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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been an outstanding 2024-2025 high school basketball season for Shawnee County teams, with 10 of 20 making it to state tournaments in five different classifications.
Now we wait to see how many of those teams can achieve the ultimate goal of a state championship on Saturday.
For what it's worth -- and it's not much -- here's my take on what we could see in all 14 of this week's state tournaments across the state.
If I didn't pick your team don't fret because it could bode well for you.
If I did pick the team/teams you root for, good luck.
By Saturday night we'll know, and win or lose, it promises to be a fun week. Enjoy!
CLASS 6A BOYS
Finalists -- Shawnee Mission Northwest (4: 19-3) vs. Wichita Heights (3: 20-2).
Champion -- Wichita Heights. I give Heights, the 6A runnerup the past two seasons, a very slight edge in what could be a repeat of the 2024 title game, won by Northwest to cap a 25-0 season.
Other contenders -- Shawnee Mission South is the top seed at 21-1, with its lone loss coming against SM Northwest, while Derby is also 21-1 and the No. 2 seed. Washburn Rural (6: 18-4) is certainly capable of knocking off Wichita Heights while Derby could get a big test from No. 7 Olathe North (16-6).
CLASS 6A GIRLS
Finalists -- Blue Valley North (3: 18-4) vs. Olathe South (4: 18-4).
Champion -- Blue Valley North. It's worth noting that although North has lost four times, but none of those four losses came against Kansas teams. The Mustangs finished third last season after winning the championship in 2023.
Other contenders -- It's been an up and down season for Washburn Rural (6: 16-6) but never count out a Kevin Bordewick team in postseason. The Hall of Fame coach has led Washburn Rural to three straight 6A championship games (title in 2022, runnerup in 2023 and 2024) and the Junior Blues have won a pair of championships since 2019. Derby is the top seed at 19-3 and the pre-tournament team to beat.
Highland Park standout Ja'Corey Robinson and the 22-0 Scots will be looking for a Class 5A state title this week after back-to-back third-place finishes. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 5A BOYS
Finalists -- Highland Park (1: 22-0) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2: 19-3).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Trevor Christy
TREVOR CHRISTY, Hayden
Christy, a senior, posted a third-place individual finish in last Thursday's Class 4A state bowling championships at Wichita's Bowlero Northrock, helping lead Hayden to its first-ever state bowling team title. Christy finished third with a 698 series, bowling games of 244, 239 and 215 as the Wildcats won the team championship by 95 pins (3,666-3,571) over Mulvane.
Jalen Foy
JALEN FOY, Topeka West
A senior guard, Foy scored 40 points in two Class 5A sub-state victories on the week as Topeka West boys basketball advanced to the Class 5A state tournament. Foy scored 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers in a 69-63 overtime semifinal win over Bishop Carroll and had 21 points while hitting 8 of 10 free throws in Saturday's 81-54 home win over Valley Center in the sub-state championship game.
Emily Lee
EMILY LEE, Hayden
Lee, a senior bowler, earned her second straight Class 4A-1A state medal last Thursday at Wichita's Bowlero Northrock, bowling a 551 series to place fourth individually. A regional champion, Lee bowled games of 188, 203 and 160 as the Wildcats finished sixth as a team. Lee posted an 11th-place state finish as a junior in 2024.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park boys basketball is very proud of its Runnin' Scots nickname.
But it was the Scots' work on the other end of the court that propelled them back to the Class 5A state tournament with a 53-35 win over Basehor-Linwood in Saturday's sub-state final at Highland Park.
Senior Mikey Williams, who scored a game-high 18 points, cuts down the nets after Highland Park's 53-35 sub-state win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park senior Ja'Corey Robinson is congratulated by the Scots' coaches as he leaves the floor late in Saturday's 53-35 sub-state win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park, which improved to a perfect 22-0 on the season, allowed no more than nine points over any of the first three quarters against the United Kansas Conference-member Bobcats to build an insurmountable 23-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter before cruising the rest of the way.
"Coming into the game I kind of heard all the, 'Aw, you guys got them and they're hot and there this,' and they were,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said. "They were playing well to end the year, but I believed in the guys and I believed in the game plan and the prep.
"We spent a lot of time and watching them and seeing their offense and I thought our guys did an amazing job -- 9 points in the first quarter, 4 in the second and then another single-digit quarter (in the third) -- and that was our game goal, we wanted to hold them to single-digit quarters and try to keep the score in the 40s for them and our guys answered the call from a defensive standpoint.''
Scot senior star Ja'Corey Robinson agreed.
"We made sure we had to get the stops first and turn the defense into offense,'' Robinson said. "We just came at them hard and didn't let off of them.''
The Scots, who have finished third in 5A the past two seasons after a first-round loss in 2022, will open their state bid as the top seed at 2 p.m. Thursday against No. 8 Andover Central (14-8).
"I feel real confident,'' Robinson said. "Almost every state game we've played we've always been up like 10 points or more. We've just got to keep pushing and can't let up and can't stall out the time. We've got to keep pushing and go all out.''
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden’s Lady Wildcats saw themselves in familiar position Saturday night, with their third straight sub-state state tournament berth on the line againt Baldwin.
Hayden's girls pose for a team picture after clinching a third straight state tournament berth with Saturday's 52-22 win over Baldwin. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN
The Wildcats would see the Lady Bulldogs put up a early fight by taking a early 6-5 lead and then getting within three at 15-12 early in the second quarter, but that would be all she wrote for the Bulldogs as Hayden would take off and outscore the bulldogs 37-10 the rest of the way on the way to a 52-22 rout.
The Wildcats would get a early three from senior Bella Reid.
“I was excited and I was glad it went in because all my friends and family were their watching me,'' Reid said. “This season has been a highlight of my basketball career, playing beside by my best friends has meant everything to me. This season has definitely been my favorite and I will be sad when it is over.”
The Wildcats, who have featured a starting lineup that features four seniors and a standout freshman in 5-foot-11 Hailey Schmidtlein, who would score 11 points for the Cats.
“It means a lot to go to state as a freshman,'' Schmidtlein said. "The way we played that game, was one play at a time. We really came out strong each quarter, and we really came out strong in the second half. I am so proud of us and I can’t wait to see what we can do at state.”
Senior Norma Greco on making it back to state: “I think that over the recent years we have had good teams and that our program has really taken a step up in the right direction.”
Senior Millie Ramsey scored 12 points in Saturday's 52-22 Hayden sub-state win over Baldwin. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Wildcats will miss a huge senior class next season and a big part of the four-member senior class will be the tandem of Brylee Meier and Millie Ramsey, with Meier being a four-year varsity member and Ramsey being a mid-season transfer a year ago. This will be Ramsey's third trip in a row to the state tournament, with her first trip coming during her time at Highland Park when she would lead her Scots to the 5A state tournament.
Meier and Ramsey would share scoring honors on a special night for the Cats as they would both score 12 points.
“We just came out with a lot of energy and the crowd was really good tonight,'' Meier said. "Everyone came ready to play and we were able to get the win. This program has improved a lot over the years. My teammates and I have all worked really hard to get where we are today. Us going to state for a third year in a row shows all of the blood, sweat and tears we all have put into this program.”
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
A spot in the Class 5A state tournament was on the line as the Topeka West Chargers hosted the Valley Center Hornets on Saturday night. It was a tight contest over the first 16, but in the second half Topeka West picked up the defensive pressure and won the game in dominating fashion, 81-54.
Senior Jalen Foy scored a game-high 21 points in Saturday's 81-54 Class 5A sub-state win over Valley Center. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Kamoni Ford scored 15 points in Saturday's 81-54 Topeka West Class 5A sub-state win. [File photo/TSN]
The Chargers will travel to Emporia for Thursday’s first round of the 5A state tournament.
“The team was focused tonight, listening and following the game plan,'' first-year Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker said.
As the game began, it seemed that Topeka West was going to run away with the contest, jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the first 2:30 of the game, forcing Valley Center to call a timeout. However, Valley Center responded with a 5-0 run of its own, cutting the Chargers lead to 8-5. The quarter ended with the Hornets having the lead, 18-16, thanks to four 3-pointers in the quarter.
The second quarter matched the intensity of the first quarter. Valley Center extended its lead to four points early in the quarter, but Topeka West responded by scoring six straight points to take the lead, 22-20. For the rest of the first half, both teams traded baskets and the Chargers took a one point lead to the locker room, 33-32.
"In the first quarter, Valley Center came out aggressive and hit four 3-pointers and we were able to adjust and take that away in the second quarter, but we still only led 33-32 at the half,'' Ulsaker said.
The complexion of the game changed in the third quarter. On offense, the Chargers made a change as noted by Ulsaker. “We moved Keimani Paul inside and moved Kamoni Ford outside and told Keimani to attack when he caught the ball in the short corner,'' Ulsaker said.
Defensively, the Chargers got into the passing lanes, forcing eight turnovers, which led to multiple layups in transition. West out-scored the Hornets 24-9 and took a commanding 57-41 lead into the final quarter.
