years, as an umpire and basketball and football official as well as a multi-time state-champion high school coach.
“We are excited to be able to highlight the athletes in our community that are making a difference -- not just in athletics, but in other areas as well,'' Key said. "Getting to connect with the athletes in our community is very important to us. As I start to approach the end of my refereeing and umpiring career, I am excited to have found a way to still be involved in the high school athletics community.
"I came up with the idea because there are so many athletes that I have seen over the years that needed to be recognized. I’ve spent years working in athletics and there are just so many student- athletes I see that deserve to be recognized. Having a different male and different female athlete each week allows more kids to be honored.''
The Athlete of the Week feature will run until the end of May and then become a regular feature each week of the 22-23 school year.
The Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency is located at 5942 SW 29th Suite A in Topeka.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural’s Brooklyn DeLeye had a smooth and quiet 18-point night Thursday, missing just two shots on eight attempts, as the Lady Blues rolled to a 57-30 win over Leavenworth in the first round of the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic at Free State.
“Going into tournaments, we have to just go one game at a time,” said DeLeye, a 6-foot-2 junior. “We have to look on to the next and face a good team.''
Junior Brooklyn DeLeye scored a game-high 18 points in Thursday's 57-30 win over Leavenworth in the first round of the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic. [File photo/TSN]
The momentum of the Round 1 game started and finished with the No. 6-ranked Lady Blues in control.
The Lady Blues had the hot hand early, going on a 15-2 run 3:47 into the first quarter.
Zoe Canfield and Emma Krueger hit a combined three 3-point shots in the run, while DeLeye had four points in the paint.
“In the first quarter, we hit some threes which always opens things up,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "Our defense fed off of that and put together some really good stops.''
DeLeye had a nine-point second quarter, including a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, while Jada Ingram scored four points as Washburn Rural earn a 22-point lead going into the halftime break.
Leavenworth played better in the second half, getting 11 points on the night from guard Kaylee McLain, but the Pioneers were unable to make a series run, with Rural rolling to Friday's semifinals.
In the Lady Blues' current five-game winning streak, Washburn Rural has outscored opponents, 284-147.
With the win, Washburn Rural will take on Derby in Friday's 7:30 semifinal, with Rural ranked No. 6 in 6A and Derby No. 3.
“Derby is awful good,'' Bordewick said. "We haven’t seen (Derby) yet, but I know they are very good and very tall.''
TOPEKA WEST DROPS 59-25 DECISION TO PANTHERS
The Lady Chargers fought hard in the first quarter against No. 3-ranked Derby Panthers, including 3-point shots by Siani Sanchez and Breya Bogart, before Derby pulled away for a 59-25 first-round win in the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic.
“All I asked from the girls was to compete and play hard,” said Topeka West coach Jeff Skar. “For the most part, we did that, especially in the first quarter.”
Derby took control with 20 points in the second quarter, with Jada Hopson, Maryn Archer and Naomi White combining for 18 points.
Derby’s up-tempo style of basketball was tough for the Lady Chargers to handle, including a scoreless third quarter from the Chargers.
“I’m not disappointed. We played hard. That’s a team (Derby) who’s phenomenal. (Derby) has a real good chance of winning the 6A state title. I really liked our effort, but we have to adjust some defensive things,” said Skar.
Jazmyn Ford led the Lady Chargers in points with 11 while Derby’s leading scorer was Archer with 17 points.
Skar has one thing he would love to carry over from Thursday night’s game into Friday 4:30 p.m. consolation contest against Leavenworth.
“Effort. As long as we play like that, we are going to be in a lot of games,” Skar said.
Derby coach Dan Harrison was pleased with the defense and hopes it can carry over to Friday's semifinal matchup with Washburn Rural.
“I’d like to carry over our defensive energy to tomorrow,'' Harrison said. "We jumped out early tonight and that was the difference in the game. Early on we were missing some shots, but because of our defense, we were able to make up a lot of them. We are going to have to play great defense against Washburn Rural tomorrow. They can make threes and they can play on every part of the floor.”
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 57, LEAVENWORTH 30
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was a struggle at times, but Hayden's girls basketball team survived a low-scoring nail-biter to advance to Saturday's Top Gun Invitational championship game with a 32-30 win over Nemaha Central Thursday night in Wellsville.
Carly Stuke
Hayden, which improved to 7-3, will play Spring Hill for the tournament championship at 5 p.m. Saturday in Wellsville.
The Wildcats were locked in an 8-8 tie with the Thunder at the end of the first quarter before using a 12-4 second quarter to take a 20-12 halftime advantage.
Nemaha Central outscored Hayden 18-12 in the second half, but the Wildcats were able to hold on for the victory.
Senior Carly Stuke led Hayden with eight points while Lauren Sandstrom added five points. Three other Hayden players scored four points.
Spring Hill, ranked No. 8 in Class 5A, advanced to the championship game with a 59-54 win over previously-unbeaten and No. 3 Lansing.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's No. 4-ranked girls basketball team was a huge favorite in Thursday's first-round game of the Capital City Classic at High and it didn't take long for the undefeated Trojans to show why in a 71-13 romp past Blue Valley Southwest.
Hannah Alexander's 10-0 Trojans bolted out to a 19-3 first-quarter advantage and never looked back, taking a huge 37-8 lead to the locker room at the half and hitting the Timberwolves with a 24-3 third quarter to force a running clock over the final eight minutes.
"We wanted our defense to speak volumes and I thought it did, holding them to eight points through most of the third quarter,'' Alexander said. "I think that says a lot about our defense and that's what we wanted to do.
"We wanted to make sure that we took care of business and did what we needed to do out there. I thought the girls played great team ball.''
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith scored a game-high 20 points with four 3-pointers in the Trojans' 71-13 win over Blue Valley Southwest in the first round of Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Tae Thomas scored 19 points and hit four 3-pointers in Topeka High's 71-13 first-round win over Blue Valley Southwest in the Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Trojan standouts Kiki Smith and Tae Thomas combined for 39 points while sophomore Ayana Leesman added 11 points and nine Trojans cracked the scoring column.
Smith, a junior, led Topeka High with 20 points and senior Thomas added 19 points with both players canning four 3-pointers.
With Thursday's win the Trojans advanced to a 6 p.m. semifinal Friday againt Shawnee Mission East, a first-round winner over Maize.
Wichita Heights, which took a 75-31 first-round win over Highland Park, will face Seaman, a 54-19 winner over Shawnee Mission North, in Friday's 7:30 semifinal.
SEAMAN 54, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH 19 -- Seaman (7-3) took control with a 29-2 first half, including a 12-0 second-quarter shutout.
"Defense is our ticket, our strength,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "Execute your alignment and assignment and fly around and create havoc.''
Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer and freshman Anna Becker combined for 29 points against the Bison, with Stallbaumer leading all scorers with 17 points, including four 3-pointers, while Becker added 12 points, going six of six at the free throw line.
Eleven players cracked the scoring column for the Vikings, who are No. 10-ranked in Class 5A.
"The first half was our best halfcourt execution so far this season,'' Tinsley said. "We did a good job of moving the basketball against their zone.''
WICHITA HEIGHTS 75, HIGHLAND PARK 31 -- The Falcons put the Scots away early on, opening up a 26-8 first-quarter lead and taking a huge 52-17 advantage at the half.
Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Senior Zyanna Walker led Wichita Heights with 17 points while sophomore Mya Mayberry added 15 points, senior Cayanna Stanley 14 points.
Highland Park will face Shawnee Mission North in a 7:30 p.m. consolation contest Friday in Topeka High's auxiliary gym.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys went one-two individually en route to the team title in Wednesday's Hayden bowling quadrangular at Gage Bowl.
Hayden's Camden Schrickel won the individual championship with a 643 three-game series while teammate Emilio Gutierrez was second with a 631 series.
The Wildcats also got a fifth-place finish from Ethan Christy, who bowled a 569 series.
Hayden won the team title by a 3,079-2881 margin over Washington County, including the Baker format games.
Individual champion Heather Heine, who had a 527 series, led Ottawa to the girls team title by a 2,228 margin over runner-Highland Park while Hayden was third with a 2,101 total.
Highland Park got a second-place individual finish from Corina Robers with a 522 series while Hayden's Emily Ireland (500) and Abby Dodd (427) finished third and fourth.
HAYDEN QUADRANGULAR
