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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy, in conjunction with the Topeka non-profit group Sole Reason, will hold a Community Give Back Camp on Dec. 28 at Topeka Collegiate School to help provide new sneakers for kids in need.
The camp, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include 50 participants, with the price of admission a new pair of sneakers that will be distributed to local children. The camp sold out within 24 hours, but interested individuals are still welcome to donate shoes to the project.
Kerry Darting talks to a group of young players this past summer. Darting Basketball Academy will host a basketball camp on Dec. 28 to help provide sneakers for youth in the Topeka area. [File photo/TSN]
The goal is to raise 200 pairs of shoes to distribute within the community.
"We have camps throughout the year and the community supports us a lot so we wanted to do something to kind of give back to the community and help kids,'' DBA's Kerry Darting said. "There's a lot of need in the community, so I thought it was a perfect fit to have kids come out and get better in basketball and then at the same time we're able to help a lot of kids.''
Current and former local high school basketball standouts as well as city coaches will serve as instructors at the Dec. 28 camp.
Sole Reason's goal is to provide every needy child in the local community with a new pair of sneakers.
If interested in donating a pair of sneakers, email Kerry Darting at
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Every year at this time I get excited for the start of a new year.
It gives us the chance to put the trials and tribulations of the past year in the rearview mirrow while looking ahead to what a new year could bring.
But while looking forward to 2022, it’s also important that we remember those we lost in 2021, including four men who had a lasting impact on sports in Shawnee County and a lasting influence on me.
Rene Poort (second from left), who passed away last month at the age of 77, was one of three generations of Poorts in officiating, with Rene joined by son Hunter, (left), grandson Jarred (second from right) and son JT. [Submitted]
Local officiating icon Rene Poort, 77 years old, longtime Hayden High announcer and Wildcat supporter Tom Smith, 64, and Silver Lake sports staple Mike Burton, 73, all passed away over the final two months of 2021, as did Gary Horn, 81, a former Kansan who few if any in this area are familiar with, but one who had a huge influence on me and my career.
Horn passed away on Nov. 20, while Poort passed on Nov. 21, Burton passed on Dec. 4 and Smith just a week before Christmas on Dec. 18.
For those who had the opportunity to rub elbows with any of these four men I'm sure they’re well aware of their contributions.
For those of you that didn’t get that chance, here’s a brief look at the legacy they left:
Tom Smith
TOM SMITH -- Smith was a 1975 Hayden High graduate, which helped stoke a passion for the Hayden community and Wildcat sports throughout his life.
Smith was the voice of the Wildcats for 25 years, serving as the public address announcer for both football and basketball, and while fans outside of Hayden may not have known Tom by face, his voice was very recognizable, as well as his attention to detail and accuracy.
Smith always called a fair game for both Hayden and Wildcat foes, even though anyone who knew Tom knew exactly where his allegiance lied.
He was the St. Matthew youth track coach from 1994 to 2002, a Kansas Kids State Wrestling announcer for more than 20 years and was involved in Saints football for 25 years while also helping coach the Hayden wrestling team.
Smith is survived by his wife, Rose, along with four childen and 11 grandchildren.
Mike Burton
MIKE BURTON -- Burton was a youth sports coach for baseball, flag football and basketball and was a manager of the Silver Lake American Legion baseball team for 43 years while also serving on the football chain crew for the Eagles for 47 years.
Burton, a Frankfort native, was recognized for his long service to Silver Lake amateur baseball when he was inducted into the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Burton was fiercely loyal to Silver Lake athletes past and present and, in his always polite and respectful way, would try to make sure his Eagles received their just due.
Mike is survived by his wife, Jill, along with two sons and two grandchildren.
Rene Poort
RENE POORT -- A graduate of Mayetta High School and Washburn University, Poort had stints as a teacher and coach at Silver Lake High School and Hayden, but was best known for officiating basketball and football from the youth to collegiate levels.
Poort mentored numerous young officials in the Topeka area and was an active member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association as an official for 53 years. He was also actively involved in the Topeka Officials Association, where he served as president for several years.
Poort was followed into officiating by sons JT and Hunter and grandson Jarred.
Poort's career was known for his penchant for calling a fast and fair contest in both basketball and football.
Rene is survived by his wife, Connie Ann, along with six children and nine grandchildren.
Gary Horn
GARY HORN -- Gary, almost universally known as Horn, was an immensely successful teacher and forensics/debate coach at Southwestern College in Winfield and Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich.
Horn coached multiple national debate championship teams and was inducted into multiple halls of fame, but what I'll most remember is how Horn took a horrible student who had a hard time making it to class at Southwestern, and helped him become the first college graduate in his family.
Preceded in death by Jean, his wife of more that 50 years, Horn is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Rest in peace Tom, Mike, Rene and Gary.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The best news about the 2021 high school sports year for Shawnee County high schools was that there was one.
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on 2020, resulting in an early end to state basketball tournaments, the cancellation of all spring sports and forcing wholesale delays and contingency plans through the fall of '20.
But by the time the calendar hit '21 there was a return to some sense of normalcy.
A decision by the USD 501 school board kept Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West wrestling teams off the mats through the entire '20-'21 campaign, but when practice started in November for '21-'22 the Scots, Trojans and Chargers were back in action.
Shawnee County prep teams took full advantage of their opportunities to compete in '21, with county schools winning five state boys and girls team championships and county athletes combining for 16 individual titles.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' top 10 Shawnee County boys prep stories of 2021, with the girls top 10 coming up next::
Rossville's football team hoists the Class 2A state championship trophy last month after winning its second straight title and fifth since 2014. [File photo/TSN]
1. DAWG DAYS -- Derick Hammes’ Rossville Bulldawgs captured their second straight Class 2A state football championship and an amazing fifth title since 2014, capping a second straight 13-0 season with a 32-12 win over Beloit in the state final. The Bulldawgs overcame some adversity along the way, including an injury to star senior quarterback Torrey Horak which kept him out of multiple games, but star running back Corey Catron took over at QB and the Bulldawgs didn't miss a beat, outscoring its opposition 611-111 on the season.
Washburn Rural's wrestling team captured its first-ever Class 6A boys state team championship in 2021, also the first ever for a Topeka school. [File photo/TSN]
2. DATE WITH DESTINY -- After knocking on the door with a pair of Class 6A runner-up finishes, Washburn Rural's wrestling team knocked the door down, rolling to the first-ever team championship by a Topeka school by a commanding 159.5-112 margin over Olathe North. The Junior Blues clinched the title before the final round, putting a whopping five wrestlers in the finals and getting individual championships from Jonathan Morrison, Jacob Tangpricha and Bishop Murray (more on that below) and runner-up finishes from Austin Fager and David Huckstep.
Bishop Murray won his third Class 6A state individual title last season while helping lead Washburn Rural to the Class 6A state team title. [File photo/TSN]
3. THRICE AS NICE -- Washburn Rural wrestling standout Bishop Murray captured the third Class 6A individual state championship of his carreer, joining former Highland Park star and multi-time Olympian Melvin Douglas as the only city wrestlers to win three state titles while helping lead the Junior Blues to their historic team championship. Murray won the 120-pound title to cap a 29-1 senior season while posting four top-three state finishes.
Shawnee Heights' Jeremiah Smith won three Class 5A state titles in the 2021 Class 5A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]
4. IMPRESSIVE FIRST IMPRESSION -- After having his freshman track and field season wiped out by COVID-19, Shawnee Heights' Jeremiah Smith established himself as one of the state's best early last spring when he broke T-Bird legend Marcel Carter's school-record in the 100-meter dash. Smith went on to capture three Class 5A individual state titles in the State Track and Field Championships, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.74 seconds, the 100 dash in 10.52 and the 200 dash in 21.92.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Six Shawnee County basketball teams earned spots in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association state rankings, with the undefeated Highland Park's boys moving up three spots to No. 3 in Class 5A while Topeka West moved into the 5A rankings at No. 7.
Junior Brooklyn DeLeye and the Washburn Rural girls remain ranked No. 2 in the KBCA Class 6A state rankings. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural, Topeka High, Hayden and Silver Lake remain ranked on the girls side, with Rural No. 2 and Topeka High No. 6 in 6A, while Silver Lake moved from eighth to fifth in 3A and Hayden remained No. 10 in 4A.
Top-ranked girls teams include Shawnee Mission Northwest in 6A, St. Thomas Aquinas in 5A, Bishop Miege in 4A, Hugoton in 3A, Sterling in 2A, Burlingame in 1A-Division I and Central Plains in 1A-Division II.
Top-ranked boys teams include Free State in 6A, Maize in 5A, Miege in 4A, Hesston in 3A, Hillsboro in 2A, Olpe in 1A-Division I and Hanover in 1A-Division II.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former star pitcher Jordan Cooper has become a star multi-tasker over the past few years.
After ending his nine-year professional pitching career, the former Shawnee Heights All-Stater and Wichita State All-American turned his focus on his future, earning his bachelor's degree through Kansas State and then serving as Washburn University's pitching coach while beginning work on his law degree at WU.
All of this while Jordan and his wife, Camri, began building a family that includes four children between seven months and five years old.
All the late night studying, long roadtrips, diaper duty and the like paid a big dividend on Friday when Cooper earned his Juris Doctor law degree from Washburn in a Lee Arena graduation ceremony.
"I was excited for my family and I was excited for me and my wife to finally be done with kind of grinding to get through law school,'' Cooper said. "We made some sacrifices family-wise to get that done, so I was definitely proud of that.''
Washburn University pitching coach Jordan Cooper, a former star at Shawnee Heights and Wichita State, poses with wife Camri and the couple's four children after Cooper received his Juris Doctor degree from Washburn last Friday. [Twitter]
Like most young athletes, Cooper had another plan in mind for his future when he left Wichita State after being drafted in the ninth round of the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians.
"I had hoped to play in the big leagues and not have to worry about it,'' said Cooper, who was drafted in the 17th round out of high school by the Boston Red Sox.
That didn't quite work out, although Cooper reached the AAA level, and he eventually decided to follow his father, Jeff, into law while also being able to stay active in baseball as WU's pitching coach the past three seasons.
"I also thought long and hard about coaching as a career, but I just wanted to be home and be in Topeka,'' Cooper said. "I had been off running around long enough and wanted to come home to help my kids grow and coach their summer teams and just be at home more.
"My dad is an attorney here in Topeka so that was kind of the guide for that. He runs his own law office so I wanted to help him. He's been a big influence on my life, so I kind of wanted to follow in his footsteps and then also at some point leave the door open to still stay in the game some and maybe be involved as a player agent/representation at some point, too.''
Jordan's decision to try to earn his law degree coincided with he and Camri's quickly growing family.
The Cooper's oldest daughter, Blakely, is 5 years old, while son Coy will turn 3 in February and twins Bowie (daughter) and Cash (son) are seven months old.
