- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2-ranked Washburn University volleyball had its eight-match winning streak snapped on Friday night in a 3-2 road loss to No. 23 Missouri Western.
Senior Austin Broadie had 12 kills for Washburn in Friday's five-set MIAA road loss at Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will look to bounce back on Saturday in Maryville, Mo. against Northwest Missouri, with first serve set for 3 p.m.
Friday's match marked the first time in conference play that Washburn (20-2 overall, 9-2 MIAA) played five sets.
After the Griffons (17-5, 9-2) took the first set 25-21 it snapped a 24-set winning streak for the Ichabods going back to the Sept. 27 meeting with Missouri Western, which has handed Washburn both its losses this season.
Set two went in the Ichabods favor, 25-19, with the next two split each way 25-13 for Western and 25-17 for Washburn. The decisive fifth set was won by Missouri Western 15-12 to take the match.
The first set was taken control of by the Griffons as they went on a 6-1 run to lead 9-6. Washburn battled back, tying the match at 13 on a kill by Keilah Rivers and going ahead briefly at 15-14. Another 6-1 burst by Missouri Western pushed them in front 22-18 and the Ichabods were unable to overcome the late deficit, falling by four points.
In the second Washburn got out to an early 6-3 lead, capped off by a Sydney Conner ace. Both teams traded 5-0 runs in the middle of the set, ending with a 15-13 Ichabod lead on an Austin Broadie kill. Washburn finished the set with three straight points and the final two coming on aces by Bella Limback to even up the match.
Missouri Western responded quickly, leading 13-4 in the third set after an 8-0 rally. The Ichabods won four points in a row, two coming on kills by freshman former Washburn Rural standout Layla Collins before the Griffons went on another 8-0 run pushing the lead into double figures. The Griffons would go on to take the set by 12 points.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer posted a 2-0 road win over Northwest Missouri State Friday to protect its lead in the MIAA title race.
Junior Mackinly Rohn scored her second goal of the season in Friday's 2-0 Washburn soccer win over Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
."It was a total team effort today,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I thought we did a really good job establishing the tempo of the game early and staying committed to it until the goals came.
"I loved the competitive energy from our team today.''
No. 19-ranked Washburn improved to 11-2-3 overall and 8-0-2 in the MIAA while extending its unbeaten streak to 12 games (10 games, two ties).
Washburn came up empty in the first 45 minutes despite multiple chances before finally getting on the scoreboard in the 66th minute on a goal from freshman Jules Wardlaw after the ball bounced around in the box.
Washburn would record a crucial second goal in the 77th minute on a shot from junior Mackinly Rohn, a former Washburn Rural star.
With the win the Ichabods stayed atop the MIAA Conference standings with 26 points with two matches to play.
Washburn outshot Northwest Missouri 14-2 and held the Bearcats to zero shots in the second half.
Wardlaw and Rohn both scored their second goals of the season.
Washburn will be back on the road Sunday to face Missouri Western in a 1 p.m. contest.
- Details
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
A 2025 football season full of disappointments, challenges and triumphs for Highland Park came to a close Friday.
The Scots fought from start to finish, but were ultimately defeated by De Soto 49-16 at Hummer Sports Park in the opening round of the Class 5A East playoffs.
Junior G'Honi Montgomery returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and also rushed for 76 yards in Highland Park's 49-16 Class 5A playoff loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Scots’ only two losses in the regular season were contests forfeited as the fallout of a fight in the third game of the year. But they bounced back to vanquish rival Atchison, then to knock off undefeated Kansas City-Washington to claim the Meadowlark Conference title.
For a program on the rise, there was plenty to be proud of. The lopsided defeat to De Soto didn’t define the Scots’ season, coach Jermaine Monroe said.
“When you plan a whole summer, you don’t expect or plan for those things to happen. But that adversity, I think it just made us stronger,” Monroe said. “We became a stronger team during that break. We put way more focus on our sportsmanship. And we knew that, together, we were going to stand together as a family throughout any situation.”
Highland Park was the higher seed, but faced a team with an identical 6-2 record and which features a no-frills, straightforward attack. The Wildcats bolted to a 14-0 lead in the first period before the Scots could get their offense in gear. The home team began moving the ball late in the first period, but failed to reach the end zone and fell into a 28-0 hole.
Junior G’Honi Montgomery electrified the crowd when he took a pitch on a reverse on a kickoff and raced 90 yards for the Scots’ first score. Highland Park trailed 28-8 at halftime, but showed it was still in the fight by stopping De Soto on back-to-back possessions.
Late in the fourth period, Rayshon Pollard produced another Highland Park highlight on a 78-yard scoop-and-score.
But in the end, the Wildcats pounded out 316 yards on the ground to just 45 in the air.
“We haven’t faced a lot of opponents who run a smashmouth offense like that,” Monroe said. “They stay true to like six plays. We knew exactly everything they were going to run. Our boys knew it, but just to be able to stay on the field with a team that could sustain that for the whole game, it’s just a different grind that we’ve got to get used to.”
Montgomery led the Scots with 76 yards on 14 rugged carries. The Scots mustered just 45 yards passing and 88 yards rushing. But Monroe was pleased with the effort.
“Our boys fought to the end,” Monroe said. “The playmakers who we expect to make plays made plays. Our line did a great job, opened up some holes for our running backs. And our defense, the heart they left on the field, they gave everything they had. The boys never gave up. And the sportsmanship of both teams … that’s the type of stuff that I’m going to remember.”
DE SOTO 49, HIGHLAND PARK 16
- Details
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
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team will hit the road on Saturday to take on Missouri Western, looking to bounce back from a 13-10 heartbreaking overtime loss to Fort Hays State last week.
"We talk about our seven-day season and the game is the end of that,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "We close the chapter after the game and Sunday we move on to the next opponent and try to get better from the film and learn, but this one was a little bit harder to move on from.
"You have some games that are easy to move on from, win or loss, and some are tough to move on from. This is one of the tougher ones, but the guys have done a great job of responding this week and are ready to go against another good opponent but another game that we've got to play well to win.''
Topekan Ky Thomas (8) rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's 13-10 overtime loss to Fort Hays State. [File photo/TSN]
Former Topeka High star Ky Thomas, who rushed for 95 yards and scored the Ichabods' lone touchdown against the Tigers, agreed with his coach that WU's focus has to be on bouncing back.
"We have to take what we can from that game and learn from it and move on to the next seven-game season as coach Watkins says,'' said Thomas, who has scored four touchdowns over the past three games. "We'll take it one day at a time and get just get better as the season goes on.''
Washburn will take a 2-6 overall record and 1-5 MIAA mark into Saturday's 2 p.m. game while the Griffons are also 2-6 and 1-5.
Saturday's game will mark the second season in a row the Ichabods and Griffons have played in St. Joseph, with the Ichabods winning last year's matchup, 24-16.
The Griffons are coming off a 19-12 road win over Missouri Southern last Saturday.
Sophomore linebacker JC Heim leads the MIAA and is third in the national rankings in tackles per game with 12.6 stops while junior L.J. Minner Jr. is fourth in the MIAA with 9.6 tackles per game.
Senior Jordan Finnesy's 239 career tackles rank 16th on the NCAA D2 active chart and he is 16th on the D2 active solo tackles chart with 146.
Senior punter Jake Zeller is fifth on the NCAA D2 active punting average chart at 41.8 and he is seventh in total punt yards (6,479).
Zeller is second in the MIAA and ninth in the national rankings in punting average at 42.6 and Zeller is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.8 and ninth in total yards at 6,479.
