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Highland Park girls romp to 79-11 Meadowlark Conference decision over Stallions
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was evident from Monday's opening minutes that Highland Park's Meadowlark Conference home game against Kansas City-Schlagle was going to be a blowout.
Sophomore Pearmella Carter scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Highland Park's 79-11 win over KC-Schlagle. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But even though the Scots cruised to a 79-11 rout after scoring the first 21 points, Highland Park coach Rob Brown said his team (12-3 overall, 8-0 in the conference) got what it needed to get out of Monday's game.
"The main thing we came into tonight talking about was just getting the ball moving side to side better, sharing the ball and just trying to stay engaged the whole game and being able to finish games the right away and just keep growing as a team,'' Brown said.
"I felt like we grew as a team tonight.''
KC-Schlagle (1-7, 1-7) did not get on the scorboard until the Stallions connected on a 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the first quarter and Highland Park led 25-3 at the start of the second quarter.
Things only got worse for the Stallions from that point on, with Highland Park using a 20-6 second quarter to go up 45-9 at the half.
No. 7-ranked Seaman outlasts No. 8 T-Birds 68-66 despite Sanchez's 39-point night
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tuesday's United Kansas Conference matchup between No. 7-ranked Seaman and No. 8 Shawnee Heights included a little bit of everything -- four players fouling out, four players picking up technical fouls and a spectacular 39-point performance by T-Bird senior Jaret Sanchez.
Junior KaeVon Bonner led the way with 26 points as Seaman outlasted Shawnee Heights 68-66 Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
But in the end, homestanding Seaman came up with just enough big plays down the stretch to escape with a 68-66 win in a game that included 11 ties and 11 lead changes.
"We have tremendous respect for their team and the season that they've had and knew how tough it would be to compete with them,'' said Seaman coach Craig Cox, whose team improved to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in the UKC. "I give our guys credit for doing enough to get it done.''
Viking junior KaeVon Bonner scored 13 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to help offset Sanchez's big night for Shawnee Heights (13-3, 9-3).
"He stepped up when we really needed him to and kind of answered what Sanchez had going on for them because we couldn't stop the kid,'' Cox said.
"It was a very competitive game because we knew they're one of the top teams and getting that big one right there was really big to us,'' Bonner said.
Shawnee Heights led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter and took a 25-23 advantage to the locker room at halftime, leading by 5 late in the half before Bonner nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Heights led by 5 again early in the second half and led 40-36 late in the third period before Bonner hit a pair of free throws on a technical foul to cut Seaman's deficit to 40-39 at the start of the fourth.
T-Birds girls upbeat despite having five-year UKC title string snapped by Bobcats
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' girls wrestling team entered Saturday's United Kansas Conference Championships looking for a sixth straight UKC team title.
But even though Basehor-Linwood ended the T-Birds' bid by a 209.5-184 margin, Heights coach Chad Parks praised his team's effort and was already looking forward to upcoming regional and state competition.
"We actually wrestled lights out today,'' Parks said. "We didn't lose very many matches at all. Basehor's just tough, we're tough and it's just going to be a battle.''
Shawnee Heights senior Madison Freeland won the 140-pound United Kansas Conference title Saturday at Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Cianna Graves improved to 31-2 on the season while winning the 150-pound United Kansas Conference title for Shawnee Heights Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds earned four individual championships and added four runnerup finishes, a third and a fourth but Basehor-Linwood countered with five individual golds, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth.
"When you get a little bigger tournament sometimes it's a little different than a small tournament,'' Parks said. "We've won almost tournament this year and we just keep doing what we do.''
Shawnee Heights got girls individual titles from senior 125-pounder Reece Taylor, senior 130-pounder Isabel Reyes, senior 140-pounder Madison Freeland and junior 150-pounder Cianna Graves while freshman Ava Gutierrez (100), junior Olivia Stevens (145), sophomore Brooklyn Binkley (170) and junior Shelby Watson (190) all posted runnerup conference finishes.
Taylor improved to 30-3 on the season, posting a 1:46 pin in the championship match, while Reyes improved to 32-1 with a 44-second pin over Seaman junior Makenna Stuke.
Freeland won the 140 title with a 1:54 pin to improve to 26-6 while Graves is now 31-2 after a pin in 2:46.
Seaman senior Taylie Heston won the 120-pound title in Saturday's UKC tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman, which was without injured standout Koti Best, finished fourth as a team with 85 points, led by senior 120-pound champion Taylie Heston, while the Vikings also got second-place finishes from senior Natalie Smith (110), freshman Avery Villines (115) and Stuke (130).
Heston (27-6) capped her title run with a 9-0 major decision.
Topeka West finished eighth in the girls standings with 11 points, led by fourth-place sophomore Monica Stewart (235).
On the boys side, Basehord-Linwood won the UKC championship by a 242-171.5 margin over Lansing while Seaman (145.5) finished third.
Seaman senior Samson Tootle won the 175-pound UKC title Saturday, helping lead the Vikings to a third-place team finish. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Senior Samson Tootle won the 175-pound championship to lead the Vikings, one of four Seaman wrestlers to reach the championship round.
Tootle improved to 28-11 on the season with a 10-1 major decision over Lansing's Xavier Harmon.
The Eagles also got runnerup finishes from sophomore Ross Shipley (144), senior Gabe Brannick (165) and senior Deyton Mentzer (215).
"The kids are figuring it out later in the season and we're starting to peak at the right time,'' Seaman coach Tony Pena said. "I'm real young. I've got a lot of first and second-year wrestlers on my varsity right now and they're learning.
"I'm seeing progress every week, which is great.''
Shawnee Heights finished seventh with 52.5 points, led by third-place sophomore Dallas Owens (132).
Topeka West finished ninth (26), getting a fourth-place showing from junior Cortez McCutcheon (285).
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE WRESTLING
