Cair Paravel Lions
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park senior girls basketball standout Koralee Jones registered a quadruple-double in Tuesday's 68-10 home Meadowlark Conference victory over Kansas City-Sumner.
Highland Park senior Koralee Jones registered a quadruple-double in Tuesday's 68-10 Meadowlark Conference win over Kansas City-Sumner. [File photo/TSN]
Jones scored 22 points with 13 rebounds, 10 steals and 10 assists as Highland Park improved to 3-5 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
Highland Park officials said that they have been told that based on available records and news reports there are no verified instances of a previous Kansas high school girls player officially recording a quadruple-double although there have been several near-misses.
The Scots will be back in action Thursday, playing a non-league game at Shawnee Heights before hosting KC-Harmon on Friday in a Meadowlark Conference contest.
Hayden star junior bowler Kelton Meier opened his 2026 season on Tuesday with a 785 series, including a 300 game. [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
Hayden's Meier bowls perfect 300 game
Hayden junior Kelton Meier, who helped the Wildcats win a Class 4A-1A state bowling championship to end the 2025 season, opened '26 with a spectacular performance on Tuesday in the Hayden quadrangular at Gage Bowl, rolling a 785 series, including a perfect 300 game in his final game of the day.
Meier opened his series with a 227 and rolled a 258 in the second game before achieving perfection in the third game.
Andrew Lee added a 611 series, Reece Renyer a 585, Ashton Litke a 562 and Jason Ahlstedt a 530 as Hayden claimed the team crown over Centennial League foe Manhattan.
Hayden's girls finished second to Manhattan, with Emily Peterson leading the Wildcats with a 457 series.
Manhattan's Cortlynn Millington won the girls individual title with a 720 series, including a 279 game.
Sabres top Highland Park boys
Kansas City-Sumner's boys improved to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Meadowlark Conference with a 73-52 Tuesday night road win at Highland Park.
The Scots fell to 2-6 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
Highland Park will play a non-league game at Shawnee Heights on Thursday before hosting KC-Harmon in a Meadowlark contest on Friday.
Seaman girls fall to De Soto in UKC tilt
Coming off a 23-point United Kansas Conference win at Topeka West a night earlier, the No. 10-ranked (Class 5A) Seaman girls dropped a 52-38 home UKC decision to De Soto on Wednesday.
The Vikings trailed the Wildcats 15-7 at the end of the opening quarter and 26-17 at the half.
Seaman got back in the hunt with a 17-13 third quarter but the Wildcats closed with a 13-3 fourth stanza, pulling away at the free throw line.
Senior Maddie Gragg led the Vikings (6-3 overall, 6-2 UKC) with nine points while sophomore Claire Puvogel added eight points and Cara Beaton, Lydia Dreher and Brynn Spencer seven points apiece.
Maddie Leis led De Soto with 20 points.
Seaman will be back at home Friday to host UKC foe Leavenworth.
Lion boys protect Flint Hills lead with win over Osage City
Cair Paravel boys basketball improved to 7-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 in the Flint Hills League with a 51-40 home win over Osage City Tuesday night.
The Lions jumped out to a 13-8 first-quarter lead and led 27-15 at the half.
Osage City used an 18-7 third quarter to get within a point before the Lions closed things out with a 17-7 fourth quarter.
"Huge league win against an extremely talented and well-coached Osage City team,'' CPLS coach Chip Kueffer said in a text.
Senior Lucas Marichal led Cair Paravel with 16 points while Chase Hastert added 13 points and Blaine Durbin 11.
The Lions will travel to West Franklin on Friday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
TOPEKA HIGH (3-5, 0-1 Centennial) at HAYDEN (8-2, 2-0 Centennial)
Hayden is coming off a 38-35 Centennial League win at Washburn Rural last Friday while Topeka High had its three-game winning streak snapped by league foe Manhattan, 67-55. Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led Hayden with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, against Rural while senior Lauren Borjon added 8 points with a pair of 3s. Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 21 points against Manhattan while sophomore Hailey Caryl added 17 points with three 3-pointers.
SEAMAN (5-2, 5-1 Centennial) at TOPEKA WEST (1-7, 0-6 Centennial)
Seaman is coming off a 54-12 United Kansas Conference win over Lansing last Friday while Topeka West dropped a 69-36 conference decision at Basehor-Linwood. Junior Brynn Spencer led Seaman with 15 points against Lansing while Baylee Ayres and Lydia Dreher added 10 points. Seaman took a 45-26 win over Topeka West on Dec. 12. The Chargers will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Koralee Jones, Highland Park
KANSAS CITY-SUMNER (2-6, 2-4 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-5, 1-2 Meadowlark)
Highland Park dropped a 66-42 Meadowlark Conference decision to Atchison last Friday while KC-Sumner is coming off a 76-7 loss to KC-Wyandotte. Koralee Jones and Zayah Kincaid paced Highland Park with 14 points apiece against Atchison, with Kincaid draining three 3-pointers.
PIPER (6-2, 5-0 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (6-3, 5-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights rolled to a 53-22 United Kansas Conference win over Leavenworth last Friday while league-leading Piper is coming off a 69-34 non-league loss to Blue Valley Northwest. T-Bird senior Imani McGlory scored 18 points with four 3-pointers against Leavenworth while juniors Pearmella Carter and KK Emmot scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Piper handed Shawnee Heights its lone UKC loss on Dec. 9, 50-45.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
TOPEKA HIGH (4-4, 0-1) at HAYDEN (3-7, 0-2)
Both the Trojans and Wildcats will be looking to bounce back from Friday night losses, with Topeka High dropping a 70-63 home Centennial League decision to Manhattan and Hayden dropping its second straight league game, a 79-62 decision at Washburn Rural. Mar'saun Redmond led Topeka High with 16 points against Manhattan while Jalen Aldridge and Bryson McComas added 14 points apiece. Carter Compton scored 20 points for Hayden against Washburn Rural while Connor Hanika added 15 points.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Gad Munganga, Topeka West
SEAMAN (6-1, 5-1) at TOPEKA WEST (7-1, 6-0)
No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West will host No. 5 Seaman in a key United Kansas Conference matchup. Seaman senior star KaeVon Bonner is coming off a 42-point performance in Friday's 65-46 UKC win at Lansing while Landon Wiltz added 10 points and Griffin Zuniga 9. West is coming off a 56-45 conference win at Basehor-Linwood, with senior guard Gad Munganga pacing the Chargers with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Senior Keimani Paul added 12 points and junior Prince Lassiter 10.
JoJo Kingcannon, Highland Park
KANSAS CITY-SUMNER (4-5, 2-2) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-5, 2-1)
Highland Park played No. 2-ranked (Class 4A) Atchison tough in a 57-51 Meadowlark Conference home loss Friday night. Junior JoJo Kingcannon led the Scots with 18 points. Highland Park will be facing a KC-Sumner team that is coming off a 59-40 Meadowlark loss to KC-Wyandotte, a team Highland Park beat earlier in the season.
PIPER (5-3, 3-2) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-4, 3-3)
Shawnee Heights jumped out to a 35-5 halftime lead on the way to a 60-24 home United Kansas Conference win last Friday while Piper is coming off a non-league loss to Lincon Prep, Mo. Freshman Quincy Dixon led the T-Birds with 19 points while junior Cam Ross added 18 points and senior Ja'Veon Alston 13.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brooks Ballard
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore boys basketball standout, Ballard connected on 7 of 10 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers, and went four of four at the free throw line for a career-high 24-point night in Friday's 79-62 home Centennial League victory over Hayden, helping the Junior Blues improve to 7-2 on the season overall and 2-0 in the league.
KaeVon Bonner
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
Bonner, a 6-foot-4 senior, had a monster week as Seaman boys basketball improved to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the United Kansas Conference with a pair of road victories. Bonner reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career with a 27-point performance in Wednesday's 60-57 non-league victory at St. James Academy and scored a career-high 42 points in Friday's 65-46 United Kansas Conference win at Lansing.
Cianna Graves
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
After being named Shawnee Heights' Queen of Courts the previous night, the senior 155-pound standout wrestler claimed an individual championship in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational, helping lead the T-Birds to the team championship by a 262-164 margin over Wichita South. Graves, now 18-0 on the season, went 4-0 in the tournament with four pins, in 1 minute, 20 seconds, 1:31, 1:01 and 3:44.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior star KaeVon Bonner scored 42 points Friday night as the No. 5-ranked Vikings rolled to a 65-46 United Kansas Conference road victory over Lansing.
Senior KaeVon Bonner scored a career-high 42 points in Friday's 65-46 UKC win over Lansing. [File photo/TSN]
Bonner, who recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career, scored 15 points in the first quarter, followed by seven points in the second quarter, 11 in the third and nine points in the fourth quarter as Seaman improved to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the UKC.
Seaman jumped out to an 18-8 first-quarter advantage and led 30-16 at the half. The Vikings were still in front by 14 points (48-34) at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Lions 17-12 over the final eight minutes to close out the 19-point win.
The Vikings got 10 points from senior Landon Wiltz and 9 from senior Griffin Zuniga.
Seaman will play a UKC game at Topeka West on Tuesday. The Chargers handed the Vikings their only loss on Dec. 12.
Lady Vikes bounce back with 54-12 UKC rout
After having their four-game winning streak snapped by St. James Academy on Wednesday, Seaman's girls got back on the winning track with a 54-12 United Kansas Conference win at Lansing Friday night.
Now 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference, Seaman got 15 points from junior Brynn Spencer, 10 points apiece from sophomore Lydia Dreher and freshman Baylee Ayres and 7 from senior Maddie Gragg, who had 20 points in Wednesday's game against St. James.
The Vikings will play a UKC game at Topeka West on Tuesday. Seaman took a home win over the Chargers on Dec. 12.
Gad Munganga, Topeka West
West boys take 11-point road win over Bobcats
Topeka West ended its three-game week with a 56-45 road United Kansas Conference road victory at Basehor-Linwood Friday night.
After suffering its first loss of the season Monday night at Free State (53-49), the Chargers beat Leavenworth 74-47 on Tuesday before Friday's win that improved West to 7-1 on the season and a perfect 6-0 in the UKC.
Senior Gad Munganga paced Topeka West with 14 points, including four 3-pointers, while senior Keimani Paul added 12 points and junior Prince Lassiter 10 points. Seniors Jay'Veon Traylor and Malakyah Duncan added 9 points apiece for the Chargers.
West led 16-12 after one quarter and 33-24 at the half before the Bobcats cut their deficit to 40-37 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Chargers closed out the win by doubling up the hosts 16-8 in the fourth stanza.
The Chargers will be back at home Tuesday to host city and UKC rival Seaman.
Lucas Marichal, Cair Paravel
Lion boys improve to 6-2 with 50-45 Flint Hills League victory
Cair Paravel Latin's boys improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the Flint Hills League Friday night with a 50-45 league road win over Mission Valley.
Cair Paravel, which has posted three straight wins, got 16 points from senior Lucas Marichal, 15 from senior Drew Fay and 9 points from sophomore Chase Hastert.
Mission Valley (3-6, 1-4) rallied from a 29-22 halftime deficit to take a 37-35 lead into the fourth quarter and the game was tied late before the Lions pulled out the win.
Keegan Hoelting led Mission Valley with 16 points.
Cair Paravel will host Osage City in a Flint Hills League game on Tuesday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
HAYDEN (7-2, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 1-0 Centennial)
Both defending champion Hayden and perennial Class 6A contender Washburn Rural won their Centennial League openers on Tuesday. The Wildcats took a 53-37 home win over Emporia as sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored 14 points and sophomore Blakely Walter 10. The Junior Blues went on the road to beat Junction City, 68-32. Hayden is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and Rural is No. 10 in 6A. Washburn Rural will be playing its third game of the week, dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North on Monday.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (5-2, 0-0 Centennial) at TOPEKA HIGH (3-4, 0-0 Centennial)
Topeka High picked up its third straight win on Tuesday, taking a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence as junior Ahysieyrhuajh Rayton scored 29 points, senior Keimara Marshall 15 and senior Trish Short 13. High sophomore Hailey Caryl contributed 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists against the Lions. Manhattan is coming off its second loss of the season, dropping a 58-45 non-league decision to Hays.
ATCHISON (3-6, 3-0 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 1-1 Meadowlark)
Highland Park picked up a Meadowlark Conference forfeit win over Kansas City-Schlagle on Tuesday while Atchison edged KC-Wyandotte in a conference contest, 42-41. Highland Park played Wyandotte earlier in the season, with the Bulldogs taking a 68-52 victory over the Scots.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
LEAVENWORTH (4-2, 1-2 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (5-3, 4-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights stretched its winning streak to four games on Tuesday, with the T-Birds taking a 64-46 home United Kansas Conference win over De Soto. Junior Pearmella Carter led Heights with 19 points while juniors Sami Baum and Imani McGlory scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. Leavenworth is coming off a 49-35 home UKC win over Topeka West.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
HAYDEN (3-6, 0-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (6-2, 1-0)
Washburn Rural opened defense of its Centennial League championship Tuesday with a 50-45 road win over Junction City, imporoving to 6-2 on the season. Senior Kieffer O'Connor led the Junior Blues with 16 points while senior Simon Rowley added 11. Hayden will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 59-56 home Centennial League loss to Emporia. Senior Connor Hanika scored a game-high 22 points for the Wildcats while junior Carter Compton added 12 points.
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (6-1, 0-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (4-3, 0-0)
Topeka High climbed above the .500 level with a 66-65 nailbiter on the road Tuesday night at Lawrence. Friday's game will be the Centennial League opener for both Topeka High and Manhattan. The Indians are coming off a 62-59 overtime win over Hays, stretching its winning streak to six games.
ATCHISON (8-0, 3-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 2-0)
Atchison and Highland Park will square off in a game that could go a long ways to deciding the Meadowlark Conference championship. The Scots improved to 2-0 in league play with a 60-32 home win over Kansas City-Schlagle Tuesday night as junior JoJo Kingcannon scored 21 points, going 8 of 11 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Atchison is coming off an 87-32 Meadowlark win over KC-Wyandotte.
LEAVENWORTH (2-4, 1-3) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-4, 2-3)
Shawnee Heights will be looking to bounce back from a tough 51-50 United Kansas Conference home loss to De Soto Tuesday night. Junior Cam Ross led the T-Birds with 12 points. Leavenworth is coming off a 74-47 UKC home loss to Topeka West on Tuesday.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
HOLTON (1-7, 1-5) at SILVER LAKE (6-2, 4-0)
Silver Lake posted a 73-61 Big East League victory at St. Marys on Tuesday while Holton picked up its first win of the season, a 57-53 league decision over Riley County. Holton is coached by former Topeka West assistant coach Marco Hunter. Silver Lake is ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball held on to top Wabaunsee in Flint Hills action Tuesday night on the Lions' home floor.
Lucas Marichal led Cair Paravel with 29 points in the Lions' win over Wabaunsee Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
The Lions started out with their foot on the gas pedal for White Out in The Den against the Chargers, and it took every last second to determine the winner, as Cair Paravel Latin grabbed the win, 54-53.
“We knew we were going to get a really tough assignment,'' Cair Paravel coach Chip Kueffer said. "They’re a tough team, they box out and they get a lot of second-chance points. I don’t think we beat that team in a bar fight, it’s not realistic, they’re tough and have more muscle than we do.
"I think we guarded according to the scouting report pretty well … whether we win by half a point or 40 points, they’re all the same. With the game on the line, you don’t want to be down one with 10 seconds left, you want to be up one and defensively you want to win the game getting a stop. I’m proud of them for finishing.”
Senior Lucas Marichal put CPLS on the board with a 3-pointer and he wasn’t even close to being done scoring the basketball.
He put the Lions up 7-2 off a baseline layup and then sophomore Blaine Durbin also had it going, putting them up 11-6 off a short jumper in the paint, 11-6.
Marichal hit another triple to push the lead to six, scoring 10 points in the quarter and Durbin had eight of the 20 CPLS points, with the Lions leading 20-10 heading into the second quarter.
Cair Paravel Latin built its biggest lead of 14, 26-12 in the second quarter thanks to Marichal driving straight down broadway for a deuce, but then Wabaunsee went on a big run to cut the Red Lions lead down to four before the break.
A 9-0 run thanks to a fast break steal from Carter Falk of Wabaunsee, forced CPLS into a timeout with 2:52 left in the quarter, with the score 26-21 at that point.
Falk would nab another four points to cut the CPLS to two but Marichal was fouled with five seconds before the break and nailed two free throws to put Cair Paravel up 28-24.
Cole Frank of the Chargers had a sweet up and under finishing with the left hand to bring it to 32-30, but then Marichal scored five straight to push the lead back to seven, with another 3-pointer. He then would get the steal, get fed on the fast break for another bucket as CPLS maintained a 41-34 lead.
Then to end the quarter, Drew Fay put up a wild shot to beat the buzzer and banked it to end to put the Lions up by 13, 49-36.
Then it got interesting in the fourth quarter as the Lions' lead evaporated again.
It was 51-44 with under three minutes left and Charger senior Wyatt Gerht scored at the cup bringing Wabaunsee to within five but Marichal got fouled again and nailed two free throws to make it 53-46. He finished with a game-high of 29 points.
“We knew that in a lot of games, they’ve been down double-digits in most of their games and they’ve battled back in the second half, so we knew it was coming,” Marichal said. “The fourth quarter was super big for us to slow the game down and try to play it our way… at the end of the day it came down to who played harder and we wanted it more. We want to win the league, that’s our goal and that was one of the biggest teams to reach that goal.
“It was a blast, I love it. It gets so loud in here and when the crowd gets going, it’s a blast.''
Frank, who eventually fouled out in the waning seconds of the game, brought it to within three on a fast break, 53-50.
With 33 seconds, sophomore Landon Kaberline hit one of two free throws to put CPLS up, 54-50. Cutter Murray would not let the Chargers go down quietly, as he converted an and-one opportunity with 26 seconds remaining.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin girls basketball had trouble all night trying to break Wabaunsee’s defensive pressure, resulting in a home 54-13 Flint Hills defeat Tuesday night.
“Being able to talk about the things that we didn’t execute is important,” CPLS coach Jaley Barkley said. “One of the goals I have for this second part of the season is I want to execute our offense specifically because we have great defense.
"We hustle and work hard, but not being able to succumb to the pressure. Wabaunsee was all over us, so being able to slow down because when we do that, we can take good shots, take care of the ball… and be able to adapt.”
Wabaunsee was all over CPLS in the open court with presses and traps, forcing turnovers and bad shots for the Lions.
The Chargers jumped out to an 8-0 lead after Reese Michaelis hit her second 3-pointer of the night, forcing a timeout for CPLS with 5:17 left in the first.
The lead would only expand more for the Chargers, as they got out to a 16-0 lead after a Talen Orton bucket, causing CPLS to call another timeout while trying to find any answers. Orton finished with 10 points.
Michaelis would nail her third three of the game after the timeout making it 19-0 and the Chargers ended the first quarter up 23-0, holding the Red Lions scoreless after eight minutes.
It wouldn’t be until the 5:59 mark of the second quarter when senior KellyAnn Chada took a trip to the charity stripe and made one of two shots, making it a 23-1 score.
After a Charger basket Chada drew a foul and made one of two shots from the free throw line again.
Wabaunsee made the only two field goals in the quarter until senior Karsyn Hastert kissed one off the glass for two but missed the and-one opportunity and it was 27-4 at that point.
Chada would convert another bucket off a fastbreak steal from the Lions but the Chargers had a commanding lead at the break, 31-6.
The Lions had no answer for the Chargers, as Wabaunsee consistently trapped CPLS in the open court, the post and on the perimeter, forcing several turnovers.
CPLS did create many turnovers for itself, showing hustle despite the score.
“The game was tough, we got down early and for them (players) to keep their heads up and continue to be aggressive and do what I ask of them on the defensive end, I’m super proud of them for that,'' Barkley said. "Coming off of Christmas break, both sides I could tell were tired and the ability to play all four quarters with there all, I’m proud of that,” Barkley said.
In the third quarter Kameron Welshans for CPLS got the scoring started but that would be the only bucket. Michaelis for Wabanunsee drilled her fourth three-pointer of the game, finishing with five total in the game making it 34-8 and ending with 14 points.
The Chargers would convert two, and-one opportunities later in the quarter and led 45-8, resulting in a running clock in the fourth quarter, where both teams pulled their starters and emptied the benches.
Grace Zeller for Wabaunsee led all scorers with 18 points.
“Halftime we talked about not keeping our heads down, we got two more quarters, it’s 0-0, taking what we learned from the first half, changing our approach and adapting. I just want the girls to make those basketball plays and take charge out there,” Barkley said.
WABAUNSEE 54 , CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 13
Wabaunsee 23 8 14 9 -- 54
Cair Paravel Latin 0 6 2 5 -- 13
Wabaunsee (6-1) – Grace Zeller 6 5-7 18, Kirwin Russell 2 0-2 5, Reese Michaels 5 0-0 14, Talen Orton 4 2-3 10, Edan Schrader 3 1-2 7
Cair Paravel Latin (3-4) – Karsyn Hastert 1 0-3 2, Avery Rosenow 2 0-0 2, Becca Gateley 1 0-0- 3, Kameron Welshans 2 0-0 2, Kelly Ann Chada 2 2-6 4
3-point goals – Wabaunsee 6 (Zeller 1, Russell 1, Michaelis 4), Cair Paravel Latin 1 (Gateley 1). Total fouls – Wabaunsee 11, Cair Paravel Latin 10. Fouled out – none. Technical foul -- none
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
EMPORIA (4-4, 0-0) at HAYDEN (6-2, 0-0)
The Spartans and Wildcats will open Centennial League play on Tuesday, with Hayden opening defense of the league title it captured last season. The Wildcats dropped a 38-36 non-league decision at Shawnee Heights last Friday, Hayden's second straight loss after six straight wins to start the season. Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led Hayden with 16 points against the T-Birds while senior Lauren Borjon added 11 points. Emporia is coming off a 32-25 win over Circle.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 1-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-3, 3-1)
Shawnee Heights climbed above .500 with a 38-36 non-league win over Hayden last Friday at home. T-Bird junior KK Emmot scored 9 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining. Shawnee Heights has now won three straight games after starting the season 1-3. De Soto dropped a 45-34 United Kansas Conference decision to Seaman to close out its pre-holiday slate.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 2-1) at CAIR PARAVEL (3-3, 0-2)
Cair Paravel Latin ended its 2025 slate with a tight 40-37 Flint Hills League decision to Chase County while Wabaunsee is also coming off a loss, dropping a 68-37 league game to Osage City. London Backman leads CPLS with a 9.8 scoring average while Karsyn Hastert pulls down 5.7 rebounds per game.
Addaline Hall, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 0-4) at LEAVENWORTH (3-2, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking for its first United Kansas Conference victory Tuesday night at Leavenworth. Senior Addaline Hall leads the Chargers with a 10.8 scoring average while junior Sydney VanDyke averages 8.8 points and leads the city of Topeka in rebounding with 14.0 per game and in blocked shots with a 3.8 average.
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (1-4, 0-0)
Washburn Rural will be playing its second game of 2026 in as many nights, opening Centennial League play against the Blue Jays after dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North Monday night. Junior Blue freshman Brynn Anderson scored 14 first-half points with three 3-pointers against Olathe North, but sat out the second half after an injury late in the first half. Senior Hallie Walker had 9 points and 5 rebounds for Rural.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
EMPORIA (8-0, 0-0) at HAYDEN (3-5, 0-0)
Hayden is coming off a 79-60 non-league loss at Shawnee Heights on Friday while Emporia remained undefeated with a 73-38 non-league romp past Circle. Both the Wildcats and Spartans will be opening Centennial League play Tuesday. Senior Connor Hanika led Hayden with 20 points against Shawnee Heights while junior Mason Becker added 17 points.
Cam Ross, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 0-2) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3, 2-2)
Shawnee Heights evened its record at 3-3 with a 79-60 home win over Hayden last Friday while De Soto closed out 2025 with a 56-40 loss to Seaman on Dec. 19. Junior Cam Ross led Shawnee Heights with 28 points and four 3-pointers against Hayden while senior Ja'Veon Alston added 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 3-0) at CAIR PARAVEL (4-2, 2-0)
Cair Paravel Latin is off to a solid start, including a 60-39 Flint Hills League win over Chase County on Dec. 19, and faces a tough test Tuesday against a Wabaunsee team that is also unbeaten in league play after a 63-56 win over Osage City to close out 2025. Sophomore Chase Hastert leads Cair Paravel with a 16.3 scoring average and also pulls down 7.5 rebounds a game.
Keimani Paul, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (5-1, 4-0) at LEAVENWORTH (2-3, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking to bounce back Tuesday after the No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Chargers dropped a 53-49 non-league game at 6A Free State Monday night. Senior Keimani Paul led West with 19 points and four 3-pointers against the Firebirds while senior Malakyah Duncan added 12 points. Leavenworth dropped a 66-36 United Kansas Conference decision to Basehor-Linwood last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (4-2, 0-0)
Washburn Rural stretched its winning streak to four games with a 68-53 non-league win at Olathe West on Saturday while Junction City has won three straight games after a 56-53 win over Shawnee Mission North last time out. Sophomore Brooks Ballard scored 21 points with six 3-pointers in the Junior Blues' win over Olathe West. Tuesday's game is the Centennial League opener for both Rural and Junction City.
NOTE: Statistics for city girls basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Rayton, Topeka High 4 88 22.0
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 130 18.6
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 108 18.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 15 15.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 68 13.6
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 68 13.6
Marshall, Topeka High 5 63 12.6
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 70 11.7
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 65 10.8
Hall, Topeka West 6 65 10.8
Jones, Highland Park 4 43 10.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 59 9.8
Hirschi, Washburn Rural 5 48 9.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Carlgren, Washburn Rural 5 47 9.4
Sydney Van Dyke, Topeka West
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 84 14.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 45 9.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 30 7.5
Gotru, Topeka High 5 36 7.2
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 43 7.2
Hall, Topeka West 6 41 6.8
Dreher, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 31 6.2
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 42 6.0
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 35 5.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 29 5.8
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 34 5.7
Ayres, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Marshall, Topeka High 5 18 3.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 17 3.4
Gragg, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Rutherford, Washburn Rural 4 12 3.0
Baum, Shawnee Heights 6 16 2.7
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Puvogel, Seaman 5 12 2.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 12 2.4
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Foster, Hayden 7 14 2.0
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 9 1.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 10 1.7
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 10 1.7
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 32 4.6
Gragg, Seaman 5 19 3.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 17 3.4
Donaldson, Cair Paravel 6 20 3.3
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 16 3.2
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 19 3.2
Caryl, Topeka High 1 3 3.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 12 3.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 17 2.8
Beaton, Seaman 5 14 2.8
Rayton, Topeka High 4 11 2.8
Allen, Topeka West 6 17 2.7
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 13 2.6
Walter, Hayden 7 18 2.6
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 14 2.3
NOTE: Statistics for city boys basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Bonner, Seaman 5 130 26.0
Duncan, Topeka West 5 98 19.6
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 57 19.0
Compton, Hayden 7 121 17.3
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 98 16.3
Rowley, Washburn Rural 6 97 16.2
Ross, Shawnee Heights 5 80 16.0
Hanika, Hayden 7 104 14.9
Paul, Topeka West 5 74 14.8
MCComas, Topeka High 5 66 13.2
Lassiter, Topeka West 5 65 13.0
Aldridge, Topeka High 5 65 13.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 62 12.4
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 61 12.2
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 73 12.2
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 46 7.7
McComas, Topeka High 5 38 7.6
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 45 7.5
Schmidt, Washburn Rural 6 36 6.0
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 33 5.5
Lassiter, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Paul, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Tourtillott, Hayden 7 35 5.0
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 30 5.0
Cleverdon, Cair Paravel 6 29 4.8
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 24 4.8
Anderson, Highland Park 3 14 4.7
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Anderson, Highland Park 3 19 6.3
Bonner, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Paul, Topeka West 4 20 5.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 28 4.7
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 23 3.8
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 20 3.3
Scott, Shawnee Heights 5 16 3.2
Duncan, Topeka West 4 12 3.0
Guest, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Becker, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Marichal, Cair Paravel 6 15 2.5
McComas, Topeka High 5 12 2.4
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 12 2.4
Nimz, Washburn Rural 6 14 2.3
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 9 3.0
Bonner, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Wiltz, Seaman 5 14 2.8
McComas, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 14 2.8
Hanika, Hayden 7 17 2.4
Anderson, Highland Park 3 7 2.3
Duncan, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Munganga, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 12 2.0
Drew, Highland Park 3 6 2.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 10 2.0
Mitchell, Hayden 7 13 1.9
Becker, Hayden 7 13 1.9
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high schools captured three boys state team titles in 2025 while county athletes combined to earn six individual/relay championships.
Washburn Rural soccer is No. 1 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 10 boys high school sports stories of 2025 after winning its fourth Class 6A state title and first since 2012 while Rural cross country and Hayden bowling also won team championships.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Easton Broxterman is No. 2 on the Top 10 after capping his outstanding high school wrestling career with his third straight Class 6A state championship in 2025 in his fourth straight trip to the state finals.
Other highlights included current Junior Blue seniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison celebrating state titles in soccer and track while Broxterman's Junior Blue wrestling teammates, current senior Landen Kocher-Munoz and 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall, both claimed their second individual state titles.
Rural 2025 grad Isaiah Terry and Morrison both captured 6A individual titles and teamed with Chooncharoen and '25 grad Matthew Houser to set a state meet record in the 4x400-meter relay, Rural's second straight state crown in that event.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County boys prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship since 2012 after its 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East in PKs. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
1. RURAL RULES -- Led by an outstanding senior class, perennial state soccer power Washburn Rural capped a 19-1-1 2025 season with its first Class 6A state championship since 2012, taking a 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East with a 4-2 edge in penalty kicks. Senior Dylan Willingham ended his high school career with Washburn Rural's single-season and career scoring records.
Washburn Rural wrestling star Easton Broxterman capped his high school career in 2025 with his third straight Class 6A state title and fourth trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
2. MAT MASTER -- Washburn Rural superstar wrestler Easton Broxterman put the capper on one of the top high school careers in Shawnee County history with his third straight Class 6A state championship in his fourth straight trip to the state finals, helping lead the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish in the 6A state tournament in Overland Park. Broxterman, who is wrestling collegiately at Army, finished off a 41-2 senior season with the 145-pound state title.
Washburn Rural cross country celebrates its 2025 Class 6A state championship after winning by a single point over Blue Valley. [Photo courtesy of Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports]
3. STRENGTH IN THE PACK -- Washburn Rural cross country didn't have an individual medalist (top 20) in the 2025 Class 6A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, but the Junior Blues put four runners in the top 28 places to lead the way as Rural captured the team championship by a single point (100-101) over Blue Valley. Rural got a team-high 22nd-place finish from sophomore Henry Laubach while senior Brooks Kehoe was 25th, sophomore Clayton Fink 26th, sophomore Duke Graf 28th, sophomore Jaxson Adams 42nd, senior Wyatt Shorb 52nd and sophomore Brady Meek 84th.
Hayden won its first ever state bowling championship in the 2025 season, winning the Class 4A-1A state crown by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane. [File photo/TSN]
4. STRIKING GOLD -- Hayden garnered the first state bowling championship in school history, winning the Class 4A-1A state event by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane as four Wildcats earned individual state medals. Trevor Christy rolled a 698 series to finish third individually while John Strickland finished fifth with a 685, Chase Blaser was seventh with a 676 and Reese Renyer placed 16th with a 636.
Washburn Rural 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall won back-to-back Class 6A state wrestling titles in '24 and '25.'[File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Landen Kocher-Munoz won his second career Class 6A state wrestling title in '25 with his third trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
5. REPEAT FEAT -- Washburn Rural wrestling stars Kristjan Marshall and Landen Kocher-Munoz captured the second Class 6A state titles of their careers in the 2025 state tournament as the Junior Blues finished third as a team. Marshall, a 2025 graduate, won his second straight championship, winning the 157-pound crown to finish off a 37-5 season while then-junior Kocher-Munoz won his second career championship in his third straight state final, winning at 138 pounds to finish 34-3 on the season.
Washburn Rural's Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Chooncharoen and Isaiah Terry set the Class 6A state meet record in the 4x400 relay in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
6. REPEAT FEAT PART II -- Washburn Rural won the Class 6A state title in the 4x400-meter relay for the second straight season in the final event of the state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium as 2025 grads Matthew Houser and Isaiah Terry and then-juniors Liam Morrison and Draden Chooncharoen set a 6A state meet record in a winning time of 3 minutes, 16.23 seconds. Morrison, Chooncharoen and Terry ran on Rural's state-champion relay in both '24 and '25 while Houser won his first state title.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
A former soccer standout at Cair Paravel and Emporia State is pursuing a lifelong dream as a member of the Guatemalan national team. It’s been an arduous journey for the 2019 high school graduate, but her determination and faith have been rewarded.
Former Cair Paravel and Emporia State soccer star Hannah (Woolery) Mondi celebrates a big play for the Guatemalan national team. [Submitted photo from Hannah Mondi]
Hannah Mondi née Woolery played her first game with the Guatemalan team on December 1, a 4-1 win over Bermuda in Guatemala City. She will play three matches in the coming months that could lead to a berth in next year’s eight-team Concacaf Championship, which will ultimately produce four of the participants in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027
“I talked recently to my brother about it because I remember when we were little kids watching the men’s World Cup in Brazil (in 2014),” Mondi said. “That was the first one we were old enough to soak in and understand. And now I’m playing in qualifiers to play for a World Cup in Brazil. Little me would be just overwhelmed and would not believe that I actually got to do that.”
Mondi was born in Guatemala and spent the first six years of her life there before moving with her family to the United States. The daughter of Cair Paravel soccer coach Doug Woolery helped transform the Topeka private school’s team into the state title contender it has become, then enjoyed an All-American career at Emporia State, where she remains the college’s all-time assist leader.
Hannah (Woolery) Mondi (back row, left) said that playing for Guatemala's national team is an "overwhelming feeling.'' [Submitted photo from Hannah Mondi]
“Playing in Guatemala for the national team is just a very overwhelming feeling,” said Mondi, who retains dual citizenship in both Guatemala and the U.S. “Guatemala means so much to me. That’s where I was born. That’s where my first memories are. That’s where I got married. So it’s always had such a special place in my heart.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got to step on that field and see my relatives in the stands. All my mom’s family is down there. They had a big banner with my name on it. That was the first time that I got to play in front of them. I had about 30 people come to the game. It meant so much to be able to represent them. Especially my grandpa. He played for the Guatemalan National Team when he was younger, and he’s such a big soccer guy. I know it meant a lot for him to see me play for Guatemala.”
It’s an accomplishment that could easily not have happened.
In the spring of 2022, while a junior at Emporia State, Mondi tried out for the Guatemalan national team and was told she had a spot. But before she was able to complete the qualification process, the coaching staff was relieved. By the time the next group of coaches were ready to bring her down, it was in the heart of her fourth college season. She declined the invitation because she didn’t want to miss a critical part of the season.
Next up, Mondi tried to join a professional club in Austria, but they wanted her to come in the spring of 2024, when she was student teaching to earn her degree. She considered that offer seriously, but ultimately decided not to delay her graduation. Still, the prospect of playing in Europe was a motivator.
“After I (committed to) the Austrian team, I was practicing with a goal. I had a team to go on,” Mondi said. “But probably two weeks before I was supposed to go to join them, they told me that they were just going to recruit European players for that season. I had spent that whole summer preparing (to play in Austria), so obviously that was kind of a blow.
“But I realized through it that I still had the dream and I still wanted to play. But I had no knowledge of how to get in touch with teams and how to put myself out there. I was on my own and I thought, 'I will just keep on practicing and keep trying.’ But that takes a lot of physical and mental toughness to do that, practicing and working out by yourself without any motivators.”
Her next offer, in December 2024, was equally poorly timed.
“I ended up finding an agent. He wanted to put me a Mexico team. But their season started the same week that I was going to get married. I said, 'I want to get married and I want to enjoy my wedding,' ” said Mondi, who married January 10 of this year. “We had all these things planned. The coach told my agent he would think about bringing me in later, but he didn’t respond.”
Newly married with a degree, it would have been easy to think that the soccer door of her life had closed.
“It’s been so difficult to keep the dream alive,” Mondi said. “It was a series of ups and downs, but God is faithful. Without that keeping me going, I probably would have given up a long time ago. But He provided an opportunity finally and it felt like a big answer to prayer. If I hadn’t gone through all that, I wouldn’t be the player that I have become.”
To permit herself the opportunity to pursue a soccer career, Mondi works as a substitute teacher in Lawrence, De Soto and Eudora. She credits her husband, Caleb Mondi, a football player at Lawrence High School and Emporia State, with helping her stay on track during those challenging stretches.
“He’s been so supportive and great about it,” Mondi said of her husband. “There have definitely been times when I say, 'Maybe soccer isn’t it. Maybe I should just give it up.' And he said, 'No you should keep going.'
“He really understands the discipline of it all. He knows my training is really important. He knows when I need to push or when to lay back.”
In 2025, Mondi tried to re-insert herself into the pipeline for the Guatemalan national team but would have to try out with yet another new group of coaches. That opportunity finally came in October. She went for a tryout, then was asked to stay to help the team prepare for the Central American Games.
“They asked me to stay for another week to bond with the girls even though I wasn’t eligible to play on the team back in October,” said Mondi, who watched four of the team’s Central American Games matches. “It felt kind of like a college recruitment trip. You practice with the team and do everything they do, but I wasn’t on the roster and couldn’t suit up for the games. They wanted to see how I melded with the girls.”
With her knowledge of Spanish and familiarity with the country, Mondi connected quickly with her new teammates.
“We were confined for 15 days together and we didn’t really leave the compound,” Mondi said. “They were so welcoming and so kind. A lot of the girls are actually American in some capacity. I’m the only American who was actually born in Guatemala. So there are a lot of English speakers.”
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
For three periods, the Cair Paravel boys went toe-to-toe with the top-ranked team in Class 1A Div. II – defending state champion Axtell – before finally fading 42-36 at home on Friday.
Sophomore Chase Hastert scored 18 points with three 3-pointers in Cair Paravel's 42-36 loss to top-ranked Axtell Friday night. [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
The Lions learned on Tuesday morning that, when another team canceled its visit to Cair Paravel, the opening would be filled by the 1A powerhouse. Axtell has recently won several football and track and field championships in addition to last year’s basketball crown.
Though Axtell lists an enrollment of just 42 students, its size advantage against the Lions was impressive. Despite being undersized, Cair Paravel coach Chip Kueffer encouraged his team to take the fight to the Eagles.
“Our identity has to be grit. We’ve got to be a gritty team,” Kueffer said. “For the last several years, we’ve been undersized, so we’ve got to make up for that. We’ve got to compensate for that difference in size. That means rebounding, defending. I think we got a lot of the 50-50 balls. I think we were first to the floor a lot of times.”
Cair Paravel came out unaffected by the Eagles’ glossy resume. After falling behind 5-0, the Lions struck back with an 8-0 run of their own. They led 14-12 after one period.
Cair Paravel extended the lead to 18-12 in the first minute of the second quarter. But the momentum swung again, with Axtell reeling off 12 straight points. The Eagles led 26-25 at halftime.
With the teams and crowds at a fever pitch, each team scored just three points in a wild third period. Axtell led 29-28.
That’s when Axtell’s size, depth and experience finally overwhelmed the Lions. The visitors’ stifling defense held Cair Paravel scoreless for more than six minutes, during which Axtell scored 11 points to build a lead the Lions couldn’t overcome down the stretch.
“We gave up too many second-chance opportunities, too many offensive rebounds,” Kueffer said. “(Axtell is) the real deal. Very well coached. They’ve got a lot of size, a lot of toughness. They’ve got a lot of muscle to them. They all guard. They put a lot of pressure on you and they speed you up.”
Lions’ sophomore Chase Hastert poured in 18 points in the first half, hitting three three-pointers in the opening quarter.
“We did well in the first half, so in the second half, we had their attention,” Kueffer said. “They did a good job keying on our guards and slowing us down.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden, which advanced to the Class 3A state championship game for the third straight season, and 1A finalist Rossville combined for nine of Top 22 spots on TopSports.news' 2025 All-Shawnee County football team while the Wildcats and Bulldawgs swept offensive and defensive player of the year honors.
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Jude Krentz, Hayden
Hayden senior all-purpose standout Kade Mitchell and Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell were named the co-offensive players of the year for 2025 while Hayden senior Jude Krentz was named the defensive player of the year.
Kade Mitchell carried the ball 106 times for 1,003 yards, caught 23 passes for 471 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns while Canann Mitchell rushed for 1,162 yards and 21 touchdowns on 167 carries and completed 123 of 184 passes for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Krentz led the Hayden defense with 120 tackles (61 solo) while recording six tackles for loss and picking off two passes.
Hayden's Bill Arnold and Rossville's Derick Hammes were named the co-coaches of the year while Rossville junior lineman Charlie Chance was tapped as the defensive newcomer of the year and Silver Lake freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger was named the offensive newcomer of the year.
Chance was in on 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and three sacks while Kruger completed 178 of 252 passes for 2,158 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Kade Mitchell and Krentz are Top 22 repeat selections, along with Seaman senior Cameron Brian, Rossville senior Conner Bush, Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson and Shawnee Heights senior Aiden Scott.
Hayden, which posted a 12-1 record this fall, is also represented on the Top 22 by seniors Xander Blasing, Connor Hanika and Julian McGivern and junior Mason Becker while Rossville senior Andre Johnson joins Bush and Canann Mitchell on the Top 22 after the Bulldawgs posted an 11-2 record, with both losses coming against state champions.
Washburn Rural, which posted a 6-4 record, is represented on the Top 22 by seniors Jayden Cooper, Brody Haas and John Hoytal and junior Jadyn Baum.
Senior Noah Kobuszewski joins Brian on the first team for Seaman while senior Jayden Waterer joins Dayne Johnson on the Top 22 for Silver Lake and senior AJ Gallegos joins Scott on the first team for Shawnee Heights.
Meadowlark Conference champion Highland Park put senior Tremaine Savage and junior G'Honi Montgomery on the Top 22 while Topeka High is represented by multi-time All-Centennial League selection Malachi Murph
All 10 Shawnee County high schools have representatives on either the Top 22, Second 22 or honorable mention list. Five county teams posted six or more wins this fall and four teams posted at least one win in the playoffs.
TopSports.news selected the 2025 All-Shawnee County team after receiving input from county head coaches.
All-Shawnee County Top 22 capsules:
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls began their 2025-2026 basketball season Monday in the De Soto Hardwood Classic, taking a 46-36 win over Shawnee Mission East.
The start of a new season always brings new faces and new challenges. For the Junior Blues, this season is definitely the case with five freshmen seeing the court on opening night. Along with the five freshmen, there are two juniors and three seniors who provide experience to the young roster. One noticeable absence on opening night was All-State junior Maddie Vickery, who suffered a knee injury over the summer and hopes to return later this season.
Washburn Rural started the game with an 8-0 run, led by junior Brooklyn Rutherford’s five points and senior Ella Hirschi’s 3-pointer. SM East was overwhelmed by Rural’s pressure defense, leading to seven turnovers in the first quarter alone.
SM East was finally able to get on the board with a free throw by junior Lauren Mercer almost five minutes into the game. Rural continued to pressure the Lancers and led 13-5 at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, SM East was able to adjust to the defensive pressure and outscored the Junior Blues 6-2 over the first five minutes of the second stanza. Both teams traded baskets and Washburn Rural went to the locker room with a 17-13 lead.
The start of the second half mimicked the start of the game, where Rural doubled their lead over the first four minutes of the third quarter, leading 23-15 on buckets by Rutherford, senior Josie Carlgren and freshman Brynn Anderson. The Junior Blues maintained the eight point lead going into the final quarter, leading the Lancers 28-20.
Another 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter gave Rural their largest lead of the game, 36-20. Carlgren and Hirschi both knocked down 3-pointers and Anderson scored on a pretty spin move in the lane. Both teams had their highest point totals in the fourth quarter with the Junior Blues outscoring the Lancers, 18-16, accounting for the final score of 46-36.
Washburn Rural was led Anderson’s 13 points and five rebounds. Carlgren had eight points and four steals, Rutherford scored seven and senior Hallie Walker scored two points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists.
SM East was led by senior Talia Augustine’s seven points and five rebounds. Senior Fina Kessler dropped in six points and fellow senior Paige Stanfield also scored six along with eight rebounds.
Washburn Rural advances to the semifinal round on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. where it will face the host school, De Soto, a 55-35 first-round winner over Olathe Northwest.
WASHBURN RURAL 46, SM EAST 36
SM East 5 8 7 16 -- 36
Washburn Rural 13 4 11 18 -- 46
SM East 36 (0-2) -- Kessler 2-5 0-0 6, Eck 1-3 0-0 2, Stanfield 3-13 0-0 6, Kroening 2-4 0-0 5, Reiser 1-4 0-4 2, Beltrame 1-1 0-0 3, Mercer 0-1 3-4 3, Tilgner 0-0 2-4 2, Augustine 1-1 5-8 7, Zahner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 11-33 10-20 36.
Washburn Rural 46 (1-0) -- Rutherford 3-5 0-0 7, Hirschi 4-6 0-0 11, Walker 0-1 2-2 2, Anderson 5-18 2-2 13, Carlgren 3-11 0-0 8, Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Frost 0-0 0-2 0, Hinck 0-4, 0-2 0, Munson 0-2 1-2 1, Petersen 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-51 5-10 46.
3-point goals -- SM East4 (Kessler 2, Beltrame, Kroening), Washburn Rural 7 (Hirschi 3, Carlgren 2, Rutherford, Anderson). Total Fouls -- SM East 11, Washburn Rural 21. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
Trojans fall to Northwest in OT, 64-60
Topeka High opened the De Soto Hardwood Classic with a Monday contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest, dropping a 64-60 decision in overtime.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Cair Paravel cheer squad is back on top!
The Lions cheerleaders claimed their fourth state championship in five years, returning to the top of the Class 2A podium after placing second a year ago. To do so, they had to knock off four-time defending Class 3A champ Rossville, which dropped down to 2A for the first time this year.
Cair Paravel cheer celebrates its fourth KSHSAA state cheer championship in five years Nov. 21 at the Stormont Vail Events Center. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Cair Paravel cheer poses for a team picture after winning its fourth KSHSAA state cheer championship in five years Nov. 21. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Cair Paravel’s elementary students took to the school’s hallways last Friday to celebrate the cheer squad who paraded through the hallways displaying their latest trophy. The school’s upper grades rallied in the gymnasium to celebrate the squad’s fourth state title – still the school’s only trophies since it earned KSHSAA membership in 2020.
Last year, the Lions placed second to Oskaloosa, snapping their string of three wins in as many attempts. At this year’s competition on Nov. 21 at Stormont Vail Events Center, the Lions got by Rossville to reclaim the title.
“When we got second place last year, I think that really sparked a fire in us,” said Cair Paravel coach Courtney Bond. “I had a meeting with Coach Edye (Sack) and our returning seniors, and we talked about what we needed to do so that doesn’t happen again. We talked about song changes, choreography changes, adding different props and those kinds of things. We watched a lot of film. And I think the girls were just hungrier this year than ever before.”
“I think we all kept a pretty good attitude about (finishing second in 2024),” said senior Logan Johnson. “We just came back wanting that win our senior year. We focused on keeping a great mindset that, win or lose, this does not define us. We added some extra practices this year and worked with our choreographer a little bit more to just have some more help.”
Taking second place after a run of championships caused the Lions to reevaluate and adjust their priorities.
“Losing last year sort of made us more easy-going this year,” senior Maddy Freund said. “I think all of us were not as stressed this year.”
“We changed our focus this year,” Bond said. “Instead of a championship being our focus, we focused on bettering our skills competing against ourselves, viewing our abilities as a gift from God and using this performance as a form of praise and thanksgiving to Him.”
Reclaiming the crown got significantly tougher when Rossville moved to 2A. The Bulldawgs were the 3A champs from 2021-2024.
“We’ve always had the utmost respect for Rossville as they are the most dominant program across all the classes in the state,” Bond said. “They were the four-time 3A champs and had literally never lost before in person (Rossville did not win the virtual competition held during the pandemic).”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jalen Aldridge, Topeka High
JALEN ALDRIDGE, Topeka High
Aldridge, a 6-foot-1 senior, averaged a team-high 12.3 points for Topeka High last season, earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Aldridge shot 43 percent on two-point field goal attempts and connected on 26 3-pointers while averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals and shooting 70 percent from the free throw line.
JA'VEON ALSTON, Shawnee Heights
A 5-10 senior point guard, Alston received All-Shawnee County and United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record en route to a second straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament. A standout defender, Alston averaged 2.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the T-Birds as a junior.
Mason Becker, Hayden
MASON BECKER, Hayden
A 5-11 junior guard, Becker was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County Second 10 last season after averaging 10.1 points with 36 3-pointers, while shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Becker also averaged 2.8 rebounds for the Wildcats. Becker will get a late start on preseason basketball practice after helping lead the Wildcats football team to their third straight Class 3A state championship game Saturday in Hutchinson.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
Bonner, a 6-4 senior, is a two-time All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick after being named the Shawnee County co-newcomer of the year and receiving honorable mention as a freshman. Bonner averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.9 steals this past season for the 13-8 Vikings while hitting 49 3-pointers and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line.
CALEB CLEVERDON, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior, Cleverdon will be counted on heavily this winter as Cair Paravel looks to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Cleverson averaged 7.6 points last season while connecting on 33 3-pointers and shooting 35 percent from outside the arc. Cleverdon also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals as a junior.
JAI'MARION COOK, Shawnee Heights
Cook, a 5-9 senior guard, averaged 5.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season while helping Shawnee Heights post an 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Cook connected on 30 3-pointers as a junior while shooting 38 percent from outside the 3-point line.
Jack Donovan, Rossville
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A 5-11 senior, Donovan made the All-Shawnee County Top 10 for the second straight season after averaging 18.7 points with 62 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 78.4 percent from the free throw line. Donovan helped lead the Bulldawgs to a 16-8 record and a Class 2A state tournament berth last season. Donovan, a first-team All-Big East League pick, is also a standout in golf and football, helping Rossville reach the Class 1A state football title game on Friday in Hutchinson.
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
MALAKYAH DUNCAN, Topeka West
Duncan, a 6-4 senior, received second-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference recognition last season after helping lead the Chargers to the Class 5A state tournament, where West lost in the quarterfinals to state champ Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Duncan averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals as a junior while shooting 55 percent on two-point field goal attempts.
ONTARIUS EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 6-4 senior forward, received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Emmot averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a junior while draining 29 treys on the season.
Elisha Guest, Topeka High
ELISHA GUEST, Topeka High
A 5-7 senior, Guest received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after averaging 11.6 points while connecting on 49 3-pointers and shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Guest also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals for the Trojans last season.
Connor Hanika, Hayden
CONNOR HANIKA, Hayden
Hanika, a 6-5 senior, received All-Shawnee County second-team honors last season after averaging 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 48 percent on two-point field goals. Hanika is Hayden's starting quarterback in football, helping the Wildcats reach their third straight Class 3A state championship game.
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural
JOHN HOYTAL, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 senior forward, Hoytal received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after helping the 18-5 Junior Blues win the Centennial League title and advance to the Class 6A state tournament. Hoytal averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals last season while shooting 57 percent on two-point field goals and 73 percent from the free throw line.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake
Johnson, a 6-2 senior, helped lead the Eagles to a 20-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament in 2024-2025. A first-team All-Big East League selection, Johnson moved up to the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 last season after being a Second 10 pick as a sophomore. Johnson is a multi-sport standout for the Eagles, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors as a junior.
Lucas Marichal, Cair Paravel
LUCAS MARICHAL, Cair Paravel
A senior, Marichal is a key returner for Cair Paravel Latin, which will by looking to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Marichal averaged 9.0 points a year ago while connecting on 28 3-pointers and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which captured the Class 6A state championship, leads the 2025 Topeka All-City boys soccer team with five first-team picks.
The Junior Blues are represented on the 16-member first team, selected by city coaches, by seniors Draden Chooncharoen (midfield), Brandon Hamilton (defense), Liam Morrison (defense) and Dylan Willingham (forward) and junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (forward) while Rural coach Brian Hensyel was voted the city coach of the year after the Junior Blues posted a 19-1-1 record.
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural
Brandon Hamilton, Washburn Rural
Liam Morrison Washburn Rural
Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
Hamilton, Morrison and Willingham are all first-team repeat picks.
Shawnee Heights, Topeka High and Topeka West all put three players on the All-City first team, while Cair Paravel Latin and Seaman both put one player on the team.
Camden Granado, Shawnee Heights
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by seniors Camden Granado (forward) and Jason Slay (defense) and junior Mason Haas (midfield), with Granado and Haas first-team repeat picks.
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Topeka High put three players on the All-City team -- seniors Neri Diaz-Mayorga (midfield) and Billy Lutz (goalkeeper) and junior Carlos Acosta-Martinez (midfield).
Lutz is a repeat first-team selection while Diaz-Mayorga made the first team in 2024 for Highland Park.
Valentin Del Real, Topeka West
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West
Giancarlo Valenzuela, Topeka West
Topeka West is represented on the first team by sophomore Valentin Del Real (midfield), junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (forward) and senior Giancarlo Valenzuela (midfield), with Del Real and Gonzalez-Talavera first-team repeaters.
Nathan Keys, Cair Paravel
Cody Quy, Seaman
Cair Paravel put senior Nathan Keys (forward) on the All-City team while Seaman is represented by senior Cody Quy (forward).
Willingham was named the Centennial League player of the year this fall for the second straight season while Rural's Chooncharoen, Hamilton, Kocher-Munoz and High's Acosta-Martinez and Diaz-Mayorga were also first-team picks.
Shawnee Heights' Granado was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year while Haas and Slay and Topeka West's Del Real, Gonzalez-Talavera and Valenzuela were all named to the All-United Kansas Conference first team.
2025 TOPEKA ALL-CITY SOCCER
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Jaley Barkley opens year number two as the head coach of the Cair Paravel Latin girls basketball coach, and as preseason practices ramp up, her smile couldn’t be any bigger.
Former Cair Paravel standout Jaley Barkley begins her second season as the Lions' girls basketball coach. [File photo/TSN]
If you ask why, that’s because of the returning talent CPLS has as the Lions look to put last season's 2-11 record in the history books and put their best foot forward this year, especially in their second season in the Flint Hills League.
“We have a lot of veterans but we also have a lot of new faces,'' Barkley said. "I’m just excited from what we learned last year. I was so proud of the girls last year despite how the season went and I want to build off that and continue their drive that they had last year and improve this year.''
Barkley said her voice doesn’t carry very well and goes out on her whether that’s at practices or game day when the gym is loud with people cheering. Barkley said it’s a playful thing the team feeds off, which she said is good because that helps them communicate better.
“It’s kind of fun between us because they know they may not be able to hear me … having that understanding of, 'Jaley is calling a play but we also have to look at her,’ so, I think that’s something fun with this group too,” Barkley said.
Barkley said this team feels more comfortable with each other as they build on those relationships. She said the Lions all respect each other and the game, which makes it easier to coach them.
“I love this season, I grew up playing it and being able to coach it, just makes me happy,'' Barkley said. "This time of the year, basketball is on all the time, watching it on TV, being able to coach, being able to practice with the girls, it brings me so much joy and being able to connect with my girls on and off the court wraps it up in a bundle for me.''
Senior Karsyn Hastert is a top returner for Cair Paravel girls basketball this winter. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Karsyn Hastert is a dominant force down low that will cause problems in Class 2A but Barkley also likes sophomore London Backman and her confidence and experience she brings back starting as a freshman last season.
Barkley said don’t forget senior KellyAnn Chada either, as most have seen what Chada brings to the court and soccer fields.
Hastert said with the team doubling in size, that will help in practice being more competitive and hopefully transition into gameplay.
“Building on last year is motivation just to be better, represent our school better and we know we’re better than what we executed last year… and hoping what we know now, we execute that better,” Hastert said.
Hastert said they have to remember as a group that it's a new year and turning a new leaf.
“The freshmen and sophomores have great drive and leadership for their age and I think they’re going to step into their roles once KellyAnn and I graduate which is great to see,” Hastert said.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Chip Kueffer enters year three at the helm of the Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball team, with the Lions coming off a 10-11 record last year.
Chip Kueffer has high hopes for his Cair Paravel boys basketball team in his third year as the Lions' head coach. [File photo/TSN]
Despite that record, it’s a new year and Kueffer said it doesn’t matter what other teams may think about Cair Paravel, whether that’s their record or where they finish in the conference. Kueffer isn’t worried about that.
“We have to over-achieve,'' Kueffer said. "Anytime in life if you’re up for something, you want to over-achieve. You don’t want to finish where people expect you to finish, you don’t want to perform the way people expect you to, you want to exceed expectations. We need to have the mindset every night that we’re going to play better and put up a better performance than people are expecting from us.”
The Flint Hills League is nothing to sneeze at in Class 2A boys basketball, whether teams make it to sub-state title games or the state tournament. Kueffer said he likes the Lions' chances this year because of the team's depth.
“I got eight guys that I would consider starters,'' Kueffer said. "We just have to make sure when we’re out there, we have to be going 100 percent. They can play until they’re tired and we can get fresh legs in there when needed, too.
“We’re blessed to have three senior captains this year between Caleb Cleverdon, Lucas Marichal and Drew Fay, who will be leading the charge this year. I think everybody is ready to play together and this team compliments each other really well.''
Graduated seniors Jase Pavlik and Ben Roeder were two big cogs on last season’s squad, so there will be some big shoes to fill. But Kueffer knows they left their mark to help this year's team pick up the slack.
“I think everyone leads differently and everyone is coached differently,” Kueffer said. “Those guys saw exactly what it should look like and I think they’re well equipped to be able to step into that. There’s some big shoes to fill but I know that they can do it, they’re built for it.”
Cleverdon said this year's team is really focusing on toughness and making that their identity, especially on the defensive side of the ball and being able to last all four quarters.
Lucas Marichal is a top senior returner for Cair Paravel boys basketball. [File photo/TSN]
Cleverdon said last year’s season was mediocre, that the Lions under-achieved, and that the goal for this year is set high.
“We have our eyes on the state tournament and we’re not going to stop until we get there,'' Cleverdon said. "We plan on playing every game hard, playing like it's our last because especially as seniors, we understand that not every game is given so we’re going to play with that same mentality that nothing is given and that we’re going to go out there and earn everything.”
“We’re really excited about the guys that we have. I think they’re going to lead us a long way this year and we’re excited about that.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A 5-foot-11 freshman guard/forward, Anderson has yet to take the basketball court for the Junior Blues, but made an immediate impact in volleyball, earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League first-team honors while also being named the county and league newcomer of the year as Washburn Rural won the Centennial League title and advanced to the Class 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
SAMI BAUM, Shawnee Heights
A 6-1 junior, Baum will make her high school basketball debut in the 2025-2026 season after joining the T-Birds. Baum, who has been home schooled, played for the Shawnee Heights volleyball team this fall and has extensive experience in club basketball, receiving interest from college recruiters.
Nora Burdiek, Rossville
NORA BURDIEK, Rossville
Burdiek, a 6-0 junior forward, missed 11 games of the 2024-2025 season with an injury, but still earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention and was a third-team All-Class 2A and All-Big-East League honoree after averaging 16.5 points and 12 rebounds for 10-12 Rossville. Burdiek was a first-team All-Shawnee County and 2A All-State pick in volleyball, helping lead the Bulldawgs to the state tournament.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
PEARMELLA CARTER, Shawnee Heights
A 5-10 junior, Carter starred at Highland Park the past two seasons before transferring to Shawnee Heights for the 2025-2026 season. Carter was a Second 10 All-Shawnee County selection for the Scots last winter after averaging 19.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.1 assists and shooting 50 percent from 2-point field goal range while connecting on 14 3-pointers.
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
Caryl, a 5-10 sophomore, received All-Shawnee County Second 10 honors as a freshman after helping Topeka High post a 14-8 record and a nine-win improvement over the 2023-2024 season. Caryl averaged 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman while shooting 58 percent on 2-point field attempts and averaging 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. Caryl is also a tennis and soccer standout for the Trojans.
KARYS DEITER, Silver Lake
A 5-7 sophomore guard, Deiter earned All-Shawnee County Second 10 recognition for the 23-3 Eagles as a freshman starter, averaging 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as Silver Lake overcame big graduation losses from its 2024 Class 3A state championship team to post a runnerup state finish. Deiter was a first-team all-county pick in volleyball this fall after the Eagles won the state title with a 46-1 record, including 37 straight wins to end the season.
Rylee Dick, Rossville
RYLEE DICK, Rossville
A 5-6 senior guard, Dick was a first-team All-2A and All-Big East League pick last season and was an All-Shawnee County second-team selection after averaging 20.4 points with 68 made 3-pointers and 89-percent shooting from the free throw line for the 10-12 Bulldawgs while eclipsing the 1,000-point mark for her career. Dick, who has received all-league, all-county and All-2A recognition three straight seasons, has signed a letter of intent with Division II Rockhurst.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 5-8 junior, moved up to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 last season after earning second-team honors as a freshman. Emmot, who led the T-Birds to a 14-8 record, also earned first-team All-United Kansas Conference honors this past season after averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 3.2 assists while connecting on 46 3-pointers.
Maddie Gragg, Seaman
MADDIE GRAGG, Seaman
A 5-10 senior, Gragg was an All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection for the third straight season after helping lead Seaman to a 24-1 record and a runnerup finish in Class 5A. Gragg, also a three-time All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick, averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 57 percent on two-point field goal attempts and shooting 83 percent from the free throw line while hitting 39 3-pointers.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, a 5-7 senior guard, led Silver Lake to a 23-3 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament this past season after helping the Eagles post a perfect 26-0 record en route to the 3A state championship in 2024. Hanni was a repeat All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection as well as a repeat first-team all-league pick. A Fort Hays State basketball signee, Hanni is a multi-sport standout, earning first-team all-county honors in golf this fall.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A state champion Silver Lake, 4A runnerup Hayden and state qualifiers Washburn Rural in 6A and Rossville in 2A combined to put 12 players on the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County volleyball first team.
Shawnee County Player of the Year Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee County Coach of the Year Sarah Johnson, Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Shawnee County Newcomer of the Year Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, is represented on the all-county team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Hayden, which placed second at state after finishing third in 2024, is represented on the first team by sophomore repeat picks Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter along with senior Ella Foster, a multi-time all-county selection.
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Karsyn Horyna and Stella Kelly and freshman Brynn Anderson, who was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year after the Junior Blues won the Centennial League championship and advanced to the 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
Horyna is a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat pick while Kelly was a second-team pick as a junior.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek is a first-team all-county repeat pick and is joined on the first team by freshman Kenna Perine.
Rounding out the first team are Cair Paravel Latin senior Karsyn Hastert, Topeka West junior Sydney Van Dyke and Shawnee Heights senior Avery Willey.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Cair Paravel Latin boys soccer team recorded a first in school history Thursday night, winning a Class 4-1A regional championship.
Cair Paravel celebrates its first-ever boys regional soccer title Thursday at Berean Academy. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Having won a playoff game on Tuesday for only the second time in school history, the Lions traveled to face Berean Academy of Elbing Thursday. They took along a big group of fans who watched the team win 3-0, claiming the regional title and qualifying for the quarterfinal round next week.
Cair Paravel, one of just eight schools classified as 2A or 1A to field boys soccer teams, released its classes early Thursday, allowing a large portion of the student body to make the trip to Elbing, a small town near Newton, to attend the game.
“We had the stands packed full of friendly faces, which was great,” said Cair Paravel coach Mark Congdon. “It was a great win. A really exciting game.”
The Lions beat Circle High School 6-2 on Tuesday to advance to the regional final. They drew another 2A opponent, one with an advantage over Cair Paravel, which also fields a football team in addition to soccer.
“Berean Academy doesn’t have a football program, so they have got a lot of athletes,” Congdon said. “They started only juniors and seniors, whereas we start several underclassmen. They are a big, tall, physical team and it was a hard-fought battle. I think we just had the better finishers up top, which is what made the difference.”
Cair Paravel's Nathan Keys (right) celebrates his goal in Thursday's 3-0 regional game at Berean Academy with teammate Henry Sterling, who also had a goal in the win. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Judah Congdon scored a goal in Cair Paravel's 3-0 regional win at Berean Academy. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
Nathan Keys’ bicycle kick put the Lions on top early. Henry Sterling notched the Lions’ second goal on a pass from Judah Congdon. Leading 2-0 for much of the contest, the Lions received an insurance goal from Judah Congdon with about 10 minutes remaining.
Coach Congdon praised junior Ben Bolze, the Lions’ goalkeeper, for keeping the Warriors off the board.
“Ben notched six saves and pitched a shutout,” Congdon said. “He was fantastic. He was probably our MVP of the game.”
Cair Paravel will face another 2A school – Classical School of Wichita – next Monday at SCHEELS Stryker Complex in Wichita.
“The little schools ride these waves of athletes and participation,” Congdon said. “I was looking forward to this season starting about four years ago. I could foresee that certain stars were going to align, and we were going to be peaking this year.
“It’s been an investment over the last couple of years. The seniors on this team, in their freshman year, got one win. They were 1-14 that year. So, to watch this senior class grow from that 1-14 freshman season to this is storybook. They are on cloud nine. They are bonding really well. I think we’re playing our best soccer of the season. We’re peaking at the right time.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Top Class 5A East seed Shawnee Heights opened its postseason bid with a 6-1 regional semifinal win over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Shawnee Heights senior Camden Granado (left) scored three goals in Tuesday's 6-1 regional win over Basehor-Linwood, becoming Heights' career-leading scorer. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Camden Granado scored a three-goal hat trick for the T-Birds to become Shawnee Heights' all-time career leading scorer while senior Juan Garcia added two goals and senior Wyatt Lindecrantz one.
Garcia also had an assist in the win while junior Mason Haas, senior Sheldon Pokphanh and senior Chase Tofflemire also had assists.
The T-Birds improved to 15-2-0 on the season, with their only losses coming against 6A power Washburn Rural and fellow 5A power Blue Valley Southwest.
Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6 p.m. Thursday semifinal at Bettis to face No. 9 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (8-8-1), a 3-2 winner over Kansas City-Turner.
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (middle), Rural's single-season and career scoring leader, scored three goals in Tuesday's 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
Rural rolls to 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest
Washburn Rural improved to 15-1-1 with a 9-1 Class 6A regional semifinal win over 4-12-1 Wichita Northwest Tuesday night at McElroy Field.
Senior Dylan Willingham, Rural's single-season and career-leading scorer, led the Junior Blues with a three-goal hat trick while junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz and senior Brandon Hamilton scored two goals apiece and senior Brody Grogan and junior Myles Didde had one goal each.
Senior Draden Chooncharoen and Didde both had two assists apiece while Willingham, senior Everett Un and senior Drew Moore had one assist each.
Rural, the No. 2 6A West seed, advanced to a 6 p.m. home game Thursday to host No. 7 seed Wichita East (12-5-0), which moved on with a 5-0 win over Junction City.
Cair Paravel advances with 6-2 4A-1A regional romp
Cair Paravel Latin, the No. 5 West seed in Class 4A-1A, advanced to a Thursday regional final with a 6-2 Monday win over No. 12 seed Circle (5-11-1).
The Lions, now 10-6-0, advanced to a 4 p.m. Thursday game at Berean Academy (12-5-1), with Berean advancing with a 3-1 wins over El Dorado.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
MONDAY'S GAME
CLASS 4A-1A
CIRCLE (5-10-1) vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (9-6-0)
At Bettis Family Sports Complex
Cair Paravel Latin, the No. 5 seed in the Class 4A-1A West bracket with a 9-6-0 record, will open its postseason bid with a 6 p.m. Monday regional game against Circle (5-10-1). With a win Monday the Lions will advance to a Region 4 regional final on Thursday to face the winner of a Monday game between Berean Academy (10-5-1) and El Dorado (3-11-2).
TUESDAY'S GAMES
CLASS 6A
Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural
WICHITA NORTHWEST (4-11-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (14-1-1)
Perennial state power Washburn Rural is the No. 2 West seed in Class 6A with a 14-1-1 record and will be at home Tuesday for a 6 p.m. regional semifinal at McElroy Field to host No. 15 seed Wichita Northwest (4-11-1). With a win Tuesday the Centennial League champs will advance to a regional final on Thursday to host the winner of Monday's game at Wichita between No. 10 Junction City (8-7-1) and No. 7 Wichita East (11-5-0).
Billy Lutz, Topeka High
TOPEKA HIGH (9-5-2) at WICHITA NORTH (10-6-0)
Topeka High is the No. 9 Class 6A West seed with a 9-5-2 record and will go on the road Tuesday to face No. 8 seed Wichita North (10-6-0) in its postseason opener. With a win Tuesday, the Trojans will move on to a regional final on Thursday to face the winner of a regional semifinal between top West seed Wichita Southeast (15-1-0) and No. 16 Derby (3-13-0).
CLASS 5A
Camden Granado, Shawnee Heights
BASEHOR-LINWOOD (3-12-1) vs. SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (14-2-0)
At Bettis Family Sports Complex
An outstanding 14-2-0 regular season earned Shawnee Heights the No. 1 East seed for the Class 5A playoffs. The T-Birds will begin postseason with a 6 p.m. regional semifinal on Tuesday against their United Kansas Conference rival, No. 16 Basehor-Linwood (3-12-1). With a win Tuesday the T-Birds will advance to a regional final on Thursday to host the winner of Tuesday's game between No. 8 seed Kansas City-Turner (6-6-4) and No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (7-8-1) at Turner, also a member of the UKC.
Gage Kindred-Noragon, Topeka West
HAYS (7-8-0) vs. TOPEKA WEST (12-2-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka West earned the No. 3 Class 5A West seed with a 12-2-2 regular season and will open postseason with a 6 p.m. Tuesday regional semifinal against Hays (7-8-0). With a win Tuesday the Chargers will move on to a Thursday regional final to host the winner of Tuesday's game at Salina between No. 6 seed Salina South (11-5-0) and No. 11 Andover Central (8-7-1).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural will make its traditional trip to the Class 6A state volleyball tournament next week after a dominating performance in Saturday's sub-state tourney on the Junior Blues' home court.
Washburn Rural earned its ninth straight trip to the Class 6A state volleyball tournament with a pair of straight-set wins Saturday at Rural. [Washburn Rural Athletics]
Rural, the No. 1 6A West seed, punched its ticket to the state tournament at Salina's Tony's Pizza Event Center with a 25-11, 25-4 semifinal win over No. 16 Wichita West and a 25-11, 25-21 win over No. 8 seed Maize in the championship match.
Now 30-6 on the season, the Junior Blues will be making their ninth straight state tournament appearance and their 27th in 31 seasons under coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led Rural to eight state titles and ranks No. 2 on Kansas' all-time career victory list.
Washburn Rural was ranked No. 5 in the final Kansas Volleyball Association 6A state rankings.
Hayden volleyball poses for a team picture after capturing a Class 4A sub-state title Saturday at Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Wildcats survive three-set final to earn return trip to Class 4A state
Hayden, the No. 4 Class 4A East seed, was pushed to three sets by No. 5 seed Eudora but outlasted the Cardinals, 25-23, 24-26, 25-20 Saturday at the Bueltel Activity Center to earn a return trip to next week's state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Hayden senior Reese Huscher spikes the ball during Saturday's Class 4A sub-state at Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden senior Ella Foster sets the ball during Saturday's Class 4A sub-state tournament at Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden reached the championship match with a 25-7, 25-10 semifinal win over No. 13 Labette County while Eudora survived a three set semifinal with No. 12 seed Ottawa, taking a 20-25, 25-10, 25-19 win over the Cyclones.
Now 29-9 on the season, Hayden finished third in last year's state tournament and was ranked No. 3 in the final KVA state rankings.
Silver Lake volleyball celebrates its Class 3A sub-state title Saturday at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Top-ranked Eagles top Riley County to take 3A sub-state crown
Silver Lake, the No. 1 Class 3A East seed and ranked No. 1 by the KVA for seven straight weeks, fought off Riley County in Saturday's sub-state final on the Eagles' home court to advance to next week's state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Silver Lake volleyball celebrates a point during Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Now 41-1 on the season, Silver Lake dropped the first set to No. 3 sub-state seed Riley County, 25-23, but rallied to take 25-21 and 25-15 wins in the next two sets to garner the title.
Silver Lake took a 25-12, 25-9 semifinal win over No. 4 Perry-Lecompton while Riley County needed three sets to knock off No. 2 Nemaha Central, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18.
Rossville volleyball poses for a team picture after earning a Class 2A state tournament berth Saturday at Rossville. [Rossville volleyball]
Bulldawgs advance to 2A state with back-to-back thrillers
Tournament host and top sub-state seed Rossville was pushed to three sets in both its semifinal and championship matches, but the Bulldawgs survived both sets to advance to next week's Class 2A state tournament in Dodge City.
Rossville volleyball celebrates a point during Saturday's Class 2A sub-state tournament at Rossville. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek spikes the ball during Saturday's Class 2A sub-state tournament at Rossville. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Rossville, ranked No. 7 in the final KVA 2A state rankings, outlasted No. 4 Cair Paravel Latin, 27-25, 19-25, 25-20 in the semifinals before rallying from a first-set loss against No. 2 Maur Hill-Mt. Academy in the sub-state final to take a 22-25, 25-23, 25-12 win.
Maur Hill-Mt. Academy advanced to the final with a 25-16, 27-25 semifinal win over Kansas City Christian.
The Bulldawgs will take a 28-13 record into the state tournament.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
JEFFERSON WEST (6-1, 3-0 Class 3A District 4) at HAYDEN (7-0, 3-0 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden and Jefferson West will square off for the Class 3A District 4 title Friday night. The Wildcats are coming off a 48-7 district win at Perry-Lecompton last Friday while Jefferson West took a 54-12 non-district win over Atchison County. Hayden senior Kade Mitchell has carried the ball 61 times for 586 yards and has scored 14 total touchdowns while senior quarterback Connor Hanika has completed 61 of 106 passes for 950 yards and 13 TDs. Mahki Kidd has caught 18 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
MANHATTAN (5-2, 2-1 Centennial League) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 2-1 Centennial League)
Washburn Rural dropped a 35-20 Centennial League decision at Junction City last Friday after losing standout senior quarterback John Hoytal to an injury in the first half while Manhattan rolled to a 50-0 home league win over Topeka High. Both the Junior Blues and Indians are in line to host a first-round Class 6A West playoff game.
Joseph Kingcannon, Highland Park
HIGHLAND PARK (5-2, 4-1 Meadowlark) at KC-WASHINGTON (7-0, 5-0 Meadowlark)
Highland Park can earn a share of the Meadowlark Conference championship with a win Friday. Both teams are unbeaten on the field, with Kansas City-Washington coming off a 49-33 Meadowlark win over KC-Schlagle while Highland Park picked up a forfeit win over Kansas City-East, Mo. last Friday. Scot senior quarterback Dontrail Fox has completed 16 of 30 passes for 465 yards and six touchdowns in Hi Park's four on-field games while junior Joseph Kingcannon has gained 380 yards and scored four TDs on just 21 attempts and has caught six passes for 273 yards and three TDs. Junior G'Honi Montgomery has 341 rushing yards and three TDs on 41 carries.
PITTSBURG (3-4) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (3-4)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka High will close out its regular season with a non-league game against Pittsburg. The Trojans dropped a 50-0 Centennial League decision at Manhattan last Friday while Pittsburg is coming off a 42-0 win over Chanute. The Trojans and Purple Dragons have one common opponent, with Pittsburg opening its season with a 24-14 victory over Emporia while High took a 13-12 win over the Spartans in its league opener.
Cameron Miller, Rossville
WABAUNSEE (4-3, 3-1 Class 1A District 2) at ROSSVILLE (6-1, 4-0 Class 1A District 2)
Rossville remained unbeaten in the District 2 race with a come-from-behind 36-22 win over Olpe while Wabaunsee has won three straight games, including a 36-21 district win over Mission Valley last Friday. Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell has completed 67 of 103 passes for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 566 yards and eight TDs on 73 attempts. Conner Bush has carried the ball 36 times for 435 yards and six TDs while Cameron Miller has 24 catches for 398 yards and six TDs and Jack Donovan has 25 catches for 298 yards and two TDs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake and Rossville's volleyball teams both took their first steps to state tournament berths with Class 3A and 2A regional championships Monday night.
Kylie Hanni and the Silver Lake Eagles will host a Class 3A sub-state volleyball tournament on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
Nora Burdiek and Rossville volleyball will host a Class 2A sub-state on Saturday. [File photo]
The Eagles and Bulldawgs will now host sub-state tournaments on Saturday, vying for berths in next week's state tournaments at Hutchinson (3A) and Dodge City (2A).
Silver Lake, top-ranked in 3A, rolled to three straight regional wins Monday night on its home court, taking a 25-9, 25-8 win over Council Grove, a 25-16, 25-11 win over Hiawatha and a 25-11, 25-18 win over Pleasant Ridge to wrap up the regional crown.
The Eagles will host 3A sub-state No. 1 at 2 p.m. on Saturday, facing Perry-Lecompton in one semifinal while Nemaha Central will face Riley County in the other semi. The two winners will meet for the sub-state title.
Rossville hosted a 2A regional Monday and the Bulldawgs went a perfect 3-0 with a 25-10, 25-8 win over McLouth, a 25-13, 25-8 victory over Central Heights and a 25-9, 25-14 win over Mission Valley.
The Bulldawgs will host 2A sub-state No. 2 on Saturday, taking on Cair Paravel Latin in a semifinal match while Maur Hill-Mt. Academy will square off against Kansas City Christian in the other semifinal. The two winners will play for the sub-state championship.
Cair Paravel went 2-1 in Monday's 2A regional at Jefferson North, posting a 26-24, 19-25, 26-24 win over Horton and a 25-16, 25-16 win over Atchison County before dropping a 25-16, 25-23 match to Jefferson North.
Washburn Rural, the No. 1 Class 6A West seed, will be aiming for its ninth straight state berth in a Saturday sub-state at Rural. [File photo/TSN]
Class 6A sub-state at Washburn Rural
Perennial state power Washburn Rural will be looking for its 27th Class 6A state tournament berth in Kevin Bordewick's 31st year as head coach and ninth straight when Rural hosts a sub-state tournament (1 p.m. start) on Saturday.
The Junior Blues, the No. 1 West seed at 28-6, will open their sub-state bid with a semifinal match against Wichita West (5-29) while Maize (16-20) will face Wichita East (5-28) in the other semifinal before the two winners face off in the championship match.
The sub-state champion will advance to next week's Class 6A state tournament at the Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina.
Hailey Schmidtlein and Hayden volleyball will host a Class 4A sub-state tournament on Saturday. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Class 4A sub-state at Hayden
Hayden, third in Class 4A a year ago, will host a sub-state tournament on Saturday (1 p.m. start) in the Bueltel Activity Center, vying for a return trip to state next week at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Wildcats, 26-9 on the season and the No. 4 East seed, will play Labette County (12-22) in a semifinal match while No. 5 seed Eudora (25-10) will take on Ottawa (12-20) in the other semifinal.
The two semifinal winners will square off in the sub-state championship match.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a senior cross country standout, won his second straight boys United Kansas Conference individual title Thursday in Kansas City, Kan. while posting his fifth individual victory of the 2025 season. A Class 5A state medalist in cross country and track, Anderson posted a winning five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 38.30 seconds while leading the Vikings to a runnerup conference team finish.
Jordan Finnesy
JORDAN FINNESY, Washburn University
Finnesy tied a school record with two interceptions while adding nine tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Saturday's 37-17 MIAA win over Central Missouri in Yager Stadium. Finnesy helped Washburn record a school-record eight turnovers against the Mules en route to snapping a four-game losing streak and picking up the Ichabods' first conference victory of 2025.
Molly Gorman
MOLLY GORMAN, Seaman
A senior tennis standout, Gorman earned her fourth straight Class 5A state medal with a sixth-place singles finish Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. After placing in the 5A state meet in doubles as a freshman and sophomore, Gorman earned singles medals her final two high school seasons for the Vikings, helping Seaman finish second as a team to cap the 2025 season.
The 2025 All-City girls tennis team -- Front, left to right: Julia Katzer, Washburn Rural; Annie Henderson, Washburn Rural; Madilyn Poole, Cair Paravel Latin; Madeline Deters, Topeka High; Emma Sweeney, Seaman; Camryn Lux, Seaman. Back, left to right: Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy, Washburn Rural; Halle Owen, Washburn Rural; Ava Ritter, Topeka High; Hailey Caryl, Topeka High; Molly Gorman, Seaman; Peyton Henry, Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven repeat selections and six state medalists, led by Seaman Class 5A singles runnerup Emma Sweeney and four-time state medalist Molly Gorman, headline the 2025 All-City girls tennis team.
Sweeney, a junior, and senior Gorman are both All-City repeat picks along with Seaman senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux, Topeka High seniors Madeline Deters and Ava Ritter and sophomore Hailey Caryl.
Sweeney swept city, United Kansas Conference and regional titles before her second-place state finish while Gorman earned her fourth state medal -- two doubles, two singles -- with a sixth-place singles finish.
Cair Paravel Latin junior Madilyn Poole earned her first state medal last weekend with a third-place 3A-1A singles finish.
High's Deters earned her second straight 6A medal with a sixth-place singles finish while Henry and Lux placed seventh in 5A doubles as Seaman finished second as a team at state after sweeping city, United Kansas Conference and regional championships.
Also earning All-City recognition were Washburn Rural city and regional doubles champions Julia Katzer and Halle Owen, both juniors, and Rural No. 2 city doubles champions Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy, a senior, and sophomore Annie Henderson. The four Rural picks, all state qualifiers, helped the Junior Blues win a 6A regional team championship.
All-City selections are based on finishes in the city meet.
All-City capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville scored 22 fourth-quarter points to rally past Olpe 36-22 in a Class 1A District 2 showdown Friday night at Olpe.
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
The Bulldawgs, now 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the district, trailed 16-14 at the end of the third quarter before taking the lead for good on a 34-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Canann Mitchell and a 2-point conversion pass from Mitchell to senior Cameron Miller, giving Rossville a 22-16 lead.
With 4:26 remaining senior Conner Bush returned an Eagle punt 85 yards for a TD (conversion failed) to give the Bulldawgs a 28-16 lead.
Then, after Olpe (5-2, 3-1) scored on a 25-yard pass, Rossville scored its final TD on an 81-yard run from Mitchell with 1:48 left and Mitchell added a 2-point conversion pass to Andre Johnson to account for the final margin.
Rossville and Olpe were tied 14-14 at the half, with the Bulldawgss getting first-half touchdowns on a 71-yard Bush run and a 32-yard run from senior Jack Donovan.
Rossville will close out its regular season at home Friday against Wabaunsee.
Wildcats remain undefeated with 48-7 district rout at Perry-Lecompton
Hayden improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in Class 3A District 4 with Friday's 48-7 road win over Perry-Lecompton (1-6, 0-3).
The Wildcats will be back at home next Friday to host Jefferson West in a showdown for the district title. The Tigers, 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the district, are coming off a 50-12 non-district win over Atchison County.
T-Birds post second straight UKC victory
Shawnee Heights improved to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the United Kansas Conference with a 42-8 road victory at Lansing Friday night.
Shawnee Heights will be at home on Friday to close out its regular season against Kansas City-Turner.
Lions pick up second win in 54-13 district win
Cair Paravel Latin notched its second victory of the season Friday, taking a 54-13 Class 1A District 2 road win over Maranatha Academy.
The Lions, now 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the district, will close out their regular season at Yager Stadium Saturday night against Olpe.
Unbeaten Basehor-Linwood rallies past Seaman, 47-40
Basehor-Linwood improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the United Kansas Conference last Friday night at home, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a 47-40 conference victory over Seaman.
The game was tied at 7-all after one quarter and Seaman led 17-14 at the half.
Basehor-Linwood led 24-17 at the start of the fourth quarter before both teams scored 23 points over the final 12 minutes.
Seaman junior Cale Ketter completed 24 of 44 passes for 390 yards and five touchdowns, while junior Coy Barta had five catches for 149 yards and three TDs, junior Jack Becker had eight catches for 85 yards, junior Josh Brown had seven grabs for seven catches for 97 yards and a TD and senior Noah Kobuszewski caught three passes for 53 yards and a score.
Viking sophomore Quentin Moravec carried the ball 17 times for 61 yards.
The Vikings, who fell to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the UKC, will travel to De Soto next Friday to close out their regular season.
Leavenworth rolls past Topeka West 56-6 for sixth straight win
Leavenworth posted its sixth straight victory, improving to 6-1 overall and 6-1 in the United Kansas Conference with a 56-6 win over Topeka West Friday night at Hummer Sports Park.
West, now 1-6 overall and 1-6 in the UKC, will close out its regular season next Friday at Piper.
Trojans fall to Centennial League foe Manhattan
Topeka High fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Centennial League with a 50-0 Friday night loss at Manhattan in the Trojans' final league game of the season.
Manhattan improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the league entering a game next Friday at Washburn Rural.
Topeka High will be at Hummer Sports Park next Friday to face Pittsburg in a non-league contest.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The ultimate goal is always to finish first, but Seaman girls tennis still had plenty to celebrate in Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center.
Andover ruled the day, sweeping the singles, doubles and team championships, but Seaman junior Emma Sweeney posted a runnerup singles finish to lead the way as the tournament-host Vikings finished second as a team, just six points behind the champion Trojans (39-33).
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney earned her third straight Class 5A singles medal Saturday with a career-best runnerup finish as the Vikings finished second as a team. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"A great weekend,'' Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said. "Of course that's why we wanted to host is we wanted to give an advantage to a team that we thought was going to be one of the best teams in the state, and we were. We proved it.''
And it was a day of breakthroughs for the Vikings, with Sweeney advancing to the title match after finishing fourth as a sophomore, while senior Molly Gorman finished sixth in singles after a 10th-place finish as a junior and the Viking doubles team of senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux finished seventh to cap their first season as a doubles team.
Sweeney, who captured her third straight 5A state medal, finished her season 30-2, with both losses coming against Andover senior Mia Jaramillo, who took a 6-4, 6-3 decision in Saturday's championship match.
Jaramillo, who beat Sweeney in the third-place match in 2024, jumped out to 3-0 and 5-2 leads in the first set before Sweeney rallied to within 5-4 and Jaramillo went up 5-1 in the second set before Sweeney cut her deficit to 5-3.
"We did the same thing in Olathe, so I was kind of expecting it, but I feel like I pushed through,'' Jaramillo said. "She's a great player, so she did good.
"I felt I had a lot of pressure, but we have a great team, so we all pushed through.''
While obviously upset with her near miss, Sweeney knows that someday soon she'll be proud of her accomplishment.
"I'll be pleased after a little bit,'' Sweeney said. "The goal after last year, and I was surprised I made it (to the semifinals), I made it my new goal to try and win, but it's okay and I'll come back next year even harder.
"This gives me more experience and it gives me the experience of playing in front of a big crowd in a big situation, so I think I'm just going to take what I learned today and it will help me grow and make me work even harder in the offseason.''
"Runnerup is so impressive,'' Robinson said of Sweeney's performance. "She's lost to one person this year and that was Mia, so credit to her. She came to play.
''Emma had a couple of runs, but it just wasn't quite enough, so hey, let's learn from it and grow from it.''
Seaman senior Molly Gorman captured her fourth Class 5A state medal Saturday, finishing sixth in singles at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Gorman, who dropped an 8-1 decision to Eisenhower sophomore Quinn Scheideman in the fifth-place match, capped her prep career with her fourth state medal in as many tries -- two singles, two doubles.
Henry and Lux finished off state with a win, taking an 8-6 win over Bishop Carroll senior Macy Wetta and freshman Leah Jackson in the seventh-place match.
Wildcats earn third-place 4A team trophy
Hayden singles players Lana Hull and Grace Funk and the doubles team of Sophia Wichman and Avery O'Bray all earned Class 4A state medals on Saturday at Harmon Park in Prairie Village, leading the Wildcats to a third-place team finish.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
Josiah Wilkie, Topeka West
LEAVENWORTH (5-1, 5-1 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 1-5 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka West picked up its first win of 2025 last Friday, rallying for a 42-27 United Kansas Conference victory at Kansas City-Turner, while Leavenworth posted its fifth straight win, a 27-14 UKC decision over De Soto.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
OSAGE CITY (6-0, 2-0 Class 2A District 3) at SILVER LAKE (4-2, 2-0 Class 2A District 3)
Osage City and Silver Lake will square off in a game that is likely to decide the Class 2A District 3 championship. Osage City remained unbeaten last week with a 49-14 district win over St. Marys while Silver Lake ran its winning streak to four straight games with a 42-8 district win over Riley County.
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL (5-1, 2-0 Centennial League)at JUNCTION CITY (4-2, 2-0 Centennial League)
Washburn Rural will put its three-game winning streak on the line in a game that will give the winner a leg up in the Centennial League race. Washburn Rural is coming off a 38-0 league road win at Emporia while Junction City took a 44-6 league win over Topeka High.
TOPEKA HIGH (3-3, 1-2 Centennial League) at MANHATTAN (4-2, 1-1 Centennial League)
Topeka High is coming off a 44-6 Centennial League loss to Junction City while Manhattan dropped a 40-13 non-league decision to Wichita Northwest last week. The Indians will be looking to keep their Centennial League title hopes alive while the Trojans will be trying to snap a two-game league losing streak.
AJ Gallegos, Shawnee Heights
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-4, 2-3 UKC) at LANSING (2-4, 2-3 UKC)
Shawnee Heights posted its biggest win of the season last Friday, riding an outsanding defensive effort to a 20-3 United Kansas Conference road win at city rival Seaman, while Lansing dropped a 44-13 UKC decision to Piper.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With a pair of dominating victories Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, Seaman junior Emma Sweeney, the No. 2 seed, assured herself of a top-four Class 5A state singles finish for the second straight season.
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney advanced to the Class 5A singles semifinals for the second straight season with a pair of dominant victories Friday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after finishing fourth as a sophomore, the Seaman star has her sights on bigger things Saturday.
"Last year I wasn't really expected to make it, so I didn't really know what was going on and not winning my semifinal match, it was OK and it was a learning moment,'' Sweeney said. "But this year I'm really looking forward to taking that step and competing and trying to make it to the championship.''
Now 29-1 on the season, Sweeney dropped just one game on Friday, posting a 6-0, 6-0 win over St. James Academy's Jenna Peltzer and a 6-1, 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Kapaun Mt. Carmel's Clara Hocker to advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinal.
Sweeney said she felt relaxed for the most part during Friday's matches.
"I had a talk with my mental performance coach the other day and we talked about winning over my nerves and I think after I won them over it helps me play a lot more confident and loose,'' Sweeney said.
Sweeney will face No. 3 seed Allison Munhall of Valley Center in one semifinal while top seed Mia Jaramillo of Andover will face No. 5 seed Kali Keough of Emporia in the other semifinal.
Seaman senior singles player Molly Gorman and the Viking doubles team of senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux also assured themselves of state medals while advancing to Saturday's place matches.
Gorman, who lost 6-0, 6-2 to Jaramillo in the singles quarterfinals, can still finish as high as fifth, as can Henry and Lux, who also lost in the doubles quarterfinals.
Viking juniors Kaylyn Hiebsch and Cadence Speer were eliminated Friday, just one win away from advancing to the place rounds.
Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said he was pleased overall with the Vikings' first-day state performance as the team tries to earn a top-three state finish for the second straight season.
"We won the matches we were supposed to win,'' Robinson said. "So far, so good. It could have been a little better, it could have been a lot worse.''
Cair Paravel junior Madilyn Poole advanced to Saturday's Class 3A-1A singles semifinals with a pair of Friday wins. [File photo/TSN]
Lions' Poole advances to 3A-1A semis
Cair Paravel Latin junior Madilyn Poole, making her second straight Class 3A-1A state appearance, has assured herself of a top-four finish and her first state medal after advancing to Saturday's singles semifinals at the Salina Tennis Center.
Poole, the No. 3 seed, posted a 6-0, 6-1 win in her first match of the day before rallying for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 6 seed Lauren Sleder of Larned in the quarterfinals.
Poole will face No. 2 seed Karli Haase of Ellsworth in a 9 a.m. semifinal Saturday.
Silver Lake junior Evelynn Thompson came within one win of advancing to Saturday's place matches.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Emma Sweeney has been a star for the Seaman girls tennis team since she stepped on campus.
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney, the No. 2 seed, will be aiming for her third straight Class 5A singles medal in this weekend's state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Megan Sweeney roots on big sister Emma Sweeney during last Saturday's Class 5A regional tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And after earning a Class 5A state medal with an 11th-place singles finish as a freshman and turning in a strong fourth-place showing as a sophomore, Sweeney feels like she's in position to take another big step in Friday and Saturday's state meet at Kossover Tennis Center.
Sweeney has put together a banner 27-1 campaign so far with a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and 5A regional titles and earned the No. 2 seed for this weekend's state event.
"I'm excited,'' Sweeney said. "I'm nervous, but nerves are good. I've been hitting really good, really loose and just hitting good shots.
"And then from a mental standpoint, I think my head's pretty clear, too.''
Seaman is coming off a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and regional team championships and will be aiming for a second straight 5A team trophy after finishing third a year ago.
"I think we're aiming for third or above,'' Sweeney said. "We got it last year so, I think that's what we're looking for this year, and we've all made it (to state), so if we are all able to make it to the second day and place I think we're putting ourself in a good position.''
Two-time regional champ Sweeney led the way last Saturday at Kossover as the Vikings edged St. James Academy for the regional crown.
Seaman senior Molly Gorman is a three-time Class 5A state medalist entering this weekend's state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Viking senior Molly Gorman finished second to Sweeney at regionals for the second straight season and will be shooting for her fourth straight state medal.
Gorman finished 10th in 5A singles last season after teaming with Katie Krumins to earn state medals in doubles as a freshman and sophomore.
Gorman is 24-6 on the season and has been installed as the eighth seed for state.
Seaman senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux finished third at regionals while Viking juniors Kaylyn Hiebsch and Cadence Speer finished fourth.
Henry and Lux are 25-5 on the season and the No. 6 seed for state while Hiebsch and Speer are 22-8 and seeded No. 13.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 6A at Olathe College Boulevard Activity Center
Washburn Rural and Topeka High finished one-two in the Class 6A regional at Wichita while combining for eight state qualifiers for this weekend's state meet at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
Topeka High senior Madeline Deters won a Class 6A regional title last Friday and will be aiming for her second straight state medal this weekend. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Julia Katzer is headed to her second Class 6A state tournament this weekend after advancing in singles last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Halle Owen (above) teamed with Julia Katzer to win a Class 6A regional doubles title last Friday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Trojans and Junior Blues swept the regional singles and doubles championships, with Topeka High senior Madeline Deters taking the singles crown and Washburn Rural juniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen winning the doubles title.
Deters, a three-time state qualifier who placed eighth at state in 2024, is 29-4 this fall and has been installed as the No. 4 seed for state.
Katzer and Owen will take a 25-4 into the state meet and are seeded No. 9. Katzer will be making her second straight state appearance after qualifying in singles a year ago.
Rural also qualified freshman singles player Bridget Hoopes and the doubles team of senior Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy and sophomore Annie Henderson for state while Topeka High qualified the doubles team of senior Ava Ritter and sophomore Hailey Caryl.
Hoopes (18-5) finished third at regionals and is seeded No. 14 for state while Alvarez-Chedzoy and Henderson (7-2) posted a fifth-place regional finish and are seeded 21st for state.
Caryl and Ritter (24-8) took third at regionals to earn their second straight state berth and are the No. 17 doubles seed.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Class 4A at Prairie Village Harmon Park Tennis Complex
Hayden will enter the Class 4A state tournament as the defending state champion and is coming off a regional team title Saturday at Marysville while qualifying its entire team for state at the Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village.
Wildcat senior Avery O'Bray and sophomore Sophia Wichman won the regional doubles championship and will take an 11-5 record into the state meet as the ninth seed. Wichman teamed with then-senior Emily Sheetz to finish second in the 2024 state meet while O'Bray teamed with Izzy Glotzbach to earn an 11th-place medal.
Hayden freshman Lana Hull (20-8) and senior Grace Funk (5-5) posted third and fourth-place singles finishes at regionals and are seeded No. 11 and No. 12 for state.
Funk is a two-time state medalist, including a ninth-place finish in 2024.
Senior Kinsey Bullock and junior Kaelyn Gerdel (4-8) qualified for state with a fifth-place regional finish and are the 21st seed for this weekend's tournament.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a senior cross country standout, won his second straight boys city individual title Saturday at the Shawnee North Community Center while posting his fourth individual victory of the 2025 season. A Class 5A state medalist in cross country and track, Anderson set a course record with a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 00.11 seconds.
Madeline Deters
MADELINE DETERS, Topeka High
A senior tennis standout, Deters won her first Centennial League singles championship last Tuesday in Junction City and followed that up with the singles title in Friday's Class 6A regional tournament at Wichita. Deters posted a 6-2, 6-1 final-round win over Emporia's Kali Keough in the Centennial League tournament and took a 6-2, 6-4 win over Junction City's Hannah Micheel in the regional final.
Emily Graf
EMILY GRAF, Washburn Rural
Washburn Rural senior cross country standout Graf won her first city girls individual championship Saturday at the Shawnee North Community Center, leading the Junior Blues to their seventh straight city team title. Coming off a hip injury, Graf clocked winning time of 19 minutes, 18.57 seconds in the city meet.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fresh off a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional team championships, Jamie Robinson's Seaman girls tennis team will now turns its focus on trying to earn a top-three state finish for the second straight season.
Emma Sweeney won the singles title in Saturday's Class 5A regional at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Vikings win the team championship. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Molly Gorman finished second in singles in Saturday's Class 5A regional at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Vikings win the team championship. [File photo/TSN]
The Vikings tuned up for state with a team title in Saturday's regional at Kossover Tennis Center and will be back at Kosover Friday and Saturday for the state meet.
Seaman achieved its goal of qualifying all six of its varsity players for state while edging St. James Academy for the team championship, 22-21.
"That is so huge,'' Robinson said of Seaman's qualifying effort. "And that's something you don't want to take for granted is getting your six in. That's huge for team morale, it's huge for people coming back the next year and we've done it for three, four years in a row, so that's exciting.
"Everybody's rooting for each other and our parent base is happy and proud and it makes the whole program proud when you take six to state. That is not a given, not even with good teams.''
Viking junior Emma Sweeney and senior Molly Gorman went one-two in singles while the Vikings' doubles teams of senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux and juniors Cadence Speer and Kaylyn Hiebsch placed third and fourth.
Sweeney and Gorman advanced to the regional singles final for the second straight season, with Sweeney taking a 6-0, 6-1 win in the final.
After both Seaman doubles teams dropped semifinal matches to St. James Academy, Henry and Lux took a 6-1, 6-3 win in the third-place match.
Topeka West's senior doubles team of Jordan Felsburg and Taryn Gilbert is also headed to state after finishing fifth Saturday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Piper's Allison Ochs and Aubrey Eidson.
Felsburg and Gilbert are West's first girls state qualifiers since 2021.
Washburn Rural girls tennis poses for a team picture after winning the championship in Friday's Class 5A regional at Wichita. [Submitted photo]
Junior Blues, Trojans finish one-two in 6A regional
Washburn Rural claimed the team title in Friday's Class 6A regional at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex by a 15-12 margin over Topeka High while the city schools swept the singles and doubles championships.
Topeka High senior Madeline Deters, the Centennial League champion, won the regional singles title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Junction City's Hannah Micheel while Washburn Rural juniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen, the city champs, took the regional doubles crown with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Manhattan's Keylee Schartz and Jackie Hsu.
Rural freshman singles player Bridget Hoopes qualified for state with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Derby's 5 2 Ella Boline and the Junior Blues' doubles team of senior Alizah Chedzoy and sophomore Annie Henderson defeated Derby's Katie Brehm and Karlie Demel in the fifth-place match, 6-1, 6-2.
In addition to Deters, Topeka High qualified its doubles team of senior Ava Ritter and sophomore Hailey Caryl, who posted a third-place regional finish with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Wichita East's Charlotte Docking and Jane Docking.
The 6A state tournament will be played at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Defending Class 1A District 2 champion Rossville improved to 3-0 in the district and 5-1 overall with a 49-14 win over Cair Paravel Latin Friday night at Yager Stadium.
Andre Johnson, Rossville
Conner Bush, Rossville
The Bulldawgs jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter advantage and went up by a commanding 34-6 margin at the half before outscoring the Lions 15-8 in the second half as Cair Paravel fell to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the district.
Seniors Conner Bush and Andre Johnson both had a pair of rushing touchdowns on the night, with Bush scoring on 3 and 8-yard runs and Johnson scoring on 2 and 5-yard runs.
Senior quarterback Canann Mitchell threw for a 31-yard touchdown to Cale Horak and completed a 9-yard TD strike to Jack Donovan.
The Bulldawgs also got a 10-yard TD scamper from Landen Lewis while Austin Dohrman kicked three extra points and Donovan added a pair of PATs. Johnson also scored on a two-point conversion in addition to his two TDs.
With Friday's win Rossville set up a district showdown at Olpe next Friday. The Eagles are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the district.
Chargers rally to pick up first win
Topeka West used a 30-point fourth quarter to pull out a 42-27 United Kansas Conference road win at Kansas City-Turner Friday night.
Trey Parker, Topeka West
Josiah Wilkie, Topeka West
Turner, 1-5 overall and 0-5 in the UKC, led Topeka West, 1-5, 1-5, by a 7-6 margin at the end of the first quarter and built a 21-12 halftime advantage that also held up through a scoreless third quarter.
But the Chargers played their best football over the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Bears 30-6 to pull out the 15-point victory.
Topeka West has yet to lose to Turner since joining the UKC.
The Chargers will be back at Hummer Sports Park next Friday to host red-hot Leavenworth in a UKC contest.
The Pioneers are 5-1 overall and in the UKC after taking a 27-14 win over De Soto Friday night.
Eagles push win streak to four games
Silver Lake posted its fourth straight victory Friday night, improving to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Class 2A District 3 with a 42-8 road win at Riley County.
The Eagles rode a strong defensive effort to the decisive win, led by senior Jayden Waterer.
Waterer had 10 tackles on the night, including three of Silver Lake's seven sacks.
Waterer caused two fumbles and had a fumble recovery while senior Dayne Johnson had a pass interception.
Silver Lake will be back at home next Friday to host undefeated Osage City in a district showdown.
The Indians are 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the district after a 49-14 win over St. Marys.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME
ATCHISON (3-2, 3-1 Meadowlark) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (3-2, 3-1 Meadowlark)
At Hummer Sports Park
JoJo Kingcannon, Highland Park
Highland Park will play for the first time in three weeks, returning to action after forfeiting back to back games to Kansas City-Harmon and Wichita East. The Scots will be facing an Atchison team that is coming off an 82-44 Meadowlark Conference loss to KC-Washington. Highland Park senior quarterback Dontrail Fox has completed 9 of 20 passes for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns while junior JoJo Kingcannon has caught 5 passes for 200 yards and 2 TDs. Kingcannon leads the Scots with 293 rushing yards and 4 TDs on 13 carries while junior G'Honi Montgomery has 256 yards and 3 TDs on 32 attempts.
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-4, 1-3 UKC) at SEAMAN (3-2, 3-1 UKC)
Quentin Moravec, Seaman
Aiden Scott, Shawnee Heights
Seaman ran its winning streak to three games last Friday with a 48-8 United Kansas Conference romp past Lansing while Shawnee Heights is coming off a 50-48 UKC heartbreaker to De Soto. Seaman junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 82 of 125 passes for 1,118 yards and 15 touchdowns while junior Josh Brown has 22 catches for 303 yards and 6 TDs, junior Coy Barta has 18 catches for 223 yards and 4 TDs and senior Noah Kobuszewski has 19 catches for 300 yards and 2 TDs. Viking junior Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 92 times for 644 yards and 11 TDs. Heights senior quarterback Aiden Scott passed for more than 600 yards last Friday and has completed 127 of 200 attempts for 1,956 yards and 15 touchdowns while junior AJ Gallegos has 40 catches for 601 yards and 3 TDs, while Dallas Owens has 33 catches for 419 yards and 3 TDs and senior Tyren Parker 22 receptions for 500 yards and 3 scores.
HOLTON (3-2, 1-1 Class 3A District 4) at HAYDEN (5-0, 1-0 Class 3A District 4)
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Rivals Hayden and Holton square off in a key Class 3A District 4 contest Friday night. Hayden rolled to a 51-0 district win over Hiawatha last week while Holton dropped a 27-17 district decision to Jefferson West. Hayden senior quarterback Connor Hanika has completed 40 of 73 passes for 612 yards and 7 touchdowns while senior Kade Mitchell has carried the ball 38 times for 399 yards and has scored nine total TDs and senior Jackson McGivern has 250 yards on 28 carries and scored five total touchdowns. Junior Mason Becker is 24 of 24 on extra point attempts while also scoring two TDs and two 2-point conversions.
JUNCTION CITY (3-2, 1-0 Centennial League) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (3-2, 1-1 Centennial)
At Hummer Sports Park
Zane Smith, Topeka High
Both the Blue Jays and Trojans are coming off losses, with Junction City dropping a 34-28 non-league decision to Hays and Topeka falling to Centennial League foe Washburn Rural, 35-6. Topeka High senior quarterback Zane Smith completed 12 of 26 passes for 284 yards against Washburn Rural while also carrying the ball 17 times for 85 yards. Junior Courtney Sanders caught 5 passes for 192 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown reception. Junction City is 1-0 in the Centennial League race after beating Manhattan 28-14 two weeks ago.
ROSSVILLE (4-1, 2-0 Class 1A District 2) vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (1-4, 0-2 Class 1A District 2)
At Yager Stadium
Conner Bush, Rossville
Defending Class 1A District 2 champ Rossville is off and running in the district race again this fall, improving to 2-0 with a 55-6 win over Mission Valley last week. Cair Paravel is coming off a 53-25 district loss to Wabaunsee. Rossville, which advanced to the 1A semifinals a year ago, opened up a commanding 43-6 halftime lead over the Vikings and cruised the rest of the way. Senior quarterback Canann Mitchell passed for two touchdown and ran for a 52-yard TD in the Rossville win while Conner Bush ran for a pair of TDs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake football took control in the second half to extend its win streak to three games Friday night with a 47-7 non-league home win over Baldwin.
Kipton Kruger, Silver Lake
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
The 3-2 Eagles trailed 7-6 midway through the second quarter before ending the game with 41 unanswered points to turn the game into a rout.
Senior Bryson Burgos scored on a 7-yard run to give Silver Lake a slim 13-7 halftime advantage before the Eagles outscored the 3-2 Bulldogs 20-0 in the third quarter and 14-0 in the fourth.
Junior Owen Rottinghaus began Silver Lake's big second half with an 80-yard kickoff return before freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger and senior receiver Dayne Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 78, 17 and 4 yards.
Sophomore Jake Workman scored Silver Lake's final TD on a 27-yard run.
Now 3-2 overall, the Eagles will return to Class 2A District 4 play next Friday, traveling to Riley County.
Silver Lake is 1-0 in the district while Riley County is 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the district.
Rossville improves to 2-0 in 1A district play with 55-6 romp
Rossville improved to 2-0 in the Class 1A District 2 race Friday night with a 55-6 home romp past Mission Valley.
The Bulldawgs, now 4-1 overall, took control with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, from Landen Lewis on an 8-yard run and from Andre Johnson on a 38-yard run, and scored 29 points in the second quarter to build a huge 43-6 halftime advantage over the Vikings (3-2, 1-1).
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Conner Bush scored a pair of second-quarter TDs on runs of 52 and 25 yards while quarterback Canann Mitchell completed a 25-yard TD pass to Cameron Miller and a 35-yard scoring strike to Cale Horak.
Mitchell added a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Ryder Foster finished the Bulldawgs' scoring with a 29-yard pick six.
Mitchell completed 7 of 8 passes for 125 yards and the twoTDs and carried the ball three times for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Bush scored on both of his carries while Johnson carried the ball four times for 55 yards and a TD and Miller had four catcthes for 80 yards and a score.
Rossville will face Cair Paravel Latin Friday night at Washburn's Yager Stadium.
Unbeaten Hayden routs Hiawatha, 51-0
Hayden opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 51-0 road romp past Hiawatha Friday night, improving to 5-0 on the season.
The Wildcats took control with a 22-point opening quarter and led 29-0 at halftime.
Hayden finished off the rout with a 22-point third quarter to build its final margin.
The Wildcats will be at home next Friday to host Holton in a district game. Holton is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the district after a 27-17 Friday night loss to Jefferson West.
Seaman stretches win streak to three games with 48-8 romp past Lansing
Seaman won its third straight United Kansas Conference game Friday night, rolling to a 48-8 road win at Lansing.
The Vikings are now 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the UKC.
Seaman will be at home Friday to face UKC and city rival Shawnee Heights.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (3-1, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (3-1, 0-0 Centennial)
Both Topeka High and Washburn Rural are coming off victories, with the Trojans opening Centennial League play wih a 13-12 home win over Emporia while the Junior Blues rolled to a 31-7 non-league road win at Blue Valley Northwest. Friday is Rural's Centennial League opener. Junior Blues senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for three touchdowns against Northwest while junior Jadyn Baum caught a touchdown pass and ran for a TD and senior Brody Haas picked off two passes, returning one for a TD. Topeka High's defense came up big in last week's win over Emporia, including stuffing the Spartans' two-point conversion attempt to preserve the Trojans' one-point lead.
Aiden Scott, Shawnee Heights [File photo/TSN]
DE SOTO (3-1, 3-1 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-3, 1-2 UKC)
Both teams are coming off United Kansas Conference losses, with De Soto dropping a 42-38 nailbiter to undefeated Basehor-Linwood while Shawnee Heights fell 43-29 on the road at Leavenworth. Heights senior quarterback Aiden Scott has completed 95 of 153 passes for 1,330 yards and 12 touchdowns while senior AJ Gallegos has a team-high 28 catches for 391 yards and a pair of TDs and junior Dallas Owens has 27 receptions for 312 yards and two TDs. Senior David Wakes has 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 60 attemps. Senior Dayton Vanderpool leads Heights with 36 tackles, including 23 solo stops.
Jackson McGivern, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (4-0, 0-0 Class 3A District 4) at HIAWATHA (1-3, 0-1 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden is coming of a 42-7 home win over Wamego, with the Wildcats avenging one of their two defeats in the 2024 season, while Hiawatha opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 12-7 loss to Jefferson West. Hayden senior quarterback Connor Hanika hit Jackson McGivern, Xander Blasing and Kade Mitchell for touchdowns and Hanika also ran for a TD in the Wildcats' win. Junior Mason Becker returned a pass interception for a touchdown and also went 6 for 6 on extra-point kicks.
Quentin Moravec, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
SEAMAN (2-2, 2-1 UKC) at LANSING (2-2, 2-1 UKC)
Seaman won its second straight game last Friday, a 56-6 United Kansas Conference win over Kansas City-Turner, while Lansing took a 36-20 conference win over Topeka West. Seaman sophomore running back Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 70 times for 510 yards and nine touchdowns while junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 68 of 102 passes for 892 yards and 11 TDs. Junior Josh Brown has 20 pass receptions for 266 yards and six TDs. Senior Cameron Brian leads the Vikings with 54 tackles, including 28 solo stops and five tackles for loss.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Cair Paravel Latin prepares to return -- at least for the next two seasons -- to 8-man football, the Lions proved again Friday night that despite facing a numbers crunch they are capable of competing in the 11-man ranks.
Cair Paravel sophomore quarterback Chase Hastert (1) passed for 168 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 21-7 loss to Mission Valley. [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
Cair Paravel senior Lucas Marichal had six catches for 91 yards and a 19-yard TD in Friday's 21-7 loss to Mission Valley. [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
But although the Lions, who suited up 22 players, went toe to toe with Mission Valley for most of Friday's Class 1A District 2 opener, a few self-inflicted errors turned the tide as the Vikings posted a 21-7 victory at Yager Stadium.
"It's the little things and we didn't do the little things well,'' Cair Paravel coach Doug Bonura said. "It was some guys wanting it so bad they tried to take the team on their own rather than just doing their job.
"It's tough losing, but if we can come out of this and learn, then great. It's wasting that learning that would be the problem.''
Cair Paravel, 1-3 overall and 0-1 in District 2, was locked in a scoreless tie with the Vikings at the end of the first quarter, but Mission Valley (3-1, 1-0) never trailed after scoring 14 points in a 31-second span in the second quarter.
Mission Valley got on the board at the 8:47 mark of the second quarter on a 1-yard plunge from junior quarterback Jake Mills and Hemi Duehring tacked on the extra point to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
The ensuing kickoff looked like it was going to go out of bounds but the ball stopped just inside the sideline and Mission Valley senior Bryce Bunger grabbed the ball to give the Vikings the ball at the Lions' 22, leading to a 17-yard TD pass from Mills to sophomore Parker Kelley (Duehring kick) with 8:16 left in the half.
Cair Paravel got back in the hunt on its ensuing drive, with sophomore quarterback Chase Hastert hitting senior Lucas Marichal for a 19-yard TD (Marichal kick) with 5:17 left before halftime.
The score remained 14-7 well into the second half before Mission Valley picked up a huge insurance score with 3:04 left in the third quarter on a 9-yard TD pass from Mills to Bunger (Duehring kick).
Cair Paravel had its chances to get back in the game but hurt itself with three turnovers on the night, costly penalties and multiple dropped passes.
"We have some challenges other teams don't have,'' Bonura said. "We're one of the smallest teams out there and we've got a lot of young guys. We had to play some freshman tonight that we didn't want to put on the field, but that's what you have to do.
"That's just a disadvantage that you have trying to overcome some of those things, but I think if we can continue to grow we're going to be alright. Right now we've just got to get our guys to be disciplined on what they need to do and do their job and not worry about someone else's job.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAMES
Josiah Wilkie, Topeka West
LANSING (1-2, 1-1 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-3, 0-3 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka West is coming off a 61-0 United Kansas Conference loss to Seaman while Lansing dropped a 40-15 non-league loss to Tonganoxie last week. Junior running back Damon Webb, senior wide receiver Gad Munganga and sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie are top players for Topeka West. Lansing junior quarterback Caden Garcia has completed 28 of 60 passes for 403 yards and 3 TDs while junior running back Jaxon Pollard has rushed for 362 yards and 8 TDs 59 attempts.
Kellan Roth, Washburn Rural
WASHBURN RURAL (2-1) at BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST (2-1)
Both Washburn Rural and Blue Valley Northwest suffered their first losses of the season last week, with Rural dropping a 60-28 non-league decision to Missouri state champion Platte County and Blue Valley Northwest falling to St. James Academy, 21-7. Northwest junior quarterback Aidan Ihm has completed 46 of 70 passes for 604 yards and 7 touchdowns while senior running back LJ Bowens has carried the ball 40 times for 268 yards and 3 TDs. Senior quarterback John Hoytal and senior wide receiver Kellan Roth are both off to hot starts this fall for Washburn Rural.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
WAMEGO (2-1) at HAYDEN (3-0)
Hayden will get the opportunity to avenge one of its two losses in the 2024 season Friday night against the visiting Red Raiders. Wamego is coming off a 34-8 win over Marysville last Friday while Hayden rolled to a 46-7 road win over Kansas-City Bishop Ward and has now outscored its three opponents by a 123-13 margin. Wamego junior quarterback Logan Fulton has completed 32 of 53 passes for 562 yards and 4 TDs. Seniors Connor Hanika and Kade Mitchell and junior Mason Becker have been key offensive threats for the Wildcats.
Ricardo Dowd, Topeka High
EMPORIA (2-1, 0-0 Centennial) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (2-1, 0-0 Centennial)
At Hummer Sports Park
Both Emporia and Topeka High will be opening Centennial League play Friday night. The Spartans have won their last two games by a 102-6 margin, including a 50-0 non-league romp past Coffeyville last week. The Trojans were shut out 6-0 by Wichita Southeast last Thursday. Topeka High will be looking for a big night from senior quarterback Zane Smith, while sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd has also been an offensive threat for the Trojans.
Cale Ketter, Seaman
KANSAS CITY-TURNER (0-3, 0-3 UKC) at SEAMAN (1-2, 1-1 UKC)
Seaman rolled to a 61-0 United Kansas Conference win over Topeka West last Friday while Turner dropped a 56-0 conference decision to Leavenworth. Seaman junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 53 of 81 pass attempts for 628 yards and 7 touchdowns, including five against West. Junior running back Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 58 times for 426 yards and 6 TDs while junior Josh Brown has 16 pass receptions for 207 yards and 4 TDs.
Aiden Scott, Shawnee Heights
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-2, 1-1 UKC) at LEAVENWORTH (2-1, 2-1)
Shawnee Heights dropped a 35-22 United Kansas Conference decision to Basehor-Linwood last Friday while Leavenworth rolled to a 56-0 UKC win over KC-Turner. T-Bird senior quarterback Aiden Scott has completed 69 of 116 passes for 921 yards and 9 touchdowns. Senior David Wakes has 217 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 56 attempts while senior AJ Gallegos has caught 19 passes for 234 yards and senior Tyren Parker has 10 catches for 245 yards and 2 touchdows.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls tennis team had put itself in position to win the city championship the previous two seasons, only to fall just short.
Seaman's girls tennis team poses for a picture after winning the city championship Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And Jamie Robinson's Vikings had to sweat another down-to-the-wire finish again on Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center, but this time Seaman got the job done, earning its first city title since 2015 by a 32-28 margin over Washburn Rural.
"We're happy,'' Robinson said. "This is what our goal was at the beginning of the year, to win city. It kind of got to the point where we didn't want to talk about it. We didn't want to jinx ourselves because we were so pumped up to win city this year.
"We'd been snakebit in the past and were so close, so it meant a lot to the girls. Look at them, they're excited.''
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney won the city No. 1 singles title Thursday, posting three 8-0 wins on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Molly Gorman won the city No. 2 singles title Thursday for the city champion Vikings. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Viking junior Emma Sweeney rolled to the No. 1 singles title without dropping a game in her three matches on the day, including an 8-0 win over Topeka High's Madeline Deters in the finals, while senior Molly Gorman won her second straght No. 2 singles championship, outlasting Hayden freshman Lena Hull in the title match, 8-7 (7-2 in a tiebreaker).
Seaman also got runnerup doubles finishes from Peyton Henry and Camryn Lux in No. 1 doubles and from Kaylyn Hiebsch and Cadence Speer in the No. 2 bracket.
Sweeney agreed with her coach that the city title meant a lot to the Vikings.
"We talk about it every year,'' Sweeney said. "We're always so close and our coach really wanted it because he'd never won city since he's been coaching. We always talk about it and we were ready.
"It means so much and we're all so excited.''
Washburn Rural put itself in the city title picture with a sweep of the doubles championships.
Washburn Rural's Julia Katzer teamed with Halle Owen to win the city No. 1 doubles title Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Halle Owen (left) teamed with Julia Katzer to win the No. 1 doubles city title Thursday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Julia Katzer teamed with Halle Owen to take an 8-3 win over Seaman's Henry and Lux in the No. 1 final while Alizah Chedzoy and Annie Henderson took an 8-3 win over Seaman's Hiebsch and Speer in the No. 2 title match.
Hayden, the 2024 city champion, finished third as a team with 23 points, one point ahead of fourth-place Topeka High, as the Wildcats posted top-four finishes in all four divisions.
CITY GIRLS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by the Kansas Football Coaches Association, improved to 3-0 Friday night with a 46-7 road win at Kansas City Bishop Ward.
The Wildcats took control from the outset, building a 25-0 first-quarter lead and taking a 32-0 advantage to the locker room at halftime.
Hayden led 39-0 at the end of the third quarter before both teams scored TDs in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats will be at home next Friday, hosting a Wamgo team that handed Hayden one of its two losses in 2024.
Senior quarterback John Hoytal attempts a pass in Friday's 60-28 home loss to Missouri power Platte County. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Platte County pulls away for 60-28 win over Blues
Washburn Rural scored touchdowns against powerhouse Platte County, a defending Missouri state champion, but the Pirates, who improved to 4-0, rolled up 60 points in a 60-28 win over the Junior Blues at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Washburn Rural senior Nate Selm scores a touchdown in Friday's 60-28 loss to Platte County, Mo. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Now 2-1 on the season, Washburn Rural will travel to Blue Valley Northwest next Friday for a non-league contest.
Rossville suffers first loss, 56-28 to Thunder
After a 2-0 start with thrilling wins over Silver Lake and St. Marys, Rossville fell to undefeated Nemaha Central Friday night, 56-28.
The Bulldawgs, now 2-1 overall and in the Big East League, scored in every quarter against last season's Class 2A runnerup Nemaha Central, but the 3-0 Thunder scored 14 points in all four quarters.
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to senior Cameron Miller and also scored on a 4-yard run, while the Bulldawgs also got a 4-yard run from senior Jack Donovan and a 6-yard run from senior Andre Johnson.
The Bulldawgs will travel to Maranatha Christian Academy next Friday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
THURSDAY'S GAME
(Kickoff at 7 p.m.)
Zane Smith, Topeka High
WICHITA SOUTHEAST (1-1) at TOPEKA HIGH (2-0)
Topeka High will be playing its second Thursday night game in the first three weeks of the season and will be looking to start the season 3-0 after beginnning the 2024 season 4-0. The Trojans are coming off a 28-20 come-from-behind road win over Wichita Heights while Wichita Southeast lost 33-6 to Bishop Carroll last week. Senior quarterback Zane Smith is off to a hot start this fall for Topeka High while sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd is in the midst of a breakout season.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
(Highland Park-KC Schlagle kickoff at 4 p.m.)
(All other kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
G'Honi Montgomery, Highland Park
KC-SCHLAGLE (1-1, 1-0) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (2-0, 2-0 Meadowlark)
At Hummer Sports Park
The undefeated Scots will play the first game of a city doubleheader at Hummer Sports Park, kicking off at 4 p.m. Highland Park has yet to be tested thus far, rolling to Meadowlark Conference wins over Kansas City-Wyandotte and last week's 44-16 victory over KC-Sumner. Schlagle is coming off a 44-0 win over Wyandotte last week. Scot junior JoJo Kingcannon has rushed for 247 yards on just nine carries while junior G'Honi Montgomery has rushed for 187 yards on 26 carries. Montgomery scored three touchdowns last week, including a pair of kickoff returns for TDs.
SEAMAN (0-2, 0-1) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-2, 0-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Seaman and Topeka West will play the second game of Friday's twinbill at Hummer Sports Park, with the Vikings and Chargers both looking for their first victories in the United Kansas Conference contest. Seaman is coming off a 41-21 non-league loss to Shawnee Mission East while Topeka West dropped a 76-35 UKC decision to Shawneee Heights. Seaman junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 41 of 66 passes for 348 yards and two TDs while sophomore Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 40 times for 227 yards and four scores. West sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie completed 19 of 46 passes for 323 yards and three TDs against Shawnee Heights. Jayden Lindsay accounted for 155 yards receiving while Gad Munganga added 125 yards receiving.
Kellan Roth, Washburn Rural
PLATTE COUNTY, MO. (3-0) at WASHBURN RURAL (2-0)
Washburn Rural is coming off a thrilling 31-30 come-from-behind non-league win over Blue Valley last Friday while Platte County rolled to a 46-7 win over Fort Osage, Mo. The Pirates went 14-0 and captured a Missouri state title in 2024 and have outscored their first three opponents by a 156-37 margin this season. Rural quarterback John Hoytal threw for four TDs last week, including three to senior Kellan Roth. Junior Ryan Austin kicked a 31-yard field goal and the game-winning extra point against Blue Valley.
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
NEMAHA CENTRAL (2-0, 1-0) at ROSSVILLE (2-0, 2-0)
Rossville pulled out its second straight nail-biting Big East League win last Friday, edging St. Marys, 40-34, while Nemaha Central topped Big East League foe Silver Lake, 42-7. Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell has completed 26 of 45 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns and carried the ball 33 times for 219 yards and three TDs. Senior Cameron Miller has caught 11 passes for 152 yards and two TDs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns, including three to senior Kellan Roth, capped by the game-tying strike with 7:15 left, as Washburn Rural pulled out a 31-30 non-league win over Blue Valley Friday night at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Washburn Rural senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns Friday night as the Junior Blues edged Blue Valley, 31-30. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Kellan Roth caught three touchdown passes in Washburn Rural's 31-30 win over Blue Valley Friday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hoytal connected with Roth for 13 and 9-yard TD strikes before hooking up for the 9-yard score that tied the game at 30-30. Junior Ryan Austin broke the tie with the extra-point kick and the Junior Blues held on the rest of the way to improve to 2-0.
Hoytal also hit junior Gavin Vantuyl for a 15-yard touchdown while Austin kicked a 31-yard field goal in the first half.
Roth's first touchdown of the night put the Junior Blues up 7-0 and Austin's field goal broke a 7-7 tie.
Vantuyl's score at the 1:04 mark of the second quarter put Rural in front 16-14 at the half and Hoytal's 9-yard TD pass to Roth and a subsequent 2-point conversion gave the Junior Blues a 24-22 advantage midway through the third quarter.
Blue Valley regained the lead at 30-24 before the Junior Blues came through with the game-winning points.
Washburn Rural will host Platte County, Mo. next Friday.
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for two touchdowns and threw for two TDs in Friday's 40-34 win over St. Marys. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville senior Andre Johnson (1) scored the game-winning touchdown in the Bulldawgs' 40-34 win over St. Marys Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Bulldawgs rally for 40-34 win over Bears
Rossville trailed much of the night and the game was tied with a minute left before senior Andre Johnson scored on a 4-yard run with 55 seconds remaining as the Bulldawgs pulled out a 40-34 Big East road win.
Rossville, now 2-0 overall and in the league, trailed 8-0, 16-6, 22-13 at the half and 28-20 after three quarters before pulling out the win with a 20-point fourth quarter.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for 56 and 3-yard runs and threw for an 11-yard TD to senior Jack Donovan and a 10-yard TD to senior Cameron Miller.
Johnson had a pair of touchdowns on the night, also scoring on a 3-yard run.
Rossville will be at home next Friday to host 2-0 Nemaha Central.
