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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a slow start, Washburn Rural's soccer team had plenty to celebrate in Saturday afternoon's 7-2 non-league season-opening win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel at McElroy Field.
But the Junior Blues also had to sweat out a very scary incident that left them without senior goalkeeper Ethan Uhlrig for the final 31 minutes of the match.
Washburn Rural senior Devon Rutschmann (10) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his third goal in Saturday's 7-2 season-opening soccer win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel at McElroy field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Kapaun Mr. Carmel put Washburn Rural on its heels early with two goals in the opening 9:16 of the game, but the Junior Blues rallied with seven straight goals to turn the game into a rout behind a three-goal hat trick from senior Devon Rutschmann and a pair of goals from senior Griffin Heinen.
But the Blues' impressive rally was somewhat overshadowed by the injury to Uhlrig, who was temporarily knocked out on a kick to the head by a Crusader player as Uhlrig came up with a save in the box.
Uhlrig's injury resulted in a lengthy delay before the Rural player was taken from the field by ambulance and transported to a local hospital to be examined.
"Before the game we even told the guys, 'This is supposed to be fun, don't be stressed about your first game. Let's have fun, let's enjoy doing this,' '' Washburn Rural coach Brian Henseyl said. "But this is just a reminder that what these guys are going to take away from playing high school sports isn't the wins and losses and statistics. Its your teammates and the memories and when this happens it just kind of reminds you that that's the important stuff -- the kids.
"We're hoping that Ethan's going to be OK. I think he's going to be OK. Luckily we have a good backup (senior Brayden Lehnherr) that could come in, but the guys, one of their teammates went down and that's never easy to see.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2023 season Sept. 1.
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Shawnee Heights' football team is coming off solid back-to-back 5-5 seasons in 2021 and 2022, but with a big nucleus of returning players to build around, T-Bird coach Jason Swift said its time to take another step this fall.
This fall, Jason Swift's Shawnee Heights football team will be looking to improve on the 5-5 record the T-Birds have posted the past two seasons. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We need to build off of it,'' said Swift, whos is starting his 21st season as Heights' head coach. "The majority of our nucleus from last year is back. I thought we started out the season strong last year. We had some big wins and and that was a credit to our kids, just working hard and being prepared for the moment.''
Swift said the key to making strides in '23 is a stronger second half of the season.
"We kind of slid off at the end,'' Swift said of the '22 season. "I don't know if it was complacency, wear and tear, depth or whatever, but we definitely started better than I thought we could have finished. And I think the kids agree with that, too, if you take the last two years.
"Our senior class would probably say their sophomore year we probably finished stronger than their junior year. The good news is we've got the majority back.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2023 season Sept. 1.
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Although 4-4 Seaman ended the 2022 football season with three straight losses, the mood in the Viking camp is decidedly upbeat entering the '23 campaign.
Seaman football coach Jared Swafford is expecting big things out of his Vikings in his third year at the school. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We didn't have the consistency down the stretch that we had hoped we would see,'' Seaman coach Jared Swafford said. "Some of that was some youth in some places and the deficiencies fall on me, but our guys have had a great offseason and I think we've got those things where we felt like maybe we fell off a little bit corrected now and we're excited about where we're at.''
Swafford feels like the Vikings' work this summer has set the foundation for what could be a breakout year this fall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Stella Appelhanz
STELLA APPELHANZ, Seaman
A junior, Appelhanz is a two-time All-Shawnee County selection. Appelhanz turned in a very consistent second half of the 2022 season, placing in the top 10 in the Seaman Invitational as well as the city, United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional meets. Appelhanz placed 20th in the 5A state meet, earning All-State honors.
Payton Fink
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
Fink continued to star as a sophomore following an outstanding freshman season, never finishing lower than seventh place. Fink was the individual champion in the city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional meets and earned All State honors with her fifth-place finish at the Class 6A state meet, leading the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish.
Tessa Gerber
TESSA GERBER, Silver Lake
A junior, Gerber earned a first-team spot on the All-Shawnee County team last season on the strength of a strong performance in the Class 3A state meet. Gerber posted a 21st-place finish at state in a personal-record time of 20:46.81. Gerber posted a seventh-place finish in 3A regional competition and placed seventh in the Mid-East League meet.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2023 season Sept. 1.
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Considering some of the players Rossville graduated from the group that claimed two straight Class 2A state titles in 2020 and 2021, Derick Hammes' Bulldawgs' turned in a very respectable 5-5 record a year ago.
Derick Hammes has coached Rossville to five state football championships. [File photo/TSN]
But 5-5 isn't up to the Bulldawgs' extremely lofty standards and Rossville will be looking for much more this fall.
"Obviously it didn't feel like we want it to, so in that regard we feel like we've got to take a step forward,'' said Hammes, who has led Rossville to five state titles over the past nine seasons.
Hammes said he feels like this year's team, particularly this year's senior class, is determined to help the Bulldawgs return to the level of success they have grown accustomed to.
"I think they're motivated to and that's always a challenge from year to year is that when you go into our gym we have all the banners and things like that and we tell our kids, 'Make your mark as a senior,' '' Hammes said. "And how we recognize that is pretty cool and I think each one of our senior class tries to make sure they live up to that and they try to make their mark and put something on our walls.''
