By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith (right) leads city schools in scoring, assists and steals, helping pace the Trojans to a 5-0 start in the 2021-2022 season. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn DeLeye averages a team-high 13.5 points, ranking No. 3 in the city, to lead the 5-0 Junior Blues. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (5-0, 5-0) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-0, 5-0)
Washburn Rural was ranked No. 2 and Topeka High No. 6 in the most recent Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Class 6A rankings and the winner of Tuesday night's game will get an early leg up in the Centennial League race. Junior Kiki Smith leads the city in scoring (21.6 average), assists (7.0) and steals (5.0) while senior Tae Thomas ranks No. 2 in the city in scoring (15.4) and second in assists (3.4). Junior Brooklyn DeLeye leads a balanced Washburn Rural attack with a 13.5 scoring average while senior Emma Krueger averages 10 points and sophomore Zoe Canfield 9.6 points. Sophomore Jada Ingram averages 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocked shots for the Junior Blues.
Freshman Anna Becker (23) leads Seaman with a 13.2 scoring average. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Brylee Meier (25) leads Hayden with averages of 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds this season. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
HAYDEN (3-1, 3-1) at SEAMAN (3-2, 3-2)
Both the Wildcats and Vikings are off to solid starts, with Hayden's lone loss coming against undefeated Washburn Rural and Seaman's losses coming against Rural and state-ranked Emporia. Freshman Anna Becker leads Seaman with a 13.2 scoring average while freshman Brylee Meier averages a team-high 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds for Hayden, ranked No. 10 in Class 4A by the KBCA. Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer averages 9.6 points and 4.0 steals for the Vikings while seniors Macy Smith and Carly Stuke average 9.5 points for the Wildcats. Sophomore Lauren Sandstrom averages 6.3 rebounds for Hayden and sophomore Brooklyn Gormley 5.6 boards per game for Seaman.
ROSSVILLE (4-1) at SILVER LAKE (4-0)
Tuesday could be the first of three meetings this season between the Bulldawgs and the Eagles. Silver Lake has rolled to a perfect start while Rossville's lone loss came against undefeated Wamego. Silver Lake, ranked fifth in Class 3A by the KBCA, has had four different leading scorers in four games. The Eagles are coming off a 56-46 win over St. Marys to close out their pre-holiday slate, with sophomore McKinley Kruger scoring 20 points, sophomore MaKenzie McDaniel scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds and junior Taylor Ross scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Senior Caylee Douglass averages 11 points for Rossville, while sophomore Kinsey Perine averages 10.6 points and 2.9 assists, sophomore Emma Mitchell 10 points and senior Briar Gillum 9.6 points and 12.6 rebounds.
JUNCTION CITY (0-6, 0-4 ) at TOPEKA WEST (0-5, 0-4)
Either the Chargers or the Blue Jays will pick up a much-needed victory Tuesday night. Due to complications with re-finishing the floor at Topeka West, Tuesday's game will be played in West's auxiliary gym, tipping off at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sophomore Rebecca Bearman is Topeka West's leading scorer at 7.6 points per game while sophomore Siani Sanchez averages 6.4 points and junior Jazmyn Ford 5.8 points. Bearman ranks third in the city with a 7.6 rebounding average while senior Whitley Benson is tied for third in assists with a 2.8 average per game.
SUMNER ACADEMY (1-5) at HIGHLAND PARK (0-5)
Highland Park will be looking for its first win since the 2019-2020 campaign, while Sumner's lone win this season was a 58-13 romp past Kansas City East, Mo. Senior Aisya Taylor averages a team-high 7.4 points for Highland Park and has hit seven of 15 3-point attempts while freshman Amelia Ramsey is averaging a city-high 10 rebounds per game for the Scots. Beginning next season Highland Park and Sumner will both compete in the Kansas City Atchison League.
Junior Emari Doby averages a team-high 11.3 points for 2-1 Shawnee Heights. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-1) at BONNER SPRINGS (3-2)
Shawnee Heights wrapped up the 2021 portion of its schedule with a come-from-behind 64-55 home non-league win over Topeka West. Junior Emari Doby leads the T-Birds with an 11.3 scoring average while sophomore Breezy Canady averages 8.3 points and senior Abby Schulte averages 8.0 points. Heights senior Zoe Oczko ranks No. 2 in the city in rebounding, averaging 8.7 per game. Canady averages 4.7 rebounds for Shawnee Heights while Doby averages 2.7 steals and Schulte 2.3 steals and 2.3 assists.
