Cair Paravel Lions

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)

THURSDAY'S GAME

Jason Filbeck begins his second season at Topeka High Thursday night after leading the Trojans to a 4-5 mark last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

WICHITA WEST vs. TOPEKA HIGH

At Hummer Sports Park

Jason Filbeck begins his second season as Topeka High's head coach after leading the Trojans to a 4-5 record last fall, including four straight wins to open the season. High returns a solid group of returners to build around this season , returning four starters on offense and eight on defense. Senior defensive back Malachi Murph has received All-Centennial League first-team recognition the past two seasons and was an All-Shawnee County Second 22 honoree last fall while quarterback Zane Smith, linebacker Rock Williamson and defensive lineman Trey Lutz received All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2024. Wichita West posted a 2-7 record in 2024, including a 52-19 season-opening loss to Topeka High. The Trojans will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak Thursday night. Two of Topeka High's first three games are Thursday night contests, with the Trojans hosting Wichita Southeast on Sept. 18.

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson (11) is a returning All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick. [File photo/TSN]

Rossville senior Conner Bush helped the Bulldawgs advance to the Class 1A semifinals last season. [File photo/TSN]

SILVER LAKE at ROSSVILLE

For the second straight season the Bulldawgs and Eagles will open the 2025 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off an 8-4 record a year ago and advanced to the Class 1A state semifinals while Silver Lake went 7-3. The Eagles took a 33-26 overtime win over the Bulldawgs in last year's opener. Rossville returns TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Conner Bush (senior running back/defensive back) and All-Shawnee County Second 22 honorees Jack Donovan (senior wide receiver/defensive back) and Andre Johnson (senior running back/linebacker) to build around. Silver Lake senior wide receiver/safety Dayne Johnson received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors a year ago after catching 51 passes for 835 yards and nine touchdowns and picking off six passes on defense. Junior lineman Myles Fisher and sophomore lineman Kendrick Vande Velde received all-county honorable mention last season while senior safety Grady Bergmann received All-Big East honorable mention.

 Washburn Rural senior running back TJ Minikwu earned All-Centennial League recognition last fall. [File photo/TSN]

Shawnee Heights senior quarterback Aiden Scott passed for more than 3,000 yards last fall. [File photo/TSN]

WASHBURN RURAL at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS

City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights will both be looking to bounce back this fall after tough 2024 campaigns. Rural went 3-6 a year ago, including a 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights, while Heights went 2-7. Washburn Rural senior running back TJ Minikwu received first-team All-Centennial League recognition last season while senior quarterback John Hoytal, senior wide receiver Kellan Roth, senior defensive lineman Ayden Crosswhite and senior linebacker Jordy Heim were second-team all-league picks. Senior offensive lineman Jayden Cooper, junior running back Jadyn Baum, junior linebacker Brody Haas and senior linebacker Elijah Gaines received all-league honorable mention and Minikwu, Cooper, Baum, Hoytal, Roth, Crosswhite, Heim, Haas, Gaines, senior Sammy Brumley and senior Dylan Tajchman all received All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Leading the T-Bird returning cast are senior quarterback Aiden Scott and senior wide receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker, who both were TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 picks a year ago. Scott, who was named the county offensive newcomer of the year last fall, completed 190 of 317 passes for 3,102 yards and 32 touchdowns while Parker caught 50 passes for 946 yards with 11 touchdowns and was in on 48 tackles with a pair of interceptions. Scott has committed to Washburn and Parker to Kansas. 

Senior linebacker Jude Krentz led Hayden with 132 tackles last fall, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors. [File photo/TSN]

EUDORA at HAYDEN  

Hayden went 11-2 and finished second in Class 3A for the second straight season last fall while Eudora is coming off a 4-5 season, including a 35-7 season-opening loss to the Wildcats. Headlining the list of Hayden returners are senior running back/defensive back Kade Mitchell and senior fullback/linebacker Jude Krentz, who were both TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last season. Mitchell rushed for 808 yards on 104 carries last fall and scored 26 total touchdowns while Krentz led the Wildcats with 132 tackles (75 solo). Other top senior returners include quarterback Connor Hanika, center/defensive lineman Julian McGivern, running back/linebacker Jackson McGivern, tight end/linebacker Xander Blasing, offensive tackle Jackson Haas, offensive guard Andrew Rohr and linebacker Logan Saenz. 

Topeka West junior Damon Webb is one of the area's top returning running backs. [File photo/TSN]

DE SOTO at TOPEKA WEST

At Hummer Sports Park

Trey Parker begins his third full season as head coach at Topeka West after taking over on an interim basis in 2022. The Chargers will be looking to take a step forward this fall after three straight 1-8 seasons. Topeka West faces a tough task Friday night, with De Soto coming off a 7-2 season last fall. De Soto took a 56-6 season-opening win over West last season. Top returners for Topeka West include senior lineman Logan Hunninghake, senior wide receiver Gad Munganga, junior lineman Dorian Rhoten Jr. and junior running back Damon Webb Jr. Webb carried the ball 17 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns in last fall's 32-20 United Kansas Conference win over Kansas City-Turner. The Chargers also return sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilke, who took over as West's starter the second half of the 2024 season.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2025 season on Sept. 4 and 5.

                                                                       ----------------------------------------

After posting a 9-3 record and advancing to the Eight-Man Division I state semifinals in 2023, Doug Bonura's Cair Paravel Latin football team had to, in many ways, learn a whole new game last fall as the young Lions began the transition into the 11-man ranks.

Doug Bonura's Cair Paravel Latin Lions will be looking to make big strides this fall in the Lions second season of 11-man football. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

And for a team that graduated nine seniors from '23 and had only 19 total players last season, it wasn't a big shock that the Lions struggled to a 2-7 record.

But Bonura said the Lions gained a ton of experience from playing a schedule chock full of traditional small-school powers and are ready to make strides this fall.

"It was a big change coming into that and playing good teams is helpful in that because it exposes your weaknesses really quickly, especially having such a young team,'' Bonura said. "Last year we had three returning starters and a total of four returning lettermen.

"This year I have eight returning starters per side, which is really helpful. They're young, but they've had a year of experience and learning, 'Oh, that's what it is,' and this year I think they'll be like, "Oh, that's not so bad.' ''

Even though making the switch to 11-man football has been a challenge, Bonura said his team has embraced the change.

"I think they love 11-man because there's some things about 11-man that are nice compared to 8-man,'' Bonura said. "There's just more things you can do, but you also have more bodies to deal with and that's a challenge for a small school.''

Top senior returners for the Lions include fullback/linebacker Tobias Bonura, wide receiver/defensive back Luke Budden, offensive lineman/linebacker Caleb Cleverdon, tight end/defensive end Oliver Ellis and wide receiver/defensive back Lucas Marichal.

Bonura received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2024.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural

JADYN BAUM, Washburn Rural

A junior running back, Baum received All-Centennial League and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall and has the potential to be one of the top backs in the county this season. Baum was also a first-team all-county pick in wrestling last season, posting a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament at 190 pounds.

GRADY BERGMANN, Silver Lake

A senior, Bergmann will serve as a team captain for the Eagles this season and could be a starter on both sides of the ball for Silver Lake, which is coming off a 7-3 campaign. Bergmann received All-Big East honorable mention as a defensive back in 2024.

Xander Blasing, Hayden

XANDER BLASING, Hayden

A 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior tight end/linebacker, Blasing received All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last season as Hayden posted an 11-2 record and advanced to the Class 3A state championship game for the second straight season. Blasing was in on 67 tackles (39 solo) with nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. 

TOBIAS BONURA, Cair Paravel Latin

Bonura will be looking to provide senior leadership for a Cair Paravel Latin team which is coming off a 2-7 2024 season in the Lions' first season in 11-man football (Class 1A). Bonura received All-Flint Hills second-team recognition at running back last fall and also received All-Shawnee County honorable mention.

Cameron Brian, Seaman

CAMERON BRIAN, Seaman

Brian, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior linebacker, was named to the All-Shawnee County Top 22 last season and named the county defensive newcomer of the year. Brian was also a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection after registering 112 tackles with 10 tackles for loss for the 8-3 Vikings.

BROGEN BROWN, Seaman

A 6-1, 240 senior, Brown is a returning starter at offensive guard for Seaman, earning All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping the Vikings go 8-3 and capture the United Kansas Conference title in 2024.

Conner Bush, Rossville

CONNER BUSH, Rossville

A 5-foot-11, 176-pound senior running back/defensive back, Bush received All-Shawnee County Top 22 recognition last fall after helping power the Bulldawgs to an 8-4 record and the Class 1A semifinals. Bush rushed for 690 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and also was in on 120 tackles with nine tackles for loss. Bush received All-Big East honorable mention.

JACK DONOVAN, Rossville

A senior wide receiver/defensive back, Donovan earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season and earned All-Big East honorable mention after helping the Bulldawgs post an 8-4 record and reach the Class 1A semifinals. Donovan is also a standout for the Bulldawgs in both golf and basketball, earning first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in both sports.

MYLES FISHER, Silver Lake

Fisher, a junior, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping Silver Lake post a 7-3 record in the Eagles' first season in the Big East League.

AJ GALLEGOS, Shawnee Heights

A 5-9, 150 senior wide receiver, Gallegos received All-Shawnee County Second 22 and All-United Kansas Conference second-team recognition last fall for the 2-7 T-Birds. Gallegos caught 51 passes for 842 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.

Connor Hanika, Hayden

CONNOR HANIKA, Hayden

Hanika, a 6-5, 190 senior, is in line to take over as the Wildcats' starting quarterback this fall after backing up Jett Wahlmeier last season. Hanika helped lead Hayden to the Class 3A state final as a sophomore after an injury to Wahlmeier and Hanika, who received all-county honorable mention, caught 24 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns last season as Hayden went 11-2 and returned to the title game.

Jordy Heim, Washburn Rural

JORDY HEIM, Washburn Rural

A senior linebacker, Heim earned second-team All-Centennial League recognition for the 3-6 Junior Blues last season and received All-Shawnee County honorable mention. 

John Hoytal, Washburn Rural

JOHN HOYTAL, Washburn Rural

Hoytal, a senior, took over as Washburn Rural's starting quarterback last fall, earning second-team All-Centennial League recognition and All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Hoytal was also a standout for the Rural basketball team, helping the Junior Blues reach the Class 6A state tournament.

ANDRE JOHNSON, Rossville

A 6-0, 211 senior fullback/linebacker, Johnson was a Second 22 All-Shawnee County selection last season after helping lead Rossville to an 8-4 record and the Class 1A state semifinals. Johnson received All-Big East honorable mention. 

Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake

DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake

Johnson, a 6-2, 175 senior wide receiver/defensive back, earned All-Shawnee County Top 22 recognition last season for the 7-3 Eagles and was a first-team All-Big East selection on both offense and defense. Johnson caught 51 passes for 835 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 and also picked off six passes on defense.

Noah Kobuszewski, Seaman

NOAH KOBUSZEWSKI, Seaman

Kobuszewski, a 6-4, 240 senior tight end, received All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last fall for the 8-3 Vikings, who captured the United Kansas Conference championship. Kobuszewski compiled 325 receiving yards and a touchdown as a junior.

Jude Krentz, Hayden

JUDE KRENTZ, Hayden

A 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior linebacker, Krentz was an All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick last season after registering 132 tackles for the 11-2 Wildcats, who advanced to the Class 3A championship game for the second straight season. Krentz also rushed for 128 yards on 21 attempts.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Hailey Caryl, Topeka High

HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High

A sophomore, Caryl teamed with Ava Ritter to advance to the Class 6A state tournament in doubles last fall. Caryl and Ritter finished fourth in the city meet in No. 1 doubles, third in the Centennial League meet in doubles and fifth in 6A regional competition to advance to state.

Madeline Deters, Topeka High

MADELINE DETERS, Topeka High

Deters, a senior, earned a Class 6A state medal last season, posting an eighth-place singles finish. Deters placed third in the city meet in No. 1 singles, second in singles in the Centennial Laague tournament and third in 6A regional competition. Deters also qualified for state as a sophomore.

Grace Funk, Hayden

GRACE FUNK, Hayden

A senior, Funk has earned Class 4A state singles medals in three straight seasons for the Wildcats. Funk posted a career-best ninth-place singles finish last fall to help the Wildcats win the 4A team title. Funk finished second in the city meet in No. 2 singles and placed fifth in singles in the Centennial League tournament and third at regionals.

Molly Gorman, Seaman

MOLLY GORMAN, Seaman

Gorman, a senior, switched to singles last fall after earning back-to-back Class 5A doubles state medals as a freshman and sophomore. Gorman helped Seaman win United Kansas Conference and regional team titles with perfect team scores. Gorman was the city champion in No. 2 singles and also placed second in singles in UKC and regional competition before finishing 10th at state as the Vikings finished third as a team.

Peyton Henry, Seaman

PEYTON HENRY, Seaman

Henry, a senior, teamed with graduated senior Sydney Chinn last season to post a 12th-place state finish in Class 5A doubles. Henry and Chinn swept United Kansas Conference and regional doubles titles after finishing third in the city tournament in No. 1 doubles. Henry and Chinn helped thv Vikings record perfect team scores at league and regionals.

KAYLYN HIEBSCH, Seaman

Hiebsch, a junior, teamed with Camryn Lux to finish second in the city meet in No. 2 doubles and Hiebsch and Lux also finished second in doubles in the United Kansas Conference and regional tournaments as the Vikings won team titles in both tournaments with perfect team scores. 

Julia Katzer, Washburn Rural

JULIA KATZER, Washburn Rural 

Katzer, a junior, qualified for the Class 6A state tournament in singles last season, earning her state berth with a fifth-place regional finish while helping the Junior Blues win a regional team title. Katzer finished third in No. 2 singles in the city meet. 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

CARLOS ACOSTA-MARTINEZ, Topeka High

Acosta-Martinez, a junior, was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the Trojans while also earning All-City honorable mention.

Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural

DRADEN CHOONCHAROEN, Washburn Rural

A senior midfielder, Chooncharoen received first-team All-Centennial League honors last fall as the 15-3-3 Junior Blues won their 30th straight league title (outright or shared) on the way to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Chooncharoen also received All-6A and All-City honorable mention and is a two-time 6A state track champion in the 4x400-meter relay.

Miles Cook, Washburn Rural

MILES COOK, Washburn Rural

Cook, a senior goalkeeper, helped 15-3-3 Washburn Rural win its 30th straight Centennial League championship (outright or shared) en route to a third-place finish in Class 6A. Cook received second-team Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association All-6A and All-Centennial recognition as well as All-City honorable mention.

JUDAH CONGDON, Cair Paravel Latin

A junior, Congdon earned All-Class 4A-1A honorable mention from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last season and also received All-City honorable mention. 

Valentin Del Real, Topeka West

VALENTIN DEL REAL, Topeka West

Del Real, a sophomore midfielder, had a big freshman season for the Chargers last fall as Topeka West posted a breakout 13-4-1 campaign. Del Real earned first-team All-City recognition and also was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference pick. 

NERI DIAZ, Highland Park

Diaz, a senior midfielder, earned first-team All-City recognition for Highland Park in the 2024 season and was one of the top players in the Meadowlark Conference.

Juan Garcia, Shawnee Heights

JUAN GARCIA, Shawnee Heights

A senior, Garcia received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last season while also receiving All-City honorable mention. 

Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West

DIEGO GONZALES-TALAVERA, Topeka West

A junior forward, Gonzales-Talavera helped lead the 13-4-1 Chargers to a breakout season in 2024, earning All-City and All-United Kansas Conference first-team recognition.

Camden Granado, Shawnee Heights

CAMDEN GRANADO, Shawnee Heights

Granado, a senior forward, received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last season while also earning first-team All-City and All-United Kansas Conference recognition. Granado was also a standout kicker for the T-Bird football team last fall. 

Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights

MASON HAAS, Shawnee Heights

Haas, a junior midfielder, received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last season while also earning first-team All-City and All-United Kansas Conference recognition.

Brandon Hamiton, Washburn Rural

BRANDON HAMILTON, Washburn Rural

A senior defender, Hamilton received second-team All-Class 6A honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association while also earning first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition for the 15-3-3 Junior Blues, who finished third in 6A after winning their 30th straight league championship (outright or shared).

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Nora Burdiek, Rossville

NORA BURDIEK, Rossville

A junior outside hitter, Burdiek was a first-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and first-team Kansas Volleyball Association All-Class 2A selection last fall after recording 491 kills, 368 digs and 22 blocks for the 22-18 Bulldawgs. Burdiek was also an All-Big East second-team selection in as a sophomore after being named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year as a freshman in 2023. Burdiek is also one of 2A's top basketball players, receiving all-county recognition the past two seasons.

Campbell Dawson, Topeka High

CAMPBELL DAWSON, Topeka High

Dawson, a junior, turned in a solid sophomore season for an improving Topeka High program last season, with the Trojans posting a 17-19 record. Dawson, who is entering her third season as a varsity player, earned second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition as a sophomore. Also a standout for Topeka High in softball, Dawson helped the Trojans advance to the Class 6A state tournament. 

Ella Foster, Hayden

ELLA FOSTER, Hayden

A senior libero, Foster helped lead the Wildcats to a 32-12 record and a third-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament last fall. Foster was a second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League selection last season while also receiving All-Class 4A honorable mention from the Kansas Volleyball Association. Foster is a multi-sport athlete for the Wildcats, also playing basketball and soccer.

Harper Hafenstine, Seaman

HARPER HAFENSTINE, Seaman

A senior, Hafenstine is a leading returner for Seaman, which has advanced to the Class 5A state championship match the past two seasons, including the state championship in 2023. Hafenstine received TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping the Vikings post a 41-3 record on the year.

KYLIE HANNI, Silver Lake

Hanni is a returning junior standout for traditional Class 3A state power Silver Lake. Hanni was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County second team following the 2024 season while also earning All-Big East League second-team recognition.

KARSYN HASTERT, Cair Paravel Latin

Hastert, a senior, has earned second-team TSN All-Shawnee County honors the past two seasons for the Lions after receiving all-county honorable mention as a freshman. Hastert is also a basketball standout for Cair Paravel Latin, earning all-county recognition.

Karsyn Horyna, Washburn Rural (21)

KARSYN HORYNA, Washburn Rural

Horyna, a senior, earned a first-team berth on the TSN All-Shawnee County team last season after helping the 31-8 Junior Blues win the Centennial League championship and advance to the Class 6A state tournament. In addition to receiving her all-county honor Horyna was a second-team All-Centennial selection.

Reese Huscher, Hayden

REESE HUSCHER, Hayden

A senior, Huscher earned TSN All-Shawneee County second-team recognition last fall after helping the Wildcats post a 32-12 record and a third-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament. Huscher received All-Centennial League honorable mention. Huscher was also a member of Hayden's basketball team that finished third in 4A and the Wildcat soccer team that was the 4A-1A state runnerup.

Stelly Kelly, Washburn Rural

STELLA KELLY, Washburn Rural 

Kelly, a senior, earned a second-team berth on the TSN All-Shawnee County team last season after helping the 31-8 Junior Blues win the Centennial League championship and advance to the Class 6A state tournament. In addition to receiving her all-county recognition Kelly was a second-team All-Centennial selection.

 Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden

HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden

A sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter, Schmidtlein helped lead 32-12 Hayden to a third-place finish in Class 4A last fall, receiving All-State Tournament and second-team Class 4A All-State honors from the Kansas Volleyball Association. Schmidtlein, who registered 440 kills and 242 digs, was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League pick and named the county co-newcomer of the year. Schmidtlein also helped Hayden finish third in 4A basketball and second in 4A-1A soccer.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The 2024-2025 sports year was full of near-misses for Shawnee County boys teams, with Hayden bowling the lone team to garner a championship in a school year that included seven top-three state trophy finishes in six sports.

But individually there was plenty to celebrate, most notably for Washburn Rural on the wrestling mat and track as seven Junior Blues combined for all six county titles

Following is a pick by pick look at the TopSports.news Top 10 county boys prep stories of '24-'25:

Washburn Rural 2025 grad Easton Broxterman won his third straight Class 6A state wrestling title in his fourth straight trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]

1. DOMINATING FINISH TO DOMINATING CAREER -- 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 will wrestle collegiately at Army, finished off a 41-2 senior season with the 145-pound state title.

Hayden captured the school's first-ever state bowling title in 2025. [File photo/TSN]

2. ROLLING TO HISTORY --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 to be Landen Kocher-Munoz won his second Class 6A state wrestling titles in '25.'[File photo/TSN]

3. REPEAT FEAT --Washburn Rural wrestling stars Kristjan Marshall and Landen Kocher-Munoz captured the second Class 6A state titles of their careers as the Junior Blues finished third as a team. Marshall, a senior, won his second straight championship, winning the 157-pound crown to finish off a 37-5 season while Kocher-Munoz, a junior, 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]

4. 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 senior Matthew Houser, junior Liam Morrison, junior Draden Chooncharoen and senior Isaiah Terry 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. 

5. DOUBLING THEIR PLEASURE --In addition to helping Washburn Rural set a Class 6A state meet 4x400 relay record in the 2025 state meet, senior Isaiah Terry and junior Liam Morrison both doubled up with their first career individual state titles. Terry won the 400-meter dash in 47.92 seconds while Morrison won the 300 hurdles in 37.68 seconds. Terry and Morrison also both have a pair of state wins as part of the Junior Blues' 4x400 relay, giving them three career state golds.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

How successful was the 2021-22 sports year for Shawnee County high schools? Good enough that girls and boys individuals/teams deserve their own lists.

First up is TopSports.news' look at the county girls year in review, which will be followed by a look at the boys successes of the past year.

Shawnee County schools claimed three state girls team championships and several others came up just short while 10 county standouts claimed individual titles in four different sports.

While a case can always be made for any number of stories to sit at the top of the list, here's one opinion on the Top 10 Shawnee County girls prep stories of '21-'22: 

 Topeka High celebrates its second straight Class 6A state softball title after last Friday's 2-1 win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

1. TROJAN RERUN -- After claiming the school's first Class 6A state softball championship in 2021, Topeka High made it two titles in a row last Friday against a familiar foe, with the Trojans edging past city and Centennial League rival Washburn Rural, 2-1, in the championship game. After leading High to a perfect 25-0 record as a junior, Stanford signee NiJaree Canady came up big again in the pitching circle and at the plate last weekend, leading the Trojans to the title.

Washburn Rural won its second Class 6A state basketball championship since 2019, taking a 40-23 win over Derby in the state final. [Submitted]

2. RURAL RULES --Washburn Rural's girls basketball team celebrated a 6A state championship for the second time since 2019, completing a 23-2 season with a 40-23 romp past Derby in the state final at Wichita State's Koch Arena. And while the basketball crown was the lone title for the Lady Blues in '21-'22, they threatened in sport after sport, finishing second in the state in golf, soccer, wrestling and softball and turning in strong cross country, volleyball and bowling campaigns.

Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries ended her high school swimming career with a sweep of the Class 5A-1A 200 and 500 freestyle events for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]

3. CHARGER IN CHARGE --The only thing that stopped Topeka West swimming star Kadence Jeffries during a dominating high school career was COVID-19. After sweeping the 200-yard freestyle and 500 free Class 5A-1A state titles as a freshman, Jeffries had her sophomore season wiped out by the pandemic beore returning to sweep the same two events as both a junior and senior to complete a six for six performance in state individual events. Seaman sophomore Avery Walz joined Jeffries as a 5A-1A state champ this past season, winning the 100-yard breaststroke and earning four state medals overall as the Vikings finished fourth as a team.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural, which captured its first-ever Class 6A girls state championship this spring, put a city-high six players on the 15-member 2025 All-City girls soccer first team.

The All-City team is based on recommendations and voting from city coaches.

Rural is represented on the All-City first team by seniors Destiny Higgs, Kate Hinck, Addyson Kaberline, Zahra Friess and Madison Lemke and junior Dayne Shriver while Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year

Higgs, Hinck and Kaberline are all first-team repeat picks after helping Washburn Rural post a 19-2 rcord, capped by a 1-0 win over Mill Valley in penalty kicks (4-1). 

Destiny Higgs, Washburn Rural

Kate Hinck, Washburn Rural

Addyson Kaberline, Washburn Rural

Zahra Friess, Washburn Rural

Madison Lemke, Washburn Rural

Dayne Shriver, Washburn Rural

Seaman, which advanced to the 5A state quarterfinals, is represented on the All-City team by seniors Anna Becker and Maegan Mills and junior Ava Golightley, with Becker a repeat pick and Mills receiving honorable mention in 2024.

Anna Becker, Seaman

Ava Golightley, Seaman 

Hayden, which advanced to the 4A-1A championship game before losing in double overtime to Bishop Miege, put junior Carsyn Broxterman and senior Camryn McDonald on the All-City first team, with Broxterman a repeat selection and McDonald moving up to the first team after receiving honorable mention in 2024. 

Carsyn Broxterman, Hayden

Camryn McDonald, Hayden

Shawnee Heights senior Izzy Van Fleet is a repeat first-team selection while T-Bird senior Bayli Benson was voted to the first team after receiving honorable mention a year ago.

Izzy Van Fleet, Shawnee Heights

Bayli Benson, Shawnee Heights

Rounding out the All-City first team are Highland Park sophomore Micah Williams and Topeka High junior Natalie Barnes.

 Micah Williams, Highland Park

 Natalie Barnes, Topeka High

Williams is a two-time All-City pick while Barnes earned All-City recognition for the first time after helping Topeka High reach the 6A quarterfinals.

ALL-CITY GIRLS SOCCER 2025

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural, which captured three Class 6A state championships, including a state-meet record, headlines the 2025 All-Shawnee County boys track and field team.

Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural

Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural

Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Chooncharoen, Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural

Rural senior Isaiah Terry won the 6A state title in the 400-meter dash in 47.92 seconds and junior Liam Morrison won the 300 hurdles in 37.68 before Morrison and Terry teamed with senior Matthew Houser and junior Draden Chooncharoen for a 6A meet-record time of 3:16.23 in the 4x400 relay.

Peyton Holmes, Seaman

Bryce Cochran, Seaman

Brody Anderson, Seaman

Seaman senior Peyton Holmes was the 5A runnerup in the 100 dash (10.82) while Viking senior Bryce Cochran finished third in the 400 (48.85) and Seaman junior Brody Anderson placed third in the 800 (1:55.52).

Ben Roeder, CPLS/Topeka High

Senior Ben Roeder, who competed for Cair Paravel Latin in postseason after running for Topeka High in the regular season, finished third in the 2A 400 (49.37).

Silver Lake's foursome of seniors Trent Rollenhagen and Evan Scheid and juniors Joel Miller and Braxton Rupp posted a third-place finish in the 3A 4x100 relay (42.57).

Jensen Schrickel, Hayden

Despite missing the state meet after an injury at regionals, Hayden senior multi-time state champion Jensen Schrickel earned All-City honors for the fourth straight season.

In addition to its state champions, Washburn Rural put seniors Braylon Badger, Ben Buesing, Connor Olsen and Chris Quarles, junior Brooks Kehoe and sophomore Christian Hartman-Babb on the All-City team.

Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie, Topeka West

Topeka West is represented on the All-City team by senior distance standouts Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie, who were both 5A state medalists, while Shawnee Heights senior Liam Benz and Seaman sophomore Jack Esser were also state medalists.

All-Shawnee County picks were based on meeting minimum performance standards as well as coaches' recommendations and postseason performances.

ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY 2025 BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

The 2025 All-Shawnee County boys golf team: From left -- Jack Donovan, Rossville; Higgins Hawks, Washburn Rural; Tadd Armstrong, Washburn Rural; Tagan Monasmith, Washburn Rural; Tagen Rodriguez, Hayden; James Kuta, Hayden. Not pictured: Mateo Garcia, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

First-team repeat selections Tadd Armstrong of Washburn Rural, Jack Donovan of Rossville and Hayden's James Kuta and Tagen Rodriguez headline the 2025 All-Shawnee County boys golf team. 

Seniors Armstrong and Kuta finished one-two in the city tournament, with Armstrong winning the title in a playoff, while Kuta and Rodriguez, a junior, both posted top-10 finishes in the Class 4A state tournament as Hayden finished second as a team and Donovan was a regional champion as a junior and earned a sixth-place tie in 2A-1A, his second straight state medal

Washburn Rural, which won its 15th straight city team championship, is also represented on the All-Shawnee County team by senior Tagan Monasmith and junior Higgins Hawks while Hayden also put junior Mateo Garcia on the first team.

All-Shawnee County capsules:

By CHARLES SPURLOCK

Special to TopSports.news

WICHITA -- Washburn Rural's boys claimed three state championships to highlight championship Saturday for the Shawnee County contingent in the state track and field championships at Wichita State. 

Washburn Rural celebrates after setting the Class 6A state meet record in the 4x400 relay Saturday night in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Chooncharoen and Isaiah Terry set the Class 6A state meet record in the 4x400 relay Saturday night in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Senior Isaiah Terry won the 400-meter dash, followed by junior Liam Morrison's win in the 300 hurdles and wrapping things up with a record-setting performance by senior Matthew Houser, Morrison, junior Draden Choonchareon and Terry in the 4x400-meter relay.

Terry started Rural's late-meet gold medal haul with his win in the 400 in 47.92 seconds.

Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry won the Class 6A state title in the 400-meter dash in 47.92. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"It felt great,'' Terry said. "I switched up my stride a little bit and decided to go back to my roots... and felt way better. I actually got off fast this time and the rest was history.

''I'm so ectstatic after last year when I absolutely did horrible and got fifth place, the worst day of my life. Ever since sophomore year when I said I would quit cross country and start running track all year around I've been dreaming of moments like this and it feels good for it to come true.''

Washburn Rural junior Liam Morrison (3779) ran on Rural's record-setting Class 6A 4x400 relay after winning the title in the 300 hurdles Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Morrison followed with the state championship in the 300 hurdles with a time of 37.68. He also finished sixth earlier in the day in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.52.

“I feel great with the (personal record) in the state championship race,'' Morrison said. "The 110 didn’t go as I wanted, but I definitely knew it would be a great opportunity to show that I deserve to be here. I know what I can do and I’m happy that I was able to go out and do it.”

Houser, Morrison, Chooncharoen and Terry then went out and captured Rural's second straight state championship in the 4x400 in a meet record time of 3:16.23. 

"After our league meet at Junction (City) we saw the time we got and we were like, 'We can definitely do this, we can get this record,' '' Chooncharoen said. "My teammates, we push each other every day. Everyone did their part and it was amazing.''

Houser came on board this season as Rural's leadoff runner, joining returners Morrison, Chooncharoen and Terry from the 2024 state winners.

"We've been training all season since the start so we could try to get this record because that was our mindset all year,'' Houser said. "I've been training all summer and winter with Isaiah so I could get better for this exact reason and I guess it helped out at the end.'' 

Saturday's other county medalists:

• Senior Peyton Holmes of Seaman finished second in the Class 5A 100 meters in a time of 10.82 seconds after placing sixth in Friday's long jump.

Seaman senior Peyton Holmes (3767) finished second in the Class 5A 100 dash Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

“I was really hoping to get first,'' Holmes said. "Second is good and my goal was to get in the top three. I thought I had it for a little bit, but he (Jack Guthridge) is really tough.”

• Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished third in a tough 5A 800 meters field in a time of 1:55.52.

Seaman junior Brody Anderson (3760) posted a third-place finish in the Class 5A 800 meters Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Anderson battled on the second lap and held on for the third-place finish.

“I don’t think I could have done it if I hadn’t prepared all week with the help of coach (Luke) Wiens,'' Anderson said. "Every rep this week, I simulated the race situation and it set me up to be where I wanted to be today.”

• Senior Bryce Cochran of Seaman finished third in the 5A 400 meters with a time of 48.85.

Seaman senior Bryce Cochran (3763) finished third in the Class 5A 400 while Shawnee Heights senior Liam Benz (3733) was seventh Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

“I feel awesome and I got a little emotional after the race seeing that all the hard work pay off,'' Cochran said. "To do what I dreamed of after not even making it to state last year, I’m just appreciative of everyone that’s worked with me in the offseason to get me here. I’m just proud of myself.”

• Senior Adrian Lehman of Topeka West finished fourth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:16.70.

Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman (3785) posted a fourth-place finish and set a West school record in Saturday's Class 5A state meet in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Lehman broke the 50-year-old West school record of 4:17.7 set by Bill Myers in 1975.

"(That's) two school records this season, not bad for only his second season of high school track,'' West coach Donnie Palmer said of Lehman.

By CHARLES SPURLOCK

Special to TopSports.news

WICHITA - On Day 1 of the KSHSAA State Track Meet at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium, several local boys competed in preliminary races in an attempt to qualify for the finals on Saturday. There were also some field event finals on Friday.

Qualifiers for Saturday’s Finals

Senior Ben Roeder of Cair Paravel qualified fifth in the Class 2A 400 meters with a time of 50.40 seconds.

Senior Evan Scheid of Silver Lake qualified second in the 3A 200 meters in a time of 22.32 seconds.

Silver Lake’s 4x100-meter relay team (Brandon Rupp, Evan Scheid, Joel Miller and Trent Rollenhagen) qualified fourth in 43.46 seconds.

Seaman senior Bryce Cochran qualified fifth in the 5A 400 meters in a time of 49.04 seconds.

Shawnee Heights senior Liam Benz qualified seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 49.86 seconds.

Washburn Rural senior Braylon Badger qualified fifth in the 300 meter hurdles in a time of 40.40 seconds.

Washburn Rural junior Liam Morrison qualified second in the 110 meter hurdles in a time of 14.64 seconds. He also qualified third in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 40.05 seconds.

Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry qualified fourth in the 400 meters in a time of 49.32 seconds.

Washburn Rural junior Draden Chooncharoen competes in the Class 6A 4x400 relay prelims Friday night in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural’s 4x400 meter relay team (Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Choonchareon, Isaiah Terry) qualified second with a time of 3:22.61.

Medalists from Friday’s Finals

Seaman senior Peyton Holmes finished sixth in the Class 5A long jump Friday in Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Seaman senior Peyton Holmes finished sixth in the 5A long jump with a distance of 22 feet, 1 inch.

Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman finished fifth in Friday's Class 5A 3,200 meters at Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman finished fifth in the 6A 3,200 meters with a time of 9:18.60.

Washburn Rural junior Brooks Kehoe finished fifth in Friday's Class 6A 3,200 meters at Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural junior Brooks Kehoe finished fifth in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:20.97.

The remaining events will be contested beginning Saturday morning at 8:30 with the preliminaries for the 100 meters for girls and boys. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Wamego won its third straight Class 4A team championship Wednesday at Newton's Sand Creek Station.

But it took a strong finish for the Red Raiders to survive a second-day rally from Hayden, with Wamego finishing with a three-stroke victory over the Wildcats (621-624) after starting the day with a seven-stroke advantage.

Hayden senior James Kuta finished fourth in the Class 4A state golf tournament, leading the Wildcats to a second-place team finish. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]

"Early in the round, it did not look good,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson told KSHSAA Covered. "We got down pretty big. But the fact that we stormed back and took the lead there on the second nine was fun.

"Credit Wamego. We didn't blow it. They stepped up."

Despite the fact that the Wildcats' title bid came up short, Reynoldson said he was extremely proud of his team.

"What I love about this group is it's hard to get them to go home before dark,'' Reynoldson said. "It's 6 o'clock and I'm heading home and they're still working. They really wanted this and to come up short hurts."

Senior James Kuta led Hayden with a fourth-place individual finish at 152 (77-75) while senior Tagen Rodriguez finished ninth at 156 (81-75). 

Lions finish fourth in Class 2A

Cair Paravel Latin finished fourth as a team in the Class 2A state tournament at the Turkey Creek Golf Course in McPherson.

Cair Paravel junior Caleb Cleverdon for sixth individually at 155 (76-79).

Rossville junior Jack Donovan tied Cleverdon for sixth place at 155 (76-79) Bulldawg senior Jonathan Hart tied for 15th at 162 (78-84) to earn a state medal.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Hayden's boys golf team put itself in position to challenge for a Class 4A state championship after a solid opening round in the state tournament at Newton's Sand Creek Station.

Hayden senior James Kuta shot a 77 in Tuesday's first round of the Class 4A state tournament, tying for fifth individually, while the Wildcats are second as a team entering Wednesday's final round at Newton. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden is in second place in the team standings entering Wednesday's final round at 28-over-par, seven strokes behind Wamego. The Red Raiders and Wildcats went one-two in last week's regional tournament at Wamego.

"We left some strokes out there, but we are excited that we've put ourselves in position to compete for a championship tomorrow,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said in a text.

The Wildcats are seven strokes in front of third-place Bishop Miege after Day 1. The Stags placed third as a team in the Wamego regional. 

Senior James Kuta led Hayden Tuesday with a 5-over-par 77 and is tied for fifth place starting the final 18 holes.

Junior Mateo Garcia and senior Nick Gorman shot 79s to tie for ninth place Tuesday while senior Tagen Rodriguez shot an 81, senior Colin Scott an 83 and junior Austin Bean an 86.

Lions fourth in 2A entering final round

Regional champion Cair Paravel Latin is in fourth place in the Class 2A state tournament after the opening round at the Turkey Creek Golf Course in McPherson, advancing to Wednesday's final round. 

Cair Paravel junior Caleb Cleverdon led the Lions with a 76, tying for sixth in the opening round, while senior Jase Pavlik shot a first-round 81 and freshman Chase Hastert and junior Luke Budden carded 85s. 

Also advancing to Round 2 as individuals are Rossville junior Jack Donovan, a regional champion, and Bulldawg senior Jonathan Hart.

Donovan is tied for sixth place with a 76 while Hart is tied for 11th after a 78.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Four Shawnee County schools earned team berths in four different classes for state golf, which will be contested across the state Tuesday and Wednesday.

Cair Paravel Latin posted an eight-stroke team victory in last Monday's Class 2A golf regional at Horton while Hayden qualified for state with a runnerup finish in the 4A regional at Wamego, Washburn Rural was third in the 6A regional at Topeka Country Club and Seaman placed third in the 5A regional at Lake Shawnee.

This week's state tournaments at a glance:

Washburn Rural golf earned a Class 6A state tournament berth with a third-place finish in last Monday's regional tournament at Topeka Country Club. [Washburn Rural golf]

Class 6A at Winfield

Washburn Rural qualified for the Class 6A state tournament at Winfield with a solid third-place finish in last Monday's regional tournament at Topeka Country Club.

All of the Junior Blues' top four posted top-10 individual medals as Rural carded a team score of 316 to finish behind Manhattan (306) and Free State (313). The Junior Blues earned their state berth by a whopping 41 strokes over fourth-place Gardner-Edgerton.

Senior Tagan Monasmith tied for fourth place with a 77 to lead Rural while senior Tadd Armstrong tied for seventh with a 79 and junior Higgins Hawks and senior Brady Goeden tied for 10th with 80s.

Juniors Michael Wilson (81) and Peyton Goehring (91) rounded out the Junior Blues' lineup, tying for 13th and 23rd, respectively.

SHAWNEE COUNTY QUALIFIERS

At Quail Ridge Golf Course, Winfield

(Tuesday's tee times in parentheses)

Washburn Rural -- Peyton Goehring, jr. (10 a.m, No. 10); Brady Goeden, sr. (10:10 a.m., No. 10); Michael Wilson, jr. (10:20 a.m., No. 10);  Higgins Hawks, jr. (10:30 a.m., No. 10); Tagan Monasmith, sr. (10:40 a.m., No. 10); Tadd Armstrong, sr. (10:50 a.m., No. 10).

Seaman golf earned a team berth for the Class 5A state tournament on a tiebreaker. [Seaman golf] 

Class 5A at Emporia

Seaman earned a team berth for the Class 5A state tournament at Emporia Municipal Golf Course by the narrowest of margins last Monday at Lake Shawnee, topping Basehor-Linwood on a tiebreaker to claim the third and final state berth.

The tie with Basehor-Linwood was broken by the score of the fifth man of each team and Seaman’s Alex Flanagan shot an 88 while the Bobcats’ fifth man recorded a 92.

Leading the Vikings' regional performance was sophomore Evan Michalski with an 82 while senior Bradley Williamson was right behind with an 83.

Joining the Vikings at state will be Shawnee Heights junior Ayden Valdivia, who shot an 81 to qualify as an individual for his second straight state tournament.

SHAWNEE COUNTY QUALIFIERS

At Emporia Municipal Golf Course

(Tuesday's tee times in parentheses)

Seaman -- Jordan Burghart, jr. (10 a.m, No. 10); Nicholas Hill, so. (10:10 a.m., No. 10); Hunter Gerhardt (10:20 a.m., No. 10); Evan Michalski, so. (10:30 a.m., No. 10); Alexander Flanagan, sr. (10:40 a.m., No. 10); Bradley Williamson, sr. (10:50 a.m., No. 10).

Shawnee Heights -- Ayden Valdivia, jr. (9:40 a.m., No. 10).

The 2025 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Chase Blaser, Hayden; Evan George, Hayden; Ethan Winters, Seaman; Tres Lassiter, Topeka High; Keegan Knudtson, Washburn Rural; Kieffer O'Connor, Washburn Rural; Greyson Jones, Washburn Rural. Back, from left: Drew Fay, Cair Paravel Latin; Cole Fay, Cair Paravel Latin; Eric Buchenau, Cair Paravel Latin; Ben Tryhus, Washburn Rural; Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin Class 3A-1A state doubles finalists Eric Buchenau and Drew Fay headline the 2025 All-City boys tennis team, which includes seven state medalists and 12 state qualifiers. 

Buchenau and Fay, both juniors, went 29-2 on the season, with both losses coming against Wichita Collegiate's undefeated state champions, Carter and Maddox Drumright, who took a three-set win over Cair Paravel in the state final.

Hayden seniors Chase Blaser and Evan George placed fourth in 4A doubles while Washburn Rural juniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham finished seventh in 6A doubles and Cair Paravel freshman Cole Fay was 10th in 3A-1A singles.

All six Washburn Rural players earned All-City spots as the Junior Blues swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before finishing ninth in the 6A state tournament at Junction City.

In addition to Deutscher and Willingham, Rural is also represented on the All-City team by Greyson Jones, Keegan Knudtson, Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus.

Rounding out the All-City team are junior city No. 1 singles champion and 6A state qualifier Tres Lassiter and Seaman senior 5A state singles qualifier Ethan Winters, who helped lead the Vikings to United Kansas Conference and 5A regional team titles.

All-City tennis capsules:

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin posted an eight-stroke team victory in Monday's Class 2A golf regional at Horton while Rossville junior Jack Donovan ran away with the individual title by 12 strokes.

Cair Paravel Latin golf won Monday's Class 2A Horton regional by eight strokes. [Cair Paravel Athletics]

The Lions placed all of their top four players in the top 12 spots individually en route to a 333-341 win over host Horton while Rossville's Donovan shot a sizzling four-under- par 68 to set a school record.

Cair Paravel's Chase Hastert and Jase Pavlik shot 82s to tie for seventh individually while Caleb Cleverdon placed 10th with an 83 and Luke Budden was 12th with an 86.

Regional champion Jack Donovan (left) and Rossville teammate Jonathan Hart qualified for the Class 2A state tournament as individuals Monday at Horton. [Rossville golf]

Rossville's Jonathan Hart joined teammate Donovan as an individual state qualifier, tying for third place with an 81.

The 2A state tournament will be contested next Tuesday and Wednesday in McPherson.

Hayden golf finished second in Monday's Class 4A regional at Wamego, qualifying for the 4A state tournament. [Hayden golf]

Wildcats punch 4A state ticket with runnerup finish

Hayden golf qualified for next week's Class 4A state tournament in Newton with a second-place finish in Monday's regional tournament at Wamego Country Club.

Tournament host Wamego won the team title by a 300-314 margin over Hayden while Bishop Miege was third at 337.

Hayden senior James Kuta tied for third place individually with a 75 while Mateo Garcia finished eighth with a 79 and Colin Scott and Tagen Rodriguez tied for ninth place with 80s.

Hayden's Austin Bean narrowly missed the top 10, tying for 12th with an 81 while Nick Gorman tied for 19th with an 85.

The 4A state tournament will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday at Sand Creek Station.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Eric Buchenau and Drew Fay used a gritty second-set comeback to give themselves a chance to win Cair Paravel Latin's first-ever state tennis championship Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center.

Cair Paravel juniors Eric Buchenau (left)and Drew Fay posted a runnerup state doubles finish Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But like they had all season, Wichita Collegiate senior Carter Drumright and his sophomore brother, Maddox, found a way to get the job done, dominating the third set to take a 6-2, 6-7 (5-7 tiebreaker), 6-0 victory in the state final.

The three-set victory capped off a perfect 25-0 season for the Drumrights while Buchenau and Fay, both juniors, went 29-2, with both losses coming against Collegiate's top team.

Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay returns a shot in Saturday's Class 3A-1A state doubles final at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"The end didn't finish how we wanted, but I'm proud of how we played,'' Fay said. "We played hard and gave it our all and I don't have any regrets personally.

"We definitely did better this time around. It was 8-2 the first time so I'm proud of how we played today.''

Cair Paravel junior Eric Buchenau (above) teamed with Drew Fay to post a runnerup doubles finish in Class 3A-1A state doubles Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"It didn't end how we wanted it to,'' Buchenau said. "We believed we had a shot and we never stopped believing it.''

A foreign exchange student from Germany, Buchenau was disappointed that he couldn't end his stint in the United States with a storybook finish.

"I had one shot at a state championship and I didn't make it, but of course I'm proud of how we did,'' he said. 

Buchenau and Fay, the No. 3 seed, opened their day with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 2 seeds William Farha and Vihaan Ganganola of Wichita Collegiate in the semis.

Cair Paravel freshman Cole Fay posted a 10th-place state singles finish Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Cair Paravel freshman singles player Cole Fay also earned a state medal in his first state tournament, finishing 10th in singles.

Wichita Trinity senior Alex Hobson took an 8-1 win over Fay in the ninth-place match.

Wichita Collegiate rolled to the team championship by a 58-24 margin over Conway Springs, with Collegiate junior Charlie Gentile and freshman Amir Khisha finishing one-two in singles as Gentile took a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over his teammate.  

Cair Paravel tied for fourth place with 19 points. 

Hayden's Blaser and George fourth in 4A semis

Hayden seniors Chase Blaser and Evan George posted a fourth-place Class 4A doubles finish Saturday in Winfield to close out their high school tennis careers.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin juniors Eric Buchenau and Drew Fay had to sweat out a few anxious moments in their Class 3A-1A quarterfinal doubles match Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, but the Lion standouts got the job done, advancing to Saturday's 9 a.m. state semifinal. 

Cair Paravel Latin's Drew Fay (left) and Eric Buchenau advanced to the Class 3A-1A doubles semifinals Friday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Buchenau and Fay, the No. 3 seed, went 2-0 on the day, including a 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Central Plains' Paxton Dody and Peyton Dody to improve to 28-1 on the season and will face No. 2 seeds William Farha and Vihaan Ganganola of Wichita Collegiate in the semis.

After a 6-0, 6-0 romp in their first match of the day, Fay and Buchenau jumped in front 5-2 in the second set of the quarterfinals before Dody and Dody cut their deficit to 5-4.

Central Plains seemed to have some momentum at that point, but the Lions were able to hold serve and close out the win.

"It was definitely frustrating,'' said Buchenau about the close second set, "but even if you play bad you have to find a way to win and we did that.''

Fay agreed.

"It definitely wasn't how we wanted it to go and we struggled for sure, but we were just scrapping out every point and got the win,'' Fay said. 

"We hopefully got the bad bullets out today so we can just play our game tomorrow.''

Cair Paravel freshman singles player Cole Fay advanced to Saturday's Class 3A-1A medal matches with a 3-1 day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Cair Paravel freshman singles player Cole Fay also advanced to Saturday's medal matches, going 3-1 on the day.

Cole Fay moved on to Saturday with an 8-5 win over Phillipsburg senior Nathan Fischer and can still finish as high as fifth place.

Hayden seniors Chase Blaser (left) and Evan George will compete in a Class 4A doubles semifinal Saturday in Winfield. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden's Blaser and George in 4A semis

Hayden regional doubles champions Chase Blaser and Evan George won both of their Class 4A doubles matches Friday in Winfield to advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Wildcat seniors, now 25-6, advanced to the semifinals with a hard-earned 3-6, 7-6 (7-5 tiebreaker), 6-3 win over McPherson.

Blaser and George will face No. 1 seed Asher Deutschendorf and Braiden Liechty of Hesston in the semifinals.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Audrey Appuhn

AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural

Appuhn, a junior, captured four gold medals in last Friday's city swimming championships at Capitol Federal Natatorium, helping lead Washburn Rural to its 22nd straight city team title. Appuhn won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 57.66 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.60 and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley (2:01.75) and 400 free (4:04.31) relays as Rural won the team title by a 526-430 margin over Seaman.

Cale Deutscher

CALE DEUTSCHER, Washburn Rural

A junior, Deutscher teamed with Dylan Willingham to win the doubles championship in last Monday's Centennial League tennis tournament at Junction City and followed that up with a Class 6A regional doubles title Saturday at Wichita, helping the Junior Blues capture the team championships in both tournaments. Deutscher and Willingham won the league title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hayden's Chase Blaser and Evan George and took the regional title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Derby's Collin Bale and Garrett Haupt.

Cole Fay

COLE FAY, Cair Paravel Latin

Fay, a freshman, captured a Class 3A-1A regional singles championship last Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, helping lead Cair Paravel Latin to the regional team championship with by a 15-13 margin over Kansas City Christian. Fay, who improved to 20-7 on the season, topped Kansas City Christian's Isaac Seitz 6-1, 6-2 in the singles final, qualifying for this weekend's 3A-1A state tournament at Kossover.

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

Hayden senior Kaylee Gregg pulled off a rare feat in Friday's Topeka City Girls Swimming Championships at Capitol Federal Natatorium.

Washburn Rural took first in the city meet for the 22nd straight season, with two of their leading swimmers taking two first places each.

Trailing the Junior Blues’ 526 points was Seaman with 430. Topeka High finished in third place with 307.

Hayden senior Kaylee Gregg won a pair of city titles Friday, winning the one-meter diving competition and the 50-meter freestyle. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Gregg accomplished the rare feat of winning the dive competition early in the day, then coming back to win an individual swim event. Gregg won the 50-yard freestyle and was also a part of two second-place relay teams for Hayden.

Gregg said she started swimming and diving as a freshman, having had no previous training. As a swimmer, she participates only on short races. But, in truth, she admitted she doesn’t train for swimming.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a swim practice,” Gregg said. “I just show up and do my best.

“I did gymnastics growing up and now I do cheer, so I had the stamina to be able to get through the 50s and the 100s,” Gregg said. “My dive coach is actually my gymnastics coach growing up. She really helped me. You’re going into water like we go into (gymnastics) pits, so it’s not that different.”

Gregg has qualified for state all four years as a diver and has participated at state on relay teams. She is holding out hope to qualify for the 50 freestyle, with one chance – the Centennial League meet – remaining.

While she didn’t quite eclipse the required time to qualify for state in the 50 freestyle, she received some other great news at the city meet.

“This has been a really cool night for me because I made the KU Cheer team today,” Gregg said. “I found out as soon as I got done with our first relay.”

Seaman senior Joslynn Grace was a double city champion Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Having a good day in her own right was Seaman senior Joslynn Grace, who took first in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. The senior has committed to swim at the University of Nebraska-Kearney after high school. She said she enjoyed participating in the city meet one last time.

“This was really exciting for me because I’m happy with my times,” Grace said. “The city meet is really fun to just watch everybody and see them all do their thing, too.

“Swim is like my second life. I love it so much. To practice and see yourself get better is like therapy for me. I’ve enjoyed it so much.”

Audrey Appuhn captured four gold medals Friday, helping Washburn Rural win the city team championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Genevieve Miranda helped lead Washburn Rural to the city swimming team title Friday, posting two individual wins and swimming on two city-champion relays. [File photo/TSN]

Also placing first in two individual events were Washburn Rural’s Audrey Appuhn and Genevieve Miranda, with Appuhn winning the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and Miranda winning the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Appuhn and Miranda also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay.

TEAM SCORES

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin had a big day in Friday's Class 3A-1A regional tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center, sweeping the singles, doubles and team titles.

Caid Paravel tennis won the team championship in Friday's Class 3A-1A regional by a 15-13 margin over Kansas City Christian. [Cair Paravel Athletics]

Freshman Cole Fay won the singles championship for the Lions and juniors Drew Fay and Eric Buchenau captured the doubles crown as CPLS won the team title by a 15-13 margin over Kansas City Christian.

Cair Paravel freshman Cole Fay won the singles championship in Friday's tennis regional at Kossover Tennis Center. [Cair Paravel Athletics] 

Cole Fay earned a regional title and his first 3A-1A state tournament berth with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kansas City Christian's Isaac Seitz in the final, improving to 20-7 on the season.

Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay (above) teamed with Eric Buchenau to win the doubles championship in Friday's regional tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]

Cair Paravel juniors Drew Fay and Eric Buchenau won the doubles championship in Friday's regional tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]

City champions Drew Fay and Eric Buchenau won the regional doubles championship with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Bishop Seabury's Sabastian Borjas and Gabe Rinnert, with the Lion duo improving to 26-1.

Cair Paravel will compete in the 3A-1A state tournament Friday and Saturday at Kossover.

Hayden seniors Chase Blaser (left) and Evan George won a Class 4A regional doubles title Friday at Harmon Park. [File photo/TSN]

Wildcat duo wins 4A regional doubles title 

Hayden seniors Chase Blaser and Evan George, now 23-6 on the season, won the doubles championship in Friday's Class 4A regional tennis tournament at Harmon Park, taking a 7-5, 6-2 decision over Clay Center seniors John Alton and Anthony Davies in the final.

Hayden senior Chase Blaser (above) and doubles partner Evan George will take a 23-6 record into the Class 4A state tournament. [File photo/TSN] 

The Wildcats also qualified senior singles player Palmer Heskett and junior William Luke for the state tournament, with Heskett (11-15) taking a 6-3, 6-4 win over Luke (13-7) in the fifth-place match.

Clay Center won the regional team championship by a 21-19 margin over Bishop Miege, with Hayden third with 13 points.

The 4A state tournament will be played Friday and Saturday in Winfield. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Tadd Armstrong 

TADD ARMSTRONG, Washburn Rural

A senior golf standout, Armstrong captured the individual championship in last Monday's city golf tournament at Topeka Country Club, posting a 27-hole score of 118 and winning his first city title in a playoff over Hayden's James Kuta as Washburn Rural won the team crown by a single stroke (489-490) over the Wildcats.

Eric Buchenau 

ERIC BUCHENAU, Cair Paravel Latin

A junior foreign exchange student from Germany, Buchenau teamed with fellow Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay to win the No. 1 doubles title in last Thursday's city tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. Buchenau and Fay registered a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker) win over Washburn Rural's Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham in the city title match, improving to 20-1 on the season.

Drew Fay

DREW FAY, Cair Paravel Latin

Fay, a junior, teamed with fellow Cair Paravel junior Eric Buchenau to win the city title in No. 1 doubles title in last Thursday's city tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. Fay and Buchenau won the city championship with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker) win over Washburn Rural's Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham in the city title match.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Not everything went Washburn Rural's way in Thursday's city boys tennis tournament, but advancing to the finals in all four divisions was enough to give the Junior Blues a second straight city team championship at Kossover Tennis Center.

Washburn Rural dropped tight decisions in both the No. 1 singles and doubles championship matches, but the Junior Blues swept both No. 2 titles on the way to a 32-23 margin over runnerup Seaman while Topeka High was a point behind the Vikings in third place.

Greyson Jones won the city championship in No. 2 singles, helping Washburn Rural win its second straight city team title Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Ben Tryhus and Kieffer O'Connor won a city title in No. 2 doubles for team champion Washburn Rural Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Rural got a title from Greyson Jones in No. 2 singles and from Ben Tryhus and Kieffer O'Connor in No. 2 doubles while while Keegan Knudtson was the No. 1 singles runnerup and Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham finished second in No. 1 doubles.

"We're a young team, we're still piecing together who's fitting with who and what arrangements work best for the team as opposed to the individual and we've come a long way since the first practice,'' said Michelle Rose, who is in her first season as Rural's coach.

"They're excited, I'm excited for them. I think we've got great opportunities ahead of us and it's going to be fun. We have incredible talent in boys tennis in Topeka.''

Individually, Thursday was a big day for Topeka High junior Tres Lassiter in singles and the Cair Paravel doubles team of juniors Eric Buchenau and Drew Fay.

Topeka High junior Tres Lassiter won the city title in No. 1 singles Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Lassiter, in his first season of high school tennis, won the city championship in No. 1 singles with a 7-6 (8-6 tiebreaker), 6-4 win over Washburn Rural's Knudtson.

"This was one of my goals to win city,'' Lassiter said. "This was a big goal. I'm enjoying my high school season. I have a winning record right now and that's all I wanted this season, was just to have a winning record.

"Every day when I'm at practice my coach (Duane Pomeroy) and my teammates are getting me better and that gives me confidence for these up and coming meets that I'm about to do.''

Cair Paravel's Drew Fay (left) and Eric Buchenau won the city championship in No. 1 doubles Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Cair Paravel's Fay and Buchenau, a foreign exchange student from Germany, captured the No. 1 doubles title with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker) win over Washburn Rural's Deutscher and Willingham.

Fay had finished second in the city meet and fourth in Class 3A-1A in singles as a sophomore before making the decision to switch to doubles this spring.

"I want to play college tennis and you need to be able to play doubles to play college tennis,'' Fay said. "I wanted to get that experience and I also thought it would be fun and it's been a lot of fun.''

Fay and Buchenau are now 20-1 on the season after Thursday's hard-fought win over Deutscher and Willingham.

"We just wanted to stay level, play hard and whatever happened would happen,'' Fay said. "We didn't want to go out there and play scared and if we didn't play scared we would have been happy with the result. This was our best match of the year, so it gives us a lot of confidence.''

Seaman finished second as a team on the strength of three top-three finishes.

Ethan Winter placed third in No. 1 singles while Camden Dutton was the runnerup in No. 2 singles and the Vikings also finished second in No. 2 doubles.

CITY BOYS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

The Seaman girls soccer team – led by an assortment of multi-sport athletes – took down a depleted Cair Paravel team 8-0 in a shortened affair at the Bettis Family Sports Complex Tuesday.

After tallying four scores in the first half, the Vikings scored four more in rapid succession following the intermission. With 22:15 remaining in the second half, the mercy rule was invoked, giving Seaman its sixth win of the season.

The Vikings are led by a number of athletes who have experienced great success in other sports. Having placed second in the Class 5A volleyball and basketball tournaments this school year, Seaman knows a thing or two about winning.

Anna Becker (9) and Ryin Miller are part of a large group of multi-sport athletes who are playing a major role for the Seaman soccer team, which shut out Cair Paravel 8-0 Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]tg

Utilizing multi-sport athletes is both a blessing and a curse, Seaman coach Kyle Seevers said.

“They’ve all chosen track, basketball, volleyball, whatever,” said Seevers. “But they still love (soccer) so when they come out here, it’s like every year we wait … as soon as basketball is over, we can have all our players. But they are a lot of fun because they compete at the highest level at everything they do.”

Seevers said he has to be patient with players who have put so much into other sports throughout the school year. By the time they arrive on the soccer field, their skills aren’t sharp, and they are worn down by the intensity of competition.

“Our practice may not always be crisp. But when the whistle blows, they’re going to give it their all,” Seevers said. “I could get upset with it, but then we wouldn’t have some of the best athletes (go out for soccer).”

“It’s kind of preached at our school that we want to have multi-sport athletes and that’s a good thing,” said senior Anna Becker, who is committed to play basketball at Drake University. “We have a lot of athletic girls, and I think at our school we know how to win. So, it helps having that core of a lot of different girls who play different sports.”

Seevers said Seaman banks on significant improvement throughout the course of the soccer season as the players regain their touch and feel for the game. The Vikings advanced to the 5A state quarterfinals last year with many of the same players.

Junior Maya Martin had a pair of assists in Tuesday's 8-0 Seaman soccer win over Cair Paravel. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]  

“I think we had our ups and downs in the first half, but we are looking for a big second half,” Becker said. “We have three big games this week and we’re looking for three wins.”

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin's junior doubles team of Drew Fay and Eric Buchenau captured the No. 1 doubles championship in Friday's John Markham Invitational at Goddard, remaining undefeated on the season.

Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay and junior doubles partner Eric Buchenau are 13-0 after winning the championship in Friday's Goddard tournament. [File photo/TSN]

Fay and Buchenau went 5-0 in the tournament and are now 13-0 on the season.

The Lion duo opened its season with a 3-0 record in the Paola quadrangular before going undefeated in the Marysville Invitational.

Fay finished fourth in Class 3A-1A singles last season. 

Hayden baseball sweeps Nemaha Central

Hayden baseball, which won the Class 3A state championship last season, improved to 8-0 this spring with a 10-0, 12-3 non-league doubleheader sweep over Nemaha Central Friday at Hayden.

Hayden senior Jett Wahlmeier delivers a pitch in Friday's 12-3 second-game win over Nemaha Central. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Hayden senior Cooper Grace tags out a runner at third base in Friday's 12-3 second-game win over Nemaha Central. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

The Wildcats ended the first game by way of a 10-run spread in the fifth inning and scored the final nine runs of the second game after the game was tied 3-3.

Hayden will travel to Emporia on Tuesday for a Centennial League twinbill.

Hayden, Rossville battle to softball split 

Hayden held off Rossville to take a 3-2 first-game win before the Bulldawgs answered with a 12-0 victory in the nightcap of Friday's non-league softball twinbill at Hayden.

Sophomore Maura Valdivia delivers a pitch in Friday's 3-2 first-game softball win over Rossville Friday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Rossville sophomore Leni Lewis slides safely into third base in Friday's doubleheader softball split at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener and went up 2-0 in the third on a run-scoring single from sophomore catcher Emberly Connell before adding another run in the fourth.

Rossville's offense came to life in the top of the seventh, getting a run-scoring triple from sophomore Leni Lewis and a run-scoring hit from sophomore Nora Burdiek, but Hayden freshman pitcher Blakely Walter came on to record the final out and preserve the Wildcat victory.

Sophomore Maura Valdivia picked up the pitching win in relief of junior Emmy Jeffers while Walter was credited with a save.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Two-time senior player of the year Ja'Corey Robinson headlines the 2025 TopSports.news All-Shawnee County boys basketball team.

Highland Park senior Ja'Corey Robinson has been named the TSN Shawnee County boys basketball player of the year for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN] 

Robinson was a repeat pick as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading the Scots to a 24-1 record and a second-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament, the Scots' third straight top-three state finish.

Robinson and senior teammate Mikey Williams are two of the five All-Shawnee County Top 10 repeat picks along with Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez, Seaman junior KaeVon Bonner and Rossville junior Jack Donovan.

Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy, Washburn Rural senior Amare Jones and Silver Lake junior Dayne Johnson all moved up to Top 10 after being named to the Second 10 in 2024 while Hayden senior James Kuta and Washburn Rural junior Simon Rowley round out the all-county team.

 Washburn Rural junior Simon Rowley has been named the TSN Shawnee County boys basketball newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]

Rowley was also named the county newcomer of the year after helping 18-5 Washburn Rural win the Centennial League championship and advance to the Class 6A state tournament.

Highland Park coach Mike Williams has been named the Shawnee County boys coach of the year for the third straight season after leading the Scots to a 24-1 record and a runnerup state finish. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]

Highland Park's Mike Williams was named the county coach of the year for the third straight season, leading the Scots to a 71-4 record over the past three years.

All-Shawnee County capsules:

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Seaman senior Anna Becker has been tapped as the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County girls basketball player of the year after helping lead the Vikings to back-to-back championship games in Class 5A.

Seaman senior Anna Becker, a four-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick, has been named the county player of the year after helping lead the Vikings to a second-place Class 5A state finish. [File photo/TSN]

A four-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick and three-time United Kansas Conference player of the year, Becker helped Seaman post a 24-1 record and a second-place finish behind St. Thomas Aquinas as a senior after the Vikings won the Class 5A state title in 2024.

Becker is one of five repeat picks on the All-Shawnee County Top 10 along with Hayden senior Millie Ramsey, Seaman junior Maddie Gragg, Silver Lake junior Kailyn Hanni and Washburn Rural sophomore Maddie Vickery.

Ramsey and Gragg are three-time all-county Top 10 selections.

Also earning All-Shawnee County Top 10 spots are Washburn Rural senior Kate Hinck, Topeka High junior Keimara Marshall, Trojan sophomore Ahsyierhuajh Rayton, Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot and Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein.

Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein has been named the Shawnee County girls basketball newcomer of the year while also earning Top 10 honors. [File photo/TSN]

Schmeidtlein, who helped Hayden post a third-place state finish in Class 4A, was also named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year, while Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker was named the county coach of the year.

Topeka High's Ron Slaymaker has been named the Shawnee County girls basketball coach of the year after leading the Trojans to a nine-win improvement in his first season. [File photo/TSN]

The 88-year-old Slaymaker, a Kansas coaching legend and High's third coach in four seasons, led the Trojans to a nine-win improvement in the 2024-2025 campaign, with Topeka High posting a 14-8 record. 

All-Shawnee County capsules:

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Granted, it's only one game, but Hayden girls soccer got the 2025 season off to a big start Friday, topping last season's Class 4A-1A runnerup, Cair Paravel Latin, 1-0 in a non-league contest at Hayden.

Junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) scored the game-winning goal in Hayden's 1-0 season-opening win over Cair Paravel Friday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"I think a win against a good team is always good,'' Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer said. "I did see some good things. I think we saw some good passing combinations, I think the communication was good and the hustle. They worked hard and I think that was the best part.''

Hayden and Cair Paravel battled through a scoreless first half before Wildcat junior Carsyn Broxterman scored what proved to be the game-winning goal 41 seconds into the second half.

Hayden was able to make the goal stand up the rest of the way, with Wildcat junior Lauren Borjon picking up the shutout in goal.

Cair Paravel fell to 0-2 on the season, opening its season with a non-league loss to eight-time 4A-1A defending state champion Bishop Miege, which took a 1-0 double-overtime win over the Lions in the 2024 championship game.

Hayden will play a non-league road game at Lawrence Free State on Monday while compete in next week's Wichita South tournament, beginning with a Tuesday game against Dodge City.   

HAYDEN 1, CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 0

Cair Paravel (0-2-0) 0 0 -- 0

Hayden (1-0-0)        0 1 -- 1  

Hayden -- Goal: Carsyn Broxterman. Shutout: Lauren Borjon. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Seaman senior Anna Becker (9) was a first-team All-City and All-UKC soccer honoree last season. [File photo/TSN]

ANNA BECKER, Seaman

A Division I basketball signee with Drake, Becker also received All-City and All-United Kansas Conference first-team soccer honors last spring after helping the Vikings advance to the Class 5A state quarterfinals. 

Hayden junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) was a first-team All-City and All-Centennial League soccer honoree last season. [File photo/TSN]

CARSYN BROXTERMAN, Hayden

Broxterman, a junior forward, is a returning first-team All-City and All-Centennial League honoree for the Wildcats. Broxterman also received second-team All-4A-1A All-State recognition last spring from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Cair Paravel junior Kelly Ann Chada was a first-team All-Class 4A-1A soccer honoree last season. [File photo/TSN]

KELLY ANN CHADA, Cair Paravel Latin 

Chada, a junior forward, helped lead Cair Paravel to a runnerup finish in the Class 4A-1A state tournament last spring, earning All-City first-team recognition as well as first-team All-4A-1A All-State honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association. 

ZAHRA FRIESS, Washburn Rural

A forward, Friess will play her senior season at Washburn Rural after helping Cair Paravel Latin finish second in Class 4A-1A last season. Friess earned All-4A-1A first-team honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association in 2023 and 2024 and was a former two-time All-City pick for the Lions. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Hayden senior Chase Blaser (left) finished fifth in doubles in the Class 3A-1A state tournament last spring. [File photo/TSN]

CHASE BLASER, Hayden

A senior, Blaser teamed with then-senior Joseph Luke to post a 24-10 record and a fifth-place finish in Class 3A-1A state doubles last spring. An All-City honoree, Blaser and Luke posted a third-place finish in No 1 doubles in the city meet as well as a third in the Centennial League and a fifth-place showing at regionals. A three-sport standout, Blaser helped lead the Wildcats to the 4A-1A state bowling championship this past winter.  

Washburn Rural junior Cale Deutscher and doubles partner Brayden Kohls qualified for the Class 6A state tournament last season. [File photo/TSN] 

CALE DEUTSCHER, Washburn Rural

Deutscher, a junior, was a 2024 All-City honoree after teaming with Brayden Kohls to win the city title in No. 2 doubles. Deutscher and Kohls finished fourth in Centennial League doubles and third in Class 6A regional competition to earn a state tournament berth. Deutscher and Kohls went 1-2 at state to cap an 18-10 season.

A two-time state qualifier, Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay finished fourth in Class 3A-1A state singles last spring. [File photo/TSN]

DREW FAY, Cair Paravel Latin

Fay, a junior, is coming off a fourth-place singles finish in the Class 3A-1A state tournament a year ago, his second straight state tournament appearance. Fay, who posted a 23-11 record on the season, was an All-City honoree after finishing as the No. 1 singles runnerup in the city tournament and also finished second in 3A-1A regional competition.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural senior Tadd Armstrong was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season. [File photo/TSN]

TADD ARMSTRONG, Washburn Rural

Armstrong, a senior returning All-Shawnee County first-teamer, helped Washburn Rural capture its 14th straight city team title and a team berth in the Class 6A state meet with a runnerup regional finish last season. Armstrong finished fourth in the city meet (126 for 27 holes), tied for fifth in the Centennial League (79) and tied for 11th at regionals (86).

CALEB CLEVERDON, Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin

A junior, Cleverdon helped Cair Paravel earn the third-place team trophy in the Class 2A state tournament with a tie for 32nd place with a 36-hole score of 176 after competing for Topeka High in the regular season. A second-team All-Shawnee County pick last season, Cleverdon placed ninth at regionals (84) and placed 15th in the Centennial League (86).

JACK DONOVAN, Rossville

A junior, Donovan earned an individual medal in the Class 3A state tournament, placing 20th with a 36-hole score of 162. A first-team All-Shawnee County pick as a sophomore, Donovan finished third individually in the Mid-East League tournament with an 86 and placed fourth in 3A regional competition with a 74 to earn a state tournament berth.

Hayden senior James Kuta was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after helping the Wildcats finish fourth in Class 3A. [File photo/TSN]

JAMES KUTA, Hayden

A senior, Kuta tied for 14th in the Class 3A state tournament with a 36-hole score of 159 (73-86), helping Hayden finish fourth as a team. A first-team All-Shawnee County selection in 2024, Kuta tied for eighth in the Centennial League meet (82), placed 10th in the city tournament (132 for 27 holes) and tied for 11th in 3A regional competition (83) as the Wildcats finished second as a team.

Washburn Rural senior Tagan Monasmith was a second-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2024. [File photo/TSN]

TAGAN MONASMITH, Washburn Rural

A senior, Monasmith was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season. Monasmith finished fifth individually in the city tournament (126 for 27 holes), was eighth at regionals as Washburn Rural qualified for the Class 6A state tournament as a team with a runnerup finish and finished 18th in the Centennial League (88).

By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

Just a year ago the Wildcats were in Class 3A and entered the postseason 5-13.

What a difference a year makes and the Wildcats, led by first-year coach Dwayne Anthony entered the postseason in Class 4A with a 13-8 record and ranked No. 7 in the last Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll.

Senior Jacob Deister (4) led Hayden with 15 points in Tuesday's 93-59 Class 4A sub-state win over Independence. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden would end up drawing the Bulldogs of Independence, who would enter the game with a 9-11 record and led by 5-foot-10 sophomore Javen Colbert. Javen's mom is from Topeka so he was able to play in front of a lot of friends and family and would score 14 points on the night. 

"It was very special to be able to play in Topeka tonight because all my family is from here, and I am glad I was able to represent for them just wish the game would of gone a different way,'' Colbert said.

The Wildcats would get off to a 6-0 run to start the game and take off from there as they would stretch that into a 22-10 lead midway thru the first quarter and take a commanding 32-19 lead to end the first quarter.

The Wildcats would start the second quarter with a 12-0 run that would put them up 47-19 as the Wildcats would use their length and speed to go into halftime up 54-29.

The Wildcats would be led by senior Jacob Deister, who would have 13 of his game-high 15 points at halftime.

The Wildcats would roll from there and out-score the Dawgs 39-29 the rest of the game to take a 93-59 semifinal win.

Hayden would get double-digit nights from four athletes as Deister would lead the way with 15 points, followed by Mason Becker’s 14, Connor Hanika’s 13 and Cooper Zweisler with 11 points.

The Wildcats were hot from 3-point range all night as they would shoot 9-17 from outside the arc.

"We came out really hot and our press really got the momentum going for us,'' Hanika said. "We still have a few adjustments to make to get ready for Rock Creek, including watching lots of film before Friday.”

"I really applaud the boys' passion and attention to detail and our energy and effort,'' Anthony said. "We are really, really a strong team when they bring those things. Now we just need to get back to it and watch film on Rock Creek and get ready for Friday.

"I am blessed, I have a team full of leaders, not just Mason, Connor and Jacob, but the senior class alone, each and every one of them is solid individuals and it is the reason that these guys have experienced success so far.''

The Wildcats now turn their attention to the No. 2 team on the East side of sub-state in Rock Creek, which advanced with a 59-39 win over Tonganoxie.

The game will be Friday night at Rock Creek with a game time of 7p.m. The winner will punch their ticket to the Class 4A state tournament next week in Salina.

HAYDEN BOYS 93, INDEPENDENCE 59

Independence 19 10 7 23 — 59

Hayden           32 22 22 17 — 93

Independence (9-12) — Smith 5-12 2-4 15, Colbert 4-11 4-6 14, Lanning 2-7 2-2 7, Veile 1-2 3-6 5, Bunyard 2-3 0-0 4, Sprague 3-3 1-2 7, Small 2-2 0-0 6, Sanders 0-0 1-1 1. Totals 19-40 13-21 59.

Hayden (13-8) — Deister 7-12 0-0 15, Becker 5-8 1-2 14, Hanika 6-9 1-2 13, Mitchell 2-4 0-0 4, Kuta 2-3 0-2 4, Zweisler 4-7 1-1 11, Compton 3-6 2-2 10, Tourtillot 4-6 0-2 9, Banks 3-5 0-0 6, Heinen 2-4 1-1 5, Wolff 1-2 0-0 2, Power 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-67 6-12 93.

3-point goals — Indy 8 (Smith 3, Colbert 2, Small 2, Lanning) Hayden 9 (Becker 3, Zweisler 2, Compton 2, Tourtillot, Deister). Total Fouls — Indy 10, Hayden 18.

Highland Park girls roll to 59-11 5A sub-state win

No. 3 Class 5A East girls seed Highland Park opened its sub-state bid with a 59-11 home semifinal win over Meadowlark Conference rival Kansas City-Washington Tuesday night. 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Parirings have been finalized for this week's sub-state high school basketball tournaments, with 12 city teams earning home court advantage for at least the semifinals of sub-state competition, which begins Tuesday and continues through Saturday.

Both Washburn Rural (Class 6A), Highland Park (5A) and Seaman (5A) teams, Shawnee Heights' boys (5A) and Hayden's girls (4A) could all stay at home through both rounds of sub-state competition.

Topeka High's girls (6A), Topeka West's boys (5A), Shawnee Heights' girls (5A) and Hayden's boys (4A) will be at home for at least the sub-state semifinals.

Both Silver Lake and Rossville teams and the Cair Paravel Latin boys have already posted first-round sub-state wins to advance to semifinals.

Silver Lake's girls and boys will compete in the Class 3A Hiawatha sub-state while Rossville and the CPLS boys will compete in the Class 2A Valley Heights sub-state.

Here's a look at sub-state tournaments involving Shawnee County teams:

Senior Kaden Ballard and the Washburn Rural boys will open their bid for a Class 6A state tournament berth with a home semifinal game against Wichita West Tuesday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

CLASS 6A BOYS

West sub-state No. 3 -- Centennial League champion Washburn Rural (16-4) is the No. 3 West seed and will host No. 14 Wichita West (4-16) a 6 p.m. Tuesday semifinal.

The Washburn Rural-Wichita West winner will advance to a Friday night 7 p.m. sub-state final to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 seed Junction City (13-7) and No. 11 Manhattan (6-14).

Senior standout Kate Hinck and the Washburn Rural girls are the No. 3 West seed for the Class 6A sub-state tournament. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

CLASS 6A GIRLS

West sub-state No. 3 -- Washburn Rural, second in 6A the past two years after winning the title in 2022, is the No. 3 West seed and will host No. 14 Lawrence Free State (3-17) in a 7 p.m. Wednesday semifinal.

The Washburn Rural-Free State winner will advance to a 5 p.m. Saturday sub-state championship game to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 seed Manhattan (13-7) and No. 11 Maize (5-15).

CLASS 6A GIRLS

West sub-state No. 2 --Topeka High, the No. 7 West seed at 13-7, will host No. 10 Wichita South (8-12) Wednesday for a 6 p.m. sub-state semifinal. 

The winner of that game will advance to a 5 p.m. Saturday final to meet the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Wichita Heights (17-3) and No. 15 Dodge City (1-19).

CLASS 5A GIRLS

East sub-state No. 2 -- Shawnee Heights is the No. 7 East seed at 13-7 and will host No. 10 Basehor-Linwood (10-10) in a 7 p.m. Tuesday semifinal. The T-Birds beat the Bobcats twice during the regular season in the United Kansas Conference.

The winner of that game will advance to a 7 p.m. Friday final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Piper (16-4) and No. 15 Kansas City-Harmon (6-14).

East sub-state No. 3 -- Highland Park (16-4) is the No. 3 East seed and will host No. 14 seed Kansas City-Washington (6-14) in a 7 p.m. semifinal on Tuesday. Hi Park owns a pair of Meadowlark Conference wins over the Wildcats this season.

The Highland Park-Washington winner will advance to a 7 p.m. Friday sub-state final to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 Aquinas (13-7) and No. 11 Pittsburg (10-10).

Undefeated Seaman begins defense of its Class 5A state title Tuesday against city rival Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]

West sub-state No. 2 --Defending Class 5A state champion Seaman is the No. 2 West seed with a perfect 20-0 record and will host city and United Kansas Conference rival Topeka West, the No. 15 West seed at 6-14, in a 7 p.m. Tuesday semifinal.

The Seaman-West winner will advance to Friday's 7 p.m. sub-state final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 7 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (15-5) and No. 10 Valley Center (10-10).

CLASS 5A BOYS

By Todd Fertig

TopSports.news

The Cair Paravel Latin girls basketball team came up short in its bid for a Senior Night victory Thursday. A 48-37 loss to Atchison County closed the Lions’ regular season at 4-15.

Junior KellyAnn Chada led Cair Paravel with 16 points in Thursday's 48-37 loss to Atchison County. [File photo/TSN]

The Lions and Tigers traded leads in a game full of runs. But the Tigers got the momentum when it counted. They turned a 33-26 third-quarter deficit around by reeling off 12 straight points, going up 38-33 midway through the fourth period. In the end, they outscored Cair Paravel 20-4 in the final period.

“In the fourth quarter, (Atchison County) pushed more, they were just fighting, they were being aggressive, and we just didn’t have the execution and the drive,” said Cair Paravel coach Jaley Barkley. “Finishing those last 10 minutes is always hard, but I’m still proud of them. I could see the heart they had.”

Trailing 19-16 at halftime, the Lions got hot in the third period, outscoring the visitors 17-9. Freshman London Backman was the catalyst, scoring nine points in the third. But Backman picked up her fifth foul at a crucial moment early in the final period, depriving the Lions of one of their two primary offensive threats.

Junior KellyAnn Chada scored 16 for the Lions, followed by Backman with 14. Those two combined for 30 of the Lions’ 37 points.

By Todd Fertig

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin's boys celebrated Senior Night and set itself up for the postseason in style Thursday. The Lions raced passed Atchison County 76-30 to finish the regular season with a 9-10 record.

Ben Roeder led Cair Paravel with 21 points in Thursday's 76-30 Senior Night win over Atchison County. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]

The outcome was not in doubt from the time Cair Paravel reeled off 12 straight points to start the game. The Lions hit 32-62 from the field and got points from eight different players.

Senior Jase Pavlik scored 15 points as Cair Paravel's boys finished their regular season with a 76-30 win over Atchison County. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]

Junior Lucas Marichal scored 14 points Thursday as 9-10 capped its regular season with a 76-30 rout over Atchison County. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]

Ben Roeder led the Lions with 21 points in his final regular-season game, while fellow senior Jase Pavlik added 15. Junior Lucas Marichal chipped in 14.

“It’s awesome having this group of people here to support us,” Roeder said. “I love this community and I’m grateful for my senior buddies. We’re looking to let Christ’s light shine through us to our teammates and to the other schools we play.”

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Junior Dayne Johnson scored 35 points Thursday night as Silver Lake's boys improved to 12-4 with a hard-earned 64-60 home Big East League win over St. Marys.

Junior Dayne Johnson (2) scored 35 points Thursday as Silver Lake rallied for a 64-60 win over St. Marys. [File photo/TSN]

Silver Lake trailed 53-47 at the end of the third quarter before outscoring the Bears 17-7 over the final eight minutes to pull out the victory.

Johnson canned 13 field goals and went 9 of 10 at the free throw line on the night to lead the Eagles.

Silver Lake led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bears cut their deficit to 30-29 at halftime before outscoring the Eagles 24-17 in the third quarter.

Silver Lake will take aim on its third win of the week on Friday when the Eagles travel to Royal Valley.

Silver Lake girls improve to 14-2

Defending Class 3A champion Silver Lake, currently ranked No. 6 by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, improved to 14-2 Thursday night with a 67-54 home Big East win over St. Marys.

The Eagles led by just a 44-41 margin at the end of the third quarter before taking control with a 23-13 fourth quarter.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Topeka West's boys got back on the winning track Tuesday night, snapping a four-game losing streak against state-ranked teams with a 77-57 United Kansas Conference road romp past Lansing.

Senior Kamoni Ford was one of five double-figure scorers for Topeka West in Tuesday's 77-57 win over Lansing. [File photo/TSN]

The Chargers, who improved to 9-6 overall and 8-4 in the UKC, had five players crack double figures and seven players score at least seven points.

Seniors Kamoni Ford and Jalen Foy and junior Keimani Paul led the Chargers with 12 points apiece while junior Malakyah Duncan added 11 points and senior Javian Chambers 10.

Topeka West trailed 19-17 at the end of the opening quarter and led by just a 34-31 advantage at the half before breaking open the game with a 28-16 third quarter.

The Chargers then outscored the Lions 15-10 over the final eight minutes to finish off the 20-point win.

Topeka West will travel to Leavenworth on Friday for a UKC contest.

West girls pick up fourth win

Topeka West notched its fourth win overall and second United Kansas Conference victory Tuesday night, posting a 56-40 conference win at Lansing.

With the win the Chargers improved to 4-11 and 2-9 in the UKC.

West will travel to Leavenworth on Friday.

Silver Lake girls improve to 13-2

Defending Class 3A champion Silver Lake, currently ranked No. 6 by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Assocation, improved to 13-2 Tuesday night with a 61-36 home romp past Marysville.

The Eagles took control with a 22-13 opening quarter and put the game out of reach with a 19-4 second quarter, opening up a huge 41-17 halftime advantage and cruising the rest of the way.

Six Silver Lake players scored eight or more points, led by Karys Deiter with 13 points and Kailyn Hanni with 12 points.

Jaylie Whitehead and Taylor Zordel scored nine points apiece and Ella Bolan and Savannah Wende had eight each.

The Eagles will host St. Marys on Thursday.

Junior Dayne Johnson led Silver Lake with 16 points in Tuesday's 54-50 win over Marysville. [File photo/TSN]

Eagle boys top Bulldogs, 64-50

Four Silver Lake players cracked double figures Tuesday night as the Eagles posted a 64-50 home win over Marysville.

Junior Dayne Johnson led the Eagles with 16 points, followed by Brody Deiter with 15 points, Jared Johnson with 11 points and Aemon Coffman with 10.

Silver Lake, now 11-4, led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter and took control with a 21-6 second quarter.

TopSports.news

The Cair Paravel Lions boys basketball team never looked back after a 24-point first quarter on its way to a 69-50 victory over the Maranatha Christian Eagles on Tuesday night at Cair Paravel Latin School.

Lucas Marichal led Cair Paravel with 19 points in the Lions' 69-50 win over Maranatha Academy Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

The contest started as a scoring duel between Maranatha’s Daniel Dean and Cair Paravel’s Lucas Marichal, with Dean tallying the 3-11 Eagles’ first five points as the visitors took an early 5-2 lead.

Marichal answered with his first of four 3-pointers of the night, and following a free throw from Dean, the Cair Paravel junior made consecutive baskets to give the Lions (6-8) a 9-6 lead they would not relinquish.

The 3-point barrage continued for the Lions, with triples from Chase Hastert and Judah Congdon before Marichal knocked down another shot from behind the arc to give Cair Paravel a 24-17 advantage after the first quarter.

The Lions showed off their defensive prowess in the second quarter, allowing only six points off three Maranatha field goals.

Hastert and Caleb Cleverdon hit 3-pointers in the frame for Cair Paravel, while Jase Pavlik recorded his first five points of the evening in the quarter as the Lions took a 38-23 lead into halftime.

After the break Pavlik and Cleverdon found baskets in the first minute of the third quarter, extending the lead to 19 and forcing a quick timeout from the Eagles.

The Lions pushed the lead as high as 21, but a pair of baskets from Dean and a 3-pointer from Joe Allen brought the deficit back to 13 as Cair Paravel held a 46-33 lead midway through the third quarter.

Any sign of a comeback was quickly put to rest, as Marichal knocked down another 3-pointer and Blaine Durbin added a pair of baskets, with the Lions leading 55-38 after three quarters.

Cair Paravel finished the game with a balanced offensive attack, with five points from Marichal and four from Pavlik in the fourth quarter.

Senior Billy Lanich added a layup in the closing seconds to seal the 19-point victory for the Lions. Marichal led all scorers with 19 points for Cair Paravel.

Pavlik recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Hastert added 10 points off the bench.

The Lions shot just over 48 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Eagles, 34-18.

Dean led Maranatha with 18 points on 7-10 shooting while also pulling down six rebounds. Pennbrook Shaver tallied 14 points, while center Luke Shrader scored nine points with six rebounds.

Cair Paravel coach Chip Kueffer was impressed with all aspects of his team’s performance in the win.

“I think defense always leads to offense,'' Kueffer said. "We were really focused defensively on (Maranatha’s Owen Smail and Luke Shrader), both of those guys can get 25 a night,” Kueffer said. “We really just focused on making them uncomfortable, picking them up at halfcourt, and then offensively, you don’t have anything to think about.”

Despite a significant size disadvantage, Cair Paravel grabbed 16 more rebounds than Maranatha, and the effort did not go unnoticed by Kueffer.

“We’re giving up a lot of size, and they play their hearts out,” Kueffer said of his squad. “Everybody has to do their part to defend and rebound. If you’re on the floor, you’re rebounding. If you’re on the floor, you’re defending, no excuses. So I was glad to see that out of everybody today.”

Cair Paravel will be back in action on Thursday against Eskridge-Mission Valley. The Lions will look to avenge a 50-48 loss on Jan. 21.

By NICHOLAS GAINEY

Special to TopSports.news

Down by seven points midway through the third quarter in their Tuesday night non-conference matchup with Maranatha Christian, the Cair Paravel Lions girls basketball team stormed back with a 14-0 run on their way to a 39-31 home win.

Karsyn Hastert tied for game-high honors with 12 points in Tuesday's 39-31 home win over Maranatha Academy. [File photo/TSN]

The teams battled back and forth for much of the first period, with Maranatha’s Rose Baumler knocking down a three-pointer for the first field goal of the game.

The host Lions (3-11) answered with a layup from Karsyn Hastert, her first two of a 12-point night. Cair Paravel would add three-pointers from London Backman and KellyAnn Chada to take a 9-7 lead later in the period, but a late basket from Risa Johnson tied the game at 9 after the first quarter.

The Lion offense struggled in the second quarter, only scoring five points on two field goals in the period. Hastert added her second basket of the contest early in the frame before the hosts went several minutes scoreless.

Freshman Eriana Donaldson broke the drought with a layup and a foul, converting the three-point play to give Cair Paravel a 14-13 lead. The next four points belonged to the visiting Eagles (6-8), with Maranatha taking a 18-14 lead into the half following a basket from Baumler.

Cair Paravel opened the second half with a basket from Kameron Welshans to draw within two, but the Eagles’ Ava Oglesby answered with a score of her own to stretch the lead to 20-16. Quinn Sramek hit a 3-pointer to give Maranatha its largest lead of the night at 23-16, forcing a timeout from Cair Paravel coach Jaley Barkley with 4:19 to play in the third quarter.

Following the timeout, the Lions turned the tables. Cair Paravel scored the final 10 points of the quarter, including six points from Hastert.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Highland Park took command of the Meadowlark Conference boys basketball race Tuesday night with a hard-earned 51-48 road win at Atchison.

Senior Mikey Williams led Highland Park with 17 points in Tuesday's 51-48 Meadowlark Conference victory over Atchison. [File photo/TSN]

Top-ranked (Class 5A) Highland Park, which improved to 12-0 overall and 5-0 in the conference, led 14-12 at the end of the opening quarter and 23-18 at halftime before Atchison (7-4, 3-2) cut its deficit to 39-38 at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Scots held a 12-10 advantage over the final eight minutes to hold on for the win.

Highland Park senior Mikey Williams scored 8 of the Scots' 12 fourth-quarter points and went 4 of 4 at the free throw line en route to finishing with 17 points.

Senior Ja'Corey Robinson added 14 points for the Scots.

Junior Kailyn Hanni (4) scored 16 points in Silver Lake's 50-49 win over Rock Creek Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

Silver Lake girls edge Rock Creek, 50-49

Junior Kailyn Hanni led the way with 16 points as Silver Lake improved to 9-1 with a 50-49 non-league win at Rock Creek Tuesday night.

The Eagles trailed 15-14 after one quarter, 26-24 at the half and 42-39 at the start of the fourth quarter before Silver Lake closed with an 11-7 edge over the final eight minutes to pull out the win.  

Taylor Zordel and Ella Bolan added 12 points apiece for the Eagles.

Lucy Martinie led Rock Creek with 13 points and Kylee Frazee added 10.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Silver Lake advanced to the championship games in both the girls and boys divisions of the Burlington Invitational with Friday semifinal wins.

Junior Dayne Johnson (2) scored 28 points Friday as Silver Lake advanced to the title game in the Burlington Invitational with a 97-88 triple-overtime win over Burlington. [File photo/TSN]

Junior Kailyn Hanni led Silver Lake with 22 points in Friday's 50-48 semifinal win over Girard in the Burlington Invitational. [File photo/TSN]

Silver Lake's boys needed three overtimes to outlast host Burlington 97-88 while the Lady Eagles edged Girard, 50-48.

Silver Lake and Burlington were stll deadlocked after two overtime periods before the Eagles outscored the Wildcats 13-4 in the third OT to close out the win.

Junior Dayne Johnson and senior Jared Johnson scord 28 points apiece to lead Silver Lake while senior Brody Deiter added 21 points.

Silver Lake and Girard's girls were close throughout before the Eagles eked out the two-point win.

Junior Kailyn Hanni led the Eagles with 22 points, followed by Jaylie Whitehead and Ella Bolan with 10 points each.

Silver Lake faced Labette County in Saturday's girls final while the Eagle boys faced Ottawa.

Ballard leads way with 20 as Rural boys advance to title game

Senior Kaden Ballard scored 20 points with four 3-pointers to lead four double-figure scorers for Washburn Rural Friday as the Junior Blues advanced to the championship game of the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg with a 64-58 semifinal win over Webster Groves, Mo.

Ballard was backed by senior Amare Jones with 14 points, junior Simon Rowley with 12 points and junior John Hoytal with 10.

Webster Groves led 19-15 at the end of the first quarter before Washburn Rural (8-2) used a 21-15 second quarter to take a 36-34 halftime lead.

Webster Groves regained the lead at 47-46 at the start of the fourth quarter but the Junior Blues closed out the game with an 18-11 fourth quarter to pull out the win.

Rural was scheduled to take on Owasso, Okla. for the championsip at 2:30 p.m.

Shawnee Heights roll to Viking Classic championship contest

Shawnee Heights' boys were ahead by just five points at the end of the third quarter Friday night before taking control over the final eight minutes for a 65-51 win over Ozark, Mo. in the semifinals of the Viking Classic at Shawnee Mission West.  

Senior Jaret Sanchez led the T-Birds with 20 points, followed by junior JaiMarion Cook with 16 points and junior Ontarius Emmot with 11.

Heights advanced to Saturday's championship game to face Blue Valley North.

Bulldawgs advance to tourney title game with 66-60 win

Rossville's boys advanced to Saturday's championship game in the Valley Falls Invitational with a 66-60 win over the Northeast Kansas Nighthawks.

Rossville got a game-high 28 points from junior Cameron Miller while senior Kameron Badura added 17 and junior Jack Donovan 14 for the Bulldawgs.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Playing in a midseason tournament championship game for the fourth straight season, Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team completed the final piece of the puzzle on Saturday, claiming the championship in Shawnee Mission West's Viking Classic with a 68-41 romp past traditional Class 6A stalwart Blue Valley North, No. 7-ranked by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team poses for a picture after winning the Viking Classic championship on Saturday. [Submitted photo]

Senior Jaret Sanchez led Shawnee Heights with 21 points in Saturday's 68-41 win over Blue Valley North. [File photo/TSN]

The No. 4-ranked (5A) T-Birds built a 14-12 first-quarter advantage and poured it on the Mustangs from there.

Shawnee Heights used 14-5 second quarter to take a 28-17 halftime lead and outscored North 26-16 in the third quarter to turn the game into a rout.

Heights (8-2) finished off the win with a 14-8 fourth quarter, with Blue Valley North needing a late 3-pointer to top the 40-point mark.

"Probably one of the biggest wins at SHHS,'' said veteran coach Ken Darting, who coached five state championship teams at Silver Lake and Highland Park. "That (Blue Valley North) team is really good. Our defense took them out of everything they wanted to do. Need to build on it now.''

Senior Jaret Sanchez led Shawnee Heights with 21 points while JaiMarion Cook added 12 points on four 3-pointers and Ontarius Emmot added 11.

The T-Birds also got 8 points from Deacon Pomeroy and 6 from DaQuan Lee.

Silver Lake's girls basketball team poses for a team picture after winning the tournament championship in the Burlington Invitational. [Silver Lake basketball]

Silver Lake girls claim Burlington title

Silver Lake's girls, No. 3-ranked in Class 3A, captured the Burlington Invitational championship with a 70-60 win over previously-unbeaten Labette County.

Junior Kailyn Hanni, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player, led the 8-1 Eagles with 22 points, backed by Savannah Wende with19 points and Jaylie Whitehead with 11.

Labette County, No. 6-ranked in 4A, fell to 10-1.

Hanni, who scored 64 points in the tournament, was joined on the all-tournament team by Ella Bolan.

Silver Lake's boys also advanced to the tournament championship game, with the Eagles dropping a 67-38 decision to Ottawa, top-ranked in Class 4A and 10-0 on the season.

Junior Dayne Johnson led Silver Lake (7-2) with 19 points while tournament most outstanding player Aiden McCullough scored a game-high 26 points for the Cyclones.

D. Johnson, who scored 68 points in the tournament, was named to the all-tournament team along with the Eagles' Jared Johnson, who had 57 points in his three tournament games.

Rossville's boys basketball team poses for a team picture on Saturday after winning the tournament championship in the Valley Falls Invitational. [Rossville Athletics]

Rossville boys claim Valley Falls title

Rossville boys basketball downed Perry-Lecompton 49-41 Saturday to cap off its championship run in the Valley Falls Invitational.

Senior Kameron Badura paced 8-3 Rossville with 21 points and averaged 17 points in the tournament for the Bulldawgs.

Juniors Jack Donovan and Cameron Miller both added 9 points for Rossville, No. 8-ranked in Class 2A, with both Donovan and Miller being named to the all-tournament team.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights junior Henry Schattilly bowled a perfect 300 game in Tuesday's high school bowling meet at Lawrence, earning the individual title while leading the T-Birds to the team crown.

Shawnee Heights junior Henry Schattilly bowled a 300 game Tuesday in Lawrence, winning the individual title with a 693 series. [File photo/TSN]

Schattilly bowled his 300 in his second game after a first-game 182 and finished his series with a 212 to take individual honors by two pins over Ottawa's Shane Circle with a 693 series.

The T-Birds also got a fourth-place individual finish from Caden Cochrane (680) and a fifth-place showing from Trey Donath (662) en route to the team championship by a 2,703-2,342 margin over Free State.

Chevy Stallbaumer added a 634 series for Shawnee Heights while Donovan Davis had a 597 and Cooper Brown a 552.

Shawnee Heights also won the girls team title in Tuesday's event by a 2,068-2,020 margin over Lawrence Free State.

Reese Bell posted a fourth-place individual finish for the T-Birds with a 533 series.

T-Birds sweep titles in home quadrangular

Shawnee Heights swept the individual and team titles in Wednesday's home quadrangular at Gage Bowl.

Junior Henry Schattilly won his second individual championship in as many days, rolling a 643 three-game series to claim top honors by five pins over teammate Chevy Stallbaumer (638).

Trey Donath also posted a top-five finish, placing fourth with a 591 series, as the T-Birds finished first as a team by a 2,479-2,306 margin over Piper. Topeka West finished fourth as a team with a 2,197 team score.

Shawnee Heights sophomore Addison VanMetre won the girls individual title with a 540 series as the T-Birds edged Piper by a 1,953-1,942 margin in the team standings. Topeka West was fourth with a 1,417 total.

Heights' Sophie Scheve finished fifth individually with a 482 series.

Manhattan wins titles in Topeka High bowling quad

Manhattan dominated Tuesday's Topeka High bowling quadrangular at Gage Bowl, sweeping both the girls individual and team championships.

Manhattan's boys swept the top five individual spots on the way to a 2,603-2,212 margin over Highland Park, while Topeka West (2,109) was third and Topeka High (2,030).

Cristian Reyes led Highland Park with a 579 series while Allen McCracken had a 572 series and Aaron Poe a 565 for the Scots.

 Alec Rutschmann led Topeka West with a 556 series while Austin Mitchell paced Topeka High with a 551.

Manhattan went one-two individually in the girls division on the way to a 1,997-1,469 margin over Topeka West in the team standings. Highland Park finished third with a 1,336 team score while Topeka High was fourth at 1,297.

West's Kaitlyn Leeburg finished third with a 459 series while Highland Park was led by Thalia Villanueva, who finished fifth with a 434.

Lilly Krohe led Topeka High with a 380 series.

Lady Scots bounce back with 23-point Meadowlark Conference win

Highland Park girls basketball, which suffered its first loss on Tuesday to USD 501 rival Topeka High, bounced back with a 61-38 Meadowlark Conference victory over Atchison Wednesday night.

Sophomores Zayah Kincade and Pearmella Carter scored 15 points apiece to lead Highland Park, which Carter also grabbed 15 rebounds with five steals and Kincade connected on four 3-pointers.

Highland Park improved to 7-1 with a perfect 5-0 record in the Meadowlark Conference.

Malakyah Duncan led the way with 18 points in Tuesday's 50-49 Topeka West UKC win over Basehor-Linwood, the Chargers' fourth straight. [File photo/TSN]

West boys tune up for tourney with 50-49 UKC win over Bobcats

Juniors Malakyah Duncan and Keimani Paul combined for 30 points Tuesday night as No. 7-ranked Topeka West held on for a 50-49 United Kansas Conference win over Basehor-Linwood.

Duncan scored 18 points to lead the Chargers while Paul added 12 points as West improved to 6-2 overall and in the UKC with its fourth straight win.

West led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter and used a 16-10 second quarter to take a 26-19 halftime advantage.

West went up 42-33 after three quarters and held on for the win after Basehor-Linwood closed with a 16-8 fourth quarter.

Topeka West is competing Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Topeka High will host the 64th annual Topeka Invitational Tournament Thursday through Saturday, with Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West's boys teams taking part in the event.

Ja'Corey Robinson and the undefeated Highland Park boys are the team to beat in this week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High. [File photo/TSN] 

Undefeated Highland Park, top-ranked in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will open the tournament at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, with the 8-0 Scots facing Shawnee Mission North.

Lawrence and Wichita Southeast are on the same side of the bracket with Highland Park and SM North and will play a first-round game at 5 p.m.

The Hi Park-North winner will face the Lawrence-Wichita Southeast winner in a 6:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.

Topeka West, 5-2 entering a regular-season game Tuesday at Basehor-Linwood, will open its tournament bid at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against its United Kansas Conference rival Lansing.

Host Topeka High (0-8) will close out the first round at 8 p.m. against Olathe East, with the High-East winner advancing to an 8 p.m. semifinal on Friday.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the seventh-place game at 10 a.m., followed by the fifth-place and third-place games and the championship contest at 2:30 p.m.

TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
 
At Topeka High

Thursday

3:30 p.m. -- Highland Park vs. Shawnee Mission North.

5 -- Lawrence vs. Wichita Southeast.

6:30 -- Topeka West vs. Lansing.

8 -- Topeka High vs. Olathe East.

Friday

3:30 p.m. -- Highland Park-SM North loser vs. Lawrence-Wichita State loser.

5 -- Topeka West-Lansing loser vs. Topeka High-Olathe East loser.

6:30 -- Highland Park-SM North winner vs. Lawrence-Wichita Southeast winner.

8 -- Topeka West-Lansing winner vs. Topeka High-Olathe East winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday

10 a.m. -- Seventh place.

11:30 -- Fifth place.

1 p.m. -- Third place.

2:30 -- Championship.

Hayden boys set to compete at Baldwin

Hayden will compete in the six-school Baldwin Invitational this week, opening its tournament bid at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against Wellsville.

Hayden will take a 4-4 record into the tournament after a tight 46-43 Centennial League loss to Class 6A Manhattan.

The Wildcats will play Augusta at 5:30 Friday and will wrap things up on Saturday in the place games.

The fifth-place game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the third-place game at 2:30 and the championship game at 4 o'clock.

BALDWIN INVITATIONAL

Tuesday

5:30 p.m. -- Wellsville vs. Augusta, 5:30 p.m.

7 -- Bishop Seabury vs. Baldwin.

Wednesday

5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Wellsville.

7 -- Christ Prep vs. Bishop Seabury

Friday

5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Augusta.

7 -- Christ Prep vs. Baldwin.

Saturday

1 p.m. -- Fifth place.

2:30 p.m. -- Third place.

4 p.m. -- Championship.

Junior Simon Rowley (facing) and Washburn Rural will compete in the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg. [File photo/TSN]

Rural boys headed to Pittsburg

Washburn Rural, 6-2 on the season after a Centennial League win over Emporia, will compete this week in the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg.

The Junior Blues will play an 8:30 p.m. first-round game on Thursday against Joplin, Mo.

Also on Rural's side of the tournament bracket are Webster Groves, Mo. and Branson, Mo., who will play at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Rural-Joplin winner will play the Webster Groves-Branson winner in a 7:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.

The place games will be played on Saturday, capped by the championship game at 2:30 p.m.

BILL HANSON MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
 
At Pittsburg
 
Thursday

7 p.m. -- Willard, Mo. vs. Pittsburg (main gym); Webster Groves, Mo. vs. Branson, Mo. (Mallatt gym).

8:30 -- Owasso, Okla. vs. Wichita West (main gym); Washburn Rural vs. Joplin, Mo. (Mallatt gym). 

Friday

6 p.m. -- Owasso-Wichita West winner vs. Willard-Pittsburg winner (main gym); Owasso-Wichita West loser vs. Willard-Pittsburg loser (Mallatt gym).

7:30 -- Webster Groves-Branson winner vs. Washburn Rural-Joplin winner (main gym); Webster Groves-Branson loser vs. Washburn Rural-Joplin loser (Mallatt gym).

Saturday

11:30 a.m. -- Third place (main gym); seventh place (Mallatt gym).

2:30 p.m. -- Championship game (main gym); fifth-place game (Mallatt gym).

Senior Jaret Sanchez (3) leads Shawnee Heights into this week's Shawnee Mission West Viking Classic. [File photo/TSN]

T-Bird boys to compete in Viking Classic

Shawnee Heights will open competition in the Shawnee Mission West Viking Classic with a 6 p.m. Thursday quarterfinal against the host team.

The T-Birds, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings, are 5-2 on the season while SM West is 1-4.

The Shawnee Heights-West winner will advance to a 7:30 semifinal on Friday to take on the first-round winner between Ozark, Mo. and Louisburg.

The place games will be played on Saturday, with the title game set for 3 p.m.

By Todd Fertig

TopSports.news

The Cair Paravel Latin boys withstood a furious fourth quarter rally by West Franklin Friday to hold off the Falcons to win on the Lions’ home floor, 71-67.

 Senior Jase Pavlik scored 18 points to lead the way as Cair Paravel topped West Franklin 71-67 Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Cair Paravel coach Chip Kueffer and the Lions' bench react to a big play in Friday's 71-67 win over West Franklin. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Lions led by 17 with five minutes remaining, but had to hit free throws in the final couple of minutes to stave off the comeback.

The Lions improved to 4-5 on the season, 2-3 in the Flint Hills League. Cair Paravel had to replace eight players from last year’s squad and coach Chip Kueffer said the learning process is ongoing.

“It helped tonight that we were at home, for sure,” Kueffer said. “The way the game played out says a lot about our youth, because we were playing a lot of young guys, and it says a lot about our leadership. So, we were able to hold onto it. Ideally, you’d like to win that game by 20. But I think we learned more from it because we were able to win a close one.”

Providing leadership, as well as 18 points, Friday was senior guard Jase Pavlik. Juniors Caleb Cleverdon and Lucas Marichal added 12 and 10 points respectively.

Coming off the bench to combine for 20 points were freshmen Chase Hastert with 13 and Blaine Durbin with seven.

“These new guys, they’ve been in the system and they’re very skilled,” Pavlik said. “The thing I like about our team is we’re smart. But we’ve got to learn to play in pressure situations. Coach said we had four turnovers at half, and I think we ended up with like 18. After the game we discussed that we haven’t been in that scenario yet.”

“To lose eight guys at a small school, that’s tough,” the Lions’ second-year coach said. “It kind of feels like my first year again because of the new league, the new schedule, playing a lot of the teams for the first time.

“The kids love each other and that makes it easier, but we’re not playing well yet. Once we get it figured out, I think we can be good.”

By Todd Fertig

TopSports.news

The Cair Paravel Latin girls battled to the wire in search of their second win of the season, coming up just short at home against West Franklin 36-33 Friday.

Karsyn Hastert led Cair Paravel with 10 points in Friday's 36-33 Flint Hills League loss to West Franklin. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

First-year coach Jaley Barkley praised the Lions' effort and sees improvement from the eight players suited up.

“We’ve played some tough teams but we’ve learned so much these past couple of games,” Barkley said. “This was one of our first games that was close to the end, so just learning to finish those last couple of minutes in the fourth quarter is huge, being able to push with our small team, just being able to figure out how to finish strong.”

The Lions are navigating the Flint Hills League for the first time, with a small roster and limited experience. Barkley had to juggle the lineup in the final minutes after two players fouled out. But she is happy with the chemistry of the group.

“The girls have grown so much and they are great together,” Barkley said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a struggle (to have just eight players). It’s more of a joy just being able to figure out how to work with these eight girls.”

Freshman London Backman (12) scored seven points Friday in Cair Paravel's 36-33 home loss to West Franklin. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Lions were led Friday by 10 points from junior Karsyn Hastert. Freshman London Backman added seven.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

EMPORIA (0-6, 0-1 Centennial League) at WASHBURN RURAL (4-2, 0-1 Centennial League)

Washburn Rural, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, was off Tuesday after a tough 46-44 Centennial League loss at Hayden last Friday. Sophomore Maddie Vickery led Rural with 15 points against Hayden while senior Kate Hinck added 11 points. Both of Rural's losses have been two-point road losses. Emporia is still looking for its first win after dropping a 66-12 decision to Hays on Tuesday. Game time: 6 p.m.

JUNCTION CITY (1-4, 0-1 Centennial League) at TOPEKA HIGH (3-3, 0-1 Centennial League)

Topeka High is coming off a 56-41 Centennial League loss to undefeated Hayden on Tuesday while Junction City dropped a 93-25 league game to Manhattan. Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton and freshman Hailey Caryl led the Trojans with 11 points apiece against Hayden. Game time: 6 p.m.

KC-TURNER (0-5, 0-4 United Kansas Conference) at TOPEKA WEST (0-6, 0-6 United Kansas Conference)

Topeka West will be looking for its first win of the season Friday against the winless Bears after dropping a 71-29 UKC decision at undefeated and top-ranked Seaman Tuesday night. Turner is coming off a 70-11 loss to Basehor-Linwood Wednesday night. Game time: 5:45 p.m.

WEST FRANKLIN (2-6, 2-3 Flint Hills League) at CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (1-7, 0-4 Flint Hills League)

Cair Paravel is coming off a 69-10 Flint Hills loss to Osage City on Tuesday while West Franklin is coming off a 47-37 league win over Mission Valley. Game time: 6 p.m.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

EMPORIA (4-2, 0-0 Centennial League) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 1-0 Centennial League)

Washburn Rural is coming off a 52-46 home non-league loss to Blue Valley West on Tuesday while Emporia is coming off a 41-36 non-league victory over Hays. Senior Kaden Ballard scored 15 points and hit three 3-pointers for Washburn Rural against Blue Valley West while junior Simon Rowley added 13 points. Game time: 7:30 p.m.

JUNCTION CITY (6-0, 1-0 Centennial League) at TOPEKA HIGH (0-7, 0-1 Centennial League)

Topeka High is coming off a 65-50 Centennial League loss to Hayden on Tuesday while Junction City took a 66-62 league win over Manhattan. Junior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 17 points and hit three 3-pointers against Hayden. Game time: 7:30 p.m.

KC-TURNER (1-6, 0-5 United Kansas Conference) at TOPEKA WEST (4-2, 4-2 United Kansas Conference)

Topeka West will be looking for its third win of the week Friday, with the Chargers coming off a 59-57 come-from-behind United Kansas Conference win over Seaman Tuesday night. West is ranked No. 8 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association while Seaman is No. 7. Junior Keimani Paul scord 17 points and junior Malakyah Duncan 14 points against Seaman, with Duncan hitting the game-winning free throws. Turner is coming off a 77-27 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood Wednesday night. Game time: 7:15 p.m.

WEST FRANKLIN (3-5, 2-4 Flint Hills League) at CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (3-5, 1-3 Flint Hills League)

Cair Paravel is coming off a 61-37 Flint Hills loss to Osage City on Tuesday while West Franklin is coming off a 53-42 league league loss to Mission Valley. Lucas Marichal scored 12 points to lead Cair Paravel in the Lions' loss to Osage City. Game time: 7:30 p.m.