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Top-ranked Scots roll on with 63-25 Meadowlark Conference win over Stallions
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The top-ranked and undefeated Highland Park boys got off to a slow start in Monday's home Meadowlark Conference game against Kansas City-Schagle, which didn't come as a big shock to Scots coach Mike Williams.
Highland Park coach Mike Williams talks to his team during Monday's 63-25 win over KC-Schlagle. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After all, Highland Park was playing the first varsity game of the night, about two hours earlier than normal, in front of a small crowd with zero pre-game fanfare.
But after scoring just eight first quarter points and trailing by a point, Highland Park got things cranked up in the second quarter and never looked back, improving to 16-0 overall and 8-0 in the conference with a 63-25 romp past the Stallions.
"It's an early game, a different environment,'' Williams said. "We're used to everybody being in it and the band around, but it's the type of game you've got to figure out how to play. There will be a 3 o'clock game at state, a 5 o'clock game at state and there's no energy and then you're complaining about why you didn't play well and who knows what happens in that environment and that situation.
"So I thought our guys did a good job. It's unfortunate that some games are a little bit harder to get up for. Every game aint like playing Topeka High or Topeka West, where everybody's in the gym and we're also dealing with teenagers, but I thought we did a good job of answering the call.''
After trailing 9-8 at the start of the second period, the Scots held a 23-6 scoring margin in the quarter, including the first 12 points, to open up a commanding 31-15 halftime advantage.
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.
