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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn junior Chase Allen-Jackman had a pair of receiving TDs in Saturday's 31-24 MIAA loss to Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Ichabod quarterback Justin Lewis passed for 99 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 31-24 MIAA loss to Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]Sophomore linebacker JC Heim recorded a team-high nine tackles for the Ichabods while Jordan Finnesy added six stops and forced a fumble that Josh Grant recovered in the third quarter.
Washburn's offense finished with 317 total yards on 68 plays compared to UNK's 456 yards on 65 plays.
The Ichabods were especially effective on third down, converting 6 of 13 chances (46 percent) while UNK managed just 4 of 14 (29 percent).
Ky Thomas rushed for 56 yards, including a 22-yard run, in Washburn's 31-24 MIAA loss to Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On the ground, Cam Robinson rushed 11 times for 71 yards while Ky Thomas added 56 yards on 13 carries.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Defending Class 1A District 2 champion Rossville opened defense of its district crown with a 69-0 road romp past Maranatha Christian Academy Friday night.
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell threw for four touchdowns and ran for a TD in Friday's 69-0 win over Maranatha Academy. [File photo/TSN]
Now 3-1 overall, the Bulldawgs put the game out of reach with a 34-point opening quarter and added 21 points to open up a 55-0 halftime cushion before scoring its final two touchdowns of the night in the third quarter.
Bulldawg senior Jack Donovan set the tone for the night when he returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
Senior Conner Bush and senior Canann Mitchell followed Donovan's TD with 51 and 47-yard scores and Mitchell completed a 55-yard touchdown strike to Landen Lewis and a 42-yard scoring pass to senior Cameron Miller to close out the first quarter.
Andre Johnson opened the second-quarter scoring with a 31-yard run and Mitchell followed with an 11-yard TD pass to Lewis and a 27-yard scoring pass to Miller.
Dalen Dick scored on a 20-yard run and Ryder Foster scored from 3 yards out for the Bulldawgs' final touchdown.
Rossville will be at home next Friday to host Mission Valley.
Washburn Rural senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for two touchdowns in Thursday's 31-7 road win over Blue Valley Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Blues roll to 31-7 road win
Washburn Rural improved to 3-1 on the season, equaling its win total from the 2024 campaign, with a wire-to-wire 31-7 non-league road romp past Blue Valley Northwest Thursday night.
The Junior Blues never trailed after getting a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback John Hoytal to junior Jadyn Baum with 1:10 left in the first quarter.
A 36-yard pass play from Hoytal to junior Gavin Vantuyl set up a 4-yard TD run from Baum that put Washburn Rural in front 14-0 midway through the second quarter.
After Northwest cut its deficit to 14-7 junior Ryan Austin connected on a 28-yard field goal to put the Junior Blues in front 17-7 with 50 seconds left in the half.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 7-ranked Washburn University volleyball opened its MIAA conference schedule at home Friday night with a 3-1 win over Northwest Missouri State in Whiting Fieldhouse.
No. 7-ranked Washburn opened conference play Friday with a four-set win over Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will look to continue their winning streak on Saturday as they host No. 24-ranked Missouri Western at 6 p.m.
The Ichabods (12-0 overall, 1-0 MIAA) set the tone for the match, downing the Bearcats (6-4, 0-1) 25-11 in the first set. Northwest Missouri responded with a 25-23 win in the second set before Washburn put the match away with 25-16 and 25-15 victories.
The first three points of the match went to the Ichabods. After the Bearcats pulled within one point at 5-4 a four-point streak, capped off by an ace from Bella Limback, created separation that would last.
Washburn took advantage of errors by Northwest Missouri while also hitting .423 as a team to build a 22-9 lead. Abby Leaf ended the set with a kill on her first swing.
In the second set it was the Bearcats jumping out ahead at 5-2. A Taylor Rottinghaus ace completed a 4-0 run to give the lead back to the Ichabods.
With the Ichabods in front 11-8, a seven point rally from Northwest Missouri began, putting them in front 15-11. They remained in front until consecutive kills by Brynne Topoloski and Austin Broadie knotted the set at 22. The Bearcats recovered with three of the next four points to win, 25-23.
Both sides split the first 16 points of the third set before a kill by Keilah Rivers on a pass by Corinna McMullen jump-starting a four-point streak for Washburn to go in front, 12-8.
Northwest Missouri kept it within four points until the Ichabods ended the set on a six-point run. Natalie Hedlund provided the final point with her kill finding the hardwood at 25-16.
Washburn took the first point of the fourth set and never relinquished the lead, holding off five ties from the Bearcats with the final coming at 11-11.
A kill by Alex Dvorak broke the tie and was the first of five straight points for the Ichabods, who hit .325 as a team in the final set. The final four points of the set and match went to Washburn, ending at 25-15 with an ace by McMullen.
The Ichabods finished the match hitting .329 with 63 kills while holding the Bearcats to just a .109 attacking percentage and 38 kills. Washburn led in digs, 59-52 and had a big lead in assists, 58-38.
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Friday was Homecoming for Topeka High as the Trojans would play host to the red hot Emporia Spartans, who had outscored their previous two opponents, 102-6, in a battle of 2-1 football teams at Hummer Sports Park.
Sophomore Ricardo Dowd rushed for 83 yards and a TD in Topeka High's 13-12 win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
The Centennial League opener for both schools went down to the wire, with Topeka High hanging on for a 13-12 win.
The game would get started with the Spartans receiving the ball and turning it over on downs before forcing a quick Trojan three and out.
That would give the Spartans the ball back and help get them on the board, with freshman quarterback Cael Claibourn finding sophomore Oliver Kline for a 2-yard touchdown pass (conversion failed).
The Trojans would get the ball back and go for a field goal to cut their deficit to three but the Spartans would find a way to block the field goal.
Topeka High would force a quick Spartan three and out and the Trojans would drive down the field on the legs of sophomore running back Ricardo Dowd, who would gain 45 of his team-high 83 yards on the drive and would punch it into the end zone with a 1-yard run.
Emporia blocked High's extra point to leave the game tied at 6-6 at halftime.
Topeka High coach Jason Filbeck on Dowd's performance: “Absolutely not shocked at all, he is the right kind of kid. He works hard, he gets good grades and he just does everything right and he has alot of talent. He can be really special down the road. He is only a sophomore and he is already toting the rock how you should.
"I mean, he runs through arm tackles and protects the football and he has done a good job. I am not surprised at all. We saw it last year before he got hurt , that he was going to be good.”
Trojan quarterback Zane Smith on Dowd: “He does his magic, but with the help of the team. He’s young, but he has great eyes, he has older eyes then what he is. He finds a hole and he hits it and then just makes guys miss, he is truly special.”
The Trojans would then strike again as Smith would find junior Courtney Sanders on a 11-yard pass to get into the end zone.
The biggest play of the night would come on a Spartan touchdown with four minutes to go to get within 13-12.
Emporia would go for the 2-point conversion to get the lead, but the Trojan defense would stuff the Spartans at the goal line and take the ball and the lead.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Hayden’s only loss in last year’s regular season came at Wamego on a last-second field goal. Hayden left the Red Raiders no chance for late-game heroics Friday, rolling 42-6 at home to improve to 4-0.
Senior quarterback Connor Hanika threw for three touchdowns and ran for a TD in Hayden's 42-6 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Wildcats completely throttled Wamego’s offense, holding the visitors to 55 yards of total offense and just four first downs in the first half. Hayden, meanwhile, struck on two short passes over the middle from senior quarterback Connor Hanika, followed by an 11-yard scamper by the quarterback to go to halftime leading 21-0.
Hayden senior Jackson McGivern (36) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game's first touchdown in Friday's 42-7 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden senior Xander Blasing caught a touchdown pass in Friday's 42-6 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hanika connected on 15 of 23 throws for 230 and three touchdowns on the night. In his first season as the full-time quarterback, Hanika said he is developing comfort with the offense and continuity with his receivers. He hit six different teammates with throws in the game. Jackson McGivern, Xander Blasing and Logan Power each caught touchdown passes.
“I really love the receivers and the O-line, too,” Hanika said. “They’re doing a really good job up front and I have lots of guys to throw to. It feels really good.”
Senior Kade Mitchell bulled his way in for a touchdown and Mason Becker finished off the scoring by returning an intercepted pass 25 yards for another touchdown.
Impressive as Hayden’s offense was, it was the defense that set the tone. Having surrendered 31 points to the Red Raiders – a Class 4A-state bound team a year ago – Hayden permitted just 60 yards passing on 20 attempts on Friday. The Wildcats have yet to surrender more than seven points in a contest this year.
“It feels really good,” Hanika said to exacting some revenge on Wamego from last season. “We had a good game plan coming into this thing, and we executed it really well.”
Hayden coach Bill Arnold downplayed the concept of revenge, focusing on the good things his team accomplished and noting there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
“I don’t know about revenge. We felt like we let one slip away from us last year. But it’s an entirely different team on both sides of the ball,” Arnold said. “We’ve got a very talented senior class and we’re getting filtered in there some (younger guys) at some other spots. And those guys are getting better each and every week, and that’s what we want.
“We played with a lot of heart tonight. I’m just happy with the effort that our kids put out and we’ll try and regroup, correct some mistakes and get better next week.”
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