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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior basketball standout Elijah Brooks certainly didn't want to have to fight through an injury earlier this season.
But after going down early in the Chargers’ game against Shawnee Heights with an injury to his left foot and missing West’s final game before the holiday break against Manhattan, the 6-foot-3 Brooks is quickly making up for lost time.
“I rolled it when I tried to stop too quick and I dislocated a bone,’’ Brooks said.
Elijah Brooks
Brooks had to stay off the foot for a couple of weeks, but said that time made him appreciate how much he loves the game.
“It makes you anxious and it makes you look at the game better and see you need to cherish every moment that you play,’’ Brooks said.
Brooks has been outstanding since returning to action, scoring 28 points in West’ 78-60 Centennial League win over Hayden last Friday and following that up with a 29-point performance in Tuesday’s 76-50 win over Emporia.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time all season, the Washburn men’s basketball team will be in bounce-back mode when the Ichabods host Missouri Southern in an MIAA contest Thursday night at Lee Arena.
The No. 8-ranked Ichabods, 8-1 overall and in the MIAA, will host Missouri Southern (4-4, 4-4) in a 7:30 p.m. contest, following a 5:30 women’s game between Washburn (3-4, 3-4) and Southern (4-4, 4-4).
Washburn’s men will be looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, a 74-67 loss at then 22nd-ranked Missouri Western last Saturday.
Brett Ballard’s Ichabods will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak against Jeff Boschee’s Lions, who have dropped their last two games and four of their last five, including an 83-67 loss at Pittsburg State last Saturday.
Overall the Lions have won 9 of their last 10 contests against WU, including the last four games played in Lee Arena.
Senior Tyler Geiman, the MIAA player of the week, leads Washburn in scoring (18.6 average), assists (5.9), rebounds (7.3) and steals (1.9).
Junior Jonny Clausing is averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while junior Jalen Lewis averages 11.6 points and senior Drew Maschoff 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Geiman, who leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in the nation in assists, became the 26th player in Washburn history to reach the 1,000-point mark for career points (1,012).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's bowling teams, led by Makenzie Millard and Dylan Birkenbaugh, got the 2021 season off to a good start while Topeka West's Dason Tidwell started his high school career with a bang in Tuesday's Hayden quadrangular at Gage Bowl.
Seaman swept the team titles while Millard and Tidwell were the individual winners, with Tidwell winning in his first high school meet as a freshman with a 735 three-game series while Millard, a junior who was fifth in the Class 5A-1A state meet a year ago, took girls honors with a 727 series.
Dason Tidwell
Individual runner-up Birkenbaugh (725) was one of three Viking bowlers in the top five as Seaman won the boys championship by a 2,760-2,695 margin over Topeka West. Seaman's girls, meanwhile, swept the top three places en route to a win by a 2,446-2,130 margin over Manhattan.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Still playing without senior standout Isiah Johnson and his 30-point scoring average due to COVID-19 protocols, Shawnee Heights went on the road Tuesday night and came home with a big 63-51 United Kansas Conference win over Leavenworth.
Four Shawnee Heights players cracked double figures, led by sophomore Dante' Harrison with 17 points, as the T-Birds improved to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the UKC.
Andrew Rantz and Harvey Davis both added 12 points for the T-Birds while Nate Pewe had 11 for the T-Birds.
"It was a big win,'' Heights coach Ken Darting said. "I think this is something we can build on. We just need to keep growing every day and I think we will.''
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By Andrew Gill
TopSports.news
After losing their first four games of the season, Eric King’s Topeka HighTrojans looked determined to rewrite the script Tuesday night at Hayden.
“We’ve been getting better and better as a team. We’ve been emphasizing teamwork in practice,” King said – and it showed.
Their decisive 59-40 victory over the Wildcats was a true team effort for the Trojans, with eight different players scoring.
Seniors Jalen Smith, Isiah Esquibel, and Jevhyn Wilson led the way with a combined 39 points and 18 rebounds.
