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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Hall of Famer is back.
Steve Bushnell, who led one of Kansas' most dominant baseball programs for more than two decades at Seaman, will be back on the field in the spring for his second stint after his hiring was approved by the USD 345 school board last week.
Hall of Fame coach Steve Bushnell has been named Seaman's head baseball coach and will begin his second stint next spring. [File photo/TSN]
Bushnell last coached Seaman in 2019, leading the Vikings to their second straight Class 5A state championship and their ninth state title in his tenure before the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Bushnell moved into the Seaman athletic director's position for four years through 2023-2024 before retiring in the spring of 2024.
"When I left teaching and coaching and decided to go into administration, that was the most difficult decision that I had made to that time as far as my career and that side of it,'' Bushnell told TopSports.news. "It was definitely hard to step away and to go into the A.D.'s position.
"I learned a lot and had a great time as our athletic director for four years, but I always felt like baseball was part of me and it was always there.''
Trent Oliva stepped down as Seaman's head coach after the 2025 season and Bushnell, a member of six hall of fames, eventually made the decision to pursue the opening.
"I think you're always trying to analyze and see how things fit and I was pretty thorough in that regard,'' Bushnell said. "When it all went down late mid-summer and July, the opportunity to come back was not anything that I ever thought that I would be presented and it was somewhat of a surprise.
"But it definitely was intriguing and I threw my name in and went through the process.''
In his first Seaman stint Bushnell led the Vikings to 18 state tournament appearances, the nine state championships and four runner-up finishes in his 21 seasons.
Bushnell culminated a 401-103 record (.796) which included a record of 42-9 in the state tournament. Seaman won at least 20 games for 10 consecutive years during the Bushnell era.
In 2018 he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association High School Division III National Coach of the Year.
Steve Bushnell was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame this past spring, one of the six hall of fames he's a member of. [Photo courtesy of KSHSAA Covered]
Bushnell was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame this past spring and is also a member of the Ban Johnson Baseball, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Emporia State, Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches and the Seaman baseball shrines.
Bushnell said the Vikings will continue to strive to be a state contender moving forward.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns, including three to senior Kellan Roth, capped by the game-tying strike with 7:15 left, as Washburn Rural pulled out a 31-30 non-league win over Blue Valley Friday night at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Washburn Rural senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for four touchdowns Friday night as the Junior Blues edged Blue Valley, 31-30. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Kellan Roth caught three touchdown passes in Washburn Rural's 31-30 win over Blue Valley Friday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hoytal connected with Roth for 13 and 9-yard TD strikes before hooking up for the 9-yard score that tied the game at 30-30. Junior Ryan Austin broke the tie with the extra-point kick and the Junior Blues held on the rest of the way to improve to 2-0.
Hoytal also hit junior Gavin Vantuyl for a 15-yard touchdown while Austin kicked a 31-yard field goal in the first half.
Roth's first touchdown of the night put the Junior Blues up 7-0 and Austin's field goal broke a 7-7 tie.
Vantuyl's score at the 1:04 mark of the second quarter put Rural in front 16-14 at the half and Hoytal's 9-yard TD pass to Roth and a subsequent 2-point conversion gave the Junior Blues a 24-22 advantage midway through the third quarter.
Blue Valley regained the lead at 30-24 before the Junior Blues came through with the game-winning points.
Washburn Rural will host Platte County, Mo. next Friday.
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for two touchdowns and threw for two TDs in Friday's 40-34 win over St. Marys. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville senior Andre Johnson (1) scored the game-winning touchdown in the Bulldawgs' 40-34 win over St. Marys Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Bulldawgs rally for 40-34 win over Bears
Rossville trailed much of the night and the game was tied with a minute left before senior Andre Johnson scored on a 4-yard run with 55 seconds remaining as the Bulldawgs pulled out a 40-34 Big East road win.
Rossville, now 2-0 overall and in the league, trailed 8-0, 16-6, 22-13 at the half and 28-20 after three quarters before pulling out the win with a 20-point fourth quarter.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for 56 and 3-yard runs and threw for an 11-yard TD to senior Jack Donovan and a 10-yard TD to senior Cameron Miller.
Johnson had a pair of touchdowns on the night, also scoring on a 3-yard run.
Rossville will be at home next Friday to host 2-0 Nemaha Central.
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Highland Park Fighting Scots showcased their speed against the Sabres of Kansas City-Sumner Friday night in a 44-16 Meadowlark Conference win at Hummer Sports Park, although they would start the game off slow missing starting quarterback Dontrail Fox, who had to sit out the first quarter.
Junior G'Honi Montgomery returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and scored three TDs on the night in Friday's 44-16 Highland Park win over KC-Sumner. [File photo/TSN]
Fox's early absence allowed junior JoJo Kingcannon the start at QB and although Kingcannon would not throw a pass he would do his work with his feet as the Scots would use their running game to go up early 6-0 with a 3-yard touchdown run by junior G’Honi Montgomery.
Sumner would drive the ball down to the 1-yard line where the Scots would force a turnover and take over the ball but the Scots would hand off to Montgomery in the end zone and the Sumner defense would bottle him up and force a Scot safety and get itself on the board as the first quarter would come to an end with the Scots up 6-2.
The rest of the game would be all Scots, as Fox would come back in at quarterback and Kingcannon would move to his normal position and, boy would Kingcannon shine, as he would break free for a 88-yard touchdown run and Montgomery would punch it in for the 2-point conversion.
“I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, they block for me and that allows me to get into open space and run,'' Kingcannon said. "I know when I am in the open field that no one can catch me.”
Kingcannon would finish the night with 145 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Scots would go into halftime up, 20-2.
The third quarter would see Sumner finally find the end zone as QB Michael Knight would find Jaxon Davis for a 25- yard touchdown pass.
Montgomery would return the following kickoff 85 yards to the house to put the Scots up 26-8.
Sumner would take the ball over at 5-yard line and the Sabers would have a bad snap giving them a safety, which would bring an end to the third quarter with the Scots up 28-8.
Sumner would strike first in the fourth as Knight would burst free for a 15-yard TD run and convert the 2-point conversion to make the score 28-16.
Montgomery would then strike again with a 70-yard kickoff return to the house to give the Scots a commanding 36-16 lead.
“He is one of those guys that can score in seconds anytime he gets the ball in his hands, he can make big things happen,” Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe said.
The Scots would then force a turnover and Fox would break free for a 71-yard touchdown run and Kingcannon would run it in to convert the 2-point conversion.
Monroe on Kingcannon: “He reminds me of fformer Scot now Vanderbilt star Trey Richardson. It is a different flavor. He is the type of kid that I can move into multiple positions and he can do a lot of things. He can receive the ball, run the ball and pass the ball, he can block and I can move him around anywhere on the field and he will perform at a high level.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team picked up its first victory of 2025 on Friday with a decisive 3-1 road triumph at Drury.
"I'm so proud of how our team prepared and executed this game,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It was so fun and rewarding to see the team implement a week of really high-quality training into practice against a tough opponent like Drury."
Senior Belle Kennedy picked up two assists in Washburn's 3-1 win at Drury on Friday, the Ichabods' first win of the season. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods, now 1-1-1, were led by freshman Leah Henke, who scored two goals to give her three on the season.
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy, a senior, recorded the assists on both of Henke's goals, one in each half.
Sam Searcey headed home the corner from Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn to make it a 3-1 game with less than 15 minutes to play.
The Ichabods were applying pressure early on and broke through with a goal in the 15th minute by Henke.
Both teams had four shots in the first half, but Washburn put two of their four on goal, with one finding the back of the net.
Once again, Washburn put pressure on Drury to open the half, and in the 53rd minute, Henke snuck a shot past the keeper to find the back of the net with another assist from Kennedy.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time since 1984 Washburn University volleyball took to Whiting Fieldhouse Friday and the 41-year streak of not being beaten in the Fieldhouse continued with 3-0 sweeps over Truman State and Minnesota State-Moorhead on Day 1 of the Washburn Invitational.
Washburn volleyball improved to 6-0 with a pair of Friday wins in the Washburn Invitational. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The No. 12-ranked Ichabods will finish out the tournament on Saturday with a 10 a.m. meeting with Newman and a 6 p.m. contest with William Jewell.
Now 6-0 on the season, Washburn kicked the tournament off with a 25-15 first-set victory over Truman before knocking out the Bulldogs (1-5) with 25-20 and 25-21 wins in the next two sets.
After falling behind 4-2 the Ichabods made up ground quickly, forcing six ties in the first 20 points.
A 5-1 run started by a kill from Keilah Rivers pulled Washburn in front, 15-11. The Ichabods held on to the advantage with a strong offensive effort, hitting .538 as a team in the set. A 6-1 run down the stretch ended set at 25-15 on a block from Rivers and Bella Limback.
A kill by Alex Dvorak led off the second set, with Washburn pulling in front of Truman State, 6-1. The lead reached double figures on consecutive aces by Sydney Conner to give the Ichabods an 18-7 advantage. Truman State picked up its offense, hitting .150 points higher in the second set than the first, to pull within four points. Austin Broadie put the set away with a kill down the line, ending it at 25-20.
The first three points of set three belonged to the home team, with the run capped off by an ace from Autumn Gibbs. The Bulldogs rallied with a 5-1 run to go in front. Washburn fired back, winning seven of the next eight points, going ahead 11-6 on an ace by Rivers. Truman State kept the set within six points the rest of the way but the Ichabods held off the comeback bids. Broadie ended a second consecutive set, and the match, for a 25-21 set three victory.
Washburn out-hit the Bulldogs .317 to .183 in the match, with 44 kills to 30 for the visitors. Digs went in favor of the Ichabods, 47-38, as did assists, 40-28.
Brodie led all players with 11 kills while hitting .364. Limback had eight kills in 10 swings along with a team-high five blocks. Corinna McMullen paced WU with 17 assists while adding 10 digs and Taylor Rottinghaus had 14 digs.
In Washburn's second match of the day against Minnesota State-Moorhead, it required a 13-3 comeback finish in the second set, but Washburn went to 6-0 in sets for the tournament with 25-22, 25-21 and 25-22 wins over the Dragons (5-1) to hand them their first loss of the season.
