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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy feels like the vibe among the Ichabod soccer team is starting to feel a lot like it did last season when WU posted a runnerup finish in the NCAA Division II national tournament.
Washburn junior midfielder Belle Kennedy (12) leads the 9-2-2 Ichabods with three game-winning goals. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
And that could spell continued bad news for future opponents of the Ichabods, who have not suffered a loss over their last 11 games entering MIAA road games against Central Missouri and Fort Hays State this weekend.
Washburn opened its season with back-to-back non-conference losses but have not allowed a goal since, establishing a school-record shutout streak while improving to 9-2-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the MIAA.
The Ichabods, who cracked the top 15 in the latest USC National poll, will make the trip to Warrensburg, Mo. to battle the Jennies in a 6 p.m. Friday contest before heading to Hays to face the Tigers in a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday.
The Ichabods remain in a tie for second place in the MIAA with Central Missouri with 19 points, three points behind Missouri Western.
"It feel like it's the same rhythm as last year where we struggled a little bit in the beginning but throughout this season we're getting to the point where we're approaching it like each game could predict where we end up within the national poll, within the MIAA,'' said Kennedy, a returning All-MIAA first-team pick who is tied for 19th nationally with three game-winning goals.
"It's not necessarily like we're taking it more serious, but we're making our journey more specific. In the beginning it's more about figuring out, 'OK, how do we want to play this year? Do we want to play a certain style? Do we want to switch our style?' And right now we've figured out our style, we're narrowing it down and perfecting it more so that each game we're getting better and better.''
Kennedy, a junior midfielder, said the Washburn hot streak has been fueled by its defense.
"Our defense is insane,'' Kennedy said. "You could put any forward against our defense and we are still strong. We're really resilient. The beginning of the year was a little rough but it always is when you're still trying to figure everything out, but at this point now, we can handle any forward and any duo or any three sets of forwards they put against us.''
Kennedy is also very proud of how her former Washburn Rural teammate, Hailey Beck, is performing for the Ichabods in her first season as WU's starting goalkeeper.
Beck is tied for first nationally with 10 shutouts posted in goal. Beck's 0.313 goals against average is good for fifth in Division II and her 0.879 save percentage ranks 15th in the country.
"I'm very, very proud,'' Kennedy said of Beck. "She's done an incredible job, honestly, stepping up and taking on the role of being our goalkeeper. She's been doing amazing.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After four previous double-overtime ties, Hayden's boys soccer team looked as if it might be headed towards another deadlock Wednesday.
But this time the Wildcats found a way to get the game-winner, with senior Preston Meitner scoring off a pass from junior Aiden Roberts with 5:17 left in the second 10-minute extra session to give Hayden a 2-1 non-league win over Leavenworth on Senior Night at Hayden.
Hayden senior Preston Meitner (13) scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 2-1 double-overtime soccer win over Leavenworth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer admitted that the Wildcats, who finished the regular season at 5-7-4, were getting a little tired of the string of OT contests.
"It takes its toll, but having said that, it shouldn't come to that,'' Kreutzer said. "You've got to do the work early and we had opportunities.''
But Kreutzer said Wednesday's come-from-behind victory should give Hayden momentum entering Class 4A-1A regionals next week.
"At least we ended the season on a good note, so I'm feeling good about what we're going to do next week,'' Kreutzer said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's soccer team achieved one of its goals for the 2024 season Tuesday night at McElroy Field, extending its Centennial League title streak to 30 seasons (outright or shared) with a 4-0 win over Topeka High.
But there is still work to be done according to Rural coach Brian Hensyel.
Junior Draden Chooncharoen had a goal and an assist in Washburn Rural's 4-0 Centennial League title-clenching win over Topeka High Tuesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"Every year we want to win the league championship because if you do it means you've kept the streak going, but it also means you've won some games and if you win all your league games and you win the league you're setting yourself up for good stuff in the playoffs,'' Hensyel said.
"So Step 1 we wanted to win tonight because we obviously want to keep that league championship here, but honestly for seeding we're trying to win both games this week and finish on a good note and try to play as many games at home (in postseason) as possible.''
Washburn Rural, now 11-2-2 overall and capping a perfect 5-0 Centennial League run, scored the only goal it would need at the 17:43 mark of the first half on a goal from junior Drew Moore and added goals from juniors Dylan Willingham at the 11:27 mark and Draden Chooncharoen with 5:27 left in the half to take a commanding 3-0 halftime advantage.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls golf team put itself in position to win a second straight Class 4A state championship in Monday's opening round and left no doubt on Tuesday, pulling away for a 15-stroke victory at Hesston Golf Course.
Hayden took a four-stroke lead over Wellington on Monday and finished the 36-hole event with a four-person score of 698 while Wellington was a distant second at 713 and McPherson finished third at 727.
Hayden's girls golf team poses with its championship trophy after winning the Class 4A state tournament by 15 strokes Tuesday at Hesston. [Submitted photo]
Junior Lauren Borjon led the Wildcats with a third-place individual finish with a 36-hole total of 157, following up her first-round 76 with an 81 on Tuesday.
Hayden junior Izzy Glotzbach and senior Addyson Baer also earned 4A state medals, with Glotzbach finishing 12th at 171 (89-82) and Baer tying for 16th at 174 (86-88).
Brooke Johnson placed 34th at 196 (102-94), Nora Allphin was 46th at 213 (107-106) and Kellyn Specht finished 52nd at 226 (112-114).
Wamego's Addison Douglass took the individual state championship with a 36-hole total of 142 (70-72).
Silver Lake girls golf poses for a team picture after finishing second in the Class 3A-1A state tournament on a tiebreaker Tuesday at Emporia. [Silver Lake Athletics]
Silver Lake suffers heartbreaking tiebreaker loss in 3A-1A
Silver Lake, which started Tuesday's final round in third place, rallied to give itself a chance at a second straight Class 3A-1A state championship before finishing second to Pittsburg Colgan on a tiebreaker.
Both the Eagles and Panthers finished with four-person scores of 718, but Colgan won its third state title in four seasons by virtue of a lower fifth score on the second day of the tournament. Goodland finished third at 734.
Senior Taylor Zordel led Silver Lake with a fourth-place individual finish at 164 (86-78), earning her fourth straight state medal, while Kailyn Hanni posted a 13th-place finish at 180 (90-90) and Makenna Miller also earned a state medal with a 14th-place finish at 181 (95-86).
Savannah Wende finished 36th for the Eagles at 193 (101-92), Hope Thornton was 45th at 202 (102-100) and Alyssa Streit placed 54th at 221 (113-108).
Rossville's Elley Sanders, competing as an individual, tied for 38th with a 36-hole total of 197 (94-103).
Washburn Rural girls golf poses for a team picture after its third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament Tuesday at Hutchinson. [Washburn Rural golf]
Seniors Randall, Peterson lead Rural to third-place 6A finish
Seniors Reece Randall and Natalie Peterson ended their high school careers with Class 6A state medals, leading Washburn Rural to a third-place team finish at Hutchinson's Carey Park.
Randall finished with a 36-hole total of 154 (79-75) to tie for 10th place individually while Peterson tied for 12th at 157 (81-76).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAME
Highland Park senior Jamon Wilson has compiled 1,449 all-purpose yards this fall for the 5-2 Scots. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WASHINGTON (6-1, 4-1 Meadowlark) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (5-2, 4-1 Meadowlark)
At Hummer Sports Park
Highland Park snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-0 non-league rout over Kansas City-East, Mo. last Thursday at Hummer Sports Park while Kansas City-Washington is coming off a 20-6 Meadowlark Conference victory over KC-Schlagle. Thursday's game could have serious implications on seeding for the Class 5A playoffs, with Washington tied for the No. 2 East seed and Highland Park tied for the No. 7 East seed. The top eight seeds will host games in the first round of the playoffs next week. Scot senior Jamon Wilson has accumulated 1,449 all-purpose yards, including 510 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 45 carries, 16 receptions for 349 yards and three TDs and 565 kick/punt return yards. Sophomore quarterback G'Honi Montgomery has carried the ball 67 times for 590 yards and six TDs while junior Dontrail Fox has completed 48 of 100 passes for 899 yards and 10 TDs.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Seaman senior Max Huston has passed for 1,650 yards and 18 TDs and rushed for 443 yards and seven TDs for the 6-1 Vikings. [File photo/TSN]
DE SOTO (6-1, 5-1 UKC) at SEAMAN (6-1, 6-0 UKC)
Seaman clinched a share of the United Kansas Conference title with a 28-14 win over previously-unbeaten Basehor-Linwood last Friday and can clinch the outright championship with a win over De Soto. The Vikings are currently tied for the No. 2 West Class 5A seed. De Soto rolled to a 67-28 non-league win over Blue Valley Southwest last Friday and the Wildcats are tied for the No. 2 East 5A seed. Seaman senior Max Huston has completed 96 of 151 passes for 1,650 yards and 18 touchdowns and has rushed for 443 yards and seven TDs on 70 attempts. Senior Bryer Finley has 53 receptions for 1,069 yards and 14 TDs while junior Kaden McKinney has carried the ball 94 times for 598 yards and 10 TDs. Junior Carter Brian leads the Vikings with 75 tackles (42 solo) with seven tackles for loss.
PIPER (2-5, 2-4 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (1-6, 1-6 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka West dropped a 57-0 United Kansas Conference decision to Leavenworth last week while Piper took a 51-16 UKC win over Kansas City-Turner. West enters the final game of the regular season tied for the No. 12 seed in Class 5A West.
COUNCIL GROVE (5-2, 1-2 Class 2A District 3) at SILVER LAKE (5-2, 2-1 Class 2A District 3)
Both Silver Lake and Council Grove will be looking to bounce back from losses, with the Eagles dropping a 35-21 Class 2A District 3 decision to undefeated Osage City while Council Grove lost a 22-6 district game to St. Marys. Silver Lake had a four-game win streak snapped by Osage City, which pulled away late in a game that was tied 14-14 at halftime.
Hayden senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has passed for 1,175 yards and 14 TDs for the 6-1 Wildcats. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
HAYDEN (6-1, 3-0 Class 3A District 4) at JEFFERSON WEST (1-6, 0-3 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden clinched the Class 3A District 4 championship last Friday with a 50-16 district win over Perry-Lecompton while Jefferson West posted its first win of the season, taking a 29-6 non-district win over Atchison County. Wildcat senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 78 of 114 passes for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns while junior Kade Mitchell has carried the ball 60 times for 546 yards, caught 21 passes for 374 yards and scored 16 total touchdowns. Senior Jensen Schrickel has caught 22 passes for 356 yards and scored nine total TDs. Junior Jude Krentz leads Hayden with 68 total tackles (38 solo) while sophomore Mason Becker is 38 of 38 on extra-point attempts.
