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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman boys basketball had no problem getting fired up for Tuesday's 2025-2026 season-opener against Piper.
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner (33), who scored 37 points, celebrates Tuesday's 83-75 season-opening win over No. 2 Piper with his Viking teammates. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
First of all, the Vikings got the chance to play in front of their home fans, with a big, spirited crowd showing up for the United Kansas Conference matchup.
Secondly, Seaman dropped both of its games against the Pirates last season, giving the Vikings some added incentive.
And finally, Piper entered the season with a lofty No. 2 state ranking after finishing third in Class 5A a year ago and second in 2024.
No. 9-ranked Seaman used all of those factors and a huge 37-point performance from senior star KaeVon Bonner to its advantage, rallying from an early deficit to take an 83-75 UKC decision over the Pirates.
"We were definitely fired up,'' Bonner said. "We went 0-2 against them last year and knew they were a good team and they only lost one player, so it was a good warmup game against a very good team, top in the league.
"We heard that they're ranked (second), so we wanted to take that spot and make them respect us. This a good start. We know that we can beat any team now.''
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner puts up a shot in Tuesday's 83-75 season-opening win over No. 2 Piper. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Bonner, who had scored 32 points in his last time out against Piper, was even better Tuesday, hitting 10 of 18 shot from the field with three 3-pointers and going 14 of 17 at free throw line.
And Bonner also got plenty of help from his teammates, with senior Griffin Zuniga adding 19 points and seniors Landon Wiltz and Cameron Brian 10 points each.
Piper jumped out to 6-0, 12-3 and 15-6 leads in the early going, but the Vikings didn't lose contact, rallying to within 17-15 by the end of the opening quarter and taking a 41-40 lead at the half on a buzzer-beating bucket from Bonner.
The game remained tight through most of the third stanza before Seaman closed the quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 63-56 lead into the final period.
Seaman opened the final eight minutes with a Zuniga 3-pointer and a Bonner hoop to open up a 12-point cushion at 68-56 and the Pirates got no closer than four the rest of the way.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake sophomore Kendrick VandeVelde, senior Dayne Johnson and junior Owen Rottinghaus and Rossville senior Conner Bush received All-Big East League first-team football recognition for the 2025 season.
Conner Bush, Rossville
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
VandeVelde was named to the first-team offensive line, while Johnson was a first-team pick at wide receiver and Rottinghaus the all-league returner after helping lead Silver Lake to a 7-3 record.
Bush was named to the All-Big East first-team defense at defensive back after helping the 11-2 Bulldawgs advance to the Class 1A state championship game.
Silver Lake's Johnson (defensive back) and senior Jayden Waterer (linebacker) were named to the all-league second team as were Rossville junior Charlie Chance (offensive lineman), senior Jack Donovan (defensive back) and senior Andre Johnson (linebacker).
Rossville and Silver Lake combined for 12 honorable mention picks.
2025 ALL-BIG EAST LEAGUE FOOTBALL
First team offense
Line -- Caleb McCrory, sr., Holton; Hendryx Wahl, sr., Nemaha Central; Holden Edelman, jr., Sabetha; Camden Wittwer, jr., Sabetha; Kendrick VandeVelde, so., Silver Lake.
Quarterback -- Carter Hajek, sr., Nemaha Central.
Running back -- Will Voos, sr., Sabetha; Korleone Holz, sr., St. Marys.
Tight end -- Reid Mitchell, sr., Sabetha.
Wide receiver -- Brody Schwinn, jr., Jefferson West; Dayne Johnson, sr., Silver Lake.
First team defense
Line -- Osiris Unruh, sr., Jefferson West; Danny Childress, jr., Nemaha Central; Kyler Ganstrom, sr., Nemaha Central; Holden Edelman, jr., Sabetha; Roger Browning, sr., St. Marys.
Linebacker -- Cael Frazier, sr., Holton; Jack Macke, sr., Nemaha Central; Amos Brakenhoff, sr., Perry-Lecompton.
Defensive back -- Caleb Strathman, sr., Nemaha Central; Conner Bush, sr., Rossville; Griffin Cumpton, sr., Royal Valley; Curtis Fitzgerald, jr., Sabetha.
All-purpose -- Cole Menold, sr., Sabetha.
Kicker -- Jayton Meyer, jr., Sabetha.
Punter -- Jayton Meyer, jr., Sabetha.
Returner -- Owen Rottinghaus, jr., Silver Lake.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JADYN BAUM, Washburn Rural
Baum, a junior, earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition at 190 pounds last season after posting a 28-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament for Washburn Rural, which finished third as a team. Baum is ranked No. 4 at 190 pounds in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and is top-ranked in 6A at 215.
BRENNEN BOWERS, Seaman
A senior 157-pounder, Bowers is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings. Bowers was a 5A state qualifier last season and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the Vikings.
BRODY BROWN, Shawnee Heights
Brown, a junior, is a two-time Class 5A state qualifier and earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season at 138 pounds. Brown is expected to wrestle at 150 pounds this winter and is currently ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its preseason rankings.
KAYDEN CLELLAND, Silver Lake
A junior 165-pounder, Clelland was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after winning a Class 4A regional championship to qualify for state with a 32-11 record through regional competition.
RYDER FOSTER, Rossville
Foster, a sophomore 106-pounder, is currently ranked No. 5 in Class 3A-1A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in its second preseason rankings. Foster was a state qualifier as a freshman, posting a fourth-place regional finish.
JOSE GOMEZ, Topeka High
Gomez, a junior, posted a 24-13 record last season at 106 pounds and earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition. Gomez is currently ranked No. 4 in the Class 6A preseason rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
RYDER HARRISON, Washburn Rural
Harrison, a senior 120-pounder, was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season, posting a 27-15 record for the Junior Blues and finishing sixth in Class 6A. Harrison is ranked No. 4 at 120 pounds in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 6A preseason rankings.
EVAN JOHNSON, Shawnee Heights
Johnson, a senior, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season and is a three-time Class 5A state qualifier for the T-Birds. Johnson is expected to wrestle at 165 pounds this season and is currently ranked No. 5 in 5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
A junior 150-pounder, Kocher-Munoz was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last season for Washburn Rural, posting a 16-7 record on the season and finishing fourth in Class 6A for the third-place Junior Blues. Munoz is ranked third at 150 pounds in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association 6A preseason rankings and 10th in the All-Class rankings.
Landen Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural
LANDEN KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
Kocher-Munoz, a senior 138-pounder, captured his second Class 6A state championship last season in his third straight trip to the state finals. Kocher-Munoz posted a 30-3 record, earning All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for a third straight season. Kocher-Munoz is top-ranked in 6A and No. 3 in the All-Class rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
Jude Krentz, Hayden
JUDE KRENTZ, Hayden
A senior, Krentz earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors last season at 175 pounds last season after earning his third straight trip to the Class 4A state tournament. Krentz posted a 42-2 record en route to a fourth-place state finish and is currently ranked No. 7 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association All-Class rankings and No. 2 in 4A.
KAIDEN MARSHALL, Washburn Rural
A sophomore 215-pounder, Marshall was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season while also earning all-county first-team recognition. Marshall, who posted a 17-11 record and finished fourth in Class 6A for the third-place Junior Blues, is expected to move up to 285 pounds this season and is ranked No. 4 in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association preseason rankings.
Caleb Menke, Hayden
CALEB MENKE, Hayden
Menke, a junior 157-pounder, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season after qualifying for the Class 4A state meet with a second-place regional finish. Menke is ranked sixth in 4A in the second of two Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association preseason rankings and is 10th-ranked in the All-Class rankings.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twenty-seven Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West players earned spots on the All-United Kansas Conference football team, led by four first-team selections.
AJ Gallegos, Shawnee Heights
Nas Williams-Brown, Topeka West
Cameron Brian, Seaman
Hayden Foxhoven, Seaman
Shawnee Heights senior wide receiver AJ Gallegos and Topeka West sophomore all-purpose pick Nas Brown-Williams were named to the All-UKC first-team offense while Seaman senior linebacker Cameron Brian and Viking defensive back Hayden Foxhoven were named to the first-team defense.
Seaman put junior Coy Barta (wide receiver), senior Noah Kobuszewski (tight end) and senior Brogen Brown (line) on the All-UKC second-team offense while Shawnee Heights is represented by senior Aiden Scott (quarterback) and junior Will Skaggs (line).
The T-Birds put seniors Blake Coffman (line), Tyren Parker (defensive back) and Camden Granado (kicker) on the second-team defense while Topeka West is represented by senior Marcus Kirtdoll (line).
Fourteen city players received all-conference honorable mention.
United Kansas Conference Football
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team won the NCAA Central Region Championship Sunday with a 1-0 win over St. Cloud State in St. Joseph, Minn., and is advancing to the Elite Eight.
Washburn celebrates its NCAA Central Region championship in the snow Sunday in St. Joseph, Minn. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"I thought our defensive organization was really good, thought we were hard to break down, and we believe that we will always have a chance to score a goal," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It's fun playing in these different environments that you don't usually play in. I'm proud of the team and how we attacked today with confidence and were so tough in the elements -- true warriors!"
"I think our grit plays a big part in it,'' Washburn senior Belle Kennedy said. "We don't take anything for granted, we accept all conditions, and any challenges we face."
Washburn, now 13-3-6, had shots in the opening two minutes by Grace Peterson and Kate Hinck that were saved.
In the last minute of the half, the Ichabods had three shots saved by the Huskies' goalie.
Washburn outshot St. Cloud, 8-1, and had five corners to just one by the Huskies in the opening 45 minutes.
It was a back-and-forth start to the second half, with both teams having a shot on goal in the opening 10 minutes.
Washburn would have a header by Peterson in the 68th minute put into the side netting.
The Ichabods finally got the breakthrough goal in the 75th minute from senior Aubrey Tanksley, who headed home a corner by Bricelyn Betts.
Tanksley's goal was her first of the season and seventh of her Washburn career while Betts recorded her third assist of the year.
Washburn was able to close out the match from there to win the region championship and move on to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.
The Ichabods recorded their 13th clean sheet of the year.
Washburn outshot St. Cloud State, 12-5, and took seven corners in the match.
Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley now has 10 shutouts on the season.
Washburn will take on the Midwest Region Champion, Missouri-St. Louis, in the Elite Eight on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. The site and game time have yet to be confirmed.
