Cair Paravel Lions
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After an injury-riddled spring track season, Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk has been back in his happy place this fall, getting past his injuries and preparing himself for his Class 4A state cross country title defense.
Newkirk took a step in that direction Saturday at the Kanza Park Course, capturing his second straight city boys title with a dominating performance while helping the Wildcats to a solid second-place team finish behind Washburn Rural.
Newkirk clocked a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 22.0 seconds in the city meet, winning by nearly 20 seconds over Shawnee Heights junior standout Kory Sutton (15:41.8).
Hayden senior star Tanner Newkirk (1699) and Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton lead the pack early in Saturday's city cross country meet. Newkirk captured his second straight city title while Sutton finished second. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Newkirk has been dealing with a respiratory issue in recent weeks, but is just happy to be rounding back into form after missing the 2020 state track meet with an injury.
"In terms of injuries and everything I feel great, which is awesome,'' Newkirk said. "I obviously had a solid race here today and I'm happy for my teammates as well because I saw some really big (personal records) out here today.
"Today I just wanted to get the win and try to do all I can to help the team.''
Senior Alex Holmes finished fourth (16:51.1) to pace four Washburn Rural runners in the top 12 individually and five in the top 18 as the Junior Blues topped Hayden by a 47-60 margin.
Sophomore Hayden Keller placed sixth for Rural (16:47.2) while senior Spencer Haddock was seventh (16:56.7), junior Davin Johnson 12th (17:16.3) and junior Grayson Fink 18th (17:37.9) for the Junior Blues.
Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said he is pleased with how his Junior Blues are coming together as a team.
"This is kind of what I anticipated,'' Swedlund said. "Alex Holmes was out early (offseason surgery) and our focus this entire year has been October.
"We think we can pull things together in October and make it interesting.''
Runner-up Hayden also got a top-10 finish from sophomore Aiden Amis (10th in 17:13.3) while senior Ryan Rochford was 14th (17:22.1), junior Jake Muller 15th (17:26.6) and junior Nick Lloyd 20th (17:44.1) to round out the Wildcats' top five runners.
Shawnee Heights and Seaman finished a close third and fourth in the team race, with sophomore Jackson Esquibel finishing third (16:06.4) and junior Andrew Emerson eighth (17:11.3) for the T-Birds and senior Jace Moore leading Seaman with a fifth-place finish (16:40.8).
Topeka West senior Louis Wilson placed ninth (17:12.6) to lead the Chargers while Topeka High junior Michael Christopher narrowly missed a top-10 finish, taking 11th (17:15.6).
CITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the second straight week, Washburn Rural's girls cross country team posted a 1-2-3 individual finish and for the second straight week that was enough to enable the Junior Blues to edge Seaman for a team champioship.
After taking a close win over the Vikings in last week's Seaman Invitational, Rural and Seaman also waged a tight battle in Saturday's city championships at the Kanza Park Course, with the Junior Blues taking the city title by a 24-33 margin.
Junior Madeline Carter was the ring leader for the Junior Blues, repeating as the city individual champion in a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 14.9 seconds, while senior Khloi Bird finished second in 18:29.1 and freshman Payton Fink was third in 18:42.3.
"You can't complain about that,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said. "We were very happy.
"We knew it was going to be a battle and you couldn't just show up and expect to win today. You were going to have to run a good race.''
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink set the pace in Saturday's city cross country meet en route to a 1-2-3 finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Sydney Laster finished eighth for the Junior Blues (20:11.6) while freshman Rylee Ismert was 10th (20:26.0) to round out Washburn Rural's top five.
"That's the goal,'' Swedlund said. "We're working on making sure our 4 and 5 are not far behind.''
Carter ran with her teammates, Bird and Fink, and Seaman's Bethany Druse early on before pulling away as the race went on.
"I was definitely feeling the nerves this morning because it's been a goal of mine all season to come back and defend, so it was really good to get that and I'm feeling good about the work I put in,'' Carter said.
Druse, a junior, finished fourth individually (18:48.7) to lead runner-up Seaman, while freshman Joslynn Grace was fifth (19:39.0), senior Emma Schultz sixth (19:50.8), freshman Stella Appelhanz seventh (19:58.4), freshman Anna Becker 11th (20:42.9) and junior Leah Spurlock 12th (20:47.9) for the Vikings.
Hayden freshman Elliot Wrench led the Wildcats to a third-place team finish, taking ninth (20:19.6).
CITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tylan Alejos
TYLAN ALEJOS, Topeka High
Alejos, a senior running back, ran for 400 yards and eight touchdowns on 27 carries in Topeka High's 70-42 Centennial League victory over Highland Park last Friday at Hummer Sports Park. Alejos scored on runs of 32, 21, 4, 6, 71, 51, 31 and 21 yards as the Trojans improved to 2-3 on the season.
Carter Brian
CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior quarterback, Brian completed 14 of 19 passes for 236 yards and six touchdowns as Cair Paravel improved to 5-0 with a 54-8 victory over previously-unbeaten St. Mary's Academy last Friday at Highland Park. Brian completed TD passes of 17, 54, 16, 27, 10 and 8 yards to four different receivers in the win.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Individual champion Madeline Carter led a 1-2-3 Washburn Rural finish Saturday morning at Shawnee North Community Park as the Junior Blues edged host Seaman for the team championship in the Seaman Invitational.
A junior, Carter posted a winning five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 07.65 seconds, while Rural senior Khloi Bird was second in 19:28.03 and freshman Payton Fink placed third in 19:42.32 while sophomore Sydney Laster was 10th in 20:42.53 and freshman Rylee Ismert was 13th in 21:31.48 to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
"We work hard during practice and we just use that hard work and it pays off in a race, so it's really fun to see it work,'' Carter said.
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter, Khloi Bird and Payton Fink went 1-2-3 in Saturday's Seaman Invitational to lead the Junior Blues to the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Carter, who notched her second individual win this fall, said Saturday's meet was good preparation for the upcoming stretch of city, Centennial League, regional and state competition.
"I was really using this meet to see how I would match up in city, so it's great to see that I'm doing good and our team's doing good as well,'' she said.
Junior Bethany Druse paced Seaman with a fourth-place individual finish (20:14.94) while the Vikings also got top-10 finishes from freshman Joslyn Grace (sixth in 20:17.86), freshman Anna Becker (seventh in 20:29.30) and senior Emma Schultz (ninth in 20:31.93).
Seaman coach Rick Brading said he was pleased with the Vikings' performance on Saturday.
"We're trying to figure out a way to race the middle of the race and they did for the most part today, so I thought it was a good day,'' Brading said.
Cair Paravel Latin finished fifth as a team, led by Katherine Keys' 28th-place finish (23:19.20).
The city meet is on tap on Saturday at the Kanza Park Course, with varsity competition getting under way at 9 a.m.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
Girls
Team scores
Washburn Rural 29, Seaman 37, Lawrence 65, Leavenworth 110, Cair Paravel 140.
Individual results
1. Carter, Washburn Rural, 19:07.65; 2. Bird, Washburn Rural, 19:28.03; 3. Fink, Washburn Rural, 19:42.32; 4. Druse, Seaman, 20:14.94; 5. Hardy, Lawrence, 20:16.67; 6. J. Grace, Seaman, 20:17.86; 7. Becker, Seaman, 20:29.30; 8. Kennedy, Lawrence, 20:30.78; 9. Schultz, Seaman, 20:31.93; 10. Laster, Washburn Rural, 20:42.53.
Other Washburn Rural -- 13. Ismert, 21:31.48; 15. Gutierrez, 21:37.68; 21. Nolte, 22:18.29.
Other Seaman -- 14. Sampson, 21:32.34; 17. Polter, 21:44.33; 22. Spencer 22:19.19; 23. G. Grace, 22:53.34.
Cair Paravel -- 28. Keys, 23:19.20; 31. Barkley, 23:50.00; 35. Lewis, 24:29.34; 42. Bowling, 32:56.97; 43. Richards, 34:41.68.
Topeka High -- 32. Zuniga, 23:58.94; 40. Cabral, 26:59.33; 41. Ludlum, 27:55.55.
Shawnee Heights -- 37. Liedtke, 24:33.64; 38. Marney, 24:46.51.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior cross country standout Kory Sutton hadn't been particularly pleased with his last couple of races, but Sutton was back on top of his game in Saturday's Seaman Invitational at Shawnee North Community Park, leading a 1-2 T-Bird finish in the boys race.
Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton and T-Bird sophomore Jackson Esquibel lead the pack in Saturday's Seaman Invitational boys cross country race. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sutton clocked a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 15.31 seconds while his sophomore teammate, Jackson Esquibel finished second 16:22.72.
"Last week I felt like I started off good and didn't quite finish how I wanted to and didn't keep it going,'' Sutton said. "I've had a rough couple of weeks and didn't perform how I wanted, but coming back here definitely helped me build back up my confidence and get back in my groove.
"I was feeling good at the end of the race and I felt like kept it up throughout the whole thing and stayed out of my head. I just ran like I knew I could.''
Sutton said that was important entering the biggest meets of the season.
"It's time for the big meets and it's getting down to the nitty gritty,'' he said.
Sutton and Esquibel have been one of the area's best 1-2 punches and showed that again in Saturday's race.
"It's really fun,'' Sutton said. "We can always work together in workouts and then when we come out here we know we can pace off each other and know where we should be.''
While Shawnee Heights stole the show individually, Washburn Rural was the star of the show as a team, winning the team championship by a 49-63 margin over Seaman and Shawnee Heights.
Senior Alex Holmes paced the Junior Blues with a fourth-place finish in 16:32.74 while the Junior Blues also got a sixth-place finish from sophomore Hayden Keller (17:01.05).
Junior Grayson Fink (17:54.53), junior Easton Dial (17:56.60) and junior Davin Johnson (18:03.93) went 13-14-15 to round out Washburn Rural's top five runners.
Senior Jace Moore finished fifth individually (16:53.42) to lead Seaman to a second-place team finish by virtue of a higher finishing No. 6 runner.
Shawnee Heights also got a ninth-place finish from junior Andrew Emerson (17:37.17) while Topeka West got a 10th-place finish from senior Louis Wilson (17:41.48).
Next up for city runners is Saturday's city meet at the Kanza Park Course. The boys varsity race will start at approximately 9:40 a.m.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
Boys
Team scores
Washburn Rural 49, Seaman 63, Shawnee Heights 63, Lawrence 86, Leavenworth 123, Topeka High 140.
Individual results
1. Sutton, Shawnee Heights, 16:15.31; 2. Esquibel, Shawnee Heights, 16:22.72; 3. Ryan, Lawrence, 16:25.92; 4. Holmes, Washburn Rural, 16:32.74; 5. Moore, Seaman, 16:53.42; 6. Keller, Washburn Rural, 17:01.05; 7. Purvis, Leavenworth, 17:09.95; 8. Sullivan, Leavenworth, 17:29.23; 9. Emerson, Shawnee Heights, 17:37.17; 10. Wilson, Topeka West, 17:41.48.
Other Washburn Rural -- 13. Fink, 17:54.53; 14. Dial, 17:56.60; 15. Johnson, 18:03.93; 22. Cain, 18:23.11; 24. Olsen, 18:31.75; 29. Ishaan, 18:58.04.
Other Seaman -- 11. Appelhanz, 17:46.30; 12. Stuke, 17:52.57; 19. Swaim, 18:13.07; 20. Jowers, 18:15.04; 21. Newell, 18:15.04; 26. Buckley, 18:48.89; 35. Joseph, 19:47.03; 36. Lady, 19:47.14.
Other Shawnee Heights -- 23. Carter, 18:24.91; 32. Deitcher, 19:15.41; 38. Song, 19:57.16.
Other Topeka West -- 30. Phelps, 18:58.48; 39. Maag, 19:59.71.
Topeka High -- 17. Christopher, 18:06.64; 27. Storrer, 18:49.12; 37. Cowdin, 19:54.24; 40. Campbell, 20:32.99; 42. Solis Carlos, 20:59.20.
Cair Paravel -- 34. Eckert, 19:40.44; 41. Clark, 20:36.82; 47. Bowling, 22:16.56; 49. Keys, 27:14.80.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Not everything went exactly the way Hayden wanted it to in Thursday's non-league boys soccer game against Cair Paravel Latin at the Sunflower Soccer Complex, but there were two very big positives for Klaus Kreutzer's Wildcats.
No. 1, Hayden was able to get the game in despite a weather delay of nearly an hour, and No. 2, the Wildcats were able to come out with a 3-1 victory over the pesky Lions to improve to 5-4 on the season.
"The way we've been playing that's a good thing because I really don't know what team shows up any more,'' Kreutzer said. "We've got the components and it's just like we can't all work at the same time. So I'll take the win and move on and be happy with that.''
Hayden junior Nick Padilla (9), who scored two goals, battles to control the ball in Thursday's 3-1 soccer win over Cair Paravel. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden never trailed against the Lions, with junior Nick Padilla scoring a goal in each half and the Wildcats also getting a first-half goal from junior Jake Muller, but Hayden also missed several scoring opportunities to put the game away against short-handed Cair Paravel, which suited up just 12 players.
"We need composure when we get in front of the goal and we need to not play the ball square across the field and make the goalkeeper look good,'' Kreutzer said. "I thought we were better at creating chances, we just didn't take advantage of the chances that we had, pure and simple.''
Cair Paravel Latin freshman Sayer Taggart (18) advances the ball Thursday as Hayden senior Camden Schrickel defends. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden got on the board on Padilla's first goal off pass from junior Konnor Becker and went up 2-0 on a good individual effort from Muller.
However, Cair Paravel (2-5-1) got back in the game on a goal from senior Max Colombo off an assist from senior Ethan Everhart and the Lions were still in the hunt until Padilla converted a penalty kick later in the match.
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Friday's battle between two football unbeatens had a lot at stake.
The chatter before the game from Cair Paravel Latin fans was that Friday's match would determine how the remainder of the 2021 season would look for the Lions and things are indeed looking bright after CPLS rolled to a 54-8 victory over St. Mary's Academy at Highland Park.
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Ian Brian pulls down the St. Mary's Academy ball-carrier in Friday's 54-8 Lions win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In the previous six meetings between St. Mary's Academy and Cair Paravel the Crusaders had won convincingly, but Cair Paravel made a statement with Friday's romp past a St. Mary's team that had posted a won-loss record of 46-2 since 2016.
“St. Mary’s is a tough opponent every year,Cair Paravel coach Doug Bonura said. "You can never count them out or under-estimate them in any way. They’ve had our number for a lot of years and I am proud of what our team achieved tonight.
“Our team is hungrier than ever before. We have our goals in mind and so far we are doing a good job.”
Cair Paravel Latin senior quarterback Carter Brian threw for six touchdowns in Friday's 54-8 win over previously-unbeaten St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior quarterback Carter Brian had a terrific night for the Lions, throwing six touchdown passes to four different receivers. Brian spread the ball down the field and it wore down the Crusaders all night long.
But Brian wasn’t the only one who had a stellar night for the Lions, with Jachin Bonura, Noah Hastert and Max Colombo having individual outbursts as well.
Cair Paravel Latin junior Jachin Bonura carries the ball in Friday's 54-8 win over St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bonura and Colombo had a combined 230 total yards with two touchdowns while Hastert had four receptions for 68 yards and three touchdowns in the romp over St. Mary’s.
In the first half, it was all Lions.
The heavy defensive sets were too much for the Crusaders to handle early and heavy blitzes by the Lions forced the Crusaders to throw the ball uncomfortably in some situations.
Offensively, the Lions were just as hot early. Brian was a thorn in St. Mary’s side, throwing three touchdowns against the Crusaders to Je. Bonura, Ja. Bonura, and Hastert.
Half number two wasn’t much different for the rivals.
Cair Paravel, which improved to 5-0, took the ball first to begin the second half and dual-sport star Max Colombo took the ball 49 yards to the house with a ton of Crusaders behind him attempting to chase him down. That stopped any momentum St. Mary’s was trying to achieve.
St. Mary’s (4-1) was able to put up one touchdown against the bruising Cair Paravel defense in the second half, with senior quarterback Silvio Riccomini running for a 3-yard touchdown.
St. Mary’s will take on St. Joseph Christian in St. Joseph, Mo. next Friday while Cair Paravel will host Northland Christian.
CAIR PARAVEL LATING 54, ST. MARY'S 8
Cair Paravel (5-0) 14 10 24 6 -- 54
St. Mary’s (4-1) 0 2 6 0 -- 8
First Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Bonura 17 pass from Brian (failed extra point)
Cair Paravel -- Bonura 54 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Second Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 16 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Third Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Colombo 49 run (2 point good)
St. Mary’s --Riccomini 3 run (failed extra point)
Cair Paravel -- Everhart 27 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 10 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Fourth Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 8 pass from Brian
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Passing -- Cair Paravel: Brian, 14-19 236 yards.
Rushing -- Cair Paravel: Brian, 8-(minus) 26 yards, Colombo, 7-100, Ja. Bonura, 3-16, Will, 1-2.
Receiving -- Cair Paravel: Ja. Bonura, 5-122, Hastert, 4-68, Everhart, 2-41, Colombo, 2-2, Je. Bonura, 1-13.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After three heartbreaking losses, including two by a total of four points, Shawnee Heights' football team finally tasted victory Friday night, rolling to a 54-6 win over Kansas City-Schlagle.
Jarin Sanders powered the 1-3 T-Birds to the non-league victory, carrying the ball 15 times for 178 yards and scoring five touchdowns in a career night for the senior running back.
Jarin Sanders
Shawnee Heights quarterback Callan Carver completed three of six passes for 45 yards and carried the ball 4 times for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Heighs' defense, meanwhile, turned in a dominating performance against the Stallions.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 50, SUNRISE CHRISTIAN 0 -- Cair Paravel Latin continued its outstanding start to the 2021 season, improving to 4-0 with a 50-0 road win over Sunrise Christian Academy in a rare Saturday contest.
The Lions put the game away with a 30-point first quarter and were in front 44-0 at the half.
Carter Brian
Senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 10 of 19 passes for 99 yards and five touchdowns, including a pair of TD passes to senior Noah Hastert, who caught four passes for 43 yards.
Brian also rushed for 84 yards on seven attempts while junior Jachin Bonura carried the ball three times for 65 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Ian Brian was in on 11 tackles to lead the Lions' defense.
JUNCTION CITY 18, WASHBURN RURAL 17 (OT) -- Washburn Rural (3-1) suffered its first defeat of the season in heartbreaking fashion, with Xavion Felton scoring a two-point conversion to give the host Blue Jays (3-1) the overtime win.
The Junior Blues took a 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Junction City forced the overtime with an Aiden Fields field goal with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Rural scored first in overtime, but the Blue Jays answered with a TD and Felton's conversion to pull out the victory.
EMPORIA 42, HIGHLAND PARK 32 -- Highland Park's losing streak reached 60 games Friday at Emporia, but for the second time in three weeks the Scots gave themselves a chance to win.
Highland Park rallied from an early 13-0 deficit to take an 18-13 lead over the Spartans, but Emporia rallied to take the lead for good at 35-32 with about three minutes left in the third quarter.
Tre Richardson
Hi Park junior Tre Richardson scored on a 99-yard kickoff return and rushing touchdowns of 8 and 11 yards.
Scot newcomer Tyrell Reed, a Topeka West transfer, scored on an 80-yard run.
MANHATTAN 49, TOPEKA HIGH 0 -- Manhattan improved to 4-0 on the season, riding a stifling defensive effort to a 49-0 Centennial League win Friday night at Hummer Sports Park.
The Indians built a 22-0 halftime advantage and put the Trojans away in the third quarter.
Topeka High fell to 1-3 on the season.
SILVER LAKE 54, OSKALOOSA 0 -- Silver Lake bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 54-0 romp past Oskaloosa Friday night in the Eagles' Class 2A district opener.
Silver Lake improved to 3-1 on the season, jumping in front 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and taking a 41-0 halftime advantage.
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin product Hannah Woolery scored both goals as No. 6-ranked Emporia State soccer took a 2-1 victory in the first round of the Turnpike Tussle over Washburn University, handing the Ichabods their first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon at the ESU Pitch.
Woolery got the Hornets on the board just under nine minutes into the match, scoring on a free kick from about 30 yards out that got over Ichabod keeper Raegan Wells into the left-hand side of the goal.
Cair Paravel product Hannah Woolery scored both goals in Emporia State's 2-1 MIAA win over Washburn Sunday at Emporia. [ESU photography]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville overcame a brief early deficit Friday night to run its winning streak to 16 straight games with a 44-20 victory over St. Marys.
The defending Class 2A state champions trailed the Bears 12-10 at the end of the first quarter and led by just a 23-20 margin at the half before pitching a 21-0 shutout in the second half to take control.
Corey Catron
Rossville senior Corey Catron scored the last four touchdowns for Rossville, now 3-0 this fall, with Catron scoring on a pair of 1-yard runs, as well as a 5-yard run and a 32-yard scamper.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Torrey Horak completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior Tagen Kippes and also scored on a 6-yard run.
Rossville also got a 23-yard field goal from Pedro Arantes, who also kicked five extra points.
WASHBURN RURAL 19, PITTSBURG 17 -- Washburn Rural made the long trip to Pittsburg pay off, coming from behind to post a 19-17 win over the Purple Dragons.
The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the opening quarter and the Junior Blues trailed 14-10 at the half before rallying for the victory.
With Friday's win Washburn Rural improved to 3-0 on the season.
CAIR PARAVEL 60, MARANATHA ACADEMY 6 -- Cair Paravel Latin ran its record to 3-0 with a 60-6 romp past Maranatha Christian Academy, with the Lions scoring all 60 points in the first half.
Carter Brian
Lions senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 5 of 7 passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns while freshman backup Jase Pavlik went 4 of 5 for 45 yards and two TDs.
Senior Noah Hastert caught three passes for 91 yards and two TDs while senior Max Colombo caught two passes for 47 yards, with both catches going for touchdowns.
Sophomore Jesiah Bonura was Cair Paravel's leading rusher with 56 yards and two TDs on three carries while Colombo picked up 58 yards and a TD on two attempts.
Sophomore Ian Brian had six tackles and an interception for the Lions.
RILEY COUNTY 22, SILVER LAKE 14 -- Riley County scored 12 fourth-quarter points to hand Silver Lake its first loss of the season.
Silver Lake (2-1) led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter and 14-3 at the half, but the Falcons outscored the Eagles 19-0 in the second half.
LANSING 17, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 14 -- Shawnee Heights came up just short against United Kansas Conference foe Lansing, suffering its third straight loss by seven points or less, including the last two games by a total of four points.
Jarin Sanders
Heights quarterback Callan Carver completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 196 yards while senior Carter Olson had six receptions for 64 yards and senior Jarin Sanders had six grabs for 35 yards.
Sanders led the T-Birds' rushing attack with 52 yards on 16 carries while Carver added 45 yards on 15 attempts.
MANHATTAN 70, HIGHLAND PARK 0 -- Centennial League power Manhattan rolled to a 70-0 home win over Highland Park Friday night, extending the Scots' win streak to 59 straight games dating back to 2014.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
If Topeka West goes on to have a breakout 2021 football season, the Chargers will no doubt remember Friday night's 36-32 Centennial League road win at Emporia as the impetus.
After trailing 7-6 at the end of the first quarter, Topeka West rallied to take a 14-10 halftime lead and a 28-16 advantage through three quarters before surviving Emporia's late-game rally to even its record at 1-1.
Tyrell Reed
Malachi Berg
Juniors Malachi Berg and Tyrell Reed both had big games for the Chargers, who bounced back from a 45-6 season-opening loss to Washburn Rural.
Berg accumulated more than 350 yards of total offense, throwing for one touchdown and running for a second TD, while Reed topped the 100-yard rushing mark and ran for three TDs, including a 55-yard run that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Chargers survived a huge passing game from Emporia quarterback Cam Geitz, who threw for all four of the 0-2 Spartans' touchdowns.
ROSSVILLE 56, ROCK CREEK 14 -- The defending Class 2A state champs rolled to their second win of '21, jumping out to 31-7 halftime cushion and putting the 0-2 Mustangs away with a 25-point third quarter.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Torrey Horak ran for a 16-yard touchdown and threw for a 49-yard TD to junior Kade Perine and a 30-yard TD to senior Corey Catron.
Torrey Horak
Corey Catron
Catron also scored on a 2-yard run while senior Kaden Brown had a 44-yard pick six for the Bulldawgs and scored on a 6-yard run.
The Bulldawgs also achieved a rare feat at the high school level, with junior Pedro Arantes kicking four field goals, connecting from 27, 27, 25 and 28 yards. Arantes also kicked four extra points to finish the night with 16 points.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Seaman girls cross country coach Rick Brading didn't enter the 2021 season with a pack mentality in mind for his team, but it seems to be working that way, and paying early dividends for the Vikings.
Junior Bethany Druse, a returning Class 5A state placer, led the pack with a second-place individual finish on Saturday at the Kanza Park course and her teammates followed close behind, with Seaman putting all its top five in the first 12 places en route to winning the team championship in Topeka West's Joe Schrag Invitational by a 30-41 margin over Blue Valley.
Junior Bethany Druse finished second to help Seaman win the girls team title in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Druse clocked a five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 45.51 seconds to finish as the runnerup to Blue Valley senior Tori Wingrove (18:33.32) while Seaman freshman Anna Becker finished fourth (20:23.48), senior Emma Schultz sixth (20:40.20), freshman Joslynn Grace seventh (20:42.11) and freshman Stella Appelhanz 12th (21:22.19).
"We're not trying to be a pack, it just happens that way,'' Brading said. "We just have some talented kids.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Even though he fought back late in the season to advance to the Class 5A state meet for the second straight year, Kory Sutton was never himself in the 2020 cross country season.
But the Shawnee Heights junior standout is healthy this fall and the results are proof of that.
"I had an issue with the growth plate in my hip and it put me out for about a year before I was back to full strength and ready to run,'' Sutton said Saturday after taking the boys individual title in the Topeka West Joe Schrag Invitational at the Kanza Park Course, Sutton's second win in as many races on the year.
Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton posted his second straight individual win of the year in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sutton made progress in the spring track season and now feels like he's 100 percent.
"I never was 100 percent (in cross country) and I was just getting back into it right before track season,'' Sutton said. "But I feel great now.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Genna Berg
GENNA BERG, Washburn University
A 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter from Blue Springs, Mo, Berg was named the Most Valuable Player in the Washburn Invitational volleyball tournament after helping lead the Ichabods to a perfect 4-0 tournament record. Berg recorded 19 kills and eight digs as No. 8-ranked Washburn ended its tournament run with a 3-1 win over No. 16 Northern State Saturday at Lee Arena.
Carter Brian
CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin
Brian, a senior quarterback, completed 15 of 16 pass attempts for 298 yards and five touchdowns as the Lions opened their 2021 football season with a 60-14 victory over Kansas City East Christian Academy last Friday night at Highland Park.
Madeline Carter
MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural
A returning Class 6A state medalist, Carter opened her junior cross country season with a dominating individual win in last Saturday's Manhattan Invitational at Warner Park. The reigning city champion, Carter clocked a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 52.6 seconds to win by just under 34 seconds and lead the Junior Blues to a tie with Manhattan for the team championship.
Brooklyn DeLeye
BROOKLYN DeLEYE, Washburn Rural
A junior two-time All-Stater, DeLeye turned in a dominating performance as Washburn Rural's volleyball team improved to 5-0 on the season with a sweep of last Thursday's home-opening triangular against 25-time state champion Bishop Miege and Gardner-Edgerton. DeLeye, who has orally committed to NCAA national champion Kentucky, was a force at the net throughout the triangular while also recording five straight service aces during a nine-point run against Miege.
Torrey Horak
TORREY HORAK, Rossville
A returning All-State senior quarterback, Horak rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and completed eight of 15 pass attempts for 77 yards and a TD as the defending 2A state-champion Bulldawgs opened their season with a 38-0 romp past traditional small-school power Centralia.
Tanner Newkirk
TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden
The defending 4A individual state cross country champion, Newkirk made his 2021 debut with individual and team championships in last Saturday's Missouri Western Griffon Invitational at St. Joseph, Mo. A senior three-time state medalist, Newkirk won by more than a minute in a time of 16:25.18 while leading Hayden to the team title by a 30-48 margin over West Platte, Mo.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin got its 2021 football season off to a rousing start, riding a dominating second half to a 60-14 victory over Kansas City East Christian Academy at Highland Park.
The Lions led by just a 14-8 margin at the end of the first quarter and 22-14 at halftime before outscoring KC East 32-0 in the third quarter and 38-0 in the second half.
Carter Brian
Noah Hastert
Cair Paravel senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 15 of 16 pass attempts for 298 yards and five touchdowns while senior Noah Hastert had six catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns and sophomore Evan Will had four catches for 78 yards.
Senior Max Colombo was the Lions' leading rusher with 50 yards and a touchdown on just two attempts and Colombo also registered a team-high five tackles.
Sophomore Jesiah Bonura picked off two passes for the Lions, who were 5-5 in 2020.
ROSSVILLE 38, CENTRALIA 0 -- The defending Class 2A state champions got the '21 season off to impressive start, riding an outstanding night from senior star quarterback Torrey Horak to a 38-0 shutout over traditional state stalwart Centralia.
Torrey Horak
Horak rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and completed eight of 15 pass attempts for 77 yards and a TD.
Senior Corey Catron rushed for 98 yards and two TDs on 14 attempts while senior Tagen Kippes caught four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Rossville opened up a commanding 28-0 halftime lead and tacked on 10 more points in the third quarter to account for the final margin.
HAYDEN 22, EMPORIA 2 -- Coming off a 7-2 season in 2020, 3A Hayden rode a stingy defense to Friday night's season-opening 22-2 win over 5A Emporia at Hayden.
SILVER LAKE 34, ROCK CREEK 28 -- Perennial state power Silver Lake, which has won eight state championships, survived a tough test from Rock Creek to open its season with a 34-28 win over the Mustangs.
LEAVENWORTH 20, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 13 -- Host Shawnee Heights was in the game until the end, but fell to United Kansas Conference foe Leavenworth 20-13 in its season-opener at Wetter field.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tylan Alejos
Tylan Alejos, Topeka High
A 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior running back and strong safety, Alejos was a standout on both sides of the ball for Topeka High in the 2020 season, earning All-City honors at running back while receiving All-Centennial League honorable mention.
Camden Barta
Camden Barta, Seaman
A senior quarterback/free safety, Barta played free safety for the 7-2 Vikings last season and backed up All-City Top 11 quarterback Reid Cowan. Barta is expected to move into the starting quarterback position for Seaman this fall.
Malachi Berg, Topeka West
Still just a junior, Berg is starting his third season as Topeka West's starting quarterback. The 6-3, 195-pound Berg received All-City honorable mention last season and will be looked on to provide leadership for the Chargers this fall.
Robby Bolin
Robby Bolin, Washburn Rural
A 6-2, 190-pound senior wide receiver/safety, Bolin was an All-City Top 11 selection last fall, catching 29 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. Bolin received second-team All-Centennial League recognition on offense and honorable mention on defense and also received All-6A honorable mention.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Trenton Barker
Trenton Barker, Rossville
Barker, a senior running back/ linebacker, is one of four returning starters on defense for Rossville, which is coming off a second straight 13-0 season and a second straight Class 2A state championship. Barker earned All-Mid-East League honorable mention on offense as a junior.
Eli Barnes
Eli Barnes, Silver Lake
A junior wide receiver/defensive back, Barnes is part of a strong returning nucleus for Silver Lake, which is coming off a 9-3 record and a Class 2A semifinal berth in the 2021 season.
Callen Barta
Callen Barta, Seaman
A 6-foot, 160 junior, Barta saw extensive action for Seaman as a sophomore, helping the Vikings post a 6-4 record. Barta earned TopSports.news honorable mention last fall as well as All-Centennial League honorable mention on defense.
Malachi Berg
Malachi Berg, Topeka West
Berg, a 6-2, 190 senior is starting his fourth season as Topeka West's starting quarterback. Berg received TSN All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season. Barg has also helped Topeka West to back-to-back Class 5A state tournament berths in basketball.
Packson Bettis
Packson Bettis, Washburn Rural
Bettis, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior defensive end, was named the TSN All-Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year last season and earned Second 22 all-county honors after helping lead the Junior Blues to an 8-2 record and a share of the Centennial League title. Bettis received All-Centennial League honorable mention.
Jachin Bonura
Jachin Bonura, Cair Paravel Latin
Bonura, a senior wide receiver/returner/defensive back, helped lead Cair Paravel to a perfect 11-0 record and the Kansas Christian Athletic Association state title last fall. Bonura earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition and KCAA first-team honors as a receiver and kick returner and a second-team spot as a defensive back.
Ian Brian
Ian Brian, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior, Brian was a first-team KCAA selection as an offensive lineman and linebacker last season after helping lead Cair Paravel to a perfect 11-0 season and the KCAA state championship. Brian earned TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
BJ Canady
BJ Canady, Topeka High
Canady, a 6-5, 240 junior, is a returning starter on both sides of the ball for Topeka High, which is coming off a 2-7 record last fall. Canady has seen action at tight end and quarterback on offense and defensive end on defense for the Trojans. Also a standout basketball player, Canady received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial Leaue honorable mention in 2021.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Nearly 29,000 reader votes have been received since TopSports.news kicked off its Best of the Best project in early July.
Now it's time to honor Shawnee County's all-time greats in a series of lists over the month of August.
More than 500 current and former county athletes received Best of the Best votes in 23 different sports/categories, including 44 men's bowlers, 36 baseball players, 34 women's bowlers and football players, 33 men's cross country runners, 31 women's soccer players and 30 men's tennis players.
Eight sports compiled more than 1,200 reader votes, while four sports topped the 2,000-vote mark, two topped 4,000 votes and women's bowling led the way with more than 9,300 votes.
Melvin Douglas
Dajia Anderson
Chris Barnes
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Narrowing down the list of women's basketball candidates for TopSports.news' Best of the Best list to 25 was a tough task.
Picking a No. 1 out of a talent-heavy group of Shawnee County legends was even tougher.
The TSN Top 25 list is jam full of high school stars and state champs, many who went on to earn All-America collegiate honors as well as recent multi-sport superstars like Carly Bachelor of Washburn Rural and NiJaree Canady of Topeka High, who ran away with the Readers Choice title despite still having a season of high schoolnbasketball remaining.
With more than a handful of candidates that were legitimate contenders for the top spot, the Best of the Best nod, by the slighest of margins, goes to former Shawnee Heights and Washburn University legend Brenda Shaffer-Dahl.
Brenda Shaffer-Dahl
Nadira Hazim
Shaffer-Dahl, a 1986 Heights graduate, led the T-Birds to an undefeated state championship as a senior and went on to set 24 Washburn basketball records from '86-'90. Shaffer-Dahl is Washburn’s all-time leading scorer (2,613 points) and all-time leading rebounder (1,106) and earned All-CSIC honors four seasons and was a two-time NAIA and Kodak/WBCA All-American.
Shaffer-Dahl, a member of the Washburn and Topeka Shawnee County halls of fame, also set school records for most games played (126), best scoring average for a season (23.9, 1989-90) and a career (20.7), and most single-game rebounds (23), among others.
Former Topeka West star Nadira Hazim, who scored 42 points in a Class 6A state tournament game, holds down the No. 2 spot, while Seaman and Washburn star Shelley Foster, Cair Paravel Latin and Kansas State product Peyton Williams and Washburn Rural and Notre Dame star Jeneka Joyce round out the top five in the TSN Top 25.
NiJaree Canady
As mentioned earlier, Canady, who will also be a strong candidate in softball and the multi-sport division, was a clearcut winner in Readers Choice voting, garnering more than 1,700 votes while former Seaman and Fort Hays State star Tatyana Legette also received strong support from readers.
Shaffer-Dahl was third in reader voting while Williams and former Washburn Rural and WU standout Erika Lane tied for fourth.
Here's a look at the Top 25 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 25 BEST OF THE BEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Narrowing down candidates for the TopSports.news Shawnee County Best of the Best women's soccer list was a tough chore.
Picking the Top 25 was even tougher, but in the end former Shawnee Heights and Washburn University star Jessica Mainz got the nod as No. 1 at the top of a a talent-heavy group of athletes.
Mainz scored 97 goals and dished out 44 assists for Shawnee Heights, helping lead the T-Birds to a state team championship in 2004 and a runner-up finish in '05, before going on to become an All-American and a two-time MIAA player of the year while setting 14 career records and 15 single-season records.
Jessica Mainz [Washburn Athletics]
Also a basketball standout for WU, Mainz was the first Washburn soccer player to be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
Another former T-Bird, Leea Murphy, sits No. 2 on the Top 25 after starring for Heights and helping North Carolina win the '03 NCAA national championship, while perennial city, Centennial League and Class 6A state power Washburn Rural earned the next five positions and earned 11 spots overall, led by No. 3 Kaira Houser, No. 4 Darby Hirsch and No. 5 Kelly Lemke.
More than 4,200 votes were cast in Readers Choice Awards balloting, with two athletes receiving more than 1,400 votes and five receiving more than 100 votes.
Kelly Lemke [Twitter]
Lemke ended up No. 1 in the Readers Choice voting with nearly 1,900 votes while Washburn Rural alum Kate Schroeder was No. 2 and former Seaman standout Chelsea Hopkins third.
Here's a look at the Top 25 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 25 BEST OF THE BEST WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS
