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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A team effort in all three phases of the game gave Washburn University football its second MIAA victory of the season, a 42-21 win over Missouri Southern at Yager Stadium Saturday.
Washburn senior defensive lineman Chase McCoy celebrates after picking off a pass and returning it 20 yards for a touchdown in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Six different Ichabods scored, including a defensive lineman who said he blacked out and didn’t know how he wound up in the end zone.
Washburn sophomore Tre Richardson (6) scored the first touchdown of the game in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn started fast, with several big plays by Highland Park graduate Tre Richardson providing the spark. With the defense locked in, they jumped on the visiting Lions 21-0 in the first period.
“We started out hot and then kept the pressure on,” Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. “Defense did a really good job getting the ball back. Our run game was on point. That opens up a lot of things.
“I’m really proud of our guys for playing fast and not hesitant at all. We still had some mistakes and Southern kind of clawed back in it a little bit. But I’m proud of the way we responded.”
Richardson put the Ichabods up early when he hauled in a swing pass from Keller Hurla and took it 29 yards for a touchdown.
A fumble by Missouri Southern put the Ichabods right back in business. A reverse to Richardson produced a 41-yard run to set up a second Washburn touchdown – a 4-yard run by Lucas Oitker.
Washburn sophomore quarterback Sam Van Dyne (middle) ran for a touchdown and threw for a TD in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn quarterback Sam Van Dyne was next to find the end zone. His 7-yard run put the Ichabods up 21-0 at the close of the first period.
The Lions got on the board with a short run early in the second period when an interception set them up on the Ichabod 5-yard line.
Washburn responded with a 20-yard scoring run from Tylan Crochett and went to intermission with a 28-7 lead.
The Lions opened the second half with a score to close to 28-14. But Washburn’s Maury Sullivan took a Van Dyne pass to the end zone for a 9-yard TD on the ensuing drive.
The Ichabods pinned Missouri Southern deep with the kickoff, setting up the play of the game.
Sniffing out a middle screen, 290-pound defensive lineman Chase McCoy tipped, then reeled in, a pass and rumbled 20 yards for touchdown, the first of his career at any level.
“I got the ball and just kind of blacked out,” McCoy said. “I gave a stiff arm, got a little shifty out there and ended up in the end zone. Don’t know how that happened. The goal was just to not fall down.”
“Defensive touchdown, that just sends shock waves through everybody,” Schurig said. “(McCoy) looked good running the ball. We may have to put him at fullback. He wasn’t going to go down.”
McCoy’s touchdown highlighted a solid defensive effort by the Ichabods.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by Jordan Finney's seven tackles and a breakup, while five other Ichabods had at least five stops. Washburn had two sacks for 15 yards and six tackles for a loss for 21 yards, adding five pass breakups.
“As a defense, this week we locked in and knew what we had to do to win this game,” said Washburn Rural graduate J.C. Heim, who recorded five tackles, including three for loss. “I think people see when we get on a roll, we can get hot. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing in practice and take it to the next level.”
With four games remaining in the season, Washburn will look to build on the victory next Saturday at Central Missouri.
“We wanted to play well at home. We got off to a great start and the crowd got into it,” Schurig said. “I’m really proud of the guys. The practices have been good. Their effort, enthusiasm … we compete in practice and they go at it hard. It’s great to see them get reward for that.
“As a coach, you like seeing your guys happy at the end of the game. That’s part of the joy of coaching.”
WASHBURN 42, MISSOURI SOUTHERN 21
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
With a 28-14 home victory over Basehor-Linwood Friday night, the Seaman Vikings put themselves on the doorstep of a league championship, something they haven’t accomplished in 18 years.
Senior quarterback Max Huston (7) had a hand in all four touchdowns as Seaman clinched a share of the UKC title with a 28-14 win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Bryer Finley scored on a 76-yard TD pass in Seaman's 28-14 win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman won a defensive struggle by winning the turnover battle and letting senior Max Huston grind out three touchdowns.
Technically, the Vikings locked up a share of the United Kansas Conference title Friday night. The Vikings improved to 6-0 in the conference and handed the visiting Bobcats their first loss of the season.
With a game to play, the worst that could happen is a three-way tie for the league crown, depending upon the outcome of the Vikings’ final regular season game. The Vikings finish with a home game against De Soto, the other team in the running for the title at 5-1.
“We’ve got a share (of the title), and right now we’re just proud of our kids to be able to get this one done because (Basehor-Linwood coach Rod) Stallbaumer and their group has one of the best coached teams you’re going to face,” said Seaman coach Jared Swafford. “They are one of the most aggressive and fundamentally well-coached teams. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. We just needed more points than them in the end.”
The Vikings struck first in a fashion that is becoming customary. Huston fired deep to senior Bryer Finley, who hauled in the throw and raced 76 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
Basehor-Linwood’s Austin Adair answered with two scores, first on a 26-yard reception, then on a 52-yard run on a reverse.
Seaman responded with a drive that culminated in a Huston 2-yard run up the middle with 4:33 left in the half.
Seaman held on defense and got the ball back with less than a minute remaining. A 61-yard catch-and-run by Finley put the Vikings at the doorstep with just seconds remaining. Huston rushed for a 2-yard score identical to his previous touchdown, sending the Vikings to the intermission leading 21-14.
Both defenses dug in in the second half. Early in the third period, Seaman drove to the Bobcat 1-yard line, only to see Huston turned back on three straight carries and denied a fourth-down pass play.
The Vikings finally broke the stalemate in the fourth period. The Vikings’ Josh Brown intercepted a pass to give his team the ball with 6:43 remaining. On a 3rd-and-19 play, Huston was hemmed in near the sideline but started breaking tackles one by one. He spun and darted through traffic and ultimately wound up 47 yards down the field.
“I was sitting in the pocket. It started to collapse. I was just moving around, didn’t see anyone open, so I just had to take off,” Huston said. “I made some stuff happen and made a big play.”
Milking the clock for the next several plays, Huston wound up in the end zone with 1:57 remaining in the game.
“Max is a warrior and a heck of a football player,” Swafford said. “He handles the big moments well. He’s shown that his entire time here, even back when he was a sophomore thrown into the fire really quick.”
Huston stressed the job is not done yet.
“We’ve still got a game. We don’t want to tie it,” Huston said. “This feels great. We just want it all. So, we’re going to go practice hard and get what we want. Win next week and then it’s ours.”
“We will talk about league when it’s all said and done, but right now we’ll just focus on us continually getting better,” Swafford added.
SEAMAN 28, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 14
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Traditionally, Hayden football has been a run first offense.
But the Wildcats showed off their passing game Friday night on the way to wrapping up the Class 3A District 4 championship with a 50-16 romp past Perry-Lecompton on Senior Night at Hayden.
Senior Jett Wahlmeier threw for 240 yards and three TDs and also ran for a TD in Hayden's 50-16 win over Perry-Lecompton Friday night. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
"I'm not going to let teams put eight guys in the box on us,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. "I mean we've got way too many weapons that can catch the ball and we've got a quarterback that makes good decisions back there so we're going to take what they give us and that was pretty open.''
Hayden senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 15 of 18 pass attempts for 240 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats improved to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the district.
"We all get excited when we call a pass play in the huddle and they all rally around me to get them the ball,'' Wahlmeier said.
"We just want to get better as a team and we've got to round out some rough edges. Obviously, this (a district title) is our goal every year and this is the first step to getting a state championship.''
Junior Kade Mitchell caught four passes for 122 yards, including a 61-yard TD, in Hayden's 50-16 district win over Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Senior Jensen Schrickel rushed for 59 yards on six carries and caught four passes for 54 yards, including a 24-yard TD, in Hayden's 50-16 win over Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Wahlmeier hit junior Kade Mitchell for a 61-yard touchdown, senior Jensen Schrickel for a 24-yard TD and senior Treyton Tetuan for a 21-yard score while also connecting with Schrickel for a 2-point conversion and scoring on a 21-yard run to key the Hayden rout.
Hayden capped its game-opening drive with an 8-yard Broderick Desch run (Schrickel 2-point conversion from Wahlmeier) and made it a 15-0 game early in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by junior Jude Krentz before making it a three-score game on Wahlmeier's long TD to Mitchell with 8:03 left in the first half.
Perry-Lecompton (2-5, 1-2) got on the scoreboard late in the half on a disputed 3-yard TD run by junior quarterback Garrett Metcalfe.
Metcalfe fumbled on the play and after a long discussion the officials ruled that Metcalfe had crossed the goal line before the ball came loose.
Metcalfe hit senior Eli Dean for a 2-point conversion to cut the Kaws' deficit to 22-8 but Hayden answered with Wahlmeier's 24-yard TD strike to Schrickel (Becker kick) with 45.9 seconds left in the half to take a commanding 29-8 halftime lead.
Wahlmeier's TD run boosted Hayden's lead to 36-8 with 3:47 left in the third quarter (Becker kick).
Then, after Perry-Lecompton got its second touchdown on a 7-yard run from senior Bronzen Rush on the first play of the fourth quarter, Hayden pulled away to the final margin with Wahlmeier's TD pass to Tetuan and a 44-yard interception return from junior Xander Blasing.
"Offensively we still haven't hit our stride I don't think,'' Arnold said. "There's still room to get to the ceiling. Defensively, I thought we played hard and we played pretty good. They (the Kaws) put you in some bad situations because they spread you out so wide.''
Becker went six of six on extra-point kicks and is now 38 of 38 on the season.
Schrickel led Hayden's rushing attack with six carries for 59 yards while Mitchell caught four passes for 122 yards.
Hayden will close out its regular season next Friday night with a district game at Jefferson West.
HAYDEN 50, PERRY-LECOMPTON 16
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls tennis stars Ainzley Zulueta and Emily Sheetz kept their bids for a third Class 4A state championships on Friday at Kossover Tennis Cente while Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney also advanced to the state semifinals in the 5A state tournament.
Zulueta, the two-time state singles champ and the No. 1 seed this weekend, went 2-0 on Friday without dropping a game and will face the No. 5 seed in a 9 a.m. semifinal while Sheetz, who won back-to-back doubles championships in 2022 and 2023 with '24 Hayden graduate Lauren Sandstrom and will try for a third crown on Saturday with freshman Sophia Wichman.
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta will be shooting for her third Class 4A state tennis championship Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Sophia Wichman (left) and senior Emily Sheetz are the No. 2 doubles seed in the Class 4A state tournament and advanced to Saturday's semifinals with two straight wins on Friday. [File photo/TSN]
Sheetz and Wichman, who are coming off a regional championship and are the No. 2 seed for state and went 2-0 Friday to advance to a 9 a.m. semifinal doubles showdown with No. 6 seed Circle.
Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney, a state medalist as a freshman, advanced to Saturday's Class 5A singles semifinals. [File photo/TSN]
Sweeney, a state singles medalist as a freshman, went 2-0 in the 5A state tournament on Friday to advance to a 9 a.m. semifinal to face the No. 1 tournament seed.
Seaman junior Molly Gorman, a two-time state medalist in doubles, went 3-1 on Friday in her first state tournament in singles and can still finish as high as fifth place on Saturday.
Seaman's doubles team of senior Sidney Chinn and junior Peyton Henry also went 3-1 on Friday and can still finish as high as fifth in 5A.
Hayden junior Grace Funk in singles and the junior doubles team of Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray both went 2-1 in their first three matches on Friday.
Topeka High junior singles player Madeline Deters won her first two 6A singles matches on Friday before losing in the quarterfinals to the No. 2 seed.
Washburn Rural seniors Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard fell in the 6A doubles quarterfinals.
Both Deters and Catlin and Haggard can still finish as high as fifth place.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Looking to jump start the second half of their 2024 season, Washburn University football returns home for a 1 p.m. contest Saturday against Missouri Southern in Yager Stadium.
Highland Park product Tre Richardson scored Washburn's lone touchdown last Saturday in a 38-7 road loss at Fort Hays State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn, 1-5 overall, 1-4 in the MIAA, is coming off a 38-7 loss at Fort Hays State last Saturday while Missouri Southern (1-6, 0-5) lost to No. 17-ranked Emporia State at home, 49-30.
Washburn's Chase McCoy is 19th in the nation in sacks and leads the MIAA in sacks at 0.8 per game while Highland Park product Tre Richardson is 29th in the nation and third in the MIAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 129.5 yards per game. Richardson is also 36th in the nation in receiving yards with 471 and 34th in receiving yards per game with 78.5.
The Ichabods have played the seventh-toughest schedule in the nation so far this season.
Washburn leads the all-time series with the Lions, 28-22-1, and has won seven of the last eight in the series.
The Lions broke a seven-game winning streak by the Ichabods with their win in Yager Stadium in the 2023 WU home opener, taking a 30-23 win to break a 10-game losing streak in Topeka.
Washburn has won 19 of the last 22 in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
Southern quarterback Luke Sampson is 139 of 249 passing with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, passing for 236 yards per game.
Draper Parker leads the Lions with 67 yards per game on 37 catches, averaging 12.8 yards per catch.
Colton Bass leads the team with 54 tackles while adding two interceptions.
De'Shawn Larson leads the Lions in rushing with a 45-yard per game average and two touchdowns.
Missouri Southern is ranked 10th in the MIAA in scoring offense at 19.4 points per game and 10th in the MIAA in scoring defense, allowing 40.3 points a game.
Missouri Southern has the ninth-ranked offense in the league, averaging 326.7 yards of total offense a game, and they are ninth in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 446.4 yards per game.
