By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Very few teams in any sport look forward to playing third-place games and Washburn Rural's girls soccer team was no exception Saturday at Hummer Sports Park.
But after absorbing a lopsided 6-0 semifinal loss on Friday to perennial Class 6A power Blue Valley West, Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues had something to prove Saturday against Centennial League rival Manhattan.
"There was just a lot of disappointment last night, and not that we lost to Blue Valley West,'' Hensyel said. "They're a phenomenal program and losing to them in the final four, everybody's done that in the last few years. It was just the way in which we lost.
"I think the thing that hurt us the most was we had so many fans here yesterday. It was a big day for Topeka girls soccer, a chance for us to prove that players in this town can play just like anybody across the state, and so many people came out to support us and we just laid an egg. It was our worst performance of the year.''
Fortunately for the Junior Blues, they got the opportunity to wipe the sour taste out of their mouths 17 hours later and took advantage in a 3-1 win over the Indians.
Mackinly Rohn (left) scores Washburn Rural's first goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Manhattan in the Class 6A third-place game at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"What we told them before the game was we were playing our rivals, so that should be enough for energy, but let's show everybody that yesterday was kind of a fluke and today we wanted to show them who we were all season, which was a team that was very strong defensively, found ways to generate goals and was one of the top teams in the state,'' Hensyel said.
Washburn Rural took a 1-0 lead on a goal from sophomore Mackinly Rohn at the 28:21 mark of the opening half off an assist from senior Brynn Fitzgibbons and never trailed.
"I thought we were a little lethargic in warmup and things like that, but getting an early goal always helps,'' Hensyel said. "The early goal was such a big deal.''
The Junior Blues then added a very big insurance goal with 23:33 left in the half on a long shot from sophomore Carsyn McMaster.
"Carsyn's goal kind of felt like that gave us complete control of the game,'' Hensyel said.
Blue Valley West (16-3-2) claimed its fourth straight 6A state championship with a 2-1 win over Shawnee Mission East (16-4-0).
Washburn Rural sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye, clearing the ball with a header, scored the Junior Blues' final goal in a 3-1 win over Manhattan in the Class 6A third-place game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye finished Rural's scoring early in the second half off a pass from junior Hunter McWillams before Manhattan (15-5-0) finally got on the board with 9:48 left on a shot from sophomore Maura Wiens.
Brynn Fitzgibbons (left), a Washburn Rural senior, battles Manhattan senior Marleigh Hutchinson for the ball in Saturday's 3-1 win over Manhattan. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Saturday capped a 17-3-1 season for the Junior Blues and Hensyel said it was a big win.
"We've been on almost every side of everything and taking fourth is no fun,'' Hensyel said. "The big thing we told the girls is third place gets a trophy, fourth place doesn't. This is one of the best girls teams we've ever had and there has to be record of it in our trophy case.
"People that walk into our school need to know that 2021 girls soccer here was one of the best teams we've ever had.''
CLASS 6A SOCCER
Third place
WASHBURN RURAL 3, MANHATTAN 1
Manhattan (15-5-0) 0 1 -- 1
Washburn Rural (17-3-1) 2 1 -- 3
Manhattan -- Goal: Wiens. Assist: Geisbrecht.
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Rohn, McMaster, DeLeye. Assists: Fitzbiggons, McWilliams.
