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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ella Dirks didn't know exactly what to expect when she reached out to Washburn University football coach Craig Schurig this past spring.
Ella Dirks, who grew up around football, joined the Washburn University coaching staff this fall as a student assistant. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But suffice it to say the Washburn freshman was blown away by Schurig's response, offering the 18-year-old the opportunity to break into coaching as a member of the Ichabods' coaching staff as a student assistant.
"My senior year of high school (at Blue Valley Northwest), around April, I contacted coach Schurig because I was still deciding on colleges and I was like, 'Can I be a manager? I would carry water or anything because I just want to be a part of football,' '' Dirks said. "And he came up to me with this opportunity and said, 'Hey, would you like to do this? Is this something you're interested in?'
"I was honestly shocked and I was like, 'Absolutely, I would love to do it,' so all props to coach Schurig for offering me the position. I'm very grateful for what I'm doing.''
Schurig's association with the Dirks family goes way back to 2000 and 2001 when Schurig was an assistant at Pittsburg State and Ella's father, the late Josh Dirks, was a standout offensive lineman for the Gorillas.
Schurig and the Dirks family re-connected in 2013 and 2014 when Josh came on board at Washburn as a volunteer assistant while Ella's mother, Tiffany, served as a WU professor.
Josh Dirks, then an assistant coach at Olathe North, passed away in November, 2021, at the age of 39 but Schurig maintained contact with the family, and when Ella contacted him, Schurig thought it was a natural to offer her a chance to be involved with a sport she loves.
Student assistant coach Ella Dirks cheers on Washburn during the Ichabods' season-opener against Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"I had seen Ella grow up and she was very athletic and she loved sports and loved football,'' Schurig said. "Her dad was a very good football player and a coach and all of that, so when she was coming to school here she approached me and wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help out the team. I was like, 'Well shoot, why don't you GA, why don't you coach?'
"Her dad was coaching at Olathe North, so she went to all of those games and she knows football and she loves athletics and loves to compete. And it worked out well because Mitchell (Schurig) is with the offensive line and he knows Ella well and we thought we might as well have her learn the offensive line because that's where her dad played. I thought that was a good fit and pretty cool.
"You're seeing these women in the NFL and major college football and everywhere, and if she really likes it she could get involved in coaching and there's always a way you can do that. So she kind of got excited about it and then we wanted to see if it would fit and it fit well.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As a fifth-year senior for the Washburn University volleyball team, Taryn Pridgett feels a certain responsibility to help out the seven freshmen in the Ichabod program.
Cair Paravel product Taryn Pridgett is entering her senior season for Washburn after recording 108 kills a year ago. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After all, it wasn't that long ago that the former Cair Paravel Latin standout was in that same position.
"Honestly, I really just want to provide support for the young ones, especially because it's hard coming into a program,'' said Pridgett, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter. "You're away from home for the first time, there's a lot of changes and coach (Chris Herron) is intense, so it can be a difficult change.
"So I think right now it's just prioritizing the young ones and making sure they're comfortable and making sure they feel confident in practices because they're still learning. They don't necesssarily have all the drills down and are making mistakes, but it's just reminding them that it's all part of the process and everyone has been there at some point, so we're all here for you.''
Pridgett made the jump from Cair Paravel, which was just starting to make the transition from the Kansas Christian Athletic Conference to the Kansas State High School Athletic Association, to Washburn during the COVID-cancelled 2020 season and admitted that it took multiple seasons before she felt truly comfortable at the college level.
"I think honestly it was probably until about my junior year when I finally started grasping how different it all is,'' Pridgett said. "Obviously you can kind of see it more on the sideline and when you're playing a little bit, but I think as you mature you kind of see little things that you kind of missed early on in your career.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
Rossville senior Tayson Horak (12) earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 and All-Mid-East League first-team honors last fall. [File photo/TSN]
Former Silver Lake football star Logan Pegram is starting his third season as the Eagles' head coach, leading Lake to a 14-5 record over the past two years. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
ROSSVILLE at SILVER LAKE
The Bulldawgs and Eagles open the 2024 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off a 5-4 record a year ago while Silver Lake went 8-2. Rossville is playing its first season in the Class 1A ranks while the Bulldawgs and Silver Lake are both entering their first year in the new Big East League. Rossville senior Tayson Horak earned All-Mid-East League first-team recognition on offense and was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 pick last season while seniors Kameron Badura and Brock Bush and junior Jack Donovan received all-county honorable mention. Silver Lake senior Braden Strausbaugh, an offensive tackle and defensive end, earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last fall while seniors Logan Cathcart and Trent Rollenhagen and junior Dayne Johnson received all-county honorable mention.
Seniors King Leonard (1) is a top returner for Washburn Rural, intercepting nine passes last fall for the 11-1 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker has received Division I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS at WASHBURN RURAL
City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights combined for 19 wins last season, with the 11-1 Junior Blues advancing to the Class 6A semifinals and the 8-3 T-Birds making it to the 5A quarterfinals. Rural senior safety King Leonard was among the state leaders with nine interceptions, including one pick six, and was also in on 75 tackles (47 solo) en route to earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last fall. Senior cornerback Wilson Miller was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year and earned All-Centennial League defensive honors and All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last season. Shawnee Heights only returns defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior cornerback Tyren Parker from last year's team along with junior kicker Camden Granado. Parker has D-I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.
Senior Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards and scored 63 points last fall for the 7-3 Scots. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WYANDOTTE at HIGHLAND PARK
At Hummer Sports Park
After snapping an eight-year losing streak early in 2022, Jermaine Monroe's Scots have posted back-to-back winning seasons, including a 7-3 mark last season when Highland Park won its first playoff game since 1991. Senior linebacker Ricky Crawford earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season, leading Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. Junior defensive back TremaineSavage was a first-team All-Meadowlark Conference selection last season, recording 29 tackles, registering 15 pass breakups and forcing two fumbles, while senior wide receiver/defensive back Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards last season while scoring 63 total points and receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Wyandotte is coming off a 1-8 season in 2023.
Hayden senior receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN at EUDORA
Hayden went 12-1 and finished second in Class 3A last fall while Eudora is coming off a 5-5 season, losing to Atchison 50-27 in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Wildcat senior wide receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time TSN All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection, catching 40 passes for 683 yards, carrying the ball 18 times for 268 yards and scoring 10 total touchdowns and three 2-point conversions. Junior running back Kade Mitchell was named the co-offensive newcomer of the year in Shawnee County last season after rushing for 764 yards on 79 carries, catching 13 passes for 209 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and 92 total points. Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 61 of 113 passing attempts for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University volleyball will open the 2024 season at the Kansas City Classic with three matches in three days Thursday through Saturday.
Washburn volleyball opens its 2024 season with three matches over three days in the Kansas City Classic. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods' first two matches will be played at Rockhurst University, with the final match on Saturday against the co-host, William Jewell.
Washburn, which is coming off a 17-11 season, will open the season against Sioux Falls (S.D.) at 4 p.m. Thursday before facing Winona State at 10 a.m. on Friday, with both matches played at Mason-Halpin Field House on the campus of Rockhurst University. WU wraps up the weekend at 11 a.m. on Saturday against William Jewell in Liberty, Mo.
Washburn junior setter Sydney Conner ranked No. 2 for the Ichabods in assists last season with 484. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"We are eager to play,'' said junior setter Sydney Conner, who ranked second for WU in assists last fall with 484 while playing in all 28 matches. "We've been playing the last two weekends (scrimmages against Rockhurst and Central Missouri) but now that it counts we're really ready to go, geared up for that point that's going to be shown on our record.''
The 2024 Kansas City Classic will be made up of six teams -- Washburn and Emporia State from the MIAA, Rockhurst and William Jewell from the GLVC and Winona State and Sioux Falls representing the NSIC.
Washburn is 39-15 all-time in season-openers and 27-6 since joining the NCAA and MIAA in 1989.
The Ichabods were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, just behind Nebraska-Kearney. Washburn received one first-place vote in the poll after finishing fifth in the 2023 MIAA regular-season standings with an 11-9 record.
The 2024 roster is the most balanced by class in the Chris Herron era, with at least four players from each class on the roster.
The Ichabods have 13 returners with 12 letter-winners from a season ago, with the returning roster including five seniors, three juniors and five sophomores.
Washburn senior Jalyn Stevenson (10) is a returning two-time first-team All-MIAA pick for the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
Senior two-time All-MIAA first-team pick Jalyn Stevenson, an outside hitter, returns for her senior year after leading the Ichabods with 342 kills (3.32 per set) last season. She recorded 338 digs (3.28 per set), served 33 aces and was a part of 31 total blocks. Stevenson was the only player to start in all 28 matches a season ago. She finished second in the MIAA in points per set (3.81), fourth in kills per set and sixth in total kills.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
None of Seaman's current boys soccer players were even born during Tim Collins' previous one-year head coaching stint with the Vikings, which produced a fourth-place finish in the 2002 Class 5A state tournament.
Veteran soccer coach Tim Collins talks with Viking sophomore Lowell Ogden during Tuesday's 1-0 Seaman win over Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But 22 years later, including a 13-year stint as the coach of the Washburn University women's team, Collins is back at the Viking helm, kicking off his second stint with a 1-0 non-league win over Emporia Tuesday night at Seaman.
"I was so nervous before the game started,'' Collins said. "I knew we can do some good things and I knew that we had good ideas. Our execution -- what coach doesn't want better execution? -- but when we needed it, it was on tonight.''
Senior Ethan Geiger (17) scored the game-winning goal in Seaman's 1-0 non-league soccer win over Emporia Tuesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Ethan Geiger scored the game's only goal at the 9-minute, 46-second mark of the first half and both teams had scoring opportunities the rest of the night, but Viking freshman Landon Geis (first half) and senior David VanLeeuwan (second half) combined for the shutout in goal for Seaman.
"The thing I'm proudest about is the shutout,'' Collins said. "It was a little bit of a struggle and we created chances, but we have to be a little more dangerous in the attacking third.''
