By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's nationally-ranked 2009 Class 6A state championship team has been selected for the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Best of the Best boys soccer list.
Washburn Rural's 2009 Class 6A state championship team is No. 1 on the TSN Best of the Best boys soccer Top 10. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Brian Hensyel's 20-1-0 Junior Blues beat Free State to win the Class 6A state title, finishing the season ranked No.11 in the nation while allowing only seven goals all season.
The Junior Blues' lone loss came against 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas, which went unbeaten on the season and was top-ranked in the nation.
Top players for Rural included Nick Golden, Austin Jackson, Levi Brunton and Anthony Schmiedeler.
Washburn Rural won its first Class 6A boys soccer title in 2002, posting a 20-0-1 record. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Joe Waldron's Topeka High boys soccer team won the Class 6A state title in 1997, Shawnee County's first state title in soccer. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Washburn Rural's first of three state championship teams in 2002 was tapped for the No. 2 spot on the Best of the Best list while Topeka High's 1997 team, which garnered Shawnee County's first state soccer championship, is No. 3.
Lionel Suarez's 2002 Junior Blues went 20-0-1 on the season and beat St. Thomas Aquinas in the state final, handing the Saints their only loss of the season.
Adam Sokolowski was a standout goalkeeper for the Junior Blues, recording 35 career shutouts.
Topeka High advanced to the Class 6A state championship game for the third of five straight seasons and won the first state soccer championship in Shawnee County history.
Joe Waldron's Trojans beat Shawnee Mission South to win the state title, with Walker Waugh, Andy Vogel and Carlos Escalante among the top players for the Trojans.
Washburn Rural won its third Class 6A boys soccer title in 2012, posting an 18-2-1 record. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Klaus Kreutzer's Hayden boys soccer team won its second Class 4A-1A state title in 2012. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Washburn Rural and Hayden, which both won state championships in 2012, round out the top five on the Best of the Best Top 10.
Rural went 18-2-1 on the '12 season for the third state championship in school history, capped by the Junior Blues' win over Wichita Northwest in the state final. T.Y. Burton, Austin Halsey and Joah Hickel were standouts on the '12 team.
Klaus Kreutzer's Hayden team won its second boys state soccer championship in '12, with the Wildcats posting a 14-4-0 record on the season, including a 5-1 victory over Tonganoxie in the Class 4A state title game. Connor Beck scored 32 goals in 2012, including four in the state championship game.
Hayden's 2000 4A-1A state title team is No. 6 on the Top 10, followed by Washburn Rural's '21 6A state runnerup team, High's '99 6A runnerup team, Rural's '14 6A runnerup team and Shawnee Heights' '08 5A runnerup team.
Hayden's '00 championship team earned the No. 1 spot in Reader's Choice balloting, followed by Washburn Rural's '02 team, Topeka High's '97 squad, Rural's '09 team and the Junior Blues' 12 team.
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST BOYS SOCCER TEAMS
1. Washburn Rural (2009) -- Brian Hensyel's 20-1-0 Junior Blues beat Free State to win the Class 6A state championship. Washburn Rural finished the season ranked 11th in the nation, with its only loss coming against St. Thomas Aquinas, which went unbeaten on the season and was top-ranked in the nation. Top players for Rural, which allowed seven goals on the season, included Nick Golden, Austin Jackson, Levi Brunton and Anthony Schmiedeler.
2. Washburn Rural (2002) -- Lionel Suarez led Washburn Rural to its first of three Class 6A state championships in school history. The Junior Blues went 20-0-1 on the season and beat St. Thomas Aquinas in the state final, handing the Saints their only loss of the season. Adam Sokolowski was a standout goalkeeper for the Junior Blues, recording 35 career shutouts.
3. Topeka High (1997) -- Topeka High advanced to the Class 6A state championship game for third straight season and won the first state soccer championship in Shawnee County history. Joe Waldron's Trojans beat Shawnee Mission South to win the state title. Walker Waugh, Andy Vogel and Carlos Escalante were top players for the Trojans.
4. Washburn Rural (2012) -- Washburn Rural went 18-2-1 on the season for the third state championship in school history, capped by the Junior Blues' win over Wichita Northwest in the state final. T.Y. Burton, Austin Halsey and Joah Hickel were standouts on the '12 team.
5. Hayden (2012) -- Hayden won its second boys state soccer championship, with the Wildcats posting a 14-4-0 record on the season, including a 5-1 victory over Tonganoxie in the Class 4A state title game. Connor Beck scored 32 goals in 2012, including four in the state championship game.
6. Hayden (2000) -- Klaus Kreutzer's Wildcats garnered their first of two Class 4A-1A state championships. Hayden posted a 16-4-0 record o the season and beat Kansas City Christian in the state final.
7. Washburn Rural (2021) -- Washburn Rural won its first 19 games of the season before suffering a 1-0 overtime loss to Olathe West in the Class 6A championship game.
8. Topeka High (1999) -- Topeka High made it to the Class 6A state final for the fifth straight season, posting a 17-4-0 record. Joe Waldron's Trojans lost to Shawnee Mission Northwest in the championship game.
9. Washburn Rural (2014) -- The Junior Blues went 18-3-0 on the season, finishing second to Olathe East in Class 6A. Rural's only two losses were to Olathe East, 5A champ St. Thomas Aquinas and Chaminade Prep, Mo. Austin Halsey was named the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.
10. Shawnee Heights (2008) -- Shawnee Heights posted a 15-4-1 record and reached the Class 5A state championship game, losing to St. Thomas Aquinas.
READER'S CHOICE BOYS SOCCER AWARDS
1. Hayden (2000) -- No. 6 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Washburn Rural (2002) -- No. 2 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Topeka High (1997) -- No. 3 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. Washburn Rural (2009) -- No. 1 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
5. Washburn Rural (2012) -- No. 4 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. Washburn Rural (2021) -- No. 7 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
7. Hayden (2012) -- No. 5 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
8. (tie) Shawnee Heights (2004) -- Mike Balint's T-Birds posted a 16-3-2 record
8. (tie) Shawnee Heights (2008) -- No. 10 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. (tie) Topeka High (1999) -- No. 8 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. (tie) Hayden (2021) -- Hayden won a Class 4A-1A regional championship before losing in the state quarterfinals.
Next up: Softball Best of the Best Top 10 teams and Reader's Choice awards.
