By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with boys golf and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through July 28, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4871586x6ad24A9A-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Hayden and Washburn Rural have combined for seven state team championships in boys golf and figure to be top contenders for top spots on TopSports.news' Best of the Best Top 10 in that sport.
But what may surprise local fans is that neither the Wildcats or the Junior Blues rank No. 1 for the most titles in Shawnee County history, which could make putting together a Top 10 list a very interesting endeavor.
Don Williams' Washburn Rural boys golf team took home the Class 6A boys golf championship in 1997, the first of three state crowns for the Junior Blues. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Chris Shanks' Hayden boys golf team won the Class 4A golf title in 2001 as John Newcomer captured the individual championship. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Topeka High hasn't won a state golf title in 62 years, but there was a time when the Trojans ruled the Shawnee County roost, capturing a county-high eight titles between 1929 and '61.
Neil White and Earl Bonebrake gave High its first title in '29, winning the state Two-Man title by a 325-330 margin over Salina and the Trojans also garnered Two-Man crowns in '31, '34, '35, '37 before sweeping Two-Man and Four-Man championships in '49 and adding a second Four-Man title in '61.
In recent decades Washburn Rural and Hayden have set the local standard, with the Junior Blues winning 6A titles in 1997, '09 and '15 and the Wildcats capturing 4A crowns in '01, '08, '11 and '14.
Don Williams coached Washburn Rural to a tiebreaker win over Shawnee Mission Northwest in '97 after both teams finished at 325 while Jeff Stromgren and Jared Goehring have also led the Junior Blues to state titles.
Stromgren's '09 team posted a one-stroke decision over Blue Valley North, with individual runnerup Brax Ball and fourth-place Trey Seigel pacing the Junior Blues.
Jared Goehring's Washburn Rural boys golf team won the 2015 Class 6A state championship on a tiebreaker. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Hayden took a seven-stroke victory in the 2008 Class 4A state golf tournament behind the one-two finish from Brandon Falley and Brian Walker. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Goehring's Rural team added another championship in '15 with the Junior Blues taking a tiebreaker victoy over Blue Valley North, with three Rural players earning top-eight state finishes, led by fifth-place Lukas McCalla.
Individual state medalist John Newcomer led Chris Shanks' Hayden team to its first 4A championship in 2001 and Denis Stanley's '08 team won by seven strokes over Andover as Brandon Falley shot a 69 to take individual honors and Brian Walker finished second.
Dan Key's Wildcats won by 11 strokes over Tonganoxie in 2011 as Justice Valdivia carded a 68 to win the individual crown and Jim Roy's Wildcats won by 15 strokes over Buhler in 14.
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4871586x6ad24A9A-151 while readers also have the option of writing in a candidate.
Vote as many times as you wish. Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes in boys golf will be accepted through July 28 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Girls soccer (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Saturday).
