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Created: 15 January 2022

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

It may have been low key, but Topeka West had reason to celebrate after Friday night's 41-38 Centennial League girls basketball win over Highland Park at Topeka West.

After a couple of close calls in earlier losses, Jeff Skar's Chargers got the job done Friday night, with Jazmyn Ford leading the way as West picked up its first win of the 2021-2022 season.

Topeka West junior Jazmyn Ford (44) puts up a shot over Highland Park freshman Amelia Ramsey in West's 41-38 Centennial League win Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Ford, a 5-foot-9 junior, scored all 10 of Topeka West's first-quarter points to get the Chargers off to a good start and finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds as West improved to 1-8 overall and 1-7 in the league.

"They practice hard, they're confident and they believe,'' Skar said of his team. "I think they're starting to believe more, but they just hadn't had the results with our brutal schedule we play.''

Skar said there wasn't a lot of hooping and hollering in the West locker room after the win.

"They were pretty subdued,'' Skar said. "They really don't get too high or too low, which is a good quality.''

But Ford guaranteed that her and her teammates were fired up over the win.

"It really is exciting,'' Ford said. "We just really worked well together and kept our energy up.''

Ford outscored short-handed Highland Park by herself en route to a 10-6 first-quarter advantage.

"I just felt the energy,'' Ford said. "I was hyped, I was up and I wanted to do good for my team, not only me.''

Highland Park (1-8, 0-8) rallied for a 21-19 haltime edge, but sophomore Siani Sanchez put the Chargers ahead 22-21 with a 3-pointer to open the second half and West never trailed again.

Topeka West led 29-23 late in the third, took a 29-25 advantage into the fourth and went up 35-25 with 5:02 remaining after back-to-back hoops from Ford.

Highland Park cut its deficit to 38-35 with 1:10 left on a basket from senior Aisya Taylor, but Topeka West got three free throws from sophomore Zoe Clark over the final 12.9 seconds to keep the Chargers in front.

Topeka West sophomore Zoe Clark (35) hit three late free throws as the Chargers held on for their first win of the season Friday night, 41-38 over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN}

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Created: 15 January 2022

By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

Hayden's boys basketball team had some close calls this season and had another nail-biter Friday night, falling to Emporia in overtime, 52-51, at Hayden.

Hayden fell to 1-6 overall and 1-6 in the Centennial League with its second overtime defeat of the season while Emporia picked up its first victory, improving to 1-8, 1-7.

“I thought we played hard,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Paul said. "Emporia is a hard team to play and they were more disciplined than us.''

Hayden's Jake Muller guards Emporia's Spencer Stewart during the Spartans' 51-51 overtime win at Hayden. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

In the first quarter, the shooting was cold as ice, and the defense was strong from both teams.

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Created: 15 January 2022

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Friday night's game against Highland Park may not have been a must-win situation for Topeka West's boys basketball team, but if the Chargers want to remain in the hunt for a second straight Centennial League title, it was pretty darn close

And Rick Bloomquist's No. 5-ranked Chargers certainly played with the sense of urgency that the situation called for in front of a packed house at Topeka West, with all five West starters cracking double figures on the way to a 79-67 league victory over the No. 2-ranked and previously-unbeaten Scots.

Topeka West only trailed once on the night, at 2-0, and answered every Highland Park run with a run of its own, lead by as many as 13 points in the first half, 12 in the third quarter and by as many as 19 down the stretch while improving to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the league. With Friday's win the Chargers pulled even in the league race in the loss column with both Highland Park and Junction City.

"The key is the Centennial League championship,'' Bloomquist said. "We want it. We want the last one (before West joins the United Kansas Conference) and (the players) know there's a little pride in that.

"They know they can do it and to get that we have to win these games, without a doubt.''

Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Friday's 79-67 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Elijah Brooks led Topeka West with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but the Charger senior star had plenty of help from his teammates, with senior Zander Putthoff adding 17 points with three 3-pointers while juniors Sincere Austin and Xavier Alexander had 13 points apiece and junior Malachi Berg 10.

"If we're going to be the team that we want to be, that's the way we've got to play,'' Bloomquist said. "I've got kids that can play. I've got kids that can pass, catch and make baskets.''

Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts (right) drives to the hoop Friday night as Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff defends. Roberts scored a game-high 35 points and Putthoff scored 17 in West's 79-67 victory. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Topeka West also withstood a career night from Highland Park senior standout Juan'Tario Roberts, who kept the Scots (8-1, 7-1) in the game with 19 first-half points and finished with a career-high 35 points and seven 3-pointers.

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Created: 16 January 2022

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Here's a look at last week's Emporia Invitational and Topeka West Invitational boys swimming meets at the Capitol Federal Natorium:

• Seaman and Topeka High went one-two in Thursday's eight-school Emporia Invitational, with city swimmers combining for wins in six events.

Seaman, which won the team championship by a 559-438.5 margin over Topeka High, got wins from Colin O'Rourke in the 200-yard individual medley, Bradyn Crowell in the 100 butterfly and Daniel Ramirerz in the 100 backstroke while the Viking foursome of Tim Biggs, Jake Moss, O'Rourke and Marcus Greig picked up a win in the 200 medley relay and O'Rourke, Blaize Appelhanz, Moss and Greig won the 400 free relay.

Topeka High's team of Perry Payne, Oskar Fraenza, Thomas Schmidt and Trip Carter won the 200 free relay while the Trojans posted top-three finishes in five events.

Shawnee Heights' Luke Perkins won four gold medals, including a pair of individual wins in last Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Nathen Trachta won the 100-yard backstroke title in last Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational swim meet. [File photo/TSN]

• City schools combined to win seven events in last Tuesday's 14-school Topeka West Invitational while Seaman finished a city-high second in the team standings.

Shawnee Heights, which finished fifth in the West meet as a team, won five events on the day, with Luke Perkins earning four gold medals.

Perkins won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:06.06 and the 100 butterfly in 54.07.

Perkins teamed with Truman Brede, Guillaume Humblet and Tanner Zerger to win the 200 medley relay (1:46.33) and teamed with Humblet, Evan Hoobler and Zerger to win the 200 free relay (1:37.29).

Humblet picked up a third gold medal in the 100 breaststroke, winning in 1:02.24.

Washburn Rural, which was fourth as a team, got a win from Will Powell in the 500 freestyle in 5:15.32 and a victory from Nathan Trachta in the 100 backstroke in 58.08.

Seaman finished second to Blue Valley West in the team standings by a 353-315 margin, with the Vikings getting a pair of third-place individul finishes from Colin O'Rourke as well as a third-place finish in the 400 free relay.

EMPORIA INVITATIONAL

Thursday at Capitol Federal Natatorium

Team scores

Seaman 559, Topeka High 438.5, Junction City 341, Hayden 282, Independence 133, Circle 81, Wichita Trinity 72.5, Emporia 20.

Individual results

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