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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
When Topeka-area soccer teams meet on the pitch, they leave it all on the field. The intense battles leave players bruised and drenched in sweat. They jostle for position and jockey for balls, pushing the boundaries of legal physicality.
But when someone within that soccer community needed help recently, the team loyalties faded instantly.
Topeka High sophomore soccer player Carson Bradney (behind bench), who is battling bone cancer, was on hand to support his team during Wednesday's match against Topeka West. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Rivals from throughout the Capital City are rallying behind Topeka High sophomore Carson Bradney, who in August was diagnosed with bone cancer.
Bradney is described by Trojan coach Derek Snook as one of the fiercest competitors on the field. But his opponents, as well as his teammates, are going all out to encourage him in his fight against osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that typically affects adolescents and young adults.
Topeka High's soccer team wears T-shirts to bring attention to teammate Carson Bradney's cancer fight during warmups Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Fundraising tables were set up Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park to raise money to benefit Topeka High sophomore Carson Bradney and his family. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Recent games between Topeka High and Topeka West have turned into fundraisers for the Bradney family, with shirts worn by both teams to draw attention to the cause. Chili and baked items, wrist bands and other items have been sold or raffled to help the Bradneys financially.
Other schools in the community have also gotten into the act. Seaman, which devotes a game every year to benefit cancer victims, raised more than $1,000 for the Bradneys earlier this week.
“It’s been heartwarming and amazing,” said Nicole Lutz, mother of a Topeka High player, who has helped organize fundraising efforts. “These schools who are showing up to help this family are rivalries in some aspects. But the camaraderie and team effort for this cause is amazing and beautiful.”
“It’s a terrible thing that should never happen for someone his age. But our community here in Topeka, our soccer community is amazing,” said Topeka West coach Josh Kutter. “Everyone understands that there’s things more important than sports and that when there’s a student, an athlete, that needs something, everyone’s going to come together and provide that support.”
Topeka High sophomore soccer player Carson Bradney (left), who is battling bone cancer, roots on the Trojans during Wednesday's match against Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
A tall, athletic defender, Bradney started nearly every game as a freshman and earned Centennial League honorable mention. Snook had penciled Bradney into his lineup for this season, but a sore right knee prevented him from being a full participant in summer drills.
“I had a stress fracture in my knee, so I was out for pretty much the whole summer,” Bradney said. “I started to come back the first week of the season. It was rough. I played the first game. Then after that we went to the doctor. And that’s when they found all the tumor and cancer.”
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Two Topeka soccer teams who are pouring it on down the stretch battled to a 1-1 tie Wednesday night at Hummer Sports Park.
Topeka High senior Bruno Nunez (10) celebrates his goal in Wednesday's 1-1 tie with USD 501 rival Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (9) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the Chargers' lone goal on a PK in a 1-1 tie with Topeka High Wednesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West hosted Topeka High, hoping to avenge a thrilling 2-1 loss two weeks earlier. But both team’s goalkeepers turned away a barrage of shots to preserve the 1-1 tie through two overtime periods.
Twenty minutes into the first period, Topeka High got on the scoreboard first on a free kick blast by senior Bruno Nuñez.
However, the Trojans didn’t protect that lead for even one minute of game action. When Topeka High was called for a foul near their goal, the Chargers were rewarded with a penalty kick that junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera hammered past Trojan keeper Billy Lutz.
Each team saw near misses swatted away or gobbled up by the goalkeepers the rest of the night.
“Every year, every game that we see (Topeka High), we know it’s going to be competitive, hard fought. And this game was nothing short,” said Topeka West coach Josh Kutter. “Both teams played all out. Both goalkeepers had to make their amazing saves. As stressful as it is, it’s fun to watch and I’m proud of both sides.”
The Chargers stand at 10-2-2 following the tie with Topeka High, who are now 7-4-2. Trojans coach Derek Snook said his hopes to repeat the 2-1 victory of two weeks ago came up just short.
Topeka High senior goalkeeper Billy Lutz makes a diving save in Wednesday's 1-1 tie with Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“We had a couple (of shots) that we should have tucked away, no doubt. And maybe they did as well,” Snook said. “I don’t know that they had the essentially point-blank shots that we did. They were shooting from afar. The best game was being played 120 yards apart and both goalkeepers were just on top of it.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2 ranked Washburn volleyball will put its 15-set win streak on the line Thursday night against Central Missouri in Whiting Fieldhouse. [File photo/TSN] - Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Shawnee County schools continue to earn Top 10 spots in the Kansas Volleyball Association's state rankings released Wednesday, led by Class 3A Silver Lake, which is ranked No. 1 for the sixth straight week.
Silver Lake volleyball is ranked No. 1 in the KVA Class 3A state rankings for the sixth straight week. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake is now 34-1 on the season. The Eagles' lone loss came against 5A Shawnee Heights.
Hayden (23-7) is ranked No. 3 in 4A while Washburn Rural (21-4) is No. 6 in 6A and Rossville (23-13) is ranked seventh in 2A.
Kansas Volleyball Association State Rankings
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The 2025-2026 Washburn men's basketball team will have to replace four players who all received MIAA postseason honors from last season's 30-4 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals.
Jack Bachelor
Brady Christiansen
But the Ichabods' cupboard is far from bare. In fact, Washburn coach Brett Ballard feels like the pieces are in place for the Ichabods to challenge for another MIAA championship and put together a strong postseason run.
"I think we have five guys returning that all either had started, did start or probably would have started on almost any team in the country last year,'' Ballard said. "We were just deep and talented.''
Junior Jack Bachelor, a first-team All-MIAA pick last season, is the Ichabods' lone returning starter, but Washburn also returns several other experienced players from last year's team, including seniors Sam Ungashick and Brady Christiansen, and sophomores Dillon Claussen and Tyson Ruud.
"Jack has started, Sam has started in the past, and now is healthy and playing as good as anybody,'' Ballard said. "Brady has started before and has shown that he's a high-level MIAA guy and then Dylan Claussen didn't start last year because he was playing behind Andrew Orr, but he would have started on most of the teams in our conference.
"And Tyson Ruud, when healthy, I think showed you he's a high-level MIAA guy, so yes we lost a lot, but I really feel good about the talent and leadership of the guys returning.''
Ungashick, an All-MIAA honorable mention honoree as a sophomore before battling back from knee injuries last season, agrees with his coach that the Ichabods are capable of putting together another banner season this winter.
"We definitely feel that way,'' Ungashick said. "We have a lot of guys who played real minutes in our games last year and they're all back on this team and all playing at a high level in practice so far this fall.''
Washburn was picked No. 1 in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media polls and Ungashick said the Ichabods embrace that challenge.
"We've kind of talked about that in practice, that we'd rather be No. 1 than last place, so I think that target on our back is forcing us to prepare in a good way for the season and I think that's pushing us to be the best and play to the best of our abilities,'' Ungashick said.
Bachelor, a 6-foot-2 point guard, averaged 13.6 points and 5.5 assists last season while hitting 66 3-pointers and shooting 85.6 percent from the free throw line.
Christiansen (6-7) has played 93 games as an Ichabod with 31 starts and averaged 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds with 36 3-pointers last season while Claussen (6-8) averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a freshman, including a 17-point performance in the national quarterfinals.
