Topeka West Chargers
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
On a beautiful morning as the calendar flipped to the second month of the cross country season, Seaman High School hosted the Seaman Invitational at Shawnee North Park.
Brody Anderson, Seaman
Brynn Spencer, Seaman
In the varsity girls race, the Washburn Rural, Seaman and Shawnee Heights teams finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Washburn Rural had two medalists -- freshmen Clara Dillon finished ninth in a time of 21:47.96 and Lily Palmer finished in 19th with a time of 22:23.98.
Topeka West’s lone runner, freshman Phebe Phelps, finished 16th in a time of 22:09.56.
The top local finisher was Seaman junior Brynn Spencer, who finished third in a time of 20:16.43. Fellow Seaman junior Hannah Wempe earned medalist honors by finishing 17th with a time of 22:18.22.
“I didn’t do as well as I had hoped time-wise, but I knew I had a chance to finish in the top three,'' Spencer said. "So my main goal was to push up toward the front and use my home course advantage.”
Looking ahead to next week’s city meet, Spencer talked about getting to run once again on her home course.
“It will help me since I have one race under my belt here and to know where my advantage points,'' she said. "It will also be helpful to know the parts of the course where I’ll need to push myself more.”
In the varsity boys race, Seaman senior Brody Anderson won his third race of the season, finishing in a time of 15:25.07. After dealing with a heat-related issue last week at Rim Rock, Anderson talked about his plan going into Saturday's race.
“It was a good day. I went out slower than normal, which was the plan, but I wanted to progress through the race and that went well. My hope was to stay healthy through the state meet.”
Anderson was also looking to next week and the city meet, one last time to run at his home course.
“I’m confident after today, but there is good competition throughout the city,'' he said. "I’m hoping to get good work in next week.”
Washburn Rural finished second as a team and had five medalists. Senior Wyatt Shorb finished ninth in a time of 17:32.10, freshman Julius Wood-Nichols finished 12th with a time of 17:35.85, senior Rylan Rake was 14th with a time of 17:39.03, sophomore Brady Meek was 16th in a time of 17:39.30 and senior Wesley Meek finished 20th with a time of 17:51.88.
Seaman finished third overall and had one other medalist, junior Conner Bloom, who finished eighth in a time of 17:25.55.
Shawnee Heights had one medalist, senior Max Esquibel, who finished sixth with a time 17:24.12.
Topeka West also had one medalist, junior Ezra Phelps, who was 15th, finishing with a time of 17:39.27.
Next week all of the Topeka city schools will return to Shawnee North for the city meet beginning at 9 a.m. for the girls race, following by the boys race at 9:45.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL
Team Scores & Local Results
Girls Varsity
Piper 40, Blue Valley Northwest 50, Lawrence 59, Washburn Rural 99, Seaman 114, Shawnee Heights 145
(Local team finishes)
4. Washburn Rural
9. Clara Dillon 21:47.96; 19. Lily Palmer 22:23.88; 24. Katherine Wolgast 23:17.42; 25. Harper Tenbrink 23:22.64; 26. Rayauna Huey 23:29.51; 32. Lily McCoy 24:20.79; 39. Lacey Middleton 25:44.98
5. Seaman
3. Brynn Spencer 20:16.43; 17. Hannah Wempe 22:18.22; 28. Avery Villines 23:32.88; 34. Jaydin Frickey 24:49.24; 40. Emma Gonzalez 26:02.90
6. Shawnee Heights
22. Hazel Rondash 23:02.36; 27. Kendall Lewis 23:30.71; 33. Arantza Urbina 24:35.07; 37. Adelaide Davis 25:23.73; 38. Piper Geil 25:24.21
Topeka West
16. Phebe Phelps 22:09.56
Topeka
35. Victoria Reynaga 25:10.58; 36. Breanna Maldonado 25:22.32; 41. Lyzet Cortez-Castro 26:43.92; 42. Maricruz MerriWeather 28:51.54
Boys Varsity
Lawrence 39, Washburn Rural 57, Seaman 82,Piper 94, Shawnee Heights 137, Topeka West 149, Topeka 186
(Local team finishes)
2. Washburn Rural
9. Wyatt Shorb 17:32.10; 12. Julius Wood-Nichols 17:35.85; 14. Rylan Rake 17:39.03; 16. Brady Meek 17:39.30; 20. Wesley Meek 17:51.88; 21. Cohen Thiessen 18:00.99; 22. Gauge Dial 18:04.27; 25. Cadin Stratman 18:13.74
3. Seaman
1. Brody Anderson 15:25.07; 8. Conner Bloom 17:25.55; 24. Drake Spurlock 18:07.36; 33. Emmanuel Armstead 18:45.04; 34. Weston Kennedy 18:51.28; 36. Maddox Moore 18:58.53; 38. Abe Heffley 19:00.42; 46. Camden Dutton 19:39.60
5. Shawnee Heights
6. Max Esquibel 17:24.12; 28. Andrew Schulte 18:28.44; 42. Cash Reitcheck 19:16.09; 43. Ronin Wiggs 19:20.05; 47. Deyton Coufal 19:58.92; 49. Carter Vincent 20:26.52
6. Topeka West
15. Ezra Phelps 17:39.27; 27. Cameron Parrett 18:26.29; 40. Rhys Green 19:04.37; 44. Maks Rodriguez 19:33.68; 55. Mason Gore 22:13.52
7. Topeka
35. Oliver Snethen 18:51.89; 37. Will Toland 18:58.54; 51. Nicholas McDonald 20:55.49; 52. Amir El-Jammal 21:01.21; 54. Matthew Hanes 21:26.50; 56. Sam Stanton 22:17.70; 57. Dexter Lonergan 23:32.99; 58. Salis Bechard 24:23.87; 59. Sebastian Homerding 28:56.17
Girls JV (local results)
Seaman
4. Zoey Gooden 25:37.93; 5. Kennedy Gatewood 25:57.54; 12. Bailey Martin 28:35.17
Shawnee Heights
6. Natalia Venegas 26:14.04; 10. Alyson Moss 27:48.98; 13. Brooklyn Binkley 29:45.57; 18. Eva Austin 31:24.42
Topeka West
8. Lily Phelps Roper 26:23.67
Boys JV
Washburn Rural 15, Seaman 73,Lawrence 77, Blue Valley Northwest 85, Piper 127, Shawnee Heights 181
1. Washburn Rural
1. Bennett Wells 18:08.81; 2. Trey Recob 18:22.50; 3. Oliver Haberman 18:28.31; 4. Ayden Mooney 18:47.68; 5. Ethan Koci 19:02.92; 6. Jackson Svaty 19:05.13; 9. Kael Harman 19:19.08; 11. Ethan Lake 19:36.03; 12. Marlon Barrios Martinez 19:55.32; 13. Blake Harader 19:56.70; 15. Dylan Ragsdale 20:03.07; 17. Jackson Buesing 20:07.06; 19. Charles Stones 20:19.82; 22. Thomas Reed 20:24.70; 31. Cole Replogle 20:39.04; 32. Eli Replogle 20:42.11; 34. Cedric Geotz 20:49.61; 38. Asher Denman 20:57.08; 39. Alex Jeffries 20:57.78; 42. Ryan Olsen 21:09.22; 43. Korbin Jones 21:26.23; 44. Avery Knappenberger 21:36.75; 46. Antonio Fernkopf 21:37.19; 47. Ryder McClintock 21:40.16; 51. Jacob Eilert 21:59.14; 60. Ethan Lanier 23:07.38; 77. Zachary Inloes 25:09.88; 80. Jason Hall 26:06.97; 81. Grady Wells 26:07.23; 82. Dylan Weigel 26:24.39; 84. Caleb Pearce 26:29.13
2. Seaman
8. Tate Oliva 19:17.75; 18. Trace La Row 20:17.10; 20. Cody Moses 20:19.84; 24. Stephen Miano 20:27.30; 28. Nick Horton 20:35.07; 29. Max Roark 20:36.16; 40. Eli Mott 20:58.20; 48. Wesley Eckert 21:41.45; 55. Levi Rodecap 22:15.64; 56. Josh Horton 22:20.91; 65. Gabe Ferguson 23:06.22; 67. John Holloway 23:45.83; 68. Davis Yarnell 24:02.82; 76. Aaron Haynes 24:56.39
6. Shawnee Heights
57. Jakob Rowland 22:22.91; 58. Xain Brown 22:23.88; 62. Lennox Garretson 22:39.11; 75. Colton Geil 24:43.94; 87. Jackson Osborne 29:45.39
Topeka West
83. Erich Abbo-Mott 26:28.77; 85. Jack Morgan 26:45.44
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake football took control in the second half to extend its win streak to three games Friday night with a 47-7 non-league home win over Baldwin.
Kipton Kruger, Silver Lake
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
The 3-2 Eagles trailed 7-6 midway through the second quarter before ending the game with 41 unanswered points to turn the game into a rout.
Senior Bryson Burgos scored on a 7-yard run to give Silver Lake a slim 13-7 halftime advantage before the Eagles outscored the 3-2 Bulldogs 20-0 in the third quarter and 14-0 in the fourth.
Junior Owen Rottinghaus began Silver Lake's big second half with an 80-yard kickoff return before freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger and senior receiver Dayne Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 78, 17 and 4 yards.
Sophomore Jake Workman scored Silver Lake's final TD on a 27-yard run.
Now 3-2 overall, the Eagles will return to Class 2A District 4 play next Friday, traveling to Riley County.
Silver Lake is 1-0 in the district while Riley County is 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the district.
Rossville improves to 2-0 in 1A district play with 55-6 romp
Rossville improved to 2-0 in the Class 1A District 2 race Friday night with a 55-6 home romp past Mission Valley.
The Bulldawgs, now 4-1 overall, took control with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, from Landen Lewis on an 8-yard run and from Andre Johnson on a 38-yard run, and scored 29 points in the second quarter to build a huge 43-6 halftime advantage over the Vikings (3-2, 1-1).
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Conner Bush scored a pair of second-quarter TDs on runs of 52 and 25 yards while quarterback Canann Mitchell completed a 25-yard TD pass to Cameron Miller and a 35-yard scoring strike to Cale Horak.
Mitchell added a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Ryder Foster finished the Bulldawgs' scoring with a 29-yard pick six.
Mitchell completed 7 of 8 passes for 125 yards and the twoTDs and carried the ball three times for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Bush scored on both of his carries while Johnson carried the ball four times for 55 yards and a TD and Miller had four catcthes for 80 yards and a score.
Rossville will face Cair Paravel Latin Friday night at Washburn's Yager Stadium.
Unbeaten Hayden routs Hiawatha, 51-0
Hayden opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 51-0 road romp past Hiawatha Friday night, improving to 5-0 on the season.
The Wildcats took control with a 22-point opening quarter and led 29-0 at halftime.
Hayden finished off the rout with a 22-point third quarter to build its final margin.
The Wildcats will be at home next Friday to host Holton in a district game. Holton is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the district after a 27-17 Friday night loss to Jefferson West.
Seaman stretches win streak to three games with 48-8 romp past Lansing
Seaman won its third straight United Kansas Conference game Friday night, rolling to a 48-8 road win at Lansing.
The Vikings are now 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the UKC.
Seaman will be at home Friday to face UKC and city rival Shawnee Heights.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (3-1, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (3-1, 0-0 Centennial)
Both Topeka High and Washburn Rural are coming off victories, with the Trojans opening Centennial League play wih a 13-12 home win over Emporia while the Junior Blues rolled to a 31-7 non-league road win at Blue Valley Northwest. Friday is Rural's Centennial League opener. Junior Blues senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for three touchdowns against Northwest while junior Jadyn Baum caught a touchdown pass and ran for a TD and senior Brody Haas picked off two passes, returning one for a TD. Topeka High's defense came up big in last week's win over Emporia, including stuffing the Spartans' two-point conversion attempt to preserve the Trojans' one-point lead.
Aiden Scott, Shawnee Heights [File photo/TSN]
DE SOTO (3-1, 3-1 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-3, 1-2 UKC)
Both teams are coming off United Kansas Conference losses, with De Soto dropping a 42-38 nailbiter to undefeated Basehor-Linwood while Shawnee Heights fell 43-29 on the road at Leavenworth. Heights senior quarterback Aiden Scott has completed 95 of 153 passes for 1,330 yards and 12 touchdowns while senior AJ Gallegos has a team-high 28 catches for 391 yards and a pair of TDs and junior Dallas Owens has 27 receptions for 312 yards and two TDs. Senior David Wakes has 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 60 attemps. Senior Dayton Vanderpool leads Heights with 36 tackles, including 23 solo stops.
Jackson McGivern, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (4-0, 0-0 Class 3A District 4) at HIAWATHA (1-3, 0-1 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden is coming of a 42-7 home win over Wamego, with the Wildcats avenging one of their two defeats in the 2024 season, while Hiawatha opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 12-7 loss to Jefferson West. Hayden senior quarterback Connor Hanika hit Jackson McGivern, Xander Blasing and Kade Mitchell for touchdowns and Hanika also ran for a TD in the Wildcats' win. Junior Mason Becker returned a pass interception for a touchdown and also went 6 for 6 on extra-point kicks.
Quentin Moravec, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
SEAMAN (2-2, 2-1 UKC) at LANSING (2-2, 2-1 UKC)
Seaman won its second straight game last Friday, a 56-6 United Kansas Conference win over Kansas City-Turner, while Lansing took a 36-20 conference win over Topeka West. Seaman sophomore running back Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 70 times for 510 yards and nine touchdowns while junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 68 of 102 passes for 892 yards and 11 TDs. Junior Josh Brown has 20 pass receptions for 266 yards and six TDs. Senior Cameron Brian leads the Vikings with 54 tackles, including 28 solo stops and five tackles for loss.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Having led city rival Topeka West 1-0 for more than 60 minutes of game time, the Topeka High soccer team could have been devastated when it allowed the Chargers to tie the score with 9:18 remaining. But the Trojans didn’t wilt. They struck back.
Topeka High freshman Emyr Vargas scored the game's first goal in Thursday's 2-1 win over rival Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Barely a minute after surrendering the lead, Trojan senior Neri Diaz-Mayorga raced downfield with a pass from fellow senior Santiago Ovalle and crossed up the Topeka West goalkeeper to reclaim the advantage.
Topeka High senior goalkeeper Billy Lutz (right) and Topeka West senior Morris Blick battle for the ball in Thursday's 2-1 Trojan win over the Chargers. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High then played keep away and blasted the ball deep into the Charger end to run out the clock and take a 2-1 win.
Diaz-Mayorga said it was important for the Trojans to respond right away to the Topeka West goal.
“I could see how the defense was looking crumbled,” Diaz-Mayorga said. “So, I just thought we, the attackers, had to step up. We started pressing hard, attacking.
“I saw (the Topeka West defender) coming at me … I took a big touch. I knew I was going to beat the other guy on pace. I saw the short post and I just tapped it by him. It feels amazing. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”
Topeka High coach Derek Snook said while the Charger’s game-tying goal was deflating, it wasn’t surprising. He was proud that his team didn’t surrender all the momentum.
“Those are the most intense, the two or three minutes after the other team, or you score a goal,” Snook said. “It could be a little bit of a letdown. But the mentality of these guys has been fantastic. This year, if we go down or maybe aren’t finishing the way we should, they just keep after it and keep after it.”
Snook said it was key that his team regain the lead quickly.
“If it goes any longer, I think they have the run of play at that point,” Snook said. “They were taking it to us, and we knew they would in the second half. West has a really good team. We were lucky to get out of here (with a win.)”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Nothing came easy for Topeka West volleyball Wednesday night, but the Chargers showed resiliency and perseverance to go 2-0 and earn top honors in the USD 501 triangular at Topeka High.
After topping Highland Park 25-14, 25-14 in its first match of the night, Topeka West let a lead get away in a 26-24 first-set loss to Topeka High before rebounding to take a 25-14 second-set win over the Trojans and surviving a late High rally to hold on for a 25-20 match-clenching win in the third set.
Topeka West celebrates a point in Wednesday's USD 501 volleyball triangular at Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I do think that my girls are battling and we're doing the things that we need to do,'' West coach Alyx Nash said. "We know what our game is and we know that we have to have a hitting game and they definitely clicked and they came together.
"I'm very proud of the girls and the way they pulled out those last two sets.''
Topeka West junior Sydney VanDyke returns a serve in Wednesday's USD 501 volleyball triangular at Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West junior Sydney Van Dyke was also proud of the way the Chargers performed in crunch time.
"I think there was more fire in us that we couldn't let another 501 beat us in our own city,'' VanDyke said. "And I think we just came together as a team and really had that leadership as a team.''
Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson (20) celebrates a kill with her teammates Wednesday night against Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Now 12-13 on the season, West took a 17-12 first-set lead and led 20-16 and 22-20 before Topeka High rallied to go up 23-22 on a service ace from sophomore Itzel Woods and 24-22 on a kill from junior Campbell Dawson.
West scored two straight points to pull even at 24-24 on a kill from VanDyke but the Trojans answered with the set-winning points, closing out a 26-24 win on a kill from sophomore Sophia Brown.
The Chargers turned the tables on the Trojans in the second set, jumping out to an 18-9 advantage on a VanDyke kill and scored five of the final six points to close out the 11-point win.
Topeka West senior Bre Keeling (11) celebrates with her teammates after scoring the final point in Wednesday's win over USD 501 rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West also jumped out to a big lead in the third set, opening up a 22-11 cushion but the Trojans battled back to get within 22-18 and 24-20 before the Chargers closed out the win on a kill from senior Bre Keeling.
Keeling, who has been fighting through a knee injury, came up big at the net for the Chargers.
"She played really well,'' Nash said. "She's battling and her leadership is great. She's talking to the girls, she's communicating, and when we go down she's definitely one that the girls look at, and Sydney as well, that they look at and they help us stay in control of our game.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The only surprise in Monday's United Kansas Conference girls golf tournament at Shawnee Country Club would have been if Seaman hadn't won.
Seaman's girls golf team won its fourth straight UKC girls golf title by 52 strokes Monday at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After all, the Vikings were coming off a 14-stroke victory in the city tournament and had won the previous three UKC tourneys by an average of 51.7 strokes.
Suffice it to say that were no surprises Monday, with senior Elise Eckert leading a one-two-three individual finish as Seaman won its fourth straight conference championship in an many years in the league by a whopping 52-stroke margin over De Soto (327-359).
Seaman senior Elise Eckert shot a 73 to take an eight-stroke individual win in Monday's UKC meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Makenna Stuke finished second with an 81 in Monday's UKC meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
City champion Eckert shot a 73 for an eight-stroke win while senior Makenna Stuke was second with an 81 and junior Kaitlynn Frye third with an 84.
The Vikings also got a tie for fourth from junior Chloe Schmidtlein (89) and an 11th-place finish from senior Molina Quintana (96).
"I felt like overall we had a good solid day,'' Seaman coach Julie McLaughlin said. "There's always room for improvement. All of them were saying there's things they want to work on, but I like where we're sitting right now.
"All we're focusing on is getting stronger mentally, physically and just being ready for that postseason play when it's here.''
Although she was happy to get the league title, Eckert wasn't particularly pleased with Monday's round.
"I especially struggled a bit with my putting today,'' Eckert said. "Everything else was alright, but putting definitely got me today.''
Seaman has two more regular season tournaments before regionals and state and Eckert, a three-time Class 5A state medalist, wants to continue making strides to get ready for her postseason run.
"I definitely need to work on putting more, but I also need to work on some just basic fundamentals with my swing that I can fix on the course, but l just need to practice more to get everything solid,'' she said.
Shawnee Heights finished fourth as a team, with T-Bird junior Lauryn Valdivia tying for seventh with a 92.
Topeka West's Berlyn Kolean tied for 12th with a 98.
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Allkickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAMES
Josiah Wilkie, Topeka West
LANSING (1-2, 1-1 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-3, 0-3 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka West is coming off a 61-0 United Kansas Conference loss to Seaman while Lansing dropped a 40-15 non-league loss to Tonganoxie last week. Junior running back Damon Webb, senior wide receiver Gad Munganga and sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie are top players for Topeka West. Lansing junior quarterback Caden Garcia has completed 28 of 60 passes for 403 yards and 3 TDs while junior running back Jaxon Pollard has rushed for 362 yards and 8 TDs 59 attempts.
Kellan Roth, Washburn Rural
WASHBURN RURAL (2-1) at BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST (2-1)
Both Washburn Rural and Blue Valley Northwest suffered their first losses of the season last week, with Rural dropping a 60-28 non-league decision to Missouri state champion Platte County and Blue Valley Northwest falling to St. James Academy, 21-7. Northwest junior quarterback Aidan Ihm has completed 46 of 70 passes for 604 yards and 7 touchdowns while senior running back LJ Bowens has carried the ball 40 times for 268 yards and 3 TDs. Senior quarterback John Hoytal and senior wide receiver Kellan Roth are both off to hot starts this fall for Washburn Rural.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
WAMEGO (2-1) at HAYDEN (3-0)
Hayden will get the opportunity to avenge one of its two losses in the 2024 season Friday night against the visiting Red Raiders. Wamego is coming off a 34-8 win over Marysville last Friday while Hayden rolled to a 46-7 road win over Kansas-City Bishop Ward and has now outscored its three opponents by a 123-13 margin. Wamego junior quarterback Logan Fulton has completed 32 of 53 passes for 562 yards and 4 TDs. Seniors Connor Hanika and Kade Mitchell and junior Mason Becker have been key offensive threats for the Wildcats.
Ricardo Dowd, Topeka High
EMPORIA (2-1, 0-0 Centennial) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (2-1, 0-0 Centennial)
At Hummer Sports Park
Both Emporia and Topeka High will be opening Centennial League play Friday night. The Spartans have won their last two games by a 102-6 margin, including a 50-0 non-league romp past Coffeyville last week. The Trojans were shut out 6-0 by Wichita Southeast last Thursday. Topeka High will be looking for a big night from senior quarterback Zane Smith, while sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd has also been an offensive threat for the Trojans.
Cale Ketter, Seaman
KANSAS CITY-TURNER (0-3, 0-3 UKC) at SEAMAN (1-2, 1-1 UKC)
Seaman rolled to a 61-0 United Kansas Conference win over Topeka West last Friday while Turner dropped a 56-0 conference decision to Leavenworth. Seaman junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 53 of 81 pass attempts for 628 yards and 7 touchdowns, including five against West. Junior running back Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 58 times for 426 yards and 6 TDs while junior Josh Brown has 16 pass receptions for 207 yards and 4 TDs.
Aiden Scott, Shawnee Heights
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-2, 1-1 UKC) at LEAVENWORTH (2-1, 2-1)
Shawnee Heights dropped a 35-22 United Kansas Conference decision to Basehor-Linwood last Friday while Leavenworth rolled to a 56-0 UKC win over KC-Turner. T-Bird senior quarterback Aiden Scott has completed 69 of 116 passes for 921 yards and 9 touchdowns. Senior David Wakes has 217 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 56 attempts while senior AJ Gallegos has caught 19 passes for 234 yards and senior Tyren Parker has 10 catches for 245 yards and 2 touchdows.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls tennis team had put itself in position to win the city championship the previous two seasons, only to fall just short.
Seaman's girls tennis team poses for a picture after winning the city championship Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And Jamie Robinson's Vikings had to sweat another down-to-the-wire finish again on Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center, but this time Seaman got the job done, earning its first city title since 2015 by a 32-28 margin over Washburn Rural.
"We're happy,'' Robinson said. "This is what our goal was at the beginning of the year, to win city. It kind of got to the point where we didn't want to talk about it. We didn't want to jinx ourselves because we were so pumped up to win city this year.
"We'd been snakebit in the past and were so close, so it meant a lot to the girls. Look at them, they're excited.''
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney won the city No. 1 singles title Thursday, posting three 8-0 wins on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Molly Gorman won the city No. 2 singles title Thursday for the city champion Vikings. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Viking junior Emma Sweeney rolled to the No. 1 singles title without dropping a game in her three matches on the day, including an 8-0 win over Topeka High's Madeline Deters in the finals, while senior Molly Gorman won her second straght No. 2 singles championship, outlasting Hayden freshman Lena Hull in the title match, 8-7 (7-2 in a tiebreaker).
Seaman also got runnerup doubles finishes from Peyton Henry and Camryn Lux in No. 1 doubles and from Kaylyn Hiebsch and Candace Speer in the No. 2 bracket.
Sweeney agreed with her coach that the city title meant a lot to the Vikings.
"We talk about it every year,'' Sweeney said. "We're always so close and our coach really wanted it because he'd never won city since he's been coaching. We always talk about it and we were ready.
"It means so much and we're all so excited.''
Washburn Rural put itself in the city title picture with a sweep of the doubles championships.
Washburn Rural's Julia Katzer teamed with Halle Owen to win the city No. 1 doubles title Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Halle Owen (left) teamed with Julia Katzer to win the No. 1 doubles city title Thursday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Julia Katzer teamed with Halle Owen to take an 8-3 win over Seaman's Henry and Lux in the No. 1 final while Alizah Chedzoy and Annie Henderson took an 8-3 win over Seaman's Hiebsch and Speer in the No. 2 title match.
Hayden, the 2024 city champion, finished third as a team with 23 points, one point ahead of fourth-place Topeka High, as the Wildcats posted top-four finishes in all four divisions.
CITY GIRLS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls tennis team, third in Class 5A a year ago, continues to build momentum for another late-season run, following up last week's city championship with the team title in Tuesday's 11-school Topeka West Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center.
Led by singles champions Emma Sweeney and Molly Gorman, Seaman won Tuesday's championship by a 51-47 margin over Washburn Rural, with the Vikings and Junior Blues repeating their one-two finish from the city meet.
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney won the No. 1 singles championship in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Molly Gorman won the No. 2 singles championship in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational for team champion Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sweeney, a junior, won the No. 1 singles title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Olathe West's Lindsay Ruder, avenging a loss to Ruder in the 2024 West tournament, while Gorman, a senior, captured the No. 2 singles championship with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Manhattan's Sally Kastner.
Seaman also got a runnerup doubles finish from Peyton Henry and Camryn Lux in No. 1 doubles and a third-place finish from Kaylyn Hiebsch and Candace Speer in No. 2 doubles.
"Another good day for the Vikings,'' Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said. "The girls are trusting their shots and especially in singles Molly really played well. I feel like she's struggled a little bit and she had to take eight months off (with an injury) and now she's really getting back to form. That last match was the most comfortable I've ever seen her.
"And Emma really had a big match and she wanted this one, so that was fun to see. That tested her, that challenged her. This was good competition and we're battle tested and that's going to help in the UKC and it's going to help in regionals.''
Washburn Rural, which has put together another strong season despite graduating several key players off its 2024 team, swept the doubles titles in Tuesday's tournament.
Washburn Rural coach Michelle Rose talks to Rural No. 1 doubles players Halle Owen and Julia Katzer during Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural juniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen won the No. 1 doubles championship with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Seaman's Henry and Lux. Katzer and Owen also faced Henry and Lux in the city championship match, with Rural taking an 8-3 win.
Washburn Rural junior Julia Katzer returns a shot during the No. 1 doubles final in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Halle Owen returns a shot during the No. 1 doubles final in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Alizah Chedzoy and Annie Henderson followed up their city title in No. 2 doubles with the championship in Tuesday's tournament, with Rural taking a 6-1, 6-3 decision in the finals.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL TENNIS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman girls golf is the three-time defending United Kansas Conference champion and has produced multiple Class 5A state medalists over the years, but entering Monday's City Championships at Western Hills the Vikings had never won a city team title in the 13-year history of the event.
Julie McLaughlin's Vikings made up for lost time on Monday as senior individual champion Elise Eckert powered Seaman to a 14-stroke victory over Hayden (341-355) while 11-time city champ Washburn Rural finished third (361).
Seaman girls golf poses for a team picture Monday at Western Hills after winning its first-ever city team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"This is pretty special, this is something,'' McLaughlin said of the city title. "I had hoped last year we would make a run for it and we just came out and didn't play very well.
"We've come in second a few times and that was exciting, that was great, but this is something I've wanted to see them do for a long time now.''
Seaman senior Elise Eckert shot a two-under-par 68 to win the city girls golf title by eight strokes Monday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Eckert, a three-time 5A state medalist at Emporia before transferring to Seaman this fall, shot a sizzling two-under-par 68 to take the city individual title by an eight-stroke margin over Hayden senior Lauren Borjon.
"I felt pretty comfortable all day,'' Eckert said. "I started off my round with a double (bogey), so it was kind of rough, but I feel like I was able to quickly pick it up and get myself back in competition.''
Eckert said McLaughlin pointed out to the Vikngs that Seaman had never won the city meet, which made Monday's title run special.
"My coach went over that in the van before we came here,'' Eckert said. "It feels great to help them out with that. I like that I am able to be a part of this team, and with some good girls, too.''
Eckert said she was able to fit in quickly with her new team this fall.
"It didn't really take long because I knew most of the girls beforehand,'' Eckert said. "I had played with them before and they just really accepted me and it was amazing.''
Makenna Stuke finished fifth with an 89 to help Seaman win its first city team title Monday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Vikings also got top-10 finishes from Makenna Stuke, fifth with an 89, Chloe Schmidtlein, seventh with a 91, and Kaitlynn Frye, who tied for eighth with a 93.
Hayden senior Lauren Borjon shot a 76 Monday to finish second in the city tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Izzy Glotzbach shot an 82 Monday to finish third in the city tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Borjon's 76 was good enough for her second career runnerup finish in the city meet while her Hayden senior teammate, Izzy Glotzbach, finished third with an 82. Borjon also finished second in 2023, leading the Wildcats to the city team championship.
Senior Lauren Cox finished fourth with an 85 to lead Washburn Rural in Monday's city tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Third-place Washburn Rural was led by senior Lauren Cox, who placed fourth with an 85, while Kailyn Petersen was sixth with a 90 and Briley Miles and Ella Taggart tied for eighth with 93s.
Seaman also won the championship in the Topeka West Invitational, held in conjunction with the city tournament, by a five-stroke margin over Baldwin.
Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in next Monday's UKC meet at Shawnee Country Club while Hayden and Washburn Rural will compete in next Monday's Centennial League tournament at Junction City.
TOPEKA CITY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior soccer standout Diego Gonzalez-Talavera and Hayden sophomore volleyball star Hailey Schmidtlein 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 accomplishments of Gonzalez-Talavera and Schmidtlein over the past week:
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West
DIEGO GONZALEZ-TALAVERA, Topeka West
Gonzalez-Talavera was named the Most Valuable Player in the Salina South Invitational after the Chargers won the tournament championship with three straight wins, capped by a 3-2 victory over tournament host Salina South in last Saturday's championship game.
Gonzalez-Talavera's tournament performance was highlighted by four goals and an assist in an 8-0 first-round West win over Salina Central.
The Topeka West standout added a goal and an assist on Thursday as the Chargers improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the United Kansas Conference with a 4-2 home win over Seaman.
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden
Schmidtlein played a big role last Saturday as the Wildcats, top-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Volleyball Association, won the Baldwin Invitational with five straight wins to improve to a perfect 12-0 on the season.
Schmidtlein registered 40 kills in 11 sets on the day while hitting .377 with 51 digs and five blocks.
"Hailey is an incredible multi-sport athlete,'' Wildcat coach Corrinne McGreevy said. "She is a fierce leader and has great court awareness. I'm really proud of how she is playing and leading this team.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating several talented senior off last season's 8-3 team and losing returning standout running back Kaden McKinney in the opening game for an extended period with an injury, Seaman football has had to rely on several newcomers to step up this fall.
Junior quarterback Cale Ketter threw for five first-half TDs in Seaman's 61-0 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Quentin Moravec rushed for 196 yards and two TDs in Seaman's 61-0 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
A couple of those first-year varsity starters, junior quarterback Cale Ketter and sophomore Quentin Moravec, filled that bill in a big way Friday night, leading the way as the Vikings picked up up their first win of the season in a 61-0 United Kansas Conference romp past Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park.
Ketter completed 12 of 15 passes for 278 yards and five first-half touchdown passes while Moravec carried the ball 17 times for 196 yards and a pair of TDs.
Ketter set the stage for the night with his first-half TD barrage as the Vikings opened up a 34-0 first-half cushion.
"I counted up the first two and then I didn't lose track, but I just stopped thinking about it and just played ball after that,'' Ketter said.
Senior tight end Noah Kobuszewski caught a 78-yard TD pass in Seaman's 61-0 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Ketter, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, connected with junior Josh Brown for 18 and 32-yard scores and also hit senior Noah Kobuszewski for a 78-yard touchdown, junior Coy Barta for 27 yards and senior Jayden Evans for 39 yards as Seaman got back on track after losses to Piper and Shawnee Mission East to open the season.
"It feels great,'' Ketter said. "We had a rough couple of weeks, but we all know the team and I love these guys to death and we just keep coming back every week and getting better every week. Tonight's a great confidence boost and we've just got to carry it into next week.''
Moravec, 6-foot, 180, scored touchdowns on 39 and 44-yard runs and was just under the 200-yard mark for the night.
"I just want to thank the guys on the line for helping me through all of this,'' Moravec said. "I also want to thank Kaden for building me up to this point and getting me to where I am right now.
"I would not be in this situation without him. He taught me so much over the summer and I just want to thank all the coaches, the O-line, Kaden and everybody. I want to thank this whole organization.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
THURSDAY'S GAME
(Kickoff at 7 p.m.)
Zane Smith, Topeka High
WICHITA SOUTHEAST (1-1) at TOPEKA HIGH (2-0)
Topeka High will be playing its second Thursday night game in the first three weeks of the season and will be looking to start the season 3-0 after beginnning the 2024 season 4-0. The Trojans are coming off a 28-20 come-from-behind road win over Wichita Heights while Wichita Southeast lost 33-6 to Bishop Carroll last week. Senior quarterback Zane Smith is off to a hot start this fall for Topeka High while sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd is in the midst of a breakout season.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
(Highland Park-KC Schlagle kickoff at 4 p.m.)
(All other kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
G'Honi Montgomery, Highland Park
KC-SCHLAGLE (1-1, 1-0) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (2-0, 2-0 Meadowlark)
At Hummer Sports Park
The undefeated Scots will play the first game of a city doubleheader at Hummer Sports Park, kicking off at 4 p.m. Highland Park has yet to be tested thus far, rolling to Meadowlark Conference wins over Kansas City-Wyandotte and last week's 44-16 victory over KC-Sumner. Schlagle is coming off a 44-0 win over Wyandotte last week. Scot junior JoJo Kingcannon has rushed for 247 yards on just nine carries while junior G'Honi Montgomery has rushed for 187 yards on 26 carries. Montgomery scored three touchdowns last week, including a pair of kickoff returns for TDs.
SEAMAN (0-2, 0-1) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-2, 0-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Seaman and Topeka West will play the second game of Friday's twinbill at Hummer Sports Park, with the Vikings and Chargers both looking for their first victories in the United Kansas Conference contest. Seaman is coming off a 41-21 non-league loss to Shawnee Mission East while Topeka West dropped a 76-35 UKC decision to Shawneee Heights. Seaman junior quarterback Cale Ketter has completed 41 of 66 passes for 348 yards and two TDs while sophomore Quentin Moravec has carried the ball 40 times for 227 yards and four scores. West sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie completed 19 of 46 passes for 323 yards and three TDs against Shawnee Heights. Jayden Lindsay accounted for 155 yards receiving while Gad Munganga added 125 yards receiving.
Kellan Roth, Washburn Rural
PLATTE COUNTY, MO. (3-0) at WASHBURN RURAL (2-0)
Washburn Rural is coming off a thrilling 31-30 come-from-behind non-league win over Blue Valley last Friday while Platte County rolled to a 46-7 win over Fort Osage, Mo. The Pirates went 14-0 and captured a Missouri state title in 2024 and have outscored their first three opponents by a 156-37 margin this season. Rural quarterback John Hoytal threw for four TDs last week, including three to senior Kellan Roth. Junior Ryan Austin kicked a 31-yard field goal and the game-winning extra point against Blue Valley.
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
NEMAHA CENTRAL (2-0, 1-0) at ROSSVILLE (2-0, 2-0)
Rossville pulled out its second straight nail-biting Big East League win last Friday, edging St. Marys, 40-34, while Nemaha Central topped Big East League foe Silver Lake, 42-7. Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell has completed 26 of 45 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns and carried the ball 33 times for 219 yards and three TDs. Senior Cameron Miller has caught 11 passes for 152 yards and two TDs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the Topeka City Golf Championships on tap next Monday, four city schools got a tuneup for that event on Tuesday in the Hayden Invitational at Shawnee Country Club.
Washburn Rural senior Lauren Cox shot a personal-record 77 Tuesday to tie for second in Tuesday's Hayden Invitational at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Elise Eckert shot a 77 to tie for second in Tuesday's Hayden Invitational at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural was second as a team with a four-person score of 343, while short-handed Seaman was two strokes back in third at 345, host Hayden was fifth at 355 and Topeka West had a pair of individual competitors.
Washburn Rural will enter the city meet at Western Hills as the defending champion while Hayden captured the title in 2023 to end a decade-long run by the Junior Blues and Seaman could be the pre-tourney favorite after the addition of three-time Class 5A state medalist Elise Eckert this fall.
"It should be a fun day next week for the city championship,'' Washburn Rural coach Jared Goehring said. "It will definitely be a competitive round of golf. Obviously, Seaman's proven that they're kind of the frontrunners this year so far so we'll have our work cut out for us, but with a one-day setting you just never know. Anything can happen.''
Rural earned city bragging rights on Tuesday as senior Lauren Cox tied Seaman's Eckert for second place individually with 77s.
Hayden's Izzy Glotzbach and Seaman's Makenna Stuke tied for fourth with 79s while Hayden's Lauren Borjon and Rural's Kailyn Petersen tied for sixth with 81s.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights volleyball has faced an uphill battle in the early stages of the 2025 season while wading through a tough schedule, including a matchup with defending Class 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas.
Shawnee Heights volleyball celebrates a point in Tuesday's UKC volleyball sweep at Topeka West. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
But T-Bird coach Sami Kearney is pleased with the progress her team has made, including Shawnee Heights' first sweep of the season in Tuesday's Topeka West triangular.
Shawnee Heights senior Avery Willey goes up for a kill in Tuesday's UKC volleyball sweep at Topeka West. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Now 6-6 on the season, the T-Birds dominated their first two United Kansas Conference matches of the year, rolling to a 25-12, 25-15 win over Seaman and a 25-13, 25-13 victory over Topeka West.
"I feel like we're moving in the right direction,'' Kearney said. "We've just played some tough teams, and I don't think you'll get better as a team if you don't play good teams, so I want that challenge and they accept that challenge and we're just getting better every week it feels like, so I just want to keep moving up with them.
"It's always about records, but at the same time we've got to go play good teams to make it to state, so we might as well get started and see what we need to get to and it's a good goal for us to try to reach.''
Senior Avery Willey, who had a big night Tuesday, agreed with her coach that the T-Birds are improving all the time.
"I think we've played some great teams and the losses are fine because we played great volleyball and we're just going to get better from it,'' Willey said. "Playing bad teams all year is not going to help us get better so I'm glad we get to play those really good teams.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys soccer team went 3-0 on the week to claim the championship in the Salina South Invitational.
The Chargers, now 4-0, finished off their title run with a 3-2 win over tournament host Salina South in Saturday's championship game.
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after helping lead Topeka West to the championship in the Salina Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
West got goals from JP Ayella, Valentin Del Real and Morris Blick against Salina South, while Ayella, Makaly Martinez and Giancarlo Valenzuela were credited with assists.
The Chargers scored all three of their goals in the opening half and West held on for the win despite two second-half goals by the Cougars.
West reached the final with an 8-0 first-round win over Salina Central on Tuesday and a 1-0 win over Hays in Thursday's semifinal.
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera scored four goals with one assist against Central while Blick had a brace with two goals. Camilo Garcia and D'Ante Smith-Dilone both had a goal and an assist for the Chargers while additional assists were provided by Ayella and Del Real.
Gage Kindred-Noragon was in goal behind Valenzuela Kameron Ortiz, Navi Lopez, Martinez and Neko Juarez for the shutout.
Ortiz scored the game-winning goal against Hays on a corner kick from Del Real. Kindred-Noragon was in goal for a team effort in another shutout.
Gonzalez-Talavera was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament while Del Real and Valenzuela were named to the all-tournament team.
Eckert, Vikings claim titles in Seaman Invitational
Elise Eckert carded a 74 to win the individual championship by five strokes in Thursday's Seaman Invitational girls golf tournament at Village Greens, leading the Vikings to the team championship by 22 strokes.
Elise Eckert, Seaman
Eckert was a three-time Class 5A state medalist for Emporia before moving to Topeka for her senior year.
The Vikings won the team title with a four-person score of 328 as Makenna Stuke finished fourth with an 84 and Chloe Schmidtlein and Kaitlynn Frye both shot 85s to tie for fifth place.
Hayden senior Izzy Glotzbach finished second with a 79 while Wildcat senior Lauren Borjon was third with an 81 as Hayden finished third as a team.
Washburn Rural finished second in the team standings, with Lauren Cox tying for fifth individually with an 85 while Kailyn Petersen placed eighth (86), Briley Miles ninth (89) and Peyton Merrick 10th (90).
Hayden's volleyball team poses for a team picture after winning Saturday's Baldwin tournament and improving to 12-0 on the season. [Hayden volleyball]
Hayden volleyball rolls to Baldwin Invitational championship
Top-ranked (Classs 4A) Hayden is 12-0 on the season after capturing the championship in Saturday's Baldwin Invitational.
Hayden finished third in 4A last season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Local sports greats Jerad Head, Trey Lewis, Brenda Stolle, Duane Zlatnik and the late Bob Davis were inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Monday at Washburn University.
Steven Davis (son of the late Bob Davis), Brenda Stolle, Duane Zlatnik, Jerad Head and Trey Lewis pose for a picture after being inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
A Silver Lake native, Stolle was a standout pitcher for the Emporia State softball team from 1979-81. Stolle led the Hornets to a national championship in 1980 and a second-place finish in 1981. Her career pitching record was 66-15, and she picked up six saves during her career.
Former Emporia softball national champion and player of the year Brenda Stolle speaks during Monday's Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame induction ceremony. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
During the 1980 championship season, Stolle compiled an 0.33 earned run average. She received numerous honors, including all-American honors twice, NAIA most valuable player in 1981, and Kansas Female Athlete of the Year from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Brenda Stolle receives her Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame award from Topeka Area Sports Commission executive director Mike Bell. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Stolle was the first female ever inducted into the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Honor in 1988 and was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
"My experience at Emporia State was pretty unique,'' Stolle said. "Some of the things that might surprise you is that every year all of us tried out for the team. There were two weeks and every year all of us tried out and you didn't know for sure if you were on the team or who else was on the team. We all walked on and we were all Kansas girls.
"Before every game we prayed together and we played hard. We worked together as a team and it was about the team and there's something wonderful about working with a group of people where you're working on behalf of the team.''
Head earned All-Class 4A honors in football, basketball and baseball at Hayden and played basketball and baseball at Washburn University before being signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 2006.
Former Major Leaguer Jerad Head was inducted into the Topeka Shawnee Sports Hall of Fame Monday at Washburn, where he was a standout in baseball and basketball. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Head was promoted to the majors on August 28, 2011 and played in 10 games as a left fielder and pinch hitter.
Jerad Head receives his Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame award from Topeka Area Sports Commission executive director Mike Bell. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Head also played Minor League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals organizations before ending his playing career in 2013. He was named as manager of the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League in 2016 and managed through 2018.
"Thanks to the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame,'' Head said. "I'm very honored and very humbled. I don't think people realize the amount of people that come out of here. Just right now we have a player in the big leagues (Ryan Zeferjahn), we have the SEC volleyball player of the year (Brooklyn DeLeye) and probably the greatest softball player in Topeka history (NiJaree Canady).''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Local sports greats Jerad Head, Trey Lewis, Brenda Stolle, Duane Zlatnik and the late Bob Davis will be inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Monday at Washburn University.
The Topeka Area Sports Commission will host the 20th annual Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame induction ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Washburn's Memorial Union.
Head was a multi-sport star at Hayden and Washburn University before embarking on a long career in professional baseball, including a Major League stint with the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians).
Lewis was a standout at Washburn Rural and earned NCAA Division II All-America honors as a defensive lineman before being drafted by the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons.
Stolle, a Silver Lake graduate, was a standout pitcher for the Emporia State softball team from 1979-81. During that time, she guided the Hornets to a national championship in 1980 and a second-place finish in 1981.
Zlatnik was a star lineman and three-time state wrestling champion at Rossville before becoming a three-year starter in the offensive line for the University of Kansas.
A Topeka West graduate, Davis carved out a legendary broadcasting career, including long stints for the University of Kansas and the Kansas City Royals.
The 2025 Hall of Fame event will feature a luncheon followed by the official program.
Established in 2006, the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame continues its mission to preserve and honor the legacies of those who have significantly advanced athletics in Shawnee County.
Hall of Fame Class of 2025 capsules:
Jerad Head
JERAD HEAD
Head earned All-Class 4A honors in football, basketball and baseball at Hayden and played basketball and baseball at Washburn University before being signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 2006.
Head was promoted to the majors on August 28, 2011 and played in 10 games as a left fielder and pinch hitter.
Head also played Minor League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals organizations before ending his playing career in 2013.
He was named as manager of the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League in 2016 and managed through 2018.
Trey Lewis
TREY LEWIS
After graduating from Washburn Rural, Lewis played for the Washburn Ichabod football team from 2003-06 as a defensive lineman and became the first Ichabod to be named to the Associated Press Little All-American team since 1963. Lewis was also named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American team after recording 62 tackles as a senior with 36 solo stops, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Lewis finished his career at Washburn with 156 total tackles, including 68 solo stops, 23 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Lewis was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 6th round as the 185th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
He played from 2007-11 for the Falcons, appearing in 31 games.
Brenda Stolle
BRENDA STOLLE
A Silver Lake native, Stolle was a standout pitcher for the Emporia State softball team from 1979-81. Stolle led the Hornets to a national championship in 1980 and a second-place finish in 1981. Her career pitching record was 66-15, and she picked up six saves during her career.
During the 1980 championship season, Stolle compiled an 0.33 earned run average. She received numerous honors, including all-American honors twice, NAIA most valuable player in 1981, and Kansas Female Athlete of the Year from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Stolle was the first female ever inducted into the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Honor in 1988 and was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Duane Zlatnik
DUANE ZLATNIK
Zlatnik starred in football and wrestling at Rossville before becoming a three-year starter in the offensive line at Kansas.
Zlatnik was a three-time state wrestling champion for the Bulldawgs and finished his career with a 148-13 record and a school-record 110 pins. He was a two-time All-Stater and Kansas Shrine Bowl pick in football.
Zlatnik was an All-Big 12 honoree for the Jayhawks and made 27 consecutive starts at right and left guard.
He is currently an assistant football and wrestling coach at Washburn Rural.
Bob Davis
BOB DAVIS (Inducted posthumously)
A Topeka West graduate, Davis passed away on March 20 at the age of 80 after a legendary career in sports broadcasting.
Davis was the "Voice of the Jayhawks" for more than 30 years before retiring in 2016. Davis called eight KU trips to the Final Four, six football bowl games, including the 2008 Orange Bowl, and thousands of regular-season basketball and football games. Davis was also on the call for the 1988 and 2008 men's basketball national championship victories. In 1997 Davis joined the Kansas City Royals, calling games for radio and television for the franchise for 16 years.
A 48-year veteran of broadcasting in the state of Kansas, Davis was born in Iola and grew up in Topeka, where he graduated from West in 1962. Davis stayed in Topeka to attend Washburn, where he graduated in 1967 with a degree in history.
Davis is a member of numerous Halls of Fame, including the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
It was Homecoming for Topeka West before Thursday's United Kansas Conference football game as the Chargers would host the Lansing Lions on a beautiful fall night at Hummer Sports Park.
West, which was looking for its first win of the season, built a 20-14 halftime advantage, but the Lions scored 22 fourth-quarter points to pull out a 36-20 win.
Topeka West sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie threw for two touchdowns in Thursday's 36-20 loss to Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nas Williams-Brown scored on a run and a pass reception for Topeka West in Thursday's 36-20 loss to Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Lions would start the game off with the ball and score with a Jaxon Pollard run.
The Chargers would get the ball and move it down the field through the air with their sophomore quarterback Josiah Wilkie as Wilkie would find fellow sophomore Nas Williams-Brown for a 12-yard touchdown strike.
The Chargers would force the Lions to punt on their next possession and would take advantage and find the end zone on a 48-yard run by Williams-Brown.
The Chargers and Lions would find themselves full of emotions as they would get into a tussle on the West sideline, which would force four Chargers and three Lions to the locker room early.
“Thing’s like that happen, it’s the game, it’s a physical game,'' Topeka West coach Trey Parker said. "Your guys are hitting and bumping bodies, going to the ground. Tempers are going to flare from time to time.
"You have to reset and refocus. And I think for a moment our guys did, but towards the end we started to lose that focus.”
The Chargers would be outscored 28-6 after the tussle, with the Lions scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers would find the end zone right before halftime as standout senior receiver Gad Munganga would haul in a a 21-yard pass from Wilkie.
Parker on Munganga: “He is a kid that is just learning football, he continues to put in the work, and now we are starting to see the benefits of that. He was just a basketball player and he stepped out on a limb to come play football, and he has became one of our leaders, and he is a really great kid.”
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights outlasted Topeka West in a wild romp Friday at Heights that saw 16 touchdowns and 111 total points scored. The T-Birds picked up their first victory of the season, 76-35 over the Chargers.
Senior quarterback Aiden Scott threw for three touchdowns and ran for two TDs in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Every time Shawnee Heights appeared to gain a commanding lead, the Chargers seemed to hit for a big play that kept the fires burning on both sides. The T-Birds continued to attack, even once reserves were inserted in the lineup. Eight different T-Birds found the end zone in the game.
“The whole sideline was going crazy as some of those guys who don’t get to play got out there,” senior quarterback Aiden Scott said. “Just seeing their faces light up when everyone scores. It’s amazing – our team atmosphere. We’re all for each other.”
David Wakes scored the first two touchdowns of the night in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights took a 22-0 lead in the first period. But the Chargers took to the air in the second period and made things interesting. Quarterback Josiah Wilkie directed a touchdown drive to cut the T-Bird lead to 22-8. Later in the quarter, Topeka West took advantage of an interception deep in Shawnee Heights territory to convert a second touchdown drive, making the score 28-14.
Shawnee Heights junior Christian Labrador scored two touchdowns, including a 50-yard interception return, in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights responded with 20 unanswered points in the final 3:16 of the period to go up 48-14 at the intermission. But even then, the Chargers didn’t fold. Wilkie hit on two long scoring passes to receiver Jayden Lindsay, and Nas Williams-Brown scored on a 72-yard scamper.
Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift praised the Chargers for their effort, and said there was plenty for his team to like as well.
“I saw a lot of kids get a chance to play,” Swift said. “We had some injuries coming into tonight. So, a lot of kids were, hey, this is your first night playing Friday night football. And I thought they did well. Did we make some mistakes? Yeah, we did. That’s part of being a kid. On Friday nights, the game goes a lot faster than it does on any other day. But our kids never quit. So, sure, we can improve on some stuff, but, you know, anytime you win a football game, it’s great.”
The T-Birds, who never punted, were only prevented from reaching the end zone on two possessions. Scott threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more.
For the Chargers, Wilkie completed 19 of 46 passes for 323 yards. Lindsay accounted for 155 yards receiving while Gad Munganga added 125 yards receiving.
