Topeka High Trojans
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High will induct 12 individuals and two Trojan teams into the Sports Hall of Honor at 7 p.m. Thursday in Hoehner Auditorium.
Thursday's honorees will be inducted in four categories -- Athletes-Trojan Award, Post-Graduate Achievement-Black and Gold Award, Support Staff-Three Cheers Award and Team-Spirit Award.
Trojan Award inductees include 1956 Topeka High graduate John "JB'' Littlejohn (football), 1974 graduate Dan Wieser (football, basketball, baseball), 1975 graduate Nannette Lee Hicks (track and field), 1982 graduate Rosemary Burnett (basketball), 1986 graduate David Proctor (baseball, basketball) and 1995 graduate Beau Vest (wrestling).
Black and Gold Award honorees include 1946 graduate Joe Douglas (softball), 1972 graduate Ted Evans (basketball), 1997 graduate Carmen Wright Rojas (track and field) and 2000 graduate Anjanae Wilson Toney (track and field).
Three Cheers Award inductees include 1958 graduate Davd Fisher (statistition) and 1972 graduate Jim Riggert (athletic trainer) while Spirit Award honorees will be the 1969-70 boys gymnastics team and the 1986 boys basketball team.
Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. Thursday (South main doors and Western Street doors).
On Friday the inductees will be recognized at halftime of the boys varsity Centennial League basketball game against Washburn Rural.
NOTE: Statistics for city boys basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the second of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Bonner, Seaman 14 345 24.6
Kingcannon, Highland Park 14 274 19.6
Ross, Shawnee Heights 13 249 19.2
Compton, Hayden 15 239 15.9
Hanika, Hayden 15 230 15.3
Paul, Topeka West 14 202 14.4
Rowley, Washburn Rural 10 144 14.4
Duncan, Topeka West 14 196 14.0
McComas, Topeka High 14 196 14.0
Durbin, Cair Paravel 13 181 13.9
Lassiter, Topeka West 14 191 13.6
Marichal, Cair Paravel 13 177 13.6
Aldridge, Topeka High 14 172 12.3
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 158 12.2
Ballard, Washburn Rural 12 145 12.1
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
McComas, Topeka High 14 111 7.9
Durbin, Cair Paravel 13 100 7.7
Fay, Cair Paravel 13 90 6.9
Hanika, Hayden 15 101 6.7
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 12 74 6.2
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 78 6.0
Lassiter, Topeka West 14 83 5.9
Zuniga, Seaman 14 76 5.4
Schmidt, Washburn Rural 12 63 5.3
Scott, Shawnee Heights 13 66 5.1
Kidd, Hayden 15 76 5.1
Paul, Topeka West 14 64 4.6
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 12 45 4.5
Tourtillott, Hayden 15 60 4.0
Bonner, Seaman 14 56 4.0
Chase Hastert, Cair Paravel [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 75 5.8
Bonner, Seaman 14 73 5.2
Fay, Cair Paravel 13 59 4.5
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 12 47 3.9
Guest, Topeka High 14 52 3.7
Duncan, Topeka West 14 49 3.5
Traylor, Topeka West 14 49 3.5
Paul, Topeka West 14 48 3.4
Mitchell, Hayden 15 47 3.1
Marichal, Cair Paravel 13 38 2.9
McComas, Topeka High 14 40 2.9
Cook, Shawnee Heights 13 34 2.6
Scott, Shawnee Heights 13 33 2.5
Nimz, Washburn Rural 12 30 2.5
Luarks, Topeka High 14 34 2.4
Hanika, Hayden 15 36 2.4
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore boys basketball standout Blaine Durbin and Topeka High junior girls basketball standout Ahsieyrhuajh 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 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the recent accomplishments of Durbin and Rayton.
Blaine Durbin, Cair Paravel Latin [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
BLAINE DURBIN, Cair Paravel Latin
Durbin scored a total of 60 points in three wins last week week as No. 7-ranked (Class 2A) Cair Paravel won the championship in the Flint Hills League Tournament at Emporia. Durbin scored 17 points in a 64-30 win over West Franklin, had 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 60-45 win over Lyndon and scored 13 points in the Lions' 64-47 win over Osage City.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High [File photo/TSN]
ASHIEYRHUAJH RAYTON, Topeka High
Rayton scored 33 points in Tuesday's 71-33 non-league win over Atchison and followed that up with a 37-point performance in Thursday's 65-57 loss to state-ranked Derby in the opening round of the Capital City Classic, surpassing the 1,000-point milestone for her career. Rayton connected on three 3-pointers against Atchison and four against Derby.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After jumping out to an early 17-4 lead in Thursday's final first-round game in the Capital City Classic, Shawnee Heights girls hit a temporary road block, with Lawrence battling all the way back to tie the game at the end of the first quarter and take a four-point lead midway through the second quarter.
Junior star KK Emmot scored 29 points with seven 3-pointers in Shawnee Heights' 74-61 Capital City Classic win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after a somewhat stern talking to from veteran T-Bird coach Bob Wells, Shawnee Heights righted its ship en route to a 74-61 victory over the Lions at Topeka High.
"They did (respond),'' Wells said. "It's kind of one of those deals where it is what it is because they're like everybody else in town, fighting the flu and fighting different kinds of stuff and we just had to battle through it.
"And you could tell that sometimes our shots were point-blank misses and I just told them to slow down and be stronger, understand where you're at right now with everything and just be strong and take it up with a little more force and finish, and thank goodness we started doing that.''
Now 11-3 with 10 straight wins, Shawnee Heights advanced to a 7:30 p.m. semifinal Friday to face Derby, a 65-57 first-round winner over tournament host Topeka High.
T-Bird junior KK Emmot had a big night, scoring a game-high 29 points with seven 3-pointers to key the Shawnee Heights victory.
"After we kind of got pretty much like punched in the mouth, as we would say, we realized we had to step it up and start hitting shots and start playing defense,'' Emmot said.
"We just had to adjust. That's the game of basketball, adjusting to it.''
Shawnee Heights rallied to take a 37-34 halftime lead and never trailed in the second half even though the 6-6 Lions got within three midway through the third quarter, with the T-Birds opening up a 15-point advantage down the stretch.
Shawnee Heights senior Imani McGlory scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Thursday's 74-61 win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Imani McGlory backed Emmot with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while junior Sami Baum added 11 points and senior Reianna Vega 10.
Junior post Cami Nauholz led Lawrence with 20 points and 14 rebounds while sophomore Macyn Ramsay added 17 points with five treys and senior Jada Baars-Turner scored 13 points.
Lawrence will play a 4:30 p.m. consolation game on Friday against Topeka High, a 65-57 first-round loser to Derby.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 74, LAWRENCE 61
Lawrence 17 17 15 12 -- 61
Shawnee Heights 17 20 20 17 -- 74
Lawrence (6-6) – Juelsgaard 2-7 0-0 5, Doleman 3-8 0-0 4, Nauholz 7-16 6-6 20, Ramsay 6-8 0-0 17, Baars-Turner 5-8 1-1 13, Barber 0-2 0-0 0, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-49 7-7 61.
Shawnee Heights (11-3) – Emmot 10-21 2-3 29, McGlory 6-14 0-0 15, Carter 2-10 2-4 7, Baum 5-11 0-0 11, Vega 4-9 1-1 10, Brees 0-0 0-0 0, Hamilton 0-1 0-0 0, Schmidt 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 27-65 7-9 74.
3-point goals – Lawrence 8 (Ramsay 5, Baars-Turner 2, Juelsgaard), Shawnee Heights 13 (Emmot 7, McGlory 3, Carter, Baum, Vega). Total fouls – Lawrence 11, Shawnee Heights 10. Fouled out – Juelsgaard. Technical fouls -- none.
Topeka High junior star Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 37 points and reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone in Thursday's 65-57 loss to Derby. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rayton scores 37, reaches 1,000-point milestone in Trojan loss
Thursday was a bittersweet night for Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton and the Trojans.
Rayton scored 37 points and surpassed the 1,000-point career milestone for Topeka High, but the Trojans were unable to get over the hump against No. 3-ranked (Class 6A) Derby, dropping a 65-57 first-round decision to the Panthers.
"We started off slow, but we fought,'' Rayton said. "We fought our way back in and it might have been a loss, but it was a good loss because we fought our hardest.''
"They were going on runs and we'd come right back, several times,'' Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. "I was very proud of that because it's very easy to fold your tent and go home.''
Rayton, who scored 33 points in a Tuesday night win over Atchison, surpassed that total with Thursday's 37-point explosion, hitting four 3-pointers among her 14 field goals while hitting five of eight free throws.
Rayton said reaching 1,000 points was a goal she's had since early in her career.
"It was a goal since freshman year, to get my 1,000 points before I'm a senior and I did it my junior year,'' she said.
"She's an athlete, she's got a lot of skills and she's got a great future ahead of her,'' Slaymaker said.
Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points in Thursday's 65-57 Capital City Classic first-round loss to Derby. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Hailey Caryl added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Topeka High, but no other Trojan had more than three points.
Derby (12-2) rode a balanced attack to Thursday's win, with junior Ahsia Fox scoring 13 points, sophomore Alex Dinsmore 11 points and senior Macayla Askew and junior Maya Harris 10 apiece.
The Panthers never trailed, with just two ties in the opening quarter, and led 18-11 at the end of the first, 29-24 and 46-40 at the start of the final stanza.
Topeka High made numerous runs at the Panthers, getting within a point in the third quarter, but the Trojans were hampered by 20 turnovers on the night.
Topeka High will play a 4:30 p.m. consolation game on Friday against Lawrence, which dropped a 74-61 first-round decision to Shawnee Heights.
The Trojans beat the Lions 65-47 on Jan. 6.
DERBY 65, TOPEKA HIGH 57
Derby 18 11 17 19 -- 65
Topeka High 11 13 16 17 -- 57
Derby (12-2) – Demel 2-5 2-2 7, Fox 6-16 1-2 13, Dinsmore 5-9 0-0 11, Graham 2-7 1-1 6, Askew 5-11 0-0 10, Watie 0-1 0-0 0, Clingan 0-2 0-0 0, Gutzmer 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 4-6 0-0 8, Harris 3-9 1-2 10. Totals 27-66 6-7 65.
Topeka High (5-7) – Short 0-1 1-2 1, Marshall 0-6 1-2 1, Rayton 14-27 5-8 37, Caryl 2-5 9-12 13, Gotru 1-2 0-0 2, Triplett 1-1 0-0 3, Whayne 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 16-24 57.
3-point goals – Derby 11 (Harris 3, Damel, Dinsmore, Graham), Topeka High 5 (Rayton 4, Triplett). Total fouls – Derby 23, Topeka High 14. Fouled out – Short. Technical fouls -- none.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Derby bested Shawnee Heights in every way, shape and form in Friday night's Capital City Classic semifinal at Topeka High, with the Panthers ending the T-Birds' 10-game winning streak with a dominating 80-44 victory.
Junior KK Emmot led Shawnee Heights with 11 points in Friday's 80-44 semifinal loss to Derby in the Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Now the T-Birds want to flush that disappointing performance as quickly as possible with Shawnee Heights now set to face Garden City in Saturday's 1 p.m. third-place game.
"We've got to let it go and we've got to learn from it,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said. "They just came out and they were more physically prepared and more mentally prepared than we were. Kudos to them. They gave it to us every which way they could and there wasn't a lot we could do about it for awhile.''
Wells said the key for the T-Birds now is to make sure they return to the form that has allowed them to post a glossy 11-4 record on the season.
"We can't turn one loss into two and tomorrow's an important game,'' Wells said. "There's a lot of big games coming towards the end of the season in this last month and it starts tomorrow.''
No. 3-ranked (Class 6A) Derby, now 13-2 on the season, ended the first quarter with a commanding 24-8 record and went to the locker room at the half with a 50-20 cushion after a 26-12 second quarter onslaught by the Panthers.
Derby led 68-36 at the end of the third quarter to force a running clock the rest of the way.
Senior Macayla Askew led Derby with a game-high 22 points while senior Karlie Demel had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds and sophomore Sarai Graham also scored 11 points.
Junior KK Emmot led Shawnee Heights with 11 points while junior Pearmella Carter added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Derby will face Wichita Heights, a 57-42 semifinal winner over Garden City, in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. championship game.
DERBY 80, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 44
Shawnee Heights 8 12 16 8 -- 44
Derby 24 26 18 12 -- 80
Shawnee Heights (11-4) – Emmot 3-11 4-5 11, McGlory 2-6 4-4 9, Carter 5-9 0-0 10, Baum 0-2 1-2 1, Vega 1-6 1-4 3, Brees 0-1 0-0 0, Aubrey Hamilton 0-0 2-2 2, Schmidt 1-2 0-2 3, Allie Hamilton 1-2 0-0 3, Karylye 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 14-41 12-21 44.
Derby (13-2) – Demel 4-6 2-2 11, Fox 3-6 2-3 8, Dinsmore 3-5 0-0 6, Graham 3-9 3-4 11, Askew 9-17 4-4 22, Watie 0-1 0-0 0, Clingan 0-2 0-0 0, Gutzmer 0-2 0-0 0, Brownlee 0-0 1-2 1, Carter 1-4 0-0 2, Harris 4-7 0-0 9, Vanmeter 3-3 0-1 8, Bohaty 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 30-62 14-19 80.
3-point goals – Shawnee Heights 4 (Emmot, McGlory, Schmidt, Allie Hamilton), Derby 6 (Graham 2, NA 2, Harris, Demel). Total fouls – Derby 22, Shawnee Heights 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
Trojans hold off Lions for 75-72 Capital City Classic win
Topeka High girls basketball posted an 18-point road win over Lawrence on Jan. 6, but Trojan coach Ron Slaymaker fully expected Friday's rematch with the Lions in the Capital City Classic on High's home floor to be much tougher.
And it was, with the Lions leading at some point in each of the first three quarters, but the Trojans survived the test to advance to Saturday's 11:30 a.m. fifth-place game with a 75-72 win.
"They played (Shawnee) Heights yesterday and played them well until late,'' Slaymaker said. "They got beat late and I was like, 'Gosh, those girls are better.' We knew it wasn't going to be easy.
"We tried to make it easy and then we tried to make it hard. I wasn't sure what team was out there, but we found a way.''
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led 6-7 Topeka High with 30 points, including five 3-pointers, while senior Keimara Marshall had 17 points and senior Sasha Gotru 12 points.
Junior post player Cami Nauholz registered a double-double for 6-7 Lawrence with 29 points and 15 rebounds while freshman Marley Doleman and sophomore Macyn Ramsay both added 19 points with five 3s apiece.
Topeka High will now face city rival Seaman at 11:30 a.m. in the fifth-place game.
TOPEKA HIGH 75, LAWRENCE 72
Lawrence 20 15 21 16 -- 72
Topeka High 22 18 21 14 -- 75
Lawrence (6-7) -- Juelsgaard 0-7 0-0 0, Doleman 7-9 0-0 19, Barber 2-5 0-2 5, Nauholz 10-24 8-9 29, Ramsay 7-13 0-1 19, Simmons 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 8-12 72
Topeka High (6-7) – Short 2-5 1-1 5, Marshall 8-14 0-0 17, Rayton 10-21 5-6 30, Caryl 3-5 1-2 7, Gotru 4-6 4-4 12, Triplett 0-1 0-0 0, Whayne 1-2 2-4 4. Totals 28-54 13-17 75.
3-point goals – Lawrence 12 (Doleman 5, Ramsay 5, Nauholz, Barber), Topeka High 6 (Rayton 5, Marshall). Total fouls – Lawrence 14, Topeka High 13. Fouled out – Barber. Technical fouls -- none.
Seaman gets back on track with 30-point win over Scots
Seaman snapped a three-game losing streak Friday in a 62-32 Capital Classic romp past city rival Highland Park.
"It was good to smile again,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "For a number of reasons we needed to win this game. It's been a tough week for us, so it was good to see the girls out having fun and smiling.
"We've just got to stick with what we're doing. We're still growing and the girls are still learning through it. It's going to be like that through this season, but I'm proud of them for coming back today.''
Now 7-5 on the season, Seaman jumped out in from 21-6 by the end of the first quarter and then hit the Scots (4-10) with a 17-3 second quarter to take a commanding 38-9 advantage at the half.
Seaman held a 52-21 lead after three quarters to force a running clock over the final eight minutes.
Junior Brynn Spencer, who was celebrating her birthday, led Seaman with 12 points on four first-quarter 3-pointers.
Spencer was the only double-figure scorer for the Vikings, but all 11 Seaman players who saw action cracked the scoring column.
Senior Koralee Jones scored a game-high 15 points for Highland Park (4-10).
Highland Park will play Lawrence at 10 a.m. Saturday in the seventh-place game of the Capital City Classic while Seaman will play Topeka High in the fifth-place game at 11:30 a.m.
SEAMAN 62, HIGHLAND PARK 32
Highland Park 6 3 12 11 -- 32
Seaman 21 17 14 10 -- 62
Highland Park (4-10) -- Cosey 3-14 0-0 8, Kincade 2-15 0-2 6, Barnett 1-5 1-2 3, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Atkins 6-12 3-8 15, Cameron 0-1 0-0 0, Inyard 0-3 0-0 0, Jones 6-12 3-8 15. Totals 12-53 4-12 32.
Seaman (7-5) – Dreher 3-5 0-0 6, Spencer 4-11 0-0 12, Beaton 3-9 0-1 7, Ayres 2-3 0-0 4, Gragg 3-6 0-0 7, Frickey 2-4 1-1 6, Ketron 2-3 0-0 4, Bruns 2-4 0-0 4, Alfen 0-2 0-0 0, Puvogel 4-9 0-0 10, Zurmely 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-49 7-12 48.
3-point goals – Highland Park 4 (Cosey 2, Kincade 2), Seaman 7 (Spencer 4, Gragg, Frickey, Beaton). Total fouls – Highland Park 9, Seaman 11. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC
Friday's scores
Seaman 62, Highland Park 32
Topeka High 75, Lawrence 72
Wichita Heights 57, Garden City 42
Derby 80, Shawnee Heights 44
Saturday's games
10 a.m. -- Highland Park vs. Lawrence (seventh place)
11:30 -- Seaman vs. Topeka High (fifth place)
1 p.m. -- Garden City vs. Shawnee Heights (third place)
2:30 -- Wichita Heights vs. Derby (championship)
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swimming ran its string of Topeka City Boys Championships to seven Thursday, running away with the city meet at Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural boys swimming celebrates in the Capitol Federal Natatorium pool Thursday after winning its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The Junior Blues were so dominant they claimed all but two of the 11 All-City first-team slots. They racked up 609 points, topping Seaman with 371.
The performance prompted second-year coach Bob Burdick to say that the rebuild from a Class 6A State third-place finish in 2024 is ahead of schedule.
“We lost a lot of seniors (from 2024), and they were really fast seniors. So, we had a rebuild year last year,” Burdick said. “That rebuild went way faster than expected because we got a lot of great swimmers. We’re going to lose 12 seniors this year, but we’re still looking just as solid next year because of all the new freshmen and sophomores coming in as well as the team that will return.
“They’ve got a great attitude and they’ve meshed totally as a team. We don’t have anybody with ego problems or anything like that. So that’s carrying the whole team.”
Daniel Allen won two individual events and swam on two winning relays as Washburn Rural dominated Thursday's city championships. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Braeden Montgomery was a double individual champion Thursday and swam on a winning relay as Washburn Rural won its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Daniel Allen and Braeden Montgomery led the Junior Blues by taking first in two individual events while Thomas Appuhn, Castle Wallace and Davin Potts each collected one win.
Seaman's Kinser Barbosa won the 50 and 100-yard freestyle in Thursday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Kinser Barbosa highlighted the Seaman performance by taking first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races.
“I was able to push past my limits and break those benchmarks in my individuals and was able to maintain it in both relays too. So, I feel great,” Barbosa said. “This is a special meet where you get to compete with your friends, but also where everyone has that great mindset to push past your limits. Each race is a great race because they all have the same mindset.”
Will Stewart was named to the All-City first team for placing second in two events and for also helping lead Topeka High relay teams to two third-place finishes.
Allen returned to the Junior Blues for his junior year after devoting last season solely to club competition. Burdick knew what he was getting in Allen because, as a freshman, he placed seventh at the state meet in the 500-yard freestyle and also contributed to a relay team that placed third at state.
“Adding Daniel is the anchor for the relays, so we know we’re going to be strong there, but we also have a lot of good swimmers supporting him,” Burdick said. “His attitude is really great for the team. That helps motivate a lot of people and gives us a great role model in the pool.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' bowling team celebrated its Senior Day with a sweep of all four championships in Wednesday's five-school competition at Gage Bowl.
Senior Chevy Stallbaumer captured the boys individual title in Wednesday's five-school Shawnee Heights meet at Gage Bowl with a 688 series as the T-Birds also won the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Chevy Stallbaumer, who rolled a perfect 300 game last week, followed that up with a 688 three-game series on Wednesday to take boys individual honors by 40 pins as the T-Birds took the team title by 145 pins (2,545-2,400) over United Kansas Conference foe Basehor-Linwood.
Shawnee Heights sophomore Emma Wederski reacts to a strike during her final-game 257 Wednesday at Gage Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TopSports.news]
It was also a big day for Shawnee Heights sophomore Emma Wederski, who took top honors in the girls division with a 587 series as the T-Birds took the team championship by 113 pins (2,245-2,132) over Basehor-Linwood.
Stallbaumer's 688 series topped the 676 series he recorded in last Thursday's meet in Lawrence when he rolled his 300, with the T-Bird standout on target from the outset on Wednesday, bowling a 222 in his opening game before following that up with a 209 and finishing with his best game of the day, a 257.
"I felt great today,'' Stallbaumer said. "Everything kind of clicked. I missed a spare my first frame, but I kind of just shrugged it off my shoulder. There's nothing you can do. When you miss a spare you miss a spare and you get back up and you keep on pushing.''
Stallbaumer said his perfect game has just served as motivation for the remainder of the 2026 season.
"It definitely motivated me a lot,'' Stallbaumer said of his 300 game. "That's just going to keep me motivated throughout the whole season.''
Stallbaumer wasn't on the top six when Heights won the Class 5A state title in 2024 but played a major role last season as the T-Birds advanced to state and he feels like the team can contend to be among the state's elite again this season.
"I feel like we can definitely progress as a team and just see how this season plays out,'' he said. "I feel like we can (contend). There's no doubt in my mind we can.''
Heights' Kaden Evans finished third individually in Wednesday's meet with a 621 series (203-214-204) while Evan Jones also topped the 600 mark with a 611, including a high game of 231.
Wederski began her day with games of 168 and 162 before catching fire in the third game with eight straight strikes out of the gate on the way to a 257.
Wederski said her team and a big crowd at Gage kept her going.
"My team was hyping me up, along with the crowd and that really helped, and I was pretty proud of myself,'' Wederski said. "No one gets to see what we do in practices. We hype each other up during practices and having a crowd adds to the joy of it.
"Today was packed. I think this was the most packed we've seen it this season so far.''
And now Wederski just wants to build off Wednesday's success as the season goes along.
"This is my first season on varsity, so it's a whatever happens happens kind of thing and I'm just taking one meet, one day at a time,'' she said.
Shawnee Heights put three bowlers in the girls top five, with Addison VanMetre finishing third with a 577, just one pin out of second and 10 pins behind Wederski, while Reese Bell placed fourth with a 547.
Bell had a high game of 228 while VanMetre had three games between 184 and 204.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS INVITATIONAL
At Gage Bowl
Girls
Team scores
Shawnee Heights 2,245, Basehor-Linwood 2,132, Lawrence Free State 1,903, Leavenworth 1,752, Lawrence 1,751.
Individual results
1. Emma Wederski, Shawnee Heights, 587;2. Elly Findley, Basehor-Linwood, 587; 3. Addison VanMetre, Shawnee Heights, 577; 4. Reese Bell, Shawnee Heights, 547;5. Kayleigh Ussery, Basehor-Linwood, 525.
Other Shawnee Heights -- Lauryn Valdivia 510, Tatum Simpson 484, Bailey Liby 434.
Boys
Team scores
Shawnee Heights 2,545, Basehor-Linwood 2,400, Lawrence 2,386, Lawrence Free State 2,304, Leavenworth 2,196.
Individual results
1. Chevy Stallbaumer, Shawnee Heights, 688; 2. Graesyn Hoss, 648; 3. Kaden Evans, Shawnee Heights, 621; 4. Liyam Southammavong, Lawrence, 617; 5. Thomas Futtrell, Lawrence Free State, 616.
Other Shawnee Heights --Evan Jones 611, Henry Schattilly 586, Trey Donath 531, Nathan Burnett 520.
Rural girls roll to quadrangular win
Led by individual runnerup Megan Glinka, Washburn Rural's girls took the team championship in Tuesday's Rural quadrangular at West Ridge Lanes.
Glinka, a junior, led the Junior Blues with a 637 series as Rural won the team title by a 2,194-2,068 margin over Centennial League rival Emporia, while Manhattan was third at 2,046 and Junction City fourth at 1,963.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West had to deal with adversity for much of Monday night's Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game against USD 501 rival Topeka High, fighting through foul trouble and missing shots the Chargers normally make, both from the field and the free throw line.
Topeka Invitational Tournament MVP Prince Lassiter hoists the championship trophy after Monday's 71-57 win over Topeka High at Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But thanks in part to some key contributions off the bench, the third-ranked (Class 5A) Chargers were able to keep their head above water through three quarters before closing with a 24-11 burst over the final eight minutes to take a 71-57 win over the Trojans before a nearly packed house at Highland Park.
"These guys have played together for three or four years, so they kind of understand that if one guy's maybe having an off night or in foul trouble they understand who needs to step up and make the big shots,'' West coach Christian Ulsaker said.
"Hats off to coach (Robbie) Sanders and Topeka High. They did play a very physical, tough game. Their guys were here ready and prepared to play against us. It's not an easy task, I'll say that. Watching our (junior varsity) guys go against our varsity, our varsity guys are pretty good and Topeka High held their own for three and a half, four quarters basically.''
Now 12-2 on the season, Topeka West had to play much of the first half without tournament Most Valuable player Prince Lassister and fellow starters Jay'Veon Traylor and Malakyah Duncan, who all got in early foul trouble.
But reserves Jasper Phillips, Corde Fox, Trey Ware and JJ Doby helped West stem the tide and help the Chargers take a 30-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"Our guys that might not get a ton of minutes finally got some and they proved to us that they're able to take over that if they need to,'' Ulsaker said.
Topeka High (8-6) continued to keep the heat on West throughout the third quarter, trailing by just a point at the start of the fourth stanza after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Octavian McFadden.
The Trojans were still within two points (53-51) with six minutes remaining before the Chargers outscored Topeka High 18-6 down the stretch.
The end result was West's first Topeka Invitational title since 2022 and fifth title overall.
Senior Gad Munganga led Topeka West with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, in Monday's 71-57 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"If we're winning by 30, losing by 30 or it's a tie game, we still keep the same composure,'' said Topeka West senior guard Gad Munganga, who led Topeka West with 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
Topeka West junior Prince Lassiter scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Monday's 71-57 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Lassiter, a 6-foot-6 junior, was named MVP after scoring 16 points (7 of 8 from the field) and grabbing eight rebounds.
"It's always frustrating,'' Lassister said about his first-half foul problems. "But I've just got to keep my composure and when I keep my composure I can continue to play and I don't get in foul trouble any more and I have fun with the game.''
Seniors Keimani Paul and Duncan added 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Paul and Traylor both named to the all-tournament team.
"We went in at halftime knowing that second half we had to come out and stay composed and not them get under our skin and that's what happened,'' Paul said.
Senior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 17 points in Monday's 71-57 Topeka Invitational Tournament loss to Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High senior Jalen Aldridge tied Munganga for game-high scoring laurels with 17 points while senior Elisha Guest added 12 points.
Guest and Trojan senior Bryson McComas were both named to the all-tournament team along with Lansing junior Deacon Manthe, who helped lead the Lions to a third-place tournament finish.
TOPEKA WEST 71, TOPEKA HIGH 57
Topeka High 15 12 19 11 -- 57
Topeka West 15 15 17 24 -- 71
Topeka High (8-6) – Aldridge 6-12 4-7 17, Guest 3-9 3-4 12, McComas 3-10 0-0 6, McFadden 3-5 0-0 8, Redmond 1-5 3-6 5, Carter 0-0 0-0 0, Villegas 0-0 0-0 0, Wilkerson 0-0 1-2 1, Luarks 0-3 0-0 0, Campbell 2-6 4-4 8. Totals 18-50 15-23 57.
Topeka West (12-2) – Munganga 5-9 4-6 17, Traylor 1-1 3-4 5, Duncan 4-10 2-7 10, Paul 3-7 4-4 12, Lassiter 7-8 2-5 16, Phillips 1-2 3-5 5, Fox 1-2 0-0 2, Ware 0-1 0-0 0, Doby 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 23-41 20-33 71.
3-point goals – Topeka High 6 (Guest 3, McFadden 2, Aldridge), Topeka West 5 (Munganga 3, Paul 2). Total fouls – Topeka High 21, Topeka West 21. Fouled out – Redmond. Technical fouls – Duncan, Guest, McComas.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High will host the 2026 Capital City Classic girls basketball tournament Thursday through Saturday, with Highland Park, Seaman and Shawnee Heights joining the Trojans in the event.
Shawnee Heights junior KK Emmot returns for the T-Birds, who captured the Capital City Classic championship in 2025 at Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman (6-4 on the season) will open the tournament at 3 p.m. Thursday against Garden City (7-5).
Highland Park (4-7) and No. 2-ranked (Class 6A) Wichita Heights (12-0) are on the same side of the bracket with Seaman and Garden City and will play a first-round game at 4:30 p.m.
The Seaman-Garden City and Highland Park-Wichita Heights winners will play a 6 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
On the other side of the bracket, Topeka High (4-6) will take on No. 3-ranked (6A) Derby (11-2) in a 6 p.m. first-round game while No. 6 (5A) Shawnee Heights (10-3) will face Lawrence (6-5) at 7:30.
The Topeka High-Derby winner will face the Shawnee Heights-Lawrence winner in a 7:30 Friday night semifinal.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the seventh-place game at 10 a.m., followed by the fifth-place game at 11:30, the third-place contest at 1 p.m. and the championship tilt at 2:30 p.m. in separate gyms.
CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC
At Topeka High
Thursday
3 p.m. -- Seaman vs. Garden City.
4:30 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Heights.
6 -- Topeka High vs. Derby.
7:30 -- Shawnee Heights vs. Lawrence.
Friday
3 p.m. -- Seaman-Garden City loser vs. Highland Park-Wichita Heights loser.
4:30 -- Topeka High-Derby loser vs. Shawnee Heights-Lawence loser.
6 -- Seaman-Garden City winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Heights winner.
7:30 -- Topeka High-Derby winner vs. Shawnee Heights-Lawrence winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place.
11:30 -- Fifth place.
1 p.m. -- Third place.
2:30 -- Championship.
Carvel Reynoldson's Hayden girls basketball team will compete in this week's Lady Cat Classic at El Dorado. [File photo/TSN}
Hayden to compete in El Dorado
Hayden, 10-3 on the season, is the No. 2 seed for the 33rd annual Lady Cat Classic in El Dorado Thursday through Saturday.
Hayden, No. 9-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will open its tournament bid at 6 p.m. Thursday against Gardner-Edgerton (3-7).
With a win the Wildcats will advance to a 6 o'clock semifinal on Friday to face the first-round winner between Mill Valley (9-4) and host El Dorado (5-6).
On the other side of the bracket No. 4 (5A) Maize South (11-2) will play a first-round game against Augusta (3-9) while No. 8 (5A) Kapaun Mt. Carmel (8-4) will face Goddard (5-5). Those two winners will play a 7:45 semifinal on Friday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West entered the 2026 Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park as the pre-tourney favorite, and over the opening two days, the Chargers have certainly lived up to that top billing.
West, ranked No. 3 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, opened its tournament bid on Thursday with a 20-point win over St. Thomas Aquinas and followed that up with an 86-64 win over Wichita Northwest on Friday afternoon, punching its ticket to a second straight Topeka Invitational championship game.
Topeka West senior Malakyah Duncan led Topeka West with a game-high 19 points in Friday's 86-64 Topeka Invitational semifinal win over Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We turned up the heat in the third quarter and I think really stretched the game to where it was a little bit unattainable for Northwest to get there,'' Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker said.
Due to expected inclement weather over the weekend, the 11-2 Chargers, who lost to Highland Park in the 2025 championship game, will have two days off before facing off with USD 501 rival Topeka High at 7 p.m. Monday in the championship game at Highland Park. The 8-5 Trojans advanced to the title game with a 69-62 semifinal win over Lansing.
Because of the weather-related schedule changes Topeka West played its semifinal at 3:30 p.m., a time slot normally reserved for consolation games, but the Chargers trailed for less than a minute (21-20) against Wichita Northwest and outscored the Grizzlies 49-29 over the middle two quarters to turn the game into a rout.
"We started a little slow, but it was a 3:30 game with no crowd,'' Ulsaker said. "The guys did what they needed to do for the most part, high intensity. I think Northwest was trying to match what we were doing as well, but we just did it just a notch above and that's about it.''
All five Charger starters cracked double figures against 6-7 Wichita Northwest, led by senior Malakyah Duncan with 19 points.
Junior Prince Lassiter scored 18 points in Friday's 86-64 Topeka West win over Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Jay'Veon Traylor had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in Topeka West's 86-64 win over Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Prince Lassiter added 18 points, senior Jay'Veon Traylor recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, senior Keimani Paul had 13 points and senior Gad Munganga 12 points on four 3-pointers.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As a four-year member of the Topeka High boys basketball program, senior Jalen Aldridge has had an up-close look at the Trojans' recent struggles, including a 1-19 record a year ago and nine total victories over the previous three seasons.
Senior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 15 points in Friday's 69-62 Topeka Invitational Tournament win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And Aldridge and his Trojan teammates are savoring every moment of what has been a dramatic turnaround this season, including a 69-62 win over Lansing on Friday at Highland Park that put High in the Topeka Invitational championship game for the first time since 2019.
"We had a hard time during the years and it's a blessing to be going to the championship,'' Aldridge said. "It comes in practice. You've got to work hard and you've got to get everybody involved and nobody's left out over here.
"We do our best and work hard to get to where we need to be.''
The 8-5 Trojans have already posted their highest win total since the 2019-2020 season and will be looking for their first Topeka Invitational title since 1998 when they square off with USD 501 rival Topeka West at 7 p.m. Monday in the tournament championship game. West earned its second straight trip to the Topeka Invitational final with an 86-64 win over Wichita Northwest in the first semifinal.
"We wanted to hold up our part of the bargain,'' first-year Topeka High coach Robbie Sanders said of the all-city matchup. "This is the Topeka Invitational Tournament and usually its an out-of-town team, so when we had the opportunity to face off against Topeka West in the championship we had to hold up our end of the bargain.''
After knocking off Shawnee Mission East in overtime in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday, Topeka High played another nailbiter against Lansing in a game that included 23 lead changes and 11 ties.
Topeka High led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, trailed the 4-6 Lions 26-25 at the half and led 50-48 at the end of the third quarter.
Freshman Jaxon Luarks scored 11 points, including the go-ahead basket in the closing seconds as Topeka High took a 69-62 victory over Lansing Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The game continued to go back and forth through the bulk of the fourth quarter, with Topeka High trailing 62-61 with less than a minute remaining before freshman Jaxon Luarks converted a follow shot with 42 seconds left to put the Trojans ahead to stay as High scored the final eight points.
Senior Bryson McComas (4) celebrates a big play in Topeka High's 69-62 Topeka Invitational win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Aldridge led the Trojans with 15 points while fellow seniors Elisha Guest and Bryson McComas added 12 apiece and Luarks scored 11.
"We're growing up, and we're getting contributions off the bench from the young players,'' Sanders said. "First of all, hats off to Lansing. That's a well-coached team and that was a tough game, but I'm just proud of the guys.''
Junior Mekhi Stephens led Lansing with a game-high 23 points (four 3-pointers) while junior Deacon Manthe added 13 for the Lions.
TOPEKA HIGH 69, LANSING 62
Topeka High 13 12 25 19 -- 69
Lansing 11 15 22 14 -- 62
Topeka High (8-5) – Aldridge 4-7 5-6 15, Guest 5-14 0-0 12, McComas 4-16 3-5 12, McFadden 3-7 1-1 9, Redmond 1-3 4-4 6, Ross 1-5 0-0 2, Carter 0-0 0-0 0, Luarks 5-8 1-1 11, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 24-62 14-17 69.
Lansing (4-7) – Mehki Stephens 7-13 5-8 23, Heim 0-1 0-0 0, Manthe 6-8 1-2 13, Anderson 2-3 0-0 4, Wilson 4-8 1-1 9, Mattingly 0-0 1-2 1, Mason Stephens 1-2 0-0 3, Bolden 4-9 0-0 9. Totals 24-44 8-13 62.
3-point goals – Topeka High 7 (Aldridge 2, Guest 2, McFadden 2, McComas), Lansing 6 (Mehki Stephens 4, Mason Stephens, Bolden). Total fouls – Topeka High 17, Lansing 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
RESULTS FRIDAY
Topeka West 86, Wichita Northwest 64
Topeka High 69, Lansing 62
St. Thomas Aquinas 68, Highland Park 47
SM East 60, SM North 52
GAMES MONDAY
(All games in Ken Darting Gym)
3:30 p.m. -- Third place: Wichita NW vs. Lansing.
5 -- Seventh place: Highland Park vs. SM North.
7 -- Championship: Topeka West vs. Topeka High.
Note: St. Thomas Aquinas and SM East will play the fifth-place game Monday at SM East.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Due to a clock malfunction, Topeka High got a late start to Thursday's opening game in the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park.
And the Trojans also had to endure a late finish, being forced to overtime by Shawnee Mission East before the Trojans took command in the four-minute extra session to advance to the semifinals with a 49-43 win over the Lancers.
Topeka High basketball coach Robbie Sanders talks to his Trojans during Thursday's 49-43 overtime win over Shawnee Mission East. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I feel like I keep repeating it, but these guys have been through so much,'' Topeka High coach Robbie Sanders said. "They've experienced a lot of losing and a lot of bad times and one of the things that we tend to do is when things go bad we start to pout and hang our heads and I'm just trying to speak that life into them and let them know that they are good enough to beat anybody if we show up to play.''
The Trojans, now 7-5, will take on Lansing, a 59-57 winner over Shawnee Mission North, in Friday's 5 p.m. semifinal. The tournament schedule has been revamped due to the forecast of inclement weather, with the place games scheduled for Saturday now being pushed back to Monday.
Topeka High will be joined in the semifinals by top tournament seed Topeka West, a 70-50 winner over St. Thomas Aquinas. The Chargers will play Friday's first semifinal at 3:30 p.m. against Wichita Northwest, a 62-49 first-round winner over Highland Park.
After taking a 14-11 first-quarter lead over SM East (6-6), Topeka High trailed 25-19 at the half, 30-27 at the start of the fourth quarter and 41-39 in the final minute of regulation before 5-foot-7 senior Elisha Guest tied the game with a hoop with 14 seconds remaining and the Lancers missed a late shot to send the game to OT.
Guest then nailed a 3-pointer to open the four-minute overtime period and the Trojans led the rest of the way as High outscored East 8-2 to take the six-point victory.
"Elisha, small in stature, heart of a lion,'' Sanders said. "I just love that kid and I grow more appreciation and more fondness for his game every time I see him play.''
Senior Bryson McComas, who also scored in the overtime, led Topeka High with 12 points while Guest added 11 and sophomore Mar'saun Redmond 10 for the Trojans.
Senior Stephen Hloblik scored a game-high 19 points for SM East while senior Quentin Ochs added 10.
In the semifinals Topeka High will face a Lansing team which won its third straight game to improve to 4-6 with a hard-earned 59-57 win over Shawnee Mission North (6-4).
Deacon Manthe, a 6-foot-7 junior, led Lansing with 16 points, all in the second half, while junior Mehki Stephens added 11 points.
TOPEKA HIGH 49, SM EAST 43 (OT)
SM East 11 14 5 11 2 -- 43
Topeka High 14 5 8 14 8 -- 49
SM East (6-6) – Lucas 0-4 0-0 0, P. Ochs 3-9 0-0 8, Dillon 1-7 0-0 3, Hlobik 6-9 7-8 19, Konold 1-13 0-0 3, Zubeck 0-1 0-0 0, Q. Ochs 5-7 0-0 10. Totals 16-40 7-8 43.
Topeka High (7-5) – Aldridge 1-5 1-2 3, Guest 3-10 3-4 11, McComas 6-12 0-3 12, Ross 2-4 1-2 5, McFadden 0-1 0-0 0, Redmond 4-4 0-2 10, Luarks 0-1 1-4 1, Humphrey 3-5 0-1 7. Totals 19-42 6-18 49.
3-point goals – SM East 4 (P. Ochs 2, Dillon, Konold), Topeka High 5 (Guest 2, Redmond 2, Humphrey). Total fouls – SM East 12, Topeka High 11. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
Junior Prince Lassiter scored 15points in Thursday's 70-50 Topeka West win over Aquinas in the Topeka Invitational Tournament. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Chargers pull away in second half for 20-point win
On paper, Thursday's first-round game in the Topeka Invitational between third-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West and three-win St. Thomas Aquinas looked like a mis-match.
But West coach Christian Ulsaker was well aware of Aquinas' tradition and the fact that the Saints had played one of the state's toughest schedules, and he knew the Chargers would get tested.
"We talked about it, that that record goes out the window when you play St. Thomas Aquinas,'' Ulsaker said. "They're a very well-coached team and very fundamentally sound and it was a battle for three and a half, four quarters.
"So hats off to them, making it a tough game.''
After jumping out to a 22-13 first-quarter lead, Topeka West, now 10-2, got that test in the second quarter, with Aquinas rallying to take a 35-31 advantage in the second stanza and leading 36-34 inside the final minute of the half before senior Keimani Paul hit a 3-pointer and junior Prince Lassiter converted a traditional three-point play to put the Chargers up 40-36 at the half.
Topeka West then showed its dominance after the break, outscoring the Saints 30-14, including a 17-5 advantage over the final eight minutes to pull away for the 20-point victory.
Lassiter, a 6-6 junior, led a balanced West attack with a game-high 15 points as all five Charger starters cracked double figures.
"Prince, he's a workhorse, and it's not easy to guard him for 32 minutes, I'll tell you that,'' Ulsaker said.
Jay'Veon Traylor added 14 points while Paul had 13 and Gad Munganga and Malakyah Duncan 11 apiece.
The Chargers did a lot of their damage from outside the 3-point line, hitting 10 3s on the night, while Lassiter dominated things on the inside.
Senior Nic Sabers led Aquinas with 12 points, including three treys.
West will now play a Wichita Northwest team which advanced with a 62-49 win over host Highland Park in Thursday's final first-round game.
TOPEKA WEST 70, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 50
Aquinas 13 23 9 5 -- 50
Topeka West 22 18 13 17 -- 70
Aquinas (3-9) – Renze 2-6 0-2 5, Gavin 2-5 2-3 6, Wayland 0-0 2-2 2, Browne 5-6 0-0 10, Sabers 3-7 3-4 12, Merfen 2-3 0-0 6, Bertholf 1-5 0-0 2, McCullough 2-4 1-1 5, NA 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 18-37 8-10 50.
Topeka West (10-2) – Munganga 3-9 2-2 11, Traylor 3-10 6-8 14, Duncan 4-9 1-2 11, Paul 5-8 0-0 13, Lassiter 7-13 1-1 15, Phillips 2-3 2-4 6, Fox 0-0 0-0 0, Ware 0-0 0-0 0, Doby 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-53 12-17 70.
3-point goals – Aquinas 6 (Sabers 3, Merfen 2, Renze), Topeka West 10 (Munganga 3, Paul 3, Traylor 2, Duncan 2). Total fouls – Aquinas 20, Topeka West 12. Fouled out – Browne. Technical fouls – none.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The Rossville girls and Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball teams got tournament week off to a rousing start with a pair of big wins on Monday.
Rossville opened its girls title bid in the Jefferson County North Invitational with a 60-22 first-round win over the tournament hosts while Cair Paravel's boys rolled to a 64-30 first-round win over West Franklin in the Flint Hills League tournament at Emporia's White Auditorium.
Senior Rylee Dick scored 27 points Monday against JCN to move into the No. 3 spot on Rossville's all-time scoring list. [File photo/TSN]
Lady Bulldawg senior Rylee Dick scored 27 points in Rossville's win over JCN, moving into the No. 3 spot on Rossville's career scoring list with 1,281 points.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek added 23 points as the Bulldawgs advanced to a 6 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday.
Cair Paravel's boys, playing West Franklin for the second straight game, took control early with a 19-7 first quarter before opening up a 39-16 halftime advantage.
Blaine Durbin led Cair Paravel with 17 points while Lucas Marichal added 14 points and Caleb Cleverson 13 with three 3-pointers.
Now 9-2 on the season, CPLS will play a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Lyndon.
Other area tournament pairings:
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
BOYS
At Highland Park
Thursday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High vs. Shawnee Mission East.
5 -- Lansing vs. Shawnee Mission North.
6:30 -- Topeka West vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
8 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Northwest.
Friday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High-SM East loser vs. Lansing-SM North loser.
5 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas loser vs. High-Wichita Northwest loser.
6:30 -- Topeka High-East winner vs. Lansing-SM North winner.
8 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Northwest winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Fifth place (main gym); Seventh place (South gym).
11:30 -- Third place.
1 p.m. -- Championship.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Christian Ulsaker's Topeka West Chargers are the No. 1 city seed for this week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]Lansing (3-6) and Shawnee Mission North (6-3) are on the same side of the bracket with Topeka High and SM North and will play a first-round game at 5 p.m.
The Topeka High- SM East winner will face the Lansing-SM North winner in a 6:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
Topeka West, 8-2 entering a Tuesday United Kansas Conference home game against Basehor-Linwood, will open its tournament bid at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against St. Thomas Aquinas (3-8).
Host Highland Park (3-7) will close out the first round at 8 p.m. Thursday against Wichita Northwest (5-6), with the Highland Park-Northwest winner advancing to an 8 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the Topeka West-Aquinas winner.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the seventh and fifth-place games at 10 a.m. in separate gyms, followed by the third-place game at 11:30 and the championship contest at 1 p.m.
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
At Highland Park
Thursday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High vs. Shawnee Mission East.
5 -- Lansing vs. Shawnee Mission North.
6:30 -- Topeka West vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
8 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Northwest.
Friday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High-SM East loser vs. Lansing-SM North loser.
5 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas loser vs. High-Wichita Northwest loser.
6:30 -- Topeka High-East winner vs. Lansing-SM North winner.
8 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Northwest winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Fifth place (main gym); Seventh place (South gym).
11:30 -- Third place.
1 p.m. -- Championship.
Hayden boys to compete at Baldwin
Hayden, 4-8 on the season, will compete in the four-school Baldwin Invitational round-robin event this week, opening its tournament bid at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against Wellsville (5-5).
The Wildcats will play Bishop Seabury (7-2) at 5:30 Friday and will wrap things up 2:30 p.m. Saturday against host Baldwin (9-2).
BALDWIN INVITATIONAL
Tuesday
5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Wellsville.
7 -- Baldwin vs. Bishop Seabury.
Friday
5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Bishop Seabury.
7 -- Baldwin vs. Wellsville.
Saturday
1 p.m. -- Wellsville vs. Bishop Seabury.
2:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Baldwin.
Rural boys headed to Pittsburg
Washburn Rural (7-3) will compete this week in the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg, opening with a 4 p.m. first-round game on Thursday against Branson, Mo. in Pittsburg's secondary gym.
Also on Rural's side of the tournament bracket are Olathe North and Willard, Mo., who will play at 7 p.m. Thursday.
On the other side of the bracket Webster Groves, Mo. will face Joplin, Mo. and host Pittsburg will take on Wichita West.
The Rural-Branson winner will play the Olathe North-Willard winner in a 4:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
The place games will be played on Saturday, capped by the championship game at 2:30 p.m.
BILL HANSON MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
At Pittsburg
Thursday
4 p.m. -- Washburn Rural vs. Branson, Mo. (Mallatt gym).
5:30 -- Webster Groves, Mo. vs. Joplin, Mo. (main gym).
7 -- Olathe North vs. Willard, Mo. (Mallatt gym).
8:30 -- Pittsburg. vs. Wichita West (main gym).
Friday
3 -- Consolation semifinal (Mallatt gym).
4:30 p.m. -- Washburn Rural-Branson winner vs. Olathe North-Willard winner (main gym);
6 -- Consolation semifinal (Mallatt gym).
7:30 -- Pittsburg-Wichita West winner vs. Webster Grove-Joplin winner (main gym).
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place (Mallatt gym).
11:30 -- Third place (main gym)
1 p.m. -- Fifth place (Mallatt gym).
2:30 p.m. -- Championship game (main gym).
T-Bird boys to compete in Viking Classic
Shawnee Heights, now 7-4, will open competition in the Shawnee Mission West Viking Classic with a 7:30 p.m. Thursday quarterfinal against Blue Valley North (4-4).
Shawnee Heights is coming off a 70-62 non-league road win at Gardner-Edgerton on Saturday.
The T-Birds trailed 35-33 at the half against the Trailblazers but took control with a 20-10 third quarter.
The Shawnee Heights-BV North winner will advance to a 7:30 semifinal on Friday to take on the first-round winner between Glendale, Mo. and Shawnee Mission West.
On the other side of the bracket Andover Central will play Louisburg in the first round and Raymore-Peculiar, Mo. will play Aurora, Mo.
The place games will be played on Saturday, with the title game set for 3 p.m.
SHAWNEE MISSION WEST VIKING CLASSIC
Thursday
3 p.m. -- Andover Central vs. Louisburg, 3 p.m.
4:30 -- Raymore-Peculiar, Mo. vs. Aurora, Mo.
6 -- Glendale, Mo. vs. SM West.
7:30 -- Blue Valley North. vs. Shawnee Heights.
Friday
3 p.m. -- Andover Central-Louisburg loser vs. Raymore-Peculiar, Mo.-Aurora, Mo. loser.
4:30 -- Glendale, Mo.-SM West loser vs Blue Valley North-Shawnee Heights loser.
6 -- Andover Central-Louisburg winner vs. Raymore-Peculiar, Mo.-Aurora, Mo. winner.
7:30 -- Glendale, Mo.-SM West winner vs. Blue Valley North-Shawnee Heights winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place.
11:30 -- Fifth place.
1 p.m. -- Third place.
2:30 -- Championship game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Led by junior individual runnerups Brodye Kocher-Munoz and Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural boys wrestling captured the team championship Saturday in the 34-school Newton Tournament of Champions by two points over the host Railers, 167.5-165.5.
Washburn Rural boys wrestling won the team championship in the 34-school Newton Tournament of Champions on Saturday. [Photo by Washburn Rural Athletics]
B. Kocher-Munoz, now 20-7 on the season, placed second at 150 pounds, dropping a 7-2 decision to Andale's Tristen Cox in the championship match while Baum, 18-4, finished second at 215 pounds, falling 4-0 to undefeated Cooper Reves in the final.
Rural's Josh Hogan was named the coach of the year.
Washburn Rural had six wrestlers place in the top five, with senior 138-pounder Cooper Stivers (26-6) finishing third, , senior 120-pounder Ryder Harrison (16-5) and senior Landen Kocher-Munoz (23-4) both posting fourth-place finishes and sophomore 285-pounder Kaiden Marshall (6-7) finishing fifth.
Seaman placed 21st as a team with 59.5 points, led by seventh-place 157-pounder Brennen Bowers and eighth-place finishers Deegan Frazier at 150 pounds and Henry Reichart at 285 pounds.
Host Trojans win Topeka Invitational championship
Topeka High won the team title in Saturday's 12-school home tournament, out-distancing Summit Christian Academy by a 171-147 margin as five Trojans earned individual titles.
High got titles from freshman 106-pounder Royal Newman (10-1), junior 113-pounder Jose Gomez (11-3), senior 120-pounder Luis Morones (12-2), senior 157-pounder Jordan Stiner (14-3) and senior 165-pounder Rehabiah Williamson (16-3).
The Trojans got a second-place finish from junior 132-pounder Asher Filbeck (13-6) while senior 144-pounder Michael Weatherly and senior 150-pounder Brandon Blancas (15-4) posted third-place finishes.
Highland Park got a third-place finish from senior 132-pounder Samuel Portlock (10-3) while Topeka West got a third-place finish from senior 215-pounder Cortez McCutcheon (20-2).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Claire LaDuke captured the girls individual championship while the Vikings rallied in the Baker format games to claim the team title in Thursday's Free State Invitational bowling tournament at Lawrence's Royal Crest Lanes.
Claire LaDuke (right) won the individual title in the Free State Invitational with a 677 series, helping lead Seaman to the team championship. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
LaDuke won the individual title with a 677 three-game series, rolling games of 214, 210 and 253 while Seaman took control in the Baker games to win the team championship by a 3,171-3,039 margin over Mill Valley after trailing the Jaguars 2,359-2,315 after the three American Ten Pin games.
Seaman posted a four-game total of 856 in Baker (225, 211, 254, 166), which was 126 pins higher than any other team in the 19-school field.
Backing LaDuke for the Vikings were Kayla Duncan with a 554, Paige Snyder with a 546, Leah Crawford with a 525, Laci Cole with a 512 and Ava Carlson with a 464.
Washburn Rural junior Megan Glinka finished fifth in the Free State Invitational with a 628 series. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior Addison VanMetre finished eighth in the Free State Invitational with a 609 series. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural finished fourth as a team at 2,991, led by junior Megan Glinka, who placed fifth with a 628 series while Shawnee Heights finished seventh, led by junior Addison VanMetre, who placed ninth with a 609 series.
Results from Friday's boys tournament were not immediately available and will be posted on TopSports.news as soon as they become available.
FREE STATE INVITATIONAL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After Topeka High boys basketball posted just one victory last season, first-year coach Robbie Sanders' Trojans continued their resurgence on Friday, improving to 6-5 with a 72-69 overtime Centennial League road victory at Junction City.
Robbie Sanders' Topeka High team improved to 6-5 with a 72-69 OT win at Junction City Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
The Trojans' win was their second in as many nights, with High topping St. Marys Academy 62-32 on Thursday.
Topeka High posted its first Centennial League win to improve to 1-2 while Junction City fell to 5-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 25 points in Friday's Centennial League road win at Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
Trojan girls roll to 63-29 Centennial win
Topeka High posted its first Centennial League victory of the season Friday night at Junction City, romping to a 63-29 win over the Blue Jays.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton paced the Trojans, now 4-6 overall and 1-2 in the league, with 25 points while senior Keimara Marshall added 15 points and sophomore Hailey Caryl had a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Junction City fell to 1-8 overall and 0-3 in the Centennial League.
Washburn Rural girls top Spartans, 45-34
Washburn Rural's girls improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the Centennial League with a 45-34 road victory at Emporia Friday night.
Emporia dropped to 5-7 overall and 0-2 in the league.
Spartans snap Rural boys' six-game win streak
Emporia boys basketball snapped Washburn Rural's six-game winning streak on Friday, taking a 52-46 home Centennial League win.
Emporia, now 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the Centennial League, led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter and 30-23 at the half before Washburn Rural (7-3, 2-1) cut its deficit to three points (37-34) at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Spartans were able to close out the win with a 15-12 advantage over the final eight minutes.
Sophomore Brooks Ballard and senior John Hoytal led Washburn Rural with 13 points apiece while Hoytal registered a double-double with 11 rebounds.
West girls pick up first UKC victory
Topeka West's girls basketball snapped an eight-game losing streak while picking up its first United Kansas Conference win of the season Friday night in a 66-21 road rout at Kansas City-Turner.
The Chargers are now 2-8 overall and 1-7 in the UKC while Turner fell to 2-8 and 0-6.
Chargers get back on track with 20-point road win
The No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West boys bounced back from a five-point home loss to No. 3 Seaman on Tuesday with a 60-40 United Kansas Conference road win at Kansas City-Turner Friday night.
Topeka West improved to 8-2 overall and 7-1 in the UKC while Turner fell to 3-7 overall and 0-6 in the league.
Lions protect Flint Hills lead with 27-point road win
Cair Paravel Latin's boys improved to 8-2 overall and remained undefeated in the Flint Hills League at 6-0 with an 86-59 road win at West Franklin Friday night.
The Lions opened up a 20-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and used a 27-17 second quarter to boost its advantage to 47-32 at the half.
Cair Paravel put the game out of reach with a 23-9 third quarter and cruised the rest of the way.
Senior Lucas Marichal and sophomore Chase Hastert led the Lions with 19 points apiece while Blaine Durbin added 18 points, Drew Fay 11 and Caleb Cleverdon 10.
West Franklin, now 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the league, got 22 points from Landon Ohlde and 21 from Zeek Dowd.
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
No. 7-ranked Hayden girls basketball hosted city and Centennial League rival Topeka High Tuesday night, remaining undefeated in league play with a 51-40 home win over the Trojans.
Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored a game-high 16 points Tuesday in Hayden's 51-40 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High would score first with senior Trish Short scoring the first basket, but Hayden would answer with sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein finding the basket to tie it up at two.
Hayden would go on a 8-2 run to end the first quarter up 10-4.
“In the first half, we only turned the ball over three times,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "So when you only turn the ball over three times, you know you're going to start hitting stuff. I was actually happy when it was 10-4, I know we only had 10 points, but we were playing good defense.''
Both teams would wake up in the second quarter and would start finding the basket, as Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton would score 4 of her 7 points in the quarter and the Trojans would go into halftime trailing the Wildcats, 23-15.
Both teams would come out of the locker room hoping for a spark and Hayden would get off to a hot start with a 9-5 run to get the third started and the Wildcats would stretch its lead to 32-18.
The Trojans would get a little spark but Hayden’s Alana Mitchell would get a steal at halfcourt and drive to the basket and force another turnover on the very next possession and grab another basket to kill the Trojans' rally as the third quarter would come to an end with the Wildcats up 38-26.
Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl would try to give her team a spark in the fourth as she would score the first two baskets in the quarter and would score 7 of her team-high 15 in the fourth quarter.
It wouldn’t be enough because Hayden’s Schmidtlein would score 6 more of her game-high 16 in the fourth to solidify the win for her team.
“Honestly, a big thing is I focus on my defense and my defensive effort and my attitude on defense can carry over and it will carry over,'' Schmidtlein said. "If we just keep playing as a team on defense, we were bound to start making shots.”
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden senior Connor Hanika led the way with a 25-point night Tuesday as the Hayden boys picked up their first Centennial League win of the season with a 72-56 home romp past Topeka High.
Senior Connor Hanika scored a game-high 26 points in Tuesday's 72-56 Hayden win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
Tuesday's game would be a good one early as both teams would attack early and often with a combined 37 points being scored in the first quarter, while producing the only four lead changes in the game.
Hanika hit 10 of 15 shots from the field and five of seven attempts from the free throw line. He was 6 of 7 from the field at halftime.
“That was deliberate,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "I mean, he had to go do the work, but Connor explained to the team he needs more touches, We can run the offense through Connor.
He has a very high basketball IQ. I’m not surprised at all. And I'm thankful that he responded to the call like the leader he is.”
“The biggest thing we've talked about this week is staying together and being a family, and that's what we were tonight,'' Hanika said. "And then my teammates found me and they did a really good job. I got in a groove, my teammates found me, and I just started going and it was fun.”
The Wildcats would take a 39-27 halftime lead and come out of the locker room and go on a 9-0 run before the Trojans would find the basket.
By that point the Trojans were down twenty points, 50-30.
The Trojans would then go on a 13-0 run of their own to get back in the hunt. Led by senior Bryson McComas, who would score 8 of his team-high 18 on that run to end the third quarter.
“Calm down -- that's usually my message to them,'' Anthony said. "My guys were just competing for a state title in football, you know. So sometimes changing gears is a little different for us. But they're doing it. And sometimes it's being calm and not just letting the pace control them. Controlling the pace is just something that we're learning how to do. Everybody goes on runs.''
The Wildcats would out-score the Trojans 20-13 in the fourth quarter to take the 16-point win.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
TOPEKA HIGH (3-5, 0-1 Centennial) at HAYDEN (8-2, 2-0 Centennial)
Hayden is coming off a 38-35 Centennial League win at Washburn Rural last Friday while Topeka High had its three-game winning streak snapped by league foe Manhattan, 67-55. Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led Hayden with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, against Rural while senior Lauren Borjon added 8 points with a pair of 3s. Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 21 points against Manhattan while sophomore Hailey Caryl added 17 points with three 3-pointers.
SEAMAN (5-2, 5-1 Centennial) at TOPEKA WEST (1-7, 0-6 Centennial)
Seaman is coming off a 54-12 United Kansas Conference win over Lansing last Friday while Topeka West dropped a 69-36 conference decision at Basehor-Linwood. Junior Brynn Spencer led Seaman with 15 points against Lansing while Baylee Ayres and Lydia Dreher added 10 points. Seaman took a 45-26 win over Topeka West on Dec. 12. The Chargers will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Koralee Jones, Highland Park
KANSAS CITY-SUMNER (2-6, 2-4 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-5, 1-2 Meadowlark)
Highland Park dropped a 66-42 Meadowlark Conference decision to Atchison last Friday while KC-Sumner is coming off a 76-7 loss to KC-Wyandotte. Koralee Jones and Zayah Kincaid paced Highland Park with 14 points apiece against Atchison, with Kincaid draining three 3-pointers.
PIPER (6-2, 5-0 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (6-3, 5-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights rolled to a 53-22 United Kansas Conference win over Leavenworth last Friday while league-leading Piper is coming off a 69-34 non-league loss to Blue Valley Northwest. T-Bird senior Imani McGlory scored 18 points with four 3-pointers against Leavenworth while juniors Pearmella Carter and KK Emmot scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Piper handed Shawnee Heights its lone UKC loss on Dec. 9, 50-45.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
TOPEKA HIGH (4-4, 0-1) at HAYDEN (3-7, 0-2)
Both the Trojans and Wildcats will be looking to bounce back from Friday night losses, with Topeka High dropping a 70-63 home Centennial League decision to Manhattan and Hayden dropping its second straight league game, a 79-62 decision at Washburn Rural. Mar'saun Redmond led Topeka High with 16 points against Manhattan while Jalen Aldridge and Bryson McComas added 14 points apiece. Carter Compton scored 20 points for Hayden against Washburn Rural while Connor Hanika added 15 points.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Gad Munganga, Topeka West
SEAMAN (6-1, 5-1) at TOPEKA WEST (7-1, 6-0)
No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West will host No. 5 Seaman in a key United Kansas Conference matchup. Seaman senior star KaeVon Bonner is coming off a 42-point performance in Friday's 65-46 UKC win at Lansing while Landon Wiltz added 10 points and Griffin Zuniga 9. West is coming off a 56-45 conference win at Basehor-Linwood, with senior guard Gad Munganga pacing the Chargers with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Senior Keimani Paul added 12 points and junior Prince Lassiter 10.
JoJo Kingcannon, Highland Park
KANSAS CITY-SUMNER (4-5, 2-2) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-5, 2-1)
Highland Park played No. 2-ranked (Class 4A) Atchison tough in a 57-51 Meadowlark Conference home loss Friday night. Junior JoJo Kingcannon led the Scots with 18 points. Highland Park will be facing a KC-Sumner team that is coming off a 59-40 Meadowlark loss to KC-Wyandotte, a team Highland Park beat earlier in the season.
PIPER (5-3, 3-2) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-4, 3-3)
Shawnee Heights jumped out to a 35-5 halftime lead on the way to a 60-24 home United Kansas Conference win last Friday while Piper is coming off a non-league loss to Lincon Prep, Mo. Freshman Quincy Dixon led the T-Birds with 19 points while junior Cam Ross added 18 points and senior Ja'Veon Alston 13.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls basketball dropped a 67-55 home Centennial League contest Friday night after a hot shooting night from Manhattan.
The first half had 75 combined points as both teams were trading basket after basket, but Manhattan pulled away down the stretch in the second half for the win.
“When you get in that desperation mode, you have to do something almost every trip down the court,” Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. “I thought the first half was one hell of a basketball game, wow.
"They have a nice team, they shoot well. We played pretty good defense and they still shot well. I’m disappointed that we lost, but I’m not disappointed with the way we played.”
Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall started the scoring for both teams with a 3-pointer and sophomore Hailey Caryl would convert an and-one opportunity making it 6-2 early on.
Junior Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton earned an and-one opportunity but before her free throw, the Indians called a timeout with 4:51 left in the quarter. Rayton missed the free throw, but .
would put the Trojans back up 13-7 the very next possession with a triple after a MHS and-one.
After MHS started pressing to create turnovers from Topeka High, Slaymaker called a timeout to draw up a play on the inbounds. It worked as Rayton found space down the floor and kissed it off the glass for two, and Topeka High led 20-18 after one quarter.
The game would change leads several times in the second stanza, as one team would hit a three, and the other would hit a three.
Trojan sophomore Hailey Caryl knotted the game at 28-28, knocking down three threes in the quarter.
Topeka High would push its lead back to six, but Manhattan kept scoring. Evie Banks was hot from downtown in the game, making it 34-31, but Caryl hit another from distance, as the Trojans went back up six, 37-31.
Manhattan would take the lead into halftime after Ansley Beckett hit two free throws with 50 seconds left, 38-37.
Out of halftime MHS would go up six after another three and then eventually went up nine at 47-38, forcing Topeka High into a timeout with 5:13 left in the third quarter.
Topeka High struggled to find a rhythm in the third quarter until Rayton scored four straight points.
Manhattan would end the third quarter up five (53-48) after Jelena Depusoir scored in the paint.
In the fourth quarter, Manhattan played keep away most of the quarter as the shot clock wasn’t functional for the night.
Manhattan would push its advantage to 59-52, forcing Slaymaker to call a timeout at the 4:44 mark to try to find some momentum, but MHS wasn’t having any of that
.
Bailey Busch got fouled for Manhattan, missed the and-one chance but MHS got the rebound and then Busch nailed a trey to make it 64-53, ending any chance for the Trojans.
“We only get better from that,” Slaymaker said. “We played 32 minutes with great effort, but you have to put that with some execution. The first half the execution was there for both teams but power to them. They had the edge on us, we couldn’t get back in the third quarter to gain control like we did, they had it all.”
Kat Ball led Manhattan (6-2 overall, 1-0 Centennial) with 13 points while Busch and Banks added 12 apiece.
Rayton scored a game-high 21 points for High, while Caryl added 17.
MANHATTAN 67, TOPEKA HIGH 55
Manhattan 18 20 15 14 -- 67
Topeka High 20 17 11 7 -- 55
Manhattan (6-2) – Larson 3 0-0 6, Becket 2 2-2 4, Depusior 5 0-0 10, Hall 1 0-0 2, Ingram 1 0-0 3, Ball 2 8-9 13, Busch 5 3-4 12, Banks 4 1-2 12.
Topeka High (3-5) – Triplett 1 0-0 2, Marshall 3 0-0 7, Rayton 8 3-5 21, Caryl 5 4-5 17, Gotru 3 2-2 8.
3-point goals – Manhattan 7 (Ingram 1, Ball 1, Busch 2, Banks 3), Topeka High 6 (Marshall 1, Rayton 2, Caryl 3,). Total fouls – Manhattan 13, Topeka High 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High boys basketball was unable to overcome a big third-quarter run from Manhattan Friday night, dropping a 70-63 home decision to the Indians in the Centennial League opener for both teams.
The Trojans found themselves in an early hole but managed to climb back and lead for several minutes but then strugged in the third quarter as Manhattan took control.
“I’m proud of the guys, I think we grew up a little bit today,” Topeka High coach Robbie Sanders said. “We saw how we have to compete to beat some of the best teams in the state and we didn’t quit. We made a lot of mistakes, the players did, I did as a coach. We didn’t lay down and didn’t quit.”
The Indians got off to a 7-2 lead as Will Carpenter hit a three and that lead would expand to 12-2 after Easton Duff backed his way down in the post and banked it off the window.
But Topeka High caught some momentum bringing it to 12-10 after senior Jalen Aldridge got an and-one opportunity but missed the free throw.
After Manhattan hit a three, Aldridge responded with one of his own, and the Indians led after one quarter. 18-15.
In the second quarter, Alridge kept it going, earning an and-one opportunity, falling to the baseline but missed the free throw, MHS still led by one, 18-17.
Aldridge would put the Trojans ahead for the first time since the opening minute of the first quarter with a triple and the Trojans took a four-point lead into the locker room, 34-30.
The Indians were red hot coming out of halftime, going on a 14-2 run as Tim Washington scored eight points in the quarter and Carpenter had seven himself, as part of a 24-point quarter for Manhattan.
McComas would trim the deficit to 51-44 after converting an and-one but then Carpenter pushed it back to 10 points as he too converted an and-one.
But then a scene Trojan fans didn’t want to see, Alridge went to drive to the cup from the left wing but fell awkwardly and immediately grabbed for his right knee and had to be helped off the court.
No word on his condition after the game but TopSports.news did see Alridge walking on his own gingerly without any assistance.
“I’ve been in that situation as a player here at Topeka High that sustained a major knee injury and hopefully it’s nothing serious,'' Sanders said. "I’m really worried about Jalen because he’s a great kid, he’s working hard, he's trying to do everything that I ask of him, he’s taking on extra responsibilities, he’s been coachable and he’s willing to change the narrative about himself.''
The rest of that fourth quarter, it was all MHS to a certain point, Topeka High with the help of Mar’saun Redmond, McComas and Ross, they were able to cut the deficit down to seven and then five at one point.
The Trojans did have an opportunity to bring it within two or three when it was 68-63 MHS. Redmond had a look from distance but it was blocked by Manhattan with about 10 seconds to go and Manhattan would pick up its seventh win of the season.
Redmond led Topeka High with 16 points, followed by McComas and Alridge who both had 14. Manhattan’s Sawyer Newton had a game-high 22 points.
“They’ve been through a lot. Everybody knows where this program and these guys have been. I’m very proud of the growth they’re showing and the direction that we’re headed,” Sanders said. “These kids are starting to believe, they think we’re good. I don’t know if they think they’re as good as I think we can become but I think there is a belief amongst the core group of guys and if that can trickle down to the rest of the group, I think we can be dangerous in the last stretch of the season.''
MANHATTAN 70, TOPEKA HIGH 63
Manhattan 18 12 24 16 -- 70
Topeka High 15 19 10 19 -- 63
Manhattan (7-1, 1-0) – Carpenter 6 1-2 15, Newton 0 1-2 1, Doering 4, 1-6 9, Newton 10 2-4 22, Witt 0 6-8 6, Washington 6 0-1 12, Duff 1 0-0 2.
Topeka High (4-4, 0-1) – Aldridge 6 0-2 14, Guest 1 0-0 2, McComas 5 3-5 14, Ross 4 0-0 11, McFadden 1 0-0 2, Carter 1 0-2 2, Redmond 5 5-6 16, Lucrks 0 2-2 2.
3-point goals – Manhattan 5 (Carpenter 3, Doering 2,), Topeka High 7 (Redmond 1, McComas 1, Alridge 2, Ross 3). Total fouls – Manhattan 18, Topeka High 18. Fouled out – none. Technical foul -- none.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural sophomore boys basketball standout Brooks Ballard and Topeka High girls basketball standout Hailey Caryl 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 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the recent accomplishments of Ballard and Caryl over the past week.
Brooks Ballard, Washburn Rural
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Ballard scored 21 points in last Saturday's 68-53 non-league road victory at Olathe West as the Junior Blues opened the 2026 portion of their schedule.
Ballard hit 7 of 11 field goal attempts overall, 6 of 10 3-pointers and connected on his lone free throw in the Rural win.
Ballard added 7 points on Tuesday as the defending Centennial League champions opened league play with a 50-45 road win at Junction City, improving to 6-2 on the season.
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
After missing the first four games of the 2025-2026 season with an injury, Caryl, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, has returned to help lead Topeka High to three straight victories.
Caryl scored a career-high 26 points in last Friday's 86-31 road win over USD 501 rival Highland Park, hitting 10 of 16 shots from the floor and 6 of 7 free throw attempts.
Caryl added 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on Tuesday as the Trojans posted a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
HAYDEN (7-2, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 1-0 Centennial)
Both defending champion Hayden and perennial Class 6A contender Washburn Rural won their Centennial League openers on Tuesday. The Wildcats took a 53-37 home win over Emporia as sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored 14 points and sophomore Blakely Walter 10. The Junior Blues went on the road to beat Junction City, 68-32. Hayden is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and Rural is No. 10 in 6A. Washburn Rural will be playing its third game of the week, dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North on Monday.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (5-2, 0-0 Centennial) at TOPEKA HIGH (3-4, 0-0 Centennial)
Topeka High picked up its third straight win on Tuesday, taking a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence as junior Ahysieyrhuajh Rayton scored 29 points, senior Keimara Marshall 15 and senior Trish Short 13. High sophomore Hailey Caryl contributed 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists against the Lions. Manhattan is coming off its second loss of the season, dropping a 58-45 non-league decision to Hays.
ATCHISON (3-6, 3-0 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 1-1 Meadowlark)
Highland Park picked up a Meadowlark Conference forfeit win over Kansas City-Schlagle on Tuesday while Atchison edged KC-Wyandotte in a conference contest, 42-41. Highland Park played Wyandotte earlier in the season, with the Bulldogs taking a 68-52 victory over the Scots.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
LEAVENWORTH (4-2, 1-2 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (5-3, 4-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights stretched its winning streak to four games on Tuesday, with the T-Birds taking a 64-46 home United Kansas Conference win over De Soto. Junior Pearmella Carter led Heights with 19 points while juniors Sami Baum and Imani McGlory scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. Leavenworth is coming off a 49-35 home UKC win over Topeka West.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
HAYDEN (3-6, 0-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (6-2, 1-0)
Washburn Rural opened defense of its Centennial League championship Tuesday with a 50-45 road win over Junction City, imporoving to 6-2 on the season. Senior Kieffer O'Connor led the Junior Blues with 16 points while senior Simon Rowley added 11. Hayden will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 59-56 home Centennial League loss to Emporia. Senior Connor Hanika scored a game-high 22 points for the Wildcats while junior Carter Compton added 12 points.
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (6-1, 0-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (4-3, 0-0)
Topeka High climbed above the .500 level with a 66-65 nailbiter on the road Tuesday night at Lawrence. Friday's game will be the Centennial League opener for both Topeka High and Manhattan. The Indians are coming off a 62-59 overtime win over Hays, stretching its winning streak to six games.
ATCHISON (8-0, 3-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 2-0)
Atchison and Highland Park will square off in a game that could go a long ways to deciding the Meadowlark Conference championship. The Scots improved to 2-0 in league play with a 60-32 home win over Kansas City-Schlagle Tuesday night as junior JoJo Kingcannon scored 21 points, going 8 of 11 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Atchison is coming off an 87-32 Meadowlark win over KC-Wyandotte.
LEAVENWORTH (2-4, 1-3) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-4, 2-3)
Shawnee Heights will be looking to bounce back from a tough 51-50 United Kansas Conference home loss to De Soto Tuesday night. Junior Cam Ross led the T-Birds with 12 points. Leavenworth is coming off a 74-47 UKC home loss to Topeka West on Tuesday.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
HOLTON (1-7, 1-5) at SILVER LAKE (6-2, 4-0)
Silver Lake posted a 73-61 Big East League victory at St. Marys on Tuesday while Holton picked up its first win of the season, a 57-53 league decision over Riley County. Holton is coached by former Topeka West assistant coach Marco Hunter. Silver Lake is ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
EMPORIA (4-4, 0-0) at HAYDEN (6-2, 0-0)
The Spartans and Wildcats will open Centennial League play on Tuesday, with Hayden opening defense of the league title it captured last season. The Wildcats dropped a 38-36 non-league decision at Shawnee Heights last Friday, Hayden's second straight loss after six straight wins to start the season. Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led Hayden with 16 points against the T-Birds while senior Lauren Borjon added 11 points. Emporia is coming off a 32-25 win over Circle.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 1-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-3, 3-1)
Shawnee Heights climbed above .500 with a 38-36 non-league win over Hayden last Friday at home. T-Bird junior KK Emmot scored 9 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining. Shawnee Heights has now won three straight games after starting the season 1-3. De Soto dropped a 45-34 United Kansas Conference decision to Seaman to close out its pre-holiday slate.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 2-1) at CAIR PARAVEL (3-3, 0-2)
Cair Paravel Latin ended its 2025 slate with a tight 40-37 Flint Hills League decision to Chase County while Wabaunsee is also coming off a loss, dropping a 68-37 league game to Osage City. London Backman leads CPLS with a 9.8 scoring average while Karsyn Hastert pulls down 5.7 rebounds per game.
Addaline Hall, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 0-4) at LEAVENWORTH (3-2, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking for its first United Kansas Conference victory Tuesday night at Leavenworth. Senior Addaline Hall leads the Chargers with a 10.8 scoring average while junior Sydney VanDyke averages 8.8 points and leads the city of Topeka in rebounding with 14.0 per game and in blocked shots with a 3.8 average.
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (1-4, 0-0)
Washburn Rural will be playing its second game of 2026 in as many nights, opening Centennial League play against the Blue Jays after dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North Monday night. Junior Blue freshman Brynn Anderson scored 14 first-half points with three 3-pointers against Olathe North, but sat out the second half after an injury late in the first half. Senior Hallie Walker had 9 points and 5 rebounds for Rural.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
EMPORIA (8-0, 0-0) at HAYDEN (3-5, 0-0)
Hayden is coming off a 79-60 non-league loss at Shawnee Heights on Friday while Emporia remained undefeated with a 73-38 non-league romp past Circle. Both the Wildcats and Spartans will be opening Centennial League play Tuesday. Senior Connor Hanika led Hayden with 20 points against Shawnee Heights while junior Mason Becker added 17 points.
Cam Ross, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 0-2) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3, 2-2)
Shawnee Heights evened its record at 3-3 with a 79-60 home win over Hayden last Friday while De Soto closed out 2025 with a 56-40 loss to Seaman on Dec. 19. Junior Cam Ross led Shawnee Heights with 28 points and four 3-pointers against Hayden while senior Ja'Veon Alston added 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 3-0) at CAIR PARAVEL (4-2, 2-0)
Cair Paravel Latin is off to a solid start, including a 60-39 Flint Hills League win over Chase County on Dec. 19, and faces a tough test Tuesday against a Wabaunsee team that is also unbeaten in league play after a 63-56 win over Osage City to close out 2025. Sophomore Chase Hastert leads Cair Paravel with a 16.3 scoring average and also pulls down 7.5 rebounds a game.
Keimani Paul, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (5-1, 4-0) at LEAVENWORTH (2-3, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking to bounce back Tuesday after the No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Chargers dropped a 53-49 non-league game at 6A Free State Monday night. Senior Keimani Paul led West with 19 points and four 3-pointers against the Firebirds while senior Malakyah Duncan added 12 points. Leavenworth dropped a 66-36 United Kansas Conference decision to Basehor-Linwood last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (4-2, 0-0)
Washburn Rural stretched its winning streak to four games with a 68-53 non-league win at Olathe West on Saturday while Junction City has won three straight games after a 56-53 win over Shawnee Mission North last time out. Sophomore Brooks Ballard scored 21 points with six 3-pointers in the Junior Blues' win over Olathe West. Tuesday's game is the Centennial League opener for both Rural and Junction City.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brooks Ballard
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Ballard connected on 6 of 10 3-point attempts and hit 7 of 11 shots overall and his only free throw attempt on the way to a career-high 21-point performance in Saturday's 68-53 non-league road victory at Olathe West, helping the Junior Blues improve to 5-2 on the season.
Hailey Caryl
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
Playing only her second game of the season after missing four games with an injury, the 5-foot-10 sophomore scored a career-high 26 points Friday night, including a 6 of 7 performance at the free throw line, as Topeka High posted its second straight victory, an 87-31 road decision over USD 501 rival Highland Park.
KK Emmot
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 5-foot-8 junior, scored 9 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining, as Shawnee Heights took a 38-36 home non-league victory over city rival Hayden Friday night. Emott scored 7 of the T-Birds' final 8 points as Heights improved to 4-3.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A scheduling quirk resulted in Topeka High's girls playing two straight games against USD 501 rival Highland Park.
And after ending the 2025 portion of their schedule with a 30-point win over the Scots at Topeka High, Ron Slaymaker's Trojans were even more dominant Friday at Highland Park, rolling to an 87-31 victory to improve to 2-4 on the season.
Sophomore Hailey Caryl scored a game-high 26 points in Friday's 87-31 Topeka High win at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 21 points for Topeka High in Friday's 87-31 victory over Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Keimara Marshall scored 18 points Friday in Topeka High's 87-31 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl led all scorers with 26 points while junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton added 21 points and senior Keimara Marshall scored 18 to lead the way in the Trojan rout.
Veteran Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said Friday was important to continue to making strides after an 0-4 start while playing its first four games without Caryl.
"Highland Park's a little short-handed, but sometimes they can make you look bad,'' Slaymaker said. "I just wanted us to be solid and get our running game going, which we did.
"We got out 23-0 and 25-1 and we starterd subbing and it gets a little frantic there. But the start of the second half it was the same thing and we played really well.''
Topeka High took control in the opening eight minutes, outscoring the Scots 25-1.
High was still in front by 24 points (44-20) at the half before hitting the Scots with a 35-3 lick in the third quarter to force a running clock in the fourth quarter with a 79-23 advantage.
"Our practices have been high and low, really good, really bad,'' Slaymaker said. "So I was pleased to see them come out and play well because our schedule's pretty tough from here on out. Game, game, game, game, so there's not much time for practice and there's still a lot of things we need to clean up.''
Junior Zayah Kincaid led Highland Park with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while senior Koralee Jones added 8 points as the Scots fell to 1-4 on the season.
TOPEKA HIGH GIRLS 87, HIGHLAND PARK 31
Topeka High 25 19 35 8 -- 87
Highland Park 1 19 3 8 -- 31
Topeka High (2-4) – Short 2-4 2-4 6, Marshall 8-11 2-2 18, Rayton 9-15 1-2 21, Caryl 10-16 6-7 26, Gotru 1-5 0-1 2, Triplett 1-2 0-0 2, Conley 0-0 0-0 0, Whayne 2-2 0-0 4, Mathews 0-2 0-0 0, Martin 3-7 0-0 8, Brown 0-4 0-2 0. Totals 36-68 11-18 81.
Highland Park (1-4) – Cosey 2-7 0-0 6, Kincaid 3-9 3-4 11, Jones 4-10 0-0 8, Williams Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Barnett 0-1 0-0 0, Grace 0-4 0-0 0, Atkins 0-1 0-0 0, Cameron 0-0 0-0 0, Hooper 2-6 0-0 6, Inyard 0-2 0-0 0, Mitchell 0-0 0-0 0, Watson 0 0-0 0. Totals 11-40 3-4 31.
3-point goals – Topeka High 4 (Rayton 2, Martin 2), Highland Park 6 (Cosey 2, Kincaid 2, Hooper 2). Total fouls – Topeka High 13, Highland Park 15. Fouled out – none.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the eight Topeka high schools now spread out over four different leagues, traditional city rivals don't get as many opportunities to play each other.
Robbie Sanders' Topeka High team got that chance Friday night at Highland Park and the Trojans took full advantage, riding a hot start to a 74-55 non-league win over the Scots.
Topeka High senior Bryson McComas had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Trojans' 74-55 win at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Elisha Guest scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Friday's 74-55 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I'm proud of these guys,'' said Sanders, a former Topeka High star. "This game means a lot to them and it means a lot to the community and it means a lot to the alumni of both schools and it means a lot to me and it means a lot to Nate (Wallace, Highland Park coach).
"I'm just really, really happy to get a win.''
Topeka High, now 3-3 on the season, blasted out of the gate for a 23-10 first-quarter advantage and never looked back.
The Trojans built a 42-23 halftime advantate and led 64-35 after three quarters before Highland Park (1-4) cut into its deficit with a 20-10 fourth quarter.
Senior Bryson McComas registered a double-double for the Trojans with 22 points and 10 rebounds while senior Elisha Guest added 15 points with three 3-pointers and freshman Jaxon Luarks chipped in with 10 points.
"I think we're making progress every day,'' Sanders said. "As long as we just keep chopping wood and we keep believing in each other and trusting each other, the sky's the limit for this team.
"We've got some talent, we've got some hungry guys and we're shooting the ball a lot better than I thought we would at this point. People had their eyes on this game and they wanted to see what we could do and they wanted to see what Highland Park could do. I'm just glad we played well.''
Junior JoJo Kingcannon paced Highland Park with 17 points while sophomore Davion Anderson added 10 points with three 3-pointers.
TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 74, HIGHLAND PARK 55
Topeka High 23 19 22 10 -- 74
Highland Park 10 13 12 20 -- 55
Topeka High (3-3) – Aldridge 3-11 0-1 8, Guest 4-8 4-4 15, McComas 9-14 4-4 22, McFadden 3 0-1 7, Ross 1-4 0-0 2, Arnold 0-1 0-0 0, Luarks 4-6 1-1 10, Villegas 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 4-6 0-0 8, Redmond 0-3 2-2 2, Ramirez 0-1 0-0 0, Humphrey 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-64 11-13 74.
Highland Park (1-4) – Montgomery 1-6 0-0 3, Drew 3-8 1-2 8, Kingcannon 6-8 5-9 17, Anderson 3-12 1-4 10, Mitchell 1-3 0-0 2, L. McMillon 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Z. McMillon 6-6 1-2 13. Totals 21-47 8-17 55.
3-point goals – Topeka High 7 (Guest 3, Aldridge 2, McFadden, Luarks), Highland Park 5 (Anderson 3, Montgomery, Drew). Total fouls – Topeka High 18, Highland Park 16. Fouled out – Villegas.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GIRLS GAMES
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton leads the city in scoring with a 22-point average [File photo/TSN]
Senior Koralee Jones averages team-highs of 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (1-4) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)
Topeka High closed out its 2025 schedule with a 65-35 home win over Highland Park and will play its second straight game against the Scots to open 2026. Junior Sasha Gotru scored a game-high 22 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the field in the Trojans' earlier win over the Scots while recording a double-double with 12 rebounds. Senior Keimara Marshall added 19 points, including a 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line, while sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points against the Scots. Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, who did not play in the Trojans' first game against the Scots, leads the city with a 22-point average. Highland Park ended its pre-holiday slate with a 68-52 Meadowlark Conference against Kansas City-Wyandotte. Senior Koralee Jones leads Highland Park with a 10.8 scoring average and 7.5 rebounds per game. Game time: 5:30 p.m.
Junior KK Emmot leads Shawnee Heights, 3-3 on the season, with an 18-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein averages 18.6 points. 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 2.6 assists for the 6-1 Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (6-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3)
Hayden suffered its first loss of the season in its final game before the holiday break, with Hesston taking a 55-47 decision over the Wildcats, while Shawnee Heights closed out 2025 with a 67-30 United Kansas Conference romp past Topeka West. Junior KK Emmot scored a game-high 17 points for Shawnee Heights against West, while juniors Sami Baum and Pearmella Carter added 11 points apiece and seniors Reianna Vega and Imani McGlory scored nine and eight points, respectively. Emmot ranks third in the city with an 18-point scoring average. Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein is No. 2 in the city with an 18.6 scoring average and also leads the city with 4.6 steals per game while also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game. Game time: 5 p.m.
FRIDAY'S BOYS GAMES
Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with averages of 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. [File photo/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (2-3) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)
Highland Park gave Nate Wallace his first victory as a head coach in the Scots' final game of 2025, a 78-35 Meadowlark Conference romp past Kansas City-Wyandotte, while Topeka High ended '25 with a 63-50 loss to Olathe East. Junior JoJo Kingcannon leads Highland Park with a 19-point average, ranking third in the city in scoring, while Kingcannon and junior G'Honi Montgomery grab 5.0 rebounds a game and are averaging .3.7 and 3.0 steals. Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with a 13.2 scoring average with 7.6 rebounds a game. Senior Jalen Aldridge averages 13 points for the Trojans. Both Topeka High first-year coach Robbie Sanders and Wallace are Topeka High graduates. Game time: 7 p.m.
Junior Carter Compton (12) averages a team-high 17.3 points for Hayden. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (3-4) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-3)
Hayden snapped a three-game losing streak with a 64-57 win over Silver Lake in its final game of 2025 while Shawnee Heights ended its pre-holiday slate with a 63-58 United Kansas Conference loss to Topeka West. Junior Carter Compton leads Hayden with a 17.3 scoring average while senior Connor Hanika averages 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average while freshman Quincy Dixon averages 12.2 points and a team-high 4.8 rebounds. Game time: 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY'S BOYS GAME
Senior Simon Rowley is averaging a team-high 16.2 points for 4-2 Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2) at OLATHE WEST (3-3)
Washburn Rural ended its pre-Christmas slate with its third straight victory, a 60-25 road romp over Kansas City-Barstow, Mo., while Olathe West is coming off a 65-43 loss to Mill Valley. Senior Simon Rowley leads Washburn Rural with a 16.2 scoring average while senior John Hoytal averages 9.5 points and sophomore Brooks Ballard 9.2 points. Game time: 1 p.m.
NOTE: Statistics for city girls basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Rayton, Topeka High 4 88 22.0
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 130 18.6
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 108 18.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 15 15.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 68 13.6
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 68 13.6
Marshall, Topeka High 5 63 12.6
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 70 11.7
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 65 10.8
Hall, Topeka West 6 65 10.8
Jones, Highland Park 4 43 10.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 59 9.8
Hirschi, Washburn Rural 5 48 9.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Carlgren, Washburn Rural 5 47 9.4
Sydney Van Dyke, Topeka West
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 84 14.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 45 9.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 30 7.5
Gotru, Topeka High 5 36 7.2
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 43 7.2
Hall, Topeka West 6 41 6.8
Dreher, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 31 6.2
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 42 6.0
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 35 5.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 29 5.8
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 34 5.7
Ayres, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Marshall, Topeka High 5 18 3.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 17 3.4
Gragg, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Rutherford, Washburn Rural 4 12 3.0
Baum, Shawnee Heights 6 16 2.7
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Puvogel, Seaman 5 12 2.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 12 2.4
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Foster, Hayden 7 14 2.0
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 9 1.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 10 1.7
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 10 1.7
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 32 4.6
Gragg, Seaman 5 19 3.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 17 3.4
Donaldson, Cair Paravel 6 20 3.3
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 16 3.2
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 19 3.2
Caryl, Topeka High 1 3 3.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 12 3.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 17 2.8
Beaton, Seaman 5 14 2.8
Rayton, Topeka High 4 11 2.8
Allen, Topeka West 6 17 2.7
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 13 2.6
Walter, Hayden 7 18 2.6
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 14 2.3
NOTE: Statistics for city boys basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Bonner, Seaman 5 130 26.0
Duncan, Topeka West 5 98 19.6
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 57 19.0
Compton, Hayden 7 121 17.3
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 98 16.3
Rowley, Washburn Rural 6 97 16.2
Ross, Shawnee Heights 5 80 16.0
Hanika, Hayden 7 104 14.9
Paul, Topeka West 5 74 14.8
MCComas, Topeka High 5 66 13.2
Lassiter, Topeka West 5 65 13.0
Aldridge, Topeka High 5 65 13.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 62 12.4
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 61 12.2
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 73 12.2
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 46 7.7
McComas, Topeka High 5 38 7.6
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 45 7.5
Schmidt, Washburn Rural 6 36 6.0
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 33 5.5
Lassiter, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Paul, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Tourtillott, Hayden 7 35 5.0
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 30 5.0
Cleverdon, Cair Paravel 6 29 4.8
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 24 4.8
Anderson, Highland Park 3 14 4.7
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Anderson, Highland Park 3 19 6.3
Bonner, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Paul, Topeka West 4 20 5.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 28 4.7
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 23 3.8
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 20 3.3
Scott, Shawnee Heights 5 16 3.2
Duncan, Topeka West 4 12 3.0
Guest, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Becker, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Marichal, Cair Paravel 6 15 2.5
McComas, Topeka High 5 12 2.4
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 12 2.4
Nimz, Washburn Rural 6 14 2.3
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 9 3.0
Bonner, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Wiltz, Seaman 5 14 2.8
McComas, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 14 2.8
Hanika, Hayden 7 17 2.4
Anderson, Highland Park 3 7 2.3
Duncan, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Munganga, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 12 2.0
Drew, Highland Park 3 6 2.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 10 2.0
Mitchell, Hayden 7 13 1.9
Becker, Hayden 7 13 1.9
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls high school sports teams may likely remember 2025 as the year of near-misses, with seven county teams finishing second in five different sports while eight individuals/relays posted runnerup finishes.
But the county still had notable accomplishments to celebrate, with local schools capturing a pair of state team championships while local athletes captured four individual state titles.
Class 6A soccer champion Washburn Rural and 3A volleyball champ Silver Lake share the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Top 10 list for 2025 while Seaman track star Ryin Miller, who dominated the 5A state track meet with three wins and Highland Park wrestler Makayla Cadet, who captured her school's first girls state crown, hold down the next two spots.
Seaman posted runnerup team finishes in basketball and tennis while Silver Lake finished second in basketball and softball, Hayden was second in soccer and volleyball and Washburn Rural posted a runnerup finish in softball.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Molly Spader, Seaman's Koti Best and Taylie Heston and Shawnee Heights' Isabel Reyes all recorded second-place finishes in state wrestling while Rural's Morgan Ray and Topeka High's Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton were individual runnerups in state track, Seaman's Emma Sweeney was a singles runnerup in state tennis and Washburn Washburn Rural's 4x800-meter relay team also posted a second-place state finish in track.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County girls prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural girls soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship after its 1-0 win over Mill Valley in PKs. [Photo by KSHSAA Covered]
1. TITLE BREAKTHROUGH -- Washburn Rural added the only missing piece from its impressive soccer resume with its first Class 6A state championship. Making their 11th straight Final Four appearance, including four runnerup state finishes, the 19-2-0 Junior Blues broke through with a 1-0 win over Mill Valley, taking the win with a 4-1 edge in penalty kicks. Rural was represented on the All-City first team by 2025 grads Destiny Higgs, Kate Hinck, Addyson Kaberline, Zahra Friess and Madison Lemke and then-junior Dayne Shriver while Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year.
Silver Lake volleyball capped a 46-1 season with the 2025 Class 3A state championship. [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
1. EAGLES FLY TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP -- Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, finished off its championship run with a 25-21, 25-19 win over Holton. The Eagles were represented on the All-Shawnee County team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Seaman's Ryan Miller capped her junior track season with a sweep of the Class 5A 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
3. MILLER SHINES -- Seaman superstar runner Ryin Miller capped off her junior track and field season in the 2025 strate track and field championships by sweeping Class 5A state titles in all three of her individual events, taking wins in the 3,200 (10:19.53), 1,600 (4:57.33) and 800-meter (2:11.14) runs at Wichita State. Miller's three wins in 2025 gave her five career titles and came on the heels of a banner 2024 cross country season, which included the fastest five-kilometer run in Kansas history (16:32.62) and a runnerup finish in the 5A state meet (17:26.36).
Highland Park then-junior Makayla Cadet became her school's first girls state wrestling champion in 2025. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
4. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY -- Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet celebrated her 17th birthday in one of the best ways you could imagine, with a 2025 Class 5A state wrestling championship. Cadet, who went 23-4 on the season, became the first girls wrestler in Highland Park history to win a state championship when she pinned Basehor-Linwood junior Izzy Renfro at the 1:36 mark of the first period in Park City. Cadet's win over Renfro avenged a regional loss to the Bobcat standout.
5. OH SO CLOSE -- After winning state titles a year earlier, Seaman in Class 5A and Silver Lake in 3A both posted runnerup finishes in 2025 in girls basketball. The Vikings ran off 24 straight wins in the 2024-2025 campaign before dropping a 68-61 decision to perennial state champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the title game while Silver Lake, which had to reload after graduating a talented senior class from its 26-0 championship team in 2024, posted a 23-3 record last season, dropping a tight 48-45 decision to Halstead in the 3A final.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The names are probably well known to anyone who has followed local sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Shawnee County high schools made a big impact at the college and/or professional level in 2025.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continued to make their fans proud over the past year:
Junior Jack Bachelor has helped lead Washburn to a 13-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking this season. [File photo/TSN]
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A year after helping lead 30-4 Washburn to the NCAA Division II Final Four and earning All-MIAA first-team honors, the 6-foot-2 junior guard has played a major role as the Ichabods are off to a 13-0 start this season while achieving the No. 1 national ranking in D-II. Bachelor, named the MIAA Player of the Week last week, is averaging 16.2 points with 36 3-pointers while hitting 34 of 38 free throws (89.5 percent). Bachelor has a team-high 64 assists with 24 steals.
COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights/Washburn/Dallas Cowboys -- A 6-foot, 191-pound defensive back, Ballentine is in his seventh season in the NFL and currently on the active roster for the Dallas Cowboys. Ballentine previously played for the New York Giants, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. Ballentine has played in 71 games with 11 starts, registering 102 tackles with one interception.
ANNA BECKER, Seaman/Drake -- Becker, a 5-foot-10 freshman guard, has started all 11 games for Division I Drake after helping lead Seaman to a Class 5A state championship as a junior and a runnerup state finish as a senior. Becker is averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Becker was a four-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection, a two-time county player of the year and a three-time United Kansas Conference player of the year.
Former Topeka West star Elijah Brooks leads Houston Christian with a 12.3 scoring average. [Houston Christian Athletics]
ELIJAH BROOKS, Topeka West/Houston Christian -- A 6-foot-3 senior guard, the former Mr. Kansas Basketball for Topeka West has started all eight games he's appeared in for the 5-7 Huskies, averaging a team-high12.3 points along with 4.5 rebounds and 25 assists. Brooks, who began his college career at North Dakota, averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds last season for Houston Christian with a career-high 29-point game.
NIJAREE CANADY, Topeka High/Texas Tech
A senior pitcher/first baseman, the former Topeka High two-time Class 6A state champion was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year as a junior in her first season at Texas Tech while also earning first-team All-American honors. Canady, the Big 12 Player of the Year, finished her season with a 34-7 pitching record, a 1.11 earned run average and 319 strikeouts while also leading Tech with 11 home runs and slugging .639. Canady was the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for the Trojans.
BROOKLYN DELEYE, Washburn Rural/Kentucky -- The former three-sport Washburn Rural star, DeLeye, a 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter, was named a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America selection for the second straight season. DeLeye helped lead the 30-3 Wildcats to a runnerup finish in the NCAA Tournament, starting all 33 matches with 545 kills while also compiling 279 digs and 42 blocks.
Washburn sophomore linebacker JC Heim ranked second in the nation with 142 tackles this fall, earning second-team All-MIAA honors. [File photo/TSN]
JC HEIM, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A sophomore linebacker, Heim earned second-team All-MIAA recognition after leading the Ichabods and the MIAA and ranking second in the nation with 142 total tackles, splitting 71 solo and 71 assisted tackles. Heim added seven tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. He was also third in solo tackles in the national rankings.
TEVEN JENKINS, Topeka High/Cleveland Browns -- After starring at Topeka High and earning All-Big 12 honors at Oklahoma State as an offensive lineman, Jenkins, 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears. After playing four seasons with the Bears, Jenkins is in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. An offensive guard, Jenkins has played in 15 games with three starts this season and has played in 60 games in his career with 41 starts.
Washburn senior Belle Kennedy (12) earned first-team All-America honors this fall for the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
BELLE KENNEDY, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A 5-foot-3 senior midfielder, the former Washburn Rural star was named a first-team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches after helping lead Washburn University soccer to its second NCAA Final Four in three seasons. A three-time All-MIAA first-team pick, Kennedy was named the conference defensive player of the year this fall. Kennedy scored 12 goals and had four assists in her career for the Ichabods.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Off to a rough start with four straight losses to open the 2025-2026 season, Topeka High girls basketball ended its pre-holiday slate with its first victory of the season Thursday night, rolling to a 65-35 home non-league decision over USD 501 rival Highland Park.
Sophomore Hailey Caryl, battling for a loose ball, scored 13 points Thursday in Topeka High's 65-35 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We were 0-4 and I would not have predicted the 0-4, but we did play four decent teams,'' Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. "I thought we could have, should have, would have won two of them, but we didn't play well.
"We had too many outside distractions and we just didn't have a good three weeks of preseason practices, but the last three or four have been very good. They brought it to the gym and that's what it's supposed to be. I was more than happy with the effort tonight. Our passing was better and our defense got us a lot of baskets.''
The Trojans, who played without junior standout Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, took control early, scoring the first seven points of the game and building 15-2 and 19-4 leads before taking a 21-6 advantage into the second quarter.
Highland Park, coming off a 42-40 win over Shawnee Mission West Tuesday night, came to life with 12 points in the second stanza but Topeka High still led by 18 points at the break, doubling up the Scots 36-18.
Senior Keimara Marshall scored 19 points in Topeka High's 65-35 win over Highland Park Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High boosted its lead to 53-25 with a 17-7 third quarter and the Trojans forced a running clock with 5:08 remaining after a hoop from senior Keimara Marshall.
Junior Sasha Gotru scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Topeka High's 65-35 win over Highland Park Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sasha Gotru, a 5-foot-11 junior, had a career night for the Trojans, scoring a game-high 22 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the field while recording a double-double with 12 rebounds.
Marshall added 19 points, including a 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line, while sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points with High's only 3-pointer in her first game of the season after missing the Trojans' first four games of the year with an injury.
Senior Koralee Jones (13) scored a team-high 15 points in Thursday's 65-35 loss to Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Koralee Jones led Highland Park (1-2) with 15 points while junior Zayah Kincaid added eight, including a pair of 3-pointers.
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
DESOTO -- Washburn Rural's faced tournament host De Soto in Wednesday's semifinal of the De Soto Hardwood Classic, taking a 41-28 win in a defensive struggle to advance to Saturday's the championship game.
The game began with both teams struggling to put the ball in the basket as Washburn Rural shot 2 of 10 from the field while De Soto was 2 of 9. At the end of the first quarter, the Junior Blues led, 8-6.
The struggles continued in the second quarter as both teams combined to make only three shots over the eight-minute period. The defense of De Soto forced nine turnovers in the half with a mixture of a three-quarter court trapping press and a stingy man-to-man defense in the halfcourt.
But Washburn Rural’s defense was just as stout, forcing a total of 15 turnovers, holding the Wildcats to 3-13 from the field and maintaining a two point lead at halftime, 13-11. A statistical anomaly occurred for the host school as De Soto’s only made baskets in the first half were from behind the 3-point line and they only attempted one shot from inside the line.
The proverbial lid came off the basket in the third quarter as both teams exploded for double-digits in points. With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, De Soto took its first lead of the game, 20-18, on a 3-point play by junior Katie Bush.
After Rural tied the game at 20, De Soto’s freshman point guard, Maddie Leis, hit a 3-pointer, giving the Wildcats a 23-20 lead. Not to be outdone, Rural freshman forward Brynn Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner, sending the contest to the fourth quarter tied at 23.
The final quarter was dominated by the Junior Blues as they built an eight-point lead thanks to five straight points by senior Ella Hirschi. The Junior Blues made 8 of 13 shots from the field over the last eight minutes and advanced to the championship game on Saturday.
Washburn Rural was led by Anderson’s 11 points and five steals. Senior Hallie Walker had 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Hirschi scored seven points along with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and two steals.
De Soto was led by Leis, who scored 14 points with four 3-pointers.
Washburn Rural advanced to the championship game to face the Liberty, Mo. Blue Jays at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Liberty advanced with a 60-50 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest.
WASHBURN RURAL 41, DE SOTO 28
Washburn Rural 8 5 10 18 — 41
DeSoto 6 5 12 5 — 28
Washburn Rural 41 (2-0) -- Rutherford 2-5 0-0 5, Hirschi 3-8 0-0 7, Walker 3-4 2-4 8, Anderson 4-15 2-2 11, Carlgren 2-4 1-2 5, Hinck 0-0, 0-0 0, Petersen 2-4 0-0 5. Totals 16-40 5-8 41.
DeSoto 28 (2-1) -- C. Leis 0-1 2-2 2, O’Brien 1-4 0-0 3, Cinotto 1-4 0-0 3, M. Leis 5-15 0-0 14, Chappel 0-3 0-0 0, Green 1-2 0-0 3, Stepp 0-0 0-0 0, Carpenter 0-0 0-0 0, Major 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Bush 1-3 1-1 3, Gulley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-34 3-3 28.
3-point field goals -- Washburn Rural 4 (Rutherford, Hirschi, Anderson, Petersen), DeSoto 7 (M. Leis 4, O’Brien, Cinotto, Green). Total fouls -- Washburn Rural 14, DeSoto 15. Fouled out -- none. Technical Fouls -- none.
Trojan girls fall to Huskies, 56-35
Topeka High played its second game in the De Soto Hardwood Classic Wednesday against Blue Valley Northwest Huskies, with the Trojans dropping a 56-35 decision.
For the second consecutive game, the Trojans struggled in the first quarter and trailed 13-4. The deficit remained at nine, 22-13, going to the halftime break.
The Huskies pulled away in the second half for the 21-point win.
Topeka High will play in the seventh-place game on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against Shawnee Mission East, which lost to Olathe Northwest, 44-37.
BV NORTHWEST 56, TOPEKA HIGH 35
Topeka High 4 9 8 14 — 35
BV Northwest 13 9 16 18 — 56
Topeka High 35 (0-3) -- Short 0-1 2-2 2, Triplett 0-1 0-0 0, Marshall 0-12 2-2 2, Rayton 9-17 0-0 19, Gotru 4-7 1-2 9, Conley 0-0 0-0 0, Whayne 0-1 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 14-42 5-6 35.
Blue Valley Northwest 56 (1-2) -- K. Becker 4-11 0-0 11, Edwards 6-11 2-2 16, R. Becker 5-11 0-0 12, Numrich 2-2 0-0 5, Cozart 4-9 1-3 9, Eils 0-0 0-0 0, Dahl 0-1 0-0 0, Domazet 0-3 1-2 1, Norton 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 21-50 6-9 56.
3-point field goals -- Topeka High 2 (Rayton, Martin), BV Northwest 8 (K. Becker 3, Edwards 2, R. Becker 2, Numrich). Total Fouls -- Topeka High 10, BV Northwest 12. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden, which advanced to the Class 3A state championship game for the third straight season, and 1A finalist Rossville combined for nine of Top 22 spots on TopSports.news' 2025 All-Shawnee County football team while the Wildcats and Bulldawgs swept offensive and defensive player of the year honors.
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Jude Krentz, Hayden
Hayden senior all-purpose standout Kade Mitchell and Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell were named the co-offensive players of the year for 2025 while Hayden senior Jude Krentz was named the defensive player of the year.
Kade Mitchell carried the ball 106 times for 1,003 yards, caught 23 passes for 471 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns while Canann Mitchell rushed for 1,162 yards and 21 touchdowns on 167 carries and completed 123 of 184 passes for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Krentz led the Hayden defense with 120 tackles (61 solo) while recording six tackles for loss and picking off two passes.
Hayden's Bill Arnold and Rossville's Derick Hammes were named the co-coaches of the year while Rossville junior lineman Charlie Chance was tapped as the defensive newcomer of the year and Silver Lake freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger was named the offensive newcomer of the year.
Chance was in on 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and three sacks while Kruger completed 178 of 252 passes for 2,158 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Kade Mitchell and Krentz are Top 22 repeat selections, along with Seaman senior Cameron Brian, Rossville senior Conner Bush, Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson and Shawnee Heights senior Aiden Scott.
Hayden, which posted a 12-1 record this fall, is also represented on the Top 22 by seniors Xander Blasing, Connor Hanika and Julian McGivern and junior Mason Becker while Rossville senior Andre Johnson joins Bush and Canann Mitchell on the Top 22 after the Bulldawgs posted an 11-2 record, with both losses coming against state champions.
Washburn Rural, which posted a 6-4 record, is represented on the Top 22 by seniors Jayden Cooper, Brody Haas and John Hoytal and junior Jadyn Baum.
Senior Noah Kobuszewski joins Brian on the first team for Seaman while senior Jayden Waterer joins Dayne Johnson on the Top 22 for Silver Lake and senior AJ Gallegos joins Scott on the first team for Shawnee Heights.
Meadowlark Conference champion Highland Park put senior Tremaine Savage and junior G'Honi Montgomery on the Top 22 while Topeka High is represented by multi-time All-Centennial League selection Malachi Murph
All 10 Shawnee County high schools have representatives on either the Top 22, Second 22 or honorable mention list. Five county teams posted six or more wins this fall and four teams posted at least one win in the playoffs.
TopSports.news selected the 2025 All-Shawnee County team after receiving input from county head coaches.
All-Shawnee County Top 22 capsules:
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls began their 2025-2026 basketball season Monday in the De Soto Hardwood Classic, taking a 46-36 win over Shawnee Mission East.
The start of a new season always brings new faces and new challenges. For the Junior Blues, this season is definitely the case with five freshmen seeing the court on opening night. Along with the five freshmen, there are two juniors and three seniors who provide experience to the young roster. One noticeable absence on opening night was All-State junior Maddie Vickery, who suffered a knee injury over the summer and hopes to return later this season.
Washburn Rural started the game with an 8-0 run, led by junior Brooklyn Rutherford’s five points and senior Ella Hirschi’s 3-pointer. SM East was overwhelmed by Rural’s pressure defense, leading to seven turnovers in the first quarter alone.
SM East was finally able to get on the board with a free throw by junior Lauren Mercer almost five minutes into the game. Rural continued to pressure the Lancers and led 13-5 at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, SM East was able to adjust to the defensive pressure and outscored the Junior Blues 6-2 over the first five minutes of the second stanza. Both teams traded baskets and Washburn Rural went to the locker room with a 17-13 lead.
The start of the second half mimicked the start of the game, where Rural doubled their lead over the first four minutes of the third quarter, leading 23-15 on buckets by Rutherford, senior Josie Carlgren and freshman Brynn Anderson. The Junior Blues maintained the eight point lead going into the final quarter, leading the Lancers 28-20.
Another 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter gave Rural their largest lead of the game, 36-20. Carlgren and Hirschi both knocked down 3-pointers and Anderson scored on a pretty spin move in the lane. Both teams had their highest point totals in the fourth quarter with the Junior Blues outscoring the Lancers, 18-16, accounting for the final score of 46-36.
Washburn Rural was led Anderson’s 13 points and five rebounds. Carlgren had eight points and four steals, Rutherford scored seven and senior Hallie Walker scored two points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists.
SM East was led by senior Talia Augustine’s seven points and five rebounds. Senior Fina Kessler dropped in six points and fellow senior Paige Stanfield also scored six along with eight rebounds.
Washburn Rural advances to the semifinal round on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. where it will face the host school, De Soto, a 55-35 first-round winner over Olathe Northwest.
WASHBURN RURAL 46, SM EAST 36
SM East 5 8 7 16 -- 36
Washburn Rural 13 4 11 18 -- 46
SM East 36 (0-2) -- Kessler 2-5 0-0 6, Eck 1-3 0-0 2, Stanfield 3-13 0-0 6, Kroening 2-4 0-0 5, Reiser 1-4 0-4 2, Beltrame 1-1 0-0 3, Mercer 0-1 3-4 3, Tilgner 0-0 2-4 2, Augustine 1-1 5-8 7, Zahner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 11-33 10-20 36.
Washburn Rural 46 (1-0) -- Rutherford 3-5 0-0 7, Hirschi 4-6 0-0 11, Walker 0-1 2-2 2, Anderson 5-18 2-2 13, Carlgren 3-11 0-0 8, Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Frost 0-0 0-2 0, Hinck 0-4, 0-2 0, Munson 0-2 1-2 1, Petersen 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-51 5-10 46.
3-point goals -- SM East4 (Kessler 2, Beltrame, Kroening), Washburn Rural 7 (Hirschi 3, Carlgren 2, Rutherford, Anderson). Total Fouls -- SM East 11, Washburn Rural 21. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
Trojans fall to Northwest in OT, 64-60
Topeka High opened the De Soto Hardwood Classic with a Monday contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest, dropping a 64-60 decision in overtime.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twenty-nine Washburn Rural and Topeka High football players have received All-Centennial League recognition, including 10 first-team selections.
Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural
Rural is represented on the first team by senior offensive line Jayden Cooper, senior quarterback John Hoytal, junior running back Jadyn Baum, senior wide receiver Nate Selm, junior defensive lineman Steven Cantrell, senior linebacker Jordy Heim, senior defensive back Brody Haas, junior kicker Ryan Austin and junior punter Gavin Vantuyl.
Topeka High is represented on the first team by senior Malichi Murph, a repeat pick at defensive back.
Rural second-team selections include junior offensive lineman Nick Loughney, senior running back TJ Minikwu, senior defensive linemen Sammy Brumley and Ayden Crosswhite, senior linebacker Elijah Gaines and senior defensive back Austin Ditch.
High second-team honorees include senior offensive lineman Jeremiah Lopez Arreola, sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd, junior wide receiver Courtney Sanders, senior defensive lineman Adam Humphrey and senior linebacker Rock Williamson.
2025 ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
An ice-cold fourth period doomed the Topeka High girls’ first effort of the season Thursday. A five-minute scoreless stretch let the visiting Wamego Lady Raiders get away with a 67-46 opening-night victory.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 26 points in Thursday's 67-46 season-opening loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]Caption Text
The Trojans trailed essentially they entire game, but they kept the deficit around five points most of the night. They trailed 41-36 to begin the fourth period. But Wamego reeled off a 16-0 run that was not broken until the 3:00 mark, at which point the game was out of reach for Topeka High.
Having finished 14-8 a year ago and returning a number of key veterans, it was not the start the Trojans hoped for.
“We’re not making excuses,” Trojan coach Ron Slaymaker said about the debut performance. “Wamego was pretty good. They’ve got good depth and they shot really well. So, you’ve got to give them some credit.”
Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall scored 12 points in Thursday's season-opening 67-46 loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans were led by junior Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton’s 26 and senior Keimara Marshall’s 12. But they struggled to get production beyond the two starting guards.
Sophomore forward Hailey Caryl, a returning starter who is an important rebounder and defender in the paint, spent the game on the sideline wearing a boot.
“Without Hailey in there, we have to put some people in spots where they don’t belong,” Slaymaker said. “We get past one or two people and we get pretty short. For 32 minutes, that catches up with you. But they know that with Hailey being out, that’s only an excuse. In sports, you’ve got to play without somebody sometimes. Everybody else has to pick up their slack. I don’t think we did that.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JADYN BAUM, Washburn Rural
Baum, a junior, earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition at 190 pounds last season after posting a 28-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament for Washburn Rural, which finished third as a team. Baum is ranked No. 4 at 190 pounds in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and is top-ranked in 6A at 215.
BRENNEN BOWERS, Seaman
A senior 157-pounder, Bowers is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings. Bowers was a 5A state qualifier last season and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the Vikings.
BRODY BROWN, Shawnee Heights
Brown, a junior, is a two-time Class 5A state qualifier and earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season at 138 pounds. Brown is expected to wrestle at 150 pounds this winter and is currently ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings.
KAYDEN CLELLAND, Silver Lake
A junior 165-pounder, Clelland was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after winning a Class 4A regional championship to qualify for state with a 32-11 record through regional competition.
RYDER FOSTER, Rossville
Foster, a sophomore 106-pounder, is currently ranked No. 5 in Class 3A-1A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its second preseason rankings. Foster was a state qualifier as a freshman, posting a fourth-place regional finish.
JOSE GOMEZ, Topeka High
Gomez, a junior, posted a 24-13 record last season at 106 pounds and earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition. Gomez is currently ranked No. 4 in the Class 6A preseason rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
RYDER HARRISON, Washburn Rural
Harrison, a senior 120-pounder, was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season, posting a 27-15 record for the Junior Blues and finishing sixth in Class 6A. Harrison is ranked No. 4 at 120 pounds in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 6A preseason rankings.
EVAN JOHNSON, Shawnee Heights
Johnson, a senior, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season and is a three-time Class 5A state qualifier for the T-Birds. Johnson is expected to wrestle at 165 pounds this season and is currently ranked No. 5 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
A junior 150-pounder, Kocher-Munoz was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season for Washburn Rural, posting a 16-7 record on the season and finishing fourth in Class 6A for the third-place Junior Blues. Munoz is ranked third at 150 pounds in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 6A preseason rankings and 10th in the All-Class rankings.
Landen Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
LANDEN KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
Kocher-Munoz, a senior 138-pounder, captured his second Class 6A state championship last season in his third straight trip to the state finals. Kocher-Munoz posted a 30-3 record, earning All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for a third straight season. Kocher-Munoz is top-ranked in 6A and No. 3 in the All-Class rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
Jude Krentz, Hayden
JUDE KRENTZ, Hayden
A senior, Krentz earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors last season at 175 pounds last season after earning his third straight trip to the Class 4A state tournament. Krentz posted a 42-2 record en route to a fourth-place state finish and is currently ranked No. 7 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and No. 2 in 4A.
KAIDEN MARSHALL, Washburn Rural
A sophomore 215-pounder, Marshall was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season while also earning all-county first-team recognition. Marshall, who posted a 17-11 record and finished fourth in Class 6A for the third-place Junior Blues, is expected to move up to 285 pounds this season and is ranked No. 4 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association preseason rankings.
Caleb Menke, Hayden
CALEB MENKE, Hayden
Menke, a junior 157-pounder, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after qualifying for the Class 4A state meet with a second-place regional finish. Menke is ranked sixth in 4A in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association preseason rankings and is 10th-ranked in the All-Class rankings.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Ron Slaymaker, one of the best basketball coaches in Kansas history, will turn 89 in December, but you wouldn’t know it when you attend a practice or game. Slaymaker is still having fun with it.
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton is a returning All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick for the Trojans, who posted a 14-8 record last season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall is back for her fourth season as the Trojans' point guard, earning All-Shawnee County Top 10 recognition last season. [File photo/TSN]
In Year 2 with the Trojans and his 12th overall coaching girls basketball, Slaymaker will have four of his starters back after a 14-win season last year. That came after Slaymaker was told his team would be lucky to win seven at most.
“We’ll be expected to win more this year, no question about it,” Slaymaker said. “Now, we just have to meet expectations.”
The one starter Topeka High graduated was Jo'Mhara Benning, who Slaymaker said was a great presence down low and a rebound warrior and they have to replace that.
“I think we have four or five girls that are knocking at the door to be able to replace her,'' Slaymaker said. "Not replace what she did, but replace her with a good player.''
“We are very quick and you have to take advantage of what you are. I think we can be even quicker than what we were last year.”
Slaymaker said when he came to Topeka High there were two things he wanted to accomplish -- play defense and run a lot. Slaymaker saw those changes over the course of the season and knew the girls had it in them.
He said during this year's practice window, the Trojans are starting with that attitude and he hopes they’ll take advantage of that early.
Hailey Caryl made an immediate impact for Topeka High last season as a freshman, earning All-Shawnee County Second 10 recognition. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Keimara Marshall and junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton were both All-Shawnee County Top 10 picks last season while sophomore Hailey Caryl was a Second 10 pick.
Caryl and Rayton said Slaymaker is always upbeat, giving them high-fives and keeping the energy at a high level. Slaymaker laughed when TopSports.News asked him about that.
“I’m a little more grouchy this year in our one week of practice, but I’m glad they feel that way,'' he said. "If I don’t have energy, then I need to get out of here. I still have passion for what I’m doing and that’s energy and if that’s passed along to them that’s good.”
Caryl and Rayton are excited about the up-tempo pace they’ll play with and the speed they bring. The competitive nature the team brings is a trait that they like, too.
“Last year we had a lot of deflections,'' Rayton said. "Slay loves defense, quick hands. He drills that into our heads.”
“We need to push for more rebounding and take advantage of the fast break that Slay likes us to do,” Caryl said.
Slaymaker said he’s focusing on making practice better to play better. Last year, he said they played well but didn’t practice well so they’re trying to turn that around, and believe with that, they could be a really good basketball team.
Slaymaker said they’ve turned around the recent down years and had more girls turn out for tryouts -- 27 to be exact, compared to 16 last season.
“That’s the culture everybody seeks, you can’t always get it easily but you have to have some success along the way and maybe girls basketball at Topeka High will be right up there again,” Slaymaker said.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High boys basketball is the place to be if you like candy. First-year head coach Robbie Sanders always has candy on deck every practice.
Senior Bryson McComas is a top returner for Topeka High boys basketball, which begins its first season under former Trojan standout Robbie Sanders. [File photo/TSN]
“I get a little nervous. It’s the hand to mouth thing and candy calms me down a little bit,” Sanders said with a smile.
Sanders’ personal favorite is Sour Patch Kids and senior Bryson McComas loves Starbursts.
Sanders said the summer program was huge for the Trojans as he tried to implement his style and vision for the program.
“We got a great group of seniors,” Sanders said. “They’re hungry, they want to win and get that taste out of their mouth from last year and they’ve responded really well to everything I’ve asked from them.”
Before coming back to his alma mater, Topeka High, Sanders spent the last several years as an assistant under Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting.
“I learned so much from coach Darting,'' Sanders said. "We never lowered the expectations. The expectation is to win state. That is the ultimate goal if you’re not quite there yet and I want all these kids to know that if we do things the right way and everybody commits and buys-in, it’s attainable.
"(Heights) wasn’t in great shape when Darting got there and myself included, but now it’s in good standing and I want to do that at Topeka High.''
Sanders is thrilled to be back in The Dunegon and when he looks back in time, he talks about his time at Topeka High and he hopes that he can feed his experiences into the players.
“I want them to feel what I felt here when I was at Topeka High,'' he said. "I feel like my two years here changed my life from a confidence standpoint, believing in myself as a basketball player, as a man and guys like John Taber who coached when I was here. They just put their arms around me and they loved me and I want to do the same for these kids.
“I just look around here and remember my Mom used to sit on the bench side of the bleachers. All the memories every time I step in this gym are coming back and I also had the opportunity to coach here for 13 years … I grew up here, my kids grew up here, my family was a part of this fabric of Topeka High between 1996 all the way until 2018. This was our life and I’m very happy to be back.”
Versatility is the best way to describe this group according to Sanders and they can attack in different ways, too.
McComas said Sanders is emphasizing the hustle plays and not being lackadaisical like they were last season. The goal this year is creating that new identity and they’re motivated to flip the script.
“We play together well, we’re not arguing a lot. We’re just swinging the rock and moving the ball to get quality shots, not rushing shots so I think we should be pretty good along with our defense,” McComas said.
McComas said he’s preaching that if the team or the seniors get on other teammates, he hopes they don’t take it to heart because they want to be better and win.
Sanders said when the Trojans have their first game here soon, he may bring some candy in his pocket to calm his nerves.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,'' Sanders said. "I wanted the job back in 2019 when Coach Denney left but being around Coach Darting the last few years, I found out I wasn’t quite ready yet and needed a little more time.
"There will be a lot of nerves… I hope I don’t break down crying,” Sanders added with a laugh. “I see myself doing the Chris Jones before and tears coming down from my eyes… I want to turn this thing around.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jalen Aldridge, Topeka High
JALEN ALDRIDGE, Topeka High
Aldridge, a 6-foot-1 senior, averaged a team-high 12.3 points for Topeka High last season, earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Aldridge shot 43 percent on two-point field goal attempts and connected on 26 3-pointers while averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals and shooting 70 percent from the free throw line.
JA'VEON ALSTON, Shawnee Heights
A 5-10 senior point guard, Alston received All-Shawnee County and United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record en route to a second straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament. A standout defender, Alston averaged 2.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the T-Birds as a junior.
Mason Becker, Hayden
MASON BECKER, Hayden
A 5-11 junior guard, Becker was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County Second 10 last season after averaging 10.1 points with 36 3-pointers, while shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Becker also averaged 2.8 rebounds for the Wildcats. Becker will get a late start on preseason basketball practice after helping lead the Wildcats football team to their third straight Class 3A state championship game Saturday in Hutchinson.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
Bonner, a 6-4 senior, is a two-time All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick after being named the Shawnee County co-newcomer of the year and receiving honorable mention as a freshman. Bonner averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.9 steals this past season for the 13-8 Vikings while hitting 49 3-pointers and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line.
CALEB CLEVERDON, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior, Cleverdon will be counted on heavily this winter as Cair Paravel looks to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Cleverson averaged 7.6 points last season while connecting on 33 3-pointers and shooting 35 percent from outside the arc. Cleverdon also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals as a junior.
JAI'MARION COOK, Shawnee Heights
Cook, a 5-9 senior guard, averaged 5.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season while helping Shawnee Heights post an 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Cook connected on 30 3-pointers as a junior while shooting 38 percent from outside the 3-point line.
Jack Donovan, Rossville
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A 5-11 senior, Donovan made the All-Shawnee County Top 10 for the second straight season after averaging 18.7 points with 62 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 78.4 percent from the free throw line. Donovan helped lead the Bulldawgs to a 16-8 record and a Class 2A state tournament berth last season. Donovan, a first-team All-Big East League pick, is also a standout in golf and football, helping Rossville reach the Class 1A state football title game on Friday in Hutchinson.
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
MALAKYAH DUNCAN, Topeka West
Duncan, a 6-4 senior, received second-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference recognition last season after helping lead the Chargers to the Class 5A state tournament, where West lost in the quarterfinals to state champ Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Duncan averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals as a junior while shooting 55 percent on two-point field goal attempts.
ONTARIUS EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 6-4 senior forward, received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Emmot averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a junior while draining 29 treys on the season.
Elisha Guest, Topeka High
ELISHA GUEST, Topeka High
A 5-7 senior, Guest received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after averaging 11.6 points while connecting on 49 3-pointers and shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Guest also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals for the Trojans last season.
Connor Hanika, Hayden
CONNOR HANIKA, Hayden
Hanika, a 6-5 senior, received All-Shawnee County second-team honors last season after averaging 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 48 percent on two-point field goals. Hanika is Hayden's starting quarterback in football, helping the Wildcats reach their third straight Class 3A state championship game.
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural
JOHN HOYTAL, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 senior forward, Hoytal received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after helping the 18-5 Junior Blues win the Centennial League title and advance to the Class 6A state tournament. Hoytal averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals last season while shooting 57 percent on two-point field goals and 73 percent from the free throw line.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake
Johnson, a 6-2 senior, helped lead the Eagles to a 20-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament in 2024-2025. A first-team All-Big East League selection, Johnson moved up to the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 last season after being a Second 10 pick as a sophomore. Johnson is a multi-sport standout for the Eagles, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors as a junior.
Lucas Marichal, Cair Paravel
LUCAS MARICHAL, Cair Paravel
A senior, Marichal is a key returner for Cair Paravel Latin, which will by looking to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Marichal averaged 9.0 points a year ago while connecting on 28 3-pointers and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which captured the Class 6A state championship, leads the 2025 Topeka All-City boys soccer team with five first-team picks.
The Junior Blues are represented on the 16-member first team, selected by city coaches, by seniors Draden Chooncharoen (midfield), Brandon Hamilton (defense), Liam Morrison (defense) and Dylan Willingham (forward) and junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (forward) while Rural coach Brian Hensyel was voted the city coach of the year after the Junior Blues posted a 19-1-1 record.
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural
Brandon Hamilton, Washburn Rural
Liam Morrison Washburn Rural
Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
Hamilton, Morrison and Willingham are all first-team repeat picks.
Shawnee Heights, Topeka High and Topeka West all put three players on the All-City first team, while Cair Paravel Latin and Seaman both put one player on the team.
Camden Granado, Shawnee Heights
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by seniors Camden Granado (forward) and Jason Slay (defense) and junior Mason Haas (midfield), with Granado and Haas first-team repeat picks.
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Neri Diaz-Mayorga, Topeka High
Topeka High put three players on the All-City team -- seniors Neri Diaz-Mayorga (midfield) and Billy Lutz (goalkeeper) and junior Carlos Acosta-Martinez (midfield).
Lutz is a repeat first-team selection while Diaz-Mayorga made the first team in 2024 for Highland Park.
Valentin Del Real, Topeka West
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West
Giancarlo Valenzuela, Topeka West
Topeka West is represented on the first team by sophomore Valentin Del Real (midfield), junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (forward) and senior Giancarlo Valenzuela (midfield), with Del Real and Gonzalez-Talavera first-team repeaters.
Nathan Keys, Cair Paravel
Cody Quy, Seaman
Cair Paravel put senior Nathan Keys (forward) on the All-City team while Seaman is represented by senior Cody Quy (forward).
Willingham was named the Centennial League player of the year this fall for the second straight season while Rural's Chooncharoen, Hamilton, Kocher-Munoz and High's Acosta-Martinez and Diaz-Mayorga were also first-team picks.
Shawnee Heights' Granado was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year while Haas and Slay and Topeka West's Del Real, Gonzalez-Talavera and Valenzuela were all named to the All-United Kansas Conference first team.
2025 TOPEKA ALL-CITY SOCCER
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A 5-foot-11 freshman guard/forward, Anderson has yet to take the basketball court for the Junior Blues, but made an immediate impact in volleyball, earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League first-team honors while also being named the county and league newcomer of the year as Washburn Rural won the Centennial League title and advanced to the Class 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
SAMI BAUM, Shawnee Heights
A 6-1 junior, Baum will make her high school basketball debut in the 2025-2026 season after joining the T-Birds. Baum, who has been home schooled, played for the Shawnee Heights volleyball team this fall and has extensive experience in club basketball, receiving interest from college recruiters.
Nora Burdiek, Rossville
NORA BURDIEK, Rossville
Burdiek, a 6-0 junior forward, missed 11 games of the 2024-2025 season with an injury, but still earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention and was a third-team All-Class 2A and All-Big-East League honoree after averaging 16.5 points and 12 rebounds for 10-12 Rossville. Burdiek was a first-team All-Shawnee County and 2A All-State pick in volleyball, helping lead the Bulldawgs to the state tournament.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
PEARMELLA CARTER, Shawnee Heights
A 5-10 junior, Carter starred at Highland Park the past two seasons before transferring to Shawnee Heights for the 2025-2026 season. Carter was a Second 10 All-Shawnee County selection for the Scots last winter after averaging 19.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.1 assists and shooting 50 percent from 2-point field goal range while connecting on 14 3-pointers.
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
Caryl, a 5-10 sophomore, received All-Shawnee County Second 10 honors as a freshman after helping Topeka High post a 14-8 record and a nine-win improvement over the 2023-2024 season. Caryl averaged 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman while shooting 58 percent on 2-point field attempts and averaging 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. Caryl is also a tennis and soccer standout for the Trojans.
KARYS DEITER, Silver Lake
A 5-7 sophomore guard, Deiter earned All-Shawnee County Second 10 recognition for the 23-3 Eagles as a freshman starter, averaging 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as Silver Lake overcame big graduation losses from its 2024 Class 3A state championship team to post a runnerup state finish. Deiter was a first-team all-county pick in volleyball this fall after the Eagles won the state title with a 46-1 record, including 37 straight wins to end the season.
Rylee Dick, Rossville
RYLEE DICK, Rossville
A 5-6 senior guard, Dick was a first-team All-2A and All-Big East League pick last season and was an All-Shawnee County second-team selection after averaging 20.4 points with 68 made 3-pointers and 89-percent shooting from the free throw line for the 10-12 Bulldawgs while eclipsing the 1,000-point mark for her career. Dick, who has received all-league, all-county and All-2A recognition three straight seasons, has signed a letter of intent with Division II Rockhurst.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 5-8 junior, moved up to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 last season after earning second-team honors as a freshman. Emmot, who led the T-Birds to a 14-8 record, also earned first-team All-United Kansas Conference honors this past season after averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 3.2 assists while connecting on 46 3-pointers.
Maddie Gragg, Seaman
MADDIE GRAGG, Seaman
A 5-10 senior, Gragg was an All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection for the third straight season after helping lead Seaman to a 24-1 record and a runnerup finish in Class 5A. Gragg, also a three-time All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick, averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 57 percent on two-point field goal attempts and shooting 83 percent from the free throw line while hitting 39 3-pointers.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, a 5-7 senior guard, led Silver Lake to a 23-3 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament this past season after helping the Eagles post a perfect 26-0 record en route to the 3A state championship in 2024. Hanni was a repeat All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection as well as a repeat first-team all-league pick. A Fort Hays State basketball signee, Hanni is a multi-sport standout, earning first-team all-county honors in golf this fall.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Centennial League champion and Class 6A state qualifier Washburn Rural and Class 4A state runnerup Hayden combined for six of eight spots on the All-Centennial League volleyball team, led by Wildcat sophomore player of the year Hailey Schmidtlein and Junior Blue freshman newcomer of the year Brynn Anderson.
Centennial League player of the Year: Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
Centennial League newcomer of the Year: Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
Schmidtlein is joined on the all-league first team by Hayden senior Ella Foster and sophomore Blakely Walter while Anderson is joined by Rural senior teammates Karsyn Horyna and Stella Kelly.
Manhattan junior Bailey Busch and Emporia senior Jade Xu round out the all-league team while Manhattan's Nicole Jones was voted the coach of the year.
Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson, Hayden junior Mallory Tanking and Washburn Rural senior Dayne Shriver were second-team picks while six city players received honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
First team
Brynn Anderson, fr., Washburn Rural; Bailey Busch, jr., Manhattan; Ella Foster, sr., Hayden; Karsyn Horyna, sr., Washburn Rural; Stella Kelly, sr., Washburn Rural; Hailey Schmidtlein, so., Hayden; Blakely Walter, so., Hayden;Jade Xu, sr., Emporia.
Second team
Campbell Dawson, jr., Topeka; Kaylee Dewitt, jr., Emporia; Aubree Hess, jr., Emporia; Janie Hilgers, sr., Manhattan; Dayne Shriver, sr., Washburn; Madison Stanard, jr., Manhattan; Mallory Tanking, jr., Hayden; Keeli Tepe, sr., Manhattan.
Honorable mention
Emporia -- Molly Williams, sr. Junction City -- Sophia Tomlinson, sr. Manhattan -- Ansley Becket jr., Sophia Peabody, jr.; Evie Ruliffson, jr. Hayden -- Reese Huscher, sr.; Sophia Wichman, so. Topeka High -- Jayana Washington, sr. Washburn Rural -- Gentry Coons, so.; Taylor Guffey, sr.; Molly Schuler, jr.
Player of the Year -- Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden.
Newcomer of the Year -- Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural.
Coach of the Year --Nicole Jones, Manhattan.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A state champion Silver Lake, 4A runnerup Hayden and state qualifiers Washburn Rural in 6A and Rossville in 2A combined to put 12 players on the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County volleyball first team.
Shawnee County Player of the Year Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee County Coach of the Year Sarah Johnson, Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Shawnee County Newcomer of the Year Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, is represented on the all-county team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Hayden, which placed second at state after finishing third in 2024, is represented on the first team by sophomore repeat picks Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter along with senior Ella Foster, a multi-time all-county selection.
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Karsyn Horyna and Stella Kelly and freshman Brynn Anderson, who was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year after the Junior Blues won the Centennial League championship and advanced to the 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
Horyna is a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat pick while Kelly was a second-team pick as a junior.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek is a first-team all-county repeat pick and is joined on the first team by freshman Kenna Perine.
Rounding out the first team are Cair Paravel Latin senior Karsyn Hastert, Topeka West junior Sydney Van Dyke and Shawnee Heights senior Avery Willey.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
