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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's still going to be a while before Hayden boys basketball coach Torrey Head is cleared to return to the bench after a scary fall that left him with nine fractured vertebrae in his back.
But while the veteran coach is eager to get back to his team, he also feels completely secure that the Wildcats are being well-taken care of while he continues his recovery.
Head, who operates Head Chimney Service with his brother, Murray, fell approximately 10 feet off a roof in late November, the first time Torrey had suffered a significant injury in more than a decade in the business.
"The bottom of the ladder slid out and I took a tumble,'' said Head, who had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, but is expected to make a complete recovery.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
John-Martin Schmidt carved out one of the top high school careers in city history as a Hayden swimmer, capturing seven state championships and setting multiple Class 5A-1A state records.
Now the 24-year-old Schmidt’s focus is on passing along his expertise in the sport to the current Wildcat swimmers.
Former Hayden star John-Martin Schmidt, serving as an assistant coach last season in this photo, is in his first season as head coach at his alma mater after swimming collegiately at Missouri S&T. [Photograph by Kyle Grunert]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Legendary broadcaster Bob Davis, a Topeka West and Washburn University graduate, will appear at Johnny's Tavern Topeka, 2821 SW Fairlawn, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for a book signing. Davis collaborated with Jeff Bollig on the recently-published book "The Dream Is Real.'' Those who have already purchased books are encouraged to bring their books to have them signed while copies of "The Dream Is Real'' will be available for purchase on site. A story TopSports.news published on Davis and Bollig in January appears below.
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Growing up in Hays, one of Jeff Bollig’s earliest memories is listening to broadcast legend Bob Davis on local radio, hanging on every word.
“I got turned on to sports by my dad, going to games and just watching things and I’d always listen to Bob,’’ Bollig said. “I kind of go back and remember those ‘69-‘70 teams and I just remember for Christmas getting a transistor radio and packs of batteries and just listening to Bob in my bed.
“The Dream is Real’’ is a recently-released book chronicling Bob Davis’ 48 years in broadcasting.
“The best Christmas present I got after a while was a battery charger. I just loved sports so much and Bob was so good. He did afternoon coaches shows and he did both high schools (Hays and Thomas More Prep), he did Fort Hays State. He was always on the radio and I thought he was larger than life.’’
As fate would have it, Bollig ended up following Davis, a Topeka West and Washburn graduate, to the University of Kansas, developing a close friendship that eventually led to a collaboration on “The Dream is Real,’’ a recently-released book chronicling Davis’ 48 years in broadcasting.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Like just about everybody else I know, I was ecstatic to put 2020 in the rearview mirror and get started on a new year.
But it’s also important that we remember those that we lost over the past year, including four men who had a lasting impact on high school sports in Topeka and the state of Kansas.
Topeka High coaching legend Willie Nicklin, 92, and longtime Kansas State High School Activities Association administrator Kaye Pearce, 85, both passed away over the final month of 2020 (Nicklin on Dec. 10, four days after Pearce) while Washburn Rural fixture Ray Glaze, 85, and former KSHSAA and National Federation of State High School Associations executive director Brice Blaine Durbin (92) passed early last year -- Durbin on Jan. 4, Glaze on Feb. 8.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard isn't exactly sure how his No. 5-ranked Ichabods came out of Saturday's game at Northeastern State with a victory.
But Washburn did just that, battling back from a 12-point second-half deficit to take an 85-84 overtime decision over the Riverhawks at the NSU Events Center in Tahlequah, Okla. and improve to 7-0 overall and in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Washburn senior guard Tyler Geiman scored a career-high 29 points in the Ichabods' 85-84 OT win at Northeastern State. [Photograph by Rex Wolf]
