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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The three-year run of winning football came to an end for the Highland Park seniors Friday. They were bounced from the Class 5A state playoffs by Pittsburg, 49-18, at Hummer Sports Park, ending the Scots' season with a 6-3 record.
Highland Park sophomore G'Honi Montgomery had 58 rushing yards and a TD in the Scots' 49-18 Class 5A playoff loss to Pittsburg Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
The No. 8 East seed for the Scots meant they drew a tough opponent in the Purple Dragons. The Scots hung tough, trailing just 21-12 midway through the second period with a chance to cut into the deficit. But a fumble deep in Pittsburg territory turned into another score for the visitors, who gradually pulled away.
The season ended on a sour note, but the seniors who depart the Highland Park program can take pride in a historic turnaround. They completed their freshman season on a losing streak that extended to eight seasons. But since moving to the Meadowlark Conference, they have led a turnaround that is nothing less than historic. The Scots have amassed a 19-9 record over the past three seasons.
“This senior class is the first class that I had for all four years, and they witnessed (the turnaround),” coach Jermaine Monroe said. “The underclassmen, they don’t know what it was like. They don’t know the experience of going 0-9. This senior class knows that, and they helped change that. They were part of that grind to turn the thing around and keep it going. They can share those experiences.”
Senior Jamon Wilson closed out his banner Highland Park career in Friday's 49-18 Class 5A playoff loss to Pittsburg. [File photo/TSN]
The Scots struggled Friday to turn their speed loose against the Purple Dragon defense. They got a 25-yard touchdown run from sophomore G’Honi Montomery, a 7-yard score from senior Jamon Wilson, and a 44-yard scoring pass from junior Dontrail Fox to sophomore Joe Kingcannon.
Defensively, the Scots were the victim of a ground-and-pound offense. Pittsburg attempted few passes but rushed for 406 yards. Senior running back Stone Peery accounted for 214 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
“With the type of offense that they run, they’re going to grind it out and eat the clock,” Monroe said. “And they made some chunk plays. We just made some mistakes in critical moments of the game, and it just got away from us.”
A running clock accelerated the pace of the second half and brought an early end to the evening. Monroe was not deterred by the outcome, however.
“We had a great season.,” Monroe said “We never gave up. The boys kept fighting to the end. Each week we got better and better, and even this week we got better. The score says one thing, but I think we played a solid game.”
Monroe was effusive in his praise of the seniors, but said he was ready to celebrate the effort of the entire team in the locker room following the defeat.
“I’ll tip my hat to them,” Monroe said. “I’m blessed to be able to coach these guys because all they do is give their heart and their soul, everything they have, in every practice, every game. They are just a great group of boys.”
PITTSBURG 49, HIGHLAND PARK 18
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Heavy underdog Topeka West had its highlights early in Friday's Class 5A playoff opener, coming up with a fourth-down stop on Seaman's opening drive and tying the game 7-7 early in the second quarter.
But the rest of the night belonged to the host Vikings, who scored the final 58 points to take a 65-7 win on their home field.
Senior Max Huston threw for 210 yards and five touchdowns in Seaman's 65-7 playoff win over Topeka West Friday night [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Bryer Finley (1) had 181 receiving yards and five touchdowns in Friday's 65-7 playoff win over Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
"It's playoff time and they know that, too, and the winner's going to continue on and whoever doesn't is done for the season so they came out with plenty of fire and energy,'' Seaman coach Jared Swafford said of the Chargers. "Coach (Trey) Parker and his staff had them ready to go and I thought our kids responded nicely, especially once we got in the flow of the game.''
No. 3 West seed Seaman (7-2), which bounced back from a 42-28 loss to De Soto in its regular-season finale, will be back at home next Friday for a second-round playoff game against No. 11 West seed Valley Center (3-6), which knocked off No. 6 Goddard, 7-6.
Not surprisingly, Seaman's record-setting senior pass and catch combo of quarterback Max Huston and Bryer Finley, powered the Vikings to the 58-point victory, hooking up for five touchdown passes on the night.
Huston completed 10 of 18 passes for 210 yards while Finley had seven catches for 181 yards, including TD receptions of 41, 4, 27, 25 and 32 yards.
"We've been best friends since kindergarten, something like that, and I love this dude,'' Huston said of Finley. "We've got a great connection right now and hope to keep it going on in the playoffs and keep winning games.''
"Our team played really well tonight,'' Finley said. "We came out and handled business like we were supposed to and we're on to next week.''
Seaman also got an 18-yard TD run from junior Kaden McKinney as well as a pair of scoring passes from backup sophomore quarterback Cale Ketter, who hit junior Noah Kobuszewski for an 11-yard TD and sophomore Jack Esser for a 28-yard score.
Topeka West (1-8) tied the game at 7 on a 6-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Josiah Wilke to senior Trey Barr at the 9:43 mark of the second quarter and was still within a touchdown after an interception from senior Alesecio Batson thwarted a Viking scoring threat.
But Seaman recorded a safety on West's ensuing possession and scored three touchdowns over the final 5:11 of the half to take a commanding 37-7 lead.
McKinney rushed for 142 yards on 14 carries while Huston had five attempts for 54 yards and sophomore backup Grady Piper gained 44 yards on five totes.
West's Wilke completed 12 of 36 passes for 74 yards while junior Gad Munganga caught seven passes for 37 yards and sophomore Damon Webb gained 32 yards on 15 carries.
SEAMAN 65, TOPEKA WEST 7
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural sophomore soccer standout Brodye Kocher-Munoz and Hayden freshman volleyball standout Hailey Schmidtlein have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Kocher-Munoz and Schmidtlein over the past week:
Washburn Rural sophomore Brodye Kocher-Munoz (8) is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week after helping the Junior Blues reach the Class 6A state soccer quarterfinals. [File photo/TSN]
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
A sophomore forward for the Washburn Rural soccer team, Kocher-Munoz contributed a pair of assists Thursday night as the Junior Blues advanced to the Class 6A state quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Free State in a regional final at McElroy Field.
Kocher-Munoz was also credited with a pair of assists in Monday's 8-0 Washburn Rural regional win over Maize.
Hayden freshman volleyball player Hailey Schmidtlein has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the Week after helping the Wildcats qualify for the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in five years. [File photo/TSN]
HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden
A freshman rightside hitter/middle blocker, Schmidtlein had a big day at the net last Saturday as Hayden won a Class 4A sub-state championship at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Schmidtlein helped Hayden defeat Baldwin, 25-19, 25-13, in the sub-state semifinals and earn the Wildcats' first state berth in five seasons with a 25-16, 25-14 win over Paola in the championship match. Hayden improved to 29-10 with the sub-state title.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ryin Miller's biggest and toughest cross country meet of the season is on tap Saturday at Rim Rock Farm, but the undefeated Seaman junior star just wants to run her best and will accept the outcome.
Seaman junior cross country star Ryin Miller remained undefeated in last Saturday's Class 5A regional and will take aim on her first state cross country title Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller finished third in last year's state meet and the two runners who beat her in 2023, Salina Central senior two-time state champ Katelyn Rupe and sophomore Kaylie Shultz are both in the field for Saturday's 10 a.m. 5A race.
Miller, a two-time state champ in track, beat both Central standouts earlier this fall on the same course in the Rim Rock Classic.
"Honestly, I'm just going to go out there with full confidence in myself,'' Miller said about state. "I'm just going to run the best race that I have on that day and if (a title) happens, amazing. Obviously that's what everybody wants to happen for themselves, but if it doesn't happen I'm still going to be incredibly proud of my season regardless.''
Miller said she enjoys the challenge of racing against Rupe and Shultz.
"It's great racing against them,'' Miller said. "They're obviously great competition. It's fun running against them, it's fun to finally kind of have somebody there with you. Always fun, but always hard, too, so it really could be anybody's race. It's just whoever has the best race on the day.''
Seaman qualified its entire team for state with a second-place regional finish behind defending 5A team champ St. James Academy, with Viking sophomore Brynn Spencer and senior Stella Appelhanz finishing eighth and ninth while sophomore Kinley Robinson placed 16th and freshman Avery Villines was 22nd (21:16.6) to round out Seaman's top five.
Seaman's boys also turned in a solid regional performance, earning a state team berth with a third-place team finish and will compete in Saturday's 11:30 a.m. state race.
Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished second in Saturday's Class 5A regional cross county meet as the Vikings qualified as a team with a third-place finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Brody Anderson led the Vikings with a runnerup individual finish while Seaman also got an 18th-place showing from senior Alex Newell, a 20th-place finish from sophomore Conner Bloom, a 23rd from senior Corbin Murrow and a 25th-place finish from junior Drake Spurlock.
Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman qualified for the Class 5A state cross country meet with a third-place finish in Saturday's 5A regional at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West qualified seniors Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie for state as individuals, with Lehman finishing third while Wilkie placed 12th.
The 5A girls race is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start Saturday while the boys race is set for 11:45 a.m.
CLASS 6A
Senior Rylee Ismert followed up her Centennial League individual cross country title with a Class 6A regional win last week while leading Washburn Rural to the team championship in the Junior Blues' tuneup for Saturday's state meet at Rim Rock Farm.
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert enters Saturday's Class 6A state meet on a two-race win streak with Centennial League and regional titles . [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ismert took individual honors in last Saturday's 6A regional, one of four Junior Blues in the top eight spots as Rural took the team title by a 45-55 margin over Lawrence Free State.
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink, the Class 6A runnerup in the 2023 state meet, finished third in Saturday's Class 6A regional, helping the Junior Blues win the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior Payton Fink finished third in the regional meet while junior Emily Graf was fifth, senior Brooklyn Nolte eighth and junior Kenzie Maddox 29th to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
Rural's girls have now swept city, league and regional team titles and are on the short list of state title contenders Saturday.
"That's where we want to be, that's the plan,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said at regionals. "We have a few things to figure out. We'll work on tweaking some stuff this week and want to be competing for that title (on) Saturday.''
The Junior Blue boys tied Manhattan for second place with 86 points and finished third on a tiebreaker to garner the final team berth for state.
Washburn Rural freshman Henry Laubach (1935) posted a third-place individual finish in last Saturday's Class 6A regional cross country meet, helping the Junior Blues earn a Class 6A state berth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Henry Laubach finished third to pace Washburn Rural at regionals while junior Brooks Kehoe finished eighth, senior Bodie King 15th, freshman Clayton Fink 28th and senior Chris Quarles 32nd.
The 6A girls race is scheduled for an 11 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is the final race of the day at 12:30 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Hayden's boys earned a team berth for Saturday's Class 4A state meet at Wamego Country Club with a third-place regional finish, one point behind second-place Baldwin.
Junior Connor Baldwin led the Wildcats with a fifth-place regional finish, while freshman Nick Newkirk finished seventh, senior Jonah Stewart 13th, junior Luke Franklin 22nd and senior Derek Ahlstedt 31st to complete Hayden's scoring runners.
Hayden senior girls standout Elliot Wrench qualified for state as an individual, posting a fourth-place regional finish.
The 4A girls race is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is set for a 12:30 p.m. start.
CLASS 3A
Silver Lake will have a pair of runners in both the boys and girls Class 3A state events Saturday at Rim Rock Farm.
The Eagle boys will be represented by senior Aemon Coffman and sophomore Hunter Rooks in the 10:30 a.m. boys race, with Coffman finishing sixth at regionals while Rooks qualified 15th.
Silver Lake sophomore Alessandra Gerber and senior Tessa Gerber will compete in the 3A girls race at 12 p.m.
Alessandra Gerber posted a sixth-place individual finish at regionals while Tessa Gerber placed 13th to earn a state berth.
CLASS 2A
Rossville's boys posted a second-place regional team finish to punch its ticket for Saturday's Class 2A state meet at Wamego Country Club while Bulldawg sophomore Madelyn Wonnell qualified for the girls state meet as an individual.
Rossville's boys posted a regional team score of 70 points to finish nine points behind Solomon.
Junior Dalton Verschelden led the Bulldawgs with a 16th-place regional showing, while junior Torin Culbertson was 22nd and senior Logan Kufahl 27th to lead Rossville.
Wonnell qualified for state with a 14th-place regional finish.
The 2A girls race is set to start at 10 a.m., with the boys race scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE QUALIFIERS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Washburn University football coach Craig Schurig gave his Ichabods high marks overall for its performance last week at Central Missouri, but WU fell just short in a 31-28 loss and will try to bounce back in Saturday's 1 p.m. Homecoming game against Nebraska-Kearney.
Topekan Tre Richardson had 11 catches, two TDs and 264 all-purpose yards in last Saturday's 31-28 loss at Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
"It was really a well-played game,'' Schurig said. "Central Missouri played well, we played well and we did all the things that you need to do to win a game and a number of guys stepped up their play.
"We had numerous opportunities to take the lead (late) and did not but I was proud of the way our kids responded, particularly our defense in that fourth quarter. We kept giving ourselves a chance.''
Washburn is 2-6 overall, 2-5 in the MIAA, while Nebraska-Kearney (4-4, 2-4) lost to No. 14-ranked Emporia State 42-35 as the Hornets scored the go-ahead touchdown with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska-Kearney took a 27-21 decision over the Ichabods in last year's meeting in Kearney.
The Washburn Ichabod football team had three turnovers in its final three drives of the game as the Ichabods came up on the short end of a back-and-forth contest.
Highland Park product Tre Richardson finished with 229 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches with 172 yards after the catch as he averaged 20.8 yards per catch, not counting an 87-receiving yard TD pass that was called back with an Ichabod penalty.
Richardson's 229 receiving yards is third on the Ichabod single-game chart trailing only Sam Sissom's 231 yards against Colorado Mines in 2005 and Troy Slusser's 252 yards against Emporia State in 1988.
Richardson's 264 all-purpose yards against Central Missouri was the most by an Ichabod since James Brania-Hopp had 258 against Emporia State on Oct. 27, 2018.
Richardson is eighth in the nation and first the MIAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 152.4 yards per game, and the Highland Park product is also 14th in receiving yards with 737 and 13th in receiving yards per game with 92.1.
"The more we got the quarterback situation figured out (after an early-season injury to starter Sam Van Dyne) the more I got used to it, the more they tried to get me the ball,'' Richardson said. "I'm starting to get used to it and the numbers are starting to go up.''
