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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OTTAWA -- Former Rossville football star Corey Catron was a late addition to the East roster for Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg State University, getting the call earlier this month.
But it only took the two-time Class 2A state champion a matter of seconds to jump at the chance.
Former Rossville star Corey Catron takes a quick water break during Sunday night's East practice for Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I wouldn't miss this for anything,'' Catron said during Sunday evening's East practice session at Ottawa University. "This is great.
"I get to wear the Rossville helmet one more time and I wouldn't miss that chance for anything, honestly.''
A big bonus for the 5-foot-8, 166-pound Catron, who will play a slotback posision for the East, is that he gets to play one last time with former teammate and close friend Torrey Horak and his coach at Rossville, Derick Hammes, who is an assistant coach for the East.
"That's also going to be real fun, hanging out with those two one last time this week,'' Catron said.
Catron, who rushed for 1,315 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior, is counting on this week's East training camp to help get him ready to report to Bethel College in Newton, Kansas later this summer.
"Especially with these two and three-a-days it will help getting in shape because I haven't ran as much as I should have,'' Catron said with a smile. "It will help a lot, definitely, especially with the heat this week.''
Catron feels like Bethel, a member of the KCAC, will be a good fit for him.
"Hanging out with some of the players that were down there when I showed up was kind of cool, and just being at a smaller college, not a real big D-II or anything, just felt right for me,'' Catron said.
But before launching his college career, Catron is eager to add his name to Rossville's Shrine Bowl legacy.
"Having your name up there with all the great Rossville guys, that's awesome because there's been a lot of people who have gone through Rossville that's done a great job,'' said Catron, who was named the Topeka Shawnee County Most Inspirational Male Athlete earler this summer. "I'm real excited.''
Catron is one of four Shawnee Country products who will play for the East in Saturday night's game, which will kick off at 7 p.m. at Carnie Smith Stadium.
Horak is playing quarterback for the East while Seaman grad Casen Stallbaumer is playing linebacker and Shawnee Heights grad Orrin Busenitz offensive center.
Horak will play his college football at Central Missouri while Stallbaumer is headed to Emporia State and Busenitz to Washburn.
Topeka High lineman Danny Saili was also selected to play in the game, but was a late withdrawal.
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• Everyone knows Kid Rock is the headliner Saturday at Country Stampede.
• But have you heard about his leadoff act, Old Rubble?
• That best describes SE 77th Street (Gary Ormsby Drive), the washboard that leads to the entrance of Heartland Motorsports Park.
• Look, I don’t know which entity has jurisdiction of that pavement, city or county.
• I know both have had episodes with Heartland Park that did not end in warm and fuzzies.
• But good grief. Country Stampede and the NHRA pro drag racing are easily two of the primary events attracting people to our city and county.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The goal for Megan Lucas and Abby Glynn is to win every time they step on a golf course.
But although the former Washburn Rural state champions fell short of that Tuesday, they still left Topeka Country Club with their heads held high after posting top-five individual finishes in the Kansas Women's Amateur.
Former Washburn Rural stars Abby Glynn (left) and Megan Lucas posted top-five finishes in the Kansas Women's Amateur Tuesday at Topeka Country Club. [Submitted photo]
Lucas, a former Class 6A individual champion, a three-time medalist and two-time state team champ, finished third at 227 after shooting rounds of 77, 75 and 75 while Glynn, a three-time 6A state team champ and three-time individual medalist, tied for fifth at 229 after rounds of 75, 76 and 78.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural teammates Abby Glynn and Megan Lucas have been closely intertwined for much of their golf careers and nothing changed Monday, with the duo just a stroke apart entering Tuesday's final round of the Kansas Women's Amateur at Topeka Country Club.
Former Washburn Rural and current Kansas golf standout Abby Glynn is tied for fourth in the Kansas Women's Amateur at Topeka Country Club after rounds of 75 and 76. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural state champ and current Wichita State standout Megan Lucas is tied for sixth in the Kansas Women's Amateur after Monday rounds of 77 and 75. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Glynn, a three-time Class 6A state team champ and three-time individual medalist, finished Monday's 36-hole day at 151 after rounds of 75 and 76 while Lucas, a former 6A individual champion, three-time medalist and two-time state team champ, is at 152 after shooting rounds of 77 and 75.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's Steve Bushnell and Silver Lake's Alan Cunningham combined for an amazing 15 state baseball championships over long high school coaching careers.
So it's probably not a big surprise that those two coaches ended up up at the top of the TopSports.news' Top 10 Best of the Best Coaches list for baseball.
Former Seaman coach Steve Bushnell earned the No. 1 spot on the TSN Best of the Best Top 10 list in baseball after leading the Vikings to nine Class 5A state championships. [File photo/TSN]
Alan Cunningham
Ryan Schmidt
Brett Cowdin
Bushnell, who earned the No. 1 spot on the Best of the Best list, led Seaman to nine Class 5A state championships, four runner-up finishes and 18 state tournament appearances in 21 seasons before moving into the athletic director's position at Seaman in the 2020-2021 school year.
Cunningham, No. 2 on the list, coached Silver Lake in more than 600 games in two separate stints, posting a combined record of 458-170 with six state titles and a run of 22 state tournament berths in 23 seasons.
Bushnell also earned the No. 1 spot in the Reader's Choice poll, edging out veteran coach Frank Magee by just two votes, while former Rossville coach Mick Keller was a solid No. 3 pick by TSN readers.
Nine members of the Best of the Best Coaches list earned at least one state championship, with seven winning multiple titles.
A five-person panel of current and past sports media professionals with more than 150 years of combined experience met to help determine the final Best of the Best Top 10.
Current Shawnee Heights coach Ryan Schmidt is No. 3 on the Best of the Best list, notching a pair of 5A state titles and a string of state appearances, including 2022, while the late Brett Cowdin, who led Hayden and Topeka West to state crowns, merited the No. 4 position.
Former Shawnee Heights coach Craig Cox, former Silver Lake coach C.J. Hamilton and current Hayden coach Bill Arnold, hold down the No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 Best of the Best spots, with all three coaches earning state championships in two sports.
Cox coached two state championship teams in both baseball and basketball at Shawnee Heights and added a fifth state title in basketball at Seaman this past season while Hamilton is best known as the winningest football coach in Kansas history but also led Silver Lake to three state baseball championships and Arnold has coached Hayden to a pair of baseball championships as well as a football title,
No. 8 on the Best of the Best list is Keller, while former Hayden coach Aaron Becker is No. 9 and and former Seaman coach Phil Loomis rounds out the top 10.
Keller led Rossville to the 3A-1A state title in 1991 while Becker led Hayden to a state title in 2009 and Loomis helped build Seaman into a state contender before turning the head coaching reins over to Bushnell.
Here's a look at the Top 10 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST BASEBALL COACHES
