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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OK, so two wins in a row isn't much to brag about for a lot of basketball teams across the city and the Centennial League.
But for a Highland Park girls team that suffered through a winless campaign a year ago while barely having enough players to field a team, the Scots will take that modest streak as a big step forward.
After losing its first 13 Centennial League games of the season, Highland Park ended that drought with a win over Junction City last Friday and followed that up with a 47-36 Senior Night decision over Topeka West Tuesday night.
Highland Park's girls basketball team celebrates at the end of Tuesday's 47-36 Centennial League win over Topeka West on Senior Night at Hi Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"I'm loving it, it can never be better than right now, being with my team and having a full set of players and even getting a water break now and then,'' said Scots senior standout Aisya Taylor, who led all scorers with 15 points. "It feels good having that team, having that bonding, having that chemistry that we can have not only on the court, but outside.''
Highland Park senior Aisya Taylor scored a game-high 15 points in the Scots' 47-36 Centennial League win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"Getting these two league wins for these (three) seniors was big, especially Aisya Taylor,'' Highland Park coach Rob Brown said. "She's been through a lot these last four years, so it was big for us to get that win for her.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural has never lost a girls state wrestling tournament, but the two-time state-champion Junior Blues enter Wednesday and Thursday's Class 6A-5A state event at Park City's Hartman Arena as a bit of an underdog, going into state as the No. 3-ranked team in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rankings.
Rural coach Damon Parker has no quarrel with the rankings, but also is eager to see what his Junior Blues can accomplish this week.
"It's cool because we've seen all sides of it,'' Parker said. "The first year we weren't ranked at all until late in January and then last year we were ranked No. 1 wire to wire. This year we start at two and dropped to three and I'm sure there's someone a lot smarter than me that knows why we dropped down to three.''
Parker said the bottom line is his team doesn't dwell on championships, letting things take care of themselves on the mat.
"I know it's so cliche and people probably don't believe it, but we really talk all the time that it's not about the championships,'' Parker said. "If the girls show up and we get third that's like a lifetime achievement for most people so if they show up and they get third at state, "Awesome, we get to bring home a trophy.'
"And if that is the case I'm not going to be the least bit less disappointed in them because our trophy is nine inches tall instead of 11 inches tall. It's about the journey along the way and I've had such a blast with this group. I'm not sure I've ever had more fun coaching in my life.''
Washburn Rural has already won Centennial League and regional team titles and had five wrestlers listed in the most recent KWCA rankings.
Washburn Rural junior Addison Broxterman is ranked No. 2 at 120 pounds and is a regional champion for the two-time defending state-champion Junior Blues. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Addison Broxterman is ranked No. 2 at 120 pounds and is a regional champion for the two-time defending state-champion Junior Blues. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Addison Broxterman is second-ranked at 120 pounds and junior Alexis Fredrickson No. 2 at 132 while senior Jailyn Johnson is No. 3 at 155, sophomore Kristen Rezac No. 5 at 101 and freshman Annie Gallegos No. 6 at 126.
Broxterman, Fredrickson and senior Kendall Reid (115) were regional champions as Washburn Rural qualified a whopping 11 wrestlers for state.
"I'm real confident with the way the girls are wrestling right now,'' Parker said. "At this point in the season it's not so much about trying to cram in some last-minute moves or conditioning because if you haven't done that it's too late at this point in the year. Now we've still been fine-tuning stuff, but at this point the hay's in the barn.
"Our girls are wrestling with heart and if there's anything we've figured out over the last two years it's that when it comes down to crunch time the kids with the most heart will win those 50-50 matches and I feel very good about where we're at in that respect.''
But Parker also realizes there's several other schools in the field, including No. 1-ranked Wichita North and No. 2 Dodge City, that have the ability to challenge for the title.
"We can do everything we can do, but other teams have something to say about it as well,'' Parker said. "We look foward to the challenge.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's hard for Shawnee Heights girls wrestling star Maranda Bell to fathom the fact that her high school career is about to come to an end.
"Yesterday I was just going into high school and then it's already almost over,'' Bell said.
And when that time comes at the conclusion of Wednesday and Thursday's Class 6A-5A state girls tournament at Park City's Hartman Arena, Bell knows it's going to be an emotional time.
"I know I'm going to cry,'' she said. "It's going to be bittersweet.''
Shawnee Heights senior wrestling star Maranda Bell will compete in her final high school state tournament Wednesday and Thursday at Park City's Hartman Arena. [File photo/TSN]
After missing state her sophomore season with a shoulder injury, Bell earned a third-place state finish a year ago.
Now the goal for Bell, No. 2-ranked by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, is to close out her banner prep career with a bang.
"I've made sure I've been working harder than ever to make sure I'm 100 percent ready for state,'' Bell said.
Bell takes a 22-1 record into this week's state tournament and said that lone loss has driven her to improve.
"It sucked to lose, but it's definitely motivation,'' she said.
Shwnee Heights coach Chad Parks also has high hopes for Bell in her final prep event.
"We would love to see Maranda win a title,'' Parks said. "As coaches we know she deserves it. She's battled a lot of injuries in high school, so for her to go out on top would be huge.
"But I 100 percent know that she'll go out and will fight every single match and, at the end of the day, that's all we can ask.''
Bell is one of eight state qualifiers for Shawnee Heights, which won a regional team championship, with 115-pound junior Molly Busenitz also coming off an individual regional title.
"When we get to the state tournament it's show up and wrestle hard,'' Parks said.
Seaman will have seven wrestlers in the 6A-5A state tournament, led by regional champions Taylie Heston and Rylee Murray.
Heston is a 109-pound freshman and Murray a 126-pound senior.
The first round of state competition gets under way at 10 a.m. Wednesday and will continue through the semifinal round.
Competition will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday and will continue through the place matches.
The 4A-1A state tournament will be contested at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina,getting under way with first-round matches at 10 a.m.
Rossville sophomore 120-pounder Kendra Hurla, a state champion as a freshman, leads a eight-wrestler Shawnee County contingent into that state meet.
Rossville sophomore Kendra Hurla is a returning state champion and top-ranked in Class 4A-1A at 120 pounds. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography]
Hurla, 35-0 on the season, is top-ranked by the KWCA at 120 pounds.
Hurla was one of three state qualifiers for the Bulldawgs while Silver Lake qualified four wrestlers for state.
Sophomore 101-pounder Elaina Wolff is Hayden's lone qualifier, the first girls state qualifier in school history.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven Shawnee County basketball teams continue to be ranked in the final 2021-2022 Kansas Basketball Coaches Association state rankings released Tuesday, with Seaman's girls jumping two places in Class 3A after knocking off a pair of state-ranked teams.
Seaman, 13-5 through last week, upset 6A's No. 2-ranked team, Topeka High, and 5A's then-No. 4-ranked Lansing last week and moved from No. 8 to No. 6 in 5A.
Matt Tinsley's Seaman girls basketball team jumped two places to No. 6 in the final KBCA Class 5A rankings. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake's girls continued to be ranked No. 1 in 3A while Topeka High and Washburn Rural held the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the 6A girls rankings behind Olathe North.
Topeka West, which has won 16 straight games, remained No. 2 in the 5A boys rankings while Highland Park slipped two spots to No. 6.
Cair Paravel moved up a spot to No. 7 in the 1A Division I boys rankings.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
GIRLS
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By RICK PETERSON 
TopSports.news
Hayden senior basketball player Trent Duffey and Seaman sophomore basketball player Taylin Stallbaumer have been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Athletes of the Week for last week.
Duffey scored 60 points in three Hayden games on the week, including a career-high performance, while Stallbaumer helped lead Seaman to upset victories over a pair of state-ranked teams.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Duffey and Stallbaumer last week:
Hayden senior Trent Duffey is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Boys Athlete of the Week after scoring a total of 60 points in three games last week, including a career-high 32-point performance. [File photo/TSN]
TRENT DUFFEY, Hayden
Duffey, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 60 points in three games on the week as the Wildcats won two of the three.
Duffey scored 19 points in Hayden's 58-35 non-league win over Tonganoxie last Monday, had nine points in Tuesday's 51-48 overtime Centennial League loss to No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West and scored a career-high 32 points in Friday's 66-57 league win over Topeka High on Senior Night at Hayden.
Seaman sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Girls Athlete of the Week after helping lead the Vikings to a pair of upset victories over state-ranked teams. [File photo/TSN]
TAYLIN STALLBAUMER, Seaman
A 5-foot-6 sophomore, Stallbaumer turned in a pair of 19-point games as then-No. 8-ranked Vikings (Class 5A) knocked off state-ranked teams Topeka High and Lansing.
Stallbaumer had 19 points with three 3-pointers in Seaman's 50-42 win over previously-unbeaten and No. 2-ranked (6A) Topeka High last Tuesday and turned in another 19-point game and four 3-pointers on Friday in the Vikings' 56-46 non-league win over then-No. 4-ranked (5A) Lansing.
