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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In more than three decades as a head basketball coach at the high school and college level, Shawnee Heights boys coach Ken Darting thought he'd seen just about everything.
But the Hall of Fame coach is quick to admit that he had no frame of reference for the frustration his T-Birds have gone through during the 2020-21 season, from team and individual COVID-19 quarantines to key injuries to multiple game postponements and cancellations and about everything else in between.
"Not even close,'' Darting said. "It's just been something every day.''
One of the biggest challenges for Ken Darting and his Shawnee Heights T-Birds this season has been to get on the basketball court. [Photo by Rick Peterson]
Coming off a team COVID quarantine and having Tuesday's home game against United Kansas Conference foe Leavenworth postponed due to inclement weather, Shawnee Heights' boys have played a city-low total of 10 games -- the traditional halfway mark for the regular season -- with just one full week of the regular season remaining before the start of postseason.
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Four Topeka West players scored 14 or more points as the Chargers moved closer to the Centennial League boys basketball championship with a decisive 66-46 road win Monday night at Washburn Rural.
Topeka West started slow out of the gate, trailing the Junior Blues 10-5 at the end of the first quarter, but the Chargers took control of the game with a 48-23 scoring advantage over the middle two quarters en route to improving to 14-2 overall and 11-1 in the league with their eighth straight victory.
Elijah Brooks
West, which knocked Washburn Rural out of a tie for second, now leads the league race by two games over Highland Park with four games left to play.
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Coming off a tough overtime loss to top-ranked Topeka High, No. 3-ranked Washburn Rural's girls basketball team had stretches Monday night against Topeka West where it wasn’t clicking on all cylinders.
But the outcome was never in doubt after the Junior Blues ran off the first 14 points of the game and Rural outscored the Chargers 35-17 in the second half, forcing a running clock late in the game en route to improving to 14-2 overall and 11-2 in the Centennial League.
Brooklyn DeLeye
Washburn Rural took a 14-0 lead at the 1:42 mark of the opening quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Katelynn Brogan and Emma Kruger, but Topeka West cut its deficit to 16-6 at the end of the quarter on a 3-pointer from junior Whitley Benson.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Dajia Anderson
DAJIA ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A senior, Anderson won the 191-pound championship in the Division I Girls Wrestling Regional Saturday at Emporia, recording a takedown in the closing seconds to post a 4-2 decision over top-ranked Maranda Bell of Shawnee Heights in the final. Anderson, who entered the tournament No. 3 in the KWCA rankings, also took a 4-0 semifinal victory over No. 2 Trinity Ervin of Emporia to help lead the Junior Blues to the team title. Anderson, the 235-pound state champ as a junior, improved to 24-4 on the season.
NiJaree Canady
NiJAREE CANADY, Topeka High
Canady, a 6-foot junior, scored 19 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, both game-highs, as Topeka High's girls basketball team improved to 16-0 with a come-from-behind 59-53 overtime Centennial League victory Friday at Washburn Rural, the Trojans' 39th straight victory. Earlier in the week Canady scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in limited minutes in the Trojans' 66-33 home league win over Manhattan.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's boys basketball team continues to make a tough 2019-20 season a distant memory, adding to its resurgence with a 53-27 home Centennial League romp past rival Hayden Friday night.
Just 2-19 a year ago, Seaman improved to 8-8 overall and 7-6 in the Centennial League with Friday's wire-to-wire win, forcing a running clock in the fourth quarter after taking a 50-18 advantage at the end of the third.
Junior Casen Stallbaumer led Seaman with 15 points, including four 3-pointers, while junior Ty Henry added 10 points and sophomore Aron Davis 9.
Sophomore Joe Otting led Hayden (4-11, 3-9) with 10 points, the lone Wildcat with more than 5 points.
SEAMAN GIRLS 43, HAYDEN 32
Seaman avenged a 1-point loss to Hayden earlier in the season while continuing a resurgence of its own with its third victory over its last four games.
