By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's already been a special season for Highland Park's boys basketball team, which will enter Thursday's Class 5A state tournament as one of only two undefeated boys teams in Kansas (along with 3A Galena) while not having a game closer than 11 points all season.
Highland Park senior Jahmir Kingcannon cuts down the nets after last Saturday's 80-52 win over St. James Academy. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park poses for a team picture after earning a second straight trip to state with an 80-52 win over St. James Academy Saturday night at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But although Mike Williams and his 22-0 top-seeded Scots are proud of what they have accomplished after earning a second straight state berth, they also know there is still work to do, beginning with Thursday's 2 p.m. first-round game against No. 8 seed Basehor-Linwood (9-13) at Emporia's White Auditorium.
"We want to polish, clean up and make sure we're on point,'' Williams said. "We're not putting new stuff in, we're not changing the system, but we are challenging ourselves though.
"We've been to this tournament twice in the last three years and kind of laid an egg in the opening round, so we're challenging ourselves to take the opening-round matchup seriously and make sure we're doing something to set us up to make sure we're around Friday and Saturday night.''
Highland Park senior Bo Aldridge, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 80-52 sub-state final win over St. James Academy, agreed.
"It is fun now (being at state), but the job is not finished at the same time,'' Aldridge said. "This is two of three championships. We still have one more to complete, so the job is not finished just yet.''
Aldridge was one of four double-figure scorers for the Scots against St. James, with senior Tre Richardson and sophomore Jacorey Robinson adding 12 points apiece for Highland Park and sophomore Mikey Williams scoring 10 points of the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Highland Park is aiming to become only the third boys team in Topeka city history to post a perfect season, with Hayden accomplishing that feat in 1983 and Hi Park turning the trick in 2007.
The Scots will be facing a Basehor-Linwood team in the opening round that is coming off a pair of sub-state upsets.
The No. 14 seed in the 5A East, the Bobcats knocked off No. 3 seed Piper 57-53 in the semifinals and then followed that up with a 67-63 win over No. 11 seed Kansas City-Sumner Academy.
Washburn signee Tyson Ruud, a 6-foot-6 senior, scored 53 points in Basehor-Linwood's two sub-state wins, including 30 against Piper.
Highland Park has not lost since a 53-47 first-round defeat against Maize in last year's state tournament.
The Highland Park-Basehor winner will advance to a 4 p.m. semifinal Friday to face the first-round winner between No. 4 seed Andover (20-2) and No. 5 Maize South (19-3).
On the other side of the bracket No. 2 seed Kapaun Mt. Carmel (21-1) will play a first-round game against No. 7 Blue Valley Southwest (14-8) and No. 3 Hutchinson (21-1) will face No. 6 Pittsburg (17-5).
The tournament championship game will be played at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Highland Park is the only Shawnee County boys team to advance to state, but will be joined in state competition by five county girls teams, including the Hi Park girls, who will be making their first state appearance since 2012.
The Seaman and Highland Park girls will open their state bids on Wednesday in Emporia while Silver Lake will open its third straight 3A appearance Wednesday night in Hutchinson
Defending 6A girls champion Washburn Rural and 4A qualifier Hayden will kick off their state bids on Thursday in Wichita and Salina, respectively.
Here's a team-by-team glance at the other five first-round games involving Shawnee County teams:
Seaman's girls basketball team poses with its sub-state championship trophy after last Friday night's 57-25 sub-state win over Piper. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
CLASS 5A GIRLS
At White Auditorium, Emporia
SEAMAN (1: 21-1) vs. ST. JAMES ACADEMY (8: 17-5)
The Vikings are back in the Class 5A state field after a brief one-year absence and enter Wednesday's 2 p.m. tournament opener as the No. 1 seed with a 21-1 record.
Seaman advanced with a 57-25 Friday night win over United Kansas Conference rival Piper, the Vikings' third win of the season over the Pirates and their 15th straight overall.
Freshman Maddie Gragg led Seaman with 19 points against Piper while sophomore Anna Becker added 12.
The Vikings will face No. 8 seed St. James Academy (17-5) in the opening round, with the Thunder advancing with a 66-44 win over Bonner Springs.
The winner of that game will advance to a 2 p.m. semifinal on Friday to take on the first-round winner between No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (19-3) and No. 5 Highland Park (19-3).
On the other side of the bracket No. 2 seed Bishop Carroll (20-2) will play a first-round game against No. 7 Andover Central (17-5) and No. 3 Andover (20-2) will face No. 6 Emporia (18-3). The winners of those two games will play a 6 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
The tournament championship game will be played at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Sophomore Amelia Ramsey (center) and the Highland Park girls will be making their first Class 5A state appearance in 11 seasons Wednesday at Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
HIGHLAND PARK (5: 19-3) vs. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (5: 19-3)
Highland Park is the No. 5 seed for state and will face No. 3 seed St. Thomas Aquinas, also 19-3, in Wednesday's 4 p.m. first-round game.
St. Thomas Aquinas enters the state tournament as the six-time defending Class 5A state champion.
The Scots went undefeated in their first season in the Meadowlark Conference and earned their first state berth in 11 years with a 51-50 win over city rival Shawnee Heights in last Friday's sub-state championship game.
Sophomore Amelia Ramsey led the Scots with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Shawnee Heights while Angelique Gown-Britt added 11 points.
The Highland Park-Aquinas winner will advance to Friday's 2 p.m. semifinal to face the winner of the Seaman-St. James first-round winner.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Bishop Carroll (20-2) will face No. 7 Andover Central (17-5) and No. 3 Andover (20-2) will take on No. 6 Emporia (18-3).
Andover is coached by former Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander.
The Carroll-Andover Central and Andover-Emporia winners will play Friday's second semifinal at 6 o'clock.
The state championship game will be played at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Senior MaRyah Lutz and her Washburn Rural teammates celebrate last Saturday's 45-29 Class 6A sub-state championship at Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
CLASS 6A GIRLS
At Koch Arena, Wichita
WASHBURN RURAL (5: 16-5) vs. LAWRENCE (4: 18-4)
Washburn Rural earned a chance to defend its Class 6A state championship with last Saturday's third win of the season over city and Centennial League rival Topeka High, 45-29.
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye led Washburn Rural with 17 points against the Trojans while senior Chloe Carlgren added 11 points.
The 16-5 Junior Blues, who have won two of the last three state tournaments that were contested, are the No. 5 seed and will open their state bid at 4 p.m. Thursday against No. 4 Lawrence (18-4).
The Rural-Lawrence winner will advance to a 4 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner of the first-round game between top seed Shawnee Mission South (22-0) and No. 8 Blue Valley (15-7).
On the other side of the bracket No. 2 Derby (20-2) will face No. 7 Olathe Northwest (15-7) and No. 3 Blue Valley North (18-4) will take on No. 6 Wichita Southeast (16-6), with the winners advancing to an 8 p.m. Friday semifinal
The tournament championshilp will be played at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Junior Avery Grunert (right) is mobbed by her teammates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime to give Hayden a 42-40 win over Fort Scot last Saturday night. [Twitter/Hayden girls basketball]
CLASS 4A GIRLS
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
HAYDEN (7: 15-7) vs. McPHERSON (2: 20-2)
Hayden advanced to the Class 4A state tournament with a 42-40 overtime win at Fort Scott.
Junior Avery Grunert scored the game-winning hoop, banking in a long 3-pointer as time ran out.
Norma Greco led the Wildcats with 12 points while Kaliya Fulton added 11.
Hayden, 15-7 on the season, is the No. 7 state seed and will face perennial state contender McPherson in a 6 p.m. first-round game on Thursday. McPherson is 20-2 and the No. 2 seed.
The Hayden-McPherson winner will advance to an 8 p.m. semifinal Friday to face the first-round winner between No. 3 seed Andale (19-3) and No. 6 Parsons (16-6).
On the other side of the bracket No. 1 seed Wellington (21-1) will play a first-round game against No. 8 Bishop Miege (13-9) and No. 4 Independence (18-4) will face No. 5 Hugoton (17-5). Those two winners will play a 4 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
The tournament championship game will be played at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Silver Lake receives its Class 3A sub-state championship trophy after last Saturday night's win over Rossville. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
CLASS 3A GIRLS
At the Sports Arena, Hutchinson
SILVER LAKE (3:21-1) vs. SANTA FE TRAIL (6: 21-2)
The Eagles will be making their third straight appearance in the Class 3A state tournament after finishing third a year ago.
Silver Lake earned this year's state berth with its third win of the season over rival Rossville in Saturday night's sub-state final, 46-26.
Junior Makenzie McDaniel led Silver Lake with 14 points against Rossville while Taylor Ross added 10 points.
The Eagles are the No. 3 seed in a loaded 3A field at 22-1 and will play No. 6 Santa Fe Trail 21-2 in an 8 p.m. first-round game Wednesday.
With a victory Silver Lake will advance to a 6 p.m. Friday semifinal to face the winner of the opening-round game between No. 2 seed Goodland (23-0) and No. 7 Frontenac (17-6).
Goodland is the defending state champion and took a 59-53 semifinal win over Silver Lake last season.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (23-0) will play No. 8 Riley County (16-7) and No. 4 Cheney (21-2) will face No. 5 Eureka (21-2) in the first round. Those two winners will play a 2 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
The tournament championship game will be played at 4 p.m. Saturday.
