Cair Paravel Lions

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Sophomore Brennon Dodge scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers as Shawnee Heights rode a big fourth quarter to a 56-46 non-league road victory Tuesday night over Tonganoxie, which is No. 10-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

Tonganoxie (8-6) led 31-29 at the half and took a 42-38 advantage into the fourth quarter before Shawnee Heights, which improved to 10-2, took control with an 18-4 scoring edge over the final eight minutes.

 Shawnee Heights senior Brennon Dodge scored 19 points with five 3-pointers in the T-Birds' 56-46 win at Tonganoxie Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

Senior point guard Jarin Sanders added 10 points for Shawnee Heights and senior Carter Olson scored nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds while hitting all three of his free throw attempts.

Tonganoxie (8-6) had three double-figure scorers in the loss.

Shawnee Heights will host De Soto on Friday.

HIGHLAND PARK 55, EMPORIA 53 -- Highland Park, ranked No. 4 in 5A by the KBCA, survived its second straight two-point Centennial League decision Tuesday night, taking a 55-53 road victory at Emporia.

The Scots also had a two-point game last Friday, topping Hayden, 62-60.

Highland Park will travel to Seaman on Friday.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 76, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN 53 -- Cair Paravel Latin improved to 10-3 on the season, posting a 76-53 victory over Kansas City Christian.

Senior Noah Hastert powered the Lions to the victory, scoring 20 points.

Cair Paravel will travel to Marais des Cynges Valley on Friday.

OSAGE CITY 76, SILVER LAKE 59 -- Osage City, which is No. 8-ranked in 3A by the KBCA, took control with a 26-10 first quarter Tuesday night and never looked back, improving to 14-1 on the season.

Silver Lake, which fell to 5-8, was much more competitive the rest of the way, with Osage holding just a 50-49 scoring edge over the final three quarters, but the early deficit was too much for the Eagles to overcome.

Senior Carson Johnson scored a career-high 18 points for Silver Lake while junior Kamryn Kaniper added 11 points.

Junior Landon Bass scored 30 points for Osage City.

Silver Lake will travel to St. Marys on Friday.

ST. MARYS 67, ROSSVILLE 38 -- St. Marys, ranked No. 2 in 2A by the KBCA, improved to 10-3 with Tuesday night's decisive victory over Rossville.

Rossville, which fell to 2-12 on the season, got 18 points from junior Kade Perine while Francesco Patrizi added 10 points.

The Bulldawgs will travel to Wabaunsee on Friday.

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

MANHATTAN (4-8, 3-5) at SEAMAN (8-4, 6-3)

Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer was named to the Capital City Classic all-tournament team after helping lead Seaman to a third-place finish. [File photo/TSN]

Seaman is coming off a third-place finish in last week's Capital City Classic, taking sandwiching wins over Shawnee Mission North and Shawnee Mission East around semifinal loss to Wichita Heights. The Vikings closed out their tournament appearance with a 61-32 win over SM East on Saturday. Viking sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer was named to the all-tournament team. Manhattan is coming off a 69-59 loss to Clearwater.

 EMPORIA (10-3, 6-3) at HAYDEN (7-4, 5-3)

Emporia won its Glacier's Edge Invitational title last week while Hayden finished second in the Top Gun Invitational at Wellsville. Emporia closed out its tournament championship with a 64-35 win over Great Bend on Saturday while Hayden dropped a 55-47 decision to state-ranked Spring Hill (5A) in the Top Gun final. Sophomore Lauren Sandstrom led Hayden with 14 points against Spring Hill while senior Carly Stuke added 13 points and senior Macy Smith 12 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (6-5) at TONGANOXIE (5-7)

Shawnee Heights finished 1-2 in last week's Glacier's Edge Invitational at Emporia, posting a 52-39 win over Wichita South on Saturday. Tonganoxie has won three straight games, including a 37-33 win over Piper on Friday. Shawnee Heights was ranked No. 9 in Class 5A in last week's Kansas Basketball Coaches Association state rankings.

Topeka High's girls are 12-0 on the season after winning last week's Capital City Classic with a 65-57 win over Wichita Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

TOPEKA HIGH (12-0, 9-0) at JUNCTION CITY (2-9, 2-6)

Topeka High won the Capital City Classic on its home floor Saturday, with the Trojans taking a 65-57 win over Wichita Heights in the tournament championship game. Topeka High junior Kiki Smith and senior Tae Thomas were both hamed to the all-tournament team. Smith scored 20 points and Thomas 19 in the championship game to cap the Trojans' 3-0 week.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (6-6) at KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN (2-10 )

Cair Paravel Latin has won four of its last five games, including two straight. The Lions are coming off a 36-27 road victory over Maranatha Academy on Friday. Senior Jaley Barkley scored 20 points to lead the Lions.

SILVER LAKE (11-1) at OSAGE CITY (6-8)

Silver Lake improved to 11-1 with a 51-13 road win at Sabetha while Osage City is coming off a 46-40 loss to Santa Fe Trail. Junior Taylor Ross led Silver Lake with 15 points against Sabetha while sophomore sophomore Makenzie McDaniel had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

ROSSVILLE (7-6)) at ST. MARYS (5-7)

Rossville won the tournament championship in the Jefferson County North Invitational, including a 57-41 win over the host team in the championship game. St. Marys is coming off a 53-51 overtime loss to Atchison County. Senior Caylee Douglas led the Bulldawgs with 14 points against Jefferson County North while sophomore Kinley Porter added 13 points with three 3-pointers and sophomore Kinsey Perine had 12 points with a pair of 3s. Sophomore Emma Mitchell scored eight points Saturday and was named to the all-tournament team along with Perine.

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

TOPEKA WEST (12-1, 8-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (6-6, 5-3)

Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks has scored 30 or more points in five straight games and became West's career-leading scorer in last Friday's 74-58 win over Seaman. [File photo/TSN

Topeka West avenged its only loss of the season on Friday, taking a 74-58 win over Seaman, as the Chargers protected their share of the Centennial League lead with their 11th straight win. Senior Elijah Brooks scored 33 points, his fifth straight game of at least 30 points, and Brooks became West's career scoring leader. Washburn Rural played a rare Saturday night Centennial League game, evening its record with a 51-45 league win at Emporia. 

JUNCTION CITY (9-3, 6-2) at SEAMAN (7-5, 6-3)

Seaman will try to bounce back from Friday's 74-58 loss at Topeka West, but faces a tough test against the Blue Jays, who are coming off a 77-57 home Centennial League win over Topeka High. The Blue Jays took an 80-63 win over the Vikings in the season-opener. Senior Gavin Wilhelm paced Seaman with 14 points against Topeka West while senior Mateo Hyman and juniors Kaeden Bonner and Aron Davis added 10 points apiece.

MANHATTAN (3-9, 2-6) at TOPEKA HIGH (2-11, 2-7)

Topeka High picked up its second win earlier in the week (53-49 over Hayden in overtime) before falling 77-57 at Junction City Friday night in a Centennial League contest. Manhattan is coming off a 70-34 league loss to Seaman last Tuesday.

Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts scored the game-winning basket in the Scots' 62-60 win at Hayden last Friday. [File photo/TSN]

HIGHLAND PARK (11-2, 8-1) at EMPORIA (2-10, 1-8)

Juan'Tario Roberts scored the game-winning basket with five seconds remaining to take a 62-60 win at Hayden Friday night while Emporia is coming off a 51-45 league loss to Washburn Rural on Saturday. Junior Tre Richardson scored 19 points for Highland Park against Hayden while junior Ketraleus Aldridge scored 15 points, junior Jahmir Kingcannon 13 and Roberts 12. Parker Leeds scored 18 points and River Peters 16 for the Spartans in the loss to Washburn Rural.

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (9-2) at TONGANOXIE (8-5)

Shawnee Heights has been off since dropping a 71-34 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest in the championship game of the Vikings Classic on Jan. 22. Tonganoxie  took a 63-60 win over Olathe Heritage Christian Academy last Tuesday. Senior Carter Olson led Shawnee Heights with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Shawnee Mission Northwest while senior Jarin Sanders also scored 10 points.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (9-3) at KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN (8-4)

Cair Paravel Latin is coming off a 74-63 road win over Maranatha Academy last Friday night. Senior Noah Hastert scored 26 points and grabbed 24 rebounds for the Lions against Maranatha while senior Zach Clark added 21 points and had 11 rebounds.

SILVER LAKE (5-7) at OSAGE CITY (13-1)

Silver Lake is coming off a 49-40 loss to Sabetha on Friday while Osage City took a 70-37 victory over Santa Fe Trail. Kamryn Kaniper scored 15 points and Troy Heiman for the Eagles in the loss to Sabetha.

ROSSVILLE (2-11) at ST. MARYS (9-3)

Rossville went 1-2 in the Oskaloosa tournament, ending the tournament with a 45-33 loss to Jefferson County North. St. Marys went 1-2 in the Topeka Invitational Tournament against Class 6A and 5A competition, posting a win over Topeka High before dropping games to tournament champion Topeka West and Highland Park.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Senior Juan'Tario Roberts scored with five seconds left to give Highland Park's boys a 62-60 Centennial League road win at Hayden Friday night.

Roberts' game-winning hoop capped a game that saw notable individual performances by players on both teams.

Juan'Tario Roberts

Junior Tre Richardson tied for game-high scoring honors with 19 points for Highland Park while junior Ketraleus Aldridge added 15 points, junior Jahmir Kingcannon 13 points with three 3-pointers and Roberts with 12 points.

Hayden had four players with at least nine points, led by junior Joe Otting, who tied Richardson for game-high honors with 19 points. Senior Trent Duffey scored 16 points with a pair of 3-pointers for the Wildcats while senior Peyton Bartlett added 11 points with three 3-pointers and junior Jake Muller nine points.

Highland Park doubled up Hayden 20-10 in the opening quarter and still led by a 37-29 margin at halftime but Hayden got within 46-45 at the end of the third quarter with a 16-9 third quarter and the game went down to the wire.

ROSSVILLE GIRLS 49, NEK SAINTS 34 -- Sophomores Kinsey Perine and Emma Mitchell combined for 29 points as Rossville took a 49-34 win over the NEK Saints Friday night in the Jefferson County North Invitational.

Kinsey Perine

Emma Mitchell

Perine paced the Bulldawgs with 17 points while Mitchell added 12 points as Rossville advanced to Saturday's 3 p.m. championship game to face Jefferson County North.

NEK built an 11-5 first-quarter lead over the Bulldawgs and led 24-23 at halftime before Rossville outscored the Saints 26-10 in the second half, including a 16-5 fourth quarter.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN BOYS 74, MARANATHA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 63 -- Senior Noah Hastert scored 26 points and grabbed 24 rebounds and senior Zach Clark added 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Cair Paravel Latin boys posted a 74-63 road win over Maranatha Academy Friday night.

Noah Hastert

Zach Clark

Maranatha came out firing, scoring all 15 of their first-quarter points on five 3-pointers, and finished with 11 treys on the night.

 By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

Turnovers and foul trouble were the achilles heel for the Cair Paravel Latin boys in a 67-41 home loss to Bishop Ward on Tuesday night.

Lion standouts Carter Brian, Noah Hastert and Zach Clark all were in significant foul trouble early in the first quarter.

The three starters picked up two fouls each before the first quarter ended. Bishop Ward was able to draw four charges in the first quarter, which had an impact on the Lions’ foul troubles early in the contest.

Bishop Ward’s interior offense dominated in the first quarter along with the Cyclones' defense in the paint.

“We have got to get tough,'' Cair Paravel coach Mike Malloy said. "We were bullied with a lot of bodies on us.''

Bishop Ward had the hot hand all night long on Tuesday, with the Cyclones hitting seven 3-point shots against the Lions.

Lorenzo Hernandez, shooting a free throw, scored 17 points for Bishop Ward in the Cyclones' 67-41 win over Cair Paravel Tuesday night. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

Three of those long-range shots were from Lorenzo Hernandez, who led the Cyclones with 17 points on the night.

Cair Paravel had a difficult night defending the Cyclones' key bench contributors as Bishop Ward had 36 points off of the bench. Hernandez, Chris Galloway, and TJ Maddox were the main catalysts from the Cyclone bench.

“You have to play through those kinds of things,'' Malloy said. "We have to play better defense. We have to suck it up. If you can’t do anything else, you better play defense.''

The second quarter was the worst chapter in Tuesday night’s book for Cair Paravel, with the Lions outscored 24-3 in the quarter. Seventy-five percent of the 24 points scored by the Cyclones were from the bench. Pressing defense by Bishop Ward created easy fastbreak opportunities that spread the floor out.

“We didn’t protect the paint,'' Malloy said. "That’s where (Bishop Ward) got a good amount of offense against us. We weren’t committing to the switches. People would holler switch, but the other guy wouldn’t. Next thing you know (the Cyclones) were getting layups instead of forcing things out of the paint.''

While the Cair Paravel defense struggled, some parts of the Lions’ offense thrived.

Clark led the Lions with 17 points and Ethan Everhart had 10 points.

The Lions want to completely erase Tuesday night’s contest out of their memory.

“We have to forget about the night. It’s done, so we have to forget about that. I’ve pretty much already forgotten about it,” said Malloy.

The (6-3) Lions will travel to (3-4) Maranatha Christian Academy to take on the Eagles on Friday night.

BiSHOP WARD BOYS 67, CAIR PARAVEL BOYS 41

Bishop Ward 19 24 16 8 – 67

Cair Paravel  14 3 10 14 – 41

Bishop Ward (7-2) – Hernandez 6 2-2 17, Campbell 4 1-2 9, Rector 3 1-2 9, Pickens 3 1-2 8, Galloway 3 0-1 6, Maddox 3 0-0 6, Brown 2 1-3 5, Jones 1 0-0 3, Holmes 1 0-0 2, Braden 0 2-2 2.

Cair Paravel (6-3) – Clark 6 5-6 17, E. Everhart 3 2-2 10, Hastert 3 0-2 6, Pavlik 1 1-1 3, Gossard 0 2-2 2, Will 0 2-2 2 S. Everhart 0 1-2 1.

 3-point goals -- Cair Paravel 2, Bishop Ward 7. Total fouls -- Cair Paravel 18, Bishop Ward 22.

WasRelated Stories and Videos

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin had to put in extra work, but the end result was the boys championship in the McLouth Invitational.

The Lions were forced to overtime in Saturday's championship game before taking a 73-71 victory over Pleasant Ridge.

Cair Paravel's boys basketball team posed for a team picture with the championship trophy after winning the McLouth Invitational with a 73-71 overtime win over Pleasant Ridge on Saturday. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]

Cair Paravel, which improved to 8-2, rode the one-two punch of seniors Noah Hastert and Zach Clark combining for 50 points while Ethan Everhart also cracked double figures for the Lions, finishing with 11 points.

Saturday's game was tight throughout, with the Lions leading 15-14 at the end of the opening quarter before Pleasant Ridge knotted the game at halftime, 31-31.

Cair Paravel led 49-47 at the end of the third quarter before Pleasant Ridge forced overtime with a 17-15 fourth quarter.

The Lions outscored the Rams 9-7 in the extra session to pull out the win.

Pleasant Ridge got 15 points from senior Justin Johnston while seniors Braeden Howard and Devin Stutz added 14 points and senior Walker Adams 12.

McPHERSON BOYS 72, SEAMAN 68 --Seaman junior Kaeden Bonner scored 24 points on eight 3-pointers, but host McPherson held on for a 72-68 win in the third-place game of the McPherson Invitational.

Senior Ty Henry added 14 points and junior Aron Davis 12 for the Vikings, who fell to 6-4 on the season.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Sophomore Zoe Canfield hit six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points Friday night as No. 7-ranked Washburn Rural rolled to a decisive 58-32 Centennial League win at Emporia.

The Junior Blues, who improved to 9-1 overall and 8-1 in the league, capped a 3-0 week in impressive fashion, putting the No. 6-ranked (Class 5A) Spartans away by halftime on the way to their fourth straight victory.

Washburn Rural sophomore Zoe Canfield hit six 3-pointers and led all scorers with 20 points as Rural improved to 9-1 with a 58-32 win at Emporia Friday night. [FIle photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural bolted out to a 17-7 first-quarter advantage behind Canfield's four 3-pointers and the Junior Blues took a 32-15 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Rural's lead grew to 42-19 by the end of the third quarter and the Junior Blues outscored the Spartans 16-13 down the stretch.

Canfield was one of three Junior Blues in double figures, with junior Brooklyn DeLeye adding 14 points with a pair of 3-pointers and senior Emma Krueger finishing with 10 points.

Gracie Gilpin led Emporia (7-3, 6-3) with 13 points and three 3s while Rebecca Snyder added 10 points as the Spartans had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Friday's Rural win followed a win over 2021 Class 6A state champion Shawnee Mission Northwest on Wednesday and a win over Topeka West on Tuesday.

JUNCTION CITY BOYS 61, WASHBURN RURAL 57 (OT) -- The battle between the two Centennial League rivals went down to the wire, with Junction City outscoring Washburn Rural 9-5 in overtime to take the victory in Friday's semifinals of the Basehor-Linwood Invitational.

Junction City, ranked ninth in 6A, led 16-13 at the end of the opening quarter but Rural responded with a 20-12 second quarter to take a 33-28 halftime lead.

The Blue Jays outscored the Junior Blues 17-8 in the third quarter to take a 45-41 lead into the fourth but Rural came back to force overtime with an 11-7 fourth quarter.

Brock Howard led Washburn Rural (5-4) with 15 points while Griffin Durst added 11 points and Quincey Kidd nine. Rural had a three-game win streak snapped.

Howard Johnson paced Junction City (8-1) with 21 points, including three 3-pointers.

SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST BOYS 71, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 34 -- Shawnee Mission Northwest spoiled Shawnee Heights shot at the Viking Classic championship with a 30-4 first-quarter onslaught and never looked back, rolling to a 71-34 win in Friday's tournament championship game and improving to 9-2 on the season.

Senior Carter Olson led Shawnee Heights (9-2) with 10 points and 10 rebounds while senior Jarin Sanders also scored 10 points.

Northwest, ranked 10th in 6A, led 46-14 at halftime and 63-30 at the start of the fourth quarter. 

Friday's loss was Shawnee Heights' first of 2022 and snapped the T-Birds' six-game winning streak.

ST. JAMES ACADEMY BOYS 70, SEAMAN 63 -- St. James Academy took control early in Friday's McPherson Invitational semifinal and held off the Vikings the rest of the way.

The Thunder, who improved to 7-3, outscored the Vikings 22-10 in the first quarter and led 43-27 at the half, but Seaman used an 18-8 third quarter to get back in the game before St. James held off the Vikes down the stretch.

Senior Ty Henry led Seaman (6-3) with 16 points and three 3-pointers while junior Aron Davis scored 15 points and Kaeden Bonner 12. 

ROCK CREEK BOYS 54, SILVER LAKE 43 -- Troy Heiman and Kamryn Kaniper combined for 29 points for Silver Lake, but it wasn't enough for the Eagles to keep pace with the Mustangs in a consolation game of the Burlington Invitational on Friday.

Heiman scored 15 points and Kaniper added 14 but Rock Creek (3-8) jumped out to a 10-7 first-quarter lead and then outscored the Eagles 27-18 over the second and third quarters to take control.

Silver Lake, which fell to 4-5, played for seventh place on Saturday afternoon.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN GIRLS 46, MARANATHA ACADEMY 32 -- Senior Jaley Barkley led Cair Paravel with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Lions posted a 46-32 victory in the McLouth Invitational.

Cair Paravel put itself in command with a 9-0 opening quarter and led 20-12 at the half before outscoring Maranatha 12-2 in the third quarter to take a 32-14 lead into the fourth stanza.

Freshman Gracie Babbitt backed Barkley with 10 points and sophomore Allison Schwarz added nine for the Lions, who improved to 4-5 with their second straight win.

 By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

After starting the season 0-4, Cair Paravel Latin's girls have have moved forward instead of backward, winning three out of their last four games, including a 38-27 home victory over Bishop Ward Tuesday night.

Cair Paravel has averaged 34 points per game on the season, but the Lions' play on defense has been a key to the Lions' climb to success.

Cair Paravel senior Jaley Barkley talks to Lions coach Brian Ewing during Tuesday's 38-27 win over Bishop Ward Tuesday night at Cair Paravel. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

The Lions didn’t light up the scoreboard against Ward, but it got the job done.

The team’s leading scorer, Lauren Dunn, finished the night with 12 points, and guard Jaley Barkley added seven points.

Cair Paravel girls coach Brian Ewing is content with the way the Lady Lions have been playing lately.

“It helps being at practice more,'' Ewing said. "We have good unity right now. COVID has had everyone messed up, but with everyone now being at practice, things are looking better.''

In the first quarter, Cair Paravel got off to a hot start, stretching out an 8-2 run against the Lady Cyclones.

After a crucial timeout, Bishop Ward clawed back with a 9-0 run on their own to take the lead before the end of the first quarter.

That 9-0 run by the Lady Cyclones didn’t have much effect on Cair Paravel, with the Lions consistent the entire game after that.

Unselfishness from the Lady Lions would pay big dividends, with seven Cair Paravel players scoring before halftime.

While the Lady Lions were only able to put together six points in the third quarter, they didn’t allow Bishop Ward to collect one single point.

That scoreless third quarter by the Lady Cyclones built up some frustration and Cair Paravel took advantage of that.

Cair Paravel, which improved to 5-6, took care of business in the fourth quarter of the contest, closing out the win.

“Not every win is going to be pretty,'' Ewing said. "I thought (the game) was a little bit of an uglier one, but a win is still a win.''

“Friday we are playing a team we already beat once,'' Ewing said of Friday's road game at Maranatha Academy. "They will be hungry. We need to impose our will on them instead of them imposing their will on us. We want this win and I hope we can beat them again.''

CAIR PARAVEL GIRLS 38, BISHOP WARD 27

Bishop Ward     11 9 0 7 – 27

Cair Paravel  10 10 6 12 – 38

Bishop Ward (1-7) – Rosales 4 3-3 12, Oropeza 2 5-6 9, Mendez 1 1-2 3, Collins 1 0-0 3.

Cair Paravel (5-6) – Drum 6 0-2 12, Barkley 2 2-2 7, A. Schwarz 2 1-2 5, Kuder 2 0-2 4, Babbit 1 1-2 3, Chada 1 1-2 3, Ewing 1 0-0 2, Cleverdon 1 0-0 2.

 3-point goals -- Cair Paravel 1, Bishop Ward 2. Total fouls -- Cair Paravel 17, Bishop Ward 14.

WasRelated Stories and Videos

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin's girls basketball opened its tournament bid in the McLouth Invitational with a 40-31 win over Maur Hill-Mt. Academy on Monday.

Jaley Barkley

The Lions, who improved to 3-5 on the season, jumped out to a 16-7 first-quarter advantage, which was huge as the two teams scored 24 points apiece the rest of the way.

Cair Paravel led 22-18 at the half and took a 30-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

Senior Jaley Barkley led the Lions with 14 points, including three 3-pointers, while sophomore Allison Schwarz added 13 points.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

The first of two midseason tournament weeks for Shawnee County prep basketball teams is on tap this week, with 12 county boys and girls teams taking part in a total of seven tournaments across the state.

Following is a tournament by tournament look at this week's events involving county teams:

TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

At Highland Park

Hayden, host Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West's boys teams will all take part in the long-running Topeka Invitational Tournament Thursday through Saturday, along with Lawrence, Shawnee Mission North, St. Marys and Wichita Northwest.

Senior Elijah Brooks (4), coming off a 26-point, 14-rebound performance against Highland Park, will lead Topeka West into this week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts (right) scored a game-high 35 points last Friday against Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Topeka West (7-1) will open the tournament at 3:15 p.m. Thursday against Lawrence (7-2), followed by St. Marys (8-1) against Topeka High (1-7) at 5 o'clock, Highland Park (8-1) facing Shawnee Mission North (1-8) at 6:45 and Hayden (1-6) closing out the first round at 8:30 p.m. against Wichita Northwest (7-1).

The St. Marys-Topeka High and Topeka West-Lawrence winners will square off in Friday's first semifinal at 6:45 p.m. while the winners of the Highland Park-Shawnee Mission North and Hayden-Wichita Northwest first-round games will clash in the second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

The place games will be played on Saturday, capped by the championship game at 2:15 p.m.

Topeka West is coming off a 79-67 win over previously-unbeaten Highland Park on Friday night while Hayden is coming off a 51-50 overtime loss to Emporia. Topeka High has not played since a 68-47 loss to Seaman on Jan. 7.

All five Topeka West starters cracked double figures in Friday's win over Hi Park, led by senior Elijah Brooks with 26 points and 14 rebounds and senior Zander Putthoff with 17 points and three 3-pointers. Senior Juan'Tario Roberts scored a career-high 35 points with seven 3-pointers for the Scots.

Junior Joe Otting had 19 points and senior Trent Duffey 14 points for Hayden against Emporia.

Lawrence is coming off a 69-51 win over Mill Valley on Friday while St. Marys rolled to a 73-33 win over Rossville on Friday as Keller Hurla scored 33 points for the Bears.

Shawnee Mission North, coached by former Topeka High coach Pat Denney, dropped a 61-59 nailbiter to Shawnee Mission West on Friday while Wichita Northwest has won six straight games, including an 81-61 win over Wichita West on Friday.

Senior Ty Henry (left) and the 5-2 Seaman boys will compete in this week's McPherson Invitational. [File photo/TSN]

 McPHERSON INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

At McPherson

Seaman's boys will put their 5-2 record and three-game winning streak on the line in Thursday's 4:45 p.m. first-round McPherson Invitational game against Blue Valley.

The Vikings have not played since a 68-47 Centennial League win over Topeka High on Jan. 7, with Seaman's game against Manhattan on Friday postponed.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights improved to 7-1 on the season with its fourth straight victory, rolling to an 82-58 United Kansas Conference road victory at Turner.

The T-Birds put the Bears away (0-8, 0-3) with a 26-11 first-quarter onslaught and led 41-25 at halftime and 56-37 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Brennon Dodge led Shawnee Heights with 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the T-Birds' 82-58 United Kansas Conference victory at Turner Friday night. [File photo/TSN]

Shawnee Heights senior Carter Olson had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the T-Birds' 82-58 UKC romp at Turner Friday night. [File photo/TSN]

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights capped its three-game week with a 65-3 United Kansas Conference romp at Turner Friday night.

Both teams were missing multiple players due to COVID protocols, but Shawnee Heights, 2-1 on the week with an overtime loss to Class 6A Blue Valley Northwest, still had plenty of firepower to improve to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the UKC.

Junior Hayden Hill scored a game-high 14 points for the T-Birds, with four 3-pointers.

Junior Emari Doby joined Hill in double figures for Shawnee Heights with 10 points while Taylor Rottinghaus scored nine points and Riley Showalter seven points.

ST. MARYS GIRLS 53, ROSSVILLE 43 --St. Marys used a 22-7 second quarter to take control and held off Rossville the rest of the way for a 53-43 win.

Rossville, which fell to 4-6, led 11-9 at the end of the opening quarter but the Bears rallied for a 31-18 halftime advantage.

The Bulldawgs outscored the Bears 8-3 in the third quarter to get within eight but couldn't mount a serious run over the final eight minutes.

Sophomores Kinsey Perine and Emma Mitchell scored 14 points apiece for Rossville while St. Marys (4-5) had three players with between 12 and 14 points.

Sophomore Brenna Smith paced the Bears with 14 points, followed by sophomore Catherine Moylan with 13 points and freshman Hayden Heim with 12.

OLATHE HERITAGE CHRISTIAN GIRLS 42, CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 34 -- Cair Paravel Latin saw its two-game win streak come to an end in Friday's 42-34 loss to Olathe Heritage Christian Academy.

Heritage Christian improved to 4-3 while Cair Paravel fell to 2-5.

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

EMPORIA (6-2, 5-2) at HAYDEN (4-2, 4-2)

Friday night's game between the Wildcats and Spartans has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Hayden has had two straight games postponed, with the Wildcats' Tuesday game against Topeka High also postponed.

MANHATTAN (3-5, 3-4) at SEAMAN (4-3, 4-3)

Friday night's game between the Vikings and Indians has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Seaman has not played since a tough 43-38 Centennial League loss to unbeaten Topeka High last Friday.

Topeka West junior Jazmyn Ford scored s team-high 10 points in the Chargers' 55-26 loss at Emporia on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]

HIGHLAND PARK (1-7, 0-7) at TOPEKA WEST (0-8, 0-7)

Highland Park is coming off a 43-41 Centennial League loss at Junction City on Tuesday while Topeka West dropped a 55-26 league decision at Emporia. Freshman Amelia Ramsey scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Highland Park against Junction City while sophomore Victoria Reed added 11 points and freshman Mariah Parker-Brown had 10 points with three 3-pointers. Junior Jazmyn Ford led Topeka West with 10 points and sophomore Zoe Clark added seven in the Chargers' loss to Emporia. 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

MANHATTAN (2-6, 2-5) at SEAMAN (5-2, 5-2)

Friday night's game between the Vikings and Indians has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Seaman has not played since a 68-47 Centennial League win over Topeka High last Friday.

Senior Juan'Tario Roberts (23) scored a game-high 24 points as Highland Park improved to 8-0 with a 70-54 road romp past previously-unbeaten Junction City Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

Elijah Brooks is coming off a 21-point performance in Topeka West's 71-57 win at Emporia on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]

HIGHLAND PARK (8-0, 7-0) at TOPEKA WEST (6-1, 5-1)

Highland Park, No. 2-ranked in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, went on the road Tuesday night and handed Junction City its first loss of the season, 70-54, while No. 5-ranked Topeka West is coming off a 71-57 Centennial League road win at Emporia. Senior Juan'Tario led Highland Park with a game-high 24 points against Junction City while junior Ketraleus Aldridge added 18 points and junior Tre Richardson 10 points for the Scots. Senior Elijah Brooks scored a game-high 21 points for West against Emporia while junior Xavier Alexander added 18 points with five 3-pointers and senior Zander Putthoff added 17 points with three 3-pointers.

Hayden junior Joe Otting (33) had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds in last Friday's 70-54 loss to Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

EMPORIA (0-8, 0-7) at HAYDEN (1-5, 1-5)

After having Tuesday's game against Topeka High postponed, Hayden is scheduled to be back in action in Friday's boys-only Centennial League game against the Spartans. The junior varsity game will start at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity contest at approximately 6 p.m. Emporia is coming off a 71-57 league loss to Topeka West on Tuesday. Parker Leeds and River Peters both scored 20 points for the Spartans against Topeka West. Hayden's most recent game was a 70-54 loss to Topeka West last Friday, with senior Trent Duffey scoring 23 points and junior Joe Otting adding 15 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Seaman's girls basketball team gave undefeated and state-ranked Topeka High all it wanted Friday night, but the Trojans took control down the stretch for a 43-38 Centennial League win at High.

Friday's game was tight throughout, with the Trojans holding a slim 14-13 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 21-19 advantage at the half.

The game was tied 28-28 at at the start of the fourth quarter before Topeka High outscored the Vikings 15-10 down the stretch to improve to 7-0 overall and 7-0 in the league.

Junior Kiki Smith scored 12 points for Topeka High in Friday's 43-38 Centennial League win over Seaman. [File photo/TSN]

Topeka High, which struggled to a 32-percent shooting night from the field, got 12 points apiece from senior Tae Thomas and junior Kiki Smith while junior Adisyn Caryl added seven points.

Smith left the game with an ankle injury with 3:25 left in the third quarter but returned to play in the fouth quarter.

Seaman, which fell to 4-3, 4-3, suffered through a 19-percent shooting night from the field although the Vikings did can five 3-pointers. Seaman also turned the ball over 24 times.

Anna Becker continued her outstanding freshman season with 18 points for the Vikings while sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer added seven points.

Seaman was just one of 13 from the field in the decisive fourth quarter, getting a 3-pointer from Stallbaumer.

HAYDEN GIRLS 65, TOPEKA WEST 46 --Hayden took control with an 18-6 opening quarter and was in command 36-21 at halfttime before cruising the rest of the way for a 65-46 Centennial League road win at Topeka West, improving to 4-2 overall and 4-2 in the Centennial League.

Sophomore Lauren Sandstrom led all scorers with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while senior Carly Stuke added 16 points.

Topeka West, which fell to 0-7, 0-6, was led by sophomore Siana Sanchez with 15 points while Whitley Benson added nine points on three 3-pointers and sophomore Rebecca Bearman also scored nine points.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN GIRLS 32, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN 16 --Cair Paravel rode a strong defensive effort throughout Friday's game to a 32-16 home win over Kansas City Christian, with the Lions not allowing more than seven points in a quarter and limiting the visitors to seven points in the second half.

Senior Jaley Barkley led Cair Paravel with a game-high 11 points while senior Lauren Drum added eight as the Lions improved to 2-4 on the season with their second straight victory.

Kansas City Christian did not have a player with more than five points. 

SILVER LAKE GIRLS 53, ROCK CREEK 49 -- Silver Lake remained undefeated on the season with a hard-earned 53-49 win over previously-unbeaten Rock Creek.

Silver Lake improved to 6-0 while Rock Creek fell to 6-1.

Sophomore Makenzie McDaniel paced Silver Lake with 22 points and 10 rebounds while sophomoe McKinley Kruger added 14 points.

RILEY COUNTY GIRLS 48, ROSSVILLE 40 -- Rossville dropped a close 48-40 decision to Riley County Friday night, falling to 4-3 on the season.

Sophomores Kinsey Perine and Emma Mitchell scored 13 points apiece to lead the Bulldawgs.

Riley County improved to 2-4 on the season.

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Despite playing without senior standout Mateo Hyman, Seaman's boys basketball team rolled to a 68-47 Centennial League road win at Topeka High Friday night.

Seaman, now 5-2 overall and 5-2 in the league, built a 31-25 halftime advantage and then pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 37-22 to win going away.

Seaman shot just under 50 percent from the floor (24 of 49), connected on eight 3-pointers and hit all 11 free throw attempts.

Senior Ty Henry scored a game-high 29 points in Seaman's 68-47 Centennial League win at Topeka High Friday night. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Junior Kaeden Bonner scored 20 points as Seaman improved to 5-2 with a 68-47 win over Topeka High Friday night. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Senior Ty Henry scored a game-high 29 points with four 3-pointers to lead Seaman while junior Kaeden Bonner added 20 points and senior Drayton Griess 11 points.

Topeka High was without several players, including leading scorer Matt Flenoy. The Trojans shot 32 percent from the field and hit seven 3-pointers.

Sophomore Bryson Thrasher and junior Mason Gomez scored 13 points each to lead Topeka High (1-7, 1-6) while sophomore BJ Canady added 11 points.

SILVER LAKE BOYS 52, ROCK CREEK 39 -- Junior Kamryn Kaniper and senior Carson Johnson combined for 30 points as Silver Lake improved to 4-2 on the season with a decisive 52-39 victory over Rock Creek.

Kaniper led the Eagles with 17 points while Johnson added 13 points.

Silver Lake jumped out in front 16-9 and used a 16-8 second quarter to open up a commanding 32-17 advantage.

Rock Creek (1-6) cut its deficit to 42-32 at the end of the third quarter, but Silver Lake closed out the win with a 10-7 scoring edge over the final eight minutes. 

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN BOYS 62, KANSAS CiTY CHRISTIAN 42 -- Cair Paravel Latin ran its win streak to five games with a 62-42 romp plast Kansas City Christian.

Senior Noah Hastert led Cair Paravel 16 points, 7 rebounds and nine assists to lead Cair Paravel while senior Zach Clark added 13 points and senior Ethan Everhart and Evan Will added 10 points.

Senior Carter Brian added eight rebounds as Cair Paravel improved to 5-1 on the season.

RILEY COUNTY BOYS 61, ROSSVILLE 52 -- Rossville put up a good fight, but couldn't get over the hump in Friday night's 61-52 loss to Riley County.

Rossville fell to 1-6 while Riley County improved to 2-4.

By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

After opening the 2021-2022 season with a 53-45 loss to Burlingame High School, Cair Paravel's boys basketball team has responded in impressive fashion with four straight wins.

“We usually put some points on the board, but the first game was a bit more difficult for us,'' Cair Paravel coach Mike Malloy said. "Lately, we’ve done well and have beaten some good competition. We have a bunch of good solid individuals.

"These guys want to be good. They want to put in the effort. This year, so far, has been fun. Having fun is helping our guys this year.''

Senior Zach Clark (5) leads 4-1 Cair Paravel Latin with a 14.6 scoring average entering Friday's home game against Kansas City Christian. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Noah Hastert (4) is a top returning player for Cair Paravel Latin, which is 4-1 on the season with four straight victories. [File photo/TSN]

At this point in the 2020-2021 season, the Lions sat at 3-2. That wasn’t a bad place to be for the Lions. At the end of the season, Cair Paravel Latin School finished with a 10-8 record, falling in the playoffs against Burlingame. The trajectory for this year is much higher than it was last year.

One game sticks out more than the rest during the current four-game win streak, with Cair Paravel defeating Christ Prep Academy, 91-37. The Lions shot the ball 70 times and converted 42 of those shots. That was the most amount of points the Lions have scored since February 14th, 2020, when Cair Paravel put up 100 points against Whitefield Academy in a 100-30 victory.

The victories Cair Paravel has put together have been convincing. When the Lions win, they’ve outscored opponents, 275-163. Cair Paravel has shot at a 49-percent mark.

Cair Paravel’s success isn’t by luck or accident, with nearly half of the team comprised of seniors. Zach Clark, Noah Hastert, Carter Brian, Ethan Everhart and Levi Will have had a significant impact on the young season.

Clark is averaging a team-high 14.6 points and has been on the floor for 119 minutes this season. Clark scored a season-high in points of 22 against Christ Prep Academy back on December 7th.

Seniors Hastert, Brian, Everhart and Will are averaging a combined 32 points, 12.4 assists, and 23.2 rebounds per game.

“The best thing I can say about (the seniors) is that these guys help each other out and they are great teammates for each other and the underclassmen,'' Malloy said. "They work together, they play together well, and they are always there to help each other out. As far as this season, they have been great with their roles and it has given us some success.

“We have to keep up the hard work and be the best we can be every day.''

Cair Paravel will host Kansas City Christian School (2-3) on Friday, trying to extend its undefeated record at home.

WasRelated Stories and Videos

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

The best news about the 2021 high school sports year for Shawnee County high schools was that there was one.

COVID-19 wreaked havoc on 2020, resulting in an early end to state basketball tournaments, the cancellation of all spring sports and forcing wholesale delays and contingency plans through the fall of '20.

But by the time the calendar hit '21 there was a return to some sense of normalcy.

A decision by the USD 501 school board kept Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West wrestling teams off the mats through the entire '20-'21 campaign, but when practice started in November for '21-'22 the Scots, Trojans and Chargers were back in action.

Shawnee County prep teams took full advantage of their opportunities to compete in '21, with county schools winning five state boys and girls team championships and county athletes combining for 16 individual titles. 

Here's a look at TopSports.news' top 10 Shawnee County boys prep stories of 2021, with the girls top 10 coming up next::

Rossville's football team hoists the Class 2A state championship trophy last month after winning its second straight title and fifth since 2014. [File photo/TSN]

1. DAWG DAYS -- Derick Hammes’ Rossville Bulldawgs captured their second straight Class 2A state football championship and an amazing fifth title since 2014, capping a second straight 13-0 season with a 32-12 win over Beloit in the state final. The Bulldawgs overcame some adversity along the way, including an injury to star senior quarterback Torrey Horak which kept him out of multiple games, but star running back Corey Catron took over at QB and the Bulldawgs didn't miss a beat, outscoring its opposition 611-111 on the season.

Washburn Rural's wrestling team captured its first-ever Class 6A boys state team championship in 2021, also the first ever for a Topeka school. [File photo/TSN]

2. DATE WITH DESTINY -- After knocking on the door with a pair of Class 6A runner-up finishes, Washburn Rural's wrestling team knocked the door down, rolling to the first-ever team championship by a Topeka school by a commanding 159.5-112 margin over Olathe North. The Junior Blues clinched the title before the final round, putting a whopping five wrestlers in the finals and getting individual championships from Jonathan Morrison, Jacob Tangpricha and Bishop Murray (more on that below) and runner-up finishes from Austin Fager and David Huckstep.

Bishop Murray won his third Class 6A state individual title last season while helping lead Washburn Rural to the Class 6A state team title. [File photo/TSN]

3. THRICE AS NICE --Washburn Rural wrestling standout Bishop Murray captured the third Class 6A individual state championship of his carreer, joining former Highland Park star and multi-time Olympian Melvin Douglas as the only city wrestlers to win three state titles while helping lead the Junior Blues to their historic team championship. Murray won the 120-pound title to cap a 29-1 senior season while posting four top-three state finishes.

Shawnee Heights' Jeremiah Smith won three Class 5A state titles in the 2021 Class 5A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]

4. IMPRESSIVE FIRST IMPRESSION -- After having his freshman track and field season wiped out by COVID-19, Shawnee Heights' Jeremiah Smith established himself as one of the state's best early last spring when he broke T-Bird legend Marcel Carter's school-record in the 100-meter dash. Smith went on to capture three Class 5A individual state titles in the State Track and Field Championships, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.74 seconds, the 100 dash in 10.52 and the 200 dash in 21.92.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Senior Jaley Barkley scored 21 points to lead the way as Cair Paravel Latin's girls basketball team picked up its first victory of the 2021-2022 season, a 49-34 win over Maur Hill-Mt Scholastic Thursday night on the Lions' home court.

Jaley Barkley

Cair Paravel opened the season with four straight losses, including three straight single-digit defeats, before breaking through on Thursday.

Barkley scored 19 points in the first half, with three 3-pointers.

As a team Cair Paravel scored 33 points in the opening half, including 18 in the second quarter.

Barkley was the only double-figure scorer for the Lions, but eight players cracked the scoring column, with senior Lauren Drum scoring seven of her nine points in the second half. 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Elijah Brooks has been a standout for Topeka West's boys basketball team from the time he stepped on campus, averaging more than 10 points as a freshman and averaging 14.8 points for his career while helping the Chargers post a 42-26 record, including a 36-11 mark (.766 percentage) over the past two-plus seasons.

But while the 6-foot-4 senior has been 'A' leader for West over the previous three seasons, he's taking on a new role this season as 'THE' leader for Rick Bloomquist's Chargers.

Brooks, who opened 2021-2022 season with a 32-point performance in a 69-57 win over Washburn Rural, has plenty of talented players around him, but he and Bloomquist both know that Brooks has to set the tone for West.

After learning from the seniors before him, including Shawnee County co-players of the year Trevion Alexander and Marque Wilkerson last season, Brooks is happy to take on the leadership mantle..

"I actually love that role,'' Brooks said. "Watching (last year's seniors) and especially Tre prepared me to take on this big role for my team,'' Brooks said. "Whatever I can do to help my team win, that's honestly what I'm going to do at the end of the day.''

Brooks and the Chargers got off to a impressive start in last Friday's win, with Brooks slamming home four first-half dunks as West opened up a commanding 24-8 lead and held off Rural, which played for the Class 6A title in 2019, the rest of the way.

Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks slams down one of his four first-half dunks on the way to a 32-point performance in Friday's 69-57 win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

"I think it gets the whole crowd involved and it gets my team hyped,'' Brooks said of the dunks. "I think we were all ready for this (first) game,'' Brooks said. "In practice and stuff we were just anxious for the game and the coaches could tell.''

After going 21-3 a season ago and making it to the 5A boys title game for only the third time in school history, the goal this winter is an obvious one, to make another run at what would be the Chargers' first state crown.

"Everybody on our team, we're like hungry pitbulls because we want to get back to the state tournament and get the same type of feeling and everything,'' Brooks said. "I think we're all just dogs, to be honest.''

One thing Brooks doesn't have to worry about is resting on his laurels, not as long as Bloomquist is around.

"When you've got a kid like Elijah you've got to go through him, you want to use him and make the best of his abilities,''  said Bloomquist, who has posted more than 500 career wins and has taken Emporia and West to state championship games

"He's got to learn to play more without the ball. There's a lot he's got to learn, because he's a focal point for this basketball team and he's got to make everybody else better besides himself.''

Brooks understands and accept those expectations.

"(Bloomquist) looks at me to set the example and when I don't he really gets on me and makes an example of me to everybody,'' Brooks said. "I'll take it though. I love it.''

A look at Tuesday's Shawnee County games: