By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TOPEKA WEST (2-16, 2-11) at HIGHLAND PARK (3-15, 1-13)
Highland Park notched its first Centennial League victory of the season last Friday, taking a 45-37 home win over Junction City. Topeka West will be coming off a 60-19 league loss to state-ranked Emporia. Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 16 points against Junction City while senior Atiya Gonzales added 13 points and freshman Amelia Ramsey 10. Junior Azaryah Duncan scored a team-high eight points for Topeka West against Emporia.
HAYDEN (10-8, 7-7) at EMPORIA (14-4, 10-4)
State-ranked Emporia rolled to a 60-19 Centennial League win at Topeka West last Friday, while Hayden dropped a 63-54 decision to state-ranked Topeka High. Senior Carly Stuke scored a game-high 21 points for Hayden in its loss to Topeka High while senior Macy Smith added 15 points. Hayden won two of three games last week, including a non-league win over Tonganoxie and a league win over Topeka West.
SEAMAN (13-5, 11-4) at MANHATTAN (7-11, 6-8)
Seaman is coming off a huge week, knocking off No. 2 (Class 6A) Topeka High 50-42 last Tuesday in a Centennial League game and taking a 56-46 non-league win over No. 4 (Class 5A) Lansing on Friday. Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer scored 19 points in both Seaman wins last week while Carstyn Anderson added 13 points and Anna Becker 12 in the Vikings' win over Lansing. Manhattan dropped a 54-17 league decision to Washburn Rural last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (16-2, 12-2) at JUNCTION CITY (2-16, 2-13)
Washburn Rural rolled to a 54-17 home Centennial League win over Manhattan last Friday while Junction City is coming offf a 45-37 league loss at Highland Park. Junior Brooklyn DeLeye paced Washburn Rural, ranked No. 3 in last week's Class 6A state rankings by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, against Manhattan with a game-high 17 points.
BISHOP MIEGE (16-2) at TOPEKA HIGH (17-1)
Two of the state's best teams meet for the second straight year in a non-league contest. Topeka High beat Hayden 63-54 last Friday night at Hayden while Bishop Miege is coming off a 52-39 win over defending Class 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. Junior Kiki Smith paced Topeka High with 20 points against Hayden while senior Tae Thomas added 15 points and Faith Shields 11.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (9-8, 3-4) at DE SOTO (11-7, 4-4)
Shawnee Heights rolled to a 55-30 non-league win over Piper Saturday morning and will play three United Kansas Conference games this week. Riley Showalter scored 14 points for Shawnee Heights against Piper while Taylor Rottinghaus added 12 points. De Soto is coming off a 58-44 non-league loss to defending Class 6A champion Shawnee Mission Northwest.
SILVER LAKE (17-1) at ROYAL VALLEY (7-12)
No. 1-ranked (Class 3A) Silver Lake will travel to Royal Valley for a non-league game. The Eagles are coming off a 48-37 win over state-ranked Rock Creek last Friday while Royal Valley is coming off a 32-30 loss to Sabetha. Silver Lake's win was its second in three games on the year with Rock Creek, which handed the Eagles their lone loss.
ROSSVILLE (11-8) at ROCK CREEK (15-4)
Rossville topped Riley County in a 35-34 nailbiter last Friday while Rock Creek dropped a 48-37 decision to top-ranked (Class 3A) Silver Lake. Sophomore Emma Mitchell paced Rossville with 19 points in the the Bulldawgs' win over Riley County. With that win the Bulldawgs clinched a winning 2021-2022 season.