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Washburn Rural posts runnerup team finishes in Centennial League wrestling tournament
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls and boys wrestling teams were unable to keep pace with Manhattan in Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Rural, with the Indians sweeping the team championships.
But both Junior Blues teams had plenty to celebrate, and Rural girls coach Damon Parker and girls coach Josh Hogan plan to use the league meet as a primer to get ready for upcoming Class 6A regional competition.
Washburn Rural's girls, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rolled to wins in its first three duals of the day -- 66-16 over Emporia, 45-33 over Junction City and 84-0 over Topeka High -- before the No. 3 Indians built a huge early lead and held off the Junior Blues down the stretch for a 45-32 win.
"Manhattan's loaded for bear,'' Parker said. "(Shawn) Bammes and those guys have done a great job over there. We knew going into that one that there were going to be a couple of key swing matches and we'd have to pull an upset. We had a couple of opportunities and they didn't go our way.''
Washburn Rural freshman Aliyah Tangpricha (right) won the 105-pound Centennial League girls wrestling title and was named the league girls newcomer of the year. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Emme Blanco won the Centennial League girls 145-pound title with four straight pins Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Elia Smith won the 170-pound Centennial League championship and reached the 100-win milestone Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Lily Davis won the 190-pound title in Saturday's Centennial League tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural got league individual titles from 105-pound freshman Aliyah Tangpricha, 145-pound senior Emme Blanco, 170-pound senior Elia Smith and junior 190-pounder Lily Davis, who all went 4-0 on the day.
E. Blanco posted four straight pins while Smith recorded three pins and a 16-1 technical fall and Davis recorded three straight pins after receiving a first-round forfeit.
Smith, 125-pound senior runnerup Lacey Middleton and 140-pound senior runnerup Madi Blanco were all recognized Saturday for reaching the 100-win milestone for their careers while Tangpricha was voted the Centennial League girls newcomer of the year.
Now the Junior Blues will turn their sights on Saturday's 6A regional tournament at Wichita South.
"We got film and we're ready to game plan,'' Parker said. "We don't learn a lot if we come out and thump everybody. The best opportunity to learn is when somebody takes it to you and (Manhattan) took to us today. Tip of the top hat to them.''
The No. 3-ranked Rural boys went 4-0 to open the tournament -- 44-36 over Emporia, 40-38 over Junction City, 52-27 over Topeka High and 46-33 over Hayden -- before the No. 2-ranked Indians took a 58-18 win over the short-handed Junior Blues, who were missing four starters.
Despite the loss to the Indians, Hogan was proud of the way his Junior Blues wrestled Saturday.
No. 3-ranked Shawnee Heights girls top No. 1 Basehor-Linwood for UKC wrestling title
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' girls regained the United Kansas Conference wrestling championship Saturday at Piper, with the Class 5A No. 3-ranked T-Birds topping No. 1 Basehor-Linwood by a 179.5-163 margin.
Shawnee Heights senior Olivia Stevens (left) reached the 100-win milestone in Saturday's UKC wrestling tournament while T-Bird senior Cianna Graves registered her 100th career pin. [Photo courtesy of Shawnee Heights wrestling]
The T-Birds garnered five individual conference titles while posting 10 top-three finishes.
Shawnee Heights got gold-medal performances from freshman 120-pounder Brinnley Morris, junior 125-pounder Audrey Hinkly, sophomore 130-pounder Olive Jones, senior 145-pounder Olivia Stevens and senior 155-pounder Cianna Graves.
Stevens, 27-4 on the season, and Graves, 28-2, both reached career milestones on Saturday, with Graves reaching 100 pins for her career while Stevens notched her 100th career victory.
Shawnee Heights also got runnerup UKC finishes from sophomore Bianca Juarez (110), senior Shelby Watson (170) and junior Brooklyn Binkley (190) while sophomore Halle Hall (115) and freshman Raelyn Kelly (130) placed third.
Scots snap seven-game losing streak, dismantle Wyandotte, 68-19
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
From the jump Friday night the Highland Park Runnin’ Scots couldn’t miss from anywhere on the floor, romping to a 68-19 Meadowlark Conference home victory over Kansas City-Wyandotte.
Nate Wallace's Highland Park boys snapped a seven-game losing streak Friday night with a 68-13 Meadowlark Conference rout over KC-Wyandotte. [File photo/TSN]
“For the last seven games, when we took the court all of our guys were looking up (height wise). It was really good to see the ball go in the hoop and I was really proud of how we shared it,'' Highland Park coach Nate Wallace said. "We stayed poised and that’s the testament to the work we put in. We got clean looks, everyone touched the ball often and when that’s happening this group can be really dangerous.''
“It was real fun, we were finding the open guy, making layups, making the right play and we executed,'' said Highland Park junior Kasiaun Drew, who led the Scots with 19 points. "It felt good. We were all communicating and we were all on the same page.''
Highland Park began the game up 12-1 after a Davion Anderson bucket and the rout was on from there.
Junior Jojo Kingcannon continued his strong campaign, converting an and-one, making it 15-3. After three threes, including one from Kingcannon, the Runnin’ Scots led 26-3.
In the second quarter, it wasn’t much different in terms of scoring for Highland Park. Threes were falling, as well as easy transition buckets off creating turnovers and playing an up tempo style the whole game.
Highland Park nailed four 3-pointers, two by Anderson and scored nine total in the quarter. The Scots led 47-9 going into halftime.
“It feels amazing, it takes a toll off your lungs being in the game most of the way, it certainly helps,” Drew said after finding that rhythm early in the game.
The Bulldogs did not score any more than six points in one quarter, making just eight field goals in the game and attempting six free throws, making only one.
Then to begin the second half, the running clock went into effect, but Highland Park led by 50, 63-13 before the start of the fourth with everyone getting involved in the scoring.
Kingcannon backed Drew with 14 points and Anderson dropped 11.
“We’re setting standards and there’s a certain way you have to play for Highland Park when you want to take that varsity court and we didn’t see some of the things that we would’ve liked to have seen in the fall so we’re sending a message to our program that it’s not given, everything here is earned. We’re going to play the guys that want to play Highland Park basketball and want to buy in,” Wallace said.
