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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No matter how talented a soccer team is or how good its record is, there's almost always going to be at least one postseason game where that team is going to have to dig deep to keep their season going.
Thursday was one of those games for undefeated Washburn Rural, with the Junior Blues advancing to next Tuesday's Class 6A state quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Wichita East in a 6A regional final on a cold, rainy, windy night at McElroy Field.
"Like I just told them, in every playoff run there are tough games,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "Once you get past the first round the games are going to be tight and everybody who's left has found ways to win games.
"We expected a tough game today and we're just glad to advance. We didn't play our best but we played good enough to win.''
Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel talks to his Junior Blues after Thursday's 1-0 win over Wichita East in a regional final. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After a scoreless first half the 17-0-0 Junior Blues got the only goal of the night on an own goal off a corner kick from sophomore Benett Hallauer early in the second half.
"Wichita East is a great program,'' Hensyel said. "Last year we had to beat an undefeated Wichita East in the quarters and we had a really tough game with them here three years ago, so they're a traditional team who's used to winning and we knew they'd come in here and play well,
"They had a good plan to kind of lock in on defense and I didn't think we played great in the first half. We didn't have much energy in the first half. The second half against the wind was outstanding. We moved the ball pretty well and created a set play and got a goal off of it.''
While scoring opportunities were limited for Washburn Rural they were basically nil for Wichita East, which finished its season 9-8-1.
"The best part was when the wind picked up and the pressure was on, our defense didn't allow a shot basically the entire game,'' Hensyel said. "We basically, in terrible conditions, didn't give a team a shot and that's pretty tough to do.''
Senior Wyatt Arnold posted the shutout in goal for the Junior Blues.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Now in his 21st season as a high school soccer coach, Hayden's Klaus Kreutzer has seen all kinds of weather conditions.
But on the misery scale, Kreutzer couldn't remember many days that rivaled Thursday's conditions at the Sunflower Soccer Complex for the Class 4A-1A regional final between the Wildcats and Independence.
Moar of the game was played in a driving rain, with a 14-mile-per-hour wind and the temperature hovering around the 50-degree mark.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, they made the most of the awful conditions, advancing to next Tuesday's state quarterfinals with a 4-0 win over the Bulldogs.
"I'd say today was in the top two,'' Kreutzer said when asked to rate the worst conditions his teams have played in. "We gave (Independence) the opportunity to not play, but they're on fall break and everybody was going someplace so they wanted to just play and get it done with.''
Hayden scored all four of its goals in the first half to put the game away and with the win safely tucked away, Kreutzer said it was probably good to get the game in the books.
"Now we'll have a few days rest and some time to recup,'' Kreutzer said.
Hayden's soccer team celebrates Thursday's 4-0 win over Independence in a Class 4A-1A regional final. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Pushed to penalty kicks in Monday's 1-0 regional win over Cair Paravel Latin, Hayden took care of business early against Independence.
"That was pretty important and that's why I took the wind, simply for a confidence factor and just feeling a little bit better'' Kreutzer said. "It was big for us and you could tell it lifted everybody up.''
Junior Chris Hayes scored the only goal the 13-5-0 Wildcats would need early in the game and junior Jake Muller followed with a second goal shortly thereafter.
Later in the half Hayes added a second goal before junior Nick Padilla ended Hayden's scoring.
"It was very important to boost our confidence and relieve the pressure off our defense,'' Hayes said of Hayden's quick start.
Senior goalkeeper Gabe Rankey picked up the shutout in goal, coming up with a couple of key second-half saves.
"We always trust Gabe back in the net because he's such a good goalie and we have faith in him,'' Hayes said. "He's the backbone of our team.''
And like Kreutzer, Hayes was happy to put Thursday's game behind him.
"I told (coach) that this was one of the most miserable games I've that I've played in my life, but hey, it was fun so that's all I can ask for,'' Hayes said.
The state quarterfinal pairings will be determined after the conclusion of all the regional finals.
HAYDEN 4, INDEPENDENCE 0
Independence (11-5-2) 0 0 -- 0
Hayden (13-5-0) 4 0 -- 4
Hayden -- Goals: Chris Hayes 2, Jake Muller, Nick Padilla. Shutout: Gabe Rankey.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's volleyball team knows that its perfect 38-0 record and No. 8 national ranking won't mean a whole lot to opponents once the Junior Blues step on the court this weekend for the Class 6A state tournament at Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
But the Junior Blues are also confident that if they perform at the level they have all season they're going to be hard to beat.
And after close calls the past two seasons -- a runner-up finish in 2019 and a third-place showing a year ago -- Rural is bound to be highly-motivated to get the job done this time around.
"We all have been working so hard for it, so we're definitely so motivated this year because we have an amazing team and we just know that if we play our best, then really no team can stand with us,'' Washburn Rural junior star Brooklyn DeLeye said.
Washburn Rural's volleyball team will take a 38-0 record and No. 8 national ranking into this weekend's Class 6A state tournament at Salina. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On the flip side, veteran Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said there are several teams in the talented 6A field capable of knocking off the Junior Blues "if we don't show up and play the way we should.''
Washburn Rural, which will be shooting for the eighth state title in program history, dominated last Saturday's sub-state tournament at Rural, taking a 25-10, 25-10 win over city rival Topeka High in the semifinals before winning the championship with a 25-5, 25-9 win over Garden City.
Rural is the No. 1 seed for the state tournament and will open its state bid at 4:30 p.m. Friday with a Pool I match against No. 8 seed Olathe Northwest (24-11), which took a three-set semifinal win over the Junior Blues a year ago on the way to a second-place finish.
The Junior Blues will then face No. 5 seed Shawnee Mission Northwest (31-8) at 6:30 p.m. before closing out pool play with an 8:30 match against No. 4 seed Hutchinson (33-5).
Wichita Northwest is the No. 2 seed at 39-1 and is in Pool II along with No. 6 seed and defending state champ Blue Valley West (28-9), No. 3 seed Blue Valley North (35-2) and No. 7 seed Free State (24-9).
"I really think Blue Valley North and Blue Valley West are very good and Olathe Northwest has been playing really well right now, and then kind of the sleeper is Shawnee Mission Northwest,'' Bordewick said.
DeLeye and fellow junior Taylor Russell have played key roles for Rural in the state tournament the past two two seasons while senior Katelynn Brogan, junior Katie Borough and sophomores Zoe Canfield and Jada Ingram are also battle-tested at state.
Washburn Rural has posted wins this season over four of the other seven schools in the state field.
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 1 p.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 6A STATE VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tatiana Dowling's Seaman volleyball team has faced a brutal schedule this fall, with seven of the Vikings' losses in a 25-10 season coming against schools that will compete in the Class 6A and 5A state tournaments this weekend.
Now the goal for the battle-tested Vikings, the No. 7 seed, is to make that tough slate pay off in Friday and Saturday's 5A state tournament at Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
"I am really happy with our schedule in the regular season,'' Dowling said. "I think it gives us challenges, makes us better, and prepares us for competition at state.
"With that being said, of course I would like to come away with some wins instead of losses in those circumstances, but I am glad that we have been able to have learning experiences through those games.''
Seaman's volleyball team will make a second straight appearance in the Class 5A state tournament this weekend. [File photo/TSN]
After ending a lengthy state drought last season with a quarterfinal experience Seaman clinched its second straight state appearance with a romp through the Eisenhower sub-state last Saturday at Goddard.
The Vikings took a 25-13, 25-19 semifinal win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel before taking a 25-23, 25-19 victory over Maize in the championship match.
Senior Drew Baxter, junior Laynee Brown and sophomores Taylin Stallbaumer and Brooklyn Gormley all played key roles for Seaman a year ago in a quarterfinal loss at Lansing and Dowling is hopeful that experience will help the Vikings this weekend.
"I definitely think that any state experience helps in the future,'' Dowling said. "It helps our program create a culture and an expectation, but it also helps give us the experience of a state tournament, which we hadn’t gotten before last year.''
And the fact that the Vikings were able to earn a return trip to state speaks well for the program.
"It is definitely something we’re proud of,'' Dowling said. "We make mini-goals throughout the season and this was one of them. Now, we have a goal to make it to the second day of state.
"We’ll continue making goals from there. I try to instill in them to never be satisfied and to keep pushing for more, and I feel like they’ve done a great job of stepping up to that challenge.''
Lansing is the tournament's top seed at 33-1 and is in Pool I along with No. 4 Maize South (30-8), No. 5 St. James Academy (27-9) and No. 8 Bishop Carroll (25-12).
Seaman is in Pool II along with No. 2 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (34-3), No. 3 Spring Hill (30-6) and No. 6 Emporia (26-9)
Seaman will open its state bid at 9:30 a.m. Friday against Aquinas and will face Spring Hill at 10:30 and Emporia at 12:30 p.m.
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinals. The championship and third-place matches will follow the semis.
Seaman faced five schools in the 5A state field in the regular season, taking two wins over Spring Hill and a win over Centennial League rival Emporia and dropping three matches to Lansing while also losing to St. James Academy and Bishop Carroll.
CLASS 5A STATE VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
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THE PENNANT PLAYER PROFILE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University defensive end Braden Rose isn't likely to make the switch to running back any time soon.
But the 6-foot-1, 255-pound junior did record the Ichabods' second-longest touchdown of the 2021 season last Saturday, scooping up a Central Oklahoma fumble in the closing seconds and rambling 75 yards for Washburn's game-clinching TD in a 29-17 road victory over the Bronchos.
Rose admitted he was out of gas by the time he reached the end zone, but said that was a small price to pay to achieve what he called the biggest moment of his football career.
"I definitely didn't have a lot left,'' Rose said. "It took everything I had to get the touchdown because obviously I don't do that type of running all the time, but the experience of a lifetime scoring that was what kept me going.
"That's No. 1 for sure. That's definitely a play I'll never forget.''
