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By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's boys exploited a height advantage on defense and efficiency on offense to defeat the Highland Park boys 60-35 Friday at Washburn Rural.

Junior Cooper Schmidt made an impact on both ends of the floor in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]  

Washburn Rural bounced back from a disappointing loss to Seaman on Tuesday to improve to 9-5. Against Highland Park they hit 26-50 shots from the field, needing just one 3-pointer to rack up 60 points. The Junior Blues jumped out to an 18-7 advantage after one quarter and stretched that lead to 36-16 by halftime before cruising to the victory.

“It was ok. I don’t know that I think we were real sharp,” Washburn Rural coach Alex Hutchins said. “We need to shoot the ball better, but I think we’re more focused on the process than the shots going in necessarily. I think we were better defending them off the dribble than we were when we played them back in December (a 57-44 win for the Junior Blues). But I still think there are some execution things that we’re going to have to clean up to compete against some of the better teams on our schedule the rest of the way.”

Junior Cooper Schmidt, Washburn Rural’s 6-foot-10 post player, scored just six points, but he dominated at both ends of the floor. He knocked away Highland Park shot attempts and cleared the boards while providing a threat in the low post on offense against the much smaller Scots. He was recognized by the team after the game for his impact.

“Coop’s a big kid. That’s a luxury that not every team has, and it’s a luxury that we haven’t had very often,” Hutchins said. “It’s a responsibility of Coop to impact the game without fouling so that he can be that interior presence. And it’s our responsibility as coaches to figure out schematically how to leverage that as best we can. It’s been a growing process for both him and us. As the year’s gone on, I think he’s continued to get better and better at becoming a force protecting the paint for us.”

“I love playing that role,” said Schmidt. “That’s how I’ve been since I was a kid. I’ve always played defense more than offense. So, I don’t mind that at all.”

Washburn Rural scored 15 points in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]

ophomore Brooks Ballard scored 13 points with a 3-pointer in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]  

Offensively, the Junior Blues saw three players crack double figures, and three others tally six points apiece. Leading the way was John Hoytal with 15 points on 7-9 shooting, Brooks Ballard with 13 points on 6-7 shooting, and Myles Bradley with 11 on 4-7 from the field.

“I think we’re definitely going up,” Schmidt said. “We had a couple of rough games a week or two ago. But I think we’re doing better.

“We need to be more disciplined. Honestly, I think it’s more of an effort thing. We have the skill. I think if we just keep working hard we’re going to be good.”

The Scots fell to 3-12 on the season. They were paced by sophomore Davion Anderson, who dropped in four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points.

WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 60, HIGHLAND PARK 35

Highland Park      7 9 9 110 -- 35

Washburn Rural 18 18 13 11 -- 60

Highland Park (3-12) – Anderson 6-17 3-5 19, Montgomery 1-3 0-0 2, Drew 0-1 0-0 0, Mitchell 0-2 0-0 0, Kingcannon 2-10 0-0 4, Smith 0-3 0-0 0, L. McMillon 0-1 0-0 0, Nance 0-5 0-0 0, Powell 4-6 0-0 8, Z. McMillon 0-0 2-2 2, Pollard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-48 5-7 35.

Washburn Rural (9-5) – Ballard 6-7 0-1 13, Jo. Hoytal 7-9 1-2 15, O’Connor 2-5 2-4 6, Chooncharoen 3-5 0-1 6, Schmidt 3-9 0-0 6, Bradley 4-7 3-4 11, Wright 0-1 0-2 0, Nimz 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 0-2 0-0 0, Ja. Hoytal 1-2 1-2 3, Graf 0-1 0-0 0, Vogel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-50 7-16 60.

3-point goals – Highland Park 4 (Anderson 4), Washburn Rural 1 (Ballard 1). Total fouls – Highland Park 16, Washburn Rural 10. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none. 

 

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural swimming ran its string of Topeka City Boys Championships to seven Thursday, running away with the city meet at Capitol Federal Natatorium.

Washburn Rural boys swimming celebrates in the Capitol Federal Natatorium pool Thursday after winning its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]

The Junior Blues were so dominant they claimed all but two of the 11 All-City first-team slots. They racked up 609 points, topping Seaman with 371.

The performance prompted second-year coach Bob Burdick to say that the rebuild from a Class 6A State third-place finish in 2024 is ahead of schedule.

“We lost a lot of seniors (from 2024), and they were really fast seniors. So, we had a rebuild year last year,” Burdick said. “That rebuild went way faster than expected because we got a lot of great swimmers. We’re going to lose 12 seniors this year, but we’re still looking just as solid next year because of all the new freshmen and sophomores coming in as well as the team that will return.

“They’ve got a great attitude and they’ve meshed totally as a team. We don’t have anybody with ego problems or anything like that. So that’s carrying the whole team.”

Daniel Allen won two individual events and swam on two winning relays as Washburn Rural dominated Thursday's city championships. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Braeden Montgomery was a double individual champion Thursday and swam on a winning relay as Washburn Rural won its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN] 

Daniel Allen and Braeden Montgomery led the Junior Blues by taking first in two individual events while Thomas Appuhn, Castle Wallace and Davin Potts each collected one win.

Seaman's Kinser Barbosa won the 50 and 100-yard freestyle in Thursday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Kinser Barbosa highlighted the Seaman performance by taking first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races.

“I was able to push past my limits and break those benchmarks in my individuals and was able to maintain it in both relays too. So, I feel great,” Barbosa said. “This is a special meet where you get to compete with your friends, but also where everyone has that great mindset to push past your limits. Each race is a great race because they all have the same mindset.”

Will Stewart was named to the All-City first team for placing second in two events and for also helping lead Topeka High relay teams to two third-place finishes.

Allen returned to the Junior Blues for his junior year after devoting last season solely to club competition. Burdick knew what he was getting in Allen because, as a freshman, he placed seventh at the state meet in the 500-yard freestyle and also contributed to a relay team that placed third at state.

“Adding Daniel is the anchor for the relays, so we know we’re going to be strong there, but we also have a lot of good swimmers supporting him,” Burdick said. “His attitude is really great for the team. That helps motivate a lot of people and gives us a great role model in the pool.”

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After jumping out to an early 17-4 lead in Thursday's final first-round game in the Capital City Classic, Shawnee Heights girls hit a temporary road block, with Lawrence battling all the way back to tie the game at the end of the first quarter and take a four-point lead midway through the second quarter.

Junior star KK Emmot scored 29 points with seven 3-pointers in Shawnee Heights' 74-61 Capital City Classic win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But after a somewhat stern talking to from veteran T-Bird coach Bob Wells, Shawnee Heights righted its ship en route to a 74-61 victory over the Lions at Topeka High.

"They did (respond),'' Wells said. "It's kind of one of those deals where it is what it is because they're like everybody else in town, fighting the flu and fighting different kinds of stuff and we just had to battle through it.

"And you could tell that sometimes our shots were point-blank misses and I just told them to slow down and be stronger, understand where you're at right now with everything and just be strong and take it up with a little more force and finish, and thank goodness we started doing that.''  

Now 11-3 with 10 straight wins, Shawnee Heights advanced to a 7:30 p.m. semifinal Friday to face Derby, a 65-57 first-round winner over tournament host Topeka High.

T-Bird junior KK Emmot had a big night, scoring a game-high 29 points with seven 3-pointers to key the Shawnee Heights victory.

"After we kind of got pretty much like punched in the mouth, as we would say, we realized we had to step it up and start hitting shots and start playing defense,'' Emmot said. 

"We just had to adjust. That's the game of basketball, adjusting to it.''

Shawnee Heights rallied to take a 37-34 halftime lead and never trailed in the second half even though the 6-6 Lions got within three midway through the third quarter, with the T-Birds opening up a 15-point advantage down the stretch.

Shawnee Heights senior Imani McGlory scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Thursday's 74-61 win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Senior Imani McGlory backed Emmot with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while junior Sami Baum added 11 points and senior Reianna Vega 10.

Junior post Cami Nauholz led Lawrence with 20 points and 14 rebounds while sophomore Macyn Ramsay added 17 points with five treys and senior Jada Baars-Turner scored 13 points.

Lawrence will play a 4:30 p.m. consolation game on Friday against Topeka High, a 65-57 first-round loser to Derby.

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 74, LAWRENCE 61

Lawrence               17 17 15 12  -- 61

Shawnee Heights 17 20 20 17  -- 74

Lawrence (6-6) – Juelsgaard 2-7 0-0 5, Doleman 3-8 0-0 4, Nauholz 7-16 6-6 20, Ramsay 6-8 0-0 17, Baars-Turner 5-8 1-1 13, Barber 0-2 0-0 0, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-49 7-7 61. 

Shawnee Heights (11-3) – Emmot 10-21 2-3 29, McGlory 6-14 0-0 15, Carter 2-10 2-4 7, Baum 5-11 0-0 11, Vega 4-9 1-1 10, Brees 0-0 0-0 0, Hamilton 0-1 0-0 0, Schmidt 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 27-65 7-9 74.

3-point goals – Lawrence 8 (Ramsay 5, Baars-Turner 2, Juelsgaard), Shawnee Heights 13 (Emmot 7, McGlory 3, Carter, Baum, Vega). Total fouls – Lawrence 11, Shawnee Heights 10. Fouled out – Juelsgaard. Technical fouls -- none.

Topeka High junior star Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 37 points and reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone in Thursday's 65-57 loss to Derby. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Rayton scores 37, reaches 1,000-point milestone in Trojan loss

Thursday was a bittersweet night for Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton and the Trojans.

Rayton scored 37 points and surpassed the 1,000-point career milestone for Topeka High, but the Trojans were unable to get over the hump against No. 3-ranked (Class 6A) Derby, dropping a 65-57 first-round decision to the Panthers.

"We started off slow, but we fought,'' Rayton said. "We fought our way back in and it might have been a loss, but it was a good loss because we fought our hardest.''

"They were going on runs and we'd come right back, several times,'' Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. "I was very proud of that because it's very easy to fold your tent and go home.''

Rayton, who scored 33 points in a Tuesday night win over Atchison, surpassed that total with Thursday's 37-point explosion, hitting four 3-pointers among her 14 field goals while hitting five of eight free throws.

Rayton said reaching 1,000 points was a goal she's had since early in her career.

"It was a goal since freshman year, to get my 1,000 points before I'm a senior and I did it my junior year,'' she said.

"She's an athlete, she's got a lot of skills and she's got a great future ahead of her,'' Slaymaker said.

Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points in Thursday's 65-57 Capital City Classic first-round loss to Derby. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Freshman Hailey Caryl added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Topeka High, but no other Trojan had more than three points.

Derby (12-2) rode a balanced attack to Thursday's win, with junior Ahsia Fox scoring 13 points, sophomore Alex Dinsmore 11 points and senior Macayla Askew and junior Maya Harris 10 apiece.

The Panthers never trailed, with just two ties in the opening quarter, and led 18-11 at the end of the first, 29-24 and 46-40 at the start of the final stanza.

Topeka High made numerous runs at the Panthers, getting within a point in the third quarter, but the Trojans were hampered by 20 turnovers on the night.

Topeka High will play a 4:30 p.m. consolation game on Friday against Lawrence, which dropped a 74-61 first-round decision to Shawnee Heights. 

The Trojans beat the Lions 65-47 on Jan. 6.

DERBY 65, TOPEKA HIGH 57

Derby            18 11 17 19  -- 65

Topeka High 11 13 16 17  -- 57

Derby (12-2) – Demel 2-5 2-2 7, Fox 6-16 1-2 13, Dinsmore 5-9 0-0 11, Graham 2-7 1-1 6, Askew 5-11 0-0 10, Watie 0-1 0-0 0, Clingan 0-2 0-0 0, Gutzmer 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 4-6 0-0 8, Harris 3-9 1-2 10. Totals 27-66 6-7 65. 

Topeka High (5-7) – Short 0-1 1-2 1, Marshall 0-6 1-2 1, Rayton 14-27 5-8 37, Caryl 2-5 9-12 13, Gotru 1-2 0-0 2, Triplett 1-1 0-0 3, Whayne 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 16-24 57.

3-point goals – Derby 11 (Harris 3, Damel, Dinsmore, Graham), Topeka High 5 (Rayton 4, Triplett). Total fouls – Derby 23, Topeka High 14. Fouled out – Short. Technical fouls -- none.

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