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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The names are well known to anyone who has followed area sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Shawnee County high schools have made a big impact at the college and/or professional level this fall and winter.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continue to make their fans proud:
Sophomore guard Jack Bachelor has helped Washburn University achieve a 12-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking this season. [File photo/TSN]
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard has played a major role as the Ichabods are off to a 12-0 start this season while achieving a No. 2 national ranking in NCAA Division II. Bachelor, who has started all 12 games for the Ichabods, is currently averaging 12.7 points with 20 3-pointers while hitting 28 of 33 free throws (84.8 percent). Bachelor is also averaging 4.0 rebounds with a team-high 60 assists and 21 steals.
Former Shawnee Heights and Washburn standout Corey Ballentine has put together a six-year NFL career as a defensive back. [packers.com]
COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights/Washburn/Green Bay Packers -- A 5-foot-11, 196-pound cornerback, the former Shawnee Heights and Washburn Univerity star has played in 11 games with one start this season for the 11-4 Packers. The sixth-year pro has played in 65 career games with 11 starts for the Giants, Jets, Lions and Packers, recording 100 tackles, including 76 solo stops with two forced fumbles and an interception.
Former Topeka West star Elijah Brooks had a career-high 29 points for Houston Christian earlier this season. [Houston Christian Athletics]
ELIJAH BROOKS, Topeka West/Houston Christian -- A 6-foot-4 junior guard, the former Mr. Kansas Basketball for Topeka West has appeared in all 13 games with 11 starts for the 4-9 Huskies, averaging 9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds with 25 assists. Brooks, who began his college career at North Dakota, scored a career-high 29 points earlier this season and also had a 21-point game.
Former Washburn Rural star Brooklyn DeLeye was a first-team AVCA All-American, the SEC Player of the Year and a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year this fall for Kentucky. [Kentucky Athletics]
BROOKLYN DELEYE, Washburn Rural/Kentucky -- The former three-sport Washburn Rural star, a 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter, had a huge 2024 season for Kentucky volleyball, being named the SEC Player of the Year, a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America selection and one of four finalists for the AVCA National Player of the Year award. DeLeye helped lead the 23-8 Wildcats to their eighth straight conference championship and the fourth round (regional final) of the NCAA Tournament. DeLeye started all 31 matches, leading the Wildcats with 531 kills while also compiling 179 digs and 36 blocks.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kaden Ballard
KADEN BALLARD, Washburn Rural
Ballard, a 5-foot-11 senior, scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds while connecting on 6 of 9 3-pointers Friday night as Washburn Rural's boys improved to 4-1 with a 71-55 non-league win over Kansas City, Mo.-Barstow in the Junior Blues' home-opener.
Anna Becker
ANNA BECKER, Seaman
A 5-foot-11 senior, Becker reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career with a 20-point performance in last Tuesday's 81-11 United Kansas Conference girls win over Kansas City-Turner and followed that up with 18 points and four 3-pointers in Friday's 53-50 UKC win over De Soto for the 5-0 Vikings.
Pearmella Carter
PEARMELLA CARTER, Highland Park
Carter, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, scored 52 points in two Highland Park wins on back-to-back nights last Thursday and Friday, scoring 30 points in a 76-18 home win over Kansas City-Turner and registering 22 points and 14 rebounds in a 57-39 Meadowlark Conference road win at KC-Wyandotte.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods enter the holiday break a perfect 12-0 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA after a 70-52 win over Central Missouri on Saturday.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter led four double-figure scorers for Washburn with 17 points in Saturday's 70-52 win over Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods started the game on a 6-0 run two-plus minutes into the contest and built the early lead up to 9-1, holding the Mules without a field goal for the first 4:53 of the game.
The Mules twice led by four in the first half, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Sam Ungashick and Jack Bachelor doubled up UCM at 20-10 with 11:54 to play in the half.
Washburn used a 10-0 run over two minutes to take a 30-12 lead with 9:00 to play in the opening half. A jumper by Bachelor and a fast break dunk by Andrew Orr wrapped up the scoring in the frame.
Midway through the second half, Washburn scored nine straight points to go up by 20 at 54-34 with 10:43 remaining.
Washburn would lead by as many 22 with 4:14 to play on a Brayden Shorter jumper before the Mules scored the final five points of the game, pulling UCM within 18 at the final buzzer.
Shorter led the Ichabods with 17 points, adding seven boards and three steals with four 3-pointers. He led four Ichabods in double figures followed by Orr with 16 points, Jacob Hanna with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists and Bachelor with 13 points, five boards, five assists and three steals.
Jake Fritz was the only player to crack double figures for the Mules (6-6, 1-2), scoring 12 points.
Washburn returns to action on Jan. 4 at Emporia State.
Madelyn Amekporfor scored a career-high 23 points in Saturday's 85-72 MIAA loss at Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Jennies ride hot schooting second half past WU women, 85-72
Washburn led early but was unable to withstand a hot second half from Central Missouri, falling 85-72 in the final game of the 2024 calendar year.
The Ichabods return to action on Jan. 4, 2025 at Emporia State.
After falling behind 7-4 in the opening minutes Washburn (6-7 overall, 0-3 MIAA) went on a 10-2 run, beginning and ending with baskets by Madelyn Amekporfor.
The Jennies (9-5, 1-2) scored the next five points to tie things back up but the Ichabod offense built the lead back up, shooting 50.0% in the quarter to lead 19-17.
A triple in the opening minutes of the second quarter by Amekporfor made it 25-19 in favor of Washburn, the largest lead to that point. The margin grew to seven points on a pair of free throws by Payton Sterk with 2:41 to play in the half.
In the final minutes of the half Central Missouri outscored Washburn 9-2, tying the game at 35 on three straight free throws in the final seconds before the break.
Coming out of the half the Jennies sank two 3-pointers in the first 62 seconds to lead by six. It was the start of a 6-6 shooting performance from beyond the arc in the third quarter.
A triple by Sterk cut the lead back to five with 5:13 left in the quarter but the next 13 points all went to Central Missouri, which scored 31 in the quarter.
Yibari Nwidadah got a pair of buckets to go for Washburn in the final minutes to cut the deficit back to 14 heading into the fourth.
Twice in the first three minutes Washburn got the lead down to 12 points, but both times the Jennies responded.
In the final two minutes the Ichabods went on a 6-0 run to bring the lead down to eight points as they shot over 50.0% in the quarter.
On the other end Central Missouri kept the game out of reach shooting 9-9 at the free throw line in the final quarter to salt the game away.
Amekporfor led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 9-11 shooting. She was everywhere on the defensive end as well, with four steals and three blocks.
Nwidadah had 20 points on 9-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds to near a double-double. Sterk had 13 points and snagged six rebounds.
Lauren Frost and Reece Schaaf both scored 21 points to lead Central Missouri. Frost added 10 rebounds and seven assists. Taylor Weishaar had 19 points along with 11 rebounds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football sophomore wide receiver/kick returner Tre Richardson has named Honorable Mention All-American as an all-purpose back by the Don Hansen Football Gazette.
Washburn sophomore Tre Richardson has received All-America honorable mention recognition from the Don Hansen Football Gazette. [File photo/TSN]
Last week Richardson, a former Highland Park star, was named to the 2024 D2CCA Central Region team as voted on by the region's athletic communicators.
Richardson was a second-team all-region selection after earning unanimous first-team All-MIAA honors at wide receiver and honorable mention All-MIAA as a return specialist earlier this year.
Richardson was one of only two sophomores to be named to the all-region team.
Richardson ranks ninth in the nation and second in the MIAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 146.5 yards per game and he is also 16th in total receiving yards with 983 and 18th in receiving yards per game with 87.4 in the national rankings.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Playing their second game in about 19 hours, Hayden's girls rolled to a 56-37 win over defending Class 6A state champion Shawnee Mission South, with the Wildcats improving to a perfect 5-0 on the season while senior Millie Ramsey reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career.
Hayden senior Millie Ramsey scored 13 points in Saturday's 56-37 win over Shawnee Mission South, reaching the 1,000-point milestone for her career. [Hayden girls basketball]
Hayden and SM South (3-3) faced off in the Varsity 810 Showcase Saturday morning at Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Hayden, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, was led by senior Brylee Meier, who scored 18 points and connected on four 3-pointers while Ramsey added 13 points and freshman Hailey Schmidtlein 12.
Hayden played SM South on Saturday after rolling to a 61-13 home win over Wichita Independent on Friday.
Hayden's boys improved to 3-2 on Friday with a 91-21 rout over Wichita Independent.
Sophomore Pearmella Carter scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Friday's Highland Park 57-39 road win over KC-Wyandotte. [File photo/TSN]
Hi Park girls open conference play with 18-point win
Defending Meadowlark Conference champion Highland Park opened its title defense with a 57-39 road win over Kansas City-Wyandotte Friday night.
Now 3-0 overall after wins on back-to-back nights, Highland Park was led by sophomore Pearmella Carter, who scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Sophomore Zayah Kincade added 12 points for the Scots while senior Tationna Broils scored 7 points with 10 rebounds and 5 steals.
Freshman Ciara Hartz added 8 points and 6 steals.
Senior Kaden Ballard scored 22 points with six 3-pointers in Friday's 71-55 home win over Barstow. [File photo/TSN]
Ballard, Jones power Rural to 71-55 win in home-opener
Seniors Kaden Ballard and Amare Jones combined for 41 points Friday night as Washburn Rural improved to 4-1 with a 71-55 non-league win over Barstow in the Junior Blues' home-opener.
Ballard hit 6 of 9 3-pointers to finish with a career-high 22 points and also grabbed seven rebounds while Jones added 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field and grabbed five rebounds.
Junior John Hoytal scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Junior Dayne Johnson (2) scored 17 points Friday night in Silver Lake's 70-57 win over Hiawatha. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake boys take 70-57 win over Hiawatha
Junior Dayne Johnson led three-double scorers for Silver Lake in the Eagles' 70-57 home win over Hiawatha Friday night.
Johnson led Silver Lake with 17 points while senior Aemon Coffman added 15 points and senior Jared Johnson 13 for the Eagles.
Silver Lake jumped out to a 20-7 first-quarter advantage and used a 21-10 second quarter to open up a 41-17 halftime lead.
Hiawatha outscored Silver Lake 40-29 in the second half but it wasn't enough to make a serious charge at the Eagles.
