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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University Ichabods will open the 120th season of men's basketball at 7 p.m. Tuesday with an exhibition game against No. 1-ranked Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
Senior Andrew Orr is a top returner for Washburn men's basketball after earning second-team All-MIAA honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior Sam Ungashick earned All-MIAA honorable mention last season in his first year at WU. [File photo/TSN]
The meeting will be the first between the two schools since the Ichabods fell 89-54 in an exhibition game on Dec. 3, 2020.
Washburn finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-11 record while advancing to the MIAA Tournament semifinals while Kansas is coming off a 23-11 campaign where it advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in the last 34 years, a run that started in 1990.
For the second straight season and fifth time in poll history, Kansas men's basketball enters the season ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press.
Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard spent seven years on Bill Self's staff at KU after graduating in 2003. He was the director of basketball operations for his final two seasons on staff, and prior to that, served as the administrative assistant/video coordinator for four years and a volunteer student assistant for one year.
Washburn has recorded 30 20-win seasons and four under Ichabod head coach Ballard in his seven seasons, receiving four NCAA postseason berths.
The Ichabods return four players who started at least half of last season's 30 games and eight players return who saw action last year.
Washburn returns two All-MIAA performers in senior Andrew Orr (13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds per game), who was a second-team All-MIAA pick last season and Sam Ungashick, who received honorable mention after averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Other returning starters include Brady Christiansen (7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds) and Michael Keegan (7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds).
Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor started 11 games and averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a freshman.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lauren Borjon
LAUREN BORJON, Hayden
A junior golf standout, Borjon posted a third-place individual finish in the Class 4A state girls golf tournament at Hesston while helping lead the Wildcats to a second straight state team championship. Now a three-time state medalist, Borjon finished with a 36-hole score of 157 with rounds of 76 and 81 as Hayden repeated as state champion by a 15-stroke margin over Wellington (698-713).
Izzy Glotzbach
IZZY GLOTZBACH, Hayden
Four days after helping Hayden win the Class 4A state tennis title, the Wildcat two-sport junior standout earned her second straight state medal in golf while helping lead Hayden to a second straight state team championship in the 4A golf tournament at Hesston. Glotzbach, who earned a state doubles medal in tennis, placed 12th in state golf with a 36-hole score of 171 (89-82) as Hayden posted a 15-stroke team win (698-713) over Wellington.
Rylee Ismert
RYLEE ISMERT, Washburn Rural
Ismert, a senior cross country standout and returning Class 6A state medalist, followed up her first individual Centennial League title with a win in Saturday's 6A regional at Kanza Park, clocking a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 06.7 seconds to win by nine seconds as the Junior Blues won the team championship by a 45-55 margin over Free State to advance to the state meet.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(Kickoffs at 7 p.m., unless noted)
THURSDAY'S GAME
Class 2A
Silver Lake senior quarterback Dysen Schooler threw for three touchdowns and ran for a TD in the Eagles' 29-12 win over Council Grove on Friday. [File photo/TSN]
GALENA (4-4) at SILVER LAKE (6-2)
6 p.m. kickoff
Silver Lake, the No. 5 Class 2A East seed, will host No. 12 seed Galena in a Halloween Night battle to open the post season. Silver Lake finished second in 2A District 3, ending its regular season with a 29-12 win over Council Grove (5-3) as senior quarterback Dysen Schooler threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a 31-yard TD. Galena ended its regular season with a 36-20 win over Baxter Springs.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Class 6A
TOPEKA HIGH (4-4) at JUNCTION CITY (4-4)
The Trojans and Centennial League rival Junction City will square off for the second time in four games in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs. Topeka High was installed as the No. 9 West seed after a 49-24 non-league loss at Pittsburg Friday night while Junction City is the No. 8 seed in the West after a 38-0 league win over Emporia. Junction City took a 50-21 win over Topeka High in Week 6 of the regular season, also at Junction City.
WASHBURN RURAL (3-5) at MAIZE (4-4)
Washburn Rural is the No. 10 seed in Class 6A West and will travel to Maize to face the No. 7 West seed. The Junior Blues are coming off a 56-14 Centennial League road loss at unbeaten Manhattan Friday night. Washburn Rural will be facing a Maize team that has won four straight games, including a 50-0 win over Salina South in Week 8.
Class 5A
Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston (7) and the 6-2 Vikings are the No. 3 West seed for the Class 5A state playoffs. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST (1-7) at SEAMAN (6-2)
Topeka West and Seaman will face off for the second time this season, with the Vikings taking a 53-6 United Kansas Conference win over the Chargers in Week 3. UKC champion Seaman is coming off a 42-28 conference loss to De Soto on Friday while West dropped 58-21 UKC decision to Piper. Seaman is the No. 3 Class 5A West seed while Topeka West is the No. 14 seed.
Jamon Wilson (5) and Highland Park capped a 6-2 regular season with a 38-28 win over KC-Washington and will open the Class 5A playoffs at home against Pittsburg Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
PITTSBURG (6-2) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (6-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Highland Park ended up as the No. 8 seed in Class 5A East and drew a tough opening round opponent in No. 9 seed Pittsburg, also 6-2. The Purple Dragons ended their regular season with a 49-24 home non-league decision over Topeka High. Highland Park capped its regular season on Thursday night with a 38-28 Meadowlark Conference victory over Kansas City-Washington.
Parker Busenitz (4) caught seven passes for 142 yards and two TDs in Friday's 69-30 UKC win over KC-Turner. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-6) at SPRING HILL (7-1)
Shawnee Heights picked up its second win of the season Friday night, taking a 69-30 United Kansas Conference road decision over Kansas City-Turner, while Spring Hill edged Louisburg, 14-13. Spring Hill is the No. 5 Class 5A East seed whlile Heights is the No. 12 seed. Junior quarterback Aiden Scott completed 23 of 28 passes fo 387 yards and six touchdowns against Turner while Parker Busenitz had seven catches for 142 yards and two TDs and Tyren Parker has six catches for 121 yards and two TDs.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden volleyball ended what, for the tradition-rich Wildcats, has been a lengthy state tournament drought Saturday at the Bueltel Activity Center, advancing to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in five seasons with a 25-16, 25-14 win over Paola in the sub-state final.
Hayden celebrates its Class 4A sub-state volleyball championship on Saturday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden celebrates a point in Saturday's Class 4A sub-state tournament at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The 29-10 Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in 4A by the Kansas Volleyball Association, will open their first state bid since winning their most recent state title in 2019 on Friday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with three pool play matches. The top two finishers in both 4A pools will advance to Saturday's semifinals.
Hayden will be making its first trip to state under former Wildcat star Corrinne McGreevy.
"I felt really good about today,'' McGreevy said. "We had basically two weeks of practice and the girls practiced very solid, very clean and we were done practicing, though, and ready to compete.
"And they came out fired up and ready to rock. They played sharp and they were on a mission and they took care of business.''
Hayden opened its day with a 25-19, 25-13 semifinal win over Baldwin before advancing to meet Paola (22-13), which advanced with a 25-22, 25-20 win over Parsons.
The first set of the championship match was tight early, including an 8-8 tie, before a kill from freshman setter Blakely Walter put Hayden ahead to stay.
Hayden build a 24-15 lead on back-to-back kills from freshman Hailey Schmidlein before closing out the nine-point win.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural volleyball coach Kevin Bordewick has had a long line of Junior Blue teams qualify for the Class 6A state tournament, with eight state champions, and every one of those teams holds a special place in his heart.
Washburn Rural's volleyball poses for a team picture Saturday after earning a trip to the Class 6A state tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And Bordewick is especially happy to be taking his 2024 Junior Blues to Salina for next weekend's state event after Washburn Rural turned in a dominating performance in Saturday's 6A sub-state at Rural.
The Junior Blues, now 30-6 on the season, opened their day with a 25-11, 25-8 semifinal win over Liberal before Rural, the No. 1 West seed, earned its state berth with a 25-14, 25-19 win over Lawrence Free State in the championship match.
Rural began the season with some question marks after heavy graduation losses, but Bordewick said he was very proud of how the Junior Blues have responded this fall.
"Every year is special,'' Bordewick said. "It's always just a little bit different group, and in this case it's a lot different group. We're relying on kids that we haven't had to rely on and through the course of the season they have really stepped up and we trust them.
"When you go through this whole process of the season, every day you hope to get better and better and I'm really proud of these kids because I think we've done that in large part.''
After dominating its semifinal match against Liberal (4-30), the Junior Blues, ranked No. 5 in 6A by the Kansas Volleyball Association, were locked in a tight first set with Free State (14-18) in the early going, including a 4-2 deficit and a tie at 5-5 before Rural took control.
The Junior Blues rode a long service run from senior Kate Hinck to go up 12-6 and went up 17-9 on a kill from senior Layla Collins.
Rural went in front 21-12 on a Collins service ace and also got a pair of kills from junior Karsyn Horyna before closing out the 11-point win on a dink from junior Stella Kelly.
