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Frost named TGA player of the year, Carson wins seventh Champions Stroke Play title
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Phil Frost completed a sweep of titles in Topeka Golf Association City Match Play, City Stroke Play and Bill McDonald Champions Stroke Play championships Monday at Shawnee Country Club to wrap up TGA Player of the Year honors while Dave Carson earned his seventh Champions Stroke Play crown.
Phil Frost wrapped up the TGA 2025 Player of the Year award Monday at Shawnee Country Club. [File photo/TSN]
Frost shot rounds of 69 and 72 to win the 40-49 age division Champions Stroke Play title with a 36-hole total of 141, closing out a dominating run to the Player of the Year crown.
Carson, who competed in the 60-64 division, carded rounds of 74 and 72 in the city event for players aged 40 and over, finishing with a 36-hole total of 146 to take overall honors for gross score.
Dennis Switzky, competing in the 70-74 age class, was the overall net champ (including handicap), carding rounds of 67 and 69.
Only competitors 50 and over were eligible for the oveall titles.
Awards were presented Monday in multiple age divisions for low gross and net scores.
The Champions event is named in honor of Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famer Bill McDonald, who was in attendance for Monday's tournament.
Hall of Fame basketball coach Ron Slaymaker was also on hand Monday as the guest speaker for the event.
TGA BILL McDONALD CITY CHAMPIONS STROKE PLAY TOURNAMENT
Prep parade: Expectations remain high for Vikings despite heavy graduation losses
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2025 season on Sept. 4 and 5.
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Seaman graduated some very good football players off last season's Viking team team that posted an 8-3 record, captured the United Kansas Conference championship and advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals for the second straight season.
Hopes remain high for Jared Swafford's Seaman football team that went 8-3 and claimed the UKC title last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Vikings also return a solid nucleus to build around and fifth-year Seaman head coach Jared Swafford promises that the lofty expectations won't change.
"I think the best part about being the program that we are is you reload, you continue to move forward and you do what you do,'' said Swafford, who is 24-16 as a head coach. "We have a great group of kids who had a great summer.
"It's always tough to lose some studs, and if we want to continue to fight for league championships and be somebody in the playoffs that is a formidable opponent and presses towards a state championship, then you reload with more guys.''
Seaman graduated co-Shawnee County offensive players of the year Max Huston and Bryer Finley and defensive player of the year Kaden Jordan, but senior linebacker Cameron Brian (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) was an all-county Top 22 pick and the defensive newcomer of the year last fall and senior tight end Noah Kobuszewski (6-4, 240) and senior running back Kaden McKinney (6-2, 190) were Second 22 all-county honorees.
Brian was in on 112 tackles a year ago with 10 tackles for loss while McKinney rushed for 977 yards and scored 15 total touchdowns and Kobuszewski had 325 receiving yards.
Senior guards Brogen Brown (6-1, 240) and Brayden Warren (6-0, 215) received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season while the Vikings also return senior wide receiver Jayden Evans (6-5, 180), junior wide receiver Jack Becker (5-10, 165), senior tackle Brodie Empson (6-1, 210), senior linebacker Ben Trier (6-3, 210), senior defensive backs Michael Hurla (6-0, 185), Kevin Moe (5-11, 190) and Hayden Foxhoven (5-11, 175) and junior defensive back Grant Ebberts (6-0, 175).
Prep parade: Bulldawg football sets sights on making run at Class 1A title
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2025 season on Sept. 4 and 5.
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After starting the 2024 football season with three nailbiting losses, perennial state power Rossville reeled off eight straight wins to reach the Class 1A semifinals before seeing its season end in a 22-9 loss to Centralia.
And although veteran coach Derick Hammes was proud of the 8-4 Bulldawgs' impressive turnaround last fall, he also knows that anything less than playing for a state title is a disappointment for a program that has won five state championships since 2014.
Derick Hammes has led Rossville football to a 114-28 record and five state championships. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"It was disappointing because here, with our expectations, we fell short,'' Hammes said. "But I think the returners that we have got a taste of that and I think they want to make right on the opportunity that they missed.
"That's how it is here and our expectations are always high.''
Rossville, which is 114-28 under Hammes, would appear to have the pieces in place to make another deep playoff run, with the Bulldawgs returning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Conner Bush (senior running back/defensive back) and All-Shawnee County Second 22 honorees Jack Donovan (senior wide receiver/defensive back) and Andre Johnson (senior running back/linebacker) to build around.
Other players expected to make a major contribution this fall include seniors Caleb Lehman (offensive/defensive line), Canann Mitchell (quarterback/defensive back) and Cameron Miller (wide receiver/defensive back) and juniors Charlie Chance (offensive/defensive line), Cael Horgan (linebacker) and Easton Webb (offensive/defensive line).
Senior Canann Mitchell is slated to take over as Rossville's quarterback this fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Mitchell is expected to take over as the Bulldawgs' starting quarterback this fall after backing up All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick Tayson Horak last season.
"Mitchell established himself pretty early in the summer and I would say with Canann, he was neck and neck with Tayson last year and it was a hard decision and it very well could have been him,'' Hammes said. "Tayson went on to have the year like he had and that probably means Canann's a pretty good ballplayer because it was neck and neck through camp.''
A focus in preseason will be to rebuild an offensive line that was hit hard by graduation.
"I would call our offensive line a work in progress,'' Hammes said. "We graduated all five of our offensive linemen that started last year in that sub-state game. A couple of the guys, however, that we're trying to plug in got game experience and starting experience, so it's not like we're going from scratch.
"That part for us is something that we're continuing to work on and it's got to get better and when those kids develop then I think that this team will start to progress.''
The storied Rossville-Silver Lake "War on 24'' will kick off the season for the Bulldawgs and Eagles for the second straight year, with Rossville hosting Silver Lake on Sept. 5.
"I like it,'' Hammes said. "We're going to get an opening day and then we're going to get a big game on top of it with that rivalry.
"I really thinks it helps kids focus during the summer and the summer program for everybody's so important. So, if you have a little extra motivation to get you through those summer months, I think it's a good thing.''
ROSSVILLE
2025 football schedule
September -- 5 Silver Lake, 12 at St. Marys, 19 Nemaha Central, 26 at Maranatha Christian Academy.
October -- 3 Mission Valley, 10 at Cair Paravel Latin (Washburn), 17 at Olpe, 24 Wabaunsee.
Next up: Seaman.
