By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Shawnee County teams earned spots in the latest Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association girls state rankings.
Washburn Rural, currently 9-2-0, is ranked No. 2 in Class 6A while Shawnee Heights, 9-1-0, is No. 8 in 5A.
Both Hayden and Cair Paravel Latin are ranked in 4A-1A, with Hayden (7-2-1) No. 3 and Cair Paravel (9-3-0) No. 5.
KHSSCA COACHES POLL
WEEK 5
Records as of April 27
CLASS 6A
1. Blue Valley West 7-1-0
2. Washburn Rural 9-2-0
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys tennis team won the team championship in Saturday's Salina Central Invitational, led by junior doubles champions Miles and Ian Cusick.
The Cusicks, who won their third tournament on the week, took an 8-3 win over Arkansas City in the championship match.
Senior Gavin Chavez and junior Carter Cool posted a third-place finish, bouncing back from a semifinal loss to teammates Cusick and Cusick to win the third-place match.
Sophomore James Maag added a fourth-place finish in singles for the Chargers.
• Topeka West finished second as a team to Wichita Classical in Friday's Emporia Invitational, with Miles and Ian Cusick claiming the championship in an all-West doubles final.
The Cusicks beat teammates Chavez and Cool 8-7 (7-4 in a tiebreaker) for first place.
Maag from Topeka West finished 4th in singles.
Senior Michael Sandstrom and junior Gus Glotzbach finished fifth in doubles for Hayden.
Maag from Topeka West finished 4th in singles.
NEWKIRK JOINS ALL-TIME DISTANCE ELITE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Shawnee Heights star point guard Trey Brown, who helped lead the T-Birds to the Class 5A state championship in 2017, had his heart set on becoming a basketball coach.
But even Brown is surprised that things have happened this quickly, with Cair Paravel Latin announcing the 23-year-old Brown as the Lions' new head boys coach Wednesday night.
"It was actually pretty crazy,'' said Brown, who recently wrapped up his college career at MidAmerica Nazarene University. "Coaching is something I always really wanted to do and I was looking around and really didn't have any plans of being a head coach right away, but I saw the (Cair Paravel) opening on a website. It was where my mom (Kim) had gotten her first coaching job and I saw it and it was kind of a shot in the dark, but I thought I might as well try.
"I ended up meeting with Gary (Cleverdon, CPLS athletic director) and had a good meeting with him and then he offered me the job. Honestly it's just been a blessing. It's something I never expected to happen, and shocked me as well, but I'm happy it did. It's been pretty wild.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake senior pitcher Daigan Kruger threw his first career no-hitter Monday night in a 6-0 Mid-East League first-game win over Riley County.
The Eagles added an 8-5 victory in the second game to complete the sweep.
Kruger went seven innings with five strikeouts while issuing two walks in the Game 1 win and also went 2 for 4 at the plate with a run scored.
Matt Barnes went 2 for 3 with a home run and three runs batted in for the Eagles in the opener while Luke Womack was 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBI and Kaden Walker was 1 of 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Eli Barnes picked up the pitching win in the second game, throwing a complete game while allowing nine hits and three earned runs. Barnes stuck out three batters.
Walker went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI while E. Barnes was 2 for 4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, Kruger 2 for 3 with a run scored and Womack 1 for 4 with an RBI.
With the sweep the Eagles improved to 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the Mid-East League.
Lions' Clark signs with McPherson College
Cair Paravel Latin senior basketball standout Zach Clark signed a college letter of intent with McPherson College on Monday.
Clark, a 6-foot-4 guard, earned second-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honors this past season and was also a first-team All-Kaw Valley League pick.
Clark helped lead the Lions to a 14-5 record.
Hayden improves to 7-0-1 with 4-1 win over Blue Jays
Senior Macy Smith scored two goals to lead the way as Hayden posted a 4-1 Centennial League girls soccer victory at Junction City Monday night.
Junior Jenessa Broxterman and sophomore Jill Lenherr also scored goals for the Wildcats, now 7-0-1 on the season.
Senior Kate Roeder and junior Elaina Wolff were credited with assists.
HAYDEN 4, JUNCTION CITY 1
Hayden 2 2 -- 4
Junction City 1 0 -- 1
Hayden -- Goals: Smith 2, Broxterman, Lenherr. Assists: Roeder, Wolff.
Keys powers Cair Paravel to 7-0 soccer win
Sophomore Katherine Keys scored three goals and also recorded an assist as Cair Paravel Latin improved to 7-3-0 on the season with a 7-0 girls soccer romp past Kansas City Christian Monday.
Junior Sage Schwartz added two goals and two assists for the Lions, who also got goals from freshmen Zahra Lewis and Alexis Gonzalez.
Lewis was also credited with two assists while Sawyer Schwartz had an assist and picked up the shutout in goal for Cair Paravel.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 7, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN 0
Cair Paravel 5 2 -- 7
KC Christian 0 0 -- 0
Cair Paravel -- Goals: Keys 3, Sage Schwartz 2, Lewis, Gonzalez. Assists: Sage Schwartz 2, Lewis 2, Keys, Sawyer Schwartz. Shutout: Sawyer Schwartz.
Seaman golf runner-up in Hays tournament
Seaman's golf team finished second as a team in Monday's Bob Blazer/Hays Invitational on Monday while three city golfers posted top-five finishes.
Viking senior Gavin Wilhelm finished fourth individually with a 78 while Seaman's Tim Biggs and Topeka West's Myles Alonzo tied for fifth with 80s.
Garden City won the team championship by a 312-334 margin over Seaman, with the Buffaloes placing three players in the top seven individually, led by individual medalist Theo Juhl (67).
BOB BLAZER/HAYS INVITATIONAL
Team scores
Garden City 312, Seaman 334, Salina Sacred Heart 340, Dodge City 351, Hays 368, Salina South 371, Liberal 390, Junction City 398, Great Bend 405.
Individual results
1. Juhl, Garden City, 67; 2. Scheck, Dodge City, 76; 3. Koskal, Garden City, 77; 4. Gavin Wilhelm, Seaman, 78; 5. (tie) Tim Biggs, Seaman, and Myles Alonzo, Topeka West, 80; 7. Shook, Garden City, 82; 8. (tie) Elmore, Salina Sacred Heart, and Maddox Xaysongkham, Salina South, 83; 10. Robinson, Dodge City, 84.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin got a pair of goals and an assist from sophomore Katherine Keys as the Lions rolled to a 5-0 win over Heritage Christian on Tuesday.
The Lions, who improved to 4-3, also got goals from Sage Schwartz, Zahra Lewis and Allison Schwarz.
Sawyer Schwartz got the shutout in goal for the Lions.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 5, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 0
Cair Paravel 2 3 -- 5
Heritage Christian 0 0 -- 0
Cair Paravel -- Goals: Keys 2, Sage Schwartz, Lewis, Allison Schwarz Assists: Keys. Shutout – Sawyer Schwartz
Hayden soccer remains unbeaten
Sophomore Jill Lenherr scored the game's only goal off an assist from senior Kate Roeder as Hayden improved to 5-0-1 with a 1-0 non-league victory over Baldwin.
Senior Macy Smith and junior Hannah Schmitz combined for the shutout in goal for the Wildcats.
HAYDEN 1, BALDWIN 0
Hayden 0 1 -- 1
Baldwin 0 0 -- 0
Hayden -- Goal: Lenherr. Assist: Roeder. Shutout: Smith/Schmitz.
Cusicks win doubles title at Goddard
Topeka West juniors Ian and Myles Cusick captured the doubles championship in the Goddard Invitational, topping Andover Central in the championship match.
Senior Gavin Chavez and junior Carter Cool beat McPherson to take third place in doubles for the Chargers.
West sophomore James Maag placed ninth in singles.
The Chargers' next meet is the Topeka West Invitational on April 19 at Kossover Tennis Center.
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The heavy wind gusts couldn’t blow away Tae Thomas as the Topeka High senior had two goals that helped the Lady Trojans defeat Cair Paravel Latin 4-1 at Hummer Sports Park on a frigid Thursday night.
Thomas’ goals were Houdini-like -- a goal from near the Northeast corner and a goal short of midfield -- that had a huge impact on the victory.
“I’m pretty proud of myself today,” Thomas said. “Of course, I have some things to work on. I need to play a bit quicker and find the open teammate more often, but I’m proud of myself for the good things I did do during the game.
“I’m always looking for the open teammate and the open shot.”
The three-sport athlete scored her first goal with 7:49 to go in the first half and her second goal came with 3:09 remaining in the second half.
“(Thomas) just brings so much energy to this team,” Topeka High coach Derek Snook said. “We moved her around in different positions today, just so we could put her in the best situation possible. She’s not a big talker, but her play and energy she brings to the field is something that everyone feeds off of.
“She’s a fantastic leader and today was fantastic for her.”
Besides Thomas’ two goals, midfielders Avery Zimmerman and Haley Carpenter contributed one goal each in the three-goal victory.
In the last two games, the trio of Thomas, Zimmerman and Carpenter have a combined 11 goals. The Lady Trojans as a team in the two-game span have outscored Highland Park and Cair Paravel, 16-1.
Thomas would stand before her teammates after Thursday’s victory and let everyone know how proud she is of the energy everyone played with.
“We knew (Cair Paravel) was going to be a tough game for us,” Thomas said. “I felt like we were more mentally prepared for this game than others. I felt like going against a tough team brought our energy up. We expected everyone to hustle, carry a heavy amount of energy and play our best. I think the energy was a big part of our win.”
Snook agreed with Thomas and thinks this team can go far if the tge Trojans play the way they did on Thursday night.
It took the Lady Trojans 1:01 to get on the board, with Zimmerman converting a penalty kick to give Topeka High the 1-0 lead.
“The early penalty kick gave us a nice advantage since it was so early,” Snook said. “We’ve had an issue so far this year with our shots just barely missing or having other things not go our way early in games. It was nice for us to be in a good situation like that early.
“Having momentum a minute into the game is nice.”
The strong defense for both teams would prevent anyone from coming close to scoring for 29:25 after Zimmerman’s goal.
Cair Paravel would answer back after the early 1-0 Topeka High lead. Freshman Zahra Lewis was able to separate herself from a group of Trojans and win the battle by kicking in the Lions' first goal of the night.
Topeka High regained the lead as Thomas scored her first goal that would slide over defenders' heads far away from where the goalie was.
Carpenter would end the first half with a goal giving the Lady Trojans a two-goal lead heading into the half.
After halftime, goals were harder to come by. The defense by both teams was exceptional and it made it hard for the offense to come up with anything.
Thomas would drill in her second goal from the deep Northeast corner with 3:09 left in the game.
That final goal from Topeka High would be the dagger in an impressive win.
Topeka High (3-2) will face Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park next Tuesday.
TOPEKA 4, CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 1
Cair Paravel 1 0 – 1
Topeka High 3 1 – 4
Goals: Topeka High – Thomas 2, Zimmerman, Carpenter. Cair Paravel – Lewis.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five Shawnee County high school soccer teams received mention in the Week 2 Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association girls state rankings.
Washburn Rural is ranked No.4 in Class 6A after getting the 2022 season off to a perfect 5-0-0 start while Hayden is No. 3 in 4A-1A after starting the year 3-0-1 and Cair Paravel Latin is No. 8 in 4A-1A at 3-2-0.
Topeka High received votes in the 6A poll while Shawnee Heights received votes in 5A.
KHSSCA COACHES POLL WEEK 2
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville's softball team ran its record to 6-0 Tuesday night with an 11-0, 17-0 Mid-East League doubleheader sweep over Riley County.
Sophomore Kinsey Perine homered in both games while sophomore Ryan Leathers also had a pair of homers on the day.
Perine homered and had two runs batted in for the Bulldawgs in the 11-0 first-game victory while sophomore Emma Mitchell went 2-2 with two RBI.
Vanesa Quinones improved to 3-0 on the season with the shutout pitching performance, recording five strikeouts.
The Lady Dawgs wrapped up the sweep with a 17-0 win in the nightcap.
Mitchell went 4 for 5 with a double and a triple while Perine went 4 for 5 with her homer and a triple.
Brinley Dyche moved to 3-0 with the pitching victory, recording five strikeouts.
Hayden soccer blanks Tonganoxie, 6-0
Hayden improved to 3-0-1 on the season with a 6-0 non-league road romp Tuesday at Tonganoxie.
The Wildcats opened up a 2-0 halftime advantage and turned the game into a rout with four second-half goals.
Hayden got a pair of goals from junior Sloane Sims while junior Jenessa Broxterman, senior Macy Smith and sophomore Jill Lenherr also scored goals. The Wildcats' sixth goal came on a Tonganoxie own goal.
Sophomore Mary Burenheide contributed a pair of assists while seniors Riley Schmidtlein, Elizabeth Dunshee and Kate Roeder were also credited with assists.
Smith and sophomore Hannah Schmitz combined for the shutout in goal.
HAYDEN 6, TONGANOXIE 0
Hayden 2 4 -- 6
Tonganoxie 0 0 -- 0
Hayden -- Goals: Sims 2, Broxterman, Smith, Lenherr, own goal. Assists: Burenheide 2, Schmidtlein, Dunshee, Roeder. Shutout: Smith, Schmitz.
Lions' Everhart signs with Baker
Cair Paravel Latin soccer standout Ethan Everhart signed a college letter of intent with Baker University on Tuesday.
Everhart received first-team All-City recognition last fall and also received All-Shawnee County honorable mention in basketbal this past season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's boys golf team put five players in the top 10 en route to winning the Salina Central Invitational by 27 strokes Monday at Salina Municipal.
Seniors Gavin Wilhelm, Jake Moss and Tim Biggs placed 3-4-5 individually to pace the Vikings while sophomore Zach Weir finished seventh and senior Taylor Tenperry ninth.
Wilhelm shot a 72, followed by Moss with a 74, Biggs with a 76, Weir with a 79 and Tenpenny with an 81.
Freshman Bradley Williamson rounded out Seaman's lineup with an 89, tying for 18th place.
SALINA CENTRAL INVITATIONAL
Team scores
Seaman 301, Hutchinson 328, Salina South 331, Emporia 332, Newton 362, Salina Central 368, Hays 385.
Individual resullts
1. Adkins, Hutchinson, 64; 2. Sauder, Emporia, 68; 3. Wilhelm, Seaman, 72; 4. Moss, Seaman, 74; 5. (tie) Biggs, Seaman, and Sauder, Emporia, 76; 7. Weir, Seaman, 79; 8. Perry, Salina South, 80; 9. (tie) Tenpenny, Seaman, and Xaysongkham, Salina South, 81.
Other Seaman -- T18. Williamson, 89.
CAIR PARAVEL SOCCER BLANKS WARD, 10-0
Sophomore Katherine Keys scored four goals to lead the way as Cair Paravel Latin stretched its winning streak to three games with a 10-0 romp past Bishop Ward.
The Lions, who improved to 3-2, also got two goals apiece from junior Sage Schwartz and freshman Clara Boyd while sophomore Emma Keller and sophomore Corinne Stapleton also scored goals for the Lions.
Keller and freshman Zahra Lewis were credited with two assists each while Stapleton and freshman Shay Lowery also had assists and freshman Sawyer Schwartz picked up the shutout in goals.
Cair Paravel took a 7-0 lead in the first half added three goals in the second hallf to end the game.
CAIR PARAVEL 10, BISHOP WARD 0
Bishop Ward 0 0 -- 0
Cair Paravel 7 3 -- 10
Cair Paravel -- Goals: Keys 4, Sage Schwartz 2, Boyd 2, Keller, Stapleton. Assists: Lewis 2, Keller 2, Stapleton, Lowry. Shutout – Sawyer Schwartz
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's Elijah Brooks a 6-foot-4 senior, and Seaman 6-5 senior Ty Henry have been named to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Class 5A first team.
Brooks, the Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year, helped lead the Chargers to a 5A state tournament berth and a 21-2 record overall, while Henry helped lead the Vikings to an 18-7 record and Seaman's first-ever boys state basketball championship.
Brooks and Henry were two of nine Shawnee County boys players to receive all-state recognition from the KBCA, including six players in 5A.
Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts earned second-team All-5A recognition after helping the Scots advance to the 5A state tournament while Highland Park junior Bo Aldridge, Seaman junior Kaeden Bonner and Viking senior Mateo Hyman received honorable mention.
Hayden junior Joe Otting earned second-team All-4A honors after helping lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish in the 4A state tournament while Wildcat senior Trent Duffey received honorable mention.
Cair Paravel Latin senior Noah Hastert received second-team recognition in 1A Division I.
KBCA BOYS ALL-STATE BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin's girls soccer team cruised to its second straight victory on Thursday, taking a 7-0 decision over Maranatha Academy at the Sunflower Soccer Complex.
Sophomores Katherine Keys and Corinne Stapleton and freshman Zara Lewis all scored two goals for the Lions, who evened their record at 2-2, while senior Sage Schwartz also had a goal for Cair Paravel.
Sage Schwartz was also credited with two assists and Keys one assist.
Freshman Sawyer Schwartz posted the shutout in goal for Cair Paravel.
Cair Paravel opened up a 3-0 lead at the half before adding four games after the break to turn the game into a rout.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 7, MARANATHA ACADEMY 0
Cair Paravel (2-2) 3 4 -- 7
Maranatha 0 0 -- 0
Cair Paravel -- Goals: Keys 2, Lewis 2, Stapleton 2, Sage Schwartz. Assists: Sage Schwartz, Keys. Shutout: Sawyer Schwartz.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's a long way to go in the 2022 high school girls soccer season, but Hayden certainly can't complain about its start.
The Wildcats played for the second time in three days Friday at the Sunflower Soccer Complex, with Hayden improving to 2-0 with a 2-0 shutout victory over Cair Paravel Latin.
"It makes me really optimistic for the rest of the season,'' Hayden senior Elizabeth Dunshee said. "I have high hopes and it gives me a lot of confidence to have two wins under our belt.
"I think it's just working together as a team and connecting passes. I think we have the talent. We just have to make sure we're using it and finishing on the opportunities we get in front of the goal.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a record-setting season for Topeka West, Charger 6-foot-4 senior Elijah Brooks headlines the TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County boys basketball team while Class 5A state champion Seaman put three players on the Top 10.
Brooks was tapped as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading Topeka West to a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight state tournament berth while becoming West's single-season and career leading scorer during the 2021-2022 season.
Brooks put together a string of 30-point-plus games this past season with a high of 43 points while averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.
Seaman, which won the first boys state basketball championship in school history, is represented on the Top 10 by 6-5 senior Ty Henry, 6-1 senior Mateo Hyman and 6-1 junior Kaeden Bonner while 6-5 senior Gavin Wilhelm was named the city newcomer of the year after the 18-7 Vikings ended the season with an 11-game winning streak, capped by a 66-47 win over De Soto in the Class 5A state championship game.
Henry scored a team-high 15 points a game for the Vikings and also averaged 4.8 rebounds while Hyman averaged 14.2 points and 3.9 assists and Bonner 13.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals while hitting a city-high 64 3-pointers and shooting 45 percent from deep.
Wilhelm was a key contributor for the Vikings after bouncing back from an injury his junior season, shooting 44 percent from 3-point range while canning 42 treys and also pulling down 4.4 rebounds a game.
Seaman's Craig Cox, who notched his third state championship as a head coach, was named the Shawnee County coach of the year. Cox led the Vikings to the 2022 state title after previously coaching a pair of state championship teams at Shawnee Heights in 2000 and 2002.
Topeka West, which went 21-2 on the season, including a 20-game win streak, is also represented on the Top 10 by 6-1 junior guard Sincere Austin, who was also a key player on the Chargers' 5A state runner-up team in 2021.
Austin averaged 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals as a junior while connecting on 32 3-pointers.
Highland Park (18-5), which qualified for the 5A state tournament, put 6-0 senior Juan'Tario Roberts and 6-4 junior Bo Aldridge on the all-county Top 10, while 4A state qualifier Hayden is represented by 6-5 junior Joe Otting
Aldridge ranked No. 2 in the city in scoring with an 18.7 average and also averaged 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocked shots while Roberts averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 assists and hit 39 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-poiint range.
Otting helped lead Hayden to a fourth-place finish in the 4A state tournament and earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors in basketball after also being an all-county pick in football last fall.
Cair Paravel Latin 6-6 senior Noah Hastert and Washburn Rural 6-2 junior Jack Bachelor round out the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, with Hastert averaging 15.9 points, a city-high 11.3 rebounds, a city-best 5.0 assists and tying Aldridge for city-high honors with 2.3 blocked shots per game while Bachelor averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and hit 44 3-pointers while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. Hastert also earned all-county honors in football last fall.
The all-county Second 10 includes senior Carter Olson and sophomore Brennon Dodge of Shawnee Heights, Cair Paravel senior Zach Clark, Hayden senior Trent Duffey and junior Jake Muller, Highland Park junior Tre Richardson, Rossville junior Kade Perine, Seaman junior Aron Davis, Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff and Washburn Rural senior Quincey Kidd.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three members of Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural earned Top 10 berths on the TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County girls basketball team while Topeka High junior Kiki Smith was named the county player of the year after leading Topeka High to the Centennial League championship and a 6A state tournament berth.
Smith, also the Centennial League player of the year, averaged 18 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.1 steals this past season while connecting on 49 3-pointers.
Washburn Rural 6-foot-2 junior Brooklyn DeLeye and 5-11 senior Emma Krueger earned first-team All-Shawnee County spots for the second straight season after leading the Junior Blues to a 23-2 record and the Junior Blues' second state championship since 2019.
DeLeye averaged 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals for Washburn Rural while Krueger was a defensive stopper and averaged 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals and was also a key player on the Junior Blues' 2019 championship team.
Zoe Canfield, a 5-11 sophomore, also garnered a Top 10 all-county berth for the Junior Blues while Rural's Kevin Bordewick was named the county coach of the year after earning his second state basketball championship as a head coach and his ninth title overall.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
HAILEY BECK, Washburn Rural
Beck, a junior goalkeeper, helped 17-3-1 Washburn Rural win the Centennial League championship and finish third in the Class 6A state tournament last season, earning All-Shawnee County first-team recognition. Beck posted 12 shutouts a year ago while earning All-Class 6A and All-Centennial League honorable mention.
ABBY DODD, Hayden
Dodd, a senior defender, earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season and was also an All-Centennial League first-team selection for the Wildcats. Dodd helped the Wildcats post a 10-8-0 record in the 2021 season.
TATUM HOGE, Shawnee Heights
Hoge, a senior goalkeeper, earned a berth on the All-Shawnee County first team last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 10-7-1 record. Hoge has signed with Fort Hays State.
BELLE KENNEDY, Washburn Rural
A senior midfielder, Kennedy was a first-team All-Class 6A and All-Shawnee County pick as a junior after helping lead Washburn Rural to a 17-3-1 record, the Centennial League championship and a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Also an All-Centennial League pick, Kennedy led Rural with 17 goals and 12 assists and was named the 6A midfielder of the year. Kennedy has signed with Washburn University.
KATHERINE KEYS, Cair Paravel Latin
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin seniors Zach Clark, Noah Hastert and Jaley Barkley have received first-team All-Kaw Valley Conference basketball honors.
Clark and Hastert were named to the all-conference boys first team while Barkley was a first-team girls pick.
Cair Paravel senior Lauren Drum was a second-team girls all-conference selection while sophomore Allison Schwarz received honorable mention.
On the boys side, Lion seniors Ethan Everhart and Carter Brian both received honorable mention.
ALL-KAW VALLEY CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.newsclass
Hayden's boys basketball team continued its late-season turnaround with is biggest win of the season Saturday afternoon, with the No. 12-seeded Wildcats punching their ticket to next week's Class 4A state tournament in Salina with a 52-37 road win at No. 4 seed Wamego.in a sub-state final.
"Wamego's a very talented team,'' Hayden first-year coach Dwayne Paul said. "They shoot the ball at a high rate and it was going to be extremely important for us to guard the bounce.
"We guarded very well today and we rebounded very well and that kind of kept us in it until our offense kind of picked up towards the end of the first (half) going into the second. We kind of made a run there and did some good things.''
Saturday's win came on the heels of a 53-43 overtime sub-state semifinal victory at No. 5 Holton.
Hayden was 3-12 in mid-February, but has won six of its last seven games, including five straight.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Parirings were released Saturday for next week's sub-state high school basketball tournaments, with five Shawnee County teams earning home court advantage through Class 6A and 5A sub-states.
Topeka High and Washburn Rural earned home court in the 6A girls ranks while the Topeka West and Highland Park boys and Seaman girls could stay at home through 5A sub-state competition.
The top-ranked Silver Lake girls will be at home to host a 3A sub-state.
Here's a sub-state look at tournaments involving Shawnee County teams:
CLASS 6A GIRLS
West sub-state No. 2 -- Topeka High, which will be shooting for a fourth straight state tournment berth, will open postseason at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with the 18-2 Trojans hosting Centennial League rival Junction City (2-17) in a semifinal.
With a win the No. 2-seeded Trojans, the state runner-up last season, will advance to a Friday championship game to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 7 West seed Liberal (14-6) and No. 10 Wichita South (8-12).
West sub-state No. 3 -- Washburn Rural, the No. 3 seed in the West with an 18-2 record, will host No. 14 Garden City (3-17) in a 6 p.m. semifinal Tuesday.
The winner of that game will advance to a Friday sub-state championship game to face the winner of the semifinal contest between No. 6 seed Hutchinson (16-4) and No. 11 Manhattan (8-12).
Washburn Rural won the 6A state championship in 2019.
CLASS 6A BOYS
West sub-state No. 3 -- Topeka High, the No. 14 seed at 4-16, will go on the road Wednesday for a 6 p.m. sub-state semifinal against No. 3 Dodge City (17-3).
The winner of that game will advance to a Saturday final to meet the winner of the semifinal between No. 6 Wichita Southeast (12-8) and No. 11 Washburn Rural (8-12).
West sub-state No. 3 -- Washburn Rural, the No. 11 seed in the west at 8-12, will open its postseason bid at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the road at No. 6 Wichita Southeast (12-8).
The winner of that semifinal will advance to a Saturday sub-state championship game to take on the winner of the semifinal between No. 3 Dodge City (17-3) and No. 14 Topeka High (4-16).
CLASS 5A GIRLS
East sub-state No. 2 -- Shawnee Heights, the No. 7 seed at 10-10, will be at home for a 7 p.m. Wednesday semifinal to face No. 10 Mill Valley (6-12).
The winner of that game will advance to a Saturday final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Lansing (17-3) and No. 15 Piper (3-16).
With a semifinal win Lansing will host the sub-state final.
East sub-state No. 3 -- Highland Park (4-16) is the No. 14 seed and will travel to Spring Hill to face No. 3 seed Spring Hill (14-6) in a 7 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday.
The winner of that game will move on to a Saturday championship game to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 6 Sumner Academy (10-10) and No. 11 Leavenworth (7-13).
West sub-state No. 4 -- Seaman is the No. 4 seed at 15-5 and will be looking for its third straight 5A state tournament berth. The Vikings will be at home Wednesday for a 6 p.m. semifinal against No. 13 Salina South (7-13).
The winner will advance to Saturday's sub-state final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 5 Andover Central (15-5) and No. 12 Eisenhower (7-13).
CLASS 5A BOYS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TOPEKA WEST (2-17, 2-13) at TOPEKA HIGH (17-2, 14-1)
Topeka High has already clinched a share of the Centennial League championship and can clinch the title outright with a win Friday. Topeka High is coming off a 59-53 non-league loss to perennial state power Bishop Miege while Topeka West is coming off a 47-36 league loss at Highland Park. Senior Tae Thomas led Topeka High with 17 points against Miege while junior Azaryah Duncan and sophomore Zoe Clark led Topeka West with 11 points each against Highland Park.
WASHBURN RURAL (17-2, 13-2) at HIGHLAND PARK (4-15, 2-13)
Washburn Rural is coming off a 61-14 Centennial League romp at Junction City while Highland Park has won back-to-back league games, including a 47-36 home win over Topeka West on Tuesday. Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 15 points against Topeka West while sophomore Victoria Reed and freshman Amelia Ramsey added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore Zoe Canfield paced Washburn Rural against Junction City with 19 points.
EMPORIA (15-4, 11-4) at SEAMAN (14-5, 12-4)
Seaman, which has won four straight games and seven of its last eight, faces a tough battle in it regular-season finale, with the No. 6-ranked Vikings (Class 5A) facing off against No. 4-ranked Emporia (5A). Seaman is coming off a 47-40 Centennial League win over Manhattan while Emporia took a 39-21 league win over Hayden in its last game. Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer and freshman Anna Becker scored 21 and 15 points for Seaman against Manhattan. Gracie Gilpin scored 12 points to pace Emporia against Hayden.
TROY (8-12) at CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (11-7)
Cair Paravel is the first Shawnee County team to open postseason play, hosting Troy in a Class 1A Division I playoff opener. Cair Paravel wrapped up its regular season with a 45-24 win over Bishop Seabury and the Lions have won seven of their last eight games. Troy is coming off a 56-24 loss to Hanover.
HAYDEN (10-9, 7-8) at MANHATTAN (7-12, 6-9)
Both teams are coming off Centennial League losses, with Hayden dropping a 39-21 decision to Emporia and Manhattan falling to Seaman, 47-40. Hayden struggled on the offensive end against Emporia, with senior Macy Smith leading the Wildcats with six points.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (10-9, 4-5) at BASEHOR-LINWOOD (12-7, 7-2)
Both teams are coming off lopsided wins over Turner, with Basehor-Linwood taking a 57-8 United Kansas Conference win over the Bears on Tuesday and Shawnee Heights taking a 50-10 UKC win in a Wednesday makeup game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer and freshman Anna Becker combined for 36 points Tuesday night as Seaman's girls basketball team posted its fourth straight win, taking a 49-40 Centennial League decision at Manhattan.
Stallbaumer led the Vikings with 21 points while Becker added 15 as Seaman improved to 14-5 overall and 12-4 in the Centennial League.
Manhattan (7-12, 6-9) led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter but the Vikings took control with a 20-5 second quarter, building a 28-15 halftime advantage.
Manhattan outscored Seaman 25-21 in the second half, but it wasn't enough for the Indians to overcome their halftime deficit.
Seaman, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will close out its regular season on Friday at home against No. 4-ranked (5A) Emporia.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 61, JUNCTION CITY 14 -- Washburn Rural, ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, improved to 17-2 overall and 13-2 in the Centennial League with Tuesday's 61-14 league win at Junction City.
Sophomore Zoe Canfield powered Washburn Rural early and finished with 19 points, one of 10 players to crack the scoring column for the Junior Blues.
Canfield was the lone Rural player in double figures as the Junior Blue starters left the game midway through the third quarter. Senior Campbell Bagshaw and sophomore Jada Ingram added eight points each and senior Trenna Whitmore seven points for Rural.
Junction City fell to 2-17, 2-14.
Washburn Rural will finish its regular season at Highland Park on Friday.
Page 14 of 21