- Details
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys basketball had plenty to celebrate on Winter Royalty night at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Wildcat senior Cooper Zweisler was named King of the Court before Hayden went out and claimed a 51-37 Centennial League win over Emporia, Hayden's first win over the Spartans in three meetings on the year.
Senior Jacob Deister led Hayden with a game-high 18 points in Friday's 51-37 Centennial League win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
This one would be all Wildcats as they would get hot early and shoot lights out from the field in the first quarter and take a 25-7 lead into the second quarter.
Wildcat senior Jacob Deister scored 11 of his game-high 18 points before halftime as the Wildcats would go into halftime up 32-17 and would cruise from there.
The Wildcats would get double-figure scoring nights from their two guards -- Deister 18 points and Mason Becker, who had 13 points -- as well as strong post play from Connor Hanika and James Kuta.
“I’m blessed these guys give their all, and it spreads to their teammates, you know Kuta looked like a madman on the boards, and I am starting to find Connor is very versatile,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "And we still just have to keep it one game at a time to keep getting better.
“I believe in Jacob, I think he is a very talented basketball player and sometimes it just takes getting into a rhythm, not trying to force so many things. He did a good job of running plays and then he gets this type of result.”
- Details
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Friday was Winter Royalty at the Bueltel Activity Center and would be the third meeting of the season between the top-ranked Hayden girls and Centennial League rival Emporia.
Senior Brylee Meier shared game-high scoring honors with 15 points in Hayden's 66-25 win Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Freshman Hailey Schmidtlein tied for game-high honors with 15 points in Hayden's 66-25 Centennial League win over Emporia Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
And much like the earlier two matchups, Hayden took control early on the way to a 66-25 victory.
The Wildcats are led by experience and start four seniors while the Lady Spartans are led by newcomers and start three freshman, have zero returners from the varsity team a year ago and a new head coach.
Friday's game would be all Wildcats early as Hayden would get off to a 22-3 first-quarter lead and go into halftime up, 43-9.
The Wildcats would allow the Spartans to score 16 points over the final two quarters, with the Wildcats benching the starters after the third quarter. The Hayden role players would come out and shine for the Wildcats, led by junior Ella Foster, who would hit three 3-pointers to score nine points on the night.
“I was shooting good all day, so I was ready to get on the court and when I did and hit the first one, I knew to keep shooting,” Foster said.
Foster has seen a uptick in her minutes on varsity this season.
“Coach has done a really good job at helping us get confident with our thoughts and with just how we play, so its been really helpful to play more varsity, so I know how to play,” Foster said.
“She is a good shooter,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said of Foster. "She does great in shooting drills every day, so I am not surprised.”
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After falling behind by double digits in the opening quarter against No. 7-ranked De Soto, Shawnee Heights girls put together several runs against the Wildcats in Friday's United Kansas Conference matchup.
Junior Reianna Vega scored 20 points in Friday's 59-49 UKC loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore KK Emmot scored 14 points, going 8 of 10 at the free throw line, in Friday's 59-49 Shawnee Heights loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the T-Birds were unable to ever completely recover from their slow start, dropping a 59-49 decision at Heights.
"We just couldn't get over the hump and it seemed like every time that we would feel like we were grabbing some momentum we would do what we thought we needed to do on defense and the ball would get kicked around or they'd make a good pass out and hit a 3,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said.
"That kind of deflated us a little bit and it was just hard to get going. Credit to them, their girls stepped up and hit (those shots) in somebody else's gym.''
Shawnee Heights (11-6 overall, 8-5 UKC) took a 2-0 lead on a hoop by Reianna Vega, but that would be the T-Birds' only lead of the night as the Wildcats (12-4, 8-4) rode three early 3-pointers to a 19-8 first-quarter advantage and five first-half treys to a 33-22 halftime lead.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a tough two-point loss at Seaman Tuesday there was no hint of a hangover for the No. 8-ranked Shawnee Heights boys Friday night, with the T-Birds never trailing en route to a 79-55 United Kansas Conference home romp past De Soto.
Senior Jaret Sanchez led all scorers with 25 points in Friday's 79-55 Shawnee Heights UKC win over De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Friday's 79-55 UKC win over De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"It's only a setback if you let it be a setback,'' Heights coach Ken Darting said of the 68-66 Seaman loss. "It's a loss and you throw it to the side. You forget it, you go on and play.
"I just want to build towards the sub-state and state.''
The T-Birds, who improved to 14-3 overall and 10-3 in the conference, opened up an 18-11 first-quarter advantage and never looked back, opening up a 39-24 halftime lead behind senior Deacon Pomeroy's 17 first-half points and a 3-pointer at the buzzer from junior Ontarius Emmot.
Heights continued to pour it on after the break, taking a 61-38 advantage into the fourth quarter after a Emmot hoop to end the third.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman junior basketball standouts KaeVon Bonner and Maddie Gragg have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Bonner and Gragg over the past week:
Seaman junior KaeVon Bonner has been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the male Rising Star of the Week. [File photo/TSN]
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
A 6-foot-3 guard, Bonner scored a team-high 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, for No. 7-ranked (Class 5A) Seaman in Tuesday's 68-66 United Kansas Conference home win over No. 8 Shawnee Heights.
Bonner went 12 of 15 at the free throw line and connected on a pair of 3-pointers as the Vikings improved to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in the conference.
Seaman junior Maddie Gragg has been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the female Rising Star of the Week. [File photo/TSN]
MADDIE GRAGG, Seaman
Gragg, a 5-foot-10 guard, led all scorers with 23 points Tuesday night as undefeated and top-ranked (Class 5A) Seaman took a 64-54 United Kansas Conference home victory over Shawnee Heights.
Gragg scored 17 points with five 3-pointers in the first half against the T-Birds as Seaman opened up a 17-point halftime advantage en route to improving to 16-0 overall and 12-0 in the UKC.
