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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's volleyball team struggled for much of Wednesday night's USD 501 triangular at Topeka West.
But the Trojans came to life in time to earn district bragging rights, outlasting West in three sets in the final match of the night to cap a 2-0 record with a 16-25, 25-17, 25-20 win over the Chargers.
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning (23) celebrates a point with her teammates during Wednesday's USD 501 triangular at Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think it's a really big deal and I'm glad that we could get the title back of being the top one in 501,'' Topeka High senior standout Jo'Mhara Benning said. "Last year we beat Topeka West at home but lost to them two out of three times.''
Topeka High, now 10-8, opened its night with a 25-13, 25-21 win over the Scots, who led 21-19 in the second set before the Trojans ran off six straight points.
"We were learning a new rotation, so we were getting comfortable with that,'' Topeka High senior standout Jo'Mhara Benning said. "I think that was what our problem was, we weren't used to playing with each other, so we just learned to talk and to know where you're at on the court ... just in time.''
Topeka High coach Bridget Bargmann agreed that Wednesday was an uphill battle, but she was proud of her team for finding a way to get the job done.
"I'm so proud of my girls,'' Bargman said. "That first set against West was a little scary but they dug deep and I'm so proud of them.
"I love the drive and the perseverance and everything else that goes along with it.''
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning reached the 100 milestone for service aces in Wednesday's USD 501 triangular. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Another highlight for the Trojans was a milestone-reaching performance by Benning, who recorded a service ace for the first point of the third set against Topeka West, reaching the 100-ace mark for her career.
The High multi-sport standout said she knew she was closing in on the milestone.
"It was supposed to be a surprise, but I knew,'' she said. "I'm just glad I can help my team out in any way I can.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME
BASEHOR-LINWOOD (4-0, 4-0 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-4, 0-4 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Still looking for its first win of the 2024 season, Topeka West faces another tough United Kansas Conference test Thursday night, with league-leading Basehor-Linwood visiting Hummer Sports Park to face the Chargers. Topeka West is coming off a 63-0 UKC loss to Lansing while Basehor-Linwood took a 21-7 league win over De Soto. Bobcat junior quarterback Carson Dixon has completed 37 of 74 passes for 496 yards and seven touchdowns while senior Nick Doering has carried the ball 76 times for 425 yards and seven TDs.
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
Topeka High senior Tevante Ewing rushed for 169 yards in last Friday's 47-14 Centennial League win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL (1-3, 0-0 Centennial) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (4-0, 1-0 Centennial)
At Hummer Sports Park
Topeka High will be looking to extend its winning streak to five games while Washburn Rural, a Class 6A semifinalist last season, will be aiming to snap a three-game non-league losing streak to teams that are a combined 12-1 on the season. Washburn Rural, coming off a 49-23 loss to undefeated Blue Valley Northwest, will be playing its Centennial League opener Friday night while Topeka High opened league play last week with a 47-14 road win over Emporia. Topeka High senior Tevante Ewing rushed for 169 yards on 13 attempts while junior Zane Smith completed five of eight passes for 191 yards and Savon Carter caught two passes for 144 yards. Washburn Rural junior quarterback John Hoytal completed 23 of 32 throws for 235 yards against Northwest while junior receiver Kellan Roth hauled in 11 of Hoytal’s throws for 99 yards and a score. Sophomore Jadyn Baum exploded for an 80-yard touchdown run and junior TJ Minikwu blasted in from 10 yards out for another score.
Hayden junior Kade Mitchell (25) has rushed for 296 yards and scored six touchdowns this fall. [File photo/TSN]
HIAWATHA (1-3, 0-1 Class 3A District 4) at HAYDEN (3-1, 0-0 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden, the Class 3A runnerup a year ago, is coming off a 31-28 non-league loss at Wamego last Friday while Hiawatha opened Class 3A District 4 play with a 21-0 win over Jefferson West. Hayden will open district competition Friday night. Wildcat senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 41 of 57 pass attempts for 619 yards and seven touchdowns while junior running back Kade Mitchell has carried the ball 33 times for 296 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Jensen Schrickel has caught 13 passes for 220 yards and scored five touchdowns.
Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston has passed for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns this fall for the 3-1 Vikings. [File photo/TSN]
LANSING (3-1, 3-0 UKC) at SEAMAN (3-1, 3-0 UKC)
Friday's game will match up United Kansas Conference co-leaders Lansing and Seaman, who are both a perfect 3-0 in league play. Seaman is coming off a 49-0 win over Kansas City-Turner while Lansing rolled to a 62-0 win over Topeka West. Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston has completed 47 of 85 passes for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns while junior Kaden McKinney has carried the ball 40 times for 235 yards and five TDs while senior Bryer Finley has caught 21 passes for 382 yards and eight TDs. Lansing senior Reid Oakley has completed 46 of 93 passes for 798 yards while sophomore Jaxon Pollard has carried the ball 61 times for 379 yards and five TDs.
WABAUNSEE (1-3, 0-1 Class 1A District 2) vs. CAIR PARAVEL LATIN (1-3, 0-1 Class 1A District 2)
At Yager Stadium
Cair Paravel will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after opening Class 1A District 2 play last Friday with a 46-22 loss to Mission Valley. Wabaunsee is also 1-3 and 0-1 in the district after a 14-7 loss to Olpe last week. Cair Paravel will be playing its second home game of the season at Washburn University's Yager Stadium. Top players for the Lions include senior quarterback Jase Pavlik and senior running back Ben Roeder.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls tennis team came within a point of capturing the team championship in Tuesday's 12-school Topeka West Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center.
Seaman junior Molly Gorman won the Topeka West Invitational title in No. 2 singles Tuesday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney finished second in No. 1 singles in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Molly Gorman won the No. 2 singles title and sophomore Emma Sweeney finished second in No. 1 singles to lead the way as the Vikings finished second to Olathe West in the team race by a 44-43 margin.
The Vikings also got a fifth-place finish in No. 2 doubles from Cameron Lux and KatlynHiebsch and a sixth-place finish in No. 1 doubles from Sidney Chinn and Peyton Henry.
Washburn Rural sophomore Julia Katzer posted a runnerup finish in No. 2 singles in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural, which finished fifth as a team, was led by sophomore Julia Katzer's runnerup finish in No. 2 singles while senior Carolina Chedzoy finished fifth in No. 1 singles.
City champions Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard, both seniors, placed third in No. 1 doubles.
Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will all compete in next Monday's United Kansas Conference meet at Kossover while Washburn Rural will travel to Junction City next Monday for the Centennial League meet.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
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By NICHOLAS GAINEY
Special to TopSports.news
Freshman Camilo Garcia scored three goals and assisted on another as the Topeka West boys soccer team earned an 8-0 United Kansas Conference win over visiting Basehor-Linwood on Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park.
The host Chargers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with Morris Blick finishing off a deflected shot attempt to put Topeka West up 1-0 less than one minute into the game.
The Chargers’ attack continued to apply pressure to the Bobcats’ defense, but goalkeeper CJ Pate continued to turn away attempt after attempt.
Topeka West finally broke through in the 29th minute when Diego Gonzalez-Talavera’s cross found a wide-open D’Ante Smith Dilone’ on the opposite post, who took advantage of the golden opportunity to put the Chargers up 2-0.
Garcia would begin his career night in the 33rd minute, scoring his first goal of the evening off a pass from senior defender Jafet Rodriguez to extend the Charger lead.
Garcia added a second goal in the same minute, finding the back of the net from a pass by classmate Neko Juarez.
The Chargers continued their offensive surge in the 37th minute, with Garcia facilitating fellow freshman Valentin Del Real’s goal to put Topeka West up 5-0, a lead the Chargers would take into halftime.
Topeka West attempted 29 shots in the first half, with 20 coming on goal.
The second half started almost as quickly as the first, with Giancarlo Valenzuela finding Gonzalez-Talavera in the center of the box to give the Chargers their sixth goal less than two minutes into the second half of play.
With the Chargers still dominating control of the ball, Garcia finished off his hat trick with a strike set up by Gonzalez-Talavera, giving the sophomore his second assist of the night.
In the 56th minute, Valenzuela decided to get in on the scoring, taking a pass from Jacob Corwin and launching a long-range shot into the back of the Bobcat net, putting an end to the match.
Topeka West took 40 shots in the contest, with 26 being on target.
Gonzalez-Talavera led the offensive output with nine shots, while Smith Dilone’ had seven attempts.
Pate recorded 18 saves in net for the Bobcats.
Despite the dominant performance, Topeka West coach Josh Kutter wants his team to always keep their guard up.
“We’re working on staying focused one game at a time,” Kutter said. “No matter who we’re playing against, we need to be playing our best soccer.”
With Garcia leading a group of seven underclassmen in the starting lineup, Kutter feels optimistic about the Chargers going forward.
“(Garcia has) always been a very talented player coming in for us, and he’s part of a very talented group,” Kutter said. “Expectations for those guys is just keep working hard, keep doing what they’re doing, and they’re going to do big things.”
Topeka West will have a short turnaround, playing city rival Topeka High on Thursday at Hummer Sports Park.
The Trojans, winners of nine straight, pose a challenge, but Garcia embraces it.
“We just have to train and rest,” Garcia said. “That game is going to be a tough game, but we should be able to win.”
TOPEKA WEST 8,BASEHOR-LINWOOD 0
Basehor-Linwood (0-9-0) 0 0 – 0
Topeka West (5-2-0) 5 3–8
Topeka West -- Goals: Blick, Smith Dilone’, Garcia 3, Del Real, Gonzalez-Talavera, Valenzuela. Assists: Gonzalez-Talavera 2, Rodriguez, Juarez, Garcia, Valenzuela, Corwin.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a tough 2-1 non-league loss at Hayden on Monday, Seaman's struggles continued over the opening 12 minutes-plus of Tuesday's home United Kansas Conference contest against Shawnee Heights, with the Vikings spotting the T-Birds an early 2-0 advantage.
Junior Kaelon Taylor scored just before halftime to put Seaman in front 4-2 on the way to a 6-3 UKC soccer win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Bradley Williamson attempts to control the ball in Tuesday's 6-3 UKC soccer win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Seaman got things turned around in a hurry, scoring four straight first-half goals on the way to a 6-3 league triumph, improving to 6-3-0 overall and 4-1-0 in the UKC while handing Shawnee Heights its first league defeat.
Viking senior Kaelin Loy, who contributed two goals an an assist said getting right back in action was a good way to bounce back from Monday's disappointing loss.
"It was very disappointing because that's an in-town rival, but I think it was good that we came back right away,'' Loy said. "We were angry and we were hungry for a win and to play Heights right after was really nice.''
Shawnee Heights junior Camden Granado (6) scored a goal in Tuesday's 6-3 UKC loss to Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights (3-4-0, 3-1-0) needed barely a minute to get on the scoreboard with a goal from junior Jason Slay and the T-Birds made it a 2-0 game at the 27:17 mark of the opening half on a goal from junior Camden Granado.
But that seemed to be the wakeup call that Seaman was looking for, with the Vikings needing just 52 seconds to get on the board with a goal from senior Blake Toyne.
Senior Logan Townsend tied things up at the 14:33 mark and Loy broke the tie with the first of his two goals on the night with 3:34 left in the half before junior Kaelon Taylor ended the first-half scoring onslaught at the 1:42 mark.
