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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights and Washburn University product Corey Ballentine is the newest member of the Detroit Lions.
Ballentine, a third-year defensive back and returner, was claimed by the Lions after being waived off injured reserve by the New York Jets.
Corey Ballentine
The 25-year-old Ballentine was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft by the New York Giants and played for the Giants in 2019 and with the Giants and the Jets in 2020.
Ballentine suffered a knee injury after a long kickoff return in a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, leading to his release by the Jets..
Ballentine played over 400 snaps at cornerback for the Giants in 2019-2020 and started four games before being waived and joining the Jets as their primary return man for the remainder of last season.
Ballentine, who has averaged 24.5 yards per kick in the NFL, fills the Lions' roster spot created with cornerback Jeff Okudah going on injured reserve.A multiple All-MIAA and Division II All-America honoree, Ballentine appeared in 46 games at Washburn, tallying 186 tackles (113 solos) and five interceptions and won the Cliff Harris Award as the small college defensive player of the year as a senior..
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THE PENNANT PLAYER PROFILE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After playing running back for most of his career, including his first season at Washburn University, former Washburn Rural standout Hunter Browning made the switch to wide receiver in 2019.
It's a move that has paid off for both Browning, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound redshirt junior, and the 2-0 Ichabods, with Browning ranking second on the team with six receptions for 83 yards entering Saturday's 1 p.m. game at 2-0 Nebraska-Kearney while also carrying the ball once for 22 yards.
Hunter Browning
Browning rushed for 360 yards and two touchdowns on 85 attempts as a redshirt freshman in 2018, including a 116-yard performance against Northeastern State, but after suffering an injury to his shoulder as well as nerve damage in a subsequent injury, Browning and Washburn coach Craig Schurig made the decision for Browning to move outside for the '19 season.
"After my injury that year I had a meeting with coach and he said, 'You know we could really use you out at wide receiver because with our running backs, a lot of them are just really explosive and if we could have you and all of them on the field at the same time, that would be the most ideal thing for us,' '' Browning recalled.
"He told me I could think about it and get back to him, but I thought it was the right move at the time, and so far it's worked out. I just worked hard at it, on my route-running and watching film and all of that, and it's been really good.''
Browning caught eight passes for 78 yards and a TD in '19 and continues to feel more and more at home as a wideout after having basically two more years to learn the position.
Browning has already established a career-high yardage total in just two games this fall and needs just three catches to establish a career-high for single-season receptions.
"His speed was such that he played early as a tailback, but his body wasn't built to be a tailback in this conference,'' Schurig said. "By moving him we got a little bit more depth at that position and we liked his speed. We knew it was going to be a transition. It's hard to learn receiver, there's a lot going on, but with his body type and speed and quickness we felt like he could do some really good things at receiver and not take the pounding like he did at tailback.
"He's done a great job, he really has. He's so conscientous, works very hard and has really come on. He was making plays in practice and he's making them in games. He had a big touchdown pass against Lincoln and a huge catch in the first drive (against Central Missouri). He gets open.''
Looking back on it, Browning is glad he made the move.
"It was just a decision that was best for the team and for me, too,'' Browning said. "It's really fun being out there at receiver.''
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TopSports.news
Washburn Rural tuned up for Monday's city girls golf tournament with an impressive performance in Thursday's Olathe Northwest Invitational at Heritage Park Golf Course, with the Junior Blues sweeping the team and individual championships.
Senior Aliyah North carded a three-over-par 74 to take individual medalist honors by two strokes while Rural rolled to the team title by 18 strokes over host Olathe Northwest.
Aliyah North
North led the way as all of Rural's top four finished in the top 10.
Junior Blue senior Kaitlyn Crough tied for third with an 80 while junior Avery Scott tied for sixth with an 82 and junior Mallory Nelson tied for eighth with an 84.
Washburn Rural will enter Monday's city tournament at Western Hill as the eight-time defending team champion, winning the 2020 title by a 49-stroke margin over runner-up Hayden.
OLATHE NORTHWEST INVITATIONAL
Team scores
Washburn Rural 320, Olathe Northwest 338, Olathe East 352, Olathe West 357, Free State 394, Olathe South 443.
Individual results
1. Aliyah North, Washburn Rural, 74; 2. Claire Sullivan, Olathe Northwest, 76; 3. (tie) Kaitlyn Crough, Washburn Rural, and Claire Berquist, Free State, 80; 5. Camryn Scott, Olathe East, 81; 6. (tie) Avery Scott, Washburn Rural, and Liz Lyons, Olathe West, 82; 8. (tie) Mallory Nelson, Washburn Rural, and Avery Hearshman, Olathe Northwest, 84; 10. Mackenzie Locke, Olathe East, 85.
Other Washburn Rural -- 22. (tie) Raegan Peterson 99;
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
In the previous nine head-to-head football meetings between Emporia and Topeka High, the Trojans have emerged victorious in every single meeting against the Spartans.
In Emporia’s prolonged drought, the Spartans haven’t been able to find a way to edge the Trojans, with Thursday night a carbon copy of the past decade as Topeka High came out on top, 28-20, as senior Tylan Alejos turned in a monster night.
Topeka High senior Tylan Alejos scores one of his four touchdowns on the night in High's 28-20 win over Emporia Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After two winless weeks, Topeka High was finally able to taste the sweet nectar of victory in front of the home Hummer Sports Park crowd for the first time in 2021.
Self-inflicted mistakes have haunted the Trojans the first two weeks, but Thursday the offense was able to overcome the mistakes.
“I feel like we are getting closer to where want to be as a team,'' Topeka High coach Carlos Kelly said. "We have a new coaching staff, along with a new nucleus of guys. It’s going to take time, but I am proud of the guys.
"Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we are clicking and we have better chemistry together.”
Alejos, one of the most dynamic players in the city, had himself a career night, rushing for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries and catching two passes for 19 yards and a TD.
“It was a good team performance,'' Alejos said. "We came out a little sloppy in the beginning but we came out and executed in the second half. Our offensive line was way more aggressive tonight and it opened me up to have a good game.”
Added Kelly:
“We thought we could take advantage of Emporia by getting Tylan out in open space. He works so hard and tries so hard, which means a lot to the guys. Tylan needs to be Tylan Alejos and not anybody else. Tylan is a special player.”
Topeka High lineman Danny Saili (77) comes up with a defensive stop for the Trojans in Thursday's 28-20 win over Emporia. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High’s defense forced a three and out on Emporia's game-opening drive, forcing the Spartans to punt the ball away.
Topeka High then marched right down the field, only to throw an interception to linebacker Bobby Trujillo in the end zone.
At 1:30 in the first, Emporia’s Cam Geitz eluded High's pass rush and found Kaden Woydziak for an 89-yard touchdown to put the Spartans up, 7-0.
Following that Emporia touchdown, Topeka quarterback Peyton Wheat threw his second interception of the night to Trujillo, leading to a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Derrick Keys.
Topeka High would fight back with a long drive, getting on the scoreboard with a 4-yard Alejos touchdown to decrease the deficit to 13-7.
After the Alejos touchdown at the 6:23 mark, the defenses were hitting back and forth.
After blocking an Emporia punt, the Trojans started at the Emporia 15-yard line. Wheat rolled out to the right out of the pocket and threw a 15-yard TD to Alejos with 0:08 to go in the half, putting High in front, 14-13.
Emporia’s Jaxson Dial opened up the second half with a pick six for a touchdown as the Spartans went back in front, 20-14, but Topeka High bounced back with a strong 14-play drive, taking 6:30 off the clock and finishing it off by Alejos punching it in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
Topeka High ended Emporia's ensuing possession with a blocked punt that gave the Trojans the ball deep in Spartan territory.
Alejos would then run it up the gut for his fourth touchdown of the night, giving the Trojans their final 28-20 margin.
Emporia had an opportunity at the Topeka High 9-yard line with 1:32 to go but High forced an incompletion and held on for the win.
Emporia (0-3, 0-3) will host the Highland Park Scots next Friday, while Topeka High (1-2,1-2) will host Manhattan.
TOPEKA HIGH 28, EMPORIA 20
Emporia (0-3, 0-3) 7 6 7 0 -- 20
Topeka High (1-2, 1-2) 0 14 14 0 -- 28
First quarter
Emporia -- Woydziak 89 pass from Geitz (Obermeyer kick)
Second Quarter
Emporia -- Keys 4 run (kick failed)
Topeka High -- Alejos 4 run (Thomas kick)
Topeka High -- Alejos 15 pass (Thomas kick)
Third Quarter
Emporia -- Dial 38 interception return (Obermeyer kick)
Topeka High -- Alejos 7 run (Thomas kick)
Topeka High -- Alejos 2 run (Thomas kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing -- Emporia: Keys 13-6, Geitz 12-(minus)-9, Trujillo 1-3. Topeka High: Alejos 32-223, Wheat 4-5, Ross 2-10, Brown 1-5.
Passing -- Emporia: Geitz 11-22-0, 230 yards. Topeka High: Wheat 7-19-3, 106.
Receiving -- Emporia: Leeds 4-34, Woydziak 2-132, Trujillo 2-34, Obermeyer 2-22, Jackson, 1-8. Topeka High: Williams 3-28, Brown 2-59, Alejos, 2-19.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A player scoring three goals in a game is normally a rare accomplishment in high school soccer.
For Washburn Rural standout Porter Schafersman, hat tricks are starting to become just another night at the office.
Schafersman, a senior captain, recorded his third straight three-goal game Thursday night at McElroy Field, leading the way as the Junior Blues improved to a perfect 6-0 on the season with a 5-0 Centennial League victory over Hayden.
Washburn Rural senior Porter Schafersman (right) advances the ball past Hayden junior Nick Padilla Thursday. Schafersman recorded his third straight three-goal hat trick as Rural improved to 6-0 with a 5-0 win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Schafersman scored off corner kicks from senior Ashton Rake and sophomore Devon Rutschmann and also converted a penalty kick, all in the second half, as the Junior Blues broke open a tight game with four goals after halftime.
"I feel like we all know each other very well and we're comfortable with each other and we trust each other on the ball,'' Schafersman said.
And while Schafersman doesn't want to make a big deal of his goal-scoring flurry, he's definitely enjoying himself.
"It puts me in a good mood,'' Schafersman said. "I'm just happy we came out with the win.''
Hayden, which fell to 2-3, was still very much in the hunt at halftime, trailing 1-0 on a Rural goal from sophomore Benett Hallauer at the 22:04 mark of the opening half (Rutschmann assist), but the Junior Blues put the game away with three goals over the first 6:38 of the second half.
Washburn Rural senior Joe Morse scored Rural's fourth goal in Thursday's 5-0 win over Hayden at McElroy Field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Schafersman scored back-to-back goals to put Rural in front 3-0 with 34:01 remaining and then senior Joe Morse scored at the 33:22 mark off an assist from junior Easton Bradstreet before Schafersman added his third goal on a penalty kick with 7:30 left.
"We were doing lots of nice things (in the first half), but it felt like we were doing it at about an 80-percent pace,'' Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "We have very athletic guys, we're fast, so don't play at a slower pace. Let's really put pressure on people. We were doing a lot of the same things (in the second half), we just really had the energy, an A-plus kind of energy.
"Hayden always does a great job. They have a great keeper (senior Gabe Rankey) and they're always very organized. No. 3 on top (junior Jake Muller) is a good player.''
Senior Wyatt Arnold picked up his fourth shutout of the season in goal for the Junior Blues.
WASHBURN RURAL 5, HAYDEN 0
Hayden (2-3) 0 0 -- 0
Washburn Rural (6-0) 1 4 -- 5
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Porter Schafersman 3, Benett Hallauer, Joe Morse. Assists: Devon Rutschmann 2, Ashton Rake, Easton Bradstreet. Shutout: Wyatt Arnold.
