- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There were times in Monday's Hayden-Topeka High volleyball dual when the host Wildcats looked to be on their way to a sweep.
But there were also times that the Trojans appeared to be poised to pull out a comeback win before Hayden ended up with a hotly-contested 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22 victory over its Centennial League rival at the Bueltel Activities Complex in the season-opener for both teams.
Hayden sophomore Bella Reid (12) is congratulated by her teammates after making a big play in the Wildcats' 3-1 dual win over Topeka High Monday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We love winning,'' Hayden coach Jim Davis said. "We've got a new squad this year, we're real young. We only have one senior, Jenessa Broxterman, and you saw her tonight, she stepped it up. We gave her the game ball tonight.''
The first set was tied at 20 and 23 before Hayden scored the final two points to take the set.
Hayden jumped out to a 13-5 second-set lead on a block from freshman Kadence Watts and later led 17-8 on kill from Broxterman and 19-10 but Topeka High battled all the way back to within 24-23 before the Wildcats closed out the win.
The third set went back and forth throughout, with Topeka High jumping out 4-0 before Hayden fought back to take a 10-5 lead on a kill from junior Hannah Schmitz.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Now starting his sixth year at Emporia State, former Topeka High standout Corey Thomas is in no hurry to leave a football program he loves.
Former Topeka High standout Corey Thomas returns for Emporia State after leading the Hornets in receiving a year ago. [Photo by Emporia State Athletics]
In fact, it will be several months before the 5-foot-10, 185-pound wide receiver and two-year Hornet team captain makes a final decision on when that departure will come.
Thomas, the Hornets' leading receiver last season, is taking advantage of the extra year of elibility he was granted due to COVID and if he so chooses could return in 2023 for a seventh season due to a season-ending injury in '19 after just three games.
"I'm still about 50-50 on it,'' said Thomas about the possibility of coming back in '23. "I'm entering this year as a senior. I'm going through Senior Day and stuff just in case but it will be an after the season decision for sure.
"Life's coming quick, I'm 23 now, so I've just got some decisions to make after the season.''
Thomas, an All-City quarterback at Topeka High, caught 44 passes for 501 yards and four touchdowns last season for the 6-6 Hornets, earning All-MIAA honorable mention.
Emporia State coach Garin Higgins said that when Thomas is healthy he's among the top receivers in the MIAA.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
LIBERTY, Mo. -- Washburn soccer took to the road for the first time in the 2022 season and came away with a record-tying 7-3 non-conference road win over William Jewell.
Five different Ichabods scored in the game led by two goals each from Jaedyn Johnson and former Washburn Rural All-Stater Belle Kennedy.
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy scored the first two goals of her college career in Sunday's 7-3 Washburn University soccer win at William Jewell. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn's seven goals tied the program record set two other times, most recently in a 2012 match against Nebraska-Kearney. Washburn also recorded 24 shots in the game, the most in a single game since it took 25 against Missouri Western in 2019. Seventeen of those shots came on goal, the most in a single game since the 2007 season.
William Jewell recorded the first shot of the game before the Ichabods took the next six but were unable to score early on.
Lux Sands
In the 25th minute, the Cardinals got on the board first with a goal into the top right corner of the net from from freshman Lux Sands, a former Topeka High standout who scored her first college goal.
In the 39th minute, Khloe Schuckman got alone on the right side and was able to get a shot just above the goalie's reach to tie the game at one.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: Shawnee County varsity coaches in all fall sports are encouraged to report their game/event results by email to
----------------------------------------------
Washburn Rural volleyball opened its 2022 season with a statement win over St. Thomas Aquinas in a battle between two of the state's storied programs in Saturday's St. James Academy Volleyball Slam.
Brooklyn DeLeye and Washburn Rural opened the 2022 volleyball season with a win over Class 5A power St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday. [File photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues begins the season ranked No. 3 in Class 6A by the Kansas Volleyball Association while Aquinas is top-ranked in 5A in the KVA preseason poll.
Washburn Rural is coming off a 41-2 season and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament while Aquinas finished third in 5A last season.
The Junior Blues took a 25-21 first-set win over the Saints and closed out the victory with a 25-20 victory.
"I thought for the first match we did pretty well against a really good team,'' said Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led the Junior Blues to seven state championships. "We talked about whether we win or lose, this match will show us a lot of things we have to work on, and it did.''
The Volleyball Slam is regarded as one of the area's premier events and Bordewick said the Junior Blues did a good job of handling the surroundings.
Kentucky commit Brooklyn DeLeye, the reigning 6A player of the year, had a big opener for Rural, but Bordewick said the entire team made solid contributions.
"We had a great student section that gave us a lot of energy and we had three girls who made their varsity debut that handled the big-time atmosphere and pressure really well,'' Bordewick said.
"If we keep working we can have a really special season.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural put together an outstanding 8-2 football season last fall while earning a share of the Centennial League championship.
But the way the year ended -- a 42-10 second-round Class 6A playoff loss -- has stoked the Junior Blues' fires to take that next step this fall.
Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler returns a wealth of experience from last season's 8-2 team that earned a share of the Centennial League title. [File photo/TSN]
"I think we thought about the 8-2 after awhile in the springtime, but this group was really disappointed with how we played against Free State,'' said Rural coach Steve Buhler, who is starting his 10th season at the school. "They were a really good team so we noticed there were some things we're going to have to do to get better and get past this round that we've been at for the last couple of years.
"This group's really hungry and they're still young and we're ready to go. It's been fun.''
Returning 30 lettermen, including six starters on offense and eight on defense, Rural would appear to have the firepower to make a deeper 6A run in 2022, but Buhler said the Junior Blue have to take care of business every single week, beginning with Friday night's season-opener at Wichita East.
"The first thing it taking that next step is is you've got to put yourself in a good position to take that next step, which means being in those top four seeds, so all the games that lead up to it are really important,'' said Buhler, who has a 165-93 career coaching record. "If you still break it down by those goals that everybody likes to, about being a league champion and things like that, those things lead you to the position to move on.
"We've talked a lot with the kids about you can't sit there and wait for the playoffs, you've got to focus on the weeks leading up to it and take care of the playoffs when they get here.''
