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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After finishing third in last year's Class 4A state tournament, No. 6 seed Hayden is back in the title hunt after a perfect 3-0 day Friday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Corrinne McGreevy's Wildcats, 32-9 on the season, claimed the Pool II championship with three straight-set victories.

Hayden volleyball is headed to the Class 4A state semifinals Saturday after a perfect 3-0 record in pool play at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden opened its day with a 25-16, 25-19 win over No. 3 seed McPherson and then knocked off No. 2 Clay Center, 25-14, 26-24 before clinching the pool championship with a 25-20, 25-13 win over No. 7 seed Buhler in the Wildcats' final match of the day.

Hayden will now face Pool I runnerup Paola (27-10) in the semifinals, with the Panthers advancing on a tiebreaker despite a 1-2 record in pool play.

No. 1 seed and Pool II champion Andale (34-1) will face Pool I runnerup Clay Center (40-3) in the other semifinal.

The championship and third-place matches will begin 25 minutes after the conclusion of the final semifinal.  

Rural comes up short in bid for 6A semifinals

After splitting its first two matches Friday, No. 4 seed Washburn Rural pushed two-time defending Class 6A state champ and top seed Mill Valley to three sets in the Junior Blues' final pool match of the day at the Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina before Mill Valley escaped with a 25-27, 25-18, 25-17 win.

Mill Valley, 2-1 on the day, advanced to Saturday semifinals as the Pool I runnerup while Washburn Rural ended its season with a 31-9 record on the year. 

Bulldawgs go 1-2 in 2A pool play

No. 8 seed Rossville split its first two Class 2A state pool play matches at Dodge City's United Wireless Arena and went to three sets in its final match against No. 5 seed Hillsboro, but came up short in its bid to advance to Saturday's semifinals. 

The Bulldawgs dropped a 25-12, 25-13 decision to top seed and undefeated Ellinwood in its opening match before taking a 19-25, 25-19, 25-15 victory over No. 4 Humboldt.

After dropping a 25-20 first-set decision to Hillsboro Rossville answered with a 25-15 win in the second set, but the Trojans took the match with a hard-earned 26-24 win in the third set.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Coming off back-to-back losses and playing its second straight game without injured senior quarterback John Hoytal, Washburn Rural was looking to get back on track in Friday's Class 6A West playoff opener against Wichita South in Bowen-Glaze Stadium.

And a quick start on both sides of the ball was just what the doctor ordered as the No. 7-seeded Junior Blues rode a 21-0 first-quarter lead to a 37-0 shutout over the visiting Titans.

Washburn Rural junior Jadyn Baum rushed for just under 200 yards and three touchdowns in Friday's 37-0 Class 6A playoff win over Wichita South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

Washburn Rural junior Jadyn Baum (right) celebrates a touchdown with teammate Peyton Goehring in Friday's 37-0 Class 6A playoff win over Wichita South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

"We knew coming into it that we were going to have to rely offensively on the run game and we knew the defense was going to have to set the tone and kind of shorten the field for us,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "Offensively, I think the kids did a really nice job of doing what we've been working on as far as the game preparation.

"Win and advance. We didn't get a chance to do this last year, to move on in the playoffs, so the kids were excited about what they're doing and we get that feeling we had two years ago and three years ago and we get that hunger back about trying to go deeper into the playoffs.''  

With Friday's win Washburn Rural improved to 6-3 and advanced to a second-round 6A matchup at No. 2 seed Wichita Northwest, 8-1 on the season.

Offensively, Rural junior running back Jadyn Baum soared past the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season with 182 yards on 15 attempts while the Junior Blues' defense pitched the shutout while limiting the 3-6 Titans to 53 total yards.

Junior Ryker Petersen intercepted a pass to set up Washburn Rural's first touchdown in Friday's 37-0 Class 6A playoff win over Wichita South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

An interception by Rural junior Ryker Petersen ended Wichita South's game-opening drive and led to an 8-yard Baum touchdown run with 8:30 left in the first quarter (Ryan Austin kick).

The Junior Blues recovered a South fumble on the Titans' ensuing possession and Rural found the end zone four plays later on Baum's second 8-yard TD of the night (Austin kick) to put the hosts up 14-0 at the 6:47 mark of the first.

Senior TJ Minikwu (right) celebrates a touchdown with teammate Kellan Roth in Friday's 37-0 Class 6A playoff win over Wichita South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

With just 12 seconds remaining in the quarter Washburn Rural senior TJ Minikwu scored on a 5-yard run (Austin kick) to hike the Junior Blues' lead to 21-0.

The pace slowed in the second quarter but the Junior Blues took a 27-0 lead midway through the quarter on a 17-yard TD strike from junior Gavin Vantuyl to senior Nate Selm (kick failed).

Baum scored his third touchdown of the night on a 46-yard gallop (Austin kick) with 2:05 left in the third quarter and Austin capped Rural's scoring early in the fourth stanza with a 25-yard field goal.

Next up for the Junior Blues is next week's road test at Wichita Northwest, which advanced with a 57-14 win over Campus Friday night.

"They're exceptional,'' Buhler said of the Grizzlies. "You get to this round and everybody on the West side is so good and so well-rounded everything's going to be a dogfight and you have to be willing to play four full quarters and keep your nose in it the whole time.''

WASHBURN RURAL 37, WICHITA SOUTH 0

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 19-ranked Washburn University soccer team is on the road for a pair of MIAA contests this weekend at Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western, beginning with a Friday game with the Bearcats that has MIAA title implications.

Washburn junior Kylie Hinrichs is congratulated by her teammates after scoring the game-winning goal in Sunday's 2-1 win over Fort Hays State. [File photo/TSN[

The Ichabods will face Northwest Missouri in a 3 p.m. game Friday before playing a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday at Missouri Western.

Washburn is 10-2-3 overall and 7-0-2 in the conference and currently atop the MIAA regular-season standings with 23 points with three games left to play.

Northwest Missouri is 10-4-0, 7-2-0, and is tied for second in the conference with 21 points, while the Griffons are 9-2-4, 5-2-2 entering a Friday contest with Emporia State. 

"We're looking forward to the opportunity to test ourselves against really good competition this weekend,'' Ichabod coach Davy Phillips said. "(Northwest) is always well coached and a good team, and will be another good MIAA test for our group.

"I really love coaching this group, and I'm excited that our ladies continue to get the chance to play in important games this late in the season. It's so fun to be a part of."

Washburn is unbeaten in 11 straight matches and is coming off a successful two-week homestand with three wins and a tie, including a 1-0 victory over then-No. 12 Central Missouri.

Washburn had three different goal scorers this past weekend, all scoring their first goals of the season.

Former Washburn Rural star Mackinly Rohn, a junior, scored the game-winner against Central Missouri last Friday, while freshman Bricelyn Betts and junior Kylie Hinrichs scored their first career goals in Sunday's 2-1 win over Fort Hays State.

Washburn has outscored opponents 26-12 and outshot them as well 203-113.

Northwest Missouri has outscored its opponents 23-8, but has been outshot 179-172. In conference play, the Bearcats have losses to Central Missouri (2-1) and Pittsburg State (1-0).

Washburn leads the all-time series 16-10-5, and the series is split in Maryville 7-7-2.