- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior John Hoytal made the most of his first start as Washburn Rural's quarterback Friday night, throwing for 234 yards and four touchdowns as the Junior Blues opened their 2024 season with a 42-21 non-league win over city rival Shawnee Heights at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Junior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns in his first start as Washburn Rural's quarterback Friday night, leading the Junior Blues to a 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural's Lafayette Thompson (6), Kellan Roth (7) and Brody Schwinn (11) celebrate a Junior Blues touchdown in Friday's 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hoytal and junior Kellan Roth hooked up for 2, 42 and 17-yard touchdowns while Hoytal also hit sophomore Brady Schwinn for a 16-yard score while completing 14 of 21 attempts on the night
"You know I was a little nervous before the game, but you can't tell the difference between nerves and excitement, so I got excited and after that first play it was all just on from there,'' Hoytal said. "I felt like I played good, but it's only up from here.
"We went through a little valley in the game but we've got to get to the top of that peak and get back on the peak.''
Junior TJ Minikwu (24) finds running room against Shawnee Heights in Friday's 42-21 Washburn Rural win at Bowen-Glaze Stadium. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Sophomore Jadyn Baum celebrates a touchdown with his Washburn Rural teammates in Friday's 42-21 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural also had a big night on the ground, with junior TJ Minikwu and sophomore Jadyn Baum both topping the 100-yard mark in rushing yards.
Minikwu finished with 131 yards on 24 attempts while Baum had 115 yards on 16 carries.
The Junior Blues drove 80 yards in nine plays for a TD on its opening drive, getting a 2-yard score from Hoytal to Roth (Ryan Austin kick) at the 9:06 mark of the opening quarter.
After missing out on some scoring opportunities Washburn Rural made it a 14-0 game early in the second quarter when Hoytal found Roth for a 42-yard scoring strike (Austin) kick.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washburn volleyball took the first four points of the match on Friday and never looked back, sweeping Winona State to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Corinna McMullen led Washburn with 19 assists and 11 digs in Friday's sweep over Winona State in the Kansas City Classic. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will wrap up the Kansas City Classic on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Liberty, Mo. against William Jewell.
Washburn never trailed on the day as the Ichabods hit .407 as a team en route to 25-10, 25-12 and 25-16 set victories over the Warriors (1-1) in the second match of the season.
After taking the first four points of the match the Ichabods kept their foot on the gas.
An ace from Taylor Rottinghaus put Washburn up 8-2 and the lead grew to double digits at 18-8 after a block from Jalyn Stevenson and Alex Dvorak, which was part of a six-point burst for Washburn to go up by 14.
A kill by Brynne Topolski would wrap up the first set and a 15-point victory.
- Details
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
Defending Class 5A state volleyball champion Seaman opened the home portion of its 2024 schedule on Thursday night against Free State, rallying from a slow start to take a 3-1 dual decision over the 6A Firebirds.
Seaman senior Ava Esser spikes the ball in Thursday's 3-1 dual volleyball win over Free State. [Photo by Travis Brown/Seaman Athletics]
After dropping the first set 26-24, Seaman reeled off 25-18, 25-21 and and 25-21 wins to close out the match.
“I was proud of the way we fought back after being down one game at the beginning,'' Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling. "However, we had far too many unforced errors and we need to work to be more consistent.
"Our serve receive and defense looked great tonight. I love a scrappy team and I felt like we did that tonight.”
The Lady Vikes were led in serve receive by seniors Kinley Wilhelm and Maegan Mills along with junior Kinsley Smith. Seniors Ava Esser, Maggie Moulden and Mills led the team in kills. Senior Campbell Chabot and junior Harper Hafenstine led the Lady Vikes in assists while Wilhelm, Chabot and Smith led in digs.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washburn University volleyball began the 2024 season down two sets to none to Sioux Falls Thursday before winning the next three sets and outscoring the Cougars 65-41 to open the season in the win column.
Washburn earned the season-opening victory by set scores of 23-25, 28-30, 25-13, 25-17 and 15-11.
Washburn rallied from an 0-2 deficit to take a season-opening 3-2 win over Sioux Falls Thursday in the Kansas City Classic. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After the score was tied at two to begin the match Sioux Falls took the next four points to take command early.
Washburn landed six straight points, capped off by an ace from Seaman product Maddie Steiner to take a 12-11 lead. After the set was tied at 14 all the Cougars scored three straight and wouldn't relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
Kills from WU's Alex Dvorak and Jalyn Stevenson pulled the Ichabods within 24-23 before Sioux Falls finished off the set with the next point.
The Cougars carried the momentum into the next set, taking the first five points before two kills from Stevenson put the Ichabods on the board.
Washburn pulled within one point twice before climbing fully back on a 5-0 run capped off by kills from Emery Keebaugh and Brynne Topolski in their collegiate debuts.
Another ace from Steiner set up match point at 24-22 for Washburn before three straight points from Siuox Falls put them in the driver's seat. The Ichabods reached set point once more until the Cougars took two points to win, 30-28.
Washburn began the third set trailing 6-4 before going on a 7-0 run to take control of the set.
After hitting just .115 in the second set, the Ichabods flipped the switch, hitting .394 in the third with just two errors. A 5-0 burst capped off on the defensive end with a block by Dvorak and Austin Broadie put Washburn up by eight. The Ichabods stayed up by at least seven points the rest of the way until Keebaugh finished off the set with a kill to end it at 25-13.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After dropping a 5-4 double-overtime road heartbreaker to Lawrence on a penalty kick Tuesday night, Topeka High's soccer team was looking for something positive to wipe the sour taste out of its match.
It only took 1 minute, 49 seconds on Thursday at Hummer Sports Park to start that process, with the Trojans getting an early goal from junior Noah Storrer to kick start a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden.
Topeka High junior Noah Storrer (6) put the Trojans ahead to stay with an early goal and the Trojans went on to take a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We were excited about the way we played at times against Lawrence, but having that filthy taste in our mouths for a couple of days, getting a goal early and doing it the right way and not just getting lucky with something, that set the tone for the evening,'' Topeka High coach Derek Snook said.
