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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Even the casual local football fan knows the name Ky Thomas, but it may have been awhile since you've heard as much about the former Topeka High legend.
Former Topeka High superstar running back Ky Thomas is back home for his final collegiate season, transferring to Washburn University. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
That will change this fall, with the 6-foot, 200-pound running back coming home to play his final collegiate season for Zach Watkins' Ichabods after previous stops at Minnesota, Kansas and, most recently, Kent State
"It feels good, it feels great,'' Thomas told TopSports.news. "Coach Watkins, speaking to him and seeing his vision that he had for this offseason and the season and for me moving forward and everything he has planned, it was easy to trust and easy to come back home and be a part of this.''
A 2020 Topeka High graduate, Thomas finished his prep football career for the Trojans in 2019 as the city's all-time rushing leader and the No. 2 rusher in state history with 7,703 yards, including 3,009 yards as a senior, when he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Thomas began his college career at Minnesota, where as a redshirt freshman he led the Gophers with 824 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 166 carries and capped his Minnesota career with 144 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, earning offensive most valuable player honors in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix.
Former Kansas running back Ky Thomas scored a pair of TDs in the 2022 Liberty Bowl. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Thomas then transferred to Kansas for the 2022 season, rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 53 carries while catching five passes for 39 receiving yards and a TD. Thomas scored two touchdowns, on a 29-yard pass reception and a 2-yard run, in Kansas’ 55-53 triple-overtime loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kameron Badura
KAMERON BADURA, Rossville
A senior, Badura scored 21 points Saturday as Rossville downed Perry-Lecompton 49-41 to cap off its championship run in the Valley Falls Invitational. Badura averaged 17 points in the tournament as the Bulldawgs went 3-0 on the week to improve to 8-3 on the season.
Mason Becker
MASON BECKER, Hayden
Becker, a sophomore, scored 20 points with five 3-pointers on Saturday as the Wildcats won the tournament championship in the Baldwin Invitational with a 63-49 win over the host Bulldogs. Becker helped Hayden cap a 3-0 run in the tournament as the Wildcats improved to 7-5 on the season.
Kailyn Hanni
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
A junior guard, was named the Most Outstanding Player in last week's Burlington Invitational after helping lead Silver Lake to the tournament championship. Hanni scored 22 points in the Eagles' 70-60 win over Labette County in the championship game and scored 64 points in the tournament for the Eagles, No. 3-ranked in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' boys wrestling team bested a 21-school field on Saturday to win the team championship in the Gerald Sadowski Tournament at Holton.
Hayden junior Jude Krentz remained undefeated on the season while earning the 175-pound title in the Gerald Sadowski Tournament at Holton. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds got a title from sophomore Brody Brown and six top-three finishes on the way to winning the title by a 188.5-177 margin over Spring Hill.
Brown, now 24-6 on the season, clinched the 138-pound championship with a second-period pin (3:54) over Colton Ball of Chapman.
Shawnee Heights also got third-place individual finishes from freshman Mason Moore (126), sophomore Dallas Owens (132), junior Gavin Hartman (150), junior Evan Johnson (157) and senior Kael Westgate (165).
Topeka High finished sixth as a team with 124 points, getting an individual title from senior Nick Davis at 165 pounds. Davis, now 21-2, recorded a 17-1 technical fall over Brodie Pipkin of Spring Hill.
The Trojans also got third-place finishes from sophomore Jose Gomez (106) and senior Cooper Martin (190).
Hayden posted an eighth-place team finish (76.5 points), led by junior 175-pounder Jude Krentz.
Krentz, now a perfect 29-0 on the season, earned the 175 title with a pin at the 2:30 mark over Nick Allen of Rock Creek.
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--By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka West will host the 2025 Capital City Classic girls basketball tournament Thursday through Saturday, with Highland Park, Shawnee Heights, Topeka West and Washburn Rural all taking part in the event.
Sophomore Pearmella Carter and the 7-1 Highland Park girls will compete in this week's Capital City Classic at Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights (6-4 on the season) will open the tournament at 3:15 p.m. Thursday against Blue Valley (3-7).
City rivals Highland Park (7-1) and host Topeka West (1-8) are on the same side of the bracket with Heights and Blue Valley and will play a first-round game at 6:30 p.m.
The Highland Park-West and Shawnee Heights-Blue Valley winners will play a 6:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
On the other side of the bracket, Lawrence (5-4) will take on Shawnee Mission West (1-6) in a 4:45 p.m. first-round game while Washburn Rural (5-3) will face Lawrence Free State (3-6) at 8 o'clock.
Rural is ranked No. 6 in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association while Lawrence is No. 10 in 6A.
The Lawrence-SM West winner will face the Washburn Rural-Free State winner in an 8 o'clock Friday night semifinal.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the third and seventh-place games at 10 a.m. in separate gyms, followed by the fifth-place and championship contests at 11:30 a.m. in separate gyms.
CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC
At Topeka West
Thursday
3:15 p.m. -- Shawnee Heights vs. Blue Valley.
4:45 -- Lawrence vs. Shawnee Mission West.
6:30 -- Highland Park vs. Topeka West.
8 -- Washburn Rural vs. Free State.
Friday
3:15 p.m. -- Lawrence-SM West loser vs. Washburn Rural-Free State loser.
4:45 -- Highland Park-Topeka West loser vs. Shawnee Heights-Blue Valley loser.
6:30 -- Highland Park-Topeka West winner vs. Shawnee Heights-Blue Valley winner.
8 -- Lawrence-SM West winner vs. Washburn Rural-Free State winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Third place (main gym); Seventh place (auxiliary gym).
11:30 -- Championship (main gym); Fifth place (auxiliary gym).
Senior Millie Ramsey and 10-0 Hayden will compete this week in the Lady Cat Invitational at El Dorado. [File photo/TSN]
Undefeated Hayden to compete in El Dorado
Hayden, No. 3-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and 10-0 on the season, is the top seed for the 32nd annual Lady Cat Classic in El Dorado Thursday through Saturday.
Hayden will open its tournament bid at 6 p.m. Thursday against the host team, El Dorado, which is 1-7 on the season.
With a win the Wildcats will advance to a 7:45 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the first-round winner between Gardner-Edgerton (5-4) and Goddard (4-6).
On the other side of the bracket Kapaun Mt. Carmel (7-3) will play a first-round game against Mill Valley (5-5) while Maize South (8-1) will face Augusta (3-5). Those two winners will play a 6 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Playing in a midseason tournament championship game for the fourth straight season, Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team completed the final piece of the puzzle on Saturday, claiming the championship in Shawnee Mission West's Viking Classic with a 68-41 romp past traditional Class 6A stalwart Blue Valley North, No. 7-ranked by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team poses for a picture after winning the Viking Classic championship on Saturday. [Submitted photo]
Senior Jaret Sanchez led Shawnee Heights with 21 points in Saturday's 68-41 win over Blue Valley North. [File photo/TSN]
The No. 4-ranked (5A) T-Birds built a 14-12 first-quarter advantage and poured it on the Mustangs from there.
Shawnee Heights used 14-5 second quarter to take a 28-17 halftime lead and outscored North 26-16 in the third quarter to turn the game into a rout.
Heights (8-2) finished off the win with a 14-8 fourth quarter, with Blue Valley North needing a late 3-pointer to top the 40-point mark.
"Probably one of the biggest wins at SHHS,'' said veteran coach Ken Darting, who coached five state championship teams at Silver Lake and Highland Park. "That (Blue Valley North) team is really good. Our defense took them out of everything they wanted to do. Need to build on it now.''
Senior Jaret Sanchez led Shawnee Heights with 21 points while JaiMarion Cook added 12 points on four 3-pointers and Ontarius Emmot added 11.
The T-Birds also got 8 points from Deacon Pomeroy and 6 from DaQuan Lee.
Silver Lake's girls basketball team poses for a team picture after winning the tournament championship in the Burlington Invitational. [Silver Lake basketball]
Silver Lake girls claim Burlington title
Silver Lake's girls, No. 3-ranked in Class 3A, captured the Burlington Invitational championship with a 70-60 win over previously-unbeaten Labette County.
Junior Kailyn Hanni, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player, led the 8-1 Eagles with 22 points, backed by Savannah Wende with19 points and Jaylie Whitehead with 11.
Labette County, No. 6-ranked in 4A, fell to 10-1.
Hanni, who scored 64 points in the tournament, was joined on the all-tournament team by Ella Bolan.
Silver Lake's boys also advanced to the tournament championship game, with the Eagles dropping a 67-38 decision to Ottawa, top-ranked in Class 4A and 10-0 on the season.
Junior Dayne Johnson led Silver Lake (7-2) with 19 points while tournament most outstanding player Aiden McCullough scored a game-high 26 points for the Cyclones.
D. Johnson, who scored 68 points in the tournament, was named to the all-tournament team along with the Eagles' Jared Johnson, who had 57 points in his three tournament games.
Rossville's boys basketball team poses for a team picture on Saturday after winning the tournament championship in the Valley Falls Invitational. [Rossville Athletics]
Rossville boys claim Valley Falls title
Rossville boys basketball downed Perry-Lecompton 49-41 Saturday to cap off its championship run in the Valley Falls Invitational.
Senior Kameron Badura paced 8-3 Rossville with 21 points and averaged 17 points in the tournament for the Bulldawgs.
Juniors Jack Donovan and Cameron Miller both added 9 points for Rossville, No. 8-ranked in Class 2A, with both Donovan and Miller being named to the all-tournament team.
