Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior John Hoytal made the most of his first start as Washburn Rural's quarterback Friday night, throwing for 234 yards and four touchdowns as the Junior Blues opened their 2024 season with a 42-21 non-league win over city rival Shawnee Heights at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Junior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns in his first start as Washburn Rural's quarterback Friday night, leading the Junior Blues to a 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural's Lafayette Thompson (6), Kellan Roth (7) and Brody Schwinn (11) celebrate a Junior Blues touchdown in Friday's 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hoytal and junior Kellan Roth hooked up for 2, 42 and 17-yard touchdowns while Hoytal also hit sophomore Brady Schwinn for a 16-yard score while completing 14 of 21 attempts on the night
"You know I was a little nervous before the game, but you can't tell the difference between nerves and excitement, so I got excited and after that first play it was all just on from there,'' Hoytal said. "I felt like I played good, but it's only up from here.
"We went through a little valley in the game but we've got to get to the top of that peak and get back on the peak.''
Junior TJ Minikwu (24) finds running room against Shawnee Heights in Friday's 42-21 Washburn Rural win at Bowen-Glaze Stadium. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Sophomore Jadyn Baum celebrates a touchdown with his Washburn Rural teammates in Friday's 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural also had a big night on the ground, with junior TJ Minikwu and sophomore Jadyn Baum both topping the 100-yard mark in rushing yards.
Minikwu finished with 131 yards on 24 attempts while Baum had 115 yards on 16 carries.
The Junior Blues drove 80 yards in nine plays for a TD on its opening drive, getting a 2-yard score from Hoytal to Roth (Ryan Austin kick) at the 9:06 mark of the opening quarter.
After missing out on some scoring opportunities Washburn Rural made it a 14-0 game early in the second quarter when Hoytal found Roth for a 42-yard scoring strike (Austin) kick.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
Rossville senior Tayson Horak (12) earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 and All-Mid-East League first-team honors last fall. [File photo/TSN]
Former Silver Lake football star Logan Pegram is starting his third season as the Eagles' head coach, leading Lake to a 14-5 record over the past two years. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
ROSSVILLE at SILVER LAKE
The Bulldawgs and Eagles open the 2024 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off a 5-4 record a year ago while Silver Lake went 8-2. Rossville is playing its first season in the Class 1A ranks while the Bulldawgs and Silver Lake are both entering their first year in the new Big East League. Rossville senior Tayson Horak earned All-Mid-East League first-team recognition on offense and was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 pick last season while seniors Kameron Badura and Brock Bush and junior Jack Donovan received all-county honorable mention. Silver Lake senior Braden Strausbaugh, an offensive tackle and defensive end, earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last fall while seniors Logan Cathcart and Trent Rollenhagen and junior Dayne Johnson received all-county honorable mention.
Seniors King Leonard (1) is a top returner for Washburn Rural, intercepting nine passes last fall for the 11-1 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker has received Division I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS at WASHBURN RURAL
City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights combined for 19 wins last season, with the 11-1 Junior Blues advancing to the Class 6A semifinals and the 8-3 T-Birds making it to the 5A quarterfinals. Rural senior safety King Leonard was among the state leaders with nine interceptions, including one pick six, and was also in on 75 tackles (47 solo) en route to earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last fall. Senior cornerback Wilson Miller was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year and earned All-Centennial League defensive honors and All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last season. Shawnee Heights only returns defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior cornerback Tyren Parker from last year's team along with junior kicker Camden Granado. Parker has D-I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.
Senior Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards and scored 63 points last fall for the 7-3 Scots. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WYANDOTTE at HIGHLAND PARK
At Hummer Sports Park
After snapping an eight-year losing streak early in 2022, Jermaine Monroe's Scots have posted back-to-back winning seasons, including a 7-3 mark last season when Highland Park won its first playoff game since 1991. Senior linebacker Ricky Crawford earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season, leading Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. Junior defensive back TremaineSavage was a first-team All-Meadowlark Conference selection last season, recording 29 tackles, registering 15 pass breakups and forcing two fumbles, while senior wide receiver/defensive back Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards last season while scoring 63 total points and receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Wyandotte is coming off a 1-8 season in 2023.
Hayden senior receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN at EUDORA
Hayden went 12-1 and finished second in Class 3A last fall while Eudora is coming off a 5-5 season, losing to Atchison 50-27 in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Wildcat senior wide receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time TSN All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection, catching 40 passes for 683 yards, carrying the ball 18 times for 268 yards and scoring 10 total touchdowns and three 2-point conversions. Junior running back Kade Mitchell was named the co-offensive newcomer of the year in Shawnee County last season after rushing for 764 yards on 79 carries, catching 13 passes for 209 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and 92 total points. Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 61 of 113 passing attempts for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
High school football players who come off the field have traditionally made a trip to the water cooler, congregated near the coaches to watch the action on the field, or perhaps snuck a peak at their friends and family in the stands.
But increasingly, local players are gathering around large screen televisions on the sidelines or peering at hand-held devices on the bench.
The high school game is becoming more high-tech by the season. It’s not uncommon to see a drone buzzing just outside the field of play, filming the action and relaying those images to coaches as the game is going on.
For an old school football fan familiar with Vince Lombardi’s diagrams on a chalk board, it can all seem mind boggling. But to teenagers immersed in a high-tech world, it’s the best way to learn the game.
Highland Park football coach Jermaine Monroe said that ever-changing technology can provide big advantages for high school teams. [File photo/TSN]
“This is the way to communicate to students today,” said Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe. “I think to be able to connect to students in the classroom and on the field, we need to stay up with the times. We have to be able to change and adapt. Technology in the game is not going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better and better.”
Monroe is one of several veteran coaches in the area who are working hard to adapt to the new technology. He said he no longer prints playbooks for his players to study. It’s all done on video.
“I’m 100% enjoying it,” Monroe said. “I was kind of stuck in the old school way of doing things, but when I learned how user-friendly these things are, it’s making things easier and I’m getting information to the boys faster, which is the most important thing.”
Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift said that the T-Bird coaching staff uses technology in a variety of ways to communicate with Heights' players. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said the T-Birds typically use a camera in or on top of the press box to send video instantly to a TV on the sideline.
“That enables us to, in between series, have a unit look at the video on the monitor which allows the coaches to teach what’s going on based on the past series,” Swift said. “It’s instant feedback.
“A lot of our kids play both ways and don’t come off the field long enough to look at film. But seven or eight might.”
Like many teams, Shawnee Heights uses a drone and mounts a camera on a tripod in one end zone to provide different angles of the action. While the T-Birds utilize footage strictly from the press box during the game, Swift said the other video footage is invaluable for teaching in practice.
“I love it,” Swift said. “It’s more time management on downloading film and getting it ready to show to kids. If you’re looking at a sideline view of a play and an end zone view of the play, you have to cut it up so that they match. It’s a little bit more time consuming, but the benefit of using it as a teaching tool outweighs the time.”
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A disputed call in a scoreless match marred a soccer battle between Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights that eventually went the way of the Junior Blues 5-0 Tuesday night at Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Washburn Rural junior Brandon Hamilton had a goal and two assists in Tuesday's 5-0 non-league road win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Midway through the first half, the Shawnee Heights goalkeeper was issued a red card for an unsafe tackle in front of the goal. When a T-Bird defender was similarly penalized for his reaction to the call, Shawnee Heights found itself down two key players at the 15:41 mark.
After T-Bird coach Nic Simons was red-carded for arguing his displeasure, the game took on a different tone.
To their credit, the T-Birds didn’t give up despite Washburn Rural’s Brandon Hamilton banging home the penalty kick. But the Junior Blues added a second goal just before halftime – a Brodye Kocher-Munoz score assisted by Hamilton – and gradually pulled away.
“I actually thought that while we created more opportunities, it was a fairly even game the first 20 minutes before the (penalty kick),” Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. “Shawnee Heights had good effort. When you come to their home field, they are always going to bring energy, and if we don’t match that, it’s going to be a tough game.
“For the first 20 minutes they had the better energy, and I thought, ‘This is going to be a tough one tonight.’ But then that call broke the game open. That just changes the complexion of the game. Give them credit, down two guys, they still played real hard all night.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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After graduating 20 of 22 starters on offense and defense from last year's 8-3 team, veteran Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift can either look at the T-Birds' lack of varsity experience as a problem or as an opportunity for those players remaining in the program.
Veteran Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift talks to his team after a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Swift, who is starting his 22nd season at Heights, is taking the latter approach.
"We lost all 11 starters on offense and we lost nine starters on defense so we're starting the year with two potential starters that started last year on defense and other than that it's everybody's chance to go find a spot,'' Swift said. "It's an awesome opportunity for all those young guys because now you're not fighting for three or four positions, you're fighting for 20 positions.
"We go by the mantra of, 'Work while you wait,' so they've been waiting for their opportunity and it comes down to how much work they have put in and we're going to see. I'm excited about it.''
Swift feels like the T-Birds set the tone for a productive season with their work in the offseason.
"The way we improved throughout the summer has me feeling really good about the season,'' Swift said. "I think we're going to continually grow because in the summer we strived to get better every day. We had a great turnout in the summer. We had some football opportunities and we had the kids there.
"The buy-in was phenomenal and our growth from May 28th to July 18th was night and day and we expect the same thing from Week 1 to Week 3 to Week 6 and throughout the season.''
Junior Tyren Parker is a top returner for Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season in 2023. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds return 20 lettermen, led by returning defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior Tyren Parker, a junior defensive back. Heights also returns junior kicker Camden Granado.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kameron Badura
KAMERON BADURA, Rossville
A senior, Badura received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Mid-East League honorable mention recognition last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs. Badura is a returning starter for Rossville and is expected to play a key role as a skill player on offense and in the defensive secondary.
Alesecio Batson
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A senior, Batson is best known for his exploits in track and field, winning the Class 5A state triple jump championship at 48 feet, 4.25 inches as a sophomore in 2023. West football coach Trey Parker will try to take advantage of Batson's superb athleticism in a variety of roles this fall, including safety on defense.
Elijah Berg
ELIJAH BERG, Topeka West
Berg, a senior, will be counted on to provide talent and leadership for a Topeka West program that is looking to improve on back-to-back 1-8 seasons. Berg could see action in a variety of roles for the Chargers, including wide receiver, where he is West's top returner.
Tobias Bonura
TOBIAS BONURA, Cair Paravel Latin
As one of only four returning lettermen from last season's 9-3 Cair Paravel team, Bonura, a junior, will be counted on to be a team leader as the Lions make the jump to the 11-man ranks (Class 1A) for the first time in school history. With only 19 players on the roster, Bonura and the other Cair Paravel veterans will rarely leave the field.
Andrew Broughton
ANDREW BROUGHTON, Seaman
A 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior center, Broughton will anchor the offensive line for the Vikings after earning All-United Kansas Conference second-team honors and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Broughton helped the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Parker Busenitz
PARKER BUSENITZ, Shawnee Heights
Busenitz, a senior, is a returning starter at safety, one of only two returning defensive starters for Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season last fall. Busenitz received All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2023 after recording 40 tackles with three pass interceptions and is also expected to be an impact player at wide receiver for the T-Birds.
Brock Bush
BROCK BUSH, Rossville
A senior linebacker, Bush received All-Mid-East League and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs after receiving second-team all-league recognition and all-county honorable mention as a sophomore. The three-year starter will be counted on for leadership as Rossville begins its first season in the Big East League and looks to be a Class 1A contender.
Conner Bush
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A junior, Bush is a top defensive returner for Rossville, which is coming off a 5-4 season, and has also logged multiple offensive starts for the Bulldawgs. Bush, one of 18 returning lettermen, will be a key player as Rossville makes the transition to Class 1A and to the Big East League.
Logan Cathcart
LOGAN CATHCART, Silver Lake
A senior, Cathcart is a returning starter for the Eagles, 8-2 last season, at both wide receiver and safety and will be counted on to provide leadership as Silver Lake makes the transition to the Big East League. Cathcart is also a baseball standout for the Eagles, receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention last spring.
Seth Catron
SETH CATRON, Rossville
The Bulldawgs, coming off a 5-4 record a year ago, will be looking for Catron, a senior, to be one of Rossville's biggest weapons on offense as the team makes the transition to the Big East League and the Class 1A ranks this season. Catron, who has made multiple starts for the Bulldawgs, is one of 18 returning lettermen.
Ricky Crawford
RICKY CRAWFORD, Highland Park
Crawford, a 6-0, 180 senior linebacker, earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season after helping lead the Scots to a 7-3 record and their first playoff win since 1991. Crawford led Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.
Hayden Cummings
HAYDEN CUMMINGS, Seaman
A 5-10, 205 senior linebacker, Cummings earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Cummings was credited with 103 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the Vikings.
Broderick Desch
BRODERICK DESCH, Hayden
Desch, a 5-10, 205 senior fullback, earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after playing a key role on offense as the Wildcats posted a 12-1 record and advanced to the Class 3A state championship game. Desch rushed for 511 yards on 102 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in 2023.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A junior wide receiver/defensive back, Donovan earned All-Mid-East first-team recognition on defense last season and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Donovan is also a standout for the Bulldawgs in both golf and basketball, earning first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in both sports.
Caden Estrada
CADEN ESTRADA, Washburn Rural
A 6-2, 270 senior offensive tackle, Estrada has earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition the past two seasons and was a Second 22 All-Shawnee County selection last fall after helping Washburn Rural post an 11-1 record and advance to the Class 6A semifinals.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time in more than a quarter of a century Shawnee Heights will have a new baseball coach next spring.
Jason Brown
But Shawnee Heights didn't even leave its campus to find a replacement for longtime T-Bird coach Ryan Schmidt, who retired following the 2024 season, with Heights promoting Jason Brown, who has served as the school's freshman coach for the past decade.
Brown said the fact that he's familiar with virtually every player in the Shawnee Heights program is one of several factors in his decision to apply for the job.
"Just being part of the program for so long and just kind of putting everything I had into it, this is something I really wanted,'' Brown told TopSports.news.
Schmidt retired after 25 years as the T-Birds' head coach and 31 years in the program, leading the T-Birds to a pair of Class 5A state championships as Heights' head coach while also having a hand in two other state titles as an assistant under Craig Cox.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson, a Seaman junior, is one of the city's top returning runners after earning All-Shawnee County recognition last season. [File photo/TSN]
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a junior, began his high school cross country career in impressive fashion last season, earning All-Shawnee County, All-United Kansas Conference and all-region honors. Anderson ran the fastest five-kilometer time in Seaman history at the city meet, clocking a time of 15 minutes, 50 seconds and eclipsing the previous record by seven seconds.
EVAN CARTER, Shawnee Heights
Carter turned in a solid junior season in 2023 as one of Shawnee Heights' top runners, placing in the top 19 throughout the year with a best finish of fifth and a time of 16:51. Carter finished strong with an 11th-place at city and a 12th-place showing in the United Kansas Conference meet. Carter will be counted on to be a strong leader for the T-Birds as a senior.
Silver Lake senior Aemon Coffman (744) medaled in seven of 10 meets last fall and qualified for the Class 3A state meet. [Submitted photo]
AEMON COFFMAN, Silver Lake
A senior, Coffman medaled in seven meets over the 2023 season, moving into the No. 12 spot on Silver Lake's all-time list. Coffman earned All-Mid-East League recognition as a junior was a state qualifier in Class 3A.
Junior Brooks Kehoe was a top runner for Washburn Rural last fall, earning All-Shawnee County recognition. [File photo/TSN]
BROOKS KEHOE, Washburn Rural
A junior, Kehoe posted a fourth-place finish in the city meet to help lead the Junior Blues to the team title and also finished fourth in the Centennial League and 16th in Class 6A regional competition to earn an individual berth in the state meet. Kehoe clocked a personal-best time of 16:10.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]
JO'MHARA BENNING, Topeka High
Benning, a senior, has received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons and was also a second-team All-Centennial League pick. Benning is also a softball standout for the Trojans, earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors.
ELLA BOLAN, Silver Lake
Bolan, a senior middle hitter/outside hitter, earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors and Kansas Volleyball Association All-Class 3A honorable mention last fall after helping Silver Lake post a third-place finish in the 3A state tournament, with the Eagles posting a 32-12 record on the year. An All-3A state tournament pick and second-team All-Mid-East League honoree, Bolan registered 317 kills with 62 blocks and 38 service aces.
TAYLOR BREES, Shawnee Heights
A senior, Brees was a second-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference selection last season for the T-Birds. Brees also earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in softball this past spring.
Silver Lake senior Alana Brewster, spiking the ball, earned second-team All-Shawnee County honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
ALANA BREWSTER, Silver Lake
Brewster, a senior, received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season after helping Silver Lake post a 32-12 record and a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Rottinghaus name was already a familiar one in Washburn University volleyball lore before Taylor Rottinghaus ever stepped on campus, with her older sister Faith a five-time All-American, a national NCAA Division II runnerup and the Ichabods' all-time digs leader.
Taylor Rottinghaus
But in just one season Taylor is well on the way to carving out her own legacy at WU, earning All-MIAA Tournament and all-conference second-team honors in 2023 as a freshman defensive specialist/libero.
A former three-sport standout at Shawnee Heights, Taylor Rottinghaus played in all 28 matches (96 of 103 sets) for the 17-11 Ichabods last fall while leading the team in digs with 444 on the year (4.63 average per set) and also recording 78 assists with seven service aces.
If Taylor felt any pressure being the little sister an Ichabod legend, who played the same position, Rottinghaus said it quickly dissipated.
"Coming in I felt a little pressure, but I would say the pressure was gone within a week and nothing regarding Faith happened at all last year -- it was only Taylor,'' Rottinghaus said.
And although Faith was around for support if needed, Taylor said her sister remained in the background.
"She left me alone and she let me do my own thing, which I really appreciate,'' Taylor said.
Former Shawnee Heights multi-sport standout Taylor Rottinghaus earned second-team All-MIAA recognition as a freshman libero for Washburn volleyball last season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Rottinghaus, who received All-United Kansas Conference recognition in volleyball, basketball and track at Shawnee Heights and was a Class 5A state medalist in track, admitted that there were a few growing pains making the jump from high school to college, but said she was pleased with her season overall and is looking for bigger things for herself and her team this fall.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ANTONIO AGUIRRE, Highland Park
A senior, Aguirre has been one of the top players in the Meadowlark Conference for Highland Park the past two seasons, earning first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior. Aguirre received All-City honorable mention last fall after the Scots posted a 4-13-0 record.
Topeka High senior Jaime Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition last fall. [File photo/TSN]
JAIME ALVARADO, Topeka High
A senior forward, Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-City recognition last season for the Trojans, who posted a 7-10-0 record. Alvarado received All-City and All-Centennial League honorable mention as a sophomore in 2022.
Washburn Rural junior Draden Chooncharoen (23) was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the 19-2 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
DRADEN CHOONCHAROEN, Washburn Rural
A junior midfielder, Chooncharoen had four goals and four assists and received second-team All-Centennial League honors last fall as Washburn Rural (19-2) won its 29th straight Centennial League title (outright or shared) and finished third in Class 6A. A three-sport standout, Chooncharoen was a 4x400-meter relay state champion this past spring in track.
Hayden senior Cooper Grace (18) was a first-team All-City selection last fall for the Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
A senior defender, Grace was a first-team All-Centennial League pick and earned All-City honorable mention last season for the 6-8-3 Wildcats. An All-Stater in baseball, Grace led the Wildcats to the Class 3A state title this past spring and has made an oral commitment to Nebraska.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kansas basketball legend Ron Slaymaker and veteran soccer coach Tim Collins are part of a group of 12 new varsity head coaches who have been announced by Shawnee County high schools for the 2024-2025 school year.
Former Emporia State coaching legend Ron Slaymaker will take over as the new girls basketball coach at Topeka High in the 2024-2025 season. [File photo/TSN]
Slaymaker, the former longtime Emporia State men's basketball coach who most recently coached girls basketball at Olpe after a seven-year stint with the Chase County girls, takes over as the girls coach at Topeka High.
Former Augusta coach Jason Filbeck takes over as Topeka High's football coach this fall. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High has also added former Augusta head coach Jason Filbeck as the Trojans' new football coach.
Collins, who coached a state championship team at Topeka West and also coached the women's team at Washburn University, will coach the Seaman boys soccer team this fall.
Collins is one of three new coaches for the Vikings, with Madison Lamond taking over as Seaman's new girls swimming coach and former softball assistant Daniel Ruda moving up to the head coaching position to replace Jay Monhollon, who retired at the end of the 2024 season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the record, the No. 1 men's spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history wasn't decided by a coin flip... but it was briefly considered.
Picking the top spot, and really the entire Top 10, was that tough of a task.
Topeka High baseball legend Mike Torrez and former Shawnee Heights basketball and golf star Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, had both been selected No. 1 in previous Top 100 projects and were both worthy candidates this time around as were several other nationally and world-renowned local greats.
In the end Torrez, a World Series champion and 20-game winner over an 18-year year Major League career, got the nod by the slightest of margins over Woodland, a two-time state basketball champ for the T-Birds and a four-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Former American League All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner Ken Berry holds down the No. 3 position on the TSN list followed by two-time Olympic wrestler Melvin Douglas and Silver Lake and Kansas State basketball icon Lon Krugeer.
The second five on the Top 10 include PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes, Olympic long-jumper Preston Carrington (Syed Abdul-Mutfi), former NFL veterans and Super Bowl participants Troy Wilson and Tom Dinkel, and two-time state high school and NAIA national basketball champion Tom Meier.
All of the Top 10 honorees are members of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The most impressive thing about NiJaree Canady is that she still may have not hit her peak just two college seasons into an already prolific softball career.
But the former two-time state champion at Topeka High, college freshman of the year and national player of the year for Stanford and future Texas Tech Red Raider has already accomplished enough to get the nod for the No. 1 spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
Canady, who also helped lead Topeka High to three straight Class 6A state berths in basketball, headlines a top five that that also includes Olympic silver medalist Margaret Murdock, former NCAA national softball champion Lisa Carey, current Kentucky and USA Volleyball Under 21 star Brooklyn DeLeye and multi-time state champ, Arizona State All-American and pro tennis player Sheri Norris.
Former Cair Paravel Latin star Peyton Williams, an All-Big-12 honoree in basketball and volleyball for Kansas State, earned the No. 6 spot on the Top 100, followed by K-State hoops star Nadira Hazim, Washburn University record-setter Brenda Shaffer-Dahl, Iowa State volleyball star Kaylee Manns and Nebraska national volleyball champ Jazz Sweet.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famers, two current NFL players who continue to add to their legacy, and a baseball great who made his mark more than a century ago comprise men's picks No. 11 through 20 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
The late Fred Slaughter and Steve Tilford, who graduated from Topeka High, Highland Park's Michael Wilhoite, Kyle Weems and James Patrick, Washburn Rural's Aaron Crow and Topeka West's Warren Seitz are all members of the Topeka Shawnee County shrine while former Topeka High star Teven Jenkins and Shawnee Heights/Washburn University great Corey Ballentine have carved out successful NFL careers and the late Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss made his professional baseball debut in 1905 before going on to an outstanding career in the Negro Leagues as a player and a manager.
Slaughter played on the legendary John Wooden's first national basketball championship team at UCLA, while Tilford was a world renowned cyclist.
Wilhoite put together a seven-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl appearance, while Weems helped lead Highland Park to a perfect 25-0 season basketball season before starring at Missouri State and embarking on a long and continuing professional career while Patrick helped the Scots capture the only Grand State championship in Kansas history.
Crow was an All-American at Missouri and an American League All-Star for the Kansas City Royals while Seitz was a multi-sport standout at Topeka West, quarterbacked the Missouri Tigers and had a stint in the NFL.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
We're down to the top 20 women's picks for TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history and the achievements just keep getting more and more impressive.
Selections No. 11 through 20 include a United States Olympian and a 17-time individual state high school champion as well as a pair of NCAA Division I team champions and a D-I individual champ.
The latest group of picks also includes a multi-sport star who racked up seven state crowns in two sports along with a Final Four participant, an all-time Washburn great and two early trailblazers for local women's athletics.
Here's a look at No. 11-20:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Men's picks No. 21-30 on the list of TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes features two local basketball legends, a pair of players who made it to the Major Leagues, five of the county's most recognizable names in football and one of the most accomplished multi-sport athletes in local annals.
The late Ron Paradis and Delvy Lewis led Washburn Rural to a state basketball championship before going on to standout careers at Kansas State and Kansas, respectively, while Duff "Sir Richard' Cooley and former Hayden and Washburn standout Jerad Head made it to the Major Leagues in baseball.
Kyle McNorton (Seaman) was an All-Big 8 linebacker for Kansas and played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Lewis (Washburn Rural) was an All-American for Washburn and played for the Falcons, Will Geary (Topeka High) and Wyatt Hubert (Shawnee Heights) were multiple-time All-Big 12 picks for Kansas State and Ky Thomas (Topeka High) finished his prep career as the No. 2 all-time rusher in state history before going on to a Division I career.
Mark Elliott was a multiple sport standout for Silver Lake, was a pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, played quarterback at Washburn and is one of the area's most successful golfers.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest women's selections for TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 encompasses a group of athletes who are probably household names for most any local household that has a sports fan.
The group of 10 include a national player of the year (Stacey Slavens), an MIAA player of the year (Jessica Mainz), an All-Big 12 honoree (Crystal Kemp), seven total college All-Americans in five different sports (Slavens, Mainz, Dani McHenry, Shannon Suddarth, Laura Klamm, Latisha Yarnell, JaNelle Wright) and three of Kansas' best ever in high school track and field (Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Wright).
Here's a look at picks No. 21 through 30:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes (No. 31-40) are a vastly varied group, featuring All-Americans in three different sports as well as the most successful Paralympic athletes in county history.
Shawnee Heights wrestling great Tanner Gardner went on to become Stanford's first three-time NCAA All-American while Hayden two-sport state champ John Tetuan was an All-American pitcher for Wichita State and Highland Park star Dale Cushinberry was a two-time basketball All-American for Emporia State.
Tetuan had a stint as a minor league pitcher while Topeka High product Ted Evans and former Highland Park All-Stater Jahmal McMurray both played professional basketball.
Picks No. 31-40 also include local legends Mark Turgeon and Dan Davis, who helped lead Hayden to undefeated state championships in basketball and football, as well as former Seaman hoops star Johnny Johnson, who put together a Hall of Fame career at Washburn University, and world-renowned Paralympic athletes Dan Cnossen (Shawnee Heights) and Austin Hanson (Seaman).
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 are not only a testament to some of the county's all-time greats in six different sports but also provide a bit of a history test for even the most seasoned of local sports fans.
TSN's latest group of 10 Top 100 honorees (picks No. 41-50) includes athletes who achieved the bulk of their athletic greatness in seven different decades covering more than 100 years.
Included are "Dink'' Mothell, who made his professional baseball debut in 1914, while Highland Park's Ed Delk excelled in the 1950s, Seaman and Washburn star Dode Lesser and Washburn Rural grad Tom Bunger made their mark in the '60s, Silver Lake and Shawnee Heights legends Tony Leiker and Marcel Carter ruled the '80s and Seaman's Justin Glasgow was a multi-sport state champ in the 1990s.
Highland Park's Jared Huske was one of the nation's best hurdlers in the opening decade of the 21st century while Hayden's Nick Stringer celebrated an undefeated state football title before going on to an All-Big 12 career at Kansas State.
For fans that prefer more contemporary achievements, Seaman and Kansas star pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn is still blazing his path, currently pitching at the AAA level for the Boston Red Sox.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
