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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Top Class 5A East seed Shawnee Heights opened its postseason bid with a 6-1 regional semifinal win over United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Shawnee Heights senior Camden Granado (left) scored three goals in Tuesday's 6-1 regional win over Basehor-Linwood, becoming Heights' career-leading scorer. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Camden Granado scored a three-goal hat trick for the T-Birds to become Shawnee Heights' all-time career leading scorer while senior Juan Garcia added two goals and senior Wyatt Lindecrantz one.
Garcia also had an assist in the win while junior Mason Haas, senior Sheldon Pokphanh and senior Chase Tofflemire also had assists.
The T-Birds improved to 15-2-0 on the season, with their only losses coming against 6A power Washburn Rural and fellow 5A power Blue Valley Southwest.
Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6 p.m. Thursday semifinal at Bettis to face No. 9 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (8-8-1), a 3-2 winner over Kansas City-Turner.
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (middle), Rural's single-season and career scoring leader, scored three goals in Tuesday's 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
Rural rolls to 9-1 regional win over Wichita Northwest
Washburn Rural improved to 15-1-1 with a 9-1 Class 6A regional semifinal win over 4-12-1 Wichita Northwest Tuesday night at McElroy Field.
Senior Dylan Willingham, Rural's single-season and career-leading scorer, led the Junior Blues with a three-goal hat trick while junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz and senior Brandon Hamilton scored two goals apiece and senior Brody Grogan and junior Myles Didde had one goal each.
Senior Draden Chooncharoen and Didde both had two assists apiece while Willingham, senior Everett Un and senior Drew Moore had one assist each.
Rural, the No. 2 6A West seed, advanced to a 6 p.m. home game Thursday to host No. 7 seed Wichita East (12-5-0), which moved on with a 5-0 win over Junction City.
Cair Paravel advances with 6-2 4A-1A regional romp
Cair Paravel Latin, the No. 5 West seed in Class 4A-1A, advanced to a Thursday regional final with a 6-2 Monday win over No. 12 seed Circle (5-11-1).
The Lions, now 10-6-0, advanced to a 4 p.m. Thursday game at Berean Academy (12-5-1), with Berean advancing with a 3-1 wins over El Dorado.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Silver Lake volleyball coach Sarah Johnson expected her team to be good this fall, but she is quick to admit that she never really expected the 41-1 record that the Eagles will take into this week's Class 3A state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Silver Lake volleyball celebrates a point in last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Now the aim for top-seeded Silver Lake is to finish off its dream season with the school's 10th state title and first since 2018.
"I honestly wasn't expecting this record at this point in the season, however, I did have very high hopes for this squad,'' Johnson said. "My first feeling of, 'this team has the potential to go far,' was this summer at the Mokan volleyball tournament at Washburn University.
"We came out first at that tourney with some tough competition. There is just something special about them. They are all bought in, willing to give their all, okay with being held accountable, and have a love and respect for one another cheering the other one on.''
Silver Lake's only loss came against 5A sub-state finalist Shawnee Heights in its 10th match of the season and the Eagles have reeled off 32 straight wins entering 3A pool play Thursday.
"Leadership and unity is definitely part of it,'' Johnson said of the Eagles' success. "A good sign of leadership is the ability to listen. I feel that they are all open to each other's ideas and feedback. They take it and learn from it. A big thing I've seen with this group leading to the success they've had thus far is the ability to not get rattled.
"We talk about getting uncomfortable in practices so when we are faced with uncomfortable situations in matches, it's familiar and we are comfortable. They have that calm confidence that helps them in those tough situations.''
Johnson knows that the Eagles are likely to encounter some of those tough situations in a 3A field that includes five teams with at least 33 wins and all eight with at least 26.
But the Silver Lake coach knows her team is extrememly capable of answering the challenge.
"Yes, this weekend will be tough,'' Johnson said. "Our goal is to keep at it like we have all year -- limit our own errors, not let a team go on runs and adjust to different players/teams quickly and efficiently without getting rattled.
"(We want to) continue rising to the occasion and competing at a high level physically and mentally.''
In the brand new state tournament format installed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the 3A field will play its three pool matches on Thursday before a day off on Friday and the semifinals, championship and third-place matches on Saturday.
Silver Lake sophomore Karys Deiter spikes the ball during last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake junior Jaylie Whitehead makes a return during last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
The Eagles will open their state bid at 11 a.m. Thursday with a Pool I match against No. 8 seed Hesston (26-12). After a match off, Silver Lake will return to the court at 1 p.m. to face No. 5 seed Ellsworth (32-8) before closing out pool play with a 3 o'clock match against No. 4 Wichita Trinity (28-5).
On the other side of the 3A bracket are No. 2 seed Riverton (36-4), No. 3 Hoisington (36-4), No. 6 Holton (34-9) and No. 7 Osage City (27-12).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 9 a.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 3A VOLLEYBALL
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
THURSDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Wichita Trinity (4: 28-5) vs. Ellsworth (5: 32-8).
11 -- Silver Lake (1: 41-1) vs. Hesston (8: 26-12).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Trinity vs. Hesston.
1 -- Silver Lake vs. Ellsworth.
2 -- Ellsworth vs. Hesston.
3 -- Silver Lake vs. Wichita Trinity.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Hoisington (3: 36-4) vs. Holton (6: 34-9).
11 -- Riverton (2: 36-4) vs. Osage City (7: 27-12).
12 p.m. -- Hoisington vs. Osage City.
1 -- Riverton vs. Holton.
2 -- Holton vs. Osage City.
3 -- Riverton vs. Hoisington.
SATURDAY
9 a.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Eight-time Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural will be making its ninth straight state tournament appearance this weekend in Salina. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural takes aim on ninth Class 6A state crown
Eight-time Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural will be looking for title No. 9 this weekend in its ninth straight state appearance.
The 30-7 Junior Blues earned the No. 4 seed for Friday and Saturday's 6A event at Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina with a 30-7 record.
Six of Rural's seven losses have come against state tournament teams in 6A, 5A and 4A, while the seventh defeat came at the hands of a Gardner-Edgerton team that played in a 6A sub-state final.
And now Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led the Junior Blues to all eight of their state titles and ranks No. 2 on Kansas' all-time wins list, is hoping his team can step up its game even more this weekend.
"It's all about raising your level of play and your level of intensity, your mental toughness, and all those factors go into it,'' Bordewick said. "But we still have to be us. We can't be somebody we're not.
"The greatest teams make the routine plays more often than just making great plays and if we can just make routine plays more often than the other team we should be alright.''
The Junior Blues will open Pool I play in Friday's first match of the day at 10 a.m., facing No. 5 seed Olathe West (26-7), and Bordewick said he wants all of his team's focus to be on that match against an Owls team that defeated Rural 15-25, 25-19, 25-22 early in the season.
"We're just worried about Olathe West,'' he said. "We haven't really talked about any other teams yet. We did not feel like we played well against them, but they had a lot to do with that, too, when we played them way back in early Sept.
Brynn Anderson has turned in a banner freshman season, helping lead the Junior Blues to a ninth straight Class 6A state tournament berth. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
"I think overall, when you put everything together, we've come a really long way. We expect a lot out of ourselves and we have standards that people strive to get to and I think they've done that. They've continued what we've had for several years really, really well. I'm pretty proud of all of them.''
After a match break after facing Olathe West, Washburn Rural will face No. 8 seed Free State (20-12) at 12 p.m. before closing out pool play at 3 p.m. against top seed and two-time defending state champ Mill Valley (31-4).
On the other side of the 6A bracket are No. 2 seed Blue Valley West (30-4), No. 3 Wichita Northwest (30-6), No. 6 Manhattan (27-8) and No. 7 Olathe Northwest (28-9).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 1 p.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 6A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Washburn Rural (4: 30-7) vs. Olathe West (5: 26-7).
11 -- Mill Valley (1: 31-4) vs. Free State (8: 20-12).
12 p.m. -- Washburn Rural vs. Free State.
1 -- Mill Valley vs. Olathe West.
2 -- Olathe West vs. Free State.
3 -- Mill Valley vs. Washburn Rural.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6) vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8).
11 -- Blue Valley West (2: 30-4) vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Northwest vs. Olathe Northwest.
1 -- Blue Valley West vs. Manhattan.
2 -- Manhattan vs. Olathe Northwest.
3 -- Blue Valley West vs. Wichita Northwest.
SATURDAY
1 p.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was a cold, rainy and windy night at Hummer Sports Park Tuesday night.
But nothing could rain on Topeka West soccer's parade to a Class 5A regional final as the Chargers rolled to a 6-2 win over Hays, avenging a season-ending loss to the Indians in the 2024 playoffs.
Junior JP Ayella (right) scored a pair of goals Tuesday in Topeka West's 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Tuesday was a much different story for West, now 13-2-2 on the season, with senior JP Ayella finding the back of the net just 1 minute, 45 seconds into the game, the beginning of a 3-0 start for the Chargers, who will host Salina South at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hummer.
The Chargers' early offensive explosion -- three goals in the first 6:13 -- was a welcome sight for Topeka West coach Josh Kutter, whose team had been blanked 2-0 in last season's playoff contest and managed just one goal in a 1-0 tournament victory over the Indians early this season.
"That was really big,'' Kutter said. "We know that we're capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and we always know that we want to get off quick, but that confidence, it carries you through a game, so having that confidence and that energy that they had for the entire game was really important.''
"Starting fast helps us advance and gets our hopes up and all, so I was really glad I was able to get that first goal quick,'' Ayella said. "Overnight I was thinking, 'Man, we have to win,' because you're going to feel so bad if you don't win and the season's done like that, so my emotions were high and I was like, 'We've got to win.' ''
Topeka West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (9) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first of two goals in the Chargers' 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera made it a 2-0 game at the 36:16 mark of the opening half and just 2:31 later junior D'Ante Smith Dilone scored to put the Chargers in command at 3-0.
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The 2025 All Shawnee County girls golf team -- From left: Lauren Cox, Washburn Rural; Kailyn Petersen, Washburn Rural; Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake; Elise Eckert, Seaman; Makenna Stuke, Seaman; Lauren Borjon, Hayden; Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five state medalists, including three first-team repeat picks, headline the 2025 All-Shawnee County girls golf team.
Hayden seniors Lauren Borjon and Izzy Glotzbach are both three-time first-team all-county selections while Washburn Rural senior Lauren Cox is a first-team repeater.
City and United Kansas Conference team champion Seaman is represented by seniors Elise Eckert and Makenna Stuke on the all-county first team along with Silver Lake senior Kailyn Hanni and Washburn Rural junior Kailyn Petersen.
Hanni, Stuke and Petersen were all second-team all-county selections in 2024 while Eckert earned first-team honors in her first season at Seaman.
Hanni placed fifth in Class 3A-1A, Glotzbach tied for fifth in 4A and Eckert tied for fifth in 5A while Borjon tied for 12th in 4A and Cox tied for 18th in 6A.
Eckert and Borjon were both four-time state medalists while Glotzbach and Hanni were both repeat medalists.
Eckert in 5A, Glotzbach in 4A and Hanni in 3A-1A all earned first-team All-State honors from the state's coaches while Borjon was a second-team pick and Stuke earned honorable mention.
Named to this year's second team were Washburn Rural seniors Taryn Jellison, Briley Miles and Peyton Merrick, Hayden junior Brooke Johnson, Seaman juniors Chloe Schmidtlein and Kaitlynn Frye and Silver Lake freshman Avenley Head.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Elise Eckert
ELISE ECKERT, Seaman
A senior, Eckert captured her fourth straight Class 5A state girls golf medal in Emporia, tying for fifth with a 36-hole total of 161 (77-84). Eckert, who won city and United Kansas Conference individual championships and finished second at regionals, led the Vikings to a tie for fifth in the team standings.
Izzy Glotzbach
IZZY GLOTZBACH, Hayden
Glotzbach, a senior, finished her high school girls golf career with a tie for fifth in the Class 4A state tournament at Hutchinson's Carey Park. Glotzbach, who helped Hayden win the 4A team title as a sophomore and junior, had rounds of 85 and 79 to finish at 164 and lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place team finish.
Connor Hanika
CONNOR HANIKA, Hayden
Hanika, a senior quarterback, completed 14 of 21 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers last Friday as the 8-0 Wildcats wrapped up the Class 3A District 4 championship with a 42-0 home victory over Jefferson West. Hanika has now completed 75 of 127 passes for 1,117 yards and 16 touchdowns while throwing just one interception on the season.
