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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Trey Brown is stepping down as head boys basketball coach at Hayden after one season with the Wildcats.
Brown, a former Shawnee Heights All-Stater and Class 5A state champion and MidAmerica Nazarene standout point guard, met with Hayden's players Monday night to inform them of his decision.
Former Shawnee Heights star Trey Brown has resigned as Hayden's head boys basketball coach after his Wildcats advanced to the Class 3A state tournament in his only season at the school. [File photo/TSN]
The 25-year-old Brown confirmed to TopSports.news Monday that he has accepted another position, but that hiring has not yet been announced by the institution.
After helping lead Heights to the 5A state championship in 2017, Brown began his college playing career at Missouri Western before transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene, where he averaged 13.4 points as a senior and surpassed more than 1,000 career points for MidAmerica, where he earned his criminal justice degree in 2022.
Brown's first coaching job was at Cair Paravel Latin, which he led to a 9-13 record in the 2022-2023 season before he accepted the Hayden position.
The Wildcats posted an 8-16 record this past season, but posted three straight sub-state wins to earn a trip to the 3A state tournament.
Hayden dropped a 56-42 decision to top seed Beloit in the first round.
With the resignaton of Brown, Hayden will be looking for its fourth head coach in five seasons.
After Torrey Head retired, Dwayne Paul coached the Wildcats for two seasons before accepting the job at Free State, leading to Brown's hiring.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
All 12 members of the 2024 All-City boys tennis team earned state tournament berths, with eight bringing home state medals from last weekend's state events.
The 2024 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Joseph Luke, Hayden; Drew Fay, Cair Paravel Latin; Lawsen Lobatos-Dick, Washburn Rural; Keegan Knudtson, Washburn Rural; James Maag, Topeka West; Caleb Weybrew, Topeka West. Back, from left: Chase Blaser, Hayden; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural; Brayden Kohls, Washburn Rural; Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural; Dylan Dodge, Washburn Rural; Caden McGee, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All six Washburn Rural players earned All-City spots, based on performances in the city tournament, as the Junior Blues swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before finishing fifth in the 6A state tournament at Wichita.
Senior Lawsen Lobatos-Dick and sophomore Dylan Willingham paced Rural with a sixth-place state doubles finish after sweeping city, league and regional titles.
Rural is also represented on the All-City team by senior Dylan Dodge and sophomores Keegan Knudtson, Cale Deutscher and Brayden Kohls.
The Topeka West senior trio of singles player James Maag and doubles players Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew earned 5A state medals for the second straight season, with McGee and Weybrew finishing eighth and Maag ninth. All three players helped the Chargers win the 5A state team title as juniors in 2023.
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Drew Fay, a two-time state qualifier, posted a city-best fourth-place singles finish in the 3A-1A state tournament at Prairie Village while Hayden's doubles team of senior Joseph Luke and junior Chase Blaser finished fifth at state, with Luke earning a state medal for the third straight season.
All-City tennis capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four of the top teams in Class 3A softball, including defending state champion Rossville, are among the eight schools that battle it out for a state tournament berth on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hayden while Washburn Rural in 6A and Seaman in 5A will also host regional events.
The top four seeds in the Hayden regional are a combined 72-13, led by top seed Silver Lake at 19-2, No. 2 Rossville at 19-3 and No. 3 Santa Fe Trail at 20-4.
Seaman is the No. 3 5A West seed at 20-6 and will host a Tuesday four-school regional while Washburn Rural, the No. 4 West seed in 6A at 16-7, will host a Thursday regional.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
Topeka High junior Jo'Mhara Benning and the Trojan softball team will compete in a Tuesday Class 6A regional at the Three Rivers Youth Complex in Maize. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
At Two Rivers Youth Complex (Maize) -- Topeka High is the No. 6 seed in the West at 16-10 and will be on the road Tuesday for a 3 p.m. semifinal game against No. 11 Wichita Heights (9-13) at TRYC.
The Trojans were 7-9 on the season before winning nine of their last 10 regular-season games.
Tournament host Campus, the No. 3 West seed at 14-6 will play a 4:30 p.m. semifinal against No. 14 seed Wichita South (6-18).
The two semifinal winners will play for the regional championship at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with the regional champion advancing to the state tournament May 23-24 at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence.
Topeka High won back-to-back 6A state titles in 2021 and 2022.
Washburn Rural's Justice McBurney is congratulated by her teammates after last week's grand slam home run against Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
At Washburn Rural -- Washburn Rural, 16-7 on the season, is the No. 4 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 13 seed Liberal (6-18) in the second semifinal at Rural.
No. 5 seed Maize (18-8) will play Thursday's first semifinal at 3 p.m. against No. 12 Garden City (9-15).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five city high school girls soccer teams will be at home to open their postseason bids with regional contests while a sixth city school received a first-round bye.
Washburn Rural and Topeka High in Class 6A, Seaman and Shawnee Heights in 5A and Hayden in 4A-1A earned home field advantage for their regional openers while Cair Paravel Latin earned a first-round bye in 4A-1A.
The first two rounds of regional competition will be held this week, followed by state quarterfinals and the final four in all three state tournaments next week.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving city schools:
Junior Kate Hinck (9) and the Washburn Rural girls soccer team in the No. 1 West seed for the Class 6A playoffs. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
Campus at Washburn Rural
Washburn Rural is the No. 1 West seed with a 13-3-0 record and will be at McElroy Field for a 6 p.m. regional opener Tuesday against No. 16 Campus (3-13-0).
Rural, third in 6A last season, has assured itself of being at home through the state quarterfinals if the Junior Blues continue to win and the Class 6A state tournament will also be held in Topeka at Hummer Sports Park.
The Junior Blues are coming off a 1-0 heartbreaker to nine-time state champion Blue Valley West on Friday, but that was the first goal Rural had allowed since late March while running off 10 straight victories and clinching the Centennial League title and the top West seed.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high school baseball teams will compete in regional tournaments this week, vying for berths in state May 23-24 at sites across the state.
Topeka High in Class 6A and Seaman in 5A both earned home-field advantage for regionals, with the Trojans gunning for their second straight state appearance after ending a seven-decade drought last season while the Vikings set a state record with their 19th straight appearance a year ago and will be gunning for their 20th consecutive trip to state this week.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
Senior pitching star Nate Plankinton and the Topeka High baseball team will host a Class 6A regional tournament on Tuesday at Hummer Sports Park, with the Trojans aiming for their second straight state berth. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
At Hummer Sports Park -- Topeka High is the No. 2 seed in the West and will be at home to host its four-school regional on Tuesday.
Topeka High is 15-4 on the season and will host No. 15 seed Wichita East (7-18) in Tuesday's second semifinal at approximately 4 p.m. following a 2 o'clock game between No. 7 Liberal (13-10) and No. 10 Derby (11-15).
The winners will play for the regional title at about 6 p.m., with the regional champion advancing to the 6A state tournament May 23-24 at the University of Kansas' Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence.
Topeka High has won 10 of its last 11 games, including four straight wins, entering postseason.
Senior Kyle Walker is a top player for Washburn Rural, which will compete in a Wednesday Class 6A regional at Free State. [File photo/TSN]
At Lawrence Free State -- Washburn Rural, 13-9 on the season, is the No. 6 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Free State against No. 11 seed Campus (10-14) in the first regional semifinal at Free State.
Host Free State, the No. 3 seed at 19-6, will play the second semifinal at about 4 p.m. against No. 14 Dodge City (9-15).
