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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After battling through a murderer's row of three teams who were a combined 12-1 on the season, Washburn Rural faced another tough test Friday night at Hummer Sports Park, with the Junior Blues facing unbeaten Topeka High.
But Rural looked more like the team that advanced to the 2023 Class 6A semifinals on Friday, opening defense of its Centennial League championship with a 49-21 romp past the Trojans.
Junior TJ Minikwu rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns in Washburn Rural's 49-21 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"They put so much work into this and after last year the expectation was to do the same thing we did last year, go undefeated (in the regular season) and run that but sometimes it doesn't work out the way you want it to and you've got to re-establish the goals and figure out what you want to do,'' Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "We pressed really hard this week about the idea that it's another season, it's a second season, because we're defending our league championship from last year. So we've got four games to fight for that and the kids responded really well this week.
"Their motivation was really good, their focus was really good and they were excited to play with a lot of energy. That takes a lot of character because of what we've been through the last three weeks. We could have just kind of decided that we'll just play this thing out and see where it goes. They weren't that way. They worked really hard and had a good night tonight.''
Washburn Rural, now 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the Centennial League, took advantage of a couple of big plays early to jump in front 7-0 and never trailed, opening up a 28-7 halftime advantage and going in front 49-7 early in the fourth quarter before Topeka (4-1, 1-1) added a pair of TDs over the final 5:27.
Junior Kellan Roth caught a pair of touchdown passes in Friday's 49-21 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rural's defense stopped Topeka High on 4th-and-inches at the Trojan 29 to end High's first possession and the the Junior Blues drew a pass interference penalty on High on a 3rd-and-16 play, leading to a 6-yard touchdown pass from John Hoytal to Kellan Roth at the 7:36 mark of the opening quarter.
After stopping the Trojans on their ensuing possession, Rural junior TJ Minikwu burst loose for a 52-yard touchdown run, the first of his three TDs on the night.
Topeka High senior Tevante Ewing scored a pair of touchdowns in the Trojans' 49-21 Centennial League loss to Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High answered with a 49-yard TD pass from Zane Smith to Tevante Ewing at the 4:18 mark of the first quarter but the Trojans got no closer, with Minikwu adding a 3-yard TD and Hoytal connecting with Roth on a 16-yard scoring strike to put Rural in command by three touchdowns at the half.
Washburn Rural picked up in the second half where it left off, getting a 10-yard scoring run from Jadyn Baum, a 14-yard TD from Minikwu and a 5-yard run from Lafayette Thompson to cap its scoring.
Chiefs great, NFL Hall of Famer Will Shields cherishes Kansas ties, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame honor
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
In the mind of Kansas City Chiefs’ great Will Shields, he isn’t being inducted to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on a technicality.
Former Chiefs great Will Shields (68) will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 13 in Topeka. [Photo courtesy of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
Born at Fort Riley in 1971, he spent just the first two years of his life there while his father was stationed at the Army base in the early 1970s before moving out of state. He gained fame as a football player on teams in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Missouri.
But Shields is quick to point out that, though the Chiefs technically are based in Missouri, he lived in Kansas throughout his NFL career and continues to make Kansas his home.
Shields spent most of his youth in Lawton, Okla. and is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. His number is retired by the University of Nebraska, where he was a highly decorated offensive lineman. But when he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1993, he put down roots in Kansas and currently resides in the Overland Park area.
“It’s a great thing for the place where you were born to give you that recognition. But also, the cool thing about it is that I feel like I am a Kansan because I spent over 30 years of my life in Kansas, including when I played (in the NFL),” Shields said. “The biggest part of my life was spent there and I’m part of the fabric of the community. My kids were born there and that’s where you built your adult life. That’s a deeper-rooted thing than just saying ‘I was born here.’ ”
Shields’ affinity for the Army in general, and Fort Riley specifically, is deep. He is proud of his father’s military service and he credits his mother for leading the family in Lawton while his father served three years in Germany.
“Outside my house, I have Big Red One rock which reminds me of where I was born,” Shields said. “That’s part of the lineage piece of where you came from. I’m proud to be part of the military world.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka West Charger football team will continue to hunt for its first win of the season after dropping a meeting with undefeated Basehor-Linwood 59-6 Thursday at Hummer Sports Park.
Topeka West celebrates a big play in Thursday's 59-6 UKC loss to undefeated Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The fifth loss in as many tries ensures the character building will continue for at least another week for the Chargers.
“We knew coming in that this wasn’t an easy turnaround,” said Topeka West coach Trey Parker. “The kids knew. We sat them down and told them it wouldn’t be easy to get where we want to be. But they’re bought in, and they understand that it’s a process.
“Obviously, right now we’re not seeing what we want to see, but we’ll get there soon. I think the kids are starting to see that.”
The Bobcats controlled Thursday’s contest from the outset, scoring on their first play from scrimmage on a long pass. They added scores on another pass, a long run play, and a field goal in the first half to lead 24-0.
The highlight of the night for the Chargers came early in the second half. Topeka High scored on a long pass from quarterback Jacob Brewster to a streaking Alesecio Batson, who finished a 79-yard scoring play.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A crowded Hummer Sports Park buzzed with a playoff atmosphere Thursday as ascending Topeka soccer teams Topeka High and Topeka West collided. The Chargers claimed the meeting of familiar rivals, 2-1.
Topeka West freshman Valentin Del Real (3) celebrates the Chargers' first goal in Thursday's 2-1 soccer win over USD 501 rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West jumped out to an early lead when freshman Valentin Del Real launched a blast from well outside the penalty box that slid just past the fingertips of the Trojan goalkeeper.
Senior LaRon Fulton (3) scored Topeka High's lone goal in Thursday's 2-1 loss to city rival Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High answered in short order when senior LaRon Fulton played a rebound into the net to tie the score.
It was the Chargers who recorded a second score before intermission.
Sophomore Diego Gonzalez-Talavera received a pass from Del Real and punched home what wound up being the deciding goal.
“Our guys are capable of this kind of play, and I think they’re finally starting to find the back of the net and finishing,” said Charger coach Josh Kutter.
Topeka West improved to 6-2, one win shy of last year’s total.
Gonzalez-Talavera said the Chargers feel the momentum growing.
“Obviously, it’s a good win against our rivals. We came out and showed them how we can play,” the sophomore captain said. “People don’t expect much from us because we’re Topeka West and we don’t have a great history. But now that we’re building up the team year by year, it’s beginning to look better for us and we’re starting to win more games.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There were a lot of things that veteran Washburn University football coach Craig Schurig felt good about in the wake of last Saturday's 24-16 MIAA road win at Missouri Western.
Al-Mani Jimerson and the Washburn defense gave up just one touchdown last week at Missouri Western as the Ichabods earned their first win with a 24-16 MIAA decision over the Griffons. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But the thing that Schurig cherished the most was seeing the pure joy his players exemplified after notching their first victory of the season.
"It was cool seeing our players excited after a game because they've been dejected,'' Schurig said. "And that's one of the joys of coaching is seeing your guys excited and smiling after a game.
"That's probably the thing you miss the most, to see them happy after a game, because they had played hard and when you don't get the reward you're not happy. We still made some mistakes but had enough in us to finish it off. We rose up and made the necessary plays, so that's good for our confidence.''
Redshirt freshman noseguard Al-Mani Jimerson agreed with his coach that finding a way to win was huge for the Ichabods.
"It definitely was great, finally getting over that hilltop,'' said Jimerson, a St. Louis, Mo. native. "But we know we're not satisfied. We've still got more to go. We've still got a tough schedule, we've still got to finish the season so this is just one game of many that's going to come.''
"I felt really good about the game,'' added Ichabod sophomore receiver Maury Sullivan, who also hails from St. Louis. "I felt like we responded to going down (10-7 at halftime) very well because a lot of times when you go down it's easy to put our heads down and get under a rock but I thought we responded pretty well and came out the second half striking.''
Now the Ichabods will be aiming to continue their turnaround in Saturday's 3 p.m. MIAA game against Northwest Missouri State in Yager Stadium, part of Washburn's Hall of Fame Day.
Washburn is 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA) entering Saturday's game while the Bearcats are 3-2, 3-1 in the MIAA after topping No. 11-ranked Emporia State 14-9 for their third straight win last week.
