Cair Paravel Lions

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Two games, two lopsided victories for Topeka High's girls basketball team.

After opening the season with a 22-point victory over Manhattan last Friday night, the Trojans rolled to an 82-24 Centennial League decision over Junction City Tuesday night at High.

Kiki Smith

Junior Kiki Smith led an extremely balanced attack for Topeka High against the Blue Jays with a game-high 19 points.

Sophomores Ladaysha Baird and Ayana Leesman scored 17 and 13 points, respectively, off the bench for the Trojans while senior Talayah Thomas added 10 points.

The Trojans put the Blue Jays away early, opening up a 30-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and taking a 50-20 lead to the locker room at halftime.

JUNCTION CITY BOYS 80, TOPEKA HIGH 53 -- Junction City improved to 2-0 on the season in the Centennial League and overall, while Topeka High is still looking for its first victory after Tuesday's 80-53 loss.

The Trojans face a quick turnaround, hosting 1-0 Shawnee Heights in a 7:30 p.m. non-league game Wednesday night.

ROSSVILLE GIRLS 54, BISHOP WARD 24 -- Sophomore Kinsey Perine scored 16 points to pace three Bulldawgs in double figures as Rossville's girls basketball team opened its season with a 54-24 victory over Bishop Ward Tuesday night.

Kinsey Perine

Joining Perine in double figures for the Bulldawgs were senior Caylee Douglas and freshman Shyanne Haehn with 10 points apiece.

Rossville opened up an 11-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and then put the game away with a 22-5 second quarter, taking a commanding 33-11 advantage.

Rossville outscored the Cyclones 21-13 in the second half.

BISHOP WARD BOYS 74, ROSSVILLE 44 -- Bishop Ward had four players crack double figures as the Cyclones rolled to a 74-44 win over Rossville.

Rossville was within six points (25-19) at halftime, but the Cyclones erupted for 33 points in the third quarter to open up a commanding 58-35 advantage.

Junior Kade Perine and freshman Brock Bush both scored 11 points for the Bulldawgs, with Perine connecting on nine of 11 free throw attempts and Bush canning a pair of 3-pointers.

SILVER LAKE GIRLS 60, COUNCIL GROVE 42 -- Silver Lake improved to 60-42 with a decisive 60-42 win over Council Grove, with multiple players filling up the stat sheet for the Eagles.

Taylor Ross

Mariah Farmer

Junior Taylor Ross scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds while junior Mariah Famer also scored 16 points.

Sophomore MaKenzie McDaniel scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while sophomore McKinley Kruger had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists and sophomore Kaylee Deiter had 3 points and 9 rebounds.

COUNCIL GROVE BOYS 63, SILVER LAKE 46 -- Four players scored between 17 and 13 points for Council Grove as the Braves recorded a 63-46 win over Silver Lake.

Silver Lake was within five points after the first quarter (15-10) and trailed 28-18 at the half. The Eagles were still within 11 (41-30) at the start of the fourth quarter were unable to make a run as the Braves helped a 22-16 scoring edge the rest of the way.

Junior Kamryn Kaniper paced Silver Lake with 13 points while senior Luke Womack added 10 points and junior Troy Heiman nine.

Kellen Marshall led Council Grove with 17 points while Koen Hula added 16, Hunter Brintle 15 and Gavin Mills 13 for the Braves.

CAIR PARAVEL BOYS 91, CHRIST PREP 37 -- Cair Paravel's boys improved to 3-1 on the season with a 91-37 road romp at Christ Prep Tuesday night.

CHRIST PREP GIRLS 44, CAIR PARAVEL 40 -- Senior Jaley Barkley scored 18 points and Allison Schwartz added 10 for Cair Paravel Latin, but it wasn't quite enough for the Lions to get over the top, with Christ Prep taking the 44-40 decision.

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

A whopping seven Shawnee County basketball teams earned spots in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association state rankings, released Tuesday.

Washburn Rural, Topeka High, Hayden and Silver Lake are all ranked on the girls side while Highland Park, Hayden and Cair Paravel earned spots in the boys rankings.

Washburn Rural's girls basketball team remains No. 2-ranked in Class 6A by the KBCA. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn Rural remains No. 2 in the latest Class 6A girls state rankings while Topeka High girls moved up to sixth. Both the Junior Blues and Trojans are 3-0 on the season entering Tuesday night's games.

Hayden, 1-1 on the season, is ranked No. 10 in the 4A girls rankings while Silver Lake is No. 8 in 3A.

Highland Park, 3-0 entering Tuesday night's game, earned its way into the 5A boys rankings at No. 6 while 1-1 Hayden is ranked eighth in 4A and Cair Paravel Latin No. 9 in 1A Division I.

KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Undefeated Class 2A state champion Rossville and Centennial League tri-champion Washburn Rural combined for nine Top 22 spots on TopSports.news' inaugural All-Shawnee County football team while sweeping the individual awards.

Rossville, which wrapped up a second straight 2A state championship with Saturday's 35-12 win over Beloit, is represented on the Top 22 by seniors Corey Catron, Torrey Horak and Brody Lietz and junior Jacob Carver, with Catron and Horak being named the Shawnee County co-offensive players of the year.

Rossville senior stars Torrey Horak (left) and Corey Catron have been named TopSports.news' Shawnee County co-offensive players of the year after helping lead the Bulldawgs to a second straight undefeated Class 2A state title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Derick Hammes has been named the TSN Shawnee County coach of the year after coaching the Bulldawgs to a second straight Class 2A state title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Derick Hammes, who has coached Rossville to a 96-15 record (.865 percent) and five state titles over the past eight seasons, including 26 straight wins over the past two years, was named the Shawnee County coach of the year.

Washburn Rural, which posted a breakout 8-2 season, put seniors Robby Bolin, Connor Conklin and Giles Frederickson, junior Ty Weber and sophomore Branton DeWeese on the All-Shawnee County Top 22, with Weber being named the Shawnee County defensive player of the year.

Ty Weber

The Junior Blues swept the newcomer of the year awards, with DeWeese earning the offensive honor and sophomore Packson Bettis tapped for the defensive award.

Cair Paravel Latin, which posted an 11-0 record and captured the Kansas Christian Athletic Association state championship, put senior stars Carter Brian and Noah Hastert on the Top 22, while 6-4 Seaman is represented by seniors Camden Barta, Brody Gormley and Casen Stallbaumer.

Silver Lake, which advanced to the 2A state semifinals, is represented on the All-County Top 22 by seniors Daigan Kruger and Triston VandeVelde, while Shawnee Heights seniors Matthew Etzel and Jarin Sanders both earned Top 22 honors after helping lead the T-Birds to a 5-5 record.

Topeka High seniors Tylan Alejos and Danny Saili, Hayden junior Joe Otting and Highland Park junior Tre Richardson round out the Top 22 selections.

All 10 Shawnee County high schools have multiple players on either the Top 22 or Second 22 teams.

All-Shawnee County Top 22 capsules:

By RICK PETERSON             

TopSports.news 

Sincere Austin

Sincere Austin, Topeka West

A 6-foot-2 junior, Austin was inserted into Topeka West's starting lineup at midseason and played a major role as the Chargers advanced to the Class 5A state championship game, finishing second and posting a 21-3 record on the season. Austin hit 16 3-pointers on the season and earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention.

Jack Bachelor

Jack Bachelor, Washburn Rural

Bachelor, a 6-0 junior, earned All-Centennial League and TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a sophomore for the 14-7 Junior Blues, averaging 7.2 points and 2.0 assists while connecting on 20 3-pointers.

Kaeden Bonner

Kaeden Bonner, Seaman

Bonner, a 6-2 junior, received All-Centennial League and TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season for the 13-9 Vikings, averaging 11.7 points, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 59 percent on 2-point field goal attempts and hitting 24 3-pointers.

Elijah Brooks

Elijah Brooks, Topeka West

A 6-3 senior, Brooks was a first-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County selection as a junior after helping lead the Chargers to a 21-3 record and a second-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament. A first-team All-Centennial League pick, Brooks averaged 15.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals a year ago.

BJ Canady

BJ Canady, Topeka High

Canady, 6-6, was a starter for the Trojans last season as a freshman, leading the team in rebounding with seven boards a game. Although just a sophomore, Canady will be counted on to be a leader for a Trojan team which is looking to improve on last year's 3-17 record.

Zachary Clark

Zachary Clark, Cair Paravel Latin

Clark, a 6-3 senior, received third-team recognition on the TSN All-Shawnee County team last season, averaging 16.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals to help lead Cair Parvel to a 10-8 record on the season.

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Washburn Rural, which posted a runner-up finish in the Class 6A state tournament, put a city-high four players on the 2021 All-City boys soccer team, selected by city coaches.

Rural is represented by seniors Wyatt Arnold (goalkeeper), Mason Grogan (defense), Joe Morse (midfield) and Porter Schafersman (forward), while Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year.

Wyatt Arnold

Mason Grogan

Joe Morse

Porter Schafersman

Hayden, a quarterfinalist in 4A-1A, put junior Jake Muller (forward) and senior Nick Padilla (midfield) on the All-City team while Seaman is represented by seniors Kyson Evans (midfield/defense) and Gavin Wilhelm (midfield/defense) and Shawnee Heights by senior David Skinner (defense) and junior Isaac Wilson (midfield).

Jake Muller

Kyson Evans

David Skinner

Senior Ethan Everhart (forward/midfield) earned first-team honors for Cair Paravel Latin while Highland Park is represented by junior Vellamy Diaz (forward), Topeka High by senior Sergio Ramirez (midfield) and Topeka West by junior Jack Snyder (defense). 

Sergio Ramirez

Arnold and Padilla are both All-City first-team repeat picks while Everhart, Muller, Evans, Skinner, Ramirez and Schafersman moved up to the first team after earning honorable mention a year ago.

Hensyel was selected as the city coach of the year after leading the Junior Blues to a 19-1 record, including a 27th straight Centennial League championship (outright or shared).

ALL-CITY SOCCER

 Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn DeLeye has been named the TSN All-Shawnee County volleyball player of the year for the 2021 season. [File photo/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Player of the year Brooklyn DeLeye, a Washburn Rural junior, headlines the inaugural TopSports.news All-Shawnee County volleyball team while state placers Rural and Seaman combined to earn seven of 12 first-team berths.

DeLeye, who has orally committed to Kentucky, is joined on the all-county team by teammates Katelynn Brogan, a senior, junior Taylor Russell and sophomore Jada Ingram after the Junior Blues posted a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.

Veteran Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick was named the county coach of the year after leading Rural to 41 straight wins to start the season and Centennial League and sub-state championships.

Seaman which finished fourth in 5A with a 27-13 record on the year, is represented on the All-County team by senior Drew Baxter, junior Laynee Brown and sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer while Viking freshman Maegan Mills was named the county newcomer of the year.

Shawnee Heights put senior Kali Henry and junior Emily Loy on the All-County team while Topeka West is represented by junior Makinsey Jones, Silver Lake by senior Camilla Ossola and Rossville by sophomore Kinsey Perine. 

All-County first team capsules:

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Cair Paravel Latin football coach Doug Bonura said he never set a goal for his Lions to post a perfect 2021 season.

He didn't have to because the Lions did it for him.

"I didn't set that as a goal but these guys actually did,'' Bonura said earlier in the week. "Last spring they said, 'Hey, we're going to go undefeated.'

"That has been something that's been in their mind that that's what they wanted to do.''

Cair Paravel achieved that lofty objective Saturday afternoon at Highland Park, capping an 11-0 campaign with a 64-16 win over St. Mary's Academy in the Kansas Christian Athletic Association state championship game.

Registering their second win of the season over 7-2 St. Mary's, a perennial KCAA power, Cair Paravel jumped out in front 16-0 in the first quarter and led by a 30-8 margin at halftime.

The Lions scored 22 third-quarter points to take a 52-8 advantage over the Crusaders and Cair Paravel outscored St. Mary's 12-8 in the early stages of the fourth quarter to end the game by way of the 45-point spread rule.

Cair Paravel seniors Noah Hastert (left), Carter Brian and Max Colombo hoist the KCAA championship trophy after Saturday's 64-16 win over St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Star senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 30 of 45 pass attempts for 336 yards and three touchdowns and he had a hand in six touchdowns overall, carrying the ball 15 times for 31 yards and three touchdowns.

Sophomore Jesiah Bonura scored three Lion touchdowns on the day, carrying the ball six times for 34 yards and two scores and catching six passes for 57 yards and a TD.

Cair Paravel Latin junior Jachin Bonura caught 13 passes for 176 yards and a TD and had six tackles and an interception in Saturday's 64-16 over St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Junior Jachin Bonura had a huge day for Cair Paravel, including 13 pass receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown. He also was in on a team-high six tackles for the Lions and had one of Cair Paravel's five interceptions.

Senior Noah Hastert caught five passes for 51 yards and a TD and also intercepted a pass.

Sophomore Evan Will had five tackles and a pass interception while Simon Everhart picked off a pair of passes.

Brian finished the season with 2,515 passing yards and 51 touchdown passes while Hastert caught 46 passes for 921 yards and 22 TDs.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 64, ST. MARY'S ACADEMY 16

St. Mary's Academy (7-2) 0 8 0 8 -- 16

Cair Paravel Latin (11-0) 16 14 22 12 -- 64

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

It's hard to comprehend some of the numbers that senior quarterback Carter Brian and the Cair Paravel Latin football team have put up this season.

Cair Paravel has outscored its opposition by a 560-78 margin and not had a game closer than 42 points en route to a perfect 10-0 season, while Brian has ranked among the nation's best Eight-Man passers, throwing for 2,179 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Cair Paravel Latin senior quarterback Carter Brian has thrown for 2,179 yards and 48 touchdowns this season for the 10-0 Lions. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

But while the Lions' incredible season might be a surprise to those outside the Cair Paravel program, Brian said it's not a big shock to his team.

"We worked hard all summer,'' Brian said. "We played 7 on 7, we were lifting and doing all the things we needed to do and we knew that it was possible for us to be undefeated and when it came to game time, we just executed.''

Now the goal is to cap off the dream season with a win in Saturday's 1 p.m. Kansas Christian Athletic Association title game against perennial KCAA power St. Mary's Academy at Highland Park.

The Lions handed the Crusaders their only loss of the season in a 54-8 home regular-season victory in Week 5, a win that Brian said was a big momentum-builder.

"That was definitely a big statement game,'' Brian said. "I think it proved to us we were better than we thought we were and that we could hang with any team.''

But Brian said the Lions also know things will be tougher the second time around.

Cair Paravel senior Noah Hastert (left) forces a fumble earlier this season against St. Mary's Academy. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Noah Hastert knows that players who play football at small high schools, especially at the Eight-Man level, often face an uphill battle to get noticed by college recruiters.

But the Cair Paravel Latin star felt like if he just continued to work hard and showed what he could do, colleges would take notice.

In the midst of an outstanding senior season for the 10-0 Lions, that has proved to be the case, with multiple schools showing interest in the 6-foot-6, 225-pound receiver/defensive end.

"I think it does hurt (playing Eight-Man) in some ways, but if you just go out there and show what you can do, they will find you eventually and they'll see what you can do,'' said Hastert, who will close out his high school career in Saturday's 1 p.m. Kansas Christian Athletic Association championship game against St. Mary's Academy at Highland Park.

Noah Hastert

 Hastert did what he could do to speed up that process, attending several football camps leading into this season, and recruiting interest has continued to ramp up.

"Over the summer I went to like five, six football camps to get my name out there a little bit,'' Hastert said. "It's mainly been MIAA -- Washburn, Pitt State, Emporia State, Central Missouri -- teams like that.''

Hastert has the size that colleges like in a receiver and has the stats to go with that size, catching  41 passes for 870 yards and an amazing 21 touchdowns.

"I think it's really fun,'' Hastert said of the Eight-Man game. "It's fast-paced and there's a lot of big plays.''

Defensively, Hastert has been in on 34 tackles (25 solo) with 14.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks while causing two fumbles and recovering four fumbles.

As a team Cair Paravel has outscored its opposition by a 560-78 margin while not having a game closer than 42 points.

"We knew we had the pieces,'' said Hastert, also a basketball standout for the Lions. "We have a lot of athletes and I think we just came out and worked as a team and practiced hard and worked hard throughout the summer and got reps and I thought we could for sure do this.''

Now Hastert and Cair Paravel are aiming to put a storybook ending on a storybook season. 

"It would be amazing and that's the goal,'' Hastert said. "My sixth grade year, the first year to start off, we went defeated for the season. To end it undefeated would be awesome.

"My first year here we never won a game, so it would be nice to come out here and win it. That's obviously our dream and we haven't won (the KCAA title) in a while, too, so that would be great.''

All-Shawnee County girls cross country team: Front, from left -- Payton Fink, Washburn Rural; Sydney Laster, Washburn Rural; Joslynn Grace, Seaman; Stella Appelhanz, Seaman; Bethany Druse, Seaman. Back, from left -- Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural; Madeline Carter, Washburn Rural; Anna Becker, Seaman; Emma Schultz, Seaman; Coach Rick Brading, Seaman. Not pictured: Khloi Bird, Washburn Rural. [Picture by Rick Peterson/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural junior Madeline Carter and Seaman junior Bethany Druse, who have posted back-to-back top-10 state finishes, headline the 2021 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team.

Carter finished seventh in the Class 6A state meet after winning city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional titles while Druse finished a city-best sixth in the 5A state meet. Carter finished eighth and Druse ninth at state in 2020.

Carter and Druse are three-time All-City/All-County picks along with Rural senior Khloi Bird, while Seaman senior Emma Schultz and Washburn Rural sophomore Sydney Laster are repeat selections. Bird placed 14th at state.

Washburn Rural's Payton Fink, who placed 19th in her first state meet, is one of five freshmen who earned All-Shawnee County recognition, along with teammate Rylee Ismert and Seaman's Stella Appelhanz, Anna Becker and Joslynn Grace.

Veteran Seaman coach Rick Brading was named the Shawnee County girls coach of the year after his Vikings captured a 5A regional team title and placed fourth in the 5A state meet.

All-county cross country capsules:

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news
 

 Carter Brian

CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin

Brian, a senior quarterback, completed 19 of 31 passes for 421 yards and six touchdowns as Cair Paravel improved to 10-0 with Friday's 66-20 win over Wichita Home School in a KCAA playoff semifinal. Brian has completed 117 of 170 pass attempts on the season for 2,179 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Grant Bruner

GRANT BRUNER, Washburn University

A junior linebacker, Bruner registered 20 tackles (10 solo) in Washburn University's 28-26 MIAA win Saturday at Pittsburg State, helping the Ichabods improve to 8-2 on the season with their fifth straight victory. Bruner, who missed five games with an injury, now has 39 tackles (20 solo) on the year.

Corey Catron

COREY CATRON, Rossville

A senior, Catron rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns and completed 11 of 19 passes for 149 yards and a TD in Rossville's 32-12 second-round Class 2A playoff win over Nemaha Central. Catron has passed for 453 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 893 yards and 18 touchdowns on 135 carries.

Noah Hastert

NOAH HASTERT, Cair Paravel Latin

A senior receiver, Hastert caught six passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns in Cair Paravel's 66-20 win over Wichita Home School in a KCAA playoff game last Friday. Hastert has now caught 41 passes on the year for 870 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 10-0 Lions.

Brogan Renfro

BROGAN RENFRO, Silver Lake

Renfro, a senior, scored five touchdowns in Friday's 51-36 second-round Class 2A playoff victory over St. Marys Friday night. Renfro ran for four touchdowns and also caught a 22-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Daigan Kruger as Silver Lake improved to 8-2.

Jace Williams

JACE WILLIAMS, Washburn University

A senior receiver, Williams turned in the play of the game in Saturday's 28-26 Ichabod win at Pittsburg State, blocking a 33-yard Gorillas field goal attempt with 30 seconds remaining to clinch the 8-2 Ichabods' fifth straight win. Williams has caught 29 passes for 457 yards and five touchdowns.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Rossville improved to 10-0 while pushing its winning streak to 23 games with a 32-12 win over Nemaha Central in a second-round Class 2A playoff game Friday night at Rossville.

The Bulldawgs trailed the Thunder 6-3 at the end of the opening quarter, but took a 9-6 halftime lead before outscoring Central 23-6 the rest of the way.

Corey Catron

Senior Corey Catron had another big night for the Bulldawgs, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for another TD in the Rossville win.

Catron, who has moved from running back to quarterback after an injury to Torrey Horak, scored on runs of 5, 8 and 2 yards and also completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Brown.

Pedro Arantes kicked 24 and 28-yard field goals for the Bulldawgs and also kicked a pair of extra points.

Rossville will be back at home next Friday night to face Riverton (8-2) in a 2A quarterfinal.

Riverton advanced with a 28-22 overtime win over Osage City.

SILVER LAKE 51, ST. MARYS 36 -- After edging St. Marys by a point early in the 2021 season the Eagles and Bears hooked up in a scorefest Friday night, with Silver Lake taking the 51-36 road win in a second-round 2A playoff contest.

By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

Seven Shawnee County high school football teams will continue their 2021 seasons on Friday with playoff contests.

Washburn Rural will host Free State in Class 6A, while Seaman will host Blue Valley Southwest and Shawnee Heights will travel to Mill Valley in 5A

Hayden will host Rock Creek in a 3A contest while Rossville will host Nemaha Central and Silver Lake will travel to St. Marys in 2A.

Cair Paravel will host Wichita Home School in a KCAA playoff game.

Here's a look at all seven games involving county schools:

Sophomore quarterback Branton DeWeese has helped lead Washburn Rural to an 8-1 record this fall. [File photo/TSN]

CLASS 6A

FREE STATE (7-2) at WASHBURN RURAL (8-1)

FREE STATE -- This Free State offense has been a stellar unit under the leadership of coach Kevin Steward. The Firebirds have averaged 33.4 points a game this season. The Firebirds most notably defeated Mill Valley, 41-20, handing the Jaguars their only loss of the year. The last meeting between the Junior Blues and Firebirds was in 2016, with Free State taking a 17-14 victory.

WASHBURN RURAL -- The Junior Blues have one of the most complete teams in the area. The defense has allowed 20 or more points only once this season (Seaman). The offense is led by sophomore Branton DeWeese, who has excelled in his first season as the Junior Blues' quarterback. Sophomore JC Heim has been impressive at running back while senior Robby Bolin is a top-notch receiver for Rural, which earned a share of the Centennial League championship.

Senior quarterback Camden Barta and Seaman will host Blue Valley Southwest Friday night in a Class 5A playoff game. [Photo by Shelly Prengel/Special to TSN]

CLASS 5A

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Six Washburn University players have earned recognition on the All-MIAA women's soccer team, including second-team picks Emily Michaelis and Tera Lynch, while former Cair Paravel Latin standout Hannah Woolery earned first-team honors for Emporia State.

Woolery, a sophomore midfielder, moved up to the All-MIAA first team after earning honorable mention last season.

Woolery is tied for second in the MIAA with seven assists, fourth in points scored with 23 and sixth with eight goals scored this year.

Emporia State sophomore Hannah Woolery, a Cair Paravel product, has been named to the All-MIAA soccer first-team. [Photo courtesy of ESU Photography]

She was the MIAA offensive player of the week on September 21 following her two-goal effort against Washburn.

 Tera Lynch

Emily Michaelis

Second-teamers Lynch, a senior midfielder, and Michaelis, a sophomore defender, lead Washburn's all-conference contingent while sophomore goalkeeper Raegan Wells and freshman forward Khloe Schuckman earned third-team honors and defender Mattie Miano and midfielder Charlie Taylor received honorable mention.

Central Missouri’s Kassie Newsom was selected as the MIAA’s offensive player of the year for the 2021 season. Newsom led the league with 43 points to help UCM win its second consecutive MIAA regular-season championship.

Her 13 assists led the MIAA while her 15 goals ranked second. Four of Newsom’s 15 goals were game-winning scores. The Jennies junior also ranked second in the league with 69 shots and 36 shots on goal. Newsom’s 13 assists are currently tied for first in Division II while her 43 total points rank second in the nation. This is Newsom’s second consecutive season earning All-MIAA honors.
 
Central Oklahoma’s Taryn Kedzior was tabbed the 2021 MIAA defensive player of the Year. Kedzior anchored the Bronchos' backline that finished regular-season competition with a league-high 10 shutouts.

Kedzior and the UCO defense allowed just 75 shots on goal and 17 goals, the second-fewest in the league. The Broncho junior accounted for a team-high 1,507 minutes on the field with 18 starts. This is Kedzior’s third consecutive All-MIAA honor
 
Voting for the MIAA goalkeeper of the year award ended in a tie between UCM’s Lindsey Johnson and UCO’s Kaitlyn Asher.
 
Asher started all 18 games in the net for the Bronchos for a total of 1,4030 minutes played. She ranked second in the league with just 15 goals allowed for a .944 goals against average. The Bronchos senior also ranked second in the MIAA with six shoutouts while her .805 save percentage ranked fourth. This is Asher’s second All-MIAA recognition.
 
Senior keeper Johnson helped the Jennies to their second consecutive regular-season championship with a total of 74 saves in 16 games for a .779 save percentage. In 1,458 minutes of action, Johnson allowed 21 goals and secured four shutouts. This is Johnson’s second consecutive season tabbing the association’ goalkeeper of the year honor.
 
The 2021 MIAA freshman of the year award went to Central Missouri’s Caroline Cole. Cole has started 17 games and totaled 1,324 minutes of play. She ranks third on the UCM squad with 15 points, six goals and three assists. She’s taken 49 shots this season with 23 falling on goal. Cole shares the team-high game-winning goals with Newsom at four.
 
Central Missouri's Lewis Theobald and Northwest Missouri’s Marc Gordon were selected as the MIAA’s co-coaches of the year by conference coaches.

The 2021 regular-season championship is the 12th of Theobald’s career as the Jennies have claimed 12 of the last 15 regular-season titles. This is Gordon’s first coach of the year honor since taking over the Northwest program in 2018. After being voted seventh in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, Gordon led the Bearcats to a third-place finish in the MIAA and set a program record with 12 wins on the season.
 
The MIAA tournament begins Sunday at campus sites with the semifinal and championship rounds to be played at the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals.

ALL-MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Camden Barta 

CAMDEN BARTA, Seaman

Barta, a senior quarterback, scored the game's first touchdown on a 77-yard run and went on to a huge night in Seaman's 57-6 Class 5A home playoff win over Emporia Friday night. Barta finished the game with 318 passing yards and four touchdown passes on an 18 of 22 performance and added 87 rushing yards on just four carries as Seaman improved to 6-3 on the season.

 Carter Brian

CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin

A senior quarterback, Brian completed 16 of 24 passes for 235 yards and six touchdowns as Cair Paravel moved to 9-0 on the season with Friday's 50-0 win over the Manhattan Eagles. Brian has now passed for 1,758 yards and 42 touchdowns on the season while completing 98 of 139 attempts without an interception.

Madeline Carter

MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural

Carter completed an outstanding junior season with a seventh-place individual finish in Saturday's Class 6A state cross country meet in a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 35.2 seconds. A two-time state medalist, Carter led the Junior Blues to a fourth-place team finish.

Bethany Druse

BETHANY DRUSE, Seaman

A two-time Class 5A state medalist, Druse completed her junior season with a sixth-place finish in the Class 5A state cross country meet in a time of 19:10.4. Druse, who led Seaman to a fourth-place team finish on Saturday, finished ninth at state as a sophomore.

Giles Frederickson

GILES FREDERICKSON, Washburn Rural

A senior place-kicker, Frederickson went 7 of 7 on extra-point kicks in Rural's 52-7 Class 6A playoff victory over Wichita West Friday night. After suffering a bite from a copperhead snake four weeks ago, Frederickson has returned to kick 13 of 13 PATs the past two weeks and is 89 of 91 in his career.

Tanner Newkirk

TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden

Newkirk, a senior, earned his fourth Class 4A state medal with his third top-three finish in Saturday's state cross country meet, taking third place individually in 16:24.3. Newkirk, who captured city, Centennial League and regional titles this fall, previously posted state finishes of 12th as a freshman, second as a sophomore and first as a junior.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Rossville's football team officially began defense of its Class 2A state championship Friday night, rolling to a 56-0 home first-round playoff win over Rebpublic County.

The Bulldawgs put the game away with a 24-point first quarter and were in command 35-0 at the half before adding 14 points in the third quarter and 7 in the fourth.

Corey Catron

Kaden Brown had three touchdowns for the 9-0 Bulldawgs, scoring on runs of 9, 1 and 6 yards, while senior quarterback Corey Catron threw a pair of touchdown passes, 16 yards to Trenton Barker and 9 yards to Tagen Kippes.

Rossville, which has now won 22 straight games, also got a TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Raphael Cooney and a 1-yard touchdown run from Camden Horak.

Bulldawg standout place-kicker Pedro Arantes scored 12 points on the night, kicking 25 and 24-yard field goals and six extra points.

Rossville will be back at home Friday (7 p.m. kickoff) for a second-round playoff matchup with 7-2 Nemaha Central.

Central is coming off a 48-14 win over Pleasant Ridge last Friday.

HAYDEN 49, HIAWATHA 0 -- Hayden improved to 8-1 with its seventh straight victory, opening the 3A playoffs with a 49-0 home romp past Hiawatha.

The Wildcats scored the only points they would need at the 9:35 mark of the first quarter, with JC Cummings scoring on a 3-yard run and TL Thompson running for a 2-point conversion to put Hayden up, 8-0.

The score remained 8-0 at the end of the first quarter, with Hiawatha missing a field goal attempt, before the Wildcats scored a pair of second-quarter TDs to open up a 23-0 halftime advantage.

Ethan Florence scored on a 6-yard run with 6:12 left in the first half and Kaelin Rice passed to Jensen Schrickel for the 2-point conversion.

With just 46.9 seconds left in the half Cummings scored his second touchdown of the night on a 7-yard run and Schrickel kicked the extra point.

Hayden put the game out of reach with a 13-play scoring drive that took 7:16 off the clock, capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Arnold to Thompson (Schrickel kick).

Thompson scored his third touchdown of the night later in the quarter on an 11-yard run (Schrickel kick) as Hayden took a 37-0 lead into the fourth.

Jameson Kennedy and Dominik Ridley added touchdowns in the fourth, with Kennedy scoring on a 3-yard run and Ridley on a 17-yard run.

Hayden's defense held Hiawatha to 137 yards of offense while the Wildcats finished the night with 387 yards (334 rushing, 53 passing).

Hayden will be back at home Friday (7 p.m. kickoff) for a second-round 3A playoff game against 6-3 Rock Creek, 34-17 winner over Bishop Ward on Friday.

CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 52, MANHATTAN EAGLES 0 -- Cair Paravel Latin senior quarterback Carter Brian passed for 235 yards and six touchdowns as the Lions improved to 9-0 with a 52-0 rout over the Manhattan Eagles Friday night.

Carter Brian

Brian completed 16 of 24 passes and hit five different receivers for touchdowns while Cair Paravel scored all 52 points in the first half (30 in the first quarter).

Sophomore Simon Everhart caught four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns while senior Noah Hastert had three catches for 62 yards and a TD, junior Jachin Bonura two receptions for 57 yards and a score, sophomore Evan Will four catches for 34 yards and a TD and senior Max Colombo two catches for 23 yards and a TD.

Brian has now completed 98 of 139 pass attempts on the season for 1,758 yards and 42 touchdowns, while Hastert has 35 catches for 667 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Cair Paravel has outscored its opponents by a 494-58 margin this fall.

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 34, SUMNER ACADEMY 0 -- Senior Jarin Sanders carried the ball 21 times for 134 yards and scored three touchdowns as Shawnee Heights climbed above the .500 mark for the first time this season, improving to 5-4 with a 34-0 romp past Sumner Academy in the first round of the 5A playoffs.

Jarin Sanders

Jacob Malcom had 36 yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts and Ayden McDaniel carried the ball four times for 16 yards and a TD.

Quarterback Callan Carver completed 12 of 15 passes for 102 yards.

Sanders went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark against Sumner and now has 1,079 yards and 12 touchdowns on 190 attempts while Carver has completed 100 of 167 pass attempts for 1,031 yards and 11 TDs.

Malcom has a team-high 29 catches for 289 yards and four touchdowns while Sanders has 27 catches for 225 yards and four TDs.

Shawnee Heights will travel to Mill Valley (8-1) for a second-round playoff game next Friday night.

SILVER LAKE 62, ATCHISON COUNTY 20 -- Silver Lake advanced in the 2A playoffs with a decisive 62-20 win over Atchison County, improving to 7-2 on the season.

The Eagles took a 14-0 first-quarter lead and then put the game away with a 28-point second quarter, opening up a huge 42-6 halftime cushion.

Silver Lake outscored the Tigers 20-14 in the second half to close out the win.

Silver Lake advanced to a Friday night game at St. Marys against the 5-3 Bears, who are coming off a 52-0 win over Mission Valley.

DE SOTO 50, TOPEKA WEST 26 -- Topeka West ended its season with a 3-6 record, dropping a 50-26 road decision to De Soto.

De Soto advanced (5-3) advanced to a second-round playoff contest at 6-3 PIttsburg next Friday.

LAWRENCE 37, TOPEKA HIGH 7 -- Topeka High completed a 2-7 season with a 37-7 road loss to Lawrence in the first round of the 6A playoffs.

Lawrence, now 2-7, will travel to 8-1 Junction City next Friday.

MILL VALLEY 38, HIGHLAND PARK 0 -- Highland Park finished its season with a 38-0 loss at 5A power Mill Valley, completing an 0-9 season.

The Scots will open the 2022 season with a 65-game losing streak dating back to 2014.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Shawnee County teams didn't necessarily get the day they were looking for in Saturday's state cross country meets, but 10 county runners earned state medals and a pair of teams narrowly missed top-three finishes.

Here's a look at Shawnee County's state highlights.

Tanner Newkirk finished third in the Class 4A state cross country meet, earning his fourth state medal. [File photo/TSN]

-- Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk came up short in his bid for a second straight Class 4A boys state title, but Newkirk posted a county best third-place finish in a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 24.3 seconds at Wamego Country Club.

Newkirk earned his fourth straight 4A state medal and posted his third top-three finish, previously finishing second as a sophomore and first as a junior

Newkirk led Hayden to a sixth-place team finish.

-- Washburn Rural placed fourth as a team in Saturday's 6A girls race at the 4-Mile Creek Resort, with three Junior Blues earning state medals.

Junior Madeline Carter placed seventh individually in 18:35.2, while senior Khloi Bird was 14th (10:15.5) and freshman Payton Fink 19th (19:35.4).

Carter earned an eighth-place state medal as a sophomore.

Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink all earned medals in the 6A state meet, led by Madeline Carter (left), who placed seventh. [File photo/TSN]

 Rural senior boys standout Alex Holmes placed 13th in the 6A boys race (16:13.3), leading the Junior Blues to an eighth-place team finish.

Seaman junior Bethany Druse finished sixth in the 5A state girls meet, leading the VIkings to a fourth-place team finish. [File photo /TSN]

-- Seaman junior Bethany Druse posted a sixth-place individual finish in 19:10.4 as the Vikings finished fourth as a team in the 5A girls meet at 4-Mile Creek Resort.

Druse posted a second straight top-10 state finish, taking ninth as a sophomore.

-- Cair Paravel's girls earned a pair of state medals en route to a fifth-place team finish in the 1A state meet at Victoria.

Freshman Zahra Lewis earned a ninth-place finish in 21:29.0 while sophomore Katherine Keys placed 19th in 21:48.0.

The Cair Paravel boys also advanced to state as a team, finishing seventh.

-- Shawnee Heights sophomore Jackson Esquibel and junior Kory Sutton both posted top-20 state finishes in Saturday's 5A boys meet.

Esquibel finished 13th in 16:27.4 while Sutton was 20th in 16:38.9 as Heights finished seventh as a team.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's girls have put together a banner 2021 cross country season, and an even more impressive October.

On Saturday at the 4 Mile Creek Resort in Augusta, the Junior Blues will be aiming to end the year with a bang in the Class 6A state meet.

Rural's girls have been on a roll, including a sweep of city, Centennial League and regional team titles and four straight 1-2-3 individual finishes from junior Madeline Carter, senior Khloi Bird and freshman Payton Fink.

But Rural faces an even bigger challege on Saturday in the 12 p.m. 6A girls race, but coach Matt Swedlund believes his Junior Blues are up to the task and can challege for a top-three team finish.

"Olathe West is a very good team,'' Swedlund said. "On paper it is hard to find a way to beat them. Of course, the race isn't run on paper; we always approach races knowing everyone is beatable. Olathe North, Blue Valley Northwest and Manhattan are all good teams. We believe we will be competitive with these schools in the battle for a podium spot.

"There are several very good teams in 6A and we are one of them. Our girls have had a lot of success over the past five weeks but the competition at the state meet is obviously “next level.” We are prepared and ready to run our best race. I believe if we do that, we’ll give ourselves a great chance to be on the podium.''

Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink have posted a 1-2-3 individual finish in four straight meets entering Saturday's state meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Carter also ranks as a top contender individually after putting together a string of individual wins this fall and earning an eighth- place finish in the 2020 state meet.

"Madeline has really been running strong this season, which is giving her a ton of confidence going into the state meet,'' Swedlund said. "She is going to go out and put herself and her team in the best possible position to be successful.''

Washburn Rural also qualified as a team for the 10:40 a.m. 6A boys race, finishing third in last week's 6A regional meet at Milford State Park as senior Alex Holmes finished third individually and sophomore John Hayden Keller sixth to pace the Junior Bljues.

Topeka High junior Michael Christopher earned a state berth as an individual with a 21st-place finish.

NEWKIRK LOOKING TO REPEAT IN 4A

Hayden senior star Tanner Newkirk will be looking for a fouth straight state medal and a second straight title in Saturday's 11:20 a.m. 4A boys race at Wamego Country Club.

Newkirk is coming off a dominating win in last week's 4A regional meet at the Kanza Park Course, winning by 54 seconds in a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 16.67 seconds to lead Hayden to a second-place team finish and a state team berth.

Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk posted a 54-second win in last Saturday's Class 4A regional cross country meet and will be looking to win a second straight state title on Saturday. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"I think I'm in my best shape of the season and the work has obviously paid off,'' Newkirk said after his regional win. "(Saturday) I felt really good and I was able to come out here and do really well.''

Now Newkirk will be looking for another big day in his final state meet.

"I'm really excited, I'm ecstatic,'' he said. "I'm looking to maybe set the course record and just run a really fast last cross country race.''

Sophomore Aiden Amis added an eighth-place individual finish for the Wildcats at regionals while senior Ryan Rochford narrowly missed a top-10 finish, taking 12th.

Hayden also qualified its girls team for state with a third-place regional finish, led by freshman Elliot Wrench's runner-up individual finish.

The Wildcats also got a 10th-place finish from sophomore Elaina Wolff. 

The 4A girls race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Hayden is one of the most successful cross country programs in 4A history, with the Wildcat girls winning seven state team titles and the Hayden boys winning five state championships. Hayden's boys also won a 3A title.

SEAMAN GIRLS, T-BIRD DUO CHASING TOP 5A FINISHES

Coming off strong regional performances last week at the Kanza Park course, Seaman's girls team and Shawnee Heights boys standouts Kory Sutton and Jackson Esquibel lead the city contingent into Saturday's state meet at 4 Mile Creek Resort.

Rick Brading's Seaman girls have been strong all season and are coming off a perfect team score at regionals en route to a 15-77 win over Leavenworth.

Junior Bethany Druse, ninth at state as a sophomore, led the way for the Vikings with a runner-up individual finish while freshmen Joslynn Grace and Stella Appelhanz finished third and fourth followed by senior Emma Schultz in fifth and freshman Anna Becker in sixth to round ouf Seaman's top five.

Now the Vikings will be shooting for a top-three finish at state.

"We think we've got a shot at a trophy,'' Brading said. "That's where we feel like we're at. I think you've got Mill Valley and Aquinas and St. James and us and St. James are very similar. It will be exciting.''

Seaman junior Bethany Druse finished second individually as the Vikings posted a perfect team score in last Saturday's Class 5A regional meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton (right) and T-Bird sophomore Jackson Esquibel are coming off a 1-2 Class 5A regional finish entering Saturday's state meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Shawnee Heights' Sutton, a junior, and Esquibel, a sophomore, appear to be strong contenders for high state finishes in the boys race after going 1-2 at regionals to lead the T-Birds to a second-place team finish.

Heights also got an 11th-place finish from junior Andrew Emerson.

Seaman's boys earned the final team berth for state with a third-place finish.

Senior standout Jace Moore led the Vikings, finishing fourth individually, while Seaman used a pack finish of 13-14-15-16 to earn its team berth.

Topeka West had a pair of individual state qualifiers, with senior Anna Phelps placing 10th in the girls race while senior Louis Wilson finished eighth in the boys race.

The 5A girls race is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, with the boys race set for 11:20 a.m.

LIONS SENDING BOYS, GIRLS TEAMS TO 1A STATE

Cair Paravel Latin will be represented by both its boys and girls teams in Saturday's 1A state meet at the Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria.

The Lion boys qualified for state with a third-place regional finish at Centrailia, just six points out of first, while Cair Paravel's girls also finished third at regionals.

Junior Jonah Eckert and senior Blake Reynolds placed 10th and 11th for the Cair Paravel boys at regionals while senior Zach Clark finished 16th.

Freshman Zahra Lewis finished 10th to lead the Cair Paravel girls while sophomore Katherine Keys placed 14th and senior Jaley Barkley 19th.

The 1A boys race is set for a 10:40 a.m. start, with the girls to follow at noon.

FOSTER, TENEYCK EARN 3A STATE BERTHS

Rossville junior Amelia Foster and Silver Lake senior Cameron TenEyck earned individual state berths for Saturday's 3A state meet at Wamego Country Club out of the highly-competitive Sabetha regional.

TenEyck, who placed sixth at state a year ago, posted a third-place individual finist at regionals while Foster punched her ticket to the state meet with an eighth-place finish regional finish.

The 3A boys is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. Saturday, with the girls race to follow at noon.

 SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE XC QUALIFIERS

Class 6A

Topeka High -- Boys: Michael Christopher, jr.

Washburn Rural -- Girls: Khloi Bird, sr.; Madeline Carter, jr.;Payton Fink, fr.; Christine Gutierrez, jr.; Rylee Ismert, fr.; Sydney Laster, so.; Brooklyn Nolte, fr. Boys: Easton Dial, jr.; Grayson Fink, jr.; Spencer Haddock, sr.; Alex Holmes, sr.; Davin Johnson, jr.; John Hayden Keller, so.; Ishaan Patel, sr. 

Class 5A

Seaman -- Girls: Stella Appelhanz, fr.; Anna Becker, fr.; Bethany Druse, jr.; Joslynn Grace, fr.; Brooke Polter, so.; Emma Schultz, sr.; Leah Spurlock, so. Boys: Anson Appelhanz, sr.; Ryan Buckley, sr.; Zach Jowers, jr.; Jace Moore, sr.; Alexander Newell, fr.; Landon Stuke, jr.; Adrian Swaim, so.

Shawnee Heights -- Boys: Stephen Carter, fr.; Mason Deitcher, so.; Andrew Emerson, jr.; Jackson Esquibel, so.; Alex Lehmann, sr.; Landon Staniec, so.; Kory Sutton, jr.

Topeka West -- Girls: Anna Phelps, sr. Boys: Louis Wilson, sr.

Class 4A

Hayden -- Girls: Catherine Doyle, jr.; Hayden Haas, jr.; Ryann Newkirk, fr.; Riley Schmidtlein, sr.; Elaina Wolff, so.; Elliot Wrench, fr. Boys: Aiden Amis, so.; Nick Lloyd, jr.; Zach Moore, so.; Jake Muller, jr.; Tanner Newkirk, sr.; Nick Padilla, sr.; Ryan Rochford, sr.

Class 3A

Rossville -- Girls: Amelia Foster, jr.

Silver Lake -- Boys: Cameron TenEyck, sr.

Class 1A

Cair Paravel Latin -- Girls: Jaley Barkley, sr.; Amelia Bowling, so.; Katherine Keys, so.; Zahra Lewis, fr.; Cecilia Richards, fr. Boys: Jacob Bowling, sr.; Zach Clark, sr.; Jonah Eckert, jr.; James Keys, sr.; Bryson Leon, fr.; Blake Reynolds, sr.; Nathan Walker, sr.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

It's always a challenge to make the jump from high school to college athletics, and making the leap from a Class 1A school to the NCAA Division II ranks can be an even more formidable task.

But it's one that former Cair Paravel Latin standout Hannah Woolery has seemingly handled with ease, becoming a key player for Emporia State's women's soccer team from the time she stepped on campus in 2019 and helping lead the Lady Hornets to a 14-1-1 record and No. 11 national ranking this fall.

"I think any transition is going to be difficult, especially the physicality of it and just the speed of play, but I had played for Bryan (Sailer, ESU coach) before so I kind of knew what I was getting into and just the team atmosphere, you catch on pretty quick,'' Woolery said.

Emporia State soccer standout Hannah Woolery (10), a Cair Paravel Latin graduate, has helped the Hornets post a 14-1-1 record this fall while earning a No. 11 national ranking. [Photo courtesy of ESU Photography]

A midfielder, Woolery started all 17 games for the Hornets as a true freshman, scoring four goals and dishing out six assists en route to earning All-MIAA honorable mention.

After having the 2020 fall season wiped out by COVID-19, Woolery and ESU turned in a strong abbreviated spring season and picked up right where they left off this fall, with Woolery contributing eight goals and six assists this season, including a goal and two assists in Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime win over Central Missouri.

"I think last year was definitely the most mentally difficult year we've had because we still prepared like we were going to have a season and then we came in and there was no season,'' Woolery said. "It just kept getting postponed so we were practicing, we were doing all the conditioning and the fitness tests, but we didn't have the reward of actually playing a game.

"That made it very difficult but thankfully in the spring we got kind of a shortened season and that was just a small glimpse of what it was going to turn into in the fall, so I was very grateful for that.''

Former Cair Paravel Latin soccer standout Hannah Woolery has scored eight goals and contributed six assists for Emporia State's 14-1-1 soccer team this fall. [Photo courtesy of ESU Photography]

Woolery, who also played basketball and volleyball for Cair Paravel as well as club soccer for Sporting Kaw Valley, said that the uncertainty of '20-'21 served as motivation for her and her teammates.

"It just kind of made us thirsty for more and the fact that we were going to have a full season we just wanted to keep growing and keep pushing and see how far we really could go, especially since we had everybody coming back,'' she said.

"I would say that we are growing as a team and there is still room for improvement but I think as a team we're really happy with where we are right now.''

Emporia State will take on Washburn at Yager Stadium Friday (6 p.m.) before closing out the regular season Sunday at Nebraska-Kearney and Woolery said the goal for the Hornets now is to close out the season with a bang.

"We have made it the furthest in ESU history and we're still capable of a lot but I don't want to overstep anything by saying how we're going to finish,'' Woolery said.

"I just think we need to keep working hard and keep pushing and just challenge ourselves to grow and finish the season strong.''

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

When Monday's Class 4A-1A regional opener between Hayden and Cair Paravel Latin went to penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, Hayden standout senior goalkeeper Gabe Rankey knew he was going to end the day either feeling really good or really, really bad.

As it turned out Rankey was wearing a big smile after the Wildcats outscored the Lions 4-1 in PKs to escape with a 1-0 victory at Hayden.

"It was pretty fun that we won,'' Rankey said. "If we lost it would have been probably the worst experience of my life.'' 

With the victory Hayden, now 12-5-0 on the season, advanced to Thursday's regional final to host the winner of Tuesday's game between Independence and Berean Academy while Cair Paravel ended its season 4-10-1.

Hayden's Camden Schrickel (right) and Cair Paravel's Joe Havens get tangled up while trying to control the ball in Monday's Class 4A-1A soccer regional at Hayden. The Wildcats won 1-0 in penalty kicks. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Hayden had numerous scoring opportunities throughout the contest, but Cair Paravel goalkeeper Jacob Hershberger turned in an oustanding performance to give his team a chance, keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard through 80 minutes of regulation, plus two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute OT sessions to send the game to PKs.