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Created: 23 June 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Former Hayden star Desmond Purnell started getting a jump start on his Division I football career when he reported to Kansas State on June 1.

"It's been great,'' Purnell said. "Everybody out there's just like family.''

This week, however, Purnell is taking a break from his K-State prep, with KSU coach Chris Klieman's blessing, to represent Hayden for a final time in Saturday's 7 p.m. Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.

"I thought it would be great to come out here and help out the kids (at Shrine Hospitals) and everything,'' Purnell said during Tuesday night's East practice session at Ottawa University. "My coaches were fine with it and said I should come.''

Desmond Purnell

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Created: 23 June 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After crossing the finish line with a state championship in the Class 3A 200-meter dash at Wichita State' Cessna Stadium in late May, Rossville's Woodrow Rezac thought his career in competitive athletics was over.

Not so fast.

Rezac, who also helped lead the Bulldawgs to the 2A state football championship last fall, was just starting to adjust to life after sports when his phone rang with the opportunity to play for the East team in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl in Hutchinson (7 p.m. kickoff).

"I did think I was done,'' Rezac said during Tuesday night's practice at Ottawa University. "I was kicking back and just kind of hanging out and what not and I didn't realize I was going to have to run again.''

After helping Rossville win the Class 2A state football championship last fall, Woodrow Rezac (17) will wrap up his football career in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl in Hutchinson. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

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Created: 21 June 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Once the 2021 high school football season gets under way this fall, linemen will go back to doing their jobs in relative obscurity.

But Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Shawnee Heights was all about the guys up front, with more than 80 linemen from eight city and area schools taking part in the event.

Participating athetes from Shawnee Heights, Topeka West, Washburn Rural, Royal Valley, Santa Fe Trail, Blue Valley, Basehor-Linwood and Lansing took part in the 40-yard scoop and score, tractor tire flip, pro agility drill, 10-yard sled pull, 185-pound bench press for reps, medicine ball toss, 10-yard sled drive, pursuit drill and obstacle course, with players competing as teams and individuals.

Shawnee Heights lineman Garrett Peery goes through a drill during Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

"The reality is all summer the seven on sevens are going on so all the skill kids get to play -- the quarterbacks, the D-backs, the receivers -- but the linemen don't get to do anything fun,'' Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said. "So what we wanted to do is we wanted to put on an event where linemen only could participate.

"It's a non-contact event and it's a great way to build unity and team bonding with your line. Line coaches usually show up to be a part of it. The linemen as teammates, they're together pushing each other, so it's just a good day for them to compete against each other whether as an individual or a team, pick up a T-shirt and eat a lot of hot dogs and chips.''

Shawnee Heights' Matthew Etzel finishes off the obstacle course in Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Dawson Block, a Shawnee Heights lineman, runs an agility drill in Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

A lot of Shawnee Heights' skill position players were still on hand Monday, albeit in a different role.

"Today is all about the linemen,'' Swift said. "All of our skill guys, they're the volunteers today.''

2021 LINEMAN CHALLENGE - Final Standings
Monday, June 21, 2021
1st Place						2nd Place
School:	Blue Valley					School:	Shawnee Heights
	Players	Grade	Pts				Players	Grade	Pts
1	Levi Bittel	Sr	213			1	Matthew Etzel	Sr	203
2	Nick Herzog	Sr	213			2	Garett Peery	Sr	200
3	Andrew Long	Sr	205			3	Alex Dawkins	So	191
4	Gianni Scavuzzo	Sr	198			4	Dawson Block	Sr	189
5	Jack Cecil	Sr	185			5	Caleb Seelbach	So	183
		Total	1014					Total	966
3rd Place						4th Place
School:	Basehor-Linwood					School:	Washburn Rural
	Players	Grade	Pts				Players	Grade	Pts
1	Peyton McGee	Sr	198			1	Packson Bettis	So	196
2	Pete Best	Sr	186			2	Lukas Hanks	Jr	185
3	Jordan Johnson	Sr	186			3	Shane Sexton	Jr	173
4	Dalton Harris	Sr	184			4	Zach Franco	Jr	151
5	Logan Gall	Jr	181			5	Andrew Holman	So	150
		Total	935					Total	855

Player	Grade	School	Bench	Sled Push	Pro-Ag	Throw	Obst	Sled Pull	40 yd	Pursuit	Tire Flip	Total
Levi Bittel	Sr	BVHS	25	21	23	18	20	29	24	23	30	213
Nick Herzog	Sr	BVHS	23	21	25	17	23	28	23	23	30	213
Andrew Long	Sr	BVHS	16	21	24	16	24	29	24	22	29	205
Matthew Etzel	Sr	SHHS	15	19	23	15	25	27	24	25	30	203
Garett Peery	Sr	SHHS	20	19	21	18	24	26	24	18	30	200
Peyton McGee	Sr	BLHS	5	20	27	15	23	27	27	24	30	198
Gianni Scavuzzo	Sr	BVHS	20	21	24	13	16	27	25	24	28	198
Packson Bettis	So	WRHS	8	26	26	14	17	27	27	23	28	196
Alex Dawkins	So	SHHS	11	17	23	17	23	25	25	21	29	191
Dawson Block	Sr	SHHS	14	19	24	13	17	24	26	22	30	189

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Created: 21 June 2021

TopSports.news

Jeff Stromgren is retiring as Washburn University's golf coach after nine years leading the program.

WU athletic director Loren Ferré announced the retirement of Stromgren, formerly a state-championship coach at Washburn Rural, on Monday. 
 
"Jeff has done a great job leading the program over the last nine years," Ferré said in a statement. "From success on the course and in the classroom coaching All-MIAA, All-Region players, including an NCAA Division II Player of the Year, and the postseason tournament appearances, he has been very successful and we wish him the best in his retirement and we're going to miss him."

Jeff Stromgren has announced his retirement as Washburn University's golf coach after nine seasons. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
 
Stromgren began his stint at Washburn prior to the 2012-13 season and the Ichabods are coming off one of the best seasons in program history with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

While at Washburn Stromgren has coached 75 players who have been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as well as 13 all-MIAA golfers, 11 team tournament wins, eight individual tournament champions, seven NCAA appearances and most recently a MIAA Golfer of the Year and the Jack Nicklaus NCAA Division II Golfer of the Year in senior Andrew Beckler.
 
Prior to joining the Ichabod coaching staff, Stromgren won three Class 6A state titles at Washburn Rural (1997, 2005, 2008) and 17 city titles.

His Junior Blues teams finished in the top five in state 15 times and he had 25 league and 21 regional titles in his career. He was city coach of the year 19 times and state coach of the year in 2005.

Stromgren coached more than 30 players who went on to play college golf, including nine who played at NCAA Division I schools. 
 
Stromgren is a 1979 Washburn graduate and was named the Ichabod men's basketball team most valuable player following the 1978-79, season earning all-CSIC honors as a senior.
Ferré said a national search will begin immediately.