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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings without mistletoe:
• Amazing how good players are without playing a down of college football.
• Translation: Tis the season for recruiting superlatives baked into signings.
• Those narratives bear additional importance, though.
• There’s no better time to shine than in your first season.
• If you do, you might move on to a seemingly better program. Or if you don’t, you might move on anyway.
• The immediacy of the transfer portal leads to immediate opportunities. Or sometimes, an immediate end to playing football.
• It can be a crap shoot with high stakes but the number of participants continues to soar.
• I notice high school standouts who sign with major-college programs out of state and wonder if they might return to play closer to home.
• Then I slap myself. I should want them to kick butt and be a beacon for their hometowns.
• Coming off its Big 12 title, Kansas State’s rise looks to continue if you believe in recruiting grades.
• I prefer to believe in player development.
• Is K-State still a developmental program?
• Few teams in the country collect stars (recruiting or real) like Alabama, which faces K-State in the Sugar Bowl.
• The Wildcats have often struggled in bowl matchups against teams filled with high-rated talent.
• Chris Klieman, however, provides K-State a fighter’s chance based on success against top 10 opponents.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden star Joe Otting made his decision to play football at Notre Dame six months ago and never wavered.
Otting made that commitment official Wednesday afternoon in front of friends and family at Hayden, signing his letter of intent with the Fighting Irish.
"I'm very excited to make it official and to get ready for the next journey out of me,'' Otting said.
Hayden star Joe Otting, flanked by his family, signs his national letter of intent with Notre Dame football Wednesday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Joe Otting visits with well-wishers at Wednesday's national letter of intent signing ceremony at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Joe Otting talks to a large crowd Wednesday at Hayden before signing his football letter of intent with Notre Dame. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Otting, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive lineman, said his loyalty to Notre Dame has just gotten stronger since making his oral commitment in June.
"I'd say I've been up there six or so times and it's been a good process,'' he said. "To build a relationship with all the coaches, its been nice.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden junior girls basketball player Avery Grunert and Shawnee Heights junior wrestler Allen Baughman have been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Rising Stars of the Week.
Avery Grunert
Allen Baughman
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the 2022-2023 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Grunert and Baughman last week:
AVERY GRUNERT, Hayden
Grunert, a 5-foot-6 guard, scored a career-high 17 points off the bench to help lead Hayden to a 71-14 non-league win over Kansas City-Bishop Ward last Friday at Hayden.
Grunert was Hayden's leading scorer as the Wildcats finished the 2022 portion of the 2022-2023 season with a 3-1 record.
Grunert was a Class 4A state placer in golf this past fall, tying for 14th place to help lead the Wildcats to a third-place team finish for the second straight season.
ALLEN BAUGHMAN, Shawnee Heights
Baughman went 8-0 with eight pins in last weekend's Johnson County Classic at Blue Valley to capture the championship in the 175-pound weight class.
Baaughman, 16-4 on the season, capped his championship run with a win by fall over St. Thomas Aquinas' Elzie Slaughter at the 3:11 mark and recorded four pins between 30 seconds and one minute, helping Heights finish fourth as a team in the 25-school event.
Baughman was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick in football this past season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls have returned to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Class 6A state rankings after a pair of victories over ranked teams last week.
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye (middle) and the Washburn Rural girls have returned to the KBCA Class 6A state rankings at No. 7 after a pair of wins over state-ranked teams last week. [File photo/TSN]
Rural is No. 7 in this week's rankings, released Tuesday, one spot behind Topeka High, which moved up to No. 6 from No. 10 in 6A.
Seaman's girls (5A), Silver Lake's girls (3A) and Highland Park's boys (5A) all remained No. 2 in the KBCA rankings while Hayden's boys remained No. 3 in 4A, Topeka West's boys moved up to No. 7 in 5A and Rossville's girls climbed a spot to No. 9 in 3A.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
CLAIRE IRELAND, Washburn Rural -- Ireland, a junior, earned second-team All-City recognition last season after helping Washburn Rural post a third-place team finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Ireland, also a state qualifier this fall in tennis, placed eighth in last season's Centennial League meet and was fifth for the Junior Blues in regional competition.
GABBY MARTINEZ, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Martinez has a breakout performance in the 2022 Class 6A start tournament, placing sixth individually with a 583 series to help lead Washburn Rural to a second straight third-place team finish Martinez was 29th in the Centennial League tournament and 24th at regionals before her big state performance.
Seaman senior Katie Price helped the Vikings win the Class 5A-1A state team championship last season. [Submitted photo]
KATIE PRICE, Seaman -- Price capped her junior season by helping Seaman win the Class 5A-1A state team championship. A first-team All-City selection the past two seasons, Price finished fifth in the Centennial League tournament and third in 5A-1A regional competition last season with a 630 series. Price won the Centennial League individual championship as a sophomore with a 658 series.
