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By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Fifth-year Highland Park girls basketball coach Rob Brown said nobody should sleep on his team this season despite the Scots losing quite a few players from last year's 17-5 squad.
Highland Park girls basketball coach Rob Brown has high hopes for this season's Scots team. [File photo/TSN]
Brown said losing Permella Carter, who transferred to Shawnee Heights, will be hard to replace, but with a lot of new faces, he said the players have taken that ownership of it and they’re ready to attack the season.
“Some of these girls have been waiting their turn,'' Brown said. "Our JV has been undefeated the last couple years and will surprise some people.''
Brown said Koralee Jones, Zayah Kincade, Majesty Grace, Miluv Cosey and a transfer from Oregon will all be factors on this year's squad, whether its with defense, shooting or energy.
“They love to play defense,'' Brown said. "They want to get up in you, they talk, they’re real vocal, they have each other's backs. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my most disciplined groups, so that’s going to be big for us because in the past we beat ourselves and we always talk about not beating ourselves.
"And, the numbers in the gym are a lot better than years past, which is great. I’m excited.''
When he first arrived at Highland Park, Brown always told the girls, 'Don’t bring bad habits from last season into the new season.' He said those losses last year were collapses in the second half and the Scots have to learn to keep a lead and keep fighting back if they do get down.
“I’m learning to be more patient, I pride myself in that, but being patient with this group will be good. We’re working on the small detail stuff, too, because that wins games,” Brown said.
“We take a lot of pride in our defense,” Jones said. “Defense wins games. If we’re able to play lockdown defense, that will be the key for us winning games.
“I just try to reflect how our coaches are to our younger classmen because they look up to our coaches just as much as they do to us, so if we can mirror their type of coaching style, mirror their personality, I think it’s good for everyone overall.''
“I think we’re going to be even better than we were last year. We have better communication and better teamwork,” Kincade said.
Highland Park will open the 2025-2026 season at home next Wednesday against Topeka West.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Canaan Mitchell’s moment has arrived.
Slathered in mud that caked his eyebrows and cheeks, the Rossville quarterback paused amidst the raucous celebration on the Jackson Heights field to reflect on the Bulldawgs season, the upcoming trip to the state title game, and all that led to this moment.
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell starred in adverse conditions last Friday, leading the Bulldawgs to the Class 1A state title game with a 21-18 win at Jackson Heights. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Mitchell had just led his team to a 21-18 come-from-behind victory to earn a trip to Hutchinson, site of the Class 1A state championship game. The field conditions Friday required that Mitchell carry the team to victory. The slick field and muddy ball turned the game against the Cobras into a battle of quarterbacks. Both signal callers rushed the ball repeatedly, slipping and sliding in search of openings to run up field.
Jackson Heights’ quarterback, senior Drake Mellies, dashed to 168 yards on 29 carries -- providing essentially all the Cobras’ offense -- even though Rossville knew what to expect. It was an impressive rushing effort that Mitchell nearly matched.
“He’s a good player,” Mitchell said of Mellies. “We game-planned for him all week, and he’s fast and he was good. So, we just planned on him, stopping him, and that’s what we did. He got a few broken loose, but we stopped him in the end, so that’s all that matters.”
The difference in the game was Mitchell’s ability, in spite of the conditions, to effectively pick apart the Cobras through the air. What else would you expect from a kid who’s first name is pronounced “cannon”?
Having given Rossville its first score on a 51-yard burst through the slop on the game’s opening drive, Mitchell turned to the air. He hit receiver Cael Horgan for a 10-yard touchdown in the second period. He went right back to Horgan on the same play design for the two-point conversion.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Horgan said of Mitchell. “He kept his hands clean. He was throwing a great ball all game, put it right where we needed it.”
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell has rushed and passed for more than 1,000 yards, helping lead the Bulldawgs to the Class 1A state title game. [File photo/TSN]
Mitchell really started clicking in the second half. He completed six of eight throws, including a 20-yard strike to Horgan that proved to be the winning touchdown.
“I had to get a little confidence in myself,” Mitchell said. “In the warmups I was throwing the ball all over the place. I had to get the confidence back in me and throw it around and trust my receivers.”
“That was in the game plan,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said of the passing attack. “I thought that was there for us, and it just allowed us to kind of get some rhythm on offense to kind of move the ball, distribute it around the field a little bit.”
In addition to slipping on several running cuts, Mitchell lost his footing numerous times when setting up to throw. The conditions contributed to at least three quarterback sacks, which cut into the senior’s rushing stats. He finished with 94 yards on the ground, but sacks subtracted 21 yards from what would have been an even more impressive total. Desperate to control the ball and protect a lead, Rossville needed Mitchell to manage the slick track.
“Right at the end there when I slipped, my dad yelled at me to keep my feet under me,” Mitchell said. “But I just, like he said, (it was) trying to keep your feet under you…quick, choppy steps. That’s what I had to do.”
In the biggest game of his career, Mitchell completed 8 of 12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. The senior has been building to this moment for a long time. He grew up watching the Bulldawgs win five state titles. Rossville won three straight Class 3A championships – 2014-2016 – in Hutchinson. It then won back-to-back Class 2A titles in Salina in 2020 and 2021.
“(In 2021), I was a sideline ball boy,” Mitchell recalled. “And just seeing them after they won the game, come together and cheer and everything, that was big to me being on the sideline. I always told my dad I wanted (a championship) ever since I was watching all of them.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tuesday's non-conference home game against NAIA foe Friends was definitely one that No. 2-ranked Washburn University was expected to win, and probably by a sizeable margin.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored a game-high 19 points on 9 of 11 shooting from the field in Tuesday's 105-51 win over Friends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Jack Bachelor scored 16 points with four 3-pointers, six assists and five steals in Tuesday's 105-51 win over Friends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But with the start of MIAA looming next week, Brett Ballard's Ichabods still had plenty of things they wanted to work on against the Falcons.
And it's safe to say the 7-0 Ichabods reached most all of those objectives in a 105-51 rout over the Falcons at Lee Arena.
"I thought we approached this thing with the right mindset and were pretty professional about how we executed tonight,'' Ballard said. "A lot of positives, and I thought that there were some things that we'd emphasized in practice this last week that stuck and we were able to accomplish a lot of the things that we had worked on.''
Washburn delivered its highest point output of the early season with its 105-point outburst while five Ichabods cracked double figures.
The Ichabods controlled all 40 minutes, building a 25-point halftime lead (46-21) before exploding for 59 more points in the second half.
Washburn forced 20 Falcon turnovers, turning those mistakes into 29 points, while surrendering only five of its own.
Washburn piled up 66 points in the paint, 33 second-chance points and 25 fast-break points.
The Ichabods shot 52.5 percent for the game (42 for 80), while holding Friends to just 28.3 percent shooting overall and hammering the Falcons on the glass as well with a 52-35 rebounding advantage, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen led the way with 19 points, hitting 9 of 11 shots while adding six rebounds, two steals, and a block, while junior Jack Bachelor had 16 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds, while hitting four 3-pointers.
"I felt like we did what was expected of us,'' Claussen said. "We were supposed to win that game, but like coach has been saying the past couple of games, we have a ton to work on and our ceiling is way higher than we're at right now.''
"I thought we came out and played with good energy,'' Bachelor said. "Defense was a big emphasis in this game and I thought we guarded well. I thought we played hard, played together and shared the ball. I thought it was a successful night for sure.''
Bryson Smith added 14 points, three assists, and three steals, while Tyson Ruud came off the bench to tie his career-high with 13 points and freshman Amalachi Wilkins had 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench, reaching double figures for the second straight game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BROOKLYN BINKLEY, Shawnee Heights
A junior, Binkley was a second-team All-Shawnee County pick last season after placing sixth in the Class 5A state tournament and helping Shawnee Heights earn the third-place team trophy in 5A. Binkley is currently ranked No. 4 in 5A at 170 pounds by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings.
Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural
EMME BLANCO, Washburn Rural
Blanco, a senior, earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors last season after posting a 35-10 record and finishing fourth in the Class 6A state tournament at 140 pounds. Blanco is ranked No. 6 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings at 145 and is ranked third in 6A.
MADI BLANCO, Washburn Rural
A senior, Blanco earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition for the second straight season after posting a 30-8 record and finishing fourth in the Class 6A state tournament at 135 pounds. Blanco is ranked eighth in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings at 140 pounds and is ranked No. 3 in 6A.
CONNIE BURNS, Highland Park
Burns, a senior, posted a 22-7 record and was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season at 115 pounds after finishing sixth in the Class 5A state tournament in her first season at Highland Park. Burns in ranked No. 5 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 5A preseason rankings at 115.
Makayla Cadet, Highland Park
MAKAYLA CADET, Highland Park
Cadet, a senior, captured the Class 5A state championship at 190 pounds last season, capping a 23-4 season for the Scots with the school's first girls state championship. Cadet was named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year for the 2024-2025 season and is ranked No. 2 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class preseason rankings and is also ranked second in 5A.
Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
A senior 155-pounder, Graves is a three-time Class 5A state placer, including a third-place finish last season as Shawnee Heights earned the third-place team trophy in 5A. Graves, who went 39-3 on the season, was an All-Shawnee County first-season repeater. Graves is currently ranked No. 7 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and is No. 3 in 5A.
AVA GUTIERREZ, Shawnee Heights
Gutierrez, a sophomore 100-pounder, earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after qualifying for the Class 5A state tournament for Shawnee Heights, which posted a third-place team finish in 5A. Gutierrez posted a 19-13 record as a freshman.
AUDREY HINKLY, Shawnee Heights
Hinkly, a junior 120-pounder, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after placing fourth in the Class 5A state tournament and helping Shawnee Heights earn the third-place team trophy in 5A. Hinkly is currently ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
OLIVE JONES, Shawnee Heights
A sophomore, Jones was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season after qualifying for the Class 5A state tournament at 135 pounds. Jones, who was named to the all-county second team, is expected to wrestle at 140 pounds for the T-Birds this winter and is ranked fifth at that weight by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
JANIAH MATTHIE-JOHNSON, Washburn Rural
Matthie-Johnson was a Class 6A state qualifier last season as a freshman at 190 pounds, earning All-Shawnee County second-tean recognition, but is expected to wrestle at 155 pounds this season. Matthie-Johnson is currently ranked sixth at 155 in 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
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By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Brandon McDonnell said one thing he thought about, and even brought up to his team when he took the head coaching job three years ago, was why should Rossville boys basketball be two easy wins on anyone's schedule?
Rossville senior Jakoby McDonnell helped the Bulldawgs reach the Class 2A state tournament last season. [File photo/TSN]
“I wanted to make sure that we would be the ones that people look at the schedule and say, ‘Oh we play Rossville, it’s going to be tough for us.' We wanted to switch it around,” senior Jakoby McDonnell said.
This past season, Rossville finished 16-8 and made it to the state tournament before losing in the first round to Ell-Saline. That was the Bulldawgs' first state tournament appearance since 2011.
“They want that again,'' said Brandon McDonnell, a former Topeka High standout and Topeka West assistant. "For us to go down there and play at Bramlage, that was an experience in itself. It was amazing and that’s all I can say. For these guys, especially this group this year that are seniors, they were freshmen when I got hired.
"To see this development, and to see what has transpired as they get older, their IQ becomes a little wiser, getting bigger, taller and stronger, you’re seeing the benefits that we’ve worked so hard to get.”
McDonnell won seven games in his first season as a head coach and has won a combined 31 games the last two campaigns. Before that, the last time Rossville had double-digit wins was the 2016-2017 season.
Brock Bush, Tayson Horack, Cam Budura were some key pieces Rossville lost to graduation off last year's team, but McDonnell said the kids understand how much work goes into what they’re building and they had more numbers turn out this year than his first year on the job.
As the football team prepares for its state championship game on Friday, Rossville has been short-handed for the start of preseason practice, but he’s thrilled for some of those guys to take home some hardware this weekend and incorporate them after football season.
