Hayden High School Wildcats

By RICK PETERSON                                                                                                           

TopSports.news

Seaman sophomore boys cross country standout Brody Anderson and Hayden sophomore girls golf standout Lauren Borjon and have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.

The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.

Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Anderson and Borjon over the past week:

Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson has posted three straight top-eight individual finishes to open the 2023 cross country season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman 

Anderson continued his hot start to the 2023 cross country season, posting a city-best eighth-place finish among 82 runners in last Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic at Washburn Rural.

Anderson clocked a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 33.1 seconds to lead three city runners among the top 15 individual finishers.

Anderson began his sophomore season with a fifth-place finish in the Manhattan Invitational and led the Vikings to the team title in the Joe Schrag Invitational with a third-place finish.

Lauren Borjon finished second in a playoff in Monday's city girls golf tournament, helping lead the Wildcats to the team title in the city and Topeka West Invitational meets. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

LAUREN BORJON, Hayden

Borjon helped lead Hayden to the team title in Monday's Topeka City Girls Golf Championship at Western Hills Golf Course, with the Wildcats winning by a 322-335 margin over Washburn Rural to end the Junior Blues' 10-year championship run.

Borjon shot a 76 to tie Topeka High's Avery Zimmerman for the individual title, with Borjon finishing second in a playoff.

Borjon tied with Zimmerman for second in the Topeka West Invitational, which was held in conjunction with the city meet, as Hayden also won the team championship in that meet by a 322-333 margin over Blue Valley West. 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

(All games at 7 p.m.)

FRIDAY GAMES

 Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese and the Junior Blues will face a huge test Friday against defending Class 6A state champion Manhattan at Bowen-Glaze Stadium. [File photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

MANHATTAN (3-0, 1-0 Centennial League) at WASHBURN RURAL (3-0, 0-0 Centennial League) 

This figures to be one of the state's top matchups of the week, with Manhattan the defending Class 6A state champion and winner of 16 straight games dating back to 2021 while Washburn Rural is coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons and is off to a perfect start this fall. Washburn Rural notched a 51-15 non-league road win at Piper last Friday while Manhattan rolled to a 49-7 non-league win over Hays and has outscored its first three foes by a 137-45 margin. Friday's game will be the Centennial League opener for Washburn Rural.  

Hayden senior Finn Dunshee has rushed for 526 yards on just 25 carries for the 3-0 Wildcats while scoring eight total touchdowns. [File photo/TSN]

HAYDEN (3-0, 0-0 Class 3A District 4) at JEFFERSON WEST (1-2, 0-0 Class 3A District 4)

Hayden, which has outscored its opposition by a 146-37 margin, stayed unbeaten with a 49-23 non-league win at Rossville last week and will open Class 3A district play Friday night. Senior Finn Dunshee has rushed for 526 yards and seven touchdowns on just 25 carries and added an eighth touchdown on a pick six. Junior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 24 of 43 passes for 358 yards and four TDs while junior Jensen Schrickel has 10 catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Jeff West is coming off a 50-14 loss to Sabetha.  

LYNDON (3-0, 0-0 Eight-Man-I District 2) vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (2-1, 0-0 Eight-Man-I District 2)

At Hummer Sports Park

Cair Paravel has posted back-to-back lopsided victories that ended by way of the 45-point spread rule, including a 62-8 win over Marais de Cygnes Valley last Friday. The Lions have outscored their past two opponents by a 122-20 margin. Lyndon is undefeated on the season, including a 70-24 romp past Frankfort last week. Friday's game opens Eight-Man Division II district play for both schools. Jase Pavlik completed 9 of 11 passes for 132 yards, 3 touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in the CPLS win over Marais des Cygnes while Jesiah Bonura rushed for 69 yards and two TDs on just four carries and Evan Will had two carries for 65 yards and two TDs.

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news b

The annual Topeka City Girls Tennis Championships were in the home stretch Thursday before lightning and eventually rain caused the completion of the meet to be pushed back to Monday at Kossover Tennis Center.

The city meet is scheduled to resume at 3 p.m. Monday.

Shawnee Heights junior Jette Glasenapp was playing for the city championship in No. 1 singles Thursday when lightning and rain pushed back the tournament to Monday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural junior Carolina Chedzoy was playing for the city title in No. 1 singles when the tournament was postponed because of inclement weather. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

The No. 1 singles and doubles championships were well under way, with Shawnee Heights junior Jette Glasenapp facing Washburn Rural junior Carolina Chedzoy in the No. 1 singles final and Hayden senior Lauren Sandstrom and junior Emily Sheetz taking on Seaman senior Katie Krumins and sophomore Molly Gorman in the No. 1 doubles final.

+ By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Finn Dunshee

FINN DUNSHEE, Hayden

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior rushed for 170 yards on just 11 carries and scored three touchdowns as Hayden improved to 3-0 with a 49-23 road football victory at Rossville last Friday night. Dunshee scored on runs of 68 and 63 yards for the Wildcats and also returned a pass interception 50 yards for a touchdown.. 

 Payton Fink

PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural

A junior cross country standout, Fink won the individual title in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic at Washburn Rural in a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 10.1 seconds. The defending city and Centennial League champion and fifth-place finisher in the 2022 Class 6A state meet, Fink won by a nine-second margin and led the Junior Blues to a runnerup team finish.

Jayden Moore

JAYDEN MOORE, Shawnee Heights

A 6-foot, 170-pound senior wide receiver/safety, Moore caught eight passes for 123 yards and a 15-yard touchdown in Shawnee Heights' 33-30 come-from-behind overtime United Kansas Conference football victory over Seaman Friday night at Heights. Moore, who helped the T-Birds improve to 3-0 on the season overall and in the UKC, also recorded four tackles on defense.

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural had ruled the city's girls golf roost for a full decade, but Monday's city tournament belonged to Hayden and Topeka High senior Avery Zimmerman, who earned the team and individual championships at Western Hills.

Hayden girls golf poses for a team picture after winning the city girls golf championship by a 322-335 margin over Washburn Rural Monday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Topeka High senior Avery Zimmerman won the city girls golf title Monday at Western Hills on the first playoff hole. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Hayden halted Washburn Rural's run of 10 straight city team titles by a 322-335 margin over the Junior Blues while Zimmerman won her first city individual title on the first hole (No. 1) of a sudden death playoff with Hayden sophomore Lauren Borjon after both players carded five-over-par 76s.

Zimmerman will play soccer in college at Emporia State and said Monday's win was a good start towards finishing off her high school golf career with a bang.

Kerry Zimmerman moves in to congratulate daughter Avery Zimmerman after her sudden death win in Monday's city girls golf tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Kerry and Avery Zimmerman exchange a hug after Avery won the city girls golf title in a playoff Monday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"I'm so happy,'' Zimmerman said. "It just feels like all my hard work is finally playing off and I didn't have the best round last week so this week having a good round just makes me really happy. This is one of the most important ones.''

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

A change in racing strategy led to Washburn Rural cross country standout Payton Fink's first individual victory of the 2023 season in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic at Rural.

Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink (600) runs with Junction City senior Lorna Rae Pierce (310) and Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller (498) in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Instead of jumping out in front early, the Rural junior held back a little in the early stages of the five-kilometer event before taking control over the final mile en route to a nine-second win in 18 minutes, 10.1 seconds, one of three runners in the top 10 for the second-place Junior Blues.

"We talked about this before the race how the last meets I've kind of gone out too fast and then fallen behind so I just tucked myself behind and about the two-mile where all the uphills were I decided to make my move and tried my best to hold it,'' Fink said. 

Junction City senior Lorna Rae Pierce was the individual runnerup in 18:19.6 while Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller finished third in 18:36.6.

Fink said she felt comfortable with her new strategy.

"I felt really relaxed about the two-mile,'' Fink said. "My legs felt good, like they had something left in them, so it was nice to have a little left for the last mile.''

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Three-set matches were the order of the day for Silver Lake's volleyball team in Saturday's 10-school Rossville Invitational, with the Eagles playing four three-setters on the day, including a win over rival Rossville in the semifinals.

But after coming out on top in three straight three-setters, the Eagles' good fortune ran out in the championship match against Tonganoxie, which outlasted Silver Lake, 25-17, 16-25, 25-23 to cap a perfect 6-0 day, including two wins over Lake.

Silver Lake volleyball coach Sarah Johnson talks to her team during Saturday's Rossville Invitational. The Eagles went 4-2 on the day to finish second. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Silver Lake junior Alana Brewster goes up for a kill in Saturday's Rossville Invitational final against Tonganoxie. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"These girls don't give up on themselves and they know they've got it in them so we might go on a roller-coaster ride, but they know they can finish, they know their capabilities and their skill set so we just kept fighting to the end,'' said Silver Lake coach Sarah Johnson, who team is 13-4 on the year.

Tonganoxie opened up 17-10 and 21-12 first-set leads over the Eagles in the final before closing out the eight-point win, but Silver Lake answered with a strong performance in the second set.

Silver Lake went up 3-0 on a service ace from junior Alana Brewster and took a 6-1 lead on a kill from sophomore Jaiden Wise.

Later in the set the Eagles broke a 12-12 tie with three straight points, including kills from Brewster and Wise and Silver Lake forced a third set with six straight points, getting a long service run from senior McKinley Kruger and a pair of kills from senior Makenzie McDaniel to close out the nine-point victory.

By Todd Fertig 

TopSports.news

Hayden weathered the elements and a stubborn Rossville team to improve to 3-0 Friday, going on the road to beat the Bulldawgs 49-23. 

Hayden senior Finn Dunshee (33) rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns and also had a pick-six in Friday's 49-23 win at Rossville. [File photo/TSN]

The Wildcats rolled over Olpe and Silver Lake in their first two games. Things were more challenging on the wet field at Rossville. 

The Bulldawgs pinned Hayden deep in its own territory for most of the first period, claiming a 3-0 lead midway through the quarter.

The Wildcats rallied to mount a 28-10 lead by halftime, but they knew they were in a fight. 

“(Rossville) coach (Derick) Hammes always does a great job getting his guys ready each and every week,” Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. “We told our kids all week long that this was going to be the best team we’ve played up to this point and would be the most physical team that we’ve played up to this point. None of it came as a surprise to me. Now some of our kids may have showcased that early on.”  

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

(All games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY'S GAME

LIBERAL (2-0) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (0-2)

At Hummer Sports Park

Topeka High is coming off a 55-19 loss to reigning Class 6A state champion Manhattan in the Trojans' Centennial League opener last Thursday while Liberal improved to 2-0 with a 47-14 win over Emporia. Topeka High scored its first touchdowns of the season in the Manhattan loss, with Isaiah Kincade catching a 70-yard TD pass from Zane Smith, Malachi Murph scoring on a 99-yard pick-six and Jayden Norman catching a 26-yard TD pass from CJ Ross. 

Seaman junior quarterback Max Huston has thrown for 12 touchdowns in two games for the 2-0 Vikings, including seven TDs in last week's 59-6 UKC win over KC-Turner. [File photo/TSN]

 FRIDAY GAMES

SEAMAN (2-0, 2-0) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-0, 2-0) 

Seaman posted its second straight lopsided United Kansas Conference decision last Friday, a 59-6 home win over Kansas City-Turner, while Shawnee Heights improved to 2-0 with a 26-25 UKC win at Lansing. Seaman junior quarterback Max Huston threw for seven touchdowns in the Vikings' win over Turner and now has 12 TD passes on the year, while Shawnee Heights senior quarterback Ryeki Tuley threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns on a 24 of 37 performance and also ran for a TD in the T-Birds' win over Lansing.

Hayden senior Finn Dunshee (33) rushed for 154 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Wildcats' 56-7 win over Silver Lake last Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Hayden senior Jude Konrade (52) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a defensive touchdown in Friday's 56-7 win over Silver Lake. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

HAYDEN (2-0) at ROSSVILLE (1-1)

Hayden rolled to a 56-7 home win over traditional state power Silver Lake last Friday while Rossville dropped a 26-20 decision to Riley County, with the Falcons scoring the game-winning touchdown with three and a half minutes left at Rossville. Hayden senior Finn Dunshee rushed for 154 yards and three TDs on just eight carries against Silver Lake, scoring on runs of 7, 56 and 29 yards, while senior Jude Konrade scored a defensive touchdown on a 24-yard fumble return. Rossville rallied from a 12-0 deficit to knot the game at 20 before Riley County pulled out the win. 

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Finn Dunshee

FINN DUNSHEE, Hayden

A 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, Dunshee rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on just eight attempts as 2-0 Hayden rolled to a 56-7 non-league football victory over Silver Lake last Friday night at Hayden. Dunshee, the reigning Class 4A state 100-meter dash champion in track, scored on runs of 7, 56 and 39 yards for the Wildcats. Dunshee was an All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick as a junior. 

Jackson Esquibel

JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights

The Shawnee Heights senior cross country star set a personal-best and broke the Heights school record en route to the individual championship in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park. A Class 5A state champion in track and two-time state placer in cross country, Esquibel posted a five-kilometer time of 15:28.20 while setting his PR by about 20 seconds and setting the school record by 13 seconds.

Max Huston

MAX HUSTON, Seaman

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior quarterback, Huston threw for seven touchdowns in last Friday's 59-6 United Kansas Conference home romp past Kansas City-Turner. Unofficially, Huston threw for TD passes of 5, 15, 20, 30, 43, 67 and 79 yards against the Bears. Seaman has outscored its two UKC opponents by a 135-1 margin while Huston has thrown for 12 touchdowns on the season.