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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

The Rossville Bulldawgs said before the season that they wanted to make it back to the Class 2A state tournament after getting a taste of it last season.

 

Rossville senior Cameron Miller (11) scored a game-high 24 points in the Bulldwags' 67-51 sub-state win over Maur Hill-Mt. Academy. [File photo/TSN]

 They’re one step closer to that goal fending off the Ravens Wednesday night in a sub-state semifinal, 67-51.

“Play Rossville basketball man,,'' Bulldawg coach Brandon McDonnell said. "Whether it’s pretty or ugly, it’s about surviving and advancing. As long as we can stay playing together and not bicker at each other too much … sometimes we have that slippage and that’s human nature. You’re going to get mad at each other every once and awhile and that can’t happen for too long. It happened a little bit tonight and then they regrouped.

 

“We haven’t been in this conversation for so long as a program. Of course, if we made it last year we want to go right back because we want to let people know it wasn’t a fluke. We got one more game and when we win that, let’s go to state.''

For nearly three minutes with the game was tied at 3-3 before Rossville gained its first lead of the game at 9-8 after senior Cameron Miller made two free-throws.

The Bulldawgs went on a 12-2 run to lead by 11 (21-10), forcing Maur Hill-Mt. Academy into a timeout with 1:04 left in the first quarter. Rossville led 23-14 after one quarter.

Then the Bulldawgs couldn’t miss from beyond the arc, with 12 of ther 13 points in the quarter off 3-pointers, two from Miller and one apiece from Jack Donovan and Conner Bush.

The Bulldawgs led 35-22 after Miller’s second triple and took a 36-23 lead into the break.

“What we try to tell the fellas is the game has to settle eventually,'' McDonell said. "You still got the butterflies, trying to figure out what defense they’re in, what seams we can penetrate and just getting into a flow.

“Sometimes for us it takes until the second quarter to get into that flow and that’s what happened tonight.”

After four quick points to begin the third quarter, including a two-hand slam from Miller in transition, Donovan and Bush would knock down 3-pointers and Rossville would build a 19-point lead.

Rossville led 52-40 at the end of three quarters. Bush had nine points and Donovan finished with 16 points.

“Whenever everyone is scoring the same amount, it means we’re sharing the ball and getting open looks as much as we can, but sometimes it’s going to be lopsided but hey, a win is a win,” said Miller, who finished with a game-high 24 points. 

The Ravens got it down to nine (52-43), its first time trailing under 10 points since the end of the first quarter. But the Bulldawgs would not let it go any further than that.

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By NATHAN SWAFFAR

Topsports.news

WICHITA – Washburn Rural hadn’t seen an individual boys state bowling champion since Blake Massey rolled his way to a title back in 2018.

Washburn Rural senior Cody Spangler captured the Class 6A individual state championship by five pins with a 756 three-game series Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN] 

That was until Wednesday. 

 With a three-game series of 756, Junior Blues senior Cody Spangler took home the Class 6A boys individual bowling title on Wednesday at Wichita’s Bowlero Northrock.

Spangler needed every bit of his score as he edged out Blue Valley North’s Eli Nathan by only five pins. 

“It’s kind of surreal, I wasn’t expecting to do this,” Spangler said following his victory. “I’m kind of speechless right now.”   

Spangler, who finished eighth at regionals, started his series off with a strong 245 in his first game. He rolled a slightly lower score of 223 in the second game.

The frustration was visible on Spangler, but he knew he needed to rebound in his final game. 

“I was like, ‘I know I need to focus for my team, I still got a game to go and I just need to lock in,’ ” Spangler said. “I have a line and I really needed to keep the mentality of, I’ve got to get my team a score.' ” 

Not only did Spangler come through for the Junior Blues, but his final game was the difference in the individual title race. 

As the frames flew by, the pins continued to vacate an empty spot at the end of the lane as Spangler threw strike after strike.

After 10 straight strikes, the perfect game was in sight, but the streak came to an end on his 11th throw. But with a 288, it was just enough to squeeze by Nathan to claim the title.  

With a 300 score in his career already, the choice between the perfect game and the state title was pretty easy for Spangler. 

“I’m going to have to go with the state title,” Spangler said. “I’ve already got the 300 on my resume, you can’t get a lot of [state titles].” 

“He’s worked hard,” Rural coach Jo Ricard said. “As a sophomore, he was down here by himself and did very well. He had some struggles last year and he’s come back, put it together again and held his own. Just to see him stay focused in on what he needs to do, to come through with what he got, that’s a big deal.” 

Spangler’s effort spearheaded Rural’s second straight fifth-place team finish with 3,412 total pins, trailing behind fourth-place Olathe South (3,524), third-place Maize (3,623), second-place Derby (3,652) and team title winner Wichita Northwest (3,890).

Washburn Rural senior Zachary Hancock shot a 652 series to finish 21st in Wednesday's Class 6A state bowling tournament. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN] 

Elsewhere in the individual standings, Rural senior Zachary Hancock came up just short of a medal in 21st place with a 652.

Junior Brecken Garrett (619) and senior Jackson Keller (611) also posted top-35 finishes. 

Washburn Rural junior Megan Glinka finished second in the Class 6A state bowling tournament Wednesday with a 726 series, leading the Junior Blues to a second-place team finish. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]

Glinka, Washburn Rural girls post runnerup finishes 

It looked as if the Junior Blues might claim both the boys and girls Class 6A individual titles as the afternoon progressed. But for Rural, and especially junior Megan Glinka, the tiniest of margins was the difference. 

Glinka’s 726 individual score came up just a pin shy of tying Mill Valley’s Layla Gonzalez at the top of the leaderboard, giving her the silver medal.

But Ginka’s strong individual performance went a long way toward the Junior Blues’ second-place team finish with a 3,318 total. Campus took home the team crown with a score of 3,420.  

And like Spangler a few hours before, Glinka came up just shy of a perfect game.

After she rolled a 204 in her first game, she went on a roll in her second. As the strikes accumulated, it looked like the perfect game was inevitable, but in a similar fashion to Spangler again, she came up just short at the very end, finishing with a 288.

She finished it out with a 234 in the last game and looked to be well in contention for the title. However, that single pin made the difference as Gonzalez’s 727 was just enough to take home the crown. 

“It’s about finding that pocket spot, that target where you need to be and just drilling it in there,” Ricard said of Ginka’s performance. “She’s grown and matured with that from year to year. That’s good for us even leading into next year, thinking ahead a little bit.” 

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After eking out a pair of one-point regular-season wins over city and Centennial League rival Washburn Rural, Topeka High coach Robbie Sanders knew his Trojans faced a tough task against the Junior Blues in Wednesday's Class 6A sub-state semifinal in The Dungeon.

Senior Bryson McComas shared team-high honors for Topeka High with 14 points in Wednesday's 57-50 sub-state win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Topeka High senior Elisha Guest had 13 points with four 3-pointers in Wednesday's 57-50 sub-state victory over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

But for the third time this season High was good enough to get the job done, taking a 57-50 victory to give the Trojans a three-game sweep over the Junior Blues by a total of just nine points.

"We gutted it out,'' Sanders said. "It was tough to beat those guys once, let alone three times.

"They're always so well-prepared and (John) Hoytal's such a physical presence and Cooper (Schmidt). It's just an interesting challenge that they give us, but I'm really proud of the way the guys handled it tonight.''

With the win No. 8 seed West seed Topeka High, now 13-11, is headed to a sub-state championship game Saturday at No. 1 seed Maize after winning only one game and failing to make into the 6A sub-state field in 2024-2025.

Washburn Rural, which finished the season 11-12, jumped out to a 5-0 advantage Wednesday, but Topeka High rallied to lead 18-13 by the end of the opening quarter.

The Trojans continued to fight off Washburn Rural in the second quarter en route to a 29-24 halftime advantage and led 40-35 at the end of the third stanza, ending the quarter with a 3-pointer from senior Ajalon Ross.

Topeka High got 13 points from senior Ajalon Ross in Wednesday's 57-50 Class 6A sub-state semifinal win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Ross's trey began a 9-0 run as the Trojans opened up their biggest lead of the night, 46-35, on two free throws from senior Jalen Aldridge with 5:31 remaining.

Topeka High eventually went up by 12 points (54-42) at the 2:03 mark on a free throw from junior Dae'Veon Campbell and the Junior Blues got no closer than the final margin the rest of the way.

Senior Bryson McComas led Topeka High with 14 points while senior Elisha Guest had 13 points with four 3-pointers and Ross also had 13 points, including a pair of traditional three-point plays and his 3-point basket.

"I didn't want my final game to be tonight,'' Ross said. "I wanted to go to practice tomorrow.''

"Ajalon's been through everything,'' Sanders said. "He had to wait his turn at Topeka West and he transferred over here. He started off really hot and he had some trials and tribulations but he never gave up.

"He shows up to work every day and he showed up when we needed it the most tonight.'' 

Senior John Hoytal scored a game-high 24 points in Wednesday's 57-50 Washburn Rural loss to Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Hoytal, a senior, kept Washburn Rural in the hunt with a game-high 24 points, including a seven of eight performance at the free throw line.

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