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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights still has some work to do offensively, but defense continues to be a T-Bird strength and paved the way for Friday's come-from-behind 47-42 home United Kansas Conference win over Topeka West.
Shawnee Heights junior Jaret Sanchez scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the T-Birds' 47-42 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"I think our team takes pride in defense this year,'' said Heights junior standout Jaret Sanchez, who recorded a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. "I think we're a way better defensive team than last year.
"Everybody contributed this game and the bench players came in and everybody did their role.''
Heights, which had opened its season with UKC losses to De Soto and Piper, appeared as if it might be looking at a third straight loss when 2-0 Topeka West doubled up the T-Birds at 24-12 with 6:58 left in the first half.
But the T-Birds stepped up their defensive pressure, forcing a rash of West turnovers, and cut their deficit to just two points (26-24) at the half while allowing just five Charger points in the second quarter.
West continued to struggle offensively in the third period, with another five-point quarter, as Shawnee Heights opened up a 39-31 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Shawnee Heights took a 10-point lead on two Deacon Pomeroy free throws with 7:18 left in the game, but this time it was Topeka West's turn to mount a comeback.
The Chargers scored eight straight points to get within two points (41-39) with 4:03 remaining on a Jalen Foy bucket and West missed two shots on its next possession with a chance to forge a tie or take the lead before Sanchez went six of six at the free throw line over the final 2:15 as Heights held on for the win.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating seven seniors off last year's team, Shawnee Heights girls basketball coach Bob Wells had numerous holes to fill in the T-Bird rotation entering the 2023-2024 season and has done that with multiple players who saw spot or no varsity duty a year ago.
Three games into the new year the veteran coach has been been very pleased with the results, including a home 58-23 United Kansas Conference romp past Topeka West Friday night.
Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells talks to his team during Friday's 58-23 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Breezy Canady scored 13 points, with three 3-pointers, in the T-Birds' 58-23 win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
One of those varsity newcomers, junior Haley Bowers came off the bench to score a game-high 14 points against West while senior Breezy Canady, the T-Birds' most experienced player, added 13 points with three 3-pointers.
Shawnee Heights junior Kaydence Torrez (20) had eight points and six rebounds in Friday's 58-23 win over Topeka West while senior Zoe Clark (35) led the Chargers with 10 points and 10 rebounds. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights, which had nine players crack the scoring column, also got eight points and six rebounds from junior Kaydence Torrez, seven points from senior Audrey Schulte and six points and nine rebounds from senior Rachel Swift.
"We've been seeing this building and we saw it building last year because that's how those kids played on the JV team,'' Wells said. "They're just very unselfish, they play hard and they play together and they play for each other.
"I was very, very pleased with how even when the game got to be where the score was divided they kept executing and they kept doing what we're working on in practice.''
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Highland Park's girls, ranked No. 10 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, blanked Kansas City-Southeast, Mo. on the road Thursday night, taking a 63-0 decision.
Highland Park junior Amelia Ramsey scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Thursday's 63-0 road win over KC-Southeast, Mo. [File photo/TSN]
The Scots, who improved to 2-0, got another big night from junior Amelia Ramsey, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds against Southeast after scoring 21 points and grabbing 23 rebounds in Tuesday's season-opening win at Bonner Springs.
Tahtionna Broils
DeAsia Sanders
Ramsey got some huge help from junior Tahtionna Broils, who had 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals while junior DeAsia Sanders had 11 points, nine steals and six rebounds..
"I was pleased how the ladies stayed disciplined and kept playing basketball the correct way in our large win,'' Highland Park coach Rob Brown said. "They executed sets we've drawn up, made extra passes, and shot the correct shots.
"Our three juniors in Ameila Ramsey, DeAsia Sanders, Tahtionna Broils are doing a great job leading and getting our young ones more comfortable with the high school season.''
Freshman Pearmella Carter has also shown up huge for the Scots and is showing she will be a good asset to go with Ramsey. Carter scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Thursday night.
"We have a special freshman in Pearmella Carter,'' Brown said. "She scratched the surface a little last night, getting her first double- double. But her best ball is still coming.
"Ameila has done a great job taking her under her wing. Millie (Ramsey) and Pearmella have a chance to be special together, especially inside the paint. They both have a great feel for the game and are rebound machines.''
The Lady Scots will be in action again on Dec. 15, playing their home and Meadowlark Conference opener against KC-Wyandotte. Highland Park is the defending Meadowlark Conference champion.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights freshman KK Emmot and Topeka West junior Kamoni Ford have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Emmot and Ford over the past week:
Shawnee Heights freshman KK Emmot has been selected as the girls Rising Star of the Week after scoring 33 points over her first two high school games, including 24 points on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot has opened her high school girls basketball careeer with a bang, scoring 33 points in her first two games for 1-1 Shawnee Heights.
Emmot scored 24 points on Tuesday as Shawnee Heights earned its first victory of the season, a 56-42 United Kansas Conference road decision at Piper.
Emmot scored nine points last Friday in her high school debut, with the T-Birds falling to De Soto in a UKC game, 60-52.
Topeka West junior Kamoni Ford has been named the boys Rising Star of the Week after scoring a game-high 17 points in the Chargers' 69-49 UKC win over Seaman on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]
KAMONI FORD, Seaman
A 6-foot-5 junior, Ford had a breakout game for Topeka West on Tuesday, scoring a game-high 17 points in the Chargers' 69-49 United Kansas Conference home boys basketball win over Seaman.
Ford hit six of nine field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and went two of two from the free throw line.
Ford also grabbed seven rebounds as Topeka West improved to 2-0 on the season.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball team held off a late rally by Mission Valley to beat the Vikings 48-40 at Cair Paravel Thursday.
The Lions built an 18-point lead by the middle of the third period, but saw that margin evaporate quickly.
Cair Paravel senior Simon Everhart (1) drives the lane in Thursday's 48-40 win over Mission Valley. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Mission Valley used a 13-2 run to get back in the contest, eventually whittling the Cair Paravel lead to just three points with a minute remaining.
“There’s a lot of momentum that happens,” Cair Paravel coach Chip Kueffer said. “There for a moment we were playing not to lose. You always want to play to win. In the first half, we took some bad shots that went in. That’s sort of fool’s gold. That catches up to you.''
The Lions were handcuffed by fouls which sent several of their players to the bench for extended stretches. The Lions committed 17 fouls in the first period alone.
“You can write it on the white board but sometimes the game gets away from you. You’ve got to control what you can control,” Kueffer said. “Fortunately, we had a lot of guys come in off the bench and make contributions early. I’m grateful for the way we handled the adversity.”
Most notably, Cair Paravel senior Rich Hembold come into the game and drilled three 3-pointers in the second period.
When it got down to crunch time, it was senior guard Simon Everhart who came through. He scored 10 of the Lions’ last 13 points, mainly by knocking down eight of nine free throws in the second half.
Chip Kueffer's Cair Paravel Latin boys improved to 3-2 with Thursday's 48-40 win over Mission Valley. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“Evan Will, Simon Everhart, Ty Gossard, those guys made big plays in the last three or four minutes,” Kueffer said. “We kind of made it hard on ourselves, but those guys kept their composure and finished the game for us.”
