Topeka High Trojans

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

(All games at 7 p.m.)

FRIDAY GAMES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At Hummer Sports Park

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

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news b

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

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

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

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

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

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

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

THURSDAY'S GAME

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

At Hummer Sports Park

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

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

 FRIDAY GAMES

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

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

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

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

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

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

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Jette Glasenapp came a long way to make a major impact for Shawnee Heights' girls tennis team this fall.

German foreign exchange student Jette Glasenapp, a junior at Shawnee Heights, rolled to the No. 1 singles title in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Glasenapp, a junior foreign exchange student from Berlin, Germany, arrived in the United States on Aug. 5th and has been a very welcome addition for first-year Shawnee Heights coach Phil Hamilton's T-Birds.

Glasenapp has lost just one match in a 14-1 start to the season and went a perfect 4-0 in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center, capped by a 6-0, 6-0 win over Junction City's Hannah Micheel in the championship match. Glasenapp lost just four games on the day.

"My dad studied in the U.S. and he always told me it was going to be fun, so my dad gave me the idea and also some of my friends came here so I kind of always wanted to do it since I was 10,'' Glasenapp said.

Glasenapp said she has enjoyed her short time in America and at Shawnee Heights.

 "It's really cool,'' Glasenapp said. "It's been a great experience -- the school, the host family. I really like it.''

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Every win is big, especially for a Topeka West boys soccer team that has struggled in recent seasons.

But a win over USD 501 rival Topeka High is extra special for the Chargers, who took a 1-0 victory over the Trojans Monday night at Hummer Sports Park, West's first win over High since 2020.

Topeka West's soccer team leaves the field Monday at Hummer Sports Park after taking a 1-0 win over USD 501 rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"Every time we play HIgh it is a whole different game to us,'' said senior Harrison Lane, who scored the game-winning goal midway through the second half. "It means more and to get this win tonight it means so much to our seniors and our incoming freshmen.

"It really shows them how how good we can be and shows them how good we are.''

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Seaman cross country standout Ryin Miller turned in an oustanding freshman season last fall, capped by a fifth-place finish in the Class 5A state meet.

Miller has served notice over the first two meets that her 2023 season could be even better.

Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller demolished her own school record by nearly 40 seconds as she won Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational by more than two minutes. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

After finishing second in the season-opening Manhattan Invitational, MIler posted a dominating performance in Saturday's Topeka West Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park, repeating as the individual champion by more than two minutes while also helping the Vikings repeat as team champions.

Miller dominated Saturday's race from the opening gun en route to breaking her own Seaman five-kilometer record by almost 40 seconds in a time of 17 minutes, 41.04 seconds while winning the race by just over two minutes and eight seconds.

"Last year I ran a 5:20 (first mile) when I got my school record and I wanted to get under that so I was trying to go out hard so I could be under that and then hopefully that would boost my confidence for the rest of the race and it definitely did,'' Miller said.

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights senior cross country star Jackson Esquibel had a couple of goals in mind when he took the starting line for Saturday's Topeka West Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park.

Shawnee Heights senior Jackson Esquibel set a personal record and set the Heights school record with his win in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

The two-time Class 5A state placer in cross country and a state champion in track accomplished both of them in convincing fashion, setting a personal-best by about 20 seconds while also setting the Shawnee Heights school record by 13 seconds with his winning five-kilometer effort of 15 minutes, 28.20 seconds.

Esquibel broke the previous school record of 15:41 set by his former teammate,Kory Sutton, who was on hand to cheer on his close friend.

"I ran a summer race here and ran pretty well,'' Esquibel said. "I ran under 16, 15:59, and I knew after last week's meet where I ran 40 seconds faster than I did the year before at that course (Wyandotte County Park), I just came into this meet telling myself that this is a race where you could really work on your front-running and you've run this course enough to know when you want to push it and when you feel like you're letting off the gas.''

Esquibel went out hard at the start of the race to take the lead en route to a win by nearly 28 seconds over Leavenworth senior Jonathan Purvis (15:56.07). 

By Todd Fertig 

TopSports.news

Though at less than full strength, Topeka High found some positives to take away from a 51-13 non-league defeat at the hands of undefeated Liberal at Hummer Sports Park Thursday. 

Topeka High junior Tevante Ewing scored both of the Trojans' touchdowns in Thursday's 51-13 loss to Liberal at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Trojan head coach Carlos Kelly was unavailable for the game for an undisclosed reason according to Topeka High administrators. Filling his place was assistant Brandon Mitchell. 

The Trojans faced a number of obstacles on the night.

Not only was Kelly absent, but Zane Smith, starting quarterback the first two games of the season, was in street clothes on the sideline. Star defensive end BJ Canady exited the game early, apparently due to injury. 

“We got a couple of big-game guys who weren’t able to go for us,” Mitchell said. “We were missing our starting linebacker and a starting defensive lineman. That really hurts defensively. And on offense, we were trying some different things out, had some different guys at different positions. We have quarterback issues with our quarterback being out.  

“It’s just one of those things. You just live with what you have. We rolled with it.” 

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)

THURSDAY'S GAME

MANHATTAN (1-0, 0-0) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (0-1, 0-0)

At Hummer Sports Park

Topeka High dropped a 43-0 decision to 2022 Class 5A runnerup Maize last Friday and Carlos Kelly's Trojans face another tough test in their home-opener Thursday night, facing reigning 6A state champ Manhattan. The Indians opened their season with a 33-19 non-league win over Derby. Thursday night's game will be the Centennial League opener for both Topeka High and Manhattan.

 FRIDAY GAMES

SILVER LAKE (1-0) at HAYDEN (1-0) 

Both Silver Lake and Hayden are coming off big season-opening wins, with the Eagles avenging a 2022 playoff loss with a 40-24 win over Riley County while Hayden rolled to a 41-7 decision over traditional small-school power Olpe while giving veteran Wildcat coach Bill Arnold his 200th career win as a head coach. Senior standout Finn Dunshee ran for 196 yards, including 66 and 67-yard touchdown runs while junior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier threw for 188 yards and three TDs on a 12 of 20 performance. Senior Blake Redmond scored four touchdowns in Silver Lake's win over Riley County, including an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

KC-SCHLAGLE (1-0, 1-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-0, 1-0)

Highland Park, coming off a 6-3 season in 2022, opened its season with a win over Meadowlark Conference foe Kansas City-Wyandotte for the second straight season, rolling to a 33-7 win over the Bulldogs at Wyandotte. Kansas City-Schlagle opened its season with a 44-0 Meadowlark Conference win over Kansas City-Harmon.

Washburn Rural senior Jaren Heim (27) scored on a pick six in Friday's 26-25 win over Wichita East. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

DE SOTO (1-0) at WASHBURN RURAL (1-0)

Washburn Rural survived a tough non-league test from Wichita East last Friday at Rural, with senior JC Heim blocking a Blue Aces extra point attempt late in the game to preserve the Junior Blues 1-point lead in a 26-25 victory. Senior Jaren Heim had a pick-six in the game for Washburn Rural. De Soto opened its season with a 42-21 United Kansas Conference win over Lansing.