Topeka West Chargers
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin and Topeka High head football coach Jason Filbeck both made a little bit of history with season-opening road victories Friday night.
Cair Paravel notched its first-ever 11-man victory in a 44-0 win at West Franklin while Filbeck posted his first victory at Topeka High in his debut with the Trojans as High rolled to a 52-19 win over Wichita West at Friends University.
CPLS dominated its 11-man debut from start to finish, using a 21-point second quarter to open up a 28-0 halftime advantage and adding its final two TDs in the fourth quarter.
Ben Roeder
The Lions scored the only points they would need midway through the opening quarter when senior Ben Roeder scored on a 4-yard run and CPLS standout senior quarterback Jase Pavlik ran for the 2-point conversion to give his team an 8-0 lead.
Roeder returned a punt return 73 yards for a TD to give Cair Paravel a 14-0 lead with eight minutes left in the first half and Chase Hastert added interception returns of 46 and 50 yards to put the Lions in control at the half.
Tobias Bonura added an 85-yard interception return and Pavlik hit Roeder for a 2-point conversion early in the fourth quarter before Roeder scored his third TD on a 3-yard rush (Pavlik run) to complete the Lions' scoring with six minutes left.
Topeka High rolled to a 52-19 road win over Wichita West Friday, giving Jason Filbeck a victory in his debut as the Trojans' head coach. [File photo/TSN]
The Trojans made sure Friday was a happy night Filbeck, who accepted the Topeka High job in the offseason after 10 years at Augusta, with High scoring the first 20 points and never looking back.
Topeka High never trailed after Zane Smith and Trevante Ewing connected with a 7-yard TD pass with 7:33 left in the first quarter.
Smith threw his second touchdown pass with 4:31 left in the opening quarter and Ewing scored again to put the Trojans in front 20-0 early in the second quarter.
Later in the first half Ewing scored for the third time to give the Trojans a 26-6 lead and Smith hit Jayden Norman for a 90-yard TD to put High up 32-6 at the half.
Detrick Johnson put Topeka High up 46-6 at the 7:46 mark of the third quarter and the Trojans cruised the rest of the way.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
Rossville senior Tayson Horak (12) earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 and All-Mid-East League first-team honors last fall. [File photo/TSN]
Former Silver Lake football star Logan Pegram is starting his third season as the Eagles' head coach, leading Lake to a 14-5 record over the past two years. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
ROSSVILLE at SILVER LAKE
The Bulldawgs and Eagles open the 2024 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off a 5-4 record a year ago while Silver Lake went 8-2. Rossville is playing its first season in the Class 1A ranks while the Bulldawgs and Silver Lake are both entering their first year in the new Big East League. Rossville senior Tayson Horak earned All-Mid-East League first-team recognition on offense and was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 pick last season while seniors Kameron Badura and Brock Bush and junior Jack Donovan received all-county honorable mention. Silver Lake senior Braden Strausbaugh, an offensive tackle and defensive end, earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last fall while seniors Logan Cathcart and Trent Rollenhagen and junior Dayne Johnson received all-county honorable mention.
Seniors King Leonard (1) is a top returner for Washburn Rural, intercepting nine passes last fall for the 11-1 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker has received Division I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS at WASHBURN RURAL
City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights combined for 19 wins last season, with the 11-1 Junior Blues advancing to the Class 6A semifinals and the 8-3 T-Birds making it to the 5A quarterfinals. Rural senior safety King Leonard was among the state leaders with nine interceptions, including one pick six, and was also in on 75 tackles (47 solo) en route to earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last fall. Senior cornerback Wilson Miller was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year and earned All-Centennial League defensive honors and All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last season. Shawnee Heights only returns defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior cornerback Tyren Parker from last year's team along with junior kicker Camden Granado. Parker has D-I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.
Senior Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards and scored 63 points last fall for the 7-3 Scots. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WYANDOTTE at HIGHLAND PARK
At Hummer Sports Park
After snapping an eight-year losing streak early in 2022, Jermaine Monroe's Scots have posted back-to-back winning seasons, including a 7-3 mark last season when Highland Park won its first playoff game since 1991. Senior linebacker Ricky Crawford earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season, leading Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. Junior defensive back TremaineSavage was a first-team All-Meadowlark Conference selection last season, recording 29 tackles, registering 15 pass breakups and forcing two fumbles, while senior wide receiver/defensive back Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards last season while scoring 63 total points and receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Wyandotte is coming off a 1-8 season in 2023.
Hayden senior receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN at EUDORA
Hayden went 12-1 and finished second in Class 3A last fall while Eudora is coming off a 5-5 season, losing to Atchison 50-27 in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Wildcat senior wide receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time TSN All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection, catching 40 passes for 683 yards, carrying the ball 18 times for 268 yards and scoring 10 total touchdowns and three 2-point conversions. Junior running back Kade Mitchell was named the co-offensive newcomer of the year in Shawnee County last season after rushing for 764 yards on 79 carries, catching 13 passes for 209 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and 92 total points. Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 61 of 113 passing attempts for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
High school football players who come off the field have traditionally made a trip to the water cooler, congregated near the coaches to watch the action on the field, or perhaps snuck a peak at their friends and family in the stands.
But increasingly, local players are gathering around large screen televisions on the sidelines or peering at hand-held devices on the bench.
The high school game is becoming more high-tech by the season. It’s not uncommon to see a drone buzzing just outside the field of play, filming the action and relaying those images to coaches as the game is going on.
For an old school football fan familiar with Vince Lombardi’s diagrams on a chalk board, it can all seem mind boggling. But to teenagers immersed in a high-tech world, it’s the best way to learn the game.
Highland Park football coach Jermaine Monroe said that ever-changing technology can provide big advantages for high school teams. [File photo/TSN]
“This is the way to communicate to students today,” said Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe. “I think to be able to connect to students in the classroom and on the field, we need to stay up with the times. We have to be able to change and adapt. Technology in the game is not going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better and better.”
Monroe is one of several veteran coaches in the area who are working hard to adapt to the new technology. He said he no longer prints playbooks for his players to study. It’s all done on video.
“I’m 100% enjoying it,” Monroe said. “I was kind of stuck in the old school way of doing things, but when I learned how user-friendly these things are, it’s making things easier and I’m getting information to the boys faster, which is the most important thing.”
Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift said that the T-Bird coaching staff uses technology in a variety of ways to communicate with Heights' players. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said the T-Birds typically use a camera in or on top of the press box to send video instantly to a TV on the sideline.
“That enables us to, in between series, have a unit look at the video on the monitor which allows the coaches to teach what’s going on based on the past series,” Swift said. “It’s instant feedback.
“A lot of our kids play both ways and don’t come off the field long enough to look at film. But seven or eight might.”
Like many teams, Shawnee Heights uses a drone and mounts a camera on a tripod in one end zone to provide different angles of the action. While the T-Birds utilize footage strictly from the press box during the game, Swift said the other video footage is invaluable for teaching in practice.
“I love it,” Swift said. “It’s more time management on downloading film and getting it ready to show to kids. If you’re looking at a sideline view of a play and an end zone view of the play, you have to cut it up so that they match. It’s a little bit more time consuming, but the benefit of using it as a teaching tool outweighs the time.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Josh Kutter's young Topeka West soccer team, which has 13 underclassmen and four freshmen on its varsity roster, will no doubt face some growing pains at times this fall.
Topeka West freshman Valentin Del Real (3) scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 2-1 non-league soccer win over Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Kutter is confident the Chargers have the talent to overcome their youth and West showed evidence of that in Tuesday's 2-1 non-league season-opening road win over city rival Hayden.
"We're young, but very talented,'' Kutter said. "To have this kind of competitive game against a solid team, it really helps us see what we've got to work on but also build that confidence that they're going to need.
"We have quite a few freshmen and sophomores in that lineup that have skill on the ball and they're smart and they play intense, so they're ready to jump right in.''
Freshman midfielder Valentin Del Real scored West's game-winning goal with 4 minutes, 42 seconds remaining, snapping a 1-1 tie, before the Charger defense held the Wildcats out of the goal the rest of the way.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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Trey Parker served as Topeka West's interim football coach for the final three games of the 2022 season before guiding West for his first full campaign last fall.
Trey Parker is entering his second full season as Topeka West's football coach, with the Chargers' looking to improve on back-to-back 1-8 seasons. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And with that 12 games of experience and two offseasons with the Chargers under his belt, Parker thinks his team is ready to take a step forward this fall after back-to-back 1-8 campaigns.
"This summer we started to see them turn the corner,'' said Parker, a former Washburn University standout. "We just kept preaching CCA. I said it from Day 1 and we've been consistent with that message: They've got to be committed, they've got to be consistent and now we're holding each other accountable and I think that's a good thing to see.
"This summer, the few camps we went to we started to see those leaders pop out of the group and now they're doing pretty good.''
Parker said he's also seen an increase in the Chargers' numbers and progress in the weight room.
"It started in our school,'' Parker said. "We had a bunch of athletes walking the halls that just don't play any sports at all, so first we had to persuade them to play. Then they all got in the weight room and now they're starting to feel themselves, they're starting to see their body changing and now they're walking around looking like athletes.''
Now Parker is banking on those two factors translating into progress on the field this fall.
"I can't put a number on the amount of wins we want to see this year, but we definitely want to see those steps to where we're now competitive, that we're in games where people don't think we should be in, where we're a possession away from a win and things like that,'' Parker said. "We feel like if we can get ourselves in a position we have the athletes to win some of those games, so we're looking for that big jump this year.
"It's just like with anything you do in life, the more you do it the more you feel comfortable. We've gotten more comfortable with each other. They know who I am now and they know I love to joke and have a good time, but when it's time to work it's time to work.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kameron Badura
KAMERON BADURA, Rossville
A senior, Badura received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Mid-East League honorable mention recognition last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs. Badura is a returning starter for Rossville and is expected to play a key role as a skill player on offense and in the defensive secondary.
Alesecio Batson
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A senior, Batson is best known for his exploits in track and field, winning the Class 5A state triple jump championship at 48 feet, 4.25 inches as a sophomore in 2023. West football coach Trey Parker will try to take advantage of Batson's superb athleticism in a variety of roles this fall, including safety on defense.
Elijah Berg
ELIJAH BERG, Topeka West
Berg, a senior, will be counted on to provide talent and leadership for a Topeka West program that is looking to improve on back-to-back 1-8 seasons. Berg could see action in a variety of roles for the Chargers, including wide receiver, where he is West's top returner.
Tobias Bonura
TOBIAS BONURA, Cair Paravel Latin
As one of only four returning lettermen from last season's 9-3 Cair Paravel team, Bonura, a junior, will be counted on to be a team leader as the Lions make the jump to the 11-man ranks (Class 1A) for the first time in school history. With only 19 players on the roster, Bonura and the other Cair Paravel veterans will rarely leave the field.
Andrew Broughton
ANDREW BROUGHTON, Seaman
A 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior center, Broughton will anchor the offensive line for the Vikings after earning All-United Kansas Conference second-team honors and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Broughton helped the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Parker Busenitz
PARKER BUSENITZ, Shawnee Heights
Busenitz, a senior, is a returning starter at safety, one of only two returning defensive starters for Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season last fall. Busenitz received All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2023 after recording 40 tackles with three pass interceptions and is also expected to be an impact player at wide receiver for the T-Birds.
Brock Bush
BROCK BUSH, Rossville
A senior linebacker, Bush received All-Mid-East League and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs after receiving second-team all-league recognition and all-county honorable mention as a sophomore. The three-year starter will be counted on for leadership as Rossville begins its first season in the Big East League and looks to be a Class 1A contender.
Conner Bush
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A junior, Bush is a top defensive returner for Rossville, which is coming off a 5-4 season, and has also logged multiple offensive starts for the Bulldawgs. Bush, one of 18 returning lettermen, will be a key player as Rossville makes the transition to Class 1A and to the Big East League.
Logan Cathcart
LOGAN CATHCART, Silver Lake
A senior, Cathcart is a returning starter for the Eagles, 8-2 last season, at both wide receiver and safety and will be counted on to provide leadership as Silver Lake makes the transition to the Big East League. Cathcart is also a baseball standout for the Eagles, receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention last spring.
Seth Catron
SETH CATRON, Rossville
The Bulldawgs, coming off a 5-4 record a year ago, will be looking for Catron, a senior, to be one of Rossville's biggest weapons on offense as the team makes the transition to the Big East League and the Class 1A ranks this season. Catron, who has made multiple starts for the Bulldawgs, is one of 18 returning lettermen.
Ricky Crawford
RICKY CRAWFORD, Highland Park
Crawford, a 6-0, 180 senior linebacker, earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season after helping lead the Scots to a 7-3 record and their first playoff win since 1991. Crawford led Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.
Hayden Cummings
HAYDEN CUMMINGS, Seaman
A 5-10, 205 senior linebacker, Cummings earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Cummings was credited with 103 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the Vikings.
Broderick Desch
BRODERICK DESCH, Hayden
Desch, a 5-10, 205 senior fullback, earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after playing a key role on offense as the Wildcats posted a 12-1 record and advanced to the Class 3A state championship game. Desch rushed for 511 yards on 102 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in 2023.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A junior wide receiver/defensive back, Donovan earned All-Mid-East first-team recognition on defense last season and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Donovan is also a standout for the Bulldawgs in both golf and basketball, earning first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in both sports.
Caden Estrada
CADEN ESTRADA, Washburn Rural
A 6-2, 270 senior offensive tackle, Estrada has earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition the past two seasons and was a Second 22 All-Shawnee County selection last fall after helping Washburn Rural post an 11-1 record and advance to the Class 6A semifinals.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Stella Appelhanz is a three-time All-Shawnee County pick for the Vikings. [File photo/TSN]
STELLA APPELHANZ, Seaman
A senior, Appelhanz is a three-time All-Shawnee County selection. Appelhanz placed seventh in the city meet, posted a third-place finish in the United Kansas Conference meet and was 13th in Class 5A regional competition. Appelhanz placed 36th in the Class 5A state meet and had a personal-best time five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
A three-time All-Shawnee County pick, Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink finished second in Class 6A last fall. [File photo/TSN]
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
A senior, Fink posted top-two individual finishes in all four of the championship meet as a junior. Fink was the individual champion in the Centennial League and Class 6A regional meets and was the runnerup in the city and 6A state meets. Fink earned her third straight state medal and had a personal-best time of 17:33. Fink led Rural to city, league and regional team titles and a fourth-place finish at state.
Silver Lake sophomore Ali Gerber was a Class 3A state qualifier for the Eagles as a freshman. [Submitted photo]
ALI GERBER, Silver Lake
Gerber, a sophomore, medaled in seven meets as a freshman with six top-10 finishes en route to earning All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Gerber was a state qualifer for the Eagles in cross country and was a member of Silver Lake's Class 3A state championship 4x400-meter relay team in track this past spring.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ANTONIO AGUIRRE, Highland Park
A senior, Aguirre has been one of the top players in the Meadowlark Conference for Highland Park the past two seasons, earning first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior. Aguirre received All-City honorable mention last fall after the Scots posted a 4-13-0 record.
Topeka High senior Jaime Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition last fall. [File photo/TSN]
JAIME ALVARADO, Topeka High
A senior forward, Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-City recognition last season for the Trojans, who posted a 7-10-0 record. Alvarado received All-City and All-Centennial League honorable mention as a sophomore in 2022.
Washburn Rural junior Draden Chooncharoen (23) was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the 19-2 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
DRADEN CHOONCHAROEN, Washburn Rural
A junior midfielder, Chooncharoen had four goals and four assists and received second-team All-Centennial League honors last fall as Washburn Rural (19-2) won its 29th straight Centennial League title (outright or shared) and finished third in Class 6A. A three-sport standout, Chooncharoen was a 4x400-meter relay state champion this past spring in track.
Hayden senior Cooper Grace (18) was a first-team All-City selection last fall for the Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
A senior defender, Grace was a first-team All-Centennial League pick and earned All-City honorable mention last season for the 6-8-3 Wildcats. An All-Stater in baseball, Grace led the Wildcats to the Class 3A state title this past spring and has made an oral commitment to Nebraska.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ALEX BAXTER, Topeka West
Baxter, a senior, was a Class 5A individual state qualifier last fall, tying for 29th with a 36-hole score of 184 (88-96). Baxter was the United Kansas Conference runnerup with an 18-hole score of 81 after finshing third in the UKC meet as a sophomore. She tied for 20th in the regional tournament.
Lauren Borjon
LAUREN BORJON, Hayden
Borjon, a junior, helped Hayden win the Class 4A state title by a 37-stroke margin, finishing 15th individually with a 165 36-hole score (85-80). Borjon tied for first for the team-champion Wildcats in the city tournament with a 76, finishing second in a playoff, tied for seventh in regional competition (88) and shot an 89 in the Centennial League tournament.
Izzy Glotzbach
IZZY GLOTZBACH, Hayden
A junior, Glotzbach shot a team-low 161 at state (79-82) to tie for ninth in Class 4A, helping Hayden post a runaway 37-stroke win in the team standings. Glotzbach finished third in the city tournament (81) to help Hayden win the city team title and tied for ninth at regionals (88). Glotzbach was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick after earning second-team recognition as a freshman.
Natalie Peterson
NATALIE PETERSON, Washburn Rural
A senior, Peterson has received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons. Peterson posted a 27th-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament last fall, finishing with a 36-hole score of 171 (89-82) to help Rural place fourth as a team. Peterson was eighth in the city meet (84), tied for sixth in the Centennial League (82) and tied for 10th at regionals (86).
Reece Randall
REECE RANDALL, Washburn Rural
A senior, Randall earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition in 2022 and 2023. Randall tied for 25th in the Class 6A state tournament with a 36-hole total of 170 (87-83) for fourth-place Rural. Randall tied for fourth in the Centennial League tournament with an 81, took ninth in the city tournament (85) and tied for 14th place at regionals (88).
MAKENNA STUKE, Seaman
Stuke, a junior, helped Seaman win a Class 5A regional team title with a fifth-place finish (89) and tied for 29th in the 5A state tournament with a 36-hole score of 184 (91-93). Stuke finished third in the United Kansas Conference tournament with an 83 as the Vikings won the championship by 48 strokes. She carded an 87 in the city meet.
Jaycee Zimmerman
JAYCEE ZIMMERMAN, Seaman
Zimmerman, a senior, is a two-time All-Shawnee County second-team pick and shot a 79 to win the United Kansas Conference individual title last fall after finishing second as a sophomore. Zimmerman helped the Vikings post a 48-stroke win in the UKC meet and placed eighth in Class 5A regional competition as Seaman captured the team title.
Taylor Zordel
TAYLOR ZORDEL, Silver Lake
Zordel, a senior, earned her third straight Class 3A-1A state medal while helping Silver Lake win its first state girls golf championship in school history by a 22-stroke margin. Zordel placed fourth at state with a 36-hole score of 163 (83-80) after posting a third-place regional finish (80) for the regional-champion Eagles. Zordel was a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat selection.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kansas basketball legend Ron Slaymaker and veteran soccer coach Tim Collins are part of a group of 12 new varsity head coaches who have been announced by Shawnee County high schools for the 2024-2025 school year.
Former Emporia State coaching legend Ron Slaymaker will take over as the new girls basketball coach at Topeka High in the 2024-2025 season. [File photo/TSN]
Slaymaker, the former longtime Emporia State men's basketball coach who most recently coached girls basketball at Olpe after a seven-year stint with the Chase County girls, takes over as the girls coach at Topeka High.
Former Augusta coach Jason Filbeck takes over as Topeka High's football coach this fall. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High has also added former Augusta head coach Jason Filbeck as the Trojans' new football coach.
Collins, who coached a state championship team at Topeka West and also coached the women's team at Washburn University, will coach the Seaman boys soccer team this fall.
Collins is one of three new coaches for the Vikings, with Madison Lamond taking over as Seaman's new girls swimming coach and former softball assistant Daniel Ruda moving up to the head coaching position to replace Jay Monhollon, who retired at the end of the 2024 season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Entering Monday's final round of the Topeka Golf Association City Stroke Play championship at Topeka Country Club, the individual title was definitely up for grabs.
Recent Topeka West graduate Myles Alonzo and Washburn Rural product Luke Leonetti went into the final 18 holes locked in a tie for the lead while Max Stuckey-Halley was just a stroke back.
Recent Topeka West graduate Myles Alonzo captured the TGA City Stroke Play championship Monday at Topeka Country Club by nine strokes. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But by the end of the day, Alonzo, who won the city high school championship at TCC in April, was all alone at the top of the mountain, carding a final-round 68 to win the title by a whopping nine strokes over Leonetti, with another Rural grad, Hayden Beck, finishing third.
"I felt pretty good,'' Alonzo said. "I knew if I just kept everything the same and just chilled out and made sure everything I was supposed to do was right I knew I'd be just fine.
"I was pretty consistent. I had a few bogeys out there but then I got a few lucky shots, with a chip-in for eagle.''
Topeka West product Myles Alonzo shot a 68 on Monday to pull away for a nine-stroke victory in the TGA City Stroke Play championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Myles Alonzo claimed his first TGA City Stroke Play title Monday at Topeka Country Club with a 54-hole score of 205. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Alonzo, who will play college golf at Fort Hays State, finished with a 54-hole total of 205 (68-69-68) while Leonetti, who plays at Missouri-Kansas City, finished at 214 (70-67-77), two strokes ahead of Beck, a Washburn University golfer (75-70-71).
Former Washburn Rural standout Luke Leonetti finished second in Monday's City Stroke Play tournament at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural graduate and current Washburn University golfer Hayden Beck finished third in the TGA City Stroke Play tournament Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Patrick Golden finished fourth (217) while Stuckey-Halley, 2023 champion Brian Walker and Jeremiah Nelson tied for fifth place at 218.
Nelson was one of two golfers who carded holes in one on Monday, with Jeremiah Nelson acing the No. 6hole and Aaron Rethman acing the 11th hole.
Alonzo's championship came after older brother Addison won the Stroke Play crown in 2022.
"I'm going to try a little bit better than him,'' the 18-year-old Myles cracked. "I'm going to try to beat him (with more titles).''
TGA CITY STROKE PLAY TOURNAMENT
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the record, the No. 1 men's spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history wasn't decided by a coin flip... but it was briefly considered.
Picking the top spot, and really the entire Top 10, was that tough of a task.
Topeka High baseball legend Mike Torrez and former Shawnee Heights basketball and golf star Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, had both been selected No. 1 in previous Top 100 projects and were both worthy candidates this time around as were several other nationally and world-renowned local greats.
In the end Torrez, a World Series champion and 20-game winner over an 18-year year Major League career, got the nod by the slightest of margins over Woodland, a two-time state basketball champ for the T-Birds and a four-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Former American League All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner Ken Berry holds down the No. 3 position on the TSN list followed by two-time Olympic wrestler Melvin Douglas and Silver Lake and Kansas State basketball icon Lon Krugeer.
The second five on the Top 10 include PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes, Olympic long-jumper Preston Carrington (Syed Abdul-Mutfi), former NFL veterans and Super Bowl participants Troy Wilson and Tom Dinkel, and two-time state high school and NAIA national basketball champion Tom Meier.
All of the Top 10 honorees are members of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The most impressive thing about NiJaree Canady is that she still may have not hit her peak just two college seasons into an already prolific softball career.
But the former two-time state champion at Topeka High, college freshman of the year and national player of the year for Stanford and future Texas Tech Red Raider has already accomplished enough to get the nod for the No. 1 spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
Canady, who also helped lead Topeka High to three straight Class 6A state berths in basketball, headlines a top five that that also includes Olympic silver medalist Margaret Murdock, former NCAA national softball champion Lisa Carey, current Kentucky and USA Volleyball Under 21 star Brooklyn DeLeye and multi-time state champ, Arizona State All-American and pro tennis player Sheri Norris.
Former Cair Paravel Latin star Peyton Williams, an All-Big-12 honoree in basketball and volleyball for Kansas State, earned the No. 6 spot on the Top 100, followed by K-State hoops star Nadira Hazim, Washburn University record-setter Brenda Shaffer-Dahl, Iowa State volleyball star Kaylee Manns and Nebraska national volleyball champ Jazz Sweet.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famers, two current NFL players who continue to add to their legacy, and a baseball great who made his mark more than a century ago comprise men's picks No. 11 through 20 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
The late Fred Slaughter and Steve Tilford, who graduated from Topeka High, Highland Park's Michael Wilhoite, Kyle Weems and James Patrick, Washburn Rural's Aaron Crow and Topeka West's Warren Seitz are all members of the Topeka Shawnee County shrine while former Topeka High star Teven Jenkins and Shawnee Heights/Washburn University great Corey Ballentine have carved out successful NFL careers and the late Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss made his professional baseball debut in 1905 before going on to an outstanding career in the Negro Leagues as a player and a manager.
Slaughter played on the legendary John Wooden's first national basketball championship team at UCLA, while Tilford was a world renowned cyclist.
Wilhoite put together a seven-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl appearance, while Weems helped lead Highland Park to a perfect 25-0 season basketball season before starring at Missouri State and embarking on a long and continuing professional career while Patrick helped the Scots capture the only Grand State championship in Kansas history.
Crow was an All-American at Missouri and an American League All-Star for the Kansas City Royals while Seitz was a multi-sport standout at Topeka West, quarterbacked the Missouri Tigers and had a stint in the NFL.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
We're down to the top 20 women's picks for TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history and the achievements just keep getting more and more impressive.
Selections No. 11 through 20 include a United States Olympian and a 17-time individual state high school champion as well as a pair of NCAA Division I team champions and a D-I individual champ.
The latest group of picks also includes a multi-sport star who racked up seven state crowns in two sports along with a Final Four participant, an all-time Washburn great and two early trailblazers for local women's athletics.
Here's a look at No. 11-20:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Men's picks No. 21-30 on the list of TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes features two local basketball legends, a pair of players who made it to the Major Leagues, five of the county's most recognizable names in football and one of the most accomplished multi-sport athletes in local annals.
The late Ron Paradis and Delvy Lewis led Washburn Rural to a state basketball championship before going on to standout careers at Kansas State and Kansas, respectively, while Duff "Sir Richard' Cooley and former Hayden and Washburn standout Jerad Head made it to the Major Leagues in baseball.
Kyle McNorton (Seaman) was an All-Big 8 linebacker for Kansas and played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Lewis (Washburn Rural) was an All-American for Washburn and played for the Falcons, Will Geary (Topeka High) and Wyatt Hubert (Shawnee Heights) were multiple-time All-Big 12 picks for Kansas State and Ky Thomas (Topeka High) finished his prep career as the No. 2 all-time rusher in state history before going on to a Division I career.
Mark Elliott was a multiple sport standout for Silver Lake, was a pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, played quarterback at Washburn and is one of the area's most successful golfers.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest women's selections for TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 encompasses a group of athletes who are probably household names for most any local household that has a sports fan.
The group of 10 include a national player of the year (Stacey Slavens), an MIAA player of the year (Jessica Mainz), an All-Big 12 honoree (Crystal Kemp), seven total college All-Americans in five different sports (Slavens, Mainz, Dani McHenry, Shannon Suddarth, Laura Klamm, Latisha Yarnell, JaNelle Wright) and three of Kansas' best ever in high school track and field (Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Wright).
Here's a look at picks No. 21 through 30:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes (No. 31-40) are a vastly varied group, featuring All-Americans in three different sports as well as the most successful Paralympic athletes in county history.
Shawnee Heights wrestling great Tanner Gardner went on to become Stanford's first three-time NCAA All-American while Hayden two-sport state champ John Tetuan was an All-American pitcher for Wichita State and Highland Park star Dale Cushinberry was a two-time basketball All-American for Emporia State.
Tetuan had a stint as a minor league pitcher while Topeka High product Ted Evans and former Highland Park All-Stater Jahmal McMurray both played professional basketball.
Picks No. 31-40 also include local legends Mark Turgeon and Dan Davis, who helped lead Hayden to undefeated state championships in basketball and football, as well as former Seaman hoops star Johnny Johnson, who put together a Hall of Fame career at Washburn University, and world-renowned Paralympic athletes Dan Cnossen (Shawnee Heights) and Austin Hanson (Seaman).
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 are not only a testament to some of the county's all-time greats in six different sports but also provide a bit of a history test for even the most seasoned of local sports fans.
TSN's latest group of 10 Top 100 honorees (picks No. 41-50) includes athletes who achieved the bulk of their athletic greatness in seven different decades covering more than 100 years.
Included are "Dink'' Mothell, who made his professional baseball debut in 1914, while Highland Park's Ed Delk excelled in the 1950s, Seaman and Washburn star Dode Lesser and Washburn Rural grad Tom Bunger made their mark in the '60s, Silver Lake and Shawnee Heights legends Tony Leiker and Marcel Carter ruled the '80s and Seaman's Justin Glasgow was a multi-sport state champ in the 1990s.
Highland Park's Jared Huske was one of the nation's best hurdlers in the opening decade of the 21st century while Hayden's Nick Stringer celebrated an undefeated state football title before going on to an All-Big 12 career at Kansas State.
For fans that prefer more contemporary achievements, Seaman and Kansas star pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn is still blazing his path, currently pitching at the AAA level for the Boston Red Sox.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five All-Americans, including a national player of the year, headline women's picks No. 41-50 on TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 list.
The late Arica Shepard, a volleyball star at Rossville and a three-time All-American for Emporia State, earned the No. 41 berth on the Top 100 while former Topeka High basketball star Kiki Smith was named the national player of the year in her first college season after helping Hutchinson Community College win the national junior college championship.
Washburn University basketball All-Americans Nikki Olberding (Seaman) and Kelly Jennings (Topeka High) and Fort Hays State All-American Tatyana Legette (Seaman) also earned spots in the latest installment of Top 100 selections as did four-time Class 6A volleyball state champion Alexa Bordewick of Washburn Rural and multi-sport standouts Cierra Ceazer (Shawnee Heights) and Erika Lane (Washburn Rural).
Lauren Mills was a state softball champion at Seaman before a standout career at Wichita State while Ceazer, Jennings, Lane and the late Tisharria Huggins (Topeka West) also won state titles at the high school level.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
