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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
While many other Shawnee County basketball teams have sat idle during the recent run of inclement weather in the area, Hayden's girls have been able to get in two games over the past four days.
Hayden senior Lauren Sandstrom (5) registered game-highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 55-29 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And the second-ranked (Class 3A) Wildcats have taken full advantage of that opportunity, running their record to 8-1 with a pair of lopsided wins, including Tuesday's 55-29 non-league decision over city rival Shawnee Heights at the Bueltel Activity Center.
"It's nice playing,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "We all hate having games cancelled because the girls work really hard at practice and love the game so it's been nice that we've been able to play.''
After taking a 61-32 Centennial League win at Topeka High last Friday, Hayden picked up where it left off Tuesday night, running its win streak to three game while trailing just once in the game, at 2-0.
Hayden ended the opening quarter with a 16-2 run to open up a commanding 16-4 advantage and the Wildcats built a 33-15 cushion at the half.
"I was really happy with our energy tonight,'' Reynoldson said. "I wasn't real happy with how we played Friday, and especially early. We got beat to some 50-50 balls that we normally don't and tonight we were really, really good at being the first to the ball.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Hayden's rally from a 13-point deficit came up just short Thursday night, with Lansing taking a 48-45 victory in the opening round of the Topeka Invitational Tournament at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Senior Jacob Padilla, coming off an injury, led Hayden with 15 points in Thursday's 48-45 Topeka Invitational loss to Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But even though the Wildcats suffered their fourth straight loss to fall to 4-5 on the season, Hayden coach Trey Brown saw plenty of positives that his team can build on moving forward.
"We got a small taste of it and we've got to figure out what it's like to win again,'' Brown said. "We were right there and I think when we get healthy that will make a big difference but I thought the guys played hard and executed for the most part down the stretch.
'We got a great look with a great player at the end so we told them we've just got to keep hammering away, got to keep bulding. We're getting so much experience right now, playing all these big schools and good teams, so at the end of the year this is going to pan out for us.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High boys basketball coach Geo Lyons didn't get the performance he was looking for from his Trojans in Thursday's Topeka Invitational first-round game against Wichita Northwest at Hayden.
Topeka High coach Geo Lyons looks on during Thursday's 60-34 loss to state-ranked Wichita Northwest in the Topeka Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Dai'Quan Groves scored 12 points to lead Topeka High in Thursday's 60-34 loss to Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But after taking a 60-34 loss to the Grizzlies, Lyons was ready to turn the page and focus on trying to bounce back in the final two games of the tournament on Friday and Saturday.
"That was the message in the locker room right now,'' Lyons said. "Going into the tournament you want to go 3-0 and if you can't go 3-0 you definitely want to win your last two.
"We're telling the boys right now fifth place is better than fourth place, better than second place. Even though second place is 2-1. Even though fourth place finishes above you they actually go 1-2 and second place finishes with a loss and you don't want to end with a loss so we we need to salvage it right now and really try and go 2-1 the rest of the way.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
After winning three of its first four games, Topeka West's boys basketball game has encountered some tough sledding, losing three of its past four games, including a 49-47 heartbreaker to Shawnee Mission North on Thursday in the opening round of the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Hayden.
Junior Jalen Foy (22) led Topeka West with 15 points in Thursday's 49-47 loss to Shawnee Mission North in the first round of the Topeka Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
And while he still has high hopes for his young Chargers, veteran Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist admits it's been a tough stretch to deal with.
"We're struggling right now, ever since the De Soto game (a 76-30 loss), which I'm going to be frank when I tell you the De Soto game was probably the most embarrassing night I've spent on the bench,'' Bloomquist said. "I've never spent a night like that on the bench and I don't want to do it again.
"It's not just the fact that I was embarrassed, I felt like a fool. I felt like we're not accomplishing anything here and it's frustrating. We have things that we have to fix and it's not physical, it's mental. It's a mental situation and I'm trying my damndest to fix it. It's still early, but we're not playing well at all. We have no chemistry, we have no unity, we have no resilience. We just shut down way too easy.''
But Bloomquist still believes his team has time to reverse its fortunes in the second half of the season
"We're going to keep working at it because I like my team,'' Bloomquist said. "I really like them and we show signs of brilliance. Unfortunately, we don't see that very much.''
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• Isiah Pacheco. Hand it. Pitch it. Screen it. Wheel it. Kansas City, please. Try any of those options inside the 10-yard line.
• Do it for four downs if you must. In compacted goal-to-go space, coupled with wideouts limited by separation anxiety, Pacheco is your dude.
• Everyone marvels at how hard he runs. He could walk in spike-less golf shoes and still make greenskeepers shutter.
• No trickery needed near the goal line, Andy, except for a dash of misdirection. Pacheco should find the end zone.
• Please, try that. Rob Harrison Butker from becoming Super Bowl MVP.
• Remember when red zone confidence seemed limitless?
• The Chiefs would ring around their rosy huddle.
• Or, steal Rose Bowl relics coach Reid unearthed from grainy film reels.
• Compare that to today when they seem content to find a good angle for Butker to chip from.
• Even Travis Kelce sputters and backfires like a junkyard Maauto.
• Wait a second. Super Bowl? Yes, I raise that possibility, largely because of the impressive work of a young KC defense.
• Is George Karlaftis coming into his own? Is L’Jarius Sneed sufficiently miffed over being overlooked for honors? Is Chris Jones capable of thwarting opponents with his menacing presence?
• If so, Steve Spagnuolo’s schemes could be the solution to the Chiefs’ scoring issues.
• Or, the de-icer for Andy Reid’s mustache.
• Granted, it’s one thing to maul the frozen fish of Miami into submission.
• It’s another thing to stiffen defensively throughout the postseason.
• However, I think most of us would take Patrick Mahomes over the remainder of the many talented AFC quarterbacks.
