News - Top Sports News - The top sports news from Topeka & Shawnee County.

Details: Created: 26 August 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2022 season Sept. 1-3.

-----------------------------------------

Topeka High football coach Carlos Kelly knows there's sure to be some challenges ahead this fall for a young Trojan team that faces a brutal schedule.

But Kelly, who has just seven seniors on his roster, will be focused on making steady progress as the Trojans try to work towards re-capturing their place as a Centennial League and Class 6A contender.

Third-year Topeka High football coach Carlos Kelly talks with Trojan quarterback Peyton Wheat during a 2021 game. [File photo/TSN]

"We'll have to be patient and our schedule does not allow us any kind of leeway on patience, but at the same time Coach 'A' (Walt Alexander) was here for quite a while and he went through those nicks and bruises at the beginning to get it started off and then they did a really great job,'' said Kelly, a former assistant on Alexander's staff.

"Coach 'A' was a good coach. A lot of people don't give him credit for what he did off the field in the weight room and getting guys to buy in.''

Now Kelly, whose Trojans are coming off a 2-7 campaign, is trying to follow that same blueprint.

"It starts from everywhere and everything has to be on point for a smooth machine to run tip top,'' Kelly said. "Every cog in the machine has to do their part.''

Details: Created: 25 August 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

-----------------------------------------

You might think that new Silver Lake football coach Logan Pegram would have been fighting some butterflies when he walked out onto CJ Hamilton Field for the start of fall practice on Aug. 15.

After all, Pegram is taking over for a living legend in Hamilton, the winningest coach in Kansas history, and is the Eagles' first new head coach since Hamilton returned from a short stint at Washburn University in 1979.

First-year Silver Lake football coach Logan Pegram, a former Eagle standout, puts his team through a drill during a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But the Silver Lake graduate, who said he benefitted from having all summer to get to know his new team, said all he was feeling was excitement to get started in his new role.

"So much goes into it with the preparation throughout the summer that the relationships with the kids are there and you know what to expect and they know what to expect, and I have five rock-solid assistant coaches,'' Pegram said.

"The only thing I got a little nervous about is when I came out and they weren't warming up like we told them to warm up, but it was awesome coming out here. It's like the start of a good school year and I was ready to rock and roll.''

Pegram, who was a star lineman for Hamilton at Silver Lake before playing collegiately at Northern Illinois, said he wants to embrace the Eagles' rich tradition, which includes eight state championships and 18 championship game appearances under Hamilton, moving forward.

Pegram's coaching staff includes multiple holdovers from last year's staff and he also added a couple of other coaches very familiar with the program to complete his staff this season.

"I was able to hire two Silver Lake alums, Brit Dewey, who had a really good career here and was a Shrine Bowl guy, and then we got Jace Lowe, who was also an ex-Shrine Bowl guy here,'' Pegram said. "So all of us played in the program and all of us understand 'IT.' ''

Details: Created: 25 August 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Jalyn Stevenson was the newbie for Washburn University volleyball a year ago, surrounded by a veteran senior group, including four All-Americans, that led the 31-6 Ichabods to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II national tournament.

Jalyn Stevenson

But although she's still only a sophomore, the 5-foot-10 outside hitter knows that as Washburn's most experienced returner she'll need to step up as a leader for the Ichabods this fall, a role she's ready to embrace as WU gets set to open the 2022 season Friday and Saturday in the Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic.

"I feel like I need to step up my leadership because I do have that play experience,'' said Stevenson, a former Spring Hill standout. "With the seniors that I had last year I will say they did a fantastic job of helping me through (last season) and even when I had no clue of what was going on they helped me through that, so I want to be that kind of person for the team and be able to help them through the tough times when when they don't necessarily understand what's going on and during game play when everything changes and everything starts going faster, slowing it down for the younger kids.''

Washburn sophomore outside hitter Jalyn Stevenson (10) celebrates a point with her teammates during the 2021 season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Stevenson earned All-MIAA honorable mention as a freshman when she played in all 37 matches with 30 starts, finishing fourth on the team in kills with 263, third in digs at 259 and second in service aces with 32 on the year.

Stevenson, one of eight WU returners, said she feels like she picked up some valuable tips from last year's seniors that will help her this season.

"I did,'' Stevenson said. "It also helps this year that with Genna (Berg, an All-American hitter) still being here as our (graduate asssistant) I still get to pick up the tips that I didn't last year because I am still only a sophomore and I am still getting more experience as I go.''

Stevenson, who played for former Washburn standout Erica (Cowhick) Book at Spring Hill, said she needs to make sure she just plays her game this season while trying to continue to take steps forward.

"I can't put too much pressure on myself,'' she said. "I just want to play my game and I just want to play as hard as I can and do the best I can without putting any undue pressure on myself.''

Washburn University's volleyball team will open the 2022 season in this weekend's Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Stevenson and the Ichabods, who have 10 freshmen on their roster, will begin the 2022 campaign with four matches at the UNK Fall Classic this weekend.

On Friday, the Ichabods will face Central Washington (10 a.m.) and Minot State (4 p.m.) before wrapping up the tournament on Saturday against Midwestern State (10 a.m.) and Sioux Falls (4 p.m.).

The Ichabods, who lost 14 players off last year's team, will begin the new season right where they finished 2021, as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation. Washburn was voted No. 2 in the AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll that was released on Aug. 17.